Chapter 3

"r eysw aso buful."

The room was lighted by two gas lamps, which casted dark shadows on the walls and bathed their surroundments in a dim light.

The chambers furniture was limited to a bookshelf, a red sofa and a big, two-persons-bed. There were two figures standing beside of the bed, each one on a side.

Their eyes were resting on a sleeping figure in their middle, laid down and wrapped up in a couple of red blankets.

For a while, the silence was broken only by the sound of their breathing.

Then, Kabuto began to speak. "I managed to heal most of his wounds completely. There were only two which had reopened. They've been quite deep, though. One of his lungs had been perforated."

He had lifted the blankets. "Look, this one... and this one." Kabuto was about to touch the blonde's uncovered chest, while pointing at the scars the wounds had left.

But Sasuke gave him an icy glance and immediately, the grey retreated his hand and straightened his glasses in trying to struggle with the moment of embarassment.

He gave a little cough, then continued. "However... The scars will fade after a few weeks. But he will continue feeling exhausted and weak for at least another seven days.

We should make sure he rests during the next time... That means, no abrupt movements, no tiring activities." He paused and gave Sasuke a weird gaze, which could be interpreted in various ways.

The raven frowned, giving him an impatient glance. "Go on."

Kabuto hurried to carry on with the report. "Well, there's a thing that leaves me kind of staggered... Actually, they must have already given him medical treatment in Konoha.

But considering the condition in which have been the lesions when you brought him... The fact that they weren't healed properly and reopened so fast...

Indicates that the medical ninja who healed him lacked of knowledge and abilities. Thus, it can not have been Tsunade."

"So Tsunade is out of town?" Sasuke looked thoughtful. "Most likely." Kabuto frowned. "You know, you brought him in a very unstable condition.

It would have been almost too late. He was close to death." Sasuke nodded. "I know. And that all because of an incomplete treatment."

"Luckily, the healing process will proceed much quicker than it would in the case of a normal person. You know why, right?" He gave the raven a questioning look.

"Of course I do. It's the Kyuubi." His lips formed a silent grin now and his eyes suddenly started to gleam like a childs who had got a new toy.

Kabuto glanced at him, irritated. "If I might say this, I just don't understand you. Why have you brought him here in the first place? He will cause nothing but trouble.

They'll notice soon enough that it wasn't Naruto who died in that chasm. Although I did pretty well on the corpse." The pride resonating in the grey's voice was unmistakable.

"Then the whole village will send search teams and try to find him like a pack of sniffling dogs." He wrinkled his nose. "I mean, it's the boy who contains the Kyuubi we are talking about."

Meanwhile, Sasuke's grin had faded and he was now observing Kabuto with an emotionless face again. "I know exactly what I'm doing, believe me. I have found a way to extract the Ninetails.

I've personally developed the results of one of Orochimaru's investigations." Kabuto drew back, staring at him in surprise. "You've found a way to make the Fox demon docile?"

His eyes focussed the blonde, resting in their middle. Sasuke nodded. The grey sighted.

"You better tell me all about it later, Sasuke. But I guess it's worth the risc, after all. Anyways… May I retreat now? Your foxy friend there devoured lots of my chakra today."

The raven waited for the clicking noise of the door, then he sat down on the bed and stared at the blonde's chest, which was moving up and down with his breathing.

He let his eyes wander upwards to Naruto's lips, which were slightly parted. It was true that there was a part of him who was interested in the incredible mighty power of the fox demon…

On the one hand, such power would be very useful to him. But on the other hand there was Naruto, the host… The process of extracting the demon would on any account end mortally for him.

Which one would be his priority?

It was or the one or the other.

Back at the chasm there had happened something strange… He had felt Naruto's pain and desperation as if it had been his own.

It had torn him appart to see him standing there, willing to end his life so ungruding. Because of him… It annoyed him that Naruto had got far enough to grab his sword.

He had been careless. His lips formed a thin line. What a stupid idiot Naruto was. He would never submit to such primitive feelings as love.

Bonds were an incredible weakness. He would use the blonde boy to accomplish his goals. Maybe he'd play with him for a bit.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru's elicitation of the fox presupposed a healthy condition of the hosts' fisical and mental state. So he would have to wait. But he'd be patient…

Following a sudden impulse, he reached out his hand to touch Naruto's cheek. He looked so defensless, sleeping. His skin felt soft and warm under his hand.

He wondered how his neck would feel. Slowly, he ran his fingers across Naruto's neck and then drifted to his shoulders.

Just in that moment, Naruto moved his arms beside his head, then turned to the side Sasuke was sitting.

"Sa…su…" His lips formed in a silent whisper. The raven stared at him. He wondered what he was dreaming.

How would it be to touch more than just his neck and shoulders? Naruto would be helpless… He could do whatever he wanted…

He shook his head, in disbelief. Yeah, maybe he'd play with him a little. But later.

He got up and walked away with a weird feeling in his stomach region.

At the back of his mind, a memory began to emerge. First, little and unassertive, but soon it filled out all of his thoughts.

It was the image of Naruto, pinned down to the ground, his lips blood stained and choking. He had been struggling to breathe.

Nevertheless his Sharingan had been able to interpret the words Naruto's lips had formed.

"Your eyes are so beautiful." And the blond boy had smiled.

Somehow, that sentence kept repeating itself over and over again, as hard as Sasuke tried to banish it.