Okay... Here is the first revised chapter...

And Dark Seroph, if you wouldn't mind telling me what you think now (in terms of detail etc.)...

I still have the ability to remove and remake the chapter, and I would like to get your comments and critiques and any other things you might have to say, before I post my next revised chapter...

Tell me what you think of the revisions, is Sasuke still WAY out of character, or what?

Is the relationship moving to quickly still, or is it better?

I'd love to hear the reader's opinions on this matter?

Thanks for supporting the revision process, and I'll try to get all the chapters up again soon!

Sir Edward

Chapter VIII: The Pretty Guest

Sasuke woke, to find that he had bandages covering his bare skin, the wounds from last night dressed in gauze padding.

He had a cold cloth on his head, and he smelled tea boiling on a small fire in the fireplace.

He opened his eyes to find a pretty young woman sitting on a makeshift chair, blue-green eyes watching him intently.

She wore simple clothes, a pair of pants, and a light-blue long sleeve shirt.

Her long dark drown hair was pulled back into a plain single braid, and it came nearly to the small of her back.

She smiled a conserved smile, her straight white teeth flashing in the firelight.

"Huh... Who...are you?" Sasuke asked, looking at his beautiful guest.

"I am Namino. But my friends call me Nari. How are you feeling?" She looked at him with general concern, taking the cloth gently from his head, and dipping it into the bucket of cold water next to her, and replacing it on his forehead.

"I am...fine." He grunted through a little wave of pain that swept through his body.

"What is your name?" She asked quietly.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke muttered, thinking the girl would leave at this, but instead she laughed.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She said, smiling, and then she frowned.

"Your not joking are you?" She bit her bottom lip, and closed her eyes for a moment.

"No. I'm really Sasuke Uchiha. You can run if you need to... I'd understand if you did. I am a monster and no one wants me around." Sasuke said sadly, noticing the girl's face changed to a sad look.

"No, I am not going to leave. You need my help, so I will help you. Besides, you are injured, what could you do to me that wouldn't cause you tremendous pain?" She said, nodding her head at the bloodied bandages that she had put on him.

"How did you find me?"

"You where lying in the doorway, and you where surrounded by a pool of blood, and I thought you might be dead, but when I checked for a pulse, I found a slight one, so I tried to save you. Well, I guess I have! My healing skills are not quite as good as they could be, but I felt I needed to try."

"Thank you. I am in debt to you." Sasuke replied.

"I need to change the dressings on your injuries... Would that be okay?"

"Yes. I appreciate you doing this for me." Sasuke smiled, feeling like he had been graced by an angle, because she was not too afraid of him.

"You are so skinny! You must not have eaten very well. I will bring you to my home, you need to get out of here, because this is no place for me to treat you." She said, as she carefully peeled the gauzing from his wounds.

"But your parents..."

"Don't worry about them. I'll tell then that you are someone else. They'll believe me." Nari said, putting a new dressing over his injuries.

"Are you sure they'll let you take some guy into your house?" Sasuke asked.

"They work at a hospital type place, and strangers are welcome." She said.

"Oh." Sasuke said, feeling like he could trust the girl, but he wasn't sure that her parents would believe her.

"Come. Lets go to my house." She said, helping Sasuke to his feet, but he lost his balance, and fell into her, almost knocking her over.

"Sorry." He muttered, embarrassed that he had almost collapsed.

"You can lean on me. I don't mind." Nari said, leaning his slim frame on her shoulder.

"Um...are you sure?" Sasuke asked, blushing slightly, for feeling so weak.

"Yes. You lost a lot of blood, and that is why you are feeling this weak. After a few weeks at the hospital, or maybe a few days if I can convince my mother to come take a look at my healing job, you'll be good to go. We can feed you high protein food, to help restore any muscle loss, and to put some weight back on those bones!" She giggled at Sasuke's face, which was one of shock and surprise.

They walked in the weather; it was drizzling, and did not speak.

Sasuke had a strange feeling in his chest, like he never wanted to let go of Nari, and he didn't know why.

She had accepted him, even though everyone else had shunned him, and it was a good feeling.

He enjoyed their close proximity, and did not want it to end.

But they soon arrived at her home, and she knocked politely, and waited for someone to answer the door.

A graceful woman, with long dark hair like Nari's answered.

"Nari! Who is that?" Her mother said, looking at Sasuke over her glasses.

"This is Tenpo, a young man I found in the rain, he has some extensive injuries that I tried to fix up, but I don't know if they where done well. Would you check my job over and fix any problems Mom?"

"Tenpo is it? Well Tenpo, come with me, and I will check out these injuries you have." Nari's mother beckoned him into the house, and asked him to sit on a table.

She took the dressing off carefully, and examined the wounds.

"My! How did this happen?" She looked at the gaping wound on his leg, and shook her head.

"I was robbed, and they tried to kill me, but I fought them off." Sasuke said, feeling bad that he needed to lie to such a wonderful person.

"Wow. How'd you manage to do that, with these wounds? I bet you are a shinobi. Where is your forehead protector?"

"Well... I lost it during the fight. They took it off, and threw it into the woods, and I tried to look for it, but my injuries kept me from going to far."

She nodded, as if she believed him, but she knew he was hiding something.

"I am sorry to intrude upon you like this." Sasuke said, feeling genuine remorse for all the lies he had told.

"No problem. I will have you fixed up, and better in a few days. I think you'll need plenty of food too. You look like a sack of bones!"

Sasuke felt happy at being accepted into these people's homes, but he hated having to lie in order to do it.

"Nar. Go get some of the soup on the stove for Tenpo. He must be starving."

Nari went quickly to the kitchen, and returned with a bowl of hot soup.

"Eat this. It will help you grow strong!" Nari's mother said, as she added some herbs to it.

Sasuke tasted the soup, and it was like heaven to his tongue. He ate it, and asked for seconds.

By the time he had finished the second bowl, he was full, and tired.

He lay down on the bench, and fell asleep in a few moments.

"Good night Sasuke. I hope you feel better in the morning." Nari muttered next to his ear, and left to let him rest.

Nari's mom watched Sasuke for a while, and then left to, letting the young man rest alone, in the quietness of the house.