"Why don't you just die, demon?!" A woman screeched as she threw boiling hot water at him whilst he was walking with Sasuke. Seeing as her aim was bad it wouldn't have even harmed him too badly, however, Sasuke would get hurt. Naruto's body moved on its own as he pulled Sasuke towards him and twisted so that his back would take the brunt of the attack. Sasuke stood there, frozen. He had seen it coming and had braced himself to take it so that if it actually did hit that he could press charges. However, Naruto had protected him! "Why?" Sasuke asked softly, still feeling Naruto's tight grip on him. 

"Because... you're one of my most precious people," Naruto said as he quickly tugged Sasuke along to escape the stares and the whispers of the cruel and gossiping villagers. Sasuke then decided to take the lead and pull Naruto towards the hospital, seeing as Naruto had started dragging him towards his own apartment instead. "What are you doing, Sasuke?" 

"We need to get that checked up." Sasuke said, referring to the burn on Naruto's back. Sasuke felt Naruto stopping dead in his tracks and struggling to get free of the iron grip Sasuke has on the blond's wrist. "It's fine! I'll be fine! We don't need to go to the hospital." Naruto protested. They aren't going to help me anyway, they'll probably try to make the injuries worse like make me get a bad infection or something or they are going to claim that it is a painkiller injection when it is filled with snake venom or some other sorts of lethal poison. Naruto thought as he kept pulling and twisting to get his wrist free. "Why are you so afraid of the hospital! They are not going to kill you!" Sasuke exclaimed, unaware that he had been extremely wrong about that statement. Naruto stopped struggling and a look crossed his features. Sasuke doesn't know better. Don't snap. Don't snap. Don't snap. Don't let him know. This secret shall go with me to my grave. 

"The hospital just gives me the creeps. I don't like it. I'll be fine, Sasuke... I heal quickly after all." Naruto muttered softly, making Sasuke loosen his grip on Naruto's wrist subconsciously at the tone Naruto spoke in. The blond seems... different. "I will see you around, Sasuke. I have wasted a lot of your time today, I bet you'd rather be training ne?" Naruto turned and started running away without waiting for a reply from Sasuke. Wait. What? NO! I wanna be with you Naruto. "Wait!" Sasuke shouted, making Naruto turn around. Sasuke hesitated, should he say it or should he just leave it be. "Nevermind. Whatever, dobe." Shit. no. Wait no. That came out bad. That sounded so mean. Sasuke panicked when he saw Naruto's expression change slightly. It wasn't too obvious and it was only for a split second so he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination playing tricks on him to make him feel bad or that it was actually Naruto. Naruto gave him a two finger salute and took off for the rooftops before he can further protest and express what he wanted. 

Naruto sighed. That really hurt when Sasuke sounded so mad and dismissive. He should've known better... Sasuke doesn't care. No one will truly care for him. Iruka has Kakashi and the academy, he is pretty busy with those children. Kakashi is busy reading Icha Icha paradise for like a few millionth times and if he isn't doing that he'll either be groping Iruka or at the memorial stone - that scarecrow doesn't have time to train him anyway, neither will he actually ever... he always waved Naruto off and said he was busy training Sasuke or Sakura. Tsunade is Hokage, he can't always disturb her. His problems aren't that important anyway, he shouldn't burden the Hokage with his stupid problems. Itachi... Itachi is an Anbu captain, he has enough worries as it is, Naruto shouldn't add more troubles to the Uchiha by going to Itachi to talk about his own problems. Jiraiya... he is probably too busy for Naruto no matter what time of the day or year it is. I'll be fine. I will be okay. I don't need to tell anyone anything. I shouldn't burden anyone.