Author's Rant: Dear God I swear you guys are all awesome! Enjoy ^_^


Fool Me Twice


Tropical Storm Senji left the entire island a sodden wreck. Not a piece of rubbish was left fitted in the puzzle cracks mangled here and there. Damages were outstandingly costly. Naruto was glad to say their small three story apartment home got away with a few bumps and bruises easily fixed with some tender love and a trip to the tool shop. There was two whole days of city cleanup to drive through, not to mention the curfew set up for residence because of threats of more rain to come.

This sadly put Naruto on hold for getting his car a little longer. On a brighter side, school was canceled for the rest of the week. Naruto was relieved for the breather since it'd give him time to consider his options. For starters, getting the constantly leaking cuts on his chest to stop bleeding was a frustrating priority. Painkillers were keeping the dull ache at bay but when it came to keeping Kiba's nose out of it that was a whole different ball game. Naruto had gone through six t-shirts in the past two days just from having to clean off the speckles of blood daring to seep through.

The cuts weren't as deep as he'd first assumed and were glad to see they were only half and inch deep. No major vitals were harmed, but he kept bleeding. That could be blamed on all the continuous moving he's done nonstop since the storm rolled off. With having to clean up the exterior destruction and other demanding needs, he was slowly getting winded.

The responsibility of caring for Kyuubi has been trying to say the least. Each time Naruto offered to take him to the doctor, Kyuubi would decline by saying he preferred to heal naturally. Forgive Naruto for being a normal person when thinking that bones don't magically mend themselves in a few days.

He'd had a broken hand and foot before that took weeks to recover. Nonetheless, he gave the Fox Beast a trusted sigh and agreed to do it his way. He'd only seen Sasuke once. Just once and that was only to persuade Kyuubi into Naruto's bedroom to treat him with easier access. Well more specifically, so that he would not have to deal with a moody ass Cat Beast that had a tendency to bite you soon as look at you.

It didn't matter though. Whatever that thing was doing, Naruto shut that chapter off, literally ripping the pages from the book. It only took once to cross him and Sasuke had firmly set the record straight about how he felt. So that was that. No more worries about his health, no more giving a flying shit if he stayed clean, and not rising a fucking finger to make sure he was healing properly. Naruto took deep, anger-management breathes and relaxed. He'd just finished un-nailing the planks off the windows and vacuuming the carpet off paint flecks. Now on the rest of today's to do list, that just left him having to help Kyuubi's injuries. A nap was definitely in order after all of this.

Clad in a pair of khaki cargo slacks and a jet black t-shirt, and tube socks, Naruto hiked the pink medicine bucket under his armpit and knocked on the door housing his patient.

"Kyuubi, you decent?" He called inside.

Some cloths shifted, some grunts and more movements were heard before it went silence. Naruto waited, rocking back and forth on his heels before hearing the doorknob click and pulled back. Kyuubi stuck his head out, with a toothy grin, "Yeah, come in."

Naruto still wasn't used to the menacing height of this creature. There was entirely too much muscle, height and fangs for him to ever feel comfortable period. "How you feeling today?" he asked as always when stepping into his own room.

"Fine, pretty good," Kyuubi shut the door, and limped back to the queen sized bed, flopping loudly over the plush covers. "I don't get why you keep knocking on your own door. It's your place, just walk on in."

"And see where the sun will never shine? No thank you." All hairy, discombobulated and just eck. Naruto shuddered thinking about all that fur tangled and untamed mess navigating around what he knew was a monstrosity in those too tight sweats. He liked his eyes just as they were thank you very much.

Kyuubi rolled opposite of the bed on his side, eyeing Naruto's first aid kit. "I don't see what the big deal is. We both got dicks."

"Whatever," Naruto wasn't going to comment any further. From what little he knew and witnessed of Kyuubi, this guy wasn't the sort he who did dares. He did promises. Naruto didn't doubt a single guess in his mind that the Fox Beast would gladly show him what he was storing down stairs. Funny how he'd been so willing to see Sasuke's versus Kyuubi's. Guess being nearly clawed to death did that kind of warped thinking.

Naruto uncovered a brand new roll of yellow bandage covering and a set of scissors to cut through the hold casting. Kyuubi held his thigh hold, carefully lowering it half bent over Naruto's smaller leg. "So, how's your chest feeling?"

The scissors stopped, Naruto froze. He recovered the action fast but not fast enough for Kyuubi not to see. "It's fine. I'm fine."

Running a hand through his slightly matted, tangled red hair, shaking it out of habit over his shoulders, "You sure? I can smell blood coming through."

"What—damn it," Naruto surged to his feet, tenting the shirt between his finger tips and tsking his lips at the connecting red blots. "Third shirt today." Kiba was going to be pissed about the water bill. "Just a sec." Naruto dropped the shears in the pink bucket and went in search of a new shirt in his walk-in closet. He kept a spare few packs of tees just in case of emergencies but at the rate he was going there was only going to be a couple more of those. He found a red and black tipped short sleeve tee, slipping it over his head and sighing disgustingly with himself.

Seriously after this, he was going to hose his entire body down with gauze and ice ointment.

"Alright, all better now," when he emerged from the closest, Naruto had to hold back an impolite grimace when seeing Kyuubi with his mile long leg stretched out and the nasty gash perched on his lips. This was is the most awkwardly, flexible position he'd ever seen a big man in. "Listen man, seriously, that's just gross," he said as kindly as possible. This was a guy who could eat him alive after all. "Why don't you let me clean it with medicine instead of using your tongue?"

Kyuubi lapped absentmindedly at the fleshy tear, "It'll heal better this way."

"No it won't," Naruto argued softly, retaking his place on the bed and stealing Kyuubi's leg before another sick lick was given. "Let's try a more humane way of fixing this up, mmkay?" This time the treatment went without incident. Kyuubi sat completely still, watching Naruto's moves carefully. He missed not a single maneuver, didn't flinch when alcohol was dabbed gently and only blinked when Naruto felt around the edges with the tips of his fingers. He dared to sink his index inside. Kyuubi's only reaction was a tight hiss.

"Damn."

Naruto looked up to him, "Still tender?"

"Yeah," Kyuubi gritted his teeth as the protruding digit skated under the fur skinned layer, probing and up lifting for any foreign debris.

"You're healing well," Naruto deduced after a finalized touch up. He sat back, wiping a hand over his sweat filmed brow. "I don't think your bone was completely broken. Probably just fractured since I can't feel the nub anymore. Here, lemme see something." Wrapping his hands around the under crook, Naruto sat back and stretched the leg out with him, keeping a careful eye on Kyuubi's reaction. "How's that? Does it hurt?" He asked a fourth of the way down.

"No, I'm good."

"Kay, how's this."

". . . I'm ok."

He hesitated that time, Naruto noticed. "Alright, what about here?"

"Sssss, yeah, yeah, ok, that hurts. Damn," Kyuubi roughly pulled his injured appendage back, clutching it to his chest like a new born infant.

About three fourths of the way down, he'd felt a twinge. Naruto noted and calculate the healing process it'd take for humans. Normally he'd guess about two weeks since he'd mustered enough to let it be bent that far. "I'll give you another week before you're back to top notch."

"I won't need that long," Kyuubi assured, fixing his sweat pants leg over his thigh. "Gimme two more days, max."

"You said that last time."

"I wasn't sure then."

"Right, like you're not sure now," Naruto chuckled patiently, closing the clip latches on the side of the first aid kit. "But we'll see in time. Just put a little weight on it when you walk to give it some exercise. Don't overdo it and we'll keep some ice on to keep the swelling down."

"Thanks" Kyuubi bucked his limp, than sighed out ". . . Naruto?"

Naruto stopped at the doorway, "What's up?"

"Do you think, just for a minute," A short laugh, containing no humor. "It might seem like much but can you check Sasuke? He's been looking—"

"I'll come back when lunch's ready," Naruto smoothly cut off, exiting out without a backwards glance. "Get some rest until then. You'll need it for the therapy sessions tomorrow."

"Naruto—"

"No Kyuubi, don't ask me," Said Naruto with a calm he was straining to control. "He made the bed, now let 'em sleep it in. Fool me once shame on me, cut me twice, he can kiss my ass." He took a step out the bedroom, and perhaps it was his mother's conscious eating him alive. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, not meeting Kyuubi's faint frown. "It's obvious he doesn't want my help. Weren't you there when he sliced by pizza?"

"It wasn't intentional," Kyuubi reasoned slow and punctuated like speaking to an immature child. "You caught him off guard. Attacking's his only line of defense, we're both vulnerable. If you'd done the same to me, there's no telling how I would've reacted."

"Tsk," Naruto disgustedly noised on his tongue. "I ain't a fool Kyuubi. Whether you'd done it or he'd done it makes no damn difference to me. Everyone I meet gets one shot. Just one," he defined with a pointed finger. "Now if you want I can give you the supplies and you can help him, but I'm not going back in there. I'm done."

Kyuubi was never one to accept defeat or refusal for anything he wanted. Naruto was a saint in his own calloused way for aiding him but Sasuke was in a whole different league when it came to the two of them. They'd been through far too much to let a misunderstanding ruin him. "I'm no good at this doctoring stuff like you. Just look at him," Kyuubi said as cool and collected as possible. "I'll probably mess it you. You have the know-how, I don't."

Naruto inwardly debated on leaving the subject be or being stupid enough to walk back in to discuss his near killer. Shamefully he went with the latter knowing it was what his Ma and Pa would've done, even with cuts from head to toe. "Give me a reason why I outta waste my damn time? Please make it good." He shut the door, dropping the aid kit by his feet and waited, arms folded, lips perked angrily. "One shot."

It was better than nothing. Kyuubi scooted over the side of the mattress, ambling both legs over and relaxing his elbows on the balls of his knees. One side look at Naruto clued him in. He was only getting one chance at making things work out. He'd best think up a solution quick. "Pressure huh?" He mumbled absentmindedly, doing another dance of hair over his shoulders. "Thought we'd left that at Coney Island. . ." He dissolved the comment with a lip pulse and turned to look Naruto in both electric blue eyes, seeing not a trace of indifference. Whatever said needed to have feeling to it. Otherwise his partner was going to be boned. "Sasuke's not always like that. He's got heart. He's just tired. You gotta realize it's been weeks since we've seen another human and all the ones we know of didn't give a hot shit what we did or how we felt." Kyuubi raised his eyes from the floor.

Naruto's stoic scowl hadn't split. It remained stiffly closed, voided of a drop of care. This dried up expression didn't befit the human Kyuubi knew who'd cared for him only a minute ago. The blonde's brisk nod, apparently meant what little argument Kyuubi protested, did nothing to push him into a forgiving mood.

The Fox Beast was going to have to try harder. Much harder. "He's getting sick Naruto. His wounds are infected, he's catching chills and, fuck man I don't know jack squat about fixing anybody up. That's your expertise, not mine." He hammered gravelly and proceeded to rush the rest of his dispute. "Be the better man. Just—just one time. Go look and do your doctor thing with him. Sasuke's getting too sick for his breed. Cat Beasts can't go this long without being—"

"Wait, wait," Naruto held up his palm, whipping Kyuubi's protest in half, then brought said hand back to massage the space between his eyes. "Be the better man huh?" He released in a single breath. "So correct me if I'm wrong, cause I'll be the better man if I am." He pushed off the back of the door, cantering painfully steady and rigid as a blade to stand in front of Kyuubi. "You want me to go mend the same guy, animal or whatever, after he'd ripped me open? You want me to prance in there and help the same cat that pointedly said he didn't want me to touch him? You want me to waltz inside the lion's den and get eaten alive? Is that it?" His voice rose with stringed sarcasm with every new ridiculous accusation, even if it was slamming directly on top of the red mass of hair. He flicked his wrist uncaringly, "Am I somewhere in left field or close to a home run, help me out here."

Kyuubi's head lowered further, hands unchained from the fists they were balled into. "He's gonna die kid." A slight shudder jolted his broad shoulders. "I ain't ever begged for anybody's life but shit if I won't do it for him." Green bravely gravitated up to blue this time, revealing the dark loss swimming within. "We've been through so much. So much."

Naruto stayed rooted where he was. It wasn't particularly tension that swallowed him whole or the sense of dread that came with knowing how it felt to lose a loved one. It was that singular emotion regret that suctioned each sock covered foot to the carpet. His arms folded tighter, his deep blue eyes turned their vicious scowl to the floor. He knew he'd regret it if he didn't do something to help. He knew there would be tidal waves of remorse showering him each day for not doing more than he could to prevent Sasuke's death. Hell he'd felt the twitch when knowing Sasuke would get this sick before he did.

Vengeance was done out of spite during that immediate he'd got hurt. It was a brief acknowledged promise he'd made inside that he'd let Sasuke suffer for the crime committed onto him. A fever, a deadly slash to the wrist and a broken bone was what he'd diagnosed during his short stay. It'd serve the bastard right to be punished by his own ego.

It was that renewed motivation to spit fire under Naruto's heels and step away from Kyuubi. "No," he dryly whispered, shaking his chin to the carpet. "No, I can't. I won't." Kyuubi's distorted glower was missed as Naruto poised himself for a head high stroll out the bedroom. Not so much as a look back behind him. He didn't care if Kyuubi was angry. If it caused them both to leave so be it. Pride was something he had as well as a dose of dignity.

He would not give Sasuke the satisfaction of being his grunt after such an attack.

However proud Naruto felt for not giving in, his conscious devoured him from the inside out, screaming, pleading with him not to take it that far. The door closed tight, its siding form gathering to the frame in a slow trail. The wait was uncanny, almost as if expecting Kyuubi to come forth and break the door down with his meaty hands and shake Naruto senseless to make him do the deed.

But no such thing happened, although Naruto couldn't blame him. Here was the only person probably able and willing to give them a hand and denying his skills to the one who needed it most.

Naruto shoved off the door, his journey down the hall the longest and unbalanced he'd ever had. He paused at the guest room. He could smell a foul stench. He knew Sasuke would succumb to this. He knew. Temptation to see the works of his revenge urged him to place his fingers around the door handle.

He hesitated outside the room, and took a deep, calming breath. That nervous feeling crept up his spine like a bolt of lightning and shocked him his hand away. Naruto cradled it as if being burned and continued on even slower.

Was it possible to feel low, when you deserved this high?

Damn. . . Hello guilt. How are you today?


Another two days carried on. Kyuubi hadn't spoken to Naruto since then. When Naruto tried to rewrap his wounds, Kyuubi softly refused and retreated to the guest room. Not once had he come out since then, not even to eat. That was fine. Naruto would've thought the guy a complete dick if he'd gone on to get help when his only friend was suffering.

The burden of giving a damn didn't lift as it should have, nor did the rocketing pain flaring across Naruto's shoulder and chest. The bleeding wasn't as profuse, but it still threatened to soil his shirt if stressed too much. He wasn't going to get any peace staying cooped up in the apartment either. Kiba had noticed his mood swing and sworn if the beasts had done something, he'd fuel the entire lot and burn it to a bloody cider. To hell with how the Fire Department would view it.

A better solution was suggested then. The city was back to being half way secure and with no further possibilities of another storm for another day or so, the beach was clear to go. Neither of the pair had surfed in a few weeks and without any kind of responsibility to uphold, they'd decided to hit the surf for a few waves.

It was Saturday, normally the most populated day where the beach was painted every shade of the rainbow with tourists and local residential. Today it was stripped cleaner than a chicken bone. Dotted here and there, were the few youths just as dumb as Naruto and Kiba, daring to risk being caught up in another shower. They didn't care either way. Water was water. And these waves were hitting on something fierce.

The flat clumps of sand baked their heels to crisps. Their matching blue and red one piece wet suits clung like wet rags on their bodies and under opposite armpits were two worn down Quiet Flight Platypus Surfboards. Kiba's was all red and white tipped on both ends. Naruto had a custom made board, mostly auburn orange and navy blue on the ends.

From the shoreline they witnessed an inexperienced surfer met the rear end of a Surge and land face flat in the water.

Tch, amateurs.

The waves were slamming something serious today. When they arrived it was as smooth as glass and twice as enticing to dominate. Naruto got all his kicks out of demonstrating to the fan base he earned, just how skilled he was on the surf and often dared anyone stupid enough to rip a challenge with him. They'd be kissing sand and his ass by the time he was through. At eleven years old he'd already been getting up there with the big boys, mostly between eighteen and twenty five.

Naruto just finished off riding a medium roller off course and settled back just to enjoy the view. The ocean soothe him, relaxed him better than a grinded orgasm. Just anyone who knew him well. They'd say he was born in the wrong body as a joke by God. Naruto was a born fish and the water, his play land.

Waned knee deep in the lukewarm sea and Naruto balanced his hands on the board to lift himself to saddle the Quiet Flight Platypus board, feet paddling lamely on either side. He slumped wonderfully exhausted, wiping the saline water from his soggy hair and blurry eyes, just catching Kiba flip a 180 midair before diving on the side burner. Look at him; showing his ass for a couple of ladies. Naruto had it in his mind to head back just to steal the spotlight but thought better of it.

Let Kiba have his glory for another two minutes.

Naruto flinched, just then when the blare of the siren came spiraling off the life guard speaker.

"Attention surfers, swimmers, locals and visitors. A storm has been sighted exactly twenty miles northeast and expected to make landfall in thirty minutes. Please be warned that the weather is chanced to have severe wind speeds of up to thirty miles per hour, heavy rains and lightning. We ask that you evacuate the premises in a timely but hastened fashion. Tune in to 1630 on your radio stations for further instructions."

Ah damn, just when the surf was getting good. Splashing drew his eyes to the side where Kiba paddled over, a similar pissed frown on his face. "Damn, did you see me? I was grinding the tube, and ripping the waves so much, the ladies bleached me."

Naruto chuckled and shook his head in amusement at his best friend. "A shame all that actions going to waste huh? The ladies won't get to know how much they ain't missing."

"I know. . ." Kiba trailed back when catching the barb. "Fuck you, twat. All this in these britches? Pfft man, God was playing favorites when dishing the cocks."

"Oh trust me, I'd know." Thunder erupted beyond the horizon before another reply. Naruto noticed the first strike of jagged pearl stab the water and gestured for Kiba to follow him out. They could finish their argument over a bag of burgers and milkshakes on their way home.

Home. Yeah, going back there to wallow in the pit of misery.

Strange. When someone thinks of being in their own home, they don't want to go when company is definitely there to ruin it. Even if they're not there to physically destroy it.

The few coursing waves bumped them with a rougher push until they gained enough ground to stand and carry their boards on. Kiba trotted ahead to get the car ready while Naruto hung back to gather their towels and belongings in his backpack. Bent over as he was and with the howling winds picking up with a dull roar, Naruto didn't hear the approaching footsteps before two long arms circled his waist and tugged back none too gently.

A hot, wet set of lips pressed into his ear and three kinds of liquid fire to his groin. "What I told ya about showing my goods to the public, hmm? You know how jealous I get," Naruto gladly leaned into the warm cradle and rolled his hips back to meet the grinding sway. His assailant licked the outer curve of his ear. "Ya playing with fire Naruto."

"I like to be burned," Naruto jested sexily, twisting around in the arms of his buddy with many, many, many benefits.

One of the finest, hottest men to possibly walk off a Play Girl Magazine; Suigetsu Hozuki, an old flame but someone still a pleasure to rut with when Naruto was in the mood to play dirty. The man made his blood cook like a pot of ramen. He was tall, with pale skin, ash-white, short, mop hair and strange inverted eyes, the irises a bright gemstone violet, and pitch black pupils. He had a wide, mischievous grin and a really low, natural come-fuck-me voice. His body was muscular, but more lean and wiry, not so bulked. He wasn't wearing a stitch of cotton on his roped up chest muscles and a pair of black swim trucks hanging loosely off his narrow lips.

Naruto was enticed the second he saw those great white teeth shining in his direction at the Tiki Lounge and since then been hooked. They'd dated, it didn't work. They fucked that definitely worked.

"Why you haven't called me in a while," Suigetsu swing Naruto's body in a sensual embrace, rubbing his knee along his inner thigh. "You can't keep this ass from me, baby." Fingers ravished Naruto's banana blond hair like tickling feathers before they became a harsh grip, yanking Naruto back to meet those lukewarm eyes. "Ya know how impatient I am."

Oh, Naruto like it rough, "You plan to punish me? I've been so bad." His eyes widened fractionally when a strong squeeze knitted his ass cheeks apart.

"How bad?" He leaned in.

Naruto closed the gap, "Very." Suigetsu took the plunge and dived right in. Naruto sung the guy his tunes when it came to kissing. Nothing was ever polite or restrained. It was all nasty, hot, and wet with desire. Those lips were firm and subtly soft as they moved over and parted Naruto's mouth to rape his tongue silly. Mmm sweet milk never tasted so good. Those fang-like teeth gnawed and nipped Naruto's bottom lip until they blushed red and swelled. "Oh baby," He mouthed and traveled down to singe Naruto's jawline and neck with audible kisses.

His toes curled. Naruto would've damned the fact they were in the middle of a public place—which they'd done plenty of times before—if it hadn't been the disgusted snarl interrupting from behind.

"Can you make me any sicker?" Kiba rudely blurted, arms strapped across his chest like a strait jacket. "Kissing fish and shit, ugh." He gagged loudly

Suigetsu made a show of sucking Naruto's ear lobe before casting a bored glare over his shoulder, "Well ya ain't got nothing better to do Inuzuka? There's a bunch of hydrants out there needing a good piss."

"You would know wouldn't you Pussy-getsu?" Kiba ignored him and switching his glare to Naruto. "You wanna stand here screwing bait or getting in the car?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Suigetsu as usual when it came to his and Kiba's bickering, had something else smart to say. "He likes it just fine right here, thank you. Ain't that right, Sexy," Suigetsu leaned in to connect their mouths for a brief but heated kiss.

Naruto pecked him another time before shoving him away, "Another time, I gotta get home to take care of some things."

"You gotta do something more important than fucking?" The dark eyed man grinned wide and suggestively rocked his hips forward.

"Plenty that ain't got shit to do with you," Kiba blurted, snatching Naruto by the arm and dragging him away. "Go do what you do best and flop dead in somebody's bucket."

Suigetsu had the nerve to frown, insulted, "The last I checked dogs barked instead of spoke. Go sniff ya mama's asshole, ya cum twat."

"Fuck you!" Kiba hollered back and quickly sprinted to the car before he performed a crime against humanity. He was against killing, illegally ugly ass, species and those that Naruto deemed ok. Naruto sat back in his seat covering a smile behind his hand. He'd tried all the way home not to laugh at Kiba's lemon scrunched face but when he looked at him, he lost it.

Naruto busted a gut laughing his ass off, slapping his knee and shoulders shaking. Tears spilled from his eyes, Kiba looked so stupid. Kiba didn't bother cursing him out or letting him know how much he despised Suigetsu. The two couldn't stand one another since they'd meant. It was almost like the two were destined to piss each other off on sight.

Home was made in the nick of time before the first sheet of ram slammed hard on Kiba's red ford mustang. They hurried to climb the metallic stairs, clanging loud and holding the towels over head to savage a piece of dry for themselves.

"I hate that dude," Kiba finally grumbled while searching for his keys. "Why you fucking with 'em anyway?"

Naruto shrugged, while ranging out his towel, "He's offering, I'm interested. That simple. Besides we ain't dating. He knows it. It's just for a good time so chill."

Kiba smacked his lips irritated, "You can have a good time with a dildo."

"Plastic can't do nada that a good hunk of meat can," Naruto rolled his eyes playfully. "Not everyone can get off clutching their jewels like you."

"Yeah sure—holy shit, it stinks." Kiba's sudden thrust back, rammed Naruto in the railing half over in the rain.

"Jesus Christ, warn me the next you go-stupid," Naruto snapped crossly.

"Sorry bro," Kiba gushed, hand hooded over his nose. "It's killer in there. The whole place smells like BO."

Weird. Wonder why. Naruto took a quick whiff and buckled back just as Kiba had, hand cupped over his nostrils. "The hell?" He murmured, stepping inside.

"Is the electricity out again? Did something spoil?"

Naruto flipped the light switch. The entire living room lit, thank goodness. "No on both counts." He looked around the room for anything suspiciously close to discarded food products that could've went bad. Kiba had that nasty habit of just throwing stuff away anywhere it landed. Naruto checked under the couches, the love seat, the play system and other convenient hiding places for rotten produce but found none. "I'll check the kitchen. We probably got some bad meat."

"Whew something's gotta be dead," Kiba grunted waving his hand. "I'm gonna get some air wick."

Dead. Dead. No sooner had those words reached him, Naruto's knees lost strength. His hands quickly caught the edge of the counter as he stared at the gorging mess on the floor. Blood was speared and swished across the floor like a blind man's canvas. Feet prints, claw prints, scratches and tears embedded deep in the tile. The stench was terrible. Naruto swallowed hard. The trail led up to the utensil drawers and disappeared inside.

What happened? He'd only been gone a couple of hours.

Naruto didn't think after that. He gathered himself shakily and stumbled pass Kiba ignoring his concerned call. Naruto buried his forehead on the wall, by the guest room. The smell was unbearable. It came from this room. Through the crack that jarred it open. Naruto was scared for what he might find. His hands braced the wall. It held his weight and he used it as his support to glide along its surface to the door.

He gripped the knob and gulped, all of his body returned to robotic function. "Please, please," he prayed, urging the door side. Naruto's eyes adjusted slowly to the dimly glowing lamp by the bedpost. A tall, brawly figure was hunkered over the bed. Naruto was frozen in place until those green eyes sparkled nothing but searing sorrow.

"He ain't breathing. He ain't . . . he ain't breathing." He sounded vacant, voided. Kyuubi opened and closed his parched lips, then lifted his arm.

Naruto paled.

Lacerations, gashes, deep cuts and mangled flaps of flesh flipped off Kyuubi's arm. Blood clotted and oozed from the openings, gooey and thickly infected. "I tried," His voice sounded so old. "He wasn't movin' I had to do something."

This was the first time Naruto had seen Sasuke in days. Why hadn't he waited this long? It's only been four days. How could he look so destroyed? His chest cavity was caved in, the fur on his body knotted and matted as flat as a rug. There was no way his skin being this pale was fine . . . the pink tint was gone. . . he looked so. . . so. . .

"K-Kyu, he's not . . . oh," Naruto swayed.

"Naruto, Naruto shit!" Kiba caught him before he hit the floor. Kiba looked up at the gruesome site. "Naruto get up man!" He hadn't fainted, but the stunned shock rendered him immobile. "Ah damn." Kiba looked to the torn, broken fox creature, then to the bed hosting the foul beast. He stood with Naruto in his arms as one and placed him in a nearby chair. He proceeded to the bed and kneeled next to it, gulping in deep breathes to handle the strong impure smell. He wanted to see. Just to be sure. Something wasn't right.

Kiba looked at the animal beside him out the corner of his eye. While keeping an eye on him, Kiba pressed his index and middle finger over Sasuke's wrist. He waited. He waited.

There. He knew it. It was faint, very far apart but there was a pulse. Not for much longer though, "Naruto, Naruto come here man. He's alive!"

Kyuubi's ears shot up like pistols. "What!" He shoved Kiba aside and lowered his ear over his heart. "But he'd stopped breathing. I didn't hear a pulse."

Kiba shoved him right back to move him out of the way, "Naruto come on man. He's freezing!" Sasuke's entire body was a block of ice.

Naruto vaguely heard anything before it registered in his mind. Sasuke. Sasuke was alive. Was he really? He slowly grounded his feet and shuffled to the edge, each stepping proving just as challenging as the last. He made it there, keeping his eyes from looking at the mess he created. He used his hands as his interpreters to explain all that was there. A fever, bad infection, a teeth chattering cool.

Ok.

Naruto found his voice, "Kiba," He rasped a little stronger. "Heat up some towels. Get some alcohol, some gauze, get the herbal bottles from the hall closet." He spoke looking up to the ceiling while unpeeling his wetsuit off his body. He needed air to breath, air to think. Damn you Sasuke.

Everything was a blur. Naruto worked at an incredible pace. He wasted not a single inch of Sasuke's skin, from head to toe. Stitches were implied on the cuts, bones were carefully reattached and tied tight with cast bandages. He would work on cleaning Sasuke's pelt later tonight. All he wanted was to help the man get better. He thanked Kiba for helping Kyuubi wrap his arm tight—Naruto planned to cuss way into his mama's womb when he got finished here.

It took a full hour and forty odd minutes before Naruto leaned back on his heels and sighed. Still, not once had he looked at Sasuke's face. He didn't want to see the damage easily prevented. The silence was so appreciated. It really was.

Naruto closed his eyes and gulped the salty sourness threatening to clog his windpipes. Relief washed him clean, the guilt only a shadow. It would come back, he knew. But he was so grateful to have finally tried.

He dropped to his knees.

Eyes kept floated up, Naruto closed his eyes and dropped his head down on the same pillow as Sasuke's head. Greedily he snuggled on the pulse material, than lifted his head to hide away his regret.

Reaching out, Naruto clasped his clammy palms on either side of Sasuke's jaw and dared to open his eyes. He searched over deeply grooved print, design and rising structure of Sasuke's face. The tear left his eye, landing softly on the bleach white eyelid. Naruto smiled and dropped his forehead, "Sorry. . . I'm so sorry Sasuke. Please, please be ok. Please," He whispered over and over again.

He soon fell asleep in place, so tired.

Sasuke never stirred, never moved. He however dream. A calm, gentle reality where he was free and the sun was as bright as the sky's blue space. Then he heard a voice.

And it summoned him to awake the next morning.


TBC: Sasuke's roll will increase in the next chapter. Thank you very much for everyone who's reading this story. As always your reviews, favs, and alerts are greatly appreciated. Please let me know how this chapter was for you ^_^