His quilt felt odd. Naruto knew the texture of his quilt by heart. After all, he'd had it for years. Sasuke had given it to him- Mikoto had made it for Itachi, before everything had gone so wrong. It been touching to receive something so dear to Sasuke's heart- something imbued with the love of a mother. It was navy blue, with the Uchiha fan sewn at various points, and usually lay across his bed with a smaller orange quilt arranged on top of it as an accent and a set of orangeswathed pillows. Oi, gaki, you remember what happened? A flash of light. An unbelievably painful burning sensation, everywhere on his body. Dammit. He'd fallen unconscious mid-battle. If there was one thing a shinobi wasn't supposed to do, it was that. But then that meant-? Wait, wait, hold it! Naruto jerked up, panicking. The heart monitor picked up speed in mere seconds, startling the person at his bedside. "Whoa, kid, hold o-" Naruto heard them in a detached way, the only thing running through his mind being to find out where he was immediately. A pair of arms held him down against the pillow, and he finally registered the face hovering over him. "Oto-…ero-sensei?" "Jeez, freak out on me. You're in the hospital…again," Jiraiya said wryly, releasing him. Naruto nearly reached out to grasp his arm, but stopped himself before he did. Hospital. Hospital. The Hatake gaki brought you here. "What happened? Is everyone all right? What about Sasuke?" "They're fine. Sasuke's right over there," Jiraiya said, pointing to the room that would lie next to his. "Inuzaka kid's down the hall. Karin's across from you and the Hyuuga and Akimichi are somewhere around here." Naruto breathed a deep sigh of relief, relaxing into the mattress. "Gonna need to know what happened, kid. Mission report's a heap of everybody's stories because you were all so divided." "Oh…right. Eh…" Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. "We left Choji to fight one of them, then Neji, then Kiba and Karin went down into the ravine. I left Shikamaru to deal with the female member after a fifth one appeared and ran off with the coffin. I started to fight him, but Kabuto arrived as backup and took the coffin again. Lee arrived to fight the Kaguya clan member so I could pursue. After that, Sasuke broke out of the coffin and helped me drive off Kabuto, and I used Hiraishin to teleport back to Choji." "I'm assuming that's why the medical squad found the area sealed off." "Yeah. I let him bite me and moved on to Neji because I'd given them Hiraishin marks without them noticing-" "Hold it, hold it, hold it. You let both of them bite you? How much chakra did that take?" Naruto smiled weakly. "Uh…a lot." Jiraiya twitched. "I tried to use the Hiraishin to get back to Sasuke, but I ended up halfway with a bloody nose." With a groan, his godfather rubbed his forehead. "That's when Yoroi attacked me. I was doing fine, but then a female ally of his hit me with a powerful attack that was pure chakra. It gave me these burns." He held up one of his wrapped arms. "And then Kaka-sensei found me." "All right. Well, after you-" The door banged open and bounced against the doorstop. Sasuke hobbled in, leaning on an IV pole with a scowl marring his features. A nurse chased after him. "Uchiha-san! You can't be out of bed-" Sasuke relaxed minutely when he saw Naruto conscious. "I'll go where I want," he said, just a tad haughtily, making the nurse purse her lips. "I'll get Haruno-san." "I'm sure she'll agree with me. Move my bed in here." "Clan heads are given their own rooms-" "I don't care." "Being difficult, Sasuke?" Naruto grinned. "You never came back," the Uchiha bit out, taking a seat on the armchair beside his bed. Throwing her hands up, the nurse wheeled around and stormed out. "Sorry. I got tied up." "Literally tied up or metaphorically tied up?" "Well, metaphorically, but look where we are now." "Should you be out of bed, kid?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow when Sasuke winced and adjusted himself, lightly rubbing his shoulder. "I'm fine." The door opened again, this time with Sakura toting a deconstructed bedframe. "Being difficult, Sasuke?" "That's what I said," Naruto said cheerfully. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Good morning, Jiraiya-sama," Sakura greeted, easily lifting a nightstand to make room for the bed. Jiraiya sweatdropped. "Morning?" Naruto glanced at the window with a frown. "Last I remember it was afternoon." "Kakashi-sensei found you in the afternoon and treatment lasted into the night. You've been asleep," Sakura explained. A pair of nurses came in struggling with a mattress; she took it from them with one hand, taking the folded sheets and pillow with the other while another nurse wheeled in the equipment. "How is everyone?" "Choji and Neji were in critical condition, as well as Karin," Sakura said, knowing he would go rigid upon hearing his cousin's name. "But don't worry, they're all stable and recovering. Kiba was injured seriously, but it wasn't lifethreatening." "What about Shikamaru?" "The only injury he sustained was a broken finger, selfinflicted no less. Don't worry, he's fine." Naruto breathed in deeply, relaxing against his pillow once more. "Don't even think about sneaking out of here," Sakura threatened as she smoothed Sasuke's sheets. Narrowing her eyes, she pointed at him suspiciously. "I don't care what the reason is; you need to recover. Your injuries are very serious. Even with the Kyuubi, it will take you at least a week to heal." Naruto pouted. "Can you at least bring me my book?" "Wasn't everything in your storage units destroyed?" Jiraiya questioned, eyeing his arms. "Nah, I have a rebound." "Rebound?" "If anything happens to my seals, everything in them is just summoned back to the compound." "Smart." There was a brush of cold wind as Izuna barreled through the closed door, passing through Sakura as he went. Madara was close behind, although not as frantic. "Naruto! Are you all right?" Naruto smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine, Izu-nii. Just laid up for a few days again." "You need to be more careful, dammit! Why didn't you come find me before you left?!" "There wasn't any time!" "Excuses, excuses!" Jiraiya facepalmed as the boy argued with empty air, turning around with a sigh and going for the window. "I'm going to report in to Tsunade. You rest, gaki." "Yeah, yeah," Naruto replied distractedly. "Does the Kyuubi not heal your injuries?" Madara inquired, settling on the window pane as soon as Jiraiya had left. "He does, but third degree burns require the generation of new skin and tissue, and the human body usually isn't capable of healing it completely. Usually have to get a skin graft." Izuna leaned over him with a frown, looking him up and down. "Are you sure they did a good enough job? I swear medic nin standards have gone down over the years. Have you-" "Izu, I'm fine." "Have there been any problems?" Naruto sighed. Sakura helped Sasuke back into bed, hooking his IV back up and chastising him as she did so. "No. You know that's mostly stopped." "Problems?" Izuna turned to his brother with a scowl. "Not every nurse is happy to treat the village 'fox brat'," he said bitterly, drifting over to the wall. Naruto sweatdropped. "Well barely anyone's brave enough to say anything against me now that weird things happen to those who do." Izuna grew smug. "Not my fault buckets of paint mysteriously fall on people's heads…" "Or people are seen streaking." "Or find their bank account's been emptied into the village orphan fund," Sasuke added, taking a guess at what they were talking about. "Seriously, don't possess anyone unless it's life or death, okay?" Madara eyed his brother curiously. "I'll teach you how to possess people later," Izuna promised. "You need anything, Naruto?" Sakura asked. "No, I'm good." "All right. Page a nurse if you do. I have rounds to make." Naruto waved as she slipped out the door. As soon as it closed, two familiar faces darted through. "Naruto-kun!" Hashirama exclaimed, face going slack with relief when he saw Sasuke dozing on his bed. "Thank Kami you're all right." Madara opened one eye briefly to appraise them before going back to dozing (he looked like he was dozing to Naruto, anyway, even if he knew he was awake) in the window. "Madara," Hashirama greeted. "Senju," Izuna replied for him. "I gather this wasn't an easy rescue mission." Tobirama glanced at Madara out of the corner of his eye, as he tended to do whenever they were in the same room. "We saw them take Sasuke-kun, but we couldn't do anything," Hashirama said, frustration saturating his tone. He wore a frown, unusual on his face to the blond. "You did fine by alerting me," he replied, trying to make the man feel better. "It's hard to swallow sometimes, but ghosts really just can't do much." "Izuna can, I gather." "Well, yes, but…er…" "That takes a lot of practice," Izuna interrupted. "Like I've said before, I've been doing this for years." "Well…you could teach them…" Izuna's expression went blank. At least, to one not fluent in Uchiha expressions. Naruto recognized it as #3, a.k.a., "Did you just throw me under the bus?" Hashirama lit up. "Yes! Could you?" "Well…" Expression #4, the one he wore when he was considering something hideous but was too polite to point it out, reared its ugly head. "It would be so much more useful if we could all help Naruto-kun-" "I suppose-" Naruto listened as they went back and forth, rolling his eyes. He slithered out of bed and winced as soon as his feet hit the floor, grabbing Sasuke's IV pole he'd come in with to support him. Whistling innocently to himself while the trio conversed (or rather, Izuna tried to dodge Hashirama's insistence with little success while Tobirama looked on with a sigh), he hobbled out the door. In the hall, Madara rose through the floor behind him, falling into pace after him with little greeting. "I do highly doubt that's conductive to recovery," he said, sounding halfway amused and halfway bored. Naruto grinned over his shoulder at him. "I don't like staying in hospital beds." He peeked into Karin's room, spotting her asleep in bed and moving down the hall towards where he felt Neji's chakra signature. Click-click-click. Naruto panicked and threw himself into a room, closing the door just in time to avoid the nurse coming around the corner from spotting him. He heard him open his door, groaning not a moment after. "Guys, Uzumaki's gone again!" Snickering, Naruto ducked away from the door as a medic ran past. Someone else groaned out a curse. "Naruto-kun?" Hashirama yelled out in the hall. "Be lookout," Naruto whispered urgently to Madara. The man only rolled his eyes in the minute way Uchihas did and floated back through the wall. "Naruto?" He wheeled around upon hearing Choji's confused tone. The Akimichi was propped up on several pillows, a basket of fruit in his lap. Ino sat by his side staring at him with a raised eyebrow while Shikamaru stood beside the bed with his hands in his pockets. They looked to have been discussing something before he came in. "What're you doing?" Naruto raised a finger to his lips, skulking to the side of the bed farthest from the door and gingerly sitting down on the floor. Wincing as he did, he settled himself against the wall, a brief cough leaving his lips. "Should you be in here?" Ino asked worriedly. "You were really hurt!" Naruto waved her off. "It's fine," he said, even as Kurama sighed from his mindscape and muttered 'idiot'. "How are you, Choji?" "I'm doin' fine," Choji said, speaking around a mouthful of apple. "You look worse off 'an me." "You know, you really should be in bed," Shikamaru sighed. He slumped into a chair, eyes half-lidded and falsely bored as they eyed the blond carefully. Naruto rolled his eyes. "You guys worry too much. This is just routine with me." "Making a habit of spending time everywhere but your hospital room when you're injured?" Ino sweatdropped. "Pretty much." Naruto grinned. "Whatcha guys doing?" All three of them paused. "Oh…nothing much," Ino said, turning her gaze to the floor. "Just talking about training." Naruto arched an eyebrow when she didn't elaborate. "Team…training? What, with Asuma-sensei or whatever? Your medical training?" "Uh…all of that, basically…" He squinted at them. Choji was contemplating the fruit in his basket; Ino was wringing her hands, staring at the floor; Shikamaru was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. "So…just training in general…" "Yup." "How…informative…" A deep sigh made Ino wince. "It's become very apparent recently just how far behind we are," Shikamaru said, opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. "We want to catch up. That's all there is to it." "Catch up to who?" Naruto asked, confused. Ino twitched. Maybe he's not as smart as I gave him credit for. "You, idiot!" "Me?" She facepalmed. "Your team," she said. "Why would you suddenly want to catch up to us?" Naruto tilted his head, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Gee, I don't know," Ino replied sarcastically. "Maybe because of the fact that if it were just Team Seven on the retrieval squad, no one would be in the hospital." Naruto and Choji winced in sync. "You…don't have to feel inferior," Naruto said, unsure of what to say. "That's just it, Naruto." He looked to Choji in surprise. The boy was staring at the apple in his hand, holding it tight enough small indents appeared on the skin. "We are inferior. Don't try and spare our feelings. We're shinobi- that means it's life and death. We aren't strong enough to deserve to be called your comrades from the Leaf." Flabbergasted, Naruto stared up at them with his mouth agape, feeling out of his element. The clock ticked as people walked by in the hall, the only noise as he stared at them in silence. "…why? Just…I don't get it. You did well." "No." Naruto was startled at the bitter quality to Shikamaru's voice. "I didn't do well. My whole squad nearly died." "That couldn't have been helped…" "It could've been helped if we were stronger," Choji said firmly. "I can't rely on my family's food pills and end up like this in every fight." "I can't let my squad dwindle down to nothing until I'm unable to help any of them," Shikamaru continued. "And I can't continue being weak baggage whose only skill is jumping into someone else's head when they happen to be holding still for me," Ino said, glaring at her lap. I wasn't even able to help Sasuke-kun at all… She looked up, and Naruto was startled again at how sharp her eyes were. When did this happen? he thought. "Naruto, how did you and Sasuke and Sakura get like you are now?" "We trained," Naruto replied, now drumming a controlled beat on his leg, "for years. Since we met. I was…I think we were seven. That's…all we ever did. Day and night. We trained until we passed out and had blisters and sores and couldn't walk the next day and we got up and did it again anyway. We just trained like hell, all the time." "Why did you do all that?" "Because…we had goals. Sasuke…wanted to rebuild his clan and get justice for them. I wanted to find my family. Sakura just wanted to support us and become a strong kunoichi. And we all wanted to be strong enough to protect each other and our comrades." A small smile alit the girl's lips. "You wanted to protect your comrades, huh? Then you can understand why we need to get better than we are now." Naruto considered them for a moment. "Yeah…I think I get it. So…where do you plan to go from here?" "Well." Ino took an apple from the basket, tossing it up and down in one hand. "I'm going to become a medic." "The Leaf would benefit a lot more if each squad had one," Shikamaru agreed. "And I'm going to get stronger," Ino scowled, thinking of Sakura's body. Her friend was so strong she could break trees even without Tsunade's technique, much like Gai and Lee. The fires of rivalry started up in her chest again, something she hadn't felt in a long time- she'd just felt inferiority. "Sakura said she'd let me train with her and her friend with the weapon obsession." "Ah, TenTen," Naruto said, chuckling. "I'm going to train a lot more with my dad," Choji continued. "And Asuma-sensei." Shikamaru sighed, relaxing into his chair again. "It'll be a real drag, but the same for me. I guess we'll just have to train like hell until we can't move anymore." "And then get up and do it again anyway," Ino finished with a grin as they parroted him. Naruto blinked. "Wow," he said, growing cheerful on a dime, "I never expected this drive from you guys! Ahahaha!" He laughed obliviously as a small depression cloud clunked down over their heads. The door flew open. "Is Uzumaki Naruto in here?" Shizune growled, halfway in the room with a clipboard in hand. Tobirama walked by behind her, looking around with a frown. Team Ten stared at her. Naruto waved frantically from the floor, clasping his hands together in a begging position. "He, uh…I saw him heading towards the elevator," Ino stammered. "Dammit! That little brat! He knows he needs to be in bed!" Shizune slammed the door, heels clicking away a moment later. "Are you sure that's okay?" Ino asked again, sweating. Naruto waved. "It's fiiiiine." When Naruto came back to his room, he was greeted with an odd sight. "-honestly, do you know how much of an uproar you caused? You just disappeared! I've been looking for you for months," the redheaded woman in the middle of the room chastised. Hashirama was before her, standing with a slump to him that Naruto recognized in those getting chewed out. Tobirama stood behind the pair with a smirk he was trying to hide, while Izuna stood near the window groaning with his head laying on the sill. Naruto stood in the doorway, staring as he stroked the Kyuubi's side. He'd summoned him in the hall, mostly because he tended to get subconsciously clingy after neardeath experiences, and held him like a pet, with the fox's head resting on his shoulder as he dozed and the nine tails Naruto had forgotten to not include folded over Naruto's arm. The woman wore a plain white kimono with a blue obi, a headdress with two tags covered in kanji adorning her hair. Naruto stared at it, admiring in a child-like manner; it reminded him of his mother's, from the brief moments he'd seen her in pictures. She certainly wasn't like Kushina in disposition, though. Whereas Kushina would have been angrily ranting with her hair flying about, Mito was composed and sharp, more of the "I'm severely disappointed in you" type than the "I'm about to send you flying, knucklehead" type. So this is your first Jinchuriki…did you like her? Who? Kurama yawned, not bothering to look up from the valley his mind currently occupied. Mito. Hmm…well, no, I certainly didn't like her. Admittedly, I was different at that time, but she viewed me as nothing more than a beast, even if she didn't hate me. Naruto frowned slightly. Tobirama caught sight of him in the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Mito, there's-" "Be quiet, Tobirama, I'm not finished." The man's jaw snapped shut. Naruto's lips trembled with mirth. I never thought I'd see him cowed so easily. "Mito-chan," Hashirama began. "I didn't mean to leave… Monkey's student revived me with Edo Tensei." "And why did you not return to the Pure Land?" "Well…I figured I'd stay around and watch over everyone… and Naruto-kun!" "Naruto-kun?" "THANK KAMI," Izuna yelled, interrupting when he lunged for the door and darted behind Naruto, setting his forehead against the boy's hair. He could concentrate enough to make parts of their bodies tangible enough to touch. "She's even more of a beast in death!" "Excuse me?" the kunoichi asked sharply. She startled when she saw the fox in Naruto's arms, eyes widening in surprise. "And who is this?" "Naruto-kun!" Hashirama said cheerfully. "He's the current Jinchuriki of Kyuubi!" "Kyuubi…? What happened to Kushina-chan?" "Kushina-chan?" Tobirama asked, confused. Oh…right…I never told them my mother's name… "Yes, Kushina-chan. I transferred the Kyuubi to her when I was near death." "She was my- mother," Naruto interrupted. Their eyes turned to him as one, and he quelled the anxiety forming in his gut. "She…died." The words my mother felt weird and foreign on his lips. The woman's eyes softened. "I see. I'm sorry, child." A slightly awkward air hung about the two Hokage. Naruto could see the questions dancing around in their minds; he'd never spoken about his parents around them. "Now, is that…?" "Kurama," Naruto replied. "That's his name." He shifted uncomfortably, searching for something to say. Mito tilted her head slightly, eyebrows raising in- not impolite- curiosity. "The Kyuubi let you name it…?" "He already had a name," Naruto snapped, reeling back a moment later in unison with her as she jumped slightly at his sudden animosity. "Uh…sorry. It's just…we're not… its," he finished lamely. It only took a split second for her to comprehend. "I apologize," she said in a polite tone. Izuna had stood up straight, glancing between the two several times as his eyes went narrow. Naruto shifted from foot to foot, eyes darting around, and inwardly groaned. He'd been- not quite excited, but anxious to meet the first Jinchuriki of Kurama- his predecessor, basically. The woman who'd comforted his mother when she was even younger than he was. Now…he felt awkward. I feel like I messed up somehow…this isn't as easy as when Hashi-oji-chan showed up… Hashirama and his brother looked lost. The occupants of the room looked from Mito to Naruto and back again as a minute of silence stretched on. Naruto felt his heart begin to beat faster. Unintentionally, he'd reminded himself of the times he'd stood in front of a class full of thirty other students, floundering for words while his teachers remained impassive- enjoying it, even. Botched class presentations or having to read aloud when he was notoriously bad at reading while his peers snickered at him. Having to wait for Iruka to send him to his seat out of pity. Saved by the bell. Madara floated through the door, looking impassive. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Naruto staring at his feet, clinging to Kurama like a plushy of all things, and Izuna glaring at everyone who wasn't blond or a sleeping Uchiha. "Madara?" Mito took a step back, narrowing her eyes. "What are you doing here?" "Mito-chan, it's all right," Hashirama began. Madara interrupted him with a snort. "I see your nagging wife made her way down here." Hashirama and Tobirama both cringed at his wording. "Afterlife not perfect enough without your idiot Senju up there?" Mito's face darkened into a scowl. She stepped forward, hands shifting from her sleeves in a threatening manner, but before anyone could say anything more, Naruto recoiled, having had enough of the tension. "Get out!" he yelled, not particularly upset with anyone specifically, but rather simply upset, period. The effect was instantaneous. Hashirama and Tobirama were blown out the window, while Mito was expelled through a wall. The Kyuubi jerked awake with a start, expelling a moment later as a confused sentence formed in his mind, startling Naruto bad enough he sunk to his knees. "Naruto?" Izuna knelt down, brow crinkled in concern. "Naruto, I'm sorry. What's wrong? Do you want me to leave?" "No!" Naruto cringed. I sound pathetic. "Just…stay here and…be quiet. Please?" He looked up at Madara with a pleading expression. The man drew back in surprise, the rigidness eventually leaving his shoulders. "…all right," he said after a moment. "Naruto?" Sasuke squinted his eyes, groggy, but Naruto didn't hear him, as the door slammed open the moment he woke up. Tsunade stormed inside with a glower. "What's going on in here?!" she stopped short when she spotted him on the floor, looking a tad lost and shaken. She corrected herself, forcing herself to calm down before she opened her mouth again, and avoided asking where he'd been or why he was out of bed. "Naruto? Are you all right?" Naruto looked up at her, not knowing what to say. "I'mfine." She was my mother. She died. Tsunade slowly knelt down, raising an eyebrow. He looks like he's staring right through me, she thought, biting her lip. "Can I…" "Can you what?" Tsunade asked. "…I don't know." Naruto looked at the floor. She was my mother. She died. "…I want Iruka-sensei." Tsunade paused. "I'll get him," she replied carefully, grabbing his arm and helping him up while Sasuke watched blearily in confusion. She set him back on his bed, arranging his pillows for him before heading for the door again. Naruto pulled the cover up over his shoulders, turning onto his side so he could watch Sasuke as the boy drifted back to sleep. Why do I mess things up? She didn't do anything wrong… "The Kyuubi let you name it…?" Why did she call Kurama it? He understood when the Hokages or random shinobi did. They just didn't know. Literally, most of the time. But why would a Jinchuriki not know how much it hurt to be called an it? We never worked together, kit. No one even knew she was a Jinchuriki…her status was kept a secret from the village. They only knew that the Leaf had the Kyuubi; not who contained it, even if some suspected. Did she really think you were just a demon fox? I'm not sure what went through her mind. She said if I used my power only hatred would come of it. She wasn't entirely wrong considering how hateful I was. She sealed me within herself to gain power for that Senju of hers and the village. You're not a weapon, Naruto replied, almost rushing to answer. I know, gaki, I know. I'm not a weapon, Naruto continued, almost trying to convince himself. We're not. I know. "Naruto?" Naruto jumped. "Hey sensei," he greeted. Smiling a halfsmile, Iruka sat on the edge of the mattress. "What's up?" Judging by the clock, he'd been in the middle of a lesson. Naruto tried not to feel guilty over it. His eyes drifted away from the chuunin's. "…I was hoping she would understand," he muttered, forgetting for the moment Iruka wouldn't know what he was talking aboutand unaware three sets of eyes he'd dispelled were spying from the window. "Understand what?" Iruka asked, not bothering to ask who 'she' was. It was hard enough to get his kid to talk about what was upsetting him, sometimes; he wasn't about to derail progress. "Just…why doesn't anybody get it?" Desperation crawled onto his face. "Uncle Tobi…Uncle Hashi…they didn't…they sold them off like land. And they've never been one, so I wouldn't expect…but she was, but even she didn't work with Kurama. She just told him to stay quiet. She knew how to counter his hatred, but she never tried to help him. Jinchuriki are supposed to be friends with their Bijuu." Naruto knew he was being childishly idealistic. He didn't care. "They're supposed to…supposed to…he's not an it. I'm not an it. We're not it, okay?" "Of course you're not," Iruka soothed, brushing a hand through his hair. "I'm not a weapon. But…why don't they get that Kurama isn't either?" Naruto stared at the wall, eyelids lowered in contemplation. "Iruka-sensei, you know Uncle Tobi, right?" "The Nidaime Hokage," Iruka replied, a small sweatdrop running down his head. "I heard him say that at least the Uchiha were of use to the village, even if they had to die. Do you think…that's what matters most to the Hokage? That the Jinchuriki is of use to the village? Do you think he would say the same thing about me?" "Of course not!" Iruka gaped at him, pulling him up and shuffling the cover aside so he could pull Naruto to his chest and stroke his hair. "I've- I've never met the man, Naruto, but I'm sure he would never think something like that. I'm sure that was just…an unwise choice of words." "No," Naruto replied glumly. "He meant it. I know he did." "Well…well, regardless, if he did think something like that, he would be wrong. I know this world crams so many things down your throat- I know it's difficult. But you can't give in to it, all right? You're not a weapon, or a monster, or an it. You're Uzumaki Naruto. And Kurama is, well, Kurama." "He's a person, too." "He's a person. Not a monster or a demon. Or a weapon." He felt the boy nod. "He's my best friend," Naruto whispered, ducking his head against the man's flak jacket. "I- just- I wanted her to like him, too. I don't have anybody like me." "Shh. I'm sure she'll come to like him and you." Naruto was quiet for a moment. After calming himself, his only real desire was to be at home in bed. "I wish I could go home," he muttered sourly. Iruka chuckled. "Just a few days in the hospital and I'm sure Tsunade-sama will let you go for home rest, as long as you promise not to over-exert yourself." Naruto nodded again. "…I like the compound," he said, not entirely sure of what point he was trying to make. "I like… the Uchiha. Uchiha are safe." "Well, they did make up the police force. I'm sure they are." Naruto shot a glance at Sasuke. "…I don't care," he said quietly. "Don't care? About what?" "About whether or not they were of use to the village. Sasuke's family is gone and it'll never be okay. If I could only…" Naruto trailed off, considering. "If I could only choose one clan to be able to see, I'd choose the Uchiha, not the Senju or Uzumaki. I'd be really unhappy I couldn't see Uncle Tobi or Hashi anymore, but I never want to lose the Uchiha and Izu-nii. And it's not like many Uzumaki have come around to see me." He'd forgotten 'Izu-nii' actually was in the room, not hearing the vague cooing sound the ghost made, or the "We're so his favorites," he muttered to his brother in a smug tone. "What if I wake up one day and I can't see any of them anymore?" "That won't happen," Iruka assured, laying him back on his pillows again. "You're special, Naruto-kun. You'll never lose that." Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "You're cheesy, Ruka-nii." "And you need to sleep. I know it's the afternoon, but try to get some rest, okay?" Iruka stood up and swished the curtains closed, darkening the room several shades. Naruto nodded. The chuunin ruffled his hair a final time and paused briefly to check Sasuke before stepping out the door, casting him a fond look before shutting the door. For once, Naruto did as he was told and let his eyes slip shut. The last thing he heard before he drifted off was Izuna's "Eavesdropping, really, Senju?" It was dark when Naruto woke up. Grumbling, he rubbed his eyes as he sat up, suppressing a yawn. The room was illuminated only by the slivers of moonlight coming in through the curtains, as well as the blinking lights coming from the machinery around them and the clock on the nightstand beside him reading 10:22. Lazily, he lifted his gaze as he was yawning again, not expecting to see Sasuke sitting up in bed with his back to him. He jumped a mile out of his own skin, nearly flipping himself to the floor. With a sweatdrop, he righted himself. "Geez, Sasuke, give me a heart attack." The boy made an amused hmm sound. If Naruto had listened more closely, he would have heard the muttering outside the window abruptly cease. "What are you doing up?" Naruto slid out of bed with a sigh. He was back to his lazy disposition- he regained mental energy when he slept. Like a cat. "Just thinking." Sasuke didn't turn around. "Sauce, you're kind of reminding me of a horror movie right now." He felt Sasuke roll his eyes. "Idiot," the Uchiha said softly. "No, seriously, what's wrong?" Naruto padded over to Sasuke's side of his bed, rubbing his shoulder. The boy was staring at the wall. His expression was blank, but Naruto could tell he was thinking hard about something. "I was just thinking of the…abduction attempt," he said. "Are you worried they'll try again? We got you back, we won't-" "That's not it." "Then what is it?" Naruto's eyebrows creased. Crossing his arms, he gave his friend an expecting look. Sasuke sighed. "You saw what those seal marks did to them, right?" "Yeah. Weird body transformation." "It was more than that. It made them…more bloodthirsty. It was like Orochimaru was affecting them without even being there." "I'm not sure where you're going with this." Sasuke made a disgruntled noise. "If I'd gotten one, would I have betrayed you?" Tick, tick, tick, went the clock. "…what? Of course you wouldn't. Why would you think that?" "What if," Sasuke paused to frown before going on, "what if I end up like that? Betraying you and the village?" "Sasuke, you won't." "How do you know that? How do you know I won't succumb to the Curse of Hatred?" Naruto's mouth clicked shut. For a moment, the two stared at each other. "…so that's what this is about." "My whole clan is- is…cursed with evil. We haven't…" Sasuke's gaze lowered. His shoulders were shaking slightly. "My clan hasn't been good for Konoha. All I want is to keep this place where people don't have to suffer. But my clanmy clan-" "Was just as good as any other clan," Naruto interrupted. "In the end, yeah, they were off the rails. But the Uchiha weren't evil. We wouldn't even have a Konoha without the Uchiha." "How do you know I won't be? What if my hatred makes me do horrible things, Naruto? What will you do?" "That situation will never happen." "It could. I could." "I don't even understand why you're worried about this." Sasuke's jaw trembled. "You told me we're the incarnations of the Sage's sons. What happened to the last incarnations?" "Sasuke, we aren't- you aren't- you aren't Madara and I'm not Uncle Hashirama. You're not Indra and I'm not Asura." "Are you prepared to do what Shodaime-sama did at the Valley of the End? Are you?" "Sasuke, I'm not killing you." "You're not understanding me," Sasuke hissed, grabbing him by the shoulders. "What if I did go down that path? What if I get the Mangekyo? It changes the mind, Naruto. What if I do succumb to my hatred?" "There's no more chance of you doing that than me." "Yes, there is." "Why?" "Because you're a Senju, and I'm an Uchiha." Naruto drew back like he'd been slapped. "Do I need to give you the same fate talk I did Neji?" he snapped, making the boy flinch. "Do I need to remind you I nearly walked down that path of hatred myself before I met you and Irukasensei? That I nearly became like Gaara used to be? Did my Senju-ness save me from that, Sasuke?" The boy's gaze turned to the floor. "So fucking what if you're an Uchiha? You're one of the most loyal Konoha nin I know." "I am now," Sasuke whispered, closing his eyes. "But you didn't answer. Would you be prepared to kill me? If I was set on destroying this village? If I killed your friends?" He leaned forward, desperation clear in his voice. "You have to promise me! You have to swear that you'll stop me if I ever do anything like that, if I won't listen. Swear. You're the only one who could." Naruto let go of him and ran a hand through his hair before heaving a long sigh. "I would be…capable of it. I would be. It's not that I couldn't. But I wouldn't. All right, Sasuke, fine. If you ever go down that path, if you ever become governed by hatred, I'll stop you. But I won't kill you like Uncle Hashirama did Madara. If anything like that happens, I'll shoulder your hatred with you and we'll die together." Sasuke paled slightly. "There's no possible situation that could happen with you dying and me walking away. I'll never do it. It's me and you together, or not at all. I won't leave you alone. But I'll never let you get to that point. You saved me from my hatred, and I won't let you lose yourself to yours. Deal?" Sasuke realized he'd been forgetting to breathe, taking a long breath. "…deal." "Thank you." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his forehead. "Can we go back to sleep now?" "…yeah. I'm sorry. I was just…just so-" "I know, Sasuke, I know." "I was just worried. There are so many from my clan that have done bad. I just want to help the village." "I know. That's all you want. I know." "…sometimes, sometimes I," Sasuke licked his lips, hands twisting in his bedsheet nervously, "sometimes I wish I hadn't been born an Uchiha." "Well, what do you know," Naruto breathed out a chuckle, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sometimes I wish I had been. "Don't be ashamed of what you are and the things about yourself you can't change, Sasuke. I have more experience with that than anyone, and trust me, it doesn't feel nice." The ghosts were suspiciously absent the next morning. Naruto was a bit paranoid as he walked down the hospital hallway from a visit to Karin's room, using a cane Shizune had provided him with. Kiba had swung by with Akamaru to play a game of cards with his cousin- evidently they'd bonded somehow under threat of death. "Any chance of me being able to go home?" he asked as he came up on the hall desk on his level. Sakura rolled her eyes at him from behind it; she was entering data into a computer. "No, Naruto. You do realize most of your body got nuked, right?" "Details, details. Come on, I'm practically a jailbird." "It's a hospital, not a prison." "What's the difference?" "Glad to see you feel good enough to walk around." Naruto turned around as fast as he was able, beaming. "Doggy-sensei!" "Yo," Kakashi greeted, eye-smiling. Naruto did a weak imitation of a lunge, gingerly wrapping his arms around the jounin's vest. A hand ruffled his hair. "I heard you've been giving your nurses hell." "What else am I supposed to do?" "Oh, I don't know, maybe recuperating nice and quiet like a good little chuunin." "That's hella boring." Naruto spotted Asuma strolling down the hall. "Hey, Kakashi," the man called out around his unlit cigarette. Sakura and Shizune had already nailed him once for smoking in the hospital. "I think your students are rubbing off on mine." "Hm? How so?" "Asked me for extra training. Ah…that'll be troublesome…" The man rubbed the back of his head with closed eyes. "Even Shikamaru's in on it." "He was rather affected by the retrieval mission," Kakashi said. Naruto, still hanging off him like a coat rack, started poking his arm for no real reason. Asuma pinched his nose. "You'll never guess what Ino said. 'Asuma-sensei, teach me how to snap someone's neck'. Told her she doesn't have the strength for it; 'Make me strong enough, then!' Somehow she's got some senbon and a sword now too. I suspect your kunoichi is to blame for that." Sakura sent him a placid smile. "It's only been a day!" "Choji's also requested more strength training once he recovers," Sakura added. "No sitting around with these batch of graduates, is there," Kakashi commented idly, eyes on his book. Asuma looked up and sweatdropped. Naruto had graduated to rifling through the man's pockets, pulling out and examining things and then putting them back. "Sensei! There you are! I'm done studying, it's time for training!" Ino called from down the hall. "Gotta run," Asuma said with a twitchy smile, darting away. "Hey! Don't run away from me, sensei!" "I think that'll be good for him," Naruto said, watching the two go with a grin. "We should all train together sometime, sensei." "Sure, as long as you don't go overboard." "As long as Monopoly isn't involved we should be fine." "Naruto-kun?" Naruto froze, cringing as he let go of Kakashi and used his universal sign for 'sorry, ghost issue'; aka, knocking his fist lightly into his head like someone was hitting him. He turned around with a twitchy smile, guilt crawling up his spine. "Ah…hi, Mito-sama…" "Please, you don't have to call me that," Mito replied, just as awkward. "You…can call me aunt, if you wish." Naruto nodded, falling silent. He rubbed his elbow, a nervous tic. "Did…did you want to talk about something?" "If you don't mind. But if you wish, I'll leave." "No, no, it's all right. Let's go outside." And so he made a slow path to the courtyard patients were allowed to use, taking a seat on a bench beneath a tree and trying to ignore how awkward their exchange felt. She sat on the other end of the bench, folding her hands in her lap. "So, uh," he cleared his throat, "what did you want to talk about?" "I wanted to apologize." "You- you really don't have to. I promise I wasn't mad at you yesterday. I just needed…breathing room. I was just reminded of some things and it-" "I understand. But I do need to apologize. I was insensitive, unintentionally, but still so. I have been talking to Hashirama- and Izuna- you have endured such hatred from the village and the world. The suffering you've gone through…I'm sorry." Naruto's stomach flipped at the raw sadness in her expression. "When I was alive, there were those who treated me badly because I was a Jinchuriki, but I did not endure the hardships you did. I was already able to fill myself with love when I sealed Kyuubi-san within myself. You were but a child and never knew anything different." "It wasn't that bad. I had it better than others," Naruto muttered, looking away. "I guess I was just…disappointed. I don't…have anyone like me. The only person who knows what- what it's like, lives in another village. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Sakura and Sasuke- my friends- but only another Jinchuriki can really…understand. So…when I met you…I was happy, but I felt like I messed up." "I believe we may have simply…'gotten off on the wrong foot'. You did not do anything wrong. And there is another person I owe my apologies to. Kyuubi-san can hear me, yes?" "Er." Kurama made a startled noise from within him, like a child getting called out when they'd been trying to fly under the teacher's radar. "Yeah." "Good. I apologize to i- him, as well. I knew how to deal with his hatred and live, but I didn't try and free him of it, as you seem to have done. I did not try and be…friends with him, and I see now that was a mistake." Er, she wasn't that bad… Kurama said awkwardly. Just left me alone most of the time…Can we stop with the mushiness now? "I…think he's fine with that…he's hard to read sometimes." Naruto shrugged. "But it's fine." He twiddled his thumbs together, glancing at the hospital doors again. "So…um…did you, uh…" "What is it, child? You can ask me anything." "When you got married," Naruto mumbled, a flush suddenly taking hold of his face. "You…filled yourself with love to counter Kurama's hatred…and that's what you told my mom to do. Ah…well, I've got friends now, friends who are my family. But…how do I…Uncle Hashi loved you anyway after you became a Jinchuriki, right?" Her gaze softened. "He loved me, period. No 'anyway'. What we are doesn't make us any less worthy of love. You know that, but it's hard to think that way, isn't it?" He startled, looking up at her in surprise before smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess. But how do you…know if someone loves you?" "Romantic love?" "Y-yeah. It's not like I have anyone in mind, or I'm particularly interested. I'm still young. And most of the time I think it would be pretty troublesome." She chuckled at him. "But someday…sometimes I think it might be nice to have someone like that. Someone who doesn't care that I'm…" He waved his hands. "To have someone you're in love with is a different type of love," Mito whispered, shifting until she was closer to him. "It's not better than having a friend, and friends can sometimes be just as close. But it is still, certainly, different. Hashirama was the one person I always trusted above all others, the person I could share anything with. When you're with someone in such an intimate way, and spend so much time together, at times it feels like you live for them. You're different. If you wish for it, there is someone out there who will love you in such a way. Kushina-chan found it. You can too." Unintentionally, he found a tear leaking out of his eye, hastily wiping it away. "Thanks…oba-san…do you think you could…erm… Kurama told me you were one of the best fuinjutsu users he'd ever seen…maybe you could help me out from time to time?" "Of course. Hashirama tells me you've been working with Kyuubi-san's chakra, as well. If you would like, I can offer some somewhat limited advice." "Yeah, that would help. You can call him Kurama, too." Naruto relaxed, mentally wiping a sweatdrop from his brow in relief. Even if Mito hadn't experienced the same level of hatred from the village, or had the same type of relationship with Kurama, she still understood what it was like to live as a human sacrifice. He had seen understanding in her eyes, rather than just pity or sympathy. As much as he loved his friends and Iruka, they didn't quite understand what it was to feel…dirty, just by existing, like his soul had somehow been tarnished in such a way everyone around him could see it and hated him for it. "Did oji-chan talk to you about Madara?" "Yes, he did. I was very surprised, but…" Mito took a deep breath. "I do not think it is impossible for him to redeem himself. It would certainly make Hashirama happy if he were truly genuine. I was only suspicious and found it unlikely. You must understand…when we were alive, he was a traitor to the village, but that wasn't the reason I was angry with him for such a long time. He hurt Hashirama personally. When he came back from the Valley of the End, he was… changed. I could see it every day. He missed his closest friend. And to have had to be the one to kill him…" "Yeah," Naruto agreed softly. "I know…Madara-oji did some really bad things. And he set things into motion that's made it kind of hard for us." 'Us' being the Jinchuriki. "But I forgave him. Even if someday he decides he wants to choose his plans over me and Izu, I won't hate him." He turned to stare up at the sky. "I don't think hating people gets you anywhere. If I'd hated Kurama, I'd have never become his friend. There are people who won't stop hurting others and have to be dealt with, but if you let your hatred control you, you start becoming just like them. I try not to hate, really hate, even Orochimaru. The shinobi world's cycle of hatred won't ever stop if people don't forgive each other. That's why I forgave the village and Madara and I'm trying to with the man who killed my parents. I don't even know who he is, but I know I'm going to have to fight him someday, so I might as well start now in trying to forgive him." "You are wise beyond your years, Naruto-kun. More so than this old one." Naruto chuckled, fiddling with his cane. "Aw, come on. Dead people technically aren't even old anymore. You look like you're twenty, anyway." He caught sight of familiar brown hair near the gate separating the courtyard from the sidewalk. He lifted the cane in a wave, recognizing the relieved smile Hashirama wore. By now the two were sitting right next to each other, obviously getting along better than they had the day before. "Naruto-kun! Mito-chan! Did you get everything worked out?" Naruto likened the man to a puppy as he bounded over, his brother following at a more sedate pace. "I believe so," Mito replied, amused with him. Naruto snickered lightly under his breath. "Ah, good, good." The man looked pointedly to Tobirama. "Brother wants to apologize for something." "I can speak for myself, Hashirama." "Well of course but-" "Silence! Let me talk to the youngling, won't you?" Mito coughed lightly into her hand as Hashirama turned away to sulk. Naruto bit his lip to restrain a grin when he noticed she was covering a laugh. "What is it? I don't remember you doing anything…" "I only wanted to apologize for how I speak sometimes, oi. I didn't realize before it was affecting you in a negative way." [1] Question marks appeared to dance around Naruto's head. "O…okay…I still don't know what you mean though…" Both Senju brothers faceplanted into the ground. "Didn't you just mention it yesterday?" Mito hummed, hiding a smile behind a small hand fan. Naruto noted in his head she must have had quite a strong soul to have a construct of an object with her. "Hey! Were you spying on me?! That's not fair, oji-san!" "H-hold on now Naruto-kun, we weren't spying…we just happened to overhear…" "That's like ero-sennin saying he's researching, not spying." "Don't compare us to that perverted stripling!" Mito fanned herself, looking away with a small smirk. "-you insufferable wretch!" Someone screamed. The four of them paused, sweatdropping when a shape went flying through the air and landed in a heap against one of the trees in the courtyard. Toka emerged from one of the walls of the hospital with a fire in her eyes and a tremble in her hands. "Me! You blame me!" Izuna barked out, rubbing his head as he glared at her. "You interrupted me!" "You were trying to possess someone!" "I just needed him for a minute!" "For nefarious purposes, no doubt!" "I JUST WANTED SOME DANGO, DAMMIT." Naruto finally noticed Madara, who'd been standing against the wall they'd come through with a flat expression as he watched the fight. He recognized that same expression from one of the countless nights at the Uchiha residence, where Naruto had been watching some mindless television program, Izuna had been trying to knit, and Madara was giving the television a vaguely incredulous and scornful look. Otherwise known as Uchiha Expression #14, aka, "what is my life", with no punctuation. "Is that Toka-san?" Mito asked, incredulity coloring her tone. "Ah…yes…she argues with Izuna quite a bit…" Hashirama murmured, smiling weakly. "Do you want to go, hag?" Izuna was yelling, Sharingan whirling as he stood a foot from his nemesis. "Any time, you spineless coward," she hissed back at him. Naruto walked up to them and swung his cane, slamming it into their shins in quick succession. A startled yelp left Toka's mouth as Izuna shouted in surprise, and they both hopped back on one foot to hold their lower legs. "What was that for?" Izuna complained. "Can you two get along for five minutes?!" "Don't blame me!" Toka shot a glare at Izuna, scowling. "He was the one who-" "Don't you try and pin this on me!" "You're incorrigible!" "And you can't go two seconds without throwing a dictionary at someone!" "Just because you have a heathen's vocabulary-" Naruto facepalmed. "Oh Naruto~" A new voice- living, this time- called out from a distance away. "Come here." Naruto paused, wondering at the odd tone of Sakura's voice, before he got a sinking feeling in his gut. "Oh, no…" Izuna froze at the horrified expression he wore. Toka did the same, brow creasing in concern, while the rest of the ghosts looked to him and wondered what was wrong. "Naruto," Izuna said slowly, "we've talked about this." "I have to hide!" Naruto whirled around as one eyebrow began to twitch. "I forgot, I totally forgot!" "What's the matter?" Mito asked, alarmed. "I have to get out of here." "Naruto, you're seriously injured," Izuna said, beginning to gradually step closer. "You'll just hurt yourself." "The alternative is worse," Naruto said gravely, making the tension in the air grow. "I will not let this be the year Sakura manages to give me a birthday party." "…what?" Tobirama's forehead crinkled. Naruto leapt over the waist-high fence separating the courtyard from the sidewalk. It stung to do so, but his skin had already regrown- it was just extremely sensitive. He leapt down the street to a tree lining it, biting his thumb and smearing some of his blood on the underside of a tree branch. A puff of smoke later, he wrapped a tan cloak most travelers from Suna wore around his shoulders and pulled the hood up, taking off down the street at a walk while his dead companions watched him with a sweatdrop. "Naruto-kun, what's so bad about having a birthday party? It sounds like it would be fun." "I don't celebrate my birthday," Naruto replied around the pocky he was stuffing into his mouth. He sat beneath a tree near a hot spring, resting his legs. "Kushina-chan would have wanted you to have some sort of celebration with your friends," Mito said gently from his other side. Naruto paused with a pocky stick halfway in his mouth. After a moment, he shrugged. "She died on my birthday." "Oh," the woman murmured, gaze growing sad. Naruto ignored the sympathetic expressions on the others and stared stubbornly at the street. Izuna shaded his eyes and glanced at the sun. "Must be about noon." For a moment he pondered on how utterly weird it all was- Hashirama and Mito sat on either side of Naruto, Hashirama's brother beside him and a decidedly calmer Toka beside Mito, he himself was perching on a tree branch, and Madara was sitting closed-eyed against a tree trunk a short distance away probably trying to ignore them all. All people he thought he would never see again until he moved on to the Pure Land- sans Tobirama, who'd descended and watched over Hiruzen since he'd been reinstated after Minato's death. The Sandaime had especially needed support in that time, even if it was unseen support. Naruto yawned. "Twelve hours to go." Hashirama sweatdropped. "Are you really going to just hide for twelve hours until the day is over?" "Hm…" Naruto pretended to think for a minute. "Yep." Hashirama faceplanted. "Hey! Naruto!" Naruto cringed when he heard Sakura hollering from a rooftop. She wasn't very close, but she was screaming loud enough he could hear all the way from his position. "Come back to the hospital, dammit!" "Come on," Izuna urged. "Just let them give you whatever they got and get it over with." "I don't give in that easily." The ghost pursed his lips. "This is going to come back to bite you." "Yeah, yeah, you've said that bef-" A rumble shook the ground, and a ghost leapt down from a building- a random Inuzaka who hung around the village. "Tsunade's looking for you," she advised. "Tsuna-chan? How's she doing?" Mito asked. "She's the Hokage," Hashirama said, wearing a proud grin. Mito paused. "…Tsuna-chan is the Hokage?" "The Legendary Sucker," Izuna snickered. "She has so many debts she had to keep it a secret lest she be denied the position." Mito scowled, turning to her husband with a glare. "I told you you shouldn't let her gamble!" "Now, Mito-chan, I'm sure she'll pay them back… eventually…" "At least you haven't spread your irresponsible habit to Naruto-kun," Mito sighed. Silence. Slowly, every pair of eyes turned to face Naruto, who'd started whistling to himself as he ate his pocky. "…Narutokun." "Yeah, oba-san?" Her eyes narrowed. "Do you gamble?" Naruto paused. "…define 'gamble'," he said. "Hashirama!" "I swear it wasn't my fault!" "How much do you have staked in the betting pool right now?" Izuna interrupted, eyes glittering. "About four thousand ryo," Naruto admitted, wincing when Mito slapped Hashirama upside the head with her fan. [2] "Sakura's got more in than me!" "It's his whole team?" Mito demanded. "His whole friend group, actually," Izuna snickered. "Jiraiya gambles sometime. We all know how he likes to spend his time, but the Sandaime's a closet perv and I don't need to mention Kakashi. Looks like breaking the three shinobi rules just runs in your teaching line," he said, sending Tobirama a smug look and getting a twitchy one in return. With a nervous laugh, Naruto stood up, twirling his cane. "You know what, I'm going to go hide in a dumpster. You guys work out the gambling thing." "Hold it!" Mito insisted, running after him as he fled the scene. "You need to realize how dangerous it is to rack up debts! Naruto-kun, don't run away when I'm speaking to you!"