Sasuke waited in the waiting room of the hospital, his face buried in his hands as he fought back tears. He did not understand how it all happened. It made no sense! The day had started normal enough. He arrived first at the bridge that morning waiting for his fellow teammates and Kakashi-sensei. Next, Sakura came, bouncing gleefully to his side.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun. Did you sleep well?" she asked happily. Sasuke merely grunted suddenly finding his sandals very interesting. Sakura frowned a bit.

"So, I was thinking, after training, would you like to go out or something." she asked with a hopeful expression.

"Can't. Busy." he replied still not raising his eyes.

"Oh. Okay." she said with a crestfallen expression. She could not understand what the problem was. He had long since admitted that he cared for her, so why was he always so distant? No matter how hard she tried, she could never get him to notice her. A slight flare of chakra alerted her attention, but that wasn't all. As soon as Naruto made his presence known, Sasuke's head lifted up into the blond's direction. Sakura frowned and bit her lip angrily. All Naruto had to do was walk into the room and he would have her heartthrobs undivided attention.

"Hi, Sakura!" Naruto greeted her cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?" he asked coming to a stop before her with a wide grin.

"Oh, hi Naruto." she replied, venom in her voice. She respected Naruto as a strong fighter. She could not count the number of times he had saved her, digging deep when all seemed lost and winning out in the end. But she just did not like Naruto. He was nothing more to her than a consistent pain. She didn't see how many times it would take for him to be shot down before he would just give up.

"Well, dobe. Looks like I beat you here… again." Sasuke chimed in. He was just itching to start something with the blond.

"HEY SHUT UP, TEME! I… I was held up." Naruto said hesitantly. Sasuke did not miss the way Naruto turned slightly away and mumbled his comeback. The blond was hiding something. His dark eyes glared into the tan face, even Sakura looked a bit suspicious. But Naruto did whatever he could to avoid meeting either gaze. Kakashi suddenly poofed by their side and he smiled happily though his mask.

"Well, guys it seems that we have no missions today. We will just have a couple hours of training. I have some runs to make this afternoon and I won't be able to stay long."

"Well, if you would show up on time, we wouldn't have to rush through training!" she exclaimed and waited expecting to hear Naruto back her up. She turned and looked at him in confusion when the blond didn't make a sound. He was standing to the side staring off into the horizon with his hands stuffed into his pockets seeming to not even acknowledge his surroundings. He looked so serene and thoughtful. The light of the sunrise was striking his face in a way that made it glow and his eyes sparkled like diamonds. His posture was as relaxed as his expression. He almost looked aloof, cool, collected. It was at that precise moment that Sakura realized that Naruto was beautiful. And she wasn't alone.

"Naruto?" Kakashi called out worriedly. The boy definitely was not being his bubbly self. Naruto turned slowly and looked at him without a word. "Are you alright? You seem a bit distracted." Kakashi asked with a frown. Naruto blinked and then heaved a sigh before a smile burst onto his face and he perked up immediately.

"IM GREAT, SENSEI! BELIEVE IT!" he replied with an energetic thumbs up. The three looked at the bipolar knucklehead with confused expressions. It was common for Naruto to switch suddenly between emotions, but that was just… well… kind of creepy.

Naruto did not feel the eyes on his as he was staring off into the horizon. All he could do was heed his inner voice. And again the sun rises, Naruto. And what is on the agenda today? Well, I wake up… alone. I train with Sasuke, get my ass kicked. I eat ramen… alone. I go home… alone. And I sleep… alone. The only attention I get is the constant hatred of the villagers. (Naruto suppressed a sad smile) it's strange how I have come to need their hatred. To love it. They way they sneer at me as I pass. The way they push me aside. It's a passionate hatred, unadulterated and potent. Naruto had once heard that the opposite of love is not hate, its apathy. So as long as they hate me, as long as they acknowledge me, I know that I am alive. He felt his throat tighten, but his thoughts were broken by Kakashi's voice. "Naruto?" he heard his sensei call. He turned to face him. "Are you alright? You seem a bit distracted." Naruto automatically pasted on his mask of happiness and pretended that everything was okay. He and Sasuke were paired for training and Sakura was off with Kakashi again. Naruto stood a few meters away, hands stuffed into his pockets as he looked unemotionally at Sasuke who mirrored his expression.

Sasuke stood and looked at his teammate. He could not deny that Naruto had beautiful eyes. He had never seen anything such a fine shade of blue.

"Well, dobe. Are you ready for another beating?" he asked teasingly. He was concerned when Naruto said nothing. He just tilted his head at the raven haired teen before pulling his hands out of his pockets and taking a fighting stance. Sasuke did the same and waited. Naruto usually took the offense, charging in without thinking and getting the ball rolling, but he seemed content to just stand there. "What are you waiting for, usuratonkachi?" he asked in irritation. Naruto stayed quiet. Sasuke was disturbed, but it could all be a trick to get his guard down. He ran at the blond and threw a pair of kunai his way. Naruto stepped to the side avoiding the hit and took his guard again as still as before. Sasuke growled and launched himself at Naruto, swinging his body weight into his leg for a roundhouse kick. Since he knew Naruto's fighting style almost as well as his own, he expected Naruto to duck. He was surprised to no end when his foot made contact with the whiskered cheek and the blond spun twice in the air before hitting the ground. Sasuke fell into a defensive crouch waiting what would happen. Naruto picked himself up, shaking his spinning head clear and then took the same stance. His nose was bleeding. Sasuke was beginning to wonder if he should stop, but Naruto did not seem badly injured. Perhaps that hit had knocked some sense into him. Sasuke then charged at him, wrapping his arms around his middle and tackling him to the ground. Naruto went down easily, not even resisting in the slightest. Sasuke straddled the limp form. "What the fuck is your deal, dobe?!" he snarled out pulling back his fist to punch him. He put his chakra into the punch and pushed his fist forward connecting with Naruto's other cheek. "Fight me damn it!" he could hear the desperation in his own voice. He punched again, and again, and again. Naruto just laid there, not even grunting in pain. Watching impassively as one, two, three, four punches assaulted him. Sasuke stopped, looking down at the bloody face and panting even though he wasn't tired. He grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and shook him. "What is it, dobe?!!? He demanded. When the blond did not reply he shook him harder. "Talk!!" he kept shaking until Naruto's eyes slipped closed, his swollen lips pressing together into a line. Sasuke could see Naruto's adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard and he began shaking. Sasuke felt fear grip his heart and he laid Naruto back against the grass gently. He untied Naruto's headband and noticed the bruise lined straight across the skin. The idiot had tied the damned thing so tight that he'd bruised himself. He pushed the blond hair out of the clenched eyes and sat back a little. He tore away the sleeve of his own blue shirt and began to wipe at Naruto's face carefully.

"No." Naruto said, weakly turning his head away. "Keep going." he demanded with determination. Sasuke was confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?! You were getting massacred, you idiot!" he said trying again to clean the tan face. Naruto turned away again.

"We're not done. I'm not out yet." Naruto said. Something about his voice made Sasuke freeze.

"Dobe, tell me what's wrong." he said, his voice no longer demanding but sympathetic. Suddenly, Naruto's eyes blazed as he jerked his head to look at the Uchiha intensely.

"You fucking bastard! Why the hell did you stop?! Isn't this what you want? What you have been waiting for? Go on! Kill me! Its what everyone wants! Everyone wins! The great Uchiha destroys the Kyuubi vessel! You re-earn your status as the favored shinobi of Konoha!"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked in a small voice, his eyes wide. Naruto went limp again and he began to laugh hysterically, his head lolling on the grass. He gradually quieted and then stared directly into the blazing sun just over the tree canopy. His eyes teared from the blinding light but he did not care.

"Even when it's light, everything is so dark." he murmured.

"I don't understand you, dobe." Sasuke dig his fingers into Naruto's shoulder in reflex.

"Just hurt me, Sasuke. Please. Just hurt me." Naruto said closing his eyes as tears overflowed beyond the dam of his lashes. Sasuke was taken aback by the words and tears.

"Naruto…" his hand went forward and his finger gathered one of the tears. He had never seen anything like this before. Such tragic beauty.

"Hurt me." Naruto said again forcing his eyes open. "Maybe I will feel it when you do it." he whispered. That statement made Sasuke pause. "What does he mean when I do it?" he thought to himself. He hauled himself up and pulled at the blond's jacket and shirt forcing away the material. He gasped as a myriad of old scars, scabs and fresh cuts decorated the chest and arms, the blood hidden by the black shirt. Bony ribs poked through the abused skin and Sasuke felt a strange twinge in his brain and stomach. The blood, the cuts, the beautifully tanned skin. It all made him dizzy. He clutched his head and reeled for a moment before a second familiar chakra tickled his senses. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in a gasp. The timing could not have been worse.
"Itachi!" he felt an intense pain in his head and he felt himself falling forward onto the bleeding body beneath him.

Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, squinting as the glaring light of the high noon sun blinded him. He felt strangely relaxed, even content. His tongue slipped out and licked at his lips registering a faint coppery taste. Blood. But there was something that he was supposed to be concerned about. Something that happened before he took his nap. He remembered being on the bridge with Naruto, he remembered the spar. He remembered Naruto' s blood… then... ITACHI! He jerked up from the fragrant grass completely alert and tense, but the sight he captured after looking at what lay behind him made him scream. The blond body was even more badly torn than before. One blue eye swollen shut, the lips bitten and bleeding. A bit mark marred the neck and the only thing that covered his battered body was blood, dirt and semen. His right arm was twisted unnaturally. The Uchiha symbol was carved into his chest and in the limp fingers was a single lock of black hair. Sasuke tore his eyes away for a moment and retched. Itachi had come in right under his nose and hurt someone important to him. He was once again too weak to protect his friend and Sasuke was disgusted with himself. But there was not time for that now. He forced himself to turn back to Naruto. His chest was barely rising in struggled breaths and his heart beat was weak. Sasuke took off his shirt and draped it over his friend covering what little he could. He lifted Naruto into his arms as gently and as quickly as possible. He could see a broken rib slightly protruding through the skin. He concentrated his chakra to his feet and bounded to Tsunaide…

And now here he was. Waiting in the waiting room to hear news of Naruto, loathing himself for not being strong enough. Part of him wondered if Naruto even fought Itachi. He was begging Sasuke to beat him before his brother decided to step in. In spite of himself, Sasuke could see it. He could imagine his brother rolling him off of the blond and staring at the prostrate body hungrily. He could imagine how the blood accented the caramel skin, how the blue eyes stared up at him empty and accepting. He saw through Itachi's eyes as he lowered himself to the blond, kunai in hand, carving, biting, bleeding, taking, claiming. Sasuke opened his eyes staring up into the fluorescent hospital lights and clenching his fist until his nails bled his palms knowing in a masochistic horror that it was all his fault. He jumped as the door opened and Tsunaide walked toward him, a confused expression on her face.

"Sasuke, Naruto will be fine. He has lost a lot of blood and his insides are torn but he is recovering from surgery. The Kyuubi helped a lot, but the damage was extensive. He is stable now and he can leave as soon as we are able to find someone who can take care of him for a while. He's a little shaken up."

"I will take care of him." Sasuke said quickly, his relief visible on his face. He moved to step around her heading toward to blond's room but she stopped him. "Can I see him?" he asked with an impatient frown.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I can't allow that." she said seriously.

"Why not?" he asked with a eerie calm glaring daggers at her.

"There is a problem. You say that Itachi raped Naruto?" she asked. He gave a small nod. "Well, Naruto regained consciousness briefly and I was able to talk to him a bit. According to Naruto, Itachi was never there." she said looking straight into his eyes. Sasuke blinked heavily and shook his head.

"What? I don't understand."

"Neither did I. So I just assumed that he had suppressed the memory. But come to find out, he remembers exactly what happened and could tell me in great detail all that occurred." she explained. Sasuke stepped back and looked at her in even more confusion. "Wait, there's more." she said. "I was still not discounting the possibility that Naruto was just showing signs of mental instability because of the rape, but I ran some tests. The semen and the hair sample did not match Itachi's D.N.A."

"What?! So who the hell is it! I will hunt the fucker down and kill him myself!" Sasuke fumed angrily punching the wall.

"The sample was very close though, but not exact. Almost as if the attacker may have been a blood relative to Itachi." she said smoothly. Sasuke froze in his place and looked at her strangely.

"What… what are you saying?" he said stepping back.

"The semen… the black hair… the Uchiha symbol…" she explained stepping forward as Sasuke took one last step back and fell into his seat. "They all match you, Sasuke."