Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters.


"S…Sa…Sasuke?"

Naruto slowly sits up to the dark insides of his own mind. The heat of Kyuubi's cage waves against his back.

"Welcome back, child. It's been a while."

Naruto turns his head and gapes at the large form of Kyuubi whom he hasn't seen in years. Not since before Iruka has taken him into his care.

"Kyuubi? Why…why am I here?"

"Idiot, that playmate of yours poisoned you." The demon huffs.

"Poisoned me?" the blonde gasps "No, no you must be mistaken!"

"Mistaken? Please, child, do not insult me."

Naruto swallows the lump in his throat.

"Sasuke. Sasuke, he…he would never do that to me…" he says in a small voice.

"Believe whatever you wish. What is, is." Kyuubi says plainly in his deep, rumbling voice as Naruto fades into dreams of betrayal.


"Naruto! Naruto!"

Iruka follows along with the white cot as doctors and nurses push it down the long white hallways of Konoha's one and only hospital.

Kakashi, while searching for Naruto and Sasuke, had stumbled upon the blonde's body limp in a heap on the floor. Sasuke nowhere in sight. The blonde had been slipped some sort of strong substance that even the boy's strong immune system is having trouble fighting off. The white blood cells becoming somewhat lame.

Iruka's footsteps slow to a stop outside the room that Naruto that has been ushered into.

"How did this happen?" he asks himself, burying his head in his hands "Naruto…"

"Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka turns to see Sakura, many other of the Genins behind her. One angry Hyuuga steps forward and looks up into Iruka's eyes.

"Where is he? Where is Naruto?"

"He…he…"

The Hyuuga snarls and huffs at the Chunin.

"Tell me, damn it!"

"He's been poisoned. They're working on extracting it." The brunette says stiffly, quietly.

Neji steps back, his eyes shifting to the door behind his former teacher.

"Poisoned…how?"

"I don't know."

Neji grimaces and stares hard back at Iruka.

"You don't know anything do you?"

"I guess not. Not anymore."


"Umino-san?"

Iruka lifts his head from his palms; Hinata who had been comforting him looks up as well.

A nurse with medium length, straight orange hair and brown eyes smiles and beckons for the Chunin to come forward, which he does.

"Good news, we managed to extract most of the poison. His immune system should fight off the rest. Despite the fact that the poison has weakened it."

"Good." Iruka sighs in relief "Anything else?"

The nurse takes on an uneasy expression and shakes her head. "We don't know yet."

Iruka swallows then places a hand on his forehead.

"May I see him?"

"Of course!" the nurse smiles.

They walk through the halls and stop in front of a door to the right which is opened by the nurse to reveal Naruto. He is laid out on a white hospital bed. His petite frame is covered by a white sheet and periwinkle blue quilt. He is flushed and pale. Iruka goes to sit at the bedside.

"I'll leave you two to your privacy," the nurse whispers and steps out to the mainly noiseless halls.

"Oh, Naruto…"

Iruka strokes the blonde mop gently, affectionately. Then turns to grab a plain white wash cloth and wets it. He dabs the young Genin's forehead and thinks to himself, thinking of the past.

"I guess this makes me a liar. He's been kidnapped, beaten, and now poisoned. I promised to protect him."

Iruka sighs and kneels before the nervous little boy.

"Naruto, I know that things have been hard for you. I want to change that. Trust that as long as you have me, no harm will come to you."

Blue eyes widen a bit and he smiles, wrapping his small, tan arms around Iruka's neck and whispering,

"Thank you, Iruka-nii."

Iruka drops the wash cloth and kneels his head on the blonde's chest.

"I-ru-uk…" a small, dry voice chokes.

Iruka snaps his head up and gapes at the hazy blue eyes staring at him, a small, faintly tan hand lifts to pet the brunette with a dreamy smile.

"There you are, Rukii." The blonde giggles.

'He's delirious.' Iruka thinks worriedly.

Naruto tries to sit up but Iruka presses him back down. The blonde's eyes scan how Iruka's large hands firmly hold him down to the soft bed and he lets a wry smile take form on his flushed face.

"Eager, huh?" he giggles.

Iruka stares dumbly at the blonde then jumps back in realization.

"No! No!" he shouts and waves his hands in denial in front of his face.

"Oh, Ruka-nii, don't be ashamed." Naruto says, sitting up and licking his lips. "We all get urges." he laughs lightly.

Iruka stands in bewilderment, fearing he is about to have a heart attack. This is too much.

"C' mere." Naruto says softly. Spreading his arms out like he is about to give someone a hug.

"Uh, N-Naruto. You…you should get some rest." Iruka stutters, backing towards the door.

Naruto pouts at this and plops his hands back down to his lap. Like a child would do when told to do something they don't want to.

"Aw, but I'm not tired." He whines, but then a thought seems to cross his mind and he grins. "If you want me to sleep, you're gonna have to wear me out first, Iruka-nii."

And with that, Iruka faints.

"Excuse me, Umino-san, I need you to sign these-oh my gosh!"

The nurse gasps and stares in shock at the collapsed form of Iruka on the floor then gives the blonde in the bed a confused look. Naruto blinks a couple times and says simply,

"He fainted."

The nurse shakes her head and mumbles, "Uh huh." Then scurries out of the room to get assistance from another nurse.

The nurse she comes back with has short hair, like a boy's haircut, that is such a light shade of brown it almost seems gray and has grey eyes. She does not look happy.

"Damn it, Hogaraka, can't you do anything yourself?" the woman growls as she stomps into the room, Hogaraka following pessimistically behind.

"I-I apologize, Takitsubo-san!" she stutters and assists the angry female lift Iruka onto a chair by the door.

"Wake up!" Takitsubo shouts as she roughly shakes Iruka in attempt to wake the man with no prevail. Iruka is down for the count.

"Ta-Takitsubo-san! You shouldn't be so rough!" Hogaraka cries out.

"Why the hell would…" Takitsubo silences herself when she sees the look the blonde in the bed is giving her.

His eyes are narrowed dangerously and the scowl on his face would make someone more sensitive wet themselves if such an expression was directed towards them. The moody nurse then swiftly removes her hands from the unconscious brunette and steps towards the door.

"Deal with it yourself." She mumbles and then disappears.

"Uh…" Hogaraka slowly turns her head to look at Naruto who is now smiling pleasantly, shoulders lax and mood completely calm.

"I'm fine, Hogaraka-san, and so is Iruka-nii. He just got over excited." He giggles.

The orange haired female brings a hand to her lips and gives Iruka an uncertain look.

"Are you sure?

"Positive."

"Okay…get some rest then, Naruto-kun, alright?"

"Alright."

Once she is finally gone, Naruto slips out of the bed and tip-toes towards the door and locks it silently. He gazes at Iruka lustfully with hazy blue eyes and then goes to stand before the man, cupping his cheek and feeling the smooth skin and the tips of the ends of his scar that gives him a certain charm.

He leans in and kisses the corners of Iruka's lips, and then his neck, sucking at the skin that Naruto deems absolutely delicious. He nips lightly and grins at the response he is given as Iruka unknowingly lets out a throaty groan.

"Aw, Iruka-nii. Thanks for the prai…"

Naruto coughs and scrambles away his eyes flashing red and his legs giving out, he sits with his back pressed against the side of the bed and his legs out in front of him.


"Naruto!"

Said blonde lets his brilliant blue eyes reveal themselves and looks into the panicked brown eyes of his teacher and caretaker, Iruka.

"Iruka-nii? Wha-"

He can't finish his questions as he is enveloped in the embrace of the brunette.

"Oh, thank goodness." Iruka sighs and brushes his hands through Naruto's messy blonde hair.

"Iruka-nii, I'm sorry, but… I need to puke."

Iruka jumps up and backs away instantly and watches as Naruto runs to the bucket on the other side of the bed and tossed his cookies, so to speak. After the miserable moaning and gagging stops he sees Naruto rise and prop himself up on the side of the bed. Iruka goes around and lifts him onto the mattress. After a few moments of Naruto panting and Iruka dabbing his head with a wet wash cloth Naruto breaks the silence.

"Hey, Iruka-nii. When did you get here?"