Chapter 6

Sasuke

God, I didn't think that lunch would be here sooner or later. It felt like a thousand years before lunch period. And today they were serving something that looked like food, but it actually like someone took a shit and called it food. I hate school food, makes me sick just being here when they're cooking.

"Hey, Sasuke, come sit with us." I heard Temari, a blonde from a year older said as she sat down with her two brothers. Though, if you looked closely, they didn't look like siblings at all.

Sighing, I walked over and sat down next to Gaara, the youngest of the three siblings and leaned down on my elbow while resting my head on my hand. I didn't get anything for lunch, I was too worried about Naruto. If nothing was wrong, he'd be here at the school by now from the hospital. And the vibes I was getting from Gaara, he knew something was wrong, but I couldn't tell him. He'd flip and go psycho on this entire school.

"What's wrong sour puss?" Kankuro, the middle child, asked with a smirk on his face as he shoved his face with the thing called a chicken wing into his mouth.

"Don't call me that, and I'm worried about Naruto, if you want to know." I sighed, now wishing I didn't say anything.

"Why? Isn't he always hurting himself doing something?" Temari shrugged as she started picking at her food. At least she got something that looked edible; aka salad.

"I guess he decided to try a new martial arts move in his room last night that calls for you to jump up and flip backwards in the air … and landed in the middle of his back on the corner of his dresser." I said, remembering I heard Tsunade talking to our first period teacher, Iruka, when I walked by her office. God that's such a horrible ass lie, at least I'm the only one that knows the truth around here besides her.

"Damn, he could have broken his back." Kankuro hissed.

"He was walking this morning when we were leaving, so his back might not be broken." I said with a shrug, my stomach flipping backwards just at the thought of it being possible.

"Well, don't worry over it okay? It will make you sick." Temari said after a few moments of silence, and she was right. Every time I worried about the blonde, I ended up so sick to my stomach I had to puke even when I ate or drank nothing, and I was getting close to the urge to puke already.

"You're right … I guess …" I sighed and leaned forward, resting my head on the table as I groaned.

"You should go home, that might be good for you to get out of here for a while, relax a bit. Your nerves are just about pushed past there limit." Gaara finally said after a long while. "I'm sure Tsunade-sama would let you."

"Yea, she would." I nodded. "Ya know what, I think I'll take up that offer. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I added when my stomach lurched because my worry over Naruto hadn't stopped.

"Okay, feel better Sasuke." Temari and Kankuro said as I stood up and left the cafeteria, shouldering my backpack as I headed off to the office.

I nearly took my time getting there, but if I wanted to go home before lunch was over, I hurried the last few doors to the office and walked in to find Shizune on the phone with someone. I wanted to believe it was Naruto's dad calling in, but I was getting my hopes up for something that probably happened hours ago and sat down in front of her desk, waiting patiently until she was done with her phone call. I wonder if I look sick enough to my stomach to go home.

"Okay, thanks Minato, for calling. I hope everything gets better for Naruto. I'll also have his homework for the next two weeks ready to be picked up when school is let out." Shizune, hell my instincts are good. "Okay, bye."

"So, how's Naruto?" I asked when she hung the phone up.

"He's not doing good, but that's all I can say right now. Tsunade's leaving the moment school is out to go and see him." She said, and I could tell she could have told me, but it honestly isn't any of my business.

"Okay, and I'm here to go home, I'm not feeling too good today." I told her with a small sigh.

"Yea, you look a little pale. Your stomach bothering you?" She asked.

I only nodded when I felt my stomach lurch again and this time I couldn't keep myself from feeling the bile coming up my throat as I reached for the trash can and emptied my already empty stomach into the pail.

"Yea, you can go home Sasuke. You know the procedure, your absence will be counted as an unexcused unless you come in with a doctors' note." Shizune said as she reached into her desk and pulled out the sign up folder.

I nodded again, half afraid that if I spoke I'd empty my stomach again into the trash can and signed myself out. I took the liberty of taking the garbage bag out myself and tied it shut. I knew Shizune would call the janitor the moment I walked out to get the bag and spray the can before putting a new bag into it, so I left it tied in the can when I got up, waving as I used my free hand to get my cell phone out and called my brother. I didn't have a car yet, and I could walk home if I wanted. But I wanted to go and see Naruto before I headed home, so Itachi, and his car, were needed this time.

"What's wrong? I thought I told you not to use your phone during school hours." Itachi's tired voice said into the phone and made me regret calling him.

"I'm going home sick, but I want to visit Naruto before going home, can you come pick me up at the library? I'm walking there now." I told him. I wasn't in the mood for him to get on my nerves right now. And he was doing a great job.

"Yea, I'll be there when you get there. I'm on lunch break right now so we don't have long at the hospital. And I swear, if you attack Minato like you did this morning, I'm going to lock you in your room until I get home tonight." Itachi said into the phone, and I could tell that he was driving. It had taken me a moment to realize that. I must be ill.

"Okay, I get it, see you in a few." I sighed, hanging up before I decided I wanted to argue, and quickened my pace towards the library, though the speed increase wasn't much. I still got there just as Itachi drove into the parking lot of the library and climbed into the car when it stopped moving.

"You really do look like shit." Itachi commented, and all I could do was groan.

"Shut up." I sighed. "Lets get this done and over with so I can go home and lay down."

Itachi only nodded as he got the car into drive and started off in the direction of the hospital.

"So, do you know what got you sick this time?" Itachi asked to break the silence that was looming over the two of us. I guess he didn't like how quiet it was because I was about to fall asleep.

"Nerves." Was all I said, and hoped he'd leave it at that.

"You're that worried about Naruto?" He asked, and he sounded shocked that'd I'd worry myself over someone besides myself. Bastard.

"Yes, is it that hard to admit that I'm worried about the stupid idiot?" I asked.

"No, but it is a little weird." He had to say, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him and stare out my window, wishing he'd be quiet until we got there.

And he was, for once. I never heard my brother be so quiet on a car ride before. I guess he realized how uneasy I really was and when he parked the car in the garage, I couldn't help but noticed how empty it looked for it being during the day. That was until I realized how high in the garage we really were and wished I didn't look.

"Over here Sasuke." I heard Itachi call out to me in the opposite direction and I quickly went over to where he was and climbed into the elevator he had ready by the time I got over to him. "I'm hoping it won't take long to find him. Since he's probably not in the ER department anymore, we need to go to the main desk and ask if they could possibly let us know where he is. I saw Minato's car, so I know he's still here. And if we find him, then that's good luck for the two of us."

"Lets find Naruto's dad first, that might be the best way to go. Main desk knows nothing about patient whereabouts." I sighed, wishing we didn't have to as the two of us got off the elevator, I already forgot what floor of the garage we parked on.

"Well, well, we don't have to look far." Itachi hummed, and I didn't know what he was talking about until we saw Minato sitting on a bench by the entrance. From where I stood, it looked like he was sleeping because his eyes were closed.

Not wanting to say anything because I felt that if I did, I'd say something I might regret later, and followed Itachi over to where Minato was and stood a good few feet away from him.

"Hey, Minato, mind if we sit with you?" Itachi asked softly. Why the fuck is he being so nice to the bastard in the first place?

"Sure." Minato mumbled as he scooted over towards his left, leaving the rest of the bench for Itachi and me, and I made sure that Itachi was in the middle. I didn't want to talk to him, Itachi did.

"Thank you." Itachi said, for both of us, when the two of us settled on the bench. "So, how's Naruto?"

"Well, the last time I saw him, he was sleeping in a room. He got his x-rays and there's two spinal disks fractured. Mostly it's just really bad bruising and then there's where the skin broke that got stitched. But other than that, when he wakes up he can go home. But I don't think he'll wake up until tomorrow. He's been out of it since we got here." The man said, and just hearing how bad Naruto was, made my stomach churn some more and I wanted to vomit again.

"Doesn't sound as bad as it could have been." Itachi said, and I glared at him.

"Yea, right." Minato huffed, that's when I noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and swollen, but I didn't put much thought to it. "He'll have to wear a back brace for a while, no gym, and he can't carry anything that will strain his back."

"That's understandable." Itachi agreed.

"Yea, and Tsunade is coming over in a few hours. I think she was planning on looking over his x-rays herself. I don't remember what she said when I talked to her a few hours ago." Minato said.

"I heard you talking to Shizune when I went to the office to go home." I finally said.

"Yea, I was telling her to tell Tsunade that Naruto might go home and all."

"How are you going to get Naruto home?" Itachi asked, and that was a good question.

"I have no fucking idea how I'm going to get him home. It took us almost forty five minutes to just get here this morning." Minato said, and I could tell he was close to pulling his hair out from frustration and stress.

"We have a slightly higher car, and probably more room than yours does, how about we take Naruto home when he wakes up?" Itachi offered, and I felt the heat in my face slowly grow. God, an Uchiha offering help … Well, might as well start somewhere because I'm going to be offering Naruto help soon too. He'll need it during school anyway.

"I can't bother you guys with our problems." Minato mumbled as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he combed his fingers into his hair.

"It's not a bother Minato." Itachi told him as he put a hand on his back and rubbed it softly. "We're glad to give you guys some help."

"Thanks Itachi, Sasuke." Minato said before someone walked over to us, I'm guessing a nurse by the scrubs she's wearing.

"Minato?" She said, and her voice was soft, silky soft and couldn't help but think about cats.

"Oh, Matatabi, yes?" Minato said, his head shooting straight up as he shot to his feet after a moment when he seemed to remember who she was. "Is something wrong with Naruto?"

"Oh, no, he's awake and is asking for you." She said, I think Minato said her name was Matatabi. Weird ass name.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Minato nodded and the nurse went back inside. "You guys can come on in."

I stood up before Itachi did and followed Minato inside with Itachi just a few feet behind me. I was in a hurry to see how the idiot blonde was myself.

"He's on the third floor, so just follow me and I'll take you to him ." The nurse from a few moments ago said when the three of us reached the elevator.

I only nodded when she pushed the button on the elevator to go up and the doors opened a moment later and the four of us climbed inside.

The ride up to the third floor was awkward, and silent. It was a silence that I didn't like one bit until the doors opened and the nurse and Minato was off before the doors were finished opening.

Itachi and I exchanged looks between the two of us before we climbed out and followed them. And it seemed like Naruto was taken all the way down the hallway, isolated from other patients. But that was my opinion.

"Hey, Naruto, I'm back and brought your father and a couple friends." The nurse said when we reached Naruto's room and to everyone's' shock, he was sitting up and trying to get dressed. "What in the world are you doing Naruto?"

"What does it look like?" He asked, and he didn't look happy for some reason. "I hate this place, I want to go home."

"But Tsunade wants to see you before you go home." The nurse said, and no one could understand why he was upset.

"If I don't go home now, I'm suing this entire damn hospital." Naruto hissed through his teeth, and I could have sworn he would attack someone if they didn't listen to him, even if he was in pain.

"What the hell happened while I was outside Naruto?" Minato asked, and he sounded upset.

"I'll tell you when we get out of this damn place." Naruto threatened as he slid slowly off the hospital bed and slid his feet into the sandals I saw him wearing this morning.

"Naruto, can't you wait another hour or so? It's after one and school is over at two." I said, finally finding my voice because Naruto's sudden outburst of anger had startled me.

"Why are you here Sasuke?" He asked, and he didn't seem happy to see me.

"Well sorry if I wanted to see if you were okay." I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Why bother yourself with me?" Naruto asked, and he seemed confused.

"It doesn't matter, if I stay, and Itachi stays, will you wait here for Tsunade to go over the medical reports?" I suggested, hoping he wouldn't ask me another question about my reasons for being here.

"Since when did the Uchiha care for people other than themselves?" Naruto said with a light laugh, and I could understand where he was getting at, and it stung like a white hot poker being prodded at my throat.

"Look, Naruto, I know you want to go home. Sasuke hates hospitals just as much as you do, but please, think about how mad Tsunade would be if you left before she could help you." Itachi said, and it looked like it worked. But I was puzzled over the fact that Minato didn't say anything, in fact, he couldn't even make eye contact with Naruto.

"Fine, whatever, but I'm not getting back into that hospital gown!" Naruto hissed as he climbed back into bed and laid down on his stomach. That's when I realized the black thing that was around his torso. That must be the brace the nurse mentioned earlier.

"Thank you, and I'll be right back. I need to call in work and tell them I had to stay home with Sasuke, who's sick and should be laying down." Itachi said as he pulled out his cell phone and stepped out into the hallway. I fucked over his work schedule. Oops?

"So, Sasuke, what made you 'sick' and had to leave school early?" Naruto asked when I sat down on the chair by his bed while Minato sat in the one at his feet. He looked unnerved, like something was bothering him, but I let it slide at the moment and looked over at Naruto, who seems to be growing impatient over my silence.

"My stomach is bothering me, is all." I told him, and it wasn't a lie, it was still churning terribly.

"How come I don't believe you?" Naruto asked, making my blood boil.

"Do you think Tsunade would let me leave school early just to see if you're okay?"

"No … I guess you're right." He sighed after a few minutes of silence as I watched him close his eyes.

It took a while, but his breathing had started slowing down a bit and that's when I realized he fell asleep, and realized that Itachi was taking forever to get back into the room, but I refused to let myself leave because I didn't want to leave Naruto alone with his father. I will never trust that man, no matter how far I threw him away from his own son and myself.

"Okay, it took me a little while to convince my boss that Sasuke was sick, but he let me take the rest of the day off." Itachi said when he got back into the room and I glared at him while putting a finger to my lips telling him to be quiet.

He nodded and slid his way past Minato and the foot of Naruto's bed and sat down in the window sill. At the moment, I honestly wish I knew what was on my brothers' mind for a change, and read his blank, emotionless facial expressions.