The Turning Point

A Month Of Training

Naruto burst into the hospital dragging a tired and irate Sakura with him. He immediately rushed towards the reception desk knocking an old lady and a man in a wheel chair over in the process. Sakura stopped to help them up bowing and apologising profusely, she then glared at her blond teammate.

He's rushing around so fast I can't punch him properly. How can he have this much energy after the second exams and the preliminaries, Sakura wondered with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"Lady where is Sasuke Uchiha's room?" Naruto asked one of the nurses hurriedly. Sakura joined him at the desk looking around nervously.

Of course Naruto had no idea who Lady Tsunade was he had never met her, which meant that he was also not familiar with her fiery anger which was aggravated by the goings on of the hospital. She was sure Naruto's loud voice and actions displeasing and Sakura was sure she was going to punch him all the way out of the Leaf Village if she saw or heard him.

"I'm sorry visitors are not allowed for Mr Uchiha" the nurse replied barely looking up from her paperwork.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T VISIT HIM!? WE'RE HIS TEAMMATES!" Naruto bellowed, completely outraged.

Sakura's heart sank, she wanted nothing more to see Sasuke and to reassure herself that he was alive and in capable hands. Even if he was unconscious or asleep, just to see him would be enough for her. She would finally be able to get some sleep after almost five nights of frantic guarding, protecting and nightmares of Sasuke's curse mark and Orochimaru. If she couldn't get some reassurance she knew five sleepless nights would become six.

"Are you sure we can't see him?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Yeah lady what the hell you got a heart made of stone or something!?" Naruto snapped, annoyed beyond belief.

"I've been instructed not to let anyone visit Sasuke Uchiha and it's going to stay that way!" the nurse said bossily.

Sakura felt like lunging for her throat but before she could even think about jumping over the counter a crop of silver hair caught her eye.

"Kakashi-sensei" Naruto called out happily, he and Sakura approached the Jounin who had his nose in his orange perverted book.

"Sakura, Naruto. I didn't think the preliminaries would be over so soon" Kakashi said mildly, flicking a page.

"Yeah old man Hokage didn't talk too much for once. We have stuff to tell Sasuke like the fact that he's going up against that Gaara guy in the first round for the finals! But that stupid lady said no visitors!" Naruto babbled and then pointed an accusing finger at the bossy nurse.

"She was telling the truth Sasuke isn't allowed any visitors yet. Not even you two" Kakashi replied looking seriously at both of them.

Something's not right, has something happened to Sasuke in the hospital? Did it involve Orochimaru is that why we can't see him? Has there been an attempt on his life? Kakashi is lying he went to see Sasuke I know it!

The anxious thoughts tumbled into Sakura's brain and she began to feel physically sick. Swallowing cautiously she looked up at Kakashi.

"Is Sasuke alright?" she asked in a hard voice.

"He's fine Sakura, unconscious but fine. No visitors are allowed but as soon as they are you and Naruto will be the first to know I promise" Kakashi reassured her.

Sakura didn't buy a word of it but kept quiet nonetheless. Naruto nodded in acceptance and then turned his attention to more pressing matters.

"Sensei we have a lot to organise cause old man Hokage says we have a month to train for the Chunin exams and you could teach me all these jutsu and you're going to be busy because between me and the Teme and Sakura-chan that's a lot of people to train and the old man said something about learning new tricks and" Naruto paused to take in a deep breath before continuing when Kakashi cut him off.