Zabuza nodded at A and B and the Leaf shinobi before they walked through the gates. Naruto still was feeling the lasting effects of his lightning overload so he was being carried by Gai. The group ran quickly as they headed to Kohona. They waved goodbye to A and B before they returned to there break neck pace back. Finally after a long day of hard travel they arrived at the large green gates. Naruto had once again passed out and Sakura couldn't find out why. Ino began to panic as Gai shunshined into the hospital and handed him to a doctor who ran him into surgery.
After Sakura shook her head and Gai teleported to the hospital, Kakashi teleported to the Hokage office.
"Tsunade-sama,… it…Naruto…hospital…need you…go!" He bowed before she told him to lay down. Kakashi nodded before he walked to the couch layed down and was out like a light. Shizune looked at Tsunade as she ran out of the office.
"Hokage-sama?"
"Lets go Shizune Naruto is in the hospital." Shizune nodded and the two ran to the hospital to conserve their chakra. After arriving they washed up and ran into the operating room. Naruto was on the table and his heartbeat was eradict. Tsunade looked at the doctor in charge.
"What is the problem?"
"We don't know ma'am. We put him on the table and he went into cardiac arrest!"
Tsunade nodded before she approached the table. She charged up her medical jutsu and began to search the body for any damage. After a very thorough search she finally found the source. It was a chip of what looked like rock that had lodged inside of his chakra coils. Tsunade felt a tear fall down her cheek.
"Shizune, there is debris in his chakra coils. This will be a dangerous procedure and he may not survive. Get Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and get Lady Chio from Suna. She was here teaching some basic puppetry to our shinobi." Shizune nodded and ran out. Tsunade looked at the doctors around her.
"This will be a dangerous procedure. Anyone not in favor of operating on this child, my child please leave now. He is the Kyuubi container so I will understand if you have you own reasons not to." She felt a slight sense of hope as all the doctors pulled on their own gowns and new gloves. The lead looked at her.
"Tsunade-sama it seems the hero needs his own hero."
Shizune ran to the academy and found Lady Chio. She already told Ino, Sakura, Hinata to scrub up in operation 10 and they ran in. She ran to the old women of Suna.
"Lady Chio, please its Naruto!" Chio looked at her and smiled.
"Lets go we can't let the annoying brat die can we?" Chio still remembered when the boy saved her life after she saved Gaara's. She was laying dying when he forced his own chakra into her body. She still felt the ice cold feel mixed with the hot hatred he had at the moment due to Gaara's near death experience. The two women ran to the hospital. As they entered the operating room they pulled on gowns and gloves and covered their mouths as did everyone else in the room. Tsuande charged up her chakra scapel and made an incision down the blond's chest.
Kakashi woke up to find Gai and Anko as well as Sasuke, Sai, Lee, Kiba, Shikamaru, Choiji, Iruka, Neji, and Shino. All of them wore somber faces as they all worried about one thing. 'Naruto, please be okay.' Kakashi looked uop and sighed.
"I take it Naruto isn't so good?"
"No he is in surgery right now. Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Lady Chio are all in there plus another 7 mediocre doctors. There was a pebble in his chakra coils." Sasuke looked down after completing his statement as a tear fell down hs nose. He still remember when he and Naruto hated each other. Then they fought Haku and Naruto almost died to protect Sasuke. Then Naruto almost died again when Sasuke was abducted by sound. Sasuke forced his tears back. 'He survives everything by tomorrow he will be back on his feet pissed off because he can't go on any missions until further notice.'
Tsunade sighed as she closed the last wound and held the tiny stone in her hand. 'To think this almost killed my son. Ha! It will take more than that silly rock.' She threw it into the garbage and turned to the group. "Okay everyone great job! Ino you stay here for an hour to make sure the medicine dosne't wear off. Everyone else dismissed." As everyone except Ino and Tsunade and Shizune filed out. Shizune stayed with Naruto and sat next to him stoking his hair. Tsunade looked at Ino and sighed as she sat down.
"Ino you know how much he cares for you right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"You know that he probably would die to protect you?"
"Yes ma'am."
"And you know he proabably want to take it to the next level but is afraid right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Well do you want to take a mission with him after and discuss it with him? I have a c rank I could send you on next week."
"That would be great Tsunade-sama."
One Week Later
Naruto sighed as he sat at the desk in the hospital signing paper work to get released. After an hour of writing the nurse accepted the paper work and Naruto walked out. He sighed as he realized he hadn't had a cigarette in a week and pulled one out and lighted it. He took a deep pull off of it and smiled with his eyes closed until he felt someone remove the cancer stick from his mouth. He opeened his eyes and saw a very angry looking Ino. She held a mission scroll with her.
"Naruto, do you know why I am angry?"
"Because you don't want me to smoke and feel that just because you made Asuma sensei quit that you can make me."
"Wow and who says you aren't smart?"
"You do hime."
She smiled at this and pulled outa small hip flask and handed it to him.
"Id rather you drink than smoke so here." He smiled as he took the flask and took a small sip. He knew enough that he has no reason to drink anymore. Really he was just smokeing to help with stress from being a major combat ninja. "Anyway you and I have a C-rank and your being sent as security again. Maybe if your good I'll let you in my tent." He blushed at this. Ino never made jokes about sex. He smiled and moved closer and whispered into her ear. "Who says I need your premission. I am a special jounin with double s ranking in the bingo books. Only 9 people have ever had that and I am the strongest of the 9." She closed ehr eyes and a slight soft moan escaped her lips.
"Naruto-kun, lets go do this mission so we can get back for the chunin exams. Then I am not taking another team. I am joining the interrogation full time. And we can 'spend' more time together. Naruto felt a blush rise as he kissed her intensly. 'Every kiss with her feels like the first.' Naruto thought to himself before he heard a voice. "Thanks Naruto-kun." His eyes shot open and he broke contact. And looked at the unconscious Ino. When her eyes shot open he faked angry and growled.
"So I am not a good kisser so you look for memories of me looking ay myself in the mirrior Ino-hime? YOu could have just asked." HE smiled before laughed as she kissed him again.
"Naruto-kun? I think we should go for the mission. My team is waiting at the gates." HE shot up.
"Shit let me go get my gear. I'll meet you there in a few minutes. He kissed her before shunshining out of the area into his apartment.
