Chapter 2

Voices suddenly surrounded the area. Naruto could hear the rush of medical ninja rushing to work on the injured. He was among those being treated. The hospital was still in ruins, so instead they were taken to a medical camp just outside the borders of the village. Naruto opened his eye to try to see what was going on. He looked around for Sakura, to see if she was all right, but then a sharp pain ran down his back. When he screamed, a few doctors were amazed, and Kakashi and Yamato ran over to him.

"Naruto! Stay down!" Kakashi warned.

"Sensei…what's going on?" Naruto asked, "Where's Sakura!"

"Relax! They're treating her as we speak." Kakashi replied.

"Treating her! But I-" started Naruto.

"She hit her head when the explosion threw her off. She was knocked out and her skull may have been fractured." Yamato explained. Naruto's eyes widened. He lowered his head thinking it was all his fault…if only he had seen that trap before…

"Way to put it soflty Yamato…" Kakashi muttered. Shizune entered Naruto's tent shortly after to do a check up on him. The results were almost as if he had never been injured.

"He sure recovers fast." Shizune mentioned, "Guess the fox does sometimes prove useful."

"Maybe…anyways…how's Sakura doing?" Kakashi asked. Shizune sighed. Naruto felt his gut sink. Hopefully it was just a sigh of relief, and Sakura was going to be okay.

"We did what we could. She's still out at the moment…but…" Shizune commented.

"But?" Naruto and Kakashi asked.

"But she may have lost some of her short term memory…even long term. We won't know for sure until she wakes up." Shizune responded. For a moment, there was complete silence. Nobody really knew what to say. "Well Naruto, if you're feeling better I guess you could-"

"Can I see Sakura?" Naruto requested. Shizune hesitated, then she gave a slight nod. Naruto carefully rose to his feet to try to walk. But as soon as he did, he fell. Kakashi grabbed him and carried him to Sakura's tent, where she was laying down…as if the life had been sucked out of her.

"We're going to do whatever it takes to get her back okay Naruto?" Shizune reassured.

"Yeah…hey, can you give me some time? I just wanna…" Naruto began.

"Say no more. Come, Yamato, Shizune, I'm sure there are others that need our help." Kakashi remarked. They left the tent, leaving Naruto alone with Sakura. Naruto sat there in that same spot by her bed for hours. He was waiting for her to wake up, or show him some kind of sign that she was gonna be all right. But nothing happened. She was still sleeping in the same position.

"S-sakura…I'm sorry I let this happen to you!" Naruto cried. Tears started to roll down his eyes, but he brushed them away quickly. He kept looking to Sakura for some kind of response. Something she would say like, "You should be!" or even hitting him upside the head. But nothing. Just like Lady Tsunade…Sakura was in a coma.

Naruto heard the tent door open and someone step inside. He turned his head to see who it was, but he had been in the dark for so long that he couldn't quite make out a face.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything…am I?" asked Sai.

"Oh…Sai it's you…" Naruto remarked, "No you weren't…just…me trying to get Sakura to wake up."

"Well, the book says that you can't wake a person in a coma. You must wait until-"

"Yes Sai! I know that already…it's just…this is all my fault!" Naruto cut off. Sai stared blankly at Naruto, then at Sakura.

"Oh I see…you're feeling sorry for yourself and trying to make up for it by waking Sakura up…is that it?" Sai questioned. This didn't help Natuto's mood at all.

"Sai…no offense, but you really need to shut the hell up." Naruto retorted.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked an innocent Sai. Naruto shook his head.

"I just wanna be alone Sai." Naruto hinted. Sai seemed to get the hint, and left Naruto alone in the tent. Naruto went back to sulking, but he knew Sai was right…he was just feeling sorry for himself.

Two days later…

Nobody had seen Naruto around anywhere else except Sakura's tent. He knew he had an obligation to help restore the village, but when he was done with his work, he was right back to that tent. Others questioned it more than some.

"I know he feels guilty and all, but don't you think he could be helping out a bit more than he does?" asked Tenten as she was cutting some wood.

"You can't really blame him. If that's what he feels is right to do then I say let him." Shikamaru replied.

Naruto was still sitting in the same spot, but he was asleep, exhausted from all the work he had rushed to accomplish that day. He felt so helpless that it hurt…or maybe that was from the heavy lifting and use of shadow clones.

"W-where am I?" someone said. Naruto shot his head up. Sakura's eyes were open, and she was trying to sit up.

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, "Hang on! I'll get some help!" Naruto ran out of the tent and shouted, "She's awake! Shizune! Anybody! Come quick!"

Within moments, there was a crowd around Sakura's tent, Shizune was examining Sakura and Naruto was as close as Shizune would let him be. A few minutes passed and Shizune finished her examination.

"So is she gonna be all right now!" Naruto asked.

"Well, she checks out okay…but I'm not one hundred percent sure yet. Lady Tsunade was better at this than I am…" replied Shizune.

"Sakura! How're you feeling?" Naruto asked her. Sakura turned her head to him.

"Me? I…guess I'm feeling fine…I don't remember what happened exactly…" Sakura commented.

"As I thought…she had some short term memory loss." Shizune examined.

"Well at least she'll be back to her old self in no time!" cheered Naruto.

"Just one question!" Sakura pleaded. Naruto looked at her.

"Yeah sure. What's up?" Naruto said.

"…who are you?"