Normal

"Speech"

Thought

Kyuubi

Warnings: I do not own Naruto. Rated "M" for language right now, but there is a possibility of lemons later.

Chapter 13: In the moment.

Naruto looked up at the open window, then back at the pink haired kunoich that had been his crush for so long. She had always known about his feelings for her, and she wasn't ignoring those feelings anymore. Sakura loved Sasuke and there wasn't anything that was going to change that. Sakura loved Naruto like family, and when Naruto searched deep down, that is how he loved her too.

Naruto snuck over to the tree and started to climb. He walked on the outstretched limb leading to the window sill. He looked in the window to make sure no one but Myra was in the room.

"Myra-chan, PSSST, you awake?" Naruto looked over at the bed. Myra looked like she was asleep, but he entered the room anyway. He started to creep towards the bed. The door to the room slid open and the light came on. The duty nurse glared at Naruto. Myra tried not to giggle because of the pain.

"OUT!" The nurse yelled at him. "Out I said. Visiting time is OVER." She started to shoo him towards the window he came in. Naruto hung his head and walked back to the open window. The nurse put her hands on her hips and watched him closely. Naruto climbed back through the window and nearly lost his foot as the nurse closed the window with a slam.

Myra had gotten up and walked over to the closed window. She tapped on the glass and Naruto turned. They both looked at each other. Myra put her hand on the glass. They hadn't been alone all day. She hadn't touched him all day. Myra wanted him to stay and keep her safe. She didn't understand why, but she just wanted to be near him. Myra brown eyes conveyed her sadness.

Naruto looked into her eyes and then to her hand on the glass. He wanted in that room, just to be close to her; just to feel that energy that was so addictive. The Fox had other thoughts, but Naruto pushed those thoughts aside. Naruto put his hand on the glass and time stopped. In that fleeting moment there was nothing between them. The nurse pulled Myra from the window. Naruto felt a tug on his senses. He didn't want the moment to end. He felt complete in that moment.

Time came back into full focus when Myra's fingers left the glass of the window. The nurse glared at Naruto through the glass and mouthed "Go home and come back tomorrow."

Myra sat back on the bed and found the most comfortable position she could. "How long am I stuck here?" Myra asked the nurse.

"Another day, maybe two." The nurse was checking her chart. "Please dear, rest. I'm sure you will be able to go home as soon as your ribs fuse and the pain is manageable. Lady Tsunade will reconsider letting you go sooner if she finds you are well enough." She made a few check marks and put the chart back on the end of the bed. She started to walk out the door. The nurse flipped the light switch. "Now, go to sleep."

Myra tried to sleep, but she couldn't. She tossed and turned most of the night. Finally Myra sat up and started to focus her chakra. She wasn't going to stay here any longer than she had to. Myra sped up the healing process just enough to make a difference. "Tell me I have to stay here. I don't think so."

Naruto languished home.

"How long are you going to ignore me Brat!" The deep malicious voice rumbled.

"As long as I possibly can." Naruto grumbled right back at the Fox.

"All day now, you've agonized around your pathetic little apartment and the Hospital. During that time, I have been subject to your internal prattle about your true feelings. Most of the time I enjoy your pain and self inflicted misery, but this is getting old. Find something different to fuss about, preferably something I can't be sympathetic too." The Fox growled. Naruto started to walk up the stairs of his apartment.

"I can't help being confused … About how I feel."

There was an odd feeling that came over Naruto. Naruto was stunned by this faint emotion, because it wasn't his. He had always shared an emotional and mental link to the Fox. Most of the time Naruto shut himself off from the hate and anger the Demon Fox exuded. During the short chats and exchange of curses, there were no barriers between the Fox and Naruto. He had come to believe that emotions besides hate and anger were beyond the Fox. But in that moment of silence, that split second of thought, Naruto felt sadness and regret that was not his own.

Then with the flood of anger and hate, it was gone. His voice was malice and cold. "Your feelings are no concern to me. The pink haired tease is still infatuated with the Uchiha bastard, and told you to be…Happy." It took a little effort for the Fox to say the word. "and Myra seems to be," The Fox put a lecherous emphasis on his words. "Very interested."

There was silence again in Naruto's mind. He opened the door and set his keys on the bedside table. He picked up the picture of Team 7. Naruto shut the door and plopped on his bed.

"Shut the hell up and let me go to sleep. But since you're pissed as usual, pick nightmares that I can ignore, so I can actually sleep." Naruto couldn't help the grin. The Fox grumbled a curse and retreated. The mental link broken and Naruto was mostly alone with his own thoughts. He set the picture back in its place of honor.

What was this feeling? There was no explanation he could find that made sense. Naruto stood up and went into the kitchen. He put on the kettle to make some tea. He opened the balcony door and stepped out on the balcony and looked up at the moon.

Edgar landed on the railing of the balcony. Naruto rolled his eyes in frustration. "And I suppose you want to threaten me with bodily injury as well."

"I don't make threats Pretty Boy." Edgar ruffled his feather.

"Then what are you going to do, peck my eyes out?" There was a note of sarcasm in his voice. Edgar's eyes started to glow an ominous red color. Naruto could feel the energy the bird was beginning to emit. There was a deep growl from the pits of the Fox's cage.

"Sorry kid, but the big boys need to chat for a moment." Edgar's eyes flashed bright red and Naruto's body went limp.

The next morning Tsunade slid open the hospital room door to find Myra packing up her belongings.

"And where do you think you are going?" Tsunade sounded annoyed. Myra was smiling and acting very calm.

"Back to my spacious prison cell. I like the bathroom by the way. Was that your idea? Or was…" Tsunade didn't let Myra finish.

"Who said you could go home?" The Hokage crossed her arms and kept her face expressionless. Myra gave Tsunade a hopeful smile.

"Well I heard somewhere that if I was a good little girl and healed really nicely and there was no more pain, you might let me out for good behavior. PLEEEAASSSEE????" Myra begged the Hokage. Tsunade shook her head.

"You are moving much better than yesterday, so the pain must be gone. But I want to do a once over to check on those ribs." Tsunade looked a little less annoyed, but kept the hard expression. Myra shrugged and lifted her shirt to expose the thin pink scar on the left side of her rib cage. Tsunade touched her index finger to the scar. Myra jumped and let out a squeek.

"That tickles." Myra laughed and tried to stand still for Tsunade. The master medical nin extended her senses to the ribs that had been repaired the day before. All the ribs had healed completely. The bones were still warm from the increased chakra flow and forced regeneration. Tsunade scowled at Myra.

"You are a bundle of surprises girl. I take it your grandfather taught you that trick. I am surprised you are still conscious."

"Yeah well… If I get jumped by enemy ninja on the way back to my prison cell, there won't be much of a fight." Myra frowned.

"I should keep you here just for being stupid. I will give you credit where credit is due," Tsunade continued to scowled. "but, you have got a lot to learn about being a Shinobi. You got lucky yesterday. Shikamaru is a lazy oaf and didn't expect you to have any ability. Keeping your sharingan a secret and having the precise chakra control of a medical nin to only activate it half way was a huge advantage. You knew where those shadow tendrils were going before Shikamaru could get them there. If he hadn't grabbed the wire, he may have beaten you." Myra kept her eyes on her feet. Tsunade wasn't telling her anything that wasn't true.

"Your fighting style is sloppy and rudimentary. The only advantage with your speed is the sharingan which allows you to know where to block. You didn't fight Lee, you did a whole lot of blocking. If Lee had gotten a chance to open the second chakra gate, you would have been toast." Tsunade didn't want to resort to harsh criticism, but Myra had been extremely lucky and extremely sloppy.

"Neji should have stomped you into the ground, and I was going to let him do it. He hadn't taken his eyes off you and he made the mistake of stepping on one of the silver tags. Those tags are like an aiming focus for your thunder jutsu. That's why your "rain of lightning" didn't hit him. None of the tags had gotten on him. When he stepped back, he stepped on one. It was like a little trigger. Then you go and use up the rest of your chakra on one move that nearly killed you and only knocked him out for a few minutes." Tsunade stopped ranting. Myra gave the Hokage a cold and uncaring stare.

"Are you done?" Anger was welling inside of Myra.

"Your training starts in 3 days. Report to Kakashi for further instructions." Tsunade stared right back at the girl.

"Great… Can I go now?" Myra said indignantly. Tsunade seriously thought about taking Myra out behind the wood shed and beating that attitude right out of her, but instead of letting her temper get the better of her, the Hokage nodded.

Myra stepped past Tsunade and made a very quick exit from the hospital.