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 Fourteen
"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."
"Tell us what, Brat?" Tsunade demanded, hearing the Copy-nin's tease while she stroked Iruka's hair softly as the chunin looked up at her in shock.
"He's forgiven us," Kakashi stated, "Too easily if you ask me. I hardly feel we deserve to be forgiven after what Iruka has suffered. I think there should be more groveling, ne, Naruto?"
"Yeah!" Naruto huffed before smiling as it seemed Iruka was laughing softly.
"We have a lot to make up for, that is certain," Tsunade nodded out, patting Iruka on the shoulder, "Thank you for your forgiveness. You are too kind, Iruka-kun. Now it is time to rest. You have a lot of weight to gain back and healing to do since your vital systems took some damage from the starvation and your illness, but you will recover fully. That's good because the mission room is in a complete state of chaos, the reports coming in are atrocious, your students have hung no less than three subs from a tree, and I had a manager of a civilian community center having a conniption that he needs your help with tutoring since he was wrong to judge so quickly. You are needed very much so rest up. Jiraiya, I need sake. Treat me now."
The two Sannin left bickering over who was going to treat who as Izumo and Kotetsu immediately surrounded Iruka while they babbled out apologies and held to their friend's frail hands. Naruto went over and hopped up on Kakashi's bed with a happy grin and waved at a few of his old classmates as they fought behind the observation window get a spot to see their former sensei finally awake. Shikamaru nodded at Kakashi with a smirk that made the Copy-nin beam.
"What?" Kotetsu asked as Iruka moved his hand in a standard field sign again for the other chunin, "Weight? I don't understand, Ruka."
"He's fussing at us, Ko," Izumo laughed, wiping at his tearing eyes, "He is saying we look like we lost weight. Iruka's not happy."
"Ah," Kotetsu grinned out, reaching to ruffle Iruka's hair as gently as possible while the weakened chunin seemed to huff, "Kakashi gave Anko, Genma, Zumo, and I your message, Ruka, but…everything just tasted like sand for Zumo and I, Raidou had to chase Genma down every time the man got a hold of a senbon, and Anko settling when she is angry? That'll be the day. We're so happy to see you awake. We'll eat as long as you promise the same."
Kakashi watched as Iruka signed again. Promise. The Copy-nin was none too happy seeing Iruka's clumsy movements. The chunin would need extensive rehabilitation. Some of Iruka's muscles had forgotten their roles while he was unconscious and would need some reminding.
"It's true, Ibiki! Ru-chan!"
Iruka smiled again as Anko practically smothered him in her efforts to hug the chunin after she had burst into the room. Ibiki's unsmiling face peered into the room, but his shoulders relaxed once he saw Iruka awake. Kakashi watched the interactions with a lighter feeling. This was right. This was how Konoha was supposed to feel. After a lot of fussing, Iruka's eyes finally closed and he drifted to sleep-a normal sleep.
"Shouldn't-shouldn't Iruka-sensei need to eat before going to sleep?" Naruto whispered, looking worried, "He's so thin, Kakashi-sensei."
"He'll eat a little the next he wakes," Kakashi promised as the blonde relaxed some, "Remember that Iruka-sensei has been unconscious for quite a while. He won't be able to eat a lot at first since his stomach is shrunken, but Iruka will slowly get his appetite back. No rushing him, Naruto."
"I won't," Naruto promised before engulfing the shocked jonin in a hug, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei, for bringing my Iruka-sensei back."
The rest of the chunin and jonin in the room held back laughter as the Copy-nin blushed, feeling flustered and unsure how to respond so he merely patted the blonde on his back.
"Maa, maa, Naruto, it seems it was the other way around since your Iruka-sensei had to save my tail in the end," Kakashi admitted as the genin snorted in amusement as he sat back up, "Why don't you go report to Shikamaru and the rest, I'm sure they want to know what Tsunade said about Iruka. Get."
Naruto giggled and shot out the door as Kakashi sighed in exasperation. That child was wild and crazy and at times-too loving.
"Eternal Rival, you are a hip and youthful liar," Gai pointed out as Kakashi stared at him in confusion, "You did good, Kakashi. Get some sleep."
Kakashi looked to Gai and then over at Iruka's sleeping form. The chunin looked a little less pale and didn't seem so limp and still as before. Humming softly, the Copy-nin allowed Gai to help him settle in bed then he blushed anew as Izumo and Kotetsu bowed in unison to Kakashi before taking their leave.
"Jeez, the way everyone is acting," Kakashi complained, getting comfortable, "You'd think someone died or something."
Titters rang out as Kakashi fought the pillow Gai was trying to smother him with before the Copy-nin finally was left to sleep. It felt good to rest without worries pulling at him for once in quite a bit of time.
Epilogue:
"Aw," Naruto whined as Kakashi pushed Iruka's wheelchair to the front lobby of the hospital, but far from the drafty door.
"Iruka can barely speak full sentences right now, let alone travel all the way to the village gates," Kakashi snorted as his student huffed, "The Hokage won't even release me from the hospital yet and I'm nearly at normal strength again, Naruto. It may be coming spring, but the weather is too cold for Iruka to be out in it yet. We don't want him to relapse, right?"
"Right," Naruto agreed quickly, smoothing the blanket over the chunin's legs, "Wish I could stay until you are all healed good as new, Iruka-sensei."
"Train," Iruka urged while Kakashi wrapped the shawl around the chunin's shoulders a bit tighter and ruffled the younger man's ponytail just to tease him, "See soon. Miss."
Kakashi frowned at the stilted words. Iruka's recovery was going well, but the jonin wanted to see his friend back to how he was before that awful mission.
"I'm going to miss you too. I was also supposed to treat you and Kakashi-sensei to ramen," Naruto replied while he hugged Iruka tight around the waist as the chunin chuckled, "You're too skinny still, Iruka-sensei. I can feel your ribs too much."
"I'll take care of that," the Copy-nin promised as he stooped next to Iruka's wheelchair, "It takes time to regain weight, Naruto, but the Hokage is seeing to your Iruka-sensei special. He'll be right back to his old self shortly and when you get back you'll treat Iruka and I to ramen."
"Promise?" the genin asked.
"Promise," Iruka grinned out, shaking his head, "Be fine. Write. Stay safe. No Icha Icha."
"I know, right?" Naruto snorted, looking up at Kakashi, "I don't get that stuff at all. Makes no sense."
"Hmph," the jonin huffed before startling as Naruto glared at him sternly, "What?"
"Don't you dare let anyone be mean to my Iruka-sensei again," the genin snarled, "Or I'll rasengan your ass!"
"Naruto!" Iruka hissed, blushing hot.
"I give you my word," Kakashi vowed as the blonde quieted, "Go on, Naruto. Jiraiya-sama is waiting for you. Be safe, Kid."
After a few more hugs and encouraging words from Iruka, Naruto tore away. Iruka smiled after the boy. The brat had been threatening everyone that came to apologize and visit with his past sensei since Iruka had woke up two weeks ago. Iruka understood Naruto's possessiveness. The chunin felt the same way about the blonde.
"Ready for some physical therapy?" Kakashi asked as Iruka looked up and nodded.
"Kakashi-san?" Iruka began as the jonin lowered himself so that the chunin didn't have to look up at him from the wheelchair, "Thank you…save me. Not leave Naruto. You do."
The words were simple, but the Copy-nin understood what his friend was trying to communicate.
"Thank you for saving me from murdering a child," Kakashi answered as Iruka blinked, "Thank you for saving my butt when I know you had no energy left to spare, but most of all…thank you for being my friend. Leaf stick together, right?"
"Of course we do," Genma snorted as he slid up to Iruka's other side, startling the shinobi as the man waggled his senbon at the two, "I've been sent to fetch the two of you. PT is certainly helping the atrophy in your muscles, Ru-kun, and Lady Tsunade wants you to get a deep-tissue massage, Kakashi. We see you hiding your discomfort."
"Just a little stiff from lying still so long until I was able to move about more," Kakashi soothed as Iruka turned to him in horror, "Genma!"
"Ru-kun is shinobi," Genma pointed out as Iruka relaxed and smiled up at the senbon-loving jonin, "He would have noticed your lying ways, right Ru?"
Iruka chuckled as he winked at Kakashi. He had been noticing that something was off with his new friend and appreciated the fact that his skills were being acknowledged by Genma.
"Sneaky," Iruka fussed as Genma pushed him towards PT.
"Nin-ja," Kakashi retorted evenly while Iruka eyed the Hokage's tower.
It was nice to not look at that building with dread any longer. He looked up as Kakashi kneeled before him suddenly as the Copy-nin glanced to the tower and back to Iruka.
"You never broke, Iruka," Kakashi whispered as the chunin gasped that the jonin had read his thoughts so easily, "You showed us all up. Every last one of us. I'm glad your home."
Iruka sighed and looked down for a moment as Genma leaned down to watch the chunin.
"Glad too," Iruka finally replied, "Didn't break…you help. Helped a lot."
"What are friends for?" Kakashi beamed, "I've even notice that sometimes you get bored during PT and I came up with a solution. Want me to read some of my new Icha Icha to you while you are stretching?"
"No," Iruka snapped, blushing red, as Genma chuckled.
"But it's so interesting," Kakashi teased while Genma pushed the wheelchair forward, "You'll love it, Sensei."
Iruka grinned when he nailed the Copy-nin in the head with a pen he grabbed off a nearby desk, making Kakashi squawk.
"Still got it," Iruka bragged, which made the two jonin howl in laughter.
It was good to finally feel like Konoha was home again and now…now there was more friends and comrades to stand beside. Iruka's sense of security was back and he could say that he was happy again. Happy to be shinobi. Happy to be Leaf.
The end.
This was a treat to write and I hope people enjoyed.
Please review if you think I should write some more Naruto stories.
Love,
Me.