The hug lingered for a moment before Naruto let out a soft, pained moan.

Sasuke released him from the grip. "What is it?"

The blond opened his one blue eye and gazed into the raven's shaking facial expression that flickered in between sympathy and confusion. He immediately down casted his raised orb and took to staring down at the Uchiha's chest moving up and down in its breathing movement. "Y-you called me your brother?"

He took no hesitation to answer. "Of course. You've always been my otouto."

Naruto found some humor in how he was classified as the smaller brother and allowed that of a smile to play across his lips. "Thanks."

"Hn."

"E-hem." Sakura called for their attention. "As much as I'd love to stand here and watch the two of you become friendly, I'm a medic min and I need to take care of the wounds."

Sasuke nodded and turned the blond to a position of sitting on the bed and got up to leave.

Naruto reached out and grabbed the Uchiha's shirt at the last second. He had stopped Sasuke from departing and turned his head to Sakura, instantly faking a smile. "Sakura-chan, I'm fine. Kyuubi will heal me anyway, right, Sasuke?" He awaited for a response.

"No."

Damn bastard.

"He's right. And from what I see, the Kyuubi isn't helping you much at all at the moment."

"B-"

Her face grew a shade of red. "Naruto, I swear, if you give me a hard time I'm going to punch you all the way to Sunagakure."

The teen shivered, knowing for a fact she wouldn't hesitate to do so. He dropped his smile to a frown. "Can Sasuke stay?"

The two were silent.

"Sure, why not." The pink kunoichi smiled.

Sasuke sighed and sat at the edge of the bed. "Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Sakura took to checking over all of the boy's minor wounds, cuts and bruises, and steadied her way to the condition of the bloodied chest where a kunai had been jabbed into it. Her hands glowed green as they floated over the injuries. "Okay. This might hurt a little." She warned the blond.

Naruto nodded and clenched his eye shut.

Sakura dabbed a coat of peroxide and pressed it onto the swollen flesh, she received a cry from the teen, but continued to hold her position. After what seemed like minutes she released the towel that was now red and covered the stab wound with gauze and fresh bandages.

"Alright."

He opened his eye and sighed.

Sakura took to flowing more Chakra into her hands and placed them over the boy's worse injury; his eye. How she hoped her suspicions were wrong, but when her hand hovered over the wound she was only confirmed of its state. It had been severely and dangerously severed from his skull with an unworthy, and most likely rusted, weapon. However, what she found most disturbing was the thought of someone doing such and how Naruto was able to survive without completely going insane.

The pink haired kunoichi had long noticed the tail that protruded from his back and thought it best not to ask. She was curious, though.

The extent of his injury was far more than what her medical jutsu alone could handle.

"Sasuke, can I talk to you for a second?"

Naruto looked desperately between the two after seeing the shock in Sakura's eyes. "W-where're you going?"

Sasuke spoke for the girl. "We'll be outside. We just need to talk for a moment." He took his hand, ruffling the blond's hair; a strange action for the Uchiha.

The two left the room and shut the door behind them.

"Sakura before you say anything, I already know."

She was confused.

"I saw your expression while checking his eye."

"What about it?"

"We have to get him to the hospital, don't we?"

Sakura took a breath. "Yes. His eye was mutilated and carved out carelessly. We have to get him under operation."

He was silent a moment. "Will he ever be able to see with that eye?" He already knew the answer.

"No."

They looked at each other for a swift second before turning back their heads to the door.

"Come on. We have to get him over there." Sasuke gripped at the knob and turned it.

They were greeted with the sight of an empty bed followed by an empty room. The blond headed teen was no longer seen.

"N-Naruto?" Sakura called.

No response.

"Dobe, get your damn ass here, now!" Sasuke knew yelling wasn't the best of options, but he was growing more and more worried by the second.

Then, a soft voice sounded. "D-don't make me go t-there..."

The raven searched around the room and stopped at the edge of the bed, hearing whimpering from underneath. "Why not?"

He chocked out, "T-the villagers...I'm scared..."

The villagers?!

Sorry for shortness. Please leave a review.

Arigato!