"But...it comes at a price. What you have to do. I mean."

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"No Sakura. Why should I apologize to her when Naruto tripped up?"

"Sasuke-kun, you're the one who stuck your foot out!"

"But I didn't know that that girl would save him from a little trip." Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Have you noticed about that girl's eyes?" Sakura asked cautiously and quietly.

"What about them?"

"Don't you think that there is something weird about them?"

"No." He lied.

"Come on, Sasuke. You're apologizing and that's it and I don't care what you-Wait, is that her?" Sasuke slowly followed her pointed finger to his left. True enough, there was Fern. She looked like she was in the middle of training, battling against dummies.

Her footwork was impeccable and she had stunning grace, but as she swerved at the dummies she looked like a lifeless doll. If you looked closer, you could see she was shaking, sweating and panting like hell. Justin shouted commands and tips at her, and her body listened but her mind didn't. Every now and then she would shut her eyes from exhaustion and then open them when she sensed something.

"Keep focused! Balance evenly! Hit firmly! Keep your chakra preserved!" And other things Justin shouted at her. Next thing Sasuke knew, Sakura ran over to Justin, pleading him to stop. He glared at her and brought his hand up to slap her away and Sasuke caught his fist. Justin scowled at the both of them.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Let me go!" He tore away from his grasp and was about to walk to Fern, who stopped, when he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. He turned in absolute rage and brought his fist to punch whoever it was, but stopped as he realised that it was Kakashi.

"Look at Fern. You're working her to death. Let her have a break she has been training for two hours straight." Justin just narrowed his eyes at the older man without even bothering to look at Fern.

"In all my life I have never been ordered around and I don't intend to start now." He growled. "Sakura, let go of my hand." Sakura let go in fear. She hadn't realised that she had even taken hold of him.

"You'll work her to death. She shouldn't be training in this course. It's too hard even for my students. Fellow Jounin would have to think twice before even entering. No shinobi should be put through this training and expected to live." Kakashi looked at the rest of the course. Giant, deadly swords with a mind of their own, traps everywhere and other deadly tools.



"She isn't a shinobi."

"Then that explains why she's so tired."

"From what she's done and been through this is pip squeak I don't know why she won't do it. I went easy on her today."

"Sakura, Sasuke, help Fern." Kakashi ordered them as Fern was now struggling to stand. Sakura bolted over to her, eyeing Fern's eyes. Sasuke rolled his eyes yet helped anyway. "Look at her Justin! She cannot stand!" Fern fell into their arms and closed her eyes. "Sakura, Sasuke, take her to the Hokage."

"What?! You don't have any right! Mind your own bullshit she isn't any of your business!"

"Hokages orders, Justin." Kakashi replied through gritted teeth. Justin backed down and let them take Fern. Kakashi heard Justin murmur something to Fern as they passed, but he couldn't understand what it was.

"Kakashi-sensei, I thought you were on a mission." Sakura asked. Kakashi didn't reply as they walked to the Hokage.

Sasuke was surprised at how light Fern was, it was like lifting up a feather. He glanced sideways at her half lidded eyes and indeed saw the pain. He recognised that pain as almost...heartbreak.

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Everyone bowed to the Hokage. He motioned for them to sit and they did silently. Sakura and Sasuke helped Fern to a seat and she took it quietly.

"Fern, how are you my dear?" She had caught her breath now and was only slightly shaky.

"I don't know..."

"I want to ask you a few questions, Fern. Is that alright?"

"...Whatever you want..."

"Alright. Look at me. Good. Now keep looking at me while I ask you these questions. Where do you come from?"

"..."

"Did you not hear me?"

"...I was told not to say anything..."

"Well this is important, Fern. You would be saving lives you tell us the information that we need." She began to choke uncontrollably when he mentioned 'saving lives'. Kakashi patted her hard on the back and she slowly stopped, her head low. When she came up, everyone saw tears in her eyes. She silently got up and stepped out of the room. She ran out and ran down the road, searching for someone.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"But it comes at a price, what you have to do. I mean."

"I'll do anything! Tell me!"

"Because it is rumoured that Fern's heart was lost by a demon, only you can bring it back because you have a demon inside you. Fern is the next of what people call a 'Ghost Child'. A unique being. Where during one of its past lives, had conquered death, enabling to master its own fate. They came once every 100 years and it was the same soul being reborn. They were recognised by their kindness, wisdom and power and how they treated everyone as equals and loved everyone for who they were. And everyone loved them back. They were called a 'Ghost Child' because they lived like and mimicked ghosts. They were silent and could blend into the background without any trace of them ever being there. They had mastered all skills and were constantly undefeated throughout time.

The last Ghost Child that had been seen, was 2000 years ago. People say that the Ghost Child will never come again. Anyway, it was a normal life for her. An evil darkness spread over the town and demons raided it. The Ghost Child could not face them all alone. The Raven, the one she loved, he was killed by the demons. Her entire family was then killed. Then she sacrificed her heart to the demon in order to seal away the demons. Leaving her emotionless and weak, also losing her memory of her life and past lives. Also how to be reborn again into the next world.

Her last words were: "Perhaps one day, I will find my Raven once again." She was never seen again.

Naruto, because of this, you can get back her heart because her heart was taken by a demon, so it must be replaced by one, and you have one inside of you. I know you love her, Naruto. And that's the danger. When she spoke those last words for the Raven that she had loved, her fate had moved so that she could only be with him. Fern will be oblivious to the fact that you love her, so if you ever tell her, you will disappear into a flash of light. Just like that."

Naruto was deeply saddened at what Gaara had told him. Yet he admired that she have up her heart and life so that others would be happy. Still, he ran.

"The pieces of her heart were scattered across Konoha. Each piece containing a certain emotion."

Something was calling him, he could feel it.

Naruto ran to his house and grabbed a cloak before leaving again. He didn't have a destination in mind, but he had a strong pull guiding him as he continued down the long road. He ran faster than he ever did before. Then, he saw her. The ghostly image of Fern. Instantly he knew that it was a piece of Fern's heart.

Right now, she had her back to him, her black hair blowing in the light breeze. However, her head turned to see who it was, her eyes scanning the scene. Naruto quickly pulled up his hood so that she didn't know who he was. Her eyes landed on him. They were filled with one thing. Sadness. Pure sadness. Fern turned her whole body to face him.

He walked towards her, her ghostly image hovering just above the ground. He was slightly afraid at first, yet he carried on anyway. Her saw a lonely tear fall down her cheek and her eyes fell to the ground.



"Come, you must return." He ushered her. He didn't know where that came from.

"I am not to wander alone anymore?" Naruto shook his head. Another tear fell down her cheeks and she smiled. "Thank goodness."

The moment that he touched her skin, she faded into red dust, all flowing into his hand and formed as a red stone. He gripped it tightly and then heard someone behind him. He turned, seeing Fern there. She was panting too, like she was rushing to get here. The stone in his hand flew over to her and melted through her clothing through her flesh and took place where her heart should be.

She fell to her knees and began to choke again. He ran over to her and saw tears stains on the ground already and that she had stopped choking. She looked up at him and he was relieved to see her eyes thanking him. That was more than enough proof to him that she wanted her heart.

"I'm so glad to see that your alright, Fern."

All emotion was gone. "...You know my name, yet I don't know yours..." He froze. He couldn't tell her his name. Not yet anyway. She couldn't even see his face through the hood. Instead, he was about to stand up when she grabbed his cloak.

"Don't leave me...don't leave me alone..." She pleaded. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. He heard another person coming and ran like the light, regrettably leaving Fern behind.

"Fern! Where have you-What's wrong?" Justin bent down next to her.

"This...feeling..." Justin scowled at Fern. So she's feeling again huh? But who did this. No one knew. I even made sure nothing would slip out about her past. But perhaps...probably...that brat... Justin bolted into a standing position and dragged Fern back to their house.

Naruto watched from the trees as Fern's gaze never left the spot that he was before he 'left', even though Justin was dragging her home, shouting at her in the process.

So that's how he wants it huh? Naruto thought with a sly grin. Two can play at this game.