Hello there!! Okay, seems like only yesterday I started working on this thing and here we are....It's been a year Mwhahah!!!

((Tugs on sleeve)) "Err....Iron can we get on with the story, it's been a year and Naruto-kun still hasn't got any action."

What are you talking about, Mayo? Naruto's had plenty of action, hell he just kyuubi'd that bear in the last chapter.

"Not that kind of action, I meant the 'fun' kind."

What?

"Come here...."((Whispers))

0///0

....Holy hell you infernal woman! Is sex the only thing on your mind;now I gots images!! GAHHH!!....I'm not rushing into anything with this story, perhaps when they're 16 they'll go at it like a couple of angry ferrets and even that's a MAYBE as with the other girls. As for now, there isn't really an appropri-

"Awwwwwwwwww!!!!! Wait that means....You thought about it before!! Not so self righteous now ne, Reprieve?"

((Eye twitch)) Gore is one thing but relationships are far more complicated....Besides with the ending I have in mind, any amount of smut would ruin it.

"Okay, mister softy, what of Tenten-san then? You seem to have some type of motive to include her..."

I have designs on her as well. If I recall this wasn't the only mission that she was with Naruto, maybe we'll see how she develops her feelings for him. Again, best saved for another story. Also, I may as well since I consider her filler anyway.

"Hm..."

.....?

"So, no sex?"

No sex.

"Darn!" ((Snaps fingers))

....In any case please enjoy, guys! Sorry for the delay I had a head cold, and the Christmas Candy Coma didn't help much either.

Daylight finally broke through the confines of the nefarious night; with light comes warmth. The sleet and slush that had fallen in the wee hours of the morning was purged from the landscape as the sun climbed even higher in the sky. Removing any and all remnants of the night before.

Hokuto shook her head at the ever changing scenery before her; the weather in Hoshigakure no Sato; scratch that Bear country had always been harsh and unpredictable at best. Even the local mikomi-nin have been known to have trouble tracking the sporadic weather patterns that continually plague the country.

The girl closed her eyes momentarily as a sigh escaped her. It wasn't all that bad, of course. With the unpredictable weather the people of this land had grown hardy, and were able to adapt to almost anything that was thrown their way. The brunette glanced out the window once more; to be hardy and adaptable; what great traits to possess.

Hokuto quietly drew the blinds shut. The outside betrayed her current state and mood.

It was only a few hours ago that she had brought Naruto to the hospital after the bear incident, and by some miracle he pulled through his self-inflicted injury.

Hokuto couldn't be 100 percent sure, but she knew it had something to do with that foul crimson chakra. Something about it... just didn't sit well with her. It almost as if the chakra tried to control the blond to perform with marionette-like cruelty. More importantly though those eyes...They weren't his own!

Nothing like those endless azure pools, whose depths can never hope to be fathomed by course or discourse; certainly not the eyes that she had come to lo....Like, uh yeah.

Hokuto clenched her own eyes shut as the scene replayed in her head. She remembered the hint of fear Naruto's eyes displayed as he plunged his hand into his chest and the look of total relief as the chakra cloak dissipated around him, signaling that he had somehow regained control of himself once more. If Naruto was acting as a puppet, then who was pulling the strings?

The girl shuttered, "Something evil, no doubt." Hokuto concluded, as she shifted her gaze to a chair anchored at the blond's beside. With a tentative step she seated herself comfortably; gazing intently at the boy.

The brunette smiled despite herself when a thin trail of saliva crept down the side of Naruto's face. Hokuto shook her head; even when he's unconscious he still manages to make her smile. Wordlessly the girl grabbed a tissue from the bedside stand, and proceeded to dab the drool away, only to be stopped when a hand latched onto her wrist.

"Get you're own ramen....Mine...-ttebayo."

Even in his sleep the boy had incredible reflexes; the girl sweat-dropped as she gently tried to pull away, but Naruto was having none of that.

"Mrmm...No Ramen for you!"

"....!!!"

The blond suddenly latched his arms around her waist, in what would be best be explained as a very awkward embrace. The girl turned ten shades of red at that very moment. "Umm...Naruto-san?"

"Mine!" To exercise his point, Naruto snuggled with the brunette's midsection; her blush intensifying to a whole new level!

"N-aruto..er...I um..!" A frown appeared on the blond's face, why can't they get it, no means no!!! Even if he has to stop the evil ramen-snatching fiend with a hug he'd do it!

The room grew eerily calm.

"Nuuu!!!"

"Kyaaaa!!!!" Hokuto's eyes became saucers as she was scooped up into his bed and landed on Naruto. Oh my, so forward!

'Situation, situation, situation!!!' Hokuto's mind raced as Naruto clung to her, for whatever reason the brunette couldn't even begin to decipher. She scowled as she tried to move slower than before; trying to inch away from his grasp, but the more she seemed to struggle the tighter his grip became. Hokuto place her hand on his chest only to retract it, because of the bandages. The girl released another sigh, there was no way out of this...Save for causing him pain, and she really didn't want to harm him.

With a bit of reluctance the brunette settled down into a more comfortable arragement beside Naruto, her head resting at the crook of his neck. Hokuto felt a subtle shift in movement as Naruto placed his head on hers...

"Soft..." He commented to no one in particular. Hokuto blushed as her eyes began to droop; her mouth twitching upward into a coy smile.

"What did I tell you guys!! I didn't want to prepare three beds!!!" Mayo screeched as shook both Lee and Neji back and forth.

"But-But-But!!!"

"The owl didn't require a bed, in fact you gave it a box to sleep in..." Neji said as he tried to relieve the situation.

"Boxes and beds begin with the same letter therefore they're connected."

Tenten released a sigh as the argument continued outside her room, at this rate with the constant bickering going on she wouldn't get any rest at all. The brunette strained to sit up, but fell back onto the bed;her back throbbing in mild pain. "Well it doesn't get much worse than this..." Tenten said as she reluctantly closed her eyes in a futile attempt to fall asleep. Just then the door slowly opened with an ominous 'creak'. The girl cringed when someone blew on a kazoo, as somebody else began to clap rhythmically.

"What day is today!?!! What day is today!?!!"

'Fwoosh!'

A kunai embedded itself in the archway.

"It's not my birthday, NOW GET OUT!!!"

The nurse grumbled to herself as she began to make her rounds. The nerve of these damn kids; boxes do so qualify as beds. The term box-spring HAD to orginate somewhere right? Mayo sighed warily as went through her list of patients to check up on.

"Damn it, why did I agree to take Hoshiko's shift today? Stupid seventeen hour workday; it's almost over though, Naruto's the last one I have to check on. Let's see room 4B, here we are." Mayo reached for the nob and pushed the door open, but then retreated back as she gazed through the ajar-ed door. She smiled as she closed the door completely and locked the door behind her. "Way to go, Hokuto." She said as she fished something out of her dress pocket, and hung it on the door.

'Do not disturb.'

Way to kick off the new year! Next chapter should be interesting don't ya think? Til next time.

Later....