The following chapters come from Chapters 21 - 26 of the originals:
It was mid-day, closer to three in the afternoon; dinner would be soon, Hiruzen mused. The office was quiet after Team 7 had left all those hours ago, paperwork done for the day. His heart still felt heavy from his talk with Kakashi, aching uncomfortably in his chest. There was a decision hanging over his head, pulling at his heartstrings and playing with his thought process. It was almost overwhelming, the life of a child in his hands once more... his blood-stained hands.
The Uchiha's deaths all those years ago were as much his fault as they were for the one who murdered them.
The Third Hokage took a shaky breath, staring out the window behind his desk, eyes glassy. There were days when he wished he hadn't been a child with dreams, dreams of following his heroes up the tower of power and strength. He wished that he hadn't been the one to pick up the pieces of a broken village in need of a new leader after the Fourth Hokage's passing that fateful night. Had he not, Danzō would've been running this village into the ground. There were days when the old man wished that people didn't rely so heavily on him, applying pressure to pick between who survived and who's life had to be sacrificed for that cause.
It was one of those days.
Hiruzen glanced down at his wrinkled, calloused hands that quivered without stop. He stopped for a moment, watching them reach into one of the lower drawers for his tobacco pipe. The slid of the creaky wooden drawer sounded off in the silent room as the pipe settled in his palms. The Third Hokage stared at it for a few seconds, turning the old wood around in his hands for a better look. As he continued to look, Naruto starts to come to mind.
The boy's voice of reason filled his ears, calculating eyes piercing his soul, "...there are over 4,800 chemicals inside of a single cigarette, 69 of these chemicals known to cause cancer. Do you seriously want to take that chance? Hm?" It'd only be a puff or two, anything to dispel the shakiness in his hands and the fear in his poor, old heart; he doesn't need this right now. "Hey, if you're going to smoke, then I'm going to tell you all the disadvantages of smoking!" It wouldn't be a big deal, Hiruzen tried, glaring holes into the pipe, turning it over once more.
"You could have a serious illness that you don't even know about, Jiji..." But, the thing is, Hiruzen's been ill for quite some time. "You could have cancer..." It's nothing physical, Naruto, but there is a disease running through the scars embedded in his head. It is the sickness of times, of old age and old age brings forth some wisdom that is left buried in the depths of one's blackened heart. And wisdom pushes one to terrible decisions, for the good of a village and the downfall of a child's heart.
"I'm aware of the risks, Naruto." The older man told his voice of reason, words not carrying the same authority as it might with others in his life.
"Well, apparently not because..." Naruto spoke with a hint of malice, voice deepening into something more related to Kakashi's, "Surely one of them can take his spot." It has never been that simple, it never was. In his head, Hiruzen could almost see the former ANBU member slam his hands on the table in anger and defeat. "There is a good chance that Naruto could have severe chakra exhaustion from creating so many shadow clones that have to use all his chakra healing people." The words of 'he could die' were left unspoken at the time but the Hokage heard it all too well.
Hiruzen's hand twitched again, nostrils flaring at the sudden amount of emotion taking a hold of his elder heart. He gave shaky breaths, trying to will the frustrated tears from spilling over his eyelids. He wants to say that there is another way, that there is something he can do to prevent this but the odds are good. "We really are in a bind, aren't we?" Kakashi voiced out, the choked laughter from before gone with the memory, only filled with a sorrowful cry for his student's fate. The older man held the pipe to his lips, shutting his eyes; he wants to quit so badly.
"Then stop wanting to smoke." The young medic's voice of reason whispered out, the words comforting but filled with dread.
"It's not that simple, Naruto." Hiruzen found himself recalling having said the same thing to the boy.
He could see those piercing blue eyes once more, could see the pain in them and the hurt, "Do you even want to quit?"
"Yes." A choked sob left him, tears sliding down Hiruzen's cheek, the salty liquid making a line down his olden features. The tobacco pipe tumbled on his desk as a hand came to cover his eyes in regret and anguish. He has never wanted to prevent something as big as this, not once in his life. There were moments that had come close but he knew that the consequences were the best course of actions for the village. However, the older man could never bring himself to ask Naruto to save the village because he's the only one who'd be able to help them all, be its last defense in the upcoming war. He could never do it, yet...
"When will Naruto learn that not everyone can be saved." His own thought process came to bite at his already battered mind, drawing another sob out of him.
He could see Kakashi throwing something in his mind, face livid, "Naruto is just a kid; he's young, so very young!" Hiruzen can't do that to him, can't make him save the village. He can't bring himself to sacrifice the village's sun for the darkness that shadows over them as their time runs out.
"He could very well be traumatized..." The medic's teacher shouted at him, "The shock of Konoha being attacked... the cries of injured civilians... Naruto is just a kid." The words followed a repetition of regret and misplaced ideals. "...couldn't Dr. Terra, Dr. Yiruma, or Dr. Chakochi take Naruto's place?" Kakashi whispered harshly at him.
Hiruzen wants to nod his head, say that yes, one of those three can take Naruto's place with a certainty of success.
"I'm telling Dr. Terra... lower the risks... talk to Dr. Chakochi and ask her opinion..." The boy's voice was broken in his head, his once intelligent words just muddied.
There was a knock on his office door, pulling him from his thoughts. The Third Hokage quickly whipped his tears, turning towards the window so no one could see his tear-tracks. "Come in." He called out, loud enough for those outside to hear but just soft enough not to rattle his bruised thought process. The door clicked open, people shuffling in; he could tell who was there from just their chakra.
"Hiruzen?" An older feminine voice questioned, stepping forward, "Are you alright?"
"I am afraid not." There was something in his voice that made his two advisors stiffen, glancing at each other, "I am having a difficult time deciding on a life-or-death situation, Koharu, and I need guidance."
"What is it that you need from Homura and me?" Elder eyes were firm in inquiry, mind scouring for anything that could possibly help her former teammate and long-term friend.
"It's about Naruto," Hiruzen stated turning his seat around to stare at them.
"I see." Homura rolled his eyes, arms crossing over his chest, "What has he gone and done now?"
The Sarutobi man gave him a shocked, curious look. "Naruto hasn't done anything." He hadn't meant for the malice to seep into his voice but it came out that way.
"A first, really." His former teammate mocked.
The Third Hokage gave his advisor a dangerous look, "Homura, when was the last time you heard anything malevolent about Naruto? And what was it?"
His former teammate thought for a few seconds, "He accidentally set fire to a shop from a firework prank."
Hiruzen leveled his eyes, "And how long ago was that?"
"I'm not sure, probably recently though." Homura gave a half-shrug.
"Get out." A single, bony finger pointed towards the door.
"W-What?"
He crossed his arms, "Do not make me repeat myself. You are no longer needed in this meeting."
"Hiruzen-"
"No, your biased comments towards one of the best medics in this village who has saved thousands of lives in the last few years since he gave up his pranking ideology will no longer be needed." He leaned forward in his seat, "Shall anything come up about Naruto again, I'll call Koharu instead."
Homura gave him an exasperated look, "Sir, if I may-"
"You may not. Now, please leave." Hiruzen waved a hand, "And make sure to shut the door behind you."
Koharu gave her former teammate a look, eyes shifting towards the door. The older man huffed indigently, stalking out of the room without another word. Her eyes followed him out before turning back to the Hokage, "What has happened with Naruto?"
"Nothing has happened to him, it's rather what might happen to him in the future." Hiruzen hadn't meant to be so cryptic but the topic at hand was rather tense, "There has been hushed talk between our officials about a potential attack from Suna and Oto in the coming months sometime around the Chunnin exams."
"Yes, the idea of a war breaking out in our walls is rather scary." She nodded in understanding, "The repercussions from it would be disastrous... the lives that could be lost. But what does Naruto have to do with that?"
He was quiet for a while before sighing, "Do you remember how Naruto saved your life after you had a heart attack a few months ago?"
"How could I forget?" Koharu smiled slightly, fiddling with her dress in memory, "He was the only one around when it happened and I am forever in his debt, especially since he stayed quiet about it; wouldn't want others to think that I'm not capable of my job?"
Hiruzen gave her a pained grin, "Yes, he's rather extraordinary and with his medical prowess... anything is possible."
"But...?"
"Naruto is probably the only one capable of healing hundreds and hundreds of people should the village be attacked during the Chunnin exams." He looked at his desk in shame, "With his multi-shadow clone jutsu, anything is possible..."
"That's why you're asking for my help." Koharu sighed out, taking a seat on the couch to ease her old legs. She thought for a moment, letting the silence between them help her think. "He just turned fourteen, right?" A nod came her way, "That's so young."
"Kakashi said something similar." Hiruzen stated, mind going back to the Jonnin teacher's words, chest clenching down in memory, "Naruto is just a kid; he's young, so very young."
"And you wouldn't be asking for my opinion if there wasn't a single person who could take his place." Koharu mumbled out, "Well, except Tsunade but we both know that she won't ever come back to Konoha. If she did then I'd think the world was ending."
He gave her a grim smile at the poorly placed joke. "I don't want to make him do this, I don't want to have to put the world on his shoulders... he might just crumble under the pressure." Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, "With possible chakra exhaustion, shock, or trauma... I don't want to put Naruto through that."
"You know as well as I do that sometimes you have to sacrifice the little guy for the sake of the village." Koharu said, eyes looking watery; she'd grown attached to the young medic after he saved her life, "It happened with Itachi..." She couldn't finish her sentence.
"But Itachi is still alive, somewhere out there." The old Hokage looked out the windows, eyes looking distance, shoulders tensing, "This could kill Naruto."
"I know but... he's strong a-and... and so smart, I think he'd know his limitations." She suggested, voice wavering, "He has to."
He shook his head, his own olden eyes watering, "No, Naruto loves the village and would die before he let anyone down. If I told him right now that he needed to save the village and heal every single person, he'd do it without a question... a sad thought, really. He would use every ounce of chakra in his body."
Koharu clasped her shaky hands together, "Hiruzen unless you get Tsunade in the village before the Chunnin exams, Naruto will have to be used. I'm sorry..."
Hiruzen gave his advisor a sorrowful look, "I know, but... thank you for your words, however, there are still a few more people I must speak with before I make my verdict."
"Those three are going to give you hell, I hope you know that." Koharu took a deep breath, already standing to leave, "I wish I could say 'take your time' but there isn't much time left."
"I know... I know." He watched her leave before letting his tears fall once more, Naruto's words coming back to haunt him while Kakashi's simply cut into him, piece by piece.
A decision was hanging over his head, a child's life in his hands again.
The below takes places almost immediately after Chapter 20: Decisions
The shuffle of shoes on uneven terrain sound off in the mostly silent forest. It is the sound of multiple entities surrounding a singular area deep within the vines and trunks of the woods. It was nothing to be fearful of, though, as they were Naruto's clones running rampant to secure a location for him and his teammate. The group tried to be as quiet as they could, trying not to alarm any foe within the depths of the forest as to an enemies' approach to their hideout.
A clone popped down from the trees, waving a salute off to his summoner, "A spot looks to be ideal just up ahead, Boss-man."
The medic gave a short nod, "Take me there."
"Yes, sir." They straightened their shoulders, waving a hand to some of the clones still hidden in the brush outside their vision.
"How far is the spot from the road?" Naruto asked, feeling his teammate shift against his back.
The clone stopped as if in thought before continuing their run, "Only a mile or two, we've been running a while."
The blond huffed, furrowing his eyebrows, "That's still pretty close."
"Yes, but you still need time to prepare the poison extraction so, based on that information, this spot is as ideal as we could get it." They stated in that factual voice Naruto sported every now and then, "Is that alright?"
He sighed before nodding, "I guess when you put it that way, a spot like that should be fine for now."
After a moment of silence, the carbon-copy of himself titled his head, "Should we increase the number of clones around here?"
"No." At their confused look, Naruto continued, "Any more clones running around here might alert someone. We need to keep this on the down-low as much as possible."
There is a soft, almost pained groan sounding off in the medic's ear, startling him slightly. "Na... ru... to?" Sasuke murmurs tiredly.
His clone gives the teenager a worried look before glancing at their summoner. The two wordlessly stop to give the raven-haired gennin a look over. The medic turned his head slightly to get a good look at his teammate, "Hey there, how're you feeling?"
"Hurrr...tss." Naruto wanted to chalk up his slurred words as simply waking up but his more logical side of his brain knew that this wasn't a good sign. Quivering fingers tightened in the gennin's jacket, "Wh... w-where... a-arrre we?" Sasuke's eyes looked so droopy, almost as if he was going to fall asleep.
"It's okay, you're okay." Naruto tried to reassure, looking back to his clone who only nodded before starting back up. Wordlessly, the medic followed them to this so-called ideal spot.
"N-N-Nar... utoo...?" He whispered, teeth chattering, "D-Don't feeeel... good."
The blond-haired gennin took a deep breath, trying not to let his heart clench at the pitiful sounds of pain coming from his teammate. When he worked at the hospital, it was illegal to treat anyone you cared for as your love and care for them could very well lead to you making stupid decisions on their behalf. He'd never been put into a position like that – well, maybe when he was treating Lee but they'd only met one other time before then so it most likely didn't count – however, this time it's different.
This is Sasuke.
This is his teammate, the one who helped him figure out what all his clones could do in and out of battle. The one who came to him for help when he'd hurt his arm whilst training. This is his best friend, the one who confided in him about his guilt and need for revenge for what happened to his family. The one who had always been a confident factor in Naruto's life always helped him with everything. He is family now and that means that treating Sasuke is going to be the hardest thing he's ever done.
He can't have his emotions running rampant, can't have them layering over his care. He needed to have a cool head going to heal Sasuke to the best of his abilities. The blond took a deep breath, trying to imagine Sasuke as just another patient at the hospital who had been injured in an unrelated accident. It wasn't working and he simply stuck to worrying his lip.
This is Sasuke, who needs his help and as the medic of Team 7, it was Naruto's job to do his best.
"Where... a-are we?" His best friend tried again, his words spoken through gritted teeth.
"Somewhere safe." He reassured, knowing damn well that this area wasn't safe at all. He was trying his best but that doesn't mean that he's succeeded in what he promised Kakashi.
"We're coming up to it now." The clone Naruto had almost forgotten was there spoke up, pointing to just up ahead where a thick layer of wall-sized bushes blanketed the woods around it. It drowned the trees in comparison, sticking out with thorns and what not.
Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, "That doesn't look like an 'ideal' spot."
The clone gave him a bored look, "We found a spot that leads to a mostly hollow area inside of the bush. The clones have been inside for the last thirty minutes cleaning it out. We already started to clean it up for model conditions for poison extraction."
"Alright, I get it." He huffed, slowing down to a walk, following his clone around to the other side.
"What are your orders, Boss-man?" They asked upon reaching the moderately sized hole. Another clone poked their head out from inside the bush, blinking up at their summoner.
"Are there any others inside there?" Naruto questioned, getting a nod, "Send them out to secure the area close to this location. If they can get in touch with any of the other clones, make sure they keep a lookout for anyone with malice intentions."
The one closer to the ground blinked up, "What do you want us two to do? Or are we free to go."
That got a grin from their summoner, "Sorry, but I'm going to need your help with the delicate illness extraction technique."
The two clones laugh together, nodding their heads in understanding. "Let's get Sasuke inside so we can begin." They said.
As lightly as he could, Naruto pulls his teammate off his back, hands pressed lightly into his backs as he lowers the gennin to the ground. The clone partially inside waves to the others still fixing up the hollowness of the bush to come to help them. Naruto and the clone who'd shown him the way here lift Sasuke's legs off the ground as the others slid him in as gently as possible. A discontented grunt comes from the teenager, looking like he might pass out once more.
"He's going to get worse." One of the clones inside murmur in worry as they set the black-haired gennin down on the sleeping bag provided by Naruto. The clones give their teammate a look before exiting. Others follow it out, leaving their summoner and two clones left.
"Alright, let's get to it." The medic claps in authority, "We need some freshwater and lots of it. I want a continuous supply of freshwater in my presence always. With the amount of poison in his system and the way its spread, it's going to take me a while to get everything out."
"Yes, sir!" One of them saluted, crawling out of the foliage and disappearing into the forest.
The remaining clone looked to their summoner for orders, "And what shall I do?"
"I want a status update from the other clones while I'm setting up. Five minutes at most, I expect to see you back immediately afterward." Naruto stated with authority, not even batting an eye at the salute as they left. He starts to pull out tools for the poison extraction when there is a hand pulling at his shirt weakly. The medic glanced down, "Hm?"
The abundance of fear lingering in Sasuke's eyes is startling to say nonetheless, not to mention the quiver in his lip. The blond stops what he's doing to give his teammate a once over. "N-Naruto..."
"What is it?" His voice is soft and grounds the poisoned gennin enough to prompt him to speak again.
"I d-don't want to die." His words fill the room with such trepidation, the tone ghosted with anxiety.
Naruto reached out, smoothing back his best friend's hair to feel his forehead which was starting to feel very feverish, "I'm going to do my best to make sure that doesn't happen."
"I... I have to..." Sasuke gulped back on the lack of saliva in his mouth, "h-have to g-get... revenge for... for my clan."
"I know, you've got to stay strong for me okay. Give me five or ten minutes and we can finally get you on your way to recovery." He gives the boy a soft smile, eyes warm with guarantee, "You're going to be okay." The medic tried not to see the glossy look in his best friend's eyes as it wouldn't look good on the teen's image when he was more coherent.
"Team...?" The medic could see that Sasuke was starting to look as if he was going to fall asleep again, but the Uchiha fought to stay awake.
"I sent them on ahead." He stated, pulling out two different bowls for the delicate illness extraction technique.
A shocked look startles the black-haired teen's features for a second or two, "Wha... w-why?"
"You're in no position to travel right now, Sasuke." Naruto stated calmly, "The poison is starting to affect you more so we need to do the poison extraction now."
"I feel... f-fine... little cold, though." He murmurs quietly, leaning into the sleeping bag that surrounded his sweaty features.
The got a laugh out of the medic, "I'm sure you do."
"I'm back with a report." A clone popped their head inside the hollowed bush.
"Well?"
"A bandit wagon has been spotted two miles from our location and there are suspicious entities walking up and down the path. I've told the others not to engage but to make sure that none of them brought them to your location." They stated quickly, "It does not seem like either party knows of our intentions or whereabouts."
Naruto nodded, "That's good, hopefully, it'll stay that way."
"And if not?"
"We will make sure that they don't get to Sasuke." The medic stated, authority in his voice.
"Yes, sir." The clone bowed, fully stepping into the hollowed bush, "What is it that you need of me now?"
He waved a hand to the area around them, "I just need you to help me finish preparing for extraction."
They saluted, "Of course."
The summoner and carbon-copy of him worked in silence, a weight settling upon their shoulders. Sasuke watched with lidded eyes, gulping back anything to soothe the heat in his chest. Despite his internal warmth rising, he couldn't help but feel cold, goosebumps rising as a result. He shivered uncontrollably, exhaustion tickling the back of his mind. "N... Naruto." He voiced weakly.
"Yes?" Sasuke shuts his eyes, taking a deep breath. Everything felt like it was on fire and he was so damn thirsty. His hands ball up the sleeping bag underneath him, an involuntary shiver wracking his body. There is a hand pressed against his forehead, the coolness from it stopping his movements for a moment. "Hey, what's wrong? What do you need?" Naruto's soft voice was all that the gennin could hear as he finally opened his eyes.
"W-Water..." Sasuke groaned out, "... ple... ase?"
The medic nodded, pulling away to reach for a water bottle. He signaled for his clone to help the raven-haired teen up so that he can drink something. He only drank a little bit, the feeling of something cold going down his throat only relieving for a few seconds before becoming uncomfortable. "It's okay." Naruto whispered, "You're going to be okay, just rest for now."
Sasuke nodded dumbly, no one has to tell him twice. His eyes slid shut without another word out of him. The summoner and clone took the time to look at each other. "You can do this, Boss-man." The clone reassured, giving him a smile.
"I know but doesn't make it any easier." Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair.
They bobbed their head in understanding, "You can't think about that right now, Boss, you've got to get your head in the game. No more pity thoughts, okay?"
"Yes, of course." He took a deep breath, "This is just a regular patient who's been poisoned by an unidentified snake." But it's not, this is Sasuke.
"That's one way to put it." The clone shrugged. The two Naruto's fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to get ready for the inevitable. Every now and then, Sasuke would let out a groan of discomfort or his face would screw up as if in pain. It got Naruto's attention every time, stopping whatever he was doing to watch... just in case.
Another clone popped in, two water bottles in hand. They shook them for a second before handing the bottles over to their summoner. "The stream was a little farther than I expect, that's why it took so long." The clone stated, watching as Naruto poured both water bottles into the bowl. The second clone inside the foliage got to work on sterilizing the water for medicinal uses.
"That's fine but this isn't going to be enough water." The medic sighed, "I'll need you to get some more immediately."
They bobbed their head in understanding as Naruto handed the water bottles back over, "Of course. I'll be sure to check in with any of the others should I run into them."
"Thank you." He said, watching the clone disappear once more.
"Are you sure you won't need another one of us to help you with this process?" The remaining clone questioned.
Naruto worried his lip in thought, "No, it should be fine. If I need more, I'll make more. Is the mixture ready for use?"
"Just let it sit for a few minutes." They informed, leaning away from the bowl to stare at their poisoned teammate, "We should probably use some form of anesthesia on him, just enough to know that he won't wake up during the extraction."
He shook his head, "If we use something like that on Sasuke, he may not wake up. Weakness leads to unconsciousness."
The clone sighed, looking bitter, "Right, but we can't explain everything we're doing every time he wakes up."
"So, what are you suggesting?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Because you know we can't use anesthesia."
They gave a pointed look to his bag, "Still got that whisky (1)?"
"Oh, Kami, I can't believe you're suggesting I give Sasuke alcohol." If he didn't have any dignity, he might have slapped his forehead at his clone's thought, "That's illegal."
"It's illegal for you to carry it with you." The clone gave a knowing smirk.
"That's because it's used by medical professionals in emergencies where-" He started but he silenced himself at the pointed look coming from the other Naruto.
"Still illegal."
The medic crossed his arms, "I'm not forcing Sasuke to drink alcohol."
The clone raised their hands in surrender, "Alright, fine, whatever. No alcohol for Sasuke. However-"
Ugh. Is this really how Naruto sounds to his teammates?
"-you should consider bringing in some other clones." They suggested, "This is a very painful procedure and since we're not using any pain medications or anesthesia, we'll need a lot of us to hold him down while you operate."
He looked away, "I really shouldn't."
"You want to preserve your chakra for this operation and in case someone attacks us, I get that. You also want to have us out there," The clone pointed outside the bush, "to keep an eye on the area. However, you can't have both. This is Sasuke. You need to start acting like a medic and not a ninja."
Naruto took a deep breath, "Act like a medic and not a ninja, huh?"
They nodded slowly, glancing over at the bowl to see its progression, "As a medic, you use your skills and talents to save people. Use us, we're your skills and talents and Sasuke is the person you are to save. So, take a step away from being a ninja and just do your job."
"Right." He mumbled to himself, resolve solidified, "Act like a medic-"
"-and not a ninja." The clone shared a grin with his summoner, "It's time now."
In a flurry of hand motions, four more clones appeared around their unconscious teammate. "Alright." Naruto clapped, the bowl being moved closer to where he was kneeled on the ground, "Let's do our job."
"Yes, sir!" The clones coursed together.
"I want two of you at Sasuke's feet and two up at his chest. One of you needs to be beside me at all times with the bowls ready." The medic looked around, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" The clones moved in sync, never touching one another or getting in each other's way.
Naruto settled beside his friend's infected arm. The normally pale skin was inflamed, veins purple with toxins. It looked extremely uncomfortable not to mention painful. He stared at it for a moment, "Don't worry, Sasuke, I've got you."
The clones removed Sasuke's shirt, exposing the traveling toxins for viewing. "We're ready, Boss-man." The one directly beside him stated, wide blue eyes staring at him.
He nodded without a word, a single hand raised with a glow of blue. He closed his eyes felt for where the poisoned had ended up in teammate's bloodstream. Naruto trailed his hand up his teammate's forearm, following the blood up to his chest. The medic could feel his heart aching at the thought that the toxins had possibly reached Sasuke's heart as he inched closer. "There." He murmured mostly to himself, eyes opening to where the poison stopped.
A few inches from his heart.
Naruto took a calming breath, swallowing back his worries as he created an incision against that spot. He pushed past the furrow of pain in Sasuke's eyebrows, getting back to work. The blond-haired gennin turned towards the bowl full of treated water, dipping his glowing palm into it. The water, attracted to his medical ninjutsu, clung to him eagerly. He pulled his hand away, setting it against the infected area.
"Are you ready?" The medic asked the clones, seeing them tense up, ready to do the jobs assigned to them.
"Of course." Only one spoke out, giving verbal confirmation to their summoner.
He took a deep breath in, concentrating on the infected body in front of him. On the exhale, Naruto pushed the medicinal mixture into his friend's body. It was excruciatingly slow, not to mention painful. The clones did their job of holding down Sasuke who's body flared up in response. There was a silent scream caught in his throat as the Uchiha unconsciously tried to jerk away from whatever his teammate was doing to him.
"Keep him down." Naruto grit out, still pushing the mixture into the infected area.
"Sasuke!" The clone beside him sounded out, reaching out to unhinge the raven-haired gennin's jaw.
The medic took a chance to look up at the commotion only to see blood draining out of his mouth. He nearly lost his concentration, "What happened?!"
They reached for a wet rag and placed it in the Uchiha's mouth, "It seems that Sasuke bit his tongue rather ruthlessly when we started. That rag should prevent it from happening again. Please proceed as normal."
Naruto tried to get the lead taste of guilt out of his mouth as he finally got every last drop of liquid inside his teammate's arm. He shut his eyes, using his other hand to drag it through Sasuke's body up to the incision. It was slow and caused the Uchiha so much pain but the poison needed to get out of his body immediately. The medic blocked out the muffled screams as much as his could, pulling to poison out as much as he could.
"Hey, I'm back with some more water." The clone from before popped in but stopped at what was in front of him.
Without disturbing their summoner, a different clone reached for the water bottles to pour them into one of the bowls. They handed them back, "Go, get more. We're going to need more than this."
They glanced at the water bottles and sighed, "Alright, alright, I got it. I'll be back again."
The four clones continued to hold down the convulsing Uchiha as the remaining one started to take the freshwater and treat it so it'd be usable for the delicate illness extraction technique. One of Sasuke's legs got loose, thrashing around and nearly destroying the clone that was supposed to be holding it. "Get a hold of yourself!" One of them shouted out to the other clone who just gave them a dirty look before finally getting a hold of their teammate's leg.
Naruto pushed harder on the liquid, dragging his hand against the Uchiha's chest a little faster. It edged closer to the incision before finally showing itself in the treated water on the other side. He took a deep breath, watching Sasuke's body go slack with shivers. The medic dumped the combination of treated water and whatever the raven-haired gennin had been poisoned with into a different bowl.
He took a deep breath, already tired with only one round of this. The blond summoned two more clones who gave him blank stares. Naruto took a moment to realize that the hollowed bush was starting to get a little cramped. "Alright, you two, I want an antidote for this poison immediately." He stated, handing the bowl over to them, "You know that the delicate illness extraction technique won't eliminate the entirety of the poison so this antidote is needed immediately."
"Of course." One stated.
"Already on it." The other bobbed their head before they both left to work outside where they won't be in the way.
Naruto turned his attention to the clone beside him, "Is the second batch ready for use?"
"It should be." They stated, sliding the bowl closer to him, "Does Sasuke look ready for another round?"
He glanced at the Uchiha who looked worse for wear, "I think his fever is trying to spike. Someone get me another rag for his forehead and if we have ice packs, I want those under his armpit and knees immediately (2)."
"You're going to work while he's like this?" The clone looked exasperated.
"I don't really have a choice." The medic said darkly, "I made a promise and I don't plan on breaking it." He looked back to the withering teen surrounded by worried clones. "I'm sorry for the pain I'm putting you through, Sasuke, but there really isn't any other way." Naruto knew that this was the only thing he could do for his teammate.
Didn't make it hurt any less, though.
1. "Still got that whisky?" If you live in the U.S., whiskey is usually spelled with an 'e' in between the 'k' and 'y' but over in Japan, there is no 'e' in the spelling. Some of you might be wondering why I'm including a primarily European alcoholic beverage in a Japanese fanfiction. In the rewrite of 'He's My Son', I go over this somewhat. Most people when they write someone drinking from a Japanese anime, they choose sake as what they drink. I'm tired of it and I am forever breaking traditions. Plus, Japanese Whisky is almost on par with Scottish Whiskey – which is the most common type of whiskey out there and more widely known. Hopefully, this wasn't confusing or interrupted the flow of the story.
2. "...if we have ice packs, I want those under his armpit and knees immediately." If someone has a fever, the armpits and knees are the best places to put ice packs as they help to cool down the body faster. I didn't include the part about the rag as I'm sure everyone knows that wet rags on foreheads help you cool down as well.
The first thing Sasuke could feel upon regaining some sense of consciousness was the ache in his chest and just how heavy his body felt; it was almost like he weighed a ton. There's a taste of lead in his mouth, a vile thing that made his stomach churn. A groan slipped past the Uchiha's lips as the weakness and pain finally caught up to him. What happened to him while he was out?
After a little more tossing and turning, trying to get his senses back together, Sasuke could clearly smell a fire somewhere close by, a crackling evident in his ears. It sounded wonderful in the eerie quietness that had once settled over the area. He listened with cotton for brains, simply allowing everything to zone in on that sound.
The teenager felt his nose twitch before the smell of stew hit him; someone was cooking something and did it smell amazing.
Sasuke opened his eyes, head groggily trying to process his surroundings. He was right about the fire, the orange glow of it just barely entering the little-hollowed area he was lying in. It encompassed everything with warmth and comfort. There was a small metal pot lying just above it on some makeshift rack, water starting to push the top of the lid upwards as it boiled.
The black-haired gennin watched it for a second, mesmerized before slowly starting to sit up, abdomen protesting as he did. He gave a quiet groan, eyes squeezing shut; he felt like shit. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, a yawn pulling at his lips. He looked at his surroundings once more.
There was a bush as tall as the trees standing proudly around him, with only a small hole to crawl out of as a means of an exit. The ground beneath him had been smoothed out by a shoe which was indicated by the impression of a sole or two. Underneath him was Naruto's sleeping bag with a splattering of blood here or there. Sasuke blinked at that; what the fuck happened while he was out?!
The Uchiha tried to desperately remember, mind muddy with disuse. He deduced that it had a lot to do with Naruto. Those were the most evident memories in his head at the moment, the medic trying his best to help him. However, whatever his teammate might have said during that time were muffled by the cotton that must have been stuffed to the brim in his tired mind.
Sasuke could only see fragmented images of a clone or two moving around him, being given orders and setting up something. The dark-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows in concentration; if Naruto brought him here, where was he now? He blinked in sudden realization, head frantically looking around – where was the rest of his team?
He took a deep breath, swallowing back the fear plaguing his heart. "They're probably in the area, no need to panic." Sasuke shook his head, trying to see if he could sense their chakra signature; nothing. The thought was worrying and he wanted to keep looking for them but his head was starting to hurt from overuse in such a weakened state.
There was a rustling somewhere outside of the safety of this hollowed bush. Sasuke reached to his thigh for a kunai but realized that he didn't have any on him. His eyes widened, "Was I kidnapped? Why else would I not have my weapons?" He prepared for anything, legs pulling close to his body in case he needed to escape. The movement continued, getting closer and closer before stopping altogether.
A head popped through the entrance, blinking up at the raven-haired gennin only to have a foot slam into his face. "ACK!" The intruder gasped in shock, "Sasuke, what the hell?!"
The Uchiha, upon the mention of his name, pulled his foot away, "Naruto?!"
"Yeah, what a way to thank the person who saved your life." The medic huffed, fully crawling into the hollowed area. He ran a hand through his blond hair, blue eyes piercing his teammate's very soul.
Sasuke could see that soft smile starting to crawl onto the other boy's features, "Well, don't scare me like that, idiot."
"Scare you?" Naruto looked exasperated, scoffing lightly, "You nearly gave me a heart attack earlier."
He gave his best friend a confused look, "Earlier? What happened earlier?"
"Yeah, earlier." Naruto waved a hand like it was the easiest thing to understand before stopping, "Do you seriously not remember anything?"
"I remember some things just not... all things." The raven-haired gennin responded, scooting closer to the medic, "I remember everyone freaking out about something and that we were supposed to be taking a client to the Land of Waves."
"Ah, no wonder you were so ungrateful." The blond chuckled playfully, massaging his nose from where the other boy hit him.
"So, what happened?" Sasuke tried getting it out of him.
Naruto waved to the exit of the hollowed bush, "I'll tell you over some food, Kami knows you need it. You've been asleep for thirteen hours."
"W-What?!"
"Shh, we're not in a safe location right now." He murmured, already exiting the area.
"What do you mean we're not 'in a safe location'?" Sasuke asked frantically, following him out, "Why isn't it safe?!"
Naruto didn't look up, already near the fire and taking the lid off the pot. He was silent for a moment, simply stirring the contents of the stew inside. The medic reached beside him for some firewood he must have gotten while Sasuke was unconscious before throwing it into the fire. The two watched in silence as the fire blazed soothing.
"Well?"
"Just be quiet for a moment." He whispered out, looking into the depths of the forest. There was a flash of yellow somewhere in there, nearly scaring the shit out of Sasuke.
He scooted closer to the medic who didn't look worried at all, "What the fuck was that?"
"It was one of my clones signaling me about the road. I've had an eye on it for the last few hours; there's a bandit wagon hiding out there." Naruto explained, stirring the stew again before reaching for a bowl, "I'm afraid that they might attack us should they know of our whereabouts."
"Won't they just see your clone?" Sasuke asked worriedly.
"If they manage to see it, my clone will simply disappear and give me the information that the group might come for us now that they know what I look like." The blond still looked bored by the information, not bothered by the thought that someone could ambush them at any time.
Sasuke took a moment to mull over the information given to him; they really weren't in a safe location. He scooted closer to the fire, sighing at the warmth that lapped at his sweaty skin. Without a word, the medic handed over a blanket, the Uchiha taking it gingerly. He looked at the blond, "You going to tell me what happened now?"
"Yeah, of course, just eat something while I'm doing that." He stated, handing over a bowl to him, "You're going to need your strength if you're to travel again."
"Alright." The gennin murmured, taking the spoon and drinking some of the broth.
"For starters, we were attacked by two guys – the Demon Brothers – who were both known for their assassination techniques and poisons." He explained to his teammate, "And the reason as to why the team was freaking out was because you'd been scratched during the attacked."
"Okay, and?"
"You were poisoned, Sasuke, and it was bad." Naruto gave the boy a pointed look.
"Oh, that... that makes a lot more sense now." Sasuke mumbled, thinking back to how bad he felt.
"I gave you a shot that would help to slow down the poison so I'd have time to extract it in a safe location before the toxins reached your heart." The medic stated, pouring the stew into a second bowl, probably for himself, "However, we were running out of time; the poison was spreading faster than I'd anticipated. There was no way you were going to make it all the way to the Land of Waves without some severe repercussions."
The Uchiha stopped eating to give the gennin a look, "What happened then?"
Naruto looked down at his stew, "I decided that you were no longer fit to travel and that I needed to work to get the poison out of your system immediately."
"What? Why?" His eyes were wide, nearly dropping his bowl.
"Sasuke, you were poisoned." Naruto huffed, "You were already looking worse for wear even after I had a clone carry you most of the way after you'd been poisoned."
"What?!"
He rolled his eyes, waving a hand before taking another bite of his stew, "And stop screaming, you were sleeping most of the time they carried you."
"Why was I even being carried in the first place?" He murmured, but his teammate heard him clearly.
"Because when you're poisoned, your body needs all of its energy to fight it. If you're walking for hours on end, you tend to use up that energy quickly. I needed time to figure out what you'd been poisoned with but we also needed to keep moving since that area wasn't safe." Naruto pointed out, eating some of his food before proceeding once more, "However, even with the clone carrying you, it didn't look like you were going to last very long. We still had two hours left till we even touched the Land of Waves at that point."
The other teenager ate slowly, his stomach feeling starved but not really wanting anything in it, "Well, what'd you do?"
"As the only one trained to handle these situations as well as being the only medic in the group, I made the team leave us behind." Naruto shrugged, finishing off his stew quickly.
"What?!"
"Sasuke, you really shouldn't scream. I still don't know if this area is safe." The medic reminded tiredly.
He worried his lip, looking down at his lap, "Right..."
"Sasuke, listen. If we had kept moving, you would have died from poisoning. You were already showing mild symptoms that needed to be treated before anything too severe happened. In order to have extracted the poison, I would have needed a lot of time, time that the team doesn't have. I told Kakashi-sensei and Sakura to go on without us, that we'd catch up when we can." Naruto whispered, filling his bowl up for another round, "We've already been gone for a day and a half."
"When do we leave?" Sasuke asked impatiently.
The medic raised an eyebrow, giving gave him a look, "Tell me how you feel and I'll decide when we leave."
The Uchiha rolled his eyes, "I feel-"
"I mean honestly." That look had returned once more, piercing Sasuke's soul.
He heaved a sigh, drinking the broth from his stew. "I feel... like shit. My body aches and my abdomen hurts, almost like it's on fire – oh, and my arm is like that too. Everything feels like it weighs a ton and I've got a pretty bad headache too." The raven-haired gennin ran a hand through his hair, "Even though I just woke up, I still feel pretty exhausted."
Naruto nodded, a calculating glaze over his blue eyes, "It's to be expected, you had a pretty bad fever after the poison extraction. As for this pain you're feeling, how much does it hurt on a scale of one to ten."
"Probably a three or four. It's not enough to stop me from doing things but it's just enough to be annoying." The Uchiha explained tiredly.
"I see." The medic mumbled out, pulling something out of his front pocket, "Lean forward a second and open your mouth."
"What-"
"Just do it, idiot." Without another word, Sasuke leaned forward and opened his mouth slightly, only to have a thermometer lightly pushed past his lips. Naruto smiled softly, "Keep that in until it beeps. I've got to see if your fever's broken or not. If it hasn't come down yet, we aren't leaving." Sasuke was about to protest but one look from the medic made him reconsider. There was a quiet beep in the silent forest. Naruto pulled the thermometer, looking at it.
"What does it say?" Sasuke asked curiously, almost worried.
"101.3, your fever's still there, so... guess we're staying for a while." Naruto sighed, looking a lot older than a simply gennin, "You need rest if we're going to leave soon. I'm still a little worried about the team and I want to make sure they're okay as soon as possible. So, go to sleep and we'll see how you feel when you wake up, alright?"
"I guess so." Sasuke murmured before giving the medic a look. He tried not to think about the exhausted look in Naruto's eyes as he crawled back into his friend's sleeping bag. He wondered if the blond had slept at all while he'd been healing or if Naruto had simply pulled an all-nighter just to make sure that Sasuke was okay. He hoped not; the medic was always going on about how important sleep was for people.
Maybe Naruto had slept and he had just done so much during the day that he was tired. After all, there were clones all around them, they could have watched over the two of them whilst they slept. Though, Sasuke was assuming that there was more than one clone in the area since his friend had only mentioned the one earlier.
"Naruto?" He called out.
There was a shuffle from outside the hollowed bush before a head appeared, "You okay?"
"I'm... I'm okay, I just..." Sasuke stared into those dull blue eyes, wondering if there were some things that the medic hadn't told him, "Did you sleep at all while I was out?"
"I slept after I got all the poison out of your system." The words were spoken pretty quickly with a hint of monotone to them; was he lying? The Uchiha couldn't be sure but he was simply too exhausted to really dwell on the thought.
Naruto was still there as the black-haired teenager settled in the sleeping bag, "How'd you get the poison out?"
"I'll tell you about it when you wake up later, okay? You need to sleep." He whispered out softly, giving his teammate a warm smile.
"Yeah, yeah." Sasuke murmured, cuddling up against the blanket above him, "Whatever."
Naruto gave his teammate a warm smile, trying not to let the anxiety cloud his features as he stepped out of the hollowed bush. He went back to the fire, his eyes boring into the warm flames. The medic heaved a deep sigh and picked up his bowl for another serving of stew.
He'd need to throw the food out soon, he mused, the smell of something this delicious would most likely attract unwanted attention whether it be by some bandits or creatures of the night. Naruto picked up his utensil, spooning some meat into his mouth. If he was at home, he'd be able to prepare something better than this with more nutrients and vegetables.
Sasuke shifted inside the hollowed bush, drawing his attention to him. The medic stared for a moment, thinking back to how he hurt him so much beforehand. His friend's screams still pierced his ears, ghostly in his brain. Naruto knows that he needed to use the delicate illness extraction technique to save the raven-haired gennin's life but that doesn't mean that he liked it. Sasuke had been in so much pain and it was caused by the very person who was supposed to be helping him.
Naruto rubbed his eyes tiredly, having not slept once since the extraction. Three of the dozen clones he'd created had all been destroyed, sending back their memories to him. There were now three groups of bandits scouring the forests for the strange blond-haired teen stalking out the area. He needed to stay awake, alert, just to make sure that no one got to Sasuke while he rested and healed.
It was fine though; the gennin had gone longer without sleep, this was nothing. He'd always been rather an insomniac, he mused. A yawned pulled at his lips as he continued eating, ears picking up on movement in the distance. Naruto bit his lip; he should put out the fire, bury the food and hide in the hollowed bush. He should, but he won't.
If there was something in the woods out to get him, he needs to be able to see what was there in order to plan his attack. At the moment, his mind had reverted back to ninja, taking a big step away from being the medic. Naruto knew that he could take on regular civilian bandits that were most definitely lurking in the area but if there was even a chance of a ninja out there, he probably wouldn't fair to well.
And so, he waited.
:::^^^^^:::
Today was a bad day, Hiruzen mused to himself, walking down the oh-so-familiar streets. Bystanders waved enthusiastically at him, calling his name with such endearment and awe. On most days, the old Hokage might have stopped to shake their hands or hug the younger ones with words of wisdom for them.
However, today was a bad day and bad days soured his mood.
The old Sarutobi man continued his walk, hands limply swinging by his side. He felt dreadful, completely exhausted from a day's work. Hiruzen could have just left his office and simply gone home to the estate where his grandson was most likely still fighting the housemaids for a new bedtime – obviously, eight o'clock was too early of a bedtime. He'd be able to have dinner with some of the other members of his clan and not worry about what was to happen in the future.
But he couldn't do that. There was another pressing matter that he had to attend to before the night could officially be over. And so, Hiruzen walked towards the hospital with an air of trepidation filling his head and making things fuzzy.
The smell of disinfectants is a familiar scent as he walks hesitantly inside, eyes peering over the thinning crowd. "Ah, Riozawa, good evening." Hiruzen gave the young man's face as he tended to some paperwork at the front.
"What – oh! Lord Third, it's u-um good to finally meet you in person." The nurse bowed his head politely, scooting his paperwork to the side, "How may I help you today?"
"You wouldn't happen to know where Dr. Terra, Dr. Yiruma, or Dr. Chakochi are, do you?" He questioned, peering over to the stairs as if his stare would magically make them appear.
Riozawa thought for a moment before shrugging, "I know that Dr. Chakochi is in ICU with some recent burn victims and Dr. Terra should be on the fourth floor in the western wing. As for Dr. Yiruma, I haven't seen him much today."
The Sarutobi man nodded his head slowly, "I see."
"Would you perhaps like if I paged them that you're here to see them?" The nurse suggested, hand hovering over a blue button.
"I would really appreciate it; it's rather of importance," Hiruzen stated, olden eyes almost piercing the young man.
He nodded his head, clicking a button and pulling a phone to his ear. He waited for a moment before a smile ghosted his features, "Yes, Dr. Yiruma, good to hear from you. I just wanted to say that, when you get the time, please come down to the lobby; Lord Third has requested your presence. Yes... I see, I'll you down here shortly."
Hiruzen went over to the benches to sit down, old knees creaking in protest. He knew he wouldn't have to wait long as it seemed that if he called, everything was to be stopped immediately. It was the price that came from being the Hokage, he mused.
"Ah, good evening, Dr. Chakochi. Have you finished with the surgery?" Riozawa hummed, finger absentmindedly twisting the phone cord around, "Oh, that's fantastic, I'm glad the patient will come out fine... why I've called? Well, Lord Third is in the lobby and needs to speak with you about something rather important... uh huh, yes ma'am, I'll see you shortly."
The older man sighed to himself, giving a grim smile towards a mother across the room who waved politely at him; he wasn't rude. Hiruzen rotated his wedding ring unconsciously, eyes drawn to the floor. The weight of the world was pressing down so fiercely against his shoulder blades that it was almost hard to breathe.
"Dr. Terra, hello, I hope I am not intruding in anything... oh, well that's just lovely." The nurse smiled despite the receiver not being able to see it, "Just wanted to let you know that Lord Third is here to see you about something... no, he didn't say but he said it was important... Alright, see you soon."
"I'm assuming that they'll be here?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, nearly startling the nurse.
Riozawa bobbed his head, "They'll be down shortly. Dr. Chakochi is cleaning up from the surgery, Dr. Terra is coming from her office where she'd taken her break, and Dr. Yiruma was doing some paperwork when I called."
"Alright, thank you." He gave the young man a smile, one that had almost been forced; Riozawa didn't notice, going back to his work.
The Third Hokage didn't have to wait long for the first of the three doctors to appear. Yiruma was as eccentric as he'd remembered, bounding down the stairs with a vigor that Hiruzen wished he still had. There was a young and calming aura about the man, one that screamed peace and tranquility. "Good evening, Lord Third-ya, it is wonderful to see you again after so long." He hummed politely.
"Yes, well, the last I remember you were still in Med-school and now look at you, head medic." Hiruzen smiled proudly, standing up to pat the young man on the back.
"I had good mentors." Yiruma shrugged off the compliment but still beamed from it, "Now, how may I help you? Riozawa-ya said it was important."
He shook his head, "I rather not explain myself three more times. Let us just wait for the others."
Owlish eyes blinked at him, "Others?"
"Dr. Terra and Dr. Chakochi." Hiruzen stated.
"Oh." The man's mouth was pulled into a tight line, "Does this have anything to do with the hospital? Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, the hospital has been running fine the last I checked." He stared at the lanky man, emotions steeled for the conversation weighing over their heads.
"I see." He murmured out, looking to the stairs where another doctor was making their way down, "Dr. Terra-ya, good of you to join us."
The older woman furrowed her eyebrows, looking between the two males before here, "You got called too?"
Yiruma bobbed his head, "Lord Third-ya said it was important."
She narrowed her eyes at the Hokage, "Important, huh? Alright, out with it."
"Please, I'd rather not explain myself one too many times." The old Sarutobi man sighed wearily, "I'd also prefer to be in a private area if that's alright with you two."
Terra thought for a moment before looking at the nurse's station, "Riozawa, can you please tell Dr. Chakochi to meet us in the medics' lounge."
"Yes, ma'am!" He called from his desk.
"The medics' lounge?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
She waved towards the stairs, the two following her closely, "The only medics here is Dr. Yiruma and Dr. Chakochi, it'll give you all the privacy you need."
He nodded wearily, "Thank you."
"You better not be wasting my time, getting my anxiety up with something stupid." Terra murmured annoyedly; she'd obviously not had a good day.
"I promise, it's far from stupid," Hiruzen stated firmly.
A slight frown marred Yiruma's features, looking worriedly at the leader of their village, "How important is this?"
"Life or death." The words were said with such bitterness that it nearly startled the two doctors, a pale look crossing their features.
By the time they'd arrived at the lounge, Chakochi was waiting for them inside, preparing a pot of coffee. She blinked in surprise at the three entering the room. "Didn't expect to see you two." The old woman said, directing her words to her fellow doctors, "Would everyone like a glass?"
"Yes." The three sighed heavily, sitting down on the various pieces of furniture littering the room. As the retired medic busied herself with the different cups of coffee, Terra took a seat on one of the loveseats, eyes piercing Hiruzen as he sat down in an armchair. Yiruma took the remaining armchair for himself, knees pulled up close to his body; sometimes the other doctors forgot how young the man was.
Without a word, Chakochi went around the room, dropping off steaming mugs of hospital coffee in the hands of desperate adults. She took a seat by Terra, kicking her shoes off since they were technically on break. The older woman looked at the other's faces, a chuckle caught in her throat, "What's with the look? You all look like you've seen a ghost?"
"Chakochi, please." The woman's voice is soft beside her, a hand pressing against her own, "This is serious."
She blinked in surprise; Terra's never usually like this, "How serious?"
"Life or death," Yiruma repeated with a blank look; that's out of character for him as well.
"I'm sorry to put this on you so late at night when we're all tired from a long day of work but... I need to make a decision soon." Hiruzen grit his teeth as if in pain, "I can't make it without your... opinions on what I should do."
"What's this about, Hiruzen?" Terra asked, eyes begging him to just spit it out.
He set the mug down on the coffee table, eyes rubbing his forehead wearily, "It's... it's about Naruto."
The air seemed thicker.
"Is he alright?" Chakochi's words are spat out so fast it made the Hokage's head spin; she'd always been a loud one.
"Nothing's happened to him... yet." The old man picked up the glass again, taking a long drink.
"What do you mean yet?" There is venom in Terra's voice but her eyes betrayed her, full of worry for the boy she'd treated like a son for so long.
"Please... give me a moment." In the blue glow from the hospital lights, Hiruzen truly did look as old as he was. His eyes and cheeks were sunken in with pale lips and a chill in his bones that hadn't been there in so long. The three doctors watched him collect him, understanding that this must be hard on him as well. "Alright, where do I even begin?" He murmured to himself, "Our allied nations are acting strange, keeping quiet and pulling their military forces back as much as they can. Trade has been limited and there is talk of an attack."
"What?" The course of shock rocked through the doctors as they continued to listen.
"We believe that they wish to use the Chunnin exams as a means of a distraction in order to launch this attack on us." The Third Hokage gave a heavy sigh, "The number of people that will be there to watch the final round of the Chunnin exams will be massive."
Yiruma crossed his arms, "Why don't you just cancel the exams this year?"
"He can't do that." Chakochi fiddled with the hem of her shirt, eyes trailing around the tiles on the floor, "If the Chunnin exams are canceled, our allies will know that we're on to them and might prematurely attack us. Not to mention all the tourism and business we have sprouting up around that time; that's our bonus funds out the window."
"Oh." The young doctor's jaw snapped shut, eyes downcast.
"What does this have to do with Naruto?" Terra wasn't even hiding her talons, looking rather angry.
"People will get hurt during the attack... it could be catastrophic and without Tsunade here to heal them with her summons, I'm just afraid that..." His mouth tasted like lead, forcing him to stop what he was saying.
The look of pure horror that passed on her face hurt him more than he thought it would. The doctor shot out of her seat, pointing an accusing finger at him, "You've got to be fucking kidding me?!"
"D-Dr. Terra!" Yiruma looked shocked from the outburst.
Chakochi looked between her best friend and the leader of their village. "What are you talking about?"
The woman ignored the two of them for now, "You're suggesting using Naruto's ability to heal the village, aren't you?!"
A pained look appeared on Hiruzen's face, "I... Terra, please-"
"You can't do that to him, of all people, why him?!" Tears were brimming the bottoms of her eyelids, a sad sight to the others in the rooms; she'd never cried in front of them before, "That's Naruto, that's my baby."
"I don't want to do this to him." Hiruzen worried his lip, not being able to look his long-time friend in the eyes.
"Then don't." She hissed out, "Don't make him do it!"
The cup of coffee trembled in his hands; this was by far the worst conversation of the day, "I'm s-sorry, you know... you know I can't just not do this."
"Then why ask our opinions if you were already going to make him do it?" Yiruma whispered out harshly.
"I want to find an alternative way to get around this problem so Naruto never has to heal someone on such a large scale," Hiruzen stated, looking a little pale in the face.
"There's no other way," Chakochi said defeatedly.
"C-Chakochi?" Terra whipped her head to stare at the woman, "You... You can't really be thinking that..."
The retired medic finished off her coffee, not able to look at the other doctors, "Tsunade-sama left, Terra, and that woman was the only one in the entire world that could heal hundreds of people in one sitting... up until now."
"But, Chakochi-ya, there has to be another way." Yiruma sputtered out, still coming back from his shock.
"We have Naruto now who can do the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. I've seen him running around the hospital with multiples of himself, especially when we were understaffed." She gulped weakly, "I know he can do this, he's strong."
"But that doesn't mean that he should!" Terra shouted out, furious, "He is fourteen, he just became an official medic and he's only just gone on his first C-ranked mission. How is a boy like that supposed to heal an entire fucking village?!"
"I don't want him to." The broken voice pulled the three doctors towards the leader of their village. A hand came up to wipe the tears trailing down his face, looking completely heartbroken by the very thought of the world resting on such a young person's shoulder. "I don't want to force another child to be the village's backboard." Hiruzen whispered out harshly, "I can't do that to Naruto but I'm running out of options."
Terra gave him a look, anger and worry still clouding her eyes, "Then find Tsunade."
He looked down at his hands, "She won't answer any of my letters, I can't-"
"Find. Tsunade." She hissed ruthlessly, "Force her to come back because I won't allow you to put my boy through a suicide mission." With that, Terra stomped out of the room, unshed tears pooling in her eyes. The remaining three watched her leave, all with heavy hearts.
Chakochi turned towards Hiruzen, "If you can find Tsunade-sama, this whole issue will be resolved."
"And if you can't..." Yiruma bit his lip, "then Uzumaki-ya will really have to be used."
Used.
That one word brought such a bitter taste to Hiruzen's mouth. He'd already used one child, he hoped that he wouldn't have to use another one for the village.
Being a clone was weird, as one had explained to Sasuke earlier in the day.
One minute you're not there and the next, you're standing in plain view with a picture-perfect memory of every event that has led up to your existence. You, as a clone, were your own person... except you're not? You are simply a manifestation of chakra that can be created and destroyed. Your summoner brought you there for a purpose and you were to fulfill it to the best of your abilities.
However, being a clone that was summoned only to be sealed away for future use was weirder than usual. Your physical display of a body is destroyed completely – stored for later, as Kakashi had put it – while allowing the chakra used to create you simply circling around in whatever container you were being held in.
And, in the instance that you are to be resummoned, it feels as though you've only just been created instead of having been designed only a few hours ago. You wear whatever your creator has on right now, remember exactly what has been happening elsewhere in the world, and know exactly what to do, how to serve your purpose in this world.
So, it was weird to be resummoned again.
And it was even stranger to be resummoned in front of a battle-ridden Sakura.
"What's going on?" They ushered out quickly, hand already quivering in anxiety as they reached for the kunoichi.
She pulled back from their reach and instead going to clasp their hands worriedly, bottom lip quivering, "Naruto, please, it's bad."
"I guess now would be the time to leave." A monotone voice called out, standing near a fallen body. The clone whipped their head out to stare at the newcomer, eyes locking onto a mask. Just below them was another unconscious – but definitely not dead despite how he might have look – man with many open wounds. Without another word, the person left with the man's body.
The clone didn't know what to say, frozen in time and space, "Who was that?"
"I don't know." Sakura whispered out weakly, "But the guy, the one on the ground was this Zabuza guy and he um..." She couldn't speak anymore.
The clone nodded dumbly, taking their time looking around, eyes locking on their client. From where Naruto's clone stood, they could tell that the older man was wounded, leaning exhaustedly against a tree. There was blood trailing down the side of his face and made it to where one of his eyes had to close from the flow of the crimson liquid. Tazuna had a few cut marks on the outside of one of his arms, obviously defensive wounds. He clutched the arm close to his chest, breathing deeply as the blood soaked into his dirty shirt.
This probably wasn't very good for his health, being an alcoholic and all.
The blond turned towards their teammate, looking her up and down for any injuries she might have sustained. The medic's clone felt his features tighten, an anger uncanny to anything they'd ever felt bubbling in their chest. Her wrist was twisted in an odd angle, being held close to her chest as to not further upset the broken bone. Sakura's face was bloody and bruised from a possible fist fight with a swollen eye and split lip. The back of her calf was bleeding and there was multiple discolorations littering her small frame.
"Sakura-" The clone tried again, but at the rise of her hand, they stopped. They found themselves wanting to just pull her into a reassuring hug to ease their heart – if they even had one since, you know, they're just chakra. "What have you gotten yourselves into?" They thought to themselves.
The pink-haired gennin shook her head wearily, green eyes rimmed with tears, "Don't worry about us. It's... oh Kami, it's Kakashi-sensei."
"What...?" With their eyes wide, they followed the kunoichi's side-glance to the broken body on the ground. The two gennins disconnected their hands as Naruto's clone dashed over to their fallen Jonnin teacher.
Kakashi was unconscious, a pained expression on his face. The clone waved their hand over his body, trying to get a better idea of any injuries he'd sustained. The soft glow of green wasn't as soothing as it might have been in any other situation, just a color of distress during this time. Sakura was at the clone's side after a few painful movements, "How bad is it?"
"It's..." The clone wasn't sure what to say, still searching out his teacher's body for the full run-down. A severe concussion, internal bleeding, a liquid in the lungs – probably from a recent drowning, the clone mused – severe bruising in the upper body and arms, a fractured kneecap, seven broken ribs, and a long slash across his upper chest which was definitely going to need stitches. They took a deep breath, "I need to get him someplace where I can operate."
"O-Operate?" Sakura looked shocked, "Does that mean surgery?"
"Yes, he's internally bleeding and that needs to be sewed up immediately." The clone stated, looking over to their client.
The pink-haired gennin looked bewildered, "Wait, can't you um... just heal him with chakra?"
"I can't do that if I only have a limited amount of chakra that's keeping me alive." They shook their head, looking defeated, "I would heal everything wrong with you three if I could, but I just don't have enough chakra... I'm sorry."
Sakura's face morphed into distraught, "It's... It's okay." It was most certainly not okay and everyone knew that, even herself. She wouldn't lie that she felt immense anger towards their situation; they should have never split up, they're a team... they're not supposed to leave one another.
They're a family.
Instead of commenting on it, the clone turned towards their client, "How is your arm, Tazuna-san?"
He waved boredly, already starting to stand up with assistance from the tree, "Don't worry about me kid, help your sensei out. These are nothing but flesh wounds."
"I can't just not worry about them." The clone rolled their blue eyes before looking at the man, "Do you have a home nearby where I can operate on Kakashi-sensei?"
"Of course, we've got a spare room upstairs where you can keep him," Tazuna stated, limping over to the two gennins and their fallen teacher – maybe a sprained ankle.
"Alright. Sakura, I need you to do something for me." The clone started, looking over to the frightened kunoichi; they couldn't even imagine what was going on in her head.
"Y-Yeah?"
"I'm going to need you to help Tazuna-san back to the house and I'll handle Kakashi-sensei. Once I get there, you're going to need to patch up yourself and Tazuna-san while I'm dealing with Kakashi-sensei." They explained coolly, already starting to put his hands underneath the man's arms and back, "Do you understand?"
"I..." She was still going through the motions of shock, the clone knew, "N-Naruto, I... I have no idea how to do that. I'm not t-trained... I can't-"
The clone shushed her warmly, standing back up. Naruto's clone carried the man easily, before looking at his teammate, "It's okay, just stay in the room with me and I'll walk you through it."
The only female gennin on their team watched them start to walk away from all the blood and gore from where Kakashi had been previously, trying not to gag. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes but Sakura nodded fiercely, "A-Alright."
Without a word, she limped towards their client, throwing her arm behind his back as he supported their combined weight. They nodded to each other and headed for Tazuna's home, their client leading the way. Naruto's clone walked behind the two with Kakashi in his arms.
"Where's Sasuke and the um... the original you?" Tazuna asked after a moment or two of awkward and tense silence, "Or do you only remember everything up until you were, you know... summoned the first time?"
"No, I remember everything that has transpired elsewhere." Sakura's head twisted around to look at the clone with wide eyes, questions swirling around her head. The clone gave the two a look, knowing the first inquiry that was on the tip of their tongues, "They are on their way to the Land of Waves now so, don't worry too much."
"Are they okay?" The pink-haired kunoichi in front of them ushered out quickly.
"Naruto had sustained a pretty devastating wound upon fighting a ninja in the area who had been traveling with bandits. Though, it has since been healed by medical ninjutsu. As for Sasuke, the poison is out of his system but he was dealing with a severe fever for the majority of the time." The clone replied quietly, "I'm sure that Boss-man can give you more details when he gets here."
Tazuna tilted his head, "And how long will that be?"
They thought for a moment, "I give it a few hours... two or three to be exact."
"Oh Kami... d-do you think that um... that Kakashi-sensei will m-make it?" Sakura voiced out tearfully.
"Of course." The clone reassured without a second thought.
Kakashi had to make it, he just had to.
Their client pointed in front of them where a dirt road sat undisturbed, "My home should be just ahead."
"Does anyone else live there?" The clone questioned.
"Yes, my daughter and grandson." He stated, looking nostalgic for a moment before it was wiped away completely, "It'll be nice to see them again."
"I hate that they have to see you like this." Naruto's clone stated sympathetically, "Well, do you mind doing the talking while I get everything situated with Kakashi-sensei?"
Tazuna rolled his eyes, "Already planned on doing that."
"Sakura, how's that cut on your leg? Do you feel dizzy at all?" The clone asked, observing the two-story house that appeared before them. It was nothing grand and there were more than a few holes here or there but there were attempts at repairs.
"No, I... It feels fine, a little sore but I think it's stopped bleeding." She spoke in a shaky manner, before confirming her suspicions upon looking behind her, "It's just my wrist that hurts a lot."
The clone bobbed their head in understanding, "I'm going to give the both of you some heavy pain medication for your injuries until Boss-man gets here with some medical ninjutsu. You'll need to eat something before taking it."
"My daughter, Tsunami, should be inside preparing lunch so I'll ask if you can have some." Tazuna gave the girl a forced smile. Naruto's clone gave the man a look; they probably didn't have a lot of supplies to be feeding hungry ninjas.
"O-Okay."
Tazuna took the lead, opening the front door. His daughter, a beautiful young woman with long, dark hair stared in disbelief at the state her father was in. Tsunami almost shrieked, dropping whatever was in her hand to come rush over to him, "F-Father!"
"It's okay, Tsunami, but we really need to get out of the doorway. Big guy over here got his ass handed to him." Their client voiced quickly, pushing his daughter carefully over to the side. The two watched as Naruto's clone climbed the stairs in a haste. "Guest room is on the left!" Tazuna shouted out after a moment, watching the two disappear, still not believing that a scrawny kid like them could carry an adult male.
"Father, your a-arms..." The dark-haired woman whispered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"It'll be okay, this young lady is going to help me." He reassured, looking down at Sakura who only nodded dumbly.
"I'll um... get a first aid kit a-and I bet you're both hungry um..." Tsunami looked distressed, not sure what to do in this situation.
Tazuna freed one of his hands to lay it on her shoulder, "Sweetheart, it's okay. We'll just be up in the guest room. Little dude's going to help us through the process."
"Alright..."
"Come on, Tazuna-san." Sakura ushered quietly, the two helping each other up the stairs despite both of their legs hurting. However, upon creaking the door open, the two hadn't expected Naruto's clone to slam it in their faces rather rudely.
"What the hell, kid?!" Tazuna growled out, about to march right in and throw some hands.
"Listen, I don't know if you're queasy around blood but you should know that Kakashi-sensei's wounds are not pretty so please cover your eyes and make your way over to the other side of the room." The clone explained breathlessly, "And make sure not to face me while I'm working; like I said, not pretty stuff here."
"...alright," Tazuna stated gruffly, opening the door once more. The room rank with blood and even when both of them gagged, they still did not look to where the guest bed was where Kakashi was sure to be. They headed for a table in the room, sitting down heavily in the chairs but they still did not look at Naruto's clone or the injured body there.
"Naruto, what do I do?" Sakura asked quietly, trying not to hear the ripping of cloth behind her.
Naruto's clone continued to cut and rip the fabric over Kakashi's chest after having removed his Jonnin vest. "Alright, I want you to look at Tazuna-san's arm closely. I know there's a lot of blood and gore but you need a good look at it." The clone responded, digging through their medic bag, "Tell me if you see white."
"Um... okay?" She murmured, confused. Their client lifted up his injured arm for her to view, showing the long cut that continued to ooze crimson liquid. Naruto's clone was right about the blood and gore – if she made a few gagging noises, no one said anything – but searched for anything. "Is there supposed to be something white here?" Sakura asked after a second or two, mildly concerned.
"I'm assuming that means you don't see anything." They stated, the sound of latex gloves being pulled on filling the mostly quiet room, "That's good, just means that the bone isn't showing."
The kunoichi's features paled significantly, not like the clone could see, "W-What do I do n-next?"
The single manifestation of chakra lifted their head, taking three big steps to the other side of the room to give the wound a look, "It's going to need stitches."
"That deep?" Tazuna asked.
"It's deep but you don't need stitches at the moment." The clone stated, "Hold on for a moment, I'm going to grab some stuff."
"But you just said I needed them." The man gave the blond an exasperated look.
The clone continued to rummage through their bag, pulling out a roll of cloth and some cotton before coming back, "You'll need stitches eventually but I'll let Boss-man handle that when he gets back. Give me your arm."
"Well, be careful with it, hurts like a bitch." Tazuna hissed.
Naruto's clone rolled his eyes, "If it still hurts, just means that you're alive so, congratulations."
The man snorted at the poorly placed joke, jerking her arm a little when the clone started to stuff the wound with cotton, "What the hell are you doing to me?"
"I need to stop the bleeding until this can be stitched up properly." They explained quickly, pressing the cotton further into the deeper parts of the injury, "Sakura, do you mind changing these bandages for him every hour while I work, just until I'm free or Boss-man comes back?"
"Um... yeah, of c-course." She whispered, shock-shelled.
The clone and Tazuna shared a look but didn't respond. Naruto's summon unrolled the bandages, surrounding the cotton-filled wound thoroughly. "Sakura, I'm not going to be able to do anything for your wrist right now so you're going to have to bear through the pain, okay?" They said sympathetically, "I have to preserve my chakra for the operation."
The kunoichi gulped, still looking pale, "But you're going to give me something for the pain."
"Of course." The clone pulled out a bottle, "Take two with food every three hours and try not to upset any of your wounds. Stay low to the ground, don't go walking around; just stay put until Boss-man gets here. If anything drastic starts to happen with your injuries, come to me immediately."
"Right." Tazuna nodded, standing up and heading for the door, "Come on, Sakura, there is a couch calling out names downstairs."
She nodded weakly, getting up from the chair on shaky legs, "Can you um... give me a moment?" He looked between the two gennins before nodding, leaving the room. "Naruto..." Sakura started, tears pooling in her eyes.
The clone furrowed his eyebrows, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay, you're going to be okay."
"Them too?" The pink-haired girl whispered out, leaning in for a hug.
"Naruto and Sasuke are going to be fine. They'll be here soon and we'll get your wrist fixed up." They smiled warmly, pulling her in closer, just trying to comfort the kunoichi as much as they could. The clone couldn't imagine what all Sakura had to endure or witness; she must have been so scared.
"And Kakashi-sensei?" She sniffled.
The clone gave her a look, fierce with determination, "I will do my best."
Sakura took a shaky breath, stepping away from him before heading for the door. She stopped, worrying her lip, looking at them, "Promise me?"
"I..." The clone looked down.
She nodded in understanding, wiping the tears away, "I know... you can't." Sakura left without another word, heading downstairs.
"I'm sorry." They mumbled out to the cold air before turning back to their teacher who laid unconscious on the cheap bed. Naruto's clone waved a green hand over Kakashi, seeing if he'd gotten worse while he was dealing with their client and Sakura. They heaved a heavy sigh; he did.
The internal bleeding had not stopped and it needed to be fixed pronto. The concussion could be dealt with when he wakes up, something that the original Naruto would probably fare better with than a mere clone like themselves. The liquid in his lungs could probably stay for now – but not for long as it would cause an infection – since the clone didn't have chakra in their body, meaning that they didn't have very much time to operate.
The bruising, fractured kneecap, and broken ribs could all be fixed later when the original Naruto was back with the team.
The clone took a deep breath, gripping his hair and pulled it back with the black headband they'd kept on their person; Sakura still refused to take it back from the original Naruto since his date with Shikamaru. They stripped the jacket from their shoulders, sleeves being rolled up to their forearms. A medical mask was dragged from a pocket from their bag. With practiced ease, the mask was placed on their face as to not infect the wounded body with any germs that the clone might have accumulated during his short existence.
Seriousness filled their eyes as the clone got to work. Naruto's summon gripped for a tray hidden in the back of their medic bag, setting it up on the foot of the bed – it being the only open spot – before dumping the needed surgical equipment onto the sterile area. The clone was about to start the operation when the door opened up; it was Tsunami.
"Um... I know that you're w-working right now but..." Her eyes were stuck on the floor, face pale, "Would you like something to eat?"
"No, thank you. I don't need to eat." The clone could see the young woman about to start up but he held up his hand, "I'm not real – I'm a clone – therefore, I don't need to eat."
Her face flushed – possibly from embarrassment – as she went to shut the door, "Oh... well, then, I am so sorry to have disturbed you."
They nodded before turning back to Kakashi's body. The clone waved another hand over Kakashi's body, searching for the exact spot where the bleeding was; lower large intestines. It'll be an easy fix... so long as the others in the room don't disturb the clone with questions.
Stepping away from the patient – that one word sounded so foul in their mind – Naruto's clone squatted in front of their medic bag, digging through it once more. A portable tank of anesthesia was pulled up to the clone's face, examining the labels. On a constant cycle, the anesthesia would only last for an hour and a half but the clone was sure that they could make it last for two hours at most. They'd have to make sure to turn the anesthesia one and off with certain intervals.
They started to set it up, placing the portable mask that comes with it over Kakashi's mouth and nose. As they continued getting ready for the operation, the clone tried not to think about how they – as in Naruto, the medic – failed the team; chose to only save one, killed dozens of people during that time, and left three injured people to the elements.
They were a bad medic and deserved to have their license stripped from them; they'd broken the rules and it was time to pay.
"No medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end." Naruto chose Sasuke over the lives of his team and their client. They – the clone and their summoner – did not think of the troubles the group would have faced when they left.
Their party members lives could have ended this day without the help from their only medic.
"No medic ninja shall ever stand on the front lines." Naruto had trained so hard in finding ways to never be found on the front lines, even went as far as to say that his clones fighting side-by-side with his teammates against the bad guys wouldn't have broken this rule.
He could have sent dozens of his clones out to fight against the bandits but he chose not to. The blond found that it would have helped he and Sasuke's situation had Naruto just been the one to drag those bandits away from their group. However, medics weren't allowed on the front lines and he'd broken it despite there being other ways to help them.
"No medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon." Naruto was ready to give up his life just to make sure that Sasuke would be okay. And because of that mindset, it didn't even bother him that he could have died when that ninja stabbed his chest. He could have died that night and it didn't even bother him.
"Only those medic ninja who have mastered the Strength of a Hundred Technique of the ninja art Creation Rebirth are permitted to discard the above-mentioned laws." Naruto wasn't strong and had no right to break the rules.
The clone sighed, staring at his teacher once more. "You're going to be okay." They whispered out, staring at their shaky hands, "We're going to be okay." Naruto's clone turned towards the broken window. Reaching for a scalpel, the clone couldn't stop his train of thoughts, "They're okay."
Everything's okay...
...but it's not, not really.
