Okay, people, it's time to bust out the tissues. Ya know, the more I think about it, the more I'm considering doing that sequel. But I still want opinions! You still have time to think on it, people! By the way, I know it's a little late, but thank you, Ethereal-Sage, for the SasuNaru cookies. *nibbles happily* But…seriously, some of you may want to have a tissue nearby while you read. In the mean time, I'll be putting on my anti-'How could you do such a thing, you filthy whore!' lotion as a precaution… And this chapter barely has any talking so prepare to read A LOT of description. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: It should be obvious by now, but I don't own Naruto. DON'T SHOOT ME!!

Chapter 9: The Guilt

The next day at the hospital

Sasuke sat in a chair he had pushed up next to Naruto's hospital bed. Once he had explained Naruto's current condition to the Hokage the previous day, the old man had ordered him to take the boy to the hospital immediately. Sasuke didn't really see the point of doing so, but he obeyed the command nonetheless.

As the medic had said the previous day, nothing more could be done and Sasuke genuinely believed it to be true. The Uchiha just didn't feel like fighting the preordained anymore. If there actually was nothing he could do, then he saw no reason for either of them to be here. He would have rather stayed at home with Naruto, watching over the boy while he slept soundly in his own bed. It would have been much more quiet and less nerve wrecking than passing the short time at a hospital where death was given a home almost every day.

But, either way, all there was left to do now was wait, the very thing Sasuke hated doing with a burning passion.

Now that Naruto was in a coma, it wouldn't be too long before he passed away. At least Sasuke hoped it wouldn't protract now. He feared that he would just get even more stressed out if it stretched on more than it should.

And if the medics were essentially correct in the initial examination they had done in the early hours of the morning, then he should pass on some time in the late evening. It was very late in the afternoon now and the clock ticking on the left wall just seemed to make time go as slowly as possible, the unhurried hands of the timepiece plucking at Sasuke's low patience level.

No one else had been informed of the circumstances yet and Sasuke was glad for the discreet measure taken. He wasn't sure if he could deal with having to explain to other people what was going on, especially Sakura. He hadn't even seen the pink-haired for nearly two weeks and he guessed that she was being kept busy with missions so she wouldn't be spending the majority of her time fretting over Naruto's welfare.

But everyone in Konoha would know eventually and he would have to take it in a cold stride, making himself give the impression of being unaffected by the loss. Getting too emotional wasn't really something he did very often, but he couldn't help himself when it concerned Naruto and he feared that his control would slip through the cracks of his fingers at the wrong time.

The medic who had dealt with Naruto throughout the entire process walked in and proceeded to check the machines. They weren't really keeping him alive so much as giving an extra boost. The only thing that was truly was maintaining what little life Naruto had left was Naruto himself.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" the medical ninja asked once he was done.

"No thank you. I'm fine," Sasuke replied quietly.

The medic gave him a worried look and said, "You should get some rest while you can. You've been awake since you checked him in yesterday."

"No. I'm staying awake."

Sasuke knew he was being obstinate, but being pushed so deep into the situation and being so in love with Naruto made him crave some sort of closure. He wanted to see this thing through to the very end and he wasn't going to let something like rest stand between him and his goal, however exhausted he was at the point in time.

The medic backed away with no other words to spare for the young Uchiha. A twinge of sadness ran through him. Seeing such devotion was a rare thing these days and he felt as if he didn't have the right to interrupt until the time came. Sasuke heard the sound of a door closing softly and he was inwardly glad that the medic hadn't decided to persist with talking to him. He didn't want to speak to anybody now, didn't want anyone else except for Naruto to be near him.

All he sought at the moment was some quiet time in order to think things over. Taking hold of Naruto's hand, he brought it closer to his face, gazing at it in an examining manner.

Sasuke remembered the first time Naruto held his hand tight and the memory made a small smile touch his lips.

The simple act was enough to make Naruto happy no matter how many times it was repeated. It was like that one appendage was Naruto's lifeline, keeping him afloat and positive even though he knew he would have to eventually let go. He placed a light kiss on one of the knuckles and let it fall back on the bed.

It seemed almost cliché for him to be mulling over the times Naruto and he shared, but he couldn't stop them from invading his head.

Know that he was thinking of it, whenever the blonde and he were together, it was like they were in their own little world, letting themselves be confined to a place where no wrong could be done. The good recollections always outweighed the bad, however looming they may have been at the time. While they were in each other's presence, they appeared to forget what it was that brought them together in beginning. And Sasuke wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

He wanted every touch, kiss, and private moment that ever ensued between them to be forever imprinted into his mind.

But the memory of that horrific incidence persevered itself and he yearned to forget the occurrence completely. He never wanted to feel that sort of helplessness ever again. Once was more than enough, but twice was unbearable now that they were in this place, awaiting the upcoming end.

Being unable to assist during the assassination attempt was perhaps the only thing he regretted.

Sasuke took a deep breath and glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon and he could make out the outline of the moon in the sky. He virtually could have laughed at himself. His personal thoughts were definitely making the time fly by him much faster. The Uchiha stood from his chair and stretched out, some of his joints cracking as he moved.

For a reason he couldn't quite understand, Sasuke extended his arm, resting his hand above the blonde's slow heartbeat. Naruto's breath came out as a soft sigh and the sound made Sasuke wonder if Naruto could somehow determine that he was nearby. There really was no way for any of them to tell if he could in fact still be aware of his surroundings.

Sasuke felt a form of solace, knowing that Naruto was still with him. He had long since stopped paying attention to the heart monitor and actually feeling the prove of the boy's life pounding against his palm was much better than an maddeningly tedious bleeping sound. Sasuke let gaze wander to Naruto's face, the features peacefully still. He traced the side of one of the whisker cheeks with his finger before gently cupping it.

Though it dawned on him slowly, Sasuke realized that after tonight, he would never be able to look at Naruto again, to feel his soft skin beneath the pads of his fingertips. How he could ever recover after Naruto died was beyond him. Only time would be able to stitch up those wounds, leaving behind a thin seam that would be ready to burst open at the slightest provocation.

A prolonged beep interrupted his internal reflections and he resumed his position in the chair. A few medical ninja rushed into the room, crowding around Naruto and the machines. Sasuke wouldn't tear his eyes away from Naruto's unmoving form for he already knew what had happened.

Uzumaki Naruto, after nearly two months of waiting for the inevitable, had finally passed on from the land of the living due to massive brain trauma.

Sasuke watched on silently, the feeling of tears prickling up in his eyes making him tremble slightly. He would absolutely not cry in front of some random strangers. The only person who was worthy enough to see that type on raw emotion was Naruto and even the blonde had never truly seen such a distressing act of sentiment from Sasuke before he fell into a coma.

He could vaguely hear two of the medics talking quietly to each other, about what he couldn't tell. The other was busy removing the needles and all of the other various things attached to Naruto's body. Minutes later, he felt a hand on his shoulder and a whisper enter his ears.

"We're going to let you have a few minutes alone with him before we take the body. Is that all right?"

Sasuke nodded shortly, remaining very still as the medics left him alone in the room. And even after they were gone, he continued to be immobile. He barely registered the tears falling from his dark eyes; the only feeling assaulting him was a type of numb misery. It was a kind of sadness that could never truly be expressed through actions or words, the type of melancholy that no one ever wanted to suffer from for a second of their life.

He recalled how distraught he was yesterday and the sensation in him now couldn't even relate to each other in the least. He wasn't a sobbing mess like before, but the pain was still evident in his expression, his free flowing tears a testament to his aching heart.

Sasuke always felt as though he'd be stuck in the past forever, unable to let go and move forward. And the boy's lifeless body lying before him was just another reason for him to reside in that unchanging chamber were only the wrongs he had experienced survived in the cold abyss. He knew Naruto would have wanted him to go on with his life and hopefully find another person to love, but the thought of doing either one made the throbbing hurt in him more pronounced.

He wasn't ready to say goodbye to the only person he had ever truly come to love in his sad existence.

There was too much left unsaid between them and even as he sat in his chair, letting the tears fall soundlessly from his face, he couldn't bring himself to bid his farewell to the now dead Naruto. The guilt was eating him alive, running through his veins like an unrelenting virus, infecting everything in its path in order to destroy him from the inside out.

An itching compulsion made Sasuke lay down next to Naruto the best he could manage, resting his head on the boy's shoulder. The minute that he stayed there felt sluggish and he was thankfully for it. Raising his head up, he placed a lingering kiss on Naruto's cheek, a final goodbye to the person who was his best friend, his teammate, his rival, and his lover all wrapped up into one individual.

Author's Notes: And the dreaded outcome has arrived! I'm sorry, but I can't go changing my mind about what I already had planned. Because then I'd have to think of something new... But I had to walk away from the computer after typing that last line, if only to get the shakes off. And meyasha? I realize that we have kind of a connection going on since we're both avid Gackt fans (woo! By the way, DO NOT listen to "Aishite Story" {I think I spelled that right} when you read and/or reread this fic. I swear to God, it'll make you feel awful. It popped up while I was typing and I got so teary eyed. *sigh* Such a beautiful song though…) and I hope that you don't mind me laughing a little bit at your review. Only 1 more chapter to go! Yay?? Please Review!