Chapter 5- Missing.

I woke up late, I couldn't tell the time, but I knew it was dark out. My head still pounding and my tongue still had the revolting metallic taste on it, but I paid it no mind as I sat up. My vision was obscured as I took in the new bright surroundings. Everything looked oddly out of place, though all the medical equipment and hospital beds were the same as before. It was easy to tell I still had a killer hangover.

I could hear the muffled shuffle of feet coming from the back of the medical tent and, shakily, I stood up. My body felt awkward and unbalanced as I trudged my way to where I was sure Sakura was.

My assumptions were settled when I saw her pink hair and slim body bent over her desk. Her booted feet scoffed against the ground as she read over a document, her face bored.

She was sporting a tank and shorts that barely covered her upper thigh. Really, didn't she know it was dangerous to dress in such a way with men about? I fancied a short lived grin at my own teasing.

Sneaking up behind her I wrapped my arms about her slim waist.

She jumped in the confines of my arms with a gasp as I nuzzled her neck, moving aside her hair. I inhaled, my nose skimming over the creamy skin up to her ear where I chuckled. "Better be careful, Sa-ku-ra."

I could feel her body relax as she leaned back into my large form, his head tilting back onto my shoulder with a gentle sigh. I glanced up at her face to see her eyes shut and her cheek flushed with content. I couldn't help but push down the urge to kiss her.

I slow straightened up, she came aware of my movement and cleared her throat stepping aside. "You shouldn't be up yet." Her voice was soft in the silence, I couldn't help but to notice her gaze avoided mine.

"I'm fine, a bit groggy, but fine. I won't die or anything." I crossed my arms, defensively over my chest like a child. Oh, I hated how she knew I wasn't fit enough to stand here. How the room tilted in awkward way that shouldn't be possible. I ignored the fact and tried to focus on her face. Tried to steady the tilting room with my will. It wasn't working.

"You're going to just make yourself feel worse." She finally met my gaze, this time a smile spreading over her supple lips. "You're barely standing straight, Sasuke." I could here the muted laughter in her voice. Begrudgingly I looked away form her, I felt the heat rush to my face. Damn, she was good. I ignored the little voice in the back of my head that was muttering things about how she was the medic here and I only the nin.

"I'm just disorientated, it happens." I turned quickly and the room did a flip as I stumbled to the ground. I could here her laughter as I fell upon the ground. Her soft hands found my back, she gasp as her hands came in contact with my bare back. Her palm flat against my spine."You're burning a fever, Sasuke." Her voice was soft as she helped me sit up, my head swam and I clung to her like a child. I felt exposed and venerable as I leaned the majority of my weight on her. "C'mon, lets get you back to the bed." She helped me to my feet. We stumbled several times but we got to the bed without falling. I collapsed in a heap upon the cool cotton of the sheets with a groan.

"Something's up, Sasuke. You shouldn't still have a fever…" Her hands were once more on my back, she seemed to have a habbit of touching my skin whenever given the opportunity. "What'd you drink last night?"

I scoffed, seriously? "Beer."

She gave a harsh sigh, impatients. "You're so helpful. Ok, who served you?"

Hm, that was a good one. "A girl, she had long brown hair and bright green eyes. She was pale, really pale." And she had sneered at him every time he'd asked for another beer.

"Well, maybe someone poisoned you." She sounded sure. I groaned again.

"Great, I'm not only patronized by the biggest idiot at this camp, but someone's out to kill me?" Just what I needed. She let out a small, indignity, laugh.

"You are a Uchiha." I felt her lips on my forehead and felt the soft coolness of the sheet covering my body. "Rest for now." I felt the prick of something enter my arm. My eyes flew open to see her injecting me with a blue liquid. I growled, jerking my arm just as she injected it. "Calm down. It's to counter act the poison."

She put a cause on my arm where the needle had cut a thin line into my pale skin. "Now, relax. You're going to feel exhausted for a while now." She pat my head like a dog, I almost growled again, but thought better of it. I could already feel the effects of the med, my eyes dropped ad I watched her saunter off to the back of the medical tent once more. I lay there, watching her for awhile till I couldn't stand it any longer. I closed my eyes and just listened to her soft humming. It was lulling my to sleep.

--X--

I awoke to the sound of yelling and to the putrid smell of smoke. I jerked to life, my instincts kicking in as I looked about me with a frantic need to know what was going on. There was a flurry of med-nins about the tent. Sakura nowhere to be seen. I threw the covers back and stood. The world swam before my eyes and I nearly clasped. A pair of arms caught me and supported my weight. I looked up to see Naruto, his face was grim as he steadied me to my feet and held me at arms length. "I was given orders by Sakura to keep you from going anywhere. Something about poison and anti-biotic something-or-other." His brows furrowed as he pushed me on the bed once more. Her grabbed a near by stool and straddled it as he sat in front of me.

"OK, before you ask here's the run down." I gave him a grateful, but wry, twitch of my lips; he gave me a forced smile in turn. "We were attacked, no one knows by who or what," I glanced out the window to see it was just past sunrise, the glow of the fire lighting the campgrounds even more. "There was a fire and 2 squads were found murdered, their throats cut and eyes gouged on others." His jaw ticked in the usual way when he was itching for a fight, but orders demanded otherwise. "We're under code 23. Lock down. No ones to leave camp or is to enter. We have 24-7 guard up. Ibiki is holding meetings with the leaders of each group: medical, defense, field, y'know the rest." That would explain Sakura's disappearance. "So when Sakura told me about your poisoning, though I didn't get all the fancy med stuff she likes to blabber about, I figured it had to be connected, Y'know?" For once, Naruto sounded ingenious.

"That would make sense I suppose. But that would mean it has to be someone on the inside, right?" I cocked a brow as I leaned over, my elbows on my knees, supporting my weight. The room was leveling out now, the worst effects of the drug slowly fading.

Realization seemed to dawn on his features. "Hold crap!" I rolled my eyes as he gawked at me.

"Dobe."

"Shut'd up!" He crossed his as he glared at me.

"Make me."

"I will. How about I--"

"Boys!" My head jerked to see Sakura standing there. She wore, now, he usual beige skirt and red tank. "Behave! We don't have time for this." She walked to Naruto's side. "You," She pointed to me, scowling. "Lay down. And you," She glared down at Naruto. "Go confine yourself to your tent."

Naruto jumped up, ever so quick to please. "Yes'm!" Without another word he was gone from sight and mind.

With-in seconds Sakura was on my case. "Lay down. You're still too weak." She pushed me down, pulling the covers up over me. "Behave, please. I don't have time for your recklessness." Her tone was droll and tired. I wished I could help ease her stress, but as head medic, I knew there was nothing I could help her with. I was medically retarded.

"You should rest too, you look tired. And you're going to be very busy lately." I reached up, though my hand quivered, to stroke her face softly. My thumb running over her fragile cheek bone.

"I have enough to-do now, I can't start slacking." She was kind enough, despite the worry in her eyes, to give me a smile. Her eyes trailed up to looked at the mayhem around us. There were both nins and medics bringing in body bags, some smelled of burnt flesh and others the stench of blood hung strong. Others were carrying the lucky ones that were fortunate enough to make it out of the fire with the skin on their backs just barely on their bones. MY stomach rolled at the sight, though I had been trained to see death; going through it was a whole other story.

I looked back to my pinket companion, her eyes were tortured as she watched a man withering on the red stained cotton sheets. His back arching as he tried to fight against some of the medical team that was treating him. "Go. They need you. I'll be fine." A gave her the best smile I could conjure up, which honestly, wasn't much at all.

She nodded, gave my shoulder a unconscious pat and rushed off into the flurry of medics. I waited several minutes before I slipped from the bed. I stumbled; falling into a man carrying a tray of bloodied wrappings. He growled at me, picked up the mess and moved on. I made my way to the exit. Sure that Sakura was far too busy now to worry over me. They could use the extra bed anyways. I was fine for now and they needed help out in the quarters.

I made my way to where I could easily see the still blazing fire and smell the wretched smoke and death. I stood completely still. The sight was morbid. Men were everywhere trying to fight against the flames, and even with my blurry vision it was easy to tell they were loosing. The last thing I heard was a scream of terror before I felt the burning sensation of a sharp pain in my upper arm. I turned all to late to see the small senbon protruding from my muscle. The sight of the excess serum dripping from it made my gut tighten. The effects of the drug immediately took action. The darkness consumed me, my strength failed me.

--X--

(Change in Charter point of view. Now: Sakura.)

My head hurt. My muscle ached from the amount of work I had put in. My chakra was nearly depleted, making me feel sick and fragile. I slumped into one of the few unoccupied chairs left in the tent. Everywhere, bodies were scattered. The severely injured lied in beds, the ones with less damage on the ground. The body bags had been labeled and put outside. The plastic able to protect them against the elements.

My body felt like led, I couldn't move. My team had finally calmed down. The injured had stopped arriving several hours ago. Not that it helped. There had been so many injured, it took us those hours to heal them all. And even then some had been lost in the process. Their injuries to harsh to live through. My head throbbed, I had seen too much death today. Felt too much grief for the families I know would be without a son, a daughter, a husband or a wife. Without a mother or a father. So much pain would be felt over this. So many broken souls, broken hearts, broken dreams.

Shaking my head I lifted my eyes up enough to scan for Sasuke. My mind jolted awake as it occurred to me he wasn't around. His bed had a new occupant. I stood up, nearly falling. I dodged the lumps of people on the ground and rushed about the tent with no avail. My cheeks felt heated from my worry.

Without thinking my feet carried me outside. I searched about the masses of people about fires. Still, none resembled the boy I desired. I spotted Ibiki, he was huddled with a group of other men. They had their heads bent and where murmuring in low tones. I pushed a few of them aside to gain his attention.

He looked annoyed by my interruption but as soon as he saw the look on my face he seemed to see my dire case.

"Sasuke Uchiha I missing." My voice broke, and I cursed myself for it.

Ibiki mimicked my thoughts aloud. Letting loose a strong line of profound words. "Alright. You." He jerked his chin towards a man with shaggy bronze hair. "Send out a search party about the camp. Report back to me once you're searched ever nook and cranny." When the man gave him a black stare Ibiki cursed and shoved him out of the group. "Now, damnit!"

I sighed as my face fell into my hands. I felt strong arms wrap around me and immediately recognized the scent the enveloped me as Naruto's. I'd been so distracted I had failed to notice him beside me. "It's OK, Sakura." His voice was husky in my ear. "We'll find him. I swear to you."

I couldn't help but notice he hadn't said whether Sasuke would be dead or alive when we found him…