Chapter 11: Just Awake and, Already, a New Mission

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Three Days Later

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With a sudden jolt, a fully energized Naruto awoke in his hospital bed. After yawning, he mentally thanked Kyuubi and slipped out of bed.

"Dang it! Where's my black ninja outfit?" shouted Naruto but not loud enough to get anyone to fixate their attention on him.

Just minutes after saying that line, he noticed a black uniform covered in holes and tears. He sighed and decided to leap out of the window in his hospital gown. Eventually, after leaping down a few stories of the hospital, Naruto reached the ground to find debris littering the streets and torn apart buildings.

"How long was I out?" asked Naruto out loud. "This place is a dump."

"Naruto!" shouted a voice that Naruto immediately recognized as Sakura's. "Why are you wearing that hospital gown? Don't you have other clothes to wear? Oh and did you receive the flowers I sent you. It was my way of saying thanks for training with me."

"Sadly, my clothes were nicked, torn, you name it, in one of my most recent fights. Actually, I don't have any other clothes besides those. Flowers, I didn't see any flowers. I guess I just wasn't paying attention to anything around me while I left," replied Naruto as he looked around at the villagers and ninja attempting to repair the village.

"Oh, well, I guess it wasn't your fault. Just mine for taking the time to get those flowers," silently said Sakura under her breath.

"Hm? Did you say something? I sort of spaced out for a few seconds. Do you know what happened in the village?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, Otogakure and Sunagakure teamed up and tried to take us down. It's hard to tell who won the battle when you look at all of this wreckage," replied Sakura as she too scanned the village.

For the next few minutes, Naruto and Sakura conversed about the battle until two medical ninja spotted Naruto and chased him down the road to get him back to the infirmary. Quickly, Naruto hopped a few roofs and leaped into the window leading into the Hokage Office, and right there, sitting in his usual chair sat a very tired looking Sarutobi.

The old man, caressed his snow white beard and stared at Naruto before chuckling, "Ah, Naruto, I see you're up and ready to go today."

"Got that right old man, say, can you get those annoying medics off of my tail?" asked Naruto as he pointed at yelling medics outside of the window.

Sarutobi dismissed the medics and cringed as a wound on his left side shot pain down his back.

"Old man, are you okay? Did the battle take a lot out of you?" catechized Naruto while looking at Sarutobi in pain.

"Everything's fine Naruto. Just a battle wound. Anyway, it's convenient that you're here because I have a mission that I think you should take. The mission is one to Tonbogakure's ruins. There's a temple still there that is home to a potion said to cure any wound, but the potion is said to be well hidden and guarded."

"Sure, sounds good, but who exactly is the potion for and who'll be my teammates since Sasuke and Gaara are down for the count?" blandly questioned the seated Hokage.

"Naruto, my boy, the potion is for your friends and Itachi. They're in horrible states that the village medics cannot heal. That is why I chose you to go on this mission. Oh and your teammates will be two fellow Genin of yours, Sakura Haruno and Neji Hyuga. Out of the ninja in the village, they are the best fit ninja for this dispatch. Leading your team is the only Jonin I have for dispatch, Genma Shiranui."

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End of Chapter 11

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