Naruto is hospitalised after using a dangerous seal on his own chakra system that has

left him slowly dying after saving Konoha from the Oto and Suna invasion

during the Chunin Exams. Shizune, and secretly Tsunade, have been helping him to recover and

have performed a dangerous operation to help restore his chakra.

"Surely by now there should have been an improvement?"

It had been weeks since the operation, and although Naruto had pulled through and remained stable, the boy had neither moved nor opened his eyes. There were whispers from the orderlies that the boy didn't have much hope left and the chances that he fully regained consciousness were dwindling with each passing hour. The whispers quieted when Kakashi or Shizune passed by, but that didn't mean they were unaware. Kakashi had taken temporary leave from his duties, which had barely been granted until Guy had helpfully offered to mind his team as they also recovered from their injuries. The Jounin hoped that Guy's radical ideas about teams and friendship might rub off a little on them while he was away.

His mind was concerned with other things. Mainly the health of his friend and previous team mate. He'd lost too many people in the past, he wasn't about to watch Naruto go too.

Shizune was sat across from the table, her weariness evident in the way she hung her head and the dark, sallow skin beneath her eyes, but still she made the effort to smile back at him.

"Any day now." She promised "Any day he's going to bounce right back."

She'd said that every day for the past week. If Shizune wasn't going to give up hope, then neither could he.

But the day where they really would have to talk about Naruto's future hung over them both, but neither wanted to give it further thought.

Sarutobi was nowhere near healthy enough to return to office, but there was no time for him to be weak. The clean-up process seemed to have improved, and major connections to larger towns and villages had been restored to the point where materials and produce could be shipped to aid in the reconstruction efforts. The official death toll has been released, and the injured appeared to be recovering well. It was a blip in the usual smooth surface of Konohagakure but it was one they could endure so long as their Hokage remained strong.

Except he wasn't so sure how long he could keep up the charade. He was old and he felt it. Every cold spike of wind, the gnaw of bones as his fingers enclosed a pen… He would persevere until a successor was found. Except his intended successor was laying in the Intensive Care Ward of Konoha's hospital with severe and unusual chakra damage, who hadn't moved or spoken a word since the perilous surgery they weren't sure he could survive. He wished he could have seen Naruto take the lead during the Invasion, the stories he'd heard about the blond child had served to reaffirm his suspicions about the boy and his innate leadership. Konoha would have been great behind him, a force to be reckoned with, he was sure of it.

Tsunade. It was unlikely she would return but he'd messaged Jiraiya to look out for her in an attempt to return her to the village. He was loathe to tear Kakashi away from his new found team, but needs must if Tsunade couldn't be located… Another suitable Jounin teacher could be found for Team 7 he was sure of it.

He drew the file out of his drawer, and palmed it open to read the stats of the 3 students he would regrettably have to separate.

Konoha had to continue, regardless of the regret his decisions would cause him.

"It's been two months Kakashi-sensei, is Naruto really not going to get better?"

The silver haired Jounin never expected the boy to be so calm and careful when he had first imagined Kensuki visiting the hospital, but every fibre of his being seemed to be muted by the drain of the pale walls and antiseptic stench. Kakashi hated it.

"I don't know." He admitted, watching the soft rise and fall of the sheet covering Naruto's chest, "He could wake up any day now." And every day he repeated the same mantra to himself, the more of a lie it had become – Shizune had given him until the end of the week before they made the next series of plans, and he couldn't help but feel it was all becoming a drawn out farewell.

There had been some hope earlier that day, Naruto had seemingly twictched and flinched away from Shizune's enquiring hands and her reaction tests, but when they were repeated he had remained still. Hope so cruelly dashed, Kakashi had stayed vigilant by his bedside since.

"The Hokage said that we were to be given new Senseis." Kensuki said softly, "He told us that Team 7 was being officially disbanded."

Kakashi felt a bit numb, but he nodded anyway.

"The Hokage wants my help on a few things, we decided it would be best if I focused my full attention on those duties. It would be for the best if you had separate sensei's until the situation improves."

It was beginning to get late, a nurse poked her head around the door with a smile and reminded them that it soon would be time to leave and allow the patient to rest. It was ridiculous, Kakashi would probably return in a few hours but he understood the importance of actually showering and feeding himself before returning. Even Asuma had picked up on the gaunt look he was beginning to achieve.

A few hours wouldn't hurt, and after parting with Kensuki at the door he was home in an instant. He ate a quick meal and laid his head to rest, just for a few moments so he could clear some of the fog from his head. He would be of little use if he continued on as he had of late.

It hurt.

He wasn't sure what hurt, only that it did and there was nothing he could do to rid himself of the pain. It was like an ache, a stormy pressure that stung and clung and no matter what he did it burned at his inside and each breath became more laboured.

Break free it whispered to him in the dark, you need to come find us. We can help. Break free.

So he did.

Kakashi was taking his time in returning back to the hospital room, aware that once he was by Naruto's side once more he would have to seriously contemplate what more could be done for the boy. He had asked Shizune about the possibility of sending for Tsunade but Shizune had only pursed her lips and shaken her head sadly. There was to be no help from her master, the wounds were too deep to be forgotten so easily.

'Damn her then.' Kakashi had though bitterly as the night's breeze tangled at his hair. She was the only one who could help them now, and she refused. He could only wish her the world of misfortune.

He glanced up at the window of the hospital, noting that it had yet to be closed thereby making his life just a little touch easier. As he approached, he felt the beginnings of dread set his teeth on edge and his hand dropped instinctively to the kunai on his hip.

That-

He tucked in reflexively just at the same moment as a sweeping rumble of Chakra caused the window pane to burst outwards.

Shit.

Kakashi was there in a moment, Jutsu on his lips and prepared for every eventuality.

Finding Naruto backed into a corner, trembling weakly with unfocused eyes was seemingly not an eventuality he had been preparing himself for.

A nurse was trying to placate the boy with soft words and gentler movements, but the boy didn't seem to be aware of his presence and was staring blankly into the distance. Kakashi carefully pocketed the kunai, raised his hands and stepped forwards.

"Naruto-kun."

Nothing, not even a vague glimmer of recognition.

"Naruto." Firmer this time, he could feel the reflexive snap and curl of the other's chakra and prayed that there would be no retaliation. "Naruto listen to me, you're safe."

This did little to dissipate the chakra and Kakashi slowly reached down to uncover the Sharingan to try and discern what Naruto was intending. Except the sight stunned him more than he'd expected, Naruto's chakra system was almost skewed, twisted in on itself until the flow was barely recognisable and some areas appeared to be completely blocked as opposing currents met against complete stillness. Kakashi couldn't even begin to contemplate how much it hurt, no wonder the boy seemed to be dazed. They'd saved his life, but Naruto was far from being fighting fit. If only Kakashi had been there to help him face off against Kabuto. He should have been there to help, no matter what.

"Uzamaki Naruto." Kakashi said again, starting to lose hope of ever gaining a response from the cowering form in the corner, whose chakra fluctuated too wildly to be considered controlled or deliberate. He wasn't doing himself any favours, Kakashi could see the chakra building up inside his system with blinding accuracy, watching as the flow bunched, slowed and tore apart weakened vessels. If he wasn't going to stop soon, Kakashi would have to stop him instead. He wasn't sure if he could get close without causing damage to both of them, the level of chakra rolling off the boy was like a storm of static.

From the corridor he could hear Shizune's voice as she fought to enter the scene, the clatter on Ton-Ton's trotters moving closer as she did so.

Shizune took one look at the scene, ushered the frantic nurse quickly out of the door and turned to Kakashi pleadingly.

"Could you maybe-" but the rest of her sentence was lost as Ton-Ton suddenly shifted, the outline fading to be replaced by that of a grown woman who simply groaned.

"Amateurs."

And punched Naruto squarely in the jaw.

Kakashi couldn't help but watch the boy collapse downward as his chakra dimmed but didn't seem to dissipate properly, reminding him of the time outside the hospital when he'd first noticed that Naruto's chakra had appeared to dissipate unnaturally. Once he'd confirmed that Naruto was breathing, and as unharmed as he possibly could have been in the given situation, he turned to the blonde woman who'd seemed to have taken the place of Ton-Ton.

"I'm assuming the explanation is an interesting one Tsunade-sama."

AN:

Wow it feels odd coming back to this. A few lovely people left me messages and reviews asking me if this would ever be finished and honestly I will try my best. My love for the series has definitely dwindled over the past few years and I lost interest, which made it difficult to continue. I have two more chapters written and although more condensed than I'd originally intended, I hope to have Broken Tool finished by Chapter 30. One day I may come back to it and write a sequel or some short stories, but for now I'm focusing on getting this story finished for everybody that's supported this story until now since it began in 2009.

Thanks so much everybody! :)