Chapter 4

A New Place to Live

Ino was making her morning rounds in the recovery wing. It was morning of the third day since they brought in the stranger named Ryo. No progress had been made towards finding out who he was or where his horse ran off to. Maybe I should check in on him again, she thought. After all they did remove his pain killers. She proceeded down the main hall and was about to round the corner to his room when she heard the voices of the two guards stationed outside the door to his room. As she listened she could hear them arguing.

"I don't know man. I mean he just got out of surgery two days ago," said the first voice.

"I'm sick of baby sitting jobs," said another. "Like you said he just got out of surgery. It's not like he's gonna do anything."

Ino did not like where this conversation was headed.

"I say we go in their and beat him until he tells us who he is and why he's here," continued the guard. "And if he dies… Well, then we won't have to worry about him any more, if you're not in just stand watch."

There was a soft sliding sound as the door to Ryo's room slid open. Ino untied her nurse's cap and tossed it away. She whipped around the corner and blitzed towards the two treacherous guards.

The two guards saw her approaching, looked at each other and smiled. The one that had slid the door open held up his hand and called out to her. "Hey missy, I think you should just turn around- GASP!!!" He was cut off when Ino's fist knocked the wind out of him and sent him careening into his partner. The two of them landed at the end of the hall in a heap and unconscious.

Ino recomposed herself and scowled at the mangled bodies of the anbu ninja she had just knocked out. "I guess you shouldn't have let your guard down because I'm a skinny, blonde chick dressed as a nurse!" She reached up and flicked her bangs back, which simply fell back into place. She then turned to see if the commotion had woken Ryo, when to her surprise she saw that his bed was empty. Ino rushed into the room and her eyes quickly searched the room for the slightest chance that he was still there. Ryo was nowhere to be found but her gaze did fall upon a grill lying on the floor. She looked above the bed and saw that he had removed a vent cover from the ceiling, climbed up and escaped through the ventilation shaft. Ino dashed out of the room as fast as her feet would carry her. It's amazing that he could not only make that kind of an escape in his condition, but do it without those anbu guys ever knowing, she thought. This guy is more then just some rider.

Lady Tsunade was slowly hiking up the stairs to her office carrying a cup of tea. She yawned loudly as she cleared the last step and moved toward the double doors of the Hokage chambers. I can't believe I let Sakura talk me into letting that foreigner stay here, she thought to her self. She opened her door, walked in and turned to close it. Well, as long as he's at the hospital, being watched by the anbu he's not a threat. Just as she closed the door, the shadows peeled back revealing the very man she was thinking about. He was standing in the space between the door and the wall with his arms crossed and a grin on his face. Tsunade was so surprised by his sudden appearance that she dropped her tea.

Ryo lunged forward, aiming low towards legs. Tsunade without hesitation shot out with one of her knees caching him right under the jaw. The force of Tsunade's incredible blow sent him smashing back into the wall from where he came, creating a fair sized crater in the sheetrock. Ryo's body slowly slumped to the floor leaving Tsunade towering over him. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!!" she screamed.

Ryo slowly lifted his head. His eyes were rolling uncontrollably making it difficult to focus on the Hokage. "At the moment, Ma'am," he said shakily, "rescuing your tea." He held out his hand and in his palm was the tea cup that Tsunade had dropped in her surprise.

Tsunade look at the tea. Not a drop had been spilled. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she heart fully exclaimed as she took the tea in one hand and helped him to stand with the other. "Are you all right?" she asked as his head dipped.

Ryo managed to bring his head back up and look Tsunade in the eyes. "You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen," he whispered in a strange voice as he placed one hand on her cheek. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Tsunade blushed and rolled her eyes as she dragged Ryo to her desk and set him down in her chair. After a few moments Ryo regained control of himself. "I apologize for frightening you so much, ma'am," he said sheepishly. "I was hiding there so I wouldn't have to have a confrontation with the first person that walked in the room. Looks like that didn't work." Ryo managed to stand and returned the chair to its owner. "I'm here to tell you I've heeled and I'm ready to answer your questions," he said with a bow.

Tsunade frowned at him as she sat in her chair. "All right, who are you and why are you here?"

"As for who I am, afraid that that must remain secret for now. And I thought it was quite apparent when I was being dragged here by my horse that I needed medical help," he stated in a slightly sarcastic tone.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "alright how long do you intend to stay?"

Ryo smiled and bowed very low with much twirling of his hands. "As long as it is necessary for me to repay the dept I owe you and this village for taking me in, when I know for a fact, that others would have left me to die in the street."

Tsunade returned his bow with a nod of her head. "You know I can't just let you walk about freely." She said with a smile. "Until you feel that you are ready to leave you will be accompanied by my people at all times," She continued, and then leaned in closer, "And I mean all times."

Ryo stepped closer to Tsunade and took her hand in his. "You are a fair and just leader, Lady Tsunade." Ryo lightly kissed her on the hand.

Tsunade gave Ryo a sly glance as she took back her hand. She immediately began searching in her coat pocket to hide her snickering. She pulled out a small watch and said, "Your escort should be arriving right about… now!"

At that exact moment the door to the room flew open and in stormed a boy roughly fifteen, with spiky blonde hair and wearing an orange jumpsuit. The boy took three steps into the room and then noticed Ryo. "AAAHHHH!!!! Granny Tsunade, that guy escaped from those anbu guys in the hospital!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Tsunade stood up from her chair, "Naruto You idiot! I'm right here talking to him! I know already!" A few minuets past as Tsunade explained what was happening to Naruto. "Naruto, I am here by ordering you to guard this young man. You will watch his every move. You'll walk together, eat together and live together for as long as I see fit," she ordered with a grin.

Naruto was just about to protest when the door burst open again and Ino ran into the room. "Ryo's escaped from the…" her voice slowly died as she saw that Ryo was in the room.

Tsunade closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb trying not to laugh. Oh, it's too early for this, she thought to her self. "Naruto quit complaining and get out before I suspend you for insubordination."

Naruto growled with discontent and grabbed Ryo by the arm. "Let's go!" he grumbled as he pulled him toward the door.

As the two of them passed Ino, Ryo bumped into her slightly causing her to stumble. Ryo quickly broke free of Naruto's grasp, caught her hand and stopped her fall. He drew her back up. "My apologies miss," he said with smile. He quickly felt embarrassed and both he and Naruto hurried out the door.

Ino stood a little confused with a now giggling Tsunade. Her cheeks suddenly felt very warm. "That's alright." she whispered. She then turned to Tsunade to ask what was going on.

In the hall, the two boys were slowly walking down the stairs. "Those two look a lot alike, are they sisters or some thing?" Ryo asked.

Naruto looked at him and laughed, "HA, Sisters?! Tsunade's at least fifty years old." Ryo stopped while Naruto kept walking down the steps. "What's wrong?" Naruto asked looking back.

Ryo shook himself, "Man, that transformation jutsu is good."

A.N. I hope it is now apparent that Ino's got the hots for Ryo, who is an incurable womanizer. Next chapter will bring in another pairing. For you Sasuke fans and fan girls he will be introduced later on.