Chapter 23
Naruto
I don't remember going to the hospital after falling asleep in the car after dinner at the Mongolian Grille. I especially found it odd when Itachi came alone to pick me up. I wasn't only sad, but frustrated for some reason.
"Where's Sasuke-teme?" I asked when Gaara and Itachi were done talking to Kurama. I still had yet to get dressed to go home because I was in hospital garb.
"I dropped him off at school already. The two of us talked this morning and he's going to go to school and I'll be staying home to watch over you … and Gaara, your father called and he wants you to go to school as well." Itachi explained, and I felt my face get hot with even more frustration.
"You can't make him go to school." I snapped.
"Naruto." Gaara said quickly to shut me up before saying anymore, and I knew then that he was serious. "I'm going to go to school, but I'll be by afterwards, okay?"
"Then I'm going to school." I sniffed.
"You know why that's not going to happen." Gaara yelled. To be honest, this was our first argument we ever had since we started going out. And it was starting to scare me.
"You don't get it. I'm already failing because I've missed, what, almost a whole month of school at once?" I said, and I could feel the tears forming in the corners of my eyes as I looked down at my lap. "I can't go to college and follow my Mom's dream if I don't go to school."
"Naruto, Tsunade already said you're starting online schooling from our house." Itachi said, now taking a step forward because I think he could sense the 'blood bath' that might happen if Gaara and I argue any further.
"It's not the same. I have to be there to learn and remember anything." I said. "I've tried learning stuff on my own before and it just doesn't work."
"Well, gaki, I guess you can go to school this morning. But I'm keeping the rule of no carrying anything a little bit longer. I had them take an x-ray of your back last night after you passed out complaining of it hurting and it looks like there has to be back surgery after all." Tsunade said, and I had no clue she even came into the room. But what she said made me lose it.
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" I yelled.
"What I mean by that, gakI, is that the way your break healed, one of the fragments moved and healed itself in place, pinching your spinal cord." She yelled back, but she regained composure after a few seconds with a heavy sigh. "That's why your back is still hurting."
"Just fucking great." I hissed and pulled at my hair. "I can't afford back surgery! And this was NOT something I wanted to wake up to!"
"Listen, Naruto, I'm as frustrated as you are." Tsunade said as she sat on the side of my bed and placed a soft hand on my shoulder. "I'm scheduling the surgery for Saturday. It's Wednesday right now so that'll give you a few days to catch up on school and get all your homework for two weeks because that's how long you're going to be bed ridden."
"Don't schedule anything until I can pay for it." I hissed. "And no one is going to pay for it except me."
"Now that's just being rude and that's uncalled for Naruto." Itachi said, and he sounded pissed.
"I'm already living under your roof, eating your food and using up your space for free, I already know you paid for my last hospital stay and my initial hospital stay when this all started. I know for a fact that you're paying for this one as well and that all adds up to what? Possibly half a million dollars? Yes, I might be over exaggerating, but there's no way in hell that I'll dry up you and your brothers' money for my sake. You two have done enough already." I said, crying by the time I was done complaining. "And none of this would be happening right now if I didn't talk to Tsunade about getting help for my father. I should have just kept my mouth shut and never said anything."
"Stop that Naruto, and I already consider you a brother, so I'm alright in paying for your bills." Itachi said, but I only got more upset.
"And gaki, you did what was right and came to me for help. Hell, if you hadn't your father would probably have died of alcohol poisoning. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't already." Tsunade said as she let go of my shoulder and crossed her arms.
"And Naruto, you've helped everyone else out and completely ignored your own needs. You need to let others' help you and you know I'm willing to put my own life aside and help you out as much as I physically can." Gaara added to the mix, and I couldn't keep the tears from falling anymore.
"I'm selfish, that's what I am." I cried as I put my face in my hands.
"You are anything but selfish." Itachi scoffed.
"Fine, then I care too much about others!" I yelled.
"And that's what I love about you, Naruto." I heard Gaara say before I felt him wrap his arms around me and held me tight, letting me cry into his chest and letting out all my pent up frustrations that had built up over the last month that I didn't know was there.
"Naruto, stay home today and go to school tomorrow." Gaara said after a few minutes of me crying into him as he petted my hair, knowing it helped me calm down also.
"Alright." I nodded, finally letting him take care of me like he wanted, I was now exhausted mentally and my emotions were shot for once.
"And have the surgery Saturday. You'll feel better once it's done and you're healed up again." He added like I knew he would, and I only nodded, afraid I'd say something completely opposite of what I wanted to say and sniffed when he kissed my forehead and let me go, though he grabbed my hand and refused to let it go.
"I'll give Itachi the information regarding your surgery, okay Naruto?" Tsunade said after a few moments and I nodded. "Gaara, you don't have to wear your uniform to school, here's a note in case any of the teachers ask alright?"
"Thanks Tsunade-sama." Gaara nodded and took the note with his free hand.
"And tell Sasuke what's going to be happening, if you want, if not, tell him I need to talk to him the moment he comes home. I'm going to need your sister to give him a ride so I won't leave Naruto alone for too long." Itachi said.
"Right, and we'll be happy to give him a ride home." Gaara nodded and stood up as he kissed my forehead again. "I got a call from Temari about two minutes before Naruto woke up saying they're going to pick me up and text me when they got here, and I just got their text." He added, I could hear his phone vibrate in his pocket so I knew he was telling the truth.
"Have fun today Gaara." I said with a small smile. "And don't piss off Ibiki again."
"It's fun messing with him. He's too serious." Gaara chuckled, but he was smirking at the last bit, and he was right, Ibiki was too serious for a teaching job, but he was amazing at it.
"I'm going to get out of here too and get to school. I'm already late and Shizune might ring me a new one when I walk in." Tsunade said as she stood up, laughing in the end as she waved her good bye and left my room without another word.
"Ready to change so we can leave?" Itachi asked when Tsunade left, Gaara probably wanted to walk out with me, which was the only reason why he hasn't left yet.
"No, I'm keeping these hospital garbs, they're better than what I wore last time." I said, crossing my arms with a smirk as I threw my feet over the edge of the bed and slid off. I had woken up with my arms IV less and bandaged up. I must also already be discharged because Tsunade would have said other wise.
"That's fine with me." Itachi shrugged and the three of us left once I got my shoes on.
Once we were outside, I shivered at how cold it was outside. It might already be near the end of September, but I always hated the cold, and I wasn't expecting someone to throw an over sized hoodie over my shoulders until I looked up at Itachi and saw he wasn't wearing his jacket anymore.
"You need this more than I do." I sniffed, my nose already running.
"I'm used to the cold already." He said. "I'm going to go get the car, I'll be right back." And he left me standing here with Gaara, and I put the jacket on correctly and zipped it up.
Fucking hell, the jacket might be warm from Itachi wearing it, but I was still cold, and I felt more heat once Gaara pulled me into his arms and gave me a tight squeeze.
"I'll wait for Itachi to get back." He said, and that's when I realized Temari's car wasn't near by.
"I thought you said she was here." I said.
"She is, they had to drive around because there were cars behind her so they had to move." He explained, and I nodded once I saw Temari's car drive up with Itachi right behind her.
"You're late to school because of me." I pouted.
"It isn't your fault." Gaara whispered in my ear before he nibbled on it and planted a kiss on my temple before squeezing me once more and let me go. "See you after school Naruto."
"By Gaara, Temari, Kankuro." I said, waving as I walked over to Itachi's car and climbed into it.
This was going to be a long day, I could feel it in my bones.
"I'm going to be working from the office at home, Naruto, so you can do whatever you want as long as it isn't going to hurt your back anymore than it is." Itachi said, and I was dreading his words.
"What are you doing from home that's work?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
"I am the CEO of the Uchiha - Hyuuga Vision/Dental Insurance for the Uchiha family. I only work two other jobs because I needed stuff to get my mind off family for a little while. I'm quitting them today anyway because my body won't let me work those insane hours anymore." Itachi explained, and I paled.
"I'm sorry." I said, looking down at my lap as I leaned against the door of the car and pressed my face against the cool window.
"It's not your fault Naruto, I've been wanting to quit those other jobs for months." Itachi scoffed, but it still didn't lift the guilty feeling that I had.
"But I am going to suggest something, okay Naruto?" Itachi said after the long silence the rest of the way home as we pulled into the drive way.
"Yes?"
"Don't leave the house alone, okay?" Itachi asked, and he looked serious as I looked at him when he turned his head to tell me.
"I promise." I nodded, and I was going to make sure I kept my promise.