Hey guys! Second chapter! This is chapter is mostly dialogue. The section in the middle is the thought process of Naruto. And also, sometimes I will do first person POV (only as Naruto and Sasuke though). You should be able to tell pretty easily who is thinking/talking. I hope you guys like it!

WARNING: SHONEN AI! This is MOST LIKELY going to be a boyxboy story! No lemon or lime, just fluffy stuff and drama! Main pairing: SasuNaru and some ItaDei! I don't know if I'll do more couples than that because those are really the only two I can fit in at the moment. If you want me to do others, let me know and I'll take them into consideration!

Kuroi Teiru, Daidairro Biyoku Chapter 2

"What do you mean we can't see him, yeah?!"

"Deidara, please, calm down. He's in pretty bad shape. We've knocked him out with some medicine that will keep him stabilized. Right now, you need to let him rest."

"But-" Deidara was pulled into the strong arms of Itachi. The Uchiha nuzzled his cheek affectionately, as if assuring him everything would be alright.

"Relax…," he muttered softly in the blonde's ear. The ex-bomber buried his face in Itachi's chest, gripping his shirt in fists. "Thank you, Sakura." Without turning his head, the Uchiha looked at the pink haired girl, gratefulness clear in his eyes. Her pale white skin seemed to match the hospital's walls. The bubblegum colored hair on her head fell slightly in front of her face, her sea green eyes thick with worry. She wore a casual pink tank top, black slacks, and her blue ninja sandals.

The Haruno sighed and smiled slightly as Itachi guided the upset blonde to the lobby. She never really understood why the two cared so much for Naruto. After all those times they had tried to kill him… "They feel like they owe him something… like they need to make up for their mistakes. Besides, they are pretty much considered family now." Lady Tsunade had said. Maybe she's right… Sakura pondered, gazing at the backs of the ex-Akatsuki members.

She turned her attention to the window in the door next to her. Inside, she could see one of her closest friends, unmoving on the uncomfortable hospital bed. Everyday, he fought harder to keep his life. His mind. His soul. And his heart. Tears formed, sitting on the edge of her eyes. He didn't deserve this. Of all people… He's been through enough. Never knowing his parents. Being excluded and abused by everyone in the village. Having to lose his first and best friend… One tear escaped, sliding down her cheek.

It hit the ground, the sound echoing through the hallway. It was that quiet. The atmosphere was that dead that the collision of one salty drop of H2O with the floor could be heard clearly…

The kunoichi would not move until the sun rose again.

-Black. Darkness. That's all I can see. All that surrounds me. No light. Of course not. I am a monster. Monsters don't know light.

This pain is too great to bare. Everyday, it eats away at my very being. Its teeth sinks into my soul and forces me to bleed blood I am desperate to keep.

The beast inside me whispers in my ears. "You will never be rid of me now. Not any more. I will live on…"

I have longed to be rid of this… this… fiend. But now. Now, every time I see their faces, every time I hear their voices, I'm reminded of what happened those few years ago. Of what now courses through every drop of blood, every thought they think, every emotion they will ever feel. One day, they will no longer have control. They will fall before it and let it do as it pleases. Because of me. Because I was too weak.

What if I had stopped him? What if I had never been taken? Never been tortured? What if…?

That is in the past. I was too weak to stop my enemy from causing myself and my village trouble. I was too weak to stand against the terrifying creature inside me. And I was too weak… too powerless to save my best friend… the one person in the world I would do anything for… Teme. My teme.-

"I really need to stop thinking…" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and trying to sit up, but to no avail. My still droopy blonde hair covered my sky blue irises, currently filled with frustration. My arms shook as I continued to struggle with the stupid hospital bed he had been laid on earlier. Growling, I gave up and fell back on the thin, scratchy pillow, my teeth grinding together behind my pink chapped lips.

My ears twitched as I heard voices coming from the hallway.

"Deidara, I've already told you! You can not enter his room! He needs to be left to rest! Undisturbed!" Sakura-chan…

"And I've decided that I DON'T CARE! I thought you knocked him out, yeah? It's not like I'm gonna hurt him!" Deidara…

"Dei-chan, calm down. You're gonna have a heart attack if you don't." And Itachi. The usual trio who's always yelling at my door when I end up here…

"No lectures 'tachi! I'm not interested, un!"

"Dei-chan…" Not good.

The door was kicked in by the blond ex-bomber, sending it flying to the other side of the hospital room. The old Akatsuki member stomped in, looking extremely pissed off, a bewildered Itachi and groaning Sakura not far behind him. Sakura was the first to notice that the person on the bed (me) was awake.

"DEIDARA! YOU BAKA!" Said idiot was now laying on the floor after receiving a nasty punch from the bubblegum haired ninja. "He's awake now, no thanks to you!"

"Gomen, gomen, un!" Itachi rolled his eyes and turned to me, silently asking how I was doing.

"I've been better. I was awake before Deidara kicked the door in. Don't hurt him too bad, Sakura," I muttered, obviously still in a tremendous amount of pain. All three looked at me. I gazed back into their eyes, noticing the one emotion present: worry. "Don't worry about me. I'll make it. I always do. Just takes time…" Sakura sighed and looked at me skeptically. "Enough about me… Are Ruke and Suto OK? Do they know what happened?"

"They're fine, yeah. We dropped them off at Iruka's place after rushing you here. Kakashi and Iruke promised to look after them. They don't know the specifics, but Ruke has always known you were dealing with something, un. He's been trying to keep Suto preoccupied so he doesn't worry, too," Deidara explained, slurring his words together somewhat. Looking at the three of them, I could tell they had lost plenty of sleep.

"Go to sleep. All of you."

"But-" I glared at Sakura.

"I'm fine. I'll recover quickly just like always. You have nothing to worry about. I can't have you guys losing sleep over me. Go and rest. I'll relax for a while longer, then go see Ruke and Suto." Nodding, Deidara and Sakura reluctantly made their way to the door. Itachi didn't move.

"Itachi?"

"Go on Dei-chan… I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay, un." We stayed quiet until their footsteps could no longer be heard. I sent a questioning look the Uchiha's way.

"They know about Ruke and Suto." My eyes grew wide, my jaw dropped.

"T-The Akatsuki? H-How?"

"I don't know. I sensed their presence about two nights ago. Two of them were just outside the village, watching and waiting. I'm positive they know about Ruke and Suto, as well as Deidara and myself."

"C-Could you t-tell which members?" He blinked his eyes slowly and looked down.

"Madara and Kisame." I stopped breathing. The head of Akatsuki? What did he want with my sons? I can't. I won't let him even so much as touch them. I closed my eyes tightly, gripping the metal bars of the bed. They broke under my grasp. My whole body shook uncontrollably. I knew I was hyperventilating.

Two long, slender fingers pressed themselves against my sweaty forehead. When I opened my eyes, they were met by the Uchiha's kekkei genkai: the Sharingan.

"Relax, Naruto. Breathe." I did as I was told. My breathing steadied. "I promise. I swear. I will protect Ruke and Suto with my life. They are my family." Slowly, my eyes began to shut again. "You've have carried a huge burden. All your life, you have been alone, helpless, and scared. Finally, you started to trust people. They started to care for you and you for them. But then, the trust and love from the one most precious to you disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Into darkness. I can see you starting to hide again. You don't want to lose anyone else. You don't want to make any more mistakes."

"I-I've made s-so many though…" I stuttered, eyes half closed. The Uchiha shook his head, his Sharingan never wavering.

"Ruke and Suto are not mistakes. Not your fault. They are blessings. It doesn't matter how they were born or what they look like."

"But… S-Sa...su…k-ke..."

"Shh. Don't allow your thoughts to dwell on him. Don't give up, but don't give in either." I nodded, weakly smiling and closing my eyes fully, falling into darkness again as he whispered one last time.

"Everyone can be saved, Naruto. Never forget that."

Translations:

Kunoichi - Female Ninja

Baka - Idiot

Gomen - Sorry

That's it for chapter 2! Please READ and REVIEW! Thanks!