Love the title. Makes you wonder who is protecting whom.
I do not own Naruto.
Sasuke sat on the plastic white chair. His elbows propped up on his knees and hands clutching his onto his hair. He didn't know how long he was staring down at the white tiled floor, or how long his ears have been ringing. All he wanted to do was start the day over. To not get mad at Sakura—to not leave her by herself and say no words to her.
This was his entire fault. It had to be—he was the one that got mad, not her.
It was a slow start. An agonizingly slow start. He got mad at her when she mentioned his parents. He didn't speak to her almost the whole day, and when she left with Shizune, it was already time for Sasuke to go to orchestra. He remembered sitting on the piano bench debating as to keep silent or speak to her. Takahashi was running late, so it was the perfect time for Sasuke to go look for her and say something because the silence was killing him!
He remembers walking the halls in a debate with himself on what to say when he saw her. Naruto ran up to Sasuke with a panicked look on his face.
Everything was a blur after that.
Sakura had collapsed and was taken to the hospital.
Sasuke did notice how pale and exhausted she looked, but because he was being stupid, he said nothing. Tsunade was going to the hospital and allowed Sasuke and Naruto to join her.
He remembered seeing Sakura on the stretcher as they rushed her inside the hospital with nurses and doctors surrounding her. She looked so lifeless when they entered a room that Sasuke could not enter.
The last thing he heard before the doors shut was a nurse yell Sakura had no pulse.
This was his entire fault.
He wasn't there for her when she collapsed—he wasn't there for her at all! It wasn't just his fault. No, cancer was to blame for this as well.
This fucking cancer was taking her away.
Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder. He finally averted his eyes away from the tiled floor and to Naruto. The blond always had many expressions, but this was the first time Sasuke was looking at his friend with a sincere expression clearly displayed on his face.
"She can't leave yet," Sasuke muttered, feeling his body ever so lightly quake.
Naruto shook his head. "She's not leaving."
"What the hell makes you think that?"
Naruto grinned. "Besides the fact that she's Sakura with a big dream she's aiming for, she wants to apologize to you for pissing you off. So she won't be going anywhere until she decides it's time to go. Also you'd kill her if she died."
Sasuke laughed dryly as he leaned back in the plastic chair and rested his head against the wall. "I fucked up this time."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, too, letting out a sigh. "You sure did." Off into the distance, Sasuke could see Tsunade make her way towards the two. Both got up from their seats as Tsunade stopped in front of them. "Is she okay?" Naruto asked before Sasuke could utter any words.
Tsunade looked between the two teenage boys.
The short silence was killing Sasuke.
"She's okay." It was as though a huge wave of relief swept over Sasuke as he heard Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "The doctors managed to revive her. They're going to let her rest before taking some tests to see how bad things got. For now, the two of you should go home and get some rest as well. Jiraiya and Itachi are probably wondering where you two are." Sasuke was about to open his mouth in protest but was instantly cut off. "That's an order you two."
Sasuke obviously knew he was not going to win this battle.
He let out a barely audible sigh before giving a curt nod and began to walk with Naruto out of the hospital. The two teens passed various patient rooms and endless white halls. It seemed like forever until they finally found the entrance of the hospital.
The two teens entered the cool night air. The sun had already disappeared, and the moon shone ever so brightly on this dim day. Everything was a contradiction to Sasuke—no matter the situation.
Naruto sighed. "Want a ride home?"
Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, but Naruto's gaze was fixed ahead of him. Sasuke followed his gaze to see Jiraiya leaning against his white vehicle with his arms crossed over his chest. Jiraiya was a tall man with long white spiked-like hair. He wore a gray suit that gave Sasuke the guess that he just got off of work. What Sasuke thought was a motion for Naruto to get in the car was actually a motion for Sasuke to look past Jiraiya.
Off into the distance Sasuke could see a familiar black convertible parked off to the side. "My ride's here," Sasuke sighed before hitting fists with Naruto and walking towards Itachi's car.
He crossed the street and climbed into the passenger's seat of Itachi's car. Sasuke said nothing as he buckled his seatbelt and Itachi started the car. The two were silent the whole ride home. Sasuke stared blankly out the window unknowingly letting his mind wander back to Sakura.
Sasuke seriously wanted to hit something.
The car had come to a stop and the engine suddenly died. Sasuke came back from his thoughts.
He hadn't realized how short the ride home was.
Sasuke unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked around the black vehicle and followed his older brother up the steps and towards the modern wooden door. He could hear Itachi shuffle with his keys and fiddle with the lock until the door finally opened. Itachi walked inside with Sasuke in tow as they took off their shoes and stepped on the wooden surface.
Sasuke watched as his older brother abruptly stopped in front of him. Itachi sighed before turning back around to face Sasuke. Then Itachi did something Sasuke had not seen in years. Itachi used two of his fingers and lightly hit Sasuke on the forehead. Sasuke was a bit surprised by Itachi's sudden action, but he did not display it on his unruffled face.
"As your older brother," Itachi started.
You will protect me, Sasuke wanted to finish, but said nothing.
"I will protect you." Sasuke hadn't heard those words in a long time. "And as an adult"—Itachi began to walk down the hall towards his bedroom—"whatever breaks tonight, I won't hold you accountable for it."
Sasuke always looked up to his older brother.
Itachi became an adult when he was only a teenager in high school, but took on the responsibility of becoming Sasuke's mom and dad. Itachi was always there when Sasuke would get into trouble, and would always be there to lecture the younger brother when they reached home. Itachi never lived a teenaged life like Sasuke was and it always bothered Sasuke. The only thing Sasuke could do was be a better younger brother for Itachi.
"Thanks," Sasuke called to him as Itachi closed his bedroom door.
As Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke would have to become someone great in the real world. Letting Itachi down was not in the book.
You have Sakura and cancer. Then we throw in a little bit of a brotherly bond, and there you go, a great chapter.
Till next time~
