Previous Chapter: Confessions: Part I

"P-p-p-pass?" was all Ayami was able to get out before she collapsed from all the blood she lost. She was fully prepared to die . . . and now she was passed out, in the jutsu imprisoning her.

"This could be bad . . ." the ANBU White-Coat said, looking at Ayami. Then she noticed the group of very enraged, murderous people. She then looked to the side. "Uh, Lady Hokage? I think you should heal the girl quickly . . ."

Everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks and turned to the direction the woman was looking in. Tsunade emerged from the trapdoor she was waiting and watching in. She also looked very pissed.

The ANBU slowly backed up. "H-hey wait a second . . ."

"YOU IDIOT!!!!! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HURT HER THAT MUCH!!!!!" the infuriated Sannin screamed.

Tsunade swung her fist at the woman, but hit nothing. She had moved out of the way. "I knew she could handle it . . ."

She turned to look at the girl, but in her way stood Rin, crying to see her friend still alive. Tsunade smiled broadly, and hugged her old friend.

"Calm down, I'm fine, Rin," she said.

"Thank heavens; the way she was talking, it was like you were dead . . ." Rin muttered.

"Uh, Grandma Tsunade, what's going on here?!" Tsunade turned around, only to see a group of very confused people. The question came directly from Naruto.

Tsunade let out a very long sigh before continuing. "I'm sorry to have put you through all this. It was her idea." She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the ANBU. "She needed to test Ayami. She's going to help her with the Eight-Tails."

"Speaking of Ayami . . ." Kakashi pointed to the bloodied girl.

"YOU IDIOT!!! RELEASE HER!!!!!" Tsunade screamed.

"Oh . . . sorry." She said, making some hand signs.

The seal started to glow, and then disappeared, releasing Ayami, who slumped to her side.

"IDIOT!!!" she yelled again, and aimed a punch, which the ANBU dodged.

Tsunade and Rin rushed over to Ayami's side, and healed the gash on her back before rolling her onto it. She had lost plenty of blood, but was starting to heal quickly thanks to the Eight-Tails.

The ANBU walked over to Ayami, and kneeled down next to her. "She passed with flying colors." She stood up. "I will help her."

Ayami was starting to come around from the blood loss. She opened her eyes groggily, only to see the face she doubted to see. "T-Tsunade? R-Rin?" she croaked out. Tsunade nodded. "It was all a test . . . so you can relax."

"W-where's N-Naruto?" she asked very quietly.

"Oh shit . . ." was all the woman got out before she went flying into a wall.

"YOU IDIOT!!!!! YOU DIDN'T RELEASE HIM?!"

"Ouch . . . shit . . ." the woman muttered, creating some hand signs.

Everyone turned to the post Naruto was supposed to be on, but wasn't there. Everyone started to panic, but they spotted him, supporting Ayami in his lap, and hugging her tightly.

"O-ow N-Naruto, I hurt . . ." she moaned.

"S-sorry, I'm just glad to see that you're alive . . ." he said, slacking his hold on her.

"Naruto, I will die to protect you . . . I love you . . ." she muttered, consciousness started to leave her slowly. Naruto supported her body in one arm, and held her hand with the other.

Ayami finally fell asleep. The exhaustion from the Hokage Monument, to what had just happened finally caught up to her

Naruto too passed out, falling to his back, causing Ayami to land on his chest, her hair covering part of her face. Hinata gazed at her sister, both envy and relief present in her eyes. The others looked happily at the couple.

"We should get them to the hospital, they've been through a lot, more then you know . . ." Rin said, picking up Ayami. Jiraiya came over and picked up Naruto and started toward the exit.

The ANBU with the cat mask started to make her way to the exit too, but was cut off by the crowd of very angry people. "Um . . . can I help you?"

"Who the hell are you and why'd you do that to Ayami and all of us?!" Sakura practically screamed.

The ANBU sighed. "As Lady Hokage said, it was all a test. It had to be done so I could learn a bit about the girl. As for who I am . . . that can wait until I talk to Ayami. So if you should be so kind . . ." She started toward the door again.

"Oh no you don't!" Kiba shouted, and tried to place a hand on her shoulder to catch her, but his hand passed right through. The image started to mirage off slowly.

An after image?! Dammit she's fast! Was the single thought that passed through the crowd of gathered ninja.

"I'm going to check on Ayami . . ." Neji muttered walking toward the exit. The others slowly filed out, all walking for the hospital.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-Hospital-

Tsunade and Rin sat in the hospital room, closely observing the occupants. Ayami had bandages covering a great deal of her body, but they weren't necessary due to the Eight-Tails. She was exhausted and completely drained of any color due to the blood she had lost. Now her face had a bit more color to it. Her chakra level was dangerously low, but it was now replenished and she was due to wake up at any moment.

Tsunade directed her gaze to Naruto. He was sleeping peacefully on the adjacent bed. His face had a look of complete giddiness on it. Tsunade smirked as she looked at that goofy grin plastered on his face.

Rin was gazing at her apprentice proudly. She's the strongest kunoichi I've seen in all my years . . . but she's also very stubborn . . . She looked at Naruto. Jiraiya sure did train that boy well to land a catch like Ayami here . . . she's one of a kind.

"They'll want to come in soon, Lady Hokage," she heard the ANBU say. Tsunade and Rin turned around to see the ANBU. They didn't even sense her.

"Was all of this really necessary?" Rin said quietly.

She let out a small sigh before turning to Tsunade. "I needed to test how far she was willing to have rescued her friends and family. I also tested her strength, which she probably didn't realize . . ." she paused for a short moment before continuing. "As for injuring her and making her think she was about to die . . . I needed to know if she would do it . . ."

Rin was about to interject to defend her apprentice, but the ANBU just raised her hand to stop the wolf Sannin from talking.

"Saying and doing are two different things, Lady Rin . . . I wanted to know if she was willing to lay down her life for him . . ."

"So . . . can you help with the Eight-Tails then?" Tsunade asked almost pleadingly.

"Well . . . it's hard to say . . ." she let out another short sigh. "I already observed her seal, but I don't know if I can rebuild it. I do have a slight idea . . ."

"What is it?"

She shook her head from side to side and looked at the wolf Sannin and the Hokage in turn. "Sorry, but I will tell Ayami first and she will decide. After everything I did, I feel it is right that she chooses what she thinks is best . . . and if she will tell you."

"What do you mean 'if she will tell you'?!" Rin asked hotly.

"Hn, well honestly I doubt that she would want anyone to know of my idea . . ." she looked at the girl. "She is a Protector; she will always protect her friends."

"So will you train her to take your place?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.

"I have been one of the Protectors of The Leaf for almost a decade now, I believe it is time that I find my replacement . . ." she sounded sad about her retirement.

"Anyway, her friends really want to come in and see her, but I need some time to talk with her first, then we can explain what we choose to do. So can you keep them out for a bit? I'll let you know when they can come back in."

"Yes, I'll go keep the peace. They likely want to rip you apart." Tsunade said with a small chuckle. Rin merely smirked and followed Tsunade out the door.

She stood there for a good ten minutes before Ayami finally started coming around. Ayami looked very groggy but she could still see. She first saw Naruto, and sighed to the fact that he was safe. She turned her gaze to the woman standing in front of her.

Ayami's eyes widened, then changed to a very dark glare as she looked at the woman that had kidnapped her friends and put them through so much.

"Calm down, I'm here to help you." She said with a small chuckle.

"Who are you?" Ayami asked, her gaze softening.

The woman removed her cat mask. She had long purple hair that showed some silver strands in some parts and honey brown eyes. She looked in her late twenties to early thirties. Her face radiated kindness and a sense of strength much like Ayami's did. She looked at her with a very kind smile.

"I am Yugao Uzuki, one of the Protectors of The Leaf."

A/N: Konichiwa! I'm not sure I got Yuago's description right . . . ah who cares?!

Next Chapter: A Protector?!