"I close my eyes,

Hold my breath,

And pray that this storm will pass." (1)

Chapter 13: Relenting

Restraint.

If there's one thing she's ever been good at – it was self-restraint. At the very least, she could say that most of time, she is good at controlling herself. Being a medical ninja has taught her a lot of crucial things, not just in the medical field, but also in holding her emotions in check. When faced with dire, unfamiliar situations, she had learned the art of tranquility and detachment. The sight and smell of blood no longer fazed her, even a mangled body or a decapitated corpse. For years, she has learned to tolerate various human abnormalities and illnesses. It was hard at first – terribly difficult to keep a straight face when dealing with issues such as diseases, dying, and certain death. But as years go by, she managed. She learned how to cope… to adapt… to control.

"Naruto…?" Her voice quivered. Her knees suddenly felt weak and her eyes began to burn. 'Was this even…?'

Because this—

—this is a whole different story.

The whole scenario was unsettling. It looked morbid and hopeless, a stark contrast to the environment she's accustomed to. They were situated in small, antiquated clinic miles away from Konoha, but the closest in proximity to their temporary headquarters. She was briefed that it used to be a thriving medical facility to aid or treat people close to the borders. But now, due to the current crisis, the facility had been forsaken. It must have been at least two years since the facility was last used. That much she could tell – with its pitiful state.

The rain still has not ceased, making the underground clinic damp and cool. In the small room, the smell of something decaying was unmistakable. The tiles attached to the floor were dirty, filled with mold and grime at the seams, and some of them are even cracked – irreparable and should be replaced already. The walls are yellowish and there are even traces of blood smeared on some part.

She could hear a soft and relentless dripping of water in the background and there's barely any lighting in the small room. She glanced furtively around, noting the old and obviously contaminated medical equipment. It was a fortunate thing she brought her own supplies. Though they were still lacking.

But the facility and the equipment were the least of her worry.

As cold as the blade clutched between her trembling fingers, her emerald eyes focused on the bloodied, almost unrecognizable figure of her teammate. Her teammate lay on a barely standing hospital bed, bloodied and torn. Barely breathing.

Slowly, as if in a daze, she staggered towards the blond and reached out her hand to take a pulse. Feeling a faint throb, she lowered her hand and touched her teammate's chest. The unnaturally pallid body felt awfully cold even beneath her gloved fingers. 'So cold,' she thought. She forced herself not to cringe.

Her fingers emitted a green chakra as she quickly surveyed the damage. "I need to extract the shrapnel first." Sakura declared, her voice low and calm. "He's lost a lot of blood. With this much damage, we will need a blood transfusion. Sensei," She glanced at her former instructor.

The copy-nin nodded, aware of what Sakura needed. "Type B. Don't worry, Sakura. Yamato's on it. He'll be here as soon as he can."

Sakura seemed to weigh in the words of her sensei. Her expression looked contemplative, her lips pressed in a very thin line, but her eyes remained sharp, her posture straight. She then nodded. Swallowing hard, she began the operation.

Sakura closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. It was just a mere two hours, but it felt like all the energy has been drained from her. Captain Yamato has arrived just in time and—noticing her exhausted state—volunteered to set the transfusion equipment himself.

Sakura watched as her captain continued the work. But nothing seemed to register in her mind. And she could feel nothing. Like this was a dream and everything was in slow motion. Her fingers trembled. Instinctively, she tightened her hold on the scalpel, unaware of the force she's exerting, until a distinct metallic sound rung in the air. She looked down and found the metal handle broken, separated by a clean straight line. For a while, she remained transfixed at the cracked scalpel until pale fingers wrapped around her wrist, calling her attention.

"Sakura."

"…."

"Sakura, it's over."

Sakura blinked once, then turned to face her instructor. "Sensei. I… "

And at that moment, it finally shattered.

The severity of situation finally dawned on her, its immense weight cutting deep, shattering all the pretenses and fake restraint. All of a sudden, she felt dizzy as the small room seemed to spin around her. Everything seemed hazy and unreal. It must have been from exhaustion, or the shock, or the gaping dread gripping her system that she suddenly felt extremely weak. One last gaze at the bloodstained jacket and she found herself dropping to her knees. Wide-eyed, she could only stare at the floor...

…And she cried.

Burying her face in her hands, she finally cried. Her shoulders shook as tears streamed down her face, down her hands and onto the chipped, cracked floor.

"Sensei. I… don't know if I… saved him. I can't save him. Too much blood. There's too much. Naruto. Baka-Naruto! How? I don't… He's dying, sensei. But he's strong, right? He's always been… much stronger. Damn it." She mumbled, her words incoherent, her voice shrill with worry and panic. "I…Idiot. He's always been… such an idiot. Stupid, stupid Naruto." Sakura gripped the sides of her instructor's vest, her face pressed hard against the other's chest.

"…."

Kakashi did not say anything, his expression effectively hidden behind his mask. His silver hair, damp from either rain or sweat, clung to his brows, masking his only visible eye.

After a moment of silence, he pulled Sakura closer and tentatively wrapped his arms around his student. A simple gesture. But this was the only sense of comfort he could give.

As Yamato watched the interaction pensively, the single bulb lighting the small room flickered a bit…

…before it finally died.

It hurt.

No matter how many times Sakura denied it, her love for him has never ceased. After all these years, after all the hurt and betrayal, she still loves him. It was foolish, excruciatingly one-sided but she still can't let it go. Because no matter how desperate this love is, it is the only thing she can hold on to. She had tried so hard, and had sacrificed the safety of her teammate twice for this lingering feeling of affection. For that single promise. For that selfish, naive promise made years ago. She hated it. She hated him. And she hated herself…

So much. So much, that it's eating away all the semblance of sanity in her. This guilt, this overwhelming regret, this single promisecrumbling everything. If she could only take it back… take everything back…

And the fact that he is here now, in front of her, alive and strong, offered no consolation. She could not feel anything but a painful, gaping sense of bitterness.

"…Where is he?"

And then the man spoke.

She froze. His voice was still soothingly deep. A voice so smooth and calm that it mocked everything.

She felt her throat constrict, suddenly unable to speak. She looked at the Uchiha, her wide emerald eyes filled with confusion…

…Then anger.

"How… dare you." She hissed. The first words she ever said to him. "How…" And her arm dug deeper into the raven's neck. "You. Did you… did you even…?" She questioned, almost out of breath, out of words.

'Know what you did? Know what happened? Know what I've gone through?

Know what he's gone through..?'

"You have no right." And her face was nearer, threatening and pained. "…To even ask where he is. After everything you've done!"

"…."

"After everything you've done…"

There was not a crease in the Uchiha's countenance, not even a slight movement or a response as Sakura glared at him, thrusting her forearm more firmly on the Uchiha's neck.

["He hasn't eaten, Sakura. It's been two days…

… I know this is hard, but please take care of him."]

'Two days?'Sakura thought in contempt. 'Does it matter how long it's been? Does that change things? Will he die this time? Will he…? Would that save Naruto…?'

Her eyes welled. Without blinking, a single tear trickled down her flushed cheek. And she let go. As if burned, she pulled back hastily and looked down, refusing to let the Uchiha see that unmistakable show of weakness. Again. She will not break down in front of him again. She is not that weak anymore. She could fight. She could save lives now. She could…

But her gaze wavered. The wooden floor filled with sharp splinters suddenly became somewhat blurry. And suddenly, there were small blobs of water beside her feet. And they were increasing.

She tentatively touched her face. It felt wet… and knew right then and there—that she failed.

Hah, she smiled bitterly. She's crying again. "Damn this."

'Stupid Sakura.'

'Stupid, weak, selfish Sakura.' She thought sullenly as tears continued to fall, as the images from two days ago began seeping back into her memory, and that familiar feeling of despair crept back in without reprieve.

"Naruto. He…."

One by one, she took out the metal pieces embedded in his teammate's torso. It was like taking pieces from a puzzle, or removing the needles from an acupuncture session. Her movements were careful, deliberate and exact, while her chakra focused on effectively clotting the blood which threatened to seep out from the deep wounds. There were no mistakes and she was confident that she has performed it flawlessly. An almost perfect medical ninja. The Godaime would be proud.

But this unfeeling, professional attitude did not last long.

As soon as the last piece of metal shrapnel was removed, Sakura's world began spinning again. All the feelings she tried to suppress emerged without mercy. Her fingertips shook, and beads of sweat roll down her temple. She was sweating but her skin felt so cold, almost tingling, almost numb. Her once even breathing became erratic and she could hear the relentless and loud beating of her heart against her chest.

Panic invaded every fiber of her being as she stared at her blond teammate – as if finally, finally noticing who this person is…

And she trembled, that single wretched state burned forever in her mind…

Gritting her teeth, she wiped her tears promptly. No matter the situation, she has a duty to perform. These feelings and thoughts, she told herself, were something she doesn't need right now.

"I…I need to check your injuries." She said quietly. Predictably, there was no response. She took it as an affirmative.

Hesitantly, she looked up and gazed at the pale man, taking in the injuries, but being careful not to look directly at the Uchiha's eyes. There were faint marks on the neck area, a deep laceration on one arm, and a few scratches on the visible area on the chest. Half of those visible wounds she can attribute from her Sensei's briefing. The copy ninja informed her that they've sensed and heard an explosion before they rushed off to the area as fast as they can. Unfortunately while on their way, they were slowed down by a dozen hunter-nins coming from all directions. It took the three of them at least an hour to subdue the enemies. By the time they got there to the scene, a small inconspicuous ravine in the depth of the forest, it was almost too late.

Cautiously, she paced towards the rogue-nin. She raised one hand, but before she could reach skin, pale fingers gripped her wrist again. More force this time. Sasuke's fingers felt deathly cold around her wrist but she did not pull back.

"I don't like repeating myself, Sakura." Sasuke's voice was still deep, but no longer calm and a hint of displeasure in its tone. "I ask again. Where is he?"

"Where are you keeping him?"

Eyes narrowed and as dark as grave, Sasuke looked frightening.

If Sakura was not expecting it, she could have recoiled. But she did expect it. She only stared back at him, her eyes giving nothing away.

And then without warning, her other hand emitting green chakra flew and stroked one vital point on the Uchiha's neck.

It must have been due to his injuries or self-induced starvation that made the Uchiha slow to react. Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction before his own knees buckled and finally gave in, forcing him in a sitting position. Sakura could have felt proud, but in that moment, she felt nothing.

Without much ado, she knelt in front of him. Her hands hovered over the form of the other. As she found no serious injuries, she opted to focus on his injured arm. She took a medical ointment and a small white cloth from her pouch and began cleaning the wound. It was no longer bleeding and seemed to be healing quite well. Someone must have already tended the wound. Someone must have…

She bit her lip. She knew.

"…Naruto. He…" She started meekly, entirely unsure of why she did. But she couldn't help it. The silence –this stifling, unbearable silence—she needed to break it. She craved for a distraction, for any noise, even if it's one-sided. "He treated this wound, didn't he? That idiot. He must have forgotten to use a cloth again. Stupid."

"But he did a good job, really. Obviously better than his previous attempts." She continued. "The wound – it's healing quite well. I'm surprised he's actually listened to my pointers. Really, that thick-head." And Sakura smiled.

She knew there will be no response and she wasn't disappointed. But her tentative smile wavered still and her heart clenched.

'How long are you going to stay silent, Sasuke-kun?'

Silence stretched. For seconds, minutes…

'How long are you going to ignore me…?' Sakura thought but couldn't find the guts to say it out loud. Should she say it? Say anything? Break this hurtful silence? Should she dare…?

"…."

Her lips pressed in a thin line. A slim crease forms between her brows. She shifted uncomfortably.

She hates this.

This silence. This deceptive, fabricated moment of peace. Bit by bit, it melted away her anger, her grief, even her resolve. Until everything faded away entirely.

Her eyes formerly gleaming with resolve and resentment are now tainted—being overwhelmed—with a growing feeling of fear and aversion.

Fear.

Her skin prickled, cold sweat dripping from her temples, and despite the heat of the afternoon, she shivered.

In this room where the smell of blood remains pungent and malice thick in the air, Sakura felt terrified, horribly misplaced. Foreign in her own skin. In this silent room. Like she doesn't belong here and she's not needed here.

And the raven's eyes. Those cold, unforgiving dark orbs.

She could feel those eyes glaring at her diminutive form, boring deep, never leaving her. Eyes which she knew are filled with madness and hate. It was quite ironic how in the past, she longed for these eyes to focus solely on her. Now, she has it—this sole, undivided attention—but in all its sick, twisted glory. She felt like laughing. Sad. How terribly ironic.

"…Sakura."

Sakura nearly dropped the bandage. A voice spoke, finally breaking the silence. Sasuke called her, still with that smooth voice, but she did not dare look up.

"…Ne, do I scare you Sakura? Are you afraid of me?"

But it was hard. Her gaze shot up. "W-What?"

Their gazes met, and slowly Sasuke's lips curved upwards, sneering, mocking. "Indeed you are."

"….!"

"Tch. Pathetic."

The medic-nin bristled, but not out of the blatant insult, not out of shame, nor the urge to defend herself. She felt cornered.

"A-As if. You don't scare me anymore, Sas—Uchiha!" She bit her tongue.

"You don't." Sakura gritted her teeth, brows deeply furrowed, trying to look intimidating. "Not anymore." But her eyes betrayed her. The look in her eyes, that unfocused, hesitant look, filled with fear and nothing else. Too explicit. She could not hide it.

This shame.

This guilt.

This fear….

And the pale man caught it. "Really?" Mouthed. Sasuke licked his lips slowly, his dead eyes gazing directly at Sakura. He remained stone-faced, never flinching.

If the pale man could move, he could have closed the gap between their faces, daunting her even more. Sakura never felt so helpless, never felt so vulnerable and exposed. She could barely breathe. "You don't seem very convincing." Sasuke continued.

Feeling her fingertips suddenly go numb, Sakura gripped the bandage tightly. "I… I am not afraid of you and I don't care what you think—."

"Prove it then." Sasuke interrupted, still leering, twisted mirth evident on his face. But his eyes remained dead. "Show me."

"…What—?" Breathless. Morbidly confused.

"Look around, Sakura. We are the only ones here. In this room." Sasuke said the words slowly, as if instructing a child. "Alone. Just you…and me. There will be no one to stop you. I am entirely in your disposal."

No one.

Sakura froze. She realized, with dread, what was going to be said next. 'No. Stop.'

"It would be easy and it would be quick. Just take your kunai out," Sasuke tilted his head a little, showing off one side of his pale, slender neck, "and slit this throa—."

"STOP!" Sakura shouted, panicking, a tremor in her own voice. The new gauze dropped to the ground. Sakura's clenched fists were shaking at her sides, along with her shoulders. Frantic. She could feel a wave of nausea rippling through her chest. She felt sick. "What are you saying? What the… I'm not like you! I'm not a murderer. I… I don't...k-kill…."

'…Wait.' Steep intake of breath. 'He doesn't mean…?'

"Kill? You don't kill people?" Sasuke laughed. It has a bitter, hollow sound, terrifying. Cold. "No. Let me rephrase that. You don't kill innocents. But I am no innocent, Sakura. I am never the innocent. And you already know that, don't you?"

You know everything…

"Of my sins. Of the blood on my hands… Of the consequences of letting me live." The rogue-nin trailed on."You understood everything and that is why you gave up on me. You finally let go of that fantasy of yours. I can no longer be saved. Hence when I betrayed all of you, you betrayed me back. If that attempt to kill me before was any proof…" And the smile grew more pronounced, voice lower, eyes narrowed. "Really. I didn't imagine you had it in you, Sakura…chan. It was poison, isn't it?"(2)

Sakura shut her eyes, brought her hands to her ears and pressed them tightly against her head—willing all the sounds, all the accusations to stop. Like a child, she pleaded, sobbing, tears once again marring her face. "Stop… Please stop."

Because it was true. All of it. She did gave up—choosing to follow everyone else's distrust and hatred for the youngest Uchiha. He's a sinner. A cold-blooded murderer. An enemy. Nothing but a rogue. She always professed that she loved him and confessed to him many times. She claimed that she trusted him, believed in him. But in the end, she relented. She gave up. In her mind, Sasuke Uchiha is beyond help, beyond redemption. Undeserving of their sacrifices. Of their forgiveness. There was no hope left for him.

And when she threw the white flag, she never looked back.

'You call this friendship? You dare call this… love?' Sakura bit her lip hard—she could taste the blood rolling on her tongue. It tasted bitter.

"Tell me," Sasuke continued, "when you pointed that kunai at me, did you hesitate? Did you even—."

"He's dead!" A shout.

Sakura's lips suddenly moved. On impulse—

—she fought back. She lied.

And thrust the blade deep where it hurts.

"Naruto…" She breathed deeply, then looked straight at the Uchiha's eyes. "He's dead."

—As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she will regret it. It was a lie. It wasn't the truth. And she knew it was beyond cruel but at this moment, she no longer cared. Because she could not bear to listen anymore, could not bear the shame, this regret, these never-ending waves of guilt. She wanted it to stop.

She wanted him to hurt.

"He's dead." (3) Sakura repeated. A mere whisper this time.

The world froze. Once again, silence stretched and rippled across the room like mad waves. It was a maddening, suffocating moment of calm. No one dared to move or say anything. Even breathing seemed inconsequential.

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Then as if suddenly drained, Sakura's shoulders sag. Her entire body felt like lumps of clay. She felt numb. Slowly, she lowered her hands to her sides and stared blankly at the floor, repeating the same words in her head. Every word has stabbed her heart, even though all of it were a mere lie.

As Sakura stared dully at the splinters beneath her knees, she could feel the growing heaviness in her chest. It was like her heart was threatening to burst from her ribcage. Though she appeared static on the outside, inwardly, her heart was beating in a frantic pace, gripped by some raw emotion she refused to name.

"What… did you say?"

And then a voice. It sounded strained and depleted. Piteous. Almost unreal. Sakura looked up, disbelieving her ears. But the expression behind the voice—she never saw it as a hand suddenly flew and grabbed her neck. Vaguely, she noted that it was the same hand that she was treating earlier. She blinked. 'I-Impossible!' She had him fully immobile, she was sure of it. But what happened?

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…" She gasped out as the hand tightened considerably. The Uchiha's face betrayed his faint voice earlier. There was nothing but pure, seething rage in his face. Madness glinting in his narrowed eyes. A much darker, overwhelming aura pervaded the room.

Sakura couldn't breathe.

"I dare you to say that again, Sakura." Hissed. Voice impossibly low but no less menacing. Lacking oxygen, Sakura's vision began to blur. Black spots filled the corner of her sight. Her eyes watered. She could feel nails digging in her skin. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She gripped the other's wrist but it was useless. He wouldn't let go.

"Again. Say that again." And his face was suddenly nearer, his breaths fanning the other's face.

"Stop—"

"Who is dead, Sakura?"

She could no longer see his face. Her eyes start to roll. She was losing consciousness. Her hands dropped limply to her sides.

"Who died? Tell me." A little louder. Almost desperate.

But all Sakura could hear now were murmurs. They failed to register in her head.

'…Sasuke…kun.'

One last futile gasp from the medic-nin and finally, everything went black.

"It would be unwise to kill her, Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha stilled, recognizing the familiar voice and aura. "Aside from the fact that we still need her, we cannot bear any casualties for now. So I suggest you—"

Sasuke took the hint and let go, but did not turn towards the voice. He knew the newcomer's location in the room even without looking. "You're fucking late, Madara." The younger Uchiha growled out, eyes flashing deep red. His chakra restraints have just been dispelled, courtesy of the elder.

The orange-masked ninja raised a brow at that. "Quite the temper there, my dear nephew. We have just extracted the Hachibi. That takes a lot of time and chakra, you know." The older Uchiha advanced towards the other, sneering at the damage in the room. Madara's lips parted slowly. "Next up... Kyuubi."

"Take me to him."

It was not a request. Madara blinked then removed his gaze from the splintered wood to regard the younger Uchiha. Sasuke stared directly at him, unflinching. A perfect face chiseled to insanity. If looks could kill, Madara thought, this one would be a massacre.

"I don't care if he is dead, dying, or already buried. Take. Me. To. Him…

…Now." Sasuke demanded, punctuating every word.

Madara felt his spine tingle, profoundly amused. Behind the dubious mask, his sneer grew wider, his visible eye gleaming dangerously. "As you wish, Sasuke-kun." Then the elder looked back at the medic-nin lying helplessly on the floor, Mangekyou already activated. "We will need her."

"It was my fears that have kept me moving…

And my fragile heart that has kept me safe."

It was already the fifth day when Naruto first opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling blankly for a few seconds, then closed his eyes again. That was the first time he woke up since the incident. But he wouldn't be able to remember that. He's still in a state where his consciousness is still drifting between reality and the dream world. Almost in a vegetative state. One of the repercussions of almost dying. For days, he slept soundlessly.

The second time he opened his eyes, a week has already passed. He was left staring dazedly at the cracked, web-infested ceiling again. He blinked slowly a few times, trying to recognize whose ceiling is this, or which facility does it belong to. After a few seconds, he gave up, and turned his attention to his side. With vision still a bit blurry, he squinted his eyes to focus. But all he could see were tubes and wires meshed together and a white blanket under his arm. His gaze focused a bit downward and he noticed that a white blanket was indeed covering him.

'Hospital? Am I in a hospital?' Naruto thought vaguely.

He tried to move his arm but failed. Tried to move his feet but ended up with the same result. It was like his whole body felt immensely numb and he could not move. And so, Naruto decided to just sleep again. He snored that night. But it was a dreamless sleep.

The next day, he was awakened by a hand gripping his own. It was a gentle, yet firm hold, and the hand was soft and warm. He opened his eyes again, stared down to the left, and saw the sleeping face of his medic teammate. Stunned, his eyes widened and instinctively gripped the other's hand.

Sakura felt it. She lifted her head slowly.

"S-Sa…" Naruto attempted to speak. "Sakura…chan?" He managed to call out, though barely above a whisper. His voice was gruff and his throat felt dry—like he swallowed a cupful of sand—and the sand stayed in his throat, making it hard to speak.

The medic-nin visibly froze, her once glazed eyes now straining to focus on him. When they did, she immediately stood up, knocking over the rusty chair where she is sitting, "N-Naruto?"

"Hey." The blond replied, smiling weakly. "How are ya? Wait. What happened—?"

A pair of arms engulfed him in a tight embrace. Sakura sobbed and spoke at the same time, "Baka! We were all… so worried about you. You stupid, stupid…idiot. You were… you were out for days, you know that?"

'Heh, a redundant insult. Sakura must have been really out of it,' Naruto thought. Blushing a little because of the unexpected contact, the blond could only smile back. His eyelids felt heavy and so he closed them, reveling in the warmth of the embrace, a welcomed comfort to the chilly graveyard feel of the room. "I have... really no idea, Sakura-chan."

"I'm sorry…" He added. "I'm… I didn't mean to—."

And Sakura sobbed harder, planted her face deeper into his shoulder blades. Naruto could feel the wetness forming on his shoulders now, those unabashed tears trickling down his forearm, and he finally noticed that he's wearing nothing, practically topless in front of his long-time former crush. Just bandages covering his whole torso and nothing more. He fought the urge to blush again. It failed spectacularly. His heartbeat quickened and felt heat spread on his face.

Sakura tightened her hold momentarily, before letting go. Once released, Naruto stared at the tear-streaked face of his teammate. He was rendered speechless. Sakura's hair was uncharacteristically tangled and messy; her eyes were red and puffy, with black circles under it, indicating lack of sleep or severe fatigue. Naruto couldn't help but feel that it was all because of him and he felt guilt slap him hard on the face. He frowned.

Sakura's hands clasped his shoulder. "Are you okay? Do you feel anything?"

"Uh no." Naruto said truthfully. Indeed, he doesn't feel anything. In fact, his whole body felt numb. Worse, there are some body parts he could not feel at all but he refused to tell Sakura about this. "I'm fine, Sakura-chan! Really I am. You don't have to worry." Naruto grinned. "Just a little…uh… hungry I guess." And as if on cue, the blond's stomach growled loudly.

"A little?" Sakura chuckled.

"Actually I'm famished. Haven't eaten for days! Ne Sakura-chan look, I'm skin and bones! I don't want to lose this awesome body." Sakura scoffed. "I want to eat right now!" Naruto glanced around, finding his neck a little stiff. "Do you have, you know, food here?"

Sakura sighed. Leave it to the blond to mind his stomach first above all else. "Wait. I'll go get your food. Don't move, okay. You might open your wounds. They aren't completely healed yet. Just lie there and be still." Sakura instructed.

"Sure, Sakura-chan!" The medic-nin smiled and let her gaze linger at his teammate for a few seconds before she left.

As soon as he heard the door closed, Naruto collapsed to the bed. One hand flew to the chest, stroking the thin material enclosing it. His chest ached. There's a burning sensation in it.

"Yo!"

Naruto's heart almost jumped from his chest. He sat up, his eyes immediately turning to the left. "EH! Sensei!" He fumed. "Don't scare people like that, you baka! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Ehehe. Gomen, Naruto." The copy-nin doesn't look apologetic at all. If anything, he seemed more amused. He just raised his hand, his visible eye seemingly a bit relieved? Naruto couldn't tell what exactly. But the blond smiled back nonetheless, still rubbing his sore chest. "So I've heard you woke up. How do you feel?"

Naruto sighed heavily, feeling weariness starting to consume his body once again. "Sakura asked the same thing. I'm fine, I'm fine. Geez. It's not like I was dying back there, you know. What happened anyway?"

"Well, actually…"

"And where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked blearily. He felt dizzy all of a sudden. He shut his eyes, feeling a terrible pounding in his head. He could feel vomit accumulating in his throat. He tried to swallow it, fighting the urge to throw up. "Is he…? The bastard… I… Sakura-chan. Ramen…" Naruto trailed off, forgetting his own train of thought, as his eyelids dropped.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile beneath his mask. He put a hand over the blond's shoulder and gently pushed him to the bed. "Shush, Naruto. You need to rest. Go back to sleep." The copy-nin's voice was soothing to Naruto's ears.

"O…kay."

And just like that, Naruto dozed off again.

That night, he dreamed.

The dream was a bit vague and he couldn't remember most of it. But he could recall the rain. The soft, lulling sound of the raindrops as they fall quietly to the ground. He gazed towards the sky and narrowed his eyes as raindrops dripped down his face. It was a starless night. The skies were grey and grim. The air was chilly, biting wind caressing his skin. In the background, there were dim silhouettes of trees. Trapped among their thin branches, he caught the sight of the moon. As if bathed in blood, the moon was crimson red. It looked terrifying. He shivered. He wrapped his arms around his body.

"…!"

And suddenly, without any warning, black flames appeared from nowhere and encircled him. He panicked. He moved, flailed his arms, trying to extinguish the flames. But all of his efforts were useless. The black flames continue to devour his body.

"Don't you dare… don't you dare die on me…

…Naruto."

He screamed.

Naruto awoke with a start, a thin sheet of sweat covering his forehead. He wiped his brows with an equally sweaty palm while struggling to even his frantic breathing. His chest throbbed painfully because of the sudden strain. He closed his eyes again and lay back down, rubbing his sore chest lazily. He could feel something wet beneath his fingertips but he ignored it after a while.

"What the hell…was that all about?" He said breathlessly. The dim lighting of the room reminded him of the dark shadows of the trees in his dreams. Of the black flames. Of…

…a particular rogue ninja.

He sighed heavily.

"Sasuke." He mumbled to himself.

A sudden movement to his left alerted him. He immediately glanced towards the direction. There was a lone figure sitting on one of the hospital chairs situated at the far corner of the room, next to the door. He blinked a few times. Due to the dim lighting in the room, he could not recognize the form. Though he was quite positive it isn't Sakura. It must be Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taichou, or…

"Sai? Is that you?" Naruto asked hoarsely, his throat parched and itchy. He needed water.

"…."

No response. 'He must be sleeping then,' Naruto thought. He swallowed a non-existent spit, feeling extremely thirsty. He glimpsed at the small table next to him looking for water. There is a bottle on it but it's already empty. No choice then. He would have to get it himself, Naruto decided. Feeling his arms and feet still slightly numb, he carefully slid out of his covers. His chest began throbbing painfully again at the movement but he chose to ignore it. 'It couldn't be that serious, right?'

His feet met the cold floor. He breathed heavily twice before he let go of his hold on the bed. But as he dropped his weight carelessly, his knees buckled and refused to lock. His eyes widened. "Shit." He's falling.

Not.

The next thing he knew his nose is planted on someone's shirt, an arm bracing his side. The shirt smelt of blood and antiseptic. But the body's warm. And it's quite comforting. For a few seconds, Naruto stayed still. Then he chuckled weakly. "Thanks Sai. Perfect timing, eh?"

Slowly, very cautiously, he tried to steady himself. His raised his arms and gripped the other's back for support. Naruto felt the other immediately stiffen.

"Sai?" Naruto looked up. "Hey. Are you—"

The words died in his throat. Even in this badly lit room, he could make out the glaring onyx eyes, the lips pressed in a scowling manner, the hair…

"What the hell are you trying to do?" And then it spoke. That voice. It confirmed everything. Naruto's eyes widened further, mouth gaping like a fish.

"You're bleeding moron." The Uchiha said, looking directly at the stupefied blond. And before Naruto could even utter a word, he was shoved back to the bed, the other's arms still supporting him. "Stay still. I will get the bandages."

"Ba-bandages…?" Naruto repeated dazedly. Reluctantly, he removed his gaze from the Uchiha and looked down at his torso. True enough, blood is starting to seep out from the gauze, creating patches of blood. 'Oh so that's why it felt wet earlier,' Naruto realized.

He glanced back again at the Uchiha but found that he was no longer there. 'This must be a dream. Or I'm hallucinating. The painkillers. Must be the effect of the painkillers…' Naruto thought. 'Because there was no way, there was no way in hell that…'

As quietly as he vanished, the Uchiha came in. Clutched in one hand was a medical kit and in the other's a bottle of water. Sasuke tossed the bottle to Naruto who instinctively caught it.

"Drink first then sit straight." Sasuke instructed, advancing towards Naruto. "I will remove the old bandages."

Though still feeling very doubtful about the whole situation, Naruto followed. 'Not possible. This is so not…'

One pale hand rested on his bloodied chest. For a few seconds, it stayed there, flat and unmoving. Naruto could feel the heat radiating off the other's palm. Despite his little theory about everything being just a dream or hallucination, Naruto could not help his heart from beating madly in his chest. His face began to heat up as he stared at the pale hand on his chest.

"…Sasuke."

"Shut it." And the hand was gone, the warmth dissipating as well. The Uchiha was now working on unclasping the old gauze. Like nothing happened. Naruto felt dejected.

"Tch. Bastard."

There was a pause then—

"…Hn. Idiot."

Naruto blinked at the tone, frozen in his spot. It was an insult… but it sounded different. Almost like…

Almost like old times. He felt wistful. There was no hint of malice, of hatred, of anything in the raven's words. Just a plain old insult. It was like back when they were friends.

Thus, despite the earlier dejection, Naruto couldn't help the genuine smile from gracing his lips. He felt… happy.

Above all, he felt immensely hopeful.

'Damn. It's a start.'

(TBC)

A/N:

(1) Quote from Giglio (Japanese Manga by I. Fusanosuke)

(2) Sasuke was talking about the incident (in the manga) where Sakura tried to kill him with a poisoned kunai, but failed.

EDIT: (3) Just to clear things up, Sakura lied. (Naruto is still alive). She just lied to Sasuke because, well, Sasuke is being
such an asshole.

*Gasp* So sorry for the extremely long delay and the errors! For compensation, this is a slightly longer chapter.

Again, thank you so much for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated! THANK YOU!