Disclaimer: I know it. You know it. I don't own Naruto.

Hatake Kakashi bounded from rooftop to rooftop, looking for his errant students throughout the commercial district of Konoha. Naruto's condition was pretty bad and anything that could shred him like that, then whatever it was, it'd be pretty lethal. A dire threat to the safety of the Leaf. Pausing for a moment above the Uchiha manor, Kakashi thought to himself,

If I was a sex-crazed, Sasuke-fan girl, then it'd be pretty obvious that I'd be either hanging around his place or actively stalking him right now. It's getting close to supper time. Perhaps it'd be best if I just waited for Sasuke to show up here, for now.

A few minutes later, he saw the shape of Sasuke walking up the street and leapt down to greet him.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun. Why weren't you at the meeting place today?" Kakashi enquired, "it's not like you guys to just up and leave on me."

Sasuke grunted.

"Hai. Sakura and I got there early and waited. Naruto was slightly late and she was about to say something to the dobe but I got bored and left to do some of my own training. Those two losers would have only slowed me down anyway." he said contemptuously. "Sakura was about to say something about Naruto ruining something but I don't recall the rest. It probably was something silly anyway."

"Now, now Sasuke-kun. It isn't polite to call your team-mates "losers". They have both progressed far in their training and have become much more skilled. Especially Naruto."

Sasuke stiffened. The slight quiver to his eyes suggested that either he was reminded of something that he didn't want to think about, or that he got a immediate bad case of diarrhoea. Of course, with him, it was often hard to tell.

That shut him up. I swear, I've really got to take that boy in hand before that attitude of his gets the team killed. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised that it hasn't happened already.

Sakura was not a happy camper. Kakashi-sensei was later than ever before. It was almost dinner time for goodness' sake. This really was intolerable. She had skipped breakfast so she could get some quality time in with Sasuke-kun until that baka Naruto showed up and ruined things. Again. Then she had spent the better part of the day, searching for her beloved Sasuke-kun, trudging through the forest until she got tired and had to take a nap. It was almost as if he was deliberately hiding from her! But that couldn't be the case,

NO! BE PERSISTENT!, her Inner Sakura screamed, WHEN SASUKE SEES HOW EARNESTLY YOU YEARN FOR HIS AFFECTIONS, THEN HE WILL THE SEE THE PROOF OF OUR LOVE!! TRUE LOVE WILL PREVAIL!!!

Yes!", Sakura cried. Thrusting a clenched fist in the air in imaginary triumph, the pink-haired kunoichi roared a battle-cry that resounded throughout the forest canopy. Lungs hoarse, she gathered her breath, dropped off the branch that she was standing on and walked home to eat her dinner before her parents became too angry.

Unbeknownst to her, Shikamaru watched her retreating form from a nearby branch. Sweat beaded on his brow as he considered what had just transpired before him.

"Okay then....."

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!", the female ninja chanted to herself as she left the forest behind her.

Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke! I'm really getting tired of the word Sasuke! Sakura-chan, bleh....Sakura is so fixated on the prick that she completely disregards everyone else then she completely DESERVES the unresponsive lump. Everyone dotes on the bastard and thinks that the sun shines outta his arse! It's just unbelievable! I don't know why....

[Would you just shut up for a moment kid? You're giving me a headache.], the Kyuubi whimpered quietly to Naruto.

[ All you keep doing is going on about Sakura-this or Sasuke-that. Is this what you consider to be "mental strength" huh? Do you really think that they're going to change their way just because you whinge at them? It's going to take a lot more than that to become Hokage, little one...]

Little one? Are you getting soft on me, you dumb fox?

[Don't read anything into it brat, it just sort of slipped out. Now look at it this way....Don't most of the villagers hate you for no real reason?]

Yes.

[Don't you think that that's just a teensy leetle bit unfair?]

Yes!

[Don't you wish that you could do something that would stop them from doing that ever again?]

YES!

[Don't you wish that you could just disembowel the lot of them and play shower-tag with their entrails? To feel their lifeblood oozing around your claws as you run your talons around in langurously slow circles on their dripping carcass? to feel that indescribable ecsta...]

Huh? Hey! You're getting carried away again! How is watching you masturbate supposed to teach me anything? If I wanted to learn about animals getting fucked over I'd go swipe Kakashi'-sensei's copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Sheesh. You really ARE the Terror of Konoha huh?

With an irate growl, the demon Kyuubi removed his muzzle from between his legs and scowled. Sighing, as if the next gobbet of wisdom it passed down to Naruto was really too taxing,

[Alright gaki, that's enough for today. You're on your own for now. Just wake up and think about what I said. Now don't start. I meant the "mental strength" stuff. Your wounds should be healed by now but do try not too get into any more trouble for at least today alright? ]

Naruto woke up in white pristine surroundings. The sharp scent of disinfectant and window cleaner told him without a doubt that he was once again in the Konoha hospital. The sun was shining outside and pouring light into the already bright room. Naruto wearily got up, wrinkling his eyes and disturbed the recumbent figure lying against the side of the bed. Confused, he sat up in bed and looked over the side. The figure's head was resting against his lap. He noted, with more than a little bit of surprise, that his sheets were soaked in the person's tears.

Who would cry for me? This is the sweetest thing that...

"Naruto?", the figure murmured as he got up.

It was Hinata of all people. As he twisted around so that he sat on the edge of the bed, she flung her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. He started in shock, before he tried to soothe her wracking sobs.

"I was so worried for you, Naruto-kun. I was training with Hokage-sama when you were brought in. There was so much blood. And I was so worried for you...", she trailed off as a rosy blush came to her cheeks.

"Don't think me forward Naruto-kun. I've always cared and admired you but was never able to express it before. I saw you being carried in by Kakashi Sama, I just couldn't help it. I just had to tell you because I didn't want to be a coward any longer. I was afraid that you would die." she sobbed.

"I love you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was thunderstruck. He had searched all his life for someone to really care for him and to cherish his existence and thought that Sakura could be the one. Hinata really, truly cared for him. He was literally speechless. All he could do was sit there holding her but gape at the far wall as if someone had driven all rational thought out his head.

Someone cared for him. Someone loved him. Someone admired him. And all that he could do was stare into space, looking like a stunned fish. He couldn't think of anything meaningful to say. It was really quite frustrating.

They sat there, just holding each other, taking comfort in the nearness of each other for several minutes before turning to each other. Naruto simply gazed into Hinata's cool crystal depths. Hinata blushed a little as her childhood dreams came to fruition. She let herself fall deep into Naruto's intense blue eyes, her pulse quickening. Naruto struggled to control himself when she smiled as their lips descended down to kiss...

That is until a voice interrupted his flow of thought.

[Score! I knew you could do it kid! Now you have to sniff her butt!]

Shut up you blasted fox!