Titanium (SasuNaru)

2. Iki O Kirashite

"And yet to every bad there's a worse."

-Thomas Hardy

~

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.

~

Sasuke woke up to the warmth of the Sun's rays coming through the window behind him. He blinked, and glanced over to the other side of the bed, seeing Gaara still sleeping. Weirdly, the Godaime Kazekage was now able to sleep without having any complications. Or maybe it had been because of the Ichibi, which wasn't sealed in him anymore.

Sasuke stifled a yawn, and almost jumped out of his chair when a cold hand touched his.

"M-morning, Sasuke." Came a tired voice of one Uzumaki Naruto. Sasuke widened his eyes in surprise and almost immediately went to call a nurse, possibly Sakura or Shizune. Tsunade was dealing with the village, her being the Hokage.

Naruto's hand weakly grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"What are you doing, I have to call a nurse. You're awake." Sasuke reasoned and Naruto shook his head, chuckling.

"Calm down, Sakura already did a check up the second I woke up. Now sit down, you still look tired." Naruto whispered, but Gaara still woke up.

"Naruto." He only said. Naruto smiled at him even through his pain.

"Morning Gaara."

"How long have you been awake ?" Gaara asked, and Sasuke found himself asking the same.

"A few hours, tired, but couldn't sleep." Gaara nodded his head. "Is there still any pain ?" Sasuke inquired. Naruto nodded stiffly, and the raven sighed.

"Did someone tell you why you're in here ?" Gaara glanced towards the blonde. The said teen nodded his head, his expression solemn. As if he'd already accepted his fate. That he'd never see his next birthday.

The three collapsed in silence. No words could change his condition.

~

"When can I go home, Baa-chan ?" Tsunade tried to glare at the blonde, but she couldn't. She only sighed and bit her lip in frustration. The teen was already pale, not as pale as Sasuke or Sai, but close. Dangerously close. Naruto's hair was matted to his forehead, cold sweat glistening in his face.

"I would prefer to keep you in here so that you'd be in the best care, but I think you would still find a way to escape the hospital." The sheepish look on the pale face told her she was right.

"Sasuke will be looking after you. You two do still live together. You need to sleep and eat regularly, and you can't be left alone. We don't know about the sickness' symptoms. "

Naruto nodded. "Where is Sasuke anyway ? Tsunade gestured towards to opening door. The Hokage helped Naruto from the IVs and other hooks and monitors.

Sasuke walked in to the room and handed Naruto a pile of clothes.

"As much as you seem to love your orange clothes, they are ruined and so I got you some of my old clothes. You're so scrawny and short that these probably fits you." Naruto frowned at the mention of his precious orange clothing. The one's he got from his late master, Jiraya.

Still, he took the clothes with his slightly shaking and sweaty hands, and thanked the Uchiha.

"I'll wait for you at the doors when you're ready. Don't worry about the medications and all, I already delivered them to our house." Sasuke bid and left the room, leaving the two blonde's in silence.

"Naruto." Tsunade was gritting her teeth slightly. Naruto glanced at her as he changes his shirt, his chest covered in bandages. His whole body felt numb, so it didn't hurt. "Yeah ? What is it Baa-chan ?"

"I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be the Hokage, and a Sannin, but I can't help you. I'm a healer, I'm supposed to know what's wrong with you, but I've never seen anything like this, there wasn't anything on the scrolls I red, nothing. Not even my clan knew about this illness. I'm so sorry.." Naruto sighed and stood up, already changed in some royal blue garments with a Uchiha emblem on them.

He hugged the distressed woman with his weakened strength, and felt Tsunade's arms hugging the teen back.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Baa-chan. You can't know everything, and this isn't your fault." He whispered and the two smiled sadly at each other. There was no cure. Nothing. Only death at the end, and there was nothing that could change that.

~

"You ready ?" Sasuke asked as Naruto reached the doors of the hospital. Naruto gave him a pointed look and Sasuke shrugged.

As they walked towards their shared home, Naruto could feel many stares boring through him. They weren't the ones he was used to though. They were curious ones. Kind ones. Many of the villagers even stopped the two, asking if Naruto was okay, with his pale complexion and ragged breath. He carried an oxygen tank behind him, and a nasal cannula, which helped him to breath.

He always smiled at the civilians, assuring that it wasn't anything serious. He didn't want make their worried faces into sad ones.

Sasuke carried the oxygen tank, as it was a bit too heavy for the weakened blonde. The village's roads were not something that you could roll a wheeled tank on, so it had to be carried.

They stopped every five minutes, walking slowly. Naruto took deep breaths and calmed his rapid breathing. It was like he had never been in shape, it felt miserable. Still Sasuke stood by him, all the way. Never leaving.

When they arrived to their destination, Sasuke guided the tired blonde in to the house. Their friends came by, much to the raven's obvious dismay. Sakura had checked his fever, which wasn't dangerously high, but still not the normal temperature.

Kiba had been trying to cheer them up, especially now that they had buried one of their precious nakama just yesterday. The atmosphere was still too solemn and grim. Naruto had told them about some funny occurrences that he had accounted on his almost-three-year-trip with his master. It had lifted the mood, but still not everyone laughed.

After the others left, Naruto felt drained. It had been two hours since he stepped in to his new home, and he already felt like he had been training for hours. Sasuke took a notice and helped him with the oxygen tank and lowered him to their shared bed.

Naruto almost immediately fell asleep, and Sasuke positioned himself next to the sleeping teen, and moved him, so that the two were as close as they could. He stroked the blonde locks, and kissed Naruto's forehead. It felt warm, which wasn't good. Sasuke frowned, but still closed his eyes.

"I love you." He whispered, and felt a cold hand on his.

~

AN//: nakama = friend, gang, companion or 'family'

Next on the update list is Forgotten (SasuNaru). I have been a little drained and busy, but the update's will increase on my stories now that the Summer holiday's have begun.

Peace out,

Naru__chan