As soon as Naruto's condition settled Tsunade got up. She wiped her brow. Sakura sat holding Naruto's hand in hers worriedly. Kakashi sat leaning on the couch with his hand on Sakura's shoulder. They were a family. Kakashi and Sakura and Naruto…Sasuke. Tsunade sighed; it was time she took action. Project Raven will be deployed. Kakashi caught her gaze and nodded. Tsunade stood to leave.

"Sakura!"

"Hai!" She turned to face her sensei.

"I'll send word for Hinata to come and assist when he awakes." Sakura nodded and Tsunade left heading straight for Konoha's highest security prison. She trooped down, anbu on both sides through a musty old stair way. Cells were on either side of her and most were empty. Not many people qualified to sit in these cells are alive by the time they make it to the village nevertheless there is always the exception. Tsunade put her hand on her hip as she approached said exception's cell. That's what he has always been she supposed, the exception. His whole clan murdered except him, Naruto cannot be hindered by anyone else except him, and any missing nin would be murdered or never see daylight again…except for him.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Tsunade breathed.

"Hn." Sasuke had watched her make her quiet trip down here through the darkness. He knew he was needed. He didn't know why and he didn't know for what. He especially hadn't expected to be out only two weeks after arriving.

"You have a mission." Her voice was strong and lined with malice as she spoke to him. He obviously wasn't one of her favorites. Nonetheless Sasuke stood approaching the bars of his cell. His cold stare looked into the eyes of the fifth Hokage.

"You are to guard Uzamaki Naruto and help me diagnose him." His breathing hitched. Naruto? His dobe? Diagnose him? What. Had. Happened? Tsunade smirked at his silence and went on.

"You'll be debriefed on his condition shortly at my office. Until then let me set some ground rules now that you'll be out of here." She walked up to the bars and met the Uchiha glare with one filled with perhaps a more dangerous rage.

Hinata hadn't taken very long after meeting Tsunade at her office. She knocked politely and Iruka opened the door.

"Has…has he?" She peered around the corner. Iruka nodded his face glum. "Then is he?"

"Hinata-chan…is that you?" A rasping whisper reached her ears from the couch. She came in.

"Naruto-kun?" Naruto lay on the couch. His breathing haggard and a cold sweat had broken out on his forehead.

"Hinata come here and I'll tell you what's been going on." Hinata nodded she had gone ghost white at the sight of Naruto who could barely turn his lips up in a small smile. "…And Naruto no more talking okay." Naruto nodded almost imperceptivity with that same weak grin.

"Oh um Kakashi-sensei Lady Tsunade wanted..." Kakashi nodded and stood from his place. He walked over to the girls and kissed Sakura on the cheek through his mask before jumping through the open window.

Naruto concentrated on breathing. He felt very tired and sore. His whole body hurt to be moved and oxygen seemed to escape him. He really wanted to keep sleeping but Shikamaru had argued that it wouldn't be a good idea until Sakura had Hinata's input on his condition. He didn't remember much about the process. When he had gone under all he remembered was the feeling of being choked by orange flame and then he was awake. Sakura was crying and Iruka had breathed a sigh of relief. Tsunade had gone they said. Hinata was coming. Shikamaru was sent on the promise Naruto would shut up to keep an eye on Koichi. He hadn't reappeared.

Hinata walked over to Naruto. Sakura was next to her. He smiled weakly. Iruka brought over some tea. With his help to sit up Naruto managed a sip but was too tired to drink more. He lay out of breath as Sakura placed a fresh wet washcloth on his forehead.

"Byakugan!" Hinata scanned his body, her eyes filled with tears. She turned away.

"Hinata…" She turned back around.

"I told you to..." But Naruto ignored Sakura continuing in a whisper.

"I already know…that I'm in real bad shape okay…just...give us an update…alright?" She nodded blinking back her tears.

"Your extraction was a success. His body is drained. His lungs took quite a hit though. It seems that the kyuubi attacked them in an effort to stop the extraction. His chakra is returning quickly, but it's not healing. It's not doing anything!" Tears again returned.

"His legs are healed and his stomach too. But I fear that that is the least of our worries. Hinata can he perform jutsu now?" Sakura's hands were shaking so she kept them busy with packing her equipment.

"H...hai. For now yes he can but it won't be for very long. Something is wrong with the kyuubi." She sat and Naruto nodded his acceptance with a small grin. Shikamaru reappeared.

"A hawk." They all looked out the window. "Tsunade wants us." Shikamaru looked toward Iruka who nodded.

"Shikamaru!" He turned at the pinkette's voice.

"Yeah."

"Tell Tsunade we are bringing Naruto in, in two days. He needs an emergency oxygen kit at home if his lungs are attacked again. Also we should give Koichi a check up. Make sure his body isn't undergoing any trauma." Naruto's eyes widened at the mention of Koichi.

"Don't worry Naruto. He's sleeping fine. He had a bit of a fit but I gave him a shirt of yours sitting on the floor. I think he recognized it was yours. He calmed right down."

"And we all know that kid won't keep quiet unless he's near you!" Iruka rolled his eyes and they all laughed. Naruto beaming as much as he could.

Sasuke now stood in front of Tsunade, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Iruka. If he wanted lenience it wouldn't be from this crowd.

"Okay everyone is here. Shikamaru report." Tsunade sat back and he took a step forward.

"Naruto woke up around ten minutes after you left. He was having trouble breathing and broke out in a cold sweat. Hinata came not five minutes after he woke up. She says his wounds are healed but during the chakra extraction the kyuubi attacked Naruto's lungs…" As Shikamaru continued Sasuke was more and more confused. What had happened?

"Good. Now Sasuke. Naruto went on a mission about a month ago. It was a simple escort mission that was ambushed. He sustained serious injuries. When he arrived we noticed that the kyuubi wouldn't heal his wounds and actually was slowing the process down. We determined this to be caused by a chakra block in his system. We treated it by extracting all of Naruto's chakra. It seems that now when we did that the kyuubi attacked Naruto. He is in critical condition. Iruka what can Uzamaki do?"

"He is able to perform jutsu again but he is short of breath and very weak. Sakura wants him to have an emergency oxygen kit at home. Also Tsunade should we not explain to Sasuke, Koichi?" Iruka snarled Sasuke's name but he ignored it. Who was Koichi?

"Oh right. Naruto was escorting a young mother and her newborn. When the child's parents died they entrusted the child to him. Naruto is now the father of a month old baby boy, Koichi." Sasuke couldn't believe it. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He definitely hadn't been expecting this.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked quietly.

"You will guard him and the child. Also you will help us treat him until we can solve this problem….As much as this is stupid Naruto still thinks of you as his best friend Sasuke. You could be an immense help to him, however you are also a major hindrance. If Naruto gets stressed and trust me Uchiha you are one big ball of stress he will be hospitalized and could die, which of course will be on your head."

"Hn." Sasuke couldn't believe this!!! Of course he wanted to see Naruto but he hadn't mentally prepared himself for this. The occupants filed out of the room leaving Tsunade and Sasuke alone. Sasuke slunk into a chair.

"Welcome home Uchiha." Tsunade sneered. Sasuke simply looked up at her.

"When do I get to see him?" He knew he wasn't acting like himself. An Uchiha doesn't ask for what he wants he simply gets it. Although an Uchiha that has lost everything and comes back to find he might lose the only thing he finds worth fighting for isn't obliged to behave like an Uchiha at least not in Sasuke's eyes.

"Well it would be preferable if we gave Naruto some time but knowing you you'll just show up anyway right?" Tsunade smirked. Sasuke glared silently.

"You may go…now." Before she had even taken a breath Sasuke had left.

"Naruto are you sure…I mean..." Sakura was standing in the doorway. She had been about to leave when Naruto had had a coughing fit. Now her nerves were keeping her. Naruto didn't mind her staying but knew she and Kakashi hadn't had time to be all mushy for awhile and Sakura deserved that. He'd be fine.

"Yeah go. I'll take some cough medicine before I got to bed." He smiled weakly. He was sitting up on the couch with Koichi sitting by him playing with a stuffed fox. The three of them had had lunch together. It was almost five now and Sakura needed to go home.

"Well okay." She started to leave.

"Tell Kakashi I say hi." Naruto said in a sing song voice. Sakura would have turned and smacked him if he hadn't started coughing.

"Be careful Naruto for me?" He nodded and she left. Koichi grabbed at his chin. Naruto had noticed about two weeks ago he did this when hungry. He picked up the bottle on the coffee table and started to feed him. The big blue eyes stared at Naruto.

"You look like a girl dobe." Naruto's breath caught in his throat.