Kyuubi curled her tails around the boy, pulling him closer and holding Naruto until his thoughts settled and sleep overtook his exhausted body. That is until a persistent shaking broke the calm.

Ino hummed softly as she walked past the training grounds, happy to be back in civilization after a gruelling week long mission. Yawning and stretching, Ino finally glanced about her surroundings. What she saw stopped her cold. All around her was dented trees and craters; the grass was stained in places with blood. Ino covered her mouth, preventing a scream. Forcing herself to access the damage Ino guessed that the damage was days old, plus everything had seemed normal within the village. Breathing deeply Ino once again surveyed the training ground. Her breath hitched when she spotted the familiar orange covered blonde laying perfectly still beneath a ruined tree. Losing her previously obtained calm, Ino ran towards the figure, falling to her knees beside him. With trembling fingers she checked his pulse gasping at how slow it was.

"Naruto!" Ino cried, shaking him madly.

Naruto groaned inwardly as he forced himself to awake. Blinking slowly he attempted to clearly see the person shaking him.

"I..Ino?" he sputtered. Ino jumped back as if she'd been burned.

"Ino what's wrong? Did something happen? Are you alright?" Ino stared as Naruto threw question after question at her, abruptly he stopped.

"Why are you staring at me?" Naruto looked at her intently. With a flurry of movement Naruto reeled from Inos' fist hitting his head.

"You baka! I thought you were dead or hurt!" Ino was seething. How dare that blonde idiot do that. Naruto stared sullenly at her for a brief moment before lunging to catch Ino in a quick hug.

"I knew you cared!" he declared with a bright smile.

"I,, well,,,I." Ino floundered for a moment before smacking him again. Though not hard.

"Hey can't have Sakura getting Sasuke-kun all to herself now can I?" Naruto smirked.

"Well then Sakura-chan has one up on you since she's living with him." He said gleefully. Ino stared and stared and stared and stared.

"Her father kicked her out due to a disagreement," he added hastily, sensing an oncoming explosion, "Sasuke offered her a room." Ino stared.

"Umm Ino? Hey Ino!" Naruto poked her gently.

"Huh? Oh sorry Naruto." Naruto looked at her closely.

"Baka don't stare!" she snapped. "Anyway why are you sleeping in the middle of a destroyed training ground?"

"I was training."

"You did all this?" her expression held doubt.

"No most of this was when we were attacked here a few days ago."

"Attacked?"

"Yer we all landed in hospital after that, even Kakashi-sensei."

"I haven't heard anything."

"Well it's true. Go ask kaka-sensei if you don't believe me."

"I might just do that. And if you were attacked why were you training. Shouldn't you be resting still?" Naruto grinned sheepishly and glanced away coughing.

"Uhh I've gotta go now. Kakashi-sensei will come looking for me and I don't want to get caug..... I mean I don't want to be late. CYA!"

"Hey Naruto, where are you going, I'm not finished with you yet." Ino said jerking forward to catch his arm. His gaze locked on hers for a second before she retracted her hand quickly. To cover the small blush Ino snapped.

"Don't you have any manners? You don't run off half way through a conversation!" Naruto watched stunned as she ranted on and on about being a gentleman. He watched as she paused for a breath and shivered slightly when a chilling breeze drifted across the ground. Smiling he shrugged of his jacket and draped it over Inos' shoulders before running off, shouting over his shoulder as he went.

"Thanks for waking me up Ino. Don't lose my jacket, it's the only one I have. I'll get it off you some other time." Ino blinked as the warmth spread over.

"His only jacket. That can't be right. Sakura's living with Sasuke-kun. Hmm that doesn't mean anything. Naruto could be lying. Where can I find Kakashi-sensei?" Inos thoughts jumped from one thing to another. Deciding to get some answers Ino set out to find the poor unsuspecting silver-haired jonin.

"Ino was acting weird Kyuubi-chan" Naruto said as he navigated another turn.

"She was concerned Kit. When someone sees someone they know lying unconscious in a destroyed area they naturally assume the worst." Naruto laughed.

"Yer but it's Ino. She hates me."

"So did Sakura and Sasuke but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore."

"Point." Deep in thought Naruto payed for his take-away ramen and turned to leave.

"Naruto you alright?" Startled Naruto looked up, a grin plastered on his face.

"Hey don't interrupt my ramen time. I must focus so as not to miss a second of the God of all food." He declared, looking at his ramen lovingly. The shop owner smiled and offered him another ramen box.

"On the house for my favourite customer."

"Thank you!" Naruto smiled brightly and bolted to his favourite spot in the whole world.

Shaking her head Ino hesitated briefly in front of Kakashi's door before pounding harshly on the wood. She took no notice of the dents she made, her thoughts so preoccupied. She was knocking so vigorously that when the door swung open she bashed the poor door opener in the face.

Her eyes widened as Kakashi fell back a step, one hand clutching his nose, which was bleeding; She could tell since his mask was slowly being stained with blood, the other poised over his weapon pouch. Ino rushed forward, temporarily distracted from the reason she came.

"Hatake-san. I'm so sorry!" Ino moved to inspect his nose but Kakashi brushed her hand away.

"It's 'Kakashi' Ino. Please have a seat in there. I'll be back in a second." Ino nodded and moved hurriedly to where he gestured. True to his nature Kakashi was back one hour later and Ino knew that Sakura's complaints about her tardy sensei were not exaggerated.

"But what could he possibly be doing." Ino thought to herself as Kakashi sat opposite her.

"What's up?" He asked.

Ino blushed slightly and glanced at her clenched hands. Kakashi found himself starting to feel uncomfortable in the presence of the female blonde.

"It's about Naruto." Kakashi barely stopped his visible eye from widening. Instead he calmly replied,

"Naruto?" Ino gazed at him calculatingly. She then sighed.

"Naruto said you guys were attacked and that Sakura is now living with Sasuke-kun." Kakashi stared at her impassively.

"It doesn't bother me. I was just wondering if it was true." Ino quickly asserted, "I mean it's not that I think Naruto's a liar. It's just well... I... I'd like clarification." Ino finished lamely. Kakashi chuckled inwardly.

"Yes Ino it's all true. As to why Sakura is living with Sasuke you would have to ask her yourself." Ino nodded dumbly.

"Ino where did you speak with Naruto?"

"Oh! At the training grounds. He was lying under this tree and everything was destroyed around him so I rushed over. I thought he was dead, he was so still." Kakashi started slightly. "However it turned out he was sleeping." She smiled slightly, "Who would have thought that Naruto could be so still and quiet."

"Yes well he's not supposed to be training yet so he probably collapsed." Ino glanced at him questioningly. With another sigh Kakashi gave Ino a summarised version of their attack and the latest going ons.

"So mission gone wrong, attack at the training grounds, poison and it's after affects and Sakura living with Sasuke." Ino counted each thing off on her fingers. Kakashi watched, awaiting an outburst. He received none.

"Well as long as she's happy I guess. I will have to speak with her." Ino grinned happily.

"Ino why are you wearing Naruto's jacket?" Ino looked up surprised.

"I'd forgotten. Naruto lent it to me. Said he'd get it off me later. Do you know where he lives? I can drop it off if it's on my way home."

"Actually Naruto moved in with me recently. But if Naruto said he would get it off you later then he will."

"Naruto lives here?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"I think she may be stranger that Naruto." Kakashi thought quietly. Abruptly Ino stood.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me Kakashi-san. I'll head home now." Kakashi nodded and followed Ino to the door. After closing it behind her Kakashi sighed.

"Now I have to go find a wayward student. Damn blondes making life so complicated." One second later he was gone.

A/N Wulah on a re-wrote chapter. My thanks to all who have just started reading my story and hopefully my story is now not so dead. keep reading :D