Chapter 6

It was almost like music to his ears for some reason. He was happy with Kisame so why did it seem like those words were special? They seemed more special compared to when Kisame said 'I love you' to him. Smiling a little, Itachi leaned against the Namikaze and sighed. "That's nice."

"Something the matter Itachi?" Naruto inquired as he leaned to look over at the man that was beside him. Looking at him, seeing his eyes drooping and his skin paler than normal. Shaking him, biting his lip to keep his emotions in check, the blond tried to get any response. "Itachi?"

"Huh?" His question came out lightly, as if he was whispering when he didn't want to. Looking up at the blond that was with him, his vision was blurry and it looked like he was looking at an old black and white movie. Smiling a little, he heard the door open and close. It was Kisame, and he knew that.

"Itachi?" Naruto questioned once more, shaking the ebony haired man that was making him worry. Looking up in time to see the tattooed person, he bit his lip but let it go. "Something's wrong with Itachi?"

Cursing mentally, Kisame pushed his lover upright and tapped him harshly on the back. Getting nothing, he sighed and pressed his ear against the shorter person's back. Looking over at the blue-eyed man that was sitting on the couch and tapped Itachi on the back again. "I want you to call for the EMT. Do it now."

The harshness hurt Naruto but he didn't blame the guy for acting like that. Getting up and grabbing the cordless phone, he dialed, listening to the tapping that was going on.

His eyes fell close even if it hurt that Kisame was doing that to him. Trying to take a breath and getting nothing, he knew something was going on. Something was causing his body to feel like it was suffocating. He wanted answers like everyone else.

"Come on Itachi. What the hell is going on? You were doing so well." Kisame heard his voice raise with concern and he knew that he had a right to do raise it.

The ebony haired man wanted to answer but couldn't get the air for it. He wanted to tell him that he didn't know what was going on. He wished he knew but he didn't. As another tap hit him square in the back, he heard a cough escape him but it wasn't enough to get air.

"What the hell happened?" Kisame shouted which normally wasn't like him. Looking up at Naruto a glare settling into his gold eyes, he narrowed them.

"I don't know. The last time I checked he was breathing and then he started acting funny. How am I supposed to know when he can't get a breath of air?" Naruto shouted back before stomping to the door to let the medics in. He felt fear for what seemed like ages but it wasn't directed to Sasuke like ten years ago. This time it was for the only guy that he cared about, that kept his friend's memory alive.

He didn't want to lose him any time soon. He didn't care what it took to keep that Uchiha with him. It made him feel selfish but he knew that he wasn't. It also told him how much he cares for the Uchiha that was there, comforting him when he was crying at the funeral for his friends actions. Letting his eyes fall close as they rushed in, he pushed his back against the door to stare at his subconscious. It hurt to think that he might lose Itachi at any moment.

Opening his eyes in time to see the paler than normal Uchiha being wheeled out, Naruto stared at the eyes that were almost vacant of life. His hair didn't have that normal shine that it used to have but it had to be because of the disease that was ravaging his body.

Feeling the rush of wind that came from the tattooer, he knew he was alone in the world. Rushing into the living room, his hands took the book that held so much of Sasuke's thoughts and flipped to the third entry. He didn't think that Sasuke would have put that in there but in a way he was glad.

Like Sasuke he was afraid that someone would hurt him because he was gay. They both were therapists for the other, which helped him a lot. It didn't help Sasuke or he might have been standing with him.

Walking out to hear the tapping that was going on beside the door, Naruto peeked up at the man that had dyed hair and tattoos and sighed. He was going to take his own car so he could get to the hospital instead of having to put up with Kisame yelling at him. He didn't feel like putting up with the man's attitude at the moment.

Even as he drove, his mind wouldn't stay off the fact that his best friend could have been there, helping his own brother out. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he followed the squad like Kisame and hoped that nothing was happening to Itachi. He didn't want to lose someone that was there for him. He wanted him around to help him heal the wounds Sasuke made.

"Please. Please Itachi. Please don't die." Naruto begged with all his heart to whoever was in the heavens, hoping they were hearing. It was just one wish that he wanted answered and he wouldn't ask anything else. Blinking away tears to the best his ability, the blond Namikaze parked the car and charged out of it with the book in his arms.

He wouldn't let it go, even if there was something going on. He promised himself that he wouldn't let the book get damaged or anything because Sasuke might not forgive him for it. As he ran into the hospital, following Kisame like on the way, he stayed a good distance away from the two lovers.

Part of him was jealous of the fact that Kisame got Itachi. He wanted to be the one that he shared his memories with. It was that part of him that was envious of people because they did this or that. He was envious of Sasuke for having a brother that cared for him. Kurama didn't care for him at all. That was maybe one of the reasons why he went to study abroad.

Perching himself on a chair in the waiting room, his blue eyes turned to the book that was so close to his heart like his best friend was. It was the only lifeline he had of the teen that killed himself. Sighing, Naruto looked up as doctors and nurses milled around with things to do or nothing to do. He wished he was like that.

Taking a breath, just in time to hear Mikoto's voice in the hallway, he looked up to see the aging woman crying as she stared down at the hall.

"Where is he Naruto-kun? Where's Itachi?"

"I don't know. I didn't follow like Kisame." He answered the woman's questions just as she collapsed into the chair beside him. Reaching out to comfort her, he stopped when he watched her get embraced by Fugaku who seemed to be taking it hard also.

Part of him wanted to tell the parents of his deceased best friend that their son was gay when he committed suicide. Of course it would cause healing wounds to reopen and he didn't want that. He hated that part of him; the part that wanted to blurt things out and see the reactions of it. He didn't want to see this woman hurt again.

"What happened?" Fugaku questioned just as he saw Kisame walking down the hallway with his face grim as if there was something going wrong – possibly worse – for Itachi.

"I don't know Uchiha-san. He stopped breathing for some reason." Naruto said but knew what was going to happen next. It happened when Sasuke had died by his own hands. "He stopped breathing. He slumped against me and I didn't know what to do. I was scared but Kisame came in and tried to help him."

"Fluid in the lungs. They're getting a bit worse than what Tsunade thought. She'll have to put him on a higher dose or something else." Kisame said to show that he had relief even if it was short lived. He didn't want his Uchiha to die. He didn't want to go back to the bottle like he was before he met Itachi.

Shaking her head, Mikoto buried her face deeper into her hands as a sob tore through her. She didn't want her son to get worse. She wanted him to get better. Curling up against her husband, she shook her head even as she held her face in her hands. "Why? Why can't I keep any one of my children? God answer that! Why can't I? I lost Sasuke because of who knows what. I don't want to lose Itachi!"

Naruto let his gaze drift down to the book that told how Sasuke really was. He wished he could help the woman out but knew that it wasn't possible. She might not understand that her youngest was gay and was being tormented at school because of that fact.

At times, he wished that he could back in time. Then maybe he would be able to see his friend one last time and maybe convince him to get help. He didn't want to have a flashback or repeat of the funeral. He even wished that he could help every gay, bi, lesbian, transgender, and everyone else that was struggling with who they were.

I'm alive! Yay! I actually feel drained. I blame the fact that the day was warm, and lazy. I felt like sleeping the day away but I forced myself to write, read, and actually help my dad out with a few things since my brother got to go to friends house *glares*. Please review, favorite, and/or alert.