Ali: Chapter 4! Yeah, I've gotten better.

Neji: Can I go home? I'm tired.

Ali: Not yet! You've got to do stuff!

Neji: Like make you say the disclaimer?

Ali: Noooooo.

Neji: Do it or I'll get Jiraiya's pervy ass here and have him hug you and compliment you.

Ali: *gasps* How'd you find out about that?

Neji: Naruto's got a big mouth.

Ali: I'm gonna kill him.

Neji: You've got two seconds... one... two! What? Ali's fallen for Jiraiya the Toad Sage?!

Jiraiya: *poofs in the room* Really?!

Ali: How the hell did he hear that?

Neji: He hears what he wants to hear. Jiraiya, hug Ali.

Ali: I own nothing, nothing! *yanked into a hug anyway*

Jiraiya: I knew you'd fall for me!

Ali: *dying*

Neji: Let her go!

Ali: *carried to the hospital*

Neji: *facepalm* Review.

Jiraiya: So she didn't fall in love with me?

Neji: No.

Jiraiya: *sulks in corner*

Naruto:

He woke up with a massive headache. The fox must've been trying to gain control once more. He walked out of the house after a shower and his mind flashed to when there was blood everywhere. He shivered at the thought and got dressed, quickly going to Ichiraku's Ramen. He ate ten bowls merrily before he got ready for team training. He chuckled at the thought of seeing Sakura. His longtime crush. After a minute of walking his head pounded painfully but he ignored it when he saw Sakura.

"Hey Sakura!" he said cheerfully.

SHe smiled at him. "Hey Naruto, are you ready for training?"

"Yeah... where's Kakashi sensei?"

She huffed. "Late as usual."

"PRobably reading his porn," Naruto sighed, laying down. THe light hurt to look at so he laid down in the shade and closed his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, small headache," he half-lied.

"Here, let me," she said, walking over and putting a glowing hand on his forehead. He relaxed instantly. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks Sakura," he said with a grin.

Kakashi waked toward them, his book held up and his eyes locked on the pages. "Hey."

"You're late," Naruto accused.

"Again," Sakrua sighed.

"Sorry, I had to travel back in time to buy some milk otherwise the world would end," he lied.

"I swear his lied got worse in the three years I was gone," Naruto sighed.

"They did," Sakura said, tightening her glove.

He got up and stretched for a second before the usual wicked grin graced his face. "Let's do this!"

His two teammates rolled their eyes and shook their heads at Naruto's antics, but with fond smiles. This was something they missed when Naruto was in his fragile state. Sakura crossed her arms.

"Do you even know what the mission is?"

"Giving a scroll to a lord in... the Earth Country, and bringing back one from them," Naruto said.

"Water Country Naruto," Kakashi sighed.

"Oh... Well I got the other details right," Naruto said, waving off the mistake with ease.

"Don't do anything idiotic this time Naruto," Sakura warned, making Naruto pale.

"I won't!"

Apparently he would. Currently he was panting, glaring at the blue haired menace. He was running low on his chakra and would have to rely on the demon that would take over his body.

Do I have another choice? he thought to himself before he closed his eyes for a second. Give me your power.

Take it, the fox growled.

Naruto felt a rush of power and he opened his red eyes. He moved forward at an almost blinding speed and used Rasengan on the enemy, but not before the blue haired man slammed his hand into Naruto's sternum, making him shake. Once the enemy was dead the cloak of chakra retreated and Naruto collapsed on his knees, about to sink into water.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried, running forward.

"Sorry Sakura," he muttered before falling forward into unconsciousness.

Tsunade stood over the boy and watched as sweat dripped down his face. He cursed the man's spirit, whoever did this too him. Tsunade set to work immediately, checking his vitals and trying to see if there was anything wrong with him, but the only thing that seemed to be majorly wrong besides cracked ribs was his brain. She breathed and closed her eyes, delving deeper into his mind and trying to find the cloud and clear it up, but she couldn't seem to clear the blockage in his mind. She growled and tried once more before she had to give up otherwise she would be no use with chakra exhaustion.

"Oh Naruto, what've you gotten yourself into?" she asked him.

~in Naruto's mind~

Naruto looked around, frightened. Perhaps the Kyuubi was going to make his move, or perhaps maybe he was just knocked out. He wasn't near the cage, not even close. He started walking back and he saw something, a shadow.

"Naruto, get in here!" the great fox called, a sense of... worry in his voice.

"Maybe I won't," Naruto called back.

He was shoved and he landed with an 'umph' on the floor. He turned and looked around the dark hallway. He steeled his reserves and fought the urge to run away. Suddenly he heard yips, yelps, and growls echoing from a room nearby. He followed the noises and saw the wolf sized Kyuubi rolling around with a shadow, blood on his flank. THe shadow melted in with it's brothers and left Naruto and the Kyuubi.

"Get back to the cage," he panted.

Naruto helped the demon up and walked with him to the cage where he larger Kyuubi had his head rested on his massive paws, flanks heaving as the mini fox went back to him in chakra form. "Why?"

"Because, if you die, I die," the fox half-lied and Naruto could tell, their bond alerted him to it.

"What's the real reason?"

"You're MY pup and no one will touch you except me... and a few of your comrades," the Kyuubi put in after a thought.

"So... you do have a heart?"

"It's what keeps me alive," the demon said, avoiding the real question.

"I mean, you care about me?"

"... a little."

Naruto felt his heart warm a little. "I... I'm touched."

"Exit your mind and let me handle the shadow."

"Do you think it is Shadow?" Naruto asked somewhat worriedly.

"No doubt in my mind."

"Alright..." Naruto said, reluctantly leaving.

~outside Naruto's mind~

Tsunade rubbed her temples, trying to go through all the things that could be blocking Naruto's mind when suddenly said young man woke up. Tsunade looked at him and sighed.

"Hey granny, how long've I been out?"

"Two days," Tsunade said, sitting in the chair beside him with a small grunt. "And that's after the three day journey it took to get you here."

"Five days? That's almost a week!" Naruto shouted, almost getting out of bed.

"Naruto... what happened?"

"I was fighting and the guy hit me in the sternum," Naruto said. "And something happened inside my mind,"

"What happened?"

"There's something in there that isn't supposed to be and the Kyuubi's taking care of it," Naruto assured the older woman.

"Get some rest," Tsunade said, kissing his forehead.

Naruto blinked. IT wasn't often that he got kisses from the Fifth Hokage, actually it only happened twice before, when she gave him the necklace, and when he almost killed himself by breaking his neck saving a kid from falling off the Hokage Mountain. She smiled at him and walked away. Naruto ran a hand through his hair. He must've really worried her. He really didn't try to make her worry so much, it just happened. He shook his head and curled in a ball. A nap would be nice at the moment.

ALi: How'd you like it?

Jiraiya: It was pretty good, I could write it better.

Ali: I don't want porn in my story.

Neji: God knows I don't want it.

Ali: THen why're you blushing?

Neji: *blushes* I'm not blushing

Ali: Mhm... Oh yeah!

All: Review!~