Big thank you to: CelticReaper, grumpywinter, Namikaze777, Mrs-N-Uzumaki, DarkRavie, omegahurricane, FunnyLaugh, Proman, Harteramo, CrabbyOldHobbit, Ryu Vision, someone179, Devin Warren, saiyan prince1

I was wrong about the band name last chapter. It's Capital Lights. I keep getting it wrong. XD

A note about the premature thing.. I'm not 100 percent sure if I really should be using the word 'premature' or if I should say 'early'. Either way, It's as it is.. I'm just going to let you all know I have uncertainties about the terminology. Y'know. In case someone in the future decides to flip out on me about that. XD

Some things were left hanging: Of course they were, 'cause then you'll come back. XD I did things on purpose, because an answer can't always happen right away, and other things get in the way of knowledge. -shrugs-

Finally: It's not really my b-day anymore since it's 1:21 am on Wed but… meh. It's still Tuesday to me. XD Wish me a belated Happy Birthday. Huzzah. Ok, now it's 2:37 on Thursday, and only the Ino/Naruto conversation's been done. I hope the conversation isn't too awkward. -sighs- Time to get on to the fight…

…I just started writing here, and my cat Peaches just hit me. No, seriously. She hit me with her paw a couple times (which she never does) because she wanted to be on my lap. What a punk.

Dear iTunes. It's officially been 1 month. Post. Anti-Meridian. DX -pulls hair-

Hm…. I hope I'm not making Ino overly weepy. I just thought of that. As usual, no beta. Sorry.

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You'll find me face down, hands bound, ready for the blade to make me two
If judgment falls to meet this ground, that fate will run me through
No day of wrath will see me break for that faithless breath of shame
When the heretics come to make that list, be true to speak my name

Demon Hunter, Grand Finale, Storm the Gates of Hell

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Two days had passed slowly, leaving Ino to recollect herself and re-organize all of the information she had gathered. She walked slowly through the early morning streets of Konoha dressed in her ninja gear, and wearing Naruto's jacket. She clasped the slightly tattered and worn orange and black fabric close to herself to try and keep out the chill of the early morning as she walked. Things were going to happen today, good or bad, things were going to happen. It was like there was living, breathing electricity in the air all around the village. Ino looked around herself, highly alert, 'It's unusually creepy this morning…'

She paused in her stroll in front of Naruto's apartment and stared up at the floor that he lived on. It really was a drab place to have to live, 'Naruto has to live like this because of the cruelty of the villagers… Yet, I just don't understand how and why he could still want to protect everyone so fiercely. It seems almost… unnatural.'

As she stared up at Naruto's floor, his back door suddenly opened and he appeared on his balcony and stretched. He immediately noticed her looking, "Ino-chan?"

The kunoichi smiled awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed she'd been caught looking at his balcony, "Hi Naruto-kun."

He scratched his head, "What are you doing all the way out here?"

Ino paused, "Uh, well…"

Naruto looked around a moment and gave her a directional nod, "How about we talk inside?"

Ino blinked and nodded as Naruto went back into his apartment. She pondered, 'I suppose it really is a bit early to have a conversation between 3 floors… a bit too open.' She walked into the complex and up the stairs until he reached his floor, where she found him waiting and fully dressed for the day by the door.

She smirked, "You got dressed fast."

Naruto shrugged, "Ero-sennin was good at making me get ready last-second."

Ino nodded and let herself in, Naruto closing the door behind her. She was happy to find his apartment was warm, "So…"

Naruto walked to the kitchen and started making himself breakfast, "What brings you over here, Ino?" He looked at her curiously from the stove as she went and sat at the table.

She shrugged, releasing the jacket from her grip, "I've been thinking over a lot of things as of late…"

He watched her silently for a moment, "Like what? Can you talk about it?"

Her gaze met his, "I'm… not completely sure."

Naruto gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"

She pondered a moment, resting back on her seat, "It's just…" Ino steeled herself, "I've been investigating your past."

His eyes widened, confusion and perhaps a small bit of agitation showing through, "Investigating?"

Ino looked down and clasped her hands together, "I… I know I don't really have… a right to be looking for personal information on you that you yourself might not even know but…"

He walked over abruptly and sat across the table from her, a cup on instant ramen in one hand, and a cup of tea in the other which he placed in front of her, "What have you found out?"

Ino blinked and looked at him confused, "Huh?"

Naruto scratched his head, "I know I should be angry, but dammit, I haven't even really thought about that stuff in a long time… Who my parents were and stuff. I never got answers, so… I just.. Stopped asking questions."

She studied him a minute, "So…are you angry with me for looking?"

He sighed, "A little, but if you've actually gotten information, then I'd be happy to hear it… I think. I mean, you're the first person I know who's actually gotten information and is willing to tell it."

Ino clenched her hands a little, "But that's the problem, I'm not sure what I can and cannot tell you… Some of it's personal, and yet you have every right to know and just… It's all very difficult to work out."

Naruto studied her, trying to come to an understanding, "So you want to tell me, but…"

She looked at him suddenly freaked out, "A few days ago I was told a great deal of highly classified information surrounding the time before your birth, and I'm personally sort of really… upset about it… I want to tell you, but at the moment, it still hurts too much and is too fresh. Also, I still don't know who your parents were, exactly, so I'd really like to try and look into it a bit more…"

He looked at her a little shocked, "-Oh." He thought a moment, "So you're still trying to cope and organize things in your mind, huh? Kinda like Sakura-chan, always needing all the facts…"

Ino growled, "Comparing me to Sakura is just… Naruto."

He laughed at her glare, "I'm sorry, but there is some truth to it."

She sighed heavily and took off his jacket, resting it behind her since she was getting a little too hot, "Whatever…"

Naruto slurped up his ramen quickly and Ino rolled her eyes, "I wish I could tell you something, Naruto."

He shrugged as he finished, "I've waited 15, a little longer won't kill me. It sucks though, dattebayo."

Ino nodded.

He paused a moment, "Hey Ino-chan?"

"Hm?"

"…Do you think we could work as a team?"

"A team?"

He smiled, "Yeah, y'know, collecting data and stuff on my past."

She looked at him, "So… you don't mind?"

He shrugged, "If you've actually had success so far, why stop something when the going's good?"

Ino smiled, "Thanks, Naruto."

He just waved her off, "We're friends, right?"

Ino nodded, "Right."

They smiled at each other as Ino left that mid morning.

The jacket was left behind.

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If you had told Naruto that his peaceful morning would end up in a bat-shit-crazy evening, he might have taken it in stride.

Or laughed in your face.

As the Jinchuuriki of the 9-tailed-beast, you really could just never know what sort of luck you would run into during the day.

Yet, as things were, Naruto was simply taking a long stroll after mulling over what had happened that morning, only to hear yelling in the distance.

He paused confused, 'That voice is really familiar…'

If you haven't learned to recognize his almost constant screeching voice as of yet, there is no hope for you flesh bag.

I will have to agree.

Naruto growled as he felt a spike of demon-chakra spike up in the air. Suddenly Naruto was well aware of who it was yelling, 'Sora!' He ran to where Sora and the person he was arguing with, and also came to recognize some other chakra signatures that more then likely meant trouble for the troublesome monk.

He lunged at his temporary teammate, "Sora!" As he did so, the wall next to Sora and the ninja he was fighting with exploded and several shuriken and kunai flew out. Naruto grabbed Sora and fell to his hands and knees while protecting him. The other boy looked agitated but shaken all at the same time.

"Naruto, what the-"

The blond smiled painfully, "Ah, I'm glad you're alright" 'Even if you are a pain in the ass.' He felt himself grow suddenly feint, "I made it… just in time."

Sora growled and shoved him as he yelled, "I didn't ask for you to protect me!"

Naruto stumbled, only to be grabbed carefully from behind. Sora took a step back and looked around himself and lifted his now demonic arm, "You're all just the same as them!" He ran off and was quickly followed by other ninja.

"Naruto." The blond turned to realize it was Yamato who had grabbed him, "Are you-"

The blond passed out as he felt the warm thrum of Kyuubi's chakra working on healing his wounds, despite the fact he'd yet to have the multiple sources of injury removed.

As usual, brat. Back in my cage you appear.

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself in front of Kyuubi. He sighed, frustrated with himself, "What the hell is Sora's problem? Why does he reject our help?"

A translucent Itachi appeared off to the side, yet in between Kyuubi and Naruto, "Are you not the same?"

Naruto blinked, "Wha?"

Itachi stared at him with his usual blank expression and his mouth unmoving, "You too reject help from others. Yes, you have come to accept people and yet… you are incredibly lacking. Your social personality is a complete fraud in many respects."

Naruto glared and looked at his reflection in the murky water of his… well… wherever it was Kyuubi was sealed, "I…"

A puff of unbearingly warm and musty air bore over him in a sigh, I've healed your wounds brat. I will suggest you go to the Hokage tower. I sense a great deal of malevolence on the outside and I believe that… abomination is headed that way.

Naruto jerked his head up, only to find himself staring at a white ceiling, 'I'm becoming far to familiar with hospitals. Augh, I hate that smell.' Short musing done, the blond quickly and carefully sat up and redressed himself.

He observed the room he was in and was satisfied that no nurses or ninja were there. He smirked and walked over to the window and snuck out, moving quickly towards the Hokage tower. 'Sora… don't do anything stupid.'

His almost fully healed injuries itched under their wrappings as he made his way up to the top of the Hokage building, 'Let me make it in time!'

Naruto ran into the Hokage's office, "Look out!"

Tsunade found herself being grabbed by her pseudo-grandson just in time to see a thick metal arrow-spear rush past her and lodge itself into the wall. She would have been plunged straight through if she hadn't been grabbed in time. She turned, "Naruto!"

In a flash he moved and held a kunai to parry Sora's attack, "Sora!"

The young monk growled in frustration, "Naruto! Of course you're here to get in my way! Why do you protect her, when she is only causing this country more problems!? We only have need for one king!"

Naruto growled, "King this, king that, it's all I ever hear from you! Why are you so focused on killing the old hag!?"

Sora smirked in a way that reminded the blond of Sasuke in a somewhat chilling way, "Because, it's revenge for my father's death! You wouldn't understand that sort of thing, would you Naruto!?"

That hit a nerve. Naruto shoved Sora roughly, "You-!"

Shizune rushed into the room followed by multiple ninja, "Tsunade-sama!!"

Sora made a frustrated noise before he jumped out of the window he had initially crashed through and went to make his escape.

"Sora!"

Tsunade recovered, "Naruto, follow Sora and don't let him escape!"

Naruto nodded and went after the monk quickly.

The sky crackled as the village was suddenly surrounded by 4 temple-like summons. Phoenix, Dragon, Tiger, and Turtle- all of which took their respective places in their associated direction from North, South, East, and West.

Ino looked at the sky, and watched in terror along with many other villagers and fellow ninja the mass genocide that began at that moment, when the lighting started up from the center of the village.

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Takato: I wanted to get a lot more done this chapter, but due to Pein's attack on the village in this latest chapter, I need to draw this out a little… that, and I have to figure out how to go about writing a battle. …I also have to figure out how to take care of Furido. Argh. In the end, despite the slightly lack-luster quality (and length) of the chapter, I hope you'll find yourselves happy with the next, since it'll give me more time to plan out how to go about writing it. Also, I have an interview tomorrow-today in about… 11 hours. Wish me luck, because I'm in desperate need of having a job.

Please Review!!