It was the most nerve wracking time of my entire life as I waited for Matsuko to wake up. Sakura had told me he was expected to make a full recovery, but, the curse mark on his neck was red the entire time she was treating him. I've done a little research on the curse mark in the four days he's been asleep and found that this meant that whoever put the mark there was calling for them. Hopefully Orochimaru believes Matsuko to be dead since he hadn't yet returned to him. I knew this was unlikely and that should Matsuko know that Orochimaru was calling for him he would go. I could no longer allow Matsuko to return to Orochimaru for fear that next time his life will be sniped from him before he truly has a chance at the happiness he wishes for. I sat in a chair next to his bed with my head resting on my hands. I had bound Matsuko's hands to the bed as well as his feet so when he awakens he can't run back to Orochimaru.

Matsuko's eyes opened and he looked around in a confused daze. It took him a minute to process the world around him and once he did he attempted to sit up only to feel himself bound. He looked over at me in fear as he struggled against the bindings of the bed.

"Naruto, wha-what're you doing? Please let me go…" I looked up at him with feelings of guilt as I saw the expression of fear.

"I-I can't do that Matsuko. You'll run back to Orochimaru and I can't allow that." I felt that what I was doing was wrong but I wasn't about to allow Orochimaru to mark his skin any longer.

Naruto, you can't keep him bound like this. He has free will, you are aware of that aren't you?

I ignored Kurama's words as I walked over to the bed and stroked his cheek. I loved him and I wasn't going to let him go back there; not ever again. I kissed his head and trailed soft kisses down until I met his lips. He seemed to melt into the kiss as our lips moved together. I felt the bindings give way under me as he easily snapped them and shoved me off of him. The Matsuko looking at me wasn't the one I loved, and I knew immediately who this one was, it was the mercenary that begged to be released from his bindings inside him. He grabbed the nearby scalpel that lay on the medical tray next to his bed and started to carve the curse mark off his neck without even slightly flinching. He threw the piece of flesh down onto the floor with the scalpel as blood dripping down onto the hospital clothing that he was wearing.

Matsuko looked down at me where I sat on the floor of the room after being tossed from his bed. I started backing up feeling very unnerved by this new Matsuko as he started to advance towards me.

Naruto, you need to run. He has killing intent.

Kurama's words broke me from my daze and I stood up from the floor coming to face the furious Matsuko. Before I could prepare to fight him he grabbed me by the throat and looked into my eyes; he relished in the sight of fear. This was the true Matsuko, the one I loved was nearly a facade that he showed to the world, but, this was who he really was.

"I loved you Naruto, how could you allow that building to crush me? You almost killed me. Those stab wounds wouldn't have killed me but all that rubble piled atop my body would've." My heart hurt at the truth of his words. He began squeezing harder on my throat as I grasped at his arm trying to free myself. He dropped me on the floor before looking down at me.

"Matsuko, I love you!" He shook his head.

"No, you don't. You love the attention I give you because despite being surrounded by friends you're still lonely on the inside. Let me tell you this now Naruto, no one can ever fill the void your parents left when they died before you were old enough to know them. That pain will never go away but don't use people and play with their feelings." I stared in shock as Matsuko walked towards the door to the infirmary. I...I did love him, didn't I? I couldn't bare to be without him even though I knew nothing about him or who he was, wasn't that what love was? The intense desire to just be around someone? I just sat there on my knees contemplating what he said to me as the door slammed.

"He's gone...I lost him…" Sakura walked into the infirmary and looked at my face. I could tell she heard everything by the look she had given me.

"He'll be back Naruto. If he truly loves you he'll be back."

"You didn't see his face Sakura. He was furious with me to the point he wanted to kill me. I don't know why he didn't but I knew he wanted to."

Sakura wrapped her arms around me as I sobbed into her shirt. What has this man made me into?