A/N: I hope my description/explanation of the healing jutsu in this chapter is at least somewhat . . . plausible? Yeah. And this chapter is a bit short so sorry about that.

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, the poem belongs to Izumi Shikibu (I seriously couldn't write something that good, so it obviously isn't mine! lol) and the fic belongs to me

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I used up this body

longing

for one who does not come.

A deep valley, now,

what once was my heart.

- Izumi Shikibu

Chapter 2 – Distances

Naruto skipped lightheartedly along the torch-lit hallway, holding a bowl of steaming ramen in his hands. He stopped to knock on the door of the Fifth Hokage's study. Tsunade opened it, raising her eyebrows. Naruto sprang in without invitation.

"Hey Grandma Tsunade! Mind if I hang out with you?" Naruto plopped himself down on the couch across from her desk.

Tsunade sighed as she closed the door behind the hyperactive ninja, but nodded, pausing to consider something. "Actually, Naruto," she said with a smirk, "I think I won't do any more work today!" Both blonde ninja smiled brightly at this.

Tsunade sat down across from Naruto. "So, how are you? What's been going on lately?"

Naruto paused with his chop-sticks half-way to his mouth and went into a monologue about the new attacks he had been learning. "But of course the rasengan is the best—it does the most damage," Naruto finished, grinning evilly as he slurped his ramen. "What?" he asked.

A frown had been steadily growing on Tsunade's face as Naruto had been talking. She looked up at the boy in front of her. "Well, it's . . . it's just that ninja learn how to attack, harm, and kill, but hardly any time is devoted to healing jutsu . . ."

"Hn?" Naruto tipped his head to the side.

Gradually, a determined look had come into Tsunade's eyes. "I'm going to teach you, Naruto. You're going to learn the basic healing jutsu used for cuts, torn muscle, and burns." She grinned, pleased with this idea.

Naruto's eyes widened in amazement. "Yeah! Okay!" He jumped up and grinned. "I'm ready to learn it, Grandma Tsunade!"

The Fifth Hokage smiled and opened her palm, which glowed blue with chakra. "This jutsu involves concentrating chakra and moving it back and forth in a steady pattern. In a way it is similar to the rasengan. The gentle movement of the chakra speeds up the body's processes of healing, making it possible for new skin to grow quickly over cuts or burns."

"Wow, Grandma Tsunade! That's so cool!" Naruto said excitedly, bouncing up and down on the couch.

Tsunade nodded and continued. "This jutsu will come in handy, believe me. Healing is more important than hurting, and when those you love are in danger, you will want to do everything you can to protect them . . ." The Hokage smiled sadly, staring out the window for a moment before turning back to Naruto and giving him an encouraging smile. "Let me see you try it."

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Hinata stood at the window of her room, gazing out at the village as evening shadows deepened. She looked down at the picture of Naruto Uzumaki in her hands. The glass over the picture glinted faintly as she clutched the frame.

A myriad of thoughts whirled in her mind like leaves in a storm—there were too many emotions for her to process. Admiration for Naruto, loneliness, longing to be accepted and loved.

Hinata put the picture down and turned away from the window. The gloomy Hyuuga sat down on the side of her bed, fiddling with her fingers. She sighed. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. Just another day she was treated like a ghost, just another day no one cared about her. Hinata turned off the lights and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up and turning her cheek to the pillow. Silent tears dampened the cloth, the only sound the ticking of the clock.

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Naruto walked along the hallway from the Hokage's study, thinking about the healing jutsu and Tsunade's words. Healing is more important than hurting, and when those you love are in danger, you will want to do everything you can to protect them . . .

The blonde ninja looked down at his palm, concentrating chakra in the flowing pattern Tsunade had described. He had learned the jutsu easily; it was very similar to the rasengan. The difference was the way in which the chakra moved. The rasengan was a quick, spinning motion while the healing jutsu was slow, like the patterns of waves on the shore. Tsunade had said that he had to be very careful to control the chakra or it could turn into a kind of weak rasengan that could destroy muscle or tissue.

Naruto continued down the hall, hands behind his head. I've just been taught a jutsu by the Hokage herself! He grinned. Suddenly, a form appeared out of the darkness of the weak torchlight. Naruto sprang into a fighting stance, drawing his kunai knife.

"Naruto!"

The blonde ninja tipped his head to the side in puzzlement. "Hn?"

The form drew closer. It was Kakashi . . . and he was carrying something . . . a body? Naruto's eyes widened as he realized who it was. The copy-ninja continued up the hall to the Hokage's door, motioning for Naruto to follow. The blonde ninja dashed after his sensei.

"What happened to Sasuke? Kakashi-sensei! What happened?!"

The masked ninja knocked on the Hokage's door and didn't answer. Tsunade opened it, eyes widening in shock. She beckoned for them both to come in.

Naruto hopped up and down impatiently. "What's going on? What happened to Sasuke?! Just tell me already!"

Kakashi sat down in resignation as Tsunade moved the Uchiha's body to a folding hospital bed. "Alright, Naruto, I'll explain. Sasuke over-trained. I think he tried to force himself to make another chidori and he had too little chakra left. I'm not sure what that did to his arms, but I know they need healing. When chakra is forced through the chakra network, muscle can be tom and there is often internal bleeding and some burning."

Tsunade placed a hand on Sasuke's arm. "You're right, Kakashi. His muscle has been torn badly, especially around the wrist, his arms are bruised, and his palms are badly burned. He must have fainted from the pain."

Naruto winced. "That doesn't sound good."

Kakashi gave his student a glare as if to say 'well, duh' and turned to Tsunade. "I think we need to teach Naruto a basic healing jutsu—he's a fast learner, he could help out."

Tsunade smirked. "It happens that I already taught him a basic healing jutsu."

Kakashi's visibly eye widened in amazement. "Oh! Well then, let's get started. Do you have everything you need here?" he asked.

Tsunade nodded. "I keep emergency supplies in my office just in case." She turned to Naruto. "Naruto, I need you to take Sasuke's shirt off and wash his arms. Here, use this cloth." The Hokage handed him a basin of water and a towel and went to get bandages and ointment out of the closet behind her desk.

Naruto walked over to the form of his rival. He blushed as he took out his kunai knife and cut Sasuke's shirt, drawing it out from under his sleeping body. He took the damp towel and washed the ninja's bruised arms.

He stood there lamely, looking at the dark-haired ninja's calm face. The boy appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Then Sasuke stirred and a small cry of pain escaped his lips. Naruto breathed in sharply. Without thinking, the he sat down on the side of the bed, putting one hand on the Uchiha's forehead and the other around his shoulders. His lips were close to Sasuke's ear. "Don't worry—this will be over soon, Sasuke," Naruto promised to the unconscious ninja. The boy in his arms sighed and turned his face to rest against Naruto's arm. The blonde ninja gasped, realizing how close they were, shivering as Sasuke's hand closed around his.

What is he doing? Naruto asked himself in panic, instinctively tightening his grip on the other boy's hand. Sasuke cried out and Naruto pulled away immediately, revealing new blood on the Uchiha's burned palm. Sasuke was still sleeping, but his eyebrows where furrowed in pain. Naruto cursed, wishing he had been gentler.

I hate to see Sasuke like this . . .

His eyes widened as he remembered Tsunade's words . . . when those you love are in danger, you will want to do everything you can to protect them . . .

Naruto gently extricated himself from the unconscious body of his rival. But I don't love Sasuke. I don't, I don't . . . he repeated to himself.

Tsunade and Kakashi came back from the closet, carrying bandages and ointment. "We need to heal Sasuke as quickly as possible," the Hokage said. "He's going to wake up soon and with luck we'll be able to stop his pain before then."

Naruto's chest tightened at the thought of seeing Sasuke in more pain.

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