-1Treasures Ignored.
"Ah! Bright light, light bright!" Naruto Uzamaki shrieked as the brightness of the pure white Konoha hospital room bore holes in his brain.
" Shhh! Shut up Naruto! A familiar voice bellowed as pink headed kunochi poked her head through the curtain.
" Ah. Sakura-chan, where am I?"
"Where the hell do you think you are you idiot!"
"I know I'm in the hospital, but how long have I been out?"
" It's been a week."
"Eh! A week?"
" Shhh!"
" What for? I have the right to emote. Besides what's with the curtains, am I sharing the room with some one?" The blonde shin obi watched as Sakura pulled back the curtains revealing a sleeping Sasuke Uchiha in the bed next to his. "Sasuke…"
FLASHBACK
Blood poured out of every wound Naruto Uzamaki had suffered in the battle against his biggest rival and his sannin mentor. Still Naruto couldn't help but smile as he slowly trudged home with an unconscious Sasuke draped over his shoulder. Jiraya had gone ahead to inform the village of their success and have medics and ANBU on stand by. The familiar gates of Konoha rose to meet them as a group of medics and Sakura ran to meet them. Her eyes were flooded in tears, the smile Naruto treasured so dearly beaming on her face. As Naruto lowered to a knee to gently place Sasuke on a stretcher, Sakura's mood changed as she noticed all the wounds on Sasuke's body. Tears of joy dried as Sakura's treasured smile disappeared in an instant. Suddenly her hand shot out smashing into the side of Naruto's already battered face in a thunderous slap. " What did you do!" In that instant all the pain in the body of Naruto Uzamaki, the cuts, the holes in his stomach that he received at the hands of Orochimaru, even the Chidori sized hole in his shoulder, paled in comparison to the sting of a slap from the women he loved. " Huh? What the hell did you do!" She asked a again slapping him a second time. She continued to interrogate him slapping him after each questioned. Again and again, not minding the fact that her hands were now coated in blood that poured from gashes in the blonde shinobi's cheeks that she had given him. She continued her assault with many of the onlookers cheering her on happy that the demon child was getting some well deserved punishment. Blow after blow raining down on a broken Naruto each slap accompanied by a sickening smack, each more grotesque than the last. " Answer me y-you bastard! What the hell did you do to my Sasuke-kun." Finally Naruto was able to get over the shock enough to give a somber reply.
" I-I kept… I kept my promise." With this the blonde shinobi felt the darkness envelope him and passed out. An unfazed Sakura pulled back to kick her downed ex-friend when suddenly every muscle in her body locked. Instinctively knowing the cause Sakura scanned her surroundings to find one. Nara Shikamaru staring at her from the shadows.
" Damn it Shikamaru let go and butt out."
" Like hell I will that's one of my best friends your torturing. And you, ANBU, What the hell? Why didn't you stop her?" Shikamaru motioned to the three ANBU who until this time had just stood back and enjoyed the show.
" Why would we? It's pretty damn entertaining seeing the mighty Kyuubi get beat by a little girl. As far as we're concerned it's karmic retribution."
" Such insolence! A voice rang out as three kunai flew from the trees each imbedding itself in a knee of an ANBU. As all three ANBU lay on the ground writhing in pain a women stepped out of the brush. Shikamaru recognized her as one of the proctors for the Chuunin exams, she was the crazy one, well they were all crazy, but she was a specially kind of crazy, you know…homicidally. " You three are a disgrace to the ANBU!"
" Anko-sama!" One of the ANBU cried, apparently the knew about her craziness, " forgive us, please, we're sorry!"
" Not as much as your gonna be." Anko smirked as she pulled out more kunai.
" Sorry to interrupt," Shikamaru droned, " but I take it your on my side. So you mind taking Naruto to the hospital for me?" Anko only nodded in confirmation and chunked the kunai haphazardly at the crowd of onlookers sending them scattering. As she picked up Naruto and began to run off Shikamaru called out, " Don't leave him in the care of anybody other than Shizune or Tsunade!" Anko waved her hand in acknowledgement and disappeared. " So Sakura." Shikamaru returned his attention to Sakura who by now had given up any attempt to escape his jutsu. " You wanna tell me what the hell this is all about?"
" Look at what he did to Sasuke-kun, Naruto that idiot!"
" Your Serious? You're the idiot, has it occurred to you that maybe Sasuke put up a fight. Naruto did that to bring you back your precious traitor and you beat him in appreciation?"
" But look at Sasuke-kun's face he looks so…so hurt."
" Damn you are so far gone! No…you know what… your right, Naruto went over the line. God forbid he gives Sasuke a black eye when Naruto only has a freaking hole in his stomach! Good god what a selfish bitch!" Shikamaru released Sakura and began heading to the hospital with only one thought running through his head. ' Ingrates… how troublesome.'
END FLASHBACK
" Naruto, hey!" Sakura bellowed annoyance clear on her face.
"Sorry Sakura-chan. So how's Sasuke?" Naruto asked hesitantly.
" Why do you care? You're the one that did this to him."
" Sakura-chan… I'm sorry it's just that it was the only way, besides I went as easy as I could on him please understand."
" No! You understand Naruto! Not everyone has a demon in them to save them!" Sakura noticed Naruto wince at this comment. It was so hard to break Naruto's blindingly sunny disposition, now that she found an opening she had to exploit it. " I guess it's my fault. I should never have expected a monster to know anything about being gentle, huh Naruto?" There it was, the knockout shot, Sakura smirked at her victory as Naruto's eyes widened.
" Whatever…close my curtains Sakura. Wouldn't want to spend to much time with a demon now would you?" Naruto replied as he lay his head back down, closing his eyes to keep in the tears that were gathering. He winced again as some tears escaped his eyes and rolled on to his cheeks stinging the wounds from Sakura. Naruto enjoyed the sting, the pain was somehow comforting, if he were just some damn monster it wouldn't hurt so much right?
Sakura smiled as she began to hear Naruto sob quietly. Although she enjoyed the thought of finally doing some damage, she couldn't help but hurt a little as well. That was the first time since they met that he called her "Sakura" as opposed to "Sakura-chan."
" I kinda feel bad for the kid don't you?" Inner Sakura questioned.
" Not at all! Look at Sasuke-kun"
" Yeah but if it wasn't for Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun wouldn't be here period."
" True… wait a minute. Did you just call Naruto…kun?"
"Heh… So I did…Heh. Oh, come on! It's not like the poor guy doesn't deserve it."
"What do you mean?"
"Are you serious? That kid has been nothing but nice to us since day we met. When Sasuke-kun ran away, he put his own feelings for you on the side to promise you Sasuke's retrieval."
" His feelings for me?"
" Don't act dense he loves you and you know it!"
" Yeah I know. But I love Sasuke-kun."
" Yeah, how's that working out for you?'
" Shut up! Don't mock Sasuke-kun."
" I'm not mocking Sasuke-kun, I'm mocking you and your stupidity."
" If you don't like it you can leave."
" Oh trust, if it were possible I would be out of here and with Naruto-kun."
" Stupid your supposed to be on my side."
" I'm stupid? You're the one too busy chasing gold to realize your stepping on diamonds."