Kakashi opened the door, Iruka by his side.

"Hey Naruto," Iruka said sitting by Naruto, who was slowly awakening. Iruka saw how pale and gaunt Naruto's face was. Kakashi strolled to the window, gazing at the sunshine outside.

"Kakashi Sensei... Iruka Sensei…" Naruto smiled weakly, slowly rolling. Pain shot through his back, making him grunt.

"Naruto, careful!" Kakashi and Iruka said in unison, helping Naruto roll onto his stomach. Naruto's shirt lifted up halfway, displaying the deep wounds and vertical stitches running down his spine. Iruka gasped, reverting his eyes to Naruto's face, buried in the pillow.

"Jiraya would laugh if he saw you like this-"Kakashi began but quickly shut his mouth. The last thing they needed was for Naruto to be upset about the death of Jiraya!

A sniffle sounded from where Naruto's face was buried in the pillow. A quiet sob broke the silence and Iruka ran his fingers through Naruto's blonde hair. No one uttered a word, Kakashi instantly regretting opening his mouth.

"Sorry Naruto," Kakashi said, patting the boy's hand very gently. Naruto slowly twisted his head, wincing as he did, and quietly muttered, "It's fine, Sensei. But Jiraya would never like to see me upset like this. And as you said, he isn't gone from…" Naruto rocked onto his side and dragged his broken right arm to his chest. "From here."

Iruka sniffled back tears and smiled. How charming and brave Naruto had become. A nurse slid open the door, disturbing the three. She claimed to come and see if Naruto could try keep his food down. Releasing an exhausting sigh, Naruto was helped to sit up, groaning as he did.

"If you two would be kind enough to stay, I'm sure Naruto would like some company," the nurse said, smiling at Iruka and Kakashi. The two sensei's nodded and sat in two chairs against the wall. Kakashi took out his book and started reading.

The nurse offered Naruto a piece of toast with butter, which he took shakily. The nurse explained that he could take as much time as he needed and that the only thing that mattered was that he could keep it down. Naruto brought the toast to his mouth. The smell of food turned him off, and he clutched his stomach. The nurse grabbed a bucket and offered it to Naruto, who pushed it away. He bit into the bread, piece by piece, until it was gone. The nurse held up a cup with water, which Naruto slowly drank.

"How do you feel?" the nurse questioned.

Naruto flattened his hand and twisted it back and forth, the equivalent of saying 'ok'. She nodded approvingly and stood up.

"Good job. Now we have to see if you can keep it down. If you start to feel sick, get someone to grab the bucket by your bedside." And with that, she left the room.

Naruto felt exhausted, not to mention strange. He lowered himself and gazed up at the roof. He chuckled quietly to himself, despite the pain. He had eaten for the first time in 2 days. Kakashi lowered his book, only to find Iruka asleep, quietly snoring beside him and Naruto staring upwards.

"Good job," Kakashi grinned, sitting on the edge of his bed. Naruto smiled weakly. What happened next surprised Kakashi. Tear's trickled down Naruto's face.

"I did it for Pervy Sage."

A warm smile spread across Kakashi's face. "Of course, you did Naruto. He would be proud."

Naruto raised a hand, which Kakashi took. Before long, Naruto was drifting off to sleep, still clutching Kakashi's hand. Never before had Kakashi had a relationship like this with his student.

'Don't you see, Jiraya? You gave this boy, this courageous boy, something no one else did. You gave him hope,' Kakashi thought to himself. Kakashi fought back tears of pride, and quietly fell asleep, still holding Naruto's hand. If only the silence and peace could continue for a long time.

Naruto woke suddenly, clutching his stomach and making gagging noise. Kakashi woke due to the noise and movements, and took him a second to realise what was happening. Naruto couldn't move without pain, struggling to sit up. Kakashi swiftly raised to bucket at his feet to Naruto just in time. Naruto emptied his guts, Kakashi rubbing his shoulder. Noticing all the commotion, Iruka woke up from his slumber. Seeing Naruto so pale and frail, he rushed over to Kakashi and his student.

"S-s-sorry K-k-k-kakashi Sensei…" Naruto whispered, shutting his eyes tightly. "I feel… so… awful…" he whimpered, clenching his stomach. He doubled over, emptying the remains of his food into the bucket. Iruka went to fetch a nurse and left Kakashi with the sickly Naruto.

"Don't apologise. It happens to us all."

Naruto managed to sit up with the help of Kakashi, grunting as he did. He leaned against his sensei's shoulder as Iruka arrived back with a nurse by his side. She grabbed the bucket from him, and offered Naruto a cloth to wipe his face.

"We have to get you up to the bathroom to clean you up. While we do so, I'll get someone to clean up here."

She wrapped an arm under Naruto's armpit, taking hold of his hand. Naruto hissed in pain as he stood.

"Lean on me, and do not put any pressure on your broken leg," she warned, Iruka rushing to his other side, supporting him. Kakashi went to fetch someone to clean up the mess and to freshen himself up.

Naruto shuffled down the corridor incredibly slow. With each step, pain spread across his face. Turning around a corner, Naruto noticed Tsunade strolling quickly towards him.

"I heard that you couldn't manage to keep your food down. Look's like we'll have to put you on a drip. After we get you cleaned up, we'll move you to a room closer to my office," Tsunade said, taking note of how pale Naruto looked.

As for Naruto himself, he felt himself feel suddenly heavy, as if every movement made him more tired and weak. He couldn't utter a word, afraid that he would pass out.

"If only you would… Naruto, you look as white as a sheet!... Naruto, are you alr-" Before Tsunade could finish her lecture, Naruto went limp. He would've fallen to the floor if it weren't for the nurse and Iruka catching him. His limbs went flaying, Iruka and the nurse trying to hold him.

"He's fitting!" Tsunade exclaimed, a doctor behind her grabbing a gurney bed.

"One, two, three, lift!" Tsunade said, lifting Naruto onto it. As she did so, he let out a short scream of pain.