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 Thirteen
"Kuso!" Turtle roared, pulling Genma and the Hokage away from Kakashi as a familiar chirping filled the air while the Copy-nin's right hand sparked and buzzed with chakra, "Get back!"
"What the hell?" Genma questioned as Turtle lifted Kakashi's arm to keep the residual power from destroying the bed, "Chidori?"
"Not a full version," Tsunade said, with a shake of her head in wonder, "At least not in this plane of existence."
"Senpai is trying to cut through the wall in Iruka's mind," Badger gasped, sitting on the floor as spent as Asuma, while murmurs broke out among the shinobi in amazement.
"Exactly," the Hokage grinned out, "Go for it, Brat! Hurry!"
Sparks flew around the room as the glow grew brighter. Many sheltered their eyes before glancing up as Kakashi arched again with a yell that seemed to come from his toes before the light went out and the Copy-nin went still as stone.
"Kakashi?" Turtle whispered before two, twin sounds could be heard screaming in unison.
Iruka's and Kakashi's hearts had stilled.
"Hokage-sama, they've flatlined!" Shizune screamed as the spell of shock broke and the blonde Sannin leapt into action, "Iruka's not breathing!"
"Neither is Kakashi," Turtle snapped, "His mask is blood stained around the mouth. He's coughed up blood at some point."
oOo
Iruka felt the heat evaporate as he stepped further into the blackness before stilling as a roar of such rage filled his ears. He turned and gasped as Kakashi punched through the invisible barrier with chidori and tumbled through the shattering wall.
"Not today, Iruka," Kakashi snarled, ripping the chunin away from the blackness as wind and heat swirled like a great storm around them, "I can't allow…Gah! Uhn!"
Iruka cried out as the Copy-nin dragged him to the ground as the taller man writhed in agony. The chunin screamed as his own pain ripped through him as well. The jonin groaned and Iruka choked at seeing the blood beginning to stain Kakashi's mask as he went still.
Hokage-same, they've flatlined! Iruka's not breathing!
Iruka grimaced as he tried to listen to the voice. Shizune?
Fibrillate Iruka's heart, Shizune, I've got the brat! Don't you dare do this to me, you two! Breathe, damn you! Come on! Breathe and restart those hearts! Both of you do it now!
Iruka looked to Kakashi and saw him flicker like his being was fading before noticing the blackness growing bigger as if reaching for both the jonin and himself. Scalding wind continued to swirl and pull at the two nin. No heartrate and not breathing meant no life. So he had finally died? But…but Hokage said "you two" so that meant…Kakashi had died too?
NO! Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei! Let me go, you stupid perv!
Stop, Naruto. Let Lady Tsunade work! She's trying to save them both.
Don't leave me! Don't, Iruka-sensei! Please don't, Kakashi-sensei! No, no! Please!
Iruka choked at seeing Naruto's tear-stained features. There was such pain there on the youth's face and also…on Kakashi's. The Copy-nin was obviously suffering as he panted harshly. The chunin stared in horror at realizing that the jonin was willing to die for a comrade and friend. For Iruka.
"Uhn," Kakashi hissed, shivering horribly.
"No," Iruka growled as the stubborn part of him reared and he glared at the reaching blackness, "You won't have us. Leave us alone! If he won't leave without me then we're both leaving! Get away from us!"
Despite his pain and weakness, Iruka stood on shaky legs, hooked his hands underneath each of Kakashi's arms, and pulled as hard as he could, while the blackness spread, to try and drag the the jonin as far away as possible. Kakashi was too out of it to even help. The Copy-nin had used everything he had in his arsenal to try and save Iruka. Now it was the chunin's turn.
"Get away from us," Iruka snarled, pulling Kakashi inch by agonizing inch towards the hole in the barrier even as his own heart jolted in pain at the movements, "I won't let you take him!"
oOo
Anbu and Shinobi watched the two woman fighting desperately to revive Kakashi and Iruka as Naruto sobbed and wailed in Jiraiya's arms. Most kept their emotion intact, but their hearts bled at the knowledge that two Shinobi of the Leaf were leaving their comrades behind.
"No," Turtle groaned, watching as Kakashi convulsed again at the electrical charges poured into his body by Tsunade to try and restart his heart, "No, Kakashi, fight. Fight this."
Shizune was also frantically trying to restart the chunin's heart and turned to scream for a nearby medic nin to get her something when Iruka's monitor gave a faint beep that most didn't hear. Bear glanced at the chunin and saw the sensei's hands clench into fists, but no one else seemed to have notice the irregularities yet.
"Sleep," Bear voiced, touching Naruto as he stilled.
"What?" Jiraiya hissed, catching the sleeping child before gaping as the Anbu closed all the blinds of the room and ripped off his mask in a flash of movement unseen by any but shinobi, "Yamanaka, you'd better have a good explanation for this."
"Something is up," Yamanaka spoke as Shizune and Tsunade looked up, "Let me try something, Shizune. Move."
Yamanaka flew through the hand signs and entered Iruka's mind in less than a second without getting permission from either the Hokage or Shizune. The sight that met his eyes made him blink in surprise.
"Oh, my God," Yamanaka gasped, pulling out of his shock to race forward and help Iruka drag Kakashi through the hole in a broken barrier, "Iruka!"
"Ya-Yamanaka-san?" Iruka panted, having to be grabbed around the waist by the Anbu so he could get both men away from a troubling cloud of black at a faster pace, "Kakashi-san…need to get him…couldn't let take."
"Good job, Iruka-kun," Yamanaka praised, pulling the two away from the broken barrier as the black cloud pulled in on itself and disappeared now that it's prey had escaped, "It's going to be okay. Rest now. I've got you both."
The jonin settled both men in a safe part of the chunin's mind and laid them side by side. Iruka sighed softly and reached to touch the Copy-nin's chest as Kakashi stirred before the chunin closed his eyes, looking beyond exhausted.
"Ruka," Kakashi whispered as Yamanaka smiled down at him as he worked to unravel Kakashi's chakra from Iruka's, "You?"
"Iruka is here, Kakashi. Everything will be fine," Yamanaka promised, watching as Kakashi began to fade as he unknotted the anchoring, "Time to go home. You did a good job too."
Yamanaka came back to himself in time to hear both heart monitors give a small beep, then another one even stronger…then another…then another. Cheers broke out as Kakashi took a great breathe of air while his skin seemed to brighten a little more in color as blood flowed through his veins again. Shizune gave a thumbs up after checking Iruka. Both men were breathing. Turtle was crying like a big baby as Genma smacked him hard on the back in apparent joy.
"Yamanaka-san, what did you do?" Tsunade breathed, seeming to be overcome by emotion as Iruka's and Kakashi's heartbeats picked up in rhythm, but were no longer in synchronization.
"Wasn't me," Yamanaka laughed, as the voices died down and all turned to see him point with apparent fondness at Iruka, "It was him."
"What?" Anko demanded, pulling off her mask, "Ru-chan?"
"He was still fighting even after his heart stopped," Yamanaka voiced with a shake of his head, "I found Iruka trying to drag Kakashi past the wall that had been shattered into bits. I think Kakashi broke the wall with chidori, but had no energy left to get away from what had to be a cloud of death. Iruka, as weakened and ill as he is, was using every bit of energy he had left to try and save Kakashi. Iruka could hardly stand up and was dragging Kakashi to safety when I arrived to help."
"You did good, Kid," Asuma complimented, placing a hand on Iruka's shoulder before blinking and moving the hand to the chunin's forehead before looking up with a blinding smile, "Hokage-sama, I think Iruka's fever has finally broken."
Lady Tsunade walked over and did a quick exam before grinning as she gently removed the tube from Iruka's throat and placing a normal breathing mask over the chunin's face. Iruka was able to finally breathe on his own. The life support was no longer needed.
"Good job, Shinobi," Tsunade whispered down to Iruka, "The wall was the answer to the riddle, but you were still the key. I knew you wouldn't let us down, Iruka-kun. Shizune?"
The kunoichi stepped up and soon her green medical jutsu glowed as she examined the chunin.
"I am clearing out his lungs again," Shizune beamed, "Now that the wall is gone, I am able to get Iruka-kun's immune system to start fighting the pneumonia fully. Plus, the medication you developed is beginning to work. Antibodies are forming at an exceptional rate to fight his illness."
"So Ru's going to be able to heal now?" Genma asked eagerly, "And Kakashi will strengthen again, right?"
"They both will be fine in time," Tsunade breathed as happy voices began to mutter around her until the Hokage straightened her back and turned on everyone in all seriousness, "Anbu, replace your masks. Bear, wake up the blonde brat and inform him that his special people are safe and will heal. We will not lose two of our Leaf today and never will any of my precious shinobi go through what Iruka-kun has been placed through within our own village. That will be an ongoing mission for all Anbu. Shield and protect, am I understood?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" everyone in the room called out before leaving as Shizune shooed them away.
Bear lifted Naruto from Jiraiya's arms and exited with the rest of his team.
"Nice, Brat," Tsunade smiled as she reached to smooth Kakashi's hair from his cheek and quickly cut off his bloody mask to clean the jonin up and recovered his face with first a surgical mask and then the breathing mask, "I swear I'll kill you myself if you scare me like that again. Iruka-kun, you too."
The lady looked to Jiraiya and shuddered as the emotions crept up on her. This had all been too damn close for her comfort.
"Bar?" Jiraiya asked.
"Bar," Tsunade agreed.
oOo
The first thing that greeted Kakashi when he woke was Gai's crying face.
"Wha?" Kakashi breathed as Gai boo-hooed harder while the Copy-nin bit back a sigh at realizing that a tube was fitted over each of his ears and beneath his mask, feeding oxygen into his nostrils, "Huh?"
"My cool, eternal, most hip, and such a youthful rival!" Gai bawled, "You mustn't scare me so. Comas and dying for a moment. For shame!"
Kakashi blinked and reached to rub irritably at the itchy tube before grunting as a hand slapped his fingers away.
"Don't touch that, Brat," Tsunade fussed as the Copy-nin growled, "Don't start. A shinobi whose heart stopped needs as much fresh oxygen as he can get. Plus, it took forever to work that tube under the mask Gai brought for you and still keep your face covered like you insist on. No touching."
Kakashi's fuzzy mind wrapped around the words before everything that had occurred returned to him in stunning clarity.
"Iruka!" the jonin gasped, trying to rise even as hands held him back.
"Ru-kun is fine," Genma chirped, pointing over to the chunin who still seemed to be deeply asleep with Naruto curled next to him sawing logs, "You did so good, Kakakshi, but you and Ru still need time to recover from what you went through so keep still. Ru hasn't woke up yet, but he's beginning to gain some weight. Hokage-sama said he'll probably wake any day now. It was you we've been worried the most about."
"Me?" Kakashi questioned, feeling irritated that his voice sounded so weak.
"You've been in a coma a little over three weeks and needed constant chakra rehabilitation," Tsunade reported as the Copy-nin's eyes widened, "You poured everything into pulling Iruka back and then it's Iruka that saves your ass. This is rich!"
"Maa, maa," Kakashi voiced, looking to the sleeping chunin, "As long as he's going to be okay, I can stand the indignity."
Tsunade scrubbed a hand through the Copy-nin's hair as he snarled at the personal invasion.
"Yamanaka was able to unravel you and Ru-kun," Genma continued, handing Kakashi his newest book as the Copy-nin grinned happily, "Said that you had tied yourself completely around Ru. Do you know what you did?"
"Not a clue," Kakashi snorted, "Didn't even know I could do that."
"Don't you ever do that again, Senpai!" Yamato growled as he stalked across the room, much to Kakashi's amusement, "Here."
The Copy-nin blinked as a paper bag was held out to him. He could smell his favorite miso soup from where he lay.
"It was supposed to be my lunch, but you've lost some weight while you slept so eat up, Senpai," Yamato ordered, placing the bag in Kakashi's hands, "Stupid shinobi!"
Yamato stomped back out of the room as Kakashi smiled softly. That jonin was a sensitive one. Gai pulled the curtain around Kakashi's bed fully closed to give the jonin some privacy. Gai was one of the few that had ever been trusted enough to see Kakashi's face and had to help the Copy-nin hold the mug of soup to sip from.
"Sorry," Kakashi apologized as Gai assisted him in eating.
"Don't apologize for shaky hands," Gai fussed lightly, tipping the mug a little more as Kakashi gratefully ate, "You've been in a coma and only had liquid nourishment. Of course it's going to take a little time to recover."
"Mm," Kakashi hummed in agreement, settling back to allow Gai to hold the mug, "Still a little embarrassing."
Gai snorted softly as he continued to feed the Copy-nin until Kakashi couldn't eat anymore.
"See? Eating like a bird," Gai huffed, pulling the curtain open again since Kakashi's mask was back in place.
"Not too bad," Tsunade denied after looking into the mug, "Remember that Kakashi just woke from a three week coma, Gai. His appetite will improve the more he eats."
"Ah," Gai hummed, looking happier as Izumo and Kotetsu hurried into the room to hand the Hokage some files she had requested.
Naruto chose that moment to wake up. He yawned sleepily and glanced towards Kakashi.
"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto greeted before pausing, "Kakashi-sensei?"
The Copy-nin grunted as he got an armful of jovial genin a second later.
"You're awake!" Naruto crowed as Gai, Izumo, Kotetsu, Genma, and Tsunade chuckled at Kakashi's expense, "I'm so glad! Now Iruka-sensei needs to wake up and everything will be great!"
"Okay, okay," Kakashi laughed, "Happy you're so happy. Now get off me. You weigh a ton. Jiraiya-sama, what have you been feeding the kid?"
"Boulders and bricks," Jiraiya teased from where he leaned in the doorway, "Good healthy eating, right, Naruto?"
"Right," Naruto giggled before freezing as he looked at Iruka, "Oh, wow! Iruka-sensei?"
The room grew quiet as the genin raced to Iruka. The chunin didn't look like he had moved, but something had gotten Naruto's attention.
"Come on," Naruto called as most held their breath and waited, "Wake up, Iruka-sensei."
Nothing…until Iruka's right hand twitched as Naruto beamed.
"Wake up, wake up," the genin insisted, reaching to hold Iruka's hand, "I've waited for so long, Iruka-sensei. You promised to treat me to ramen when I got back, but if you wake up, I'll treat you to ramen. Kakashi-sensei too. Come on!"
"You heard the boy, Iruka," Kakashi tried, leaning forward a bit from his pilow, "We've got a date. Open your eyes."
Iruka remained passive for several long moments until finally dark eyelashes fluttered above the breathing mask and then lids opened revealing hazy, brown eyes. Naruto squealed when the eyes rolled in his direction. No one missed the slight turn up of Iruka's lips beneath the breathing mask as the youth began to babble about how much the chunin had been missed while a weight around many hearts in the room lifted.
"That's more like it," Tsunade voiced, walking to check over the man, "Iruka-kun, I think you've scared several years off of my life. Serves me right. I don't know if you can understand me fully right now since you just woke back up, but I'm sorry for not realizing what was occurring to you. I hope one day you can forgive me and all your comrades."
Iruka blinked at the Hokage before his eyes began to search out the others in the room. His eyes widened at the wall covered in childish artwork only to crinkle a second later in amusement and finally those brown eyes landed on Kakashi. Most blinked at the angry scowl the Copy-nin was receiving.
"Maa, maa, Iruka-sensei, I just woke up too," Kakashi retorted with mock anger, "I haven't had a chance to tell them yet so don't glare at me. So pushy, Sensei."
To be continued…