Author's Note; Sorry for this being a couple hours late, I was busy with some things. Okay, here's the next triple update! I hope everyone likes it. Review please if you want. They're critical at this stage since I'm officially under 20 chapters away from the end of this book as of chapter 38. And to let you know ahead of time, though I will remind everyone in my last update, that I will post book 2 when it's finished, and I'm hoping that's within the next month or two. I'm getting past a quarter of the way right now and I have a very long way to go with it.

Sasuke; You've been procrastinating with it ever since you started it.

Naruto; Yea, and you're even more evil in that book!

Me; Shut up! -covers both of their mouths up and makes sure she has hands like Deidara to make sure they stay shut up-

Sasuke and Naruto; -gags and chokes-

Itachi; That's mean sis -chuckles- Deidara is even here to help you.

Deidara; Yessss, un. Maybe I can make them explode! Un!

Sasuke and Naruto; -ran away-

Me; Thank's Ita-nii, Deidei! :)

Itachi and Deidara; Your welcome ... UN!

Chapter 36

Sasuke

The sound of my alarm going off every morning at six is actually starting to piss me off. Naruto's rubbing off on me … I'm usually glad to be up in the morning, now I loathe it completely. At least until it's eight in the morning and I'm grateful that I'm awake.

Naruto, on the other hand, can sleep for twenty four hours if you don't wake him up. And I'm not over exaggerating either, but it is hilarious.

"Hey, Sasuke, wake up! I'm going to visit Gaara today!" Naruto yelled through the door, and now my 'blissful morning' was ruined with his annoying voice.

"Hold your goddamn horse, Naruto, visiting hours aren't for another two hours!" I groaned and rolled over onto my other side and sandwiched my head between my two pillows. For once, I got my bedroom too hot in the middle of a chilling autumn night and kicked my blankets off the bed and slept in nothing but my flannel night pants. The tank top I went to bed in was sticking to my skin and pissed me off so I threw it off around one last night. I guess I shouldn't have gone and made myself some hot chocolate around eleven when everyone was in bed. But damn it, I wasn't asked if I wanted any the other night and it pissed me off.

I know it's a Saturday … but fucking hell, can't I be a normal teen and sleep in like all other teens do?

"Sasuke, Naruto wants you to take him, I think it's his way to say he's sorry." Itachi said through the door. That's right, Naruto's been giving me the cold shoulder the last few days … I was wondering why he was talking to me a few minutes ago.

Wait, Naruto's up at six in the morning!?

"When did hell freeze over Itachi? Naruto's up at six in the fucking morning!" I asked, my voice raising slightly by the time I was done talking as I shot up in bed, shocked.

"I know, he was up before me. Apparently he couldn't sleep because he was excited about seeing Gaara today." Itachi explained, and that seemed like a good, valid answer.

"I'll be ready by seven thirty, I just need half an hour more of sleep." I told Itachi, and I'm leaving it to him to explain to Naruto why I'm not up yet.

"I don't think that's going to be possible, he wants to go out to breakfast with you." Itachi said, and I sighed heavily in annoyance.

"I'm getting ready now. I need a shower." I huffed, mostly to myself but Itachi heard me because I heard him walk away from my bedroom door and I heaved myself off my bed and went over to my dresser to pull out some dark gray skinny jeans and a black tank top to go under a black, red and gray plaid shirt that was hanging up in my closet, and grabbed a clean pair of boxers before I went into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower water. I waited for the water to get steaming hot before I stripped down and stepped into the shower.

The hot water felt great on my muscles that I didn't realize were stiff until now. And it felt like it was the first time I've been able to relax, really, in over a month.

"I'm so taking a bath tonight." I groaned to myself and hoped that Naruto didn't mind.

"Hey, Sasuke, I need to talk to you when you get out." I heard Itachi say as I heard the bathroom door crack open.

"Whatever." I sighed heavily, my alone time in the shower officially over with and I quickly finished up.

When I was dried, dressed and back in my room looking for a pair of socks five minutes later, there was a knock on my bedroom door, and I knew it was Itachi.

"Come on in." I said as I finally found some socks and walked around to the door side of my bed and sat down just as Itachi walked in and closed the door. His whole body looked rigid and extremely stiff.

"Is everything okay?" I asked consciously as Itachi went and grabbed my computer chair and sat down in it, silently, and it was starting to freak me out.

"Oh, everything is okay. I just want you to keep Naruto away from here as long as you possibly can." He said, and I glared. Can't I have a damn Saturday to myself?

"Why?" I asked, not sounding too happy.

"It's Naruto's birthday." He answered, and my attitude suddenly changed into a surprised one. I had completely forgotten when it was.

"Is it really?" I asked.

"Yea, he told me the other day, and we have to make this good. I'll explain later." Itachi said, wondering why he was going to wait, until I heard a loud bang in the hallway close to my door and rolled my eyes … Naruto …

"Okay, I'll go to the grocery for you while Naruto is visiting Gaara." I said, winking at Itachi.

"I'll text you a list later. I have some work I wanna finish up." Itachi said, grinning back as he got up and put my computer chair back before he went and opened my door, arms crossed as he glared at Naruto, though I know, personally, that it was a fake glare.

"I was seeing if Sasuke was ready." Naruto said with a shaky voice.

"Yea, yea, I'm ready." I said as I quickly slid my feet into the ankle socks and walked up next to Itachi.

For once, it was nice to see Naruto in something other than sweats, though the orange was a little blinding on his orange and black long sleeved shirt. The v-neck showing that he was wearing a mesh shirt underneath it. At least his pants was just a regular pair of skinny jeans and he had on a pair of knee high orange converse I don't remember him having before today.

"I want to go to Bob Evans for breakfast." Naruto said, though to me it sounded like a question.

"Sure, let me double check and see what's on my card before we leave." I said, remembering that I might need to transfer some money after yesterday when I went to Barnes and Noble.

"Sure." Naruto smiled and Itachi pushed his chair down the hallway and I was left alone as I turned my laptop on and went straight to my banks website and logged in.

When I saw that I had plenty left on my card, I logged off and closed the laptop, putting the laptop to sleep before I grabbed my wallet and keys just as I left my room. Today was going to be long, I just know it … Naruto was probably going to make sure it was!

In all my life, I never thought Naruto would eat so little when we got to breakfast. It was like whatever appetite he had in the car suddenly vanished into thin air, because all the way here, all he talked about was how hungry he was. Practically starving. And when he only ordered a bagel and some orange segments, I thought I was hallucinating.

When he told me it was because he was nervous on visiting Gaara, not knowing if his red head was any better or not, it made him sick to his stomach. I could believe him on that.

"Gaara's just fine, Naruto." I told him once we got into the car … comfortably … I drove off in the general direction of the hospital, my right hand resting on his shoulder as I tried calming him down. "Tsunade would never let anything happen to him and you know that."

"I … I know Sasuke …" Naruto sighed, and I know he was back inside the bubble of depression once again.

Honestly, I thought these new pills were supposed to help him. I'm going to have to mention that to Tsunade when I see her.

"Sasuke …" Naruto mumbled so low I almost didn't hear him.

"Yea?" I asked.

"I want to talk to you during lunch. And if you see Tsunade before I do, tell her to come talk to me." Naruto said. "I want to ask her something."

"Okay." I nodded, not wanting to question him in case it pissed him off.

I sighed as I turned into the hospital parking lot and pulled up to the main entrance, parking the car and got out. Another moment when I needed to heave out the wheelchair from the trunk. That's the only think I didn't like about him being crippled.

"Oh! I was hoping to see you two this morning." A familiar female voice said towards my left. And when I looked to see who it was, it was Matatabi; one of Naruto's favorite nurses.

"Hey Matatabi!" Naruto yelled, all his happiness back fro probably only a few moments.

"Tsunade said you can get your x-rays today so we can see how far you've healed." Matatabi said with a smile as she turned to talk to Naruto. I felt like I was being ignored.

"Awesome!" Naruto smiled.

"How about we do that before you go up and visit Gaara?" She asked as I opened Naruto's chair, positioning it before I helped him out of the car and into the chair.

"Sure."

"Then I can take him from here Sasuke." Matatabi said when Naruto pulled his chair back from the car and I closed the door.

"Great. I'm parking the car and I'll meet you in Gaara's room, Naruto." I nodded, walking back to the drivers' side and buckled up.

"See ya there Sasuke!" Naruto said, waving as I drove off and parked my car in the car garage.

When I got to Gaara's room, Naruto wasn't there, but Temari and Kankuro were there … and Gaara was wide awake.

"Well, Sasuke, long time no see." Gaara said, his voice cracking a bit, signaling to me that he had a dry throat. "And I've been up since five." HE added before I could ask, and I nodded.

"Well then, be quiet until Naruto comes up." I smirked, crossing my arms as I leaned against the doorway.

"Why is he here?" Gaara asked, and I could sense a hint of panic in his words.

"X-rays … and to see his boyfriend on his birthday." I answered with a shrug, and I thought the red heads eyes were going to pop out of their sockets when I mentioned 'birthday'.

"I've been out all week?" Gaara almost yelled.

"Gaara … shh." Temari said. "And don't worry, I knew what you were going to get him so that's taken care of already."

"Thank you Temari." Gaara sighed with visible relief, just as I heard Matatabi and Naruto's voices down the hall.

I signaled to the whole room to be quiet and I turned around, making sure to have a sad look on my face as they reached the door.

"Sasuke … why are you looking at me like that?" Naruto asked, and I thought he was going to start hyperventilating if he learned the complete opposite of Gaara's real condition.

So I shrugged and stepped back, letting them in and the tears fell from Naruto's eyes faster than the smile that grew on his face. I couldn't help but smile either when Gaara forced himself out of bed and threw himself into Naruto's out stretched arms. But I could have gone without the make out scene that happened within the next few seconds after the hug.

"Okay boys, lets break it up." Matatabi said as she tapped on Gaara's shoulder softly. Seriously, she was too nice at most times. Like now.

"Best birthday present ever." Naruto smirked when Gaara pulled back, blushing a brilliant shade of tomato.

"And I have more good news …"Tsunade's voice rang into the room. "When you leave, Naruto, you'll be leaving that chair here and taking a pair of crutches."

"Yay!" Naruto squealed out as he thrust both fists into the air.

This was the best news I've heard since Itachi said today is the dobe's birthday.

"Sasuke, don't piss him off either." Tsunade smirked at me. Great, now I wished he stayed in the wheelchair.

"Yea, teme." Naruto said, a smirk planted on his face and I frowned slightly when he stuck his tongue out at me. "Oh, baa-chan, can we talk in the hallway/" Naruto added, all the happiness leaving his face and I think I knew why.

"Sure, Naruto." Tsunade nodded and she stepped out into the hallway as Matatabi pulled him out of the room and towards the direction Tsunade went.