Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Naruto anime/manga series.
A Moment is an Eternity
Chapter 10 - Six Months
Naruto had always hated hospital. He detested the smell of its. Not the smell of the disinfectant, but the smell of the dying, of the death that hung heavily in the air. He couldn't literally smell it, but he felt it.
'Grrr, how long do they have to make us wait? Damn it.'
Iruka, who sat next to Naruto, could sense his discomfort. He pat the boy's hand, when Naruto turned to him, he smiled.
"It will be over soon Naruto, just a few more minutes I am sure." Naruto sighed.
"Alright, if you said so. I just don't like it here."
"I know. You've never liked any hospital." Iruka comforted the boy then went back to his magazine. Fifteen minutes later, an extremely attractive nurse opened the door with a clipboard in her hands.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"That's me." Naruto stood up, Iruka did the same.
"How are you today Naruto?" The nurse asked sweetly.
"Pretty peachy, how about you Shizune?"
"I'm good." She replied cheerfully. Iruka smiled at her. They both followed her, after a long period of winding hallways, she put them in an office room.
"Please wait right here. Dr. Tsunade and Dr. Jiraiya will come in soon."
"Thank you Shizune." Iruka nodded to the woman.
"Just doing my job." She walked out of the room, as soon as the door closed. Naruto gave Iruka and a curious look.
"Who is Dr. Jiraiya?"
"I don't know Naruto, must be one of Dr. Tsunade's colleagues."
"Maybe."
A minute or two, the boy and the man could hear a commotion outside the room. They couldn't hear it clearly, but they knew the woman's voice was Tsunade, and she sounded upset. She cleared her throat then opened the door. A man with silver hair like Kakashi, but a bit older walked in along with Tsunade. Her eyes was red and puffy, her mascara was running, made her looked like a raccoon.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Jiraiya, and you all know Dr. Tsunade, I assume." He extended his hand to Iruka and Naruto. Iruka and Naruto shook his hand then nodded.
"Hey Granny Tsunade, what's wrong with you?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Nothing brat, both of you take your seat and listen to Jiraiya." The woman's voice was stern, but shaken. Naruto could sense something is wrong. Normally Tsunade would smacked him in the head when he called her Granny, something is definitely not right.
"Well, let me get started." The older man cleared his throat. "I'm going to give you guys the result of Naruto's test and the prognosis."
"Prognosis?" Iruka's eyes lit up.
"As you all know, Naruto has a rare illness. He is perhaps the only one in this world with the Kyuubi's Fever, because of the fever symptom that happens occasionally, right Naruto?"
"Mmhmm." Naruto nodded.
"How are those experimental pills working out for you?"
"They're fine, they couldn't stop the pain though."
Jiraiya sighed. "Just as I suspected. It seems that your illness has grown son."
"What do you mean by 'it has grown'?" Iruka stepped in.
"Naruto's illness doesn't go away like any other, I'm sure you know this, and it has been living inside of him. The experimental pills were made to suppressed the growth, but as time went by, the illness seemed to be immune to the pills. It has grown at an alarming speed. I am sorry Naruto." Jiraiya looked at Naruto with a pity look in his eyes. "But at this rate, the illness will soon shut down your body within six months or so."
"WHAT?!" Iruka yelled. "What the hell is this? Tsunade is this true?" The woman didn't meet Iruka's eyes. She was sobbing uncontrollably as she walked quickly out of the door.
"Naruto…" Iruka looked at the boy, his face was on the floor, he was quiet.
"I will be your doctor from now on Naruto. The chief staff thinks that it would a wise choice to let someone with no relation with the patient to take over because of how emotional this can be. Tsunade will be treated as a guardian to you, no longer your doctor."
Naruto nodded, but he still didn't say anything, he was lost in his thought. Iruka leaned down to the boy, he put a hand on the boy's back.
"Naruto…do you want to go home?" He saw the boy nodded, his attention turned to Jiraiya. The old doctor understood, so let gave Iruka the motion to take the boy home.
When Iruka took Naruto out of the room, they both confronted a crying Tsunade, tears were rolling down her eyes, she held a bunch of tissue paper in one hand. She gave the boy a hug as soon as she saw him.
"Naruto…sniff…sniff…"
"Tsunade, is what that doctor said is true?" Iruka asked with a concern, inside him, his heart was breaking away slowly.
"Yes, I asked him to break the news for me, sniff…I couldn't do it…sniff. I am sure he also told you that he will be Naruto's doctor from now on?"
"Yes. I am going to take Naruto home."
"Okay, I will see you guys home tonight." Tsunade released the boy. Naruto had finally stop staring that the floor, he looked at Tsunade's puffy eyes, he showed her his foxy grin.
"Don't cry Granny Tsunade, it will be fine. Don't you worry." Naruto doubted his words. It didn't seem to help the situation as the woman cried harder. Iruka was trying to be strong for both of them, but inside him, through all the denials, his heart was breaking.