AN: I apologize for the long time for this update! I just wanted to let you know that this chapter is going to be a little bit different, it will not be in one person's perspective. Just wanted to let you know. It is a little bit shorter than th rest as well! Sorry!

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Chapter Nine

Knowing

"I think you all need to read this and see what kind of pain Naruto's been enduring all this time." Everyone stood stock still.

Naruto was still passed out as Tsunade stood up and took the note from Shikamaru's hand, and read the note. Everyone saw the different expressions in her face as she read the note. From anxious, to sadness, to anger, back to sadness. By the time she was done reading the note she had tears in her eyes. She just shook her head and closed her eyes and handed the note to Kakashi. Everyone watched the same things happen in Kakashi's face that were apparent with Tsunade.

The letter was passed to all those around. Everyone went from feeling anxious about Naruto's condition to worry, than to sadness and shock. Everyone seemed to be perturbed about there realization of their favorite blonde's pain. "How could anyone go through this much, and hide it as well as he did?" Asked Neji. Most eyes turned to the prodigy as their own conclusion was similar to his. "How could we not notice?" Asked Sasuke. Everyone then turned to look at the usually indifferent Uchiha. When Sasuke noticed that all eyes were on him, he looked at Naruto, and continued, "The three of us who were with him the most didn't even know anything was this bad. I knew that some of the villages resented him because of the fox but I didn't know they did things to him and that they hurt him this much," he paused in his thoughts for a minute than glanced at Kakashi and Tsunade and continued with a very widly held question, "Did you know, Kakashi? Tsunade?"

Tsunade looked confused, and then shook her head. "I am just like most of us, knew there was some resentment for the little brat but nothing this extreme. I still don't know all what was going on with him, Kakashi?" She turned to Kakashi who shook his head in the same manner, "The same, though I did notice that he did seem out of character as of late, but I was stupid enough to think that it was just a bad day! How stupidly foolish!"

Tsunade turned her gaze back to the sleeping blonde that has touched her life the most out of all she has known. "How could he have put up with this much pain as long as he has? I am the one who gave him the pills but I..." SHe heard a gasp and looked up to see the faces looking at her with confusion. She chuckled humourlessly, "Well, after the 'old man' died and Jeriayah and him came looking for me, as you know we all got into a battle with Kabuto and Orochimaru, he was severly injured and I healed him, as I was, I noticed that his body showed signs of malnourishment and fatigue," she paused and looked around to gage the others' reactions, as she predicted they were stunned and shocked, she continued, "when we got back to the village, I found him wandering around past midnight and followed him. He ended up going to the Third's grave and he broke down there. I confronted him and he told me that he had not been sleeping at all since the old man's death and hasn't been eating either. (More gasps from around the room) So I gave him the pills but warned him that he should only take one as they were strong, if I had any idea that he was like this I wouldn't have... I wouldn't.." She felt tears running down her cheeks. And then felt an arm around her shoulders and realized that it was Shizune's and her eyes were wet as well.

Neji thought about the information he had just learned and came to a question that he knew most was thinking about. "What exactly happened to him?" He saw most were confused about the question, "I mean," he reiterated, "with the villagers. What happened with the villagers to make him hurt and be in this much pain. I mean it must have been bad for him to give up, when he is the only one I know who would never give up!" Neji was growing frustrated, he just couldn't believ Naruto had been this hurt and in pain that he would try to take his own life.

Before anyone could voice there many theories of hte blondes pain, Sasuke interrupted and said, "They used to beat him..." Everyone, and that means everyone gasped. Shikamaru turned to Sasuke, an angry glare showing towards him, "You knew?" Shikamaru sounded pissed. Sasuke shook his head, "No! I didn't, not until I was trying to keep him awake and he told me, how far those 'beatings' went, I don't know, I couldn't even imagine, but I ..."

"Would you shut the hell up Teme!" Came a weak voice from below them. They all jumped at the suddenness of the voice and looked down at Naruto. He was struggling to stand up, but was stopped by the hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked up and saw that Neji was trying to keep him still and sitting. He waved his hand at Neji's hand to swat it away but it was done in futility because his hand was caught by Shikamaru. "Hey Naruto! How are you feeling?" Shikamaru and Neji said at the same time. Naruto looked between the two and scowled. "I would be better if you didn't save me! And what is this that you guys want to know what happened between the villagers and me?" He looked up at everyone's face and they all nodded. He took a deep breath.

"Well, lets see, what caused the bad blood between me and the villagers? Oh, I know!..." He let the tension rise before continuing. He hated being blunt like this, but he finally knew he needed to tell them just what he had been through. "I was born!"

Everyone looked shocked to the say the least. They knew all their lives were about to change, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. Nobody could tell until they learned the whole thruth. And they were afraid of finally finding out Naruto's hidden pain.

Of knowing!