Summer Heat
Chapter 2
Naruto remained in his strange little trance for over two days. During the second day, Hanabi swept in, in all her regal glory, to do what Neji was not there to do. The youngest Hyuuga daughter had really come into her own in the last few years since she became the heiress. The last time Sasuke had seen her, not that he'd really been paying attention, had been before his first defection, back when he was twelve. Then she'd been a small, rather gangly child; all knees and elbows despite her prodigious skills even at that age. Now she was tall, very womanly, and all Hyuuga.
She turned her white, blind looking eyes upon the stricken Hokage, and the grateful assembled there held their collective breaths. Surely, here, at last, they would learn what was wrong with everyone's precious person.
But they were to be disappointed once more. All the young princess could tell them was that Naruto's chakra, as well as his body, was in a state of flux. Something was changing, but exactly what was unclear. Thus, at the close of the second day, they were no closer to an answer than before.
Sasuke was beside himself with worry. He sat at his mate's side the entire time; refusing to leave, refusing to eat, refusing to rest. He would frequently weep silent tears, and curse his chichiue, who was conspicuously absent. And he didn't dare leave Naruto's side to track the recalcitrant fox down. He sat there, holding that lax, unusually pale hand in his own trembling one, and pet that glossy golden hair, which had become rather dull and lank.
Flowers from concerned citizens and shinobi alike filled the room, and their sweet stench sickened the wolf. Flowers? What the hell good were flowers? Why weren't they out beating the woods finding that damn fox?
But as aggressively as he asked these questions to anyone and everyone who came to pay their respects and well wishes, their hearts were softened. That Sasuke was tormented by Naruto's sudden and inexplicable sickness was more than obvious. And he'd been heard to whisper to an unhearing ear such tender entreaties.
Come back to me, Naruto. Please get well. I need you. I love you. Come back to me. Please come back. I can't live without you, Naruto. I love you. Come back!
Thus, early in the morning of the third day, Sasuke was crying again, fingers tight around that lax hand, and he made one last entreaty. He was on his knees beside the bed, head lowered tearfully to the mattress.
"Naruto, baby, please wake up! You can have all the ramen you can possibly eat, just come back to me!"
"Really?" A low hoarse voice answered. "I'll take it. Right now."
Sasuke's head came up with such a sharp jerk, his neck ached. "Naruto!"
Endlessly blue eyes, as deep and secretive as the sea were open and looking at him. Pale pink lips were curved in a trembling smile. "Hi."
Sasuke stared at him, frozen for a moment, then began to cry in earnest, crawling onto the bed and gathering that slightly warmer body into his arms. Wet messy kisses landed directionlessly. On Naruto's cheekbone, the corner of his mouth, just in front of his ear, amid his disheveled bangs, on the point of his chin.
The blonde chuckled weakly, and winced. His tummy was still so strangely painful. Sasuke finally found what he was looking for; Naruto's mouth. And Sasuke was a hungry man. He drank and drank from his dobe; deep, greedy kisses, until both were panting.
"What the hell happened, Dobe," Sasuke finally found the breath and strength to ask, refusing to let go.
Naruto shook his head. He had no idea. All he knew was that he was sore, he was tired, and god, was he hungry. And as if to reply to Sasuke's unanswered question, Naruto stomach spoke up… loudly.
Both boys gave watery chuckles. Sasuke gave him one last lingering kiss. "I've got to tell the others you're awake," he said making as if to climb out of the bed.
"No," Naruto cried softly. "Don't go, Teme." He felt so damnably weak. "Stay with me, one of the others can get me something to eat. You look tired. Have you slept at all?"
Sasuke shook his head. "How could I? But now that you're awake, I will, I promise. Right here in fact. But first, let me get Tsunade, and get you some Ramen. I promised, didn't I?"
"Yeah," Naruto breathed, smiling up at his mate. "I love you, Sasuke."
For a moment, Sasuke looked as if he might cry again. Several times over the last two days, he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever hear those words from those sweet lips again.
The tender and touching moment was abruptly shattered by curses and growls, amid shrieks of fear.
"Let go of me, you snot nosed little human!" Kyuubi was snarling. "How dare you?"
"Oh, shut it!" Moegi was heard to reply in a shout. "Where the hell have you been anyway?"
"Unhand me, you damnable red headed brat! Why the hell do you always go for my ears?"
"Don't you know your kit needs you? Some father you are!"
"I'll eat you! I will! I'll strip the flesh from your tiny pathetic body, split your bones and suck out the marrow! Dammit, Vixen, let me go!"
"I'm not afraid of you. Naruto will kick your ass once he wakes up if you hurt one of us. And you know it. Now shut the hell up and come on!"
Moegi slapped open the hospital door and drug a kicking and cursing Kyuubi in, hand firmly fisted around one large, warm, velvety ear. They saw Sasuke on the bed, a wide awake, and wide eyed Naruto in his arms, and they both froze.
The other two stared back, dimly aware that the spectacle was drawing onlookers, standing very far back, of course, and watching with round eyes and opened mouths.
Naruto gave an explosive laugh.
"Naruto! You're awake!" Moegi shrieked, letting go and flying over to the bed. With a well placed hip, she shoved Sasuke right out of the bed, and he landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Kyuubi merely smirked, and shook his head, ears flapping loudly.
"Damned Vixen," he muttered sulkily. Stupid little human! Why did he like her anyway? Didn't she know how much damage she'd just done to his reputation? And he'd been working so hard to rebuild it! Dammit!
Sasuke picked himself up, pondering all the ways she could die painfully. Naturally, she was excited that Naruto was awake. Well, hell. He'd let her live after all.
"Where the hell have you been?" He sourly asked an equally disgruntled chichiue.
"Making myself scarce. I told you he'd be fine. But no. You wouldn't listen. Stubborn cub. Did you really think I would let our Kit die? You should have listened."
" 'Just wait'? Oh, yeah, there were some words of wisdom. Why didn't you tell me anything? Didn't you see how scared I was? Dammit, Chichiue, what's going on?"
"Heheheh… The Uchiha was scared? Hah. And you would have known if something was really wrong. The two of you are immortally connected, silly cub. You would have known he was fine if you hadn't let your past mortality cloud your judgment." Kyuubi looked insufferably pleased with himself.
"Of course I wasn't scared, I… Dammit, Kyuubi. Fine. I was scared. And I can't help but think like a human. I was one for a long time you know. Damn fox! Why can't you just explain things to me? How can I protect him if I don't know what's going on?" Sasuke was very angry indeed.
"Look, Cub. He's fine. Relax. He's even awake." Truthfully, though Kyuubi knew exactly what changes were going on, he couldn't prepare his cub for them, because they'd happened to him so very long ago, he couldn't even really remember. Besides, how he loved watching his oh so arrogant cub squirm. Since regaining all his memories, the Uchiha had once more adopted his holier than thou attitude with everyone. The only ones spared were Naruto, and himself, a little. He missed his serious little open hearted cub, he did.
In a very short time, the news that the Rokudaime was indeed awake and apparently well, despite his little flirtation with a coma, and Tsunade was there, checking the blonde over within an inch of his life. Monitors hummed, chakra flowed, and Shizune clucked.
The ex hokage straightened slowly, frustration in her burgundy eyes. "Well, there's nothing wrong that I can find," she began crossly. Previously perfectly healthy specimens of mankind didn't suddenly fall, for no reason, into inexplicable comas. Of course, Naruto was about as human now as Kyuubi was, no matter how human he looked. On that, Tsunade was not deceived.
"Why are you so angry?" Kyuubi asked lazily from the spare bed in the corner; naturally, the Rokudaime did not share his hospital room. The fox was sprawled out, taking up every inch of the bed, save a small spot by his belly, upon which his red haired vixen reclined just as lazily. Obviously, the ex demon lord had forgiven his new little acolyte. "He's awake, he's well, what the hell more do you need? Do you want him to be sick or ailing?"
Tsunade shot him a poisonous look, deeming him more than knowing of what was afoot inside Naruto. But in true demon like fashion, refused to share. Selfish, rat furred, scrawny limbed, pea brained…
Tsunade gave a soft laugh, letting it go. Kyuubi was right. Naruto was awake and well. It still bothered her a great deal that something was wrong with her precious blonde, but apparently whatever changes were happening were nothing to really be concerned about. Demon Kyuubi may be, and was. Homicidal the creature was, and to a certain extent still was. But he loved Naruto with every breath in his cursed animalistic body, and would move heaven and earth to save him. Kyuubi had done so before; at great cost to himself. Let it go. Time would reveal all.
Sasuke, sullenly watching all this from near Kyuubi's head, was livid. How dare that tall, beast bosomed bitch lay such familiar hands on his Naruto? He didn't care the woman viewed the blonde like a son, she was intimately touching his mate! His blonde! His dobe!
When Sasuke had abdicated being a leaf shinobi so long ago, he barely knew Tsunade. Sure, she'd brought him out of the comatose state brought on by his brother's mangekyou sharingan, but he was as cold as ice in those days, and had barely felt even gratitude; his mind had been bent on other matters then. In the ensuing years after that, especially after his rise as Otokage and Naruto's master, she had spewed all the venom in her great heart; which as capable of great warmth and love, was likewise capable of great hate and disdain. She had stared at Uchiha Sasuke across the negotiation table with such hatred in her eyes. And had not cared if he knew. All the better if he did. Now, since their return, he knew she only tolerated him because of Naruto. The blonde was willing to kill everyone in a direct line between himself and his loved ones. There was no way Tsunade was going to put herself in that line. Favored as she was, she would die just as painfully if she were to do what she so longed to do; imprison and execute Sasuke for his crimes.
Needless to say, there was no love lost between the two of them. To have to watch her touch what was his greatest love and treasure was galling. And to heap insult upon injury, very shortly afterwards, she cornered him and had the nerve to give him a lecture about leaving Naruto alone. He stared at her, barely able to restrain his sharingan from activating.
"I mean it, Uchiha," she was saying coldly. "Until we're sure Naruto is truly fine, leave him alone. I know how much you like to fuck him into whatever surface is available, but I'm telling you now, let it go for a while."
It was too much.
The black eyes shot to red so fast, she was almost dizzy. There was a split second that webbed black triangles stood out in them, then shrank down to the stars she'd become so familiar with.
"Do not dare to lecture me about my Naruto's well being, Godaime." He breathed hotly. "The whole world could die, and I wouldn't give a shit. There is only one person that concerns me. Naruto is everything, and I will sooner know what he needs or doesn't need than you. I am his guardian. His guardian first, and lover second. As much as he is my everything, I am his. I am. Not you. Rest assured, Naruto will never again come to harm or grief by my hand. Back off, woman."
Even when he'd been Otokage, she'd never felt anything but disdain for him. But here, right now, she was afraid. Though his body remained unchanged, he seemed bigger somehow, and menace rolled off him like fog from warm waters. For a moment, it was crystal clear; he could kill her in a single second, and there was nothing she would be able to do to stop him, despite her prodigious strength and skills. And she knew, in her own fashion, that as she only tolerated him for Naruto's sake, so too he only tolerated her for the same.
Naruto was the glue that held this biologically unrelated, extended, disjointed, and oftime dysfunctional family together.