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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Chapter 8

Naruto scrunched up his nose. His cheek felt itchy. Actually, he felt itchy all over his body. Groggy, Naruto sat up and realized he had been asleep on dirt. Confused, he checked out his surroundings quickly. The Hokage Monument? When did I take a nap here? He vaguely remembered coming up here after the fiasco at the academy…

He sat cross-legged as he tried to remember what happened afterwards. "That's right! I met a ninja here!" Naruto stood up and ran around trying to find him. "He's gone." He murmured.

He wiped the dirt off his shorts. How long had he been asleep? It was dark but the moon seemed to shine intensely and it was higher than he remembered it. 11 o'clock maybe? Naruto was frowning as he began trotting down the steps on his way home. There was something a sort of tugging sensation in his brain; like he forgot something. Admittedly, he couldn't remember the face of the ninja he met very clearly. The more he tried to focus on it, the more blurry it looked.

Naruto sighed tiredly. Many streets were empty as he made his way through a residential area. Distracted, he tripped on a stone and fell flat on his face. Whether it was the fall or not, Naruto suddenly remembered what his consciousness was trying to tell him. "Sasuke!" He shouted.

He got to his feet and ran with a sudden sense of urgency. He could hear the words in his mind on repeat like a broken record player. Please take care of Sasuke for me…Please take care of Sasuke for me…Please take care of Sasuke for me…Was he in trouble? Was he okay? Naruto didn't know, but he felt slightly panicked at the thought.

Panting, he took a left. He wasn't sure if he was going the right way. He had only been to the Uchiha residence once, and that was simply at the gates. He didn't know long it took before finally reaching the compound. Hands on his knees, he paused to catch his breath.

Looking up, the compound look completely eerie. It was dead silent. Not a single light was on. Hesitantly, he took a couple steps forward, head turning in all directions. The further he went, the stronger a strange scent became. He wrinkled his nose and began to jog in hopes of getting out of here soon. "Sasuke!" He shouted. This is really creepy…

It wasn't until another five minutes that Naruto encountered a body strewn across the road. "Are you okay mister?" He yelled. No response. Slowly he approached until he was only two feet away before noticing a pool of blood. "Hey! What's wrong?" He cried in alarm. He reached out and touched the man on the arm. Naruto flinched and immediately stepped back. "Mister!" The touch had been ice cold…

Panic soon began to surface. Naruto ran away. Unfortunately, that wasn't the last body he witnessed. He realized, doors were left open. Inside the homes… he could see lifeless forms soaking in their own blood. The more Naruto ran, the more bodies he found. Due to the moonlight, he could all too clearly see their pale faces, their bloodied figures, their wounds…

Naruto could feel the tears streaking down his dirt covered face. "What happened?! What's going on?!" He cried. His body was shaking. "Sasuke!" He wailed. "Sasuke! Where are you?!" His feet kept moving on their own. "Rei!" He sobbed.

His breathing was becoming very shallow and Naruto wondered if he was gonna pass out. His stomach churned suddenly and he retched forcefully. He didn't even have lunch, thus mostly stomach acid spewed out of him.

Naruto felt like giving up. This was too much. I can't do this! What if…what if I find Sasuke…He couldn't finish the thought but another round of retching followed. His mouth felt dry and burned. He wiped his mouth on his shirt and sped off again. Fortunately, he didn't see any more corpses. Just as he was about to give up, Naruto spotted a lone figure in the middle of the road. Unlike the other bodies, this one was small.

Fearfully, Naruto rushed over to get a closer look. "S-Sasuke?" He whispered, voice shaking. The body was small, and wearing a black outfit like he remembered Sasuke wearing this morning. It looked like Sasuke but the boy was face flat on the cold dirt.

Naruto whimpered. He wanted this to be over! Taking a deep breath, he quickly turned the boy over. "Sasuke!" Naruto shrieked in relief upon seeing his face. He kneeled beside and tried shaking him, glad to see that he had some warmth to his body. He's alive! "Sasuke! Wake up!" He tried shaking him again but here was no response. "What do I do? What do I do?"

Sasuke needs help so I'll take him to the hospital! Naruto decided. He grabbed Sasuke's arm and slung him over his back. Naruto struggled to walk properly. He was carrying dead weight. Sasuke felt like a thousand pounds! Despite the struggle, it didn't faze him. He was determined to get Sasuke out of here and get him some help. He staggered and weaved his way through the apparent graveyard that now was the Uchiha compound. He was gradually getting closer to the gates and Naruto purposely stared straight ahead to avoid gazing at Sasuke's fallen clan members. Feeling that his chest was cold, he realized his shirt was wet from all the tears he was shedding.

Groaning, he shifted Sasuke on his back. Naruto was getting tired. There was no one in sight. Could they all be asleep? His voice was hoarse from all his yelling and pleas for help. Naruto wasn't sure he'd make it without collapsing. He was exhausted. Drained. He needed help.

If by some miracle, he heard his name. "Naruto!" A voice cried.

Naruto knew that voice! "Gaara! Gaara! I'm over here! I need help!" He shouted as loud as he could. Slowly he could make out Gaara getting closer. He was crouched on his floating sand, soaring a couple feet over the homes.

"Over here!" Naruto said, waving an arm madly.

Gaara spotted Naruto and an unconscious Sasuke on his back. He dropped down right in front of Naruto and ran to his side. "Are you okay? I was worried! Iruka-sensei is out looking for you too! What happened to Sasuke?" He questioned. Gaara was on the verge of panicking. Naruto looked terrible.

"I-I. It's hard to explain. Can you help me take Sasuke to the hospital I'll explain later." Naruto pleaded.

Gaara didn't press him further and nodded. He took an arm and helped distribute Sasuke's weight between them. Due to his help, they were able to walk easier. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes before someone appeared before them.

Naruto recognized him though. "Dog!" He shouted. Gaara decided not to question it. The individual was a ninja. He supposed he was an anbu since he did have a dog mask hiding his features.

"Dog!" Naruto repeated. "We need help. Sasuke! He needs to go to the hospital. And…a lot of people are dead." He whispered.

The ninja stiffened at his words. "Where?"

"The Uchiha…all of the Uchiha…at the compound…" Naruto struggled to get the words out. He could feel Gaara staring at him in shock.

"I understand." The ninja made a hand sign and a clone poofed into existence. "Inform the Hokage. Now!" The clone nodded and disappeared.

"I'll be accompanying you to the hospital to ensure your safety. I'll carry Sasuke." The walked up to them and easily transferred Sasuke over to his back. He looked so tiny…fragile. "Let's go." The boys nodded and nervously followed the anbu to the hospital.


Gaara sat still and alternated from watching Naruto to gazing at the door of the emergency room where they had taken Sasuke. Naruto was fidgeting in his seat and tapping his foot restlessly on the tiled floor. Naruto had filled him in after they took Sasuke. He had been at the Hokage monument and when he was about to go home, he felt the need to check on Sasuke. He went to the compound only to find dead bodies strewn about. He found Sasuke still alive, and carried him as far as he could.

Gaara didn't know Sasuke well; he did have a good time the day of Sasuke's birthday, but there was no real friendship yet. Watching Naruto, he could clearly tell he was edge. Naruto had admitted to him some time ago, that he and Sasuke weren't actual friends, just two people that competed a lot. Mostly due to Naruto's insistence, but a rivalry was slowly developing.

He sighed. It felt a little like déjà vu. Hadn't he been in this hospital, waiting in these chairs only a month ago? Gaara lifted his legs and hugged his knees to his chest. Was Sasuke the only living survivor? Was Rei…was she gone? Sadness swept through him at the thought. He liked Rei. She was a very kind person and treated Naruto and him fairly.

Fortunately, the Hokage arrived and Gaara sighed in relief. He listened silently as Naruto repeated his story to Sarutobi. Gaara confirmed his part of the story and the Hokage left to converse with a nurse on Sasuke's condition. They'd been at the hospital for nearly an hour. It was past midnight. Naruto's eyes were drooping but he was struggling to fight off sleep. He himself felt the need to sleep a while. The Hokage returned not much later. He took a seat across from them and gave them a comforting smile.

"Sasuke's alright. The doctors could not find any injuries. He is simply unconscious at the moment." He reassured. Naruto visibly relaxed in his seat and Gaara could feel his muscles relax too, unware of how tense he was. The Hokage stared at them softly. Gaara was taken aback at the affection.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" The old man questioned.

Naruto swallowed thickly and nodded. The kage silently raised his arms out to Naruto. He couldn't fight it anymore and tears welled up in his blue eyes before launching himself into the arms of the Hokage. "Jiji!" He cried.

"It's okay Naruto." He soothed, rubbing his back in circles. "It's okay. Sasuke is safe. You did an amazing thing tonight. Everything's gonna be okay." He promised. Naruto sobbed, clutching tightly at the robes of the Hokage.

The Hokage held out his other arm to Gaara. He hesitated. He couldn't remember the last time he received a hug. Had he ever been hugged? Nonetheless, the man was giving him such a compassionate look that he climbed right up beside him. He hadn't witnessed the same thing as Naruto tonight, but there was a pain in his heart. His heart hurt for Naruto. It hurt for Sasuke. It hurt for Rei. The ache was strongly lodged in his chest and he hugged the Hokage tightly, wishing it to go away.

The Hokage hugged the small boys close until they felt sufficiently soothed. "My ninja and I are still investigating what happened at the Uchiha compound. I don't have any answers quite yet. But be assured that I will figure out the cause. Alright?" He asked. They nodded tiredly. "Sasuke has been moved to his own room now. You may go in and see him for a bit if you'd like."

"I want to see him, jiji." Naruto whispered into his robes.

"Okay, you can go see him. The nurse will show you to his room. He's being guarded by my special ninja Naruto, so you will all be safe. I have a lot of work to do so I'll be heading back to the tower, alright?"

"Yes jiji."

"Yes Hokage-sama." They murmured.

They detached themselves from the Hokage and he gave them a pat on the head before leaving. Silence lingered before Naruto spoke. "Let's go see Sasuke."

Gaara nodded. They walked close by each other, shoulders almost touching. He wondered if it was a way to comfort each other. The nurse walked them down some corridors and authorized their entrance to a ninja standing guard.

They stepped into the room which was nearly pitch black, except for the rays of moonlight that shined through the window blinds. Gaara stared at Sasuke and Naruto did the same. It was as Sarutobi said. He looked fine. Perhaps a bit pale, but he looked completely unharmed. Naruto seemed satisfied and crawled up onto Sasuke's bed. He shrugged and followed him up. There was actually a lot of room. Sasuke looked tiny on the large hospital bed.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly hit him and he yawned. Naruto's eyes were dropping and he flopped down on the bed. "G'night, Gaara." He murmured to the blanket, and was soon on a fast-track to dreamland. Gaara followed his example and lied down as well.

"Good night, Naruto." He whispered. Not too long after, unconsciousness overtook him.


One Hour Later

The Hokage rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the raging headache he was experiencing. It felt like a large drum was beating inside his skull. Taking a deep breath, he returned his attention to his shinobi that was standing still, waiting for his command.

"I apologize for removing you from your duties. The investigation is still ongoing, and is still under your scrutiny but I wanted to share some information to help aid in the investigation." The Hokage explained.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The masked ninja replied.

"Many of the bodies of the Uchiha are yet to be removed from the compound and officially identified. Unofficially, Sasuke is the only surviving member of the clan. Despite the intentions of the Uchiha to organize a coup d'état, all other members of the clan appear to have been massacred." The Hokage laced his fingers together and set them wearily on his desk. "I suspect that the only possible culprit with the necessary capabilities to perform this heinous act has to be none other than Uchiha Itachi. Thus, I'd like the rest of your team to handle the grunt of the investigation and have you on protection detail for Sasuke. I fear that Itachi may return to…unfortunately eliminate Sasuke. I'll be assigning Gai on this mission as well. I believe that you both are the best suited for this mission. If you have nothing to add, you're dismissed."

"Hai Hokage-sama!" With a quick bow, the shinobi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

A dog mask wearing ninja, stealthily neared the room of one Sasuke Uchiha. He had just finished giving his orders to his team before making his way here. The shinobi couldn't believe the tragic mess that occurred tonight. He had only just arrived from a solo mission when he stumbled upon the blonde kid with an unconscious Uchiha. He was fatigued, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

He had been surprised the boy recognized him. He had only tailed the kid a couple of times, to keep tabs on him to report back to the Hokage. The anbu had tried pretty hard to avoid getting those missions, but he couldn't avoid them forever.

Slowly, he approached the patient's door, senses reaching out for any kind of threat. Sensing no such threat, he entered the room and did a double take. Naruto, and a boy he later found out was called Gaara, was curled up fast asleep on Sasuke's bed. They had no blankets so they huddled close together for warmth. The anbu could only stare in shock. They look like puppies...He snapped out of it quickly. This was not time to be caught off guard. If Itachi did return, this was not a safe place for the boys to be. A clone materialized beside him and took them into his arms. They're so tiny…He thought.

"Take the boys home." He ordered. The clone nodded and carefully carried them out of the room.

Eyeing Sasuke, the shinobi settled into position for his watch. "It's going to be a rough couple of days." He said with a sigh. His lone eye stared at Sasuke sadly. Let's hope you're not the sole surviving Uchiha Sasuke.


Bright rays of light made their way through a small room and reached the eyelids of Naruto. He felt the burning of his eyelids and immediately rolled over, trying to hide from the harsh sunlight. He kicked the blanket off, feeling too warm. Still half asleep, Naruto frowned. Where did he get a blanket? Did a nurse bring it? He wondered.

Cracking an eye open, he took a look around. "Huh!" Naruto quickly sat up. He wasn't in Sasuke's room! It was his room! He was back in his apartment.

"Gaara!" He cried. "Gaara, you here?" He shouted, running out of the bedroom.

"I'm here." Gaara replied opening his door, fully dressed.

"What happened? Why are we back home?"

"I don't know. Perhaps one of the ninjas brought us home." Gaara guessed. "You even have your sleeping cap on." He pointed out.

"I do?" Naruto touched his head to indeed find the sleeping cap the Hokage had given him on a past birthday.

"Shall we go see Sasuke again?" Gaara asked curiously.

Naruto paused. "Yeah. But let's go see jiji first. I have some questions…" He confessed.

"Okay, but I think you should shower before we go. Your shirt…" He murmured.

Naruto inspected his attire and it was still smeared with vomit and dirt. He nodded in agreement. It was most definitely time for a quick wash. Quickly, he gathered his things and took the fastest shower he could while still scrubbing furiously to remove the grime. He dressed in fresh clothes and Gaara waited patiently at the front door. "Let's go!" Solemnly, they raced to the Hokage tower in search of answers.

"I told you already! You can't enter the Hokage's office. He's extremely busy. If you're unaware, there was a huge tragedy last night! Buzz off!"

"I know that! That's why I'm here to talk to the old man about!"

"Scram!"

"I'm not leavin!"

Gaara bit his lip anxiously. Was this the right moment to step in? They had managed to get this far up until reaching the doors of the Hokage's office. The tower resembled a beehive. Ninjas were darting back and forth, in and out; all in a chaotic but efficient dance after the wake of the massacre. Unfortunately, the chunin guard did not appreciate two young boys demanding to see the Hokage, and Naruto was not too pleased either.

"Don't make me drag you out of here myself kid!" The guard threatened.

"Go ahead n' try!" Naruto taunted.

Before the situation could escalate to a physical fight, a voice interrupted the feud. "That's enough." The Hokage commanded.

"Hokage-sama!" The guard greeted and quickly bowed. "I was just telling these kids that you're too occupied with important matters and do not have time to see two little kids." He explained, while giving the boys the stink eye.

The Hokage sighed wearily and made a waving motion with his hand. "It's alright. Come inside boys, I have some spare time before my next meeting." He said while opening the office doors. Naruto stuck his tongue out at the guard in triumph and the guard gritted his teeth in annoyance. The boys followed the Hokage and stared expectantly the guard.

"Shut the doors please." The Hokage asked, already seated at his desk.

Scowling, the guard did as he was told. "Yes Hokage-sama!"

"I believe I owe you both an explanation to what occurred last night. This will not be a secret by any means, but we are still trying to clear up the…compound. The villagers are still uninformed so I would appreciate if you did not repeat what I'm going to discuss with you until I make an official announcement. Alright?"

They nodded somberly, taking note of the serious tone of the kage.

"In this horrific event, the Uchiha clan have been…slaughtered. Only Uchiha were victim of this assault and we have determined that the assailant and perpetrator to be Uchiha Itachi."

Gaara was shocked. The very downfall to the Uchiha was an Uchiha? Naruto also seemed to be in a state of surprise. After a minute, Naruto seemed to collect himself. "But Sasuke…" He trailed off.

"Yes, Sasuke is just fine. After you visit and my ninja returned you boys home, there have been no other threats to his person. He's safe." The Hokage assured.

Naruto sighed in relief but there was still one thing that he needed an answer to. He got closer and put his hands on the desk and looked directly up at the Hokage. "Jiji…" He started, but swallowed in attempt to get rid of the lump at the back of his throat. "What happened…what happened to Uchiha Rei?" He asked with fear.

"Rei?" He asked curiously.

"Yes. Naruto and I met her about a week and a half ago." Gaara explained.

The aged ninja rubbed his temples. "You may want to take a seat."

Gaara bit his lip but quickly dragged some chairs over.

"Jiji!" Naruto cried out, fearing the worst.

Gaara could feel tears welling in his eyes. He grabbed Naruto's wrist and sat him down. He could see tears were streaming down Naruto's pale face.

The Hokage's expression looked grim. He took a depth breath and explained what became of Uchiha Rei that night.


Terrible cliff hanger, I know...

Don't worry guys! I have a plan!

AN: I'd appreciate any reviews or comments!