Italics – thoughts

Normal - third person, general

I don't own Naruto or any Naruto characters

I Promise

When they reached the stream, Sakura turned around and said she could try healing Kakashi. Iruka hesitantly put his burden down. Sakura walked over to her injured sensei and slowly gathered chakra into her hands. Placing her now glowing green hands onto Kakashi's chest, she started a mental inspection of the damage. Finding only a small amount of internal bleeding she sent her chakra and it mended all the ripped and damaged organs. Sweat framed her face as she concentrated on the person lying under her. Sakura opened her eyes and very gently pulled his tight black undershirt over his head, only to encounter some sort of head injury.

"Kakashi-sensei really got worked over this time, didn't he?" Naruto asked quietly. He studied the scene before him. Iruka was crouched next Kakashi, on the opposite side of Sakura. Sasuke was standing next to him, with a look of terror and mortification on his face.

Moments passed and nothing happened. Eventually Sakura stood, albeit shakily, and declared that Kakashi would survive the way home. Iruka stood holding Kakashi in his arms once again, itching to get home.

Sasuke took the lead then Iruka and Sakura followed, who were followed by Naruto.

'We will make it home before nightfall.' Iruka thought almost happily.

-X0X0X0X0X-

Iruka sat with the subdued trio in the waiting room. They came through the village's gate about three hours ago. They had immediately gotten Kakashi to the hospital. Tsunade had been waiting with a gurney and some nurses were on standby. Obviously she had heard of their arrival from the gate guards.

Naruto fiddled with his thumbs and squirmed around uncomfortably.

'We've been waiting forever! When is Granny Tsunade going to come out?' He gave a long sigh and stood up.

"I'll be back; I'm going to get some tea."

Iruka looked up and then focused on Naruto. He should go with, to do something distracting, but what if the Hokage came through the door when he was gone? Or Kakashi started to flat line? Or they needed more blood? Or, or or.

"Iruka-sensei will go with you." A dark voice said.

Iruka whipped his head around to see Sasuke; the person who had just volunteered him, looking at Iruka's tanned face.

"Sasuke's right, Iruka-sensei you need to go do something," Sakura chimed in, agreeing to Sasuke's demand, "anyways, worrying about Kakashi-sensei will help in no way, and it'll give you wrinkles."

When they had arrived, Sakura had volunteered to help heal Kakashi but Tsunade told her to wait with the boys and not to exert anymore chakra.

Iruka laughed, he couldn't help it. Standing up he walked with Naruto to the coffee and tea machines near the cafeteria.

"Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei is going to be okay right?"

"I hope so Naruto" Iruka said, not wanting to hear the doubt in his own voice.

Grabbing the tea, they made it back to wait with Sasuke and Sakura again. As they all drank their tea, Iruka's gaze kept creeping up to look at the ER sign. It was still light up and bright red, meaning they were still operating.

-X0X0X0X0X-

A gentle hand shook Iruka's shoulder, waking the sleeping chunin. Iruka woke with a start.

"Iruka, we have good news."

Iruka looked up to the person who was talking, then over to the sleeping trio beside him.

Tsunade told him that Kakashi would be alright and would most likely live, but was still in IC. He was allowed to see him, but no one else.

"Now Iruka, he's still sleeping and I want it to keep that way, because we all know when he wakes up it'll be hell."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Now go see him," she said pointing to a room, "while I take care of these brats." She said looking at the small bundle of children in front of her.

Iruka all but ran into the room Tsunade had pointed to. He walked into the room and froze. The person in the bed was not his Kakashi, but a little, fragile, beaten and broken man. Iruka swallowed his tears and walked towards the bed. Sitting down in the chair already set into place, he took Kakashi's hand in his own.

It was going to be a long night.

-X0X0X0X0X-

…"Kashi, you know I'm stronger than that," Iruka put his fingers under Kakashi's chin and forced Kakashi to look at him, "you are going to come back, I promise."

"Alive?" Kakashi quipped, and Iruka slapped his shoulder.

"Of course."

Kakashi smiled as Iruka pulled him into the bedroom.

Iruka pushed the door closed as Kakashi got into just his boxers and slipped into the bed. Kakashi watched as Iruka went digging in the drawers to find some sort of pajamas.

All of a sudden Kakashi saw blood around the dead form of his lover and he was holding the kunai in his own hand. A voice he couldn't recognize was saying something, he couldn't hear. The mumbled voice was getting clearer but it was easy to tell that it was chanting. Falling to the floor shaking his Iruka, and yelling for everything to stop, the voice became clear and recognizable.

It was his.

'He loves you, he's dead.'

'Shut the hell up and go away!' Kakashi screamed, holding Iruka closer.

'He loves you, he's dead.'

'Leave us alone.' Kakashi pleaded hot tears rolling down his face and onto the hard floor.

'He loves you, he's dead.'

'Please just leave us alone.' His voice just above a whisper.

'I can't, because I'm you.'

'No, no your not.'

'Yes I am Kashi-kun, I kill everyone I love. Everyone I get close with.'

Desperately Kakashi placed Iruka down on the ground and ran to the bathroom, trying to reach the first aid kit.

'Can't save him from yourself Kashi-kun.'

'Just leave me alone.' Kakashi growled; voice menacing.

Running towards the cabinet he encountered the mirror. The face that looked up at him was his own, mask and all. Then without him moving, the reflection reached up for the mask and yanked it down.

'Don't you sometimes wonder whose, whose reflection, Kashi-kun?'

The refection started to move backwards into the mirror, slowly fading out of site.

'No, you get back here and fix what you've done!' Kakashi yelled into the mirror.

'Fix your own mistakes, I've done nothing wrong.'

'I would never do this!'

'But you already have.' The mirror faded away, leaving Kakashi sobbing and running back for his dead lover.

He flipped Iruka over and stared at his cold face. He didn't look peaceful, he just looked dead. He hugged the dead body closer and cried.

-X0X0X0X0X-

Iruka was shaking the screaming body, desperately trying to wake it up. Kakashi was having a nightmare, probably due to the fact he was running a high fever.

Tsunade burst through the door and looked at the scenario before her.

Surging forward, she placed her hands on either side of Kakashi's head and soothed chakra into it, calming his body and mind. The body underneath her relaxed and started to wake.

Kakashi's eyes fluttered open, and Iruka was by his side in an instant.

"Kakashi?"

"…Ruk," Kakashi tried, but his voice was weak after disuse and screaming.

"It's okay, you're in the hospital," Iruka said smiling, "in Kohona."

"Yes, your home, so you better get some rest, brat." Tsunade said grinning then walked out of the room.

Looking back to his lover, Kakashi smiled; something he hadn't done in a long time.

"Welcome back," Iruka said, and both laughed because crying just didn't suit the moment.

-END-

TBC

Well, hi there.

Yeah, Kakashi's okay!! Iruka's happy, and so is Tsunade.

Yeah, everyone is happy.

Next chapter: The horrors of rehab.

Well until next time,

Clarity