Author note: Sorry for the long wait, I'll hopefully do better. Hope you enjoy the chapter. -Iloveten10

Recap: He obviously lacked the instinct to survive, so he would flee into the darkness and hope light never showed it again.

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Naruto awoke in a hospital bed; the distinct smell of disinfectant was instantly recognizable as the white walls of the room seemed to be attacking him. Naruto hated hospitals. They always seemed to be keeping secrets behind the smell of bleach, disinfectant spray, and lemons. The lack of color didn't help either as Naruto thought it was a way to elude the common people of creativity out of the hospital. It was a sickly place indeed, but it didn't have to look as such. He truly did hate hospitals with a passion.

His eyes closed momentarily to reopen to the bright sun of outside that nearly blinded him the first time they opened. As he stared down at the white sheets placed upon him he tried to remember what had happened, but came to a completely blank. He then started to inspect himself, and found that there were bandages around his mid-section and left arm. He tried to move it to no avail. Suddenly an image arose as Naruto relived the nightmare that had happened to him.

With shaky hands Naruto brought the shard to the skin of his unusable arm and with one quick swoosh, sliced a thin piece of skin of his arm. Blood quickly started to pour out of the wound and Naruto's scream ripped through the air. The pain, although numb because his arm was broken still was tremendous.

"Keep going."

Naruto bit his lip and continued to slice pieces of his flesh with the shard of glass, covering himself with blood. The stench itself made Naruto sick to his stomach, and he was forcing himself not to vomit. As he gagged and kept slicing, the pain becoming less noticeable, everything seemed to mesh together as he looked at Fugaku, the smile still plastered on his face. Naruto was starting to develop a headache as he constantly spaced out. He hadn't even realized that he was screaming with every new mark placed on his arm. He didn't know how far he had zoned out until he heard his voice, his master's.

"Stop!"

Naruto came back to the present and started to hyperventilate. What had happened after that? Where was his master? Had he done something wrong?"

Naruto questions were halted as a nurse walked in and checked his heart rate that had increased rapidly.

"Calm down." She spoke in a soothing voice, trying to calm the blond.

"M-master?" Naruto voice was dry and raspy as he asked for his master. Naruto desperately had to see Sasuke.

"Just calm down, Sasuke will be here momentarily." The nurse said, still trying to calm Naruto down.

Naruto took a deep breath and closed his eyes, he had to relax. Naruto didn't even know why he was overreacting; it's not as if Sasuke had been the kindest master to him. There were those exceptions though that he spared Naruto a beating or gave him more food than necessary when he was looking thin. Sasuke wasn't very cold hearted as he let on and Naruto, although knew of his sweeter side, still was scared of his master none the less.

Naruto heard someone enter into the room and his eyes snapped open to come into contact with the onyx eyes that belonged to no other than his master. As Naruto stared he could see a mix of emotions behind Sasuke's eyes, but mostly observed the purplish bruise that adorned his master. You could see the fist outline and suddenly Naruto remember everything. The going to get something to eat, meeting the slave girl and helping her clean-up the mess she had made, meeting Fugaku, and the punishment he had received from the elder Uchiha. All the memories seemed to swarm in all at once making Naruto develop a headache.

He hadn't realized the nurse had left or Sasuke move closer to him until he felt a hand on his forehead.

"You have a fever." Sasuke said. His voice seemed distant as if he were thinking about something else.

Naruto shivered under his cold palm and closed his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"I'm sorry master, this is my entire fault. I'll understand any punishment you wish to give me." Naruto had tears welling up in his eyes but held them back.

"It's okay. My father and I have made amends. He may be the man that scares everyone around him, but there is one person that even he fears."

Sasuke smiled looking at Naruto as thoughts of his mother flooded into his head. His mother was truly a scary woman when pissed and no man, including his father could out argue her when she was heated.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for the things that I've done to you." Naruto stopped breathing as he heard the apology come from his master lips. "After seeing what my father made you do I came to the realization that being cruel is pointless. Being cruel is just a way he has kept power and I don't want to be like that when I take over. Although I'll show no mercy to those who oppose me, I want to be kind to those that I trust and still instill fear within them to never undermine me."

Naruto sat staring at Sasuke wondering what this had to do with him. As he opened his mouth to speak Sasuke cut him off.

"Naruto I have a proposition for you. You can stay with me and be my slave and I promise to treat you like a real person and not some rag doll. The other is I set you free, but you can never come back to the manor again for your own protection. Father isn't nice to regular people either, but under my care he won't be able to lift a hand against you."

Naruto looked down at the white bed sheets. He could be free was his first thought. Never would he have to deal with the torment that came with being a slave, or the humiliation of being owned by someone else. Where would he go was the second thought? The auction house had moved, he didn't know much of anyone in the town, and he had no family to contact. Who knew if there was work to be done within the city either? He was stuck, stay a slave or be broke and homeless. As much as both despised him he no longer wanted to be a slave, Sasuke however did say he would no longer be as cruel and treat him like a normal person with rights, but that was all talk. Then again he could be free, but homeless with nowhere to go. That's how he ended up being an auction boy. He had trusted that man and look where he ended up, being sold. Naruto took a deep breath and opened his mouth coming to a conclusion.

"I-I want to continue being your slave." Being free meant nothing if you starved to death he thought. Sasuke looked pleased as he stared down at Naruto. He had gotten the blond to stay, as much as Sasuke would deny it; the blond slave had grown on him.

"Master?"

"Yes."

"Can I call you by your first name still?"

Sasuke pondered the thought and liked the sound of master, but knew it always bruised Naruto's already damaged pride.

"You may call me Sasuke when alone, but in front of guest address me as master."

Naruto seemed content with this as he looked back up and stared at Sasuke. He had another request to ask.

"S-Sasuke, may I be taught?" Sasuke stiffened and looked hard at Naruto. Slaves were not supposed to be educated out of fear of rebellion against their masters, most didn't know proper grammar, but Naruto already knew basic things such as math, writing, and a little science. He wasn't the ordinary slave that was too dumb to even grasp simple commands. Sasuke thought about the benefits of allowing Naruto such an honor as to be educated even more, and came to the conclusion it could be beneficial to have a dignified conversation with someone besides Neji and a few others.

"Fine, I will get you a private tutor to advance your learning." Naruto smiled and tears came to his eyes. Maybe it would be so bad to be Sasuke's slave again. He looked up at Sasuke, and mouthed the words "thank you" feeling to tired and weak all of a sudden to do anything else.

"Rest." Was Sasuke simple command "I'll be back tomorrow after school to discharge you." Sasuke then headed to the door, but before he reached it Naruto asked a question that had been bugging him.

"Sa-Sasuke, why am I in a hospital, and not the medical wing of the manor?"

"They wouldn't treat you, Sakura and Lee broke out into tears at the sight of your body, Ino has taken time off, and Tsunade had to treat another girl whose master had stabbed her in the stomach for disobeying an order, so I rushed you to the hospital." With that he turned around and left Naruto in his own thoughts. Sasuke did care, may not admit it, but he had cared for the lowest of the low, a mere slave with blond hair and sky blue eyes. He had cared for Naruto Uzumaki.

Fin

Author Note: I honestly think I'm done writing my part of the story guys, there hopefully will be a sequel, or a epilogue if me and my partner feel up to it. I hope you enjoyed the story, and hope you all read my other story "No one" which I will be updating soon so look out for it. Also thank you to all those who reviewed the story and kept me going.