A/N:
Neko-chan: Ohaiyou Gozaimasu!
Ookami-chan: *mumbles* Ohaiyou.
Neko-chan: *energetically * Ookami-chan is tired today. She stayed up too late and we had to get up early for school! She is definitely not a morning person! ^.^
Ookami-chan: *growling* Why the hell are you so bouncy this morning? You went to bed at the same time as me!
Neko-chan: That's for me to know and you to never find out! :P
Ookami-chan: Just do the damn disclaimer!
Neko-chan: *smiling brightly* Okie Dokie! Me no own Naruto. He is explicitly owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Although I will own him eventually, you mark my words! Oh yeah, any and all review are appreciated! Oh no, I almost forgot! I would also like to thank all of you people who put my first story on alert and even went as far as faving it. I would also love to thank Sukilovehappydays3 for being the first one to review my story! Arigatou Gozaimasu!
Ookami-chan: Stop being so damn perky Neko-chan!
Itachi frantically pulled up to the curb of Konaha Hospital. He turned toward the backseat as he heard Naruto's semi-normal breathing turn shallow once more. Itachi noticed Sasuke holding the blonde's hand and squeezing it as if to reassure Naruto that someone was worried for his well-being and would get him the help he needs. The eldest Uchiha son pushed open his door and yanked open the backseat. He helped Sasuke down and pulled Naruto into his arms as gently as he could while being mindful of the poor child's injuries. The two Uchihas rushed into the hospital and demanded immediate medical treatment for their new charge.
The woman at the front desk looked at them with concern evident in her vivid green eyes, but when her eyes fell on Naruto, in obvious pain by the way he was forced back into a half-conscious state and gripping Itachi's arm with his faced screwed up in agony, the concern turned to contempt. She sneered at them and said, "What the hell made you think I would ever help the Demon Monster of Konaha? Just let him die." Sasuke glared at her as soon as the words left her mouth and Itachi's glare followed soon after. The woman looked at them uneasily. Itachi, seeing that their twin glares unnerved her, pounced on his chance to intimidate her.
His glare deepened into the Uchiha family's signature death glare and, in a low voice promising punishment if his demands weren't met, he growled, "You will help this boy now or so help me God, I will use all my authority as the chief of police and arrest you for violating your Hippocratic oath, you miserable wretch of a woman." Sasuke watched his brother with a look of appreciation. For a moment he could have sworn Itachi had looked like a lithe, black feline protecting his young. Sasuke smirked at himself at the thought of his brother as a cat. His smirk hurriedly turned to panic as another bout of pain caused Naruto to rake his fingernails down Itachi's arm, drawing a small amount of blood.
Itachi grimaced slightly at the sudden throb coming from his marked arm, but he ignored it as he continued to menacingly glare at the rude nurse while waiting for her answer. She sighed in defeat and paged for the nearest doctor to go to rom 235. Itachi waited for the nurse to take Naruto from his arms and get him to the emergency room to meet the doctor. The nurse looked at Itachi and saw the expectation in his eyes. She smirked and said, "I let you bully me into having his injuries treated. I never said I was going to touch the little demon."
Sasuke glowered at the bitchy blonde and tugged on his brother's sleeve. Itachi looked down. The youngest Uchiha told his brother, "I don't want her touching Naruto Onii-san. She might contaminate him with her stupidity." Itachi chuckled softly at the innocent but heated look on his little brother's face. The eldest Uchiha brother's chuckle turned into a snort of derision at the look on the nurse's face as she finally processed Sasuke's careless comment. Although if the look on Sasuke's face was any indication, it wasn't as careless as Itachi had originally thought. Sasuke smirked once again when he heard Itachi chuckle at his deliberate comment. His smirk widened into a cheeky grin as he caught the pissed off look the nurse directed at him.
The Uchiha brothers' fun came to a direct and sudden halt as they heard Naruto clench his teeth and hiss at the sudden onslaught of pain. The smiles left their faces in a hurry as their worried looks returned. Itachi looked at the nurse with a stern look as he said, "Ok, let's get him to the E.R." The nurse rolled her eyes and led the brothers to room 235. She opened the door for them and glanced down at the smaller blonde. She was startled to find his sky-blue eyes open and looking at her. The boy she knew as a demon opened his mouth as if to speak and mouthed the words "Thank you." She reeled back in surprise. Itachi, feeling Naruto shift in his arms, caught the mimed words. Itachi looked up to see the nurse's reaction and was surprised to see her hand over mouth and unshed tears glistening in her eyes. He looked at the little boy he was holding and wondered how a child this small and hated could forgive someone who called him a monster and was willing to let him die, while being in so much pain.
Itachi's eyes softened as Naruto closed his eyes once more as the effort of being awake became too much for him. Itachi looked back at the nurse and asked her in a quiet voice, "Before the doctor comes, do you think you could at least help us clean the rest of the blood off him?" She looked unsure for a moment before she nodded somewhat shyly. She entered the room and went to work getting a wet rag, collecting bandages, and grabbing a bottle of Bactine. She gestured to the bed in the room and Itachi set Naruto on it softly. Itachi removed the remaining tatters that were once Naruto's shirt and, using a pair of scissors, removed his bloody and worn-out jeans. Itachi glanced at his brother and, seeing the trepidation in his eyes said, "Otouto, it's alright. Go sit down. I don't think she wants to hurt him anymore." Sasuke searched his brother's eyes and, satisfied with what he saw, sat down in the comfy chair set out for him.
Sasuke stared at the nurse and when she peeked over her shoulder at him, he questioned, "Is my brother right? You're not going to hurt him?" She sighed and shook her head no. "What changed your mind?" the youngest Uchiha asked. The blonde thought for a minute and said in a tentative voice, "I think it was his eyes." Sasuke looked confused. Upon seeing his confusion she furthered, "His eyes were so innocent and forgiving, even if I could see the hurt and the agony. And even though he had heard every terrible thing I had said about him and even though I was willing to let him die, he still struggled through the fog of pain to look me in the eye and he thanked me for just letting him into the room. I couldn't say no to helping him anymore, even if it does go against everything my parents taught me."
Sasuke nodded in understanding. He had felt the same way when he had seen Naruto's eyes back in the alleyway. It just wasn't possible to say no to the all-too-forgiving blonde. Sasuke glanced at Naruto before asking, "So what's your name anyway?" The nurse looked startled for a moment before she answered, "Terria Michaelis. But my friends call me Terri." She stood up and glided over to the sink. She filled a bucket full of water and brought it back towards Naruto's bed. She began the tedious task of cleaning the blood from Naruto's sunshine-like hair. When she finished her first task, Terri cleansed Naruto's shallow wounds and bandaged them before she started stitching the deeper ones.
When she knotted the last stitch, the door burst open and another bustier blonde ran into the room. Her pig-tailed hair swung wildly back-and-forth as she panted heavily. Her panicked eyes calmed slightly when they rested on Naruto. She sprinted towards his bed. The busty woman felt someone watching her and turned around. Her roaming gaze fell on Itachi.
She rudely asked, "What are you looking at Ponytail?"
He ignored her insult and responded with, "Who are you?"
She answered haughtily, "My name is Dr. Tsunade and this is my godson."
Itachi gasped slightly before he continued, "If you are his godmother, why did let him get in this sorry state?" She cringed as if she had been hit.
In a shaky voice she said, "The council deemed him unfit to be adopted due to his parentage. He has been to the hospital at least once every year on this day, his birthday. He spends every one of his birthdays in agonizing pain, but he never blames anyone. He forgives them every year."
Itachi contemplated this before he quietly asked, "Why is he so forgiving? Has anyone besides the people in this room ever shown him any kindness?" Itachi saw Tsunade's eyes glaze over as she gazed into Naruto's sad and terrible pain-filled past.
She spoke softly, "There was a boy four years ago who befriended him. It was his first friend, and he was just so excited. When I came to visit him one day, he ran up to me, hugged me tightly and begged me to meet him. I agreed, since you know his excitement was contagious. I told him to meet me outside his apartment building with his friend and I would take them both to dinner. It wasn't until later when I was on my way to get them that I finally remembered it was Naruto's birthday, October 10th. I drove as fast as I could and probably broke a lot of traffic laws, but the only thing I was focused on was getting to Naruto. By the time I finally arrived Naruto was unconscious over his friend's body, and the boy, Sora was his name, was dead. It nearly broke Naruto. He didn't speak for months. He hasn't tried to make a single friend since then. He's too afraid of what will happen to them if he does. I blame myself. If I had just remembered in time, I could have saved them both. I can never forgive myself for my stupidity."
Tears were running down her face, and she was sobbing loudly. All three of her captive audience members were in utter shock and unable to move. They couldn't process how this small and loving boy could forgive such a heinous act committed by real monsters. All four of them jumped faintly when they heard Naruto speak. They hadn't even heard him get up. Speaking through his pain with a hoarse voice he said, "It's ok Tsunade baa-chan. You don't have to cry anymore. It was my fault. I provoked them by continuing to live, and it's my fault Sora's dead. I shouldn't have let him stand up for me. I should have told him to leave. So please Baa-chan, don't be sad anymore." He punctuated his small speech with a grimace as his arm and leg throbbed in sync with each other. He gently pulled his godmother's arm until she got down on her knees in front of him. He surprised everybody in the room when he managed to wrap his arms around her in a hug and kissed the corners of her eyes to stop the tears from flowing. He whispered, "Never blame yourself for my mistakes Baa-chan. Seeing you cry hurts my heart more than anything else so please… don't…. cry….. anymore…" Before he could finish speaking, the pain cast him back into oblivion. Tsunade felt her godson go limp in her arms. As gently as she could, she picked him up and placed him back into his hospital bed. By this time everyone in the room had silent tears streaming down their faces.