"What about her?" asked Sakura, leaning slightly close, wanting to know.

Naruto turned back to face Sakura.

"She's coming"

Several days earlier

Naruto curled up on the ground in a foetal position, clutching his head from his pain.

Sakura went to her knees beside him and attempted to sooth him but it was not good, he couldn't hear her over his throbbing head.

She then changed her approach and sent her chakra into his body through the palm of her hand, scanning through his body for the source of the pain, but there was no pain.

Naruto had no physical injuries. No signs of pain, but he still fidgeted on the floor from it.

"My head, it's killing me"

Sakura remembered what he had said when the pain had started.

"Naruto where does it hurt?" asked Sakura desperately. She knew it was his head that hurt, but she just wanted to be sure.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Sakura when he didn't reply

"My head" replied Naruto from between his teeth.

Sakura lifted a hand to his head, where his hands covered his ears and he held his eyes shut tightly. She steadied herself with her spare hand, holding herself above him while she examined his head.

Again there was no physical damage to his head, but he still let out a scream.

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't fix him when there was nothing to be fixed. She picked him up off the floor and moved him to his bed.

He curled in on himself on the bed, resuming the same position he had been on the floor.

Sakura looked at him briefly before turning to leave.

"Sakura, don't go" cried Naruto with a soft husky voice

She turned back and went over to him, kneeling by the bed so she was at eye level with him. His eyes were open wide with fear. He didn't want her to go. She was all he had.

"Naruto, I'm going to get help" replied Sakura, attempting to soothe Naruto as she stroked his blond hair.

Sakura got up to leave again, but Naruto reached out a shaking hand to her, desperate for her to stay.

"Sakura please" his voice was shaky, close to tears.

"I'll be right back. I promise" She then leant back down and kissed his bare forehead where his headband would have sat. In response Naruto lowered his hand and lay on his bed and watched Sakura leave with his sapphire eyes.

Sakura ran as fast as she could to the Hokage's mansion. She burst into Tsunade's office, where she slept with her head on her desk, surrounded by piles of paper.

Shizune ran in behind Sakura, surprised to find Sakura out this late at night.

"Sakura – " started Shizune in a hushed voice, but Sakura ignored her.

"Lady Tsunade" stated Sakura her voice bold and loud to wake Tsunade from her desk.

Tsunade's head shot to attention and she glared at both Sakura and Shizune.

"What?" she asked with a threating edge to her voice.

"It's Naruto," stated Sakura, having no time to waste.

"Naruto? What about him?" asked Tsunade becoming more focused on the conversation.

"I found him. But he's hurt and I can't help him"

"But what –"

"Please my Lady. He needs help" pleaded Sakura.

Tsunade stood from her desk, "lead the way Sakura"

As they entered Naruto's home, Sakura lead the way quickly to where she had left him.

She had been gone too long.

He lay on the wooden floor of his room, sweating and shuddering from the pain. He clutched the sides of his head loosely and was in a more relaxed position. But it was his eyes that got to her. His eyes had deep red streaks of blood that ran down his face.

Tsunade entered the room after Sakura and knelt beside Naruto; Shizune following behind her into the room.

Naruto was unresponsive; he hadn't noticed them entering the room.

Tsunade hovered her palm just above Naruto abdomen and sent her chakra in to examine his body.

When she pulled out she looked at him again.

"There is no physical damage to his body" stated Tsunade out loud as she reported back to Shizune and Sakura as they waited behind her. "All his pain is from inside his head"

"Can't you help him?" asked Sakura desperately as Naruto's body jerked and he let out s weak cry. The sight pulled at Sakura.

"Please my Lady, you need to help him. He remembered" pleaded Sakura

"What, he remembered? But how?" asked Shizune

Sakura was too occupied to answer, instead pointing at the photograph of their team that lay on the floor where it had fallen.

"His eye though, why are they bleeding like that?" asked Sakura, panic entering her voice that she could no longer hide.

"I'm not sure" replied Tsunade calmly as she continued to examine Naruto, now focusing on his head.

"But my Lady –"

"Calm yourself Sakura" ordered Tsunade glancing back at her.

Sakura feel silent where she stood and let tears roll down her cheeks as she watched Naruto's body shudder and jerk from the pain.

Tsunade finally moved in. She quickly pulled Naruto's hand away from the sides of his head and replaced them with her hands. Naruto attempted to place his hand back to his head, but Tsunade's hands were in the way. He let out a scream from pain and frustration; his red tears falling to the floor.

"Sakura come here" order Tsunade, "I need you to hold his body still while I work"

Sakura did as she said silently. Still crying. She moved to the other side of Naruto and placed firm hands on him, holding his body still.

She could feel his body shuddering like he would if he were cold, but he was covered in sweat and his body was to warm, like he had a fever.

Tsunade tightened her grip on Naruto's head. Naruto's eyes snapping open to look at her having finally noticed their presence.

Another shot of pain ran through Naruto causing his body to jerk. He shut his eyes tightly, unintentionally forcing more blood to seep from his tear ducts. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came before he forced his jaw closed to deal with the pain.

Tsunade's hands glowed green from her chakra. But Naruto's body didn't stop shuddering and his pain didn't leave. Tsunade continued to flow her chakra into him till his body went limp and his shuddering ceased.

Tsunade sat back exhaling deeply.

"Don't worry Sakura. I've only made him sleep"

"But what about –"

"I couldn't fix it because there is no physical damage. His pain is coming from his mind."

"But how?" asked Shizune

"I'm not sure. But I bet it's from those bastards who took him" replied Tsunade with a snarl, "Shizune take him to the hospital immediately and get him heavily sedated. I don't need him waking up from the pain just yet. I will check on him again in the morning. And have someone watching him 24/7"

"Yes my lady" replied Shizune as she left to fetch a stretcher and someone to help from the hospital.

"Sakura," started Tsunade turning to face her. Sakura still had her hands on Naruto's sleeping body. "Go home Sakura" said Tsunade in a softer voice.

"But –"

"Go home. I will stay with Naruto till Shizune returns. You can see him tomorrow"

Sakura slowly got to her feet and glanced at Naruto before she left for home.

The next morning Sakura went straight for the hospital for her morning runs. She had wanted to ignore her duties and see Naruto, but she decided against it and focused on her duties.

After her runs were through she went straight to Naruto's room.

As she entered she saw Kakashi who stood near the end of his bed and watched him sleep.

"it's been so long hasn't it Sakura" he stated without looking to her.

Sakura entered the room and stood beside Kakashi.

"I'm glad he's home"

"He remembered" stated Sakura. Kakashi looked down at her with a silent question. "he found me here in the village," continued Sakura, "I lead him to his room and showed him the picture of all of us from when we first became team 7"

Kakashi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder

"Well, now that you are here I can take a break from watching him" said Kakashi in a cheerful tone before he departed.

Sakura pulled a chair to Naruto's bed side and sat watching him for the next hour.
Only watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed.

It was dark when Naruto stirred. Visiting hours had finished hours before, but being a medical ninja Sakura was allowed to stay, volunteering to take on the role of watching him for the night.

Naruto groaned and moved his head, opening his blue eyes to look at the white ceiling of the hospital.

"Naruto?" said sakura her voice soft and quiet.

He turned his head to face her and gave her a soft smile.

"Sakura" he replied, his eyes scanning her face. "Have you been crying?"

Sakura didn't want to say yes, but didn't want to lie and say no, especially considering he had already guessed she had – her face must have said it all.

"Sakura" Naruto's voice was sympathetic as he reached a weak hand out to her and held it to her cheek.

Through the touch of his hand she felt him shudder; a drop of blood forming in the corner of his eye.

"Naruto is it hurting?"

"No" lied Naruto.

She let out a long breath

"Has Tsunade been in to see you?"

"I don't know" replied Naruto, still studying her face. It had been a stupid question considering he had been sedated till now.

"You've grown" commented Sakura, not knowing what to say after a long pause.

Naruto only smiled back at her.

He shuddered again, clenching his jaw this time but refusing to remove his eyes from Sakura.

The door to the room opened and Naruto lowered his hand from sakura as the both looked to see who had joined them. Shizune stood in the door way.

"You're awake Naruto" she stated happily – minus the smile, as she approached them both.

Naruto only smiled in response, seemingly not having the energy of strength to speak without his pain entering his voice. His body gave a quick jerk causing him to groan from the pain.

"I will let you sleep again Naruto" stated Shizune, placing a hand on each side of his head and sending him back to sleep before he could respond.

"You should go home" stated Shizune to Sakura

"I will but I would like to stay with him for a while longer"

Shizune looked at her and sleeping Naruto for a moment before nodding and leaving the room.
With Shizune gone Sakura returned her attention to Naruto and laid her head on the bed beside his body and slept beside him.

Naruto slept all through the next day. Sakura found it pleasant being able to start her rounds without having to do the travel from her home – not that she minded the travel, but to her it had been a refreshing change.

Usually after her rounds she would have returned to sit by Naruto, but decided to stay back and help with a pair of ninja who had returned from a mission with bad injuries that had been caused by a blast. Mending the two ninja took the most part of the day and required most of Sakura's chakra, so when she was done she lazily made her way back to her seat beside Naruto's bed and fell asleep from her exhaustion.

Sakura didn't know exactly how long she had been asleep for when she did wake. It was night outside the window and the hospital hallways echoed distant footsteps as a nurse checked the patients. Sakura kept her head where it laid questioning on what had woken her.
A bad dream that she could not remember? Or a noise from outside?

Naruto's side hit her head as his body jerked. Sakura lifted her head and sat up in her seat to observe Naruto. He laid still, only twitching here and there and the occasional jerk of his body. He was sweating and twisting his head. Sakura placed a hand lightly on his causing him to flinch and shoot up from his bed.
he sat in an upright position, sweating and breathing heavily, having not noticed Sakura.

"Naruto" he turned his head to look back at her "Are you alright?"

He smiled at her, a stronger smile than the night before, his eyes softening at her.

"Don't worry Sakura, it was only a bad dream" he replied with his soft warm voice as he lay back down on his bed.

"Did you want to talk about it?" offered Sakura

Naruto locked eyes with her. He let out a sigh before speaking.

"It was about Shiri" replied Naruto his smile fading as he turned his attention to the white ceiling

"Shiri?"

"Yeah, you know, the girl I've been traveling with"

"What about her?" asked Sakura, leaning slightly close, wanting to know.

Naruto turned back to face Sakura.

"She's coming"