Disclaimer: -grin- Maybe I should ignore this for once...-drowning in law suits- Alright, alright! I don't own Naruto :( HAPPY NOW!?
Warning: Yaoi and swearing! If it squicks you, then you should leave, because that's the sensible thing to do =]
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"..." normal speech
'...' thoughts
Dobe = dead last
Baka = idiot
Futon = Japanese bed made of straw
Ohayo = Good Morning (said before 10 AM)
Nani = What
Sensei = Teacher
Bolded text – setting
Italics – emphasized thoughts or words; can also be flashbacks
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Chapter 10 – Somewhere Out There
Konoha – Ninja Academy, Classroom
"Chakra control is very simple, once you get the hang of it," the man standing in front of the classroom explained.
A tiny hand rose up in the back.
"Yes, Megumi?" Iruka asked tiredly. It was only morning and already there were 5 interruptions in his first class!
The little, pig-tailed girl lowered her hand and asked quietly, "May I please go to the washroom, sensei?"
"Yes, you may," Iruka answered, "Make sure you don't take too long, Megumi."
As the little girl ran out of the classroom, Iruka felt a wave of sadness and worry hit him. He had been having these "mood swings" ever since they brought Naruto to the hospital. He raised a free hand and clutched his aching head.
"Iruka-sensei doesn't look too good..."
"Maybe he'll give us the rest of the day off..."
The Chuunin looked up, suddenly aware of the growing volume in the class. Clearing his throat, Iruka began his lesson again.
"As I was saying," he said loudly, "Chakra control is very simple, all you need to do is practise. But you won't be studying that until you become Genins. Anyways..."
A collective sigh spread throughout the classroom when the children realized that they weren't getting an early break after all.
'I wonder how Naruto is doing...' Iruka thought sadly to himself as he glanced outside before continuing on with his lesson.
Konoha – Hospital, room
Sasuke woke up for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. Naruto's snoring never ceased to amaze him. Instead of growing quieter, they only seemed to increase in a steady crescendo.
'Baka...' he thought irritably got up from his sitting position. As he got up to get a glass of water, Sasuke noticed something unusual about Naruto.
He inched closer to the sleeping Genin, whose snores were seemingly making the floor tremble. Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's forehead, realizing what was wrong.
'Where's your forehead protector, dobe?'
Naruto turned around and slapped Sasuke's hand away, apparently still asleep.
Scoffing, Sasuke made his way out of the door, giving Naruto a glance before shutting the door behind him.
On his way to the cafeteria, he bumped into a rather ruffled Shizune.
"Ah, Sasuke," Shizune said as he passed, "Tsunade-sama says Naruto should be able to leave today, after I give him his last check up. Can you let Naruto stay at your house for a while after he leaves the hospital?"
Sasuke took a minute to register Shizune's abrupt question before nodding.
"Arigatou. I know it's sudden, but Naruto needs someone to help him remember how to take care of himself," Shizune explained with a smile.
Sasuke nodded again as Shizune departed with a friendly, "Well, I should get going! Take good care of Naruto."
Konoha – Ninja Academy, Teacher's Lounge
Kakashi sighed quietly as Gai continued on with one of his many speeches. He wasn't even sure what Gai was yelling about this time.
The door opened and a crash sounded behind them. The four Jounins in the room promptly turned around to see a struggling Iruka in front of them.
"Let me help you with that, Iruka-sensei," Kurenai offered kindly as she walked over to help Iruka with the pile of boxes he was carrying.
"Y-you don't have to help, Kurenai-san," Iruka said shakily as he continued to struggle, "I can manage."
With a smile, Kurenai answered, "Don't be silly, Iruka."
The three Jounins still sitting watched perplexedly as they managed to place the boxes neatly on a desk. Iruka thanked Kurenai with a slight bow before sitting down immediately and began scribbling away madly.
"Iruka, isn't it your lunch break?" Kakashi asked impassively.
Iruka continued writing at a rate Kakashi never thought possible before answering sharply, "Yes, it is Kakashi-sensei. But I have a lot of work to do and I don't have time to take breaks."
Kakashi could've sworn that Iruka muttered "unlike you..." as a continuation of his last sentence.
The lazy Jounin inwardly sighed again. The normally friendly and polite Iruka had been giving him the cold shoulder ever since he saw Kakashi knock Naruto out. Having to bring Naruto to the hospital after didn't help Kakashi's predicament either.
After giving it a thought, Kakashi got up and said, "Iruka, I'll fill in your shift for the rest of the day if you'd like."
The Chuunin appeared to not have heard him. Kakashi was surprised at how immersed Iruka was in his work.
"Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka stopped writing suddenly and shook his head to clear his mind. He turned to Kakashi with a nervous look.
"Oh, I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei. Can you repeat your question?"
The masked Jounin shook his head disbelievingly before repeating, "I'll substitute for your all your classes today, if you'd like."
Iruka seemed shocked at the Jounin's offer. He kept opening his mouth as if to say something, but ended up closing it after. As this continued on for a few seconds (Iruka was starting to look similar to a fish), Kakashi said, "Go ahead, Iruka. You can go visit Naruto at the hospital. He'll be happy to see you."
Kakashi stopped dead at his last sentence.
'Does Iruka know Naruto has amnesia?'
Kakashi, carefully choosing his words, studied the Chuunin's oblivious expression before continuing.
"By the way Iruka, can I have a word with you in private?" Kakashi asked, trying to sound nonchalant as he did so.
Iruka gave his work a worried glance and nodded hesitantly, before getting up and walking outside in the hallway with him.
When the door closed shut, Kakashi turned and faced Iruka.
"Iruka, Naruto has amnesia," he explained bluntly.
The Chuunin took a while to register this new piece of information before his tired face contracted into a severely worried look.
"Pardon?" Iruka asked quietly as he paled. 'I must've heard wrong...'
Not too keen on repeating this distressing news to the oblivious Chuunin, Kakashi repeated clearly, "Naruto has amnesia." Kakashi noticed Iruka's hands began to tremble slightly.
"We're not sure, but the Hokage thinks that maybe Sasuke had accidentally hit Naruto too hard when they were training," Kakashi said quietly.
'No...Naruto...' Iruka thought shakily in his mind. He felt his blood run cold. He was aware that his whole body was tremulous now, but he didn't give it a thought.
Iruka covered his face in his hands. He wanted to cry, but he knew he wouldn't. Iruka hadn't felt the saline wash his face for a long time. Iruka lived alone, and had always come home to an empty house. But even though most of his stressful days ended with lonely nights, Iruka knew that Naruto was somewhere out there. The kitsune gave Iruka a sense of worth when he showed that he needed Iruka to be there for him. But all that was gone now.
'How could this happen to him? Why?' Iruka thought in his mind. He knew there would be no answer, causing his growing worry to increase tenfold.
"Go to him, Iruka," Kakashi said quietly. Even though his face didn't show it, he was starting to get uncomfortable seeing the Chuunin slowly deteriorate in front of him. Iruka seemed much older than he really was. One became aware of the Chuunin's skinny form, too skinny for someone of Iruka's size. As Iruka lifted his face up, Kakashi noticed the large bags under his eyes. His whole form seemed frail and knobbly, as if he had been slowly wasting away for quite some time.
Iruka looked at him with bloodshot eyes and asked, "Are you sure?"
Kakashi tried to muster a smile and replied, "Sure. I owe it to you anyway."
Iruka gave Kakashi a grateful smile that made Kakashi want to smile in return, but before he could, Iruka was already around the corner, bolting towards the hospital as fast as his legs could carry him.
"The answer sheets are in the folders!" Iruka called as his footsteps faded away. With a small smile, Kakashi walked back in the lounge, sat down, and began marking the large pile of tests sitting in front of him.
"That was nice of you, Kakashi," Kurenai said as he began writing.
Konoha – Hospital, room
Sasuke glanced at his watch.
'12:27 and he's still not awake,' he thought bitterly.
As if on cue, Naruto stirred and sat up, tiredly rubbing his eyes.
"M-morning," Naruto tried to say as he yawned widely.
"It's not morning, dobe," Sasuke answered snidely, "It's 12:30 in the afternoon."
Naruto jumped off the bed and made his way too the washroom. "Whatever," he mumbled sleepily as he disappeared inside, his bare feet making slight slapping noises as they hit the floor.
The sound of running water began and Sasuke was about to close his eyes as he remembered something. He got up and knocked on the washroom door.
"What!?" Naruto yelled in Sasuke's face as the door opened. Sasuke only smirked and answered, "Hey, dobe, do you remember how to brush your teeth?"
Naruto flushed with indignation. "Yes, I do, thank you very much. I'm not stupid!"
With another smirk, Sasuke answered, "I wouldn't be too sure, dobe." With that, he closed the door, just in time to block the cup that Naruto had tried to throw at him.
As the sound of running water receded after a few moments, Sasuke heard a large series of footsteps run down the hallway outside.
"NARU-!" a voice sounded but was cut off.
Sasuke turned around and stared at the newcomer.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sasuke. Is Naruto here?" Iruka asked politely, sheepish from his sudden outburst.
"He's in the washroom," Sasuke answered monotonously as he resumed his previous position.
"I see," the Chuunin said nervously as he began to take a seat of his own.
But before Iruka could sit, the door opened, revealing a refreshed Naruto.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said as he walked out, "Who's that?"
Sasuke turned around again and saw Naruto pointing curiously to Iruka. No answer came from the Chuunin.
Sasuke gave Iruka a nervous glance before answering, "That's Iruka. He was our Academy teacher."
In the corner of his eye, he could see Iruka wilting in despair. He knew that Naruto had been very close to Iruka, almost like father and son. To see Naruto like this must be eating Iruka up from the inside. Naruto was the son Iruka never had.
Sasuke's assumptions were not wrong. Iruka could only stare at Naruto, too shocked to even speak a word. Naruto had forgotten him, and now Iruka felt oddly alone. His parents were gone, his family in general was gone, and now the only person that cared for him was gone...in a way. Naruto was standing in front of him, looking no less different than he had the last time he saw him, but the kitsune seemed so distant.
'How much more of this will I have to take?' Iruka thought as he felt like crumbling into fine grains of dust. Iruka felt the colour drain from his face, and suddenly he felt faint. This was too much for him. He just wasn't cut out for this kind of thing. Noticing his frail demeanor, Iruka clenched his fists tightly, thinking emphatically, 'No, I have to be strong.'
Naruto examined the man standing before him, who suddenly seemed very sad. Naruto looked at the man's pale face, then a flash of white caught his eye. One of the man's hands was bandaged.
"Hey! I remember you!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, "You're the guy who was chasing me around!"
Iruka blinked, surprised at Naruto's outburst, before replying awkwardly, "Yes, I am. Sorry about that Naruto."
Naruto gave a friendly smile and answered sheepishly, "No, I should be sorry. I bit you didn't I?"
"Oh, it's nothing, really," Iruka said as he looked at his hand.
Sasuke looked at the two silently before deciding that he should leave them alone. "I'm going to get something to eat," he said as he walked out without another word.
When the door clicked shut, Naruto jumped onto his bed again while Iruka pulled a chair up beside him.
"How are you feeling, Naruto?" Iruka asked, the concern in his eyes reflecting in his words. "I'm...sorry I couldn't stay with you after we brought you here. But there was so much work left to do at the office and..."
"Don't worry, it's okay," Naruto interrupted gently, feeling slightly awkward talking to the man in front of him. "Hey, is it really true that you were my teacher before?"
Iruka smiled before nodding proudly. Naruto grew excited at his answer.
"I bet I was a great student wasn't I?" Naruto bragged with a foxy grin, "Better than Sasuke, right?"
Iruka gave a small, nervous laugh before answering, "Well, you were different."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked sceptically. The Chuunin weighed his words carefully, before telling Naruto stories about his days in the Academy.
They both talked for hours, until the two had been talking as if nothing had ever changed. After a while, Iruka noticed something different about Naruto.
"Naruto, where's your forehead protector?"
The Genin looked confused as he repeated slowly, "Forehead protector?"
Iruka's brow creased in concern as he pointed to his own, "One of these."
Naruto stared at it for a while, racking his brain for any signs of familiarity. After a while, Naruto concluded, "Never had one. What's it for anyway?"
Iruka looked concerned for a second before answering, "A forehead protector signifies that you're a ninja. The symbol on it says what village you're from. Our village is the leaf, so the symbol on the forehead protectors we give to Genins is also leaf."
Naruto gazed at the forehead protector wistfully. Sasuke had explained what ninjas were, and all the ranks of them and such. But he never explained the forehead protectors. He knew he was previously a ninja (a horrible one Sasuke noted sardonically), and now that he knew what a forehead protector was, he felt out of place without one of his own.
"Wish I had mine right about now," Naruto muttered sadly as he looked out the window, as if hoping it would coincidentally fly by.
Iruka felt a twinge of despondence and sympathy at the melancholy boy sitting before him. Without a second thought, Iruka reached up and untied his forehead protector.
Naruto was still gazing outside when he felt something wrap around his forehead. He turned around in confusion.
"Hold still," Iruka said kindly as he tied the fabric on tightly.
When he was done, Naruto looked at Iruka meaningfully before jumping out of bed to look at his reflection in the mirror. After a cry of glee, Naruto stumbled out of the washroom and tackled Iruka in a tight hug.
'I think this is how you do it...' Naruto thought in his mind as he continued to hug tighter. He had seen Gaara do this before, usually when he was asleep, and he always felt a sense of security whenever Gaara wrapped his arms around him.
"Naruto, you're getting heavy," Iruka protested as Naruto only tightened his grip.
"Hey, what about you? Where are you gonna get your forehead protector?" Naruto asked, ignoring Iruka's plea for freedom.
Iruka felt his body slowly go numb as Naruto cut off the blood circulation. "I can always get another one at the academy," he replied, "Besides, you need it more than I do, Naruto."
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto jumped off of him, still smiling broadly. "I'm gonna be the best ninja ever," Naruto declared, "And I'll beat Sasuke too!"
Iruka got up brushing himself off, smiling at Naruto's determination. "Do you think I'll be able to, Iruka-sensei?" he asked curiously.
Iruka smiled, ruffled Naruto's blonde hair, and answered without hesitation, "Sure."
Konoha – Gaara's Apartment
Gaara stalked moodily to the kitchen. The scrapings and shuffling of things being moved was slowly starting to irritate him.
'If I hear Kankuro's voice one more time...'
Shukaku's thirst for blood was getting harder and harder to resist. Gaara's mind felt like it was on the verge of splitting in two. His body ached for it. He could almost feel the blood coating his hands, the smell engulfing him in a dazed ecstasy.
His craving was stopped short when he caught sight of something on the kitchen sink. It was blue, carrying the accursed Leaf symbol he despised so much. It was Naruto's forehead protector.
The simple piece of fabric and metal was the only thing that kept Naruto away from him. All because of the accursed symbol. Feeling a sudden surge of odium and disgust, Gaara swept the forehead protector inside the garbage can before turning around and leaving the room just as Temari called for him at the doorway.
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A/N: Very long and boring chapter, I know :P But It all moves the plot forward, even if it really is pretty uneventful. Naruto's going to be out of the hospital soon, and lets just say he's not going to be as happy as he is now :( Poor guy =] Anydangway, I'm surprised at how many reviews I'm still getting!!!!! I mean, over 100 reviews is enough to send me to the hospital, but the reviews are still coming! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Review Responses:
ayame0: Yayers! Very happy it was worth the wait! I couldn't keep the happy Naruto away for long =] He's just too cute XP –evil cackle- but Sasuke deserves some heartbreak :] Stupid Sasuke XP Anywhos, very sorry for the long delay =] But fancies again for being patient! :D
Tipsy-Dragon: -chokes on her soda at the word bumpoof- Cool word you got there :D But don't worry, Gaara's gonna own Sasuke! –evil cackle- Hehe :D –looks interestedly as turnip falls on Tipsy- Oohg...that looked like it hurt XP I'll make sure I'll keep updating! –waves as Tipsy is carried away again-
Kamikakushi: Wee! –dances around with her new plushies- Wah, I wouldn't be over 100 reviews without your help, Kamikakushi! –tears of joy- but yes, Sasuke's misery is imminent...Eeeexcellent...Anywhos, I hope you got my (late) review for your wonderful story! It's truly amazing, it really is! Still waiting for the next chapter, so get going! –pokes Kamikakushi and grins- A catchy plot AND a genius writing it out! The best AU fic I've ever read in this section =] Happy writing! :D Cuz I'll stalk you if you don't o.O Heh...I'm weirded.
tracy-kin: ah, I got out of that cardiac arrest thing on my own :D I got saved by lassie :D that dog never ceases to amaze me...great dog, she is –tears of inspiration- And yesh, I gotta love them reviews! :D Next time you go on a fun trip, make sure to bring an extra-comfy suitcase to put me in! :D First-class suitcase travel is the way to go =] And I would love to see Tsunade get hit! I would replay it over and over again XP Freaky Wonder Woman she is =] Welps, this update really didn't have much, but I just had to stick in Iruka somewhere XP Anywhos, hoped you liked this update =]
Anime Ambreen and Poke' Manic: Long chapter this time! Well, longer than the other ones I've written for a long time :D Hopefully you'll continue even after this boring chapter, ne? Ah yes, the dreaded OOC XP It runs rampant throughout this fic like the plague! –hides behind a wall of pillows-
kakashiswoman: I'm considering to make this a GaaNaru! I really am! Gaara and his oh-so-cute panda eyes! XD And Sasuke's always mean to Naruto :[ So maybe I'll make Sasuke heartbroken just for being mean :D Fankies for liking the story! I aim to please! :D Here's the next update! But don't expect too much GaaNaru (don't hate me!) cuz Gaara's going away for a short while :(
Yaoilover S: Yep, he's kind of back to his old self! Bringing him back fully would be a bit too quick in my opinion :P But some SasuNaru is imminent! I can promise you that =] But about Gaara seeing Naruto again...well, I'll keep quiet about that :P Still needs some extra planning XP –lazy author I am- anywhos, cute smiley! :D Hope you liked this update =]
Naruke: Hehe XD –looks at pretty confetti falling to the ground- Aww, don't hate Gaara-chan! My poor baby! –hugs Gaara plushie- but what he did was just inexcusable! Go to your room! –throws plushie in shoebox- Anywhos, we've all gone through heartbreaks! I don't know much about your relationship, but I heard my friend say once that "When a relationship is over, you're always one breakup away from finding your soulmate!" or something really corny like that :P But there's some kind of truth to it, I wouldn't know :P I'm not a deep thinker XP And no worries about the hyperactivity! Here! I'll join you! –drinks mountain dew too and jumps off a building, trying to be a flying squirrel-
Apple Grace: Wah, thanksyou! –grins widely- I'm a big SasuNaru fan too! But a little GaaNaru won't hurt =] But don't worry! Gaara's feeling pretty okay- ish right now I guess? Oh well, no worries! Gaara is on the way to steal Naruto back! Wee!
RuByMoOn17: I'll make sure I'll keep doing it! But I'm slowly moving towards one, no promises here XP
Polka Dot: Keke, I'm rooting for Gaara right now! But...no! evil...fangirl mind...must...resist! I gotta give Sasuke a fair chance though, ne? :P Keep rooting! :D
taggED: Wah, is it really that good? It's going kinda slow right though XP I hope you got my review :D Sorry for the lateness XP
kashisenshey: -salutes you- Congratulations! That's amazing! One week! Must've been the longest week of your life I imagine :P Glad you enjoyed the last chapter =] Bet yer sick of coffee now :P I would be XP
Cat: Aw shucks! XD I try to be poetic, but I don't think it worked very well =] But thanks for liking it! I tried =] Glad it worked for somebody! –gives you a cookie- Hope you like this update :P
Kaelas: Ah, I try XP Thankies for reading and reviewing! Maybe this update won't be as bad as I thought it was :/
Saiera: Wah, why thank you! This chapter was really long and somewhat boring, but I hoped you liked it anyway =]
chi: Aw, I will! Don't worry! Naruto might not even get his memory back, but I'll make sure he stays happy! Sasuke and Gaara have a little problem with each other right now, ne? Oh well, more hate in a fic never hurt anyone =] Er, right?
Jaded Truth: Keke XP You got me on that first sentence of yours! For a second there, I thought you caught me red-handed =] Anywhos, I'm real happy I got Gaara's personality right! Characterization is so hard to do for me :P Especially when it's just a homicidal maniac whose only word is "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Well, now you know where Iruka is =] And nope, Tsunade doesn't know of his plans...just suspicious of him ;D
RuByMoOn17: Glad it wasn't as bad as I thought it was! =]
Ramen-sama: -watches Ramen-sama die of happiness- Wow! I did that!? O.O! Er...-looks around for any cops- Just in case ;D I'm really glad you liked the last chapter! And I know Gaara is kinda forgotten right now, but don't worry =] He's making a cool comeback soon! Maybe some Sasuke-ass-kicking will do him some good =]
Iceheart19: I always aim for a ending that makes an impression :D I'm glad to see it worked! –does victory dance- In this case, Sasuke needs a lot of sympathy :P Gaara doesn't seem to happy with him right now I guess =] And Naruto's got a tough choice XP Everyone's got their ups and downs I guess :D Except they have more downs than ups and...-stops babbling- THANK YOU for your compliments! I'm sure this story could use a tweaking here and there though –sheepish grin- But I'll need the luck, evil writer's block is coming :P
Pink3Butterfly: Ahh! Yay! –shaking with happiness- My story's not boring! –jumps around- Well, maybe this chapter wasn't too boring either? I try to add in some "Aww!" moments here and there =] Hope you liked this update =]
Jabun: Glad you like it =] But I guess it should be SasuNaru only to be fair XP But I can't help but feel sorry for my poor Gaara-chan! And Yer not annoying :D ...Gah...the...puppy...dog...eyes...must...resist! –melts at the adorableness- I think I'm gonna have Naruto relearn everything again though :D Just to torture him and make his life harder :]
LilBlackNiteCat: Wah, all them questions! I can tell you only one thing though! Gaara is going to see Naruto again! I can't keep them apart for long! Gaara and Naruto just look so cute together XP Naruto will have to relearn everything I'm afraid :( But I guess he could remember some stuff...I'm gonna have to get past my writer's block to figure that out :P Hope you like this chapter =]
plur: Ah yes, I know it was a late update XP But anywhos, I'll make sure to continue writing! Now that I'm this far, I don't really feel like dumping this fic and letting all those hours of work go to waste =] And more importantly, I'll keep writing cuz you like it! Even though I really don't think my fic is all that great XP And all I can say about the Naruto and Gaara thing is: Naruto is going to see everyone's favourite psycho killer again =] Hope that wasn't too much of a spoiler :P But spoilers never hurt anyone...right? :S
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A/N: Phew! That was an MIND BOGGLING number of reviews! And I loved responding to every one of them! YOU'RE ALL WOOONDERFUL READERS AND REVIEWERS!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the reviews are still coming in! XD –in the dragonball z announcer voice that makes me crack up every time I hear it- STAY TUNED, FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF...MY.NARUTO.FIC.
Tsuki (would give all her readers and reviewers hugs if she could :3)