"When do I get out of here?" Naruto asked bouncing around on the bed.
"Not for about three days." said the nurse that was passing by. Naruto scowled in her direction and murmured so quietly that no one else heard him, "That's what you think"……
Kakashi did not like the expression on Naruto's face. He was being far too co-operative.
"Why was he on that window sill?" Kakashi thought. He definitely had one unpredictable student.
"I am not staying here. As soon as everyone is gone I'm getting out. I need to get home." Even as he was thinking this his body was rebelling. He felt himself sliding sideways before everything went black.
"Wonder why the Dobe is so quiet? HEY!" lunging forward Sasuke caught Naruto before he fell of the bed. Kakashi was beside him in seconds, helping he settle the blonde among the sheets, while Sakura ran to find a nurse. Sasuke and Kakashi watched Naruto move restlessly as they waited anxiously for Sakura to return. She came back in shortly followed by Tsunade who checked Naruto over.
"He's fine. Just exhausted from the blood loss." She said with a sigh of relief, "In fact you're all looking exhausted. I want you all to go home and get some rest."
After looking at Naruto again Sasuke and Sakura left. Kakashi chose to stay, settling into the guest chair to watch his student.
"I thought I told everyone, including you to get some rest?"
Kakashi shot straight out of his chair and move into a defensive stance in front of Naruto, until he realized who had spoken.
"Hokage-Sama, you startled me." Kakashi said sheepishly.
"So I noticed." Tsunade remarked dryly, "He's fine. Go home and get some sleep" seeing he wasn't going to follow her 'advice she tried another tact, "At least go and get some food. You're no good to your students if you don't eat."
Kakashi frowned and this, and at Tsunade's retreating back. Sighing he left the room and headed to get some food.
Naruto slowly regained consciousness and looked around the room. He saw the room was empty and gingerly sat up. He was glad that the room no longer spun. Carefully he climbed out of the bed and made his way to the window, slipping outside into the darkness.
Sasuke had walked Sakura home first, and then headed to his own. For some reason he felt a slight protectiveness towards his only remaining team mate. He hoped Naruto was really ok. It was disturbing to see the blonde so vulnerable and weak looking. It was dark so no one could see the worried expression on his face.
"Man this is harder than I thought" Naruto cursed as he staggered through the backstreets towards his home.
"What are you doing Kit?" came Kyuubi's voice, "I can only heal your wounds not, your fatigue."
"I am aware of that."
"Maybe you should have stayed at the hospital..." Kyuubi suggested quietly.
"I hate that place. I need to get home." Naruto spat venomously. Kyuubi let the matter drop.
"I wonder if Naruto is awake." Kakashi thought, going back into Naruto's room with a plate of food, only to drop the plate when he saw the empty bed. "Shit! Where is he? Did someone take him?" panic momentarily overtook Kakashi. Calming himself, he tried to think.
"Geez I sounded like Iruka/Iruku. (Can someone let me know which spelling it is?)Damn mother-hens gotten to me." Then a realization hit him "That look on his face! The idiot has gone and left on his own!" Kakashi smacked himself on the forehead and left the hospital in the direction of Naruto's home.
"You can do it Naruto, just another block and a couple of stairs" Naruto coaxed his tired body into moving again. "One step at a time." Naruto was breathing heavily now. "This is a good workout." He joked inwardly.
"Kit! This is not funny!" Kyuubi was worried her Kit was going to end up worse than he was. Kyuubi sent him some of her chakra to boost his strength.
"Thanks Kyuubi." Naruto said trudging forward again. So absorbed in persuading his body to keep going Naruto didn't even notice when he reached his apartment building. In agony he made his way up the stairs and into his home. He stared in misery at the scene before him.