Okay, so while this chapter is by no means 'long', it is a lot longer than i was originally anticipating. Hope you enjoy it anyways!
Disclaimer: Don't own 'Naruto', its characters or their personalities. I do, however, own the 'young girl' at the end of the chapter.
WARNING: This story is YAOI (MxM)... don't like, don't read and don't complain. You were warned.
thinking "dialogue"
Need to Know
Chapter 1: Arrangements
"You look a little tired Tsunade-sama." Iruka pointed out to the Hokage as she left a hospital room.
"That's good since I actually feel quite exhausted." She shook her head back and forth slowly with a smirk.
"Why? Is something wrong? Anything I can do?" Iruka sincerely offered.
"It's just that I've spent the last three hours healing Kakashi. He's in pretty bad shape."
"Kakashi-sensei got hurt? Seriously injured?" Iruka questioned disbelievingly.
"It's hard to believe… If I wasn't so happy he survived at all, I'd probably kill him right about now."
"Is he going to be all right?"
"Oh he'll be just fine, especially with how stubborn he is. I'm just not sure what I'm going to do with him."
Iruka was confused, "What do you mean?"
"Well, over the last few years, Kakashi has absolutely refused to spend more than a day in the hospital with indifference towards the reason that he's there in the first place. However, since he lives alone, he can't go home right now either. It's gonna be difficult for him to move around and just forget protecting himself. I guess I'll have to assign it as a mission… Lord knows how happy he's gonna be about this…"
"Let me do it!" Iruka blurted.
"What was that, Iruka-san?"
Too late now… "I'll look after him. Not as a mission. It's just that I'm available and competent enough to look after some one that's injured."
"You are good at looking after others… suppose that's from your teaching position? However, Kakashi has a lot of serious enemies."
"I'm stronger than you assume! Please? Lacking Kakashi is a big enough of a loss, you don't need another ninja detracted from mission duty. I can do this." Iruka insisted.
"True enough. And you are certainly powerful… All right, I'll make sure that he's well enough and then you can transport him back to your apartment."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Just as she was about to open the door, Iruka asked, "But wouldn't he be more comfortable at his own place?"
"It probably wouldn't be very clean. Or safe." Tsunade added the last part as an afterthought. She then disappeared into the room as Iruka waited outside.
"You can come in now." Tsunade announced as she stood in the doorway.
Iruka took a deep breath before following her back into the room. He gazed down at the bruised and bandaged man lying before him on the bed as Tsunade said, "You can take him home now. You will need to be gentle, as I'm sure you are aware of without my saying so."
"Are you sure?" Iruka's doubt noticeable in his tone.
"Yes, quite." At Tsunade's response, they both heard someone causing a loud disturbance in the hallway.
"You get going and I'll go look into this matter." And with that, Tsunade was gone.
Iruka just barely brushed his right hand along the side of Kakashi's face as he thought, What happened to you…?
He quickly retracted his hand and gently picked the unconscious Jounin up and transported them back to his place as he mentally noted that the 'disturbance' hadn't dissipated since Tsunade had left.
KIKIKIKIKIKIKIKIKI
Out in the hall, "Can I help you with something?" Tsunade asked the young girl with a smile in place.
"Only if you can tell me where Kakashi is."
"Kakashi? Are you talking about Kakashi Hatake?"
"Yeah, where is he?" The girl responded as if it was the most obvious answer.
"I cannot disclose such information. Especially not to some disrespectful brat that I don't even know."
Disrespectful…? "Listen here, I just wanna know if he's breathing or not! Is he okay? Will he be okay? Can I see him?"
"Do you have any idea as to who it is with which you are speaking?"
"I'm not an idiot! I know you're the Hokage." Tsunade was taken aback by this response. "Right now, finding Kakashi is more important to me than that." The girl seemed to think it over for a minute before coming to a decision. "Forget this place! I'll find him on my own." She declared before abruptly leaving.
Who is that girl? I should probably warn Iruka.
KIKIKIKIKIKIKIKIKI
Sooo... is she friend or is she foe? Can Iruka handle her either way?
Sorry if Tsunade was too OOC for you... I've never actually seen her character (not in the anime or manga) but I thought I would try to write her anyways. More than likely, she'll only be mentioned throughout the rest of the story however.
Read and Review! Please? I can be just as insistent as Iruka!