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154Chapter 45

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Naruto or any of it's characters. Kishimoto Masashi does. I do not make any type of profit from writing this fanfiction. This is strictly for my and my readers' pleasure. The Japanese language used in this fanfiction is translated by Google.

CLAIMER: I OWN Yami Uchiha. Do NOT steal.

RATED: R and is subject to change.

WARNING: This is an YAOI/MALE+MALE story.

BETA READER: None; so there will be errors that I miss.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The scenarios involved in this fanfiction are fictional. The main character may also strike readers as a Mary Sue/Gary Stue. If this fact bothers you, turn back now. Construction criticism is welcomed. No flames. I also have this story posted on my Mibba account titled Kumo no Su De.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

Hand Signing

~oOo~STORY START~oOo~

The morning sun washed the room in a pale gold, rousing Kakashi awake to find the spot beside him on the futon to be empty and long since grown cold. Sitting up, Kakashi glanced around the room to find himself alone. The silver haired man was about to get up and get dressed when the door to the room opened up to reveal Yami walking in with a bag that smelled faintly of miso soup and rice.

"You bought breakfast," Kakashi stated, voice gruff from just waking up.

"Hn, we missed yesterday's lunch and dinner," Yami answered, kneeling beside Kakashi and setting the bag carefully on the floor between them.

Kakashi reached out with his right hand, cupping Yami's chin and rubbing his calloused thumb across the ravenette's bandage-covered mouth. Lids blinked over dark pools at the touch.

"Are you…okay?" Kakashi asked in a whisper, concern showing clearly without his mask hiding half of his face.

It was Kakashi's turn to blink, an action of surprise. A pink hue, one that would put shame to Team Seven's female genin's hair, dusted Yami's visible features at the silver haired man's question. Was Yami embarrassed? Kakashi was not sure; having to break off his thoughts as Yami suddenly shoved a covered bowl into his hands. The ravenette turned away with his own bowl of miso and rice, hiding his reddening face as he ate. A pair of arms came around Yami, taking the food away and setting it to the side. Warm breath brushed the back of the ravenette's neck and a bare chest pressed up against Yami's clothed back.

"Yami—"

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Kakashi-sensei! Yami-sensei! It's time to go!" Naruto's voice sounded loudly from the other side of the door.

SMACK!

"GAH! Sakura-chan that hurt!"

"Shut up, Naruto! They could be still sleeping!" Sakura shouted just as loudly.

"Oi, you two…stop shouting. It's annoying," Sasuke's irritated voice was slightly muffled from behind the door.

Kakashi and Yami both let out collective sighs, one of frustration at being interrupted and one of relief at the same reason. The interruption had Yami fight off the flush on his face and Kakashi's racing pulse was quick to slow.

Of course I am okay. Yami signed, not risking speaking in case the others would hear. Now behave.

Kakashi chuckled, allowing Yami to stand and move away from him to answer the door. This forced Kakashi to get dressed within seconds, a feat not easily reached without motivation. Looking over at Yami while fixing his hitai-ate over his left eye, Kakashi could definitely say that he was motivated.

~oOo~

Tanzaku Gai bustled with night life, vacationers and residents alike roaming the glowing village. Inside one of the many bars/casinos, Tsunade sat in a booth with a cup of warm sake in one hand. She had her other arm resting on the table, her elbow propped up with her chin resting in her palm. Shizune sat in front of her with TonTon in her arms. The short black haired woman would occasionally feed her pet pig something off of her plate while the blonde pig-tailed Sannin took sip after sip of her rice wine.

"What are you going to do, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune questioned, worry flashing in her dark eyes.

Ealier that day, Tsunade and Shizune were paid a visit by Orochimaru and his apprentice, Kabuto. Orochimaru was in terrible shape, a result from his battle against their old sensei, Sarutobi Hiruzen, also known as Konoha's Sandaime Hokage. Tsunade was stunned by the sudden appearance of Orochimaru, but she was even more stunned by the fact that Hiruzen had survived.

Tsunade bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether or not she should check up on her old sensei's health. She was not like Jiraiya with his spy network, so news traveling the grapevine always seemed to reach the blonde last. Drowning the last of the sake in her cup, Tsunade frowned. If Orochimaru had not shown up, she realized that she probably would not have heard about the Invasion until later on.

"You're not thinking about his offer are you?" Shizune asked quietly.

The blonde looked over at her apprentice. She considered Shizune a niece of sorts…or better yet, a daughter. They had met through Dan, Shizune's late uncle and Tsunade's only lover. When Orochimaru appeared before Tsunade wanting her to heal him, he offered to bring back two of the most important people from the dead; her lover Dan and her little brother Nawaki. A coppery taste filled Tsunade's mouth. She had bitten hard enough on her bottom lip to draw blood.

"No," Tsunade stated, her tone hard and serious.

"But I haven't asked you anything yet."

The statement jerked the two women, their heads turning simultaneously to look at the new presence.

"Jiraiya…what are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, arching a brow at her old teammate. "Did we not have a similar conversation not long ago?" She muttered under her breath.

Jiraiya grinned down at the blonde woman, who was finally taking in the sight of a complete Team Seven and the surprisingly alive (considering his company) Itachi Uchiha. Tsunade's teal orbs locked onto Yami's midnight ones.

"You are either extremely lucky or you have worse luck than I do, Yami-chan."

Yami frowned at the woman who had saved his life twice from Orochimaru's poison. Both times were seemingly indirect as she never meant to stay and heal him in the first place, leaving his health and the antidote in the hands of the old couple and Team Seven's sole female genin.

"I'll say that you are extremely lucky," Tsunade settled on a choice, the corners of her lips tilting up slightly.

"Tsunade-hime (princess), we are here to bring you back to Konoha on orders of the Hokage." Jiraiya told her.

Tsunade opened her mouth to refuse, but did not get the chance as Itachi broke out into a coughing fit. The seventeen year old Uchiha was notably paler than his counterparts and had a cold sweat marring his visible body. Tsunade noticed the barely hidden tremors that Itachi tried and failed to hide.

"Nii-san, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked, grabbing hold of Itachi's arm to keep the teen from falling when he wavered.

Itachi waved his younger brother away.

"Nothing. I am—"

COUGH! COUGH!

Yami's arm went around Itachi's waist, supporting the suddenly unconscious teen before he could slump to the floor on top of Sasuke.

"Tsunade, do something," Jiraiya ordered, borderline on freaking out.

"Tsk! Get him to my hotel room," Tsunade barked, she and Shizune already leading the way while Kakashi and Yami carried the ailing Uchiha.

Sasuke stayed close to his brother and cousin, Naruto and Sakura running behind them as the group of eight made haste with their ninth member. Reaching the hotel room, Yami and Kakashi set Itachi gently down on the nearest bed. Tsunade's hands immediately glowed green and she scanned the healing chakra over the unconscious male. Her teeth nipped the open wound on her bottle lip and the blonde cursed, her brows furrowed in concentration.

"How are you still alive?" Tsunade murmured, eyes widening in shock at what her chakra was sending back to her.

Itachi's muscles were deteriorating at a slow rate, but what had the Slug Sannin stunned, was the current state of the Uchiha's heart and lungs. Itachi's lungs were damaged to the extent that Tsunade was not sure if she would be able to heal it…and his heart. The glowing in her hands stopped and she leaned back. She looked at the two standing Uchiha's with a solemn expression.

"Itachi is suffering from a disease that is eating away at his heart and lungs...it is also beginning to deteriorate his muscles, turning them into liquid. I am astounded that he has lasted this long." Tsunade stated truthfully. "The disease has progressed too far. The best I can do is to keep him comfortable."

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I will try to post the next chapter before the night is over with. I hope that you all enjoyed reading this chapter. I apologize to the consistent melancholy in the past few chapters. Okay, so here is a question for all of you. Should Itachi live or shall he die? I already have the scene written to where I want it to go, but the decision is up to you all. It will not be in the next chapter, but the chapter after that.

So...should Itachi live? Or shall Itachi die? Comment and let me know.