DISCLAIMER: 'Naruto' is not mine, the only thing that I own of this story is its storyline and the new characters presented.
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--Roku: Moving Along--
Youkai Boulevard: Central Northern District.
Naruto flitted along the winding roads of Konoha, leaving citizens gasping in surprise as he passed. He had been running for at least fifteen minutes, occasionally getting misled in the apparently endless labyrinth. Deciding that running through the infinite streets was more or less unproductive, the boy vaulted upward, landing on a tree branch in a crouch.
Standing up, the blonde's eyes swiveled in his head, scanning the landscape for his destination. Locating it, Naruto pivoted on his left foot and bounded away toward the village hospital. The rain had stopped since the two jutsus' collision, and the clouds leisurely parted to reveal a day of splendor and delight.
Leaping off of one burgundy rooftop, Naruto connected with another, shoving off almost at the touch. His face was a mask of earnestness and his mind was determined for what was his first solo mission, as he liked to call it. The hospital came into view and the boy's heart pulsed with contentment. Pushing away from the roof of a building, the blonde planted his feet on the ground and strode over to the set of hefty doors. The glass entrance parted as Naruto approached and the boy strolled into the hospice with wide eyes.
The ceiling had numerous skylights that permitted sunlight to dribble into the foyer and deluge the floorboards in illumination. The terrazzo was a pallid marble that glistened as spangles of radiance danced athwart of the lobby and replicated waves waltzed against the ceiling. The front desk was constructed of a soft wood, its elegant shine reflecting from the beaming sun that hung in the sky. There was no one to greet the blonde boy with a welcoming grin, but only the musical rhythm in the background. A tepid draft slithered through an open transom and caressed the boy's face gently, wriggling his matted hair to and fro. The ashen marble glistened blissfully from under his feet as he ambled down a sallow foyer and glanced about.
Naruto frowned. Standing around certainly wasn't helping the situation. The blonde darted along the corridor with an expression of confidence playing upon his gentle features, his soft footsteps vaguely resonating about the hall. The boy kept an eye on his surroundings, for he did not want to haphazardly fail in spotting his mark. Naruto hastily veered to a sudden halt as he rounded a bend and recognized a fair-haired woman standing casually at the end of the foyer. Naruto got closer. The woman was kindly scolding a gentleman for moving a great deal too much, which could strain his injuries and potentially irritate the abrasion.
"…really should not be active at such an early point in time. You are not yet at full strength," Tsunade chided softly.
"I feel healthier now, Hokage-sama," he plead pitifully. "You must understand; I have not seen my family in over a month…please?"
"You may feel healthier but, unfortunately, our therapeutic results prove otherwise," she explained as the man's eyes darkened. "I simply cannot allow you to walk out of this hospital in your current state."
"Bu-!"
"Please rest," she said, "There is no argument."
The man lowered his eyes to the floor and sighed, his eyes now murky pools of misery and gloom. A nurse in a white skirt walked up to the patient and gingerly led him back the way to his room. Naruto loped forward the Hokage, the thin skylights above passing over his head rapidly.
"Grams!" he cried.
Tsunade sighed and shook her head as her ears noted the origin of the voice. Naruto.
"What do you need, brat?" she asked.
Naruto ignored the comment and said, "Hiroshi and Kakashi-sensei are coming to the hospital soon." Tsunade seemed rather surprised.
"And why is that?"
"Because Hiroshi was badly injured during his battle with Kakashi-sensei," he explained.
"How did Kakashi fare."
"Uh…well, he wasn't in too bad of a shape when I left."
"Very well, follow me," she said, beckoning him to tag along.
Tsunade turned and hurriedly strode down the corridor, her swift steps resounding profoundly throughout the pallid hallway. The woman sharply turned down a passageway and trudged its extent toward the atrium as her golden tresses slunk narrowly abaft her. A cascade of saccharine aroma blossomed in the atmosphere as the blonde genin promptly walked up to where Tsunade stood and came to a stop. A silver-haired jounin indolently leaned against the desk of the reception area, his eyes focused beyond the confines of a windowpane. Tsunade noticed a number of small fissures on his jounin vest and a deep laceration that traveled along his rib cage. Kakashi tilted his head down as his ears twitched, and glanced at the couple.
"Hiroshi is on the futon," he indicated. "I need to talk to you about something, Tsunade."
"That will have to wait. We need to get this boy medical attention," she replied.
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Konoha Hospital: Room 217.
Hiroshi groggily opened his eyelids, his pupils soon finding a sensible regulation to the amount of light that had been deprived during rest. A euphoria of tenderness trickled into the pores on his shoulder, his arm numb with peaceful ecstasy. It was only a matter of seconds before his brain came to the conclusion that he was in an infirmary. The boy painfully turned his head to find a thick bandage lovingly caressing his shoulder with its warm salve. Hiroshi smirked and wiped the sleep from his eyes, struggling to sit erect. He rested his back on the wall behind the bed in which he lay and gazed vacantly into nothing.
"I wonder how long I will be cooped up in here," he mumbled, talking to no one in particular.
"No worries," responded a voice nearby; Hiroshi flinched horribly. "Honestly, that depends on the rate at which your body heals."
The boy gritted his teeth as a quiver of pain brutally ascended his spine and viciously harassed his skull. He made an excruciating glance to his side and recognized a silver-haired man seated idly beside the bunk.
"Arg! Don't do that," Hiroshi breathed.
"Do what?" he asked innocently, quirking an eyebrow. "Speak?"
Hiroshi's brows knitted together to form a frown. "Forget it," he grumbled irritably. A moment passed without the smallest sound apart from the crisp autumn wind quietly bristling against the closed windowpane. It was dark outside. Numerous sparkles of illumination glinted mutedly from inside the room as the internal light set a glare upon the lucid glass. Kakashi sighed and scratched his head.
"I've noticed you are making a fast recovery," he murmured. "You should be out in no time."
"I can only wait," Hiroshi sighed, slumping under the ductile covers. He ran a hand through his matted hair and permitted a breath of balmy air to escape his nostrils. The silver-haired boy wriggled slightly in the soft bed and immediately rested his hands behind his neck, snuggling his back contentedly into the welcoming mattress. The jounin seemed to struggle with systematizing his thoughts, an internal debate of whether or not his mind would allow the enlightening of a currently unknown subject. Hiroshi frowned as profound silence descending upon the room.
"This is merely an enticement, it is not obligatory…you must understand," Kakashi said finally, "Tsunade has authorized your acceptance into Konoha, however, only if yo-"
"I accept."
Momentarily, Kakashi's eyes curled up into a kind, hospitable smile, but it barely lasted a minute. "You will need your rest," he said, sauntering towards the door. The jounin stopped before the entrance and reached out to the doorknob. He was about to grasp it but paused, glancing back at the injured boy.
"You must meet Tsunade at the Hokage Tower tomorrow morning," he said. "She will provide you with the necessary instruction when you get there."
"Thank you," Hiroshi replied. "I will be present."
The man nodded and gripped the doorknob, gently twisting it clockwise and opening the door. Relaxed, he stepped outside and secured the entrance behind him noiselessly. Hiroshi noticed the lights remained activated, influencing the area with a brilliant sea of brightness. He could not sleep in that. The boy glanced about and soon discovered that his bed encompassed a couple of supple pillows. Grasping one in his clenched hand, he swiftly drew his arm back and hurled it against the wall. The cushion connected with the latter and fell, grazing the small light switch and brushing it downward. Teeming shadows bustled onto the walls, dancing to and fro, the twilight sky showing clearly through the wineglass transom. Hiroshi yawned, and before he knew it, his eyes gradually slid closed and his mind began to drift into empty space.
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A/N: Heh. Well, erm…last time I updated was before I went to California last summer. Well, I also was busy moving to a new high school and soccer, which gave me practically no time whatsoever. One kid had been 25 minutes late actually and had to run 25 miles to compensate. I was pretty humorous. Anyhow, I am sorry to the few fans I have (T.T) but to those who reviewed and read the story, I thank you and there well be more chapters in the future at a relative pace. I am on a schedule to post a story every 2 -3 weeks if not faster. Again, I am so sorry. Thank you!