The author says excitedly: Wow, you guys rock! Thank you so much for the new reviews! And in such a short time! Here's your reward: chapter 3 ;)

In case you haven't noticed, this is already the second chapter I updated today, so if you haven't read chapter 2, go back to read it!

Enjoy!

I don't own Naruto. (Do I actually have to say this every time or is once sufficient?)

'He had no idea – SasuFemNaru'

Chapter 3

Look what he's done to you

it isn't fair

Your light was bright and new

But he didn't care

He took the heart of a little girl

and made it grow up too fast

- 'Broken girl' by Matthew West

Three days after the incident with Sakura, Nara Shikamaru was walking through the dark streets of Konoha. Hokage-sama had asked Kiba, Chouji and him to give a report about what they had witnessed in front of the ramen stand. None of the Rookie 9 plus Team Gai had seen Sakura since the confrontation. But none of them was really trying to see her. They were disappointed with her behaviour. Even Ino admitted that Sakura had gone too far with her obsession over the Uchiha. Naruto was a nice girl and all of them liked her lively nature. They saw how the blonde quietly suffered from the defection of her best friend. Sakura's words must've been pretty harsh on her.

Shikamaru sighed. With his hands in his pockets, he lazily looked skywards. It was a clear night and the stars were twinkling. But unfortunately no clouds to watch. "Troublesome."

He was nearing a corner on which he had to turn left, when he heard muffled cries. He stopped to listen carefully. A deep voice could be heard, but he didn't catch any words. The noise was coming from an alley on his right. Shikamaru silently debated with himself. He could take the easy way, turn left, get home and stay out of trouble. Or he could act like the chunin he now was, check on the noise and for once not give in to his laziness.

The pineapple-haired chunin sighed once again. "Troublesome", he muttered but decidedly took the right turn instead of the left. Soundlessly he jumped from shadow to shadow for that whoever was causing the noise wouldn't hear him. But he shouldn't have bothered. Standing in the entrance of the alley, he saw three heavy men standing over a small figure.

"Die, demon", one of the men spat at the figure. Shikamaru briefly registered the insult.

They were to engrossed in kicking and beating up the person on the ground that they didn't hear Shikamaru approach them from behind.

He felt quite lucky. It was dark. Darkness meant having an innumerable amount of shadows at his disposal. And shadows were his element. He quickly ran through the needed hand seals.

"Ninpou: Kage shibari no jutsu." (1) Shikamaru's shadow lengthened and connected with the three shadows of the assailants, who stopped moving as soon as they were caught in the binding technique. He swiftly knocked them out with a well-placed hit to the neck with the side of his hand. He released his technique and the men fell over.

Shikamaru crouched down to check on the figure on the ground. The person was curled up in a foetal position, protecting its head with its arms. The Nara advanced the body. "Hello?", he asked gently as not to frighten the person further. "It's over. They won't hurt you again."

The body on the ground turned to face him, arms falling from the face., revealing her identity.

Shikamaru's breath caught. His eyes widened. "Naruto?"

The blonde girl in front of him pushed herself into a sitting position. Her small hands rubbed at her eyes. Blood was oozing from a cut on her forehead. She stood on shaking legs, not meeting Shikamaru's eyes. Her clothes were covered in dust from the earthy ground. Her shoulders were bent forward, as if standing straight caused her pain.

"Naruto, what happened?", the brunette demanded to know. He was worried about the blonde. She had just recovered from a life-threatening injury.

The girl shook her head. "It was nothing, Shika. Just forget it."

The boy grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk away from him. "Naruto, this is not nothing. Why did they beat you? We should go see the Hokage. These men will be punished."

Her head shot up and her blue eyes focused on his brown ones. "Please, Shika, just leave it alone."

The boy regarded her tired face. What was that look in her eyes? He couldn't place it. "I can't let this go, Naru. I'm worried about you", he gently encouraged her to confide in him.

The girl sighed in resignation. "Look, Shikamaru, you don't really want to get involved. Trust me. This is troublesome." The hint of a sad smile passed her lips.

"Come on, Naruto. Coming to your rescue in the first place was troublesome." He was looking down in her blue eyes. "Why didn't you defend yourself? These men are civilians. I know they are no match for you." The girl averted her gaze. "Did you let them beat you up?", Shikamaru asked curiously. This was getting more and more troublesome by the minute.

The girl pulled her wrist free from his grasp. "You wouldn't understand", she bit out and before Shikamaru had the chance to stop her, she jumped on the wooden fence which enclosed the alley and on the roof behind it. And she was gone. Bewildered, Shikamaru looked once more in the direction she had disappeared to. He quickly checked on the bullies. Seeing they were still unconscious, he roof-jumped towards the direction of the Hokage tower.

After reporting to Tsunade about the scene he had stumbled upon, the Hokage formed a quick hand seal. Only seconds later an ANBU with a bird mask appeared, kneeling in front of Tsunade's desk, his head respectfully bowed, awaiting his orders.

She gave him the directions to the alley in which Shikamaru had left the unconscious thugs and told him – or her? Shikamaru wasn't sure, those masked ANBU all looked the same to him – to deliver the men to the Torture and Interrogation devision.

The ANBU shunshined away and was replaced by an other person entering through the window. Shikamaru recognized the gray-haired man as Naruto's sensei, Hatake Kakashi. The jounin nodded in greeting and his one uncovered eye rested on the Hokage.

"Kakashi, I need you to check on Naruto, please. Shikamaru", she gestured a hand in his direction, "just saved her. Three men were beating her up and apparently she wasn't even defending herself." She frowned in worry. "She just ran away without an explanation. Make sure she is okay, Kakashi." Please.

The jounin shunshined away and Shikamaru was left with the Hokage, who apparently had forgotten about him, as she just announced that she needed a sake and was mumbling to herself about being too old for this job.

Troublesome, Shikamaru thought, but had no intention of reminding her about him being there. His brain was already processing everything he had witnessed so far. Hopefully he'd learn more.

The Godaime downed her glass of sake. With a hand seal three ANBU appeared.

"Get me Jirayia! Now!", she barked at the kneeling shinobi. "Start looking at the local brothel", she added as an afterthought. The ANBU disappeared and again Shikamaru was left alone with the Hokage. Shikamaru sweat dropped as he saw the leader of his village eyeing the now empty sake bottle angrily. He was about to open his mouth to speak, when Tsunade yelled "Shizune!" and the door behind Shikamaru burst open. A dark-haired woman in her late twenties rushed past him, the pig in her arms gave a pitiful squeak. "Tsunade-sama", she said, sounding a little breathless, as she came to stand beside her mentor. The woman spared a confused glance at Shikamaru, probably as surprised about his presence as the boy himself.

"Shizune, more sake!", she ordered bossily, banging her fist on the desk to underline her words.

"Tsunade-sama-", Shizune began hesitantly, supposedly trying to tell her that she shouldn't drink sake during work.

"NOW!", the blonde Hokage yelled, jumping from her chair and starting to pace behind her desk. Her assistant fled from the office, leaving behind a fuming Tsunade and a forgotten Nara.

Shikamaru was about to speak, when once again he was beaten to it. A tall man with spiky white hair in his fifties jumped in threw the window. His wooden sandals clacked as he landed on the floor. This must be Jirayia, Shikamaru deduced. He knew that the Sannin had trained Naruto during the one month preparation time before the finals of the chunin exams. Interesting, why is he here?

"Tsunade-hime", he addressed the blonde Hokage, "you better have a good reason for getting me! There was this lovely dark-eyed beauty with huuuuge-" Before the man could finish his description of his female company, Tsunade's fist hit him on the head.

Shikamaru sweat dropped. These people were two of the legendary Sannin? One was an obvious pervert and the other had a drinking problem. Troublesome.

His former team mate glared at him with her hazel eyes. A vein twitched on her forehead. Jirayia was rubbing his abused head, mumbling about brutal, drunken blondes under his breath.

"Jirayia", Tsunade reprimanded him, "this is not the time for one of your pervy stories!" With a serious voice, she added, "It's about Naruto."

Jirayia immediately let go of the forming lump on his head. He stood a little straighter and Shikamaru saw his shoulders tense. His demeanour changed completely from the goofy old man to an attentive shinobi, who suddenly exuded an aura of authority.

"What about the gaki?", he asked. His voice not betraying his actual worry.

"Some civilians caught her alone earlier and beat her up", the Hokage sighed.

Jirayia scowled. "Again, huh?", he muttered rather to himself than as an answer. "Those ungrateful bastards are getting cocky", he said a little louder, thoughtful, "probably think they can get away with it, after that little display of that pink-haired Haruno girl." The tall man crossed his muscled arms over his chest, eyes locked with Tsunade's.

"I sent Kakashi to check on her", the Hokage explained, "he'll report back to me later."

Jirayia nodded in agreement. He hoped that Kakashi would know what to do. He himself had never been good with this consoling stuff. Finally his eyes fell on the intently listening Nara.

"Who's the boy, Tsunade-hime?", he wanted to know. Said boy twitched a little under the sudden attention and the two pairs of eyes directed towards him.

Tsunade realized she had totally forgotten about the boy who had rescued the brat. She dismissively waved a hand at him. "Boy", she bellowed, "what are you still doing here?"

The chunin sweat dropped and raised a questioning eyebrow, expressing his disbelief at her inattentiveness. He knew he would possibly regret it later, but his curiosity outweighed his laziness. He really wanted to know what was going on with Naruto.

"What do you mean 'again'", he addressed the male Sannin, "why has Naruto been attacked before?"

Jirayia squinted his eyes at the brunette. Pineapple-hair, lazy attitude, quick thinking, he examined. Must be the Nara boy. Shikaku's son.

"Why would you want to know, boy?"

Shikamaru didn't have to think about his answer. "Because I was the one who found her. And it's troublesome, but I guess I'm worried about Naruto."

Hearing the word 'troublesome', Jirayia was sure that this certainly was the Nara heir. "Say, why would you worry about her?"

Geez, the guy's asking a lot of questions, isn't he? Shikamaru gave an indifferent shrug, but said "Why wouldn't I be? I consider her a good friend of mine."

Jirayia grinned at the boy. Right answer, kiddo. "In that case, you should ask Naruto that question. I can't tell you the reason."

"You can't because you don't know or because you don't want to?", the genius prompted.

Yes, definitely a Nara. "It's not my place to tell."

"Jirayia", Tsunade yelled. "Stop it! And you", she faced the prying Nara, "leave! Now!"

Deciding not to push his luck, the boy quickly left the office. Walking down the corridor, he shook his head when a red-faced Shizune hurried past him, two bottles of sake in her hands; the pig on her heels.

Stepping outside and back into the darkness of the night, his mind raced, putting together all the different pieced of information. Trying to make sense of them, he forced himself to slow down a little.

Naruto has unmistakeably been beaten up a couple of times already. Maybe it even happens frequently?, he wondered. But why would someone beat her up? Is it because of her pranking? But Shikamaru hadn't seen her performing pranks since the graduated from the academy. Where the villagers holding a grudge against her? He remembered how one of the men had called the girl a 'demon' and demanding her to die. That was a little too harsh for holding a grudge against a prankster, wasn't it? Jirayia evidently knew why someone would beat her. And both of them looked pretty worried about Naruto. And why hadn't she defended herself? This was getting him nowhere. He was running in circles. I am missing something. He thought back, recalling every information he had on the blonde. A memory flashed him a picture, showing Naruto surrounded by an evil red chakra during the fight with Hyuuga Neji. What kind of power was that? He remembered Naruto's quick healing and how she had recovered from a fatal wound within a week. What was he missing? Was the red chakra connected to the beatings? Shikamaru sighed heavily. What are you hiding, Naruto?

The reason for Shikamaru's frustration sat atop the Hokage mountain. After fleeing from him, she had intended to go home, but found herself utterly lost. Home... what was 'home' to her? Her shitty little apartment? She couldn't make her feet go there. What was waiting there for her anyway? Nothing. Or rather no one. Not wanting to be lonely in the walls she lived in, she preferred being lonely on top of the old Hokage's faces. She had always felt a strange connection to the lifeless stone faces and some unknown force had pulled her to her favourite spot this night.

Naruto was hugging her knees to her chest. Her chin resting on her kneecaps. Her large blue eyes were shadowed by messy blonde hair that fell in her face. Her whiskered cheeks were pale in the moonlight. No smile was adorning her lips for once. A deep frown was on the usually carefree face. She shifted a little and suppressed a shiver. The night was getting cold, but she hardly felt it. The cut on her forehead had stopped bleeding and Kyuubi had almost healed it by now. She ran a finger over the tender skin, gaining her a jolt of pain. She could feel scar tissue forming and briefly wondered why the demon was not completely healing it. Luckily the cut was right under her hairline, hidden under her bangs. Still, she would have to descend into the sad sewer landscape of her own mind sooner or later, asking her tenant why he was refusing to properly patch her up.

But now was not the time for it. She could hardly bear her own contradicting thoughts, not to mention the Kyuubi messing with her mind.

Her thoughts returned to the previous leaders of Konoha. It was not too long ago since she had sat here and imagined how her own face had been carved into the stone, forever proclaiming her the strongest shinobi of her generation. Being Hokage, she mused, protecting Konoha. The stubborn determination and the warmth that used to follow those words, were missing tonight. Was she really willing to protect a village that hated her? Despised her existence and caused her nothing but pain? She had always dreamed of being acknowledged by everyone. Sure, she still wanted everyone to respect her and especially to stop looking at her with hate-filled eyes. But the concepts of forming bonds with people who would never the past her status as Jinchuriki seemed oddly naïve to her now. Maybe Sasuke's harsh words had knocked some sense into her? Or was she giving up?

Doubt was clouding her thinking, she was questioning everything she had ever believed in. All because of Sasuke... and Sakura. She briefly took notice that she had dropped the affectionate -chan from her team mate's name. In the future, people would have to earn them her affection. She felt that the events of the last week had traumatized her. How could it not?

Her stomach grumbled from hunger. She hadn't eaten since a small breakfast. Although hungry, she found she had no appetite. Not even her delicious ramen sounded as comforting as a week before. Why was that, she wondered. Ramen had been a constant in her life that never failed to put a genuine smile on her face.

What was it she wanted? She couldn't remember. Naruto's convictions had been destroyed, leaving behind a disturbed and deeply confused teenage girl.

Said confused teenager was found sound asleep by her jounin sensei only moments later. Kakashi gently scooped her up and took the shivering girl home with him. Repeating his actions of three nights ago, he covered her with his blanket and with good intention put a hot-water bag in bed with her. He watched his pupil's features relax a little at the comfortable warmth. Her breathing came shallow and regularly. Exhaustion was written all over her small frame. Kakashi was sure it was physical as well as mental exhaustion. The girl would sleep for some time. Acting in contradiction to his perpetual aloof attitude, he leaned down and almost tenderly brushed a lock of untamed blonde hair out of her face. What are we going to do with you, Naruto, he worried.

Having summoned Pakkun, one of his nin-dogs, to watch over Naruto's sleeping form, Kakashi was back in Tsunade's office. The Godaime was fondling a bottle of sake in her right, an empty glass in her left. Jirayia sat in front of her desk, an empty glass in his hand, too. Both shinobi had a bothered expression on their faces and the mood in the room was rather somber.

At Kakashi's arrival through the window, Tsunade looked up, awaiting his report.

While Kakashi gave said report, Tsunade had Shizune bring a third glass and another bottle of their favourite alcoholic drink. Discussing the situation at hand extensively, the sake was soon gone and the three shinobi were somewhat slurring. But in the end, they had reached a solution they were all satisfied with.

The next day, Naruto awoke in Kakashi's now familiar bed. A look out the window told her that it was already late in the afternoon. She stretched and shrugged off the last remnants of sleep. No pain from the beating was left, the Kyuubi had healed it. The constant dull aching in her chest remained, though. As it always did. She had stopped wondering about it a long time ago and had accepted that it would probably stay forever. Still it unsettled her at the times whenever the pain worsened.

She shook of the blanket and saw the hot-water bag. The blonde paused at the sight, but couldn't give the gesture further thought, because Kakashi entered the bedroom.

Naruto gaped at him, not even trying to hide her astonishment.

The man in front of the bed undoubtedly was her sensei, but still it felt like she had never seen him before. His gravity-defying gray hair fell into his face, as he wasn't wearing his forehead protector. His sharingan was closed and hidden in the shadows of his hair. There was a long vertical scar over the eye, evidence of the injury that caused him to lose an eye. His other dark eye now carved up into his favourite eye-smile, but for the first time, Naruto was able to see the smile that went along with it. Kakashi wasn't wearing his mask.

The jounin rubbed his neck sheepishly. He chuckled. "Quite the unfamiliar sight, ne, Naruto?"

The girl blushed faintly, as she noticed herself staring. Her sensei certainly was a handsome man. How many times had Team seven made up the most ridiculous ideas about his reason for wearing the mask? Uncountable times. And now he was deliberately showing him his mysterious face? She had no doubt that not even a hand full of people in the village had ever seen him without the mask.

Kakashi came over to the prying girl and gently pushed a cup of tea in her hands. She took it from him automatically, still not taking her eyes of the foreign sight. Her sensei sat down on the bed, sipping his own tea. "How are you feeling, Naruto?"

Her blue eyes chose to look on the cup of tea, suddenly seeming really interested in it. How am I feeling? She had no idea how to answer that question. So she said nothing.

The silence was answer enough for Kakashi. He leaned over and affectionately tousled her messy hair with his large hand. He sighed inwardly as he saw the alarmed look on her pale face. But it was gone a second later and he convinced himself, he had just imagined it.

"Jirayia is here to see you, Naruto", he announced and waited for a reaction.

The girl glanced at him. She hadn't seen the pervert since they had gone on the mission to find Tsunade. Honestly she has assumed he had left Konoha again. What could he want? She looked at her sensei suspiciously. Kakashi still noticed how her face lit up with the tiniest amount of hope and maybe even excitement at seeing her other sensei.

Kakashi got up and left the room and in his stead, the tall Sannin entered.

He strolled over to the bed and ruffled the Naruto's hair, much like Kakashi had done before. Why do people always feel the need to do that? It's probably the reason my hair is always this messy, the girl inwardly complained and swatted Jirayia's hand away impatiently.

"Hey brat, long time no see", he said cheerfully which earned him a scowl from Naruto.

"Ero-sennin", the girl almost whined and tried to tame her hair with her one free hand as the other was still holding the tea cup. "What do you want?"

Jirayia chuckled at her childish display, but huffed at the nickname. He would let it go for now, though.

"Ne, Naruto, not happy to see your beloved sensei?", he winked. The girl glared at him. He sat down in the spot where Kakashi had sat before and faced his pupil. "I've come to say good-bye, brat. I will leave Konoha tomorrow."

At his words all energy seemed to leave the genin. When before Jirayia had seen the tiniest sign of hope shimmer in her blue eyes, they were now blank. She looked away from him and her shoulders slumped. So he's going to leave me, too. How naïve to think he would stay and train me. He has better things to do than to look after the demon brat. He's a Sannin after all.

"For how long?", she asked in a neutral tone, not looking at the sannin but thoroughly inspecting the last sip of tea in her cup.

"For a couple of years probably", Jirayia answered cheerfully. He had taken in the change in the girl's demeanour and couldn't help but be a little touched at her – not so obvious – affection for him. Besides that he was also worried and saw what Kakashi had meant last night when he said that the girl was not the same after Sasuke's defection and Sakura's hateful words. He hadn't expected her to be this disappointed with his leaving.

"Oh", was all she said.

Jirayia hated the air of depression that hang over the normally hyper-active blonde. He grabbed her chin with his calloused fingers and forced her to look up at him. Reluctantly, sad blue eyes met his gaze.

"I thought you'd be a little more enthusiastic about seeing the world, brat", he grinned at her. Blue eyes widened questioningly. "It's not everyday the great toad sage Jirayia allows someone to travel with him", he said boastfully.

The girl blinked. Was she really this dense or had Sasuke crushed her belief in a manner that she wasn't believing him?

"Ero-sennin?", the blonde finally spoke, still gazing at him open-mouthed.

"I decided to take you on as my apprentice, Naruto?", he declared generously. "What do you think?"

Jirayia had expected a lot of things; like Naruto crying out in glee or saying something about how it probably was because she was a really awesome ninja. But he had not expected... well, nothing.

The girl shrunk back into herself and he let go of her chin. When she spoke her voice was hardly a whisper. "Why?" She swallowed.

"What do you mean, why?", an irritated Jirayia asked.

"Why would you want someone like me as your apprentice. There a better choices, genin who are more suited, stronger than me."

Jirayia's breath caught. The Uchiha had positively destroyed the girl's confidence. And Kami knew Naruto had had more than enough of that. Right now he hated the boy for what he had done to the gaki. Uzumaki Naruto was a broken girl. He determinedly vowed to himself that he would return the smile to her eyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto", the toad sage spoke softly, "there is no one else I deem worthy of becoming my student." Naruto heard his serious tone and hopeful eyes looked up at him. "I have witnessed that you are a very capable shinobi. And the Naruto I know would jump at this opportunity." he smiled sincerely at the girl who looked so much like his last student. "Or are you a coward, Uzumaki Naruto?", he provoked her.

Naruto's mind was once again a confused mess. Too many things kept happening, too many contradicting emotions were flooding her brain. But she saw the sincerity in Jirayia's eyes and the little she knew about the Sannin, she was sure that he wouldn't break his word.

To train under him? For several years? This man had trained the Fourth Hokage. But a lot had happened and yesterday she had realized that she wasn't sure if her dream to become Hokage was what she really wanted. But going with him would mean leaving Konoha. She asked herself if she was ready for that. She almost snorted in disbelief at her own stupidity. Of course she ready. What was actually keeping her here? Sasuke was gone, Sakura hated her as did the villagers. Nothing was keeping her.

Her features lit up at her conclusion and a genuine smile split her face. Her eyes sparkled from gratitude and before Jirayia knew what was happening, he found himself on his back, with a blonde gaki fiercely hugging him with her small arms.

"Ne, shrimp, that's the reaction I was looking for", he chuckled while patting the girls back reassuringly.

The two left Konoha early in the next morning. Tsunade and Kakashi had seen them off at the gates. Kakashi had his mask back on. Naruto guessed he only took it off in the shelter of his own apartment. To her irritation and the adult's amusement, the jounin had again ruffled her hair. With a pat on the shoulder he told her to take care and winked at her while musing aloud that she would be a beautiful young woman when she returned. Tsunade had hugged her tightly and told her to not let Jirayia's pervy ideas corrupt her innocent mind.

She waved at them, though the action was lacking the typical enthusiasm and no smile graced her lips. Naruto had decided to not say good-bye to the other genin. She felt only slightly guilty about it. The Hokage would tell them later that she had left.

Too much was on her mind. Jirayia had revealed the other reason for their training trip. Akatsuki. The organization to which Uchiha Itachi belonged. He and his fish-faced partner had cornered her once already. The Sannin had explained to her that they were after the Bijuu sealed inside of her. On this trip Jirayia would train her to the best of his ability and ensure that she was strong enough to hold her own against the members of Akatsuki.

Leaving Konoha behind, Naruto felt no regret. She wasn't sad to leave behind a village in which no one wanted her. In fact, she was looking forward to meeting people who were unbiased and she sincerely hoped that people would look at her with kind eyes and welcome her.

Her mood had improved and with new hope she walked towards the setting sun.

1) Ninpou: Kage shibari no jutsu. It's a Nara family jutsu. Shadow binding technique. The person caught in the jutsu can't move, but won't imitate the user's moves.

The author says: Thanks for reading, guys!

Sadly, I have to tell you that I leave on a three-week vacation tomorrow - a well-deserved one, though - and I won't be able to update, becaue I won't have internet. But I promise I'll work on the next chapter and I'm going to update as soon as I'm back. Deal? ;)

Over and out,

xXHaneliXx