The Price We Pay

Comment-crossing you arms over your chest isn't always a sign of stubbornness. It is also a sign of defense and protection, both emotionally and physically.

Guess what ability has awoken in Sasuke?

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Sasuke suddenly jerked awake, cursing as he almost hit his head on the bed frame. A concerned voice spoke in his head at this, Naruto's "are you all right?"

He nodded, slightly embarrassed "yeah, just feeling foolish."

"Why? Only I saw it. It's not like I'm gonna tell people you jerk around in your sleep. Who CAN I tell?"

Sasuke frowned when he realized he was right. A week ago when Naruto had first awoke they had discovered a problem. None of the adults could hear Naruto's mental voice. It seemed that apart from himself, only Sakura and the kids could hear Naruto.

Iruka said it was probably because of his blood.

When Sasuke asked what he had meant Iruka had said because of the blood transfusion he had received the chemicals in his loves blood mixed with his own, allowing him to be receptive, like with the children and Sakura.

Sasuke didn't like the thought that Naruto would not be able to communicate to anyone in the hospital so refused to leave, however it didn't take long to discover a solution.

Once the parents of the rescued children discovered the boy they owed their loved ones to was alive and awake, they had non-stop visitors.

It seemed the parents had been to see both Sasuke’s ‘parents’ and Naruto’s, wanting some way to pay the two back the ones they saw as the savior of their children. But both couples had said they didn’t need rewarding.

So, desperate for SOMETHING to do to repay them they waited until Naruto was awake and lucid and came to the two teenagers themselves.

It was Sasuke who struck on the idea.

He had overheard Iruka and Kakashi discussing adopting the children orphaned by the bastard and mentioned it to Naruto when one of the adults had heard it and told the others. They had spoke in length, organizing actions before coming to them when the two families were together to tell them what they had done.

One couple were made up of a female child-care worker and an male social worker. They would find the files on the children, and have them pushed in Iruka and Kakashi’s direction, and favor.

Another, a lawyer and DA would help with the legal side of the adoption.

Having their home not big enough for other children, an builder and designer couple would organize extensions and new rooms to be built on, a few couples donating money or items for the kids, some who had very little money would help out by babysitting for nothing, also allowing their children time with those they saw as their family and whole world.

One couple had become paupers, spending all their money on PI’s to find their daughter and Iruka insisted they move in with her, Hinata, once the renovations were done.

However it was one couple in particular who would provide the most help.

The father, Asuma, was a member of the SWAT team who had gone in to get the kids out. His daughter, Ako, was one of the kids pulled out and the minute he had recognized her he had freaked, angry at the bastard who took his child and all those repressed emotions from the time she was missing, his fellow soldiers had had to hold him back from running to her, from grabbing her up, there and then, and taking her home with him, never to let her out of his sight again.

HE found out about Naruto’s being unable to speak to the adults, and he couldn’t learn sign because of his bad hand.

HE volunteered an alternate version of sign.

When they asked him what he meant, he told them about how a friend of his when he first joined SWAT was severely injured in an explosion. He had survived, but ended up deaf and with only one hand. So using the one-handed sign the SWAT used (it was developed so they could signal each other soundlessly while holding a weapon) they had invented a new type of sign now recognized by the National Deaf Sign Association.

If both the families gathered in Naruto’s room at a certain time every day, he and his wife would come in and start teaching them.

They all readily agreed and after only a few lessons they found it much easier to communicate with Naruto, not to mention the boy was a VERY FAST learner. So was Sasuke for some reason, yet he never learned THAT FAST before.

Yes, being a genius he found learning easier, but to learn a sign after seeing it only once? And that was not all that happened. There was an incident at the end of the week that caused some concern and confusion, especially about Naruto's safety.

A nurse had come in, supposedly to change Naruto's drip and give him more pain medication, but from the very second he first saw her Sasuke didn't like or trust her. For some reason she set off every danger of threat sense he had, especially towards Naruto.

He had the overwhelming sense if she went anywhere near his love, he'd loose him forever.

And he wasn't the only one. The minute she walked into the room Naruto freaked out, squeezing his hand so hard Sasuke thought he'd break it and his mental voice in his head was full of terror "don't let her touch me, Sas!"

He frowned at his bedridden love "Why? Do you know her?"
"No but I feel it. She wants to hurt me, She's here to kill me!"

That was all Sasuke needed, he had already been feeling suspicious, but this was the confirmation of his feelings he needed. Rising he moved to block her access.

She frowned at him “excuse me” she said politely but behind the tone Sasuke could hear the true feelings, the underlying disgust and malice and it made him all the more determined to keep her away from his love. He crossed his arms over his chest and said firmly “no.”

The frown became slightly irritated “Please move, I need to change his drip.”

“And I said no.”
“If you don’t move, sir, I’ll be forced to call the orderlies or even security.”

“Go ahead” Sasuke bluffed, “I’m not moving. Call another nurse, but YOU’RE not getting anywhere near him.” The woman frowned at him, her true feelings showing “move out of the way, sir, I’m warning you.”

“No” he said stubbornly, “you’re not touching either him or anything he’s connected to bitch.” The woman frowned angrily at this and as she opened her mouth to speak he interrupted with a bluff “I know who you work for and I’m not letting you get near him and that bastard too.”

Fear flickered in her eyes briefly, confirming Sasuke’s suspicion, oh no, she DEFINITELY wasn’t getting anywhere near his mate. Then the fear was gone and she was blank again with “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir, I’m employed by this hospital to care for your friend here. Now let me pass, his morphine will be wearing off right about now and the pain will start to return.”

“No.”

She was now struggling to fight down the anger and remain calm “If you care for your foster brother and future mate you’ll let me though.”

Sasuke unfolded his arms and his voice rose as he moved closer threateningly “how do YOU know he’s my foster brother as well as mate?! You not only just took this shift but NURSES AREN’T PRIVILEGE TO THAT INFORMATION.”

Panic screamed through her eyes this time and she was struggling to be calm again as Sasuke started to back her towards the door, stuttering and trying to think of a way to recover and gain control.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?!" came a voice from down the hall and Gaara, Iruka, Kakashi and Madara were headed their way.

Instinctively Sasuke backed up into the room so his 'uncles' and foster fathers could get inside, but the nurse saw and took instant advantage of his surrender to his 'pack alphas'.

"Sirs I was attempting to give the patient his next shot of painkiller, but he not only stopped me but will not allow me near him."

They looked at him "is this true, Sasuke?" Quickly gaining control again Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and said firmly "yeah, every word."

"Why would you want to stop Naruto getting medication to ease and help his pain?" Sasuke looked at his uncle "because she doesn't want to give him such, she wants to poison him."

"WHAT!" the woman shrieked, "NO!"

"She's working for the asshole. How he got hold of her from prison, I don't know."

"I don't know what he's talking about!" the woman shrieked again.

"How do you know that she's trying to kill him, Sasuke?" Madara asked his nephew seriously. Taking a deep breath Sasuke started to explain "Naruto's terrified of her."

"All adults terrify him now because of that asshole." Iruka said. So instead Sasuke looked at his uncle "when was the last time-excluding the day we removed the collar-that Naruto was afraid let alone outright panicked at the presence of an adult?"

Madara hesitated a minute or so before speaking "you're right, it's been a while."

"That's because he knows us. We aren't strangers ...." Iruka started to which Sasuke interrupted "and what of all the doctors and nurses in and out of here? The Orderlies changing his sheets while he's awake and aware? How many of them have scared or outright terrified him? The bone specialists tugging and pulling however painfully at his wings? The blood specialists taking numerous samples? How many of them set him off? The children’s parents coming and going in here?"

Inuka frowned "he has a point."

"That's not all, is it" Gaara frowned at his nephew-in-law. "I taught you to look for more than one sign before judging. There's more, Isn't there."

Sasuke nodded "she took the syringe out of her pocket-already prepared and capped as if afraid of sticking herself accidentally."

"So?"

"Everyone who came before her either opened a fresh packet and filled the needle in front of me or brought it in on a tray, not hidden in her pocket. What experienced nurse puts a loaded syringe in her pocket? Even if they were only going a short distance?"

Iruka frowned, disturbed by this.

"Then the final straw was she knew about us, Naruto and I."

"What does that...."

"How many people know that Naru and I were foster brother's? Let alone we're in love and future mates? How many people outside Sakura, Dr. Kurenai, Itachi and us six know he's meant to become 'mother' to my future children, let alone a nurse just coming on shift?"

Everyone looked disturbed and even angry.

With a huff the woman pushed forward “I am just doing my job” and moved for the drip. Naruto screeched in fear and this spurred Sasuke forward, grabbing her arm and trapping it “don’t you dare! Don’t touch him!”

The woman tried to swap the needle into another hand, but Sasuke nearly screamed “NO YOU DON’T!” his eyes and vision fazed red and while the others were shocked by something to do with him and froze around him with a chop of his other hand he forced the needle flying from her hand to smash against the wall.

With a cry of fury she lost it, pulling away to dash for the door.

“Stop her!” Kakashi yelled and everyone made jerked awake, grabbing at her even Gaara, only to miss, she was slippery like an eel. She reached the doorway quickly, Kakashi crying “she’s getting away!” and was almost out with Gaara’s cry of “STOP HER ANYONE!” when there was an black and white flash and the woman suddenly stopped, screeching in helpless fury.

She struggled but the figure held her, both arms behind her back and in a set position so any further struggling would only hurt. Not that, in her fury, she was paying attention to such pain.

"ITACHI!" Sasuke cried in pure joy and gratitude, suddenly glad beyond all thought he had insisted his brother be his sparring partner and therefore learn some fighting or defense techniques. Even though his brother was older and bigger than him, Itachi was the 'bookworm' Nerd type, while Sasuke had been the jock.

Itachi smiled at his brother, pleased to see he had done something to make his brother happy when he hadn't been in a while and locked the 'nurse' tighter in his grip.

When she continued to struggle and fight, Sasuke watched as his brother leaned down and whisper something in the woman's ear.

Whatever he said made the woman suddenly tense up and freeze in his grasp, but remain defiant.

However his next whisper had her slump in his grip, pale as a ghost and trembling, face haunted
by horror and fear. She remained that way even after Gaara had locked the cuffs around her wrists.

That’s when something happened, something Sasuke would never imagine ever seeing in his life, not since coming into the Umino household.

He heard a soft “ammonia, it’s ammonia” and looked at Iruka knelt at the remains of the needle and its contents in time to see the face slowly move around to lock on the woman “you were going to poison Naruto, you were going to kill my son in such an agonized and painful way.”

Before anyone could speak or react Iruka was suddenly up and running at the woman, screaming over and over “YOU BITCH!! I’LL KILL YOU!! HOW DARE YOU!! YOU BITCH!!”

Only Kakashi thought to move, everyone else stunned by the normally calm and gentle scarred man totally losing it.

In all the time living among and next to their household Sasuke had NEVER seen the man loose it. Yes he had gotten annoyed, upset and even frustrated but NEVER angry, let alone pissed off like this. Intellectually Sasuke knew it was just all the repressed emotions since Naruto’s kidnapping all exploding at once, but that made it not any less shocking.

While Kakashi seized his love on the way to the woman, fighting to control the crazed man whose screaming now included swearing and telling his husband to let him go.

That’s when Sasuke heard it, he snapped at his once foster father “Iruka Umino, listen to your son!”

Everyone froze in time to hear Naruto cry out in both anguish and horror, fear and pain from an throat nearly incapable of speech “DADDY! DON’T!!” Shocked from his fury not only by the verbal words but the term he called him Iruka spun in his husbands arms, “Naruto?”

Naruto was sitting up in the hospital bed, wings still in traction, eyes locked and tear-filled on his adopted father.

Iruka threw himself into his son’s form, arms around him tightly, hugging firmly while he soothed “I’m so sorry I scared you, Naruto, so sorry I upset you! I just got so mad because she was tried to hurt you! You’ve been through enough as it is. You should be healing and recovering, having a better time, but instead you still are in danger!”

“It’s okay, Iruka, I understand your anger. I just don’t want anyone else hurt because of me.” The man frowned when Sasuke told then what he had said, pulling back to look at his adopted son. “What do you mean?”

“I always knew he would come for me, that he would take me once he had found a way to keep Kyuubi out of it. The children…Sakura were just to control me, because of me. They never wouldn’t have been taken, they would never have been hurt if not for me, to control me.”

“No! God no Naruto don’t blame yourself for that! Don’t believe anything that asshole told you! He choose the children for OTHER reasons, not because of you! Each of the children were…different, just like you! He choose them because they were different, just like you!”

There was a long pause then a cautious “it wasn’t because of me?”

“No Naruto” Sasuke wondered how long Naruto had this guilt, it would explain why he so desperately protected the children, he was convinced it was his fault they were there.

While Iruka was distracted Gaara bussled the wide-eyed woman away.

It took both Sasuke and Iruka at least an hour or so to convince Naruto it wasn’t his fault and it took even longer to convince him to lay down and sleep, only if Sasuke sat by his bedside.

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