"Naruto! Naruto where are you?" Iruka yelled. Ever since Naruto disappeared for hours, Iruka had been panicked, worrying for his brother-like student. Kakashi summoned his tracking hounds, all of which appeared in a pool of smoke.

"What's up now, Kakashi," Pakkun mumbled. Kakashi and Iruka filled him in with the details, Pakkun's facial expression changing.

"And Sakura and Sasuke?"

"I told them to go home."

Pakkun nodded and lowered his head. After a minute of sniffing his surroundings, he found a trace of Naruto.

"This way," he barked and led Iruka and Kakashi to Naruto.

As Iruka, Kakashi and Pakkun came closer, they noticed a red figure laying unconscious on the floor. Kakashi ran over, and found a blood-drenched figure of Naruto, limp on the grassy surface.

"Naruto! Naruto, what happened!? Can you hear me?" Kakashi half screamed, half cried. Iruka gasped and held a hand to his mouth, wondering what happened to Naruto.

"He's… not d-d-dead is he?" Iruka whispered. Kakashi shook his head with a worried expression.

"Not yet." And with that, he scooped up the bleeding and broken Naruto, and carried him back to the village. Kakashi inspected the face of Naruto, noting the deep gash across his cheek, not to mention his severely broken bones all over his body. He noticed that as he was carrying Naruto, his unconscious form grunted and groaned at every movement.

"Stay with us Naruto, we'll get you to Lady Tsunade as soon as we can. Hold on."

Kakashi burst into the hospital, Iruka and Pakkun hot on his trails. Naruto's health had dropped considerably. The nurses rushed over to Kakashi, resting Naruto on a mobile bed. Pakkun disappeared in a cloud of smoke as Kakashi comforted Iruka who was crying. Seeing Naruto, a lively and resilient teen all beat up and in pain stung both their hearts.

Tsunade approached the two sensei's and asked for the details.

"This is no good," she gasped. Signalling for the two to follow, they rushed into an operating room where Naruto lay, being prepared for an operation to fix his many wounds.

"We wont be able to fully heal them all, and his chakra seems to be weak. At this rate, he's lucky to be alive. You did the right thing bringing him here."

Moving to Naruto's side, Tsunade picked up a clipboard, and scribbled down his condition.

"As far as I can see, Naruto has broken his spine, his right leg, his nose and both arms. Not to mention muscle, tissue and cartilage damage throughout his body." Iruka sniffled back his tears, Kakashi rubbing his hand comfortingly on his back. Two surgeons led them out of the room, and the last thing Kakashi saw was Naruto's face contort in pain.

- A day later –

Naruto's eyes slowly drifted open, his eyelid's feeling heavy. Pain coursed through his body as he tried to sit up.

Kakashi lay down his magazine and turned to Naruto, gently pushing him back down.

"Don't get up. Not yet. I'm so glad you're awake, Naruto. You had us all worrying."

Naruto winced in pain, clenching his teeth to stop him from screaming out. Kakashi noticed this, and ran his hand through Naruto's hair.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Naruto looked at Kakashi Sensei's concerned face, and he explained that he was so upset about Jiraya's death, that he ran into the woods. After crying, someone attacked him.

"Who? Do you remember that?"

Naruto shook his head, only to recoil in pain. Pervy sage… Gone. A tear tumbled slowly down Naruto's cheek, and Kakashi wiped it away.

"Im sorry Naruto. I really am. He was a great guy. But he hasn't left you. He will always be in here," Kakashi said, pointing at his chest. Naruto, too tired to complain slowly nodded. A fist rapped at the door, as Tsunade entered the room.

"I see you're awake," she smiled and strode over to him. "I need to do a checkup quickly, Naruto. Then we can talk." Tsunade inspected his wounds, writing information down on her clipboard. His leg was still broken in multiple places, despite the doctors attempts to heal it. His arms weren't as bad, but were still causing him pain. When it came to rolling Naruto on his side, he howled in pain, shocking Kakashi.

"Stop! That hurts! Please, Granny!" He screamed. Kakashi grabbed Naruto's flailing hands, to stop him from injuring himself. Tears of pain streamed down Naruto's face. Never before had Kakashi seen Naruto in so much pain. Tsunade quickly and successfully managed to roll him onto his side, trying to ignore his calls of pain. Naruto's back was purple with bruises, gauze on multiple deep wounds and stitches running down his spine. The doctors struggled to fix Naruto's back, as it was severely injured. A bead of sweat trickled down Tsunade's forehead, catching Kakashi's attention.

"Shall I open the windows?" he offered, as Naruto clenched his teeth and fists in pain.

"Please… make it stop…" Naruto begged quietly.