Title: El Bimbo

Author: sky75rk

Standard disclaimers apply.

Perhaps another future await

In a distant place is a new prelude

Though I am anything now but complete

Only ruptured memories no one can satiate

This will be the start of my vicissitude

Relieving the scars of these satirical conflicts

Ninth Channel: Incapacitated

Iruka ran out of his class, not minding the students he was teaching, the moment he saw Konohamaru burst through his door. Together, they ran back to the hospital, towards the operating room, where they saw the long-haired Hyuuga pacing in front of the emergency room. Neji's arms were crossed one moment, and then when they glance up at him, his arms were at his side. Iruka sat on the bench nearby, his body hunched and his fingers tightly clamped together.

He was praying.

Thousands of unwanted images coursed through their minds, many of which they did not want to come true, but the incessant display of the unavoidable kept their hearts and mind on alert, readying them if the worst results.

Konohamaru plopped down the empty space beside Iruka, and then stood up again, mimicking the pacing done by Neji.

After four hours, Tsunade and several other doctors were still inside the operating room. Neji was getting impatient. "What the hell is going on in there!" The pale-eyed boy half asked, half demanded to the only people with him. "They should've finished by now. Is there something wrong with Naruto?" he turned to the two, requesting his question to be answered with nothing but the truth.

He was met with silence, and Neji didn't want to be left out with things that concerns Naruto. "ANSWER ME!" he shouted, and he earned some reprimands from other nurses walking about the area, but he ignored them. He took Iruka's collar and hoisted him up, his eyes flashing red. But Iruka remained still remained silent, his eyes closed to avoid looking at the angry jounin.

Neji threw his former teacher back to the bench. "Why won't you answer me?" he asked quietly, his fears rising.

"Neji-nii," Konohamaru started to say. He, too, had his eyes closed, his face straining with anxiety. A kind of emotion that shouldn't be seen on a kid his age. "Naruto-nii has a heart problem,"

"W-what?"

"A blood clot is blocking one of the arteries of his heart, and blood isn't pumping throughout his body the way it's supposed to,"

"Uso…"

"If Tsunade-sama fails to remove it or is too late, then he'll…" Konohamaru paused, his mouth not wanting to state word he dreaded to most. "…die," he finished, choking on the words that fell out his lips.

"Uso…" Neji told him, his shoulders dropping and his head hanging with it. He was shaking his head sideways, not believing a word the kid just said.

"It's true, Neji-nii,"

"USO! YOU'RE LYING!" he shouted, pushing the kid up against the wall. Konohamaru was taken by surprise and struggled to be released from the grip that held him up. Iruka stood up and tried to prevent the Hyuuga from doing something he would regret, holding his arm the moment he raised it up. Neji swung his arm and it threw Iruka off his back. He raised it again, and Konohamaru, thinking that he was going to be hurt, just closed his eyes and waited for the painful contact to happen.

Neji brought his fist down. His blow hit the wall, a few centimeters away from Konohamaru's face. Slowly, he released his grip of the genin, his arms hanging limp at his side. He stared at the floor for what seemed a lifetime, and then he bolted out the hospital, Iruka and Konohamaru watching his retreating figure.

Six more grueling hours of waiting has passed before the click of the door resounded through the quiet hallways of the local hospital of Konoha. Two heads snapped up in response as Tsunade's figure exited the door and five more doctors and three nurses followed her out. The Hokage's expression was mixed with relief and dismay, but the two decided to take in their minds the look of relief that somehow shadowed the look of dismay.

"He's alright," she told them, and a tired grunt escaped her lips as she sat down. "That brat put up quite a fight. He managed to hold on until the last minute,"

Iruka smiled, relief washing over him in tidal waves. Konohamaru on the other hand, chose the rather loud approach. He jumped up and down, shouting 'he's alive!' and 'Tsunade you're the greatest!' repeatedly until both Iruka and Tsunade got tired of him, little veins popping out of nowhere, and they hit him on the head at the same time, shutting him down completely.

Tsunade rubbed her forehead in attempt to give herself her own massage. "Iruka," she called out to the man now seated beside her. "Look after him, okay?"

Brown eyes glanced at him in confusion. "Of course I will. I always do. But why are you suddenly telling me that?" he queried.

"When the blood stopped pumping through the entire body of Naruto, the flow of nutritive fluids and the delivery of oxygen to other parts of the body stopped as well. Waste materials were left in the blood including carbon dioxide. Knowing that he isn't the type to eat other foods except ramen, his body severely lacked enough ascorbic acid and pyridoxine which should've strengthened his blood vessels for formation of connective tissues and amino acid metabolism. His muscles on the appendicular division…" Iruka lost her somewhere, his head circling through the first few words to understand what she means. He was getting frustrated and right now, he'd rather she tell him exactly what she means.

And he told her what he'd rather do. "Would you just please tell me what you mean!" he pleaded her, and she stopped her yakking almost immediately. "I know that you want to explain things, Tsunade-sama, but just tell me,"

Tsuande took a deep breath and exhaled it afterwards, as if gathering strength. "Naruto's legs got paralyzed,"

Azure eyes opened, sluggish as he adjusted to his new surroundings. His eyes wavered as he tried to recall the past events that took place before his deep sleep. Oh yeah, that's right. He thought, as vacant images raced through his head. I'm alive. He raised his left hand over his face and stared at it as he moved it back and forth. He dropped it as he felt the need to sit up. Putting both hands on either side of the soft bed, he pushed his body up, and tried to get his legs to help him up.

What the—his gaze fell unto his unmoving legs. Move. Damn it, move! He commanded, his stare weighing on two long tanned legs that still wouldn't move whatever he tried to do. Why the fuck won't it move? His mind screamed.

He panicked. And as he did he accidentally knocked over the empty vase and it crashed fragments of glass flying in different directions. "MOVE! DAMN IT, MOVE!" he shouted, his voice reverberating throughout the hospital. "MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE!" He chanted, his voice growing louder and louder by every passing moment. His upper body edging as he moved inch by inch unconsciously. "WHY IS IT THAT MY LEGS JUST WON'T MOVE?" All of sudden, he fell on the floor, sharp pieces of broken glass piercing his body as it made contact. "Why is it that I can't feel anything?" he asked to anyone who can hear him.

But no one answered.

The door opened and Shizune came rushing forward him. He gazed at her with clear, translucent blue eyes, his emotions like an open book that could be read by anyone. "Why can't I move my legs?" he asked her, his face all scrunched up and fragile, the light from the window casting shadows over his body, making him look more vulnerable than what he already is.

And it broke Shizune's heart to be the one who will break the news to him. "Your legs got paralyzed, Naruto-kun but--,"

"NO! STOP TALKING!" he cried out, his palms covering both his ears to avoid hearing anything else. It was enough. To know that he won't be able to walk again was enough. He did not want to hear any more. No more.

"No, listen Naruto," Shizune said, calmly trying to take the blonde's hands away from his ears for him to hear her. "Naruto!" she tried calling out to him again, but her strength was no match for him. His hands were firmly covering his ears. "NARUTO!" she shouted, knowing that the sound of her voice would reach him somehow.

"NO!" he pushed her aside, his hand reaching to pick up a big piece of broken glass. He lifted the hand holding the sharp object. "LET ME DIE! I WANT TO DIE!" Shizune's eyes widened and her muscles contracted to prepare herself for a battle to let Naruto live.

"Stop! Don't do it!" she held his arms and gripped it tightly before it came in contact with his body. At the precise moment, Iruka came barging in the room, trying to calm the blonde boy down.

"What are you trying to do Naruto?" he took the glass roughly from Naruto's hand and it cut through his palm, but he ignored the pain. The blue-eyed jounin still continued his struggle against them. Doctors started coming in the door one by one, and they all held him down as one nurse started injecting him a dose of sedative.

Naruto's eyes shot in pain as he felt the needle puncture his body and he closed his eyes, tears welling up as his energy suddenly was drained. His flailing halted and Iruka took the liberty to tuck him in the single hospital bed. Blue eyes hazed with sadness and failure met with brown ones which harbored the same emotion before he fell into slumber.

Shizune, who got up and went out the room, re-entered the room holding a few rolls of bandages. She took Naruto's arm and began bandaging his new wounds. Her eyes were downcast like Iruka's. "He couldn't take it," she told him.

"It was too much, even for him," he replied and both of them fell silent, missing the laughter that should've been heard throughout the village, instead of the stillness and coldness of the morning breeze.

Azure eyes started opening once again, though this time, reality bit him hard. He was paralyzed. Handicapped. He was useless. He wanted to kill himself and end his pitiful life, but found out that he didn't have any strength to lift a finger on the white bed sheets. His moved his head at his side as he saw from the corner of his eye someone moving.

It was Iruka.

His teacher was peeling a bunch of different fruits, this time it was an orange. The same color his clothes had. Naruto's eyes glanced at the side table and saw three apples peeled and cut, a mango cut in three and an orange previously peeled. He chuckled. "How are you going to eat all of that?" he asked, and Iruka just stared at him as if he hadn't heard anything.

"Well?" the blonde kid tried again, wishing that he could move somehow so he could snap his fingers to wake Iruka up.

Iruka blinked and the blonde's question sank in his head. "Baka. You're the one who's going to eat all of that," he replied, giving a small smile. "Please don't try to kill yourself again," he begged the immobile boy.

"I won't," Naruto told him. "Do you think I can eat ramen?" he continued and grinned, trying to bring back yesterday.

"No,"

"Come on… please?" Naruto activated his puppy eyes and pout look and Iruka turned away, not wanting to fall for his obvious trick.

"No. You need to eat nutritious foods, Naruto,"

"Hai, hai," he gave up, knowing that he would not win against his mentor.

Iruka looked at Naruto as he finished peeling the orange. "Physical therapy,"

Naruto looked at him quizzically, as if an alien just spoke. "What?"

"Physical therapy," Iruka repeated. "If you do that, you can still be able to walk,"

"Honto?"

"Honto,"

Blue eyes showed hope that was lost a few hours ago. "Yokatta," he said, finally. "By the way, Iruka-sensei,"

"Hmm?"

"Did you pay for my bills or did you rally up the money i had and just added the missing amount?" Naruto asked. He knew that Iruka was trying to get money to help him for the operation, just like what Konohamaru was trying to do.

"No, somebody else paid for it,"

"Then who did?"

Iruka propped a piece of apply into his mouth and Naruto eyed him a look that said 'that's mine'. He chewed, swallowing up before answering the blonde boy. He always did have manners. "It was Neji," he informed him.

"Neji?"

"Yes. Neji," he assured Naruto that it was indeed the Hyuuga whom he said.

Naruto remembered his conversation with Neji the night when he lost his notebook. He was furious at the moment, at Neji for sneaking at other people's business, and at himself, that he did not value his life just as long as he could get the money he needed.

If he could bite his lip, he would've, cursing that he even told Neji that he was willing to sell himself for money. Not that he'd take it back, though. At that moment, he was really willing to sell himself. It just didn't occur to him that Neji would actually be too serious as to give him the money. I guess, I probably be thanking you then. He thought, aiming to send the telepathic message to the pale-eyed boy.

"Sou ka," he finally answered after a while.

"The sedative will wear off in a few hours, so just hang in there,"

"Okay," Naruto closed his weary eyes and wanted to return to dreamland, but his eyes won't let him. It occurred to him that he wanted to say something else. "Iruka-nii," he started again. "Aside from you, Konohamaru, Neji, Tsunade-baabaa and Shizune-san, no one else knows about this, right?"

"Well, if you count out the doctors who helped perform the surgery, you're right,"

"So…" Naruto trailed off, his mind begging for Iruka to grant him the one wish he will ask. "Please don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"How can you possibly hide something like this?"

"I'll find a way," Naruto told him. "I'll always find a way,"

News spread out like wild fire and one by one, all the people who graduated with him years ago in the ninja academy filed in his room. First, it was Sakura who came. He didn't expect her to be the one who visits him first, aside from Iruka and Konohamaru, but he figured that she might have heard it before the others did since she was Tsunade's apprentice. Then Kiba came. The dog-boy seemed to enjoy watching the blonde lie on the bed the whole day, taunting him with stuff like 'you let a couple of jounins beat you up so bad?' and 'I thought you were strong!' but before he said anything else or threaten him, Sakura and Ino put him into deep sleep with Akamaru running on top of his head.

It's not like Naruto was affected by Kiba's annoying teasing. It was just that it was hard to take all of them, especially since they weren't true. He wasn't beaten and he was strong. But if he did say those words, he'd have to explain why he was the one lying on the hospital instead of those jounins.

Shikamaru and Chouji burst in after the fourth day. They just came back from their mission and they went to see him after they reported to the Hokage.

"Oi, what are you doing still lying down there? I've known you for years and you're not the type of person who will let himself lie here and watch the day go by," Shikamaru took a chair and poised it beside Naruto's bed. "And why are you lying still there? I'd figured your wounds would've healed by then and you'd be strong enough to jump around," Chouji just nodded as he continued eating his bag of chips.

It was hard on the blonde shinobi to answer Shikamaru's question, especially since 'lazy-eyed boy' was the type that analyzes your answers before accepting it. And the fact that the blonde was a very bad liar added to his discomfort.

He decided to tell a portion of the truth, but he remained the whole of it hidden. "Uh… you see…" he was thankful that the nurses still inject him with sedatives, so he could not scratch his head at the moment. If Shikamaru knew one thing about him, it was that when he scratched his head, he was clearly hiding something. "The doctors said I shouldn't move around much. I told them I wouldn't, but they didn't believe me, so they always inject this… whatchamacallit?" he paused, not able to remember the name of the fluid they always put in the injections.

Shikamaru sighed. "Sedative?" he suggested and Naruto mumbled a thanks. "It's always been like you not to follow orders, Naruto,"

"Heh, damn right! That is me after all!"

After two hours, they left, at the same time Hinata entered his room. He smiled at the female Hyuuga and she looked down, bowing to both Shikamaru and Chouji, bidding goodbye. She noticed that the chair Shikamaru sat on was still on the same position he left it, she turned the chair around and sat on it. "T-this i-is for y-you, N-Na-Naruto-k-kun," she told him as she showed the bag filled with fruits in it.

Naruto smiled at her and she reddened. "Arigato,"

Hinata went to peel an apple. "A-are y-you al-alright?" she asked him, and she silently berated herself for being so damned obvious. Of course, to everyone else except Naruto. The blonde boy asked her if she could help him sit up and she happily obliged, supporting his back and re-arranging his pillows for him to be comfortable.

"Thanks. I'm fine, actually. That Tsunade-baabaa just didn't want me running around so she gave me those drugs that lessened my activities, heh," he informed her, thinking that it was best if he told them the same excuses so there would not be any problems I the near future, his eyes soft and thankful as she handed him a piece she just finished peeling. Seeing as the blonde couldn't exactly move any part of his body yet, she held the apple near his mouth as Naruto opened it and took the piece in. "This is good Hinata-chan," he said once he swallowed it. He asked for some more and Hinata gave it to him, blushing mildly as she spoon-fed him.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Hinata-chan," blue eyes settled in looking at the window outside and Hinata got up to clean the dirty dish.

"I-it's n-nothing. I-I wasn't doing a-anything any…anyway," she replied, returning to sit down. The blonde turned to look at her, his grin replaced with an unknowing look.

It made her feel cold. "A-are you s-sure you're f-fine?" she asked again, her pale eyes full of concern for the shinobi who had always inspired her.

"Aa,"

It was only after the fifth day that Neji went to drop in on Naruto. The day he left the building, he hadn't planned on coming back. He blamed himself for coming too late to save the blonde. If only he just went to where he his, if only he didn't ask questions—those meaningless questions—if only he believed Konohamaru… a thousand ifs came to his mind and he blamed himself for the condition Naruto's in.

The instance he was told by the genin that Naruto got paralyzed, he stood frozen and he held himself accountable for the loss Naruto got. He didn't go out of his house for the days he wasn't seen. He just kept on thinking about what he had done wrong.

It wasn't his fault. But he didn't know that.

But he did know he had to strong. If not for him, then for Naruto.

On the fifth day of seclusion, he opted to just visit Naruto and tell him that he's sorry. And now he was there, standing outside Naruto's room, working up the courage to face him.

He quietly took the knob on his hand and was surprised to see it unlocked and opened. He stared in the white room and saw Naruto lying on the bed, covered with white sheets. It registered in his mind that he was asleep and told himself that he would just come back later when he awoke.

He took the knob again, in an attempt to close the door when a voice stopped him. "Come in Neji," a low voice called and he entered, standing beside the bed.

Blue eyes opened and smiled at him. He felt guilty as he saw the state Naruto was in.

The blonde saw Neji staring at him, his face pale, and he blinked. "Nanda? You look like you've seen a ghost," Naruto chuckled at his self-made joke and expected the Hyuuga to at least give a little smile. However, he saw Neji frown even more.

"I'm sorry,"

Naruto blinked at him even more. "Sorry for what?" he queried, confused to why Neji was apologizing to him. "For this?" he added and Neji nodded his head slightly. Naruto chuckled. "I'm not really immobile, Neji. It's just that they give me sedatives to keep me calm,"

"That's not it!" Neji's clear, loud voice cut through. "That's… that's not what I meant," he whispered, growing silent every passing second.

Blue eyes fell silent. "Is it… is it my legs?"

The male Hyuuga reached out for Naruto's hand under the covers and clasp it tightly. Naruto couldn't exactly see the Neji's expression for his head was bowed down, forehead resting on the back of the blonde's palm. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Don't be,"

Pale-eyes that were usually stoic and cold were now guilty and fogged with disappointment. "But why? What happened was my fault. If only I--"

"It wasn't your fault so stop blaming yourself. I can still be able to walk. I just need to practice on it and get physical therapy," Naruto's voice was steady but faint and Neji stopped, still gripping the blonde's hand like he was afraid to let go or he'll be lost from him. "Help me up, Neji," Naruto said as he tried to adjust from his lying state.

Neji let go of him and assisted Naruto so he could be on a sitting position. "Argh, if only they'll stop giving me those damned things so I could at least sit on my own!" he ranted, trying to give life to their conversation.

To no avail, Neji was still silent.

It went on like this and it felt like someone died. The long-haired boy held Naruto's calloused hands for the second time when he finished assisting the blonde, and Naruto allowed it, feeling somewhat secure.

It was his lifeline, his proof that he was still alive.

Although he strongly craved that it was the other dark-haired man he was holding.

An hour has passed and no one spoke a word. They welcomed the silence, though they were wanted to be replaced with something else. As if having enough, Neji stood up and made an effort to release his hand from Naruto's when the blonde held on it tighter.

Neji understood and sat back. "Did you have something to say?"

"You… Iruka told me that you were the one who paid the bills," his voice was hoarse and weary, but Neji did not condemn him for that. He was even impressed at the emotional strength Naruto have shown the last few days.

"Aa," he confirmed and Naruto's hand loosened. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Naruto glanced at him. "You do know that by doing that, it meant that you just bought me, right?"

"Bought…you?"

It was also then he recalled their conversation that particular night.

"Money? So is money everything that you're willing to sell your sanity to anything? Is money so important that you're willing to sell your life to whoever's giving it?"

"Yes,"

"Really? How much are you then Naruto?"

"Why? How much can you give me Neji?"

"W-what?"

"You asked me how much I am, right? I'm merely asking how much you can give me. If I were to sell myself to someone, I have to make sure that I get the correct amount,"

Neji shook his head and answered him. "I didn't mean those words Naruto,"

"But I did, Neji,"

Neji's wildly stared at him. "What?" What is he getting at? He asked himself, incredulous at their conversation.

But blue eyes stared back at him with conclusiveness and Neji had a hard time concealing his disorientation. "And because of that I have one last favor to ask," the Hyuuga wasn't able to do anything but bob his head, still stunned.

"Take me away from here… with you,"

-Continued-

A/N: okay… we're getting warmer and warmer…

Thanks for all the reviewers who just commented and complimented the Eight Channel…

Review?