Disclaimer: I hope everyone realises that the original cast of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

AN: just a heads up to all out there concerned about my username (xoxoKakashixoxo) thanks for the concern, but I am NOT in fact liable for suicide, self-harm, Vitamin D deficiency or anything else damaging to myself. LIGHTEN UP! It is just a name.

Besides which, the social stigma of emos is overrated and a stereotype, they do not apply to every single case of emo. Ever heard of a style choice? Instead of being a preppy pink party-girl, I think I would prefer to be an emo.

And how I choose to live MY life is none of your concern. Should I choose to remain indoors for the rest of my life, I would have good reason to simply to stay away from people like you who choose to judge my life with no foundation other than a name (there are worse things I could have chosen you know).

I have nothing against flamers about my story, my STORY, not my life. Send all the critical reviews that you want, I relish them, but don't go off on a tangent. And if you're going to send a review and regret it later, I would start thinking before you typed another word. (And I would hope some people would not patronise me by assuming I need a list at the end of a review to 'understand' everything already written.

Sorry about the rant to all the nice reviewers and readers of my stories, I just had to get that off my chest. Apparently one reply to a review simply wasn't enough. The sad thing is, that reviewer probably won't even be reading this...

Well! On with the story!

;P

Chapter 23

Azami's POV (didn't expect that, did you?)...

I had seen my closest friends, almost all of whom were ninja, in the hospital more times than I cared to count. It was a part of their jobs, and it was the least I could do to be there for them when they were at their most vulnerable. Especially since most didn't love the hospital as I did. Sure it was a place where the sick and injured went, and where as many died as in the battlefield, but it was also a place where life was made, and I took particular joy in that part of my job.

I had been feeding Suki, a premature baby a few months old who was making surprising progress in her development, when my friend and fellow nurse Kira suddenly burst through the door to the baby ward I was in. It was quite unheard of, what with the likelihood of awakening every poorly baby in the ward, as well as Kira's usually peaceful demeanour. She huffed, blonde hair a mess and red in the face out of breath. "Azami-chan!"

"What is it Kira-chan?"

"It's Natsuki-san," I froze instantly at the name, especially the way Kira said it, with such desperation. "She's- she's-"

"What happened to her Kira?"

"You-You just have to see her."

I handed Suki to her, "Where is she?"

"ICU Ward." I nodded once as thanks, before running as fast as I could to the ward. A bustle of activity in one corner of the large ward grabbed my attention, and I pushed my way through the crowd surrounding three beds.

On one bed I saw Raidou, unconscious with bandages wrapped around every visible part of him. This worried me, as I knew he was one of the people Natsuki-chan was grouped with to protect the village.

On another bed I saw Genma, awake and batting away hands trying to help him. Not that he was very successful. His left leg was in a cast, one arm in a sling, and he was missing with his swings quite poorly.

It was when my eyes landed on the final bed that my heart stuttered at the sight.

Looking completely uninjured, there lay Natsuki-chan on the bed, eyes wide open and following all the activity around her. But something was wrong. Her eyes. They had always been like bottomless pits of darkness into her soul. But now they just seemed blank, watching everything around her with complete detachment.

"Oh my god!" I ran to her, grabbing her by her shoulders and shaking her as I shouted, "Natsuki-chan! Natsuki-chan, answer me!" but she did nothing but look at me, not even blinking. She was starting to scare me.

"Amaterasu-san, contain yourself!" cried Kazumi, a medic-nin.

I turned to him, "What happened to her? What's wrong with her?"

He shook his head, but Genma started to answer, "We were attacked by one of the Akatsuki. Raidou had gone to look around alone after Natsuki said she had a funny feeling, and he came back unconscious in the arms of a guy Natsuki called Madara." Chills broke out all over my body at the name, but I schooled my face to remain neutral as I continued listening. "When Madara attacked he went straight for Natsuki. She just fell onto the ground in a second, and Madara tried to grab her but I held him off after sending the signal for help. When back-up arrived Madara fled, and we were brought here."

"Thank you for protecting her Shiranui-san."

Genma nodded at me, waving off my thanks with his good arm, "It's nothing I wouldn't do for a friend. You should be more concerned with Natsuki over there."

I looked back at Kazumi, "What exactly is wrong with her?"

"We can't say for certain. She seems immobile, but her reflexes are working correctly. She has no responses to sound though."

"But her eyes-"

"She's not really seeing us, per say. Think of a baby, their eyes simply move to follow whatever motion happens around her."

"She's a baby?" I was really panicking now. Sure Natsuki-chan had her childish moments, but this was ridiculous! I couldn't be best friends with a baby in an adult's body, not that I wouldn't try, this was Natsuki. She had been my best friend for years.

"No, I was just saying that even though she seems to be looking at us, she isn't aware of us," Kazumi said, "If you didn't move a muscle for a little while, her eyes would wander away from you."

That only slightly alleviated my worry as I sat down on the seat beside Natsuki's bed, "What could have done this? Was it a jutsu?"

"I never saw a jutsu," Genma said, "But that Madara was really fast, so possibly."

I sat in thought, absentmindedly holding Natsuki's limp hand in mine when a thought shot through me, making me leap to my feet, Oh god! "Naruto! Kakashi! Has anyone told them yet?" Sheepish looks were all I got in reply. I slumped back into my seat. Their reaction wouldn't be pretty. Natsuki-chan was very important to those two, as they were to her.

"I'll tell them myself," the Hokage said as people parted for him to stand at the foot of Natsuki-chan's bed, frowning at the empty look he was receiving from her. "After the Chunnin exams."

"But Hokage-sama-"

"They will need all the concentration they can in the coming days Ameterasu-san, Natsuki-san would not have wanted them distracted either. And while she seems in no immediate danger, I will leave her in your capable hands Ameterasu-san, especially as you know of her medical background."

I nodded, understanding that he meant that I was one of the few let in on Natsuki-chan's 'unique' origin. "What will we tell them? They will notice when Natsuki isn't here to welcome them home."

"Tell them I sent her on a special mission."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Natsuki's POV...

He just stood there, grinning, with that self-satisfied look in his eyes that Naruto sometimes got. I was still looking gobsmacked no doubt, I mean, this was the DECEASED Yondaime Hokage of Konoha. This was Naruto's father. What was I supposed to say? "You look confused Natsuki-chan."

"Yeah, well, I, but, what?" He gave a soft chuckle, before slinging an arm around my shoulders and leading me through the darkness, the light he seemed to be radiating never letting a single shadow touch us. I let him lead us, having no idea where we were anyway. "Where are we going? Where are we?"

Again, he chuckled. He seemed pretty cheerful for being a dead guy. I kept looking at him, expecting an answer. "We are safe."

"That doesn't tell me much."

"I know."

"You're quite annoying, you know that?"

"So I've been told," Yondaime said, a sad look in his eyes. "I've been called many other things too."

"... Please tell me where we are?"

"Very well, since you said please. We are in your head." I blinked at him, waiting for the punch line. "Really, we are. It's astounding the things you can do, places you can visit and people you can meet when you're dead."

"Why... are we in my head?"

"It was like a safety mechanism I created. Imagine like the one I placed in Naruto – I know you know about it – should the Kyuubi try to escape him fully. It was a failsafe measure."

"But why?"

"The information you hold is too important and valuable for a man like Madara to acquire. Should it fall into the wrong hands, there's no knowing what catastrophes would await us in the future. I ensured that should anyone attempt to gain access to your mind, your mind itself would retreat to an unreachable, safe part within you, where no one and nothing can get to you."

I nodded, seeing the logic behind the Yondaime's plan. I was a little concerned about the fact that I was currently walking around inside my head, but I was getting over that a little. Add that to the relief I was feeling about the fact that I wasn't in fact dead, and you could almost say I felt normal. "Why is it so dark here then? Am I depressed or something?"

"No, you aren't depressed." Yondaime said, still leading us wherever, "This is part of the failsafe. It made your mind entirely dark and absent of any information, except for one small part. You were supposed to go there to meet me, but you are stronger than I imagined. You fought back against the hold on your mind, and wound up lost within yourself. I had to spend a good while coming out here to find you again."

I was still somewhat confused, but I felt safe with the Yondaime by my side. I whispered to him, "Is he here too?"

Yondaime shook his head, "Madara ran off when back up arrived. There's no immediate threat to you now."

"Okay, then why am I still here?"

"Ehehe..." I knew that nervous chuckle, I thought, looking up to see the Yondaime scratching the back of his neck apprehensively, "Well the thing was Natsuki-chan, that this failsafe was very experimental, a prototype really."

"... When do I get out of here?"

"I'm not sure-"

"WHAT?"

"Now Natsuki-chan why don't you calm down, eh? Look, we're in the safe spot in your head." Yondaime said, throwing his arms out and grinning nervously at me. It wasn't much, just a small room that seemed to radiate light similarly to the Yondaime. It actually looked pretty much like the manga had shown of the room inside Naruto's mind which had the cage which contained the Kyuubi, except that where the cage had been, with glowing eyes and sharp white teeth peering out from between the bars, now hung a purple cloth of sorts. "What do you think?"

"I'd be more impressed if I knew when I was going to get out of this place."

The Yondaime pouted, an image I would now never forget. I had always imagined him to be more mature, hearing the occasional story of how Naruto got his nature from his mother but his looks from his father. Then again, I think that Minato Namikaze couldn't be too serious to have fallen for a wildcard like Kushina Uzumaki. "I'm trying Natsuki-chan, really I am."

"I have to get back out there to help Naruto."

At Naruto's name the Yondaime seemed to perk up, his whole body lighting up if possible. "Ah yes, you're his sister now, aren't you?"

I flushed slightly, "I-I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I am quite pleased in fact. Everything worked out a lot better than planned."

I squinted at him, crossing my arms and giving him the look that usually had Naruto spilling his guts to me, "What do you mean?"

Unfortunately, he seemed immune to the look, unlike Naruto, and the Yondaime waved at me. "It's nothing you need to know about now. Just know that I am very happy with how you have helped Naruto. Things didn't exactly go to plan when I left him..."

"You mean that the villagers didn't see him as the hero he was, and that he was alone, afraid and beaten for the first five years of his life." The Yondaime looked deflated, not a look I liked on him. I suppose I was a little harsh, and I couldn't blame him entirely for the consequences of putting the Kyuubi in Naruto. But I thought it needed to be said. "But... he has also become stronger because of the bad he experienced, and Naruto appreciates the things and people in his life a lot more too. He is a good shinobi and a better person, and you should be proud of him."

"I always was..."

I nodded my head, and decided that since neither of us were sure of when I would leave, I took to exploring the Spartan room I was in. I was of course inexplicably drawn to the cloth covering one wall, seeing as it was the only real feature in the room. I ran my hand over the purple velvet, and only when I heard murmurings behind it did I turn to look at the Yondaime. "What's behind this?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

I tugged on the cloth, letting it pool by my feet, and looking slack jawed at what lay behind it. Like a giant window I was looking out at what must have been the hospital, a worried Azami watching over me and chattering nervously away. But the focus of the window never stayed still, always moving. "Wh-What is this?"

"That is what you are currently seeing." The Yondaime said as he moved to stand beside me, "Although you have no control of your body, your eyes are still working."

"There we go Natsuki-chan, nice and comfy, yeah?" Azami said while tucking my body in the bed. I reached up and stroked her face on the window, seeing the worry evident on her face. "Don't keep us waiting too long. Although I hope you aren't in any pain. I hope you're alright in there, wherever you are. We all miss you, even though it's only been a day. Kakashi especially. He was asking about you this morning and it took everything in me not to tell him you were in the hospital and not away on a mission. Naruto doesn't know anything yet, although I expect Kakashi will tell him when he sees him. It's the last day of the second task, remember?"

A wave of cold fear dragged through me, and I turned back to the Yondaime with desperate eyes. "Yondaime, you have to get me out of here! I have to get out there! I have to help them! Otherwise Naruto- and Sasuke- oh god, don't forget Gaara, and, and-"

"Shhh..." he said, resting his hands on my shoulders as he looked down at me with a sad look on his face. "There is nothing I can do that I'm not already trying."

Tears gathered in my eyes at the fear and worry coursing through my body, "But Orochimaru-"

"Have faith in our friends, they're strong, they'll be fine. Trust me."

I didn't say anything in reply, just turned my eyes back to watch the window to the outside world again. I hated this. Now I really was helpless. I could do nothing to stop any harm coming to those dear to me. I couldn't even watch over them, because I was stuck in this room in my head in my body in a bed in the hospital. The Yondaime held me as I silently cried at my patheticness, and I couldn't help a small smile at the fact that his hugs felt almost exactly like Naruto's. Figures that Naruto can comfort me without even being here. I held tighter to the Hokage robe, my thoughts of Naruto reminding me about the danger he was soon going to be facing.