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 Five
"My eternal rival will continue to need assistance with chakra," Gai stated, making eyes turned to him in surprise, "I've seen Kakashi use that jutsu in the past. It takes extensive chakra manipulation and drains the user quickly."
"Agreed," Tsunade hummed while the Copy-nin glared at Gai irritably, "Genma, Asuma, I want you in the same room with Kakashi and getting some rest. You three are my newest medic nins. Your mission will be to assist me with Iruka. Kakashi, is there anyone else that has shared chakra with you that is a good match?"
"Yamato. He should be getting back from a mission later tonight," Kakashi decided as the Hokage nodded, "Lady Tsunade, what are Iruka's chances really?"
"I can't hazard to guess," the blonde admitted, looking grim, "His weakened condition and illness are almost representative of ones brought back after elongated time captured in enemy territory. I'll do everything in my power to try and give Iruka what he needs to pull through, but a lot of that rides on you, Kakashi. He needs that jutu."
"Hai, Hokage-sama," Kakashi agreed before yawning beneath his mask.
"Come on, Kakashi," Genma instructed, herding the Copy-nin towards their new quarters, "Let's go get some rest. Ru's students are watching over him for now. He'll need us later."
Kakashi allowed the herding and dropped down on one of the hospital beds as Asuma and Genma choose the ones they would use. The room had the standard four beds for a shared room unlike Iruka's private suite.
"Stop it, Kakashi."
The Copy-nin blinked and looked to the doorway to see Gai leaning against the frame and looked away just as quickly.
"This isn't your fault, Kakashi."
"I brought up the original complaint, Gai," Kakashi growled, turning to glare at the man, "I started this whole business."
"No, Kakashi, you didn't," Gai denied as the Copy-nin blinked, "The entire team, that included myself, put in formal complaints to the Hokage after that mission. I checked. Three people beat you out of complaining first, Rival. We all doubted Iruka's intentions when evidence shows that the chunin has always placed Konoha and the youth first. Iruka's past history should have given us pause, but we were trying to follow the mission parameters. This mess is twisted up in so many ways that the right thing to do was hard to see."
"Truth, Kakashi," Asuma pushed as the Copy-nin sighed, "Going against orders can get shinobi killed. Allowing our emotions to interfere with missions is one of the worst things to do as a shinobi. On one hand we were trying to protect our comrades and on another trying to get Iruka to see the errors of his ways-or so we all thought. Iruka was acting on his emotions, yes, but he sensed something was off. This was one convoluted mess of a case and the right answers were not clear to see just as Gai said. Kakashi, you did not abandon a comrade. You were the one to stand up for Iruka when the physical bullying began. How in the world were we ever to realize that Iruka was suffering so badly on his own? He should have spoken up."
"He couldn't speak up," Kakashi pointed out, lowering his head, "We all but called him a weak liability. Iruka fought hard not to break, but we've near to broken him and now we may lose him."
"Don't, Kakashi," Gai insisted, "Iruka is not Obito."
"How dare you!" Kakashi snarled, rising angrily as his comrades readied to jump forward to restrain him.
"Listen to me!" Gai growled as he pulled a surprised Copy-nin forward by his shoulders, "You didn't fail Iruka or mean to cause him harm. Nor did you do that to your old teammate so don't start confusing the two together. Kakashi, Iruka was backed into a corner that we all created for him, but he should have spoken up. He knew that as a shinobi. He's had the same training all nin go through here in our village. You are taking this too much to heart and that won't help Iruka. You heard the Hokage. Your comrade needs you rested and strong to save him. His life rests in your hands. Not even Lady Tsunade knows that ice jutsu and there is no way to teach anyone else since Iruka needs an expert and genius like yourself to manipulate that from an attack to a healing jutsu. Guilt can wait for later."
Kakashi breathed hard as he released the chakra he'd been building up to lash out. Everyone settled as the Copy-nin relaxed.
"You're right. I have a mission now," Kakashi snapped, turning to walk back to his bed before pausing for a moment, "Thank you, Gai."
The silver-haired jonin stepped out of his shoes, removed his flak jacket and pouches before placing his hitai-ate on the bedside table. Crawling into bed, Kakashi glanced at everyone.
"Well?"
Gai flashed a smile and ushered everyone out except for Genma and Asuma. Kakashi laid back and glared up at the ceiling with his one opened eye. Images of Iruka came to his mind when the chunin was happier or even red in anger. Passionate was a term to describe the younger man which didn't fit with the last image he had of Iruka, laying still and beyond fragile looking in that hospital bed.
"Kakashi?" Genma asked, leaning over the nin.
"Naruto is going to kick my ass," the Copy-nin groaned as the jonin above him shook his head.
"Then rest so you can help Ru-kun," Genma insisted, "Naruto will forgive you as long as he still has his Iruka-sensei to return to. Let's get some sleep, Kakashi. Let's finally be there for a comrade that has needed us for months."
The Copy-nin nodded once and forced himself to relax with some meditation before falling into a light sleep.
oOo
Darkness. Kakashi gazed about in surprise. Where was he and why the hell was it so hot here? Straining his senses, the Copy-nin stepped forward a few feet to try and get an idea of where he might be.
"What is that sound?" Kakashi asked as he moved towards what he heard and gasped when he turned a corner to see a huddled figure on the ground, coughing lightly, "Iruka-sensei?"
It was Iruka. The same Iruka that laid within that bed earlier. Too thin and obviously ill. Kakashi tried to move forward, but bumped into what felt like a wall after a couple of steps and he could find no way around it to reach the chunin.
"Can't do it," Iruka panted between his coughs, "I can't. Too tired. I'm sorry, Hokage-same. I can't do as you asked of me."
"Iruka!" Kakashi called, banging on the dividing wall, "Iruka, look at me! What can't you do? Gah!"
Kakashi cry was wrenched from him at a wave of heat that burned his lungs before gasping at hearing an echoed cry from his comrade. Iruka curled up away from the heat and inched towards a terrible blackness that froze the jonin's blood. Kakashi didn't know why, but he knew that Iruka couldn't pass beyond that blackness.
"Iruka-sensei, don't move!" Kakashi called out as the ill shinobi curled into a tighter ball, but thankfully had stopped inching backwards, "Iruka, can you hear me? Dammit, Iruka. This has got to be a dream. This isn't real."
"Did it again. I'm sorry, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi paused at the muttered words and then his heart broke as Iruka sat up and the jonin saw the tears falling.
"Tried to listen. Tried not to fail you again, but I just don't have the strength to continue. I don't. I'm so tired, Hokage-sama. I'm sorry. I tried not to break."
Kakashi's heart faltered at the words. Dream or not, he had to say his piece.
"You'll kill Naruto!" he yelled as the image of Iruka gasped and turned to Kakashi, "Don't leave, Iruka-sensei. You never broke. You were never wrong about that mission. We all were. Me, the Hokage, your comrades. Don't leave us because we couldn't see the truth. Don't leave us. Don't Iruka."
"Hatake-sama?" Iruka questioned before doubling over as hacking coughs shook his frame and denied him precious air.
"No! Iruka! Break, you damn wall!" Kakashi cried, pounding at the invisible barrier, "Iruka! Breathe, Iruka! Breathe!"
oOo
"Wake up!" Kakashi heard as he was jerked out of bed by Tsunade while Genma and Asuma sat up in their beds, "Hurry, Brat! Iruka's fever is back with a vengeance and his heart will flat-line soon if we don't cool him down."
"Right," Kakashi snarled, not even bothering with his shoes as he raced ahead of the Hokage and barged into Iruka's hospital room to see the ill shinobi drenched in sweat as Shikamaru held one of his sensei's hands, "Shimatta! Back away, Nara. Now."
Shikamaru growled but did as asked while Kakashi kicked the chair back to lean over Iruka and begin the hand signs for the jutsu.
"Ready?" Kakashi demanded as Lady Tsunade reached his side and readied herself to protect Iruka's heart.
"Do it, Brat," the Hokage ordered as Kakashi nodded and released the first cooling wave into Iruka's system, "Gentler, Kakashi. Iruka's heart is getting sluggish. Try to find the source of the heat and work from there."
Source of the heat? Kakashi concentrated and knew nothing more than using all his senses to try and end the fever. Two weeks later, the Copy-nin still didn't remember very much from that night. Turns out that he drained himself and practically did the same to Genma and Asuma. It was only Yamato's arrival that provided the needed chakra that saw Iruka through that first awful day of illness. The raging fever cooled, but Iruka remained in a deep sleep as his fever flared on and off while his lungs continued to have to be drained of fluid.
"Still fighting though, aren't you?" Kakashi hummed down to the still figure he watched over during his shift by Iruka's bedside, "Your hands are not so cold now, Sensei. They are pretty warm. Too warm. I'm pretty bummed out, Iruka-sensei. I've been forced into a wheelchair to conserve as much energy and chakra as possible by Lady Tsunade. You know this is pretty bad for my image, right?"
Kakashi sighed and ran his fingers through Iruka's hair to push the sweaty strands away from his cheeks. Iruka continued to need life support, but he struggled to draw in enough air with the panting he was forced to endure because of his fluid-filled lungs despite the tube still down his throat. Gently, the Copy-nin sent a small wave of coolness throughout Iruka's body.
"Don't do that, Senpai," Yamato warned, stooping next to the hated chair Kakashi was stuck in, "You know you are only supposed to use that jutsu when someone is near in case you collapse again. Your heart stopped after lowering Iruka's fever last time, Kakashi. Hokage-sama barely got it started again."
"Hmm," Kakashi hummed, feeling Iruka's cheeks, "He feels cooler. Rewet the cloth on his forehead, Yamato."
"Are you even listening?" Yamato growled as he reached for the cloth and quickly rewet it in a nearby bowl of water and replaced the cooling washcloth back on Iruka's forehead, "Senpai, I'm serious."
"I know," Kakashi replied, placing Iruka's hand back down and turning the wheelchair to face his friend, "It was just a small wave, Yamato, that used very little chakra. Don't worry about me. I know what I can handle. Why are you here?"
"It is my time to sit with Iruka-sensei, Senpai, and time for you to rest," Yamato answered as Kakashi groaned, "You have people worried. You are looking worn like Iruka-sensei looked prior to his collapse."
"I doubt that," Kakashi denied as his eyes traced Iruka's too visible collarbone above his pajama top and the blankets that tried to help conserve his body heat, "I'm tired, but not too badly worn out, Yamato. I'll rest to set all of your minds at ease, but you must continue to talk to Iruka-sensei. Lady Tsunade believes he might be hearing us. His brainwaves seem to be getting a little stronger and she has hopes he might wake soon so he can eat real food. The liquid nutrients are not working as fast as what Iruka needs so his heart strengthens."
"I know, Senpai," Yamato chuckled, "You've told just about the whole village. We are all aware of Iruka's needs, but you need to care for yourself too."
"I know, I know," Kakashi intoned, "We still have need of the ice jutsu."
"No, Senpai. This isn't just about a jutsu. Iruka-sensei would not be happy to know that you are pushing yourself to the brink of collapse," Yamato insisted as the Copy-nin blinked in shock.
"Maa, maa, Yamato-kun, getting good in your manipulation skills, I see," Kakashi chuckled as the younger jonin blushed red and began to jabber denials, "Very well. I'll rest for Iruka-sensei's benefit to soothe his concerns."
Kakashi snickered as Yamato fussed after him as he exited the room. The Copy-nin stopped and listened as his friend began lamenting to Iruka that he needed to wake soon and put spoiled jonin in their place.
"Let's go," Kakashi heard as someone began to push him to his room with the damnable chair.
To be continued…