Disclaimer- Anything I use in this are most likely the intelectual property of someone else otherwise its mine, all mine
Warning - scenes may contain subjects best not viewed sober, or at all
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Chapter 02 - An arm to hold up, A friend to lean on.
Naruto listened to Mizuki intently as the silvery haired man taught him facts about how to manipulate a kugetsu with Chakra, a small wooden doll lay across his hospital bed which he attempted to move with a thin string of chakra.
The doll eventually stood up and gauntly moved most of its body flailing in the process "thats it, you're getting better keep at it and you'll be able to go back to the accadamy in no time" Mizuki said genuanly surprised that Naruto was making as much progress as he did, after all Naruto only had one hand to work with as he had yet to be fitted with a Kugetsu arm.
"now I want you to review chapter 26 and 38 as we're covering them in class tomorrow, I'll check up tomorrow afternoon to help you with you're Kugetsu" inwardly Naruto was pleased that someone was paying attention to him but to him something didn't add up "Mizuki-sensai".
"Yes Naruto-kun" Mizuki smiled looking back at the recovering student "Why, why is it you're being nice to me" Mizuki sighed "I won't lie to you Naruto, I see potential in you and if you became a number one rookie under my tutelage then the council would most likely accept my Jounin membership and if that happens I'll most likely be given a genin three man cell" "which in turn would mean you could train me and further your carrier" Naruto finished for him.
Mizuki smiled "Naruto you should know by now that people don't do things out of the goodness in their heart, your upbringing is proff of that and besides what does it matter I'm training you to be strong" Naruto's head lowered before he brought it back up and smiled which looked slightly disturbing with the bandages around his eye "I suppose you're right".
It felt odd saying it but after it was said Naruto couldn't help but feel something inside himself died when he agreed to Mizuki's words.
Unknown to him an incredibly long katana glowed with a dark light as if smiling.
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Naruto grinned happily as the doll that hung from chakra strings along each of his fingers danced merily at each twitch he made, turning his palm slightly the doll piroetted on one leg before crumbling in a heap as the flow of chakra stopped, Naruto had only just looked up and saw the the Hokage smiling in the doorway.
"Old man" Naruto yelled trying get up out of bed but keeling over and vomiting a mouthfull of blood, the venrable Sandaime was at his side immediatly supporting him and rubbing his back "easy Naruto-kun you don't want to aggrivate your wounds".
It had been a good week since the incident and while the majority of his internal organs had healed some part had remained tender which meant Naruto remained bedridden as excess movement would overtax his body causing him to once again vomit blood.
"Ehh sorry old man I acted before I could think" scratching the back of his Head Naruto looked at the Sandaime with an appologetic expression in his remaining one eye. Abruptly Naruto's eyes lit up and he formed several chakra strings that haphazardly made their way to the small doll which soon jumped to life and started moving.
Sarutobi laughed then clapped at Naruto's progress "very good Naruto I see you've really progressed with your training and I have good news" Naruto immediatly perked up at the mans words "I know I forgot your birthday and I want to make up for it so I got you this" bringing out of nowhere Sarutobi handed to Naruto an arm.
The arm was made of some type of metal alloy that was clear but Naruto had little idea how it was made, the arm looked to conect straight to the part that had been sawn of when his arm was considered unsalvagable, surprisingly the arm was incredibly light and appeared to be slightly hollow at the forearm and palm and the tips of the fingers had small scalpal blades attached.
noticing Naruto's gaze Sarutobi spoke up " the blades are retactable so you won't have to worry about hurting yourself, the forearm and palm are hollow so you can fit some scrolls or other items into it when you figure out a style for yourself".
Naruto stared at the old man oddly before smiling widely, it was not lost on him the value of the artifical limb as it would most definatly cost more then a gennin could make in an entire year, he refrained from hugging the Hokage as it would cause him to vomit again so instead he settled for the civil way of thanking someone, smiling brightly.
Calling two nurses into the room the Hokage got them to unwrap the bandages around Naruto's left stump, Naruto winced when one cleaned the closed up wound with an antaceptic swab, they lifted the arm into place and Naruto cried out in pain, several parts of the arm conected itself to his muscles and bone causing loud scraping sounds as it moved its way through the bone.
After a few minutes the pain waas over and the nurses continued fixing and adjusting the arm so it was level with his other arm, when it was over Naruto stared at the artifical apendage which while conect just above where his elbow joint would have been also had metal bicep and shoulder guards to suport the arm so it wouldn't stress his arm too much.
even with the pain Naruto's humor decided to comeback full force before he could stop it "haa this is a great birthday present old man, you really went out on a limb with this one... Gha hah ha ha" Sarutobi along with the two nurses sweatdropped and groaned in response bearly keeping themselves standing when the overpowering sense to facefault overcame them.
Naruto didn't stop there however "so is this your idea of arms for the poor or is this your way of reaching out to me cause I'd never think you'd do it with my own arm" a small twitch formed in the temple of the Hokage, the puns were simply getting worse but it was uplifting to know that Naruto could still joke even with what had happened.
Standing up Sarutobi stretched his weary bones walking towards the door "It was good to see you Naruto-kun but I have to get back to my duties I'll try to visit" Naruto nodded furrowing his brow before lifting his arm, the metal one and waving goodbye to the Hokage
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Naruto grunted taking his first real steps in near on a month since being situated in the Konoha hospital, a nurse on either side of him helping him walk, he made it two steps on his own before both nurses caught him as his legs gave out from under him.
They called it Physical pherapy and as it turned out it was something that every Ninja experienced when they had been severly wounded or needed prolonged bed rest from things such as Genjutsu or chakra exhaustion, one of the nurses gently lifted him and deposited him onto a chair before she began the arduious task of massaging the boys legs so his strength would recover quicker.
Several hours past and both Nurses were again supporting Naruto as he strained his tired legs, remarkable progress even for a ninja as he had just managed his eigth step in four hours "You're doing good Uzumaki-san, at this rate you'll be back to your old self with a week" the nurse on his left said encouraging him to go on.
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Naruto looked up from his reading at his hospital bed to see Kori standing there, he had just knocked on the open door to Naruto's room, Kori had been released two weeks prior as most of his damage was surperfical or had been easily healed by the medical ninja stationed there.
Kori walked over to Naruto's bed and dropped a small box into his lap and waited patiently, Naruto being rather impatient opened the box.
lying in the box was an eyepatch white in colour, on the eye was printed a black plus symbol with each of its end crooked and bent at a ninety degree angle, A manji Swastika if he ever saw one, looking at Kori quizicly Naruto got his answer.
"It means strength, after all you did beat me and I felt kinda bad for what I did" Kori smiled and rubbed the back of his head before bowing "Gomen".
Naruto hung his head low for a second before reaching up to the bandages around his head and slowly unclasped the clamp that held the bandages taut, minutes went by as Naruto unwrapped the gauze cloth before finally it all fell away.
Naruto reached up to his left eye with the eye patch in hand and placed it over his still closed left eye, opening his right eye Naruto smiled "appology accepted".
"Now get me out of here before the nurses find I've removed my bandages" Standing shakily both Naruto and Kori left the hospital, an arm over each others shoulders as they slinked away where it would be a good four hours before anyone noticed the blond missing.
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End chapter 02 - An arm to hold up, A friend to lean on.
Next chapter, Chapter 03 - Shcool for Hard knocks.
Authors notes.
Now don't suddenly get all hissy on me because of the eye patch I gave Naruto, its not the Nazi Swastika but the original Shinto manji meaning strength, the Nazi Swastika is an x rather then the + of the original.
Remember to give me some feedback on how I'm doing, this is afterall going to be my most prized story as I'm taking more care in writing it then any other story I've writen