A/N: Hi guys, estrellaz here. Just a heads up, this is a different author writing this fic on this account. The previous author who wrote PUTP unfortunately lost interest in writing and won't be continuing her works on this site. She has passed this account to me however because I want to have a go at writing on this site. Hope you can forgive her and accept me? Haha.

Anywho, my writing and her writing will probably be a little different (because she's so much better than me) so please don't compare. I hope you guys enjoy this story because I had fun writing this chap and have so many ideas for it. Can't wait to update! Haha. Enjoy! :)

Oh and about PUTP, I can't say whether it'll be continued or not but I'll ask the author and if I can get the details and her permission, I might continue it for her. We'll see. Haha. Anyways, enjoy this story!

"Okaa-san, tell me that story again."

The room was eerily silent except for the sounds of the machines beeping around her along with the long soft breaths coming out from her mouth. The air was dry, the aura was stale and the environment seemed glum. All just made her feel so suffocated. The piece of plastic that was covering her mouth and restricting her breathing wasn't helping neither.

Her eyelids fluttered open as her vision began to take form with every blink. Gradually things started coming to sight. Ahead of her was the usual white ceiling with faint small cracks splattered across the face and the blades of the fan were spinning ever so slow, almost in a hypnotizing manner. She slowly pulled herself in a sitting position, she could feel her body beginning to break out from the numbness she was experiencing before.

They must have tranquilized her again.

She turned to the dresser next to her bed and saw a glass of water neatly placed to a vase filled with her favourite flowers – lavenders. They looked fresh, healthy, alive. How ironic, she thought. They must've replaced them again. Her hand shakily removed the breathing mask from her mouth. She licked her dry lips gently and carefully took the glass into her quivering hold and drowned the cooling water down. She didn't think she was that thirsty but the way she enjoyed the water was as though she hadn't drank in months. Her throat pulsed as the water hydrated it from its dryness. No wonder she felt suffocated.

"Tell me again about the princess who was loved by all her kingdom."

Her fingers crept to her slender neck as they slowly felt around for the necklace she always wore. The gold chain still shimmered under the light though it has aged, showing its glory and priceless value - reminding her of its true worth. She traced it down until her fingers wrapped around the main part of the necklace. She played the pendant around her palm, it's weight suddenly feeling more than usual. Her fingers absentmindedly swirled around the special engraving at the back, her mind replaying those words over and over again – pounding into her head like drums.

But no matter how many times her mind tried to get it in her stubborn head, her heart just wouldn't accept it.

"Tell me again how she found her prince, had that huge wedding and lived happily ever after."

She turned the pendant around and pressed the lock attached to it, a clock face revealing itself to her. It read half past twelve. No wonder her body was so numb. She had been knocked out for at least 12 hours. Her head suddenly grew weary and the surroundings were beginning to fuzz once more. She laid back down, rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to ease the pain a little. She needed her dose, now.

"Tell me again how pretty, how smart, how kind and how brave she was."

As though God heard her cry, noises of buttons being pressed and a lock being unlocked was heard and soon enough, a woman around her twenties came in with a tray. She approached the bed with a warm smile and gently placed the tray on the dresser. "Looks like sleeping beauty's awake," she greeted, her eyes glistening under the light. "How do you feel, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata just stayed quiet, eyes downcast and fingers fumbling with each other. Her dark hair shielded her face, hiding the ashamed feeling that was pooling in her gut. "Please... my medicine..." she whispered, her voice raspy and hoarse. The elder woman seemed reluctant but heaved a deep sigh before pouring a glass of water and popping out two red pills from the container she brought along. Passing the items to the silent girl, she watched as Hinata quickly swallowed the pills – her pale eyes diluting in response as though she had just received ecstasy.

She's just getting worse... poor Hinata-chan...

"S-Shizune-san... arigatou," Hinata whispered softly before she buried herself under her covers, disappearing from view. "I'd like to be alone now... o-onegai..."

Shizune frowned at her request but protocol must be prioritized and whatever the patient wants must be respected. She packed the items on the dresser and made her way out of the room, sneaking one more glance at the fragile girl that was now hidden underneath her covers – pretending she was hidden from the eyes of the world too. Shizune could only shake her head, making sure to lock the room before she left.

"Tell me... o-onegai..."

Another typical day in Konoha Rehabilitation.

"Naruto, you brat! You've done it this time! You are in deep trouble now, young man!"

A normal person, after hearing such a threat, would merely sit down quietly, listen intently to the lecture he was going to receive, acknowledge (or at least pretend to) their advice and promise to never do it again - all done with an innocent look to boot. That would be a sane choice of action. But then again, he was not a normal person.

"Oh, come on Tsunade baa-chan," groaned Naruto, rolling his azure eyes in exasperation. "That bastard deserved what I gave him. In fact, I should've given him a lot worse."

"You broke his arm, Naruto!" snarled Tsunade, looking appalled that Naruto would even think harming a person is acceptable. "Not to mention the bruises on his face, the blood running down his probably broken nose and the swollen eye. That definitely crossed the line."

"Tch, he got off easy if you ask me."

Tsunade heaved a tired sigh as she massaged her temples slowly, trying to restrain herself from strangling this boy. Maybe then he'd realize how serious his actions were. Her blood was boiling with every second she even thought of his irrational behavior. How he had even managed to fight a man that was obviously bigger and probably stronger than him and also won was unbeknownst to her though. She looked at him strictly and frowned. He was already an adult, it could clearly be seen by his physique – tall, tanned, slightly built with shaggy blonde locks and dashing blue eyes. A young man in the making and a spitting image of his father, who would've been just as displeased as she was. So why wasn't he acting like an adult? "Naruto, just because he said a few unnecessary words does not mean its alright to put him in the hospital!"

Naruto merely crossed his arms, irritation clearly shown on his face. He sent a glare to his guardian and huffed. "It wasn't just unnecessary words. He called mom a cheap tramp and that she deserved what she got. Ya think I'm gonna let him get away after saying something like that? Not a chance." The older woman paused and stared at him as he said those words – taking a moment to try and read his thoughts. She noticed hurt flashing through his azure irises and by the tight line of his lips, she knew that he meant it when he said that boy got off easy. Naruto...

She bit her lip and let out a soft groan. "This isn't going unpunished," said Tsunade sternly as she swiveled around on her moveable chair and dragged it to a nearby cabinet. She pulled open a drawer and began to rummage through a mess of files that seemed to form a hill on its own. Darn, need to remind myself to tell Shizune to clean these darn paperwork up. It felt like finding a needle in a haystack but after a lot of tossing and throwing, she managed to pull out a piece of paper with a triumph look gleaming on her face. She dragged her chair back to her desk and slid the paper over to Naruto, who was on the opposite side with a confused expression.

"To pay for Mizuki's hospital bills, you're going to work as a 'Friend' in my hospital."

"WHAT! No way! I'm not doing that! Why should I!"

"Because dimwit, Mizuki's parents aren't really thrilled knowing their son was beaten to a pulp so they sent him for treatment at one of the finest hospitals in Konoha. And since you were the one who put him there, you're gonna have to pay off his bills."

"Pfft, yeah right! Either tell him to transfer to a cheaper hospital or grow some friggin balls and suck it up. There's no way in hell I'm paying for him to get some lavish treatment and some prissy hospital."

"This isn't a request, Naruto," said Tsunade sternly, giving him one of her serious looks (one that is known to scare people away with just a glance of it). "Since I'm one of your legal guardians, I have to take half of the responsibility. And since you need to learn a lesson and control your temper, this is the best way to do so. After you've finished clearing up your debt, you can stop being a 'Friend'. Simple right?"

Naruto bit his lip in frustration and sulked away, furrowing his brows to emphasize his dislike to this matter. He just got enrolled into a cooking academy and things were already starting off a little hectic in his routine. Everyday he had to memorize at least six recipes and classes were relentless and tiring as every detail mattered. If he ever wanted to make it out as one of Konoha's finest chefs and own a restaurant of his own, he needed to concentrate solely on rising in that academy and making a name for himself there. He had no time to waste on working aimlessly at this hospital.

"I can't," argued Naruto, his hands gripping the arms of the chair tightly. "I need to focus on my cooking now. I don't even have time to enjoy for myself, let alone work in this hospital. You should understand how I seriously need to focus now."

"I know," replied Tsunade, a smirk marring her thin lips. "That's why I'm deciding your schedule here in the hospital and at the academy." Naruto was just about to bark an argument when Tsunade stopped him with her hand. "I know you're gonna tell me you have the right to choose your own routine and all but you threw that chance away when you beat up Mizuki. Don't worry though. Jiraiya and I will make sure you get the best of both worlds fairly."

Naruto groaned as he tugged strands of his golden locks. "That's not fair!"

"Life is never fair," Tsunade retorted as she stood up and began tidying up her desk a little. She inclined her head to the piece of paper she slid to him earlier. "All the information you'll need on being a 'Friend' is on there. If you're not sure on anything, you can ask Shizune when you report for duty this weekend. You can go now."

Naruto clenched his fists tightly and swore under his breath. He got up, snatched the paper from the desk and stormed out, making sure to slam the door shut afterwards. Tsunade winced and sighed as she mulled over her decision. Was she making the right decision by making him interact with her most sensitive patients? What if he made their condition worse? What if his brash and assertive nature wasn't what they needed? Her brown eyes glanced over to a photo frame neatly hung at the corner of the room and smiled softly.

He'll be alright, right Kushina... Minato... ?

Tsunade let out a wistful laugh and grabbed her medical coat as she headed out to resume her work.

Who knows, he might make a special friend himself out of this.

Yes, I know, short chapter but no worries, it'll get longer, I promise. Haha. Please leave a review on your thoughts and opinions. I'm just starting on this writing thing so some advice would be really appreciated. Oh, and if any of you have any requests for oneshots, feel free to PM me as I would love to hear some ideas and write more for you. Thanks for reading guys and God bless!

xoxo

estrellaz