Coming Together for him

Chapter 5

Minato jerked awake, breathing hard. He closed his eyes for a moment thankful that it had only been a dream. He couldn't help but wonder if his subconscious was trying to warn him about something. He certainly hoped not, he couldn't handle much more.

Looking over at his son, he noticed the bright sheen of sweat on Naruto's forehead. Reaching out, Minato touched Naruto's head and winced at the heat that he felt. Whatever was going on, this wasn't good. It felt like Naruto had a high fever. Getting up, Minato told Itachi to stay with Naruto while he went to find Tsunade. Something was going on with Naruto and he didn't like it.

Twenty minutes later, Tsunade was examining Naruto.

"He's got a high fever which means he probably has an infection somewhere."

"From where and why didn't it kick in before now?" Minato asked. Tsuande frowned she didn't like it. She wondered if the fever had something to do with his heart. Naruto's heartbeat wasn't as strong as she would like it to be. It almost seemed like Naruto had gotten worse during the night. Tsuande also wondered if this was some kind of after effect of the substance found in his blood stream. She didn't like the thought of that, it would mean that they would have to wait and see if Naruto pulled through on his own. Chances of that though were slim because he was already in pretty bad shape.

"I'm going to give him some medicine to try and counter the effects of that substance." Tsuande told Minato and Itachi "But I'm not holding on to too much hope that it's going to help. I hate to say it but at this point if Naruto pulls through it will be because of him." Minato closed his eyes and tried to stop the tears that filled his eyes. This couldn't be happening? Why wasn't he waking from this everlasting nightmare?

"Don't give up on him yet." Tsunade told Minato "He may find a way to surprise us yet."

"I'm not sure how" Minato muttered "You said it yourself the odds of him making it are slim."

"Slim but not impossible." Tsuande agreed and she stuck a syringe into Naruto's IV line. She hoped it would help. She didn't want to see this young man suffer anymore than he already had.

Sighing, Minato sat back down beside Naruto's bed, while Itachi went and stood outside of the room. He would sit with Naruto when Minato had to go to work. Minato hoped that Itachi would be able to find out whoever was doing this to him and put a stop to it. Minato knew the circumstances in which Itachi found himself brought to Konoha. In fact his situation was scarily enough like Minato's that he trusted the man implicitly already. Itachi's parents had been killed by someone blackmailing them, when his parents hadn't complied to the wishes they had been killed. Itachi was here to find the killers and to protect his little brother from the wrath of these people. Minato hoped that Itachi could find peace when this was over with, Sasuke too.

Looking over his shoulder, Minato looked at the young man dressed in black standing guard at the door. The expression on Itachi's face was enough to keep anyone from entering the room without permission. Minato was thankful that he had met someone so willing to do whatever it took to protect not only his own loved ones, but someone else's as well.

Hearing a moan, Minato turns back to the bed, to see Naruto staring at him from half closed eyelids.

"Dad" he murmured weakly "you're hear."

"There's no other place I would rather be son" Minato said reaching out and taking Naruto's hand, as Naruto slid back into sleep. Minato couldn't help but be worried, Naruto's fever didn't show any sign of breaking anytime soon, and that scared Minato more than anything, because it meant that Naruto was knocking on death's door, and Minato couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Don't leave me!" Minato pleaded for what felt like the millionth time. "I don't know what I would do if you left." Minato closed his eyes and bent in his head in silent prayer. He wasn't sure if anyone was listening but he had to do something more than just sit there. He hated feeling this helpless, it was the worst feeling in the world to watch someone you love suffer. Kushina had been diagnosed with MS when she was a teen and for a long time she had been okay, but then her health started deteriorating after Naruto had been born. Naruto had only been a year old when his mother died. Minato had never regretting loving Kushina but he wished that Naruto had been able to know her long enough that he would have at least had some memories of her.

"Kushina, if you take our son to live with you. Keep him safe and let him know that he is very much loved." Minato murmured. When he was in a situation that he didn't know what to do with, he often talked to Kushina as if she was there. He wished more than anything that she could be here now to help him get through this.

Sighing, Minato glanced at the watch on his wrist. As much as he hated to leave Naruto in this condition, Minato had to get to work. He was trying to help the police catch the main guys that had hired the football players to hurt Naruto.

"I promise Naruto, after this they will never be able to hurt you again." as Minato exited the room, he nodded at Itachi who went to stand inside the room. Minato had no doubt that no one would get past him. Minato did wonder who kept on eye on Sasuke while Itachi was playing guard dog, because if Minato remembered correctly Sasuke was in just as much danger as Naruto was. Whoever these guys were Minato hoped they burned in hell for the pain they were causing.

A few hours later, Naruto's eyes fully opened to find the man dressed in black sitting next to him.

"Who are you?" he questioned weakly.

"I'm Itachi Uchiha" Itachi answered "I'm here to make sure you stay safe during your hospital stay."

"Where were you yesterday." Naruto muttered thinking about the guy that had slipped in and had put something in his IV.

"Out catching the guy that slipped you the meds that gave you a heart attack." Itachi replied and Naruto frowned.

"They caught him?"

"Yes, Deidara has been apprehended, now we are just waiting for him to lead us to the main guys, and he will eventually." Itachi said.

"It didn't take too long to find him." Naruto said, growing tired once more.

"That's because someone wanted us to catch him. I believe they want us to find them for what reason I do not know." Itachi commented.

Naruto closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep. Itachi watched him closely, it seemed like Naruto's fever was finally starting to go down. That was a good thing, it meant Naruto might be peeling himself away from death's grip. He certainly hoped Naruto pulled through, Itachi saw just how much Minato loved his son, and it reminded him of his own father. Itachi had never missed his parents more than he did in that moment.
"Dad" Itachi said softly "I found a family in the same mess you and mom were in. They went after the man's only son and nearly killed him. But I think I can protect him, I believe that I can keep what happened to you from happening to Naruto. He just has to find the will to pull through. I won't let anything happen to Sasuke either, my little brother will be okay once he gets past his anger." Itachi murmured to himself. As he watched Naruto sleep. He found he was willing to do whatever it took to keep the kid in front of him alive. He wouldn't allow those people to cause anyone anymore pain. Deidara would talk if Itachi had to resort to torture to make him.

Itachi stood up and stretched, turning towards the the doorway when he heard someone enter the room. It was only Tsunade.

"How is he?" she asks as walks over to the bed.

"His fever appears to be going down, and he woke up for a few minutes." Itachi replied.

"Good, the medicine I gave him appears to be working." Tsuande comments and proceeded to check Naruto over. Pausing when listening to his heart. She didn't like the uneven way it beat, but she figured Naruto wouldn't have to have surgery right then, but he would be having a transplant sometime in the future. She just hoped there was a heart to be found when it was needed.

"I guess his heart could be more damaged" Tsuande said, placing a gentle hand on Naruto's forehead.

"You're proving to be quite the fighter, Naruto" She said softly "hope you can find the strength to keep going in the coming days." Exiting the room, Tsunade decided there was only one thing she needed to do at the moment and that was to let a very worried father know that his son would make it through the night.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Despite the fact that I changed my user name it's still the same person writing this. Originally this wasn't the direction I intended for this story, but it works well so you can count on a lengthy story! Liz