Naruto ate his breakfast happily. Having Hinata cook for him was something he was grateful for.
"Hinata-chan…this is great" he commented. Hinata blushed slightly and nodded.
"Thank you Naruto-kun…it'll get your back to work in no time" she said. Naruto nodded enthusiastically as he kept eating. Sakura opened the door to Naruto's apartment.
"Good morning" she said.
"Good morning Sakura-chan" Naruto and Hinata said in unison. Sakura placed a small white paper bag on the table.
"This is your medication…" Sakura said as she opened the bag and removed three different small bottles.
"She said to take one of each twice a day" Sakura said.
"Pills…why pills…can't she make it liquid?" asked Naruto. Sakura glared at him as she stomped his foot. Naruto yelped at the pain and Sakura quickly shoved the three pills down his throat, causing Naruto to choke. He quickly drank his milk and pushed the pills down to his stomach.
"What the hell was that for?" he asked Sakura with a glare.
"Well…you don't want me to do that again?" asked Sakura.
"Of course not" Naruto said annoyed.
"Then don't complain and take them accordingly…remember to take the other three tonight before you go to bed…or else you'll be having bigger feet" Sakura said as she smiled. /Oni…/ Naruto thought with a sweatdrop.
/break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah/
Sasuke walked around the streets, bored at the inability to train properly. Without a sparring partner, training would be rather…dull. /I wish Naruto could train with me…/ he thought. An idea came to him as he changed his course, heading towards Naruto's apartment. He jumped on the roof tops, making it easier to reach Naruto's place, only to be stopped by Neji and Shikamaru. Sasuke sighed as he stopped and looked at them.
"I'm sorry Uchiha…but no one is to visit Naruto…and that includes you" Neji said.
"Why isn't he allowed any visitors?" asked Sasuke. Shikamaru sighed.
"You're so troublesome…can't you just obey the rules…it so much simpler" he said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"What's going on?" he asked. Neji turned to look at Sasuke.
"Hokage sama prefers for Naruto to get well before he can accept visitors or even continue his career as a shinobi" Neji explained.
"But I thought he was recuperating…why can't he go on missions or anything like that? Wait…is she afraid of Itachi attacking if he goes on missions?" asked Sasuke. Neji and Shikamaru looked at each other, unsure on whether to tell Sasuke the truth.
"Sasuke…it's complicated" Shikamaru started.
"Everything's complicated when it comes to you" Sasuke retorted. Shikamaru just glared at him and sighed.
"Uchiha…Naruto's condition may never get better…in his condition…I'm afraid your brother did more damage than just physical…" Neji explained. Sasuke furrowed his brows in annoyance.
"Get to the point…what did that bastard do to him aside from…that…" Sasuke asked. Neji looked at Sasuke seriously, his face void of any emotions. Sasuke felt a lump in his throat and a unknown feeling of anxiety wash over him.
"It seems that your brother…in his quest for power…became ill…and because of his illness…Naruto is now infected with it…we are to make sure that the virus doesn't activate…hokage sama wants to make sure he's isolated for a few weeks, so that all his physical injuries have healed…and make sure no infections occurred…since now his immune system has weakened and will continue to weaken"
"So in other words…no one is to come in contact with him…especially if they're injured themselves…or sick…" Sasuke said. Neji nodded.
"What is this illness…" he asked. Neji averted his gaze…sadness evident in his eyes as Shikamaru stared at the sky.
/break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah/
Iruka looked at the mission reports being handed to him. He would grab the reports, skim through them and stamped them with the approval. Iruka smiled sadly at the jounins due to the fact he was handing them new missions when they have just finished completing one.
As the day rolled on, there was still no sign of Kakashi or his team. Iruka finished filing the reports in order for the morning, worried written all over his face. The mission was a dangerous one; he knew that…but was it dangerous to the point of taking extra days? Was Kakashi alright…or was he…no he couldn't think that way. Kakashi's strong and his mission would not kill him.
Iruka walked home tiredly, his mind reeling over thoughts of his silver scarecrow. He placed the key in the lock and opened the door to his small house. Iruka sighed sadly as he closed the door. He leaned against the door. Everything was falling apart…Naruto's kidnapping…his torture….and now his illness. Iruka felt the sting in his eyes as his favorite student and closest family was on his way to death, and there was nothing he could do about it but pray and hope that Tsunade could find a cure, or that kami would give them a miracle.
Even kyuubi is unable to heal the disease…it seems it has infected kyuubi as well. How can a demon's soul be infected…he didn't understand that, but he knew that Kyuubi's life depended on Naruto…and vice versa. A loud thud against the door snapped Iruka of his thoughts. Scrunching his brows angrily at the person who would visit him at this time of night, Iruka opened the door, only to gasp in horror.
"No…" he stuttered as he grabbed the jounin before he collapsed. Blood soaked his clothes and hair, wounds look mistreated and infected and he was burning up in a fever.
"What…what the hell happened Kakashi!" shouted Iruka as he managed to place Kakashi on the sofa. Kakashi's breathing was short and quick and hoarse. Iruka stood up and turned around and Kakashi grabbed his arm.
"Don't….don't go…" Kakashi managed to cough out. Iruka kneeled back down and grabbed Kakashi's hand. He looked at Kakashi's hand, the gloved burned. He figured Kakashi had used Chidori one too many times.
"I'm going to get Tsunade or Shizune…whichever I find first….Kakashi…don't you dare die one me…you hear me" whispered Iruka. Kakashi swallowed hard and barely nodded. His mask was torn from the attacks and his face was smeared in blood.
"I'll be back…don't try to move your body…stay still and please…for whatever you love most…don't die!" he shouted as he ran out of the house, quickly dashing over rooftops and heading towards the Hokage's office.
Tsunade's head slowly made its way towards the papers on the desk, her eyes closing. Iruka banged the doors opened, effectively waking her up. She glared at him for a moment, but quickly her expression turned serious as she saw that the chuunin was covered in blood.
"Please…hokage-sama…I need your help" Iruka said as he panted for air. Tsunade nodded as she stood up.
"You can inform me on the way there…lets go" Tsunade said as the duo darted towards Iruka's home. Within minutes the duo arrived at Iruka's house. Iruka quickly rushed towards his lover's side, whose breathing had become even more erratic.
"What…the…hell…" Tsunade said in shock at seeing the Jounin's state.
"Iruka…get water and cloths and some spare clothes if you have any…I will also need a couple of blankets" Tsunade said as she began to cut Kakashi's clothes off with her technique. Iruka nodded as he quickly did what he was told, giving Tsunade everything she needed. Kakashi's eyes slowly started closing and Tsunade poked him.
"Don't even think about going to sleep and dying here you stupid scarecrow pervert" she hissed as she began to heal his wounds. She cursed, noticing how low his chakra was and how dangerous it would be.
"Iruka…call Shizune and tell her to get some medic nin…tell her to meet you here with the team so we can transport Kakashi to a hospital…otherwise we'll lose him" Tsunade said seriously as she worked hard on healing his most severe wound, which seemed to be near his left lung and just above his liver. Iruka quickly grabbed the phone, forgetting about his teleportation technique and called Shizune over. Tsunade sighed slightly in relief as she managed to stop most of the bleeding.
"He'll need a blood transfusion and an operation to fix the severed tissue and organs that has been damaged by the attacks" Tsunade informed Shizune as Kakashi was moved, the medic-nin taking him towards the hospital. Tsunade turned to Iruka, who was lost in thought.
"Iruka…we'll do what we can…I can promise you that I'll do what I can to save him…but you know reality…and you know the way of the shinobi" Tsunade said as she disappeared in a puff of smoke, her destination the hospital. Iruka's back connected with the wall as he stared at the door. This couldn't be happening…he slowly slid to the ground; his body still covered in blood…HIS blood.
"First Naruto…and now Kakashi…please…save him…" Iruka whispered as the tears freely fell down his cheeks, droplets falling onto his hands and the floor.
/break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah/
Damn…when you hit writers block…things just get shorter O.O….
Red Rose: ah my loyal reader…/hands a cookie/ thanks…homework's a bitch…so you need a break lol
Magy: I hope this chapter is a little longer…even if only by a paragraph lol P
ReviewPoster: thanks for loving this fic so much…and I'm sorry for not updating sooner…writers block
Half-Devil: o.O I can't…?
Kyuubi-kun: awww….kyuubi's tired…you need to rest more /hands over a warm blanket and pillow/
Pickles: I'm glad you enjoyed my previous chapter…well this one isn't really Naruto centered but I hope you enjoy this chapter as well
Momochi Zabuza: /glomps/ I'm sorry I missed your review for My Reflection…/hands over cake/ forgive me…/pulls Kakashi in front of her/ and Haku…I'm not trying to take him away from you /sticks tongue out/