Wow, almost a month. I didn't even realize. Summer and work has been keeping me busy. And everything is going by so fast that I forget to sit down and write this... Jill you have to start messaging me again after a week or I'll just forget all together. Sorry I took so long, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Concrete Angel

Chapter Twenty:

"No, you don't understand. I was told to come back here to visit, I'm just a little early." Sasuke explained for what seemed like the tenth time in less than five minutes to the medical secretary.

"I'm sorry, but no one is permitted to visit with Uzumaki. Especially when it is not during visiting hours. This is a firm direction from our head physician, Tsunade-sama."

Sasuke gave a frustrated sigh. Why did it have to be this difficult? It really wasn't necessary and all it gave the raven was a bigger headache than he already had.

"Yes, I know that. You've told me that three times already, I understand that Tsunade-sama has given this order. But yesterday, I spoke with her and she instructed me to come back here today at noon. And right now it is quarter to."

"I apologize but without confirmation from Tsunade-sama, I cannot allow you into that room or that ward. If you wish, you could wait until Tsunade-sama returns. Although she is not scheduled to be in today, she is on call, so you might receive an opportunity to speak with her." He did give this woman respect in regards to her calmness over the matter, but it was irritating the way she dismissed everything after she finished speaking by returning to trivial paperwork.

"But I need to see him." Sasuke pleaded once again, he was too impatient at the moment and his nerves were shot. Seeing that Naruto was at least breathing properly would settle him just enough.

"As I've said, I am not in charge of special requests of visitors-"

"I am." As though appearing out of nowhere, Tsunade-sama spoke up from directly behind the raven haired, spooking him to no end. Luckily he was in a hospital so his risk of having an abrupt heart attack would be taken care of quickly.

"Thank you for waiting Uchiha, come with me." She did not even address the woman at the counter before heading off in the direction of the elevator.

Sasuke paused, glancing between the offended expression at being brushed off on the secretary's face and the back of the head doctor, before hastily following the older blonde woman to the elevator.

The elevator ride was extremely uncomfortably silent for someone who wasn't Sasuke or Tsunade. They were perfectly comfortable until Tsunade spoke. "He's awake."

Sasuke was startled by her abrupt words and turned to look at her with an amazed expression. "Is he alright? What has he said? Did he-"

"Must you talk so much!" Tsunade-sama growled. "I do not care for children running their mouths. You'll see his condition when you see him."

"Okay." Sasuke said simply, a little agitated at her attitude. She was definitely a strange doctor, speaking so rudely to visitors of her patients. "Who are you exactly?"

Tsunade was silent for a moment, as though thinking over how she should word it. Why did she have to put so much effort into being mysterious, Sasuke liked her being more up front and rude.

"An old friend, of the father."

Sasuke rose his eyebrow, "So you find that your friend's son deserves to be abus-"

"I do not interfere."

Sasuke glared, his anger rising. "You can't possibly see that as a good way for your friend's memory! How could you allow this to keep happening when you obviously could prevent it!"

"What about you?" She snapped, but still face forward.

"I... well... I'm helping Naruto. I'm looking out for him and-"

"By befriending him and getting angry at his aunt behind her back you think you're doing much more than I am?" Her question was straightforward and to Sasuke's disappointment... correct.

"I... but I looked after him when he was hurt and..."

"But you never turned her in."

Sasuke took in a breath, opening his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss of words. What could he say to this? It was true and yet he thought he was doing so much. But wasn't it Naruto's fear that kept him from bringing the abuse into the public. The villagers hated Naruto there was always the suspicion that if he turned Emi over, everyone would refuse to believe it and that would cause more damage to Naruto's life.

"Exactly." Tsunade stated, making Sasuke jump. "No one would accept that and those sent in to investigate would overlook the facts. I've gone over this before."

The raven's eyes widened. How did she-?

"Easy to read." Tsunade stated simply, no longer sounding serious or irritated but that changed with her next sentence. "We're both doing our part. What we think we can do to help, we do. And I have plans."

She stopped speaking just as the elevator door opened to their floor. Of course, she walked out without waiting for Sasuke or allowing him a chance to ask what plans she had. Sasuke took the hint that he shouldn't ask but as they walked down the long hallway, he was inwardly pissed off at her. Whatever plans she had, he might be able to help. If she kept an eye on everything with Naruto, then she should know that he was trustworthy.

"I'll give you some time alone with him." Tsunade-sama said when they finally stopped at Naruto's hospital room door.

Sasuke merely nodded, opening it and going inside.

The room was smaller than any other hospital room Sasuke had ever seen. It was like they stuck him in a broom closet. It definitely ticked Sasuke off but he suppressed his rage when he saw the battered blonde in his bed. He was under the covers, his arm was patched up, he had a bandage around his forehead and wherever there wasn't a bandage on his face their was a bruise or a small cut that didn't require coverage.

Sasuke sighed, feeling guilt at not being there rush over him immediately. "Naruto..." He whispered, walking slowly to his bedside.

It was as though the slightest sound awoke him from a light slumber and his now dull blue eyes opened and sought out the noise. "Sa... Sasuke?" His weak voice cut through Sasuke's heart, causing him to flinch, but he attempted to ignore it.

"Hey... how are you holding up?"

"I'm..." He sighed, not finishing the sentence as he averted his eyes.

"Hey," Sasuke sat on the edge of his very small hospital bed. He desperately wanted to run his hand along his cheek or kiss his forehead or touch his arm at least... but every place on the boy's body appeared to be so injured that even one breath upon the exposed skin would cause him pain.

Naruto turned his eyes back upon Sasuke, his sad, hurt and exhausted eyes. They broke right through Sasuke and before the raven knew it, he was crying again.

"Naruto I'm sorry." He wept, not being able to control himself. He cared so much for this boy, but he couldn't do anything for him.

"It's not your fault, Sasuke." Naruto spoke weakly.

"But I should have been there for you. I should have protected you!"

"You couldn't have done that..."

"I should have tried harder!" Sasuke continued to argue.

"You did all you could!" Naruto yelled back as much as his strength would allow him.

"We're both doing our part. What we think we can do to help, we do." Tsunade's words rang in Sasuke's ear. Though it was true it didn't stop Sasuke's self-hatred at not being there for him.

"I... I should have listened to you..." Naruto muttered in a voice so soft that Sasuke barely caught. "About... Gaara..."

--

The darkness faded slowly to alter suddenly to brightness. Bright, plain, boring white. What was this? Heaven really existed? And it was dull? Slowly his nose started to work again and he caught a whiff of gauze and anti-septic. Ugh he'd recognize that anywhere. That meant he was no longer in that alleyway... but then... where could he be? His memory was vague and incomplete and that scared him a little. Surprisingly, he'd never had any memory loss, even with all the brutal beatings his aunt had given him over the years.

He blinked his eyes cautiously, thinking that maybe if he actually took in his surroundings a little of his memory would return. Slowly a small, blank, white room with one pathetic window with no drapes or blinds revealed itself to him. He was lying on a small, uncomfortable bed that had stiff blankets. And next to the bed was some kind of equipment that monitored something. Why was he in a hospital? That's all this could be, sure he'd never really been to one in his life but he could recognize them to a degree.

As he regained his consciousness, he became aware of an itching on his arm that would not stop. Obviously his first instinct was to scratch said itch but as he went to rise his right arm to scratch the itch on his left, a jolt of mind numbing pain shot through his entire body bringing with it the memories that accompanied how the pain came to be.

Dark alley, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, strangers, fighting, gunfire, pain, blood, darkness.

After that it was a blur, what had happened after he'd been thrown against the wall? Who had thrown him? And how did he end up here?

In a flash all he saw was Sasuke. Tears formed in his eyes. He was right, he should have listened to him but he just pushed him away. He chose Gaara and now he might have lost the one person who's ever accepted him.

Naruto continued crying as he tried harder to recall anything that would have happened after his blackout. But all he could think about was Sasuke. He would be the only one to think to bring him to a hospital. Every other villager, especially those who lived near those back alleys, would have left him to die. However, the thought that Sasuke would just so happen to wandering by alleyways on a completely different side of town than his own house or anywhere he normally hung around seemed even more unlikely.

But if it wasn't Sasuke who brought him here, had it been one of the Sabaku's?

Suddenly the door to his room opened and a tall, slightly big, blonde woman walked in. She was wearing a hospital overcoat and a shirt that presented her breasts better than any doctor should.

"So you're awake are you?" She asked in a bored tone. Great, even the doctors hated him.

Naruto merely nodded, not caring to even test his voice.

"You're probably feeling some pain in your arm and shoulder, you would know what caused that and I won't go into details with you. I'm not one to pry into private lives of children."

"I-" Naruto choked on his voice, his throat was sore and dry. He wanted to say that he wasn't doing anything she suspected a delinquent would do, but in truth... he technically had been.

"Your throat is dry." She stated, jotting something down on a clipboard he hadn't seen her carrying. "Now, you don't have to tell your story to me if you don't want to. But I suggest you get your story straight for this afternoon. The young boy who brought you in seemed very worried. And he knows about those little holes in your arm."

The blonde gave a little cough before speaking. "Who?"

His doctor spoke simply, and stated everything as fact even if it was not something she should particularly know on her own. "I suppose you'll see at noon since you can't seem to remember much of last night."

His eyes widened at this and she returned it with a short response. "Easy to read."

"You remember how you got your injuries."

He nodded, right up until he blacked out was all he remembered.

"You blacked."

Again he nodded, it was eerie how this woman said everything like she was an all knowing being.

"It will return to you in time."

Naruto sighed, relieved that he would be able to understand how he ended up getting here.

"Or never." And there went his relief.

"It all depends on whether or not you were conscious during the time after your black out, or how serious your head trauma was."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

Naruto groaned in frustration and sank back into his pillow. "What time is it?"

"Nine in the morning."

He rubbed his eyes with his left hand, the only arm he could move without mind boggling pain but that didn't seem to matter since his mind was numbing from exhaustion.

"Sleep for now, boy. Most likely you'll have a guest when you wake up."

--

Sasuke... Sasuke I need you. Help me. I love you. Please find me. I need to see you. I have to find you. Help.

Sasuke's figure appeared in the distance of a crawling, bleeding Naruto.

Sasuke!! Help me!!

But the closer Naruto crawled, the further Sasuke's shadowed body became.

Naruto, he called. Naruto... Naruto...

"Naruto..."

The last whispered version of his name sounded so much more caring and gentle. So real and heartfelt, and... worried. Naruto's eyes opened cautiously, recognizing the voice and seeing the shadowed figure of his secret love.

"Sa... Sasuke?" He hated how weak he sounded in the sight of such a strong person, but it had happened before and for some reason he felt no embarrassment for being fragile at this moment. He felt comfortable and safe with the raven haired near him.

"Hey... how are you holding up?"

"I'm..." Though Sasuke's soft voice had calmed him, he didn't want to admit the truth or let on that he knew about Sasuke's knowledge of his injuries, so he turned his eyes away. He probably thought Emi had done this to him.

"Hey," Sasuke's voice, his longing, sad voice caused him to bring his eyes back towards him. But that turned out to hurt even more because before he knew it, Sasuke was crying.

"Naruto I'm sorry." And he was crying for him... for something that he could not have prevented, all because Naruto was the idiot who pushed him away.

"It's not your fault, Sasuke," He tried to assure him of the truth. It wasn't. It was his fault for trusting Gaara who brought him into a horrible fight over something he had no clue about. All he knew were the whispered words of Temari, "... very close... little brother... valuable... loved..." Whatever that had meant.

"But I should have been there for you. I should have protected you!" Sasuke rose his voice, startling Naruto out of his thought and making him concerned. He worried Sasuke so much...

"You couldn't have done that..."

"I should have tried harder!" Why did he keep arguing against him? Why couldn't he make him understand? He didn't want to have to tell him everything just to reassure him.

"You did all you could!" Naruto yelled back as much as his strength would allow him, which sadly wasn't much. Turned out he would have to tell him, or at least tell as much as needed to get the raven to understand the truth that nothing was his fault. "I... I should have listened to you..." Naruto muttered, ashamed he hadn't said it earlier so he spoke softly and averted his eyes. "About... Gaara..."

Sasuke seemed to be in shock because he didn't say anything. This obviously proved that he had thought Emi had done this to him.

"But it wasn't really his fault either..."

"Tell me how this wasn't his fault?" Sasuke's growl instantly brought Naruto's eyes back to his face. His dark eyes were clouded with anger now and it was harder to bare with this than the tears.

"Well..." Naruto was silent for a moment, not sure of how to explain himself. It wasn't as easy as he would think, especially with an angry Sasuke staring him down. "I can't..."

Sasuke didn't allow his words to fade into a silence like the last time because he spoke up in an extremely agitated voice, "Why can't you tell me?"

--

Don't you just love when it ends on an unanswered question? hehe

Oh and I just need to say... OMG I ACTUALLY GOT TO CHAPTER TWENTY... took me long enough though huh