Chapter 4-

A/n:

Omg, don't hurt me! . ! Major Sakura bashing here, via Sasuke, but sometimes I think we all know she's asking for it! I love you Sakura! .;;;;

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Three nurses and two surgeons whisked a semi-conscious Naruto away, leaving two scared genins and a terrified jounin. Kakashi used the hospital phone to call Iruka-sensei; he'd want to hear about this.

The chuunin ran across the bustling town of Konoha, "'scuse me! Ah, ne! Pardon me! Emergency!" Even with his warnings, he managed to run straight into somebody. "Ne! Pardon, my students bleeding in intensive care, I must run!" he yelled to the victim of his hit and run clumsiness.

Kakashi smiled at the chuunin as he burst in the door and screamed at the empty bed. "Iruka-sensei… they took him to surgery when I called you."

"YOU! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!" Iruka screamed, his face burning red, especially where a long scar lay, across the bridge of his nose. He calmed himself, and brushed his short hair out of his face, noticing he hadn't tied it back this morning, given it was only 5am. Iruka blushed, having not noticed that he was still in his scare-crow pajamas.

"Iruka-sensei, your face is unusually red today," Kakashi kidded. "Oh… and nice undies, sensei." Kakashi said, giggling and pointing at the unbuttoned crotch of the pants.

"KAKASHI!" Iruka screeched, quickly buttoning his pants. "You bastard!"

'If only I still had that crush on Iruka-sensei,' Sakura giggled to herself. "You guys sound like Naruto and Sasuke-kun!"

Iruka blushed and tried to defend himself, but only stuttered and decided to give in to the fact that he was beyond redemption on this one. "…Just don't tell my academy students," he resigned as he blushed harder.

"Stop," Sasuke grunted angrily not turning away from the window. "Naruto is in surgery and you three are flirting."

Sakura nodded quietly and ashamedly, while Iruka readjusted his hair, and Kakashi joined Sasuke at the window.

"Sasuke-kun… Gome-" Sakura started.

Sasuke cut her off, "Shut up, I don't want to talk to you."

Iruka glared at the gothic boy. "Uchiha Sasuke! What's the matter with you! No matter what, a shinobi is never rude to a woman!"

"Sakura-chan, why do you only call me 'kun' and can't even call Naruto 'kun' on his death bed? Do you not know how much you mean to him? Do you not understand that he could die happily if he got one kiss from you? One!" Sasuke ranted to her, not seeing the tears rolling down her face.

She looked away, and hair stuck to her face from all the crying. "Because… I love you. I can't help it, Sasuke-kun."

"I don't love you. Get it through your billboard forehead! I don't love you!" Sasuke said, slamming his fist on the window-sill. "I don't…" his voice shook with tears.

Sakura burst out in tears, and ran from the room. Kakashi sighed, "Sasuke-kun… Why-"

"For Naruto." He answered coldly.

Iruka followed the pink-haired ninja, and they returned an hour later, she with a jelly soda pop, and Iruka called in for three emergency days.

The next morning +

There was still no word from the surgeons. Kakashi had asked at the desk three times. Iruka had taken Sakura home to get rest. Sasuke refused to sleep and lay silently crying face down on Naruto's pillow.

At noon the surgeon came in. "Haha! You're still waiting, eh? Most parents and siblings leave after about three hours," the doctor said, meant to get a laugh. He received none for his ill-timed humour. After an uncomfortable silence, he started talking again. "No da… Naruto should wake up soon, and if you son," nudging Sasuke, "could get up we could move him in here again in about a half hour. Be careful of his wrists though, they're healed up amazingly, but they were deep! Not even an immortal demon could heal completely from that harsh of a suicide attempt. I'm surprised he made it; wrist slitting and pill popping isn't normally survivable."

When the doctor left, Sasuke turned to his sensei. His eyes were inflamed. "Kakashi-sensei," he spoke weakly, "why is Naruto still alive…?"

Kakashi sighed. "Umm," he said, his voice cracking. Yondaime had ordered him not to share information but… "Well, there's… ah, this will sound crazy. You know the Kyuubi no Kitsune, right?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke replied, not sure what it had to do with Naruto.

"Well… the fourth Hokage-"

"Sealed it away. I know, Iruka-sensei taught us it… many times. What about Naruto, though?"

"The fourth… Uzumaki Yondaime, my sensei, sealed it in his own newborn son."

"Uzumaki…Naruto…" Sasuke said softly. He looked down. "He's… the Kyuubi no Kitsune… The Konoha demon."

Kakashi nodded, wincing at the horrible nickname the village had appointed him. "I believe… that his headband wasn't lost, but stolen."

Sasuke winced, "Who would steal his hiate-ate? Who else knows?"

"Children who are told by traumatized parents, 'Don't ignore me, or else the blonde Kitsune will get you!' Sasuke-kun," Kakashi said sadly. "The fourth Hokage didn't want Naruto to be hated, he saw his son as a saviour, and hoped that his village would see his son the same. They obviously don't." Kakashi sighed. He lifted up his hiate-ate. "I risked two young people's lives. I came out alive. Rin, my teammate, is also living. She refuses to talk to me because of my third teammate. Obito; Uchiha Obito. Nobody knows but Rin, the fourth and I. I hide the evidence, my one sharingan eye… that he gave me. Naruto can't hide his eyes, his chakra, or his whiskers." Kakashi touched Sasuke's shoulder. "I loved Obito, and I regret not telling him." With that, the grey sensei left. He needed his Icha Icha Paradise and to say hello to an old grave.

Sasuke understood. He sat, waiting patiently. They set the sleeping boy back into his bed. After they left, Naruto wearily opened his eyes, and turned to face Sasuke. "They say I'm lucky to be alive…" He sounded almost disappointed.

"I'm lucky you're alive."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Sasuke…" he gasped, laying his head back down on the pillow. He looked ashamed.

"I care for you a lot."

"I know… You're the only one, Sasuke."

"I know about your Kyuubi." Sasuke whispered hoarsely.

Naruto coughed. "Who… Who told you?" He began to shake, and his face paled. Sasuke knew he had to stop, this was not the time to excite the blonde. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist, hard. "Oh… Sasuke…" He whimpered, gripping so tightly Sasuke had to turn his wrist to keep the blood flowing. Naruto looked at him, his blueish grey eyes paled and blind. "I'm scared."

"Don't let it end like this…" Sasuke whispered, and Naruto closed his eyes and continued to shake. The red glow has stopped illuminating. Sasuke touched the boy's sweat-soaked hair. "I regret nothing. I'm so lucky to have these final moments…"

"Sas…uke…" The gothic boy tried to shush him. "No… don't quiet me…." Naruto whined, continuing with his speech. "I'm sorry… that I ruined this chance… Please… Don't be sad like Kaka-sensei…" Naruto said, his voice growing weaker every word.

A few days later +

They all smiled, in a sad way. It was a small get-together, consisting only of close friends. Hinata and Sakura both set down a bundle of roses, both pausing to glare at each other and then quickly looked away, ashamed. Ino was invited, but not surprisingly couldn't attend. Sasuke wiped his eyes and stood, trying to be strong for just a little longer. Kakashi sighed, looking at them in a way to ask if they wanted closure.

Sakura shook her head no, as she burst into tears. Sasuke also said no. Kakashi nodded, he had nothing to say that they didn't already know.

Once they had left, Sasuke sat upon the fresh grass as a light rain began. He felt it upon his face, and cried. "I never got a chance to tell you… I love you."

Uzumaki Naruto

"Fames and leaves whirl in the wind

The shadow of fire shines in the village

But with to the aide of the rain, the Uzumaki continues to spin

And the leaves will sprout again."