Heart of the matter
Chapter five
"I don't think he's a villager and I don't think he is from Konoha" Neji commented, making Tsunade scowl, the look on her face so frightening it nearly sent Neji out of the room.
"Get Ibiki to find out what this so called villager knows" Tsunade demanded "we will find a cure for Naruto, if it's the last thing I do." Turning around she looked at the limp body lying on the table before her. Just seeing Naruto so motionless and sick looking made her heart ache. Never in all the time she had known him aside from that time when he defended her against Kabuto ; had she seen him so still. It didn't work well with the hyperactive knuckleheaded Ninja she had come to love. She couldn't imagine living the rest of her days without him there to aggravate her into getting her work done.
As if sensing her thoughts, Shizune spoke up:
"We will find the cure, if there is not one; we will make one, Naruto will be back on his feet in no time and this whole situation will be nothing but a nightmare."
"Lets him settled in a room" Tsunade said "then comes the fun part; I get to tell his teammates." Shizune shuddered at the thought. Team seven was a close knit group and she couldn't imagine telling them that there was a good chance of their blonde teammate dying.
"He fights to protect those he loves" Shizune said grabbing one end of the gurney Naruto was on and pushing it towards the door. "We will fight to protect him."
Sighing, Tsunade smiled softly thinking of the boy who had come to make her believe he could do anything he put his mind to. She knew Naruto would be fighting his hardest wherever he was now. He wouldn't give up without a fight. He wouldn't leave them unless there was no way back. Tsunade made her way down the hall following Shizune and the medics that were currently rolling Naruto towards a more suitable room.
As she was getting Naruto settled in the room, and making sure he was as comfortable as possible with the ventilator and the other various tubes that was keeping him hydrated and fed. She prayed to Kami that he could get out of this without the fox's help. After all the tubes were in and everything was working properly. Tsunade wrapped her hand around Naruto's still fingers.
"I'm not giving up on you brat so don't you go anywhere more permanent." She said though her heart was full of fear, despite the fact that she was the greatest medic this village had ever seen. She didn't understand how she was rendered to feeling completely helpless. She was the Hokage for crying out loud, she was supposed to know the answers in difficult situations such as these, yet she knew not what to do for someone who meant so much to not just her but to many other people as well.
"Keep fighting kiddo" Tsunade murmured as she bent down and kissed Naruto's forehead. "I'm going to inform your teammates of your unfortunate situation. I'm sure Iruka has worried himself grey headed by now." Straightening up, she turned and walked out of the room, swallowing her tears as she went. She was stronger than this, she had to get everybody else through the coming storm as well. So there was no time to show weakness, she would get them through whatever happened with Naruto. Having made up her mind Tsunade headed towards the waiting room, and towards Naruto's precious people, this would be hard for them to understand but even harder for her to explain what was happening.
Once she had entered the waiting room, Tsunade was unsurprised to find it was packed, no empty seats to be found. Ninja were even lining the walls waiting on news on their fellow comrade. Naruto, if only you could see the support you had, you would have the strength to keep fighting. She thought; inwardly smiling at the showing of support from the Ninja community. She wondered briefly how word had gotten out so fast but then she considered Konoha grapevine she shouldn't have been surprised. She felt honored that all these Ninja had gathered here for Naruto. It warmed her heart to know they loved him as much as she did.
While looking around the room, Tsunade wondered how she was going to explain just how the odds were against Naruto surviving the next few weeks. I can barely comprehend the fact he may soon be gone forever myself and I have to explain it to them. Tsunade thought.
"Lady Hokage" Sakura spoke from where she was sitting closest to the emergency room doors. "How's Naruto doing?" the worry was unmistakable in her voice and for a moment made Tsunade pause. She worried about Sakura more than anyone else, after these past few years Naruto and Sakura had grown surprisingly close; it was odd to see one without the other anymore even if it was just for training.
"Naruto's condition is critical at this moment and slowly getting worse due to a poison like substance floating through his chakra." She paused as Sakura gasped softly tears forming in her green eyes.
"The substance, which has yet to be identified, is blocking is chakra paths forcing his chakra towards his heart which is currently sustaining damage due to the chakra. And at the rate Naruto's heart is sustaining damage, if a cure can't be found" Tsunade paused again letting the seriousness of the situation sink in. "I'm afraid Naruto only has a few more weeks left, but do not worry I'm going to work until I get a cure, I won't rest until one is found." Tsunade finished feeling the silence in the room like a heavy weight on her shoulders. She felt her heart break even more than it already was, when Sakura broke down crying. Sasuke who was sitting beside her placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his chest. Though his actions were comforting, Sasuke felt nothing but turmoil on the inside. He found it hard to believe his best friend was on his death bed; especially since Naruto had always boasted that he always done his best with the odds stacked against him.
"How did this substance even get into his chakra; he's been getting sick for a while now?" Sasuke asked for some reason the pieces of the puzzle weren't fitting together.
"As of yet we don't know" Tsunade answered and Sasuke frowned. "We are having the person interrogated here shortly, so we should know something soon."
"I could get the information of this so called person" Kakashi stated his voice cold and hard. Naruto had wormed his way into his heart over the years that Kakashi had known him. He didn't like anyone causing harm to any of his students. Besides he had once stated he would never let his comrades die, he still meant it to this day. The person to cause harm to anyone Kakashi cared for would be the next person without a life.
"You would kill the person before you got any information Hatake" Asuma spoke from where he stood against the wall next to Kakashi. "You're a little too protective over your students former or not"
"No one messes with my students and lives to tell about it" Kakashi growled sensing that he wasn't getting his point across. He felt helpless despite the words he had spoken. He had always claimed he would protect his students but now one was practically on his death bed and he couldn't do a thing about it.
"How unyouthfull" Lee declared from his seat beside his Sensei, Guy, "to be dying so young, I pray Lady Hokage can reverse the damage quickly and have our youthful friend back on his feet shortly."
"He's not going to die" Sasuke said "Naruto has said it himself, he won't die until he becomes Hokage." Tsunade sighed wishing she had half of Sasuke's confidence.
"Not according to the diagnosis" she spoke up hating the fact that she was destroying what little faith Sasuke had. "Not unless I get some intel on what I'm dealing with, Naruto will die."
"Then get busy and find the answers" Sasuke said "do anything except let Naruto die." Tsunade glared at the lone Uchiha , she understood the way Sasuke felt, she herself was unwilling to let this situation become worse than it was. Naruto was Sasuke's closest, friend probably the only one who truly understood what it meant to be alone, and for Sauske wasn't willing to let that friendship go so easily. Not after all that Naruto had done for him. In his own way Sasuke was returning the favor, Naruto refused to leave him alone so in return Sasuke was just as protective.
"If you were anybody else I would pummel you" Tsunade muttered continuing to glare at the dark haired teen. Sasuke only stared back refusing to back down.
"At this point in time I couldn't care less" Sasuke said "I just want to get to the bottom of this"
Kakashi eyed his students; Sakura was still wrapped in Sasuke's arms, which was odd considering the Uchiha preferred to keep Sakura at arm's length.
"When can we see Naruto?" Sakura asked changing the subject.
"We're getting him settled into a room right now so give us a few more minutes to make sure everything is working alright." Tsunade replied. She had the feeling once Sakura was at Naruto's side she wouldn't be leaving. Sakura nodded and gently pulled away from Sasuke. Once upon a time Sakura had dreamed about Sasuke holding her but she had given up on that dream a while back. When the lone Uchiha had been determined to leave Konoha it was because of Naruto that the dark haired boy was even still here. It took Sakura a while to realize that it wasn't Sasuke who she longed to be held by but instead she wanted the blonde knuckleheaded ninja to wrap his arms around her.
"Ibiki better be able to extract the info for a cure out of the guy" Sasuke growled. "Or I will do it myself."
"How youthful to defend one's comrade" a green jumpsuit wearing declared from a few seats away. After that the room drifted into silence, each thinking about what Naruto meant to them and how he had changed their lives for the better.
Ten minutes later Tsunade returned to the waiting room.
"Naruto is ready for visitors now but since it's so late I ask that only team 7 members and Iruka visit tonight. We don't need Naruto to get anymore stressed."
As the ninja around team 7 began to leave Sakura stood and faced her teammates.
"Can I have a few minutes alone with him first?" she asked softly, her green eyes red rimmed from crying.
"Of course" Kakashi replied and Sasuke only nodded as Sakura turned and followed Tsunade down the hall. Once outside the room, Sakura paused for a moment. She was nervous, she had never liked seeing her teammates badly injured before, but now she figured Naruto would be worse off than usual. She wasn't sure if she could handle it this time or not but she supposed she had to try, after all if the situation was reversed Naruto would be the first one to see her.
Deciding it was now or never, Sakura pushed the door open and stepped through the doorway. Sakura's eyes immediately fell on the body lying on the bed, and the sight nearly made her vomit. Naruto was much worse than she had expected. Tubes were everywhere one going down his throat forcing air into his lungs, and others were feeding him oxygen through his nose and there were IV's that were keeping the young ninja hydrated. Swallowing hard, Sakura walked over to the bed, tears filled her eyes again, as she gently placed a palm flat on his whiskered cheek.
"How did it get this bad?" she asked softly, as she took her thumb and traced the scars on his face. "Why didn't you tell someone you weren't feeling well, you didn't have to go through this along you know" she knew full well Naruto hated sharing his problems because he didn't want to be seen as a burden towards his friends.
Sighing, Sakura looked down at the floor, she couldn't do this, she had to get out, she would tell him what she needed to when he got better.
"I'm sorry, Naruto, I got to go, I promise I will come back" Sakura said climbing to her feet and rushing out of the room as the dam behind her eyes broke and she was once again sobbing.
Kakashi and Sasuke and Iruka were standing outside the room to their friends room, when Sakura came bursting through the door and went running down the hall.
"I'll go check on her" Iruka said quietly and with that disappeared after her.
"That can't be good" Kakashi muttered, Sakura wasn't normally an emotional mess, and he had the feeling seeing Naruto had pushed her over the edge. Sasuke glanced at Kakashi before stepping into Naruto's room. Once glance at the figuring lying so still had Sasuke walking back out into the hall.
"I'm gonna kill that guy" was all that was said before Sasuke too disappeared.
AN
if anyone is interested in being a beta reader for this story let me know anyways thanks for reading and reviewing
