Chapter 25
I do not own Naruto. If I did, it wouldn't be successful, and no one would know about it.

Naruto awoke from his slumber.

My whole body feels sore. Especially my legs. What was I doing. Ashi was chasing me. She was unconscious, dying, I rushed her to the hospital! Is she alright! My sense are currently weakened. I cannot sense anything right now.

Naruto started to get up.

I can't get up.

Naruto looked around the room.

Hospital. Leaf Hospital. Did I make it? I don't remember if I did. Did I make it, or was I only found by a patrol. If that's the case...Ashi wouldn't have made it. No. I must have made it.

Naruto began to shiver.

What if I failed? Ashi was kind.

Naruto looked around the room again, and saw a device for signaling a nurse to come over.

Reach. I hurts. If I can just reach it...no.

Naruto's arm dropped in the attempt. He hadn't made it.

One more time.

Naruto stretched out his arm, and successfully was able to grab the device. Naruto then pressed the upon, and a ding like noise could be heard. After several seconds, Naruto pressed it again. Then again. After thirty seconds, an annoyed looking nurse entered the room.

What took her so long?

"You don't need to rapid fire the button. It won't make us come any faster," she deadpanned. She then sighed, and asked, "What do you need?"

Naruto could barely vocalize his thoughts, "Is...is Ash...Ashi...al...alright?"

The nurse asked, "Ashi Inuzuka?"

"Ye...ye..yes," Naruto mumbled.

"She is currently in intensive care. What happened? We know she took at least three soldier pills, but what were you two doing to warrant that," The nurse commanded.

I was...running away from her. She was chasing me. Why did she have to chase me? Why...

Naruto faded away into darkness.

Where am I...the hospital. There is...Crow...Kenshi. Cat...Yugao. Fox...Ensui. The others are probably...on missions right now. They're all asleep. I wish I could take a picture. Ashi...likely made it. The nurse sad she was in...intensive care. How long has it been?

Naruto looked around and spotted a calendar.

It has been two days. I feel fine now. The nine tails does work wonders for my healing. I had...at the very least severe chakra exhaustion. That normally takes a week of recovery. Where is Ashi...there. She is...barely alive right now. The doctors are still working to save her.

She had taken three soldier pills? She is still alive for her weight category? That is amazing...that is...comforting.

Naruto sat up, silent as the grave. Kenshi stirred at Naruto's action, and also awoke. The other two ANBU followed suit. "Naruto," Kenshi cried, rushing Naruto into a hug. "Your alright," he muttered. Yugao and Ensui followed Kenshi's action.

They're here. The masks. Life is miserable without them.

After several moments, the group released their hug, and then Kenshi asked, "Naruto, what happened. The village is in a frenzy, ready for war on our doorsteps. What happened!"

Instead of answering, Naruto asked, "Will she be alright?"

It took Kenshi a moment before he answered, "Yes, Ashi Inuzuka is going to survive. The question now though is whether or not she will ever be a ninja again." Naruto nodded gravely at the response, before Kenshi asked again, "Naruto, what happened?"

"I was running. Running from her. She was chasing me," Naruto answered, fear creeping into his voice.

"Why Naruto," three people asked at once?

"She was going to hurt me," surprising them, "She was going to stare at me with those eyes. Those eyes of fear."

Kenshi narrowed his eyes at the response, and then asked, "Did someone tell her about the nine tails?"

"I don't know," was Naruto's weak response, "But she was told to stay away from me. The fear me. That I was dangerous. That was what I heard."

A look of confusion adopted the faces of the trio of ANBU standing before Naruto. "Naruto, when was this," Yugao asked.

"A month ago," was the response.

Yugao further asked, "Did she in anyway voice her agreement with what the other person said?""

Naruto answered, "I don't know. I ran at that point. The next day, I went out on my month long mission."

Ensui then asked, his voice full of suspicion, "Naruto, how far did she follow you?"

"Approximately a hundred miles, another five for the time in the village," Naruto responded.

Kenshi face palmed. Yugao called Naruto an idiot and slapped him. Ensui muttered out "troublesome."

Naruto's face was one of shock and confusion. Kenshi then spoke, "Naruto, I sometimes realize we didn't teach you nearly enough in the area of social interaction. You are truly one with the intelligence as great as that of a fly's."

Naruto still looked confused. Ensui then chose to clarify, "Naruto, no women would go that far to do something so petty. She obviously was chasing you to the point of unconsciousness. You should have talked to her,"

Naruto was fixing to speak when Yugao interrupted him, rage in her tone, "Naruto, you are not allowed to speak right now! That girl was obviously extremely worried about you! And you ran away like a coward, but she still chased after you! That alone amazes me! What you are going to do is the moment she regains consciousness, you are going to plead for forgiveness. Next, you will go to her father, and plead on your hands and knees for forgiveness. Then you will go to all of her immediate family and apologize! Then you will go to the Fire Shadow and ask forgiveness for putting the village on wartime emergency for being a freaking coward! Do you understand!"

Naruto nodded quickly in terror.

She was worried for me? Why would she be? We barely know one another...I was worried for her though, wasn't I. I expended all my chakra to save her. She used all her chakra and risked death...because she was worried about me. But how can they be sure? But Crow and Cat...Kenshi and Yugao are always right.

Naruto sat in silence for several hours. The trio of ANBU had left after some time.

Ashi...the doctors are treating her right now. He chakra seems weak, but stable. She is no longer in intensive care. I need to see her.

Naruto got up, and started walking. He walked slowly for several minutes and then stopped before a door. He paused. After taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered. On a white bed inside, laid the unconscious form of Ashi.

Naruto took up a seat next to the bed, and sat in silence, staring at Ashi. After a long while, he mumbled, "I'm sorry Ashi. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm sorry for hurting you." Naruto continued to sit there, next to the bed, awaiting for Ashi to respond. Tears fell from his eyes.

Darkness crept over the pair. Both were sleeping, Ashi centered in a bed, and Naruto hunched over onto it.

There is chapter 25. How was it? Review so I can find out.

For those who are interested, the Hana character that I created was originally suppose to actually be a very nice lady that would tease Nartuo and Ashi. However, the power of plot compelled me to do otherwise.

Check out my new story "The Turning to Darkness." The summary is horrible, but it a story of Kurama falling from grace into his darkness and hatred fir humanity. After all, it is said it is said that he grew to hate humanity for how they viewed him.

Don't worry, I will still be doing normal updates for this story, that meaning my best to do daily updates, excluding weekends. The other story will have updates about every three days too a week. While this story has more humor, "Turning to Darkness," will largely consists of internal contemplation of Kurama. People who have taken philosophy may recognize some things contained within the story.