He was Running without tearing his eyes from Gaara. There was an irrational fear in his mind, that to look away from Gaara was to assure his death. Although Gaara didn't look very alive at this moment. Naruto tried to shuffle Gaara so he could use a free hand to cheek the boys pulse, his own pounding in his ear, but he couldn't free his hand.

He looked up for a second focusing on running faster. If he just reached sunas medical centre then everything would be fine. But Gaara was dead, his mind replied. And that wasn't a assumption like now at Gaaras still appearance, he had been examined by a medic nin and pronounced dead. Though he had been "brought back" by some hiccidly piccicledy justu that came out of no where, surely a justu to bring people back from the dead would be famous.

No Gaara was Alive, he had talked and even walked, he told himself; the justu had worked.

Naruto looked again at Gaara, desperatly seatching for some indication that he was actually okay, but there was none.

What if that was the last time you will ever see Gaaras teal eyes, his mind taunted as he stared as Gaaras closed lids.

He pulled his arms up bringing the boy closer to him, pushing Gaaras head into his neck. They would get there.

He realised he was panting, and way into his final energy reserves. How much further till they arrived? looking around he didn't recognise anything. His heart felt colder his panting notably increasing, while he fought down panicking. No he was going the right way, he knew it. He sped up. Pleading for a glimpse of sunas walls, sand dunes rose higher around him, forcing him uphill, the sun burned hotter, bloody deserts, fuck this place. No wonder Gaara had been evil.

They reached the summit of the dune, stopping for a second. from this height threw the heat waves interfering with his eyesight, he saw a large square object. Hoping this was Suna he started running again.

The sun bore down, the black of his jacket particularly absorbent to the heat. His leg buckled slightly on the soft sand. Almost there he told himself although Suna looked no closer.

It felt like decades before he stepped onto the harder sand stone that suna consisted of. Naruto realised with dull dread that his sight was going hazy, like the bulbs were about to smash on either side of his vision, he had reached the gates, but would he reach the medical centre? gasping he was set in the belief that Gaara could not die because of him.

He thought about calling and passing Gaara to another ninja, who would have more energy to get him help quicker, but he knew he couldn't bring himself to release his hold on his friend.

He turned, his tired eyes dragging around the town to find the staircase they had gone up earlier.

"sir are you a sand shinobi" a voice said to his left, but Naruto had already pushed forward after finding the staircase, forcing every bit of his remaining chakra into his feet. He sprinted up the flight of stairs, on complete autopilot as he skidded around on unsteady legs to the medical centre.

Bursting threw the doors he let out a huge gasp like sigh, he had made it,

"I need a medic" he shouted into the empty reception

"now what's this?" A young looking girl said coming from down the hall,

"a medic now" he cried rushing forward, her eyes widened when she saw Gaara

"ugh sir, you need to wait in the recep-" she stuttered

"NO!" he roared " you need to help him" another two women appeared, giggling before they saw Naruto

"we need a gurney now" one said rushing forward to feel Gaaras neck,

"what's his symptoms?" The other asked staring intensely at Naruto

"he was dead, but he was brought back to life, by a Justu , I don't know, someone else died for it" he babbled watching the way their expressions darkened

"he's alive, but weak" the other concluded, Naruto let out a breathe of relief he hadn't realised he'd been holding "I don't know much about revive justus but if he was dead, well, Then he has lost crucial oxygen from his brain, if he wakes up then he's at a serious risk of brain damage"

Naruros breath clawed at his throat,

"place him on here please" the first nurse interrupted, wheeling a gurney in front of him, he stared at the place he knew the teal eyes were. 'place him down kit' a voice snarled, in his shock the nurses were able to pull Gaara from him onto the bed taking him away.

"you can sense his chakra right, hold onto that, the waiting room is behind you" the nurse said pointing towards the empty chairs, Naruto could only stare trying to understand why Gaara had been taken away from him. He allowed himself to be lead away, he had to trust.

Sitting down on the hard plastic, resting his back against the side, he watched the place Gaara had been led. He felt the urge to fight rising, but he couldn't see his opponent.

Gritting his teeth he tried to see reason, they had found Gaara, but too late, he had fought the guy who had captured Gaara but unsuccessfully, they had revived Gaara but another had died. Tap, tap, tap his foot slamming faster against the floor. Where were the others? they should be here. His claws extended scrapping across the arm of the chair with a sick metallic sound. The nurse at the reception peered over. He had to get control of himself, the kyubi was probably thriving.

/

He realised he had been in the bathroom for the past 30 minutes. Coming back to consciousness to find himself running his hands back and forth threw his hair like he was demented. He blinked at himself, the blue eyes In the mirror repeating his action. Coughing he tried to focus, but unable to cope with his thoughts he shut down again. Slumping against the hard sink.

He saw red, his entire arms were covered in blood, he stared at them running a bloody digit down his bloody arms, he had barely bled so he linked his drenched body with the Acatsuki member thats arm kakashi had managed to blow to high heaven, or could it have been Gaaras', he froze his arms shaking, he needed them clean, turning the taps to their most powerful he surrounded them, water quickly filling the sink and gushing over the sides, his arms were still partially covered by his jacket so he ripped it of. Tearing both sleeve to reveal entire arms he could drown. it wasn't effective, the blood was still cacked to him. He tried the soap, the septic smelling substance running down his arm in rivets with the amount he had pumped out, submerging his arms again they came up and nothing had changed, he growled, rubbing frantically, his nails tore into his skin, they did nothing, harder.

A hand grabbed his, pulling it away from the other

"Naruto" Neji called Naruto blinked, studying his friend for a second, the yellow lights of the bathroom making everything look sickly.

"yes" he answered

"we've all arrived back" Neji continued, his expression hard to read

"yes" Naruto answered again remembering he had run ahead of them, Neji moved towards the door

"you coming?"

He nodded, moving forward, a bit of fabric fell from under his arms reminding him he had ruined his jacket he was now only in his fishnet shirt, who cares. Re-entering the reception he saw Kakashi, Sakura, Temari, Gai, Tenten, Lee as well as three other sand shinobi they were all surrounding the receptionist. He moved quietely forwards with Neji

"-tests we can, we won't know anything till tomorrow, you'll have to come back then" the nurse finished shuffling some paperwork, looking anywhere but the intimidating Ninja.

"and you couldn't of told me this when I got here" Naruto cried, thinking of the past hour on edge.

"Naruto you should of expected this" Sakura chided "you know well enough what its like in hospital"

"can you at least tell me, if he will live till tomorrow" Temari ordered

"I wasent givern any reports i'm sorry, I only know we'll have the results tomorrow, but I'm sure that if Mr Subukus condition was life threatening that that would have been included" she said, Temari looked no more reassured though, staring intensely at the back of the hospital.

" Gaaras as safe as he can be, lets get some rest and meet back here tomorrow" Kakashi said turning towards the group

"yes we shall wish Gaara all of our prayers overnight" Gai said knodding at his rival,

"and what time will these tests be done" Temari asked the receptionist

"my estimates would be 9 o'clock" she replied

"we'll be here" Naruto knodded,

"god its been a long day" Tenten said rubbing her eyes

"and you broke your jacket" Sakura said pawing at his arm where his jacket had been

"why haven't you asked about the blood?" he said curious why her arm was so close to it

"there isn't any blood" she said confusion evident

"yes there is, i'm covered in it" he said showing her his arm, blood was rushing down the skin

"Naruto there is no blood, kakashi tell him theres no blood on him" Sakura said annoyed

"she is right. Naruto perhaps your over tired" he supplied, Naruto blinked harder at his arms, there was nothing on them but some deep scratches. But how?, he shook his head, he was really not himself at the moment. Sakaura and Kakashi were staring at him quite seriously. He laughed putting on a signature grin "yeah guys, wow, I must be"

"hmm so 9 o'clock at the reception then" Kakashi said turning to address the whole group

"yes, we will be there, but where will we stay overnight" Gai asked addressing Temari

"there is a good inn to the left of the main square, but I can offer three bedrooms at the kazekage's house" she said

"well i'm up for the inn you guys may fight for the posh bedrooms" Kakashi said eager to not get involved in what he was sure would be a lengthy discussion.

"Naruto has pushed himself further then all of us today, he should get one of the bedrooms, then Neji or shikimaru could share with him" Gai offered

"I don't care, if people want the bedrooms they can have them" Naruto said,

"no Naruto should have one, i'll share with him, Ten,ten and Sakura could share the other, then Shikimaru and Gai" Neji said

"oh no i'll take the inn as well" Gai said quickly

"then evreybodys sorted" The tall Sand shinobi said observing the group

"yes now come on i'll show you to the house" Temari said walking forward making sure they were all on her heels. Naruto didn't follow pausing for a second to look back at the redheads room.

x

x

Light, apparently there could be too much of it in a pitch black room. Gaara groaned, his body felt wreaked, would it ever recover? trying to move anything felt like agony, had he broken bones? squinting threw the dark he could make out machines either side of him, one giving of a whirring noice that somehow put him at ease a little.

Light poured into the room, he slammed his eyes shut, where was he? Squinting he made out blonde hair and bright blue eyes, he relaxed again

"Naruto" he croacked, his voice sore and crackly, he watched the blonde come closer concered until he felt him lean over wrapping an arm over his collerbone.

He sighed, hope was not lost. The hand darted and tightend around his throat hard, his eyes flew open. He tried to suck air past his windpipe but it was near impossible, he half lashed to hit the blonde but he just couldn't, he felt tired. he stopped breathing, air staggered, the hand was so tight he was surprised it hadn't crushed his windpipe.
As his oxygen drained brain took In the blonde he realised it was all wrong the hair was long not spikey and the blue of his eyes far to pail. he hadn't been allowed to breathe in a while, his eyes were rolling into the back of his head.