Geez- ya'll hate me or something? If I don't know how the story is how will I know if it's any good or not...
By the way, on an unrelated note- Happy belated father's day!
(*********************************************************************************************************************************)
Naruto could count on his hands the sheer number of times Sakura had almost died in the line of duty as he helped her sit up enough to drink some of the pain killer laced juice that he had prepared for her before he carefully, and gently lay her back on the bed and held a small piece of apple up to her mouth and watched her take it.
Because her throat was so sore and somewhat swollen she would have had trouble eating anything that wasn't bite sized. Strange how he hadn't been able to recall that the moment she had opened her eyes and looked at him. But then there was something so terribly strange and off putting about the way she had regarded him- and was still regarding him even now.
Almost like- almost like she didn't recognize him.
Now he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, in fact the dead last of Konoha was often referred to as the perpetual 'hopeless wonder' of the village. But after leaving to train with the Toad Sage, Jiriaya- Naruto had returned to the village a little more intelligent, a little more thick skinned, a little more stubborn and with a wider variety of jutsu to preform in defense of his home and his friends. However, those jutsu had failed him the night Sakura had gotten hurt. Even Kakashi's jutsu's which usually backed his own up, had failed.
So perhaps what he was thinking was nothing more than paranoid feelings of guilt about Sakura. But for some odd reason, the nagging in the back of his mind simply wouldn't let things go.
Looking back at Sakura he noted that her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow, consistent with sleep and mentally kicked himself. Damn, I wonder when that happened? He thought as he then glanced over at the plate balanced in his other hand and sighed when he noted that half of the apple bits were gone and smiled faintly.
Well at least she had eaten something. That was a vast improvement over her at present, all nothing diet.
Still, this was a far cry from good and the Kyubbi vessel knew it as he set the plate aside very quietly and withdrew into himself for what must have been the thousandth time since Sakura had gotten wounded, and tried to figure out just how a mere paper bomb and a couple of damned trees and rocks had taken down the invincible Haruno Sakura.
It was you're fault you know- Was it really? He wondered as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. He knew it was his fault. Both him and Kakashi had gotten a bit too arrogant on that last mission and the voice in his head confirming what he already knew didn't help anything but to make him feel guilt over how things had turned out for his childhood friend. Yes. You and Kakashi walked right into that trap without a thought to how you would escape. And Sakura came after you both to prevent you from being burned- thrown through trees and rocks and having your bones broken- your insides shredded- She came after you to prevent your deaths... Did you really think she'd enjoy standing over both of your coffins?
He didn't. But the point was irrelevant now. He and Kakashi were both alive and well. While Sakura had suffered- no that wasn't right. Was still suffering on their behalf. What ungrateful bastards we've become in recent years... Naruto thought as he heard a small knock on the door.
Turning his head slightly as the door opened, he wasn't surprised to see a messy mop of silver hair as Kakashi poked his head in and looked around for a moment before his one eye landed on Naruto and narrowed at the sight of the blond.
Ah, Naruto thought in almost amusement, It would seem that Kakashi still has a bone to pick with me for knocking him out the other day. The man stepped into the room and silently closed the door before snarling, "Naruto..." No doubt that the Jounin was probably wondering why the blond was even visiting Sakura during daylight hours since he'd been avoiding doing so since the other day when Tsunade had finally let them see their friend.
All Naruto had taken was five seconds in the same room with the others to see for himself that Sakura was alive. That she was breathing. She had been deeply asleep then and in pain, if her expression had been anything to go by- no doubt from popping a few stitches in her abdomen- and as relieved as the Kyubbi vessel had been, he had also been deeply disturbed by how Sakura looked laying in the hospital bed.
She had looked so much smaller and more delicate than the young woman he knew could punch him through a wall without the slightest bit of provocation. And he hadn't liked it.
Not in the least.
So he had bailed as quickly as he could. And after that he had sort of gone into hiding since he had known that Kakashi would undoubtedly be after his blood for the little stunt he had pulled when the elder had freaked out. Besides a day or so to recompose himself had been good- more or less. He had regrouped internally and the very next day, he had returned to the hospital after everyone else had already come to visit and had been sitting with Sakura ever since.
"Maa. Don't take that damned tone with me or I might be sorely tempted to use you for target practice later when your on your way home, sensei." Naruto warned as he grabbed another piece of fruit from the basket that Shika had brought by the other day and started to peel it without bothering to look at it.
He wasn't taking his eyes off of his furious former sensei, besides at this point he may very well be peeling the very skin off of his hand- the man was giving him such a strange look. Then again, maybe the look had more to do with his tone just now. Or the sort of threat? Naruto didn't know and he didn't really care.
He was tired. Cranky. Hungry-
"I brought food." Kakashi said after a heartbeat or so of silence as he held up a large bag full of goodies. Naruto blinked as he slowly digested what the other man had said. Had he ever mentioned to anyone that Kakashi was one of his favorite people in the whole world?
"I was going to see if Sakura was awake so that I could sit with her a while and perhaps wrangle her into eating something. I have grapes, banana's, oranges, pears, some takeout from Ichiraku and some red bean soup."
"A weird combination," Naruto commented as he stopped peeling the fruit in his hands.
"I suppose it is." Kakashi agreed before saying almost awkwardly, "But I suck at figuring out what type of foods girls like. Especially when they're sick or injured," But then in Kakashi's defense he rarely visited friends or comrades in the hospital since they were usually dead. And shopping for a living person was difficult enough. So Naruto didn't comment on the awkwardness of the Copy nin's attempt to be helpful. "How long has she been out?" Kakashi asked, finally changing the subject as he glanced over at Sakura who was still sleeping pretty soundly since the sound of their voices hadn't woken her.
"She was awake a few minutes ago. And I managed to get her to eat a little bit of these apple bits, but I think with her throat still messed up- apples, pears, pineapples and the like should be banned from her diet for the time being. So she should appreciate the grapes and oranges, banana's, and some of the other stuff you brought for her."
"Hmm. That's your round about way of demanding I give you the ramen isn't it?"
"Couldn't hurt since it has crunchy things that are sometimes difficult to chew and swallow."
"Did you forget that I'm still pissed at you?" Kakashi asked in a very low dangerous tone that he took on when he was about to lose his temper. "Why, if I were to give you the ramen I just might poison it first." And he isn't kidding either, Naruto noted. The man was serious about poisoning him for what he had done to him the other day.
Had he mentioned lately that Kakashi could be a low down rat bastard when he wanted to be?
"Fine." Naruto spat at the older man as he held his hand out for the takeout dish and chop sticks. It was a good thing that they were at the hospital already cause he was fairly sure that he was going to regret this.
