Note: I don't own Naruto in any way, form, or manner. So read, review, and enjoy!
Didn't, Couldn't, Wouldn't
by Kaiyo No Hime
The storm worsened during the night, sending stray debris flying against the huddled houses, rain smashing against windows as if begging to be let in. But all he could do was whimper, and stare teary eyed at the door, mumbling to himself that it wasn't his fault. It couldn't be his fault.
He hadn't meant for it to turn out this way.
Kakashi pounded on the door, not even attempting to shield himself from the storm's awesome fury anymore. He was soaked to the bone, and it couldn't get any worse.
A metal tea cup clipped his thigh, leaving a bloody trail across his leg.
"Iruka, god damnit, let me in!" Kakashi yelled, pounding even harder, trying the door knob once more.
And still it was locked. It didn't make any sense, why would his lover lock him out of the house for no apparent reason. They hadn't fought in ages, as far as he could remember, and he hadn't left his dirty laundry scattered around the bedroom again. He had even cleaned his morning coffee mug.
So why was Iruka treating him this way.
"Iruka, please! Whatever it is I did, I'm sorry!" Kakashi yelled, the door giving way beneath his fist at the last second, the hinges splintering.
Kakashi groaned, the brunette man was going to have a field day over this. And if he wasn't mad now, he sure as hell would be in a few minutes.
"Iruka, I'm sorry about the door, but you really should have opened it. But I promise to have it fixed by-" Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks, his eye going wide as he stared into the kitchen.
There lay Iruka, sprawled out on the ground, blood pooled around his pale, cool, lifeless form, his eyes wide, tears streaming down his face. Naruto was curled up in the shadows, his face swollen from crying, his voice hoarse, muttering insensible words under his breath.
"Iruka, please, Iruka," Kakashi mummered, cuddling his lover's head in his arms, trying desperately to wipe away the blood from his face, feeling uselessly for a pulse.
"I didn't do it, I couldn't do it, I wouldn't do it," Naruto whispered, his voice finally translating into words for the silver haired jounin's ears, "I didn't do it, I couldn't do it, I wouldn't do it."
"Naruto, what happened? Who did this to Iruka?" Kakashi moaned, wiping the tears from his eye, trying to collect himself. A part of being a ninja was being able to separate your emotions from your mind until it was safe to deal with them.
And now was not a safe time to deal with. Now he had to discover what had happened to his beloved, and why the blonde was curled up in a corner, ranting inanities under his breath.
"Naruto, look at me," Kakashi whispered, going over to the pale boy, looking him directly in the eyes, "What happened to Iruka?"
"I didn't do it! I couldn't do it! I wouldn't do it!" Naruto screamed, becoming hysterical in his teacher's grip.
"Snap out of it, damn it! What the hell happened here, why is Iruka dead!?"
"I didn't do it, I couldn't do it, I wouldn't do it," Naruto sobbed, tears streaming down his face as he repeated his mantra once more, shaking his head as if refusing to deal with Kakashi and the rest of the real word.
"Don't worry, Naruto," Kakashi whispered, clamping a nerve on the boy's neck and knocking him unconscious, "I'll find out what happened here."
.
"He slipped and fell," Tsunade explained, looking up at the annoyed jounin.
"What do you mean 'he slipped and fell'!?" Kakashi demanded, "You mean to tell me he just slipped, fell, and died!?"
"As I said, Kakashi, it was a simple accident. There was some water on the floor, he didn't see it, he slipped, he fell, he died. It's an unfortunate accident, and I am terribly sorry for you, but that's all it was. An accident," Tsunade explained, looking up at Kakashi. He really did have the worst luck.
"But what about Naruto? That doesn't explain Naruto, especially the way he was acting," Kakashi snapped, staring down at the Hokage.
"He probably saw it happen. We can't get anything out of him, at least, nothing you haven't heard," Tsunade sighed, looking away sorrowfully, "I've had him committed. I'm sure you can find another bright, young recruit from the next batch to replace him, if you need to."
"Will he ever be better?" Kakashi asked, his eyes beginning to water and itch.
"Quite honestly, I have no idea. It must have been a tremendous shock, maybe it was him who had spilled the water earlier in the evening," Tsunade explained, "But his ranting is a sign of the guilt complex, he's trying to convince himself it wasn't his fault."
"Thank you, Tsunade," Kakashi whispered, disappearing from the room to deal with his emotions else wear.
"I'm sorry, Kakashi," Tsunade sighed, wiping tears from her eyes and going back to the mound of paperwork covering her desk.
The work of a Hokage was never done.
.
"I didn't do it, I couldn't do it, I wouldn't do it," Naruto whispered, looking up at his doctor with hollow eyes, his voice insistent.
"Liar! You spilled that water on purpose!" Iruka hissed, glaring at the boy.
"I didn't do it! I couldn't do it! I wouldn't do it!" Naruto insisted, screaming and tearing at his hair, bringing the doctors running.
"Liar! Liar, liar, liar!" Iruka howled, tearing at the blonde man's mind.
"It's okay Naruto-kun, we believe you," Hinata insisted, injecting another dose of tranquilizers into the raving mad man, his eyes blue eyes going cloudy as the medication began to take effect.
"Is it okay if you go off early today," Sasuke asked, looking down at his old team mate, "I mean, if you're needed here."
"It's okay, Sasurin, he'll be fine now, and the night shift can take of anything that goes wrong," Hinata smiled up at her hsband seductively, "Besides, I would hate to spend out tenth wedding anniversary alone."
.
Owari
Authoress' Note:
Yeah, this story sucked big time. But I got bored, there was nothing on the television, so I sat down and started writing. So my advice is, and hopefully you writers out there listen, don't ever force yourself to write just because your keyboard is heated and it's very cold outside.
Yeah, I have a heated keyboard. Worship my computer, it keeps my little finger digits all nice and cozy warm in the winter!
Oh yeah, Futurama is much coolies. It's about the only comedy I can stand, so I'm sure the rest of you would enjoy it too. It just requires a little knowledge of nerdom and sci fi history.