Behind The Mask
Chapter 25
Gets a little twisted towards the end!
Naruto returned to sit with Itachi, who was impatiently staring out the window.
"Still no news?" Naruto asked and Itachi looked up and shook his head.
"Not yet, I am afraid that can only mean good things." he said. "They always say that no news is good news." Naruto sighed and sat down beside Itachi. He could always use this time to plan more pranks. It wasn't like he didn't have enough to make up for.
"Hey, Iruka" Naruto said frowning before looking up at his guardian.
"Yes?" Iruka asked.
"What am I going to do about school? I will never be able to make up with all that I have missed? Will I even be going back to Konoha High?" Naruto wondered.
"Do you think that returning there is a good idea?" Iruka asked "after everything that has happened with Kiba?"
"I don't know" Naruto said "but I kind of want to go back. Maybe I can somehow change the way the other kids think."
"That's just it Naruto" Iruka said softly "No one should have too, it really shouldn't be your job. They shouldn't have been thinking that way to begin with. It's certainly not fair to you."
"I've always known that the other kids didn't care too much for me." Naruto admitted "and I guess deep down I knew exactly how malicious Kiba was as well. But I guess because I lacked real love and friendship, I accepted what I thought I deserved. Because I knew that most of the kids wouldn't accept me because I was gay. I guess I thought most of the kids would be able to overlook it."
"That's a pretty big something to overlook though." Itachi said having been listening to their conversations. "You can't expect everyone to accept it."
"Don't I know it." Naruto mumbled "I just wish they could see past that fact to the fact that I am still a normal person being gay doesn't change that."
"No, it doesn't." Iruka said "Kids can be cruel and selfish. They don't realize how much their actions can effect others. Given time they might come around, but because of Kiba I don't know that you can change that situation."
"Does anyone know what's going to happen to Kiba anyhow?" Naruto asked "I can imagine that the law won't look past his part in the kidnapping or anything thereafter."
"Rumor has it, he's been sent to an institution for a Psych Eval." Itachi said "because no sane kid could do all that crap."
"I call bullshit." Naruto said "I believe he knew exactly what he was doing when he was doing it. Although it takes a true psychopath to be able to hide all that hatred so well."
"There is definitively something there that isn't right with him." Iruka said "whether it can be helped or not is a wholly different matter."
"I am wishing that we had never met." Naruto huffed "I would have been better off with no friends at all."
"Yes, but everyone gets lonely. You are no different." Kakashi piped in. "I can't see someone as bright as you enjoying being a loner. You are much too social for that." Naruto sighed. He did want to go back to school but Iruka was probably right in thinking that it wasn't a good idea.
"How can someone who was so friendly be filled with so much hatred?" Naruto wondered, thinking about the last few years that he had spent with Kiba.
"Sometimes evil can hide itself deep down until the time is right to reveal itself." Iruka replied. "and in this case boy did it show itself." Naruto frowned, and pushed himself to his feet, clinging to his crutches as he began to pace back and forth. He wouldn't say that he was worried precisely in fact Naruto couldn't exactly put a finger on what he was feeling at that moment, a touch or nerves and anxiety maybe. Because he had no idea of the outcome of the current situation. All that had been said could still get Naruto tossed in some mental hospital, if the jury ever believed what had been told.
Naruto continued pacing back and forth for the next several minutes, trying to his thoughts back into order. He wanted to go back to school, but he was afraid to face some of Sasuke's old crew, like Sakura. She hadn't been seen for a while, but that didn't mean she wouldn't come back around eventually.
"Your worrying." Itachi said, watching the blonde pace. "and you are wearing me out with your pacing."
"I can't help it" Naruto mumbled "I've got a ton of shit on my mind and I can't exactly focus on any one thing."
"Yes, well you might try not focusing on it for now. Just concentrate on the here and now. Your other worries will work themselves out somehow." Itachi said "besides Sasuke wouldn't seeing you getting yourself into a mess." Naruto took a deep breath and released it slowly. Itachi was probably right, working himself into a lather wasn't going to do anyone any good.
Sitting back down, Naruto yawned loudly his jaw popping as he done so. It hadn't seemed like it but they had been at the hospital for a few hours.
"Maybe you should go home and get some rest." Itachi said "your tired and it has been a long day."
"I want to know about Sasuke." Naruto said talking through another yawn. "It can't be too much longer before he's out of surgery."
"He's out now" Tsunade said stepping into the doorway. "He's already in recovering and appears to be handling the transplant well."
"Good." Itachi said grinning in relief, before releasing a few tears. He had been more worried about Sasuke as of late because his condition had gotten a lot worse right before a heart had been found.
"Now Naruto can stop worrying and go home and get some rest." Tsunade said "before he ends up in the hospital again himself."
"Not going to happen, no offense to you." Naruto said "But I've been in the hospital enough for a lifetime." Tsunade smiled at him.
"Tonight Itachi is going to be the only one allowed in to see him." she told the group "so go home get some rest and come back tomorrow. If something happens Itachi will call and let you know."
Itachi stood and turned to Naruto and helped the nearly asleep boy to his feet.
"I will call indeed and let you know how lover boy is doing." Itachi told Naruto.
"Don't let him hear you call him that." Naruto suggested "he's going to hurt you."
"I'll settle for him being healthy enough to attempt it." Itachi replied walking with Naruto and Iruka to the elevator.
"He can only get better from here." Kakashi told Itachi "Unless of course for whatever reason he rejects the heart."
"'kashi you asshole." Iruka muttered "you're not supposed to say that."
"It could happen though." Kakashi said as he followed the other two into the elevator.
"I'm sure that he knows exactly what can happen." Iruka replied "He doesn't need you spelling it out for him."
"It was kind of thoughtless." Naruto commented as they exited the elevator on the bottom floor and headed towards Kakashi's parked car. Naruto slid into the car, once Kakashi had unlocked the doors. Naruto was asleep before the car even left the parking garage. Iruka smiled at the boy, who had curled up in the backseat, sleeping soundly.
"Poor kid" Iruka said softly "he's been through hell, but he has still found a way to radiate light instead of darkness."
"Yes, it's strange how that can happen after all he's had to face. Some would say it would be damn near impossible to come back from it. He's proved them wrong all the way around. I would like to see him make a few decent friends though, instead of just that scumbag Kiba." Kakashi said, as he pulled into the driveway.
Parking, Kakashi and Iruka sat there for a few minutes just enjoying the peace of the moment. Iruka closed his eyes and lay his head back against the head rest. He opened his eyes only when he felt Kakashi's fingers on his lips.
"I know this probably isn't the most romantic way to ask, but sitting here just thinking of how things are. I have to ask, will you do me the pleasure of marrying me.?" Kakashi asked softly. Iruka stared at Kakashi for a moment before a grin broke out on Iruka's face.
"Yes" Iruka said "Yes, I will marry you!"
"Good," Kakashi said leaning over and pressing his mouth against Iruka's. As he deepened the kiss, a loud knock on the window interrupted them.
Pulling back, Kakashi scowled at the red headed man that stood right outside of the car. Frowning, Kakashi rolled down the window.
"Can I help you?" he asked irritably.
"I'm Kurama Uzumaki" The man said "and I was told that I could find my brother here."
"Since when did Naruto have a brother?" Iruka wondered as he reached behind him and shook Naruto awake.
"We're home kiddo." Iruka said softly, as Naruto opened his eyes and blinked wearily at him.
"I don't want to move." Naruto mumbled and shut his eyes again.
"Oh, I think you are going to want to for this one." Iruka said as he gently shook Naruto's shoulder again.
Naruto noticed the red haired man that was talking to Kakashi when he sat up. He frowned when he noticed that man's blue eyes matched his, but he resembled Kushina in his other features.
"Who is he?" Naruto asked softly.
"He claims he's your brother." Iruka replied and Naruto frowned, before shoving open the car door, and grabbing his crutches so that he could stand up.
"How is your my brother?" Naruto asked, he couldn't doubt the looks. He looked just like Kushina.
"I was put up for adoption when I was born." Kurama replied and Naruto frowned. Why had she done that for Kurama and not Naruto, she had just left Naruto in the street, not caring whether he would live or die.
"Why are you here then?" Naruto asked, wondering if he was after something.
"Because I heard about the hell you were put through because of her. And I want the chance to form some sort of familial relationship." Kurama replied "I can understand your not trusting me, after all I just showed up out of nowhere."
"I think it's going to take some time to get used to this news." Naruto replied.
"That's understandable." Kurama replied. "I didn't expect you to be out right accepting of me or to trust me right away." Naruto frowned, his brother looked to be only four or so years older than him, which meant that he was out of school.
"What do you do for a living?" Naruto wondered because Kurama had muscle built on top of muscle.
"Special ops" Kurama replied "and that's pretty much all I can say about it for the time being." glancing down at his watch, he frowned. "I have to go but maybe we can get together and get to know each other better."
"I get it, a friend of mines brother is in special ops. And I would like that" Naruto said as he started towards the apartment door. Kakashi and Iruka having already gone inside, leaving the door open for him. However, before he get cross the thresh hold, he felt something hard slam into the back of his head, making him cry out in pain as he collapsed to the floor. He barely heard Iruka cry out in alarm, and he didn't feel Kakashi's arm catch him as he collapsed to the ground.
One minute Kakashi was celebrating with Iruka, the next he was catching Naruto as the teen collapsed, looking up he saw Kiba running away and Kurama close on his heels.
"I thought his ass got arrested!" Kakashi snarled before turning back to Naruto, whose head was gushing blood from where his head had been smashed with a rock.
"Call an ambulance!" Kakashi told Iruka who hurried to do as asked.
"Hang on Naruto." Kakashi mumbled, hoping that there wouldn't be any lasting repercussions from this latest episode.
"They are on their way." Iruka said kneeling down beside Kakashi and gently touching the bleeding wound on the back of his head.
"I'm going to kill that little bastard." Iruka seethed, "I'm going to tear his homophobic heart out and feed it to the bears!"
"I'll help you." Kakashi said as he tore his shirt and wrapped it tightly around Naruto's head. Being hit in the head was extremely dangerous, not only could it kill but it could also mess with ones memories. Kakashi hoped that neither happened to Naruto, because the kid was finally starting to get happy again.
"Why now?" Iruka asked as the paramedics arrived and Kakashi had finished telling the paramedics what had happened. "Why did this happen now? He was doing so well."
"Kiba can't stand the thought of Naruto being happy." Kakashi replied "and because Naruto is gay, Kiba thinks that Naruto is less than dirt." Iruka's tears overflowed as he watched the paramedics slip an oxygen mask over Naruto's face, Iruka could see blood dripping from Naruto's ear, indicting that there was a possible bleed in Naruto's brain.
"I'm going to murder that little weasel" Iruka promised, his heart aching for Naruto. He hoped the boy didn't wake up in terrible agony.
"Go with him" Kakashi pushed Iruka towards the ambulance. "I'll follow in the car." Iruka nodded and climbed into the ambulance and sitting down and grabbing a hold of Naruto's hand and squeezed it.
"I'm sorry kiddo" Iruka said softly "you're going to be okay! Someway somehow we will make you okay again." tears dropped from Iruka's eyes down onto Naruto's face and ran down. "We should have waited for you. I promise if you when you recover I am never letting you out of my sight again."
After that Iruka remained silent while the paramedic continued checking Naruto over.
"How is he?" Iruka asked softly.
"The fact that he is still unconscious isn't good. His head must have been hit pretty hard." the medic told him as the ambulance pulled into the ER.
Iruka watched as Naruto disappeared into a treatment room, while he was directed into the waiting room where he collapsed into Kakashi's arms.
"He's still unconscious" Iruka said sobbing against Kakashi's chest. "The medic said that the longer he was unconscious that it wasn't good for him."
"Naruto is an amazing kid" Kakashi said softly "he's going to pull through this too." Kakashi led Iruka over to the waited room chairs and helped him sit down.
"I hope so" Iruka said softly rubbing at his eyes. "Someone should let Itachi know what happened."
"I will once we know what's going on." Kakashi said "I want to know Naruto's exact condition before we tell him anything. Maybe it will keep Sasuke from going insane with worry."
The couple drifted into silence, Kakashi tuned into the news channel that was on while Iruka was lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly, Kakashi elbowed Iruka in the side, irritated the other man but getting his attention just as a breaking news alert sounded.
"News just in that Konoha High student Kiba Inuzuka was found brutally beaten and murdered on his parents lawn." The reported said. "He was found naked with a certain male appendage missing, which was discovered to be shoved up the kid's butt."
"I think that's a little too much information." Iruka said, though he wasn't a bit sorry to hear it. Kiba had caused Naruto so much pain that it wasn't funny.
"Can't say the little punk didn't deserve it though." Kakashi said turning to face the doctor that was coming towards them.
"How's Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"He has a skull fracture, and a brain bleed." the doctor replied "if the bleeding doesn't stop on its own, we might have to go in and stop it surgically." Iruka frowned he hoped that the bleeding would stop on its own.
"Is there any kind of brain damage?" Iruka asked.
"We won't know until he regains consciousness." The doctor replied.
Thanks for reading! I think I went a little brain dead with this chapter. Liz