It was dark. Shadowed.

Bones glinted far off, and he turned his head to look, but it was dark, and bones don't glint in shadow. He turned back, intent on ignoring the light should it come again, but his body betrayed him. His eyes darted to that spot again and again.

"Naruto?" Her voice. It spoke in his ear, and he flinched away. It was dark; she shouldn't be here. Good things didn't survive in the shadows, not for long.

"Dobe. Get up." His voice; why was he speaking? He should have just left. He'd be able to go farther without a tagalong that couldn't even- oh. That's why it was dark. He'd forgotten to turn his eyes on.

He couldn't see.

He stared into the forest. He thought about asking if they'd seen, if they'd figured it out yet; it was useless. They'd come to him on their own time. He could wait.

He didn't have to wait long. They were smart, plus Kakashi had told him he'd been talking while passed out. Something about "dark" and "the death of good things". That didn't sound promising.

They approached him as he sat on the porch at night. He couldn't see them, obviously, but their feet were loud, especially for ninja. He scoffed and felt them jump. "I can hear you both perfectly fine when you walk normal. I've had exceptional training, don't worry."

Sakura released something that may have been a sob. Sasuke just growled before plopping down next to him.

"Why didn't you tell us, dobe?" He asked softly, trying and failing to disguise the hurt in his voice. Naruto was kind enough not to call him out on it.

"Would it have made any difference? You knowing doesn't make my eyes work again. It'd have been meaningless, baka." Naruto sighed and stared towards where he assumed the stars were. He figured he was pretty close, because now that they knew, he could feel them study his every move.

"It wouldn't have been meaningless." Sakura gulped in air as tears continued to fall silently from her red-rimmed eyes. "We'd have known." Naruto scoffed again. Again, what difference would that have made? I'd still be blind, Sakura. Your will won't change that.

He hated it when Sakura cried. Especially when he couldn't say anything to make her stop.