Bad News? "I want to know."

Early morning rays stretched through the hospital window, caressing and warming his cheeks. Tiny birds chirped cheerfully as they hopped from branch to branch playing in the lush green trees outside.

From his bed he could see the bright, rich blue colour of the sky.

Naruto's devil-may-care eyes were like that. So full of life and energy. But not these past few weeks. Often he seemed tense and emotional or pensive and withdrawn. Both Sakura and himself had noticed but neither had found the time to approach him about it. Their missions left little time for a personal life and the missions had required so much attention that they only spoke for a rushed ten minutes before they needed sleep. One of the three would always stay awake, alone with their thoughts, whilst keeping a look out.

The night before their last battle with Kazekama, Sasuke sat awake with Sakura. They spoke in hushed tones of strategies they'd tried unsuccessfully. Sasuke carefully turned the subject to Naruto whose gentle snores could be heard nearby.

"He's not himself lately." She said. Sasuke sat opposite her with the fire between them.

He concentrated on a point in the flickering flames as he spoke. "I don't know what it is but I think… for his sake… we shouldn't form any strong bonds between the two of us that we can't share equally with him… He needs to feel wanted."

She was taken aback by these sudden words. "W-what do you mean? He is wanted, Sasuke!" She raised her voice in a hoarse whisper.

Sasuke lowered his head. "And how often do we get to show him that?"

She felt defeated somehow, though why she wasn't sure. "Maybe you're right. For all we know, he thinks we're just a functioning team that falls apart when we aren't on missions."

A small murmur of agreement sounded from Sasuke's closed lips.

A warm spring breeze rustled through the leaves overhead. They sat motionless, listening to them. They seemed to whisper farewells to one another as if the leaves would soon, themselves, be asleep.

She stood up and went to sit beside Sasuke "Alright… I can see the logic of an Uchiha but I don't really like it. We'll do it. For him." She smiled holding out her hand. Sasuke took it with a smile. "Let's bring him back." She said

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How long had he been awake? What day was it? Who brought him to the hospital? Was he in Konoha? These questions went through his mind but there was a lack of any real curiosity behind them.

He lay still. Turning his head sluggishly, blinking away the drowsiness of sleep, he caught sight of Sakura's full head of pink hair. She sat asleep in a chair with her head resting on her arms on the chairs back. Her hair was a curtain hiding her youthful face.

On a side table near the bed he could see fresh flowers in a small thin glass vase. He frowned wondering if Naruto had received the same attention he was getting. Suddenly he wondered if the boy had even made it to the hospital. He had no idea what state he might be in. All he could do was assume.

"S-Sakura?" He was still weak. It was difficult just to speak.

Sakura roused from sleep a little groggily. "Hmm?" She murmured. She brushed her hair aside and rubbed her eyes before they widened in surprise as she realised Sasuke had finally awoken.

"You're awake! How do you feel?" Her face was a mixture of anxiety and joy.

He wanted to scorn her for it but couldn't deny her, her feelings. Instead he simply asked. "Naruto?"

Her expression turned respectfully mournful at the mention of their team-mates name.

He sat up quickly leaning forward. His body ached from the quick movement but he was too focused on Sakura to let it bother him.

"Sakura! Speak!" His eyes were wide with fear but at the same time flashed with anger for an immediate reply.

"Do you want to see him?" She asked, standing and going to him to help him off the bed.

His hands were shaking slightly. He curled his fingers into tight fists to hide it. His throat was dry as he tried to swallow.

He nodded, not knowing what to expect. He was alive wasn't he? Was she taking him to see Naruto's body?

"You shouldn't be moving around. I know you won't listen though… c'mon let's go. " She had become used to shouldering the weight of a boy. She handled him expertly. They walked into the passage at a slow pace, turned a corner and walked together down the corridor.

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They were nearing the end of he corridor now. The last two rooms were in sight and if they didn't turn into either of these rooms they'd be leaving the ward. She'd be taking him to where they kept those who were no longer breathing.

He stopped, refusing to let Sakura take him any further.

She could now feel him shaking beside her.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asked worried.

He shook his head. "Where are you taking me?"

"We're here, just through this door."

She was beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea for him to be moving about so soon.

"Are you okay? Do you want to sit down?"

"No, I want to see him." I need to know he's alright. He thought. "He saved both our lives didn't he? He deserves at least this from me."

"Alright but he won't know that you've been to see him; he hasn't woken up yet. You've both been unconscious for days." She said as they went into the room on the left.

Sasuke shrugged away Sakura's support and staggered to the side of the bed. She stayed close behind, ready to catch him in case he fell. Flowers sat in a similar glass vase to his on the bedside table. At least Sakura was keeping to their agreement. He realised she'd give them both the same attention in this situation anyway. He decided not to chase after her on their private agreement. Otherwise he wouldn't have respect for her.

He sat on the edge looking at the flawlessness of Naruto's skin. Where were those deep cuts? The Hokage must have healed them. He looked so peaceful. His face beamed as he looked at Sakura over his shoulder. "He's okay." He said and turned to look at him once more.

Sakura folded her arms frowning as she leaned against the frame of the door. "What? Wouldn't you believe me if I had told you he was fine?"

He leaned closer brushing the long hair from Naruto's face and ignoring her remark. "He needs a haircut."

The gesture reminded her of something Naruto had said to her in the rain a few days ago. "Sasuke-kun?" She hesitated before continuing. "Naruto… I think he…Maybe you…" She couldn't find the right words to express her suspicions. It would sadden her if they turned out to be true. It would mean she could only love Sasuke as she loved Naruto, as a brother.

Naruto began to stir. He opened his eyes slowly to the blurry sight of Sasuke's face close to his own. He closed his eyes dreamily mumbling Sasuke's name.

They snapped wide open realising he wasn't dreaming. He scrambled backwards at lightning speed, stopping only when his back hit the metal headboard of the hospital bed. He quickly looked from Sasuke to Sakura and back to Sasuke.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Naruto asked still pressing back into the metal frame as if he could gain a little more distance between himself and Sasuke.

"Visiting you… I don't bite." He said indignantly whilst narrowing his eyes. He sat cross legged at the end of the bed.

"I think you two have something you want to say to each other."

They both frowned at her in confusion then looked at each other before turning pink, averting their eyes in embarrassment.

Their reactions were all she needed to confirm her thoughts. "Our last battle could have been our very last. We were lucky, Maybe this is a second chance for us…and you two." She closed the door behind her leaving the two in silence. Neither could manage eye contact.

Sasuke spoke up first "I don't know what she's talking about."

Naruto knew. He managed a small deceiving 'Mmm' of agreement. He was lapsing into one of his quiet moods already.

"Naruto, you're not happy. These past few weeks, months maybe… you've been a little… strange. Sakura and I've both noticed… Is it the missions? Is it the Team?"

He seemed to be somewhere else. "I'm just growing up…" His voice trailed away. He was hugging himself, ruefully tracing the creases in the bed sheets around him. "Are you okay? You looked so close to… back then… I thought I'd lost you. I couldn't forgive him."

Sasuke felt uncomfortable. He wasn't sure how to react at first. "I'm just a little weak right now." He rubbed at a lingering ache in his shoulder. "Don't change the subject. Something's wrong, why can't you talk about it?"

He looked at Sasuke's openly expressive face. "Since when have you been interested in heart to heart talks?" Naruto asked without thinking. He wanted to take it back as soon as the words had left his mouth. Instinctively he was being defensive. It annoyed him. He just wanted to be open and honest but found it too difficult.

Sasuke's face twisted into an ugly mask of anger. He unfolded his legs, pushed himself off the bed and made his way out. He stopped at the door turning as fast as his sore body would allow. The dull pain from the poison persisted mercilessly. "I may not act like it" He said in a low growl. "but I do care! And I'm not the only one who feels that way, just remember that."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but it was too late, he had gone. The morning had turned suddenly very dark. Bruised clouds covered the sky and fierce winds attacked the trees. It began to spit with rain streaking the glass on the window as the window blew.

"He… cares?"

"Of course he does." Said another voice in the room.

---------------------------------

He only just managed to get back to the soft comfort of his bed. He lay back with his forearm resting on his brow. He tried to catch his breath. The short trip left him feeling paralysed with exhaustion.

He lay there gritting his teeth. "Why must you shut us all out?"

Sakura knocked on the open door. "I think I can answer that." She sat down in the chair she'd previously fallen asleep on. "He's scared. It's obvious."

He didn't have the energy to turn his head to talk to her so he spoke to the ceiling. "Scared of what? I don't get it."

Sakura grinned and shook her head. "No I'm sorry if you can't figure it out, I'm not going to tell you."

"Sakura!"

She ignored him. "Hokage-sama called for me today. This is sort of good news and bad news. I don't know how you'll take this."

He wanted to look at her and tell her not to change the subject but he was intrigued as to what this news could be. He waited for her to continue.

"The three of us are leaving the village. We're being sent to three other ninja villages for intensive training of forbidden techniques. That's the bad news. The good news is it's because Hokage-sama wants us to be Konaha's number one elite team. We'll be ranked higher than the Anbu. So we will be reunited. Hokage-sama will brief us when the two of you are well enough to leave the hospital."

"How long will we be away? Did she say?"

"No but I guess we can ask when we're briefed. She wanted me to tell you and Naruto that we must get our affairs in order before then. So perhaps it's going to be a while."

"This is all so much… it feels like just yesterday we were fighting that demon monster and then I wake up to this." He paused deciding to ask again. "Sakura, what is he afraid of?"

She stood up waving a finger at him. "Nope sorry. This you have to do on your own."

He let out a low grumble of defeat.

"It seems womanly intuition is a step above the talents of a male Uchiha." She teased. "I better let you rest, you don't look one hundred percent just yet. Get well soon okay? See you."

She closed the door quietly behind her, leaving Sasuke to mull over their news of their leaving the village.

Having had enough for the day he closed his eyes and let his body relax.

His dreams were of a young troubled boy of nine. His hair was a bright gold and his eyes were a swirling carribean blue. He stood alone in the centre of a busy street holding his arms out to those passing by. When they saw him they turned their heads and hastened to get to where they were going.

After a while his arms fell to his side and he looked down at the dusty dirt road. His body shook in silent sobs. The sight before Sasuke Saddened his heart. He wanted to call out to the boy but he had no voice. It was trapped inside his throat building pressure. But it wouldn't leave him. He looked on, hoping the boy would see him.

In a matter of seconds it had turned dark. Candles were lit in the windows of the homes on the street. Fewer people were about now. The boy looked up from his crying and saw him. At least Sasuke thought he'd seen him. He felt like an invisible ghost in his dream but now the child was looking at him. His eyes were wide with desperation. As if Sasuke was his last hope. Sasuke kneeled so that he was at the boys height. His face beamed as he ran to Sasuke's arms. He was lifted up as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck. He spoke in a little voice. "You came, I was all alone."


Reviews are appreciated. I would love to know what you guys think of it so far.

I hope to keep you entertained for a while. Special thanks to my beta reader Ms Trick. And thanks to you guys for reading!

Mata ne!

Shotsune.