Naruto had been wondering how long the mission would take since he left. After all in two days time it would be christmas. Since he didn't have anyone to really celebrate it with Naruto had asked Tsunade if she would send him out on missions till the holiday. In all honesty Naruto did this every year. He hated thinking about what he was going to do while spending the holidays alone. Sure he had his friends but they had their own familes to be with. Naruto didn't want to take them away from that

He was supposed to get a document to this one important guy, being completly literal Naruto didn't even remember who. Only he was sure he would figure it out once he got there. He was half way there, flying through the trees at a leasurely pace when he we lauched through the air. A sharp pain radiating from his knee as he fell. Of course being him he cired out in surprise. No one was supposed to be in this part of the forest at this time of night. Slamming his shoulder into the hard, ice cover snow Naruto growled. Why now of all times? A feeling of heat brough Naruto out of his thoughts on how much he was going to kill whoever it was for knocking him down 20 feet. Leaping to his feet Naruto managed to bearly dodge a fire ball that exploded where he had been seconds ago.

Naruto tried to jump back up to the tree branches, but his knee buckled under neath him. A cool liquid was dripped down the side of his calf while a kunai was lodged in the back of his knee. Wincing Naruto pulled it out and threw it in the direction the person had to have been standing to launch a fireball at him. Stumbling Naruto took off. he couldn't get caught at this point. Not so close to being done with the mission!

Wires whipped around him suddenly, tying his arms and legs causing him to become immobile. Naruto fell, almost completely face first into the snow. He was stuck now. Abort mission! A pair of feet walked closer to him, just to stop in his view. Naruto turned and looked up at the figure, trying to wiggle his way out of the wires that seemed to tighten and cut open his skin the more he did.

"Well look who we got here? It's the fox kid from the Hidden Leaf." So it was a girl? Another guy walkig into his view. Naruto couldn't see their faces, having them being hiddne behind hooded cloaks.

"Why don't we send the hokage a sweet little message?" The guy taunted bending down and placing a hand on Naruto's cheek. Naruto struggled even more under the wires and whimpered when they clamped down harder. Cutting through the fabric of his jumpsuit and his flesh. All he could do was glare up at the figures above him.

"Don't worry, you aren't going to have to remember this pain for much longer. In fact we will even make sure you get back to your village. Trust me, we are doing you a service." An overwhelming exhaustion came over Naruto as his eyes slid closed. He tried to fight it but it was mearly imposible...

"Sakura had been waiting for Naruto. It's been a day and today is the first day off for most of the ninja. She knew Naruto had wanted to go out on a mission so she had decided to wait for his return. Tsunade said he shouldn't take more than a couple of hours because he left right away but it's been a day now and Sakura was starting to get worried. Where was the idiot? Deciding to take it upon herself, Sakura walked out of the village to see if she could find Naruto anywhere nearby. She took the path for a little ways into the woods before she spotted the bright orange so closely related to her friend. Walking towards it Sakura frowned. Why was he out here still? And why wasn't he moving?

Sure enough Naruto lay there in the snow tied up. He was out cold and the snow around him was dyed red in places. He didn't look too good. Kneeling beside him Sakura took out a kunai knife and cut the wire encircling her friend's body. Blood seeped from the cuts left by the wires. The most blood was coming from his knee. The sack of fluid placed under people's knees had been poped and Naruto was going to have to get a needle so she could take it out before he got more damaged. Only that would have to wait once she got Naruto inside the village. She kept wondering to herself why Kurama wasn't healing Naruto...Had the blonde pissed off the fox again? Sakura ran into the village half carrying, half dragging Naruto. She had to get him fixed up soon too.

Once Sakura got Naruto into the hospital and all set she began working. Naruto looked so innocent and small while he slept. Tubes bringing oxygen to his lungs because he hadn't been breathing when they got here. Sakura had already cleaned out the fluid in his leg so the swelling had stopped and she was now using her chakra to heal his bruised ribs and dislocated shoulder. Once she was done she was going to have to find Tsunade and explain what had happened. The only problem was she didn't know. They would have to wait for the full story when Naruto woke up. Which could take as few as a couple of hours and at most a few days. The door to the room opened then and Tsunade walked in, "Sakura?"

"Yes Lady Hokage?" Sakura dropped her hands and turned to face Tsnuade who raised her eyebrows before walking over to examine Naruto.
"When did he get back? What's wrong with him?" She asked trying to be as calm as possible as she examined his injuries. Noting that the worst of them were healed.
Sakura cleared her throat slightly, "Well he was taking a long time to come home so I thought I would see if he was close. I found him in the forest line. The rest we will have to wait for Naruto to wake up." Sakura chose to leave out some of the details so Naruto could explain, knowing how long winded he could be sometimes. Tsuande nodded, "Alright, would you mind keeping an eye on him then while he is here? Just in case he wakes up anytime soon. It's slow around here anyway." Sakura nodded as Tsnuade left. How could Naruto be so careless on a simple mission? Something wasn't right about anything that was going on. Naruto's injuries were weird, even for him.

Sasuke sat in the corner listening to everyone bicker. Why did he have to be around them so much? If Karin could just calm down sometimes and not be so fricken loud all of the time that would be enough for him. Aparently the other day Jugo had been out in the forest looking for something. Now his memory was erased and he didn't remember Karin at all. What could have caused it is what everyone was aruging about. Jugo himself didn't know either. Karin threw her hands up in the air then and stalked off, "I'm going to ask Kabuto if it's a medical thing." /p

Sasuke thought about it though, it sounded more like a genjustu to him. But he kept his mouth shut. Karin would just agree with him anyway so what was the point in putting in his opinion?