Sorry it took longer than normal, I had exams... ew :/

Anyway, here it is, Chapter 6 ^-^

The cold from the grey marble floor reached him through his pants. Vaguely uncomfortable. His eyes wandered across the white washed pattern beneath him. Like waves on sand at the beach, Naruto thought numbly and let his focus slip making his vision blurry. What had happened? He fingered a thread of his torn shirt. They were fighting and he had jumped in front of Kousuke, he remembered. And then blackness, for a long time. He frowned. The only things he could piece together from there was somewhere very dark and then someone's voice and the smell of grass. After that there was... vomiting? The blonde boy ran his tongue around his mouth and grimaced. Definitely vomiting. After that he had drifted in and out of consciousness, only remembering wanting his forehead protector and the even footsteps of whoever was carrying him until Team 7 arrived at the Mizukage's Tower. There were more memories further down but he couldn't quite reach them. Every time his fingers brushed their surface they would show him something so quickly that it was gone before he could figure out what it was and then retreat further into the darkness. How frustrating.

He lifted his blue eyes and found Sakura. She was standing next to him, her eyes closed. Naruto's heart clenched as he looked her over, spotting the deep blue bruises at her neck. Why was that? Did I have something to do with it? He flicked to Sasuke. He was watching him from where he stood across from him. Naruto's mouth pulled into a pout as he narrowed his eyes at his dark haired team mate.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Silence. They held each others gaze. Naruto felt Sakura shift uncomfortably.

"Do you really not remember?" she asked. He looked up. Pain flared in the lower part of his stomach, the muscle tensing as he turned to her. He grit his teeth and was quiet for a moment before answering.

"Not much," he replied. Sakura's pastel green eyes jumped between Sasuke himself, skittering nervously like she had something to hide. Something to do with the injuries that she and Sasuke had maybe? He shifted his gaze to Sasuke. Sakura obviously wasn't going to tell him.

"Did I do something bad?" he asked, staring directly at Sasuke, his normally childish blue eyes darkened with confusion; but not too much. Sasuke wasn't allowed to see all his feelings. He wasn't allowed to see how not knowing was affecting him. The other boy sighed wearily.

"Yes, you Dobe, you nearly-"

"Sasuke kun!" They both jumped at the authority in the voice that rang through the cold waiting room outside the Mizukage's office. The blonde blinked and pulled his shoulders closer to his ears. Sakura was scary when she was mad. The raven frowned.

"Sakura. You don't have to protect to him," said Sasuke, turning his body towards the girl. She faltered under his undivided attention, the corners of her mouth turning down, her authority collapsing completely. She always was weak against him. Naruto watched them before screwing up his face up and closing his eyes into a scowl.

"Tell me...!" he whined, knowing it annoyed both to no ends. Maybe they would lose it and just blurt it out. Before either Sasuke or Sakura could yell at him a hand dropped onto his head. His stomach burst into a strong ache as his body caved slightly under the weight.

"There is no need to discuss it. Besides, you already apologized." Naruto tilted his head up, his large blue eyes round and curious again. Kakashi smiled down into the boy's bent-over-backwards face from where he crouched behind him.

"Did I?" He couldn't remember.

"Yeah, you were pretty out of it so you may not remember," replied the Jounin as he turned his attention to the other two members of their team. Sasuke was still glaring at Sakura. She was backed against the wall again, avoiding his harsh, black eyes while he openly stared at her.

"Sasuke, play nice. Naruto doesn't belong to you so you don't get to decide when and when not to scold him," called Kakashi. Sasuke's face twitched and he snapped his eyes away.

"That's not what I meant," he said under his breath. Naruto swore he was blushing but maybe he was just riled up. Kakashi smiled, Sakura sighed and Naruto laughed. The questions, blank spaces in his memories and the aching in his seemingly healed wound disappeared from his mind for the moment.

"Who would want that Usuratonkachi..." muttered the Uchiha.

"Hey!" yelled the blonde.

…

Back out in the rain, Sakura spoke up.

"So what did the Mizukage say Kakashi sensei?" Three pairs of eyes turned to the man. His own eye closed. Naruto blinked the rain off his eyelashes as Kakashi sighed.

"He was very understanding. But he said he'd like us out of here by tomorrow so we need to find somewhere to stay," he replied. "We'll split up and look for someone who will take us in since I don't have much money with me. Naruto you come with me, maybe we can trick someone by using your injury. Sakura and Sasuke go together. You two all sodden and shivering will probably convince someone."

"That's sneaky Kakashi sensei," complained Sakura half heartedly. Kakashi just chuckled quietly. Naruto got it. Everyone was tired. Everyone wanted to sleep.

"Let's go Naruto," called his sensei.

Sasuke walked behind Sakura as she led the way down a street that had a couple of inns on it. The first four stops had been fails, each and every one of them claiming they were full up. He was willing to bet that no one wanted to take in a team of ninja covered in dirt and deep-set blood stains. Sakura had babbled for the first part of the walk but now she was silent, just as exhausted as he was. Her back was covered in grass stains, her front darkened with blood. The long tags of red material that fell between her legs were tattered and torn. He wondered if he looked as pathetic as she did right now.

Finally they found someone to take them in. She was old and weathered but kind and agreed to house all four ninja for the night. She smiled down at them and took Sakura inside while Sasuke went to find Naruto and Kakashi.

...

"Bath. You two. Right now," Kakashi commanded pointing at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Together?" the blonde haired boy's voice was hoarse and tired but just as loud as ever.

"Yes. Now." Kakashi shoved them a little and Naruto stumbled. Sasuke glowered.

"No buts, there isn't enough clean water left to take them separately. Go."

"Kakashi sensei...!"

"Shitty Jounin..."

...

Naruto looked down to check the small towel that both had decided to leave around their waists, hadn't drifted up in the weightlessness of the warm water. Three drops dripped from his blonde hair as he turned his head, surveying the bathroom again. They were seated in an unusually long bathtub that was obviously made for two people. Naruto felt awkward just sitting in it. It was so big that he could sit with his legs almost completely stretched out, his toes nearly touching Sasuke's feet.

Sasuke's feet... Curious, he straightened out his foot and brought it to the one opposite, not touching it but close enough to see. His lips parted a little in surprise. Sasuke's feet were bigger; the tips of Naruto's toes only came to where Sasuke's started. He looked up. The Uchiha boy was staring into space with his face lifted to the ceiling. Was he so tired he didn't even notice or was he just bored and couldn't be bothered saying anything? Naruto wanted to splash him just to see his expression but he decided against it.

Sasuke looked different without clothes on. Blue eyes swept the length of the sitting form. He was slender like a woman, his body much longer than it appeared when he was wearing a shirt. He had long legs too. Torso and arms showed little signs of the strength the boy possessed, his chest and stomach running into each other. One white, untouched slate. Naruto was sure that on his stomach there were faint lines of his hardened abdomen muscles but Sasuke looked soft and powdery, like flower petals, his almost translucent skin smooth; tiny water droplets sliding over it with ease. Moving his foot away, Naruto sat up straighter. In comparison to himself, Sasuke's shoulders were a little wider. I guess because he's taller he should be bigger, reasoned Naruto to himself. Sasuke's body was so strange. It was long and pale but he had wider shoulders and bigger feet than Naruto. He looked soft, the slight curve of his waist and that of his shoulders flawless. It didn't make much sense at all.

There was also his face. That face that if the jaw line wasn't quite as sharp, could have belonged to a female. Hot, hot, hot, was all Sakura said about Sasuke regarding physical appearance but he was really more like beautiful. Naruto mentally kicked himself for thinking it but it was true. He had never met a person with a face quite like Sasuke's. All dark, mysterious eyes and delicate arching eyebrows. So much like a girl but the way he held his mouth and his chin was so distinctly male.

The water rippled unexpectedly, pulling Naruto from his observations.

"We can't stay here all night, hurry up and wash then we can get out," said Sasuke, his voice cutting through the thick bathroom air. Naruto blinked and reached for a wash cloth.

"A-ah, yeah." Had Sasuke seen him staring at him? He wasn't sure. Naruto raised his arms, bringing the cloth to his face. Halfway there, a sharp pain cut across his middle. The seal felt like it was on fire!

Naruto froze, his arms stopped in midair, sucking in air as he struggled not to double over in pain. White spots appeared before his eyes and then disappeared as quickly as they came as the cloth slipped through his fingers. He couldn't speak; the flames were burning in his throat. What was going on? His first instinct was to hide it. Years of being alone and cautious had developed a habit of carefully masking fear and pain. His arms dropped in slow jerks. Sasuke watching him, he could feel it. Act normal. Act normal.

Finally the pain settled and Naruto concentrated on quieting his breaths, breaths that felt like they were made of flames and tasted like salty-sweet blood. Under the water, he fingered the seal gently, avoiding Sasuke's eyes.

"I'm... fine, I'm clean enough, I don't need to" Naruto choked out, panic strangling the words. So it wasn't healed? Even though that scabbing and redness he had noticed before was gone? The skin was smooth beneath his fingertips. Laughing nervously, turned his face away.

"I don't need to..." he murmured.

Not a word left Sasuke's perfect mouth as he moved. In one slow, swift movement Sasuke had slunk closer, retrieving the wash cloth as he went. Naruto didn't see him, he barely even heard him but suddenly one of Sasuke's hands was on his shoulder and the other, hidden in the folds of damp material, came to his face.

"What are you doing?" yelled Naruto, backing away. The fingers on his shoulder tightened, steadying him. Soft cloth began to move gently across his cheeks and then under his eyes.

"W-w-w-w..." Naruto stammered as the other boy settled himself more comfortably between his legs. Heat flooded his whiskered cheeks.

"You can't do it by yourself, right? You're such a child," replied Sasuke, moving his hand to the back of Naruto's neck, his fingertips pressing against the base of his head as he dabbed his forehead clean around a small graze.

"W-w-w..." Naruto stumbled again. Actual words didn't want to form.

"Shh," shushed Sasuke.

Naruto's mouth closed slowly and he proceeded to sit silently, his eyes widened in either shock or anger. He was too flustered to think properly. Sasuke's breath flooded over his skin as he leaned in to assess a cut on Naruto's lip. After a moment he smirked and dragged the cloth roughly over the open wound. The water stung and Naruto flinched. Sasuke laughed lightly and Naruto felt himself pout in habitual response.

"Teme..."

"Dobe," Sasuke replied evenly as he cleaned away a light blood stain on one side of Naruto's face.

When he was done, the pale hands, that Naruto had concluded were also probably bigger than his own, let the wash cloth fall into the water.

"You can do the rest yourself," Sasuke said as he got out, water sloshing around his legs as he stepped out and left the room, wrapping his strange body in a big towel. Naruto watched him go, the heat finally leaving his cheeks.

Which kind of thoughts should he be having after what had just happened?

Angry? What the hell was that? Why did he do that?

Or grateful? You knew it hurt? Did you see from the start, Sasuke?