History Main / HealTheCutie

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Futaba Sakura was traumatized as a child after [[spoiler:witnessing the death of her mother and being falsely blamed for it]], driving her to become a reclusive shut-in. As a teen, she has spiralled further into depression from [[spoiler:her own cognition developing a false image of her mother that hates her and blames her for what happened.]] The Phantom Thieves [[MentalWorld travel inside her cognition]] and help her [[spoiler:face the truth, destroy the false cognition of her mother]], and start her on a path to healing and reintegrating into society. By the end of the game, she has forged lifelong bonds with friends and family as a fellow kind, brave, and playfully mischievous Phantom Thief.
* When the Phantom Thieves of Hearts meet Hikari in ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', she is unwilling to speak directly to other people [[spoiler:due to having broken by her personal traumas[[note]]Being used as a scapegoat by a lazy and apathetic teacher, being excluded from her friends (including a bullied classmate she stood up for) when bullies started targeting her, being cruelly told by her relatives that her dream to become a movie director is impossible and she should get into a university instead (they even go so far as to attempt to snatch away her treasured camera), and finally her father unknowingly pressing her TraumaButton ("Why do you have to be like that?") out of genuine concern.[[/note]]]], relying on her confidant Nagi to speak for her. But as the Phantom Thieves, alongside the Investigation Team and S.E.E.S., clear each movie labyrinth, Hikari is able to slowly overcome her depression and gain the confidence to open up to others. Once the fourth labyrinth is cleared and Hikari is fully rehabilitated, Hikari is finally able to move past toxic escapism and show everyone the kind and sweet girl she really is.

* [[Characters/StevenUniverseLapisLazuli Lapis Lazuli]] from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' undergoes a long process of healing; Steven makes a strong effort to talk with her in "Ocean Gem" and makes progress when he heals her wings, and she returns the ocean back to Earth. After Jasper approaches her in "Jail Break", she urges Lapis to fuse with her, with Lapis initiating the fusion with Jasper to keep them at the bottom of the ocean. After spending some time adjusting to Earth, it takes quite a while for her to eventually accept Peridot and the other gems as friends, gradually overcoming her grudges and helping the other Gems to defend Earth.

** Judy Hopps starts as an optimistic, idealistic rabbit who dreams of being a police officer, but gradually finds reality isn't nearly as easy as dreams. While she does eventually become a cop, she is largely patronized in her position and is even nearly fired twice. [[spoiler:When unearthing the dark events involving predators in Zootopia, she inadvertently causes chaos in the city, [[PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure is estranged from Nick]], and despondently resigns her job. However, realizing the truth of the plot in the city, and receiving forgiveness from Nick after a heartfelt apology, gets her back on her feet to save the day.]]

This doesn't always mean that TheCutie will be [[StaticCharacter unchanged]]. The traumatic experience may have caused them to become wiser or more practical, [[TookALevelInBadass stronger]], [[GrewASpine more assertive]], or even [[BadassAdorable dangerous]]. But at their core, they are still the sweet, lovable character they once were.

* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Franchise/HarryPotter is partially broken in the extended finale of the first book - [[spoiler: seeing a friend you've tried to protect get killed and then get killed yourself will do that]] - before being partially healed. Then, the brutal TraumaCongaLine of the ''Forever Red'' arc drives him to the brink of complete insanity as [[spoiler: the Dark Phoenix]]. He is talked down by the PowerOfLove, and the rest of the book has him slowly healing with therapy, time, and affection - falling head over heels in reciprocated love with [[spoiler: Carol]] certainly doesn't hurt - going from someone who's barely stable, to a KnightInSourArmor, to a KnightInShiningArmour once more (if a more cynical and pragmatic one than before) who believes that RousseauWasRight (mostly).

** ''All'' of the main characters have a turn at breaking; usually, it happens because the aspect of their lives symbolized by the markings on their flanks has been called into question. This is the root cause of so many pony breakdowns that the fandom has dubbed it "[[SanitySlippage Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome]]". Then they eventually gain answers to their problems and recover.

* ''Literature/WarriorCats'': After Cinderpaw is hit by a car, leaving her leg permanently crippled, she slips into a depression, feeling worthless over the fact that she can never become a warrior - she even comments after the camp is attacked that she wouldn't have minded if she'd been killed in the battle. Her spirit recovers after Yellowfang has her help out in the [[TheMedic medicine cat]] den and eventually makes Cinderpaw her official apprentice.

** [[Characters/TheOwlHouseTheGoldenGuard Hunter]] begins the series as the [[FriendlyEnemy affable]] but [[WeakButSkilled dangerous]] right hand to [[BigBad Emperor Belos.]] And then he undergoes a [[TraumaCongaLine lot of trauma]], discovers he is a [[spoiler:[[CloningBlues clone]]]] of someone Belos made [[CainAndAbel go away]], that the cause he's dedicated his life to has been [[spoiler:a lie intended to wipe out all life on the demon realm]], and that if his [[spoiler:creator ever catches him, he'll kill him without a second thought. [[HistoryRepeats As he's done to every previous 'attempt.']]]] This traumatizes the boy so much he begins experiencing [[DespairEventHorizon uncomfortably realistic panic attacks]] on-screen, that's before Belos [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession possesses him]], forces him to [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight attempt to kill his friends,]] and finally makes him kill his [[MoralityPet first friend]] with his own hands.]] It's not until the second episode of Season 3 that the poor boy gets a break, manages to express how much he cares about the people in his life, and let out some of his pain. While he's [[BenchedHero sidelined]] for much of the final episode, the [[spoiler:epilogue]] show's that he's mostly recovered, and spends his days [[spoiler:pursuing his lifelong dream and happily adopted into the Clawthorne family, who are technically his [[ItMakesSenseInContext distant descendents.]]]]

* [[LightIsGood Starlight]] in ''Series/TheBoys'' started off as a WideEyedIdealist aspiring to become TheCape, but goes through a TraumaCongaLine after experiencing SexualExtortion and the rest of [[EvilInc Vought's dark underbelly]], to the point of experiencing a CrisisOfFaith. After starting a relationship with Hughie who [[NaiveNewcomer had similar struggles]] and seeing that even a {{jerkass}} like [[TheLeader Butcher]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold has a hidden heart of gold]], she rediscovers her faith and emerges as TheAntiNihilist seeking to change the world in her own way. It's because of Hughie and Butcher helping her that she butts heads with them in Season 3 as they slide further into AntiHero territory, while she herself has become IncorruptiblePurePureness trying to convince them there's a better way.

** TheDragon [[Characters/TheOwlHouseTheGoldenGuard Hunter]] begins the series as the [[FriendlyEnemy affable]] but [[WeakButSkilled dangerous]] right hand to [[BigBad Emperor Belos.]] And then he undergoes a [[TraumaCongaLine lot of trauma]], discovers he is a [[spoiler:[[CloningBlues clone]]]] of someone Belos made [[CainAndAbel go away]], that the cause he's dedicated his life to has been [[spoiler:a lie intended to wipe out all life on the demon realm]], and that if his [[spoiler:creator ever catches him, he'll kill him without a second thought. [[HistoryRepeats As he's done to every previous 'attempt.']]]] This traumatizes the boy so much he begins experiencing [[DespairEventHorizon uncomfortably realistic panic attacks]] on-screen, that's before Belos [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession possesses him]], forces him to [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight attempt to kill his friends,]] and finally makes him kill his [[MoralityPet first friend]] with his own hands.]] It's not until the second episode of Season 3 that the poor boy gets a break, manages to express how much he cares about the people in his life, and let out some of his pain. While he's [[BenchedHero sidelined]] for much of the final episode, the [[spoiler:epilogue]] show's that he's mostly recovered, and spends his days [[spoiler:pursuing his lifelong dream and happily adopted into the Clawthorne family, who are technically his [[ItMakesSenseInContext distant descendents.]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The blithe Aang went through a lot of trauma after waking up from a 100-year sleep, to find all his loved ones dead and the world locked in a horrific war, but he rarely let it show much... until he loses Appa. Come "The Serpent's Pass", he [[HeroicSafeMode shuts down and stops responding to the concerns of his friends]]. However, seeing Katara help a couple deliver a baby named Hope gets him out of his funk.

* Lapis Lazuli from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' undergoes a long process of healing; Steven makes a strong effort to talk with her in "Ocean Gem" and makes progress when he heals her wings, and she returns the ocean back to Earth. After Jasper approaches her in "Jail Break", she urges Lapis to fuse with her, with Lapis initiating the fusion with Jasper to keep them at the bottom of the ocean. After spending some time adjusting to Earth, it takes quite a while for her to eventually accept Peridot and the other gems as friends, gradually overcoming her grudges and helping the other Gems to defend Earth.

** Main character and (former) [[GenkiGirl Genki Girl]] Luz Noceda spends the first two seasons of the show [[BreakTheCutie being traumatized at every turn.]] This culminates in the season 2 finale, wherein the [[BigBad Emperor Belos]] [[spoiler:nearly succeeds in [[FinalSolution wiping out all life]] in the demon realm using the power that Luz herself taught him in a [[StableTimeLoop stable time loop.]]]] While the total [[spoiler:extinction]] is narrowly avoided, it is only done so by unleashing [[spoiler: [[AdorableAbomination The Collector]], a godlike being whom [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Luz helped Belos meet in the first place.]]]] As a result, the majority of the Demon Realm is [[spoiler:destroyed or rendered unrecognizable by The Collector's powers]], while Luz is [[spoiler:separated from her adopted family and stranded in the Human Realm with no apparent way back.]] To make matters worse, [[spoiler:Luz's friends are trapped with her, unable to return home and with no way of knowing if their loved ones are alive or not.]] As a result, she spends the majority of the first episode in season 3 [[spoiler:[[BrokenBird suffering from depression and suicidal ideation.]]]] Episodes 2 and 3 focus entirely on repairing her shattered self esteem, reconnecting with her mother, affirming that she isn't responsible for the actions of others, and that the lives of her friends and family are enriched by her presence. By the [[spoiler:epilogue]] she's thankfully doing much better.
** [[TheDragon Hunter]] begins the series as the [[FriendlyEnemy affable]] but [[WeakButSkilled dangerous]] right hand to [[BigBad Emperor Belos.]] And then he undergoes a [[TraumaCongaLine lot of trauma]], discovers he is a [[spoiler:[[CloningBlues clone]]]] of someone Belos made [[CainAndAbel go away]], that the cause he's dedicated his life to has been [[spoiler:a lie intended to wipe out all life on the demon realm]], and that if his [[spoiler:creator ever catches him, he'll kill him without a second thought. [[HistoryRepeats As he's done to every previous 'attempt.']]]] This traumatizes the boy so much he begins experiencing [[DespairEventHorizon uncomfortably realistic panic attacks]] on-screen, that's before Belos [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession possesses him]], forces him to [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight attempt to kill his friends,]] and finally makes him kill his [[MoralityPet first friend]] with his own hands.]] It's not until the second episode of Season 3 that the poor boy gets a break, manages to express how much he cares about the people in his life, and let out some of his pain. While he's [[BenchedHero sidelined]] for much of the final episode, the [[spoiler:epilogue]] show's that he's mostly recovered, and spends his days [[spoiler:pursuing his lifelong dream and happily adopted into the Clawthorne family, who are technically his [[ItMakesSenseInContext distant descendents.]]]]

** [[TheDragon Hunter]] begins the series as the [[FriendlyEnemy affable]] but [[WeakButSkilled dangerous]] right hand to [[BigBad Emperor Belos.]] And then he undergoes a [[TraumaCongaLine lot of trauma]], discovers he is a [[spoiler:[[CloningBlues clone]]]] of someone Belos made [[CainAndAbel go away]], that the cause he's dedicated his life to has been [[spoiler:a lie intended to wipe out all life on the demon realm]], and that if his [[spoiler:creator ever catches him, he'll kill him without a second thought. [[HistoryRepeats As he's done to every previous 'attempt.']]]] This traumatizes the boy so much he begins experiencing [[DespairEventHorizon uncomfortably realistic panic attacks]] on-screen, that's before Belos [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession possesses him]], forces him to [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight attempt to kill his friends,]] and finally makes him kill his [[MoralityPet first friend]] with his own hands. It's not until the second episode of Season 3 that the poor boy gets a break, manages to express how much he cares about the people in his life, and let out some of his pain. While he's [[BenchedHero sidelined]] for much of the final episode, the [[spoiler:epilogue]] show's that he's mostly recovered, and spends his days [[spoiler:pursuing his lifelong dream and happily adopted into the Clawthorne family, who are technically his [[ItMakesSenseInContext distant descendents.]]]]

* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'': Eva ordering coffee. For context, she's a careless [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]] for most of the series. Her changing her order from scotch to coffee marks the first step toward her recovery.

* In the Yuri, Dark Fantasy Light Novel series, ''LightNovel/RollOverAndDie'', Flum and Milkit do this for each other. Milkit was sold into slavery when she was born and reduced to a BrokenBird after fourteen years. Flum was betrayed by one of her party members and sold into slavery. After the two meet, Flum is slowly able to get Milkit to value her life while Milkit gives Flum a reason to live.

* Keyaru throughout ''LightNovel/RedoOfHealer'' spends his years getting revenge on everyone who wronged him, starting with Princess Flare. However, [[spoiler:he inadvertently ends up fixing her original personality and that of her younger yet crueler sister Norn, both of them were kind girls until they were twisted by the Jorial Kingdom's corruption. Keyaru even admits that he has started to lose his desire revenge as he cleans up the Kingdom of its problems.]]

** After years (in-universe and out) of being reduced to a childlike state by the horrors she witnessed (and went through) during the Eclipse, Casca is ''finally'' returned to her adult mentality (albeit having traumatic flashbacks when she talks to Guts and remembers the Eclipse)... [[spoiler:just in time for [[Creator/KentaroMiura the author]] to pass away.]] Fortunately the story is set to continue.

After the Eclipse he makes new comrades that he places trust in and he learns that there's hope Casca can regain her sanity. Because of this he seems genuinely happy again, aside from the hatred he has toward Griffith and the Godhand.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has [[MysteriousWaif C.C.]] who first shows up as TheStoic BrokenBird [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortal]] who is so broken from her long centuries of life and torment as a "witch" that [[spoiler: her goal at the start is to do anything and everything to die, including using the lead Lelouch as her "tool" to die with.]] Over the course of her relationship with [[AntiHero Lelouch]] she starts to defrost, developing a VitriolicBestBuds relationship and slowly healing. By the end, C.C. is able to smile genuinely and find value and happiness in her immortality thanks to Lelouch's impact on her.

* ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia2017'': Akko is heartbroken when she learns that [[spoiler:[[BrokenPedestal Chariot stole her magic during her childhood]], crippling her ability to use magic. However, some encouragement from Diana and the care of her friends gets her back on her feet, and she later [[RebuiltPedestal reconciles with Chariot]]]].

** Midoriya, as a CheerfulChild, was an ecstatic fanboy of All Might but was brokenhearted to find that he would probably never get a quirk, dashing his dreams of becoming a hero. He is regularly mocked and bullied in his class for not having one, and when he meets his idol, he is told again that he should give up. When he acts to rescue his former bully, he is chastised by the public for rushing in without a Quirk and gives up on his dream. However, All Might, moved by his selflessness, decides to [[PassingTheTorch choose him as the next vessel for his quirk]], and Deku's journey to finally realizing his dream begins.

* In the Yuri, Dark Fantasy Light Novel series, ''LightNovel/RollOverAndDie'', Flum and Milkit do this for each other. Milkit was sold into slavery when she was born and reduced to a BrokenBird after fourteen years. Flum was betrayed by on of her party members and sold into slavery. After the two meet, Flum is slowly able to get Milkit to value her life while Milkit gives Flum a reason to live.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'', the adorable elephant mocked for his big ears, is separated from his mother and accidentally ruins a circus performance, becoming an object of scorn. Then with the friendship of a mouse, some crows, and a magic feather, he makes you believe an elephant can fly and becomes a beloved celebrity, and is reunited with his mother.

** Jesus Christ himself was a wise, loving, caring teacher and a good friend. Then the Pharisees conspire to have him crucified, and on the cross he takes on the wrath of God Himself. Jesus knew this would happen; the distress of it caused him to sweat blood, and the event itself moved him to ask "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Then after three days in the grave, Jesus is resurrected and brings salvation to all mankind.

* Octavia Blake in ''Series/The100'' starts out as a GenkiGirl and AnnoyingYoungerSibling, but after her lover is executed by a man her brother put into power, she discovers that VengeanceFeelsEmpty and becomes a DeathSeeker. In this CrapsackWorld, everything goes FromBadToWorse, and while she has a HopeSpot when she wins the Conclave and saves as many people as possible to live in the underground bunker, the horrifying conditions she has to lead through result in six years of SanitySlippage. When the bunker is opened and she's faced with an unsympathetic brother and another war on her hands, she is driven to increasingly desperate KnightTemplar actions to achieve her mission of bringing her people to Shallow Valley. The valley is destroyed and the survivors are sent across space to a new planet, Sanctum, where a new start should be possible... only she is TheFriendNobodyLikes and is exiled into the forest along with Diyoza. Diyoza and Octavia both walk through the Anomaly, and in what is just minutes on the Sanctum side, spend ten years on another planet raising Diyoza's daughter Hope, which gives Octavia the time to process her trauma and pain and engage in SanityStrengthening. When she is reunited with her family and friends, she is now the level-headed one, giving compassion and guidance to characters such as Echo, Clarke and Hope, who have now picked up the BrokenBird label in her stead. In the series finale, Octavia saves the human race (again) by convincing both sides to lay down their weapons and [[NotSoDifferentRemark see that they aren't so different.]]

* ''Series/{{Nashville}}'': Juliette is shown to be making real strides towards overcoming her postpartum depression and even gains the love of her life (Avery) back. [[spoiler:Subverted tragically when she's implied to be killed in a plane crash on the way to meet Avery and her baby]]

** Several characters have bad pasts and end up in prison but for some prison is a place where they actually heal. In Soso's case, she was close to suicide until Poussey saved her and developed a genuine friendship with her. In Poussey's case she was becoming an alcoholic to stave off emotional pain, and once she becomes close to Soso it seems to stop. Their relationship is very sweet and heartwarming and fans find themselves rooting for the two. It's made that much sadder when [[spoiler:Poussey is killed during a riot]]. Though, there's a scene in the finale of the season where we see [[spoiler:Poussey wandering around New York and smiling towards the camera implying she'll be okay after all]].

* Subverted with Blanche of ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire''. Her relationship with Mitch turned out to be just what she needed and while they hug and kiss she states "Sometimes there's God so quickly", implying Mitch to be her salvation from her sad past. However, Stanley proceeds to reveal her half-truths to Mitch making Mitch wash his hands of her and then Stanley [[spoiler:rapes her]] which further costs her her sanity.

* The world of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' is not kind to its cast of cute characters. Notably, Curly Brace is a friendly, upbeat girl who takes motherly care of a group of rabbit-creatures, but loses all of them to the MadDoctor. She then makes a desperate attempt to help the protagonist fight back, [[spoiler:and is forced to [[KillTheCutie sacrifice herself to save him]]. With some VideoGameCaringPotential and a good deal of GuideDangIt, you can change the ending and bring about this trope. When Quote initially saves her, she's left an unresponsive amnesiac, but after her memory is restored, she remembers her and Quote's original mission, and returns to her former self.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Temtem}}'' has Anahir, a FlawedPrototype [[{{Mons}} Temtem]] created by Clan Belsoto as part of their efforts to create an [[ElementalRockPaperScissors indestructible Diamond type]]. You find it being abused by their head researcher ForScience, and as a result it has the Trauma ability which [[TraumaButton lowers its Defense every time it's hit]], or the alternate Flawed Crystal, which causes it to take more damage from types it resists. If the player is willing to put in the effort to raise it, its final form Anatan gains the Self-Care ability that gives it a HealingFactor, or Protective Crystal, which reduces damage from Electric, Mental, and Fire attacks.

** Some measure of this also happens in the base game. [[spoiler:Act 1 establishes that Sayori tends to sleep in and has a hard time preparing for school because of her depression. On the other hand, Act 4 establishes that Sayori has been consistently waking up on time, implying that her depression has been alleviated to some degree, and that it is easier for her to be genuinely happy.]]
* ''VisualNovel/ALittleLilyPrincess'' follows heroine Sarah Crewe as she goes from the life of a privileged elite at a boarding school with the best clothes, lodging, toys, and even a personal maid, to months of abuse, toil, and hunger, being made to live in a cold, rat-infested attic and work as a servant by the headmistress after her father passes away. And then, finally, her happily-ever-after, being supported and eventually adopted by an anonymous, wealthy benefactor who turns out to have been a friend of her father who ows him his life. The stat-raising aspect cleverly follows this development, going from a "Self-Improvement Schedule" where Sarah can do activities such as reading, dancing, playing with toys and having tea parties to raise stats such as Artistry, Patience, Sympathy and Grace, to a list of Chores including Kitchen Duty, Tending Fires, Running Errands and Washing Clothes which Sarah must balance to avoid becoming overburdened with Hunger, Fatigue, Pain and Sorrow, and then back again.
* ''VisualNovel/MinotaurHotel'': In the main route, Asterion goes from a BrokenBird who just saw everything he cared about fall apart before his eyes, to the all-loving, hard-working hotel-keeper who can't stop smiling.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': Terra Branford was enslaved from childhood under the Gestahlian Empire, and grows up without love and care. When she is recruited by the party, she has no memory of her past, and [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove struggles with the idea of love]]. However, her experiences with the party and discovery of a group of orphans turn her into a MamaBear and FriendToAllChildren with a great deal of hope and idealism.

* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'':
** Way before [[Anime/CrossAnge Ange]] developed into a misanthrope thanks to the situation surrounding her, she met [[Anime/MashinHeroWataruSeries Wataru]] and just couldn't find any reasons to belittle him. Then, she met [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch]], who was like her in every way possible yet four for justice despite not believing it himself, even in a seemingly cruel and uncaring universe. The two keep her from further descending into despair, (and if it helps, Lelouch was also there to dampen the plot that would ultimately drive Ange into misanthropy, namely her attempted execution, by planning ahead and screwing off the Misurugi while he's at it). Further interactions with Wataru, Lelouch (and the [[OriginalGeneration X-Cross]]) made Ange's development take a much more positive route. [[spoiler:After defeating [[BigBad Ende]], she returns to Misurugi to forgive and help her younger sister, who has long since matured and apologized for her troubles, while the rest of Arzenal joins them.]]

* Guts from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', is a ByronicHero with [[AntiHero serious]] [[HatesBeingTouched issues]], as a result of being raped by one of his adoptive father's men during his childhood. The only exceptions are his Love Interest Casca and his more-or-less brother Griffith, and even Casca almost got strangled to death during their first time together due to Guts flashing back to what Donovan did to him. During his stay with the Band of the Hawk, Guts did appear to be getting over this, as he became more chummy with his comrades and became more trusting of others close to him. Then the Eclipse happened. You can guess what state Guts reverted back into. Guts' issue with people has a lot to do with his trust in others, not just a single traumatic physical experience. After his time with Casca, Guts really doesn't talk about his childhood after that, but after the Eclipse, he goes back to hating being touched. It goes to show how much he felt betrayed by a man that he trusted, the second time in his life. After the Eclipse he makes new comrades that he places trust in and he learns that there's hope Casca can regain her sanity. Because of this he seems genuinely happy again, aside from the hatred he has toward Griffith and the Godhand.

* ''Fanfic/Team8'' takes what happened to Naruto and Hinata in canon and takes it UpToEleven. Naruto is shown to be significantly insecure about the Nine-Tails and the treatment from the villagers, while Hinata is borderline suicidal in her aspirations. [[TheMentor Kurenai]] realizes that putting the two together on a team could set them both on a path to healing, and so she takes on Naruto. The fic then largely follows their journey together to heal and grow past their difficulties.