A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 21

"Kakashi, Neji!" Guy shouted. He was already running towards where Sasuke lay, his movements to fend off Naruto weakening.

"Hai!" The two Jounin chorused. They ran behind Guy-sensei. Kakashi unveiled his Sharingan, Neji activated his Byakugan.

"Everyone, stay calm. Kakashi, Guy and Neji will handle this." Ebisu said. He stood in front of the awestruck Chuunins, ready to protect them should the other Jounins fail with Naruto.

Guy was almost to Sasuke. He couldn't see Naruto because of the speed the other boy was using, but he would fix that. "Gate of Pain: Open!" He disappeared in a blur.

Kakashi trusted Guy to be able to stop Naruto long enough for him to get to Sasuke. He knelt by the unconscious boy, grimacing at the sight of so much blood. Neji knelt on Sasuke's other side. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kakashi's clone picked Sasuke up gingerly and ran with him to where Sakura and Ino stood ready.

"Got him!" Guy appeared behind Kakashi, holding a struggling Naruto on the ground. Guy gritted his teeth. Naruto began changing, orange chakra curling off of him. "Quickly, Neji!"

Neji moved to Naruto and quickly hit all of his Tenketsus. Naruto went limp. Guy released him and returned his body to normal. He was panting. All three Jounins stood looking down at Naruto as his eyes slowly focused.

Naruto looked up at them wondering what was going on. Where was Sasuke? He looked from the teachers' wary expressions to where his friends sat. They were gathered around something…

No. Naruto got slowly to his feet.

No. He began running. Not again. I did not black out and hurt Sasuke again! I didn't! I DIDN'T!!!

Naruto arrived at Sasuke's side, roughly pushing other people out of his way. He was brought up short by the sight of the other boy lying in the grass, covered in blood, his face white as a sheet. He wasn't moving. "Sasuke?" His voice was unsteady. That couldn't be Sasuke. No. He didn't do this to him, not to- "SASUKE!"

He fell to his knees beside Sakura and Ino who were maintaining the Mystical Palm on Sasuke's broken and bleeding body. He looked at them desperately. Ino wouldn't meet his gaze. Sakura looked him in the eye as she spoke. "We can't do anything. He's deteriorating too fast. He needs Tsuna-"

Before she'd finished speaking Naruto had picked up Sasuke's form as gently as he could and disappeared. Everyone stood where they were for a moment in stunned silence. What had just happened? They began speaking all at once. Kakashi appeared amidst them then, effectively silencing them. "Everyone, the tournament is canceled. Guy has gone to inform the Fifth of Sasuke's condition. Naruto probably took him to the hospital. Don't worry," he added at their frightened looks. "I'm sure Sasuke will be fine."

But Sasuke wasn't fine. That much was clear to Naruto as he sped along rooftops towards Konoha Hospital. Naruto's clothes were hot and sticky with Sasuke's life's blood. Fear was a rabid animal tearing at his insides, slashing at his brain so that he could scarcely think. Sasuke. If only he would move or make a sound!

Confused thoughts about what had happened whirled in his mind, mixed with fervent promises never to so much as sneeze at Sasuke again. He'd give up being a ninja, leave the village, anything, please, God, just let Sasuke be ok. Please. Just that, nothing more.

Naruto arrived at the hospital and crashed through the entrance. Tsunade was there in the admittance area with Shizune and two teams of medics. She strode forcefully to Naruto. "What happened?" She barked. Her eyes roved over Sasuke's damaged body, widening.

Naruto held Sasuke out to her as if he were an offering. His voice shook, eyes burning and dry. "Save him. Please save him."

Tsunade did not wait for an answer to her question. "Operation room one, now!" A medic took Sasuke from Naruto and disappeared down a corridor, the other medic nins, Tsunade and Shizune on his heals. Naruto followed. He was barred by Tsunade when he tried to enter the operation room behind her. "Stay. You've done enough." She closed the door in his face.

No one came out of the room for the next 4 hours.

Naruto waited outside the door the entire time. Not long after the Fifth had gone in, his friends had come running up the corridor asking questions. Was Sasuke alright? Was Tsunade-sama with him? Was there anything Naruto needed, anything they could do for him? Did he want them to stay with him? Naruto answered, or supposed he did. He could not remember speaking, hardly knew who they were. Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke. That word and that word alone reverberated in his brain, in his entire soul, as if by repeating it he could keep Sasuke anchored to life.

He barely saw his friends take up positions in the corridor, waiting with him for news of Sasuke. They were there for him in case he needed them. Naruto was one of them, their friend and comrade. He was there for them when they needed him, had changed many of their lives simply by being around them. His pain was their own. They would stand by him in this, his hour of need.

None of them blamed him for what happened. They were ninja. Killing and violence was their life. That Naruto had apparently lost control of himself was not a cause for fear or disgust on their part. Rather, it emphasized how dangerous Naruto was, underlined the fact that a person would be crazy to fuck with him. They felt pride that he was a fellow Leaf ninja. It did not diminish their worry over Sasuke, either. Somehow the two emotions were separate.

And they were worried about Sasuke. They'd seen the change in him today. Perhaps Naruto had worked his mysterious power over him at last and changed the standoffish Uchiha, too. They waited for news of his condition: regardless of his behavior, he was one of them as well.

Naruto, blind to everything but the image of Sasuke as he'd looked in his arms, paced up and down in front of the door. He alternated between mind-numbing grief at the possibility of losing Sasuke and agonized self-loathing that he would be the cause if he did. A part of him was so far bent in denial of this situation even happening that he was half convinced he was dreaming. And yet another part of him kept escalating in wild hope, telling him that Sasuke would not, would not, absolutely would not die. This part of him believed firmly that the power of Naruto's love would prevent Sasuke from dying, ever. The thought alone was impossible. It was unthinkable.

Naruto was literally losing his mind.

In his more lucid moments, he knew the Old Lady was going to kill him for this mess. And he wouldn't care. If Sasuke died, she could have Naruto and do what she wanted with him. He wouldn't stop her. And if Sasuke lived…please God, let him live!...If Sasuke lived he'd be too happy to care what the Fifth did to him.

When at last the door to the operating room opened, Naruto almost ran away, unable to face whatever was coming. He squared his shoulders, every muscle in him tensed to the breaking point as Tsunade appeared. Her haggard expression said it all. Still, he had to ask. That hopeful part of him would not give up without concrete proof.

"Sasuke…?"

"He's alive."

So sure was he of the opposite being true that most of him had already decided he would not see Sasuke alive again. When Tsunade said otherwise, he couldn't comprehend the words. They simply would not cohere in his floundering mind. He stared at her in confusion.

A cheer erupted behind him, bringing him to reality, bursting the block his mind had thrown up in defense of hearing the worst. SASUKE WAS ALIVE! He staggered as his friends crashed into him, pounding him on the back, hugging him. Naruto barely noticed any of this. When he'd realized at last that the worst was over, that he wasn't going to lose Sasuke after all, he finally gave in to his overwhelming urge to vomit. He did it noisily at the Hokage's feet.

Tsunade watched him in silence. Naruto staggered past her and into the operating room, eager to see Sasuke. His friends piled in behind him. She let them. For the moment.

Kakashi lounged against one wall in the now deserted corridor. He had a book to his face, reading. She went over to him. "Tell me everything," she commanded. Kakashi complied.

He gave a blow by blow account of the techniques used and injuries received. When he was done, Tsunade looked thoughtful.

"It must have been the tornado. The same effect that was documented on Kakuzu's corpse is happening to Sasuke, though on a smaller scale. Still, I don't know if he'll make it or not. Perhaps if he'd been brought directly here instead of releasing his curse seal…that definitely complicated matters. I'm surprised he was able to fight at all. Very surprised. Why didn't you stop the match sooner?" Her voice was hard.

"We tried, when we saw Naruto preparing Rasenshuriken. Neither of them heard us. Things happened so fast after that that by the time we were running to them, Sasuke was already badly hurt."

"I thought I told him not to use that move again!" Tsunade glared at the operation room door, where faint voices could be heard.

"Ah, yes." Kakashi sounded sheepish. "Naruto devised a way to combat the effects of Rasenshuriken to the user." He told her of Naruto's lessons with Neji concerning the chakra glove.

"Genius." She frowned, though, at such a technique being available. She would petition the elders to declare Rasenshuriken forbidden.

"Tsunade. There's something that worries me."

"What is it?"

"Naruto. Through all of that, he never once accessed the Kyuubi. Not until Guy was restraining him. He's becoming so powerful that he doesn't need it to gain strength anymore. That or he's learned some method of control that I don't know about. Did anything unusual happen on his mission to the Sand village?

"I don't think so. Sasuke was the one with the mission and I'm told Naruto knows nothing of it."

"I see." Kakashi was quiet. No matter what she said, something had happened in the Sand village. Aside from him learning a host of knew wind jutsus, that is. He remembered the sounds coming from Naruto's apartment last night. He decided not to mention his suspicions just yet. Instead he said, "Naruto's bond with Sasuke. Could that have something to do with what's happened here today?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Just…they are unnaturally close. I've never seen Naruto lose control like that when he wasn't going Kyuubi. And the last person I'd figure him hurting is Uchiha Sasuke. The world could burn before he'd allow a hair to be hurt on that boy's head…and he does this? I don't understand it."

"Neither do I. But don't they train regularly together?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, don't they get hurt often? Sakura spends half her time healing them."

"Actually," Kakashi said as his eyes widened in comprehension, "They never fight at full strength. They never fight at all, come to think of it. They practice jutsus, together, or against each other. But as far as I know, they've never been in a serious battle against one another."

Tsunade sighed in relief. "That must be it then. I doubt Naruto has ever faced so strong an opponent since he's become Chuunin. This must be how he reacts." She'd been worried Naruto was going crazy. Her mind was at ease now, and she could feel pride at so strong a ninja belonging to her village. He was a serious asset that the village couldn't afford to lose.

"And desperation. We let it be thought that they might be demoted to Genins again. He probably felt like he had to win, no matter what," Kakashi added.

Tsunade nodded. "Probably neither of them knew what would happen. That makes it easier to stomach." She turned towards the operating room door. "But he needs to learn that being a ninja is synonymous with supreme self-control." Her eyes were flinty.

Naruto stood near Sasuke's head as everyone exclaimed over his recovery. They told Sasuke how worried they were, how long they'd been waiting for him to be out of surgery. They made him feel something he'd never felt from them before. They made him feel liked. As if he were one of them.

Sasuke could hardly move, every part of him hurt terribly, but he managed to nod his thanks. This encouraged everyone, made them feel Sasuke was really changing. They filed out of the room soon afterward, when Tsunade came in and told them Sasuke needed rest. They promised to come see him tomorrow. The medic nins and Shizune were relieved to see them go. They had been very noisy.

Naruto was silent the entire time he was in the room. His eyes had zeroed in on Sasuke's face when he'd entered and hadn't left it since. He knew Sasuke was in pain. Sasuke had met his eyes and tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. Then everyone had begun talking to him and he hadn't looked at Naruto again. Naruto knew that Sasuke, like him, was waiting until everyone left so that they could be private.

But that wasn't to be. Tsunade ordered him out of the room, too. Naruto thought it best to comply for the time being. He was still too weak with joy at Sasuke's survival to disobey the Fifth. He gave Sasuke a soft pat on the shoulder that promised he would be back soon.

Out in the hall, which was empty Naruto noticed, Tsunade turned to him. She waited until his eyes were on her.

"Sasuke is very ill."

Naruto took a deep breath. "I know. I messed up. I promise, I swear to God, I'll never-"

"Oh, I know you'll never do anything like this again. Because if you do I will send you to Jiraiya, wherever he may be, and declare you in exile. You would never return to Konoha again. Do I make myself clear?"

Naruto nodded that she had made herself very clear. At the same time, though, he acknowledged how ludicrous her threat was. If he, by some unthinkable way, killed Sasuke, he'd be dead shortly thereafter from heartache. If he killed anybody else, he'd probably have a good reason for why he did it. And if he was exiled from the village, for any reason, Sasuke would follow. She couldn't keep them apart.

Some of this must have shown on his face. He saw her fist coming towards him and didn't even have time to duck. He went down hard.

Several hours later, he woke to the sound of distant voices. He had a ringing headache. He was nauseous. The crazy bitch had probably concussed him. He looked around, moving his head as little as possible. He was still outside Sasuke's operating room door, which was standing open.

He stood up groggily and shuffled towards the room. It was empty. He turned and looked back up the hallway. Not a soul in sight. Naruto's head cleared at once.

He ran through halls and down stairwells until he got to the lobby. At the receptionist's desk he skidded to a halt. The two women seated there looked at him with hostile eyes. "You're not supposed to-"

"What room is Uchiha Sasuke in," he interrupted them.

"We have strict orders from the Fifth herself not -"

"WHERE?"

"Naruto." Tsunade came out of a side room. He turned towards her. Before she could lay into him again, he cut her off.

"All I want is to be near him. I won't do anything, I swear to you. Please." He was standing a mere few inches from her face.

"Five minutes. And Naruto…I meant what I said earlier."

He nodded impatiently.

"Room seven, third floor."

He took off running. When he neared the room, he slowed down and opened the door carefully.

Sasuke lay pale and still under a light blanket. What Naruto could see of his body was covered in bandages. There were wires attached to his chest and forehead. An I.V was connected to his left hand. His eyes were open. He turned his head slowly to look at Naruto.

"My blonde demon." His voice was raspy and so horribly weak. Naruto remained by the door, afraid to enter. Sasuke continued speaking. "I was wondering when you'd come. Did Tsunade do something to you?"

"She…punched me, I think. I was out for hours." Naruto's voice was barely audible. He crept closer to Sasuke's bedside. Never had he seen his friend in such a state. Did I really do this to him? An avalanche of guilt was burying him alive. He was suffocating with it. "Sasuke," He sobbed.

And suddenly he was crying, letting out all the grief he'd felt, the paralyzing fear. He let the guilt swallow him whole, unable to hold any of it back. "I'm so s-s-s-sorry! I don't kn-know what h-h-happened…it w-was an a-a-accident, you ha-have to b-believe me!" Naruto was completely hysterical. He was reduced to the actions of a child in the aftermath of his terror that he'd killed Sasuke.

When Sasuke spoke, Naruto made a superhuman effort to silence himself so he could hear the softly spoken words.

"No, it wasn't an accident. But it wasn't your fault, either. I shouldn't have released my curse seal like that. You felt threatened. I saw it." Sasuke coughed, wincing as his body jerked. Naruto held his breath. At last the coughing fit passed. The bandaged boy resumed speaking, albeit in a weaker voice than he'd used earlier. "I saw how you went…away. The thinking part of you. Your conscious mind. You reacted. You saw what I was doing and your body reacted. Now I know how you're always able to beat my Sharingan. You don't plan your moves ahead of time. Counter moves just come out of you based on what's being done to you. Your subconscious thinks of a way to counter a move and executes it. Did Baki teach you how to make a wind shield?"

Naruto had been listening intently, tears still leaking out of him. He thought carefully now. It was difficult to remember the incident in question properly…but he did vaguely recall that shield. He'd simply thought a shield of wind chakra would block Sasuke's chakra blade and the thing had appeared. "No," he said slowly. "He taught me the Sword of Wind and some other things, but not the shield.

"That's what I thought-" Sasuke coughed again. This time it lasted longer. He began wheezing in agony, blood appearing on his lips.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried. He laid his hand on his friend's chest, trying in vain to suppress the spasms with the force of his will. "Please, man!"

The episode passed slowly. Sasuke looked even paler than before, if that was possible. His eyes were sunken into his head, the once-vibrant hair lusterless.

"I'm getting Tsunade." Naruto turned to leave the room.

"No." It was barely a whisper. "Stay with me."

"Sasuke, you need-"

"Please. She can't do anything else for me, anyway."

This statement scared Naruto badly, but he went back to Sasuke's side. He stood irresolutely for a few seconds, before coming to a decision. Naruto slowly lifted the blanket covering Sasuke and climbed into the hospital bed with him. Sasuke turned his head weakly and met Naruto's somber gaze.

"I don't think I'm going to make it, buddy."

"Don't say that! Tsunade wouldn't have left you if that was true."

"I feel it."

"You're not dying! You're just weak, is all. You're going to be fine. I won't let you die. I won't."

Sasuke closed his eyes as he felt Naruto's strong arms gather him. He was too weak to cry out in pain. He liked the feel of Naruto's vital heat against his cold body. It made him feel safe. He lost consciousness while listening to Naruto whisper fiercely into his hair, "I won't let you die. I won't let you die."

Naruto held his best friend, his heart, tightly. He whispered the refrain over and over again, powerless to do anything else. Sasuke wouldn't die. No way in hell. Not Sasuke. He'd be well again.

They remained in that position for quite some time. Tsunade did not come at the end of five minutes to tell him to leave. Naruto tried to remain alert, listening for the slightest change in Sasuke's breathing or in the machines that beeped steadily. But he'd been through too much today to pull it off. He fell asleep, his body unable to handle anymore stress.

Naruto was roughly woken some time later by strong hands yanking him away from Sasuke. He instinctively fought, swinging both fists and kicking wildly. He belatedly saw that the people dragging at him were medics. The Fifth appeared then and Naruto realized the machines hooked up to Sasuke were beeping erratically. With a gasp, he leapt off the bed, allowing the medics to reach Sasuke. Tsunade and Shizune joined them at the bed, everyone speaking rapidly, using terminology that he was unfamiliar with.

He tried to keep Sasuke in sight as he backed away from the bed, giving the medics room, but the sick boy was obscured by the people trying to save him. Naruto saw the frantic glances, the worried frowns, heard the curses that were bitten off as they were uttered. "No," he whispered. He continued backing away until he hit a corner of the hospital room.

Tsunade exchanged a bleak glance with Shizune. They, along with the four medics, were maintaining the Mystical Palm over Sasuke's vital organs, but they could not check the rapid decline in the young shinobi's cells.

Sasuke was dying and they could not save him.

Tsunade did not accept defeat easily. Though the medics and Shizune had now backed away from Sasuke's grey form, admitting to themselves the obvious, the Fifth Hokage pressed on, refusing to give up.

Naruto watched all this with a growing sense of panic and masticating fear, his hands over his mouth to hold back his screams. When he saw that Tsunade, too, at last recognized the situation as hopeless, he felt something in him break.

Tsunade looked down at the still boy. She was certain now, that Uchiha Sasuke's life couldn't be saved. She let her chakra dissipate, tears clouding her vision. When she heard the medics murmuring and Shizune stifle a yelp, she lifted her bowed head. She turned in the direction they were looking in. Then she, too, gasped, her eyes widening.

Naruto stood at the foot of the hospital bed. Swirls of orange chakra moved around him, rose off of him in waves. Tsunade, along with everyone else in the room, automatically braced herself in a battle stance before seeing that Naruto was strangely calm. She took a closer look at him.

Oh, my God, she thought.

Naruto's skin was red, indicating he'd released the third gate. It wasn't just Kyuubi chakra coming off of him, but his own, in tremendous amounts that were now filling the hospital room. The truly amazing thing, though, was the serenity he displayed. She had never seen him like this, eyes red, fangs and nails long, yet so unruffled. The amount of chakra he was putting out alone should have had him struggling.

When he spoke, she hardly recognized his voice. It was devoid of all hope, straining against all despair. "Is he dead?"

She cringed, yet Tsunade could see no way to avoid the truth. "Very soon, now. Only moments."

"Then there's still time."

Tsunade did not argue, though she knew that what he meant was impossible: Sasuke could not be revived. Instead, she backed away and let Naruto have what she assumed would be a final embrace. Naruto startled everyone badly when he spoke in a brisk, loud tone.

"SASUKE!" His voice boomed in the quiet room.

Tsunade knew what these two meant to each other, or thought she did. One never failed the other in any way. So she was only mildly surprised when Sasuke managed to slit his eyes open a final time for Naruto.

"That's it! You're not going anywhere. I'm going to save you. Hang on, Sasuke."

But the loud blonde doubted his words, even as he said them. Naruto, unbeknownst to the other occupants of the room, was having an extremely difficult time holding back Kyuubi. He did, though, because the alternative simply wasn't acceptable. He took a deep breath. Please let this work.


Sasuke heard Naruto's voice as if he were under water. He felt like he was underwater, floating, weightless. When he opened his eyes, eyes that felt like they had mountains dragging at the lids, memory seemed to come back to him. He knew he was dying. Every cell in his body protested this fact, but he could not deny it. He felt intense sadness at leaving Naruto, leaving a world with him in it.

Naruto never fails. This thought came to Sasuke as his eyes drifted closed again, too heavy to keep open. He heard Naruto speaking, but could not respond to the words. He held on to the thought with the last of his consciousness, fighting the encroaching darkness with all of his willpower. Naruto never failed and he, Sasuke, could admit in his final moments that he knew how much he meant to his blonde demon. If there existed a way to save him, Naruto would find it. A thread of hope, thinner than a hair, joined the thought. He held on to both, as the darkness, that eternal darkness, threatened to engulf him.

Naruto climbed in bed with Sasuke once more. He could tell Sasuke was fading fast. He had to act quickly, but oh, so carefully. He couldn't mess this up. He only had one shot. He positioned himself by Sasuke's side, turning the dark head partially towards him. Exerting slight pressure, he opened Sasuke's mouth. Naruto lowered his own to within half an inch from it. Then he molded his chakra, mixing it with the Kyuubi's as he did so, adjusting the blend until he felt he had it right. Then he exhaled this mixture directly into Sasuke's mouth and down into his lungs. He inhaled fresh air through his nose and exhaled the chakra mix into Sasuke. He did this again and again. He did not stop.

How long it went on, he did not know. He kept up the flow, inhaling and exhaling in a smooth rhythm. Amazingly, through the chakra connecting them, Naruto was acutely aware of Sasuke's body. He 'saw' how the Kyuubi's chakra was repairing the damage to the other boy's cells while his own chakra kept the Kyuubi's from damaging Sasuke. His chakra, after entering Sasuke's lungs, spread outward, healing all it came into contact with. With each new breath Naruto gave him, the chakra was able to spread out in a wider and wider perimeter.

The Kyuubi howled in Naruto's mind. It longed to be free, to take over. The amount of chakra the boy was leeching from him should have brought on six tails or more, but the Kyuubi kept running into the impenetrable wall of his host's chakra.

Never had his host been able to control so much of the Kyuubi's demon chakra, to use him to this extent. Where was the boy getting all this power from? Again and again, he tried to break free of this new-found and thoroughly hated control, but to no effect. Kyuubi snarled wretchedly.


The process seemed to take hours. Whenever Naruto felt himself tiring, he pulled on more of the Nine-Tail's chakra, replenishing his energy. He felt Sasuke growing stronger, at first gradually, then more rapidly as his cells, muscle tissue and organs were restored to full health.

Sasuke became strong enough to take hold of Naruto's hands that held Sasuke's face, to turn toward the stronger boy and actively take part in the process. Now he was the one leaning over Naruto, their mouths nearly touching as he sucked in the tiring ninja's every exhalation. And still Naruto kept at it, giving Sasuke everything he had in him.

It was Tsunade who stopped Sasuke before he could take anymore. She walked to the bed and laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. When she touched him, he seemed to come to his senses, opening his eyes and raising his head from Naruto's drowsy face.

Tsunade was in shock. Her mind was frozen, unable to function beyond recognizing that Sasuke was no longer in danger of dying and that Naruto could expend no more chakra. She had never seen such a display of devotion and earth-shattering love. It moved her, changed her. The sight of the two young men interlaced about each other, one breathing life into the other, was something she'd never forget. And that was aside from the miracle of the act itself! She dropped her hand from Sasuke's shoulder as he continued to gaze at Naruto's face.

Naruto stared back at Sasuke placidly. He saw the color in Sasuke's face, noted the eyes bright with life and health and felt he could rest at last. Just as well, since he was close to passing out. "Did I do it," he asked hoarsely. "I did, didn't I?"

Sasuke's eyes overflowed with tears, his body filled to bursting with the fierce love he felt for this person half beneath him. "You did it, buddy. You saved my life."

"Told you I would," Naruto said as he fell into a deep sleep. The last thing he saw was Sasuke's gleaming teeth as he smiled.

Sasuke eased himself gently off of Naruto as he sat up. The other occupants of the room stared at him, dumbfounded. He ignored them and took mental stock of his body.

He'd never felt stronger, he decided. Every limb, every movement felt fine and natural. Naruto had really done it, he mused. I'll never stop owing you for this one, my blonde demon. He regarded his sleeping savior with naked love and adoration on his face. Tsunade, seeing it, felt clearly that she was intruding on something very private. She would go. But first…

Sasuke heard her approach the bed and turned to face her. He looked at her stern face. Tsunade said nothing, only placed her glowing palm first on Sasuke's head, then Naruto's. She grunted in surprise. "Astonishing," she muttered.

"What happened," he asked as he turned back to Naruto.

"Hmph." She took her time answering. What she had witnessed in this room was probably- no, definitely-impossible. Yet it had happened. Before her very eyes and those of other witnesses. Naruto had made it happen. How, she didn't know, but she intended to find out. She looked back and forth between the two boys with narrowed eyes.

"What happened?" She repeated now. "What happened is that Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konohagakure snatched you back from the arms of Death, that is what happened! He climbed into that bed emitting chakra enough for a hundred shinobi and…

"And?" Sasuke pressed.

"He held you," the Fifth said wonderingly. "He held you and his chakra healed you. He breathed his own life into you. How? How did he do that? Why didn't the Kyuubi chakra kill you instantly?" Tsunade was leaning close to Sasuke, her eyes boring into his.

"He wouldn't let it," he said simply.

The Hokage waited for more, but the newly revived boy was silent, flexing his arms and legs. Then he turned his back on her so that he was facing Naruto in the bed. He carefully covered Naruto with the blanket. Just as carefully, he maneuvered so that he was sitting cross-legged on the foot of the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees, his chin on his clasped hands. He proceeded to wait.

Tsunaded stared at him, then at the sleeping boy, then at her team of medics and Shizune. Apparently Sasuke was going to remain in that position until Naruto woke up again. Through their glances, it was unanimously decided that in the interest of avoiding extreme unpleasantness from Sasuke, they would not attempt to separate the two boys. Especially not after what they'd just seen.

Before leaving the room, Tsunade checked both Sasuke and Naruto a final time. Nothing was wrong with Naruto except chakra exhaustion. Sasuke was in perfect health. She left them alone.

Naruto slept for three days. Sasuke remained with him the entire time, the other Chuunins bringing him food and sitting with him through his vigil. They took turns keeping him company, listening to how Naruto had saved him with incredulity.

Sasuke spoke to them absently, mainly so they would shut up and leave him alone. His eyes never left Naruto, tracking every breath and flutter of eyelids. Thoughts ran through his mind during those three days, things he simply didn't have the words to express.

You will never know how much I love you, Naruto. Never. I can never say it because I can't describe it. Those three words are meaningless against what I feel, inadequate to tell how much you mean to me. It's too much, too big, too painful. But I love you. God save me, I love you so much!