Sasuke picked up his bloodied katana, looking down on his brother's corpse. He clutched his left shoulder, blood trickling past his fingers and down his black shirt. He clutched his brother's headband to his wound, trying not to stain it. His own headband was away in his weapon pouch. He released his grip for a moment, placing his brother's headband with his own, and the stench of iron overpowering him. He felt lightheaded for a moment, then, katana in one hand and his other on his wound, stumbled out of the Uchiha hideout into the dark.
-o-
Sasuke limped down the path, the village gates shifting and blurring in his distorted vision. His katana dragged behind him in the dirt, the once red tip now coated in dirt and sand. He managed to get through the gates, only to collapse with a sigh to the sandy earth.
The gate keeper leapt up, rushing to his side. He felt his pulse, a weak and slowing thing. He sounded the alarm, calling for a medical squad. One arrived after a few moments. The head ninja, a kunoichi, crouched beside the fallen nin. She blinked once and asked for assistance. The dying nin was carried off to the hospital.
-o-
When Sasuke groggily awoke, he was greeted by his old teammates arguing about paperwork. Naruto was wearing a red and white robe with a regular ninja headband instead of the Hokage's hat. Sakura was dressed in a clean hospital gown with her hair pulled back. Sasuke mumbled something like a groan and the two stopped. Naruto blinked while Sakura came to his side. She looked at him.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concern filling her pale eyes.
"Do you feel any pain?" she asked. Sasuke nodded, bringing on a wave of fog to cover his thoughts.
"Where?" she asked.
"Everywhere…" he mumbled. Sakura sighed.
"You need to be more specific, Sasuke." She informed him, her voice serious.
"What? It hurts everywhere." He told her, eyes closed.
"Does it hurt more in one place than anywhere else?" she asked, picking up a clipboard and pen.
"My shoulder." He said, twitching his left shoulder, which of course brought a wave of pain to wash his senses. He swore lightly, receiving a glare from Sakura. Sasuke shifted, trying to sit up. Sakura lightly pushed him back down.
"What happened?" Sasuke asked groggily, struggling to remember what had happened. Naruto took a step forward.
"You appeared at the gate last week half-dead, dragging a katana. You fainted at the gate and Sakura and her medical squad brought you here. You've been unconscious for about a week." Naruto informed him. Sasuke blinked, laying his head against the clean white pillow. In a few moments he was asleep, his wounds slowly healing. Sakura motioned Naruto out of the room, closing the door behind her. The two then continued their argument on paperwork.