AN: I KNOW WHAT TO WRITE!!!!!!!!
Deliverance
Kurenai walked inside the hospital room, Asuma being, yet again, left to take care of the younger children. She motioned for Iruka to follow her, he standing up and leaving Naruto's side.
"What is it?"
"Well…I've finally managed to find and contact Naruto's father."
"He has a father?"
"Well, he had to be made somehow…"
Kurenai rolled her eyes, obviously not in a happy mood. Iruka chuckled, scratching the back of his head.
"I mean, his father is alive?"
"Very much so. He is asking to see Naruto."
"Is he allowed to do that?"
"I have to ask for your permission and even if you refuse, he can sue you to have the rights to."
"Well…Naruto…" he exhaled through his nose heavily, " Naruto is in no shape to have this thrust on him now…"
"That is exactly what I explained to him, but I could see it in his eyes that he wants to see his son. I'm a little sorry that he has to come now of all times…"
"What do you mean?"
"You explained to me that you managed to have him talk a little bit. This is a big step for us. If we move him right away, he won't come to trust anyone else, anymore."
"Yeah…you're right…if he can't be safe to stay with me and you put him somewhere else, it'll seem as if we're stripping away his only happiness. We'll be like every other caretaker…"
"Now you understand why I'm hesitant."
Iruka nodded.
"But it could also mean another big step if he reacts positively with his father."
"Doubtful…would you be happy to know that your log lost father suddenly appeared when you didn't need him?"
Kurenai asked, getting agitated again. Iruka backed off, knowing that bad things happened when she was mad.
"I'm just a little upset that this all has to happen now."
"So you said. Listen, if it happens, it happens. I just wish it wouldn't. He's learning to trust Sasuke and me now, and if we stop that process, it could regress him even further."
Kurenai
nodded, accepting the information he was sharing with her.
"Now
we go back to our original question, do you want him to see Naruto?"
Iruka looked down and then up, giving a hesitant nod.
"I really don't want this kid to go. He's a part of my family. It would be like losing a kid…"
"If he's that important to you, adopt him."
Kurenai suggested suddenly, only thinking up of the answer now.
"Adopt…?"
"Why not? You've kept them all for such a long time and they've become attached to one another. They depend on one another. They really are family. You should adopt all of them."
"Am I allowed to do that?"
Kurenai then remembered a stupid rule. She smacked her forehead.
"No…god, I'm being a desperate idiot…if they have parents, you can't…you can maybe adopt Shikamaru and Kiba, but the others are untouchable. Naruto's mother is dead, but his father is still classified as alive. God, I'm stupid…"
"It's okay."
Iruka held his chin and turned to the two boys.
"Seeing his father would be the best thing for him, but worst for us…he has to decide what he wants to do. It's the unfortunate burden most foster children have."
"So your answer is yes…?"
"His happiness comes first. Not ours. If it makes him happy to have a dad, then I'm happy for him. He can come."
Kurenai gave a slight nod, a little disappointed in him. She wanted him to say no.
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Arashi made his way into the hospital, trying not to make it seem as if he were in a hurry.
"Naruto…there's something that I wanna ask you…"
The raven haired boy asked the blond, making him turn his head.
"If you're placed in another home, will you try and contact me?"
There was no verbal reply from the blond, only a slight nod.
"It's because they might move you now that this has happened…you know, in case other people go after you…"
The
blond closed his eyes, silently praying that it wouldn't come down
to that.
"Dad left to go to the cafeteria. He should be back in
a bit. Ms. Kurenai said that everyone at home is okay."
Sasuke tried to get Naruto to speak again, but nothing came out.
"Naruto."
Kurenai walked in the room, placing her hands on his.
"There's someone special that wants to see you…you're father."
He turned again to Sasuke, wanting to be closer to his only friend once again.
"He's waiting outside to see you. He's a very kind man that went through a lot, Naruto…please try to understand. Mr. Iruka said that it was okay for him to see you."
Somehow, he felt betrayed by his caretaker. Why would he allow someone to see him? He had only just started to get settled down and something new and unexpected was thrust onto him.
"Arashi, you can come in now."
Naruto shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to see him. He pulled his hand away from Kurenai's and tucked it under the sheets. She frowned and left the room.
"Naruto…I asked your mother to name you that before I left…"
Naruto kept his eyes shut tight, but he knew that his father was hovering right over him.
"Naruto…? Won't you please talk to me?"
"He doesn't talk."
Sasuke told him in a cold voice that seemed so natural to him, though foreign to Naruto.
"Why not?"
"It's none of your business. Dad said that it's impolite to ask a question like that to anyone unless they say it's alright. Naruto doesn't speak, so you can't ask."
Arashi gave a slight chuckle.
"I guess you're right…"
Naruto didn't hear anything for a bit and opened his eyes, thinking that his father had left. He was sadly mistaken. He was still there, sitting beside him in utter silence. Arashi didn't even look at Naruto incase he could feel his gaze.
"Hey, there…my name is Uzmaki Arashi. I'm supposed to be your father, but I'm not doing a very good job of it, am I?"
Naruto turned to his son and looked into his eyes, smiling uneasily.
"I guess this isn't the best of times to be introduced to you…I just wanted to see you badly."
"He doesn't like to be hurt by people."
Sasuke stated bluntly, getting ready to spring into action in case this Arashi person were someone bad.
"Ah, don't worry. I don't bite."
He leaned in, wanting to touch his hand. The younger blond began to freak out, backing away until he fell unceremoniously onto the ground, writing in pain. Arashi gasped and stood up quickly, rushing to his side. He wanted to pick him up, but Naruto pained himself further by moving closer to Sasuke, grabbing his friend's arm for moral support but ended up disconnecting wires from the raven haired boy's arm.
"Naruto! I'm trying to help you!"
The blond boy kept mouthing the same word over and over again—'no.' Sasuke pushed aside his own pain and helped Naruto up onto his own bed, feeling the magma in his chest begin to swirl once again and erupt, he clutching his chest in pain. He wanted water to cool his insides, but the words wouldn't escape his lips. He unconsciously took his other hand and brought Naruto closer to him, giving Arashi the coldest glare that he could.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
Kurenai screamed, entering the room with Iruka by her side. Kurenai screamed for help, Iruka picking up Naruto and placing him in his own bed, a nurse running to administer him medicine to kill the pain and another one for Sasuke, giving him some water for his dry mouth.
"I didn't do anything to try and hurt him!"
"Kurenai, didn't you tell him that Naruto doesn't like to be touched!?"
Iruka tried to soothe the thrashing Naruto. The social worker looked down at a loss for words. She hadn't given him any warnings about Naruto other than his current situation in the hospital.
"She didn't!"
Arashi shot back at Iruka, not wanting to lose his position as a father indefinitely because of one mishap.
The boys slowly calmed, Iruka making his way over to Sasuke and patting his head, seeing his face contorted with a feel surges of pain before completely settling down, looking up at Iruka straight in the eyes.
"Are
you okay?"
Sasuke nodded, smiling slightly. Naruto raised a
hand, shakily, extending it towards his bag and pulling out his
camera. In a flash, he took a picture of Arashi and placed it under
his pillow, both camera and picture.
"What was that for?"
Kurenai smiled then turned to Arashi.
"Don't worry. It's usually nothing bad."
She
explained.
"When you say Naruto doesn't talk, do you mean that
he's mute?"
"No. He was threatened to stay quiet about his life with his previous caretakers or else they'd hurt him or kill him."
Arashi looked down.
"Naruto…I promise I won't hurt you…a man never goes back on his promise even on the brink of death…I have a very good student who taught me that. I used to be a teacher, you know?"
Naruto didn't answer at all. He just wanted to be beside the only people he truly trusted. Arashi saw the blond turn his head towards Sasuke, making his lips curve in wonder.
"Let's place you beside your friend here."
He began to wheel the bed next to Sasuke, smiling. Naruto turned to Arashi for the first time and realized something—he looked almost the same. As if someone added years to his life and then looked in the mirror. His hair was only longer and his face much more defined. It didn't belong to a boy, but to a man.
"How about I stay here for the rest of the day and Mr. Umino can go back to watch the other ones?"
"It's fine, and you can call me Iruka."
Arashi nodded.
"I insist. It will give me more time with Naruto and if he's afraid of me, he always has hi friend right beside him."
Iruka nodded hesitant, remembering Naruto's previous plea, begging him not to go.
"Would you mind Naruto…? I really do have to check up on them for myself…"
Naruto turned his head away, disappointed.
"I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise."
Naruto turned his head to him again, nodding slowly. Iruka smiled wearily.
"Right, then…behave. Please don't do anything rash anymore. Arashi, please don't touch him if he pulls away."
"Okay."
Kurenai left the room once again, Iruka leaning down and hugging the two boys before leaving.
"See ya later."
The three were alone in the room.
"So…I guess this is it…time to learn how to trust."
Arashi said.
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AN: NO AN! I GTG TONIGHT REALLY BADLY BEFORE I GET IN TROUBLE FOR STAYING ON WITH MY DADDY! Sorry for the shortness!
