Melancholia

by An Ordinary Riceball

Team 7 has issues, severe issues. But when Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto start unraveling and a secret gets revealed, it starts to seem like it's not just them anymore, but Kakashi too, and numerous others with psychological scars of the past. Will they ever manage to truly work out their problems? Self-harm/Eating Disorders/Abuse/Triggers. Parental!Kakashi, Tsunade & Iruka. NaruSaku

17. Chapter 17

Story: Melancholia, Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Wow, lol sorry it's been a while, a lot of things have been going on and I hit a bad author's block for a while, so I hope this turned out okay… I tried my best to get everybody in character considering the time frame of the series and various other things, and I finally brought in Iruka, Ino and Shikamaru so that was also a big challenge for me since I um… Have never really wrote much for them at all(although I've had more experience with Iruka than Ino or Shikamaru I guess). Kakashi and Sasuke kind of got sidelined in this and Shikamaru as well, but the will play more of a role in the next few chapters. Hopefully. I'm trying to slowly bring in other characters, but I won't be bringing them in all at once because working with numerous characters at a time is such a huge pain and it feels more realistic for people to not find out everything at once.

I also had a lot of trouble with Sakura and Ino's interactions. I want Sakura to seem closer to Ino than she is many others, in the talking department, since they go all the way back to early childhood, while still having Sakura keep things from Ino and I want Ino to seem kind of bossy while also caring a lot for her friends. Anyway, this was hard for me to write, so I hope you all enjoy this.

Replies to Reviews:

YBorn chapter 16 . Nov 27

Love this story so much

I'm glad! :D

DankSodaCan chapter 16 . Nov 26

Good.

Thanks!

SheIsKaraM chapter 16 . Nov 22

I have a feeling for where this is going (at least in regards to Naruto and his abuse) and my heart will probably crack on two. I keep waiting for Naruto to break down but I know that isn't realistic. I'm glad that Kakashi has at least an inkling that something's up with Sasuke and Sakura. I hope they come to light and get addressed soon. Mibuki should probably be removed from Sakura's life for the time being. That woman should get her own issues sorted out before allowing her to interact with her daughter again.

Well now that that's out, this is really well written. I have no clues about how mental issues manifest and how they're treated so, yeah. Whatever you say is realistic, I'll probably believe. Your writing style is great! Looking forward to the next chapter!

TBH, your guess about Naruto is probably right. I didn't want to rush to revitalization too much because I want to make it as realistic as possible taking bits from my own experiences and other people's while also applying Naruto's own character. And there will be a lot of stuff with Sasuke and Sakura yet, which I really look forward to exploring! x3

Kakashi has his job cut out for him and doing the very best he possibly could have in my opinion.

And BIG agree on Mibuki. She's not like... Evil I think, but dude as a mom she sucks in this story, and that's going to really show soon and later. She just has major issues. I'm not sure if I'll make her become better down the road(if people think it'd make her realistic and want to see her redeem herself then I'll do it, but Tsunade will always be number one to me.)

And the mental issues thing, yeah I have a lot of experience with that kind of stuff, both through my writing and in real life, so I'm majorly projecting and other people with these kinds of issues also can relate, so I really enjoy exploring these kinds of subjects, especially through fictional characters. Anyway thank you!

The Keeper of Worlds chapter 16 . Oct 28

Deep emotions here.

I tried ;w;

bruins35 chapter 2 . Oct 28

Thumbs up! (really have nothing to say, but i will say your author note is 100% right ))

Glad you think so! x3;

GunBlade2020 chapter 16 . Oct 22

Hi there

I see that Iruka is also wondering about what happened to Naruto, which means that Naruto did not say anything even to him...

Keep up the great writing and stay safe!

Yes, Naruto is having a lot of issues letting others in, but he will get a lot of help, especially from Iruka, so I'm looking forward to working with that.

Jorge Luis Arias Arcentales chapter 16 . Oct 20

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I just could read the new chapters because my cell phone was damaged again TTnTT

Anyway, I'm excited just thinking about how Tsunade will react when she is alone and can drop her stoic face. I liked her attitude in the previous chapter, because even though she is a person close to Naruto, in the first place, she is the Hokage and a medic ninja, just like she acted when Naruto found out that Jiraiya had died, she acted strong but when she was left alone she was able to drop her act and cry as she brought out how she really felt.
Seriously great job with tsunade, I liked it.

I'm also excited for ino to get involved, but I wonder what his relationship with sakura will be like, I don't remember much how it was in the anime.

I really, really, really look forward to the next chapter.

I fully understand!

And I struggled so much with Tsunade's character, I'm glad you liked it! x3

About the scene with with Tsunade - I was thinking so much about that as well the whole time I was writing the last chapter but decided to incorporate something like that into this one!

And Ino's gonna be a huge support in Sakura's arc, so I'mma try my best to keep her in character as possible. And thank you sm!

zachosg7 chapter 16 . Oct 20

not a bad chapter

only real complaint is that it was a short one, but it does set up the next chapter so all in all not that bad

Sorry it was so short ;w;

...

PS:

THE PART OF THIS CHAPTER WITH NARUTO AND IRUKA WAS WRITTEN FROM 95% PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SO I HOPE Y'ALL WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I DID WHAT I DID WITH IRUKA ;w; (THE OTHER 5% WITH THE RAMEN THING WAS ADDED IN BECAUSE NARUTO IS MUCH YOUNGER THAN I WAS AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S MORE IN CHARACTER FOR HIM.)

ANYWAY I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER PPL CUZ I TRIED I REALLY REALLY TRIED MY BEST ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

…

"You called for me?" Iruka inquired, standing in front of the Hokage's desk. He could only assume she had summoned him here about another mission, but they'd just opened the ninja academy back up, so this was a little surprising and a little inconveniencing to say the least.

"Yes. There's something I need you to do…" She said. "Naruto is in the hospital."

"The hospital? Why?" This took Iruka aback. First Sasuke's odd questions and now this? Just what was going on? He immediately voiced his concern. "Is he okay?"

"…Well, for now, anyway… At the moment, Kakashi's with him, so I'm sure he'll be fine, but it isn't just any normal injury I'm concerned about, or I wouldn't have called you here." Tsunade said, not allowing Iruka a single moment of relief. "Were you in any way aware that Naruto has been self-harming?"

"What…?" Iruka sounded in disbelief, but panic spread into his heart, consuming him. Self-harm? He swallowed uncomfortably "…No, I didn't know… I mean I've noticed that Naruto's been acting a little odd lately, but I never thought that it was…"

Trailing off into silence, he scolded himself. He should have paid closer attention! Pried more to figure out what was bothering him...

How couldn't he have noticed it sooner?! It should have been so obvious! The occasional sensitivity to being touched, how he would sometimes fidget with his sleeves, and the way Naruto had even seemed depressed about something…

If this did somehow correlate with the suggestion Sasuke had made, then he would definitely need to talk to Naruto about this. So many questions and possibilities kept swarming in his head and it terrified him.

"I see…" Tsunade said after a moment, before sighing. "In any case, I'm going to be putting you in charge of looking after him while he's in the hospital. In the meantime, I'll have Ebisu take over your class. You don't have any problems with that, do you?"

"N-No, of course not, I'll head there right away..." Iruka shook his head. With something like this going on, having somebody familiar with him would be the best thing for Naruto and Iruka didn't mind being the one chosen to look after him.

"Also, before you go, there's something else I want you to look into while you're with him..." Tsunade started to consider her words.

"Yes? What is it?" Iruka asked.

"...It could be nothing, but earlier, Naruto implied that the villagers have been doing something to him. I have my suspicions on what it might be, but I'm not going to force him to talk about it if he doesn't want to. On the other hand, you know Naruto far better than I do, so of all the people who might be able to get some answers from him, it has to be you." Tsunade said, looking Iruka in the eye.

It wasn't as though they didn't have other means of getting the answers they needed to, but that would be coercion. It wasn't exactly a tactic she was fond of in a situation like this, and she would much rather allow Naruto the chance to talk for himself instead, if she could help it. After all, Naruto was the victim here.

Iruka knew what she was getting at, and why she was putting him specifically up to the task, but even so...

"Stay out of this. They are no longer your students. They are my men now."

Iruka trailed off into silence as he thought back to how Kakashi had shut down his concerns months prior when he had suggested against Team 7 applying for the Chuunin exams. Would Kakashi even want him to involve himself that heavily with a matter like this?

No, he couldn't focus on that right now. It was the Hokage's orders and Kakashi would surely understand. Besides, right now, Naruto was top priority regardless of who was with him.

Shortly after he came to that stance, and voiced his understanding. Tsunade dismissed him and informed him that she would be headed out to the hospital later.

Iruka politely bowed, making his exit.

...

Tsunade was then left to her thoughts, still trying to process everything herself. Self-harm, possible abusers? Maybe more? He was just a child! Sure. he was hyperactive and could be a bit of a handful sometimes just like any normal kid his age, but the one thing she knew for sure was that he didn't deserve any of this and if she found out her suspicions were correct, after all, they would have hell to pay for even daring to lay a hand on him.

How was it, that despite carrying all of that on his shoulders, he still wanted to protect the people who'd hurt him and shunned him so badly…? It was admirable to say the least, if not incredibly foolish.

But that was who Naruto was, always striving to prove those who ridiculed him wrong, just like he'd done when she mockingly challenged him to master Rasengan in one week.

He always tried to put up a tough and cocky front, but, the more time she spent around him, she had quickly began to realize that he was actually more sensitive than most, which seemed to be exactly what drove him to push himself so far.

She felt her shoulders slump, letting out a broken sigh. She wanted more than anything to just make Naruto's pain go away, to just make him say what or who was bothering him, but she knew that it would never be that simple. Taking things step by step and slowly was the only way to deal with this without making the situation worse than it already was or stressing out Naruto more. As a doctor who'd seen her fair share of cruelty, she knew this all too well.

He just needed time.

However, that rationalization didn't stop the lump forming in her throat as she remembered the sight of the angry slashes on his arms, provoking so many different images in her head. She tried to block it out of her memory, but no matter what she did - The caked blood - It just wouldn't go away.

As the Hokage, and as a medical ninja, she couldn't even help but feel like this was partially her fault. She'd watched countless ninja and even children and orphans die from things like this in the medical field.

I can't... I can't lose another... Not again...

Naruto had to live. She would make sure of it, no matter what, even if he ended up hating her for it. Naruto was going to be Hokage one day. His dream - she wouldn't let him risk it. She wouldn't risk it.

It was times like this that she felt the familiar urge to just take off and drink until she passed out. But she knew Shizune would probably end up lecturing her for hours over that.

She let out a shaky sigh, trying her best to keep herself calm, she had to stay strong right now, for Naruto's sake. Think of ways to help and support him through this.

…

Iruka made his way to the hospital as soon as his feet would carry him. He didn't even know what was coming over him, but his heart wouldn't stop pounding, guilt tearing him to pieces, as he blinked away the tears in his eyes.

Beneath his frustration for being so clueless, he truthfully just wanted to see the boy again, embrace him and ask him what was going on, let him know that he was there for him and hope that Naruto would at least try to cooperate.

After all, he knew what it was like to feel that way, so he refused to allow Naruto to go through this alone, no matter what.

...

When he got to the hospital, he saw Sakura and Sasuke sitting in the lobby. Sakura was obvious worried sick and Sasuke's brows were furrowed with irritation. Even without asking, Iruka could already assume what happened.

"I heard about Naruto, from the Hokage… I'm guessing they didn't let you in…?" Iruka gave a small nervous smile, as he approached them.

"They said only adults are allowed to see him right now…" Sakura murmured a depressing confirmation to his suspicion.

"...Well, it is understandable, considering the situation and all, but try not to worry too much. I'm sure the doctors probably just want to ask him some questions first, and get an idea of everything going on with him. It can't be too long before you'll be allowed to go back and see him, right?" Iruka said a bit awkwardly, trying his best to comfort and reassure them despite the uncertainty at his own words.

"...Yeah, maybe..." Sakura smiled weakly.

"...Well, anyway," Iruka rubbed a hand over her head. "I'm going to go and speak with him now, but if we find out anything, Kakashi-san or I will be sure to let you know, alright?"

"Okay... Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Sakura said, once again not giving much of a response.

"Don't mention it... By the way, you don't look so good, Sakura. Maybe you should get something to eat?" Iruka suggested with a bit of concern, noticing how pale she seemed. Sasuke had noticed it too, but had been gotten distracted.

"Thanks, but I'm really not hungry right now..." Sakura looked away, dismissing his concerns.

"Are you sure? I don't mind giving you some money to get a snack or something."

"N-no, it's fine, really! I just ate this morning. So you don't have to have to do that for me. Just go on back an talk to Naruto...!" Sakura waved her hands around to avoid worrying him any longer.

"Well... If you insist." Iruka said with uncertainty.

In truth, Sasuke knew that was a lie. Earlier that day, he had seen her not only offer Naruto(who appeared oblivious as always) some of her food, but also noticed how she threw away the rest of her untouched breakfast when she thought nobody was looking. And then there was the fact that she'd been skipping meals the whole week, even more than he himself had.

"Nah, I'm actually not really all that hungry. Besides, I'm supposed to be on a diet right now."

"Aren't you a little too young to be worrying about diets, Sakura?"

"What? No way. You can never be too young to diet! Besides, it's only normal for a girl my age to want to stay in shape or else I'll just get fat. Heck, I already need to lose enough weight as it is."

It wasn't like it was any of his business, her choice to diet was hers alone, but a part of him still couldn't help but wonder why she was even pushing herself so far. Why was she so insistent on losing weight anyway? There was nothing at all wrong with her size, if he was any judge on the matter. If fact, if anything, she was underweight, and if she kept avoiding food like that, she'd just end up getting sick.

On top of that, there was Naruto's self-harming too...

As it was, Sasuke felt completely and utterly useless, like he and everybody important to him was falling to pieces, and there was nothing he could do about any of it, and his nightmares only served to contribute to his bad mood and just kept making everything worse and even more frustrating to deal with.

"Iruka-sensei…" Sasuke murmured, clutching his fists over his knees, before Iruka was about to walk off.

"Hm…?" Iruka inquired.

"...Will you..." Sasuke looked down, his bangs somewhat shadowing his eyes and making his expression practically unreadable.

This was the only thing he could do right now, was rely on others, and he couldn't stand it. But he knew he had no choice in the matter.

And even if he did, he was sure he'd just everything worse, as he always did. He had no desire to apologize for telling Kakashi about Naruto self-harming, but he couldn't help but still wonder if it was the right thing to do. At the time, it was the only thing that seemed logical, because he didn't want him to risk his life over something like this, but...

"…Well, it's not like I'm trying to kill myself or anything. So just mind your own business, teme…"

"Really…? And what is it you're proposing I do instead…? Am I supposed to just stand by and ignore everything while you continue cutting yourself...?! Is that what you had in mind?!"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm asking you to do!"

was it really worth putting him through all of this? Was it really worth risking the bond they had...? Weren't they supposed to be friends? Weren't friends supposed to be there to help each other? What was he even doing?

Damn it.

By the time this was all said and done, Naruto might actually end up hating him for this.

Even so... What choice did he have...?! He couldn't let Naruto die, not like this. He couldn't lose those important to him, not again.

And that's when he remembered something.

"Hey, it's not like I'm the only one that's been pushing others away, ya know! You have no right to fault me for anything when you've been doing the same thing!"

That's when realization crossed him.

All along, Naruto was right...

He then looked up, meeting Iruka's eyes, will more intensity than before. "Will you... talk to him…?"

In that one question alone, Iruka could tell just how worried Sasuke was and more importantly what he was referring to without him even saying it.

In the boy's expression, he could see the desperation, a clear hope that Iruka would be able to convince Naruto to open up about everything, and find out everything that was bothering him.

For a moment, Iruka was taken a back. It had been years since he'd seen so much emotion and trust come from Sasuke. Ever since the massacre, he had become colder, and never really expressed his feelings about anything. He was always putting everybody else at a distance and didn't have any close friends back then. But Naruto, and Team 7... They had really changed him, and he supposed he was just now starting to see that.

He was happy for him. Not the situation, of course, but the fact that he had finally found people he could call his friends.

Kneeling down in front of the two, Iruka gently placed a hand on Sasuke's head, causing a certain warmth to enter the boy's chest. And surprisingly enough, Sasuke actually allowed himself to accept it.

"...You can leave it to me." Iruka told him in a comforting tone. "Naruto was one of my students, after all, just as you two were, so I'll do everything in my power to make sure he gets back on his feet. But in the meantime, I want you both to promise me that you'll also try to take care of yourselves so you can be there for him as well. Alright?"

"...We will… Thank you..." Sasuke(once again, letting his bangs hide his expression) said in such a low voice that if he'd been any further away, Iruka knew he wouldn't have heard it. Even Sakura was clearly a bit surprised too.

"Don't mention it." Iruka briefly ruffled the top of his head, before turning back to look at Sakura. "And that means you too, Sakura. Take care of yourself."

"R-right." Sakura nodded, feeling her face heat up a bit at how much concern he was showing for them. Speaking to him now, it was easy to tell why Naruto liked Iruka so much. He could be really stern sometimes to keep people on track, but, when somebody needed emotional support, he was also the type who everybody could go to for advice and was really kind, almost like a...

like a father or something...

Recalling how Iruka would often take Naruto out for ramen, and how Naruto always seemed so happy around him, that's when she realized it... The reason Tsunade had sent Iruka here.

That's right... Naruto has no parents. Then that means... Iruka-sensei... He's probably the closest thing to a father Naruto has ever known...

At that realization, she felt something unidentifiable bubble up in her chest. Whether it be that she was touched or that she felt empathy for Naruto she couldn't tell. But one thing was for certain. Iruka was, without a doubt, the best person Tsunade could have possibly gotten involved in this.

Whether or not Naruto would be willing to work with him was a different matter entirely but having somebody like Iruka on their side was nothing short of a necessity right now if they really wanted to help Naruto.

...

After leaving their sides, Iruka had made his way to the receptionist's desk to ask what room number Naruto was staying in. While he was at it, he also let them know right off the bat that he was acting on orders from the Hokage, which pushed them into immediate action.

A nurse then led him to a room which was in a separate section of the hospital, clearly for IVC patients.

When they got there, Kakashi(who was reading Icha Icha Paradise as expected) was sitting at Naruto's bedside. Naruto, meanwhile, was covered in several blankets, his back turned to his teacher.

Judging by what Iruka had already gathered, Naruto didn't appear to be in a good mood at all. Then again, it wasn't like anybody could blame him. In his position, anybody would be frustrated.

"Uzumaki-san…? You have a visitor… You don't mind, do you...?" The woman asked a bit nervously.

"Naruto?" Kakashi called out with ease when Naruto didn't respond. Iruka had just stepped in the room behind the receptionist.

"Like I care. Just tell them to kiss my-" Naruto quickly cut himself off when he turned to look over his shoulder and saw Iruka standing there. Within seconds, he jumped up in his stretcher startled.

He was no longer wearing his orange jumpsuit and had reluctantly changed into one of the hospital outfits at the insistence of both the doctors and Kakashi, so his arms were completely visible now, and Kakashi felt worse than ever, cursing himself when he noticed some new scratch marks on the boy's wrist where he'd probably been digging at his skin underneath the covers. He hadn't drawn blood, but the claw marks were still red and irritated. Iruka felt his heart break at being hit with the truth he subconsciously hadn't wanted to believe ever since Tsunade told him about it.

"I-Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here...?! Wait, don't tell me that hag sent you here to babysit me too…! I keep telling everybody I-"

In truth, Naruto was not angry, he was afraid. He was afraid of what Iruka thought of him, that he was going to get mad. Now that he knew, what was he going to say? Was he going to shun him? Hate him? Think he was weak? Every subconscious fear he felt, once again resurfaced, filling him with internal panic he was trying his best to mask with anger.

However, before Naruto could continue, Iruka suddenly pulled him down into a tight embrace, rendering him speechless. It was, in all honesty, the last thing he had expected to happen.

"Iruka-sensei…?" Naruto murmured stiffly into his vest.

"Naruto… I'm so sorry..." Iruka, whose body had acted entirely on its own, choked out without thinking. Naruto was taken aback by his uncharacteristically shaky tone, "I should have paid closer attention to what was wrong with you. I should have been there for you. God, I'm so sorry... Can you ever forgive me...?"

Scars of the past and bad mistakes Iruka himself had made coming back fresh in his memory, he held Naruto tight in his arms, afraid that if he let go, Naruto would be gone forever.

Self-harm was the last thing he'd ever wanted to see one of his own students or former students have to struggle with, least of all Naruto. It wasn't like he didn't understand it or the mindset that caused it, but it still frustrated him, not having been able to do anything to prevent him from reaching such a state, and even having been so damn oblivious to it when it was happening right in front of him.

For a long moment, Naruto was silent, trying to process Iruka's words, but after hesitating a bit, he reached up, warmth entering his chest as he returned the embrace, burying his face in Iruka's chest.

Naruto felt a large lump forming in his throat, practically suffocating him. The person he admired more than anybody else was right here, embracing him, crying over him. Suddenly, no explanation whatsoever seemed right anymore and guilt consumed him.

"...Heh, what are you saying sorry for, Iruka-Sensei...? I'm the one who should be apologizing, ya know..." he finally murmured beneath his breath, uttering his verbal tick without even thinking about it. "I'm the one who went and caused all this trouble over nothing..."

"But it's not nothing, Naruto. Look at me." Iruka reasoned, pulling back a bit. Much to his relief, Naruto listened. "If it's causing you this much pain, that you're even taking it out on yourself, then there has to be a reason for it, right...? Earlier, Sasuke told me that you mentioned something about the villagers doing something to you and The Hokage also seemed worried as well. Can you tell me about that...?"

After that, Naruto's eyes grew wide before he quickly looked and pulled away, trying to keep his breathing steady. Right as he reached up to his arm where the fresh markings caused by his finger nails sat, Kakashi reacted even faster than Iruka, gently taking hold of his student's hand but firm enough to stop him from scratching anymore.

Naruto suddenly realized he'd acted on impulse and wasn't thinking about what he was doing.

"Sorry..." He murmured, feeling bad for causing Kakashi to worry so much. The receptionist was gone by now, or she probably would have gotten a nurse involved.

"It's alright..." Kakashi reassured him that he wasn't mad, but changed the the topic, letting his hand go once he saw Naruto was no longer trying to claw at his arm. "But Iruka-sensei is right, Naruto. You can trust us. Whatever it is that's bothering you, we're here to help you."

"...I-I... " Naruto started to say, wanting more than anything to just tell them, and get it out, but they would judge him. He was sure they would hate him, and blame him for it. He couldn't. He swallowed, his whole body shaking. "I can't say it... I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei... I want to, but I just can't. I..."

The look of shame on Naruto's face burned into Iruka's and Kakashi's hearts, they wished more than anything they could do something to take away the boy's pain. But they couldn't. Iruka and Kakashi exchanged glances, deciding on who would spoke next.

In the end, it was Iruka who took the initiative.

"...Hey, don't worry about it… We completely understand... So you don't have to talk about anything until you're ready, okay?" He reassured him, a bit awkwardly.

However, Naruto kept murmuring incoherencies, clearly about how stupid he felt for self-harming, that everybody else was probably getting tired of him, that they all thought he was stupid, and other words that just tore him to pieces to hear.

Naruto never acted like this. So whatever it was that Naruto was hiding was clearly tearing his self-esteem to shreds.

Finally, Iruka had had enough.

"Naruto, just listen to me, already…" Iruka firmly placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Naruto momentarily hesitated, but finally complied.

"There's nothing wrong with you." Iruka said. "You're just overwhelmed right now, and so many things have been bottling up inside of you, so you didn't know how else to let it out, am I right...?"

Naruto's silence confirmed his suggestion.

"Don't worry… I know exactly what you're going through right now, because I've been there myself, so I-" Iruka said.

"You have? You really mean it?" Naruto inquired, cutting him off, a bit of hope that he wasn't alone after all, shining in his eyes. The implication had caught not only Naruto's ear but also Kakashi's.

"Yeah," Iruka nodded, solemnly. It wasn't a part of his past he liked thinking about, but Naruto needed this. "so I'm here to help you, in whatever way I can, but you have to trust me, Naruto… Not just me, but Kakashi-san, Sakura, Sasuke, Hokage-sama, and numerous others too… You're not alone in this… You have so many people who care about you. You do know that, right...?"

"Yeah... Thanks, Iruka-sensei…" Naruto softly smiled after a moment. It was the same thing numerous others had been telling him over the past week, and it wasn't as though it didn't affect him, because if not for them, this probably wouldn't have been nearly as easy as it had been, but hearing such words come from Iruka had sent a comforting warmth into his chest, the same one he always got from being around Iruka, and he still couldn't place why.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, Sensei, why did you used to…?" He wanted to know, but couldn't finish his question, because it still felt odd to say.

Iruka already knew what he was talking about and decided there was no need to hide it. After all, it was years ago and the scars were hardly noticeable anymore.

"...It was a long time ago, right after my parents were killed in the Nine Tails Attack…" As he said that, Iruka noticed the way Naruto slumped, and he began to wonder if it was a good idea to talk about it with him after all. He knew how sensitive Naruto was over those things, ever since finding out what was inside of him. He reached up a hand to stroke brush a hand through Naruto's hair as a way to say it wasn't your fault without actually saying it.

Fortunately, Naruto seemed to relax a bit a bit after that, and Iruka continued. "I was hurt and confused... and feeling so many different emotions at the time that I didn't even know how to deal with it or let it all out. I'm assuming you can understand to a certain extent, for different reasons… I don't know exactly how it is to you, but to me... taking that pain out on myself... Back then, it seemed like the only thing I could think to do and I kept telling myself it was helping me somehow, that it made me feel better… But all it did... All it did was make everything worse, for everybody involved… And I never want to go back to that..."

"...So how did you stop then...?" Naruto asked.

"...Well... For one, it was certainly no easy task, but it's just like any other bad habit in the end. I just had to find something that worked for me and went with it. Over time, the urges became less and less frequent, and I know you can do that too, because I believe in you."

"...You really think so? I keep telling myself I want to stop, but every time I try, the temptation to cut myself only seems to get worse and when that happens, it's the only thing I can think about at all, ya know?"

"Together, I'm sure we can figure something out that works for you as well. You just have to be patient." Iruka said. "And you are Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you? Aren't you the person who always find a way to make the impossible possible? Just count it as a training exercise or something."

"Huh... I guess I never thought of it that way..." Naruto considered his words, wrapping a finger around his chin and giving a thought filled expression.

That's when an idea popped into Iruka's head. "I got it, how about a reward system of sorts?"

"Reward...?" Naruto looked at him suspiciously, before pouting. "I'm not a little kid anymore, sensei..."

"Well, what if I said it was Ramen?" Iruka proposed, immediately, Naruto's interest was peaked. No surprise there. Ramen was the immediate path to Naruto's heart. You offered ramen and you were his friend for life. That's just how he was.

"Alright, here's the deal." Iruka thought of a way to consider his words. "Any time whatsoever that you feel the need to hurt yourself, I want you to promise me this. I want you to come to one of us, or even somebody like Sakura, Sasuke or Hokage-sama, just somebody who can help you or talk you through those urges. Can you do that?"

Naruto was obviously apprehensive at hearing that, especially the "promise" part. So Iruka and Kakashi both had doubts that he would agree to it.

But his next words both surprised and amused them: "Well, how much ramen are talking about, sensei...?"

"It's all you can eat." Iruka smirked a bit.

"Every day or what?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"How does twice a week sound?" Iruka sweat dropped.

"...Alright, fine." Naruto finally gave a conclusive agreement, before pointing a finger at the other party in the room that hadn't said anything for quite some time. "But Kakashi-sensei has to pay every other time or it's not fair to you..."

(Actually, it had nothing to do with the money, but he wasn't about to admit that.)

"Huh?" Kakashi's attention was immediately increased tenfold after that. "Why do I have to be brought into this...?"

In the end, however, he couldn't complain. If it would help Naruto, then he supposed it was worth it.

...

There was still some obvious hesitance on Naruto's part about being willing to ask for help, but much to the relief of both Kakashi and Iruka, he seemed like he was finally, ready to work with them, even if only a little bit. And quite frankly, this was the most relaxed Kakashi had seen the boy all day, perhaps all week, which was no doubt a good sign.

Kakashi himself had never exactly been that close to Iruka, other than as a fellow teacher, and through occasional chats and missions. He had heard about his parents being killed in the Kyuubi attack, however, which was something he felt some level of empathy for as another orphan, but finding out that he had self-harmed on top of that had come to him as a bit of a surprise to say the least.

Although it wasn't really his business, a voice in the back of his mind almost tempted him to ask more questions, even if only to know how to go about helping Naruto better.

Of course, as Izumi had suggested, each self-harmer was bound to be different, but it was a start if nothing else, and considering how much Naruto looked up to Iruka, he could only imagine the good this would do for him to have somebody to understand at least a little bit of where the urges to self-harm were coming from, and hopefully they'd even be able to get him to open up about everything else eventually.

Sadly, he was all too aware that, as Iruka himself said, it would take time. And they couldn't force that on him. They could only be by his side to help him through it.

…

"...Sometimes… there's these villagers who... They…"

As Sakura sat in the waiting room, she kept reflecting on Naruto's behavior and words a few days ago, becoming more and more anxious as the time went by, guilt beginning to consume her. Sasuke, silent as ever, wasn't exactly helping either.

She knew she probably needed to tell somebody what Naruto had implied had been happening to him, and a huge part of her wanted to, because she highly doubted anybody else knew anything about it, but Naruto had trusted her. Even if only for a few seconds, he opened up and confided in her. What kind of friend would she be to break that trust? But what if it happened again? Wouldn't it be her fault?

Sasuke had told them about Naruto self-harming without hesitation and now Naruto was finally getting some help, but wasn't this different...?

What should I do?

Logically, she knew the answer to that, but she couldn't bring herself to do what Sasuke had done, exposing him like that.

Sasuke was under a similar line of thought, at least in the fact that he was trying to think of what he could do for Naruto, questioning if he should try to bring up the subject again the next time he spoke to him, and exactly how to go about it. On top of that, he'd also noticed how worried Sakura seemed. A part of him wanted to inquire into what she'd been about to tell him earlier at the academy, because it seemed important, but before he could, a loud familiar voice rang out in the lobby, irritating both of them.

"Sasuke-kun, what have you been up to? I haven't seen you in months!" Arms suddenly wrapped around Sasuke from behind. Sakura didn't even have to have to turn around to know it was Ino. Sasuke didn't really look happy, but made no effort to push her off.

"What do you want, Ino Pig? Can't you see we're busy? And get off of Sasuke-kun!" Sakura snapped, glaring at her. Despite that, her heart didn't quite feel as behind it as it usually did.

"Oh, look, it's Forehead. I didn't even see you there." Ino smirked mockingly, but seconds after noticed the dark rings under Sakura's eyes. She frowned a bit at that. "So what's up, anyway? What are you two doing here at the hospital?

"Can't you tell? Obviously, they're here to visit somebody. Just leave them alone already, Ino..." A tired voice scolded her. It was Shikamaru.

"Hmph, fine." Ino scoffed, backing off. "But I'm not leaving."

Shikamaru sighed before looking over at Sasuke, hands in his pockets.

"...I'm guessing it's Naruto again?" He inquired.

This time it was Sasuke who responded, albeit curtly. "Yeah."

Shikamaru and Ino were silent after that, waiting for a response, which unsurprisingly never came although Sakura was debating if they should tell them. This wasn't a normal visit to the hospital after all.

"...So what happened, if you don't mind me asking? It seems like it must be pretty serious."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke with uncertainty, and Sasuke himself seemed a bit hesitant as well, but in the end, they figured it was alright if they told them. Shikamaru was a pretty good friend to Naruto at this point, even if he sometimes seemed like he didn't care, and although Ino wasn't as close to Naruto, Ino was Sakura's best friend, and Sakura knew Ino well enough to know just how kind she could be when it came down to it.

"Go ahead, Sakura, you tell them. There's something I need to take care of... I'll be back shortly..." Sasuke said, before getting up. He didn't intend to come off rude, but quite frankly, he didn't think he could take just sitting around any longer. And besides, Iruka was right about the fact that Sakura didn't exactly look that well. Things would get even more troublesome for him if she ended up passing out here at the hospital, so maybe he could buy some kind of snack and beverage for her to eat and drink while he was at it.

Sakura was about to call out to him, but decided to give Sasuke some space.

Ino noticed the way they were acting and couldn't help but get the feeling that something was really wrong. She'd rarely ever seen either of them this worked up. And Sakura's appearance as it was now was kind of concerning to say the least.

When Sasuke was gone she turned back to Sakura. "What's the matter with you two? It is Naruto we're talking about, so whatever it is, I'm sure it can't be that bad…! Come on, Sakura, just tell us already."

"Ino…!" Shikamaru hissed. "Just give her some time..."

"I..." Ino immediately realized how insensitive that sounded. She just wanted to say in her own way that Sakura didn't need to worry because Naruto was strong, but it'd come out meaner than anticipated. After all, it really might be bad if only because it WAS Naruto. "Sorry, Sakura… I shouldn't have-"

"No," Sakura shook her head, smiling weakly. "It's okay, really…"

She then looked down, fidgeting with the fabric of her dress. "Anyway, Naruto's... He's been hurting himself, so Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei are with him right now. We're not allowed to go back there yet, though, so Sasuke-kun's been on edge…"

She almost added "And I'm not exactly feeling any better myself." but left it unvoiced. It was pretty obvious though, so it didn't even need to be said.

"When you say he's been hurting himself, are you referring to some kind of training accident, or something?" Shikamaru wanted to know. If that was the case, then what was the point of not allowing visitation?

"No, it's not that..." Sakura cut him off with a grim expression. "He's been cutting himself with kunai knives..."

"Wait, like, on purpose?" Shikamaru immediately grew alarmed at that knowledge.

"Why in the world would he do something like that?" Ino asked, a bit shocked. She may not be as close to Naruto as Sakura, Sasuke, or Shikamaru, but she still considered him to be a friend, so whether or not she was worried wasn't even a question.

"It's… really complicated… Sorry..." Sakura said vaguely, feeling bad for not being able to tell them more. The self-harm was one thing, so at least they'd know why Naruto was in the hospital, but The Kyuubi and the villagers… That was an entirely different matter.

"No, don't apologize… I'm just glad you told us..." Shikamaru said with a bit of frustration, before looking away. He obviously got the message and decided it was best not to press the matter right now. "I do have some other questions for him, but I guess it'll just have to wait until he can have visitors again to ask him myself… Anyway, I'm heading on back to see how Chouji's doing."

It wasn't as though he wasn't worried about Naruto as well, but he couldn't let it consume him. And he had to wait until Naruto was allowed visitors before he could do anything about it anyway,

"Wait, Chouji's here too?" Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but it's nothing serious. Just another case of food poisoning." Shikamaru drawled lazily.

"Another?" Sakura gave a shaky smirk, her eyebrow twitching. It shouldn't really be a surprise. "Well, I hope he gets better. Tell him hi for me, will you?"

"Yeah, sure thing. Are you coming, Ino?" Shikamaru wanted to know.

"Nah, you go on ahead, I think I'll stay out here a bit longer with Sakura." Ino said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Well, whatever… Just meet up with us when you're done, alright?" Shikamaru yawned.

"Right, I will." Ino smiled, before Shikamaru left.

Ino wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "So what else is going on, Forehead? You look like you haven't slept in days."

She called her by her nickname to make things less awkward between them than they already were.

"...Truthfully, I haven't." Sakura openly admitted. "I've just been so worried…"

"You mean about Naruto…?" Ino questioned.

Sakura didn't even have to give an answer for Ino to know what it was. Of course it wasn't just over her concern for Naruto but that was a huge part of it.

"Hey, Ino…?"

"Hm?" At hearing Sakura say her name, Ino tilted her head, to show she was there to listen to her. "What is it, Sakura...?"

"Can I… ask you a question…?" Sakura asked.

Ino couldn't stand seeing her friend this depressed, even if they were rivals, so, if she could help, even a little, she would. "Sure, anything."

Sakura once again hesitated, but in the end went through with her question. Even though they were rivals, even though they bickered over stupid things sometimes, down deep Sakura had nothing but admiration for Ino and she valued her opinion more than she would ever even admit aloud. Surely, she would know what to do. "...If you… If you found out that something really bad was happening to somebody you cared about… And you knew what it was, but nobody else did, would you tell somebody if that person could stop it from happening any more? Even if it meant risking your friend hating you and feeling shame for something that was completely beyond their control? Even if it meant taking away the only thing they had left by telling?"

"...Without a doubt." Ino said confidently after thinking it over. "If somebody you care about is being hurt or being put into some kind of bad situation against their will, and letting somebody else know might stop it from happening, then wouldn't it make you just as guilty if you don't do anything about it or at least try to?... I'd say go for it, if it really means that much to you. By the way… This person you're talking about, it wouldn't happen to be Naruto, would it?"

Sakura nodded to confirm her suspicions. "Yeah, and I think it's part of what's causing him to hurt himself too."

"Then you have to tell somebody, Sakura...! If you think you can stop it from happening, then do it. Otherwise, nothing will change at all. I can't say for sure since I don't know what it is that you're so worried about, but, believe me, Naruto will probably end up suffering even more if you don't do anything about it. My suggestion is you go to Hokage-sama herself. She'll know what to do."

"You really think I should...?" Sakura said, a bit nervously.

"Yeah, only an idiot would question her authority!" Ino smirked. "By the way, that reminds me… How have things with your mom been going? Every time I see you two together anymore, you're always arguing."

Ino had never exactly been that fond of Mibuki. And the more time she spent around her the more fake she seemed each and every time. She always appeared to be trying to keep up an appearance of a picture perfect enthusiastic and caring mother, but it was clear that beneath that surface she was a complete narcissist, and she'd lost track of the times Mibuki had come to the Yamanaka flower shop and irritated the hell out of her, especially when Sakura herself was present. Not many others knew about it or took it serious because they didn't associate much with her, but Ino quite frankly couldn't stand her nor her personality. Kizashi, meanwhile, was a different matter all together. The guy never cared to question Mibuki at all and even sided with her.

It infuriated her, but Sakura always insisted she was used to the situation and that she could take it, even if Sakura did talk more with Ino about her parents than she did anybody else, if only for the fact that they were childhood friends and knew each other's families quite well.

"It's about the same as always, I guess. All she ever does anymore is criticize me, and she keeps telling me I should quit being a ninja. I try not to pay much attention to her when she's like that, but a few days ago we got into a huge argument and she kind of slapped me, so I-" Sakura caught her breath when she realized what she'd said, panicking a bit, looking at Ino, who was greatly concerned.

"Hold on, She slapped you...?!" Ino exclaimed in a low voice.

"Yeah, but it wasn't that hard at all and I'm completely fine now!" Sakura immediately reasoned. It was a partial lie, because it had left a bruise and the only reason she was fine was because Tsunade had healed her afterwards. "Besides, I kind of said something I shouldn't have and made her mad. It's my fault. And this is the first time anything like that happened, so don't worry so much."

Despite her insistence, Ino clearly wasn't happy. "But, Sakura… She hit you… Shouldn't you, I don't know, tell somebody...?"

"Like I said, it's never happened before, and it wasn't even enough to leave a mark, so it's nothing. The last thing I'd want to do is make a scene over something like that." Sakura dismissed her concern with a wave of the hand. In truth, she was actually afraid, but once again, nobody needed to know that.

"...Alright… If you say so. But if she hurts you anymore, promise me you'll come talk to me... Deal?" Ino had the feeling she was holding something back, but without the proper knowledge or confirmation, she couldn't say anything for sure, nor could she take any kind of action.

Sakura gave a smile in return that was clearly forced. "Deal."

With that image burned into her memory, a lump forming in her throat, Ino suddenly felt like she was eating her own words and the advice she'd given Sakura just minutes before. She was a complete hypocrite, but she didn't want to risk their friendship in the process and she tried her best to tell herself that things really would be okay like Sakura said they would.

"Although..., if something does happen and you have to be taken away from your home or something, you could always come stay with me for a while." Ino decided to lay out the suggestion, before joking a bit. "Your forehead isn't so big that it couldn't fit in my place, after all."

At hearing that, Sakura smirked sarcastically. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I'd prefer not to sleep in a pigsty."

From there, a long tangent of name calling started, before it once again reached the topic of Tsunade.

"By the way, Ino Pig, earlier, I asked Hokage-sama to make me her apprentice and she agreed, so if you don't do something soon, I doubt you'll ever have any chance of catching up with me."

"Apprentice? Well, if that's the case, I'll ask to train under her as well then! Then we'll just see who's better than who, won't we, Forehead?"

"That depends, do you really think you're up for the challenge? I hear the becoming a medical ninja is actually quite difficult. I'm not so sure you could handle it."

"Handle it? Who do you even think you're talking to?! You're the one I'm worried about..."

And the banter of the rivals continued, finally followed by the eventually laughter of the both them.

...

A/N: Finally a decent length chapter again. I hope it was satisfactory.

Also: There's not really anything in the manga about Ino training directly under Tsunade, from what I remember, but that's actually one thing I really liked in the anime, but it works for the sake of this story, so I've decided to keep it. I hope you all don't mind.

Lmao I don't like how this turned out tbh, but I tried my best?