ChaosChronicler-Thanks for responding, glad you like the story, I look forward to future responses.
Winter Knight- I'm so happy you responded again and I plan on sticking through till the end.
XzanessaforeverxG- Thanks for your response, I'm glad you like the story so far and I think you are going to really like the next couple of chapters.
AN: Italics are dreams/Flashbacks
What a frightening thing the human is, a mass of gauges and dials and registers, and we can read only a few and those perhaps not accurately.
- John Steinbeck
Ch.10 Laughing With
~Sakura's POV~
My eyes snapped to the half open, hazy sapphire ones staring back at me. He tries to smile at me but it looks more like a tired smirk.
"Naruto" I say my voice cracking with emotion as I rush to him, tears of joy streaming down my face. I take hold of his face and kiss him, for a few seconds he doesn't respond. But when he finally does, it's weak but filled with all our need and worry.
Breaking our kiss I hold our foreheads together and look into his droopy, clouded eyes. "Sakura-chan, I'm sorry." he says in a frail voice gripping my hand lightly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's ok." I say tears threaten to fall once more.
His eyes finally closing he nods a tired smirk gracing his lips.
"Hey Teme, Shika, and Temari"
"What dope." Sasuke answer for the three of them.
"Thanks" comes Naruto's strained reply.
I turn around to see Ino, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Temari smiling, and visibly relaxed, as if a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
~Naruto's POV~
Opening my eyes a bright yellow light blinds me and for a second I wonder if I'm dead, but a sudden searing pain in my chest tells me other wise as I let a cry of agony escape my lips. "Naruto" a surprised famine voice calls out to me.
"Sakura-chan" I try to call out to the voice, however violent coughing racks through my body.
"Naruto your ok just calm down." I hear Sasuke's voice as a silhouette stands over me.
I try to sit up to reach for him but once again the searing pain explodes in my chest and I cry out in pain.
"Dope don't move" his voice comes again, as two hands push me back against the bed.
"Shika go get a doctor" the famine voice says
Blinking my eyes a few more times, they finally adjust and I see Temari and Sasuke looking at me with worried eyes.
"Sakura-chan" I try say but it comes out in a raspy and barely addible voice.
"She's with Ino"
I open my mouth to speak but I'm interrupted by a doctor. "So he's awake" the doctor says as he walks up to the bed. Quickly checking the monitors next to me before looking down at me. "I'm glad you're awake for a while you had us worried." he said with a slight smile. "I'm guessing you're in quiet a bit of pain at the moment."
Weakly I nod my head
"Alright" he says smiling at me as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a needle; which he places into one of the tubes in the IV. "It'll take a few minutes to work ,once it does you'll feel less pain, but also really tired." he said smiling down at me, before turning and leaving the room.
I look at Temari, Sasuke, and Shikamaru "I messed up didn't I" I ask in a quiet voice partly because it was as loud as I could talk and partly because I didn't want to here their answer.
I watch the emotions rage through their eyes after I ask the question, a mixture of worried, fear, hurt, and rage. Silence fills the room for a few seconds until Sasuke finally speaks, his voice laced with anger. "You did more than mess up. Do you have any idea how much you hurt us, how much you hurt Sakura."
"I just wanted to protect you guys"
"You were already hurt. We all though we were watching you die, you fucking idiot" his voice rose to a dangerous level. Shikamaru put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder to calm him, Temari stood there quietly watching, ready to interfere at any moment if needed.
"I'm sorry." I said simply closing my eyes, the drug starting to take effect.
"Dope" I heard Sasuke mumble, I tried to smile at his response but it didn't work.
"You can't fall asleep yet, it'll be to troublesome." Shikamaru said
"Why" I asked my eyes still closed
"Because Sakura is just down the hall." said Temari
It took me a moment to process what she had just said and another to will my eyes open. As they finally opened I was my pink haired angle enter the room. "Sakura-chan."
~3rd person~
"I heard that he woke up" Came the disappointed voice of the one and only Kakashi.
"He did, but fell asleep after a few minutes" came the husky voice of Sasuke Uchiha
The silver haired man only nodded his head in understanding, before he turned to his pink haired student. "Where you here when he was awake"
The cherry blossom smiled widely in response to her teachers question.
"I see." The older man said happily as he took a seat next to a young man with pineapple hair.
"How long ago did he wake up."
"Maybe an hour ago" the pineapple responded
The older man nodded and pulled out an orange book making his pink haired student hit him.
"Really Kakashi? Is there anywhere you don't read that shit"
"No" he replied sheepishly
"Give me that" she screamed as she tore it from his grip and threw it out of the room causing anime tears to fall from her teacher's eyes as he scrambled to get his book.
"Was that really necessary" asked Sasuke as the two blond girls sitting next to him giggled as the silver haired teacher returned sulking because he couldn't read his book.
"Kakashi you should know you can't read that book in front of Sakura-chan." a faint voice said causing everyone to move in the direction of the hospital bed.
"You guys don't have to look that surprised." The young man residing in the hospital bed said, a tired smile on his face.
"How you feeling" asked his teacher
"Tired, sore, stupid" the blond answered honestly his eyes still hazy from the drugs that were numbing his pain.
"You realize that what you did was a very stupid and idiotic thing." Kakashi lectured the young man he saw as a brother. No a son.
"I know and I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei" Naruto responded guilt evident in the haze of his sapphire eyes.
"I'm just happy you're alive and that's all that matters at the moment." Kakashi said compassionately.
~Itachi's POV~
"Kisame" I scream the anger manifesting in my voice.
"Yes sir" he replies the fear he feels evident as his body shakes.
"Uzumaki is still alive"
"Sir how is that possible"
"I don't know. What I do know however he is still alive and you failed me again. What I should do is kill you right now, however you are a good friend and can be quite useful so I'll spare you."
"Thank you" his voice quivers
"Get out of my sight I need to reevaluate my plans."
Kisame nods and hurries out of the room
"Maybe Orochimaru can help me." I muse
~Naruto's POV~
I wake up again to see all my friends are in the room, I remember Kakashi being in here the second time I woke up.
"Well seems sleeping beauty decided to wake" I hear Kiba call out as he notices I have woken up.
"Very funny dog breath" I replied however my voice was still raspy.
"You know it's rude to keep people waiting" Kankuro cut in a wide smile present.
"…." Before I can respond Lee cuts in
"It was most Unyouthful what you did Naruto-kun, however you waking up is very youthful indeed."
"Um thanks Lee."
He gave me the good guy pose and was about to continue his 'youthful' speech but Neji stopped him.
"Naruto I'm glad your alright" he said in his usual stoic voice.
"Thanks Neji." I said as I began to scan the room for Sakura, however it was hard to see much because I was laying on my back.
"Dope she's talking to the girls she's fine don't worry."
"Thanks Teme for keeping an eye on her and could you help me sit up."
"Hn"
"Thanks" I said as he helped guide me into a sitting position, his eyes carefully gazing at the thick bandages around my chest.
"I'm fine I swear."
"Dope"
"Naruto" a rough voice came from my left
"Garra" I replied before even turning my head
"You had me worried" he said in a voice only loud enough for me to hear.
"I'm sorry, but you understand better than anyone the need to protect the things you went so long with out."
"Yes I do"
"How bad was it" I ask him our conversation covered up by the many others that were going on in my hospital room.
He avoids my eyes giving me all the information I need.
"I really messed up this time didn't I"
Garra nods and turns his gaze toward the rest of the group ending our discussion. Eventually we all began joking about stupid things that don't matter. The girls return from wherever they were and join our conversation, Sakura having come to the side of my hospital bed and sits on it. I feel myself drift into and out of consciousness for the next several hours that everyone was there.
"So he's been in and out of consciousness for the past several hours"
"Yes"
"Alright well lets see if I can wake him up"
"Alright"
"Mr. Uzumaki wake up" I slowly open my eyes as the end of the conversation registered in my mind and see a doctor standing on the side of my bed.
"How's the pain Mr. Uzumaki"
"It's starting to get worse." I answer
"Alright I'll have a nurse get you some morphine, in the mean time I want to talk to you about your release."
I nod my head
"We want to keep you a few more days at least probably until Friday or Saturday. Also your lung and body has had a large amount of damage done to it so physical activates will be out of the question for a month or two, however there is good news your leg is healing much faster than we anticipated and you should be able to walk on it before the homecoming dance if you take care of yourself and are careful." the doctor says cheerfully
"Thank you"
"Your welcome and I'll come in the morning to check on you" he says as he heads out of the room.
I turn to the pink head next to me and give her the best foxy grin I can muster. "Sakura-chan" She only smiles and she bends down, kissing me.
"You better do what he says" she tells me as we part.
"Don't worry I will." I say back as Sakura lays down next to me in the hospital bed and we drift asleep.
~Itachi's POV~
"Orochimaru thank you for coming."
"It's a pleasure to be helping you Itachi, and what little pest do you want me to get rid of."
"Actually I want you to help me get Sasuke to come after me."
"Ku ku ku, so its little Sasuke your after."
"Indeed it is. My only requirement is that you wait to do anything until after their homecoming that way they'll feel safe and it will be easier to catch them off guard, also find a way to hurt Uzumaki. Something that will destroy him emotionally." I said with a smile.
"I think I have a few idea's" Orochimaru said with a chuckle "Now if you don't mind I think its best I take my leave."
I nod to him and he leaves, just like I left Sasuke all though years ago.
"Nee-san promise you'll come back so we can be a family again." a young Sasuke asked him as he stood in his uniform ready to leave.
"Nee-san why, you said we'd be a family again." a blood splattered boy with black hair cried
"Funny how thing turn out huh little brother." the older Uchiha though to himself
~Naruto's POV~
"Understand Sasuke means everything to me and I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe." A younger Itachi told an even younger Naruto
"I understand but what does this have to do with me."
"My unit could be called up at anytime and I know he's equally important to you, so I need you to promise me that you'll protect him when I'm gone"
"I promise, promise of a lifetime" the blond said determination flashing through is sapphire eyes.
"He killed them. He made me watch as he shot him. Why would he do that Naruto, why" A twelve year old Sasuke cried as the only family he had left tried to comfort him
"I Don't know but we'll make him pay one day I swear." the young blond promised the boy he saw as his brother.
"You said you'd do anything to keep him safe. You made me promise I'd protect him when you were gone and then you do this, why did you betray us Itachi." the young blond thought to himself
"Say goodbye Uzumaki because once you die Itachi will finally be able to kill Sasuke." Kisame said as he pulled the trigger.
"NO." I yell weakly as I jolt wake in my hospital bed a sharp pain hitting my chest causing my breathing to faultier for a second. Looking around I notice Sakura sleeping soundly next to me and the room is covered in darkness the only sound aside from my heavy breathing is the machines and Sakura's slow stead breaths. I glance at the clock it's only two a.m.
"Why" I think to myself, my nightmare replaying in my mind. It wasn't so much a nightmare as it was memories I'd rather forget.
Looking up at the ceiling I though about how Itachi had changed. He had been so caring when we were little then he joined the ANBU and was put in a Delta 12 a unit that could be sent to war at anytime and that's exactly what had happened. When he came back he made Sasuke an orphan and the whole world changed.
"What happened to you over there" I though as my eyes started to droop again and sleep over took me.
Disclaimer. I Don't own Naruto
Please Rate and Review
Thanks Soccernin19