"What did you say?" asked Sasuke, who was sitting beside his brother, leaning his head against his shoulder. Sasuke had immediately perked up at the word cancer. How could he have cancer?

"I'm sorry Sasuke," said Lady Tsunade, "But you have Stomach Caner."

Sasuke jumped up from his seat. "No, there was a mistake! You didn't read the test right! I can't have cancer. . . I just can't. . ." Sasuke's voice trailed off.

He had suddenly become extremely nauseous. He began to sway on his feet and he became aware of the acrid tasted in the back of his throat. He heard Itachi calling his name, but it sounded so far off, like he was being drowned and Itachi was surface, calling him to swim to the top. His whole body felt weak and he was getting dizzy. He felt his brother's strong hand leading him somewhere and it wasn't until he had stopped walking that he realized that he had brought him across the room to the small trash can in the corner. Through his blurry, swimming vision he could just make out the sides of the waste bin. Sasuke latched onto the sides of the basket as he felt the thick bile rise up his throat. He felt his stomach heave and the next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees as his stomach tried to rid all contents inside of it.

Itachi held his bangs out of the way while Tsunade grabbed a wet cloth to wipe his mouth with when he finished. Sasuke retched violently, until there was nothing left in his stomach. Sasuke tried to calm himself, but he ended up dry-heaving for some time before he finally stopped all together.

"Sasuke, you can't move so fast," Itachi said, "just come back and sit in the chair."

But Sasuke wasn't listening anymore. All he could think about was what was going to happen to him.

"I h-have . . . cancer?"

Sasuke's voice sounded so small and scared, it ripped at Itachi's heartstrings. He hadn't heard Sasuke talk this way since he had to tell him his parents were dead.

"When are mommy and daddy coming home, big brother?"

"Sasuke. . .They're not coming home."

"Did they run away? We have to go find them!"

"They didn't run away Sasuke . . . There gone."

"I know that silly. That's why we have to go find them! Come on!"

"Sasuke wait! . . . They're dead Sasuke. . .they were ambushed and out numbered."

". . . Mommy . . . daddy . . . gone?"

"I'm sorry Sasuke . . ."

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Quickly Itachi cleared his mind of the past and focused on what was going on now. Sasuke was obviously terrified. They way his eyes were wide and his breathing was fast. He could see tear buds forming in his eyes and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Itachi bent down next to his little brother.

"Sasuke."

No reply.

"Hey Sasuke."

No reply.

"Sasuke." Itachi lightly grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke suddenly jolted as if he was waking up from a bad dream. Sasuke looked directly into Itachi's eyes as his tears began to spill out of his eyes. Tsunade, after putting away the rag, left the two brothers alone. Itachi could handle Sasuke, and Sasuke didn't need to suffer any more embarrassment.

Itachi pulled his brother in close. Sasuke latched onto his older brother, crying silently into his shoulder. Itachi couldn't remember the last time Sasuke had cried. It hurt his heart to see him like this.

"I'm scared." Whispered Sasuke, gasping as a sob choked its way out of his throat. He held his brother tighter.

"I know. It's okay; you're going to be okay." Itachi said, rubbing small circles into Sasuke's back.

"How do you know."

"Because you're my little brother. You don't give up. You will fight until you beat this, and you so many people around you who love you and want to help you."

". . ."

"Sasuke. We're going to help you. It's going to be alright. I promise."

Sasuke allowed more tears stream down his face as he clung separately to his brother. His breaths were sharp and rigid as he felt his world crumbling around him. So many questions were running through his head. How serious was it? What was the treatment going to be like? How long had Itachi known about the disease inside of him? What is going to happen to him? The upset Sasuke even more as his sobbing grew even louder.

Itachi held his little brother tightly until Sasuke's cried stopped. All was quiet. The two brothers just sat on the ground, holding each other. Comforting each other. Until Sasuke spoke again.

"What happens if the treatment doesn't work?"

Itachi felt the stinging of fresh tears flood his eyes. "It will work, Sasuke. Don't think anything else. It will work."

Sasuke was quiet for a long time before he spoke again. "Will you stay will me the whole time?"

Itachi stroked his little brothers hair. "Of course."

"You promise?"

Itachi suppressed his tears, blinking as hard as he could so that they wouldn't fall from his sad eyes.

"I promise. I won't go anywhere."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Before he answered it, Itachi picked Sasuke off the ground and placed him back into a chair. Once Sasuke was safely in the chair, Itachi went to answer the door. In front of him stood Naruto and Sakura.

"Hello Itachi," said Sakura, "Is, uh, Sasuke okay to see anyone?"

Itachi smiled at them. "Of course he is."

Itachi turned around to face his younger brother. "Sasuke, your friends want to see you."

When Sasuke didn't say anything, Itachi waved in Naruto and Sakura and then stepped out to give them some privacy. Timidly, Naruto and Sakura took up the other two seats in the hospital room.

"So," asked Sakura hesitantly, "How are you feeling?"

Sasuke shot a nasty glance in her direction. "How does it look like I feel? I was just told I have cancer and that I have to go through some freakin' radiation treatment that might have some damn side affects to add to how shitty I already feel!"

Naruto stood up from his chair. "You don't have to be so rude! We came over to see how you were doing!"

Sasuke looked out the window. "Well you came, so now you can go and don't bother me anymore."

Naruto crossed his arms. "No! We came to make sure you're alright! We're both worried about you whether you know it or not! Sakura was in tears when she told me she was so scared!"

Sasuke didn't say anything. Sakura sighed. He was so thick. Of course, she was the only one crying. Naruto would never admit that he truly cared about Sasuke as a brother. Never.

. Sakura stood from her chair and went to Sasuke's side. She really hated seeing Sasuke and Naruto, her two best friends fighting. "Well," she said, "If you really want us to leave, then we will, but just remember that, even if you don't want us too, we are going to help you and be here for you."

She turned back to Naruto. "Come on, he's had a rough day. Please, let's just go."

Naruto looked like he was going to say something, but then decided against it and followed Sakura out of the room. Once they left, Itachi and Tsunade came back into the room. Both of them had very sad, but disapproving looks on their faces. Sasuke just ignored them.

"Well, Sasuke," said Tsunade, "You've had a rough day so why don't you go home and we can start your treatment in a day or two."

Sasuke just nodded and stood up slowly from his chair. Itachi walked over and looped an arm around his brother to steady him as he walked. Before leaving the room, Itachi looked back at Tsunade.

"Thank you. For everything you've done for us today."

"No problem. I'll see you in a few days."

Itachi nodded and helped Sasuke out of the room.

When they got home, Sasuke walked straight to his room. When Itachi asked if he needed anything else, he just said no and closed the door.

"Goodnight, Sasuke." Said Itachi through the door.

Sasuke's throat constricted. ". . . Night."

Sasuke leaned against his door and waited until he heard Itachi's door closed. When he heard the click of the lock all of his sadness seemed to rush out of him at once. Sasuke sank to his knees and buried his face in his arms. He shivered violently with the sudden sobs, but he didn't care. He felt scared and lost, confused and angry. Lonely. Warm tears streaked down his face as he though of everything that had happened today. The morning. The training grounds. The tests. The news.. . . his fight with his friends.

He wouldn't admit it, but Naruto and Sakura, aside from Itachi, were two of the most important people in his life. They always seemed to keep things positive, and he had just snapped at them, when they didn't do anything but worry. Sakura had even cried for him. He couldn't remember anyone ever doing that for him. Another choked sob escape this throat.

He was scared, and he knew it. Scared of what may happen to him. Scared of the treatment. Scared of losing everyone near to him again. . .

hey guys! okay so that was my latest chapter! hope you're enjoying it so far! sorry for all of the spellng mistakes, i kind wrote this one pretty fast. . . haha. well the next chapter should be out in a day or two! please comment!