For Better Or Worse

Disclaimer – I don’t own Naruto nor am I making any money off these writings.

Warning – Boyxboy relationships, foul language, ooc characters and basically anything more you can think of. Be prepared for anything.

Beta’d – Not beta’d yet; I’ll put up an edited version eventually.

AN – Okay, what can I say…I’m so sorry for not having updated this for so long…It’s been months, I’m so ashamed. RL had been kicking my ass like you wouldn’t believe. I can only hope that you’ll forgive and I promise to try and do better with updates in the future.

Thank you so much to all of you that has reviewed, it means more than I can ever say and it makes me want to write more for you guys…THANK YOU!

In this chapter we find out how Itachi handles the death of his wife and the fate of the baby…Please read on.

For Better Or Worse

“Blah” =speech

“Blah” =thoughts

Chapter 4.

Naruto rushed through towards the shiny revolving glass doors at the entrance of the hospital. As soon as he’d heard what Sasuke said on the phone everything became a blur, it felt as if his head was filled with cotton and he really couldn’t believe what Sasuke had told him. Intellectually he knew that it was true, Sasuke might have turned out to be a lying ass be he would make something so horrible up, Naruto’s heart couldn’t accept it though. He’d known Anko for a long time, first as someone who worked for his father and then as a sister in law and …Oh God…He hadn’t even asked about the baby, Naruto slowed down his step as he felt a wave of shame go through him. How could he have been so thoughtless as not to enquire about the baby?

With slow, hesitant steps Naruto approached the information desk located by the main entrance of the hospital. There was a pink haired young woman standing at the desk and she looked terribly busy writing and checking all sorts of papers while her brow was furrowed and she glared up at Naruto with cool green eyes as he placed his hands on the desk silently waiting for her to have a moment free to help him.

“Can I help you?” She asked hurriedly as she glanced from him to the papers in front of her and to the small silver watch she wore on her slender wrist.

“Yeah…um…my sis…I mean a close family friend was pregnant and came here but a-apparently something went wrong…I d-don’t know what happened.” Naruto stuttered as he spoke to the petite nurse, he didn’t know what to say or how to phrase himself.

“Name?” The nurse asked.

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki.” Naruto answered somewhat bewildered.

“Not you!” The nurse said and rolled her eyes at him. “The name of the patient.” Now she spoke to him as you would to a child and Naruto felt himself growing irritated, he just wanted some clarity in the situation not stand here and bicker with a human bubblegum.

“The patients name is…was Anko Uchiha.” Naruto said in a clipped tone, he just wanted to move on from this desk of doom.

“Oh…So you’re a friend of the Uchiha’s,” Suddenly he had the nurse’s full attention and her voice was full of sugar. “Please take the elevator up to the eleventh floor, the Uchiha family has a private room there.”

“Thank you.” Naruto said curtly and moved towards the elevators as fast as he could, he always felt uncomfortable in hospitals and he knew that that feeling wouldn’t change after this visit which was most definitely not a joyous one. When he got to the elevators the shiny stainless steel doors opened with a ping and he hurried inside. The doors opened on the eleventh floor and Naruto slipped out between the twenty or so other people crammed into the elevator, it was enough to make the claustrophobic in anyone jump out and scream loudly and that was precisely what Naruto felt like doing especially when an old lady rammed her walker right in the small of his back. Finally he worked his way out of the maze of human flesh and stepped foot on the solid floor outside the elevator…Freedom! He almost felt like doing a touchdown dance.

As Naruto walked along the corridor where the walls were painted a pale yellow that were supposedly a color meant to be calming but made Naruto feel slightly nauseous. The blond turned a corner and ran almost head first into Sasuke. The raven looked even paler than usual, worry-lines marring his face and large dark circles around his eyes. Naruto felt a sharp stab of pain go through him when he looked at the younger Uchiha and immediately felt guilty afterwards, this wasn’t about him and his feelings. He still loved Sasuke, he didn’t know how to stop but at the same time he loathed the very sight of him.

“Naruto, I’m so glad you came.” Sasuke said in a hoarse voice as if he’d been crying. He made a move as if to embrace Naruto and the blond stepped out of the way causing Sasuke’s arms to fall dejectedly to his sides.

Naruto couldn’t let Sasuke touch him, it would hurt too much and if he stepped into the raven’s arms he might grow weak and want to stay there and he couldn’t let that happen. “I’m so sorry to hear about Anko,” Naruto whispered, his eyes looking everywhere but to the raven. “How’s…I m-mean did the b-baby make it?”

Sasuke ran a hand over his eyes as if he could wipe away the tiredness and sadness. “Yeah, the child made it. It’s a girl, she’s tiny but healthy. A-Anko had picked out her name b-before, she’s called Aiko.” He answered.

‘Aiko meaning love child’ Naruto thought. “Aiko Uchiha, what a beautiful name,” The blond said with a choked up voice, he wanted to cry when he thought about the fact that Anko who he’d known almost his entire life was really gone and that this baby girl would grow up without a mother. “Is Itachi with the baby then?” He asked.

A shadow passed over Sasuke’s face at the mentioning of his brother. “He hasn’t even looked at her, he just sits there…He won’t talk to me, I can’t get through to him. The only thing he says is that he wants to be alone, maybe he’ll listen to you.” He ended looking at Naruto pleadingly.

Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine at Sasuke’s words. That didn’t sound like Itachi at all; Itachi was the strongest person Naruto had ever met. He had just lost his wife but still Itachi wasn’t the type of person to just give up. Wrapping his arms around himself he nodded to Sasuke that he would go see Itachi and after seeing the relieved look on the younger Uchiha’s face he followed Sasuke to a closed door.

oo—oo—oo

Sai was painting; he stood in front of the canvas regarding it silently before adding a bold stroke of dark muted colors. He had a paint smudge on his cheek and he was wearing only a pair of loose grey sweatpants. Sai’s bare feet tapped impatiently against the cool hardwood floor as he was contemplating his next move. He was upset, his best friends, to be honest his only friends had broken up and worse than that Kakashi was late getting home from his conference trip. He knew that the older man was a player and he lived in constant fear that he would find someone else…Someone smarter, prettier and just better than Sai. With a frustrated sigh he ran a paint-flecked hand through silky ink black hair and continued glaring at the painting.

The rustling of keys in the front door made Sai startle enough to drop his brush on the floor, with a muffled curse he bent down to pick it up just as the door opened and Kakashi walked in.

“Now that’s the kind of view I like to come home to.” The silver haired man said with a grin as he watched Sai bending over to pick up the brush. Kakashi rolled his bag inside and shut the door behind him with the heel of his foot.

Sai hated the relief he felt at seeing his lover walk through the door, but him coming home meant that Sai had some time left where he didn’t have to be alone. He knew that he would be left alone one day because after all what did he have to offer to make someone want to stay? Sai straightened up and placed his brush in a cup beside the easel before turning around and offering his lover a small smile.

Kakashi furrowed his brow as he walked over to the raven wrapping his arms around the other’s pale form burying his nose in the crook of Sai’s neck. “What’s wrong?” He asked with his lips against Sai’s smooth skin.

“Nothing’s wrong, why would you think that?” Sai turned around and wrapped his own arms around Kakashi’s neck.

Kakashi pulled Sai’s arms off him and grabbed his chin between his fingers to make the younger man look at him. “I know you kitten, I can tell that something’s bothering you.

Gently Sai traced the outline of the older man’s eye-patch before leaning his head on Kakashi’s shoulder. “Naruto and Sasuke have broken up,” He murmured. “I nagged Naruto to go out with Kiba and I on Friday and when we were at the club Naruto found Sasuke cheating. Now I don’t know what to do or how to feel. Sasuke was my first friend ever but over the past years Naruto has grown to be my best friend. What if I have to choose between them, what if Naruto blames me for finding out about Sasuke?” Sai was almost sobbing by now.

“Shh,” Kakashi said and led his lover to the bed where they could sit down. “If they’re your friends they won’t make you choose between them, and why would Naruto blame you? You didn’t make Sasuke cheat on him, if anything he should be glad that he found out.” Kakashi held Sai close and stroke his silky hair.

Sai pressed himself even closer to Kakashi and fisted his hands in the older man’s shirt. “Now I’m only waiting for you to leave me, if Naruto and Sasuke couldn’t make it then there’s no chance for us…Besides Sasuke is probably available now and you have always wanted him.”

“Shut up, just shut the fuck up!” Kakashi was suddenly angry and he pushed away from Sai to get up from the bed and pace around the room. “Are you stupid? We’ve been together for over two years and in that time have I so much as looked at someone else? Have I so much as made any notion that I wanted Sasuke or any other guy? Tell me!” He hollered making Sai jump. “I love you, you moron. I don’t want anyone else but you need to start having faith in us because otherwise we’ll never last. The silver haired man walked over to the bed again and sat down pulling Sai close. “I. LOVE. YOU.” He said again.

For the first time Sai really looked at his older lover and saw that the man was telling the truth. He scrambled up so that he was on the other man’s lap straddling his thighs and covered Kakashi’s face and neck with kisses. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I love you too and I can handle anything as long as we’re together.” Sai whispered between kisses.

Kakashi grinned at him and cupped Sai’s ass in his large hands. “That’s more like it,” He said smugly. “Now where are your kitty-ears and those edible thongs I bought you?”

Sai laughed as he nuzzled the silver haired man’s neck. “You’re such a perv Kashi…But you’re my perv.”

“That I am and don’t you doubt it!” Kakashi replied and flipped their positions so that Sai was underneath him. “Now how about a prober welcome home…” He said huskily before claiming Sai’s lips in a heated kiss. “On the train home I read this scene in the new Icha Icha novel I thought we could play out.”

“Perv!”

oo—oo—oo

When Naruto walked in through the door Sasuke had opened the first thing that met him was darkness. Then he saw a figure sitting in a chair in the corner staring straight ahead with unblinking dark eyes. “Get out little brother, I told you I wanted to be left alone.” Itachi said in a voice totally devoid of emotions.

“Itachi, it’s me…Naruto. You shouldn’t sit here alone in the dark.” Naruto said carefully as he walked towards Itachi. Sasuke stood in the doorway watching his now ex boyfriend with regret and longing. “Don’t you want to see you daughter?” Naruto asked.

“No!” Itachi said in a tense voice. He raised his head and looked at Naruto with wide, lost eyes. “I am death.”

“What are you talking about Itachi?” Naruto asked worriedly as he knelt in front of the chair where Itachi sat.

“I told you, I am death. Anything these hands touch withers and dies.” Itachi said in the same detached voice as he studied his pale, slender hands. “I touched Anko and now she’s dead…I can’t do the same to her child.”

“That’s not true Itachi.” Naruto said and cupped the elder Uchiha’s face between his tanned hands. “See I’m not afraid to touch you, you’re not death. Your daughter needs you, you’re a daddy now.”

“She doesn’t need me; she needs someone better, someone capable of love.” Itachi said and turned his head away from Naruto’s grip. “I am cold inside, frozen. Now please leave me alone Naruto.”

Naruto sighed with tears running down his cheeks and turned around to look at Sasuke questionly. The younger raven shrugged his shoulders and motioned for Naruto to come. The blond got up from his kneeling position and with a kiss on Itachi’s forehead he left the elder Uchiha alone with his darkness again.

“This is bad; I’ve never seen Itachi like this before.” Naruto told Sasuke as the door swung shut behind him.

“I told you so,” Sasuke replied grumpily. “I don’t have any idea what to do.” The raven would have said more but he was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. “Hello…yeah hi mom.”

Naruto walked down the corridor, wanting to give Sasuke some privacy as he spoke with his family. He supposed that they didn’t know about him and Sasuke yet, Naruto hadn’t told his parents and now after what had happened to Anko it didn’t seem as important anymore. They had enough on their plate without adding the breakup to their worries. A sudden knock on his shoulder had Naruto jumping high in the air and he turned around with a startled yelp.

“Mom wants to talk to you.” Sasuke said and held out his sleek silver colored phone. Naruto took it hesitantly and held it against his ear. “H-hello?” He said.

“Hi, sweetie,” Mikoto’s voice sounded sad and tired. “I’m so glad that you are there with my boys. Sasuke needs you and I think Itachi does too. Now I have a huge favor to ask you.”

Naruto didn’t like the sound of that at all but he bit his tongue and continued to listen to what Mikoto Uchiha had to say.

“We would have really liked to be there right now, comforting our son and seeing our first grandchild. The problem is that Fugaku has been grounded from flying because of his heart condition…Thankfully your parents are staying and helping us but we don’t know when we can get home.” Mikoto blabbed on and Naruto just wished that she would get to the point; he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Now the favor, would you and Sasuke please move in with Itachi in the mansion? I don’t want Itachi to be alone and he’ll need help with the baby. If you are three it shouldn’t be so hard and I or Kushina will only be a phone call away if you’ll need to ask something.”

“I d-don’t know if t-that’s the best idea Mikoto.” Naruto tried to interrupt. The last thing he wanted was to move in with Sasuke and play happy family, just the thought of doing that made him feel sick to his stomach. “I don’t know anything about caring for a baby and I don’t think Sasuke does either.”

“You’ll figure it out dear and as I said you can always call here and ask. Please Naruto, you and Sasuke can do this. We’ll be home as soon as we can but we need you to pick up the ball in the mean time. You and Sasuke are already living together, what does it matter if it’s in that apartment of yours or the mansion? You can do this.”

Naruto had no idea how it’d had happened but after several more minutes of conversation Naruto had promised to move to the Uchiha mansion with his ex boyfriend and help to care for a newborn. Why did things like this always happen to him? Damn all Uchiha’s and their manipulative ways. He closed the lid on the phone and handed it back to Sasuke who watched him with guarded eyes and an unreadable expression.

“Okay,” Naruto said as he ran his fingers through his hair making it even wilder than before. “This has nothing to do with us and I’m not taking you back. I’m doing this for Itachi and the baby, not for you.” He pointed at Sasuke who remained tense and silent.

“We’ll have separate rooms and we won’t interact unless it involves the baby or Itachi.” Naruto continued. “Are we clear?”

Sasuke just nodded shortly. This wasn’t what he wanted either. Sure he wanted Naruto back more than anything but not like this, not with a baby neither of them knew how to care for and a brother who had apparently cracked. “So, do you want to see the baby you’ll be helping to take care of?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto’s impossibly blue eyes lit up and he nodded at Sasuke and followed the raven down a few corridors until they came to the newborns.

“There she is.” Sasuke said and pointed to a baby wrapped in a pink blanket, screaming her head off in her plastic crib. Naruto’s heart melted when he saw the tiny pink hands waving frantically in the air as she cried. “She’s crying, can I hold her?” He turned and asked Sasuke.

“I don’t know, I guess so.” Sasuke answered uncomfortably. He didn’t know the first thing about babies and since he was gay he’d figured that he’d never have to learn either.

Naruto sighed and left Sasuke behind as he walked over to the crib and very carefully picked up the crying baby, making sure that he supported her head. “Shhh, don’t cry Ai-chan.” He said as he rocked the baby gently. Aiko’s whole body shuddered in relief of having been picked up and placed in warm arms and with a few hiccupping sniffles the crying stopped. She opened her eyes and looked at Naruto with pitch black eyes; there was no mistaking her for being something other than an Uchiha. “That’s right sweetie no need to cry, you won’t be alone anymore.” Naruto cooed as he sat down in a chair still rocking her gently. Suddenly moving to the mansion didn’t seem like such a nightmare. This baby was totally innocent and she needed someone to take care of her until Itachi snapped out of it and could do so himself.

Sasuke watched Naruto with longing and jealousy, he wanted to be the one in Naruto’s armed being held and comforted. He envied the blonds’ ability to adapt to every situation and to always see the positive in things. Sasuke mourned for Anko, he really did but no matter what Naruto had told him he would use the time they spent living under the same roof to win his blond back. This whole sorrowful event had shown Sasuke how short life could be and his life wasn’t worth living without Naruto, he needed the blond like he needed air and he would get him back!

Naruto looked up just to see Sasuke’s burning gaze locked on him and he hurriedly looked down again. He didn’t want to see longing in the other’s eyes; he wanted to stay angry, he had a right to stay angry. Naruto bent down and kissed Aiko on her downy raven locks. “You’ll be alright sweetie, you’re already loved and when you’re daddy sees you he’s going to adore you…I promise.”

Whatever happened in the next weeks, it was bound to be interesting…

AN – Wow so this chapter is finally done. Will Naruto get Itachi to go see Aiko? How will the whole living together thing work out for Sasuke, Naruto and Itachi and what will Iruka and Naruto’s friends say about him moving in with his cheating ex? Please tell me what you think. Thank you for reading and please review…