I don't own Naruto or any of the Characters in the series.

I do not own Naruto. I don't earn money to write this story. Masashi Kishimoto created Naruto.

Chapter 10: Naruto's Surprise

Iruka and Yashuo heard screams coming from the room Naruto was housed in. They each glanced sideways at the other before the broke into a run. Iruka got there first since he wasn't holding a tray of food. He saw an angry Naruto and a smirking Sasuke.

"What happened?" He looked from Naruto to Sasuke. At the sight of their teacher Sasuke's eyes grew icy and narrowed.

"Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked forgetting his anger in his surprise at seeing his teacher.

"I heard you had been attacked and I came to see you. I was so worried Naruto. What happened?" Iruka's voice waivered.

Naruto bowed his head and grew quiet. Instinctually he drew his knees to his chest. This did not help his healing body and it made this known through a sharp jolt of pain in his abdomen. "I-it was nothing Iruka I was being stupid. He turned his head away from the stares he was getting. Resting his head on his knees he mumbled, "It wasn't so bad this time."

"What?" Two of the three shouted angrily.

'What do you mean dope?" Sasuke demanded.

Iruka gave a scandalized look to Sasuke but was ignored. Then he asked Naruto, "You-you've been attacked before?"

"Yes," The boy rasped out.

"Who?" Sasuke growled, "I'll kill them!"

"No you won't," Iruka said in his sternest teacher voice, 'You will let the Hokage take care of it."

"Yeah like he's been taking care of Naruto?" Sasuke argued standing to get in the teacher's face. Iruka was taken aback but stood his ground.

"You need to calm down Sasuke," Iruka warned.

"You need to leave you-you pervert!" Sasuke screamed.

Iruka's eyes widened, "Wha-what?"

"You heard me," Sasuke said in an even and emotionless voice. His eyes almost dead with the fury he felt, "I know you have. You've been touching him!" Sasuke flung his arm toward the ever shrinking Naruto as the boy curled in on himself.

"Wha…I don't understand," Iruka gasped. His eyes showed a deep hurt, "I'd…I would never do that to any of my students."

"I saw…I saw you touching him. I saw-" Sasuke's rant was cut short by a whimper.

"Please stop," Naruto's raspy voice cut through them, slicing at the hearts of all in the room, "Please stop. Sasuke, Iruka-sensei never touched me in places he shouldn't have." Naruto rolled over and looked at them all with such sadness that it made Iruka want to cry, and Sasuke want to murder Naruto's tormenters

"Please drop it. Forget it, it never happened. Please," Naruto begged, "Please would you all just leave me alone for a while?" Naruto sniffed back tears.

"I think that would be best," Yashuo shook his head finally getting over his shock. He ushered the man and boy out of the room. Then he went back in to speak to Naruto, "Naruto you rest and don't worry you are safe here. I'm going to have a talk with Iruka and Sasuke about their behavior. I come back and check on you in a few, ok?"

"Yeah thanks…um…Yashuo," The boy gave a watery smile, "You know you aren't so bad…for a medic." Naruto gave a watery sounding laugh and situated himself in the bed so he was slightly more comfortable.

Yashuo snorted, "Thanks for the compliment…I think."

Naruto laughed again but this time it sounded real and much less sad.

Yashuo walked over to the bed and looked down on the boy. His eyes hardened for a brief second. Then he spoke, "I think I'm going to have them leave for a while. I'll be right back."

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing just the slightest bit…

…Yashuo flicked the light switch off, "Try to sleep Naruto you need the rest." He walked into the Hallway.

"Iruka-sensei, Sasuke," Yashuo frowned at the two, "That was not what I expected from people who care about Naruto. He needs rest and stress is not helping him. Isn't it obvious just how fatigued the boy is? He is damn lucky that things were not worse. I know about the other attacks. The Hokage knows too he couldn't put them in prison fast enough to stop it because those kinds are just like cock roaches. Where you see a few there are hundreds hiding in the walls." He man hissed at them, "It is not solution, the best thing we can do for Naruto right now is to give him space. So I suggest you both leave. Come back in a few hours. Naruto will be ready to leave then. You might consider speaking to the hokage about his living arrangements.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "I already did. He's staying with me."

"Good," Yashuo gave a forced smile, "Then you can spend some time getting your place ready for him, maybe you Iruka can go get Naruto's things from his apartment…do you need his address?"

"No," Iruka shook his head sorrowfully he was mortified at the way he had acted in front of his students much less and injured Naruto who didn't need that added stress, "I know where it is."

Yashuo walked them to the front corridor then turned back the way they had come from.

…Naruto cracked his eyes in the dimness of the room. He heard the door open he stiffened defensively. He saw that it was the medic and forced himself to relax. He felt that something was very wrong. Ocean Blue eyes peered into ice blue eyes. Naruto cleared his throat and spoke up, "Yashuo what happened to your eyes? I thought that they were brown."

The medic giggled insanely, "Yashuo isn't here." He stepped closer. Naruto gasped at seeing disheveled white hair that went with the icy blue of the man's eyes.

"M- Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto swallowed visibly and began to slide away from the man who was now at his bedside.

"It seems that Uchiha brat is trying to take you from me. Well we can't have that," Mizuki leaned in. Naruto's nose wrinkled in displeasure. The man reeked of body odor and other unpleasant smells that Naruto didn't quite recognize. He reached for Naruto with both hands. The grin on his face looked far from sane. Naruto slid out of the bed slowly.

"Where are you going my cute little demon?" Mizuki cocked his head to the side questioningly. Then he perked up, "I know I'm a mess but I think a nice hot bath would do the both of us some good. Let me bring you home and we can practice some of those techniques I promised to show you. He rounded the bed. Naruto thought could make another escape through the window. He inched backward toward it. He felt for a handle or a latch or something so he could open it and climb out. Oh it would have been so easy he was on the first floor and everything, but there was nothing.

Mizuki looked at him confused, "What are you doing there?" Then the man's face screwed up in anger, 'You're not going to leave me are you?" Mizuki growled and lunged toward the boy, but Naruto moved aside just in time as the man crashed into the window. The glass was reinforced to keep it secure but still the chuunin managed to crack it with his velocity. He grunted in pain as he turned revealing a cut going up his cheek from where the almost microscopic edge of the crack had split his skin. There was blood on his face and on the window.

Naruto stood there in shock before he realized he was losing his one chance to escape. He darted around the man and past the hospital bed. His side screamed in protest as he ran out the door and down the deserted hallway. When he came to a fire exit he didn't think twice. He pushed the door open ignoring the blazing alarm.

Mizuki screamed and gave chase. He was on the blonde's heels. Naruto ducked into the crowd of people filing out because of the alarm he head set off. Mizuki tried to school his rage and blend in as well. The boy was his and he couldn't have the brat going off to tell tales on him now could he?

…Iruka was allowed into the apartment by one of the ANBU after he stated his purposes and a message was sent to the Hokage by hawk. Only once he had a response was the teacher allowed in. The sight Iruka beheld made him gasp. Naruto's belongings were shredded. His bed clothes had been ripped up and soiled the smell of stale alcohol and urine permeated the room. Someone had used some sort of blade to carve ugly epitaphs into the wall. Iruka cringed at the words 'DIE DEMON DIE.' There were others too most held that sentiment, but there were others that worried the man even more what were they planning to do to Naruto? The words whore and foxy slut were there on the walls. Naruto may not have died if he had stayed in his apartment rather than run but he may have wished for death if he had stayed.

"This is beyond horrible," Iruka turned to the masked nin. It was easy to tell that this was a man, and by his tense posture and clenching fists Iruka knew at least one of them was on his side. The other ANUB were casual and seemed impersonal as they gathered evidence. It made him so angry. …And what's worse there didn't seem to be anything untouched. Iruka saw a bit of orange and thinking of Naruto's signature orange jumpsuit he reached for it. He pulled up a shredded piece of a sleeve but he noticed it was caught on the floor board. He tugged and the board came with the fabric. In it Iruka found a small treasure trove. He reached in and pulled out the small coin purse, a small burlap bag and a stack of papers. A piece of paper fell from the stack. It was the picture of an infant. Iruka didn't have to guess that it was a picture of Naruto as a baby. The man leafed through the papers. Some of them were writings but a lot of them were drawings. Some were obviously done when Naruto was little being crinkled and dirty and done in a black crayon or something of the sort. There was a picture of a man, a woman, and a little child with spiky hair. The man and woman did not have faces, but it was obvious that this was Naruto's attempt at a family portrait. Water dripped onto the worn paper soaking in. Iruka wiped at his face and realized he was crying.

He checked the bag and found a dull rusty kunai, probably picked up from the training grounds. A few marbles some colorful rocks and other simple treasures one might expect to find hiding under a young child's bed. Iruka smiled sadly. The poor kid, he was so young and innocent. He wanted to become a ninja, well most kids in this village wanted that, but to Naruto it was more than about glory. His desire to be Hokage was more about being accepted and fitting in somewhere. Iruka knew he was right he would never be allowed to truly fit in, but maybe he could push himself and then rather than standing as an outcast he might get to stand out as a hero. He closed up the bag and took the coin purse, the papers and the bag of treasures. He scouted around finding nothing else had been spared he sighed sadly he didn't even need a bag to carry all of Naruto's worldly goods in.

Naruto was panting. He had to stop, he was just so tired. A hand wrapped around his wrist in a strong grip and jerked him backwards. Another hand covered his mouth so he couldn't scream, but not thinking of Naruto's teeth he screamed and let go as the boy bit into his hand drawing blood. Naruto had nowhere to run but to the forest so he went where it was forbidden. Mizuki's eyes narrowed promising pain to the blonde in his head.

{I have to stop there for now. I'm leaving for a camping trip in a couple days so I won't be updating for at least a week.}