May: yes I'm writing this immediately after the ending of the next chapter…also...TWO CHAPTER'S IN ONE DAY!

Previously:

Kyuubi, sat on the park bench, watching the children play in a small playground. His hands circled his waist. 'Doesn't Itachi care..?' he thought numbly, '…and who the hell is Kisame?' he added angrily. 'The nerve of that leopard! Calling out someone else's name…' He sighed, standing up, and turning towards home. 'I suppose I should go home, Iruka and Naruto are probably worried, and Itachi needs to beg my ass for forgiveness…'

He walked slowly along, lost to his thoughts, unaware of the animal with a knife before it was too late, the steel glinting as it sped in an arc towards his stomach. He screamed in pure agony as the knife sliced across his stomach and his arms cradling it.

His attacker watched as the fox crumpled to the ground, whimpering, trying to make use of his injured arms, the dark substance already dripping out of the bloodied slash of his coat. The animal hurriedly slipped the blood-covered knife into his pocket and disappeared into the woods.

Itachi walked quickly through the park, the setting sun worrying him. He'd just called Kakashi who stated that Kyuubi hadn't gone back to the house yet. "Dammit Kyuubi, the second I find you I'm gonna-" he froze. The smell...

Blood. Not just any blood. Kyuubi's blood.

"…No!" he sprinted forward, already dialing 911 on his cell phone. "Shit! Where are you?" the stench swamped him, teasing him darkly.

"Hello?" an attendant asked calmly on the line.

"Get an ambulance down to Southern Meriko Park!" he shouted before closing the phone with a snap, continuing to look around frantically. "Kyuubi! Kyuubi!" he spun around, it was faint, but the heard a whimper. "Kyuubi?!"

He broke thru the trees and entered a small clearing. The sight made his stomach want to empty it's contents.

Kyuubi's dirty, bloodied form laid curled on the ground. The only thing that assured the fox was still alive was his shivering form and quick gasps of air. "…Chi…" Kyuubi whimpered, wincing.

So dark, pitch-black, he couldn't see anything. He was numb all over. He barely heard Itachi call his name. 'Itachi! Please, find me…please…'

Itachi pulled the shivering redhead into his arms "Kyuubi! Kyuubi! Look at me! Don't close your eyes!" his grip tightened, he could feel the life slipping from his mate. "Kyuubi! Dammit! Kyuubi, I'm sorry! Kisame was a one-time fling! I was drunk! Don't die on me!" Itachi bit his lip as he heard ambulances, still with his hearing they were far away.

"…Ita…chi?" Kyuubi softly questioned.

Itachi leaned forward "Yes? Kyuubi? Kyuubi!"

"The…kits..?" Kyuubi whimpered.

Itachi had half the mind to the yell at Kyuubi for thinking about a bunch of runts that didn't even get a gulp of air over his own condition. "…Their fine…but they need you to stay awake…"

"I…can't…dark…" Kyuubi weakly clung to leopard, trying to stay conscious.

"Yes you can! Listen! The medics are coming!" Itachi heard their stomping feet. "Over hear! Hurry up, dammit!"

"I don't…" Kyuubi whispered, eyes fluttering closed.

"Kyuubi? Kyuubi?! Shit! Keep your eyes open! Kyuubi!"

The fox was too far gone for hearing.

"Kyuubi!"

Sasuke rubbed Naruto back, the blonde burying his face into Sasuke's shirt. "K-Kyuu-nii…" he sobbed.

"It's okay…Naruto…" Sasuke blinked in surprise as Naruto yanked out of his grip.

"No it's not! Kyuu-nii…he's, he's…" Naruto broke into a series of wails.

"You're right…I'm sorry…" Sasuke replied quietly, pulling the blonde back into his arms. He glanced up when Iruka walked in.

"Naruto…" the blonde glanced up at the tone in his master's voice. "...Tsunade called…she says that Kyuubi's been stabilized, we can visit him in the morning…"

May: for those who thought even for a sec that I killed Kyuubi; you all think too highly of me in the angst department...

for those who know I'm a wimp and wouldn't have killed Kyuubi; great insight!

-runs before barrage of sharp implements hits home-