'Chapter 2'

"Hey, Shikamaru, Choji! Where are you off to so fast?" yelled Kiba, waving to his friends.

"Ah…hey, Kiba! Heard that Naruto was finally awake!?" informed Shikamaru not stopping in his track, with Choji quickly following while eating something.

"No way! Come on, let's go Akamru!" excited Kiba told his dog and ran after the couple.

All three of them arrived at the hospital and went to Naruto's room. Shikamaru was about to open the door but stopped in his track when he heard voices. They kept quiet and decided to listen. Though they did not know that Naruto had already sensed them and knew they were listening.

"Where is Sasuke-kun, Naruto?" the trio recognized the squeaky voice as Sakura's. "Where is he? How could you not bring him back? What if he is hurt somewhere?"

The trio was fuming with anger. "Who does she think she is?" quietly roared Kiba, "Does she even not know what happened to all of us just for the sake of that bastard?"

"If she treats her own team-mate that way, why would it matter to her if the rest of us were dead?!" thought Shikamaru.

"I am sorry… Sakura… I wasn't able to… bring him back," came a weak voice from Naruto.

"No… it is ok, Naruto," it could be clearly heard that she was practically forcing those words out. "It was foolish of me to ask you something like that… I wouldn't expect you to actually succeed. I mean… you against Sasuke, come on…"

"What do you think you're doing?" the door swung open and Kiba rushed in yelling and glaring-daggers at Sakura, who jumped at the voice.

"Do you even know what he's been through, just for the sake of your precious Sasuke-kun?You don't even disserve to be here, let alone talk to him. You are a disgrace to all women."

Sakura restrained her tears and with a loud 'humph' she stormed out, almost slipping on Choji's dropped pack of chips.

Kiba and rest of the trio turned to Naruto, but before they could say anything the door swung open yet again and the room was greeted with youthfulness.

"NARUTO-KUN, THE YOUTH OF FIRE BURNS IN YOUR HEART WITH DIGNITY. I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE FINALLY AWAIK!" yelled the 'handsome-beast' while walking in to the room along with Neji and Shino.

"Geez, Lee, could you repeat that, I'm afraid I did not catch you at first," roared Kiba while rubbing his poor dog-ears.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?" asked Neji ignoring everyone else, going farther into the room and taking a seat at the right-end of Naruto's bed.

Naruto shrugged, "Ok… I guess…"

The rest of the gang followed Neji's method shortly after. Shikamaru sat at the other end of Naruto's bed, Kiba holding Akamaru on his lap took the chair next to Naruto's left with Choji on his right, Shino went over to sit on the windowsill and Lee decided that standing would be youthful, so he just stood next to Neji.

"Ano…Naruto-kun, we met Sakura-san on the way out, she looked angry… is something wrong?" asked Lee.

"Damn right there was something wrong!" yelled Kiba, "That pink-thing has a loose screw to screw in!"

"She came in and started lecturing Naruto about Sasuke, not even giving a care for the state he's in," Shikamaru concluded before turning back to the blond, "Which reminds me… Naruto, what happened?"

Naruto was still gazing at his hands; ever since they all walked in he avoided their eyes, even Sakura's.

"He… got away…" Naruto's voice has yet to be adjust, since he hadn't been using it for a month and a half, it's still kind of hard for him to speak.

"That we know…" Shikamaru tried to sound as soft as possible to at least somehow encourage his blond-friend, "…and I don't care about Sasuke, I want to know what happened that you had to be in the hospital longer than anyone of us."

"…" the blond stayed silent.

"Naruto, please…"

"…" Naruto looked Shikamaru in the eyes and then back at his hands, "I needed time… to… face you…"

"What are you talking about?" asked Kiba.

"The mission was a… failure…" Kiba wanted to protest but Shikamaru kicked his chair with his left-leg shutting him up. "…and…you all… almost died…because of…me…"

"Now wait just a-…-Oof-," Kiba started to roar again until Shino stuffed his mouth with bugs.

'They deserve the truth…' soothing the ache in his heart, Naruto shakily exhaled.

"I…"

'But… it will… it will hurt…' he closed his eyes, '…I don't want to hurt them… they will be angry…'

"I…am…" the breathing became slightly harder.

'But…I don't want to lie to them either…'

"…sorry…" he felt something wet slide down his cheek. For the first in a long time he was crying.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" everyone was getting really confused and worried.

Slowly crushed-blond opened his eyes looking at his hands – they were shaking.

'…I don't want to lie to them…'

"I…let him…go…"

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Room went silent. They didn't know what to say… how to react...

Should they yell, be angry or just keep quiet? They just went through a mission that almost killed them… only to find out that the target was simply let go…?!

What should they do...? They just didn't know…

Naruto closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.

Suddenly the door opened, everyone, save Naruto, looked at the new-comer and subconsciously shifted in their seats. By the door now stood misty-green eyed redhead, the sand-nin – Gaara.

Room became even quieter than it was before. The tension could be felt in everyone. It took a couple of seconds, for everyone's relief, to notice the gourd on Gaara's back missing.

'So he didn't come to kill us…'

Paying no need to the others, Gaara kept staring at Naruto, who didn't even flinch.

Shikamaru thought it would be better if they would leave now. So he started to drag everyone out, especially Kiba who wouldn't budge.

The door closed and momentarily there were five curious ears pressed by the door and one white-eyed staring through the wall.

Shaking his head lightly at the childish behavior, Gaara went over to Naruto.

Naruto was still looking at his hands until he felt a small shuffling of his bed-sheets followed by a hand on his left shoulder. Looking up he was met with two misty-green eyes that curiously were looking into his lost-blue ones.

Naruto didn't say anything just lowered his gaze.

"Naruto, what happened to you?" deep voice met Naruto's ears.

"I'm…" Naruto began, but then shook his head. 'I don't want you to be mad at me too…'

"Naruto… I'm not mad at you…" Naruto blinked once-twice, and then saddened again. "Just tell me."

Naruto took a shaking breath and said quietly, "…I …hurt them… I made them suffer… because of…"

"Don't even try it, Uzumaki," Gaara cut him off, "this is by all means not your fault."

"…they almost… died… for nothing…" Naruto whispered, "…I could bring him back… but I… I choose… to let him go…"

"…and I know why you did it…" Gaara closed his eyes.

Naruto slowly lifted his eyes to look at him.

"Naruto… he was your best friend…, you wouldn't bare the guilt you would feel after you'd bring him back… seeing him slowly go insane, for being prohibited from the only thing he lives for… he would go mental… and that would make things much worse."

Behind the door, everyone in the interception's section saddened, somewhat finally understanding why Naruto did what he did.

"Hey, you six! What are you… eavesdropping?!" came a loud voice from Kankuro, who just walked into the hall along with his sister Temari.

"Shut up, puppet!" whispery-yelled Kiba still keeping his ear on the door listening. He could hear Gaara mumble something.

"What are you doing here anyway?" raising a brow asked Shikamaru to the two siblings.

"We came with Gaara, he wanted to stay till Naruto wakes up," simply explained Kankuro.

"Why would he want to see Naruto?!" not understanding a thing, thought Kiba out-loud.

"Well… let's just say that he came to a stage in respecting him," informed Temari.

"Wha-…?" Kiba was somewhat confused. "Why would…" Kiba wanted to know how Gaara could respect anyone, but was interrupted by a 'chip-lover'.

"Is he talking about us?" wondered Choji, drawing everyone's attention back to the listening, including the two Sand siblings who found nothing better to do, so… might as well listen too.

"…you know… they should thank you for being honest with them. After all you didn't tell anyone about what actually happened on that mission but the ones who were there," stated Gaara while looking at the door, as if talking to them and not Naruto, though only Neji could see him doing that.

All eavesdroppers felt guilt wash over them.

"Did he really lie to the Hokage?" asked Lee. The others just kept quiet.

"They are… mad at…me…, they hate…me…" whispered weak voice of Naruto's, causing the others to receive a painful thud in the chest.

"No, Naruto… you can't do that! It's nobodies' fault… you can't keep beating yourself like this… Sasuke does not deserve it… none of it!" Gaara squeezed Naruto's shoulder tighter, "They are fine; nothing happened to them, you already know that."

Gazing back at his hands Naruto kept quiet.

Gaara sighed, "I am actually surprised you let him go, let alone allow him to win. Was I in your place I would've killed him."

"I… thought he was… my… friend…"

"Naruto… he almost killed you…"

Everyone outside the door gasped.

"What king of a friend does that?! If it wouldn't have been for it, you would have died for sure."

Naruto shadowed his eyes under his hair-bangs.

"It's even better that he is gone… he would not hesitated to kill you once you brought him back, let alone anyone else here as well."

Naruto still didn't say anything.

Getting pissed Gaara yanked Naruto's shirt up revealing a huge scar on his right shoulder.

Out in the hall Neji went wide-eyed, 'How could I not have seen this before?!' Hearing the gasp behind him, Lee asked, "Neji, what is it?"

"Look at this! Look what he did to you!" they could hear Gaara yell.

Not bothering to answer Lee's question, Neji stormed into the room, followed by the others after a couple of confusing seconds.

Getting out of his daze and going to his surprise – Naruto winced in his seat, 'Why didn't I sense them? Have they been listening the whole time?'

Gaara quickly let go of Naruto's shirt and it fell down covering the wound, however Neji already saw it. He quickly walked to Naruto and pulled the shirt back up. All the rest of the new-comers gasped at the huge scar.

"What a hell is this, Naruto? What is this?" harshly asked Neji, still holding grip onto Naruto's shirt. Naruto turned his head away.

"You all must have thought he just let him go without giving him a well deserved goodbyes, did you?" asked Gaara, eyeing the wound before lowering his gaze, "You should know better!"

Now it was just embarrassing, they accused their friend for almost nothing…

It's true – they thought Naruto had pulled off to be the luckiest of them all. Facing his friend in a fight…what bad could actually happen?

And what's the deal with Gaara… How come he knows so much…?!

"Naruto…" Neji stared but trailed of in his thought; curiously he pulled Naruto's shirt's back side up only to gasp again, "Oh my God," he said in low whisper, "it…it went through your flesh."

The rest of the eavesdropping gang accompanied Neji in his shock by coming closer to eye the healed, yet visible, wound.

After calming his confused and shocked state, Shikamaru heavily exhaled and sat near Naruto on the bed on the opposite side from Gaara.

Lowering his gaze, Shikamaru apologetically whispered, "Naruto… I am sorry…"

Ok… that was not what Naruto had expected for him to say. Not looking at the lazy-nin, he once again found his hands a lot more interesting, but kept listening anyway.

Shikamaru swallowed but kept speaking, assuming Naruto's silence as an unspoken sign to continue, "I am sorry for accusing you as the cause of that failed mission and for the near loss of our friends' lives…, not bothering to realize the reason behind all this. I am sorry…"

Shikamaru looked at Naruto only to see him looking back. A small smile appeared on Naruto's lips, making Shikamaru sigh in relief and smile as well.

Munching his chips smiling-Choji nodded, once a while offering Naruto his chips as a sign of his apology and forgiveness, but Naruto refused.

"Ok, don't think that I will forgive you that easy, shrimp…, since I am very angry right now; however… I am angry, but then again I am actually not… so… I will just say it," peculiarly pondered Kiba, "I also am sorry for accusing you…, if it would've been me going against Akamaru, I would have done the same thing you did. I just didn't see Sasuke the way you once saw him I guess…"

"Nice comparison Kiba, Akamaru's a dog," said Kankuro.

"I'm just saying, Ok!?" 'humph'-ed Kiba.

"Naruto-kun, you always think about your friends' well being first, it is the very essence of youth! Forgive me for misgauging you!" Lee respectfully bowed his head.

"Hmm, I guess you chose Sasuke's fate to go its own way," said Neji, finally letting go of Naruto's shirt.

Naruto gave a sad smile, lowering his eyes to stare at his covered legs.

'…I could see it… in their eyes… sorrow and forgiveness…'

"Thanks guys!" smiled Naruto, making the rest of them smile as well, except for Gaara who usually finds it quite difficult.

"No prob', man!" cheered Kiba together with Akamaru.

Getting no answer the last time, Neji didn't give up, "Naruto… the wound…" he asked nodding his head towards Naruto's shoulder.

"It was Chidori," Shikamaru lazily answered before Naruto, knowing fully well that it would be very hard for him to answer Neji's question.

"Chicken, wha-…?" Kiba asked, but then remembered that weird jutsu Sasuke used once, "You mean that sparkling-thing he used in the Chunin-exam on Gaara?! Wait…he used that on you?" he roared disbelieved.

Naruto flinch at the memory, but did not say anything.

"Where do you think that healed hole came from then, Kiba?" butted Kankuro.

Ignoring 'the puppet', Kiba continued, "I can't believe he really did try to kill you," he stared wide-eyed, "…and to think of it… I guess it really was the best way to let him go… though I would agree with Gaara on the killing part…"

"Making everything better for everyone but yourself…, isn't it… Naruto?!" not waiting for an answer Neji knowingly continued, "Since you didn't have the heart to kill him, which would be the next best thing, you let Sasuke go for the sake of what appears best for him and the others. As Gaara already mentioned he would no doubt go insane if he wouldn't have gotten his way and be taken back here, and by letting him go you assured that he won't endanger everyone back in the village with his imbalance – mainly us – since we would probably be his first alternative to kill, for going after him and ruining his one chance in getting what he wants. You took the first best thing that seemed satisfying for both – the villagers and Sasuke." The blond closed his eyes, refused to say anything to that.

"…and now you're taking all the blame on yourself," concluded Neji.

After a moment of peaceful silence, Naruto finally whispered, "Sasuke told me… I've become his closest friend… and for that… he said that he will kill me…" No one said anything, just listened. "At the end of our fight… he dragged himself to my lying body… and just stared at it… he didn't even try to finish me off… he just left… and… that was why… I didn't change my mind… in letting him… go…; I just couldn't kill him…"

"So you faked your unconsciousness?" asked Temari.

Naruto kept quiet. He reached under his pillow and took out Sasuke's scarred headband, allowing the rest to eye it.

"I planted that scar…" a little laugh was coming between the blond's words, "…he thought I couldn't do it…"

Running his fingers through the scarred line on the headband's symbol, Naruto spoke, "…I guess it's official then…" silence occurred until he sadly continued, "I officially made him a missing-nin."

Closing the azure-eyes, Naruto whispered to the air, "Sasuke won't come back…"

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