One More Chance - Naruto X RWBY

Calm Before The Storm

'Of all the days...'

Those were the thoughts of Itachi Rose and he tightened his already iron grip on the bathroom sink. His eyes were bloodshot, dark, sunken eye bags under them. His skin was even more pale than usual, clammy and cold to the touch.

Another convulsion of his chest almost sent him to the ground, head throbbing as blood made its way up his throat. He coughed hoarsely, red speckles coloring the sink along with a main puddle blood dripping from his mouth. He hacked another glob of red as he tried to steady his breathing, chest on fire from the pain.

After he and Weiss had returned from the park, he had put her to bed and climbed into his own. Sleep came to him easy, nightmares bared by simple indifference. He had wanted to get a good night's rest before their next mission tomorrow, but it seemed that his body had other plans.

At around 4 AM he had awoken from his restless slumber, no longer able to bear the searing agony from every cell in his lungs. He had found himself unable to breath, blood clogging his throat and respiratory tract. So he had been forced to nimbly sneak into the bathroom as to not alarm the others.

Looking at the digital clock on the corner of the counter told him that it was almost 7 now.

The former shinobi heaved as he coughed up another spurt of blood, the scarlet ichor seeping into the drain below. His vision was more blurry than usual, a skull-splitting migraine already on its way.

It was almost time for the others to be getting up, and he really didn't want them to see him like this. Especially Ruby, yesterday's conversation still fresh in his mind.

"Then I don't want to be a huntress, I can't endure."

He hoped he could cheer Ruby up somehow, as she had never woke back up yesterday. But he knew his efforts would be fruitless if she caught him puking up his own lungs. At least he didn't have to worry about Weiss.

She had nudged him awake just 30 minutes before he had left his bed, reminding him that she needed to go to Vale and pick up her new weapon. With more than a few early morning kisses, she had bid him farewell, asking him to inform the others of her whereabouts when they awoke. He knew she wouldn't be back for a while, so at least she wouldn't see him like this.

"If only I had more chakra..." He mumbled, lamenting the loss of a majority of his life energy upon being reborn in this world. Despite the belief that Itachi of the Sharingan had been born with average levels of chakra by most, he had in fact been gifted with above average reserves. However, he had to pump most of it into his lungs and other vital organs to insure he wouldn't die, hell, by the time he had, he was sure they were rotten. But with his now much more limited supply, he was having trouble just staying alive, let alone reaching his fullest potential.

'I'm going to have to be careful on the mission, I don't want to be forced into using my Mangekyou again.'

The former shinobi blinked, eyes never leaving the mirror before widening like pin-pricks.

'Sasuke?!'

Itachi had seen the the visage of his brother in the mirror behind him for the shortest of times, prompting him to turn around. But to his relief, there was no one there. He said nothing, before chuckling to himself.

"I guess I really am going insane."

It wasn't long after that he was forced to emerge from the bathroom, lest the other's grow suspicious of him. He stumbled about, wheezing harshly as he wiped his mouth of already spilling blood. He made it to the counter, shakily preparing himself some coffee when he got a call on his scroll from Ren. He eyes the blue light for a few seconds, before coming to a decision and hitting the answer button, holding it up to his ear with his shoulder as he took a sip of his coffee.