Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, unfortunately for them, I do own this storyline.

Storyline- Naruto, after retrieving Sasuke, begins to learn a little more about why he's hated, who his friends really are, and why he's beginning to change.

Morgri- I appreciate everyone's patience as it has taken me almost 4 months to write this chapter, and for that I apologize. I am happy to say that I am miraculously pulling a 3.8 GPA in college as of the moment. Anyways, please continue to read my story and let me know you are out there. Ah! And read Shattered, you like it.

Anyways, thanks for reading chapter four, and I hope you enjoy number 5. Don't forget to tell your friends to read!

By the way, this story mostly takes place in Naruto's Point of View.

Note that document Manager keep ruining my time shift and scene changes... so I'll represent them as this: --shift--

"Character Speaking"

--Change in time or POV—

"Kyuubi speaking"

'Thoughts'

When did you change?

Morgri

Episode five: Nindo

--Ino POV—

"Naruto, when will you wake up…?" It had been a week since Naruto had been unconscious, and Hokage-sama had managed to stabilize his condition. Apparently, Naruto's heart had been severely damaged by charka, though it was unknown by who… although I did have suspicions. The village people were amused, and seemingly happy. Truth is, I probably wouldn't have cared either until a week ago; that is, when I learned that Naruto was just as human as the rest of us.

Before I had just seen him as a poor orphan; a loser set in the way of me getting Sasuke, and a pain that just caused trouble to the village. To my surprise, he turned out to be much more complicated than I thought. It was after that incident that I decided to learn a little more about him, so I asked my parents. Of course my sudden interest in him triggered their anger, and they told me what they had always told me since I was a little girl: to stay away from him. What was more intriguing was that every time Naruto was mentioned, the Kyuubi tragedy always popped up. Did he have something to do with that tragedy? That's what I was led to believe, but in what way, I had no clue. However, the adults seemed to know exactly, and what they knew, was a mystery.

"U…Umm…" Hinata's shy voice disrupted my thoughts. Ever since the incident, she had come into the room and left a flower in a jar that sat by Naruto's bed. This would be the seventh, and I was sure there would be more to come.

"Ah, Hinata, come to see Naruto again?" You know, stating the obvious has always been my thing, but, it would be nice to start a conversation, being that I've been for at least an hour. "You seem really interested in him… but I've never seen you around him much."

"We… Well," She blushed, "Naruto-Kun, he is my inspiration, he's why I was able to change… and get stronger," She nodded, pleased with herself. It was true, since the end of the Chunin Exams much of the stuttering had stopped, and she seemed to be a little more confident with herself. I could see why Naruto was special to her; I guess Naruto has a way of getting people attached to him… "If it wasn't for him, I don't I would have lived when I fought Neji-nii-san. Naruto-kun, he saved me from myself. Since then, father doesn't look down on me anymore. He trains me, and helps me improve, he is happy that I'm his daughter…"

"I… I see," She seemed to live such a hard life, something that I could never understand, but, I'm glad. I'm glad that I was blessed with my family, and I'm also glad, that Hinata found hers. "That's great! I'm glad for you; I don't think I could've lived through that… Hahaha…" She joined in with my laughter, she was happy to be herself, and I'm glad.

"Fa… Father wishes to see me now, bye Ino-chan." Just like that Hinata disappeared leaving me with Naruto. Heh, it's funny how someone can change a person's whole outlook on life.

"Naruto, you're so surprising," I said, as the clock rung signaling the end of visiting time. Moments a nurse can in and told me it was time to go. I glanced at Naruto once more, and swaggered out of the room; leaving him to sleep alone once more.

--shift--

"Child," Echoed a powerful yet peaceful voice. Once again I found myself in another reality. A bitter and cold, frightening plain that reminded me of my fraudulent life. Dark, I know, but this is how I keep a positive outlook on life. If everything is so dark, than only light can remain; I just have to search and find it… if it's even at all possible.

"Come child," Yet, it all seems so hard. When I learned that I had become the Kyuubi's vessel, I resented the forsaken creature. I mean, you figure that it would be the beasts fault, but there's so much more to it. I didn't exactly do my part either…

"Once again, I'm forced to clean up your mistakes child," Says the Kyuubi.

"I'm… Sorry. I'm just not strong...

"Alas boy, not everyone is blessed with my ultimate and eternal strength of natural talent."

"Well… It didn't help you much when it came to Konoha now did it?" We laugh… When you're alone, the only friends you have are your enemies, and when only they offer you their hand, you have no choice but to take it. This, however, isn't a friendship of love or trust, but one of understanding- Non-fulfilling, and with condition.

You could call it a pact. I give the kyuubi life, and he gives me a hard ti… a friend. Of course, not at all a real one, but you it's ok when you learn to live with it. However, a tweak of reality puts you back in place, and you have to realize that he is the same hateful demon that he was before you met him. In the end, it's all false hope, and your left only to depend on yourself; for without trust and love, no one can ever be called a real blessing, or be one for that matter.

Just as fast it comes it goes… and once again I'm back to reality, back to where I belong… and it hurts!

--Shift--

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Uggh…" It was hard to talk. I felt nothing but pain, immense pain, as I tried to regain consciousness. The constant beep made my ears ring in pain, and my chest burned like I was being dipped in lava. My head screamed at me, and my eyes begged me to keep them shut. I attempted to lift myself up; but opening my eyes was as far as I could go. What had happened? There was the mission, returning to the village, meeting Ino, Ramen with Iruka-sensei, and… Oh… That's right… Sakura-chan.

"Egh…" I managed to smile… I had never felt so much pain. Not from my body… from my heart. A single tear fell from my eye, as I realized what had happened. But, I couldn't hate her for what she did, maybe because, I loved her too much, and that's what hurt the most. "Hahaha," I laughed.

The door flew open, it was Shizune-san. She too had tears in her eyes as she approached the bed, followed by an apathetic Tsunade-oba-san. With as much strength as I could muster, I pulled my self up as much as I could. My arms gave way, but I was caught by Shizune-san who pulled me up. Lightheaded and dizzy I looked over to the older girl tiredly.

"Naruto-kun… You had me worried," Spoke Shizune, disgruntled. " You're heart was in very bad shape," she spoke, "Your lucky Tsunade-san was there to fix it, or else, you might've died."

"Oh…" Was all I could say.

"Heh," Spoke the older women, "If you're lucky, you'll be out in a week or so." See smiled sadly, as if she was hiding something. I couldn't tell, but then again, I could hardly stay conscious, as if understanding her wasn't hard enough. "Eh… Naruto-kun…"

I looked to my side.

"Flo…w…ers.?"

"Ah ye… yeah. One, two, three, four," She counted, "Eight flowers, "Heh, seven days in the hospital, and eight flowers, someone must really think about you, eh Naruto-kun?"

"I…" I couldn't think of much to say…I don't think I could have said anything… anyway.

"Get some rest Naruto-kun. I have something to tell you, when your better." She said while standing herself up. "But for now, you don't need any more surprises, eh Naruto-kun," She chuckled. She laid me back down, with that, she left the room and once again, I was alone. Slowly I lost my consciousness, and drifted back into a deep sleep.

--Shift--

I awoke in what felt like a much better condition. Despite the pain, I was able to move, and I was a little more conscious than before. To my surprise…

"Naruto! You're awake,"

"I…Ino, what are you doing here?"

"Well… I… good question!," She stumbled, "But that doesn't matter, it's good to see you awake." It was strange, seeing the girl look like this. Without the dreadful eyes that I see everyday… It's more like a breath of fresh air… air that I've only breathed a few times; and it's great. "Oh, do you like the flowers? There are eight of them, mine's the red one."

"Oh…" I stared at the flowers, being captivated by their presences…"Thanks," I smile at her. Everything was starting to look up a little more.

"Yes, it's from our flower shop, only the best in town hehe."

We looked to the right of the room to where the door had just opened. Once again Tsunade had come to visit. The only difference is that she didn't look to happy… and that was never a good sign. All was left to remain positive though, I mean, the most she could tell me was that it would be a little while longer to get out of the hospital right?

"Naruto… I'm afraid… that, your operation had some difficulties…"

"Difficulties," I responded with full attention, "Like what, it'll be another week in the hospital, nothing serious right?"

"Well… Your heart… it didn't recover as well as it should have. When you came in, there was too much damage to fix the entire organ, make it impossible to recover correctly."

"So what… It's not like I have to stop being a ninja or something like that, hahaha," I joked, hoping that what I said was a lie…

She nodded…

"Wha… what... You're joking right… Hahaha good one Oba-san. Now, really what's the problem."

"I…I'm sorry," She spoke calmly, but filled with emotion, "As the Hokage and protector of the people of this village, you are officially… relieved… as a ninja."

It was then I relized that she was serious… and it felt like my whole world had just crumbled…

"What!?" The person shouted beside, and what she said… honestly didn't even matter… "Are you mad, you can't do this Hokage-sama!" Shouted the girl. "It's not like he'll dye or something!"

"Yes!! Yes he will! His heart was so messed up by the charka that it was a miracle he even made it back to Konoha… In fact, if it wasn't for that Darned Fox, he would have died before he even made to Konoha. Do you understand?"

"Fox? What does a fox have to do with Naruto?" The two argued…

I clasped my head, not understanding what had jut happened… until…

"STOP!!" I shouted, quieting down the two angry women beside men… "I, I…"

The angry voices had calmed down, and the two stared at me in pity. Being a ninja was everything to me, my life, my soul… It was esseintally the reason I stayed alive… I couldn't accept it… I didn't want to accept it… but this was reality. The world is never kind to good people, and sometimes… we have to accept our punishments. I guess this was mine.

"I'll quit,"

"What!" Ino cried in disbelief, "What about your dream to become Hokage."

"Haha… that was all just a stupid fantasy anyways…"

"No! I won't accept this! What about you're nindo! Did you forget about that?"

"I'll never… break a promise, that's my way of the nindo… I guess, this time there is nothing I can do, It wasn't as if the village would accept me anyways! To be Hokage you have to be acknowledged as the strongest ninja, who in this village even recognizes me as a person!?"

"HINATA! Those eight flowers didn't get there by themselves. She came in stayed for hours! She cared enough… you saved her!" her eyes teared up, " Me too… I acknowledged you too… is that not enough?"

By now my mask had slipped. There was nothing else for me… I was useless again, just like I had been for the last 12 years. "I…. I… I'm sorry… Maybe I'm just not as strong as you thought I was."

Her eyes softened, "Naruto… I know it's stupid to put your life on the line… but, if there's nothing left… than is it not worth it?"

"I don't know… I don't know what to think."

"Think about your dreams! To be acknowledged! To be Hokage!" She spoke softly, "I don't know what makes everyone hate you, or what happened to your parents 12 years ago, but I do know that there are people that care about you, and those are the people you should pay attention too."

"I… I guess your right, but please… leave me alone now… I'll think about what you said," I gave her my golden grin. It earned me a smile back.

"Good, stay strong Naruto… kun, Stay strong,"

End Chapter Five

Morgri- Phew, now was that hard. Well, I really like that chapter… It looks short., but it sure don't feel like it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed chapter 5 and be sure to stay tuned for chapter six. Sasuke is in it… hahah just giving a little anticipation. Anyways, I would love to here from you all, as all comments are deeply appreciated. Remember to take a look at my other Story "Shattered" which I'm sure you'll enjoy. Also, Gogyou, a story between five great authors, you'll like, so check it out. Also, sorry about grammer, it's late, and I've done the best I can to correct them.

PS- Thanks for the encouragement all of you give me everytime you read the story.