A/N: revision of chapter two! ^.^

Chapter 2: Those last words

Sasuke and his team stopped short, being careful not to startle their unsuspecting target. The young Uchiha peered out from behind the tree to check if they had noticed or not. Safe. He held a hand up to his comrades, telling them to hold position, and that he would go on ahead. Sasuke vanished from his position, appearing behind his target with his sword held to its neck. "Don't move." Sasuke demanded.

A kunoichi that looked to be about fifteen turned to see Sasuke, flinching from his sword being right up to her face. She stood about five feet, six inches tall, and had a very slim figure. She had long blond, wavy hair that she had let fall into it's own style. She had deep auburn eyes, which seemed to tremor slightly at the sight of the Uchiha that stood before her. Around her thigh was a headband, with a scar across the middle of the plate, showing she was a rouge ninja. The headband read 'leaf', which made the others curious of why Sasuke would seek her out.

"Sasuke-kun?" the girl questioned "is that you?"

Sasuke withdrew his sword, sheathing it and looked at her, nodding, "yes, Tsume, it is." He replied.

Now the other members of Hebi appeared, Suigetsu speaking "Sasuke! What are we doing chasing an ex leaf shinobi around?" Sasuke just glared in his direction, warning him to mind his words.

Turning back to Tsume, Sasuke explained to her why they had sought her. As he explained that he wanted her in Hebi, Suigetsu complained again "first we seek her out, and now you want her to join us?! Oh no! This has gone on way too far!" Sasuke now held his sword to Suigetsu, charging its blade with the threat of chidori.

"You're more annoying than Naruto!"

Suigetsu's eyes widened "how dare you insult me like that?!"

Sasuke just ignored him and continued conversing with Tsume.

Konohakagure

"U-um… Excuse me?" a girl approached the secretary's counter, hardly talking above a whisper, her fingers pointed together sheepishly.

"Yes? May I help you, Ms. Hyuuga?" one of the secretaries replied.

"Y-yes… I was wondering which room Naruto is in."

The secretary slightly giggled at Hinata's shyness and how predictable she was "I saw that coming. Naruto is in 281. And, Hinata, between you and I, he's been asking if you've been in,"

Hinata blinked with the crimson shade that engulfed her face as she thanked the secretary, bowed, and walked down the hall, searching for the wing the lead to Naruto's room. As she walked, she tried to compose herself, though to her disappointment, when she found his room, she had no avail.

She approached his room, feeling a sweat bead roll down her face and the crimson shade that engulfed it growing darker. She hastily got a hold of her self and knocked gently on his door. She could hear Naruto's voice, which came in somewhat a sleepily tone, call from the inside.

"Come in,"

Hinata opened the door, seeing Naruto all wrapped up in bandage. Fainting was certainly crossing her mind, but she tried to withstand it, and took a step into his room. Naruto, seeing Hinata, gave his normal smile and greeted her in his normal hyperactive way. This gave some relief to Hinata's urge of fainting. He was happy to see someone whom he recognized so briefly after waking up, and he had specifically been waiting for her anyway. Little did he know, she knew this.

A long awkward silence filled the room as the two of them waited in the room, Hinata wanting to speak, Naruto wondering what to say. After a while longer of the silence, Naruto realized that Hinata was still just standing there, holding the flowers that she brought.

"Oh! Hinata, sit down." he scooted over a bit, making room for her on his bed. "There, you can sit here if you want" he invited warmly.

Hinata walked over to him as she hesitantly sat on the bed, putting the flowers in a vase on his windowsill "T-thank you, Naruto"

The two sat there, as silence once again took over. Hinata looking up at him then back down every so often, and Naruto… well he just sat there and grinned. Hinata was the first to speak this time. "So, what happened with Sasuke-kun?" she asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh, well he took off again... But I think I gave him a real shock with my fire ball jutsu!" Naruto replied, his grin growing wider. "And next time, I'm really gonna bring him back! I don't care if I have to pass out a thousand times from exhaustion! I made a promise and I'm gonna keep it! Dattebuyo!" He continued, throwing his fist into the air then letting it drop again.

Hinata giggled slightly at his determination that always inspired her. She gazed at Naruto for a long moment, Taking in his roughed-up blonde hair, his sparkling blue eyes. Her eyes quickly ran over his toned, wrapped-up chest then back to the whisker-like streaks of hair on his face. Then came the question that had come to mind several times before he had left this time. "Naruto," she paused.

"Yeah, Hinata? What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could, possibly, go with you next time. If that's ok I mean!" she asked hesitantly. She peered up at Naruto from behind her hair, fearing him to be offended, or upset, when she sooner realized that he was grinning again

"Yeah! That'd be great! The more the merrier!" Naruto agreed, laughing excitedly "Actually, I've been kind of waiting for you to come here so I could invite you along…" He continued "Of course we'd have to train together a lot, and work really hard, but I'm sure we could do it! Dattebuyo!" He finished, almost leaping up out of his bed this time.

"Really? That's great, thanks Naruto!" Hinata suddenly said, and for once being almost as loud as him.

Hebi. Later that night.

Sasuke sat up against a tree as his teammates slept in their sleeping bags. He stared at the ground, spacing out, thinking.

'How did he learn the Goukakyuu? It was Naruto. He couldn't possibly be that powerful.' Sasuke eyes narrowed. The truth was: Naruto had become that powerful. He had learned the fire ball jutsu. And he had, once again, taken Sasuke by surprise with his growth. ' "You got your revenge on Itachi! Now come back to the village! You wanted to restore your clan after! Remember? Well here's your chance!"' for some reason, this had provoked thoughts of 'her'. "Sakura…" Sasuke spoke quietly. What was this? He had abandoned all this when he was with Orochimaru. These bonds shouldn't matter to him. So why? Why was he remembering Sakura? 'If you must leave, then I'll go with you if I have to! Just please don't leave me! Sasuke!' he remembered those last words she spoke, as she stood there pleading and crying for him to stay. His eyes narrowed again. 'Damn it! Why should I care? I'm done with them. Those bonds are of no use to me anymore!' Sasuke cursed inside his head. ' "What's going on? What are you?" Sasuke questioned, shielding his face as water sprayed past him, smoke and splashes fading to reveal a single tailed fox Naruto. "I'm your friend! And that's why I won't let you go to Orochimaru! Even if it means that I have to break every bone in your body! I'm bringing you back!" Naruto called emotionally' Sasuke gave a "Hn" and threw a kunai knife in the ground before him, which he was using to carve a peace of wood to pass time. Foolish Naruto, he was still pathetic, even with Goukakyuu. What did Sasuke care? He still had far better skills than just Goukakyuu. But still, Naruto knowing it in memory of him still rang in his mind.

Sasuke continued carving wood as he stared at the fire that had been set up for their night's campsite. 'Naruto'll come again. There's no doubt about that. And next time. I won't be taken by surprise. His new fireball jutsu won't be so unsuspected, and there's no way I'll have to panic. Naruto, next time I won't even come close to losing to you!' as Sasuke thought these words, he threw his new kunai knife at a tree, glaring in its direction.

"Who's there?" he demanded, Sharingan activated.

A familiar body stepped out from behind the tree and walked into the light, revealing Tsume. Sasuke relaxed himself as he saw her and gave a slightly annoyed "Oh. It's you."

"Yeah. It's me, so what? You seek me out, ask me to join your team and now you don't even want to see me. That hurts Sasuke-kun" she playfully frowned and teased him.

"And if I don't? You have the other's to talk to." He teased back.

She gave a slight huff. "Well they're sleeping! It isn't my fault you're the only one awake. Hey wait a minute, why are you awake Sasuke?" she realized.

"Interested?"

"Not particularly,"

"Then don't ask,"

"Well it isn't exactly normal for one to be awake and staring at a fire in the middle of the night, unless something's on their mind. Sheesh, sorry for asking."

"What should it matter?"

"I don't know. Oh! Maybe it's because we're from the same village, so I've known you as a child and maybe I'm just slightly worried about you." She replied sarcastically. "You were one of my best friends after all!" she finished, now giving a slight sigh.

Sasuke sighed as well as they continued their conversation throughout the night, hoping that she'd eventually stop talking and go to bed.

Naruto.

Hinata knocked gently on Naruto's door before silently stepping in before a reply came. She rested her eyes on the blond haired boy that rested peacefully in the hospital bed that was before her. She couldn't stop herself from letting out an almost silent giggle. Naruto actually looked at peace. He wasn't jumping around, he wasn't angry, sad, hyper, anxious. He was calm, and it brought satisfaction to Hinata to see him this way.

Hinata smiled to herself once more as she walked over to the windowsill, placing a small box of chocolate down. She looked over at Naruto once more before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her.