Chapter 2:

Naruto was staring ahead with dull eyes at the sky, barely breathing. Men and women were running

up to him, congratulating him. But then they saw the blood and wounds. Then they started crying.

---With Sakura and Tsunade---

"Lady Tsunade, you must rest!" Sakura cried out as the Legendary Sucker struggled to stand.

"No." Tsunade calmly said. Sakura blinked.

"Why? The battle is won...isn't it?" she asked. Tsunade groaned in her mind, but smiled, seeing the Hokage monument.

'Naruto looks so much like the Yondaime...and Sakura looks almost like Kushina...' she thought. "Sakura."

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Naruto could be in critical condition! Check on him!" she practically screamed. Sakura swallowed.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

She sprinted to Naruto, then gaped at his bloodstained, stab marked body. She quickly put some medicinal chakra on her hands, running them over his wounds. She winced. The injuries looked exactly like the time he used four tails, but deeper, and more painful. A lone tear fell onto him. She wiped away the wetness in her eyes, running her hands over his stiff muscles and flesh.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but...he looks really handsome." she murmered to herself, feeling his crimson cloak, running her hand over the black flames on it. The blood started to recede into Naruto, and she picked him up. She needed to take him and Tsunade to the hospital, and quickly.

---The Hospital---

Tsunade and Naruto were sleeping on hospital cots, tossing and turning. Sakura paced back and forth uneasily. 'You know you like him,' Inner Sakura teased. Sakura growled. And she had just gotten rid of Inner Sakura too. Ino walked in the door.

"Yeah, I should be helping my dad with the investigation...oh my God!" she screamed.

Sakura nodded. "Both are injured severely, I know." Ino shook her head.

"No, I mean, Naruto is hot now! And since when was Tsunade-sama an old lady?"

If anyone in the room was watching Tsunade, they would have seen an eye open for a fraction of a second and twitch at the second statement.

Naruto groaned deeply, trying to get up. "Naruto!" the two kunoichi yelled at the same time. Sakura quickly tried to get some medicine ready, while Ino started using that humongous mouth of hers.

"You did it Naruto! You beat that Akatsuki guy! And, hey nice cloak, where'd you get it-" Naruto cut her off.

"Where...where's Hinata-chan?" he asked weakly. Ino and Sakura looked at each other.

'Hinata? I thought he would be bragging about the new jutsu he used, or something.' Sakura thought.

'Hinata? I thought he liked Sakura." Ino thought stupidly.

Naruto looked at the two. "Well?" he said, tears starting to blossom in his eyes. Sakura opened her mouth, like she was going to say something, but then she swallowed, and closed it. Naruto tried to move, then cried out in pain. "Stay still, damn it!" Sakura said, as Naruto's bandages started getting redder. "Just tell us where she is, and we'll find her." Naruto swallowed deeply.

"Near where Pain was, behind a pile of rubble." he said sadly.

"What's the matter, Naruto-san?" Ino said, obvilous to the depression radiating from Naruto.

Naruto looked up, his sapphire eyes glistening. "She might be dead." Ino gasped, hugging Naruto gently. "I'm so sorry Naruto-"

'I feel like she's breaking my ribs!' Naruto thought.

"-but at least you beat Pain!" she said.

Naruto looked at his hand, burned with chakra. 'But I wasn't able to do it without the fox.' he thought.