Titanium (SasuNaru)

1. Hi no Ishi

"The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other."

-Mario Puzo

~

"Please let him be okay." He had whispered as thunder boomed and it started to rain. It was as if the sky was crying for the fallen hero.

~

"What's the status ?" Kakashi asked when the others finally did catch up to the four. Sasuke shook his head. He didn't know. Sakura and Tsunade had been with the other medic shinobis in the operating room along with Naruto. Kakashi sighed and dropped on the chair next to the silent raven.

"He's Naruto, he's going to be fine." Shikamaru said next to Kakashi. Shino and Kiba nodded along with TenTen, Hinata and Ino. Iruka, Sai and Gaara were sitting on the opposite side with Kankuro and Temari. Killer Bee was with his brother in Kumo, having to leave to take care of the village after the war. Chouji and Lee appeared next to Sasuke and Chouji gave the raven some water.

Sasuke accepted the water gratefully, drinking it in one gulp. The others took notice of Sasuke's clothes. Well what was left of them. His once white shirt was ripped from the ends, there was holes in it along with dirt, but also blood. It was probably from Naruto's and his wounds they received from the clash.

Everyone was quiet. No one spoke a word. All of them were worried. Iruka was fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He was informed about his surrogate little brother's condition when the shinobi's returned from the war. He was wheezing from worry over the blonde. Gaara was silent as always, but his siblings could see his hands clenching every time they heard a sound from the operating room.

The silence soon died as Sakura opened the door. Her hands were slightly bloody and her eyes damp from unshed tears. Sasuke stood up first walking straight towards his teammate. Sakura opened her mouth but nothing came out. Sasuke stared at the girl, demanding answers without using words. They weren't necessary, everyone knew what he wanted.

"Sakura, go clean yourself, I'll handle this." The Hokage ordered with a soft tone when she emerged from the same room. She wasn't any better, but she had to tell the others.

Sakura nodded and left, Ino trailing after her to make sure she was fine. Sasuke now stared intently at the blonde woman who sighed.

"He's fine." Everyone cheered their own way, but the happiness soon died after her words. "For now, that is." She gritted through clenched teeth. Sasuke stopped his inner smiling and took a step towards Tsunade.

"What do you mean, Hokage-sama ?" Kakashi asked, and the others nodded at his question while looking straight at the woman.

"He-Naruto-he isn't going to get better, he has..we don't know what it is. All we know that it's killing him and making him sicker and weaker until there's nothing left." She whispered.

"What ?! Can't you do something ? Your one of the Sannin-" "Don't you think I know that Kakashi ?!" Tsunade yelled, clutching the towel in her hands and taking a deep breath.

"It's something ancient. And dangerous. We don't know what, but the white cells on his body are mixing up with something close to a virus." Tsunade explained.

"The virus isn't contagious, it'll just kill the host it has chosen and when the host dies, the virus jumps to another." Shikamaru looked thoughtful at the Hokage's words.

"So that means he got it from someone who died during the war, but how long do you think he has been sick from the virus ?" He concluded. Tsunade wiped her hands on the towel.

"I'd say the virus causes immediate side effects, and he's been healthy so not long." Shikamaru nodded.

"So he got infected by someone dying, or someone released the virus." The Nara rubbed his temples. He was having a killer headache.

"No one has been dying from this kind of a virus, so I'd say someone released the virus. Must have been Madara." He said and the others nodded in agreement.

"It seems no one else got the virus, so only Naruto got affected. What about when the virus spreading ? Can it kill just about anyone ?" Tsunade shook her head.

"I don't know yet, but I have some old scrolls from my grandfather, maybe there's something that could help." Tsunade glanced at Gaara and Sasuke who both had been silent the whole time.

"Naruto's sleeping but you can go see him." She said and the two left without saying anything. Tsunade sighed as she glanced at the remaining shinobis.

"You go home for now, he's not going anywhere, I just need him to take it easy. Come back tomorrow, the war is over. Rest. Eat. We have a few funerals to attend to tomorrow, so be ready." Tsunade informed everyone, and Hinata looked down with a frown on her face. TenTen patted her shoulder.

"Let's go eat something, then you should go back home. Neji wouldn't be happy if you cried." She soothed as the two left with Lee, Shino and Kiba to eat something. Tomorrow, one of the shinobi's that were to be buried was Neji.

Ino and Sakura left too after Sakura was clean and calm enough. Iruka went to visit the academy before going back home. Sai, Temari and Kankuro all went their own ways and the two remaining Jounins, Kakashi and Gai left after Gai challenged the silver head in to something ridiculous, but it'll keep their minds off of their problems. For now.

The last ones at the hospital hall was Shizune and The Hokage, who went to the Senju library to do some research on the illness Naruto had.

Now the hospital was silent again, and in one of the rooms was a blonde figure sleeping soundly with two silent teens next to him. Gaara nor Sasuke said anything, only held Naruto's hand. Naruto was Gaara's best friend, one of his precious family. Gaara was always so sure that Naruto would forever be healthy and happy, he was the embodiment of the Will of Fire.

Sasuke looked down on Naruto, his pale face, ragged breathing even through the oxygen mask, and his tiny hand on his. He held the blonde's hand tightly as he began to doze off. After few minutes, there was three figures sleeping in the room. A blonde, a read head and a raven.

Sasuke shifted in his sleep and leaned his head on the blonde's bed.

"Naruto..." He mumbled as he leaned unconsciously closer towards the ill blonde.

~

AN//: Next on the update list is Tough Love (SasuNaru)

Peace out,

Naru__chan