Scars are hard to forget.

Scars were something he did not like, it was just that they were a brutal reminder of the wound itself. The wound always healed, and the pain always went away, but the scar remained.

He had many on his body, from all battles he had fought, but he had never gotten one so young.

Looking at the young boy, Hiruzen prayed he would wake soon, it had been 3 days already. He lifted the blanket over his right leg and gave the burn mark a last look before tucking the boy in and leaving the room.

-

A tall man with a blonde ponytail was waiting outside his office. He sighed when he looked at his upset face.

"Inoichi, let's head on in to discuss whatever you are here for." He said as he walked towards his office.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." He got up and followed the man, knowing he wanted to do this privately.

Both shinobi walked in and sat across from each other, the aged leader pulled out his tobacco pipe. Lighting it up he looked toward the man sitting in front of him.

Yamanaka Inoichi, Head of the Yamanaka Clan and Commander of Konoha's T & I department (Torture and Interrogation Department). One of his mentally strongest shinobi, it would be near impossible to break this man.

"Tell me there is good news Inoichi." Sarutobi said as he took a drag.

"I wish I could my Lord, it seems the young man has put up mental barriers. Due to his condition, he physically healed almost immediately but his mind is a completely different story. He has, how do I say it, practically shut off the outside world, it's as if he is consciously putting up a barrier. Like he is telling us that he needs time alone, absolutely alone. It's never good for one to seek solitude Lord Hokage, especially one so young, that too right after his first kill."

Sarutobi knew from all the information he got from his surviving shinobi, the kid hadn't meant to kill the jonin, but that also didn't mean he hadn't. Naruto had seen done and seen something no child should.

"Alright, any alternative measures we can take?" Asked the Hokage

"I guess, there is a way, but it has a very low success rate." Said Inoichi with angst.

"Consequences of failure?" Asked Sarutobi.

"Ranging from a mild fever to a complete mind failure." Said the man without meeting his lord's eyes.

There was a moment of silence.

"We'll wait for a few more days." Said the Hokage, before excusing the shinobi.

As Inoichi bowed and was about to make his way out, an almost panicked series of knocks on the door stopped him.

The head nurse walked in while huffing to catch her breath.

"Lord Hokage, Naruto's heart is slowly giving out!" She all but yelled at her leader, who was next to her in a second.

"Inoichi! Follow me!" Yelled out the leader as the blonde shinobi and nurse followed him.

-

"Inoichi, probability of mind failure?" Asked the Hokage solemnly

"40% with his current health status." Said the blonde as he went through hand seals, before continuing, "Medics, stay on standby. As soon as I enter his mind, make sure to keep an eye on his heart, neurons, and chakra pathways!"

"Hai!" Came a series of resolute responses.

The Hokage stopped pacing and moved out of their way. He moved to sit in the corner of the room.

"Mind Invasion Technique!" Said Inoichi before his body went limp.

-Naruto's Psyche -

It was wet and sticky. It smelled like a very dirty pool, filled with chlorine almost like the showers at public pools, humid, sticky, and smelly.

He kept walking through the water, till he reached a black colored cube, he moved closer and placed a hand on it, and instantly regretted his decision as it burned his hand, and the air around him got hotter. But at least he had found the boy. Naruto was definitely in there.

-Outside World-

As soon as Inoichi touched the cube, The ECG started going haywire.

"Shit! What's going on!" Yelled one of the medics.

"Ah Kastasuke, Don't stop monitoring the kid's pathways, I've got this." Yelled another.

'I hope this ends well my boy' Said Sarutobi praying to every God he knew.

-Naruto's Psyche-

It kept getting hotter and hotter, and the ground started to shake, Inoichi could hear the splashing of water.

What Inoichi was about to do was completely forbidden, a Yamanaka was to never perform any mind techniques while out of their physical body, but he had no choice right now.

'Mind Body Transmission Technique' He said in his mind as he went through hand seals.

'Never say I wasn't a good friend Minato, Kushina.' He thought as he reached for Naruto's consciousness.

'God this is fucked.' Sighed Inoichi. It was barren yet so beautiful, like the sun setting on the saddest battlefield. 'Is he giving up?' He continued.

He moved closer to his consciousness, he saw his body, lying their in front of him, perfectly still.

He touched his forehead, 'Mind Awakening Technique', 'Please work!' Inoichi thought.

The plane around him started cracking, 'He's waking up, Now for the actual result. Release!' He thought.

-Outside world-

The Hokage saw Inoichi stand again, "Inoichi, Status!?" He almost yelled out.

"He is waking up, I don't know the damage, we'll find out soon." The man answered not sparing a glance at him, and diving into the chakra monitor. "It's in sync, he'll be able to be a shinobi, Don't know how much of his smartness he'll retain." He stated.

"Best case scenario?" Asked the Aged Leader

"100%, all of it." Said Inoichi finally looking at him, "It's what I'm hoping for, I know I didn't make any mistakes in there." He finished.

"He's gaining consciousness, his heart is stable, no unstable neuron activity." Katasuke stated to the room.

"Ugh, fireh.." Naruto's eyes fluttered open as he mumbled. First time in 3 days, The young boy opened his eyes, allowing Sarutobi to peer into his Saphire Blue eyes.

"Naruto, it's me, Mr. Sarutobi." He said calmly, slowly approaching the boy.

"Mr. Sarutobi, I'm scared, make them go away." Naruto said as tears dripped out of his eyes.

"Don't fear anything my boy, I'm here with you. Who do you want me to get rid of?" He asked slowly again, his hand inching forward to rub the boy's tears away.

"The sounds, The blood, The smell, The eyes, That smile, This feeling, I can't do it." He whispered, as more tears poured out.

"Is he stable? Does he require assistance?" The Hokage asked

"Not right now sir, But I would suggest a few simple test after a day or so, just to be sure." Said the Head doctor.

"Thank you all for your help, You as well Inoichi, drop by my estate tomorrow, I have a few questions for you. You are all dismissed." Their Leader said, dismissing them.

Hiruzen stayed in with the blonde for the rest of the day, not entertaining any requests coming his way.

He owed the kid that much courtesy at least.

"Naruto, do you know the name of the girl you helped?" He asked the blonde.

"Uhm, no I don't, my body just moved on instinct to help her." He said.

'Every Leader must have such Instinct.' He commended the boy internally.

"Uchiha Sueko. The youngest child of Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan Head. You technically save a princess." He said.

"Hahaha, I bet the princess I saved doesn't even wanna look at me, I killed right in front of her, what kinda savior does that?" He said.

"Well, You are clearly wrong as the girl has sent a request every day to meet you. Shall I invite her today?" He asked.

"Sure, why not, Invite Tsukimi-san and Yua-san if they are free as well." He said as the old man got up to leave.

"Sure, Naruto-Kun." His Leader said.

"Thank you, Gramps." He said, giving him such an affectionate title for the first time.

"No worries, my boy." He smiled as he left.

He knew the kid was lying, it was a mask, no way a child gets out of such a situation without being traumatized, but such was life. He knew a dozen who had killed younger than the boy, and consciously at that.

-With Naruto-

'I can't breathe properly, or eat, or do anything for that matter. He was a bad man, So why do I feel such guilt?' Naruto asked himself.