Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

If you don't already know, I just put up another new fic :Sigh: I told myself I wouldn't... but I did. If you guys would check that story out, I'd appreciate it.

OMG!.! Have any of you heard or seen the SasuNaru love confession? Dude, I so put it on my ipod. I frickin' cried! The actual voice actors did it, too:Hearts!

Jiraiya shuffled his feet along the gravel path, Naruto behind him. He had on his usual outfit, a red coat, grey pants, and strange wooden sandals. The kitten, on the other hand, had on a cute little buttoned coat that was brght orange with swirls on it. Kakashi had gotten it for him, saying it fit him perfectly.

Scurrying to catch up with his sensei, Naruto stumbled, hitting a firm leg. He looked up at Jiraiya's annoyed face and smiled sheepishly. They were on their way to the doctor's in order to give Naruto all of his needed shots, and the blond wanted to do anything that would keep him from his dreaded fate.

"Ero-sennin, do I really need shots?" he whined.

"Yes, brat, so hurry it up. If we're late, I'll make sure you don't get any tuna for a week," the white-haired teacher threatened, making the little cat pout and cross his arms. It was true what Sasuke had said before... Ever since Naruto had gone into heat, he'd been growing rapidly. In a day, he'd gone from a small six-year old looking child, to a ten-year old, the top of his head now reaching Jiraiya's hip instead of his thigh.

Kakashi had said "growth" was his least favorite time of his pets' life. Mostly because he'd rather have a bunch of cute kittens than a couple of moody adolescent cats.

And when Naruto had gotten dressed so he could leave for the doctor's with Jiraiya, Sasuke had watched him from the doorway, a small look of sadness in his obsidian eyes. The blond had felt the eyes on him and had kept himself from running to his Susu Oppa and hugging him. He'd promised the elder leopard that he'd be his kitten forever, but he was growing so fast... too fast.

"Don't act so childish, you're almost an adult," the man said roughly, "by the end of the week, you should be as grown up as your father," when he didn't recieve an enthusiastic reply, he looked down, "what's wrong? Is your heat too much to take?"

Naruto flushed.

Since he'd gone into heat, the only sexual act he was a part of was that time in the woods with Kiba. Of course, the warmth still swelled in his stomach, still begged to be released, but he supressed his urges, not wanting to embarrass himself. Besides, he didn't want to just mate with anyone... he wanted to mate with someone he really liked...

Someone like Susu Oppa... he thought, blushing. He didn't know why he felt so good when he was with his father, but it was completely different from the feeling of being with Kakashi. With that man, he felt happy... but with Sasuke, he felt a tingle of longing eat away in his stomach. Since the night before, after their talk, his heart would speed up when around the elegant leopard. He hated the sensation, as much as he loved it.

"N-no, it's just... I don't want to grow up," he admitted, "Susu Oppa won't want me anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Jiraiya raised a white brow.

Naruto shook his head, refusing to answer. As they approached the outskirts of the city, the blond looked forward, watching as beautiful women and handsome men walked down the streets with their pets, all of the human-looking animals obeying orders given to them.

"Ano sa, where's the office at?" he asked, stepping into an alleyway, his newly bought sneakers kicking up soggy cigarettes and pebbles.

"Right across the street," Jiraiya pointed ahead at an older looking building that seemed to be a good three stories high. People walked in and out, their pets by their sides, "and we won't need to sit around in the waiting room. The name Hatake has its perks, you know," he grinned and led his pupil across to road, careful of cars and teenagers on bicycles.

Naruto looked around when they entered, the walls all a sickly white, a few abstract paintings hanging here or there. Many people sat in the large waiting room, reading magazines or watching the flat screen television in the corner of the room, while their pets sat quietly and politely beside them or on the floor.

Jiraiya went up to the front desk and smiled handsomely to the young red-haired receptionist. He received a scowl in return.

"Don't fuckin' smile at me, geezer, I'm not in the mood," she leaned forward, her dark eyes narrowed, "now, whaddya want?"

The teacher twitched at the rude woman and snorted, "I'm here to bring in Hatake Kakashi's new pet."

"Hn, gettin' his shots? Should be fun," she smirked and pressed a button on her desk, the metal door beside them sliding open. She shooed them away and went back to grumbling to herself.

Gulping, Naruto followed Jiraiya into the dim hallways, various doctors walking around, laughing and talking about recent events or things in the news. He grabbed onto the back of his sensei's coat and stayed behind him, scared because of the lack of light.

"They keep it dim because most pets that come in have extremely sensitive eyes," Jiraiya stated, bringing them into an office in the far back. A man with shoulder length white hair and green eyes slipped out, his white coat swishing around his ankles. With a strained smile, he greeted Naruto.

"You must be Kakashi-san's new pet. Naruto, correct?" his voice was deeper than Sasuke's, and a but huskier, "I'm Kimimaro and I'll be administering all of your shots," he motioned for the child to go in, but stopped Jiraiya. He shook his head and smiled politely, "I'm sorry, but when pets are given shots, their owner's can't be present. I'm sure you understand, it's for safety reasons."

Raising a brow, the older man nodded, "I see, then send him out to the waiting room when he's finished," he turned and walked back down the hallway.

xXxXx

Sasuke sat at the kitchen table, staring down at a thick novel with uninterested eyes. It'd been a good hour since Naruto had left and he really had nothing to do. Before he'd taken the kitten in, he'd always just read at home, go outside to catch some mice if he was bored, or take a cat nap. But he'd gotten so used to playing silly games with Naruto (like hide and go seek, tag, or find the cat nip) that everything else seemed boring and annoying.

Itachi walked in, his outfit consisting of black sweat pants and tight black top. It was very un-Itachi like, but Sasuke could care less, his thoughts on his utter boredom... and the same sentence in his novel that he read over thirty-four times.

"Good morning, Otouto," the sly older pet said as he took a seat across from his brother, a cup of hot coffee in his hands. He sat it down and folded his arms, dark eyes on Sasuke, "bored without your darling kitten?"

Sasuke was snapped back into reality and he glared, baring his fangs, "Shut up."

Itachi smirked, "Well, you should know that I came out here to apologize."

The younger of the two actually blinked, "What?"

"I came to apologize and to tell you that Naruto-kun is probably in danger," Itachi's smirk widened, "and for once, I had nothing to do with it."

Sasuke stood and slammed the palms of his hands down on the table, "What do you mean he's in danger?" he hissed venomously.

"You and Kakashi might not have remembered, but all pets have tracking devices in their bodies. If Naruto-kun's doctor doesn't find one, he'll be labeled as a stray and put to sleep," he took a slow sip of his coffee, "so, to make up for being such a horrible brother, I'm going to tell you to hurry and leave before he's dead."

Before Itachi could glance over at his brother, Sasuke was gone.

He smirked.

xXxXx

Naruto sat atop a metal table, fiddling around with the zipper of his orange coat. The doctor had told him to stay in the room after he'd given him a look over and a body scan. But he was confused... after Kimimaro-sensei had finished with the scan, he'd given Naruto an odd look.

He looked a bit upset...

Glancing from item to item, he spotted the tray of needles and syringes sitting on the marble counter across the small room. He swallowed thickly and tried to ease himself by humming a song Sasuke had taught him when he'd first moved into the Hatake residence.

The door creaked open and he jumped a bit, his ears perking up. Turning, he watched as Kimimaro and a person he hadn't seen before came in, serious looks on their faces as they mumbled to each other. Even with his sensitive hearing, Naruto couldn't pick up on their hushed words.

Kimimaro turned to the blond and gave him a strained smile, a different syringe in his hand. It didn't come from the tray that was on the counter, so it must've been one he'd just brought in...

"I noticed something during your scan," he said, nodding his head to the side, motioning for the other male to go around the table, behind Naruto. The young cat didn't think much of it, though, "you didn't seem to have a tracking device in your body."

Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion, "A... tracking device? What's that?"

Kimimaro sighed and before Naruto knew what was happening, he was yanked back, his head slamming against the hard table. His vision swam for a moment and when he looked down, he realized he couldn't move his legs or arms. They were completely numb.

The man that had yanked him down held up a needle and gave him an apologetic smile, "Gomen, Naruto-kun, but we can't have you flailing around. One of us might get hurt," the male had silver hair tied back in a shaggy ponytail, and glasses were perched upon his young face.

The blond whimpered and tried to move, but no matter what he did he couldn't, "Wh-what're you doing?" he asked, very confused.

"Like I said," Kimimaro began, holding up the syringe, "you don't have a tracking device implanted in your body. That means you're not a Pureblood," he took a hold of Naruto's limp arm and lifted it, turning it over so the large vein was apparent.

Eyes widening, Naruto tried to move, but only his hips and head could, just barely.

"You're an Impure, Naruto-kun, so that means we have to dispose of you. It's a shame, too, you're such a beautiful animal," as the silver-haired man leaned forward, Naruto saw the nametag.

Yakushi Kabuto.

"Ero-sennin!.!" he cried desperately, but his voice only echoed throughout the room. His cries became louder, but abruptly came to a halt when the long needle was shoved into the blue vein of his arm. A strange feeling rushed through the kitten's body and his breathing became calm. For some reason, he felt calm and tired, "E-ero-sennin..." his plead was hushed and low.

"I really didn't want to euthanize you, but I had no choice," Kimimaro ran his hand over Naruto's face, closing his eye lids. The weakening kitten didn't even have the strength to lift them back up.

"Susu Oppa..." he whispered, feeling his mind drifting, "Susu Oppa... I love you..." he hoped, deep down in his heart, that Sasuke could somehow hear him. That his father, the one person he cherished the most, would hear him and know that he died loving him. That he was still his kitten.

His heart began to slow down and his breathing stopped.

The sound of items breaking.

The sound of screaming and yelling.

The dull feeling of something being shoved into his arm once again.

Then emptiness.

xXxXx

"My goodness, Kimimaro-sensei killed a pet?" a chubby woman asked, so surprised that her eyes seemed to bulge. Her hand was over her mouth and she kept her gaze on the medics that carried away a body covered in a white sheet.

"Jiraiya-san came in too late," an older woman added, "and he fought with the doctor and his assistant. Kimimaro-sensei wound up with a bunch of needles in his chest and he ended up dying as well," she shook her head.

The police were speaking with Jiraiya inside of Kimimaro's office, the older man looking both angry and sad. No one charged him, for it was an accident and he was acting on impulse. Anyone else would've done the same if their prized pet was euthanized. And thaankfully enough, no one but Kimimaro and Kabuto knew that Naruto was an Impure. If knews would've gotten out that Kakashi had such a creature for a pet, there'd be even more trouble.

And Kabuto was nowhere to be found. He'd escaped Jiraiya's clutches earlier and had fled before the cops had come. There were no traces of him at all.

Behind Jiraiya, Sasuke stood, his hands grasping Naruto's cold ones. He stared down at closed eyes, a whiskered face... the same face that lit up everytime Sasuke agreed to playing a game with him. Leaning over the table, he closed his eyes, pressing a velvet ear against his child's still chest.

There was no heart beat.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered, his voice empty. He'd already dealt with so many deaths in his life, so of course no tears would be shed... but he really wanted to cry. His eyes refused to produce the salty drops, but inside, he desperately wanted to cry.

Even though Naruto hadn't been with him for long, he'd felt a connection with the kitten and had immediately created a firm relationship with him.

Just this morning he was curled up against me... the leopard lifted the small body into his arms and cradled it, telling himself that his child was only asleep, that he would wake up soon and whine for a can of tuna or a plate of salmon. Naruto would wake up and nuzzle his head into Sasuke's chest, begging him to wake up so they could play outside in the garden...

The policeman that'd been speaking with Jiraiya left, and the white-haired teacher turned toward Sasuke, sighing, "Please forgive me. After I knocked Kimimaro-san to the floor, I injected the reversal drugs into his system, but... but his body didn't respond."

Sasuke ran his fingers through blond locks and pulled the boy further into his embrace, wanting to warm the freezing body, "Don't blame yourself. There's no one to blame but Kimimaro and Kabuto," even to himself, his voice was dead.

Jiraiya placed a large hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "I convinced the police to let us keep his body. I'm sure you'd like to bury him yourself. Now, come on, we need to take him to Tsunade so she can take the drugs out of his body. I doubt you'd want to leave them in... and Kakashi's waiting there for us."

Sasuke looked back down at his son, his heart aching.

To finally have a kitten of his own...

and then for it to die...

it made him feel like he failed as a father.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

xXxXx

A blonde woman with hazel eyes and a curvy figure stood before Naruto's body, the small frame laid out on a white table, looking like he was only asleep. She wrote things down on her clipboard and blinked slowly when she saw one of the child's fingers twitch. She shook it off, suspecting it only to be a muscle spasm, but then a whimper reached her ears and she looked back at Naruto's face, seeing dull blue eyes open, the orbs shaking and shifting around, as if frantically searching for someone.

"Jiraiya! Get in here!" she yelled, tossing her clipboard onto her desk. She leaned down next to Naruto and pressed a hand against his chest.

No heartbeat, no breathing... she smiled, those reverse drugs Jiraiya gave him must've finally kicked in. But for them to start working after the heart and mind had died... it's very rare.

Jiraiya came into the room, having been out sitting with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Itachi. The elder leopard had only come because Kakashi'd ordered him too, and because, even though something was definitely wrong with his state of mind, he cared about his little brother.

"What is it?"

"This little brat's body somehow managed to take in the drugs you gave it, even after it failed. I have to say, it's a damn miracle," she smiled down at the child, "he's not breathing and his heart hasn't started up again, but they will soon. His muscles are going into contractions."

"But his eyes are open--"

"Jiraiya, his mind is still dead. Once his body starts coming back, so will his mind. His eyes are only open because his eyelids are also going into spasms," she watched as Naruto's body shook, then looked over at her friend, "don't tell Kakashi's youngest pet, yet. Let it be a surprise. We all know a little surprise would be good for that child's heart. Especially a good one," she smiled.

"Go it," he grinned over at Naruto's shaking frame, "glad you're back, kid," he whispered, then left.

Tsunade waited until the young cat's body calmed before checking his heart.

It was beating.

She also saw that his chest had began rising and then started speaking, knowing that, by now, Naruto's mind had probably faded back into existence, "Stay calm. I know you're probably scared, remembering what happened, but it's alright. They're both gone and Sasuke's here, waiting for you to get better," she stroked his hair and waited for a reply. She got one when Naruto's eyes suddenly shut tightly and tears fell down his temples, into his hair.

He opened his mouth, his words weak, "S-s-susu Oppa..." he sobbed, not understanding what was going on.

Tsunade knew that when something like this happened (as rare as it was), the person would die, then when they would come back, they'd say they saw Heaven or Hell. But when she studied a pet years ago that had went through something similar, she'd found that the pet didn't go to neither. They were just stuck in darkness.

Naruto tried to get up, but his limbs were to weak. He cried and cried, Tsunade running her hand through his hair to soothe him. She hummed to him and shifted, lifting him up into her arms.

"You're very lucky," she smiled and walked out into her small hospital's waiting room, Sasuke sitting out there with his face buried in his hands. She knew that Jiraiya probably took the other two out, so Sasuke would be the first to see his child.

Naruto had quieted down, his sobs reduced to quick breathing and a few sniffles.

"Sasuke, someone's here to see you," she smiled and gently lowered Naruto to the ground, watching as the blond child ran to his father, his words incoherent as his crying began again. He wrapped his arms around the leopard.

Sasuke stiffened, then slowly lifted his head, blond being the first thing he saw.

"Susu Oppa!" Naruto cried, shaking, "I-It was so dark, I--" he didn't get to finish as he was enveloped in warmth, strong arms pulling him against a firm chest. He dug his forehead into the heat and sobbed, his tears wetting his father's shirt.

Sasuke held him tight, eyes wide.

"It was so dark..." Naruto sniffled, "I was so scared... I didn't know where you were..."

"I'm here..." Sasuke kissed him on the forehead, "I'm here now. You're alright."

He looked up at Tsunade, happy, but confused as to why his little boy was in his arms.

The blonde woman just smiled.

Yes, drama, but it ended up happy. See some more drama unfold next chapter!