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Rescued!
(edited)

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Iruka was running through the village trying to find Naruto. The others were off fighting the guards that they had come across before. Iruka had broken away to go after Kakashi. That man was always running off.

That was how he came to be searching the streets for the Jounin. He heard yelling earlier and he had followed that yelling and screaming to an old run down, beat up, falling apart building.

He looked up at the building. It looked like it would cave in at any moment but he could feel the Jounin's chakra coming from inside this ugly building.

He went inside and followed the noise.

----

Kakashi and Itachi had been fighting for a few minutes and the two boys watched. Their fate depended on this battle. They watched, rooting for their sensei.

Naruto still couldn't move and this meaning he couldn't cover himself up. Sasuke didn't notice this. He was way to busy watching the fight between Kakashi and Itachi to care that Naruto was quite naked.

Naruto couldn't totally watch the fight. He was lying on his back and was left only to move his eyes and his mouth. He tried his best to watch the fight between the two almost evenly matched men but it was quite uncomfortable. Sometimes he would look at Sasuke and would just watch him. One if his wounds was still bleeding. It was very deep. Sasuke was very pale. Naruto knew that Sasuke must be exhausted from all of the blood that he lost. There was blood all over the floor at his feet. Naruto knew that he was only putting up a front. His stomach and chest had to hurt. As well as his heart.

Sasuke had stopped crying and was only too happy to try to get his mind off what Itachi had done to him in the past couple hours. What he had done to Naruto. He would pay. With his life.

----

Iruka ran down the hall. His footsteps were echoing in the long hallway. He heard fighting. He knew that this was it. He stopped at an open door and looked in. Sure enough there was Kakashi and he was fighting someone. He looked around to see Sasuke chained to a wall and Naruto lying motionless and naked on the floor.

Iruka saw that Kakashi was keeping Itachi distracted so he went over to the boys and untied Sasuke as fast as he could. He helped Sasuke sit on the floor against the wall. He looked at the boy's torso.

What a horrible thing to do...

A loud noise is heard from where the fight was taking place. It sounded like metal on skull. Not a very nice sound.

'Kakashi sensei,' Sasuke yelled as the sensei fell to the floor.

'Now where were we?' Itachi asked turning around his eyes widening at the scene in front of him. There was a man there beside Naruto, holding him. Sasuke seeing an opening picked up the bloody kunai and threw it at Itachi.

Itachi didn't notice that there was a kunai being thrown at him until it was too late. It hit him straight in the chest. "Very good brother," Itachi said smirking before he fell to the ground. Dead.

Sasuke went over to Naruto and Iruka. "Naruto, I'm so sorry for what happened. It's all my fault."

"No it's not," he whispered, barely audible.

"Shut up you idiot of course it is," Sasuke said taking his pants off leaving only his boxers. "Here I think you need them more then I do right now."

"Sasuke you don't have to." Came whispered from Naruto's lips.

"Naruto you can't go home wearing only a vest."

"True."

Iruka took the pants from Sasuke's grip and put them on the blonde on the floor. When he looked back up to the two boys he saw that Sasuke had collapsed.

"Poor boy," Iruka whispered to the cell.

"Iruka sensei do something, he's going to dying."

"He's fine for the moment. There are other Jounins coming. He'll live. Don't worry Naruto." Iruka said.stroking the boys face lovingly.

At that moment the rest of the rescue team came in to see that there were four people on the floor. A knocked out Kakashi, a dead Itachi, a passed out Sasuke and a paralyzed Naruto who was still conscious. Gai went over to Kakashi and picked him up.

"So much for our rivalry," Gai whispered to Kakashi.

Iruka picked up Naruto to take him home and Asuma picked up Sasuke. They started the long journey back to Konoha.

They didn't stop until they reached the gated of Konoha they walked to the hospital with the three unmoving boys. People stood back and stared at them. They had left less then a day ago. Now they returned with the two missing boys and a bloody Jounin.

What had happened?

Sakura squealed as the three ninja walked into the hospital. Two Jounins and a Chunnin were now carrying the rest of her group, Team 7. She abandoned her work for a moment to watch them set Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto down on beds. She gasped when she saw Kakashi's head. How hadn't he died? Or was he dead after all?

Tsunade came running in. Going over to Kakashi's side first.

"Oh, my poor Kakashi," She said getting the pair of Jounin to turn him onto his stomach so she could examine his head. "Oh my. What a lucky man," she said beckoning a nurse over. "Clean him up and put him in ICU until he wakes up."

The nurse nodded and Tsunade went over to Sasuke. "Oh my goodness. He's lost a lot of blood." She got Sakura to come over. "Blood." The only word to come out of her mouth. It sent Sakura almost running to find a pouch of blood for Sasuke. The boy was lucky that he hadn't bled to death.

She took a quick look at Naruto. His eyes opened when she touched him.

"You're hands are cold," Naruto said feeling her cold hands on his bare chest.

"Ah, Naruto you're awake," Tsunade said getting over the fact that Naruto had scared her. "What is wrong you? You're awake."

"I can't move my body."

"Oh, well, let me take care of Sasuke first as you are in no present danger."

Naruto mumbled and Iruka went over.

"What is it Naruto?" the brown haired Chuunin asked.

"'I want to watch."'

"Oh," Iruka sensei said under his breath and sat behind the boy propping him up so that he could watch what Tsunade and the nurses were doing to Sasuke. A nurse was inserting the needle into Sasuke's arm so that the boy could get blood and Tsunade was cleaning him off with water and a cloth. He wasn't moving.

"They poisoned him," Tsunade said. "The wounds are swollen. Almost infected. This boy could die."

Sakura and Naruto just looked at the Hokage. She did not just say that. Both of the Genins felt tears spring to their eyes. Iruka looked down at the boy in his arms. Poor Naruto, he's never loved anyone so much in his life. Not even me.

The doctors stayed and cleaned Sasuke. They bandaged him up and took him away to his new room.

'Now Naruto, I'll be right back,'

Naruto mumbled something and watched her leave. Once Tsunade was gone he felt tears roll down his face. Was Sasuke going to die? No he couldn't

He said that he was never going to leave me.

Iruka saw that the blonde was crying and trying not to sob. He pulled the boy into his chest. Naruto started sobbing into Iruka's body. He wanted to move. To run down the hall and throw himself onto Sasuke's lifeless body. All he wanted was Sasuke to be alright.

Tsunade walked back into the room to see Naruto sobbing into Iruka's chest.

"Naruto, Sasuke will be alright. I stopped the bleeding and I got as much of the infection as I could out. The little bit that is still inside him won't kill him but it'll hurt him for a while."

Those words stopped most of Naruto's crying and Iruka put him back down on the bed so that Tsunade could reverse his paralysis.

"Now Naruto I'm going to put you asleep. This would hurt too much if you were awake," Tsunade said quietly to the boy.

"Okay." Naruto said as he felt himself starting to fall asleep. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be taken away from the world where Sasuke had almost died.

Naruto woke up when he heard someone cough. He'd been having a good dream, they'd ruined it. He sat up to yell at them. He opened his eyes and looked across the room. Pink. He closed his eyes it was to early for that.

Sakura looked behind her. She thought she heard Naruto stirring from his sleep.

"Oh, Naruto you're awake," Sakura said getting up from the chair that was facing the window. That's when Naruto laid eyes on Sasuke. He watched the boy sleeping until Sakura snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What happened?" she asked him. "You can move!" Sakura exclaimed loudly watching Naruto scratching his head. He closed his eyes and grinned stupidly.

"Hmm… what? OH! I CAN MOVE!" Naruto gasped jumping out of bed. Across the room Sasuke grunted in his sleep.

"What is going on in here?" Tsunade asked walking in. She was surprised yet happy to see Naruto up and running around.

"I can move," Naruto yelped running over to Sasuke. He stopped at the boy's bedside and looked down at him. "And Sasuke still hasn't woken up."

"It's only been a couple of days. It'll take a while for him to heal," Tsunade said in a slightly less happier tone. "But now that you're better you can leave. So you are able to leave today. Have fun Naruto."

"Come on Naruto. Let's go. I'll buy you some ramen," Sakura said. Naruto's mind perked up.

Ramen? I haven't had ramen in forever.

What about Sasuke?

That's right what about Sasuke? He'll be here when I get back. It's not like he's going anywhere. He's sleeping.

"Sure Sakura I haven't had ramen in forever."

"Good. You two go have some ramen and I'll examine Sasuke. If anything important comes up I'll be sure to let you know. I doubt if there are any changes in his body though." Tsunade smiled at Naruto. He was jumping up and down. He hadn't had ramen in forever. He heard what Tsunade said. But just barely.

----

The two reached the ramen stand and Naruto all but ran into the stand. He didn't order as much as normal but ate faster then normal. Naruto ate a total of 6 bowls of ramen. He didn't want to eat so much that Sakura would hate him but Naruto was really hungry. He'd been asleep for a couple days. It wasn't fun being in the hospital. Naruto couldn't wait to go back to his own place and sleep in a real bed. Not on those hard sorry excuses for beds that were in Itachi's prison.

"Thanks a lot for this Sakura," Naruto said to her before going back to his place to shower and change before he went back to the hospital. He couldn't leave Sasuke again. Not for anything. He just had to have a shower, he felt disgusting. He hadn't had a shower since before he left for that stupid one-month mission.

Naruto walked into his home and it smelled just like he had never left it. Naruto undressed and hopped in the shower. He was grateful when the water finally hit him. He was instantly refreshed. He washed up and hopped out. He walked out of the bathroom and into his room. He grabbed some new clothes to put on and ran out of the house after a bowl of cup ramen.

----

He reached the hospital to see that they were closed. He had to find Sasuke's window and creep in.

The window opened easily and Naruto's eyes found Sasuke. He watched as his chest rose up and down. It was bandaged quite heavily. Sasuke didn't heal as fast as Naruto did. The blonde sighed and pulled a chair over to the side of Sasuke's bed. He sat down in the uncomfortable chair and took Sasuke's hand.

"I'm here now Sasuke. Sleep sound my angel," Naruto said squeezing his hand briefly.

Naruto watched the boy for an hour or so in the chair until he fell asleep. He rested his head on the bed next to their intertwined hands.

----

Kakashi woke up with a massive headache. Itachi had hit him hard. He touched the back of his head and winced. It was still tender.

He got out of bed and went out the door. He found a nurse and asked her where Sasuke's room was.

She was very helpful and led him to it. He opened the door slowly. He found that someone was snoring. Naruto.

"Of course," He said seeing the boy asleep next to Sasuke. He saw him stirring from his sleep and walked over to Naruto. He observed the boy's hands. So the rumor was true.

"Come on Naruto, time to wake up," Kakashi said quietly to Naruto.

"What?... Kakashi-sensei you're alright!" Naruto said standing up and giving his one-eyed sensei a big hug.

"I'll live," the Jounin said smiling.

"Do you think Sasuke will, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked looking down at the sleeping boy. Why wouldn't he just wake up already and stop worrying everyone. Typical Sasuke.

"I think that he will, he's a strong kid," Kakashi said turning to leave.

"Watch who you're calling a kid."

Naruto's head snapped over to Sasuke. The boy's eyes had opened. He had woken up. Finally.

"Sasuke, you're awake," Naruto said jumping onto Sasuke.

"Oww… Naruto…," Sasuke said wrapping his arms around the blonde.

"I guess I'll leave you two love birds alone then,"' Kakashi said opening the door and leaving.

'I'm sorry about…' Sasuke started remembering what happened not that long ago.

'Were not love birds are we Sasuke?' Naruto said with a hint of sadness in his eyes. There was a time to think about that. Now was definitely not the time. Naruto silenced Sasuke's apology with a long kiss.

----

"That was so worth waiting for you to wake up for," Naruto said after their lips had parted.

"That was so worth waking up for," Sasuke said lying back down. Naruto, insistent not to let go, was pulled down with him.

The two boys laid there for what seemed like hours when Naruto's stomach growled. He blushed. He'd only eaten a single cup of ramen before leaving his house last night.

"Well, what do we have here?" Tsunade said walking in. She saw that Naruto was lying there with Sasuke, who was awake. "I'm sorry to have to say this Naruto, but I would appreciate it you got off my patient so I could examine him. You can have him all to yourself later. I have to make sure he's healthy before you get you're greedy little paws on him."

Naruto pretended to be hurt, making a puppy dogface. He got off Sasuke, very reluctantly. He stood back as Tsunade checked Sasuke over.

"He seems to be fine," she concluded.

"Of course he is," Naruto said with an air of knowing.

Tsunade laughed.

What a strange kid.

"I think I'll release you today. I'll have Naruto keep a close eye on you." Tsunade looked at the other boy and left the room to tell the nurse.

"Do you want to go get some ramen first?"

"Whatever you want Naruto."

The boys were finally allowed to go and Naruto almost ran to the ramen stand. The only thing stopping him was Sasuke. His healing wounds were still hurting him a little. They made it to the ramen stand and sat down. The two boys ordered and sat in silence waiting for their food. It wasn't uncomfortable though. The two boys held hands the whole time.

Sasuke watched as Naruto dug into his steaming ramen. I think I could get used to this. Sasuke thought as he watched Naruto eat. It felt so normal. So right.

----

--The End--

A/N: This chapter was a little hard to write at certain parts but I got through it and there it was.

(To read the epilogue there is a link in my profile. It is not suitible for fanfictiondotnet)

Thank you for reading my fic. I plan to write more so stay tuned.

Thanks so very very much.
Shimizu Asuka