DISCLAIMER:
I do not own the 'Naruto' or 'Naruto: Shippuden' series or characters.

RETURN TO KONOHA

It took exactly what I predicted to get back to Konoha. We stopped only to sleep and eat for the entire two days and by the end of the trip we were either fed up and needed a long uninterrupted rest or were in pain and needed immediate medical assistance. We were about a mile away from the village when we spotted by a group of guard shinobi who yelled out in relief and sprinted forward to greet us. Or more specifically, Yamato as he was our leader.

"You're back! Thank god!"

Now you have to remember that I was half-conscious when this occurred so I'm not entirely sure that I have the reactions right. But I vaguely remembered that the guard shinobi who addressed Yamato had seen me 'unconscious' on Naruto's back and reacted as anybody would – with shock and panic.

"What happened to her?" he demanded.

I felt somebody's gloved hand touch my face, and Naruto shifted my dead weight on his back as Yamato answered the guard's question.

"Akima was stabbed in the stomach by Sasuke Uchiha." he said, gravely.

"He did what?" said the guard, enraged. I stirred from my sleep and moaned softly. Naruto noticed this and whispered to me.

"Akima?"

I turned my head and tried to make myself comfortable again.

"What's going on? Where are we?" I mumbled. Naruto shifted again. He was getting tired. "We're home, Akima. Just hold on."

I yawned as the guard spoke again. "The Hokage needs to be informed. In the meantime, we need to take Akima to the Hospital..."

Uh, oh...

The guards accompanying the first one came 'round to Naruto and proceeded to take me off Naruto's back. Thankfully, Naruto stepped away from them. Sakura sighed tiredly and approached Naruto, gently talking to him.

"C'mon, Naruto. Give Akima to the guards." I raised my head then, alerting everyone except Naruto for obvious reasons that I was awake and alert.

"Let Naruto take me..." I mumbled groggily. Sakura appeared in my face using the same voice she used on Naruto before.

"But Akima, you're badly wounded. Let a professional medical ninja take care of this." I stubbornly tightened my hold on Naruto's shoulders. Naruto winced slightly from the tightness.

"I don't care. Naruto's taking me. That's that!" I answered and buried my face into Naruto's back. Sakura sighed and looked at the guard shinobi who had fixed Naruto and I with a complexed look before realising why we were resisting and they smiled understandingly and complied with my wishes.

Naruto and a handful of guards escorted me to the Konoha hospital at a brisk pace. They were relieved when they reached the hospital and nothing bad had happened. But the moment they stepped through the entrance, pain ripped through my neck once more and I screamed out in both panic and pain. Naruto and the guards reacted in horror.

"Oh God! Hold on, Akima!" urged Naruto. I felt Naruto carefully shift my body from his back to be carried out front in his arms.

Then he, the guards and a bunch of white kimono clad ninja gasped in horror when they saw an unfortunate sight. The front of my purple shirt which at the time of the attack had only a small red stain on the front had swelled dramatically to a larger red stain and looked incredibly gruesome. Naruto immediately deposited me into the arms of the nearest medical ninja.

"No! Wait, Naruto!" I protested and arched away from the ninja holding me, who immediately turned and rushed away, going on red alert. Naruto watched harassed as I was taken in to be treated and he turned and walked outside of the hospital to wait for Sakura.

Although instead he was greeted by fellow classmates: Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka and his best friend and dog, Akamaru whom Kiba was riding like a horse, Neji Hyuūga and Shikamaru Nara who had just seen Naruto taking me in, escorted by a group of highly stressed out guard ninja.

"Naruto! You're back!" greeted Ino, who then saw the worried, angry expression on Naruto's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder which he gently shook off. Shikamaru approached Naruto with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Where's Sakura and Akima?" Naruto pointed towards the village gates as he replied.

"Sakura is back at the gate with Sai talking with Yamato and one of the guard ninja about our mission. But Akima is in there." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the Hospital behind them.

"What? Why?" asked Ino, concerned. Naruto stared at his friends with a weary expression before answering.

"Sasuke stabbed her with his sword. She's bleeding to death." Ino clapped her hands to her face, while the boys reacted in outrage. "Oh no! Akima!"

"You're not serious?" exclaimed Shikamaru. Kiba looked shocked.

"No! Akima!"

Neji's face twisted in anger as he registered what Naruto said to him.

"What a cowardly move. Unforgivable." he decided. Naruto raised his head heavenward as he sighed. The others looked at him, knowing that Naruto hadn't finished what he was saying.

"But that's not all. Not by a long shot." Their faces twisted in confusion as Sakura finally caught up with Naruto.

"Naruto! I'm here!" Naruto didn't turn his head to acknowledge her.

"Hey Sakura." he droned as he focused on everybody else's face. Sakura hastily greets everybody else as they just as impatiently greeted her.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" asks Kiba, dismounting Akamaru, who drops to the ground and yawns in a very dog like way. His bushy white tail twitches as Naruto looks at Sakura for an answer about whether he should tell them about my relationship with Sasuke. Sakura nods hesitantly.

"While we were out looking for Sasuke, we found out that he and Akima are 1st cousins." Ino, Kiba, Shikamaru and Neji gasped in amazement.

"Cousins? Why didn't Akima tell us before?" asked Kiba, frowning incredulously. Neji crossed his arms over his chest as he logically answered the question for Naruto and Sakura.

" It was probably because it was on a need to know basis. Nobody else knew about it." Naruto flushed red and looked uncomfortable, while Sakura went silent and got defensive. Ino narrowed her eyes at her rival.

"You two knew, and didn't tell us?" she said, surly. Sakura shook with anger and bellowed at Ino.

"God, Ino! You're such a rude person. This wasn't our place to tell. It should've been up to Akima to tell us when she was ready."

"Obviously not now. Because you and Naruto have just told us." said Shikamaru, bluntly. Sakura ignored him and continued her rant.

"Besides, we couldn't have told you straight away. Because we only just found out two days ago." Naruto was still red-faced and this caused everyone to look at him strangely. Sakura got suspicious.

"Naruto, are you hiding something from us?" Naruto suddenly looked sheepishly at the group of frowning ninja in front of him.

"I knew long before you found out." Sakura grabbed him forcibly by the jacket and pulled him close to her face as she snarled angrily at him.

"WHAT?"

Naruto struggled to get away from Sakura.

" Akima and I had been best friends since we were both five-" Sakura looked like she wanted to strangle Naruto, before Kiba immediately grabbed her by the shirt and dragged her away from Naruto for his own safety.

"It was before I actually got friends. Back when you all thought I was 'cursed' or 'weird'."

Everybody immediately looked awkward. But then Kiba suddenly looked like he was seriously thinking over something in his head.

"Well, it sort of makes sense now. Akima and Sasuke, that is." Ino looked at her boyfriend in surprise.

"How?" Kiba pulled on Ino's fringe for emphasis as he explained.

"They almost look the same. With their fringes and personality. If it wasn't for the fact that Akima was a chick and Sasuke was a dude, you'd probably wouldn't be able to tell them apart."

If I had've been standing there with them, I probably smack Kiba over the back of the head for such a comment.

"Cousin or not. What Sasuke did to Akima is unforgivable, and he deserves what he gets in the future." said Neji, who was addressing both Naruto and Sakura, because they, as well as me had the most to do with him. Ino immediately got offended with Neji's comment.

"Don't say that about Sasuke!" and looked over at Sakura for her reaction.

If it had've been two years ago, Sakura would've also defended Sasuke to the hilt as well, but because it wasn't two years ago, Sakura wasn't sure if she should forgive Sasuke's actions towards somebody he was supposed to love like a sister. Ino was surprised by Sakura's reaction, as was everybody else – with the exception of Naruto, who was still staring impatiently at the hospital doors.

"Don't you agree, Sakura?" Sakura is staring at the ground sorrowfully as she replies to her rival's question.

"I'll always love Sasuke, don't you forget that. But I don't agree to his methods, and what he did to Akima was the last straw." Shikamaru looked over at Naruto and is curious by the way Naruto is acting. He approaches his friend and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto. She'll be okay, man. What's gotten into you?" Sakura came over to Shikamaru and addresses him.

"Love. Shikamaru, Naruto and Akima are a couple now." Everybody congratulates Naruto, who barely acknowledges, but instantly jumps when a white kimono clad ninja steps out with a tired, but optimistic expression on his face. Sakura approaches the ninja.

"Is Akima okay?" The ninja looks at Sakura like she had three heads before realising what she said and laughs embarrassedly.

"Oh! They finished with her about three minutes ago. She's sitting up in her room resting." Naruto sped off before the ninja finished speaking.

Typical. Sakura rolled her eyes as the ninja looked back at her and continued talking to her and the others.

"But don't stay too long. I need to summon the Hokage."

"Why? Is her condition bad?" asked Sakura. The medical ninja smiled tiredly.

"No. The procedure went smoothly, who ever fixed her wounds did a bang on job." Sakura smiled at the praise and thanked the ninja who realised that Sakura was Lady Tsunade's apprentice medical student.

"Akima had told me some rather strange things while she was under the local anasthetic, that I think her ladyship ought to be informed of." The medical ninja then yawned loudly before excusing himself and heading off to the Hokage's office.

Sakura exchanged harrassed looks with her friends and the small group chunnin ninja headed into the Hospital to see Akima.
I, however was enjoying the moment I had with Naruto, as he had burst into the hospital room and scared the shit out of me. He instantly grinned when I looked up at him.

"Hey!" I beamed and nearly fell out of the bed as Naruto tackled me and passionately kissed me. Suddenly we heard somebody wolf-whistling after a few minutes of uninterrupted heaven.

"Wooh! Yeah!" jeers Kiba. Naruto and I glare at Kiba distastefully. Kiba pales and immediately shuts up. Ino approaches the side of the bed not occupied by Naruto and clutched my hand.

"Akima! Are you okay?" I took back my hand and nodded happily.

"Yeah! Much better now that my friends are here!" All the boys came over and high-fived me, and I winced when Ino gave me a tight hug, forgetting for an instant that I had just been patched up.

"We can't believe that Sasuke could do that to you, Akima." said Neji, frowning at me. I was slightly annoyed as while Naruto was 'seeing' that I was feeling better, he had told me the conversation they were all having downstairs.

"Yeah. But from what Naruto told me about your conversation downstairs, I'm getting the impression that you thought Sasuke did it deliberately." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't?" he asked, confusedly. I shook my head firmly.

"No. He did it to throw Orochimaru off. Mind you, I wish he could've thought of a different, less painful plan." I rubbed my stomach gingerly. I tried to sit up straighter on the bed and I winced causing hands coming at me from every direction. Sakura, who had taken Ino's place on the bed and was now holding my hand and sitting next to me, was the closest and with some assistance from Naruto, readjusted the pillow so I could sit up.

"I'm confused." said Naruto.

"So what else is new?" muttered Shikamaru. I ignored the both of them.

"Sasuke and I have been doing this long before he left Konoha two years ago." I admitted.

Ino crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me with a jealous expression on her face that I recognised because Sakura had been using it for a long, long time.

"Really? Prove it. Give an example." Everybody looks at her, outraged by her rudeness. I glared at her acidly. Sighing as I recalled Sasuke telling me how much Ino and Sakura were annoying him. More so, Ino.

"I can see what Sasuke means. Sure, I'll give you an example." I agreed. Ino, hearing me saying that Sasuke had mentioned her, perked up and clasped her hands together excitedly much to Kiba's chagrin.

"What was that about Sasuke? What did he say about me?"

Everybody stared at Ino dubiously. Sasuke's cold, malicious laughter suddenly appeared in my head, which I ignored completely.

"Uh, once I was feeling really shitty and I went home early. You remember? We were outside the Ramen shop." Everybody shook their heads. I sighed in frustration.

"Anyway, I said "I'm not feeling well, guys. See you later." And I walked home. Sasuke, after a couple of minutes announced that he was bored and had better things to do with his time and said he was going home too. Is this ringing any bells now?" Heads continued shaking, except for Sakura who instantly looked uncomfortable.

I frowned at her.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Sakura got off the bed and turned to face me.

"I know all about that day personally." Everybody looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. Sakura sighed, looking like she desperately didn't want to confess what she was about to say.

"I mean, that I followed you and Sasuke after he left. Because I was really jealous and suspicious of your relationship with him. I do remember you saying: "I don't feel very well. I'll see ya tomorrow." and then leaving. Then two minutes later, Sasuke said he was bored and that he had better things to do with his time and then he left... after shaking Ino off his arm."

Ino's face reacted as she too remembered that day as well.

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed. Then pouted as she remembered Sasuke rejecting her yet again. I frowned disapprovingly Sakura, who wilted underneath my glare. But she still pressed on with her confession.

"I shadowed Sasuke until he turned a corner and flattened myself against the wall, before peering 'round. I remember seeing you, and feeling this stab of jealousy, and then hearing you saying "took you long enough" and then Sasuke making his typical sarcastic retort, then laughing. Which I thought was really weird because he never laughed..." She turned to everybody else.

"Did you guys ever heard Sasuke laugh?"

"Only deviously. Never positively or out of pleasure." admitted Shikamaru. The other boys agreed with him. I scowled resentfully at my friends, for not trying to get to know Sasuke better.

"Oh, believe me he did and probably still does despite the pain and suffering he got from that fucking bastard, Orochimaru and that traitor, Itachi." I said, bitingly.
Sakura winced at my angry voice and finished her confession.

"...and then I saw him take your hand and both of you set off down the road towards your home. I was hurt and very resentful of you at first. But now that I know that you both are cousins, I feel really ashamed that I was that paranoid." I relaxed at this, knowing that at long bloody last I wasn't going to be getting poison looks from my other best friend.

"At least you were honest with me. I'm really annoyed that you went behind our backs and spied on us. But there really wasn't anything for you to be worried about." I suddenly yawned, which indicated immediately to everybody that I was in need of a much needed sleep.

"We'll see ya later, Akima. Sorry about what happened to you." said Shikamaru and he and the others left.
Leaving only Naruto and Sakura behind.

"So what happens now? Granny Tsunade coming down?" asks Naruto.

"Yeah, she needs to. We need to report what happened down there with Sasuke and Orochimaru. They're going to tell Kakashi as well." answers Sakura.

Naruto pulls a face.

"Does Tsunade need to know everything?" he whined. Sakura rolled her eyes at his complaint.

"Yes, Naruto. Everything." But even she was looking worried.

I fell asleep listening to the two of them bickering amongst themselves, with Naruto stroking my hair and from the warmth in Sakura's hand as Sakura held mine protectively. Several hours later, I woke up feeling much better than before. I turned my head and saw that Sakura and Naruto had brought over some of my stuff and my laptop, which I instantly grabbed and logged into the chat room.