He had awoken to the soft sounds of beeping machines. He wanted desperately to open his eyes but they were so very heavy and his entire bofy cried out at him when he forced himself into a sitting position. Naruto was dead tired but he couldn't stop his mind from telling him to move.

A chill was making its way up his spine and his heartbeat was increasing rapidly, the heart monitor folowing in synch.

The blond was in a typical, white hospital room but he feelt as though someone were with him...someone he could just kill...sluaghter them without remorse.

His eyes dashed from side-to-side and searched every corner. Then, they rested on THAT corner. That SAME dark corner. The darkness felt DEADLY. And when he blinked, the AURA felt as though it were right at his finger tips.

No, no, no...damn it, no!

He turned for the door and just as he placed his foot against the cold ground a gloved hand reached out and squeezed his wrist with brute force. His blood ran cold and the beeping machine went out of wack. His breathing followed in pursuit of the beeping. He was frozen on the spot with mouth agape and eyes wide.

Finally he was able to release a scream. "Let me go, someone, help me!"

A hand smashed his mouth shut and Naruto struggled uncontrollably under the grip. Then, a breath ruffled his hair at his ear and a soft chuckle was heard.

"Uzumaki Naruto... you were very helpful in our plans and I do hope you except this great deal of credit I'm giving you and that Bijuu of yours. You two have made it highly impossible for me to..." The last words he said struck down to the teen's core. "Lose this war."

Naruto was released to where he collapsed onto his back where he could plainly see the man hovering over him, maskless and a smile curving his white face.

"II look forward to seeing you again among the deceased."

One blink was all it took for the man to disappear.

"Naruto!" The door slammed open and a horrified Tsunade along with Sasuke walked in.

They both froze when their eyes beheld the trembling and crying blond ehom stared up at an empty and void space between himself and the roof.

Tsunade cautiously stepped over to him and placed her hand against his shoulder. "Kid...what happened?"

He turned his eyes to stare at her and couldn't find himself able to respond to the frightened woman. He returned his gaze to its previous position as a million questions ran through his mind.

I wasn't taken...?

Wasn't killed...?

He said I was useful to him...?

He'll win the war...?

Highly impossible...?

Deceased...?

That...face?

Sasuke stepped to him and pulled him into a sitting position. He said nothing to the blond, only continued to stare into the lifeless, azure eyes.

Naruto finally realized he was worrying two of his closest comrades and dropped his head. They can't see me like this... I just want them to be happy, not worrying about the likes of me.

"Naruto, who was it you saw?" It was the raven who spoke.

He looked up and stared anywhere but the two. I'll lie. They'll believe it. Besides, I'm supposed to be traumatized aren't I? "I-it was no one." Damn, I stuttered!

He stuttered, thought the Hokage.

Sasuke ignored the fact he was scared and grabbed both of the boy's bandaged arms and forced him to look him in the eye. "You tell me who you saw right now!"

Tsunade was shocked but found that would be the only effective solution.

His eyes quickly filled to the brim with tears and a gew trailed down his cheeks. Why does he care so much. He swallowed before answering. "U-Uchiha-M-Madara..."

The Uchiha growled, dropped Naruto's arms, and pulled a chair from the opposite end of the room to his bedside and plopped down onto it. He was trying hard to control his rising anger.

Naruto just couldn't stand the tension anymore. He struggled to his feet, even with Tsunade yelling at him not to, and dragged the IVs and stands over to the corner opposite his bed and crouched into himself, wrapping his shaking arms around his legs and stuffing his head into his knees. "Gomennasai..." He mumbled.

"Naruto, you don't have to be sorry about anything." Tsunade followed the blond to where he sat and extended her hand for him. "Come on, why don't you try and rest awhile longer?"

He looked up at her, fear clearly etched onto his face.

"I'll stay for as long as I can and I'll have Kakashi and Sasuke here 'round the clock."

Naruto looked through his blond bangs to catch Sasuke's nod before nodding himself and grasping onto the Hokage's hand to stand on his feet. He wobbled slightly but was helped by the woman to get to his bed where she re wrapped him into blankets and settled him into a comfortable position.

"I'll be back by tomorrow morning. I have Hokage duties and Shizune won't let me off the hook." She kissed his forhead and smiled at him. "Sasuke, you're to stay with him at all times. If you leave even once, I'll personally murder you myself."

He nodded, not looking intimidated at all.

Tsunade left the room with a final glance and shut the door.

Naruto was unsure how to respond to the silent room. Sasuke's breathing may have been the most silent thing in the room. Naruto, himself, was still breathing heavy and the machines never stopped beeping.

"Oi-"

The second the blond decided to strike up a conversation Sasuke stopped him. "You heard what she said. Get some sleep, dobe."

"Teme..." in mere minutes, the blond lost his grasp on consciousness.