Naruto: Love of a Fox


Naruto and its characters are not owned by me. All yaoi,interpretations are based on my own creation, as well as slight plot details that differ from the course of the actual anime. Certain chapters may contain vulgar/sexual graphic material not meant to be read by those 16 or younger. You have be warned so read further on your own free will. Thank you.

Chapter 4

The sound of Lee's crutches echoed the long hallway as he moved down the corridor as fast as his legs would carry him. Turning a sharp corner he entered two large doors with the words, "Emergency Ward", printed in large letters above the door. A nurse, seeing Lee breathing heavily and resting against his crutches walked over to aid him.

"Are you o...", the nurse asked gently but was cut of by Lee's urgent shout,

"Uzumaki Naruto!", the force of Lee's voice scaring the nurse as she fell to the floor, pointing down the hallway. Lee, with a surge of energy, seem to gallop like a horse, riding his crutches down the hallway shouting, "DON'T DIE NARUTOOOO!"; the nurse starring at him, a traumatized look on her face.

Lee arrived at a smaller corridor as he saw three individuals sitting outside a door, as the three looked up at him.

"Is he...", Lee's eyes wide with fear and anticipation.

"He'll be all right", Ino answered, sniffling back a few tears. "Kiba is with him right now...same blood type," Ino rested her face in Hinata's shoulder as the girl continued to cry slowly.

Lee let out a long sigh of relief and sat himself down next to Shikamaru. Lee stared at the girl crying in Hinata's arms. He knew the girl was worried, but was not sure if it was for Naruto or Kiba; being that both her and Kiba had began seeing each other recently. Hinata seem more quiet than usual. She was no longer crying, but the tear stains were obvious on her cheeks. Lee turned to look at Shikamaru, who seem more angry than worried. Shikamaru looked at Lee, and seem to force himself to speak:

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, but...it could be worst so ya, better...", Lee answered as calmly as he could.

The conversation was uncomfortable, and so was the long silence after it. The sounds of Ino sniffling every few minutes, accompanied by the ticking of the clock, hung above their heads on the wall. The clock read 11:00 am. It had been about 8 hours since Naruto was brought into the hospital by Iruka and Jiraiya. Word had spread throughout the entire village like wildfire, of what had happened. As always as one story is passed onto the other, different variations of what actually happened to Naruto were told, but all ended the same, with the boy ending up in the hospital.

The door to Naruto's room opened as Iruka, holding Kiba's arm led him to the chair beside Ino, as she flung her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. At that same moment Choji walked down the hallway to the group, carrying several soft drinks, and food. Handing the food to Lee and Shikamaru, the boys began opening the bags of chips, and offering them to the girls. Iruka, extremly tired from the nights events, sat himself several chairs away from his past students; the auroma of blood still lingering around him, as he recalled carrying a bloody Naruto all the way to the hospital. The images flashed in his mind, as the tired man drew his hands to his face, and again tried to stop himself from weeping in front of his past pupils.

Lee, with a slight frown on his forhead, removed his face from the chip bag, and asked:

"Did Sakura-chan come yet?".

Choji downed a can of fruit juice and as he tossed it in the garbage bag beside him, "She's sitting outside the hospital. She asked me to buy her a pack of ramen. Something about giving it to Naruto when he wakes up", the over sized boy finished speaking, and without a second to lose stuffed his face with the next edible thing within reach. Hinata placing her can juice on the floor reached into her bag, and pulled out a small container of water and handed it to Kiba. Ino smiled at the timid girl, as Kiba thanked her.

There was one question on everyone's mind, but no one dare ask it. Rumours had been flying across town since Naruto had been admited into the hospital, and neither one had addressed the issue yet. Trying to forget the questions and relieve the tension Hinata looked at her friends around her and softly at first spoke: "We...we should, maybe, one day... take Naruto on a picnic...or...or something...", she ended hanging her head slightly, unsure if her suggestion would be welcome or thrown aside. Ino smiled at her again as Kiba held Akamaru in his arms.

"Barbecue Pork", Choji chimed in excitedly as Hinata wide eye with appreciation nodded. Lee raised a hand in a fist as his eyes burned with passion, "Somewhere with a large waterfall...grass...sky...TREEESSS!", Lee yelled, his recognizable scream as he does on occasion.

"No...", came the calm yet cool tone of Shikamaru, slouching in his chair; staring at the celing. The group around him stared, mouths slightly open wondering if he was going to shut down all their plans.

"Ramen...just give him ramen...theres a new ramen place in the next town...he'd...," Shikamaru now spoke his voice slightly shaking., "he'd like...", Shikamaru got up and pushed his way past the group as he headed for the washroom, his hands brushing away what tears had form. The group fell silent again as they quietly ate the remaining food. Iruka got up and headed towards the bathroom to clean himself up, and to check on Shikamaru's condition.

Sasuke ran as fast as his injured knee could take him towards the hospital as soon as news had reached him. Why...WHYYY. Was it because of him...had he hurt Naruto again so much that he, no it can't be his fault...maybe it REALLY was his fault. Sasuke's mind raced with questions of guilt and remoarse as he ran pass villager after villager. As he ran Sasuke over heard the covnersations of several people, from, "Good redience", to "About time...". Fighting the strong urge to slaughter those who were speaking ill of Naruto, Sasuke ran harder as he finally approached the building. Slowing his pace down, Sasuke bended over slightly holding his injured knee as he adjusted the bandages back into position. Slowling walking now to the entrance he saw a girl sitting down, dressed in a red dress holding a container in her hand, slowly twirling it in her fingers.

Sasuke walked up to Sakura and looked at her, apologecticly, but no words came out. Sakura looked up, a sicken expression on her face as she held out the ramen container to him. Sasuke swallowed the strain in his throat as he tried forcing a smile on his face:

"He'd want to see both of us...", Sasuke spoke softly, hoping she would agree and come with him. Sakura stood up and stared at him eye to eye. She threw the Ramen container at his chest in which he caught. "I think all he wants...is you Sasuke.", Sakura, her face twisted with hate and sadness. "Sakura!", Sasuke was taken back by what she had said. "DON"T LIE TO ME!", Sakura screamed at him, a few villagers down the road, looknig up at them, hearing the girls rage. "EVERYONE...", Sakura took a moment to quiet herself, her fists shaking with anger. "Everyone in Kohona is talking about it. Do you know...", her tears flowing down her cheeks, " Do you know what they're calling me...do you Sasuke...", Sasuke could not bear to look into her eyes. "the Uchiha Fag Girl...". Sasuke grabbed her by both her arms, "I'm Not a FAG!", Sasuke screamed at her at the top of his lungs. Sakura broke free oh his grip and pushed him away, Sasuke limping backwards. "Don't touch me..." Sakura hissed at him, disgust apprent in her voice. She turned away from him and walked away, leaving a shocked, angered Sasuke behind her.

Sasuke angirly pushed the doors of the hospital open as he made his way to the emergency room. As he made hisw ay throguh the corridors towards the emergency room he was greeted by the site of the group solemnly waiting outside Naruto's room. From the stares Lee and the rest gave him, it was clear that the rumours in which Sakura talked about were true. Sasuke walked towards Naruto's room door as he reached for the doorknob, lee spoke up first. "He's all right. He's just resting. Kiba gave him some blood and...", Lee let his vocie trail as Sasuke shot Kiba a distain look. Sasuke turned his gaze to Ino, who like Sakura was stricken with sadness, hate and confussion. Sasuke let go of the handle and sat back down, closer to the group this time.

Kiba kept staring at Sasuke as the clock ticked away. Sasuke could her him and Ino quietly talking as Lee was giving Choji a speech about constant training under tremendous amount of heat and intrestingly enough, onions. Sasuke having enough of Ino's quiet bantering with Kiba:

"If you have something to say to me, than say it...", Sasuke sternly said, staring Kiba straight in the eyes.

Kiba just shook his head, "It;s notthing, I just figured you'd be the last person to care about him".

Sasuke rose up and walked up to Kiba, who in turn got up and stared Sasuke down. Ino grabbed her lovers arm and pleadingly said No, as both Lee, Choji and Hinata got up to stand in the way of the two.

"He's just a friend", Sasuke spat at Kiba, as Kabia started to laugh slightly. "Intresting way to treat your friends Sasuke. Call them names, push them around...fall in love with them...". As Kiba finished his sentence Sasuke swung a fist towards his face, as Kiba went to block it and counter. Ino and Hinata both clung to Kiba trying to hold him back, as Choji and Lee held Sasuke back with all their strength. Their shouts and screams echoed throguhout the hospital as both Sasuke and Kiba's urge to kill each other increased. Just as Lee tripped over his crutches falling over, bring down Choji with him, Sasuke jumped foward; about to land a right fist squarley into Kiba's jaw, when the door to Naruto's room opened, a towering figure standing in the doorway, bringing the group to a standstill.

The exhausted figure of Jiraiya, his clothes stained in dry blood, walked into the hallway and stared at the group, a slight smile on his face.

"He's awake..."

TO BE CONTINUED