Chapter Text
“I’ve never seen this before.”
He was completely devastated. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Itachi; he knew Itachi would see right through him, and neither of them could afford to face the devastation right then, not with Tsunade’s hands still on Itachi’s body. The ethereal green glow was their last hope for a possible recovery, but he knew by her grim expression that the woman couldn’t work miracles when faced with the impossible. He wanted to ask how long they had left, but his lips parted and silence reigned. He didn’t want the answer; he didn’t think he could handle the answer. He wanted to excuse himself, to get some air and make sense of his jumbled thoughts, but he stayed. He held Itachi’s left hand and squeezed, communicating every bit of love he had. Itachi looked up at him and he couldn’t force a smile. It was Itachi forcing a smile, Itachi squeezing his hand. Itachi comforted him in the way that he should have been comforting Itachi. But all he wanted to do was scream at the sky, to demand answers for their suffering, to demand mercy from gods he’d never acknowledged, in a world he suddenly considered hell.
He couldn’t imagine a world without Itachi. He remembered how hard his life had been before their friendship. He remembered nights spent mapping out their futures. He remembered days spent seeking comfort from the darkest parts of their lives. Itachi had kept him going. Itachi had been there through the worst of his father’s illness. Itachi had helped him financially when he was too ashamed to seek assistance. Itachi had supported him when he decided to leave ANBU. He’d always had Itachi. He didn’t want a world without Itachi. He wondered if they should go back to the Land of Waves and enjoy the rest of their days together, if they had enough time for that. And the entire time, Itachi held his hand, intermittent squeezes reminding him that they were still connected, that they were both still present, even if he felt as if he’d drifted away. Tsunade looked at their joined hands, but she didn’t ask. Their relationship had nothing to do with the diagnosis and treatment of Itachi’s illness.
“How long do I have left?”
“‘Tachi.”
“We need to know.”
“If it continues like this? A few months. This isn’t something I can treat in a hotel room,” Tsunade admitted, the green glow fading from her hands. Itachi nodded, as if the response didn’t bother him, as if he’d expected the worst. Shisui looked down at their joined hands. “It's an inflammation of your blood vessels, as far as I can tell. It’s throughout your body. I’m concerned with your kidneys. I need a urine sample, a blood test, a biopsy. You need a hospital.”
Shisui knew they didn’t have many choices, thanks to their current lifestyle. The Land of Waves had a poor healthcare system, and Shisui didn’t trust anyone in the Land of Grass. He slowly began to eliminate their options, until he was left staring at the far wall. The peeling wallpaper reminded him of how he felt, as if someone were slowly peeling away layers. He wondered if there would be anything left. Itachi sat up on the bed and released his hand, even though he wanted nothing more than to take Itachi into his arms. He couldn’t fix Itachi. They had a few months left, and he imagined all of the places in the world they had yet to see. He’d wanted to spend his life with Itachi, and they only had a few months left. They needed a hospital, and Shisui couldn’t make miracles out of their miserable hand in life. He finally acknowledged the other girl in the room. She’d been silent throughout the whole process, simply holding onto the pig in her arms. She said nothing about their scratched hitai-ate or the fact that they were armed. They were lucky just to get Tsunade to look at Itachi, so he didn’t expect her to do much more for them. Still, they didn’t leave the hotel room. Shisui didn’t think he had it in him to walk away.
“So we’ll get you a hospital,” Shisui decided, as if they truly had a choice. Itachi looked at him with such pity that his chest burned. He’d given up once, and he’d made the biggest mistake in his life. He couldn’t hide behind optimism, not for Itachi, not for himself, so he chose determination. He thought of the people who owed him favors and how he could cash in on them to get Tsunade the hospital she needed to treat Itachi. Konoha wasn’t the only village with a hospital. “What about the Land of Medicines? There’s a hospital in Howling Wolf Village. The Kodon clan owes me a favor. My team was dispatched during Amegakure’s attempt to annex the village.”
“You’re thinking of saigenzai.”
“If nothing else works, it might.”
“And if it’s improperly mixed, it traps him in an unbreakable genjutsu or it kills him.”
“Then mix it properly and we won’t have a problem.” He knew Tsunade didn’t like him, but she’d tested his patience. He wasn’t in the mood to play nice with her, and the light tug on his right hand alerted him that Itachi didn’t appreciate his tone. Sighing, he lightly patted Itachi’s shoulder and gave up the staring contest he’d had with the blonde. Shizune and Itachi had clearly never heard of the drug. He was surprised Tsunade had even heard of it. “Saigenzai is a narcotic. It’s addictive. Users call it the pill of ascent. Kotaro, a type of saigenzai, is unique to the Kodon clan. It’s used to treat severe illnesses.” Itachi frowned at the explanation, but Shisui had expected the reaction. He’d tried saigenzai once and it had felt like a true pill of ascent. If it did nothing more than relieve Itachi’s pain, then it was worth the risk. “I’m not losing him.” There was no room for argument, his tone so final that even Itachi winced. Tsunade looked between them, her gaze remaining on the hand Shisui kept on Itachi’s shoulder.
“What makes you think I’m going to march my ass to the Land of Medicines with you? Do you know how many good casinos and bars are in the Land of Medicines? Zero. Exactly how much interest I have in this escapade,” Tsunade shook her head, then began gathering her things. Itachi looked down at his hands and Shisui felt himself losing a little more of the man.
“You’re the only hope we have of saving his life. I’m begging you to help us.” He didn’t care how pathetic he sounded when he said the words. He blocked her path to the door and bowed to her. “Please help us.” He didn’t look up to see the expression on her face. He expected her to walk around him. He expected her to shove him out of her way. When she remained standing there, he finally lifted his head to see her face. Her expression was blank. He saw no hint of anger or amusement. She lightly tapped her right sandal on the floor, then she looked back at Shizune.
“You’ll pay for passage to and from this wasteland. All costs of this mission will be covered by you. When this is through, I never want to see your faces again. Am I clear?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll meet you at the village entrance at sundown. If you’re late, I’m gone. Let’s go, Shizune. I need a drink.”
When the door closed behind the two women, Shisui finally straightened up. He didn’t know if they could cover the expenses, but he planned on cashing in favors whenever he could, starting with the madam at the Anzu brothel. She owed him some money for smuggling a few girls out of town. Anything helped. He felt arms wrap around him, then he felt Itachi against his back. They stayed like that for several minutes, until Itachi pulled away. He searched for something in Itachi’s eyes, but he only found exhaustion. The thought of forcing the teen to endure a voyage to a different continent made him question himself. But Itachi pressed a kiss to his lips.
“Thank you.”
Every bit of Itachi’s gratitude was buried in the kiss they shared.