I do not own Naruto. Something tells me that I never will. I have just a tad more to add with Sakura and Sasuke's past, but it should be coming soon. I've gotten several questions on when Naruto is going to reveal his sickness. The story still has quite a ways to go, but this chapter does contain that certain part. Also, remember how pointless chapter seven seemed? Well several things that happened there will finally lead to something here.

TTT

Blood. There was blood on the cherries. Sasuke took a step back, but the blood was still there. He ran, but not fast enough. Because his parents were asleep on the ground. He ran to them. He called to them. Begged them to answer. They didn't utter a sound.

They never even breathed.

"NOOOO!" Sasuke screamed. He just heard the sound of the sobs, his and the other, the other person who's face was hidden in the shadows.

"Blood." He moaned. "Blood on the cherries."

Sasuke finally woke up from his nightmare.

TTT

"I cant believe that its been raining for the last couple days." Naruto grumped. Kiba just looked up to the sky, and Naruto wondered briefly if he was going to "howl at the moon."

"I wouldn't worry about it. This time of year it always pours like this." Kiba answered, finally forced to bring out his hood from his jacket. Naruto wrinkled his nose, as rain drops splattered onto his face.

"It's just so annoying." Naruto desperately wished for a hat, or a hood, or heck, even an umbrella. Those things came in handy every now and then, he was reminded. He remembered once having a jousting tournament once with umbrella's. Right before he had been kicked out of the museum.

"Quit your whining. It's just a little water." Kiba never had been very patient when it came to whining. It was one of his pet peeves. People were always shocked that he and Naruto were friends, considering their constant arguments. His sister Hana always answered his father's comment with "Sometimes its boring when people are too much alike."

Kiba and Hana- despite the age difference- were pretty close. Nobody knew him better then Hana, and nobody listened to him like Hana did. She wasn't always tolerant with everybody. Just her little brother.

"Ugh. I just remembered that I have an appointment with Kakashi today." Naruto said with some disgust. Kiba glanced at his friend, and for once didn't see the usual smile, the usual laughter, or the usual passion that was always on his face. The Naruto he was looking at this very moment, seemed a little tired and worn, and defeated.

Asking if Naruto was "okay?" wasn't going to give Kiba an answer. Of course Naruto wasn't okay. He was dieing, from an illness that little was known about. So instead he continued the conversation, as if Naruto didn't have that look on his face.

"Kakashi doesn't seem that bad. I mean, he doesn't act like Mr-Fix-It or anything. He just kind of listens, right?" Kiba wasn't sure of course. He had never been to a therapy session with Kakashi. But he had met Kakashi once, and the man seemed…well he didn't act like a therapist.

No, Kakashi had an attitude that suggested they do anything but talk. Read his book, play Uno, whatever it was at that time. And it made Kiba wonder. You would think at that rate, people wouldn't want to come. But it seemed like, for Naruto, it was the thing that he needed more then a discussion.

"No, Kakashi isn't bad. He's pretty fun actually. He kicks butt at Candy Land."

Kiba didn't even want to know.

"So…" Kiba muttered, in an attempt to change the subject, "Hinata's pretty cool. She's pretty shy though."

Lately Hinata had been spending a lot of time with Naruto and his variety of friends. She sat with them at the lunch table, and lately Sakura had been joining her. Sakura had abandoned most of her other friends (and Kiba was happy. Her other friends annoyed him.) And had decided to join Hinata.

All she ever said about the matter was "You guys are way more interesting."

Naruto snorted and replied "Not when you get to know her. Hinata actually talks quite a bit after a while."

Kiba smiled smugly. The conversation was now going to head over to things he had been wondering about for a while.

"So are you and Hinata…you know…" Kiba prompted. Naruto stared at him with a blank face.

"No Kiba, I don't know."

Kiba coughed. "I thought since you were spending so much time together that maybe…" He left the ending hanging in the air between them. Surely now Naruto would get the whole picture.

"Maybe what?" Naruto asked, just as clueless as the last time Kiba had let the ending go. Kiba and Naruto had stopped on the sidewalk, though neither had really taken note of it.

"That you were, like, a thing." Kiba finally spat it out. He knew he wasn't being extremely obvious, but surely by now Naruto would have caught on. But that was apparently wishful thinking.

"What the heck are you talking ab-"

"Good grief Naruto, could you be any more dense? I'm asking if you and Hinata are dating!" He lost control at the last part and yelled it. Naruto looked more irritated at being called dense then at being yelled at. He had often noticed that he sometimes had that effect on people.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Naruto asked, though his stomach felt weird. Him and Hinata dating? He felt a little nauseous, but it didn't hurt. The feeling was odd and new to him.

"You didn't answer the question." Kiba pointed out. They continued walking, both oblivious to the two mothers who had been watching the conversation with mixed emotions on their faces.

"We're not." Kiba noted that he sounded a little sad, though it could just be the mood Naruto was in at the moment.

"What was so forbidden about the word "dating" anyway?" Naruto asked with some amusement. He became suddenly aware that the rain had stopped, and the sun was actually making an appearance.

"I was trying to be discreet." Kiba replied, leaving his hood on. When he was twelve, he had always worn his hood, and it somehow felt natural. It kind of gave him a pleasant memory of him as a child, playing in the mud with his dog.

"Discreet? Sheesh Kiba, its not like we're surrounded by people."

They were in fact, waiting with about ten other people at a cross walk.

"With anyone that really matters." Naruto amended. The light said 'Walk' so they began their pushing and shoving towards the other side. Naruto stepped on a woman's foot. She was wearing bright purple and lime green, and happened to be sporting orange tennis shoes.

"Watch where your going!" The woman snapped.

"Sorry," Naruto muttered, then turned his attention back to Kiba. "And you didn't answer why you thought that we were. I'd like to know why."

"Did you not care that I was standing there?" The woman continued to fume. Naruto turned his head back and this time said a little louder "I'm sorry." And again turned back to Kiba.

"It's just that you've been spending so much time with Hinata lately. And…I mean…with her your like…happier or something. You seem a little more care free." Kiba wasn't sure how to explain it, but Naruto was different with Hinata.

"'Sorry' he says. I ought to show him sorry!" The woman continued to rant. This time Naruto ignored her.

"Hinata's nice. She lives the world at her own pace, you know?"

"Happens all the time with young people. I cant believe this!" The woman was still yelling. Naruto still refused to turn around and acknowledge her. Kiba was getting a little worried that she was going to do something reckless and stupid, but he kept his eyes on Naruto.

"I hate to break it to you buddy, but I think you might like her."

"Me? Come one Kiba."

"No, I'm serious. I think you're just so oblivious that you haven't realized it."

"Did you not see me standing there? You could have broken my toe!" The woman was yelling loud enough that several people turned around to look.

Naruto turned to face her and in anger yelled back, "It would be impossible for me to not see you standing there, with clothing like that!" The woman looked offended then opened her mouth, but Naruto beat her to it.

"I said sorry, not once, but twice! Either take it, or leave."

"Well I never-"

But Kiba and Naruto were already walking away.

TTT

"So there's some weird lady living inside of the house on possessed hill?" Sakura asked. Hinata had just told her the story of how she and Naruto had ended up in the home of "Lady" Chiyo. Hinata nodded.

"Well that's totally weird. I mean, who would have guessed that someone lived there? Is she a recluse?"

Hinata pondered the question. "I guess. There's no other reason why nobody would have noticed her." She remembered how eccentric old woman had gone on about how lonely she was. If she was lonely, then why did she lock herself up in a rotting house?

Sakura made a small grunting sound as she lifted her backpack. It was insanely heavy, since it contained 3 not so small text books. To add to her discomfort, the school was freezing.

The heater had broke during the weekend, and the only way to stay warm was to bundle. Everyone had looked ridiculous, inside of layers of jackets. The only thing Sakura had been carrying with her was her sweater. As nice and fuzzy as it was, it wasn't going to keep her warm in a building that felt like Antarctica.

She glanced down at her sweater. Maybe it was about time that she got rid of it. It was her favorite, but she was reminded of last year when Kimberly Naston had made a rather biting remark about it.

"You know Haruno," Kimberly said in a voice like cream. "If you keep wearing that sweater people will mistake you for a marshmallow with fur."

Other girls might have ran to the bathroom and cried. Other girls might have been at a lack of words. But if there was one thing Sakura Haruno never was, it was speechless.

"Well Kimberly," Sakura shot back, "I find it preferable to looking like my face has been through a meat grinder."

It wasn't true of course. Kimberly looked like she had just stepped off a runway. But it had given Sakura some inner satisfaction, and the look on Kimberly's face had been totally worth the rude and cruel comment.

Kimberly hadn't bothered her after that. Oh sure, there was the expected gossip behind her back, rude gestures and facial expressions. But never again did Kimberly mock her to her face. And for that, Sakura felt proud.

"Did you see Choji today?" Sakura asked suddenly. Choji had been absent from her History class that she had with him. It was odd not seeing the slightly plump boy.

"Yeah. He had a doctors appointment." Hinata replied. Her face scrunched up as she considered the threatening clouds. It had been raining earlier, but it had cleared up some. The sun was poking little holes through the clouds and peering down at the earth. It was as if it was shyly saying hello.

Hello, Sakura said back. And then she froze. Because not more then ten feet away was Sasuke Uchiha. She had watched him from afar, but never this close. And looking at him so near, she could see the resemblance to his childhood self.

Same dark hair. Same onyx eyes. A different attitude. The way he walked reminded her of cherries and blood.

She fled. She couldn't talk to him, couldn't even look at him. No matter how much she wanted to walk over and say hello, the pain and awareness held her firmly back. She ran. And ran. And ran.

TTT

Kiba raised an eyebrow. Not thirty minutes earlier he had been talking to Naruto about the same dark haired girl that now stood in front of him.

"Have you seen Sakura?" she asked anxiously. Kiba shook his head.

"Why would we? What's wrong?" His brow was furrowed with concern. Naruto popped up behind him, muttering to himself.

"Crazy lady. And what was with her clothes?" He stopped when he saw Hinata. Then began to talk a mile a minute.

"Hinata? Iseverythingalright?You'reokay?Nothingswrong?Whyarentyouanswering?" He took a well needed breath. Kiba just shook his head. Naruto was Naruto. You just couldn't change him.

"Everything's fine. I'm fine. I was just wondering if you saw Sakura. She ran over here. She looked upset." Hinata nervously squished her fingers. What had happened? One minute Sakura had been staring at the clouds with a daydreaming expression, the next she was running as fast as she could.

And Hinata couldn't keep up.

Naruto looked relieved and then slightly worried. "She just ran off?" Kiba looked up and sighed.

"Relax. I'll look for her. If we cant find her then call her tonight. You two stay here." Hinata wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a look pass between the two boys. She was suddenly on her guard. She forced herself to relax. This was Naruto and Kiba. They were her friends. She could trust them.

After Kiba left, Naruto turned to face her. There was no laughter in his face. There was no smile. His eyes locked solemnly to hers and she knew that this must be important.

"Walk with me?" He asked softly. She was hesitant; that was the wrong word. Afraid. Afraid that something was wrong.

"Kiba said to stay here."

"We'll be back soon."

She followed him. There was silence, but not the relaxed kind that they were used to from one another. This silence was different.

"Hinata…I have to tell you something." Hinata felt her breath quicken. Naruto was acting weird. She wasn't sure she wanted to listen, but she couldn't run away. Not from him. Not from Naruto.

"I…I was born with this disease…its called the Jinchuuriki disease."

Blood pounded through her veins.

"We…Jinchuuriki that is….got through different stages of sickness. Nicknamed "tails." There are nine tails…"

She wasn't hearing this. This wasn't happening. Not to Naruto. Please, she begged, not to Naruto.

"And I'm on the ninth tail. Hinata…I'm dying."

NO! She wanted to scream it to the entire world. NO! This wasn't fair. This wasn't right.

"Dying?" She rasped. "You cant die." She was trembling.

"We all die in the end Hinata."

It was then that Hinata passed out.

TTT

Please remember that now that school has started for me, I will no longer have as much time to update. None of my stories will be abandoned, just more infrequent updates. Also I am now adding titles to my chapters. So until next time

-Mindcaster15