Disclaimer: Mr. Kishimoto owns you! && Naruto
Me Time: I don't really have anything to say about this chapter or at the moment, so enjoy the story and review! Ciao!
CHAPTER TWO
"No, I highly doubt that Sasuke did this." Tsunade reassured her assistant. Nariko sighed. Tsunade turned to stare at the brunette.
"You mean his old teammate Sasuke?" she inquired. Naruto had always talked about him with such fondness. She had assumed he was dead even though Naruto would refer now and then to a promise he had made to bring him back. It had confused her but she had thought that perhaps he had disappeared, died, or become a missing-nin.
"Yes." Tsunade replied. "I will explain the situation to you since you are his student and deserve to know, but that will have to wait till Naruto is in a stable condition." Tsunade turned to Shizune. "Take him to the Hospital, quickly now!" Shizune nodded, grabbing the blond shinobi and exiting by means of the window.
"Will he recover?" Nariko asked worriedly.
"Only time will tell." Tsunade answered gathering a few scrolls. "Wait outside Critical Care Ward 7." That was the last thing she said before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Nariko grimaced and slowly raised herself to her feet. She still felt unsteady in her movements but that didn't stop her from exiting through the window and springing towards Konoha Hospital. It was much easier without Naruto's extra weight, but she felt a pain in her heart knowing that she might never carry Naruto again if his wound was deadly.
---
Nariko paced the hallway leading to Critical Care Ward 7 uneasily. She hadn't heard anything about Naruto's condition and she was getting anxious. It had been almost five hours since Naruto had returned and she hoped that her sensei recovered. No one knew precisely what occurred, and nobody would until Naruto regained consciousness. Nariko sat down and put her worried face into her hands and inhaled slowly trying to calm her nerves. Tsunade pushed open Ward 7's door and exited walking straight for the concerned kunoichi.
"Nariko-chan?" Tsunade pressed. "Do you have any idea what happened to him?" The Hokage looked drained and irritable. Nariko leapt up and stared impatiently at Tsunade.
"I don't know anything except that he was due back from an important mission this afternoon. When he entered the gates I greeted him and Naruto-sensei collapsed. At first I thought it was pure exhaustion and maybe he had been mildly injured by the way he was walking. But then I noticed the blood after he fell and I-I knew it had to be worse so I brought him straight to you. You're the only one who I knew could save him." she rushed. Nariko's cheeks were rosy from the rate at which she answered the question. "Is he alright? Has he woken up?"
"I suppose we'll have to wait for that information," Tsunade mumbled to no one in particular before turning her attention towards Nariko. "He has regained some awareness of everyone around. His heartbeat is slowly becoming normal again but he seems confused to what happened, right now he is under the effects of a painkiller. The most he could accomplish were incoherent grunts, which, as you can expect doesn't tell us much. But you can see him, he hasn't woken since we put him under so don't expect him to talk back."
"Thanks." Nariko whispered nodding, grinning she looked up at the medic-nin. "I knew you could do it!"
---
Tsunade lead Nariko through Ward 7's door and down a small hallway. She turned the knob of a door to her left and gently swung it open. Nariko stepped into the sterile white hospital room. Naruto's eyes were closed and his whole body reflected peace. His breathing was ordinary and free; it wasn't labored like it had been barely six hours ago. Nariko approached silently, as she didn't want to wake him. Tsunade entered behind her, closing the door with a click she stood in one of the corners watching Nariko.
"Hello nii-chan, I hope your feel recovered." Nariko softly broke the silence. She pulled a chair to his bedside trying to avoid making the chair squeak. She sat down delicately placing her hand on his shoulder. He stirred, Naruto's eyelids briefly fluttered and he moved towards her voice like it was inviting him. Tsunade was stunned; he shouldn't have even been close to consciousness, his procedure was extensive and Naruto had been given a heavy anesthetic but she saw it for her own eyes. He was capable of moving and recognizing voices.
"He shouldn't be able-" Tsunade frantically rushed forward placing a hand on Naruto's brow a green light formed around her fingers. Tsunade slowly checked the painkiller that still remained; her eyes became wide at the realization. Naruto had less of the amount he should have, she thought that perhaps the Kyuubi had filtered most of the unfamiliar substance out of his vessel.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no, the anesthetic is wearing off earlier than expected." Tsunade stumbled.
"Oh," was her only reply, looking back at Naruto she smiled. "At least now you'll know what happened." Naruto moved his head and slowly opened his eyes till they were half-lidded he smiled sleepily, like he was out of it but trying to wake up. His blue eyes still contained some confusion but when he focused on Nariko they shone with contentment.
"Hey little girl." he rasped. Naruto coughed dryly and looked towards the in table.
"You must be thirsty." Nariko realized reaching for the glass pitcher sitting by her arm. She filled one of the glasses and gently held it out for Naruto. He grabbed it and thistly finished off the glass, shaking his head as he was offered another.
"What happened?" Tsunade questioned him forcefully.
"Oh it's you Granny Tsunade," he teased lying down, turning his head to observe her.
"Don't play around! How did you get that?" Tsunade shrieked pointing at his bandaged stomach. Nariko tried to move away but Naruto wouldn't release her warm hand he had grabbed when Tsunade started questioning him. Naruto looked down at the clean white bandages and sighed.
"It wasn't Sasuke, I'm sure that was one of the first people you suspected. I was in the Sound, coming back to Konoha when it happened; Kabuto with about five other Sound shinobi attacked me. It was a combined effort, now that I think about it I probably shouldn't have joked that he needed reinforcements to take me down. They were some high level Jounin!" he declared.
"That's not what I asked, what did that." she replied.
"Oh, that. That's when the combined effort came into play. The little flunkies rattled me a bit but Kabuto's medical jutsus are what took their toll. But after the other shinobi grabbed hold of me, well they stuck like leeches for one thing, and Kabuto was forming a jutsu. I knew what was coming. The other shinobi somehow locked their feet to the ground, including mine so I couldn't escape. Kabuto came straight for me, a little slower than Sasuke but still enough that it hurt like hell when he finally buried his fist in my stomach. I thought I would die, he was coming back for another go but then everything went black. It's hazy after that, except for meeting Nariko at the gates." he finished, a trouble look passed over his face and he squeezed her hand tighter.
"Try to remember." Tsunade pressed impatiently.
"Alright, don't expect much." he grumbled. Finally he looked at Tsunade. "I remember waking up in a cave, there was a fire not more than two or three feet away from me. At first I thought it was just some person who had found me. Then I felt the pain, searing, it was horrible. I screamed, cause the person lying next to me jumped up. I don't know who he was…" Naruto trailed off looking troubled.
"Try, think back, and try to find the shape of their face, remember the outline, the way the shadows laid on their face."
Naruto made a strange face and chuckled. "It's funny but he looked like …"
Enjoy! Review Please! Now see, that's a cliffie up there!
