Chapter 6.

Konichiwa minna-san :D

Sorry for the long wait, have been kinda down lately. I have not felt up for posting.

Here's a new chappie just for you and I hope you like it :)

"I don't understand why we are doing this, what if we got caught?"

"Calm yourself. Nurses almost never come here."

Ino turned to Shikamaru with a dumbfounded expression, "O-of course they do! Naruto's in critical condition!"

Shikamaru glanced towards the blonde girl sitting beside him, "Please try Ino? Don't you want to help Naruto? Sakura?"

"But Shika, I don't see how this could help."

Ino looked down at the boy on the bed. He was sleeping peacefully, all of his burns were healed; you would probably never know he had any at one time. Shikamaru grabbed Ino's hand to get her attention again. She blushed and looked at his serious expression.

"It's worth a try Ino, no one else can."

Ino turned away, he knew and was using the knowledge to his every advantage. "Fine I will, but you owe me." So she performed the hand seals and fell into Shikamaru's arms like always.

Ino opened her eyes and found herself staring at a ceiling. She felt cold water underneath herself and sat up; she was sitting in the middle of a hallway filled with water up to her ankles. The hall was lit by torches and dripping of water echoed across the walls.

This was not normal. Usually when she entered a mind, it was black and void, the other mind just waiting in the center. The mind was not hard to take over since there was nothing protecting it and Ino was a manifest image of herself. This, however, was not a void; there was something very wrong. For a second Ino considered this to just be a dream, but the familiar tug to another's mind told her otherwise.

She followed the pull, determined to help Shikamaru. The hall was larger than she imagined a mind could be, but this was the first, it led her past many doors. From the doors, you could hear different voices and noises faintly, sometimes movements; at one point, she even imagined hearing the familiar crying of a child. She kept to the tug, however, afraid to stray in this new environment, and it finally halted in front of a doorway marked with one line above it.

She walked into the room slowly and saw a large room with a cage just as large inside. Inside the cage it was pitch black, making it impossible to see how far it stretched. Ino crept closer, following her chakra, and saw a boy.

"Naruto?" she breathed and rushed to the cage.

Naruto was lying just beyond the bars; his body was lying on what seemed like the only dry spot in the whole mind. He was sleeping, just like at the hospital.

She reached her hand through the bars, but right as she was about to touch the boy something moved behind him. Huge claws reached out and covered Naruto's body, staying high enough not to touch him. A rumbling growl filled the room and all of Ino's insides shook. The most powerful wave of fear poured out of her mouth and she threw herself away, away into her own body.

Ino opened her eyes and found herself burrowed in Shikamaru's chest. She was covered in sweat and her throat felt raw.

"Ino?"

She looked up and saw a new expression displayed on Shikamaru's features, fear. "What happened? You have been screaming since you left your body!" Shikamaru asked, sitting Ino back upright.

She clutched his shirt, however, and buried her face back into his chest, shaking all over.

"Take me away Shika-kun… then I will tell you."

Naruto giggled as he placed the last small purple flower in the braided black hair.

"There!" he smiled at his work. Sukuriyu's ponytail had been taken down in exchange for a braid past his shoulders. It now held flowers in each braid as well.

"I am glad this… amuses you Prince." Sukuriyu smirked.

Naruto looked into Sukuriyu's eyes then swept his gaze across the beautiful field. He felt the most calm he had in years. The shadows had crept into the clearing without his notice, and the sun was in it's last moments of retreat. The sky had completely transformed; it had slowly created a new purple smear with red mixed in. Now the night was adding an almost green blue along the clouds, and a misty green hung behind the sun. Somehow twilight had managed to paint the night air and it was not odd in the least.

"Look!" Naruto exclaimed "The sun is almost gone!" he reached out towards the sun, as if he wanted to save it in his palms. "Goin', goin'…" and the sun said its last farewells and disappeared. Naruto sighed contently and dropped on his back.

Sukuriyu chuckled, "I have not watched the sun fall in a long time… however, I do not think Kyuubi-sama will like it if I keep you away."

Naruto shot up, he had completely forgotten! The only problem was he had no idea how to go back after his blind chase earlier.

"You are lost." The larger boy said matter-of-factly.

Naruto glared down at the black fox, trying to convey that this was his fault. Sukuriyu, however, just stood and reached his hand towards the blonde. Naruto paused and just stared, confused.

"Would you allow me to escort you home? I would not want the wrath of my Kyuubi-sama to fall on me because I lost his Kit." the black fox smirked and Naruto reached his hand out. Before he could take the hand, however, Sukuriyu slipped into his fox form.

Naruto gaped and heard a noise that he suspected was fox laughter. He smirked and also transformed, nipping at the black fox's paw to hush him and signal he was ready to go.

They arrived back at the village with some light from the moon to spare. It had not taken too long in their fox forms, but Naruto felt tired enough to sleep tonight and the next after all his exercise today. Foxes wandered the clearing aimlessly, mainly adults, it seemed as if all were ready to sleep.

Naruto transformed back into his human to dust off his kimono, so Kyuubi would not be insulted. Sukuriyu followed suit and grabbed Naruto's hand, continuing to lead him forward and help up the small cliff hanging. Naruto blushed but allowed it, too tired to protest.

They stopped in front of the mouth of the cave; Naruto dropped his hand and looked at the other male.

"Thanks for bringing me back, but don't you ever steal my meat again!" Naruto grinned at Sukuriyu's smirk.

"As you wish, Prince."

Sukuriyu still had the flowers braided through his hair that was now draped over one shoulder, he reminded Naruto of someone else. The black fox took the flower out of his last braid and placed it behind Naruto's fox ear. Naruto allowed it since he had put them in his hair in the first place without permission.

"Until tomorrow Prince." Sukuriyu reached down and gently took Naruto's hand.

He held it for a moment and watched Naruto, when the boy did not pull his hand away the fox kissed it softly. Naruto watch as he turned into a fox and did not turn to the cave until the other fox disappeared behind the tree line in the clearing.

"Kyuu?" Naruto asked the air.

The cave was lit by a fire and Kyuubi was lying in front of it in his fox form.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I suppose." Naruto answer, walking to the fire "I got to show how strong I was with the other foxes. Almost won every match."

Kyuubi nodded his head, then frowned, "You could have said you preferred a shorter kimono."

Naruto quickly undocked the rest of his kimono; he had forgotten it was not fixed correctly when he had dusted it off.

Kyuubi laughed then stared at the fire, serious again.

"Tomorrow will be busy as well. There will be a ceremony in your honor tomorrow after noon."

"What?! What for!"

Kyuubi remained looking at the flames, "To… announce you are of age for suitors. There is no way to tell how long you will remain here, and since you do not know our customs you may accept someone and not know."

Naruto's eye twitched, it unfortunately made since, "What are some customs."

"Well, if you are formally of age, the suitors must have permission to court you from me or yourself. Before so a suitor can either present a desired gift or kiss the desired's hand, if accepted t is a signed of acceptance. Kit?"

Naruto had turned pale, "B-but... Those assholes! How do you undo it?!"

Kyuubi paused and blinked a few times, "Those? You did attack them did you not? That would decline the offer."

"No! I didn't want to offend some demon rule!"

"If there is two then you can at least not fully accept an offer and will still just have suitors." Kyuubi responded.

Naruto glared at Kyuubi like those were the most vile things to ever fall from his mouth.

"It is better Kit. You are not betrothed and they will amuse and protect you, you will not need me around as much and you can explore more. As long as one accompanies you. Now the ceremony will just close further offers unless asked for."

Naruto transformed into his fox and muttered under his breath, something about stupid demons and such.

Kyuubi smiled and laughed, "There will be a hunt to gather food tomorrow for it, you may participate in that? You seemed to enjoy the hunt earlier."

Kyuubi laughed loudly at the look the small blonde fox shot him a dirty look at the mention of the "incident".

Naruto's breathes came out in slow and unnoticeable puffs. The sun was setting on his eyes and his cheeks were pink from the heat.

Sasuke moved his chair in front of the window by the bed to block the rays, even though he knew the sun did not bother the slumbering boy. The apartment had been threatened yesterday. Some citizens had begun to persist they burn the room Naruto use to live in, insisting he was not coming back. Tsunade put a stop to it, however, threatening anyone who did not live there to stay away or else. Sasuke noticed that Hinata had begun to visit the room every once a week to keep it tidy (probably neater then Naruto had ever kept it) and now Sakura had begun accompanying her.

"Hello Sasuke."

Sasuke looked towards the door; Neji stood there leaning against the doorframe, like he had been watching for some time.

He walked over to the blonde and set down a small bouquet of purple flowers. His hand swept across Naruto's cheek and then moved his bangs from his eyes. Sasuke made a note to ask Hinata to cut Naruto's hair. Naruto's eyelids moved beneath them, as if his eyes were searching while still closed. Sasuke froze; this was the first movement Naruto had shown since arriving at the hospital. He slowly let his finger touch Naruto's and it responded with a twitch.

He pretended nothing had happened, not wanting Neji to notice the small change, he would report it to Kakashi later.

"Why are you here Neji?"

Neji glanced at Sasuke before returning his eyes to the boy on the bed, "Do you know how Naruto feels right now?"

Sasuke remained silent.

"Maybe nothing, but I would guess either two things. He either feels sadness for leaving his friends, or freedom." Neji responded.

"Naruto would feel sad, that is how he is." Sasuke said matter-of-factly.

Neji stared at Sasuke for a moment before turning fully to him and said, "How would you know? Do you really know who Naruto is? Does anyone? Do you know how it feels to be thrown into a society who does not want you? Being in a world that seems like you are alone is different from being in a world that shuns you since birth. How does Sasuke Uchiha know how Naruto feels?" He stared hard into Sasuke's eyes, daring him to find an answer. His attention was taken back to Naruto and he gently plucked a flower from his bouquet and placed it behind Naruto's ear.

"Now you look much happier." Neji said and walked towards the door, "Watch over him Uchiha, he is very needed in this world." and with that he left.

Sasuke returned his gaze back to the boy in question. He really did appear happier with a flower in his hair, he was surrounded by flowers actually. Many flowers from the Yamanaka shop, some shops refused to sell if they were going to this room. Each flower held different feeling and stories towards the boy, each flower selfishly trying to give its own wish for health, each flower a different friend that wished they could trade places with this boy, each flower wondering why they never saw how important this creature was before it was to late. It was the first time Sasuke had taken notice to the flowers, which was hard with the wonderful smell of the room, perfumed by many different flowers. A smell Naruto might have loved, Sasuke was not sure anymore.

"How do you feel forget-me-nots?" Sasuke asked, grasping Naruto's hand again and feeling a slight twitch back.

R&R! :D