Never Ending Thoughts Of You
I fell asleep last night after the mission, the first night of sleep in months. I dreamed of you. I think I'm still dreaming. You stood in the middle of the a meadow, your pink dress flying in the wind. I walked over to you and for the first time since Sasuke came back, you smiled. I wrapped my arms around you and you kissed me. You didn't mention Sasuke at all, you didn't speak much. I wished you had, your voice makes me feel happy. I love the sound of your voice. I still think I'm dreaming, I don't remember waking up. But then again I don't remember going to sleep either. I remember the hospital, then really bright lights. You were there.
"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! Naruto please wake up! Please! I can't handle loosing you too! Please Naruto!" I hear you screaming but I can't see you. Sakura, where are you? "NARUTO! NO!" Your voice is fading out. Where are you Sakura. Please yell for me, I can't find you. The picture of us in the meadow had shifted. It's dark now. Beeping, why do I hear beeping? Sakura what is that noise? Why aren't you answering me? "Naruto! Don't go, you can't die, please Naruto. You're the only one I have left, please. Don't die now." Drip, drop, drip, drop. The sound of your tears landing on my cheek is saddening. Sakura don't cry. I won't die. Listen to me Sakura!
"Sakura. It's no use, they don't think he's going to come out of it. Sakura he's never going to wake up. He's already gone. Now lets just let him drift into his final end in peace." Is that Kakashi's voice?
"Kakashi it can't be true. He can't die. He's all I have. I don't want him to die! Naruto please if you hear my voice wake up. Please. I need you." I won't leave you Sakura. I promise. I am awake.
"Sakura. Please just let him fade away in peace."
"No! You don't get it. I love him. I can't let him die! He can't leave me here alone."
"You won't be alone. I'll be here with you. I'll help you through it all. And eventually I think Sasuke will come around and help you out too."
"Oh Kakashi. I just don't want him to die. He was there for me, and I turned him away. I blocked him out and yet he still got to me when no one else could. I just can't let him him die now."
"Sakura you can't help him. It's no use. I'm sorry." Muffled tears. Is he hugging her? Is she crying on his shoulder. I don't feel her warm tears any more. She is supposed to be crying on my should that's what told her when Sasuke left that she could always cry on MY shoulder. Not Kakashi's shoulder, why is she hugging him? Sakura! You don't have to cry anymore I'm not dead, nor will I die. I won't leave you all alone I won't. I promise! SAKURA!
"Kakashi. I can't leave him. I promised him that I wouldn't leave him because he didn't leave me. I can't just let him wither away to nothing. I have to do everything in my power to try and wake him up. I'm going to stay here until he wakes up. No matter how long it takes him to wake up, I won't leave until he looks me in my eyes."
"Fine, I won't bother you any longer today."
"If your going to try and convince me that it's no use staying here, then you just shouldn't come back. Kakashi, I know that you don't care about him. But I do and I'm not leaving him here alone."
"You know what Sakura? I do care about whether he lives or dies, but if he can't live any longer then there is nothing I can do. I would do anything to keep him alive. But Sakura there is nothing I can do and there is nothing you can do either."
"Well I'm not just going to give up on him." I heard foot steps leaving. Was it Kakashi? It had to be, Sakura said she was going to stay with me. I'm so glad she said it. She'll never leave my side until I wake up and look in her eyes. I'm conscious though, so why can't I open my eyes. Why can't I speak to her? I'm not asleep. Sakura are you still here? "Naruto, if you can here me. Please hang on. I'll be here until you wake up. I'll be back everyday. But I need to eat and shower. I'll be back in an hour. Don't wake up until I get back. I want to be the one you see when you first wake up." Foot steps leaving, Sakura's this time.
She'll come back. She promised. I guess there's no helping when Sakura needs to eat or shower. More footsteps? "Naruto? It's Ino, can you hear me? I brought Ramen. When you wake up it will be on your table. I'll leave you alone. The nurse needs to see you anyway." Why would Ino come and see me. I'm not going to die and she said that the only way she would ever visit me in the hospital was if I was going to die.
"I can't stand coma patients. They can't do anything for them selves. They are so annoying. I hate coma patients!"
"I'm sure he hates you too."
"Sasuke how long have you been there?"
"This whole time."
"Oh. Well you need to leave."
"Why so you can continue to rant about my friend being in a coma and not being able to do anything for him self?"
"Well it's his fault he's in a coma."
"Actually it's really not. It's your guy's fault for letting him fall asleep when you knew he had a concussion."
"You can't blame anything on us Sasuke."
"I can blame everything on you guys."
"No you can't you have no right to do this."
"Well if you guys would have been watching him and making sure he didn't fall asleep, then he would have been perfectly fine and awake and not in a coma and you wouldn't have to deal with him huh?"
"You need to leave."
"Fine. I'll leave when you do."
"I'll call security."
"Go ahead. Wait I'll do it for you."
"Don't. Just leave."
"Not until you do. I want to make sure you don't kill my friend just so you don't have to deal with him everyday."
"Fine. I'll hurry up so you can leave. There can only be two visitors in here at a time anyway." The time that the nurse and Sasuke were in here flew by. Sakura came in again.
"Naruto? Did you wake up while I was gone?" No. I couldn't open my eyes, but Sasuke was in here and he scared the hella out of the nurse. Sakura you should have been here to see it. You would have laughed too. I laughed, but only on the inside apparently. Sakura, it was actually really funny. "Naruto, I hope you wake up soon." So do I Sakura.
"Sakura I apologize for what I said earlier. Just please forgive me." Kakashi is back. Damn it old man, you just ruin everything. Sakura tell him to leave, it's my hospital room.
"Apology accepted but please don't make a fuss in here I want Naruto to wake up to a happy, nice, clean environment."
"Alright. But Tsunade has another mission for us to go on. This time we're taking Kiba."
"Oh, and what if Naruto wakes up before we get back."
"He won't Sakura. And if he does all the better."
"I want to be here when he wakes up."
"Well I'll give you the details of the mission on our way to Tsunade's office and you can complain to her."
"Alright. I'll meet you outside." He walked out. Sakura's lips were suddenly on my forehead. "I'll be back when ever I can get back. I'll come and tell you how long of a mission it's going to be." She was out of the room quicker than she 'd come in.
She was back quicker then I had expected her. "It's not Sakura if that's what you're thinking. I know you probably can't hear me and if you can great. But if you can't I'm just going to ramble on to air. Sakura sends her regards that she couldn't come back and tell you bye. It's going to be a month long mission. She will come straight here as soon as she gets back." Ino. Wow I must really be in trouble. This is the second trip today. "I told Sakura that I would come and check up on you everyday. So don't wake up until she gets back I'm sure I'm not the first person you want to see. Sasuke is going to come and sit here all night. I told him that he didn't have to but he thinks you need some company." Now I'm really in trouble. But slightly surprised Granny Tsunade hasn't come to see me yet or has she? I don't remember much besides Sakura's visits. I hope she comes back soon. Ino sat on the foot of my bed. "I have more Ramen for you. I keep bringing it hoping it brings you to your senses and wakes you up. I mean Sakura would be happy if you did." Is she trying to cover up for something? "I got to go. Hinata said she'll come and see you tomorrow morning when Sasuke leaves."
That's not surprising, she's always been scared of Sasuke or at least that's what she shows. Ino's lips were to my forehead. What is with people and kissing my forehead? I have lips! But they are all probably thinking something like, "I don't want to get his poor hopes up 'cause when he wakes up it's so not going to happen." I thought of Sakura and the last time I saw her. It was a sad image. Blood was covering her face, she had tears in her eyes. I imagine she's cleaner now. Looks more happy now. "Naruto get your ass up." I wanted to twitch but my body wouldn't move. "Damn I hoped that would work. Naruto you really need to wake up soon. We miss you man, and by we I mean Sakura and Hinata and the rest of Konoha." Sasuke said. "By the way Hinata isn't going to come today or the rest of the week." Why?
"She is so sad thinking about you in a coma. I know you can hear me. That's why I'm still rambling on." At least some one does. So today marks the first day of Sakura being gone. Twenty-nine more days to go. "Well. I'm going to shut up and sleep on this couch over here." The beeping continued for the remainder of the night. It was all I could hear, Sasuke snored but only slightly. I imagined how Ramen still tasted. I'm so hungry! Ung. If I could clench my stomach I would.
"Sasuke you can go home now." Someone said quietly, I couldn't figure out who.
"No I can't. I promised Sakura I would stay here at night in case he woke up. She doesn't want him to wake up alone." He said back just as quietly.
"Sasuke, you need actual rest and a bed to sleep in. Go home, I'll stay here." It was definitely a chick's voice. Soft, warm, Hinata! I thought he said that she wasn't going to come here.
"It's alright, I'll stay here, I have no problem with it."
"No Sasuke you need to go home."
"Why?"
"Look at you, your so stressed out, your hair is a mess. You need a shower and a change of clothes, you've been in the hospital since he was. If you didn't look totally fine I would think something was wrong with you too."
"Hinata, I'm fine and I just need to stay here."
"Then, do you mind if I bring you a change of clothes?"
"Here, in the first drawer are shorts, and pants. Second drawer had socks and underwear. Third drawer has my shirts."
"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes." She stepped over to my bed. "N-Naruto-kun. P-please wake up. Everyone m-misses y-you. And happy birthday." She whispered in my ear. It's my birthday? I guess I haven't been keeping track of time as well as I thought. I was scared that if I fell asleep while I was already 'asleep' then I would never wake up. I thought about a lot of things. I had time to go over my past. I was a terrible child. Sakura was in my head a lot, but then again so were a lot of others. I didn't dream anymore that night. Just taking in Sasuke's slight snoring in the background on my mind.
"Sasuke? Sasuke? You can get up and change." Hinata said quietly.
"Huh?" Sasuke grumbled.
"You can change. I'll take the clothes your wearing and go wash them."
"No Hinata, it's alright. I'll just wait and wash them some other time, probably after Sakura gets back."
"Sasuke, you can go change." He got up. His foot steps louder then Hinata's. He walked out of the room. "N-Naruto. I d-don't know why b-but it's easier to talk to you when your asleep." She only stuttered a little bit, I never understood why she stuttered around me.
"Hinata, thank you for everything." Sasuke said. I heard something mumbled but it was to low for me to hear.
"Thank you Sasuke-kun. I will wash these and put them back at your place."
"That's not necessary, I would like some company though." Is he hitting on her? He has every other girl in the village. He can't have Hinata too. I could feel my blood boiling. Hinata's hand was on my arm. My heart beat slowed down.
"Sasuke he can hear us!" She exclaimed. "Everyone is going to be so happy. Oh Naruto. Please wake up." Hinata left early that morning, Ino came in with some food for Sasuke.
"Thank you Ino."
"No problem Sasuke. I'm sorry I would stay but I have to go get some work done." She left and Sasuke made sure she was gone, I could hear him walk to the door and back.
"Yeah, she has business with every guy in Konoha." He said as he sat down at the foot of my bed. That's two days since Sakura's been gone. "By the way Naruto. You only have twenty-eight more days until Sakura's going to be back." It was as if he could read my mind. "It's almost three in the after noon now. I'm not going to tell you to wake up, because everyone else will. I figure that if I'm the one to not tell you to wake up then you will." Some one walked in again.
"Sasuke." It sounded like Tsunade.
"Tsunade-Sama." Wow I'm good!
"You need to go home."
"No. I can't leave until he wakes up!" Sasuke began to say.
"You need to clean up."
"I'm perfectly fine. I've cleaned up in the bathroom when Hinata brought me, some new clothes."
"Sasuke you can't hover over him twenty-four seven. He's not going to wake up anytime soon."
"Tsunade-Sama there's always hope that he'll wake up soon. Come on. You can't just expect me to leave my best friend here all alone can you?"
"No Sasuke I don't expect it. I just wish that you do something more with your life then sit here and wait for him to wake up."
"I'll leave when Sakura gets back."
"Alright."
"Twenty-seven more days."
"I know."
"Okay." She walked out lightly. Sasuke yawned.
"Naruto. Wake up." Someone else said. Their voice was deep but not deep enough to be someone like Gai, Iruka maybe? No it couldn't be. Come to think of it, not many people have come to see me. Oh well I'm fine with the people who have. Who ever it was left. Sasuke decided to go home and shower. He said he would be back, but I think it's been over three weeks and I no one has come but the nurse who come once a day. It's quiet. Sakura should be back soon any day now. Right?
"Naruto I'm back." One month. "I'm not going to ask. Naruto I have to go." She ran out. When she came back, she apologized for being gone so long. How long was she gone? He visits got shorter and more spread apart. She talked about Kiba and how she thinks she's developing a 'crush' for him. I got jealous. My blood boiled every time she mentioned him. I felt my finger twitch. She gasped and hugged me. The feeling of anger went away. Hinata came once a month. Sasuke still came everyday but he didn't say anything anymore. I guess, life in Konoha just isn't interesting with out me. Ha, yeah right. I'm sure they're out partying. Sakura seems happier. She come once a week now. Soon she'll only come once a month, then once ever couple month, then she'll only come twice a year. Then she'll only come once a year. Then she'll stop coming. It's all Kiba's fault.
I was right, she started coming once every couple week.
"Naruto, I'm just going to stop coming. I can't keeping seeing you in a coma. I can't do it. I'm sorry. Wake up soon. I would like to see you awake but I can't see you while you can't talk to me." Sakura said and then walked out. She didn't come back. I'm guessing it's been a couple years now.
I felt my eyes slowly open. Sasuke ran up to me. For the first time in, ten years, I saw him. He looked more like a man. More matured. My hands twitched. He smiled. "Good to see you man." I sat up and almost fell over again. "Whoa, take it easy. You don't want to rush it all." I got my balance.
"It's really bright in here." My voice came out only a small whisper, yet he still seemed to hear.
"Ha. Come on. You're dressed so lets go and tell the nurse I'm checking you out. Everyone is going to be so happy to see you. Especially Hinata."
"What ever happened to Sakura?" My voice growing stronger every time I used it.
"She and Kiba hooked up a while back, they're married now. She has two kids. They look like Kiba but with Sakura's hair."
"Wow. Okay lets go. I think I can walk now." I swung my legs off the side of the bed. Sasuke slowly unhooked the IV that was in my arm. I winced, he smirked.
"Hold on." He grabbed my arm and made me slowly walk out. My legs felt like Ramen. Mm, Ramen sounds good now.
"Before we go and see anyone I need to go and get some Ramen."
"Ok, I am so glad to see you up and moving."
"I am so glad to be up and moving. Now let's go." We walked out to see several doctors drop their jaws.
"What are you doing up and moving around? You shouldn't be awake."
"You make it sound like a bad thing. He's fine. I'm with him and nothing will happen. I'll bring him back if anything goes wrong."
"Okay. Well we can't let him leave."
"To bad. I'm the authorized personal."
"No. It says on his chart the only person who check him out are Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha."
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha."
"Oh. Well we have to do some tests first."
"No. I'm taking him home."
"Security."
"We can't let you take him."
"Like hell." Sasuke grabbed my arm. He walked out of there with speed. They didn't try and stop us. Once we got out we walked slowly to the Ramen Shack. We didn't pass anyone. Well anyone that I recognized. Sasuke got many hi's and hey's. But I got questionable looks. I got the hang of walking again quickly. I was walking normally soon. We finished our Ramen, quicker then I wanted. I had two bowls and couldn't eat any longer.
"It's good to see you up and moving Naruto."
"Thanks." I said as Sasuke paid and we left.
Sasuke brought me to see Kakashi first. "Hey guess who's awake!"
"Huh? Naruto's finally awake?"
"Yes, I am."
"Good. A lot of people will be happy."
"But you're not?"
"Well of course I am. I am very happy your awake. But I'm not the kind of person who likes to give or get hugs."
"Yeah, well I heard everything."
"You remember everything?"
"Yeah, everything that happened in my hospital room over the past ten years."
"Oh."
"Yeah, you were hitting on Sakura bad. A lot."
"Was not."
"Ha." Sasuke laughed.
"What are you laughing at? You were hitting on Hinata."
"I was not. I've been with Ino this whole time. She just refused to come and see me in the hospital room."
"Ten years. Wow that is a long time to be with Ino. I thought you said she had business with every other guy in Konoha." I stated.
"Wow you do remember a lot. Okay we haven't been together this whole time, just for the past nine and a half years."
"How serious are you guys?"
"Well um, not marriage serious if that's what you mean."
"Oh." I didn't feel like paying attention any longer. I wanted to leave and go see everyone else. "Okay, I'm leaving. Sasuke are you coming?"
"Yeah." We got up and headed out Kakashi's door. He waved bye and then left himself.
"Where next?"
"Let's go and see Sakura."
"Okay." We walked over to the house Sakura and Kiba and their two children resided. I didn't need any more help with balance. On the occasion I still felt as if I was going to topple over from a head rush but that didn't happen. We knocked on the door and a little girl with brown hair and no marks on her face who looked about six, answered the door.
"Sasuke!" She hugged his leg. He laughed and patted her head.
"Where's your mama and dad?"
"Mama's in the kitchen making me and my sissy some lunch. Daddy went to the store to get us something to drink, he should be back in a minute." She said while still hugged to his leg.
"Okay. Well do you mind if we come in?"
"Who is he?" She took a step away and looked at me.
"This is Naruto. He is the guy your mama and I kept talking about. The one that was in the hospital." We could hear Sakura drop what ever she had in her hand and run to the door.
"Naruto?" She asked as she looked at me.
"In the flesh." She smacked me in my arm. I wasn't used to it and nearly fell over again.
"Oh, my gosh I am so sorry!" She yelled in my ear.
"It's okay. Really Sakura."
"Okay. Are you sure? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It's okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." She nodded and gave me a hug. Along hug. But it wasn't like our hugs before now. It was missing something. She had obviously gotten over me, or just loved Kiba more. It was a sympathetic hug. I missed the love. I missed it, and I wasn't getting it back. I sighed out of sadness. She noticed it and looked up at me. I was still taller then her, I couldn't imagine what Hinata and Ino looked like now that time had passed. Or Kiba.
"Come in. I can't have you standing out here and getting sick."
"Sakura it's a bright day. There's not a cloud in the sky." I said. I was worried I might do something wrong, now that she was married and had children. I didn't want to do anything to upset that. Ever.
"So! You never know what air born chemicals you're going to inhale. Get inside. Kiba will be home soon."
"No I really gotta get going."
"Where could you possibly go?"
"I have to go see Hinata." I blurted out. Sasuke smirked, I turned to walk away.
"Oh, I see."
"Yeah. Bye Sakura." I said as I walked to her fence. Kiba showed up then. He had matured in more way then one. He said hello, in a polite way. He had gotten buff, I had been asleep and had no muscles. I need to work out. I'm going to do that before I go and see Hinata.
"Naruto? Is it really you? You're really awake?" I nodded as I walked past him. He continued to walk past me. I got about a block away before Sasuke caught up with me.
"Ha, that was funny."
"What was?"
"The way you ignored Kiba."
"I don't see how that was funny."
"Naruto. You need to lighten up."
"I need to work out."
"No you don't."
"I have no muscles any more. None at all!"
"Fine, you need to train to go back out on missions again anyway."
"Okay." Sasuke ran ahead of me and then turned around and asked if I was coming or not. I ran, it was easy to run again. It felt good too. The wind brushing past my face, I picked up my pace until Sasuke stopped. "Why did you stop?"
"Because you are going to do as many sit ups as you can come one." He climbed up to a branch quite a ways off the ground. I climbed up after him. I knew how to do sit ups still. I did as many as my body would let me, then I pushed my self to do more. Sasuke was impressed by how many I could still do. "Wow I didn't think you would be able to over a hundred."
"I lost count how many did I do?"
"You did a little of five hundred."
"Oh."
"You can't just oh that." I did oh that and I was going to do it again.
"I've got to do more. I can't just do five hundred."
"You did more then five hundred, if you tell me to tell you to do more I'm going to start calling you Lee."
"Ha. Fine don't tell me to do more I'm going to do more anyway."
"Don't ever do it."
"I won't." I began to do more sit ups, my stomach burned and ached. I felt sweat began to drip off my forehead. My toned muscles began to show again. Quicker then I expected. I gave up on sit ups and dropped to the ground.
"Hm." Sasuke said when he got back to the ground.
"What?" I said after I inhaled a sharp breath.
"I can't believe you are doing this, right after you get out of a coma, if Sakura knew she would kick my ass."
"I need to get back into shape, and fast."
"Okay. Well what else do you have in mind to get you back in shape?"
"Push up, and something to get my legs back in shape."
"Okay. Let's get going."
"Okay." I got down on the ground in a push up position. He got down beside me.
"Lets do this if we're gonna, plus I thought you were getting a bit flappy."
"Jack ass." I began counting quietly, one, two three four, five six seven eight nine and ten. Time, lots of time passed. One-thousand, one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three, one-thousand four, one-thousand five. One-thousand six, one-thousand seven, one-thousand eight, one-thousand nine, one-thousand ten. I collapsed on the ground. My torso hit with a thud. I sighed. "I can't do anymore today."
"We can do more tomorrow."
"Alright. I have to clean up. Like shower."
"Okay. We'll go to my house." I struggled to get up. My arms were sore and me legs began to get sore. The more I moved, the more they hurt. Sasuke's house was small and reeked of booze and sweat. My guess was sex and beer, lots of both. I carefully stepped over the clothes, feeling like a clean freaked girl. "Sorry about the mess, I never have anyone over here."
"Really?"
"Well no one but Ino." Oh. "The bathroom is down the hall to the right. Only door on the right, can't miss it. It's the cleanest room in the house haha."
"Nice." I said as I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. It was the cleanest room in the house. I slowly stepped to the shower. I turned the knob, the cold water splashed on my face. I flinched away. I reached for the other knob and turned it until the water was at my perfect temperature. I unzipped my jacket. My shirt was wrinkled and needed to be washed, as were my pants. I undid them and slid them down my legs. I shrugged off my boxers and got in the shower. It felt odd on my skin but I adjusted quickly. I looked around for a wash cloth or something to wash my body off with. I didn't found a wash cloth that was folded neatly be the body wash. I scrubbed my self until I felt clean enough to get out. When I did I didn't see a towel in the room anywhere. "Sasuke where is a towel?"
"Oh um in the dryer in the next room over."
"Will you get me one?"
"I got my hands full I'm cleaning my living room."
"Then I'll just stay here."
"Why?"
"'Cause I'm not going to just walk out of here naked."
"Why?" Why is he being like this?
"Because it would be awkward!"
"How?"
"You're a dude and I'm a dude."
"Well that's why it would be you not weird, and I won't look I promise if that's what your worried about."
"No. I'll just stay here until you can get me a towel."
"Naruto damn it go get your own damn towel!"
"Okay!" I walked out of the room covering my self. I had the slightest feeling that Sasuke was just a little bit gay. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist. Warm. I walked back to the bathroom.
"See it wasn't that bad."
"Erk."
"Huh?"
"Go away. Let me get dressed." I slammed the door in his face. I got the clothes Sasuke said I could wear. They were a little loose, I grabbed the belt from my other pants. I shoved it through the loops. When I was dressed I walked out into the living room, the spotless living room. I slowly stepped to the new found couch. I sat down even slower.
"Why are you sitting down? We have to go see Hinata now."
"I lied okay, I don't want to go see her. She never spoke to me, she never looked at me. She's probably happily married with children, I'm not going to see someone who would just hurt me more. I have to leave." I got up and walked out the door. At the bottom of the steps looking straight at me with tears in her eyes, was none the less Hinata. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes." She said simply before walking out again. I ran after her.
"Hinata wait! Please!"
"NO I have to get home to my supposed family anyway." She said, the saddened tone in her voice made me want to break.
"Please Hinata, tell me why you only saw me once!" She whipped around tears in her eyes. She raised her hands up in the air.
"Because I love you and I couldn't bare to see you suffering like that! You are to dumb to see that aren't you? That's why I never talked to you that's why I never looked at you. I was to shy to tell you anything." She walked over to me. I wrapped me arms around her tightly, she tried to struggle away. My grip only tightened. She finally gave in and hugged me back. I felt her tears escape onto my shoulder.
"Hinata, I was to stupid to open my eyes and see it was you I loved all along. I need you. I don't ever want to let you go."
"Naruto." She whispered my name.
"Please, Hinata, tell me that I never have to let go of you."
"You never have to let go of me."
"I love you Hinata."
"I love you to Naruto."