I know you are probably sick of glancing at this at the top of every page; but if you have made this far without guessing to what I am alluding to it serves you right. I don't own Naruto or any of its affiliates. NOW READ BITCHES!

"Yeah but I lied to you too."

"What did you lie about?"

"I didn't tell you about something and forgot about it."

"If you forgot about it then its not lying."

"…." Naruto didn't know what to think about that. It didn't make him feel any less guilty about it. He had always told his parents everything.

"Did you want to tell me about it?"

The boy was saved from answering when Kurenai slammed the door open her eyes searching for the other psychologist.

"Iruka! You need to come back in now!"

"Stay here for now Naruto I'll be right back." Iruka asked Naruto before rushing out of the room.

The blonde curled up on the chair and tried to stave away the long held tears that were threatening to break through with his fathers departure. Conflicting emotions warred within him as he sat along the interminable wait stretching onwards until the door was opened again.

/

7

As time passed; Naruto heard what sounded like many people passing through the corridor outside of the room he was stuck in. There was the sharp clicking of high heels, as well as the rapping footfalls of flat shoes in big feet. Despite all this noise, not once had someone come to check on him. Fear settled around the blonde, weighing heavily onto him as the wait became longer and longer. Was Sasuke alright? He couldn't stop thinking about it. Was Iruka still with him? What had happened to him to make him that sick? Any number of questions revolved around in his mind, all remaining unanswered. Naruto was by nature a very impatient, and flighty boy. He hated to be cooped up in one space for too long, and the only activity he could occupy his mind with in here was to think. Although, thinking was not always the most advisable activity for those in distress. Soon his mind turned to darker thoughts. Why did everything bad happen all at once, and why always around him? What had he done to deserve this? And more importantly what had the people around him done to deserve it? The more he thought about it the more he became convinced that the reason Sasuke was sick was because of him. He may not know what he had done exactly, but he was most surely the catalyst. How could he not be? They were always in close contact having to share a room. They most certainly did not get along at the best of times. He had access to most of Sasuke's files, being in Iruka's confidence (although he was not as underhanded as to have used them…was he?).

"Shut up" he whispered under his breath his eyes darting around the room. It seemed like he was no longer in control of his thoughts and his eyes darted about the room trying to find out who was making him believe these things and think them.

'But I could have….' he thought. 'I might have….'

A tear slipped passed his eyelid pushed away as he closed them. His grip on his seat flexed becoming tight as his thoughts progressed only to become loose as he realised the footsteps had stopped. He opened his eyes again and was met by a pair of shiny black shoes in front the him.

"Naruto?" he hadn't even noticed the door had opened.

He looked up slowly to meet with the eyes of his father. Not the one he had been waiting for but his father none the less.

"…" he found he couldn't say anything even though he opened his mouth to try and greet him.

/

Kakashi stared down in worry as his little boy sat there responding. He had been informed by Iruka which room he was in and had made his way there directly. He had though that Naruto would want to remain in the infirmary with his friend. Although it was no surprise to him that he wasn't allowed. But he had thought he would have made a bigger fuss about it, he was stubborn in this regard. Looking down at him now though, Kakashi realised that there was something much more wrong then he had anticipated.

"Naruto?"

He waited for him to respond and was relieved when the blonde head rose to look at him. His sense of relief quickly drained away when he saw the tear tracks down his eyes and the manic look in his eyes.

The boys mouth opened in front of him as if to placate his worry and explain away the tears.

Nothing came.

Immediately gathered the boy up into his arms; pulling him off the couch he was seated on, and onto the floor as he knelt. Naruto made no move to stop him, or to cling to him as he usually would in such a state. It was as if he was in some sort of stasis, as if he brain had stopped functioning and was trying to figure out why. He held on all the more tightly for this and rocked back and forwards gently in a soothing motion. In an attempt to calm down his son as much as himself. Eventually Naruto's arms wrapped around his neck. Almost languorously the blonde head of hair was settled against his neck. Kakashi could feel the tear drops running from the face buried in the crook of his neck down to his chest and all he could do was rub at his back and hope that Iruka would come soon.

/

"What do you think is happening?"

"I don't know; but it must be pretty important to have them all running around like headless chooks."

Kiba land Shikamaru observed the events surrounding them with no little apprehension. It was never a good sign when the doctors and aides were running round like this. It always signified something bad. Like someone had acted out and they were therefore going to place more strictures on everyone or that someone had tried to commit suicide or something. In any case it was definitely concerning someone on their ward, and was ergo most likely a friend.

"Do you think it has anything to do with Naruto?" Kiba asked his more intelligent counterpart.

"More then likely." was the response the received. "It could also be the Uchiha, I haven't seen him today."

"Maybe both of them." Kiba commented.

Shikamaru sighed. "No that I have something better to do but I would appreciate it if you would change the subject or at least stop talking." he rolled over so he was lying on his stomach one arm hanging of the couch he was laying on.

Kiba growled. "Fine, I'll go find someone more interesting to hang with. Maybe Haku or Shino will want to play."

Standing up he walked out of the room ignoring the way his peer rolled his eyes at his behaviour. He was used to it. Nobody took him seriously in here, or on the outside….Just because he didn't want to sit down and do boring crap all day. What's wrong with getting outside and being healthy? Nothing at all, that's what!

Kiba was so wrapped in his discontent that he didn't notice that he had run into someone until he was on the floor.

"Watch you it you mutt." the silver haired doctor spat out at him. At least he looked like a doctor. He had glasses on and was wearing one of those stupid looking lab coats. Although he hadn't seen any of the other doctors ever wearing one around here, maybe they were a different type of doctors to this one. Absentmindedly he growled at man and took a swipe at him. He would have thought that everyone in the ward knew better then to call him a mutt. He was definitely an Inuzuka pure-bred. How could that man not notice that? His scowl turned upwards into a smirk, maybe he could teach this guy a lesson. It wasn't like any of the other adults were around to stop him, they were too busy with whatever crap was happening in the infirmary. The man took a step back worried at the change of emotions in the boy he had just knocked down. He should have been watching more carefully, he was in a mental institution after all. Suddenly the man was knocked back himself and he was struggling with a seemingly rabid teen on all fours. After the first four bites and six punches the mysterious doctor made the decision to escape. Kiba barked up a storm realising what the man was trying to do. Why should he be deprived of his fun just because this man didn't want to fight him anymore. In one last ditch effort Kiba grabbed the guys white jacket to try and keep him still. The man soon slipped his arms out of it however and ran down the hallway. Kiba sniffed at the man's cowardice, then chuckled in victory. He even had a trophy to commemorate the win taking the jacket between his teeth he proceeded on all four towards the common room where he had left Shikamaru. His back straight and his head held high he resolved that playing with random doctors was much more interesting then playing with Shikamaru.

/

As soon as Iruka entered the room he noticed the tension in his lover's shoulders. Hearing the door open and then shut behind him Kakashi tightened his grip on Naruto and attempted to turn his head to see who it was without Naruto been woken. At some point during his tenure in the room Naruto had stopped crying and fallen into a fitful sleep. Kakashi had then moved them up onto the sofa and arranged him more comfortably to settle down for the long haul.

"How is he doing?" Iruka asked moving to crouch beside their seat.

"Not very well at all I'm afraid." Kakashi moved one of his hands slowly to rub at his eye. He sighed; "I wasn't very much help I'm afraid. I couldn't find anything to say to him. I don't know enough of the problem to be useful. Its closer to your forte I'm afraid."

Iruka grasped the hand rubbing at his partner's eye and held it in his own. "I think it was enough that you were here for him." he said. "I wish I could have stayed with him longer but I'm afraid that Sasuke needed my help more at the time."

"How is he?" Kakashi asked gently squeezing Iruka's hand.

"Better…now that we've established exactly what was wrong with him. I'm afraid that someone had been messing with his prescriptions. Its made him really sick and we almost lost him. We had to pump his stomach before we could do anything. The problem now is finding out what went wrong. I'm afraid that I could get in trouble for it as well. I am his doctor after all."

"But you didn't do anything." Kakashi frowned.

"No but I believe that I am liable."

"Who is looking into it?"

"I think it may be Genma but I'm not sure."

Kakashi sighed. He would have offered to help[ but he had enough on his plate as it was and he couldn't be on too many cases that involved his family be it indirectly or not.

"I'll stay until Naruto wakes up but I'll have to stay late at work to catch up on paperwork."

Iruka sighed. It seemed that the two of them were spending less and less time together lately. He knew that it wasn't their fault but maybe the should be making more of an effort to amend the situation.

Naruto stirred then in his sleep attracting the attention of both males. His eyes fluttered open and they waited with bated breath for his reaction.

I took a moment for Naruto to realise that he had woken up and where he was. It was then that his eyes filled with tears that were then left unshed. He observed that both of his fathers were now here.

"Is Sasuke all right?" he asked immediately sitting up.

Iruka came and sat down on the floor in front of the pair. Taking on of Naruto's small hands in his own he smiled wanly at him.

"He's stable."

The blonde looked at him expectantly as if he was waiting for an elaboration;

"Well?…"

"I can't tell you anything more then that. I can't disclose personal information to other patients. You know that well enough Naruto."

"Yeah but I'm his roommate.." Naruto sat up more then tears disappearing from his lids to be replaced by consternation.

"That hasn't got anything to do with it." Iruka sighed.

" So?" Naruto pouted.

"If you want to know anything more about it you're going to have to ask him about it yourself when he returns to the dorms." Iruka stood up cracking his back.

"I think we've all earned a big meal don't you? Why don't we head down to the cafeteria?"

Naruto grabbed Kakashi's wrist and dragged it up to his eye level. "But dinner is over by now."

"I know that. But I just happen to have four or five instant ramen packets in my cupboard. Or weren't you feeling well enough to have any?"

Jumping up immediately the teen grabbed his fathers hand in his own and almost ran out of the room. "You're not getting out of giving me any now old man. Hurry up"

Iruka gave Kakashi a wistful look over his shoulder. It was nice to know that even if they couldn't solve all of their son's problems they still knew how to bring him out of a funk.

Rei; "Meow"