Chapter Eleven

*Sigh...* Sakura frowns. She leans forward, restlessly squirming in her seat. "Why is it taking so long?!" She demands of no one in particular. "Naruto's been in there all night!"

"Calm down, you said it yourself. He'll be okay." Kakashi says, dully.

"You're not worried? Even a little?" She asks her teacher.

"Of course I am. But I trust Lady Tsunade to take care of him." He says.

"I do too but..." The rosette closes her eyes, flinching away from the memory of Naruto's deathly cold body. He'd stopped breathing for a long time...it would be a miracle if there was no brain damange, at the least. "I'm just scared something will go wrong."

"It's understandable." Kakashi nods.

"I mean, why can't I go in?! I'm a medic too!" Sakura jumps to her feet, only to sink back down in her chair again. Remembering how Tsuande had literally kicked her out the last time she'd tried to barge in.

"I'm sure it's to protect you, Sakura." Kakashi says. "She's just making sure you don't see anything you don't...have to."

"I already saw him die." She says, coldly. "I can handle being there..." But, even as she said it, she wasn't so sure. She knew she couldn't handle seeing die again. She was suddenly greatful that her mentor had made her wait outside...

Just then, the light above the door goes out. Sakura and Kakashi both go stiff as the door opens, revealing Shizune and Tsunade. The older women nod. "You can go in now."

Sakura wastes no time in jumping up and running into Naruto's hospital room. Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay! She rounds the corner...

Naruto was lying perfectly still on the bed. The slow, steady rise and fall of his chest was evident, even from across the room. Attached all over his arms were different IVs, drips, machines, wires, moniters...That room was a symphony of beeps and chimes, in tempo with his heartbeat. He had an oxygen mask on his face which forced air into his weakened lungs. As well as multiple paper tags with black seals drawn in fresh ink. To help restore his lost chakra... Sakura's inner medic told her.

His skin was still alarmingly pale but, when she ran her fingers over his cheek, she found it warm. Not hot, he wasn't feverish. Just warm. Alive. "Ha..." Sakura laughs, shortly. A sad little smile on her lips. "I told you you'd be okay..." She whispers, stroking his pale blonde hair.

With only the slightest hesitation, she leans down and kisses his forehead. "Wake up soon...Naruto"

-xXx-

The days passed slowly for everyone. Even those who hadn't been involved with the mission in the least. It was as if the entire village could sense how close they'd come to losing their hero. And now that the rush to save him was over, the whole village was at rest.

But despite the collective feeling of peace and relief, the entire situation had been kept 'hush-hush' for the sake of the villagers. They didn't need to know that their home had been invaded once again. And so soon after Pain's attack which virtually had destroyed Konoha. Knowing that would have made them nervous and scared and Tsunade didn't want that. So everyone kept quiet about it and only a select few knew what had happened to Naruto.

One of them, a Sakura Haruno, spent her every waking minute caring for him. Even though he had round-the-clock care from handfuls of nurses and doctors alike, Sakura did everything she could for him. On one such occasion, when Naruto's heart moniter started to peak again, she woke up from one of her few chances to sleep to keep the pain at bay. Within minutes, he calmed down again and she was able to sleep for another hour before his room was flooded with nurses for the morning routine. But even though she was deprived of sleep, tired and cranky around most people, she showed only a warm tenderness toward the recovering blonde.

-xXx-

By the fifth day, though, Sakura was thoroughly exhausted. She could hardly keep her eyes open long enough to answer the doctor's questions about how Naruto had faired the night before.

"You say he hasn't been in pain for almost 24 hours now?" He asks.

"Yes...he slept well last night." Sakura says, through a yawn.

The young doctor peeks at her over the top of his clipboard and shakes his head. "I suppose you can't say the same for yourself?"

The sleepy girl shrugs. "I'm alright."

With a sigh, the doctor stands and walks for the door. "Why don't you hop in that empty bed and take a nap." He suggests before closing the door behind him.

Sakura looks at the bed against the opposite wall. It was so inviting but...her eyes flick back to Naruto. What if he needed her? She sighs, running a hand through her short, pink hair. I do need to sleep...She decides. But I want to be there if Naruto needs my help. To her, there was only one solution to both problems.

Gingerly, Sakura pulls up the small lovesteat from the corner of the room and places it beside Naruto's bed. Sliding over the arm of the sofa, she rests her head on the cushion and closes her eyes. It was a last minute desicion to slip her hand into Naruto's. Just in case, you know?

Almost immediately, she gives into the sleep she had so depserately craved.

-xXx-

"Ohh...oww..." The light was increadibly bright when Naruto's eye opened. His body felt stiff and awkward, like he'd been asleep for ages. When he tried to lift his arm, he found it restrained...His heart leaps into his throat. That's right! Madara has me tied down and-He braces for the blinding pain.

It doesn't come.

There's just a distant relative, a dull throb, in his head and stomach. But nothing nothing compared to what it had been like before. Maybe I really am dead this time...He muses, frowning slightly. It's only then that he notices the subtle beeping sounds...and white walls...and the warmth in his hand. What was all this?

Disoriented and confused, he turns his aching neck to the side. Only to find himself connected to a whole plethra of machines. Oh, now what...? That weird heat in his hand moves slightly, a little twitch. He turns again, to the other side. Blinking as the world turns blurry before his eyes, he spots a figure sleeping soundly on a small couch beside him. He follows the figure's arm until he finds the source of what had moved in his hand.

Why is this person holding my hand? He wonders, squinting through his fuzzy vision. Suddenly, his lungs are filled with ice-cold air. He gasps, his body instinctively jerking at the shock. WHAT WAS THAT?! His eyes narrow, suspiciously.

Wait a second...beeping? White walls? Machines...? Oh no...He was in a hospital. He was very much alive and he was in a HOSPITAL. But how did I get here? He tries thinking back. And when a very blurry memory of being carried suddenly hits him, he understands. Oh...someone must have rescue me. He thinks, numbly. I wonder who-

"N-Naruto?" The voice was small and slightly frightened.

Naruto turns, curiously toward the voice. The figure who had previously been asleep on the loveseat was sitting up now. Through his swirling sight, he saw her eyes widen.

"Naruto...!" She launches herself at him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders with all the strength of a monster.

Oh wait, this is- "Sakura!" Naruto gasps when everything suddenly clicks into place. He'd been kidnapped by Madara in the middle of the night, had woken up in some kind of coffin that drained him of his chakra. He sent a message to Grandma Tsunade before passing out and then woke up, strapped to a table. Madara started pulling the kyuubi out and Naruto thought he was dead...now...he was awake again. With Sakura holding his hand as tears stream, freely, down her cheeks.

"Ha!" Sakura was holding him close, one arm clinging to his shoulders while the other was holding his head up as she hugged him. "Haha..."

Suddenly, another memory comes back to him and he grins. Leaning into the hug, he whispers in her ear, "Sorry it took so long to wake up..."

He feels her go stiff for a second. "You heard that?" She asks as she pulls away just enough to see his face.

He shrugs. "At the time I didn't really...notice. But yeah, I heard."

Sakura shakes her head, slowly. She was amazed. And so, blissfully, completely happy. Naruto was alive! He was okay and acting like himself again! How could it get any better?! "You have no idea..." She pulls him close to her again, still trying to assure herself that he was alive and well. "How worried we've been..."

"Sorry..." Naruto says, softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. All that matters is you're okay now." She pulls away again, studying his face closely. "You are feeling okay, aren't you?"

The blonde boy grins, a small blush on his cheeks. "Never better."

Sakura realizes what he means and glares, playfully, at him. "Perv."

"What?" He chuckles. "You have no idea how long I've-" He stops himself, biting the inside of his cheek so he won't slip up.

"How long you've what?" Sakura asks, innocently.

He shrugs but doesn't say anything.

Sakura sighs, dramatically. Trying to hide the small smirk that was forming on her lips. She knew exactly what he meant. She suddenly felt very brave. So before she has the chance to chicken out again, Sakura leans forward.

Her soft lips press against his.