A/N: Greetings from the other side of the world! I've finally moved since November 19 and settled down. Unfortunately, the place we went to does not have any internet access; I usually have to take a trip to a local mall and use their Wi-Fi to upload these stories. I'm so sorry for the super long wait. Hope everyone's well wherever they're at; I'm trying to get back into the rhythm of things.

Chapter 4

All around him, dark shapes convulsed and heaved while he tried to regain vision. Yet when his sight sharpened, there were hands reaching out to him, grabbing him by the arms and pinning him down. Sasuke tried to pry them off, tearing at fingers, but found that his body would not cooperate. His legs couldn't move from bindings—he felt those when he tried to escape whatever hold was on him. After his initial awakening, his voice tore through the early morning on a long, strong cry.

Now his throat was dry and scratchy, and it burned until he choked and gagged. When he was finally subdued and pressed down by an alien weight, his eyes adjusted to the world around him. Anbu crowded him, some being the culprits to his immobile state. They forced their body weight on him, some keeping his arms and legs down. One white, cat mask made him cross his eyes before the Anbu figure pulled away from him. He felt some of the pressure on his chest abate from that and sucked in a breath.

"Where…?" He winced as he felt his dry lips crack and sting, "Wait…"

At the edge of his view, he noticed medical staff scurrying around him. As some of the nurses moved aside, he found machines with their soft beeps and whoosh of activity. He frowned at the variety of tubes connected to him and could barely see most of his body. Then he tensed as an all-too-familiar face got his attention.

"Hey Sasu—"

Sasuke managed to clench a fist and collected his strength to connect said fist into a jaw.

There was a collection of gasps, the sudden crescendo of machine sounds, and then the satisfying sound of a body falling to the ground. With a shadow of a smirk on his face, Sasuke fell back onto the sheets.

"BASTARD!" Naruto yelled, swinging upright once felt at the bruising jaw and sucked his teeth. The two of them eyed the other, silent, until the blonde ninja grinned.

"Glad to see you're up."

"Shut up," Sasuke muttered, his strength waning.

The reality of it all finally came down on him and he could barely make sense of his feelings. Or how he should feel because Uchihas usually don't give two shits.

He was back in Konoha, back to life amongst the village that undid the Uchiha family. A phantom smell of rotten flesh drifted by, and Sasuke felt nauseous. He should be dead now, so why…?

"Okay, that's enough for now," another voice barked.

Shizune broke through a circle of nurses at the corner of the room, apparently avoiding the village traitor on the bed. "I need you out, and the rest of you need to hand me vitals. Stat!"

Once the order was given, the room was cleared save for the three of them. Shizune cast a wary eye on Sasuke before she turned to Naruto, silent in the background.

"You know you can't stay here long," she reprimanded him. "In fact, you weren't supposed to be here at all." She placed a fist on her hip while the other hand adjusted the clipboard under her other arm.

"I know, I know," Naruto said, backing away with his hands up, "I just had to make sure, y'know—"

There was a certain note in his voice that made Sasuke squint at his ex-comrade.

The blonde man he looked at was not as energetic as he usually was. Sasuke noticed the flat hair, the pale face, and dark shadows under eyes that should've been glinting with mischief. But right now those eyes held a heavy, anxious light to them as they settled on Sasuke before turning away.

"I'll be back some other time," Naruto stated then, now at the door.

"And you mean when you're allowed as well, right?" Shizune added. Her stern expression softened as she smiled at him. "You know the drill."

"Yes ma'am, I do," Naruto saluted, laugh tumbling out before he cut off. "So I can't…?" His brows furrowed.

"Absolutely not. Not right now," Shizune stated, the stern features returned with more steel. Before Sasuke could figure out this bit of conversation, Naruto sighed.

"All right, understood." He straightened at the door, gave a crooked smile at the fallen avenger, and then disappeared.

"Well it's good to see you again!" Teuchi exclaimed.

Pots and pans in the kitchen clanked as if in agreement. Ayame beamed at Naruto as she wiped at the other end of the counter. Naruto merely grinned in return as he slipped onto a stool, his shoulders seemingly lighter from the past few days.

"You had us worried when you left us behind—that's so not you." That was said with a teasing note, but Naruto didn't miss the concern that filled their eyes.

"Things okay at your end?"

Naruto took a breath and puffed out his chest. "Nothing that the future Hokage can't handle!" He jabbed a thumb at his chest before he laughed. "Besides, I'm here now, and I'm starving!"

"So I take that the usual's in order?" Teuchi winked.

"You betcha—hey!"

Naruto felt two bodies manifest at both sides. Two members of Team 8 appeared at Ichiraku's as well. Something pressed at his back, and Naruto realized that he miscounted. Akamaru gave a bark in greeting.

"What's up, Naruto?" Kiba asked.

He gave a toothy smile that made Naruto edge away from him. Just a little bit, not enough to really show that the Inazuka's friendly demeanor was off-putting at all.

"How goes things, Naruto?" Shino asked at his elbow. His shades glinted as he adjusted them. Then his brows furrowed. "I hope you remember me…"

Kiba scoffed from that.

"H-hey guys, you're off to training?" Naruto put in.

Somehow he was on edge from their sudden appearance. But then he brightened. "Wait, is Hinata around? I know she's with you guys, but always at a distance or something. Huh, I wonder why—"

"—Hinata's not here or anywhere near here," Kiba cut in. "Actually, she's the main reason why we're here. Let's go." Kiba looped an arm under Naruto's armpits and began to haul him up from his seat.

"You got some explaining to do, buddy." His face was in a smile, but his voice growled the last part out.

The owner and daughter of the ramen stand were stricken, seeing their all-time favorite customer leaving their place once again. Yet as their main patron started to cry out complaints, they could only shake their heads and sigh.

"He must've goofed up big time," Ayame muttered.

She heard a girl's name mention and could only assume the worst—girl problems. She offered a silent prayer to Naruto before turning to her father.

"Guess we'll just deliver his order later. Much later."

The trio of humans (plus dog) continued their way down the dusty roads of Konoha before detouring towards the training grounds. The shops and town slowly receded into the familiar forests.

'I'm getting jumped, aren't I?' Naruto mused.

He already untangled himself from Kiba's grip, complaining that he could walk on his own, thanks. Even so, Kiba didn't refrain from nudging him forward. When they finally reached Team 8's designated training grounds, they halted. Akamaru trotted ahead and circled around a single, wooden post before settling beside it.

"So…"

"Spill it, Uzumaki—what did you do this time?" Kiba started. He regarded Naruto with his arms crossed over his chest. Shino stuffed his hands in his coat pockets.

"Uh—"

"—Hinata's been out of it for a while now, and somehow you being the cause of this make a lot of sense."

That admission snapped Naruto out of his verbal stupor.

"Wait, what's wrong with Hinata?"

Kiba sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Out of all the ninjas to fall for, his teammate had to fall for this one.

"Hinata's been down for a while, and I believe it's your fault. What do you have to say to that?"

Shino remained silent though Naruto caught sight of one of his bugs. It crawled from beneath his collar before disappearing behind his ear—a subtle warning.

Naruto sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. He held his chin, pretending to be in deep thought. After a couple of heartbeats, Kiba gripped his collar and yanked him forward.

"Well?!"

Naruto's eyes opened.

"Don't feel like telling ya—see ya!" Naruto said, sticking out his tongue. Then he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"What the—since when did he pull off Kage Bunshin?" Kiba yelled. He cracked his knuckles, nose flaring. "I'll find that bastard and—"

"It's okay," Shino broke in, "I think he's going after her."