Gomen Nasai peoples for the shortness and lack of update. My life has really been getting in the way of my work lately, especially school! Not only that, but writing has been hard lately. I know what I want to write, but I just can't seem to get it to come out right. Does that make sense? Please, please, please, forgive me! I loved all of your wonderful reviews! They are what reminds me that I can't just abandon this fic, that people out there are waiting, (very patiently, some not so patiently) so I keep writing. Please keep the reviews coming! I dedicate this chapter to my reviewers who have given me over 100 WOOT! Domo arigatou gozaimasu! And now that I am done blabbing, on with the yaoi!
Chapter 12
"YATTA!" Naruto silently screamed aloud. Fists raised in the air above his head, one clenching his stack of cards. Slamming the cards down on Kakashi's bed, he prominently displayed his 'full house'. He'd done it! He'd beaten not only Iruka, but Kakashi as well at their own game. Crossing his arms smugly over his chest, Naruto smirked at his former senseis. Holding one arm out, he waited patiently for the free ramen passes that were promised if he won.
Kakashi wasn't bad at poker. In fact he almost never lost, especially with nearly his whole 'poker face' hidden. Not to mention he had grown rather proficient at cheating, but Iruka had figured out his ways of dishonesty when Kakashi won a very friendly placed bet on the game. Iruka now knew every which way Kakashi had of cheating at poker, and if he found out he'd done any of them, his sex life went down the toilet for a week. If he had cheated while playing with Naruto, especially in his current state, he expected 10 years to life, with no hope for time off for good behavior. So he figured he'd humor the boy. For now.
Unbeknownst to Iruka, he had nearly perfected five new ways to cheat, and planned on using them as soon as he got out of this damnable hospital. Kakashi had been trying to get Iruka to play the 'naughty doctor', but to no avail. Maybe playing nice with Naruto would score him some extra points.
With that last thought he happily forked over his three free ramen passes to the eager boy, who was now bouncing in his seat from thinking of all the free ramen he was going to get to eat. Kakashi looked over to his right to see Iruka smiling at Naruto's happiness. He would've given Naruto a million free ramen passes to see that wonderful of a smile on Iruka's sweet face. Oh, how he loved that man.
Now, how to get rid of Naruto. Not that Kakashi disliked Naruto or anything; he just had to take him in doses. Plus, it was very inconvenient to have him around when all one wanted to do was pounce on a certain chunnin, especially when you didn't have much patience. It was the one thing he appraised Sasuke for. If he could deal with Naruto as much as he did, he had to have the patience of a saint and then some.
"NARUTO!"
Naruto, Iruka, and Kakashi's heads popped up to attention at the sound. It was followed by a few obscenities, and crashes as things were falling over in the hallway.
"What on earth is going on out there?" Iruka asked no one in particular as he got up to check out the disturbance. As soon as he opened the door, Sasuke came flying at him full force. A piercing grip placed on Iruka's shoulders made him hiss in pain. Two sharingan eyes were swirling like mini-typhoons, ready to destroy anything that got in their path.
"Have you seen Naruto!" Sasuke pleaded with Iruka.
Two calming hands were placed on Sasuke's, still in their vice-like grip on Iruka's shoulders.
"Sasuke, I would appreciate it if you looked to your right, and took your hands off Iruka," Kakashi said, voice a deep threatening growl.
Sasuke's eyebrows knitted together in frustration as looked where Kakashi directed. Naruto sat, wide-eyed, a questioningly innocent look plastered on his face.
"Naruto!" Sasuke bellowed, immediately releasing his hold on Iruka, much to his and Kakashi's relief. Sasuke might have put Kakashi in the hospital, but he would have no qualms about doing the same if he continued hurting his Ruka.
"Please don't ever do that to me again!" Sasuke cried as he ran to Naruto and engulfed him in a bear hug.
Naruto looked over Sasuke's shoulder at Iruka and Kakashi, mouthing, "What did I do?"
"Umm, Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and I were just playing poker, would you like to join us? I'd watch out for Naruto though, he's been winning all my free ramen passes," Iruka said, trying to calm Sasuke's nerves.
"No, thank you. I'm taking Naruto back to his room. He needs his rest," Sasuke said placidly, picking Naruto up bridal style and carrying him out of the room.
Naruto was trying his damndest to yell at Sasuke. He wasn't done winning his ramen passes dammit! He wasn't tired! Didn't Sasuke understand he'd just waken up from a week's worth of sleep? Oh, how he wished he had voice back. The whole hospital would be able to hear him yelling obscenities at Sasuke.
Sasuke ignored Naruto's silent threats. Now that he had found him, he needed to be told the news and he'd be damned if anything got in his way. Even Naruto himself.
Once Sasuke had Naruto lying down, he kissed him thoroughly, and smiled. He couldn't help himself. Being around Naruto just made him happy. He couldn't help but smile, just for him. Sasuke excitedly began telling Naruto the reason he was so ecstatic.
Naruto's frown went from displeased to completely pissed off. Who the hell did Tsunade think she was! To go ahead and order and appoint a bodyguard for him! He was not so weak that he needed to be followed around like a toddler! Damn that woman! Damn her to hell and back! He was fucking Uzumaki-Uchiha Naruto, future Hokage, and the last time he checked that meant he protected people, not the other way around for fuck's sake! Dammit! Just wait until he got his hands around her throat! He would squeeze until . . .
"Kit!"
Naruto was jolted out of his ranting by Kyuubi's frantic growl. "What do you want! I'm busy plotting here!" Naruto spat.
"What on earth are you screaming about? I was in the middle of the most wonderful nap until your screeching woke me up, jackass."
Naruto proceeded to tell Kyuubi his reasoning for his ranting, and then started up once again with his plot to strangle Tsunade until her eyeballs popped out of her head.
"Enough! You're driving me crazy! If I told you there was a way to get your voice back, would you do it so you could yell at Tsunade? Then I would finally be free to finish my nap without your incessant rambling going on," Kyuubi said exasperated.
"What! You mean you knew of a way to get my voice back and you didn't tell me! Why you little! I'll-"
"I couldn't tell you, kit. It's forbidden. But, hell, since when has either of us ever really been ones to follow rules, huh?"
"Forbidden?"
"Finally, a normal voice level. Now, listen closely. . . "
Sasuke was shaking Naruto by his shoulders as gently as he could. He didn't want to injure him further, but at the same time he had to try and get him back to his senses. Naruto had his eyes wide open, and his breath erratic. Sasuke was beginning to become paranoid about why Naruto was staring off into space and not answering him.
"Naruto? Naruto? Can you hear me? What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke pleaded. He was on the verge of calling a nurse when Naruto finally began to blink and come back to reality.
"What the hell happened to you?" Sasuke asked. He was thoroughly confused. He tells Naruto the most wonderful news he's ever gotten and he looks pissed and then goes off into what seemed to be a daydream? What the hell was going on with him?
Naruto mouthed that he was sorry. He was still too pissed off and excited about getting his voice back to really say anything else. With what Kyuubi had told him, he needed to get out of this hospital, and since what he was about to do was forbidden; he couldn't let Sasuke come trailing behind him either. He couldn't let him know were he was going or how long he would be gone. Dammit. How on earth was he going to get out of here?
Naruto looked at Sasuke who was still very confused. Naruto knew he had to start acting halfway normal or Sasuke would suspect something was up. He always knew things like that. Naruto could never keep a secret from Sasuke for too long.
With some quick thinking, Naruto simulated wanting a bottle of water, and like magic, immediately Sasuke was up and on his way out of the room. Perfect.
"Hey, I'm going to need a lot of your chakra jerk, if I'm going to make it out of this bed, let alone to where I need to go," Naruto said demandingly to Kyuubi.
"Very well, but after this, I expect to get to sleep for as long as I want with no interruptions, understood?"
"Yeah, yeah. You better hurry. He won't be gone long."
Sasuke picked up the bottled water from the vending machine and headed back towards Naruto's room. Naruto was acting strangely. Maybe, even a little too strange for Naruto. Probably even sent him after this water so he could keep whatever he was hiding secret. Shit.
Dropping the water, Sasuke sped down the hall once again. This would be the third time he had knocked over that same cart. His stomach felt as if someone had dropped a fifty pound weight in it. Why didn't he see through Naruto's ruse sooner? Tsunade would kill him if he lost Naruto within an hour of her giving him his mission, more than ever with Naruto in his condition. Dammit!
When he got closer to Naruto's room, he could feel the red fox's chakra, but it was erratic, impossible to track. Naruto had done it on purpose so Sasuke couldn't follow him. He knew he would find the room empty when he got there, but he had to check. Just in case.
Skidding to a stop in the room, he took a quick look around. Nothing.
"Shit. Not again."
Please, please, please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I really am! But it just needed to be ended there! I know I am a sucker for cliffies, but really what else would keep you guys reading and reviewing(especially about how much you hate cliffhangers)? So please don't kill me! I promise to update as soon as I can! Please review!
