Rating: M (for swearing)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Lack of reviews is making me sad :'( review more, please, that'll make Naru-chan feel better, I know that for a fact.

Chapter 16

Of Flashbacks and Ex-girlfriends

Kushina Uzumaki placed her pen down. It was near one in the morning at The Cancer Center and she couldn't sleep. Minato and her were tassling paperwork and she told Minato to go to sleep, since he had work in the morning. She watched Naruto softly sleep. The Monitor beeping accordingly and once in a while the heater would kick on and make a funny noise, but it wouldn't wake Naruto.

She enhaled and her shoulders relaxed. The paperwork could wait till morning.

She walked over to her duffle bag, pulling out a blanket and laid on the leather couch that was right across from Naruto's bed. She felt tears come to her eyes as she tried to fall asleep. It wasn't a plesent position that she was in and her hips started to cramp, but somehow, she managed to fall asleep.

FLASHBACK: 13 YEARS AGO

"Daddy!" A happy cheer echoed threw the cosy house in Konoha City as a small blonde haired little Naruto Uzumaki ran to the front door as his father was taking off his tux and Minato crouched down, picking up Naruto, hugging him tightly. Naruto giggled, happy of this rare moment. His father was Mayor Of Konoha. It wasn't often he could be home with his family for dinner, or for usually anything. This night would be special indeed.

"Look, Daddy. I drew us" Naruto spoke, holding up his photo. It looked so poorly drawn, and Minato couldn't tell if that was him, or a horse with human arms.

"So beautiful, Naruto. I'm gonna' put this in my office." Minato grinned, accepting the picture.

Kushina felt a big smile come to her face as a pair of large, strong arms wrapped around her waist, her neck was gently kissed and her hair was sniffed. She blushes, yet smiled, looking back at her husband. She then turned back to the pan of food.

"May I help you, stranger?"

"Dat's not a swanger, dat's daddy!" Naruto pointed out, slightly confused. Minato smirked.

"Oh course I'm your daddy, who else is willing to put up with a brat like you?" Minato was only teasing but Naruto pouted throwing a slight-fit while stomping his foot on the ground. His face was red and he looked like he was about to cry as he was stomping out of the room. Kushina shook her head.

"He doesn't understand scarcasm, yet, Minato." She pointed out.

Minato became confused. "Well, I know that, but he's like what, two?-"

"He turned four two months ago, remember the meeting we had?" Kushina bit her lip. Minato wasn't forgetful, but his schedule for work did run his life. Minato sighed, wrapping his arms around Kushina's waist.

"I know...I'm so sorry about that." That was probably the millionth time he's apologized and still he didn't feel it was enough. Missing his own son's birthday, he was crushed.

"So. How was my darling wife's day?" Minato smiled.

"It was okay." Kushina went back to cooking while Minato continued to hold her, his head resting on top of red hair. It was just the two of them in the room until Kyuubi arrived from School. He tossled his red hair shaking off what looked to be water.

"Hey, Kyuub's." Minato greeted.

Kyuubi gave a confused look. "Why's dad home so early?" He asked.

Minato rolled his eyes. "Hello to you too." He joked. Kyuubi frowned, his eyes narrowing as he too, just like Naruto, stomped out of the room.

"Now, I know for a fact, he understands scarcasm." Minato pointed out. Kushina sighed.

"He's been having bully issues." Kushina said. "He was even suspended for fighting."

"What?" Minato spoke. "Since when?!"

Kushina placed her hands on her hips after she set the table for dinner.

"We spoke about it last night. Remember how he was home Monday, Tuesday and Wensday?" She spoke. Minato thought for a moment, then looked up.

"I thought he was sick."

Kushina rolled her eyes, placing the dinner on each plate. "Dinner!" She called.

"Kushina...am...am I a bad father?" Minato asked. His voice sad and serious. Kushina took a look at her husband, sighing. Her husband was tired. You could see it in his eyes. His once happy and playful eyes were now filled with stress and loss. His shoulders were weak and he was never sexualy active as he once was.

"No Minato." She spoke. "You'd be a bad father if you didn't care about your kids." Kyuubi and Naruto ran to the table, taking their usual spots. Naruto sat down and had a coughing fit, this caught Kushina's attention.

"Naruto?" She asked. "Are you alright?" She felt his head, he wasn't too warm but he was warm, she guessed it was from running around playing all day.

"I'm fine Ka'-chan." He smiled. "Just a cough."

*FLASHBACK DONE*

Kushina woke up with a start. She phanted and looked over at her son who was still sleeping contently in the bed. She placed her hand over her mouth.

That dream...It wasn't really a dream, but a wake-up call. Now that she thought about it, that could have been when the cancer started to evolve in Naruto's life. And she couldn't help but feel awful. If she hadn't turned a blind eye to the situation, then Naruto could of had the cancer killed head-on before it got out of control.

She sniffed. Her son, her baby, she didn't want to have this happen to him.

Naruto was to grow up happy, secussful and healthy. Not dying more and more each day.

She sighed, he wouldn't get much sleep tonight.

Meanwhile

Sakura shivered while laying on the bathroom floor. She was in a dingy gas-station bathroom, cold hungry and calling it a night. She only had ten more miles before she reached the city. Her stomach would grumble and rumble with lack of food and her hands were cold.

"Gotta' get there." She shivered. "Gotta' apologize."

Of course she wasn't apologizing for her own sake, she truly was sorry and she needed to apologize emensily for what she did. She wasn't so sure if Naruto would forgive her or not, but she had to tell him how she felt. She had to and she was deterimed to arrive at Konoha Cancer Center, even if it killed her.

She wasn't even halfway asleep before a janitor found her and kicked her out. So now she was trugging threw the snow desprate to find the Cancer Center.

Minato sighed. He would be sleeping tonight, he was too worried. Worried about his son. Jiariya and Kyuubi were asleep while Minato insisted Katsuya stayed the night, since his home was in Kyoto, it was the least they could offer him. Minato sipped at his tea, thinking.

His son could have died that day. The thought scared him and made him siver to the bone.

Now he knew he couldn't go to work the next morning. He had to be with his son. Somthing was pulling at his heart and whispering to him in the back of his mind to be with his son.

"Can't sleep?" A voice asked. Minato turned to see Katsuya.

"Oh...yeah, I guess I can't." Minato smiled. "Want some tea?" He offered.

Katsuya shook his head. "Nah, I'm not really thirsty, how are you holding up?"

Minato sighed. "I'm terrible. I'm so anxious, tomorrow Naruto is having another Chemo, Tsunade wants to give him one for extra precaution. And Kyuubi-" Minato stopped speaking. "Kyuubi sort of got mad at me yesterday when we came home. I told him I didn't want him to be with Naruto while he took the Chemo and he blew up at me."

"Maybe he feels he needs to be there too." Katsuya offered his opinion.

Minato nodded. "I know and I understand. But they only allow adults back there and I don't want Naruto to worry. Kyuubi can come with us, just not in the Chemo room. Still he's upset with me."

Katsuya smiled sadly. "That's his baby brother. How would you feel?"

Minato took a deep breath. "I just..." He stopped, lowering his head. "I just didn't want my son to go threw this. It's bad enough I wasn't around much because I was working and had to miss out on a lot of his childhood, now I' mgoing to miss out on more!"

He wanted to cry. Fuck the saying: Men don't cry. He wanted to break down and bawl.

Another chapter well written and deserved to be reviewed! If I do say so myself. But there are only a few more chapters to go and then we're done! Oh...mi...gosh! What about Sakura? Do you all think she's going to make it?

-The Un~Wanted Angel