Naruto was silent as he pulled the weeds from the garden before him. It's been a couple days since he has seen Hisato-san, and Naruto was getting worried. Sure, it's not like the blonde has actually gone to his house again (totally not because he was afraid of being rejected), but Naruto hasn't seen the man go in or out of his apartment.

Sweat dripped down the blonde's face as he pulled out another weed, and the boy thought of all of the possibilities. Maybe the brunette is on a mission? Maybe he's sick? Or perhaps he just didn't want to see Naruto again...

Naruto's eyes cast downward at that. It was always that, no one actually stayed, and it was selfish of him to think that Hisato-san would go out of his way just to see Naruto again. Whenever someone was nice, it was usually like that. They either were nice to him, only to betray him and do despicable things to the blonde, or they were briefly nice out of pity, but didn't want to associate with Naruto. The former, surprisingly, happened more often than the latter.

"Stupid stupid stupid," Naruto muttered, violently pulling out several plants that may or may not of been weeds. "That's what I get for trusting someone again."

Unbeknownst to Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were listening in to the blondes' mutterings. Both of them were worried about Naruto (although Sasuke won't admit it) and now they finally had confirmation that it was indeed a person making the blonde feel that way. There was a small victory, but dread took over. Whoever was doing this to Naruto... well, it must be bad.

Sakura made eye contact with Sasuke and managed not to blush. This isn't about her or Sasuke right now, this is about Naruto. Normally, the girl would accuse Naruto of seeking attention, but this, however, was totally different from the attention-seeking Naruto the rosette knows. These past three days, Naruto has been oddly quiet. The girl figured that it would fade back to his normal peppy attitude after a day, but that was not the case. The first day of quiet actually made Naruto seem like he was in a good mood compared to now (though she doesn't know that he was actually in a good mood then).

Sakura shifted her eyes toward the blonde, who was angrily pulling out plants. Each plant was pulled out one at a time, each slowly and yet, in a way, violently. Usually, the boy would be challenging her Sasuke-kun to a 'weeding' challenge, and would frantically pull out any plant in sight, but this is totally different.

Sakura turned her attention back to Sasuke who nodded in return. It was now time for Plan B. The rosette frowned. Naruto may get suspicious when they went through with this plan, but they had to know what was wrong with the boy and how to help him, not only for the blonde's sake, but their team's sake as well.

They finished weeding the absurdly large garden in silence. Both of Naruto's teammates glanced towards the said blonde every once in a while during the final hour of their work. They both hoped that his mood would have a more positive change, alas, it only seemed to get worse. They both visibly cringed as Naruto violently tore out the poor weeds. Yes, this is much worse than they thought.

Finally, they were done and it was time to instigate Plan B. Sakura wrung her hands nervously as she watched the blonde dust of his pants. It's now or never.

"Hey Naruto," Sakura called out, before he could walk away. Naruto turned around, raising a single eyebrow. Sakura gulped. "So uh, Sasuke-kun and I are going out to eat with some former classmates of ours and you're invited... I just remembered to tell you."

Naruto's gaze lingered on Sakura before going to Sasuke. "Both of you agreed to go?" he questioned. At both of their nods, the blonde just let out a sigh. "You know, nothing can surprise me anymore, ya know?"

Sasuke let out an internal sigh of relief. He knew the blonde would be suspicious of him going as well- after all, Sasuke isn't exactly a people person. The Uchiha almost actually tapped out of the plan, not wanting to ruin it. It was actually Shikamaru who stopped him. When Sakura and Sasuke went to go talk with their former classmates about the plan, all of them were more than happy to help. Kiba actually proposed a Plan C- though it was shot down for... violent reasons.

Surprisingly, it was Hinata who seemed most willing to help. Everytime Sasuke or Sakura mentioned his name, her face turned red with determination. Sasuke can admire her for that. Turning red just to help a classmate is admirable.

The trio walked towards the Akimichi Barbeque Hut in silence. Naruto was slightly behind his two teammates, occasionally kicking a rock as they went. Sasuke and Sakura occasionally exchanged concerned glances with each other. Sasuke didn't even bother to hide his concern anymore. After all, this is just... concerning. It would be odd if he wasn't concerned.

Finally, after an awkward ten minute walk, they arrived at the Barbeque Hut and walked in. Naruto glanced around, just realizing where they were. The blonde tensed. The owner of this establishment does not like him. At all. Usually, the Akimichi are neutral towards the blonde, but not this one. This restaurant is in the top five of his Stear Clear list.

"Um, guys..." Naruto started, picking at the collar of his jumpsuit, "I think I'm actually going to go home. I forgot that I had something to do." The blonde began to rub the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his mind immediately jumping to conclusions. Naruto's neighbor must require Naruto to be home at a certain time. Or maybe Naruto needs to be home at a certain time to avoid his neighbor. Sasuke shook his head. No, this will not do.

"I'm sure whatever you have to do can wait," Sasuke stated with a huff. "I'll even help you with it afterwards."

Naruto began to sweat. "No no, it's fine- dattebayo." Naruto began to back away and turn around. "Maybe next time."

Sakura grabbed the back of his collar and pulled the poor blonde back. "Are you really dissing my sweet Sasuke-kun like that?" she questioned in an angry tone, only partially for the effect. "You will stay and eat with us. Understand?"

Naruto gulped. "Yes Sakura..." he paused and then added a "chan." Maybe the owner won't mess with his food or kick him out if he's surrounded by friends.

They walked further into the joint until they saw the people they were looking for. Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. Kiba was trying to pick a fight with Shino, who was ignoring Kiba which further infuriated the boy. Ino was chatting with Hinata, although it seemed like the blond was doing most of the talking. Choji and Shikamaru just sat there while Choji munched on chips, despite the fact that they were about to get dinner. Kiba was the first to spot them.

"Hey shorty, Sasuke, Sakura, get over here," Kiba shouted. The boy smirked. Plan B has commenced.

Sasuke nodded towards Kiba and the trio walked towards the group. Kiba's smirk fell when Naruto silently slipped into the booth next to Hinata, who blushed profusely. Kiba tapped his index finger on the table three times, signalling that his part failed. Usually Naruto took his bait and sent his own insults flying back at the Inuzuka. Only when he didn't did Kiba know how bad this actually was.

They all sat in an awkward silence as they waited for the waiter to bring them their menus. Usually Naruto would fill the silence with meaningless commentary and banter, but the boy just sat there silently, staring down at the wooden table. Everyone at the booth was trying not to stare, but it was difficult. They have never seen Naruto so quiet. Heck, they've never (except for the recently introduced Sakura and Sasuke) seen him quiet.

Kiba finally had enough of the quiet and decided to have another go. "So how's your clanless, deadlast ass doing on your D-ranks? I'm sure your sensei must be tired of how useless you are by now." Kiba waited for the blonde to turn red with rage before attacking him, but no such thing happened.

"Eh, I wouldn't be surprised," Naruto said darkly, not lifting his gaze from the table. "Maybe ninja work isn't for me..."

Everyone's eyes widened at his statement. This was way worse than any of them thought. The boy that has been screaming that he wanted to be Hokage for as long as they could remember was saying that ninja work wasn't for him.

Naruto looked up from the table and noticed that all of their eyes were on him. He chuckled nervously. "Just kidding?" He watched as they relaxed a bit, but the group didn't stop shooting him looks. Naruto suppressed a sigh. He shouldn't have said that outloud. It wasn't like he meant it. The blonde was just caught up in his depressing thoughts and it just slipped out.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at eachother. Kiba's plan failed, so now it's time to move on to the other part of Plan B. Sasuke looked at Shikamaru, who was sitting in front of him and nodded. Shikamaru let out a quiet "troublesome" but still complied.

"Naruto, I'm going to blunt here," Shikamaru sighed, head resting against his hand. "I know something is wrong with you, so don't bother denying it. All of us do, so tell me..." Shikamaru leaned in close to Naruto, who sat diagonally from him, "what's wrong?"

Naruto quickly stood up. "Nothing, honest Shikamaru." The boy looked at the clock hanging from one of the walls of the restaurant. "Would you look at the time, I really have to go and... water my plants. Yeah, that's it. If you would excuse me." Naruto shuffled out of the booths' seat, but stopped at Sakura's yell.

"Stop making excuses Naruto," she seethed. "Can't you see that we're all worried about you?"

Naruto turned around and looked at the group. "I appreciate you guys worrying 'bout me, but seriously, nothing is wrong," the blonde tried to reassure. "Now if you would excuse me."

The blue-eyed boy turned around, only to slam into the Akamichi who hated him most. Yurushi Akimichi. The mans' eyes narrowed. "I thought I told you that you weren't welcome here, boy," he spat. "You know the consequences of defying me."

"I was just leaving," Naruto said in a slow, low tone. "Don't worry, I won't be back."

Yurushi cracked his knuckles. "I won't have to worry about you being back after I'm done with you. I've already given you a warning, now you need a lesson."

Kiba hopped up from his seat. "What do you think you're doing?" the boy shouted. "What has Naruto ever done to you?"

Yurushi looked at the Inuzuka. "What has he done? WHAT HAS HE DONE!?" he yelled angrily. "He killed my wife and my first born. The Hokage has prevented me from killing him, but nothing is stopping me from punishing him for breaking my rules."

Sasuke scoffed. "Naruto? Killing someone? Yeah right." Everyone in the group nodded.

Naruto just stood still, not saying anything. If he tried to escape, the Akimichi would pulverise him. Naruto risked a look at the group, smiling slightly when he saw the determined gaze on all of their faces. Maybe they were looking out for him.

Yurushi suddenly went red, noticing the smirk on the blondes face. "Are you mocking me?" he shouted, fist swelling to a large size- a sign that he was activating his family jutsu. "You'll pay for mocking me."

Before anyone could stop the man, he swung his large fist at the blonde boy. It collided, and the boy was flung across the restaurant and into one of the wooden walls. The air was knocked out of the blonde, and he gasped for breath as he tried to stand. The moment he gained footing again, the enlarged fist struck him again, sending him through the wall and into a tree that stopped his flight through the air. Naruto coughed up some fluid of what he guessed was blood and suppressed a groan. His vision was swimming before him, the air once again knocked out of him. The boy felt a warm chakra fill him, alleviating the pain a little bit, but not much.

His vision began to clear a little bit, and he looked up. He could see Sasuke and Sakura standing in front of him, blocking his sight from anything else. It looked like they were talking, but none of the words reached his ears. Naruto tried to shift into an upright position, but grunted at the pain it brought him. It seems like he broke a couple of ribs.

Sasuke and Sakura looked back at the blonde when he made the noise and then looked back at the perpetrator who did this to their teammate. The anger was evident of their faces as they looked at the elder Akimichi. Shikamaru was holding him back with his Shadow Possession and Ino had her hands ready to make the hand signs necessary to take over the body of the older male.

"How dare you protect him," Yurushi growled, struggling against the Shadow Possession Jutsu. Shikamaru was sweating from the effort and strain it put on him to hold the male back.

"How dare we protect him?" Sakura growled. "How dare you for attacking him for no reason."

The man took a step forward, Shikamaru sliding forward a bit at the effort. "How dare I? That demon deserves it, he is the ni-" He was cut off when an Anbu operative landed in front of him.

"For breaking the Hokage's absolute law, you shall face trial," the Anbu stated, tying the mans' hands behind his back.

Yurushi paled. "No, I didn't mean to. The brat started it and-" the Anbu sunshined away, cutting Yurushi off mid-sentence.

The group looked at each other, confused by the Anbu's words. Before they could voice their thoughts, another Anbu operative hopped out of the trees and landed beside Naruto.

Naruto squinted at the man in front of him. His vision had gone very hazy and he couldn't decipher the man in front of him. He heard a voice try to speak to him, but he couldn't make out the words through the haze that filled his mind. The blondes' head was throbbing, and it took a lot out of him just to stay awake.

The Anbu narrowed his eyes, before turning around. "It seems as if he was hit in the head, giving him a severe concussion." He looked at Sasuke and Sakura. "I would advise you to take him to the hospital or his home. If you choose to take him home, please keep a close eye on him." The Anbu then shunshined away to give Lord Third his report.

The group looked at each other and then at Naruto, who appeared to have fallen unconscious. There was a purple bruise forming on the left side of the blonde's face. Shikamaru collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

"So, should we take him to the hospital or take him home?" Sakura asked, crouched down next to the blonde and observing his injuries.

Sasuke thought it over. Taking him to the hospital would make the most sense, but seeing how most of Konoha treated the boy, Sasuke wasn't sure if he trusted the hospital.

"We'll take him home, but does anyone know where he lives?" Sasuke asked, looking at his former classmates.

Most of them shrugged or gave him a "no" except for Hinata who was fidgeting nervously.

"I-I know where he lives," she stated quietly, a small blush rising to her face.

Sakura got the address from Hinata while Sasuke carefully placed the blonde onto his back, draping the blondes' arms over his shoulders and gripping his legs to hold him steady. They bid their former classmates goodbye before heading to the blonde's apartment.

They walked to his apartment in silence, Sakura leading the way. It took them ten minutes on foot since they couldn't go fast in fear of aggravating Naruto's wounds. They finally arrived at the blonde's building and walked up the stairs to his apartment. Sakura made it to the door and tried the handle, finding that it was locked.

"If I were Naruto, where would I keep the key?" she mumbled to herself, looking around the door for any potential hiding places. She spotted a small piece of wood that didn't quite match up with the rest of the wood and tugged on it. The wood piece came out easily and a single key lay in the small compartment it hid.

Sakura grabbed the key out of the compartment and put the wood back in its place. She put the key into the lock and twisted it. The rosette then opened the door and gestured for Sasuke to follow her inside.

The Uchiha followed her in and closed the door behind him. He looked around at the apartment, taking in the appearance. It was a small apartment and looked relatively boring. There were a few plants, but that was basically the extent of the color he saw. The windows were cracked and the walls were riddled with holes and chipped paint.

Sakura and Sasuke went to what they believed was the bedroom door and opened it. Sakura gasped a bit at the sad sight. There was a small futon, but it was the one they had received when they had become Genin. It was a sleeping bag like model and is incredibly small.

Sasuke just let out a sigh and placed Naruto into the futon. He then went to the bathroom to look for some bandages while Sakura told him that she was going to go find something to cover the window that brightened the room.

As Sasuke looked through Naruto's meager medical supplies he could only think about what else Naruto could be hiding.

{June 12, 2020}