Synchronization

Love Naruto and thought I'd try my hand at a few stories with these amazingly rich and deep characters. I hope you enjoy and will review to let me know your opinions good or bad. I do not have one problem with yaoi, but this story will not contain that genre. I am only stating this for those that do not understand that love is simply love.

I own nothing. Nothing.

Chapter Three

"Ru-chan?"

Iruka froze at the voice as he turned around. He'd just been trying to do a bit of foraging in the woods, but he'd found nothing since it was too dark to see well.

"Anko-san?" Iruka questioned as the kunoichi stepped from the shadows.

"Since when have I ever been greeted so formally from you, Ru-chan?" Anko asked as the chunin looked down, "Oh, God, Iruka. I'm so sorry."

"Wh-what?" Iruka stuttered as he found himself with an armful of Anko.

"I'm sorry, Ru-chan," Anko whispered, hugging him fiercely as he hesitantly returned the hug, "Yes, orders are orders on missions, but I know you. I know you better than anyone and you'd never endanger your comrades or Kohoha and I just turned on you like a rabid dog."

"You were trying to do your job and your temper is as bad as mine," Iruka reminded, stepping back as Anko sniffled softly, "I forgive you, Anko-chan, but I can't offer my own apology. That boy didn't deserve to die. That probably makes you angry to hear from me, but I…."

"I don't care about that," Anko interrupted as Iruka blinked, "I've got to leave on a three month mission soon and I just couldn't leave without letting you know that you do still have a friend that supports you…even if this friend still thinks you made a mistake. I don't hate you, Ru-chan. I never hated you."

Tears gathered as Iruka bit his lip. These were not pity tears, but ones of happiness

"Thank you, Anko-chan," Iruka gasped, looking down again, "I really need a friend right now. You have no idea."

"Don't I?" Anko snorted as the chunin looked back up at her, "Or do you forget that you were the only friend that stayed by my side after sensei abandoned me with his damn cursed mark stained on my skin? I should have been there for you, Ru-chan."

"You are now," Iruka pointed out with a grin, "That is enough for me."

"Come. Let's go eat before I have to leave," Anko insisted as Iruka felt panic rise within him, "My treat."

Iruka breathed out in relief and allowed himself to be dragged to his favorite restaurant that Anko usually treated him with on his birthday. For the first time in a long time, the chunin felt a bit like his old self as he smiled and laughed and the food….God, the food.

"You're eating like a starved man," Anko laughed as Iruka blushed dark, "Skip lunch today, Ru-chan?"

"Hai," Iruka quickly agreed to hide his mistake, "Too busy with grading papers. Sorry, Anko-chan. What manners I am showing. Shame on me. I'm acting like you."

Anko's mock growl and laughter was music to Iruka's ears. It felt like it had been a lifetime that he'd felt happy and content like this. Could it have only been four short months ago that life had been happier like this night had been?

"Thank you for the treat, Anko-chan," Iruka offered with a smile once the two had left the restaurant, "Good luck on your mission and may you reach your goal with little problems."

"Thank you," Anko replied before giving him a stern glare, "Now go home and get some sleep. You look worn to the bone. Get out of this cold and into your warm apartment and I'm sure that whole mission fiasco will be over with by the time I get back. Are you sure that hip of yours is okay? That limp looks painful."

"I'm fine, Anko-chan," Iruka assured as he rubbed an embarrassed hand over the scar on his nose, "The pain should be gone by morning after I rest the hip overnight."

"Good. Be well, Ru-Ru," Anko snickered as Iruka huffed and growled at the horrible name while the kunoichi winked and stuck out her tongue at him.

Iruka chuckled and waved as Anko leapt away. His heart uplifted, the chuunin returned home and groaned softly that he could still see his breath even inside of his apartment.

"Wow, it's cold tonight," Iruka remarked as he pulled a blanket from off a chair to wrap around his shoulders before lighting a candle to be able to see through his dark living space, "Feels so good to have a full belly for the first time in so long."

Iruka climbed into his bed and under the multitude of blankets he had piled upon the mattress to try and keep warm. These days he didn't even undress to conserve as much body heat as possible. He scoffed at his friend's parting words. "Get out of this cold and into your warm apartment." How he wished that was true.

"Never knew how cold a building can get without heat," Iruka thought as he shivered despite the layers over him, "Knew this out on missions since I was always out in the elements, but you'd think walls would keep the cold out, huh? Kind of wish this whole mess could have happened over the summer."

Iruka sighed as he set his alarm. The chunin was no fool. If he got too cold and was asleep he wouldn't wake again so his alarm was set to wake him every two hours. That is why he was so tired all the time added along with the lack of proper food. There was nothing else to be done about it. The next morning he got up bright and early to try to forage again, but the ground was frozen and he barely found enough black root to last another week. So there was no choice now.

"Hm?" Iruka sighed, finding the information in the general medical textbook that he taught from and read up on the soldier pills, "So no more than two within a three day period, huh? I have thirty in my inventory so that gives me some time, but I've got to ration more than that since the investigation is taking so long. I can do this. I can."

And he did, but the toll was getting too much after the five month mark. There were times when his chest ached terribly just to climb the steps to the filing room. Iruka again was no fool. He knew that his lack of proper vitamins and minerals was affecting his heart muscles. His apathy from lack of sleep and food made getting through the academy training and work more and more difficult. At least the physical abuse had ended, but the verbal abuse just wouldn't stop.

"What is this?! Umino, are you even trying these days?!" Lady Tsunade railed as Iruka lowered his head more as all eyes watched in the mission room, "Why was the report I needed filed in the wrong damn spot, Umino? I'm trying to keep a war from starting thanks to your botched mission and your actions are not helping matters."

"My apologies, Hokage-sama," Iruka offered before coughing into a fist for a moment, "I think I might be coming down with something and haven't been able to concentrate. I will go and fix my mistakes."

Tsunade scowled darkly as Iruka bowed as deep as he could. His shame crawled over him like a rash. In fact, he felt way too hot and achy right now and just wanted to find a rock to crawl under.

"You do seem a bit pale," the Hokage admitted as Iruka straightened, "Fix those mistakes and finish this basket of filing then go home, Umino."

"Maybe someone else should instead," an unknown voice called as Iruka lifted the basket and noticed Kakashi and his friends watching him, "Umino doesn't seem to be able to do much right."

"That's enough!" Lady Tsunade began before pausing as Iruka's hacking coughs interrupted her, "Umino?"

Iruka glanced up at the Hokage and didn't feel as the basket slipped from his grip. All he noticed was how slowly the floor was rising to meet him before all went dark.

oOo

Everyone was frozen in place as Iruka dropped hard to the ground while scrolls rolled and tumbled across the floor from the basket that had slipped from lax hands.

"Iruka!" Izumo cried, rushing to the prone shinobi since he was the closest and turned him over as the spell broke and many hurried to check on the chunin, "Iruka, can you hear me? My God! He's burning up, Hokage-sama."

"He's also having a lot of trouble breathing," Kakashi pointed out as he tipped Iruka's head back to clear his airways before cursing as he next placed a hand against Iruka's cheek and then neck, "Hokage-sama, Umino's fever is high enough to be life threatening."

Tsunade pushed her shinobi back and bent to examine Iruka. She gasped when she began checking with her medical jutsu. He was ill, but there was a lot more going on with Iruka than anyone expected.

"Kakashi! Get him up and to the hospital now!" Tsunade ordered, "Asuma, get Ibiki and investigate Umino's apartment. Report directly to me what you find."

"What's wrong, Hokage-same?" Shizune demanded as the blonde glanced to Kakashi lifting Iruka's limp form from the floor.

"Umino is in the beginning stages of catabolysis," Tsunade snapped as Shizune gaped in horror, "Move, Kakashi. Let's go."

"Catabolysis? What is that?" Kakashi heard Genma ask as he followed the Hokage.

"Umino's body is trying to break down his own muscles and tissues in order to keep his vital systems functioning," Shizune answered as gasps rang out, "Somehow, he's not getting enough nutrition and his system is turning on itself to try and survive."

"Somehow," Kakashi thought as he raced to follow Tsunade, "He's far too light for his size and I can feel the extra layers he's wearing. Umino hasn't eaten properly in a long time and he had hidden the fact. Could this be an eating disorder?"

Kakashi didn't want to believe that a chunin like Iruka would be stupid enough to not seek help if his mind was beginning to spiral down a path of anorexia.

"What have you done to yourself, Idiot?" Kakashi bit out, trying not to do any harm to Iruka as he ran.

There was no answer from Iruka as his head drooped over Kakashi's arm. The chunin was limp except for minute trembles that shook his frame. Heat rose from his skin in waves. Kakashi had notice the fever flush when Tsunade had entered with Iruka, but assumed that was the chunin's typical blushing behavior when he was reprimanded. Kakashi placed the ill shinobi onto a bed within the hospital and was booted out of the room. Izumo and Kotetsu arrived next and quickly had a seat to wait to hear about their friend's condition.

"I'm a fool. I'm such a fool," Izumo ranted as Kotetsu sighed and lowered his head in shame, "I knew he looked haggard, Ko. I knew that something didn't seem right. His coughing and how tired he looked all the time. It wasn't our usual Iruka."

"Iruka, huh?" Kakashi drawled as he looked up, feeling anger rise, "What happened to 'Umino,' Izumo? That is what we've all been calling him recently, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Kotetsu breathed, looking towards the door that Iruka lay behind, "That and a lot of other names. Zumo and I know Iruka better than most except for Anko-san. I've been questioning my actions towards Iruka for a few weeks now, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from going along with everyone else. Why did I turn on a friend so quickly?"

"Because we are trained to follow orders without question," Kakashi groaned, feeling guilt prick at him, "Iruka dares to question which flies in the face of the rest of us. He dares to question and stands up for what it is he believes. That is his way and I think that is where Naruto gets his ways."

"You can say that again. Naruto adores Iruka and follows that one's teachings carefully," Izumo sighed, standing to pace, "Are we really all so shallow that merely being questioned steps upon our egos and makes us turn on friends? Is that Konoha's shinobi way, Kakashi-san?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted, "But if it is…then we will change that notion. That is not honorable."

"Agreed," Genma spat as he rounded a corner with Kurenai and Gai following, making the original three jump in surprise at the arrival, "Anything on Iruka yet?"

"No," Kakashi denied, turning to watch the door for the Hokage to step through, "All we can do is wait now."

More shinobi gathered at the hospital as word spread that Iruka had collapsed. It seemed that guilt was pricking a lot of others over their treatment of the ill chunin. Kakashi stood and approached Asuma and Ibiki once they arrived. The two looked grim.

"Lady Tsunade is still working with Iruka and no one is allowed inside yet. What did you find?" Kakashi demanded as Genma, Gai, and Kurenai gathered close to hear.

"Nothing good," Asuma admitted as Ibiki scowl grew darker, "The apartment was freezing. There is no power so that meant no heat."

"What? No power? Why?" Genma asked, looking bewildered, "Iruka's building having a power outage or something?

"Nothing like that. There is no power because Iruka's teaching salary could only afford so much," Ibiki bit out as most blinked at his anger, "He made enough from teaching to pay for rent and his water, but the rest of his monies to support himself came from his missions and working the mission desk. When he was taken off active duty and let go from his deskwork job…."

"He couldn't afford to provide for his needs fully," Kakashi supplied for the scarred jonin once Ibiki trailed off while the Copy-nin felt guilt knife him in the gut, "He made sacrifices and gave up the power in his home."

"And food," Asuma continued as mouths gaped, "Looks like the kid was foraging black root and using soldier pills to get by."

"That's dangerous," Kurenai gasped, "Iruka could have killed himself by overdosing."

"Iruka was clever," Ibiki snarled, "Did research. I found it on his table. Knew how many pills he could take over a set amount of time. Made himself a schedule…probably because the lack of food was making it too hard to concentrate and that was a way to keep up with his survival plan. Iruka slept in shifts so not to fall too deeply asleep once winter hit. Lived on starvation rations by the light of candles when it grew dark with very little sleep and he didn't say a word or complain. I'm going to kill him myself for not bringing this to my attention!"

"You might not need to," a tired voice spoke as eyes turned to see Lady Tsunade standing in Iruka' doorway, "Umino is suffering from severe starvation symptoms. He's lost a quite a bit of the percentage of his body mass which has affected his heart by weakening the muscles. He's also been fighting walking pneumonia for at least two to three months. We had to empty his lungs of a lot of fluid which was causing his coughing. The fever is so high that we can't seem to cool him down and he's stopped breathing without the use of life support. The kid is dying."

To be continued…