Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Living Shrine ❯ Rebirth and Unity ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: seilif

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters created by Masashi Kishimoto, hell, I don't even own my flying squirrel, 'cause she owns me.

….Yamanaka Ino released a painful scream as she felt Naruto's heart stop………..Yugito had called onto the powers of the Nibi no Nekomata and was now half way towards her destination.

The bright mid-day sky became dark and stormy. The battle had had ravaged the outskirts of Konoha, near the residence of the Yondaime Hokage, had taken place not a few hours ago and people were already bustling around the village, lending a helping hand to reconstruct the damaged buildings, put out fires, re-sow the earth, and act as if a Demon had never been there, ruining their daily activities. The damage was kept to a minimum, thanks to the intervention of the blonde shinobi who had single handedly fought and apparently subdued the five-tailed dog, Gobi no Houkou. Of course, there was no real evidence that the Gobi had run away, and only really powerful shinobi, like the Yondaime, can kill a demon; right?

The shinobi force had spread out by order of the Hokage, to secure the borders and investigate the path the Gobi had used to approach Konoha. The Hokage's Guard, composed of several elite jounin and ANBU were subduing a hysterical Ino whilst the Hokage herself and her two students: a pink-haired kunoichi that was in her teens, dressed in a red top, black skin tight shorts, and a pink skirt,; and a dark-haired woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in a black yukata; worked on the body of the fallen blond shinobi. Between the three of them, they were pouring all their knowledge and chakra into jutsu after jutsu. What they were dealing with was something that had neither had ever seen: an erratic flow of chakra, forcefully moving against the regular chakra circulation that was causing massive rips and gashes throughout the boy's body. The three worked quickly, healing the massive internal injuries that would appear every minute or so, not giving them the time to rest and analyze completely what was going on. The blonde kunoichi, Yamanaka Ino, was struggling against the jounin who were subduing her; her screams of pain for the man who she waited for made everyone within earshot flinch for the heartbroken girl. She finally stopped struggling after an hour and the ANBU who was doing most of the subduing released her from the double nelson that he had her in. Slowly she slumped to the ground, crying her heart out. The dog-masked ninja then proceeded to sit down next to her and wrapped a blanket around her, as a huge white dog moved to Ino's other side and sat down, wagging his tail.

“Ne, Ino-san, he's going to be alright. No one can that can take down a demon can die that easily…” he said as he removed his mask.

The white dog just nodded at the comment said by the shinobi with unruly brown hair and red face paint forming two triangles over his cheeks. Ino slowly dried the tears in her eyes and looked in the direction where Naruto was lying. A few support ninjas were now behind the Hokage and her assistants, channeling their chakra to them, aiding them through the rapid consumption of their own energy.

“Inuzuka-taichou…he is the man that I had spoken of to you before. It is because of him that I am the person who I am today. He protected me of the red-headed man when I was a kid, a man who had the intentions of raping me. We were only four and he took a beating for me, he didn't let the man touch me in any way, shape or form. He showed me love since that age…I could never forget his face, his blue eyes, his whisker marks on his cheeks…I…I love him…” she said, calming down from her struggles against the ANBU. He in turn, just laid back and analyzed what had just been told to him. He had known about the child molester that had been residing in Konoha, he even read the file on his MO (Modus operandi), but he didn't know that the person who was being saved in front of him, was in fact, Yamanaka Ino's savior those years back.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Ino slowly stood up, letting the blanket slide off her shoulders, while Kiba and Akamaru watched her. She proceeded to slowly walk to the small group of working medic-nin, trying to save their own savior's life.

Kiba stayed put, his own thoughts now in disarray. Who would've thought that the savior of Konohagakure was Ino's long lost love? He chuckled when he realized the consequences of the situation. “Guess we won't be having Yamanaka in our squad, ne Akamaru? We're going to have to find a good replacement for her field interrogation position for a few weeks…” Kiba stood up as Akamaru moved next to him. “You are right, Kiba. She may be a little indisposed now that he has reappeared.” responded the dog.

“Man, let's just go grab a bite to eat. The action here is over.”

“Heh, you're always looking for a good fight aren't you? Maybe when he gets better, we'll be able to ask for a spar…” said Akamaru to Kiba as they both disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

“DAMMIT! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS BRAT!? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING IN HERE!? WHERE'S A HYUUGA WHEN YOU NEED ONE!? SOMEONE BRING ME HYUUGA HINATA AND HYUUGA NEJI NOW!” The Hokage's voice rumbled through the nin that were present. A few `Hai' were heard and several poofs followed suit. It took naught but a couple of minutes when both Neji and Hinata were on the field, each to the side of the Hokage.

“Hai, Hokage-sama…” they both spoke in unison. “…you called for us….?”

“USE YOUR EYES AND TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE! WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTROL HIS CHAKRA, NOW! HIS PATHWAYS ARE BEING TORN TO SHREDS AND IT'S AFFECTING HIS ORGANS!” She ordered. Both Neji and Hinata looked at each other from the corner of their eyes and with a slight nod, they activated their Kekkei Genkai. They both gasped at the moment they focused their Byakugan to the chakra pathways.

Hinata was stunned speechless, whilst Neji started mumbling incoherently, something about `impossible' and `freak of nature'. The Hokage's patience was short, and she heard the gasps. Something wasn't right. She was about to yell at them to snap out of it, but someone cut in to what she was going to say. “Hinata-san, Neji-san, please inform us of the conditions that you can see. We do not have your eyes, and we cannot operate at a hundred percent efficiency if you do not tell us what is going on.”

The pink haired med-nin spoke without loosing her concentration. She was still focused at the task at hand. Her hands moving from area to area as the skin would tear and gash open, or the muscles underneath the skin would snap and tear. Hinata was the first one to snap out of it, but the words would not form a coherent sentence in her mouth.

“That cannot be…” spoke Neji. “…there are three different chakra colors that are battling against a purple colored one. The purple colored chakra is moving through the chakra pathways in opposite chakra flow…but it does it in irregular patterns, as if it was alive on its own…The blue colored chakra is acting as a puppeteer over the red and yellow one. Slowly they're pushing it own to his stomach…there! They've surrounded it!” Everyone was silent as Neji narrated what was going on inside the body of the fallen nin. “Hurry and heal the areas that are not affected by the purple chakra!” He commanded. “There's major internal bleeding near his carotid artery and in the left ventricle of his heart there seems to be a rupture on the muscle's wall! His spleen seems to have been nicked and his left lung has several tears alongside the inner wall!” Shizune and Sakura immediately started to work individually on a separate part while Tsunade was reinforcing the chakra pathways near the stomach, as Neji had said that that's where everything was happening.

“What else do your eyes see…?” asked Tsunade.

“The blue chakra is acting as a chain…” responded Hinata. She came out of her stupor after understanding what was happening. “The Red and Yellow are being commanded, as Neji said, by the Blue Chakra; but now, the Blue is acting as a fetter for the Purple chakra. It is holding it down as the Red and Yellow surround it….they've stopped!” She said. She sounded surprised, and kept focusing on his stomach.

“She is right; the purple chakra has stopped moving. It seems that now it's dispersing evenly through the Chakra Circulatory System.” responded Neji.

“His heart and artery are healed…” responded Sakura.

“His spleen and lung have been repaired…” answered Shizune. “He seems to be in stable condition from what we can see…”

Everyone let out a sigh out of relief. The worst had past, now all they had to do was to wait until he decided to wake up.

Ino slowly approached around the group and placed herself in front of Naruto. She kneeled down and slowly lifted his head and gently placed it over her knees. She stroked his sweat drenched hair away from his face, revealing his features; a calm serene face adorned her own. His breath was slow but steady. She was happy that he was alive. Yamanaka did what she had wanted to do since she realized who he was…she bent down, and claimed his lips with her own, her nose barely touching his chin, his touching hers. Tears threatened to come once more, but she willed them back. All she could do now was to wait for him to regain consciousness. Tsunade moved to a boulder and sat down. Sakura and Shizune followed suit, sitting next to their shishou, waiting to receive any information on the golden haired nin and his relationship to Yamanaka Ino. They were surprised to hear that he was a former Konoha Nin turned-kumo-turned-Konoha Nin. After being informed of the Sandaime Hokage's and the Yondaime Raikage's agreement to train a Konoha Nin and let him return, they wondered why Kumogakure would allow such a legend as Yosugi Yashiro to leave so easily.

Those who weren't needed on the scene were sent to patrol the city, while those who got tired and realized that nothing was going to happen anymore, retreated to their houses. This was mainly for Civilians and Genins, whereas the patrolling part was left for the rest of the shinobi force, ordered by the Hokage herself; which was sitting down in the same place a couple of hours after everyone had left.

Yamanaka Ino was now holding Naruto completely. She had leaned back against a boulder and had placed Naruto's back against her chest. Her head was nuzzled on his shoulder and her head was leaning against his. She had refused to let anyone but her move him, for she wanted to be there when he woke up. Tsunade tried reasoning with her, and came to the agreement that if he didn't come to senses by nightfall, they both would be moved the Konoha's Hospital and placed in the same room so she would be there with him. “A few more minutes…” Said the busty blonde as she took a swig of sake from a bottle she had hidden inside her robes. Looking at the setting sun, she let out a long drawn-out sigh. “…a few more minutes before….”

Naruto's hand slowly twitched. His brow began to furrow and his jaw tensed. His chakra started to mold slowly, more and more being channeled through his body. Tsunade reacted quickly when she noticed this and was by the couple's side almost instantly. Ino looked worried and just stared at Tsunade with fear in her eyes. “What's going on?” she asked with a trembling voice, as her hands wrapped tightly around the blonde's waist.

“Like hell if I know, Yamanaka. This guy has been causing me more headaches in a day than Jiraya on one of his research frenzies…”

Inside Naruto's Mindscape

Naruto was on his knees, blood trickling from his mouth, his hands as support for his body. Rokubi and Kyuubi were around him, Rokubi with a worried look, whereas Kyuubi with an amused face. Gobi was slowly approaching the three and soon joined them, the three surrounding Naruto in a circle. The blood pooled underneath the boy as the three great tailed beasts stared in awe and shock. Gobi was still upset and his KI flared in an opportunity to strike at the boy, yet as soon as his claw approached to touch him, a barrier of blue chakra that appeared instantly repelled his strike and left a bad burn on the paw of the five tailed demon.

“So, even in death the boy is protected…kukukukuku…this means that our time here is short, my brothers…” said the dog in a sarcastic voice. “…what do you think is happening to our…'host'…” he ended the sentence with poison dripping on the last word.

“The strain of four chakras is killing him…” responded the fox with a gleeful voice. “…he may not have more to live. The human body can only handle so much, especially because he wasn't trained to endure the addition of another tailed beast to his own chakra system…” He finished with a thoughtful semblance, before breaking into a chuckle. Raijuu and Houkou both stared back at the Kyuubi, whose chuckling became a laugh and broke into a maniacal outburst.

“What seems to be so funny? Nine Tails? Can't you see that if he dies, you two will die also?” responded Raijuu. His worried eyes not leaving the writhing form of Naruto. “…There's no doubt about it. Something must be done, and as quick as possible, or we will all return to Makai and be forever trapped there inside Naruto's soul…” `Here's the hook…' he thought to himself.

Kyuubi stopped his laughing and his face became serious. Yes, he was the Lord of the Demons, but still, not even he would ever live down the shame of being part of a human soul. Gobi was thinking the exact same thing. There would be no way in Hell that he would be going there again trapped AND against his own will (not that he had an option, he WAS trapped after all). Rokubi smiled at the serious faces made by the other two tailed beasts, and spoke once more after a few minutes. He looked to the scene above him, the ocean and the island that were on top of the mindscape. “…although, maybe it would be for the best. After all, you two ARE sealed in a human manifestation of MY soul…I wonder what would the Lord of Hell think of the two of y….” his words rudely interrupted by a sudden outburst.

“WE HAVE TO SAVE THE BOY!” yelled the Kyuubi no Kitsune. “THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT HE IS GOING TO DIE NOW! NOT TODAY IF I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AOBUT IT. IF WE HAVE TO BE SEALED IN SEPARATE PARTS OF HIS BODY, THEN SO BE IT, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO BE CAUGHT MERGED WITH ANY OF YOU TWO FLEA BAGS!” his eyes were wide and his claws dug into the ground. All the while, Rokubi smiled at the antics of both tailed beasts. `…….line……' thought Raijuu. The Gobi was acting the same way. He apparently didn't like the idea of being sealed into Rokubi's manifested soul in Makai. He could never live it down.

Ever.

“OH, HELL NO!” Gobi yelled. “I'D RATHER BE SEALED INTO SOMETHING ELSE WILLFULLY THAN TO GO TO HELL WITH BOTH OF YOU! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!? BETWEEN THE THREE OF US, THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY TO SAVE THIS GAKI FROM DEATH!”

`…and sinker!' That was more than enough. The Rokubi was smiling a fang filled smile `I can't believe that they fell for it that easily! Kyuubi, Lord of Demons, my ass; I'd expected him to catch it sooner, but oh well. And Gobi? Damn, you really can't teach old dogs new tricks.' he said to himself “Well, there is one thing we can do…but technically, you'll still be bound to the kid's life force….” he spoke.

The Gobi and Kyuubi looked at each other and then turned to Raijuu. They both nodded in unison, hoping to stay alive and stay away from Makai in their current pathetic condition.

“Use it, Uzumaki. Until you are capable of handling the strain, you will have to rely on the Tsunagari no Kunou…”

“H…hai…Raijuu…I'll try….”

“Do not try, Uzumaki…simply do it….” said Raijuu as he cut him off. He gave him a stern look and then nodded towards Naruto

Naruto painfully nodded as he faded back into consciousness.

Outside Naruto's Mindscape

Naruto's eyes flashed open and bolted upright almost instantly, scaring the two girls that were next to him. His right hand went over his heart and his left to his stomach. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but a sudden jolt in his chest caused him to muffle a scream instead. He turned to the Hokage who was immediately running diagnostic jutsus on him. She gasped when she realized that his heart was beating much to fast. If it continued like that, he would probably have a heart attack! She noticed Naruto looking at her and his left hand reaching to his kunai holster. Tsunade's eyes went wide as saucers and Ino noticed. She too, looked towards where Naruto's hand was, retrieving a kunai from its ring. She immediately clung to his back and started crying. Tsunade's hand reached to his and gripped his wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon. “You will not commit suicide, I will not let you.” She told him in a dead serious voice.

“Baa...chan…take it…take the…the….urg…” his voice broke as his right hand reached to his mouth to try and cover a gush of blood that came through his fingers. “…throw it…throw it as far North East as you can…” he spoke with a broken visage on his face. “…I knew the consequences….but I am not…*cough*…done yet…I can feel her…she can help me...she will help me complete the seal….please…*cough*…*cough*….” Tsunade looked at him worriedly as the blood kept flowing from his mouth, her sight trailed from his eyes to the kunai that he was retrieving. A diminutive gasp followed by the release of his wrist and a light chuckle later caught Ino's attention as well. She turned from Naruto's back to look at the Hokage and the kunai that she had begun twirling in her index finger. “You never stop surprising me, kid…though; you'd better know what you're doing…” Tsunade turned sharply, facing towards the village. “HYUUGA HINATA!” She yelled, and in a matter of minutes, a female ANBU appeared. By taking the bird mask off, her face revealed the navy haired kunoichi. “You both have a mission...” Spoke the Hokage. “You two are escort Uzumaki Naruto to wherever he tells you to. Do not let him die, this mission is category S due to the life threatening situation that he is in and SS if you have to fight to reach your destination, do you understand me?” Hinata looked on to the two blondes and just then noticed the blood that was trailing from Naruto's mouth. She stifled a gasp as her hands intertwined over her heart. She immediately regained her composure and walked towards the two shinobi.

Yamanaka Ino bolted straight up, and immediately helped Naruto to his own feet, while acting as a crutch on his right. Hinata approached the now standing couple and positioned herself next to Naruto. “Hai, Hokage-sama…” were their responses. Naruto's head leaned forward and another gush of blood came from his mouth. He then proceeded to grasp Ino tightly as he brought her in for an embrace. He then proceeded to reach out to Hinata, but she was hesitant.

“You need to…*cough*…hold on to me….*cough* and don't let go…” Naruto strained a whisper. “…both of you…this will be a bumpy ride…*cough*…or so I've been told…” he said with a smile at the end.

“I'll never let go, my love….” responded Ino. Hinata's only response was a slight nod as she returned the embrace herself. She proceeded to move behind him and hug his back, her face hidden between his shoulder blades and her hands around his waist. Naruto didn't notice the wet spot that was starting to form where Hyuuga's face was, but hey, he had more things to worry about at the moment.

The Hokage looked at the shinobi trio and smiled. `I guess he won't have any problems re-building his clan…' she thought to herself, as with a chakra enhanced throw, she released the weapon.

In a flash of gold and blue, Naruto, Hinata, and Ino vanished into the direction the tri-pronged kunai was hurled.

“Who knew that the brat mastered Hiraishin?” Tsunade chuckled as she made her way to the Hokage Tower. `Man…this is going to be a long night…' she told herself, after realizing the amount of paperwork she would have to be done by the morning. `…and I'm fresh out of sake…'

A few dozen miles North East of Konoha

A feral green spirit cat was sprinting at top speed, green flames burning whatever the being touched. It's direction: Konoha.

Yugito had been traveling at a neck-breaking pace, using the Nibi's chakra to cut the time that it would've taken to get from her village to her new destination to a few hours. Physically, she was exhausted, but the weak link to Naruto that she still felt made her push on. All the way there, her left hand was over her heart, rubbing fervently over her clothing. The link she felt with the other blonde became weaker and weaker by the hour and she couldn't help but worry. `Please, Kami…' she prayed all the way there. `…let me be on time…don't let him die…I don't want him to die…there must be something that I can do…'

She didn't have any idea how her prayers had been answered then and there, but it so happened that she sensed an incoming projectile, so she stopped and jumped from a small clearing, to the trees and into the foliage; only to see a kunai, a very familiar-looking kunai, embed itself ring deep into the ground. An instant later, a blur of blue and gold tumbled to the clearing that she was in, revealing two girls and…

“NARUTO!” she screamed. She was immediately by his side; her hands and arms quickly raised him to a sitting position with her kneeling down and embraced him into a loving hug. She noticed that he had to strain himself in order to return the embrace, weakly, yet he did. “Naruto…sweetie…tell me what's going on! What's happening to you? Why are you like this? Why did I feel the presence of the Gobi and yours along with the Kyuubi's and Raijuu's...and who are these two girls….!” Her questions came out all together, not giving the wounded nin an opportunity to answer.

Yamanaka Ino and Hyuuga Hinata took that moment to stand up and dust themselves and then proceeded to rush towards the two blond nin. While the unknown kunoichi babbled a long stream of questions, they interrupted her as they drew their weapons. “Please…” spoke Ino. “…we are on a SS class mission here. Do not interfere or suffer the consequences…” The female jinchuuriki fell into a defensive stance, placing Naruto behind her and guarding him from danger.

“The life of Uzumaki Naruto is in grave peril. He is to direct us to someplace and to someone who he claims that can help him in the critical stage his being is in…” added the Hyuuga. “…you seem to know him, may I ask from where?” She said as she noticed the Kumogakure headband. Her hands immediately tensed around the handle of her no-dachi. `Why did we have to encounter a Cloud nin here of all places?'

Ino noticed the headband also and slowly pieced two and two together: Naruto returning the hug, her acting affectionate towards him, and caring for his well being; aside from being defensive for him against the two girls that he appeared with. The grip on her katana tightened as realization hit her.

Hard.

Jealousy was her first thought. Yet, she could understand why someone else would fall for the Uzumaki. He had so many good qualities, and very little bad ones. Her eyes concentrated on her, examining her reaction towards them. Ino knew that she posed no threat to them, so with a reluctant sigh, she lowered her weapon, leaving a questioning Hinata next to her.

“I'll assume that you are Naruto-kun's wife?” Asked Ino with an icy edge to her voice. The jealousy was becoming more and more obvious, yet, she couldn't become mad at the couple, after all, she was now part of them. “It's a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is…”

“Yamanaka Ino, Jounin Kunoichi of Konoha, Investigation and Interrogation Division. Your areas of Specialization fall into Infiltration, Information Gathering, Torture, and Crowd Control. I know perfectly who you are…” responded the crouching blonde. Ino was taken aback to know that she had made a name for herself in the short year she had made Jounin, but the fact that she had been trained by Morino Ibiki to become his replacement was something that many were afraid of and many more had heard.

“Yes, down to the dot…” responded Ino. “…but I was to introduce myself as Yamanaka Ino, Naruto-kun's girlfriend…It's a pleasure to meet you…”

Yugito cringed at the sound of the word `girlfriend'. `Damn…either he works fast and can't keep it in his pants, or he can't keep them off of him…' she thought to herself. `…he'd better hope it's the latter, or there'll be blood to shed….' Swallowing hard, Yugito stood up and gave her a look over. Blonde hair, long; blue eyes, slim figure, purple attire. Ino noticed the scrutinizing look that she was receiving and it formed a tick on her forehead. “…let's worry about my figure later, Naruto-kun's life is in danger and we still don't know where we have to go…”

“We…*cough*…have arrived to where…*cough*…we need to be….” Came a very strained voice. Ino and Yugito turned around to notice Hinata helping Naruto up to his feet. “Neko-chan…the strain of a third tailed…beast is too much…it appears…I need to use the Tsunagari no -…”

*SMACK*

Yugito's hand connected to Naruto's cheek, leaving a red hand print. Her eyes became downcast as she started trembling. “…onegai…don't…don't finish that sentence…” Naruto lowered his head to face the ground as his left hand reached the tender spot on his cheek. All the while, Hinata and Ino stared at the decision that the couple had to reach.

“…but…I have to…*cough*…Neko-chan…it's the only way…”

“Ano…what is the Tsunagari jutsu…?” Asked Hinata, whose question froze both Naruto and Yugito. It took them a few moments before Yugito took the initiative, as when she glanced at Naruto, he was in a more pensive state.

“Amatsu Fuuin: Tsunagari no Kunou…an S to SS rank jutsu designed by Naruto-kun as a variance from the Fuuin Jutsu: Shiki Fuuin used by the Yondaime Hokage against the Kyuubi…except that instead of forming a `vacuum seal' and pull the target into the fetter that will act as a container…this particular seal expels that which is to be sealed and seals it into the new target…or so he told me…the fact of the matter it that it's still in it's experimental stages…and from what I've heard…there's a high mortality rate…only those with perfect charka control will be able to survive….” Yugito's voice lowered at the end of the sentence, as she glanced back at Naruto and noticed that he was already working on the complex seals that were needed for the Amatsu Fuin. “Na..Naruto-kun…do you really have to do this? Is there no other way?” pleaded the blonde jinchuuriki, as her and the other two approached carefully towards the Kyuubi's container's location.

He was working on his knees. The seals that he was drawing were many and complex, yet looked very peaceful and fluid. With every cough, blood would pool in his mouth, and by using that same blood, the seals were inscribed on the ground beneath him. Once a seal was made, it glowed red, then turned obsidian black, becoming one with the ground and with the rest of the inscriptions that the shinobi was writing. With a heavy grunt and another blood-soaked cough, Naruto spit the life-giving fluid to one side, away from the seals that he was working on. He noticed that he was now surrounded by the three girls and with a tired smile; he motioned them to come closer. “Girls…at the moment…I am not strong enough…” he started speaking. “…I have not reached the strength necessary to protect you three…*cough*…as much as I desire…”

“What are you talking about, Naruto-kun!?” Cried Ino. “You just saved Konoha from it's destruction by killing a tailed beast! You have achieved far greater strength than anyone in the vil…”

“You are mistaken, Ino-san…” interrupted the formerly quiet Hyuuga. “…Naruto-kun did not kill the beast…he simply sealed it away…away in his own body, didn't you, Naruto…?”

Naruto's head lowered as Hinata began explaining the reasons on why she believed the Gobi was sealed into Naruto, catching everybody's attention…

“When the beast struck, his presence was astounding. Those of us that could activate their Kekkei Genkai used it to locate the massive chakra that was flaring…better said, the two massive chakras that flared up…one after the other…” She took a moment to choose her next words, all the while, Ino and Yugito helped Naruto lean against a tree, and stayed by his side “…There were two chakras that flared, one was demonic, and its color was purple…the other one was human and it was blue. The second chakra later added both yellow and orange to its flare and the nature of the chakra changed to that of what it was going against…demonic…” a knot formed in her throat as she kept talking. All the while, Ino listened intently while Yugito stroked Naruto's now paling visage. “…Tsunade asked me and Neji-nii-san to help her during Naruto-kun's emergency battlefield treatment after a jutsu he used that made the Gobi disappear…and my eyes saw something unexplainable…three chakras, one acting as a coordinator, and two more, attacking a purple chakra that moved in Naruto-kun's chakra system. Both yellow and orange cornered the purple chakra in Naruto's navel area and then the blue chakra acted as a fetter and effectively stopped the threat from going anywhere…isn't that right…Naruto-kun…?”

The same tired, yet sincere smile adorned Naruto's face. “…on the money….Hina-chan…” he said with a coarse voice.

“The seal…you were explaining that it worked by `expelling'…by any chance, you mean `expelling' the Gobi into the new seal? To the new container?” Naruto frowned at the comment. All he did was nod in agreement to what she was saying. “...if that's the case...to who or what are you planning to seal the demon in...?”

Both Ino and Yugito stared back at Hinata as she finished talking, whilst Naruto's quiet demeanor showed that she hit the spot. He strainfully pushed Ino's and Yugito's hands away as he struggled to get on his feet and started walking towards the seal he had worked on. The three just looked at his broken self, his torn visage and the pain his blue eyes that looked like they had lost the spark of life. “...I can't do this....I can't contain the beast at the....moment...” He struggled to say. Naruto then turned to look at Yugito and stared deep into her eyes. “...my overwhelming cha...chakra capacity still isn't enough....I must train more....in order....in order to protect my loved ones....Ne-*cough**cough*-neko-chan....the Gobi and the Nibi were allies against the Kyuubi many a Millenia ago....you're chakra control is amazing...you would be able to....subdue his youki....”

Yugito understood what he was asking. She stood up and walked towards Naruto and the seal.

“...no...”

Yugito stopped on her tracks. She turned to look at Hinata, her eyes in tears. “What do you mean 'No'? If I don't do this....He will die! Who are you to tell me what to do and what not to do for my husband...?”

Hinata walked towards the two blondes, and positioned herself between them. “...I'm not asking you to not do anything...but if what Naruto-kun says is true...then maybe, I'm the better candidate for the seal...”

Everyone gasped at Hinata's comment. Ino stood up and ran to the three. “What do you mean, Hinata-san...we can't risk this! The Gobi could escape and take vengeance against Konoha!”

“Hyuuga Hinata-san....was it...?” asked the other blonde Kunoichi. Hinata's attention was once again on Yugito. “...why would you choose this burden to carry over your own shoulders? We are hated....we are attacked...we are the hateful representation of fears...yet you choose to become what Naruto-kun and I are? What is your motivation?”

Hinata stared into Yugito's eyes and then back to Naruto's. “...I want to thank him....for that escort mission gone wrong a year back...and for giving my father peace of mind...by returning his brother's remains to the Hyuuga...”

Yugito's head snapped from her to Naruto and back. “...so...you've met before, I presume? And that would explain why your clothes were torn and smeared with blood the night before departure....” Hinata simply nodded to the first part of the question, whereas Naruto nodded to the second part.

“...once again, I believe that I am a better choice for this seal. As a Hyuuga, I have developed chakra control far beyond normal expectations, or I wouldn't be an ANBU captain. My JÅ«ken needs fine control or it would be useless...”

The three other shinobi pondered the statement for a moment before Ino and Yugito turned to Naruto. He in turn had a stern face on and didn't seem very convinced. Hinata walked to him and embraced him, her arms around his neck and her head next to his left ear. She whispered ever so softly while a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Onegai...Naruto-kun...ever since we were kids, you were a ray of sunlight in my childhood...then you disappeared so suddenly...because of your pranks and big smiles...my days were always better....allow me to return the deed and use me...maybe with this....I can become closer to you than what we already are....”

Naruto stiffened and slowly returned the embrace. His hands clenched her clothes and he started trembling. “I...don't want this for you...Hina-chan...” he answered back.

“Silly boy...” was Hinata's response. “...I'm doing this not as a favor or out of pity, but out of love and respect for you...” She then removed her head from his shoulder and released the embrace. She proceeded to take his face in her hands and slowly approached her lips to his own. Yugito and Ino stared at the two, seeing the result of their small private chat. Ino looked a bit upset, yet Yugito simply walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder.

“Listen....”she said “...I'm sorry for coming out too strong to you, but I wanted to make sure that you would care about my...our husband and fiancÃ©e...” Ino's head turned to look at the now smiling Yugito. She let out a sigh she didn't know she had and turned her head back to the now kissing couple.

“What are the odds of us three having to share him more?” asked the now calm mind walker

“Those chances are not for us to know. Naruto and I grew up in an environment that supports these kind of situations, so it's normal for us. You on the other hand, is something that you've never experienced before.” Then, Yugito grew a big smile. “Although trust me....there's enough of him to share with a thousand of us...”

Ino turned to Yugito and gave her a strange look for the lecherous smile that Yugito had on her face. A small drop of drool was tempting to fall from the side of her mouth, but was quickly taken care of when Yugito came back to reality. “...I'm Yugito...Uzumaki Yugito....it's a pleasure to meet you, future Mrs. Uzumaki...”

A/N: Well, I feel that this chapter is mainly a filler. It may or may not attract some of the readers out there, but it was something that I felt needed to be posted, I mean, come on! Even though Naruto is the hero of the story, it doesn't mean that he's invincible. Stuff that's out of control, like, you know, adverse side effects of absorbing a tailed beast, is something he wasn't prepared to deal with. Hopefully, he'll take this as a learning experience and be better prepared to deal with it when the time comes.

I Hope you enjoyed this chapter, which I want to dedicate to Lord Raine. He game me such an amazing review that inspired me to finish as soon as possible. The next chapter is well on it's way, just need to start the beta'ing with Munj Hydromonk (I'll e-mail it to you once it's near completion, so you can check it.)

Thanks and 'til next time!

-seilif

Taichou - Captain

Shishou - Teacher, Master

Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God

Amatsu Fuuin: Tsunagari no Kunou - Heavenly Seal: Bond of Suffering