He started coughing again. Damn he thought maybe I should take the medicine now. Soon though it was being handed to him by a pale hand. Naruto looked up.
"Sasuke…" His eyes were wide and he was shaking. He wasn't asleep was he?
"Hn." But Naruto's body kept shaking. He dropped the medicine. Naruto's eyes were wide and his breath was coming in gasps. Sasuke sat down quickly and grabbed Naruto's arm. "Naruto…calm down! Dammit dobe shh! Breath!" Sasuke had calmed him but he was still shaking. Koichi started to cry. Naruto's trance broke. He silently picked up the babe and rocked him. His movements still shaky.
"When?" Naruto asked.
"Two weeks ago. I let myself be apprehended by the anbu. I was kept in a cell and then released this morning.
"Why?" Naruto wouldn't look at him. He didn't trust himself. "Why did you come back?" Naruto shook slightly with anger and tears he wouldn't let pass his eyes even as his vision blurred.
"Naruto you have to stay calm, having a panic attack won't help your condition!" Sasuke was sitting next to him. SASUKE WAS SITTING NEXT TO HIM! It was…natural, right. Still Naruto couldn't accept it. He shook his head which resulted in a dizzy fit. He started to fall. Tears were streaming down his face. His world was fading to black. He could hear swearing and feel Sasuke's hand on his shoulder keeping him upright. Then he heard Koichi cry again. His heart seemed to shatter.
"…..Sasuke….." Naruto's head was so fuzzy "…..I was starting to heal…..I don't know what to do…..Sasuke….hold Koichi until I can again." With that Naruto couldn't hear or feel anything. He slipped into unconsciousness. He dreamt, and his dreams were vivid. Sasuke at the Valley of the End, the Chunnin exams with Orochimaru, and a smile, a small rare smile. Naruto used to live for that smile.
The next thing the blonde's eyes focused on was a picture. Kakashi standing slightly bent over as if to protect them even during this silly moment. Sakura smiling sweet as ever and right as rain. Sasuke glaring, his classic and arms crossed. Then there was him, he was frowning and glaring at Sasuke. I couldn't let you out of my sights, not even to take a picture he thought.
"Naruto...may I…" Sasuke stood in the doorway; he didn't want to unnerve the blonde boy laying there.
"I'm sorry Sasuke. I completely freaked out, it was stupid." Naruto looked away from the picture. "Do you remember when we took that?" Naruto tried to sit up but Sasuke softly pushed him down.
"Yeah…You almost attacked the photographer."
"Hahaha. Yeah and we almost got in a fight because you called me a dobe." Sasuke smirked. He looked at Naruto. His skin was soo pale. It almost rivaled Sasuke's own. His blue eyes weren't as bright, unless he was looking at Koichi. Sasuke frowned.
"Dobe, don't try to get up." Sasuke could guess what Naruto wanted and came fully into the room holding a sleeping Koichi. A small smile graced Naruto's lips. He reached out for his baby but Sasuke set him on the bed. "No use dropping your own kid."
"Thank you. It's amazing you know, he's getting a lot better with people." Naruto's eyes lit up as Koichi snuggled in close to his father.
"Naruto do you still wish to know why I came back?" Sasuke was leaning against the wall. Naruto looked up and nodded, not trusting his voice.
"Itachi is dead as you know. He gave his life to protect me. I was his most precious bond I guess you could say. At first I was angry and spiteful. He could have told me, he needn't have…" Sasuke sighed combing a hand through his hair, "But once I got over that I started to remember. Do you remember that mission, to the land of waves with Tazuna, Inari." Naruto nodded that he did. "Tazuna said that Inari's father wanted to protect his most important people, his bonds with his own two hands. It gave him a purpose I believe….Naruto you are my most precious bond. I came home to protect and stay with you. I know our bond is weak and it's my fault but I want it back." Sasuke wouldn't look at the shinobi on the bed. He had taken a good long time to come up with how to sum up how he felt. He was tired of lying and he didn't want to beat around the bush. Sasuke Uchiha was going to be like the kid he had been becoming before Orochimaru intervened.
"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered sadly.
"Yeah?" Sasuke seemed to be almost pouting, almost.
"Okay." Naruto smiled sadly and Sasuke did something he hadn't done since his family died, since he'd learned about Itachi, he cried. He fell to his knees and his head was by Naruto and he cried. Thank kami he thought. Naruto smiled and reached out his hand glad to have his friend back. Sasuke took it and Koichi flopped down on top of them his big blue eyes taking in Sasuke before he giggled at Sasuke's face.
"I'm guessing Tsunade has you updated then huh." Naruto was tickling Koichi, he had enough energy to sit up again. Sasuke was sitting on the side of the bed smirking.
"Yeah, you're my mission now so is he." Sasuke nodded his head toward Koichi who was sucking his thumb. "How did you…" Sasuke started but Naruto interrupted him.
"It doesn't matter does it Sasuke? He has only me and I will raise him as best I can." Naruto looked determined if not a bit scared too.
"Well your small apartment isn't going to do dobe. You need a house if you're going to raise a kid." Naruto frowned.
"I can't afford one." Naruto pouted. Sasuke smiled his rare smile. They had both grown considerably since they'd last seen each other. Naruto was practically the mirror image of his father. He was slightly more slender though and of course the whisker-like marks on his face. Sasuke was taller and filled out. He seemed to be starting to get the same tired lines on his face that Itachi had.
"Dobe you'll live with me." Naruto looked up shock evident on his face.
"Are…are you sure?" He didn't even want to hope.
"You need the place, and it's too big for just me. Besides it'd be easier if I could keep a close watch on you both….especially if your treatment continues." Sasuke looked sadly down. He could already tell Naruto was very tired and his breathing still wasn't normal.
"Sasuke," Sasuke looked up into the man he had grown to love's eyes. "Thank you…so much!" Sasuke smiled. Of course a tender moment such as this couldn't be left alone. Fate just wouldn't have it thus and Naruto started to cough uncontrollably.
"Naruto!" Sasuke was instantly by up and lifting Naruto to try to open his airways.
"Sas...Sas…s'uke…" Naruto was clutching at the sheets. Koichi started to cry and Naruto reached for him still practically dry heaving by now. Immediately Sasuke activated his sharingan. He couldn't see the organs but he could see the kyuubi's chakra. It wasn't focused on his lungs, in fact unlike when Naruto was in normal health it seemed to be sitting there, like a clog. Sasuke immediately made a clone which he sent to Sakura. He wasn't completely sure what to do.
Sakura flopped lazily on her couch laying on Kakashi. He rubbed her back as she sighed.
"It's no use worrying love." Kakashi looked down at the young woman who lay securely in his arms.
"It would be so much easier if…" But she didn't say it. Kakashi sighed. Tsunade had already released Sasuke. She would know soon enough.
"Sakura?" She looked up.
"Yeah."
"He's here, he's home." Kakashi sighed. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before putting the pieces together, HE was home. She glared at her former sensei in a way that simply meant talk while I have the willpower not to hurt you.
"He arrived and we captured him. He said he wanted to be home…he wanted to see…"
"Naruto. Yeah I know." She nodded.
"Wait you know?" Kakashi looked completely bewildered.
"Well duh! They've only been in love since he left. They are just so stubborn, well at least Sasuke came around." Kakashi only chuckled, leave it to Sakura to be so perceptive.
"Anyway we didn't know what to do with him…then when Naruto came home."
"He was needed." She nodded sadly. They both sat in silence. "When can I…." Sakura was interrupted by a knocking on their door. She stood and walked over only to pale at the sight that met her.
"Sas…Sasuke-kun!" Kakashi was immediately at her side.
"Please Sakura I don't know what to do…he won't stop coughing!" Sakura was about to reprimand him. How could he leave Naruto alone when Kakashi grunted.
"Sakura go. I'll get the oxygen kit form the hospital." She nodded and the clone disappeared. She immediately left for Naruto's apartment shaking her head. Of course he'd send a clone.
Sasuke was holding Naruto up. Naruto was wheezing what little color he had left was bleeding out of his face more and more with each second.
"Hang on Naruto. I'm sure Sakura is almost here. C'mon Naruto don't you faint on me!" Naruto smiled slightly.
"What have you got to smile about at this moment!?" Sasuke's fretting was turning into an all out panic. He could wrap wounds and administer medicine but when his best friend, the person he loved, couldn't stop coughing not to mention breathe, he didn't have a clue.
"Teme…you look like…such a…girl!" Naruto teased between wheezing breaths and coughs. Sasuke smiled weakly but his worry only mounted. He grabbed Naruto's hand. Koichi was laying on the bed crying hysterically but to Sasuke it seemed so far away. All his senses were focused on the heave of Naruto's chest desperately attempting to draw breath and watching the clog in his chest of Kyuubi's chakra.
