Author's Note: Here is Chapter 17! Enjoy!

Bijuu talk/thinking

'Thinking'

"Talking"

Sakura stared hard at Naruto from her white bed. naruto was sitting in between Sakura and Sasuke's sickly-white hospital beds.

"Repeat that," said Sakura, Naruto looked at Sakura.

"I engaged in battle with Orochimaru," said Naruto.

Sakura gritted her teeth against each other, and her fist clenched as she instinctively and angrily pulled her fist back and swung. Naruto saw it coming but didn't see the point of dodging but in all honesty, he was surprised that she would do that. Her pale fist hit Naruto's face and there was an ugly CRACK sound before Naruto's face turned to face the side of the while she was weak and drained from a battle with a Sannin. She was strong enough to deliver a blow capable enough to make Naruto bleed.

"How dare you," said Sakura angry and furious.

"What The Fuck," said Naruto as he coughed blood, "What reason are you angry at me for?"

"How dare you engage in a physical battle with a Sannin," said Sakura, "When did you know that you are not strong enough to defeat dare you nearly get yourself for such a stupid fucking reason!"

"What…?" said Naruto, confused, then thought, 'She is scolding me for risking my life for them,' then spoke to Sakura, "It's not a stupid reason."

"It is a stupid reason. Getting yourself killed in the process wouldn't have helped Sasuke and I in anyway. And we were drained. What if you had run out of chakra too?" yelled Sakura, "What good would you be then?"

"Unlikely for me to run out of chakra," said Naruto.

"True, but she's got a point," said the giant kitsune.

"Are you listening to me, Naruto?!" asked Sakura angrily.

"Hai!" said Naruto.

"You are an imbecile moron and a downright idiot. Now go get me something to eat because I am starving while I calm myself down!" yelled Sakura.

"Of course, anything in particular?" asked Naruto.

"… Dango would be great," said Sakura. Naruto stood up and walk towards the door and stopped.

"Sakura?" Naruto said.

"What?" asked Sakura.

"Thanks," said Naruto.

"Yeah, okey, now go get me some food," Sakura said. Naruto laughed and left the room.

"Why was he bleeding?" asked Sasuke.

"Because he is an idiot," said Sakura.

"I didn't know that idiocy caused people to spontaneously bleed," said Sasuke.

"I think that it's a new phenome," said Sakura.

"Ah, of course," said Sasuke, who felt a burning sensation in his shoulder.

"Sasuke?!" Sakura said alarmed.

Sasuke cried out and gripped his neck. Sakura tensed and froze. Sasuke ripped his shirt off and clutched the curse mark, scratching and leaving pink trails where his nails were. Sakura screamed for help, for someone, anyone to come and help us, and continued screaming but couldn't stand up.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled.

"It hurt! It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing me while a hammer is attacking my shoulder. Ahhhhhhhh!" Sasuke said in pain.

"Naruto! Naruto!" Sakura yelled out. Then she heard loud footsteps which sounded like they were sprinting and landed in front of the room. The plate of Dango was quickly dropped onto the ground and Naruto rushed to Sasuke's side.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke continued to thrash around as his eyes kept flashing with the Sharigan and then back to his normal onyx eye color, then Sharigan again.

"It hurt!" Sasuke shouted in pain.

"Ya okey don't worry! I will do something!" said Naruto, then he thought, 'Kurama! I don't know what to do!'

"I'm thinking! Give me a moment!" the Kyubi shouted.

'WE DON"T HAVE A MOMENT!' shouted Naruto in his mind.

"Hold him down!" said Kurama. Naruto clenched his teeth together and put his hands up in a jutsu.

"Seal!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke's arms were quickly pinned down onto the bed as he kept growling and crying out.

"It's a demon curse seal," Kurama said. Naruto held Sasuke's arms down as he felt Sasuke pushing back the seal. Sasuke's face was being filled by the seal patterns.

"It's a demon curse seal so it can only be reversed or taken away by… of course," said Kurama.

'What?' thought Naruto.

"It can only be reversed by another demon! I'M A DEMON!" said Kurama.

'Do it!' thought Naruto.

"But you would have to-" the bijuu was cut off.

'I don't care! Hurry!' thought Naruto. Kurama responded by filling his hands with blood red chakra and instructing him to hold it down on Sasuke's curse mark. Sasuke froze when the soothing chakra soothing the pain from the curse mark.

"It still hurts, but not as much," said Sasuke.

On the other hand, Naruto was in pain. Naruto was absorbing the curse mark with the Kyuubi's chakra and breathing heavily, in and out. He was nearly done when the pain hit his brain. His head swung forward, and he grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the chakra seeping out of his hands. Naruto pulled the chakra back into himself as he should be doing.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said worriedly.

Naruto was covered by the cursed seals mark and his whiskers were deepened and sketchy, eyes glowed red and animalistic sharp teeth arose from his mouth. He bent down slowly and traced the curse mark on Sasuke's left shoulder with his teeth. Sakura was visibly shaking and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Naruto absorbed the curse seal," whispered Sakura.

Naruto's vision went hazy as he growled into Sasuke's shoulder and pulled his head up and tugged at the black chakra one more time. The curse mark on Sasuke's shoulder disappeared quickly. Naruto stood abruptly, head swaying backwards and forwards.

Sasuke exhaled and inhaled deeply as his watery eyes saw Naruto, whose face was covered by the black patterns of the curse seal, with glowing and red misty eyes staring blankly at him.

"N-Naruto? Are you okey?" Sakura asked. Naruto felt to his knees and collapsed on the ground.

"Nurse. Help!" Sakura yelled.

"Where the fuck are the staff!" Sasuke yelled.

"Someone helps! He's collapsed! Anyone!" Sakura yelled. They saw a flash of red hair teleported itself into the hospital room

"Gaara?" Sasuke asked. Gaara couldn't believe what he saw.

"What happened?" Gaara asked. He felt a spike of bijuu chakra.

"C-curse m-mark on Sasuke… And N-naruto took away and-!" Sakura stopped mid-way. Gaara rush onto the ground and flipped Naruto on to his back and held him up.

"It's my fault," Sasuke said.

"No, it wasn't!" said Sakura.

"It is! If I didn't receive this stupid curse mark in the first place-! Sasuke stopped mid-sentence.

"If you think placing the blame on yourself is going to make yourself, feel better, you are sorely mistaken," said Gaara.

"But!" Sasuke said.

"Do you want all of us to blame you for this?" asked Gaara, Sasuke stiffened, "Exactly. And blaming yourself isn't going to help Naruto, is it?" Sasuke nodded, "So how about you make yourself useful and shut the fuck up."

"Hey! There's no need to be a dick!" said Sakura.

"But I don't really care about you two," said Gaara.

"W-what?!" stuttered Sakura. Gaara looked at them.

"You're both weak parasites," Gaara sad.

====Some Days Later====

Naruto woke up with a blearing head and misty eyes, he opened his eyed and groaned when the bright light from the complete and utter white of the room attacked his senses.

"Nice to see you awake," said Gaara. Naruto looked at Gaara.

"Good morning, Gaara," said Naruto.

"It's the afternoon," said Gaara. The nurse opened the door of Naruto's room.

"You're awake. I'll get the doctor," said the nurse.

"How long have I been out?" Naruto asked.

"A couple of days," Gaara said.

"What? A couple of days?" said Naruto.

"…. Maybe six or seven," said Gaara.

"Six or seven?! I have been unconscious for 7 days?!" said Naruto.

"Hmm," hummed Gaara.

"So, how long have you been here?" asked Naruto.

"…Six or seven," said Gaara.

"Six or seven hours?" asked Naruto.

"Days…," said Gaara. Naruto stared at his friend.

"Damn it, Gaara," said Naruto.

"What?" asked Gaara. Naruto swung his legs around the bed and stood up quickly stumbling slightly when his legs nearly gave way. He walked towards Gaara and stared.

"… What?" said Gaara.

"You're a good kid, Gaara," said Naruto. Gaara jumped out of his shock.

"I'm not a kid, we're the same age," said Gaara.

"I'm nine months older than you," said Naruto.

"Exactly, not even a year older; meaning we're the same age" said Gaara.

"Maa, maa specifics don't matter. I'm 13 and you're 12," said Naruto.

"That'll change next month," said Gaara.

"Ah! Gaara, I didn't know it was your birthday next month!" said Naruto. Fuu was grinning at them from the entrance.

"Fuu! How many times have I told you not to run in a hospital?" asked Yagura.

"Gomes, Yagu-kun," said Fuu.

"Yagu…?" Naruto said and Gaara finished.

"…kun?" asked Gaara. Naruto looked at who is Yagu-kun and broke out laughing.

"Ah, Yagura-kun is short for Yagura," said Naruto, Yagura nodded.

"A Mizukage can't be seen strolling around casually, so I decided to go for a different appearance for now," Yagura said.

"Smart," said Gaara. Yagura closed the door.

"So, what is this I heard about you absorbing the curse seal?" said Yagura.

Oh yeah, almost forgot about that," said Naruto.

"Why isn't the doctor here yet?" asked Gaara.

'Because when I entered the room, I ordered a shadow clone to not let anyone enter the room expect jinchuuriki,' thought Yagura, then he spoke, "Yes, that's strange,"

Utakata suddenly opened the door and walked into the room with confusion.

"Why is Yagura disguised as a kid, guarding the door?" asked Utakata.

"Because a Mizukage can't walk around talk to shinobi of different villages," said Yagura.

"Hey Utakata-kun," greeted Fuu.

"Afternoon Fuu, Naruto, Gaara, Yagura," greeted Utakata.

"We have a week until the finals of the Chunnin Exams," said Fuu.

"What will become of the curse mark?" Yagura asked Naruto.

"I haven't talked to Kurama yet, so I didn't know what has to be done," said Naruto.

"Naruto and I will talk later, alone," said Kurama.

"You heard him," Naruto said.

"So, what do we do?" asked Yagura.

"You're asking me?" asked Naruto.

"You're our leader silly," said Fuu.

"Okey, Fuu and I will have to prepare for the Chunnin Exams, which is next weel. Thankfully it is only Monday, so we have a full week to train," said Naruto.

"My Sensei is already here in Konoha, so he will be overseeing my training. Moka and Miharu will be helping me out, so I will be fine for the Finals," said Fuu.

"Good, I want the rest of you to lay low and be wary of any Suna shinobi other than Gaara and his siblings. They plan on attacking Konoha, alongside Orochimaru. I will need to remove the cursed seal from my shoulder before the exam, otherwise I may be unable to make jutsu," explained Naruto, "I will contact Bee, Yugito, Roshi, and Han."

"Utakata will help, as he knows their locations," said Yagura.

"That's fine by me," said Utakata.

"Yagura, would it be possible if you ask them from your village to have an eye out for Orochimaru too?" asked Naruto.

"it is possible, I'll contact them later," said Yagura.

"And Gaara, could you find Uzumaki Akane?" asked Naruto, "She should still be here because Sena, a guy from her team got to the finals. I want her on our side."

"Understood," said Gaara.

"If I may ask…" said Utakata.

"Hmm," Naruto said to let him continue.

"Why do you suddenly want people on our side?" asked Utakata.

"Because something is going to happen after the Chunnin Exams," said Naruto.

"What's going to happen?" asked Fuu. Naruto gave a devilish smirk which sent a chill running down Fu's spine.

"The Jinchuuriki league is going to officially began," answered Naruto.

End of Chapter 17

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! See you in Chapter 18! Bye!