BTW: You are my sunshine by Johnny cash, listen to it during this chapter

Naruto was walking Shikamaru to Sasuke's room and on the way he explained what happened.

"...It's hard for me to say this out loud but...OK Sasuke got hurt bad...we thought we brought him back but...Gaara saw him while he was dead...don't let the heartbeat fool you...we're pretty sure he's brain dead but you can't say anything about that to Sakura."

"...He's dead...?"

"Do you want to see him?"

"...Yes..."

Naruto took him to Sasuke's room. Sakura was asleep in the cot on her stomach holding Sasuke's dead hand seeing as she couldn't sleep on her back at the moment. Shikamaru noticed that Sakura too had a scar now. He was almost afraid to look at Sasuke considering how bad Sakura looked. His eyes finally moved to where Sasuke was. His face and body were all cut up. He had four huge jagged cuts in his torso not to mention many square burns from the defibrillator. He saw the heartbeat and how weak it was. There was an almost eerie feel the room. The more he looked at Sasuke's face the more he noticed. He saw the multiple cuts almost going all the way through his cheek made him cringe and look away. Naruto started talking to him.

"...I can't get anyone to put a gown on a dead man no matter how much I ask. I keep telling Sakura they can't do it because of the IV's but they all know he's dead."

"Why don't you tell her that?"

"She has a baby Shika. I'm taking this hard enough I can't even imagine how hard she's taking it."

"...I can't...Naruto I think I'm gonna be sick."

Shikamaru ran out of the room and Naruto went after him. He found him a few minutes later in the bathroom, washing his face off and rinsing his mouth out.

"You OK?"

"...Yeah, sorry...it's just a lot to take in at once."

"I know but that because you didn't get any kind of closure."

"...You did?"

"...Yes...Gaara didn't that's why he's crying too."

"I'm sorry about all this Naruto...I wasn't all that close to him but still..."

"I have to go be with Gaara."

"OK."

Naruto left and got back to Gaara who had stopped crying and was staring into space. Naruto brought him out of it with a kiss to the forehead.

"Don't start worrying."

"They take me into surgery in thirty minutes."

"...Oh..."

Gaara laid down and Naruto got in bed next to him. Naruto was on his side facing Gaara and Gaara was on his back staring at the ceiling. Naruto put his hand on Gaara's chest and kissed his neck in an attempt to calm him down.

"Naruto, the way I feel about you...I've never felt this way about anyone."

"Don't start talking like that."

"Just making sure you knew."

Naruto kissed his cheek.

"Naruto, you know that song, 'You are my sunshine'?"

"Yeah."

"That's like me and you. Temari said my mom used to sing that to me before I was born. When I was little Temari sang it to me before I went to bed. I think it perfectly describes you, my mom and Temari. You guys will never know how much I love you. I love you so much Naruto."

Tsunade walked in at that moment to take Gaara to surgery. Naruto put Gaara's scrub cap on and walked with his bed to the OR. Naruto had started crying on the way up the elevator but Tsunade stepped in front so Gaara wouldn't see. Tsunade started giving him anesthetics early so he started getting out of it. They had made it to the OR, something Naruto had been dreading for an eternity it seemed.

"Alright Naruto this is as far as you go. Say your temporary goodbye."

"...OK...Gaara, listen to me, I love you so much. I'll be here when you wake up."

"...Remember that song Naruto?"

"I love you too Gaara."

"...You are my sunshine...my only sunshine..."

As he was wheeled into the OR Naruto could hear him humming the tune. Tsunade told Naruto it'd be best if he got his mind of things, she suggested he go back downstair to the patient's area. He listened trying not to get in her way. He had nowhere to go but back to Gaara's room. He sat by his bed and started singing that song to himself. His voice wavered as he sang because of his tears.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You'll never know dear how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

Naruto eventually fell asleep with his head on Gaara's bed. He woke up to Kankuro in his wheel chair with Shikamaru pushing him. They'd noticed he was crying in his sleep and started feeling bad about waking him up.

"Kankuro? Shikamaru?"

He wiped his eyes discreetly hoping they hadn't seen.

"Naruto, Gaara's going to be out of surgery soonish. Do you want to go get something to eat and shower and stuff before then?"

"...No..."

"...OK..."

"Where're Temari and Matsuri?"

"They went home."

"Oh...hey is Matsuri staying all by herself?"

"No, Shika and Temari are keeping her until we go back."

"Oh...good...I should check on Sakura..."

"She's with Naru."

"Oh...then I'll...wait."

"Naruto, come with us, eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"Then we'll wait with you, we only have about twenty minutes before they're supposed to be done."

"..."

Naruto sat next to Gaara's bed and leaned on it. He started humming their song again. Shikamaru and Kankuro didn't know what to do. Twenty minutes later Tsunade sent down Shizune to update them.

"Naruto, we got it all, we're sewing him up."

"So is he OK, not blind, no motor skill damage, no memory damage?"

"We can't know until he wakes up."

"Was the tumor benign or malignant?"

"We won't know until the results come back."

"...OK...when can I see him?"

"Soon. Hang in there."

Shizune slowly walked over and hugged Naruto. They stayed hugging for a while, he was crying into her shoulder. That's what he needed most, a hug. Shikamaru and Kankuro hadn't thought to do that. She looked him in the eye and waited for him to smile before leaving.

"He made it?"

"...Of course he did...he's Gaara..."

Naruto didn't say anything else. A half hour later they had Gaara back in the ICU. They had bandages all around his head, all around his forehead andaround his hair and it still stuck out in some places. Naruto played with it while he watched him sleep. He kissed him and waited for him to wake up. Shikamaru and Kankuro left him alone. He held his hand and watched him sleep. He seemed so calm. Tsunade came in to check on them.

"When is he gonna wake up?"

"...Hard to say."

"Estimate?"

"Anywhere from and hour to a few days."

"Days?"

"Mhm."

"OK..."

Naruto got up and went passed Naruto. Tsunade didn't ask where he was going. He went all the way back home and found his old CD player and brought it back to the hospital. He set it next to Gaara's bed and played their song while he slept. He fell asleep on Gaara's lap after being up with him for about 7 hours. Kankuro had already been taken back to his room and Shikamaru was wandering around. He figured he'd try and say goodbye to Sakura if she was there. He kept himself calm as he walked into Sasuke's room. Sakura was awake, it was pretty late but she had gotten up a a weird hour and was eating.

"Sakura, I'm about to head home, just saying bye."

"You never said hi."

"Oh, right. Don't you want to sleep at home with Naru?"

"It's just...Naru looks just like Sasuke. Same hair same face, same facial expressions. She's just like her dad. I don't want her first memories to be me crying over her crib."

"..."

"...I know he's dead...I know that but going home and living without him makes it real...I don't want it to be real...I didn't say anything because I don't want Naruto to get upset but...I miss him...I don't want to go home...I know that makes me a bad mother...to not want to see my child but I can't go home..."

"Don't feel bad Sakura...this would be hard on anyone especially his wife."

"...Wife...?"

"Is that wrong?"

"...We never actually got married...we'll never get to."

"Well, marriage is really just getting dressed up to tell that person you love them and that you promise to always love them. I'm pretty sure you two had already established that."

"..."

"And Naru is like reinforcing that. As far as I'm concerned you're his wife."

"...Does that make me a widow?"

"...Yes it does."

"Hmm...widow..."

"I'm sorry Sakura...really sorry."

"Thanks Shika...maybe I should go home..."

Shikamaru sat next to Sakura on the cot and hugged her. She put her head on his shoulder.

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

"...If you don't mind."

"My pleasure."

Shikamaru and Sakura left the hospital at about 2 in the morning. He walked her back to their apartment and walked her in. They found Kiba sleeping on the couch and Naru sleeping in her crib. Sakura whispered over to Shikamaru.

"I thought Neji was watching Naru?"

"He was but Kiba volunteered first chance he got and Neji had a mission."

"Why's that?"

"He's always had a little crush on you. You really haven't noticed?"

"That's sweet of him to watch Naru."

Once they walked further in Naru started crying. Kiba got up half asleep to calm her. Sakura smiled and stopped him just before he walked into their room. He clumsily walked back to the made up sofa. Shikamaru followed Sakura into her and Sasuke's room. She already had Naru back down and was leaning on the crib. He leaned on it next to her and looked at Naru. He'd never really seen her that well but now that he had he realized just how much like Sasuke she looked and understood why Sakura didn't want to come back.

BOTTOM NOTE: Remember when I was like "i'm gonna end it soon" like twenty chapters ago man that did not pan out like I thought it would LOL BOTTOM NOTE OVER AND OUT