"Yes, open the window, Kakashi," Tsunade approved, casting a watchful eye on Naruto. "As for you Naruto, I promise I will try to make the pain bearable."
A whimper escaped Naruto's clenched teeth as Kakashi withdrew the curtains and opened the window. A cool breeze blew into the room, blowing Naruto's spiky blonde hair in all directions. Naruto slowly rolled into a comfortable position, wincing as he did so. Tsunade pulled a blanket over Naruto's body, covering up the battle scars splayed on his body.
"Get some rest. In an hour, a nurse will come in and help you eat. If you cant manage to keep it down, it's onto a drip and pureed food. As for you Kakashi, I expect you to get rest as well. Naruto will be fine," she said, lowering her voice on the word 'fine'.
Kakashi sighed, not wanting to leave, but eventually walked out of the room.
"Cya soon, Naruto."
Shortly after Kakashi & Tsunade's departure, Naruto drifted off into sleep, numbing the pains throughout his body.
A sharp, searing pain shot through Naruto's back, causing him to awake and yelp. The pain became worse, causing Naruto to curl into a tight ball on the bed. If he yelled, he'd get in trouble and worry others. If he didn't… he didn't know what would happen.
As if his questions were answered, a nurse came in, presumably the one to help him eat. After seeing Naruto quietly weeping in pain, curled in a ball, she rushed over and asked him what was wrong.
"The pain… in my back," he seethed, holding back his screams of agony. The nurse pressed a button on the wall. Naruto trembled, clenching and unclenching his feet. A soothing hand rubbed his, trying to comfort him.
"Why am I in so much pain?" he whispered, not sure how long he could contain his pain. Three doctors rushed in, shortly followed by Tsunade.
The nurse who aided Naruto filled each of them in about Naruto's condition.
"Naruto, you're too active for your own good. The pain is mostly emitted from your back. To hurry up the speeding process, you need to relax and limit your movements. I know, you're a fidgety teen, but it's for your own benefit. If you weren't the jinchūriki, you wouldn't be alive right now."
Naruto couldn't hold back his pain any longer, and responded with a choked out scream, burning his lungs and his throat. This outburst shocked all the nurses, doctors and Tsunade, as they quickly rushed to his side. Tears streamed down his face, as pain rummaged it's was along his back.
"Calm down, Naruto! Dr. M, prepare the sedative!" Tsunade said, Dr. M rushing off to get the injection.
After Naruto had tired of screaming, Dr. M came in, and pressed the needle into Naruto's side.
"Sorry for… the… noise…" Naruto drifted off, closing his eyes peacefully. His breathing resumed to normal, and everyone around him let out a relieved sigh.
"No one mention Jiraya, or else he'll go on a rampage. And from now on, we have to closely monitor him. He isn't getting any better, and his chakra is too weakened at the moment to speed up the healing process. When he wakes, we'll test him to see if he can keep food down. Then, we will work on repairing the other injuries. It says here," Tsunade said, tapping the clipboard, "that his broken arms and fractured leg are slowly mending. I'd like to complete these first before moving onto his back."
Everyone nodded and left the room.
'Oh Naruto,' Tsunade thought to herself. 'I wish I could stop the pain sooner. I will help you, whatever it takes. Jiraya really did see potential in you.'
