OMFG! NO! Naruto has been taken off MangaFox! DDDDDD;
Have a WONDERFUL day! And remember, there could never be a more beautiful you! (More Beautiful You – Jonny Diaz is such a wonderful song. You should all look it up and listen to it. :)
Title: Sinners' Devotion
Summary: Sasuke saved Itachi instead of killing him-on a whim supposedly. Now back in Konoha with Akatsuki after them along with Naruto, they have to do everything in their power to protect everything they…. love? future ItaSasuNaru yaoi – rating may go up.
Words: 7,902
Total: 51,795
Date:8-14-10
Disclaimer!: I do not own Naruto nor will I ever own it. Sorry to all the yaoi fangirls/fanboys…. One of us will get it someday! D':
Also 'karina-chan,' I freakin' love you! Your idea got stuck in my head and my thoughts just tumbled after! I had so many different scenarios going through my head because of you! Sadly though, the ones that end up in sweet lemony goodness won't be written. D: So if you don't mind, I will be using your idea in this story so this chapter is dedicated to you! :D
End of Chapter 8:
"What do you mean?"
"Asuma-sensei entrusted me with a lot, from big things to little things. It's the same for you… An unlimited number of things. Don't you think it's about time for us?" Shikamaru asked.
"Time for what?"
"To be the ones who entrust, not the entrusted. It's a pain in the ass, but I can't say 'mendokuse.' Some day you'll be the one treating others to ramen, and you'll be called 'Naruto-sensei.' We can't stay kids forever." Shikamaru winked at Naruto with a smirk on his face. "Like Asuma and Jiraiya, I want to be as cool as them. Now, you've gotta get a hold of yourself… You've got things to do."
Naruto smiled in return. Shikamaru was right. He couldn't be depressed right now; he can think about his own problems later. He had things to do.
Chapter 9: A Cure
Naruto walked out the building with a blush present on his face. He had never read Ero-Sennin's books before, and after that scene with Kakashi-sensei and the decoders, he never will. He rubbed his face as he made his way through town, trying to get the blush off his face. '… the chair creaked….'
"GAH!" Naruto screamed and pulled at his hair, ignoring the looks of the villagers. "Get out, get out, get out!" He whispered harshly to himself as he continued walking. By the time he got to the hospital, the blush had dimmed down to a soft pink on his face. The blonde passed the sign-in desk and walked straight to the elevators. Everyone in Konoha Hospital knew who he was and didn't bother him for fear of earning the Hokage's wrath. He pressed the 'Up' button and the doors immediately opened up for him. Once inside, he pressed the '4' button and relaxed against the wall.
Just as the elevator doors began to close someone shouted, "Hold the door!" Naruto shot out his hand between the door and the wall so the sensor would make the door open back up. "Thanks Naruto!" A breathless Ino shot into the elevator.
Naruto nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, Ino! What floor?"
"Ah, four."
Naruto cocked his head to the side and the doors slid shut. "Me too. What'cha goin' there for?"
Ino grinned at him and held up two bentos. "I'm having lunch with Sakura. We haven't hung out much lately since she has been busy with the hospital and I've been busy with missions, so I decided me and her should have some lunch together!" He could tell by her voice that she was excited. "What are you here for?"
"I'm visiting Itachi-san and checking up on Sasuke-teme." The elevator 'bing'ed as it came to a stop on the fourth floor.
"Sasuke-kun?" They both walked out as the door opened. "What happened to Sasuke-kun?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nothing happened to Teme." He soothed her fears. "Itachi-san is the one in the hospital."
Ino looked surprised. "Oh…" There was a small awkward silence as they continued to walk through the sterile halls. Ino stopped at a door. "Well, I'm getting off here."
Naruto nodded and waved a little. "See ya later, Ino. Tell Sakura-chan I said 'Hi.'" He began to walk off.
"W-Wait!" He turned back around to see Ino digging in her side bag. Huh, he hadn't noticed it before. "Here." She pulled out a Pear Blossom and handed it to him. "It's a Pear Blossom. It means good health and hope." ( 1 ) She looked to the side, not meeting his eyes. "T-Tell Itachi…-san that I hope he gets better soon."
Naruto gave her a small smile. "Sure, Ino. And do you always carry around flowers in you bag?"
"No, baka! I brought some to liven up the workroom. Hospitals have no taste in flowers. Well, I'll see you later Naruto!" She ran through the door.
Naruto just shook his head and went on his way. When he came upon Itachi's room, he opened the door quietly just in case he was sleeping. He spotted Itachi looking up at him from the book in his lap. He opened up his mouth to talk, but Itachi held a finger up to his lips before pointing over at the couch. The blonde poked his head around the door to see Sasuke passed out on the couch, a blanket tossed over him haphazardly. Naruto hoped the man had on some type of bottoms because he obviously had no top on. He smiled and walked into the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Itachi shut the book he was reading and place it on the table as Naruto walked over to him.
"Here, Itachi-san." Naruto spoke in a whisper as he handed Itachi the flower. Said Uchiha raised an eyebrow as he gently plucked the flower from his fingers. Naruto blushed. "I-It's not from me. Ino told me to give it to you. She said it's called a Pear Blossom and that it means good health and hope. She wishes you luck and hopes that you'll get better soon."
Itachi looked down at the white flower in his hand. His eyes traced over the features as he mulled Naruto's words over. "If you will Naruto-kun, send her my thanks. I will have to ask one of the nurses for a vase." He spoke just as quietly as he glanced over at the nightstand that only held his book and a lamp. Itachi laid his hands down in his lap, the flower still being held gently between his fingers. "Please, have a seat."
Naruto sat down in the chair next to his bed and let out a deep breath. "How have you been holding up Itachi-san?" He asked as he took off his jacket, setting it on the back of the chair.
"Well, thank you. Are you also doing well?"
Naruto gave off a light chuckle. "Yeah. I'm doing fine… Just…" Naruto shook his head absentmindedly as he searched for the words. He gave up with a sigh after a minute of silence.
"Is there something bothering you, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked.
Naruto shook his head, not bothering to look up from his hands. After a few moments more of silence, Naruto heard Itachi pick his book back up. He looked over at the sleeping form of Sasuke as Itachi turned the page. Naruto's ears rung in the silence and his thoughts began to wander. There really hadn't been a moment where he'd been able to think since Shikamaru got him out of his depression and the thoughts were just now coming back. He sighed softly and tossed his head back, resting it on the back of the chair. Naruto looked up at the ceiling blankly for a few minutes, lost in his thoughts before he closed his eyes, a lone tear escaping them. He felt it make a trail down the side of his face, disappearing into his hair. His nose began to burn as it always did before he began to cry. He took in a shaky breath, trying to keep back the onslaught of tears that wanted to escape from his eyes.
Blue eyes opened back up as he lifted his head. Naruto looked over at Itachi, taking in every little detail. He looked paler than Naruto had ever seen him. There were dark rings around the tired gray-black eyes. His bangs hung limply on either side of his face, the rest tied back into its usual ponytail. All in all, Itachi looked like shit – still good looking, but definitely not in his top form. A sound escaped from his lips, making Itachi look up from his book. Itachi looked startled for a second before he closed his book and set it on the nightstand along with the flower. The Uchiha reached over, placing his large hand on Naruto's face. His thumb swiped his cheek below his eye. Only then did Naruto realize he was crying.
Naruto shot back from Itachi's hand and touched his own face, feeling the wetness there. His eyes widened and he stood up quickly. "I-"a sob escaped his mouth, "I'm s-sorry. I-…" He placed his hand over his mouth, trying to stop the sobs.
Itachi frowned and pulled the covers off his body. He scooted over and patted the empty place next to him. Naruto shook his head, unable to talk through the sobs. Just as he was about to leave the room, Itachi's hand grabbed his elbow, pulling him down. Naruto landed face first into Itachi's chest, half his body still hanging off the bed. Itachi's arms encircled his waist, pulling him closer. Naruto was stunned for a moment before he clutched onto Itachi's shirt, pulling the rest of his body onto the bed with them. He cried into Itachi's chest as the older man rubbed his back soothingly. No questions were asked, no words were spoken; just the sound of Naruto's muffled sobs.
Naruto didn't know how much time had passed until he stopped crying. "I got you-your shirt all di-dirty." He laughed, his speech broken up by hiccups. He lifted up his head and wiped his face with the bottom of his shirt. It was just as dirty as Itachi's anyway. "I'm s-sorry."
Itachi just shook his head. "No matter." He removed his hands from around Naruto and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head. He tossed it carelessly off the bed.
Naruto stared in silent shock for a second, taking in the nicely toned abs. He blinked and chuckled wetly as he sat up on his knees. "I guess I should get go-going." He glanced out the window to see that the sun had set just recently, dark clouds promising rain tomorrow. "I need to change any-anyways." He looked back down at his own shirt crusted with tears and snot. He sniffed and moved to get off the bed. A hand stopped him yet again.
"It is already late. Perhaps you could stay? Sasuke is still asleep and I'm sure he won't wake until morning." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "The nurse used a sedative." This just caused the eyebrow to rise further. Naruto shook his head.
"No. I have to-"
"You may sleep with me here. You are already in my bed."
Naruto blushed and tried to pull his arm out of Itachi's grasp. "I need to change any-"
His breath hitched as Itachi swiftly took off his shirt, tossing it to the side with his own. He blushed a bright crimson, shock apparent on his face. Itachi pulled him down, laying him on his chest, and pulled the covers over their forms. Naruto snapped out of his shock when Itachi turned off the lamp, covering them in darkness. "I-Itachi-san!" The Uchiha just wound his arms around his waist, pulling him closer. Naruto's face turned a brighter shade of red as he felt the defined muscles beneath him. After a few more moments of struggling and curses, Naruto gave up with a huff, laying his head down on Itachi's chest. He felt oddly comforted by the steady beats of Itachi's heart and he slowly relaxed.
"Jiraiya died." Naruto breathed after ten minutes worth of silence, his voice barely a whisper. He didn't even know if Itachi was even awake right now, he just needed to get it off his chest. "He was like a grandfather to me. He taught me almost everything I know. I… I loved him." His hands tightened on Itachi's chest, fingers digging into the man's side. "Kakashi-sensei told me after the party…. I found out he died fighting against Pein. He was trying to get information…" He started laughing quietly to himself. "How stupid is that? If only Tsunade would have waited a few days more…. You're here after all. There's no need going off on a suicide mission when we have an ex-Akatsuki member on our side. Then… Then you had to be an idiot and almost die on us… I was so scared when I saw you on the floor. There was so much blood I… I thought I lost someone else. That another one of my precious people died and I didn't… couldn't do anything to help. You've become important to me Itachi." Naruto said his name for the first time without a suffix. "You've become one of my precious people." He paused for a second. "Is that alright?" He seemed to ask himself. "Is it okay for me to consider you as one of my precious people?"
"Of course." Naruto jumped at Itachi's quiet reply. He had thought the man had gone back to sleep. "I have also come to care for you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto didn't move for a moment, and then he began to laugh as he clutched Itachi closer to him. "Thank you… Thank you so much…"
"I better be one of your precious people too, Dobe."
Naruto jumped again. "How long have you been awake, Teme?" He heard a rustle of cloth as Sasuke stood up.
"Long enough. Now move over. That couch is a horrible place to sleep."
They made room for Sasuke and he climb in. They all sifted a couple of times, trying to get comfortable on the small bed that wasn't meant for more than one person. They all ended up on their sides, Naruto's back pressed up against Itachi's chest and Sasuke facing Naruto. Both of them had a single arm thrown over Naruto's side, and all of their legs were entangled in a mess as the bottom of the bed.
"Go to sleep." Sasuke said after a few moments of silence when he noticed Naruto hadn't closed his eyes.
"Thank you. Neither of you know how much this means to me." Naruto said quietly. Sasuke snorted in answer as Itachi chuckled lightly.
"Shut up and sleep, Dobe." Naruto fell asleep with a smile on his face.
"KYAAA!" Three pairs of eyes snapped open at the scream, quickly assessing the situation. A girl with pink hair was standing at the door, eyes wide and a blush on her face.
Naruto groaned to himself and tried to move, only to find himself stuck in between to bodies. His arms were encircled around Sasuke's middle, his face buried in the man's chest; Itachi was spooning him from behind, his back touching Itachi's chest; both of the Uchiha's had an arms thrown across his waist and their legs were entangled with his. The covers were down at their waist, showing their bare chests. All in all, this looked like a very intimate position.
He sat up awkwardly on his side, hissing when the action caused a pain in his back. He turned his glare on the person in the doorway. "What?" He hissed.
"You're… You're…" Sakura stuttered pointing at him.
Naruto glared when Sakura didn't speak any further gaping like a fish, her mouth opening and closing in silence. "Well, if you don't mind I'm trying to sleep here and you are disturbing my pillows."
"'Pillows?'" Naruto looked down at Sasuke.
"Shut up Pillow Number Two."
Sasuke frowned. "I am not a pillow."
Naruto's glare turned on full blast as Sasuke tried to untangle himself. "I don't think that's a wise decision Otou-"
Sasuke gave a strangled yelp as he was jerked back into the bed. Arms encircled his chest while legs wrapped around his own, locking him into place. "Stay, Pillow Number Two! Why can't you be as good as Pillow Number One?"
"Get off me, Dobe!"
Itachi sighed while Sakura looked on in mortified confusion. "What the hell is goin' on?" Sakura screamed.
"Naruto-kun isn't quite awake. This occurs every morning. I must admit, this is the first time he has mistaken us as 'pillows.' I am quite curious as to why I'm Number One and Otouto is Number Two."
Naruto scoffed whereas Sasuke glared. "Obviously because One is the best and Two is very good but not quite the best." Sasuke's Sharingan appeared as he glared kunai at the blonde idiot named Naruto. Apparently they took off his chakra suppressors too. Oh well, they only had about a week left anyway. "Don't use your fancy eye on me Number Two! I'll kick your feathery ass!"
"Oh? We are feather pillows?" Itachi asked, going along with it.
"Of course! Only the best kinds of pillows there are."
"Tell me, do I have a case?"
"Yeah! A silky red one!"
"Red?"
"It looks good on you Number One."
"I see… And does Number Two have one?"
"Shut the hell up!" Sasuke screamed in frustration when he couldn't get away. "Why the hell are you going along with this Itachi?"
"I find it amusing. Naruto-kun's morning rambles are quite interesting." Itachi started to chuckle, shocking everyone.
"Kyaa~!" Naruto screamed, letting go of Sasuke and turning around. He latched onto Itachi. "You're the best pillow in the world! I've never heard you laugh before!" Sasuke immediately took the opportunity to jump off the bed, showing he was only in his boxers. Sakura turned red. All of a sudden, Naruto stiffened. He lifted his head off of Itachi's chest, looking the man in the eye. "I-Itachi?"
"Good morning, Naruto-kun. You slept well, I presume." Naruto nodded, mortification written on his face. He looked down to see him clinging onto Itachi. His arms around the man's neck and his legs were on either side of his waist, straddling him.
"Kyaa~!" He screamed and jumped back, falling off the bed. "Itai!" He clutched the back of his head.
"Are you alright?" Itachi asked, extending his hand out to the blonde.
Naruto scrambled backwards, standing up as he went. His face was as red as Sakura's. "I-I'm fine!" He squeaked out, holding his hands up.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked Sakura rudely. He was now fully dressed.
"Uh… We-Well, I'm supposed to look over Itachi-san and give him his medicine." She didn't look anyone in the eye are her face was still a bright shade of red. "Th-Then he will be discharged from the hospital."
"Hn. Hurry up."
"R-Right. If you'll sit up, Itachi-san?" Sakura's blush worsened when she saw Itachi's bare chest. She let her hands hover over his chest, green chakra glowing from the inspection jutsu. After a few seconds she nodded and pulled her hands away, the glowing dying out. She went into medic mode."You're condition has worsened from yesterday, but that's to be expected. I advise you not to do anything strenuous, which means no heavy lifting, no training, no sparing, etc. I don't think you should even run. Also, don't do anything that will cause you stress and don't use your chakra. Ever. You'll die faster." She didn't bother to sugarcoat her words. They were shinobi; they understood the danger of their profession. She pulled out a bottle of pills from her pouch. "Take two of these three times a day; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You have to eat with these otherwise you'll throw up." Itachi nodded taking the bottle from her. "Be sure to sign out before you leave." She left the room with one last look at Itachi's chest.
"Well, let's go then!" Naruto grabbed his jacket and the two shirts lying on the ground. He put on his jacket, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of having no shirt on and walked out the door. A fully dressed Sasuke and a shirtless Itachi followed soon after. The ride on the elevator was quiet and when they walked to the sign in desk, they got many stares. Itachi quickly signed out, ignoring the blushing nurses giving him lustful looks. "Umm… I think we should Shunshin back home…" Naruto suggested getting uncomfortable with all the people staring at Itachi.
"Itachi can't use chakra, Dobe. Weren't you listening?"
Naruto scowled at Sasuke. "Of course I was listening, Teme! I have enough chakra to take him along with me! Of course, I've never done a two person Shunshin before, but I'm sure it won't be that hard." Sasuke scoffed and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What a BASTARD!" Naruto yelled out, earning him more attention. He blushed and grabbed onto Itachi's arm, quickly Shunshining away. They appeared in the kitchen of their house. Naruto stumbled slightly, letting go of Itachi's arm. Taking Itachi along for the ride took more chakra than he thought it would.; it also threw off his balance. Itachi held onto his shoulders, steadying him. "Thanks Itachi-san."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Back to 'Itachi-san?'"
Naruto blushed. "How about if you call me 'Naruto,' I'll call you 'Itachi.'"
Itachi allowed a small smirk to grace his face. "Very well, Naruto."
Naruto grinned up at him. "Go ahead and get showered and such. I'll start a load of laundry," he lifted up the two disgusting shirts in his hands, "and then I'll make breakfast. I'll call ya'll down when it's ready." Itachi nodded and left the kitchen. Naruto quickly started a load of darks and began to make breakfast. He decided he'd just do a simple Western Style eggs, bacon and toast. He made scrambled eggs for himself, sunny side up for Itachi and over easy for Sasuke. He also made some extra scrambled eggs for the former Team Hebi; he'd bring it over to their house later.
He jumped when he heard a 'CRACK!' outside. Apparently it started raining; he could hear the water hitting the roof. "Breakfast's ready! Don't forget your medicine Itachi!" They all quickly ate and washed the dishes. Naruto grabbed the leftovers. "I'll be right back." He covered them so they wouldn't get wet in the rain and put on his shoes. He quickly ran over to the former Team Hebi's house and dropped off the food, reminding them to clean up after themselves. When he made it back inside, he shivered from the cold. The wet clothes clinging to his body just made it worse. "I'm going to take a quick shower." His teeth chattered as he past the Uchiha's in the living room.
Naruto sighed in content as he stepped into the hot shower. He let the water run over his head and down his body as he thought. He couldn't believe what happened yesterday. Would things really go back to the same way? Would it really be okay to include himself in this family? Itachi and Sasuke both said… well, implied that he was one of their precious people and that they wanted to be his. And they both comforted him in his time of need. He blushed when he remember how they fell asleep and how he woke up. He wondered what happened during his half awake time. He only vaguely remembers something about two pillows and the first thing he fully remembered was waking up on Itachi like… that. His face burned brighter.
He pushed those thoughts off to the side and began to wash his hair and body. He discovered awhile back that his body grew almost no hair. The hair on the top of his head was the only hair that grew on his body, and that grew really quickly. Naruto had thought this to be normal until Kiba pointed it out. He decided to just ignore the fact and put it under 'Things That Probably Happen Only To Me Because Of Kyuubi.' Naruto reached up to feel the length of his hair; already it was past his shoulders. Usually he cut it once every two weeks to keep it the short length it was, but maybe he should start growing it out? It'd be nice to have hair like Ji-… He smiled sadly to himself. Yeah… It'd be nice to have a hair style like Ero-Sennin.
Naruto reluctantly turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. He quickly dried his body and put on some standard black shinobi pants and shirt, deciding to forgo the usual orange outfit today. He walked into the living room to see Itachi reading his book and Sasuke staring blankly at the television. He sat down on the couch in between the Uchiha's.
"So, who's up for a movie?" He grinned as the two looked at him. Sasuke gave his usual 'Hn.' as a response and Itachi nodded before going back to his book, finishing up whatever chapter he was on. "Alright!" Naruto got up and went to the movie rack. He searched through them calling out names as he went. "The Notebook?"
"No." Sasuke answered. Itachi didn't really care.
"Juno?"
"No."
"No Country for Old Men?"
There was a pause this time before he answered. "No."
Naruto seemed hesitant on this title. "1408?"
"No."
"Jesus fuck, you are hard to please. Boondock Saints?"
"No."
Naruto huffed. "Why don't you just pick a movie?"
"No."
Naruto growled. "The Hangover?"
"No."
"What? Why don't you want to watch The Hangover? That movie if fuckin' hilarious!"
"No."
"Fuck, Sasuke! You don't like anything. And stop using one word replies!"
Sasuke smirked. "No."
"You know what? I don't care what you think anymore! We're watching Harry fuckin' Potter with Albus motherfuckin' Dumbledore!" He grabbed the movie off the rack and put it in the player.
"Which one?" Itachi asked.
"The Half-Blood Prince."
Sasuke smirked. "The one were Harry and Draco have a 'wand' fight in the bathroom?"
"Yeah. Why?" Naruto asked cluelessly as he walked back to the couch, the movie starting.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Dobe." Naruto scowled at the name, but ignored him in favor of the movie.
(AN: THE GAME.)
It was a little after lunch when an ANBU came to tell him the Hokage wanted him. Naruto waved 'goodbye' to the Uchiha's before heading to the Tsunade's Office. When he got there, he saw the Elder Frog – Fakusu? Fukusu? What was his name again? – sitting on the Hokage's desk. Naruto took one look at Tsunade before guilt overcame him, he looked away.
"What do you need… Obaa-chan?"
Tsunade smiled softly at Naruto. He had forgiven her and felt guilty at the same time. "Fukasaku wanted to talk to you about training."
He looked at the frog and the frog nodded. "Since Jiraiya-chan has died, there is no longer a Gama Sennin. You are the next in line so I would like to take you back to Mount Myobokuzan to train you in Senjutsu. There is no way you can beat Pein the way you are now. So, come back with me to Myobokuzan – if you want to be trained the way Jiraiya-chan was that is."
"I'll be able to beat Pein then?"
"I don't know." The frog said honestly. "But you never will with the way you are right now." He turned to the Hokage. "Is that alright, Tsunade?"
"Of course," Tsunade smirked. "Work him to the bone."
"Senjutsu is tougher than anything you can imagine. Do you still want to do it?" He asked Naruto.
"Ero-Sennin did it didn't he? I can't let him beat me." Naruto answered determinedly.
Fukasaku smirked. 'So this is the Child of Prophecy, ne?' "That's the spirit!"
"Wait, what about Itachi and Sasuke and the others?" He asked Tsunade.
"Itachi has proven his loyalty more than enough. We know more about Akatsuki than we ever have and probably more than anyone else ever will. And Sasuke…" She trailed off. "Well, I'm sure we can keep the brat in check. As for Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo, we have them under blood contract. They won't be doing anything any time soon. And if they do, we'll have it under control."
"You aren't going to kill them are you?" Over the past two weeks of interacting with the emotionally deprived teens, he has come to care for them.
Tsunade looked him up and down. "As long as they don't give us a reason to, we won't. Now stop your worrying, you're acting like a Mother Hen. Go get ready; you'll be leaving within the hour."
"Hai!"
"Alright, I'll be leaving for who knows long, so don't destroy the house while I'm gone. And try not to kill each other." Naruto spoke to the group in front of him consisting of Sasuke, Itachi, Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu. "Clean up after yourselves. I swear to god if I come back home to a pig sty, I will maim you all and make you clean it all up. I'll be stopping by a few friends houses on the way to see if they'll come make you food every now and then, but I'm sure they won't be coming everyday, breakfast, lunch and dinner so go out to eat sometimes. Don't just eat junk food.
"Itachi, don't forget to take your medicine! And if you have an episode or something, make sure you tell Tsunade-obaa-chan or Sakura chan. Sasuke, be nicer to everyone and clean up after yourself. Don't trash your room. As for the rest of you, don't destroy the house and don't kill anyone. You are all free to go out and about without anyone watching you, but Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo, you all will still be having the chakra suppressors on for now. Oh! Sasuke and Itachi, ya'll can go pick up ya'lls weapons at Tsunade's Office now. I almost forgot about that. Also-"
"Just shut up and go, Dobe. We get it."
Naruto glared but picked his bag up off the floor anyway. "I guess I'll be seeing you all later. Be safe! I'm off!" He left the house, hoping that they would all still be living by the time he got back. He stopped at Sakura's house to see her. When no one answered, he sighed and searched Konoha for her. He found her hanging out with the Ino-Shika-Chou group. "Sakura-chan! Can you do me a big big favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"I need you to make sure Sasuke and the other's don't wreck the house or die while I'm gone."
"'Gone?' Where are you going?" Ino asked.
"I'm leaving for training. I shouldn't be gone long. A month maybe at the most. If I take longer, I'll be sure to come back and tell you but I don't think it will."
Sakura looked hesitant in granting Naruto his favor. She still hadn't gotten around to trusting Itachi yet after all. It's kind of hard to trust a man you've met on multiple occasions and on every single on he's tried to hurt you or your friends. "Umm…"
"Please, please, please, Sakura-chan! I'm begging you! All you need to do is cook for them every now and then and check up on them! And tell them to clean up if the house is messy! You really don't need to do all that much! Please, please, please, ple-"
"Alright, alright! I'll do it! But you totally owe me one Naruto!" Sakura consented to her friends pleas.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Sakura! I'll see you all later! Tell Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei I said 'Bye!'" Naruto ran off. He skidded to a stop in front of Tsunade. "I'm here!" Naruto huffed out, trying to regain his breath.
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. "You were almost late, Gaki!"
"I know, I know! I'm sorry! I got lost on the Road of Life!" Somewhere, a cycloptic Jounin sneezed. 'Yes! I got one of them!'
A vein popped out on her forehead. "Whatever, Gaki! Now get goin'!"
"Uhmm… How exactly am I getting there?" Naruto rubbed the back of his next sheepishly.
"Reverse Summoning." Fukasaku explained.
"Oh~! And how do I-?" He disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Take care of him Fukasaku." Tsunade looked down at the frog.
"Of course." He disappeared.
Sasuke stared out the window. There was a slight drizzle that day; the clouds above a light grey, blocking out the sun. He sighed silently to himself for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. The house was quiet and – dare he say it – boring without Naruto around. I had been two weeks since Naruto left, and Sasuke was bored out of his mind! Sure, there was Itachi in the house, not to mention those idiots living next to them, and Sakura who came over on occasion, but it just wasn't the same. He sighed again to himself.
"Sasuke…" He heard a wet call for his name from the doorway. When he looked, he immediately rushed to Itachi as the man pitched forward. Sasuke caught him before he could hit the ground. Itachi coughed up more blood. "I think-" He started to cough again.
Sasuke went into action, picking up the man in his arms and using a bit of chakra to help. He enhanced his speed with chakra as well, running to the hospital. Sasuke kicked the doors down, startling the people inside. "Where's Tsunade?" There was a flurry of people as they saw the condition of the man in his arms. A doctor set him on a gurney and began to wheel him off while another left to find the Hokage. Everyone knew who this man was and everyone knew that Tsunade was his personal doctor.
A minute passed before Tsunade slammed through the doors, once again startling the poor civilians inside. "What happened?" She asked as her and Sasuke ran to where they took Itachi.
"I don't know. He walked into my room coughing up blood. He collapsed and passed out a little while after."
Tsunade nodded at the got to the room. She pushed the doctor aside and began her own diagnosis. The Hokage paused her hands over the man's chest before moving them up to his throat and over his mouth. Blood stained with a black substance came out. She carried it with her chakra into a nearby basin. "What is your blood type Sasuke?"
"AB. Why?"
"How do you feel about needles?"
Sasuke picked it up quickly, showing the inside of his arm. "Give him all the blood he needs."
"Good." She quickly called for a blood transfuser. "Go ahead and sit down in that chair. You'll probably start to feel light headed and I don't want you falling and screwing this up. Go get some Orange Juice and two IV's for the both of them." She ordered another nurse. She quickly grabbed the blood transfuser from the doctor who just got back. She used an anesthetic wipe to clean any harmful germs before sticking the needle in both of them. She turned on the machine and it began to pull blood from his arm. He winced at the feeling. ( 2 )
Tsunade began to draw blood out of Itachi VIA his mouth and lungs. All of the blood she pulled out had a black substance in it. She ignored the nurse as she put an IV in both Uchiha's arms and handed Sasuke some Orange Juice. Tsunade continued this process until Sasuke slumped in his seat, his head falling forward. She cursed and turned of the machine. She pulled out the needles, cleaning off the area and putting a band-aid over it to prevent it from bleeding out. Tsunade called in some doctors and nurses to get them into a room and to get them comfortable. She sighed and rubbed her face as she left the room, taking the basin of black stained blood with her for more research. She was no where near finding a cure despite the numerous sleepless nights and she was afraid that Itachi didn't have much longer to live. His lungs and heart were deteriorating at a much faster pace then she could have ever predicted. She'd be surprised it Itachi lived to see next week.
"Goddamnit!" Naruto cursed as the Kyuubi pushed him and Fukasaku apart. Every time they tried to fuse, the Kyuubi pushed them apart and every time he did it, it hurt like a bitch! It didn't seem to hurt Fukasaku all that much, save for the pain of having his own chakra forced into him so Naruto was thankful for that.
"One more time." Naruto almost whined when Fukasaku uttered those words. He just wanted to say 'Fuck it!' and find a new way of doing it, but he got up and allowed the frog onto his shoulder. Just as they were about to start up again, Kousuke appeared in front of him. It was the frog Fukasaku left behind to act as messenger. "What happened?" Fukasaku asked.
"Tsunade-sama wishes for Naruto to come home. She said it's an emergency." Though he said it was an emergency, he didn't sound hurried at all.
Naruto and Fukasaku looked at each other. "Alright. I'll go in a second. Let me get cleaned up." Naruto quickly went to the house. He took a quick shower, and gathered his things. He tied his hair back in a high ponytail since it now reached his shoulders when he tied it back; it went down a little passed his should blades when it wasn't up. He usually hated how fast his hair grew, but this time he kinda liked it since he was aiming to grow it out like his sensei. Naruto now wore a cloak over his usual outfit. It was a short sleeve, high collared, buttonless black cloak that reached down to his knees. There was a red-orange flame pattern licking the fabric at the bottom. ( 3 ) He slid the official Gama Summoning Scroll that Jiraiya used to be in charge of in a sling on his back. He smiled to himself as he walked out the house, yelling a 'Goodbye!' to Shima. ( 4 )
"Ready?" Naruto nodded to Fukasaku and they disappeared in a puff of smoke only to reappear in the Hokage's Office.
"What'cha need Obaa-san? I'm not done with-"
"Itachi's back in the hospital." Tsunade stunned Naruto into silence. "He collapsed two days and he hasn't woken up since. I had to do an emergency blood transfusion with Sasuke as the donor in order to keep Itachi alive. But I'm afraid he won't live much longer unless I can find a cure." She sighed to herself and rubbed her temples. "I'm no where near finding a cure. Not even a temporary one. He's got two days, maybe a week at best, but his organs are already starting to shut down. We're doing all we can to keep him alive."
"What room?" Naruto asked quietly.
"He's staying here in the Hokage Tower's personal room. I wanted to be close to him just in case so I brought all the equipment I could think of that would help me. He's through those doors." She pointed to the right.
Naruto nodded and headed to the entrance. He opened the doors quietly, not making a sound as he walked up to Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke was sitting lifelessly in the chair beside the bed, staring at Itachi's prone body. Itachi was hooked up to at least four machines, each one working it's best to keep Itachi alive. There was a breathing tube going down Itachi's throat and numerous needles stuck into his body. His face was pale and sunken and there were black circles surrounding his eyes. Itachi's body was limp and lifeless, just lying there on the bed as if he were already dead.
"I called you back so you could say good-"
"Don't…. Don't say it… You're going to find a cure. I know you will. You have to." Naruto whispered, not looking away from Itachi.
"Naruto…" Tsunade looked at the two men sadly. "I'm sorry… But I don't think he'll-"
"Shut up." Sasuke interrupted her this time. "He can't die… He… He has to make it up to me…" Sasuke didn't expand his thoughts further. Tsunade was surprised that he even talked. He hasn't talked for almost two days now, choosing to stare at the weakened form of his older brother.
Tsunade shook her head. Denial was a hard thing to come over. "You two have to face reality. Itachi is more than likely going to die. There's nothing you two can do about it."
Naruto turned his pain stricken eyes towards her, almost causing her to take a step back. "Then what are you doing here talking to us for? Go." Tsunade closed her eyes in sympathy as Naruto turned his head back around and sat down in another chair next to the bed. She walked out silently, leaving the men alone.
Tsunade wiped her brow as she tried another solution with the contaminated blood she had gotten from Itachi. She cursed when the black multiplied instead of decreased and through the testing solution away along with the blood. She looked back over her notes, going through everything again in her mind. Should she use a deer antler this time instead of a lizard's tail? Or maybe it was the Agaricus Blazei plant? Wait, did she use that? Fuck! She bit her thumb in thought as she poured over her notes, scratching out words and adding new ones.
She slumped into the chair next to her working desk. She had been going at this non stop since yesterday after she called back Naruto. Her body was aching and her mind was scattered with her thoughts. She didn't know what she would do if Itachi died, not that she had any kind of personal relationship with him. No, she was worried because of Naruto. Naruto just lost Jiraiya; he couldn't lose Itachi now that he had become another one of his precious people. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought of the pain Naruto must be going through right now.
She double checked her notes, triple checked them. She checked them over and over again for the next ten minutes. When she couldn't make any more changes, she asked for Shizune and three other doctors to get their outlooks on the information. They all gave her the same answer she arrived to even though she made them go through it twice. She felt a tear slip down her cheek. There was no cure.
Yay~! Another one finished! I hope you all enjoyed! And sorry to all of you whom I made lose The Game! I couldn't resist when I thought of it while writing. Also, I should be putting up UNAI within the next week.
( 1 ) "It's a Pear Blossom. It means good health and hope."
-Okay, I don't exactly remember where I got that information, but I Google'd it. It's a really pretty flower – here's a photo (Also, there will be a link in my profile.):
http:/tangledhelix (dot) com/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/blossom (dot )jpg
( 2 ) The blood transfusion between Itachi and Sasuke.
-Alright, I'm not totally sure if this can happen in real life, but it can in my fic because I say so.
( 3 ) Naruto's cloak.
-I changed the style up a bit from the Canon because I don't think that the red looks good with the orange. Honestly, what is Kishimoto thinking! It totally clashes with his outfit! (Or at least I think so.)
( 4 ) He smiled to himself as he walked out the house, yelling a 'Goodbye!' to Shima.
-Shima is the 'Ma' frog. The wife of Fukasaku 'Pa.'