"Good morning, Takahashi-san. How are you feeling today?" Naruto, already in a white coat, entered his patient room with a grin.
"Good morning to you too, Uzumaki-sensei. Speaking frankly, I don't really feel good. I woke up emptying my already empty stomach first thing in the morning and still feeling weak now." Mrs. Takahashi replied in a weak tone which succeeded making Naruto pout while holding the IV, checking it.
"I know it's hard, but you got to hang in there for your family." Naruto smiled sweetly, trying his best to press the sad feeling inside.
"Don't worry, Uzumaki-sensei. Please be happy because if your mood is not good, I will be affected as well." The woman reasoned.
"I'm sorry, Takahashi-san. I won't do that again." Immediately the smile turned into a grin.
Mrs. Takahashi smiled seeing that.
"Have you eaten, Takahashi-san?" Naruto asked as he scribbled something on his chart while at the same time checking the woman with his stethoscope.
"Yes..."
"How was the food?"
"Oatmeal, sensei. You judge." The woman actually giggled.
Naruto grinned. "Well then. I will shot you, okay?"
The woman sighed but nodded nonetheless. The two chit-chatted light topic, initially, it was the way for Naruto to distract the woman from getting shot with a syringe.
"I will be going then," Naruto said with a smile after he was done with Mrs. Takahashi.
"Take care, sensei, and thank you so much." The woman said sincerely with a weak smile.
Naruto smiled and waved before he left.
The time he left the room, a single teardrop fell down his tanned cheek. He wiped it with his white coat, feeling like a total failure as a doctor. He couldn't save lives. All he could do was prolonged them, making them suffer even longer. He knew that Mrs. Takahashi wouldn't last a month now because she was getting weaker as time went by.
Naruto went to the restroom to wash his face before he met his next patient. He needed to get himself together. It was useless, however. He couldn't focus after that. He started spacing out too often that day. He also felt so sleepy because he didn't get any sleep last night. He kept yawning.
Last night after Sai left, he had a nightmare and was followed by a weird dream after.
The nightmare consisted of him involving in a car crash. He was speeding up the street and all he could remember was he was seeing blurry street until another car honked him few times, he swerved the steering wheel and crashed himself on a tree and he woke up, panting. His shirt was wet, covered with sweat it stuck like a second skin on his body. His heart stung and he had no idea why he cried silently. He should've asked Sai to stay because he felt so lonely all of a sudden. Eventually, he fell asleep again after he undid his shirt, he somehow felt so tired from the nightmare. The time he fell asleep, a new dream appeared and it was a weird one.
The weird dream consisted of him standing in the middle of a dim room he didn't recognize. It was like an apartment but he couldn't quite make out of it. He was walking aimlessly when a voice called out his name.
"Naruto?" the voice said.
Naruto knitted his eyebrows in confusion.
"Naruto... Get out of there and come here!" came that voice again.
"Who are you?"
"Naruto, hurry up!"
Naruto kept his pace and huge gates appeared. He kept walking toward the gates. The time flew and he was getting tired because it seemed that he couldn't reach them.
"Naruto, hurry up..."
How? He could see the gates but it seemed like no matter how long he kept walking, he could never reach them. "I can't..."
"Why?"
"I can't reach the gates!"
"You can, Naruto... Don't just walk, but run, Naruto..."
Just when he was about to run, he fell to the ground, desperately he tried to stand up again but he just seemed to freeze in the spot. "I can't!" now his eyes stung to no end.
"I love you, Naruto..."
That word freaked him out and that'd made him woke up from the weird dream. His shirtless body was dripping with sweat and when he was about to sleep again, his alarm went off.
"Damn it!"
He eventually went to the hospital this morning and the sleep he couldn't get last night was looking after him this time of the day.
"Naruto, hurry. Your patients are waiting." Ino, his friend back in high school who was also one of the nurses in the hospital and an assistant of his, informed.
Naruto nodded. "Thanks, Ino."
"You're welcome, blondie." Ino teased and led the way. Naruto could only smile and followed her.
~o0o~
"Don't forget to eat the medicine."
"Hmm..."
"And make sure to rest enough."
"Hmm..."
"You have to come again this Thursday at 10 am. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, doc..."
"Good. I will see you tomorrow."
"Thank you, doctor."
Naruto smiled as his patient waved his goodbye. She was his last patient before the lunch break. As the door closed, he sighed and undid his white coat and hung it on the back of the leather chair before he slumped himself on it. It was only what, almost twelve pm and his patients today he had to take care of were about nine people already. He wiped his imaginary sweat on his forehead as a blonde assistant of his opened the door of his own room with a smile.
"One more patient before lunch."
"What? I thought she was-" Naruto trailed off referring to the woman who just left but Ino cut him off.
"He is in room 203."
"Oh come on, Ino... I'm hungry~" Naruto whined playfully.
Ino could only roll her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Hurry." She said as she made her way to close the door.
"Wait!" Naruto said putting his white coat back on. "Where the hell do you think you are going?" Isn't she supposed to be with me all the time? Naruto thought dryly. What? She is my assistant!
"Lunch, sweetheart. I'm starving!"
"What about- hey!" But Ino was already gone. Naruto could only sigh and eventually dragged his feet, which somehow felt heavy than normal, to the room 203. When you didn't have the will to do something, it'd feel ten times more difficult than doing it with a willing heart.
He was seeing red when he saw who was in room 203.
"Sai! What are you doing here?" Naruto yelled in a whisper the time he entered his room. So Sai was his patient.
"I can't?" Sai faked his hurt expression.
"Yes, I mean, no..." Naruto approached his boyfriend, who was sitting with a magazine in hands on the sofa and sat next to him.
Sai smirked and punched Naruto's bicep playfully. Naruto could only rub his abused arm. "Hey, I know you are generally pale but, I have to be honest here that you look paler than you already are." He shrugged after he finished his observation.
"I don't feel really well right now..." Sai elaborated, supporting the doctor's observation.
Naruto didn't see that coming. The usual Sai would tease him or joke with him but this Sai was cooperative. Naruto raised his hand and with the back of it, he felt the temperature on Sai's forehead. "It's not warm or anything, in fact, you are cold," Naruto said and grabbed Sai's hand, he gasped. "Geezus, Sai, you are cold! What were you holding, ice block?"
"Hmm? I don't know... The only thing I hold before was my dick, pumped it a- ouch!"
Naruto just punched the artist's arm.
"I'm hungry..." Sai said randomly as he massaged his abused arm.
"When was the last time you eat?"
There was a long pause before Sai shrugged again. "I totally forgot."
Naruto starred at Sai worriedly. "I have been begging you to get examine many times but you always refused."
Sai was silent.
"Look, we will go have lunch first and after that, I will check you up, okay?" He was a doctor and was it okay to have a sick boyfriend? For Naruto, it definitely wasn't.
"Check me up? What about now? Go ahead." Sai deadpanned and slumped himself on the sofa even more as if his body was ready. The guy had the nerves to joke at this situation.
"Not that, Sai. I mean, examine." Naruto shook his head. The usual Sai was back.
Sai smiled. "Isn't that the same thing? Ichiraku?" He offered when Naruto's stomach was making weird noises.
"Uh..." Naruto didn't know but he immediately stood up and turned around facing his back on Sai before he continued. "S-sure." Why was the temperature in the room suddenly went high a little, Naruto couldn't fathom. He shrugged, ready to leave.
Sai seeing this, he furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why are you red? Did I do something funny?"
"N-nothing! Come on! I'm starving!" Was it the tummy? Or was it the smile? One thing for sure that he was embarrassed. Naruto shrugged and eventually the two left the room. Naruto led the way with a confused Sai behind.
The two left the hospital and drove off to Ichiraku, a restaurant where a godly food was served every day, Naruto called it as ramen.
~o0o~
Sasuke just woke up and he sighed. He felt somehow empty inside, he couldn't fathom it. He made his way to sit up on the edge of his bed and was startled when his room cracked open to reveal his brother.
"Ever heard of this thing called knocking?" Sasuke said irritated.
"I'm going to prepare breakfast and you, princess,"
Sasuke scrunched his nose as Itachi talked.
"...get out from your bed and clean yourself."
Sasuke sent his infamous death glare to his brother in hope that he could get Itachi out of his sight. When he realized that it wasn't effective, he sighed and got up. Death glare toward Uchiha members was useless.
Sasuke made a "shoo" hand gesture toward Itachi while walking leisurely toward his bathroom.
"Sasuke," Itachi called after Sasuke entered his bathroom.
"What!" Sasuke half yelled.
"You stink."
There was a pregnant pause.
"I'M NOT!" Sasuke yelled.
"Very well, brother. Meet me downstairs after." Itachi laughed and left the room with a soft click.
~o0o~
The Uchiha brothers just finished eating the breakfast Itachi had prepared.
"The night before I found you all over the floor bleeding your body's out, Kakashi called me." Itachi started the conversation. Sasuke who was doing the dishes, stop momentarily before he eventually continued. "What did he say?"
"He asked if I know you and Naruto had a fight or something."
Hearing that, Sasuke clenched the sponge he was holding.
"That was where I went straight to your apartment and found you unconscious. I promised to call Kakashi back to inform him about what had happened, and I didn't. You were in a coma, and I was too preoccupied to think anything else other than you. In a week, I finally remembered Kakashi and was about to call him when I noticed Naruto never visited."
"And?"
Itachi shrugged. "I forgot where I put my phone."
Sasuke sighed inaudibly.
"It took me sometimes to find my phone. When I finally found my phone, it died. You know the rest."
Sasuke rinsed his hands and dried it on the apron he was wearing before he took it off.
"Itachi, I need to calm down," Sasuke told Itachi and gave the older man a look to follow him.
"Sasuke, it's still ten in the morning," Itachi stated, but eventually followed Sasuke leading them to the mini bar. Sasuke slumped himself on the barstool and buried his head on the table. Itachi could only sigh and came to stand across him.
"What do you want to drink?" Itachi offered, transforming himself as a bartender, looking at the bottles that were decorated there.
"Wine, I guess."
Itachi gave his little brother a glass of wine and served himself one too. "Here."
Sasuke lifted his head up and lazily sipped the red wine little by little. "He must be involved in a car crash. Or he just hated me so much he acted like he didn't know me."
Itachi nodded in agreement and sipped his wine as well. "The latter could be true, but the accident is much more convincing. Take someone as powerful and clever as Kakashi to hide the accident like it'd never happened."
Sasuke's mind had started to wander. "Naruto lost his memories of the accident..."
"Amnesia, I believe."
Sasuke sipped another.
"What makes me curious even up until now is that I can't track Naruto down." Itachi sipped his wine as well. "I am the best when it comes to tracking people. My men under me are no joke."
"It's Kakashi..." Sasuke trailed off, his voice had become distant by now.
"You are right... I will call Kakashi later."
Sasuke nodded lazily and finished his wine. "I will go to sleep." He stood up, ready to leave.
"It's still ten in the morning, Sasuke."
Sasuke shrugged. "I can't bring myself to sleep last night and right now the sleep is haunting me." To emphasize his point, he massaged the bridge of his nose with eyes closed.
"Very well, Sasuke."
~o0o~
"That, Sai, is the more reason for me to examine you!"
To say that Naruto was furious was an understatement.
"I'm fine Naruto, really."
"YOU WERE BLEEDING OVER A FUCKING SMALL WOUND!" Naruto snapped.
"But-"
"No buts, Sai. I am tired of coaxing you to get examined. If you refused this time, you are welcome to walk out of my life." Naruto threatened. He didn't mean it, but if he didn't do this, Sai might still be refusing him, wouldn't he?
Sai gulped and let his pale hand got dragged into the hospital by a tan one.
"A week ago you had a nosebleed. You reasoned that it was because of the weather. You slipped from my fingers that time, Sai. You will not slip from me this time. You are not okay."
Sai scrunched his nose. He honestly hated when Naruto went all worried about him. He just wanted to enjoy his day with Naruto without all of these worrisome things. He just wanted to tease the blonde, not worrying him. Sai smiled.
"Why am I dating you again?" He just couldn't stand all of this seriousness.
Naruto meanwhile stopped from his track and turned his head to glare at the smiling Sai. Sai winked, Naruto rolled his eyes and continued walking.
They just came back from their lunch break when Sai's finger got slit by the metal part of the seatbelt, and it wouldn't stop bleeding. Naruto asked Sai to suck his finger while he searched for a band-aid. The bleeding should be over within a minute.
Sai giggled. "Don't you think it's funny how I suck my own blood? Do you think this blood would come back to my veins?"
Naruto gave up looking for the band-aid when he found none. He looked at Sai and sighed. "That was actually a good question, Sai. But no."
Naruto noticed Sai's teeth were red. That was where he insisted Sai to get examined. While the latter insisted on going home.
"Holy mother of God," Ino commented seeing the two when they entered the lobby of the hospital. Sai always wearing button up white shirt. But this time, his shirt was stained with droplets of blood. From a moment there Ino thought that Sai was wearing something different. It was different, literally.
"Ino, please prepare a pack of blood type A rhesus positive in my room. Hurry. And you, baby boy, I think I need to carry you bridal style." Naruto carried Sai in a bridal style in a mere second. Shockingly Sai didn't complain. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. Sai looked too weak. "You are too light for my own liking, Sai."
"This is embarrassing, Naruto but, I don't have the energy to complain."
Naruto didn't reply as he carried his man to his room in the speed of light if it were even possible, that's what Naruto thought.
~o0o~
"Sir, there is someone waiting for you on line three. Do you want me to connect you with this person?"
"Who is it, Haku?"
"He refused to tell, sir."
Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows together. "Thank you, Haku," Kakashi said before he pressed number three. "Kakashi Hatake is speaking. Who is this and how may I help you?"
"Kakashi, it's me, Itachi." Kakashi stared at the ceiling and mouthing 'why now?', hoping someone up there to listen to his cry.
"Let's get down to the business. I'm busy."
"Very well, Kakashi. There is something very important I want to discuss with you about. This is important and I can't discuss it here."
Kakashi sighed with eyes closed. "Name your place and time."
"Tomorrow, lunchtime at Izakaya if that's okay for you."
Kakashi nodded, wasn't aware that Itachi couldn't see him. "Cool for me."
"Alright. See you."
Kakashi hung up the phone and sighed as he leaned in his leather chair. It had been a while since the last time Itachi called him for a "lunch". Kakashi rolled his eyes if it wasn't about Naruto again. Had he found out? He had been very careful hiding Naruto's whereabouts but he wasn't surprised that this time would eventually arrive. He had to think of an "escape routes" to dodge any of the Uchiha's questions. He had to be careful. He wouldn't let the Uchihas "fucked up" his son's life ever again. Naruto may not be his son by blood, but he was his only guardian. Ever since his godparents, Naruto's parents died in a car accident in German, he immediately adopted Naruto as his son.
Naruto went mental breakdown after his parents died. Naruto almost lost his life because of Sasuke. Frankly speaking, Kakashi didn't even know what had happened that night between the two but from what the doctor had said about Naruto losing his memories was enough of an explanation for him to understand, why Naruto unconsciously refused to remember everything.
"Naruto is amnesia. Meaning, he lost his memories. His brain refused to remember any of his memories because those might be the things he doesn't really want to be part of his mind. It must be painful to remember, he unconsciously buried the memories deep down."
It wasn't rocketed science to easily connect the dots.
He almost lost Naruto, and it was the turning point for him as he promised himself to make it as Naruto's last suffering.
Even though he almost lost Naruto, at least Naruto didn't remember his sufferings in the past. And he wanted to make sure that Naruto has a happy life he deserves. Naruto was a great kid, and he was too good for this world, especially for the Uchihas.
After Minato, his godfather, died, he had to handle the Namikaze Enterprise because the only heir to the company preferred medical school than business. Minato had chosen Kakashi to handle the business and take care of his only son if something were to happen between him and Kushina.
Before they died, Naruto had told him that he wanted to become a doctor to save lives rather than continuing the family business. Luckily Minato was an understanding father, he had given Naruto the liberty to choose his own life. At that time, Kakashi had managed to become Minato's right hand, and he was more than glad to be Naruto's godfather.
Kakashi had promised to his godfather that he would take good care of Naruto. That was why he would never allow any harm got near Naruto, included the Uchihas. It was because of Sasuke that Naruto almost lost his own life. If it wasn't because of Sai, Naruto would be rolling under the cemetery by now.
Kakashi shook his head. Thanks to Itachi, now he couldn't concentrate to do his work anymore. Come to think of it, it was always Itachi to ask Naruto's whereabouts. If Sasuke did a mistake in the past and he really regretted it, then he should be the one to fight for Naruto, shouldn't he? If Sasuke really wanted to win Naruto back, why not Sasuke himself to confront him? Either way, it was hard to happen.
"Keep dreaming," Kakashi whispered and scoffed. "Your mistake, your problem, and your responsibility, not your beloved brother." Kakashi murmured. He sighed and eventually continued evaluating the documents.
~o0o~
"Can I go home now? I'm so tired, you know."
Naruto nodded. "You need to rest, and do NOT come here without informing me first, you hear me?"
Sai nodded. He had no energy to complain now.
"Good boy. I will call you again when the results are out."
Sai nodded again and stood up. "I will be going then."
Naruto nodded.
Sai smiled and kissed Naruto on the forehead, "Call me the time you arrived home."
Naruto nodded with a smile. "You, too."
The time Sai left the room, Naruto smile fell from his face and went dead serious as he scanned his boyfriend's medical results. He actually had already figured out the disease from the symptoms alone and Sai's history but he just wanted to make sure with having to take sample tissues. That day, he went back and forth from his room to the hospital's lab. Time passed when his phone rang. He smiled when it was a text from Sai informing him that he had arrived home sound and safe. The second time when his phone rang a few hours later, it was a phone call from Kakashi.
"What is it?"
"Don't 'what is it' me. Where the hell do you think you are at this hour?" The other line answered sternly but there was a little worry tone lingered in the voice. Naruto hurriedly checked his watch and gasped when the time showed eleven.
"Holy shit, I forgot the time. I-"
"Language, Naruto."
"-'m still in the hospital. I'll be there in under thirty minutes."
"Ya, you better. Have you had eaten anything?"
"Did you cook anything?"
"No."
"Great. Do you want me to drop by somewhere?"
"Pizza. The usual topping for me."
Naruto sighed. "Alright."
"Safe drive, Naruto."
"Will do. See you." Naruto ended the phone.
He was about to grab his boyfriend's data and planning on continuing it later at home but then something popped up in his mind. The Strangers. He would ask about this to Kakashi later.
"Ino, you aren't going home?" Naruto asked when he noticed Ino was still around. It wasn't good to leave a woman alone.
"I will, doc."
"Do you want a ride?"
"Nah... I was just waiting for a friend of mine to pick me up." Ino said waving her hand in the air.
"Are you sure?" Because he wasn't.
"If only you are not gay, Naruto, I swear..."
Naruto laughed. "If that's your way of chasing me out-"
"-I will ask you out." Ino teased, wiggling her blonde eyebrows.
Naruto rolled his eyes with a smile.
"What? You expected me to let you go? You are practically a sex god. You are handsome, a doctor, and momma-taught-you-right kind of a man, you are just too nice for this world, I just can't-" Ino sobbed dramatically, making Naruto blushed, embarrassed. He just wasn't good when it came to compliments.
"Ino, do you really want me to leave you that much?" Naruto laughed, still red.
Ino could only laugh and waved Naruto off. "Don't worry. I have someone to drive me home. Go! Kakashi will kill you."
Naruto just smiled as he waved his goodbye at the blonde woman.
Naruto left the hospital with an odd feeling lingering his heart.
~o0o~
They just finished the dinner Itachi had cooked. Sasuke as always was the one to do the dishes.
"Go to sleep, little brother. We have to meet someone tomorrow. I want you to look presentable." Itachi said after Sasuke did the dishes.
Sasuke glared.
Itachi sighed. "Look. Do you really want him back?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm a businessman, not a mentalist."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I want him back so bad. He was mine, to begin with, and will always be."
Itachi smirked. "That's the spirit."
"Hn."
"Good night, little brother."
Sasuke just waved Itachi off and went to his room.
~o0o~
"How was your day?" Kakashi asked from the kitchen table when Naruto entered the room.
Naruto long sighed. "I don't know." He replied as he set the box of pizza on the table.
Kakashi knitted his eyebrows. "What's the long sigh? Mind to explain?" Kakashi opened the package and almost drool on the smell of the pizza.
"Should I talk to you about this?" Naruto said unsurely
.
Kakashi went to wash his hands. "Shall you?" Kakashi asked back, getting his pizza and sat across Naruto.
Naruto stared at his godfather for a few seconds before he sighed. "Yesterday I went to this coffee shop with Sai in Yokohama. It was supposed to be our date night, you see. Before I even entered the shop, there were these two strangers appeared out of nowhere, ruining it. I blacked out, alright. The time I opened my eyes again, I was already in my room."
Kakashi shot his right eyebrow up. "Details."
"This one guy yanked me in a tight embrace, out of nowhere. I was too shocked to react. Normally, if something similar happened I would go fucking ninja on this guy. Who wouldn't when some stranger appeared out of nowhere and held you tight in front of your fucking boyfriend?"
"And?" Kakashi was curious now.
"Apparently I didn't go ninja on him."
"Him?"
"Yes, two hot males. Man, didn't I want to push that fucking man away from me? Guess what happened?"
"What?"
"I blacked out. I got a major headache and lost footing, I fell on my fucking knees and I just happened to get my conscious back in my room."
"That's new. What's your problem?"
"What's my problem? WHO THE HELL WERE THOSE GUYS?"
"Maybe just some crazy dudes," Kakashi shrugged continuing eating his pizza.
"Crazy? They didn't look like one. I mean, they were in a black crisp suit and both were handsome, I tell you."
"There are crazy people around town if you have watched the news."
"Did crazy people know names? Because they knew mine."
"WHAT?"
"AM I THAT FUCKIN AWESOME CAN YOU BELIEVE IT KAKASHI?"
Kakashi choked his own pizza. Fuckin blonde and their thick skull! Naruto was always unpredictable and would always be he should've known better! He hurriedly grabbed a can of coke to prevent funny death. He wouldn't let that happen! Come on, it wasn't funny when there was news all over the country saying about some businessman died from chocking his own food, was it?
Naruto meanwhile was panicking by the scene in front of him he stood up and pat Kakashi's back few times. "Kakashi, are you okay?"
"Fucking- you almost killed me!" Kakashi continued coughing.
Naruto retreated, giving his godfather a funny look.
"But seriously, was I a playboy before I lost my memories or something like that? I mean, why there were two hot dudes went crazy over me? Saying that why I didn't know them, something like that. I mean, bitch, I lost my memories and sorry but how would I recognize you?"
Kakashi eventually had succeeded in preventing himself from funny death. "Maybe they were just some fanboys from your high school?" Kakashi shrugged it off pretending like it was nothing serious. Naruto meanwhile could only stare at the grey head man unsure before he sighed and drop off the topic by getting up to wash his hand, intending to eat his pizza as well.
"Anyway, why were you late? I usually would be the last one to arrive home."
"Hmm... I just went through checking up some data of my patients."
Kakashi nodded and stood up. "After you are done eating, clean the mess and go to sleep." He ordered.
Naruto nodded. "I will call Sai before going to bed."
Kakashi nodded again and left the blonde to his room. He heard a faint hello from downstairs after he did his night routine before bed. He was somehow lucky that Naruto was a little too naïve so he was saved from having to explain about some strangers.
With Itachi sudden request for an appointment, he had a conclusion that the two strangers were the Uchihas. The one who yanked Naruto in a tight embrace was none other than Sasuke. It was not the first time that Itachi had called him to ask about Naruto. Itachi did this before but luckily he could escape from the situation, thanks to his talent of sweet talking. This time he had to think another escape route. Different from Naruto, these Uchihas weren't naïve so it would be quite hard to do so.
Naruto had been through a lot for his age. He had been in the mental breakdown from the loss of his parents. He couldn't even explain with words at Naruto's condition before and he didn't wish it to ever happen again. The second one of Naruto's grieves, Kakashi almost lost Naruto. He had experienced grieves in such age too great for him to even handle, Kakashi just couldn't stand it. That was enough grieves Naruto had to endure, that's what he thought.
Eventually, Kakashi drifted off to sleep.
TBC
Published: Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 5.29 PM (JST)