AN: Wow! Sorry it took so long to get this one up, I was trying to figure
out how to end it and I needed a twist so...I'm not telling.
~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, a very talented man by the name of Kishimoto Masashi does, thank you so much for creating such an amazing Manga and Anime for us, we are forever in your debt.
~*~*~*~
Chapter 3
~*~*~*~
Naruto could no longer sleep in peace. Vivid dreams of Sakura and him played through his mind constantly. She was always in his mind, even his ever oh so lovely ramen couldn't replace the visions he held.
He blew feverishly on the cup of coffee he held in his hands to ward off the scolding heat. She smiled at Naruto as he winced in pain from the hot liquid.
"Hot?" She question almost inaudibly.
Naruto turned towards her slowly and nodded his head, "How long have you been awake?"
"How long have you been awake?" She questioned back, raising an eyebrow in his direction.
Naruto hung his head and shrugged, "Does it matter?"
"Naruto, I may be unable to see but that doesn't that I'm blind. Your charka isn't its usual bright blue; it's rather dull looking." She wagged an accusing finger in his direction.
"You know it's impolite to point." Naruto teased as he sipped on his coffee.
"Go home Naruto, get some rest. Your of no use to me half dead."
"Look who's talking." Naruto muttered into his cup.
Sakura smirked and pulled the redheaded bundle closer to her side. Naruto caught sight of this movement. Opening and closing his mouth slowly, Naruto had no clue how to properly ask the question that had been pulling at him for weeks.
"Sakura?" Naruto rested his arms on his legs and looked down.
"Hum?" Sakura absentmindedly stroked Suku's hair.
"Who...um...If you don't mind me asking, but...who's uh..." Naruto couldn't bring himself to say it for the fear of the unknown, though he had a strong sneaking suspicion.
"Spit it out already." Her voice sounded a tad annoyed.
"Suku, who's the...who's his father?" He raised his head to look at her face only to find nothing.
"What does it matter?" Sakura shot back, her voice shaky.
"It, it matters to me."
Sakura said nothing for a while; Naruto thought she was angry with him. Sighing sadly to himself, Naruto stood and made his way to the door.
'What did it matter? Posh! It mattered to him! He loved her more then life itself so of course it mattered. Where was the father? Did he know him? Was it...no it couldn't be.' He shook his head and grabbed for the doorknob when a voice, almost microscopic, caught his ear. He stopped and heard it again; it was his name.
"Come back please. I don't want to be left alone." Naruto had to strain to hear her words.
Naruto slowly made his way back to her bed and touched her hand. Sakura clutched his hand in hers as if her life depended on it. Naruto set back down and kissed the back of her hand, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
Naruto nearly peed his pants when Sakura spoke up, breaking the deep silence that had fallen over them.
"He was crying." She paused slightly, "I didn't think he was capable of tears." She pulled Suku closer when he whimpered for warmth. She started humming silently until the resting child settled back down.
"It was my first 'real' mission to gather information. I had never done anything like that before and I was scared." She shook her head at the memory, "I never knew he was even there until I was on top of him, literally. He looked so lost even with his threatening glares; kind of reminded me of you and Sasuke." She let a small smile touch her lips, "I guess you could say we helped each other."
Naruto waited for the rest, but it never came. He thought she had a right to her secrets. Did Suku know who his father was? Or would he grow up like Naruto, never knowing whom his mother or mother was. Sakura could die any day now and Suku would be left—much like Naruto was—with no one to love him.
Naruto shook his head; there was a difference though. Suku had Lee, Ino, and—from what Naruto caught in the wind—Neji was there as well. Even if Sakura never make it through the surgery, Suku had people that loved him and would care for him.
"I'm sacred Naruto." Sakura whispered in his direction.
He reached over and patted her on the leg, "I know."
After Sakura awoke from her coma like state, Tsunade had done an all out physical which checked her bone alignment to the firing of nerves in the brain. After hours of going over and double-checking all the tests everyone nearly died. After months of torture and mutilation, Sakura had contracted HIV. Tsunade said that if Sakura kept in good physical condition it wouldn't mutate to AIDs.
It took just about everyone in the room to hold Lee back from going out and getting himself killed. Naruto was to shocked to do anything but set down, mouth gaping. In Sakura's current position she wasn't going to be training any time soon. Tsunade realized this so she suggested that Sakura go into surgery right away to take care of the last few breaks and growths. This would—hopefully—help Sakura get back to training faster.
Anger raged in one of the last people Naruto would have thought of, Neji. He demanded to know why Tsunade couldn't just find the infected area and heal it. She tried to explain that it was much harder then that. If she did find the infected T-Helper cell and did indeed try and heal it, it could irritate the HIV virus and cause it to spread and mutate to the AIDs virus.
~*~*~*~
"Is there any medicine that can be used to keep the virus in its dormant state?" Kakashi asked from his corner.
Tsunade gave him a hard look and slowly nodded her head, "Warui Utsuwa..."
~*~*~*~
Naruto's eyes grew cold with anger as he remembered that morning. Thank God Suku wasn't there to witness it, the crying, the yelling, the anger, the sorrow.
The door to Sakura's room slowly opened and Sakura smiled, it was Neji. He shut the door behind him and shot a questioning glance at Naruto as if to ask him what he was doing here.
"How are you two holding up?" He question, glancing at the two.
"Couldn't be better." Sakura smiled at him.
"Humph."
"What can we do for you at this hour Neji?" Sakura pulled Suku up into her lap so that his head lay upon her chest.
"Lee went out on a mission with Ino so they asked me to come and escort Suku to my place for the night."
"That would be best I believe, hospitals are no places for healthy children." Sakura gave a sad smile.
"I'm off for the week so I'll bring him by tomorrow." Neji said as he lifted the sleeping child from his mother's arms. Suku struggled a bit in his sleep until Neji pulled him close to his chest.
"Now don't go and leave Hinata to do all the work Neji." Sakura smiled up at the man holding her son. Something passed between the two that Naruto almost didn't catch. Why was Neji holding Suku like that? Why was Sakura letting a well-trained ANBU captain watch her son for the week? He shook his head in confusion.
"Guess I've been out of it for a while" He thought to himself.
"Humph." Naruto watched as Neji bowed and walked to the door, he turned around one last time to look at Sakura before he left.
Was there a hint of reluctance in Neji glance? Naruto shook his head, he'd been awake for too long.
"Go home Naruto, I should be fine now." Not wanting to argue with the women for fear of wearing her out, Naruto kissed her good night and left the hospital with a feeling of emptiness.
AN: Hopefully the next one will be out fast. I apologies once again for the lateness of the chapter
-Lady Dragon Heart
~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, a very talented man by the name of Kishimoto Masashi does, thank you so much for creating such an amazing Manga and Anime for us, we are forever in your debt.
~*~*~*~
Chapter 3
~*~*~*~
Naruto could no longer sleep in peace. Vivid dreams of Sakura and him played through his mind constantly. She was always in his mind, even his ever oh so lovely ramen couldn't replace the visions he held.
He blew feverishly on the cup of coffee he held in his hands to ward off the scolding heat. She smiled at Naruto as he winced in pain from the hot liquid.
"Hot?" She question almost inaudibly.
Naruto turned towards her slowly and nodded his head, "How long have you been awake?"
"How long have you been awake?" She questioned back, raising an eyebrow in his direction.
Naruto hung his head and shrugged, "Does it matter?"
"Naruto, I may be unable to see but that doesn't that I'm blind. Your charka isn't its usual bright blue; it's rather dull looking." She wagged an accusing finger in his direction.
"You know it's impolite to point." Naruto teased as he sipped on his coffee.
"Go home Naruto, get some rest. Your of no use to me half dead."
"Look who's talking." Naruto muttered into his cup.
Sakura smirked and pulled the redheaded bundle closer to her side. Naruto caught sight of this movement. Opening and closing his mouth slowly, Naruto had no clue how to properly ask the question that had been pulling at him for weeks.
"Sakura?" Naruto rested his arms on his legs and looked down.
"Hum?" Sakura absentmindedly stroked Suku's hair.
"Who...um...If you don't mind me asking, but...who's uh..." Naruto couldn't bring himself to say it for the fear of the unknown, though he had a strong sneaking suspicion.
"Spit it out already." Her voice sounded a tad annoyed.
"Suku, who's the...who's his father?" He raised his head to look at her face only to find nothing.
"What does it matter?" Sakura shot back, her voice shaky.
"It, it matters to me."
Sakura said nothing for a while; Naruto thought she was angry with him. Sighing sadly to himself, Naruto stood and made his way to the door.
'What did it matter? Posh! It mattered to him! He loved her more then life itself so of course it mattered. Where was the father? Did he know him? Was it...no it couldn't be.' He shook his head and grabbed for the doorknob when a voice, almost microscopic, caught his ear. He stopped and heard it again; it was his name.
"Come back please. I don't want to be left alone." Naruto had to strain to hear her words.
Naruto slowly made his way back to her bed and touched her hand. Sakura clutched his hand in hers as if her life depended on it. Naruto set back down and kissed the back of her hand, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
Naruto nearly peed his pants when Sakura spoke up, breaking the deep silence that had fallen over them.
"He was crying." She paused slightly, "I didn't think he was capable of tears." She pulled Suku closer when he whimpered for warmth. She started humming silently until the resting child settled back down.
"It was my first 'real' mission to gather information. I had never done anything like that before and I was scared." She shook her head at the memory, "I never knew he was even there until I was on top of him, literally. He looked so lost even with his threatening glares; kind of reminded me of you and Sasuke." She let a small smile touch her lips, "I guess you could say we helped each other."
Naruto waited for the rest, but it never came. He thought she had a right to her secrets. Did Suku know who his father was? Or would he grow up like Naruto, never knowing whom his mother or mother was. Sakura could die any day now and Suku would be left—much like Naruto was—with no one to love him.
Naruto shook his head; there was a difference though. Suku had Lee, Ino, and—from what Naruto caught in the wind—Neji was there as well. Even if Sakura never make it through the surgery, Suku had people that loved him and would care for him.
"I'm sacred Naruto." Sakura whispered in his direction.
He reached over and patted her on the leg, "I know."
After Sakura awoke from her coma like state, Tsunade had done an all out physical which checked her bone alignment to the firing of nerves in the brain. After hours of going over and double-checking all the tests everyone nearly died. After months of torture and mutilation, Sakura had contracted HIV. Tsunade said that if Sakura kept in good physical condition it wouldn't mutate to AIDs.
It took just about everyone in the room to hold Lee back from going out and getting himself killed. Naruto was to shocked to do anything but set down, mouth gaping. In Sakura's current position she wasn't going to be training any time soon. Tsunade realized this so she suggested that Sakura go into surgery right away to take care of the last few breaks and growths. This would—hopefully—help Sakura get back to training faster.
Anger raged in one of the last people Naruto would have thought of, Neji. He demanded to know why Tsunade couldn't just find the infected area and heal it. She tried to explain that it was much harder then that. If she did find the infected T-Helper cell and did indeed try and heal it, it could irritate the HIV virus and cause it to spread and mutate to the AIDs virus.
~*~*~*~
"Is there any medicine that can be used to keep the virus in its dormant state?" Kakashi asked from his corner.
Tsunade gave him a hard look and slowly nodded her head, "Warui Utsuwa..."
~*~*~*~
Naruto's eyes grew cold with anger as he remembered that morning. Thank God Suku wasn't there to witness it, the crying, the yelling, the anger, the sorrow.
The door to Sakura's room slowly opened and Sakura smiled, it was Neji. He shut the door behind him and shot a questioning glance at Naruto as if to ask him what he was doing here.
"How are you two holding up?" He question, glancing at the two.
"Couldn't be better." Sakura smiled at him.
"Humph."
"What can we do for you at this hour Neji?" Sakura pulled Suku up into her lap so that his head lay upon her chest.
"Lee went out on a mission with Ino so they asked me to come and escort Suku to my place for the night."
"That would be best I believe, hospitals are no places for healthy children." Sakura gave a sad smile.
"I'm off for the week so I'll bring him by tomorrow." Neji said as he lifted the sleeping child from his mother's arms. Suku struggled a bit in his sleep until Neji pulled him close to his chest.
"Now don't go and leave Hinata to do all the work Neji." Sakura smiled up at the man holding her son. Something passed between the two that Naruto almost didn't catch. Why was Neji holding Suku like that? Why was Sakura letting a well-trained ANBU captain watch her son for the week? He shook his head in confusion.
"Guess I've been out of it for a while" He thought to himself.
"Humph." Naruto watched as Neji bowed and walked to the door, he turned around one last time to look at Sakura before he left.
Was there a hint of reluctance in Neji glance? Naruto shook his head, he'd been awake for too long.
"Go home Naruto, I should be fine now." Not wanting to argue with the women for fear of wearing her out, Naruto kissed her good night and left the hospital with a feeling of emptiness.
AN: Hopefully the next one will be out fast. I apologies once again for the lateness of the chapter
-Lady Dragon Heart