Fuck, she was sore. There was a sharp stabbing pain that seemed to concentrate around her belly button. Easing a hand onto the tender area, she temporarily numbed everything around that area. She could heal it later.

First priority is finding Naruto.

Maybe not healing herself was a mistake. As she was hopping through the treetops, it seemed as though the more she became aware of herself, the more her body hurt. Pain was even locating in areas that had no internal or external injuries. It was odd, but she had no time to spare.

A sudden jolt ran through her right leg, hindering her movement, forcing her to lean against a sturdy branch. Her breath ran in short gasps as she gingerly crouched down to examine her seemingly unharmed thigh. Wave after wave of medical terminology flooded her mind, but nothing adding up to this condition. This doesn't make sense. Why does it hurt?

She attempted to heal the "wound", but ended up changing her focus onto the more menial injuries that littered her body when no change occurred. A sigh of relief escaped her chapped lips, before she stood up and continued journeying through the forest.

"Oh Lord, how am I, the apprentice of Tsunade Senju, unable to comprehend such a small thing?" Her voice sounded so small in the wilderness, drowned out by the loud rush of a nearby waterfall. Waterfall?! She looked down, registering a trail of blood leading into the foliage - possibly Naruto's blood.

To the waterfall it is then.

The young Uzumaki woke up to a faint pressure on his thigh. He felt a familiar presence near him, instantly relaxing his guard and fell back into the depths of unconsciousness.

They were in a cave near the waterfall. The sound of roaring water reverberated beautifully within the jagged walls. Stalagmites and stalactites dotted the area, the moonlight outside shining in, creating eerie shadows. It was quite a lovely sight, and had the two occupants not been exhausted or unconscious, they might have even thought it romantic.

Sakura Haruno stood up, feeling quite accomplished with what she had just done. Even after being injured and wracked with pain, she still managed to find her companion and heal him. Now she can finally relax so her own body recovers.

As the girl's thoughts were running through her mind, she came upon the realization that Naruto's injury was in the exact spot where her leg inexplicably started throbbing. However, it seemed as though it was only a coincidence, so she brushed off the thought and prepared to doze off.

She had an intense urge to look at the boy she knew so well. Turning her head, she allowed her eyes to linger, roaming over his solidly built form until her gaze reached his face.

"Oh Naruto…" She never finished her sentence, instead opting to go up to the sleeping blonde, gently placing his head onto her lap. Caressing him, the memories began overwhelming her like a flood, causing salty tears to stream from her eyes and drip one by one onto his face.

Never once did she notice the man in her arms stir. Never once did she realize that he was staring at her, eyes wide open.

He waited until she drifted off to sleep before pulling her small form into his own, enveloping her in his warmth. Anger plagued his thoughts until he, too, dozed off with the girl he loved between his arms.