Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.

Chapter Summary: In which Naruto's impatience comes back to haunt him and gives half of Konoha a heart attack

Chapter 7: Well, Well, Well, If It Isn't the Consequences of My Own Actions

"Go up again."

"I don't have endless chakra you know."

"One more time, then you have to teach me."

"You just got the hang of five rocks."

"And now I can learn to walk up a freaking tree."

"No, Pinku-baka. Get to at least ten rocks first, that's what the book said."

"Since when do you listen to books?"

"Since I tried it when I was only at six rocks and almost blew my leg off. Twice. Like the book said would happen."

"...fine."

Naruto walked down rest of the trunk, jumping the last few metres to land lightly beside his friend. Grinning at the pout on Kazuya's face he walked over to their bags and pulled out some water, chugging it down. It had taken three months to get to the top of the tree and another month on top of that to be able to walk up and down the tree as he liked. It was all worth it to see the look on Kazuya's face; although explaining the extra bruises and the exhaustion hadn't been easy.

"How do you even have the chakra to do this? I barely have enough for the rocks," Kazuya whined.

"Jiji says it's 'cause I'm an Uzumaki," Naruto shrugged. "Apparently we just have a lot of chakra."

Dropping his bottle back onto the bags, he turned.

"Jutsu?"

"Sure, but I can't believe you hid this. I'm kinda proud yet bugged I didn't notice," Kazuya sighed.

"You were the one who wanted to do even more than our already full workload. It also means my stealth's getting better," Naruto pointed out, sitting down in front of his friend.

"True," Kazuya nodded, moving into position.

Naruto had had a vague idea what Kazuya was up to from about a month into their third year; he was going into fourth year stuff during their sessions at the library plus he had talked him and Hana into sneaking into some of the fourth year lessons. They knew something like 'Operation Jump' wouldn't work a second time, but the redhead decided to leave the pink-eyed boy to it.

"Henge first?" Kazuya added, his hands moving through the seals at the nod.

There was a puff of smoke before the figure of Hana replaced Kazuya, taking a moment to throw a wink at the sitting boy before reverting back. The final member of their group was tied up with clan training today, but they had managed to see her for a brief time while they dropped off Rio.

Naruto had been concerned he was taking advantage of the Inuzuka by dropping off the toddler almost every day. However, the one time since that Rio had stayed with Jiji for the day, it ended in disaster; Naruto still couldn't figure out how Rio managed to end up two floors above where he should have been, with the chunin on duty in various states of undress and distress; from what Hana had been saying Kiba had caused just as much trouble. It had been decided that separating the two wasn't a good idea. At least the chaos could be contained to one place.

Naruto was already sighing at the trouble they would get into when they were older.

"Did you get it?" Kazuya broke into Naruto's chain of thought.

"A few more times," he replied, closing his eyes to focus on his sensing ability.

Since it manifested three years ago, Naruto had been slowly working on his sensing ability to pinpoint how chakra moves within the body. He figured if he could move it the same way around his own body, then he could do jutsu without needing both hands for seals. He knew there were one-handed seals, but until he could track down a book or someone who knew them, he was stuck.

They had been taught henge at the beginning of the year, and recently kawarimi. Five months into the school year and Naruto was no closer to performing either, but he was pretty sure he could map out Kazuya's chakra points and how his chakra flowed in his sleep. He just couldn't figure out how to get his chakra flow to bypass his arm; he knew that the chakra did not necessarily flow down his arms and the seals were more for guiding the chakra within his body but he'd been repeatedly told by Yakushi-sensei that he couldn't risk it.

'Your arm can't take the stress of channelling more than the amount required for it to function'.

The only good thing that had come out of this training was that Kazuya's ninjutsu was now the best out of all the kids in their class. As the older boy ran through henge several more times, Naruto's frustration grew as he failed to mimic the flow within his own body.

He had to graduate the academy; he couldn't afford to get stuck here. His taijutsu kept improving through the exercises Gai had given them and the brace Ten-jiisan had created for him meant he hadn't needed a cast in months. He even ranked third from last in the class after the last maths test, not dead-last! The ninjutsu was part of the final test though, so no matter how well he did in everything else, he had to learn these.

Naruto opened his eyes sullenly to see an image of Hana once again winking at him before changing back.

Why couldn't he just be like everyone else? Why did the Kyūbi's chakra have to affect him so much? Why was Yakushi-sensei so sure that his arm couldn't take it?

Questions swirled around Naruto's brain, doubt clouding his thoughts. If he could just use his left arm, then he could do henge. There wouldn't be any problems and he would graduate just fine. Yakushi-sensei was probably overreacting like Kazuya did when he felt pain; he always recovered right?

Kazuya's voice washed over him, the words mumbled and distant and Naruto looked down at his hands, considering. He stood abruptly, shoving off Kazuya's grip on his shoulder. Running through the hand seals he had watched the brunet run through day after day for months, he was surrounded by smoke. Looking down, Naruto wasn't sure he could express the joy that swelled within him at the sight of Kazuya's clothes on his body.

He did it. He could do ninjutsu too, just like Hana and Kazuya and Hokage-jiji. His arm could take chakra like any other shinobi.

The euphoria he felt lasted a few seconds before he was enveloped by a second puff of smoke, reverting back to himself. The confusion only lasted a mere moment before he was forced to his knees. Blinding, excruciating pain overtaking all his senses. He felt himself coughing up something metallic tasting but he barely gave it a single thought.

All he could feel was pain, as if he were three years old again, lying amongst the ruins of his home. As if his arm were being ripped to shreds, his face pulsing with sharp agony.

He didn't even notice when he succumbed to darkness.

Kazuya watched in horror as Naruto coughed up blood, falling to the ground with a twisted expression on his face. He knew his friend had been frustrated with the lack of progress, but he didn't think the redhead would completely throw everything he had been warned about out the window.

He dropped to the ground beside him, mind blank as he watched Naruto's pained expression, his scar almost enveloping his small face. His gaze moved to the blood on the grass and to the damp spots forming on the redhead's arm. He remained frozen for a moment longer before the silence was broken by a wet cough. Startled, Kazuya looked at his friend's face once more before his thoughts snapped back.

Gathering the younger boy in his arms, trying to avoid Naruto's left, he stood and his legs trembled slightly. He had two years and a whole head of height on Naruto, but he struggled to keep the boy in his grip, taking his first steps towards the village. Luckily they weren't that far out, but the twenty minutes that it would take to get back weighed heavily on the brunet's mind every second that passed.

Just before he reached the outer edge of the village, Kazuya heard the loud bellowing of a spandex-covered jounin coming from a nearby training area. He swerved off course, heading directly to the shouting. Readjusting his grip on Naruto, he staggered into the field and spotted the bright green.

"GAI-SAN!"

He saw the bowl cut turn, his teeth briefly shining as he smiled before a horrified look crossed his face. He launched himself towards them, taking Naruto from the brunet's arms.

"I'll take him to the hospital. Make your way there as quickly as you can," Gai shot out, arranging the boy in his arms so he could run.

"Ask for Yakushi-sensei," Kazuya managed to get out before the pair became a blur, disappearing a second later.

Kazuya began to follow after them, his gait steadier without the extra weight. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and flinched, spinning to stare at the man. A senbon poked out his mouth and a bandana cover straight brown hair. Teary pink eyes met calm brown.

"Is there anyone who needs to know he's injured? A guardian or a teacher?"

Kazuya took a step back, glancing in the direction that Gai had taken off in.

"Who're you?"

The man's eyes widened slightly before a chuckle escaped him.

"I'm Genma, Gai's genin teammate and tokubetsu jounin of Konoha. And yours?"

Kazuya looked down, wiping his eyes.

"Kazuya and Naruto. We go to the academy."

"Naruto?" Genma shot out.

Kazuya eyed the jounin, confused. This wasn't the first time that someone had overreacted to his friend's name and he didn't really get it.

"Yeah... he says that he was named after the Yondaime's son."

He could see this information turning over in Genma's head.

"He's got a brother but Naruto doesn't want him anywhere near the hospital," Kazuya answered his earlier question.

"That's it?" the man frowned.

"Hokage-sama," Kazuya added. "Or Kakashi-san if he's in the village."

The boy missed the shinobi's eyebrow rising further.

"I'll take you to the hospital, and then I will inform the Hokage," the man decided, kneeling down and gesturing for Kazuya to climb onto his back.

Kazuya hesitated for a second before shaking it off and climbing onto Genma's back. What mattered now was Naruto.

There was a distant beeping, constant and in sync with each beat of his heart. With each beep it got louder and Naruto could faintly discern people in the background. Caught between falling back into the darkness and finding out who was there, the decision was made when he heard the low voice of his godfather.

"Why were they...?"

He didn't hear the rest of the question as the light seared his brain, being replaced by a heavy, cotton feeling when he snapped his eyes shut. Now he was slightly more aware the feeling was similar throughout his body. He didn't think he could move if he tried.

"Naruto?"

He made another attempt at looking at the owner of the voice and the blurry view of a man slowly came into focus. It's been years since he'd seen Jiraiya, or Ero-sennin as he and his mother had called him, but the man looked the same as he did the day of the Kyūbi attack. Looking past him, he saw Jiji frowning at him.

"Do you know where you are?" asked Jiraiya, bringing Naruto's attention back to him.

"H-hosp-p-pital," the boy croaked, throat like sandpaper.

He would recognise the itchy sheets and drab walls anywhere. He greedily drank the water Jiraiya held to his mouth.

"Do you know why you're here?" Jiji spoke up.

Naruto's brow scrunched slightly before he looked away, refusing to meet the hard gaze.

"Naruto."

The boy felt like hunching his shoulders, trying to become a smaller target. He couldn't tell if his body had obeyed yet. It was so heavy.

"Overdid it training."

"That's not the whole story, is it?"

Naruto's eyes flicked over to the old man's face and he would have flinched at the expression if he could.

"I... I used the normal seals for henge and it worked; but then I changed back and all I could feel was..."

Pain. The unspoken word echoed through the room. Naruto shifted uncomfortably, his body beginning to feel a bit more movable if still full of lead.

"You were told that you cannot use the normal hand seals, you were told never to use your left arm for ninjutsu and you were told to have regular check-ups!" the Hokage thundered, each word growing louder than the next. "You disobeyed every single one and now you may never become a shinobi at all!"

Naruto's head snapped towards the Hokage, regretting the sharp movement only a moment before the last statement sank in.

"W-What?"

Jiji let out a heavy sigh before sinking into the chair behind him. Naruto had never really realised how old the man was. He teased him about it sometimes, but right now the man had every single year etched into his face.

"Your chakra pathways in your arm were ruptured and corroded in the Kyūbi attack and since you were so young, we thought they would heal in time, allowing full use of your arm again. Even though you kept damaging them during the academy there was still a chance for a total recovery, since the incidents were mild."

Naruto's eyes were wide as he absorbed the words.

"When you used henge, you completely ripped them apart. Not only that, but it was discovered that some of the Kyūbi's chakra was stored in some of the cells in your arm. That was why it could never heal properly as it should have done. This chakra spread through your pathways and destroyed them further, meaning there is no chance of recovery."

Naruto couldn't identify all the emotions that were building as he latched onto the last four words. A tangled web of dread, horror, despair but as Jiji continued, Naruto felt like the worst was yet to come.

"You were unconscious for three weeks. I called Jiraiya here and he sealed your arm so you can never channel chakra through it again in the hopes of preventing further spread of the Kyūbi's chakra. The seal is irreversible and while it cancels out the Kyūbi's chakra it also cancels out yours in that limb. But Naruto..."

Naruto's chest started to hurt, before he remembered he was supposed to breathe. He didn't feel Jiraiya squeeze his hand.

"Some of the chakra made it to your chest. It made it to the cellular level before we realised what had happened, so it's not in your chakra network anymore. There is little damage done but over time it will get worse, your organs will start to fail. Naruto, you're... dying."

Time stopped.

The noises in the room faded until his ragged breaths and thudding heart were the only things he heard.

Dying.

The word bounced around his head.

Dead like his parents. Although he knew death, had felt someone's chakra being snuffed out, the concept still felt beyond him. He couldn't even being to process, to imagine. It seemed so far away. He was six, almost seven. He hadn't always felt his age but right now he couldn't think anything but how short his life had been.

Plus he felt fine. Still heavy and a bit achy but nothing like dying. He'd always thought dying meant you could feel it, feel yourself fading away or feel the pain. He didn't. His chest felt fine.

This wasn't supposed to happen. He was going to become a shinobi.

Who would look out for Rio?

He tuned back into the room, hearing the low arguing of the two men. Jiraiya thought they shouldn't have told him. Naruto was glad they did. Despite everything he was feeling he'd rather know. He could shift his limbs now.

"What now?"

His voice was so small that the pair didn't hear him until the third time.

Jiraiya came back to sit beside him.

"You just underwent the sealing procedure so you will feel heavy and groggy until the drugs wear off. After that you'll spend some time recovering here before going back to the orphanage. You'll have some time before you start at the civilian school-"

"Wait," interrupted Naruto. "Civilian school?"

His godfather nodded.

"You can't become a shinobi anymore so we've-"

"Why not?"

Jiraiya remained silent for a moment. His godchild looked so different from the last he had seen him. With his shoulder-length red hair and round cheeks, he was the spitting image of Kushina at this age. The long ragged scar down his face couldn't hide that. The blue eyes, though, they were all Minato. They had the same look Minato used to give him when told he couldn't do something. The brat usually went and did it anyway, successful every single time.

"I couldn't use my arm before," Naruto pointed out.

"Yes but your chest..."

Naruto's gaze switched to Jiji.

"How...l-long?" he stammered out.

Hiruzen and Jiraiya shared a look before looking back at the child. He was so young, so small. It was obvious the news had rattled him, but they had not anticipated him to talk about it so soon. They really should have known that the young Uzumaki wouldn't accept becoming a civilian. He had always had a remarkable focus for one so young. It reminded them so much of Minato.

"We do not know for sure but we estimate twenty years or so. Depending on the rate of erosion and any outside accelerants, it could be as few as ten years," the Hokage answered.

Naruto picked out twenty years from the explanation, ignoring the rest.

"That's ages away."

Jiraiya sighed.

"Naruto, it would be dangerous for you. Without your arm in full health and the symptoms that are sure to appear in the future-"

"But..."

Both men remained silent at that word; more weight behind it that should be in any six years old's voice.

"It's dangerous for everyone. Even amazing ninja like Tou-chan and Kaa-chan..." Naruto frowned, "People die on missions and I'm... d-d-dying anyway..."

It seemed simple to him. He still couldn't wrap his head around the whole death thing- it was too far away, too abstract- but staying in the village as a civilian wouldn't change anything. He still needed to look out for Rio and being a shinobi was the best way to do that.

Hiruzen considered his words. The boy had been through so much, had lost so much. He had a maturity about him that he wasn't supposed to have, not at this age. He figured it was because he was put into the academy so early but also that he had to grow up for his brother. To protect and provide for the only family he had left.

He broke off Jiraiya's retort.

"You can continue in the academy."

Blue eyes filled with hope while grey with shock.

"Sensei..."

"You can continue but there are rules you will follow."

Naruto nodded his head, wincing slightly at the remnants of his headache.

"First, you will not train unless under the supervision of a jounin. Second, you will train in the training grounds closest to the village. Third, you will have weekly check-ups and you will follow everything they tell you and finally, if you feel anything, anything, different or sore you get it checked immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen blinked in surprised at the honorific. Naruto had never used it before and the solemn expression on his face didn't belong there either.

"I'll become so good that you'll never regret this," the boy continued, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Believe it."

Hiruzen found that he already did.

Not long after, Naruto was allowed other visitors and Kazuya burst into the room, pink-eyes wide and hair ruffled.

"Aka-chaaaaaaaaan!" he wailed.

He lunged in for a hug before slapping the younger boy on the head.

"Ow, what the fuck?"

Kazuya pinned him with a glare.

"If you ever do that again, I swear I'll..."

"Knock me out? Put me in the hospital?" Naruto interrupted cheekily.

"I'll replace all your clothes with neon pink spandex," Kazuya retorted.

Naruto's mouth hung open for a second before he dissolved into laughter.

"I mean it! With glitter!"

That only made Naruto laugh harder.

Once it died down, Naruto looked at his friend and startled at the wretched expression.

"I was really scared, Naruto. I mean, you just went down and there was blood and I wasn't fast enough to get you to the hospital and..." Kazuya ran on, running out of oxygen at the end as he tried to keep back the sobs.

Naruto sobered.

"I'm sorry, Kazuya. I just got so... angry that I couldn't do it and I didn't think it would be this bad," he explained. "But thank you, for what you did. Jiji told me."

"What did they do?" His friend asked, pointing at the bandages that covered the redhead's arm from fingertips to shoulder.

"They sealed my arm so I can never use chakra in it again. Ero-sennin said that the seals will look kind of like tattoos."

"Ero-sennin?"

"Oh yeah, Jiraiya. I just call him that 'cause he's a massive pervert. At least that's what Kaa-chan always said."

Kazuya shot him a look, his eyes still glassy.

"You know I was kidding when I asked if you knew the Sannin, right?"

"Uh..."

"Seriously, the way everyone reacts to your name and the fact you know the Hokage, the copy-nin AND Jiraiya-sama. What the hell?" Kazuya asked, completely puzzled.

Naruto looked away.

"Kazuya, there is a reason for all that but I can't tell you."

The brunet opened his mouth to argue but Naruto continued.

"Yet, anyway. Rio deserves to know first and I have to wait until he's older."

Kazuya closed his mouth, pink eyes swirling with one thought after another, before he seemed to come to a decision.

"Okay, Aka-chan. I'll wait. But what did you mean never use chakra?"

"I mean, that I can't use chakra in my arm. Like ever," Naruto replied. "Before it could've healed and I could've used it like you but now I can't. And..."

Kazuya waited as Naruto fell silent.

"And?"

Naruto looked over at his friend, slightly less upset than when he was when he entered. If he could trust anyone it would be Kazuya, right? He sighed.

"Well..."

Three weeks later, Naruto was allowed to leave the hospital. Kazuya had taken the news about as well as Naruto expected but he had promised to keep quiet, even to Hana. He felt a bit better knowing Kazuya had his back. His friend visited almost every day after the academy and made sure he was caught up on the work. Hana often joined them, but they always said it was a training accident when she asked why Naruto was there.

The Inuzuka visited a few times, bringing Rio with them. Naruto didn't like his brother seeing him like this so he made sure that Tsume would limit the visits. By the sound of it, Rio wasn't doing well in his absence, even with Kiba and Kazuya there.

When he was finally discharged, Kazuya and Jiraiya came to pick him up, Rio waiting for him at the Inuzuka compound. He was to have the bandages off before he left since his arm had healed nicely. Apparently, once the pathways healed up in the absence of chakra they wouldn't become damaged again like before since there was no chakra or anything to disrupt them anymore. He would still be able to use it physically, although it would always be weaker. It was virtually a chakra dead-zone.

When Yakushi-sensei unravelled the bandages he had heard a gasp from Kazuya. Naruto had seen it before when his bandages were changed but it was still a shock every time he saw it. Black lines that overlapped the chakra pathways were the predominant feature but there were swirls and lines made up of symbols and kanji. It started at the top of his shoulder and stopped at his fingertips. Jiraiya checked over his work once more, nodding to himself. He was told by the Sannin that it would need to be adapted and modified as he grew up but it would hold for the next few years.

Once free from the starched white walls, Naruto threw himself into training. He was alright on the book stuff since Kazuya helped him in the hospital but his taijutsu was worse and he had yet to figure out how to do henge. He knew he had to track down a jounin to supervise and Gai-san was more than willing to help them with their taijutsu but he couldn't help them much on the ninjutsu.

A week after he left the hospital, Jiraiya came to Naruto's aid.

"Hey, gaki," the man said, walking up to the redhead.

Naruto looked up from his history textbook. A few metres behind him, Kazuya and Hana were competing to see who could control the most rocks, the three puppies lazing around them. Kazuya had reached seven while Hana was at six, repeatedly trying to add her seventh. The few times that Naruto tracked down Kakashi or Gai with a few hours to spare, the first thing he had tried was the leaf exercise. He had practiced regulating his chakra in the hospital when there was no one around to yell at him for it but it wasn't the same.

As he added leaf after leaf Naruto had noticed it. It was easier. Before he'd had to regulate it while actively keeping it away from his left arm; something that had taken months to get a hold of. That had been the point of starting so early on his chakra control, to bypass his arm. Now though, he could just let it circulate his body, the chakra never passing the barrier that the seals created. Although it did some getting used to, proven by the many bruises he had accumulated by either rocks falling on him or falling out of trees.

So his chakra control was better than ever, but he was unable to translate it into ninjutsu.

"I'm not doing anything so I don't need supervision," was the first thing out of his mouth, making sure his godfather knew he was keeping to the rules.

"I know, that's not what I'm here for. I... what is on your arm?"

Naruto looked down at the black brace.

"Ten-jiisan gave it to me, it's a brace. Helps me in fights," Naruto replied.

He'd barely taken the thing off unless it was to sleep or bathe.

"Interesting design. Anyway gaki, I, the great Jiraiya-sama, have decided to sacrifice some of my precious research time to help you," the Sannin announced, striking his trademark pose.

The redhead looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Jiraiya internally wept. What had happened to the toddler who had clapped and giggled at his presence?

The pair looked behind them at the sound of a yelp, watching Hana rub her knee while the rocks were spread out around her. Kazuya started to laugh, forgetting his own exercise and let out his own yell when the rock he had been holding above him fell on his head. Hana then began to mock him and it quickly dissolved into a taijutsu battle.

Naruto turned back to Jiraiya, with a bright smile on his face.

"With what, Ero-sennin?"

Jiraiya grumbled for a moment, Naruto catching the words 'respect' and 'brat' and 'redheads', before he once again focused.

"One-handed seals."

Naruto's eyes widened and he shot up, the textbook abandoned to the side.

"What?"

"I've heard that you've been trying to learn them for months, even before the accident. So I've decided to help you," Jiraiya answered.

Naruto's eyes filled with wonder and he seemed to vibrate with energy and excitement.

"Okay, show me," he demanded, focussing his sensing ability and waiting to sense the pathway the Sannin's chakra would take.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed a fraction before he put his goofy smile back into place. His godson had come a long way with his sensing ability; it almost reminded him of the Byakugan. Of course Naruto could only sense chakra, not see it but it seemed the boy had fine-tuned it enough that he could achieve the same effect at close quarters. However, he doubted his range had improved much.

He'd missed the last three years of his godson's life and the first three years of Minato's youngest. He figured he at least owed Naruto the help with his ninjutsu. He still watched out for them however he could, keeping up to date with Naruto's progression through the academy and Rio's life with the Inuzuka. He knew he couldn't stay; not only did he have his network to manage but he wasn't cut out to look after children. They were better off where they were. He could teach them a few things when he was here and maybe one day Naruto could even sign the toad summoning contract or come travelling with him.

And... although Naruto had his mother's face, he had his father's eyes; their determination to succeed. He didn't think he could look at the boys every day and be reminded of what he had lost. No, it was better that he stayed away. He buried the voice inside him screaming 'coward'.

"Alright then, pay close attention then copy me."

Thanks for reading!