Hi guys Chapter 24 woop woop :-) Enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: SAME AS FIRST CHAPTER.
Clicking of hasty heels echoed down the corridor towards intensive care, double doors ricocheting of the walls as the two figures move though them. Getting closer to their destination, three ANBU stood outside the door quietly conversing with each other. The Fifth knew they had found Iruka but an empty feeling settled in her stomach as she remembered what Shizune had said;
"An injured Jōnin."
Slowing down as she got to the door the conversation stopped and all three masked shinobi bowed to their leader.
"Did you find Iruka?" the medic asked hoping that they did and he was safe. Dragon stepped forward;
"We did Hokage-sama as well as Kakashi Hatake. They appeared in a clearing half a mile away form the village boarder, they were brought back by a women." this perked the blonds interest.
"What women?"
"She wore black and purple robes, long black hair. She had an aura of something worse than death around her." stated dragon reciting from memory.
"You are dismissed, I'll send you word when your debriefing will be." the three subordinates bowed again before disappearing in a blink of an eye. Silence followed after, the Fifths mind raced things were becoming hard.
"TSUNADE-SAMA HELP!" shouted Shizune from within the room. Those words ripped the Sannin from her mind, realising she was still standing outside while someone laid in the room dying. She made her way into the room ready to put her all into saving the persons life.
As she ran to the patient her hands already aglow with green chakra, her eye widened at the state of her top Jōnin. His entire body was black as the night sky, a massive hole in his stomach. The shock lasted for a split second, making her way around to the opposite side of her apprentice and began to heal the blackened body.
Hours passed as the medics did everything to heal the injured Jōnin, progress was slow to start of with but it seemed to be getting easier when the chakra seal was taken off. Still the poison was beginning to become resilient to the antibiotics being pumped into his system. Five medics battled the poison trying to find its cure, the progress was even slower. The Fifth ordered Sakura, Ino and Hinata to work on it together to find a cure.
By the time all the blackened skin was gone and Kakashi vitals returned to a more normal rhythm the sun was setting, sixteen hours they battle to get him to were he was.
"Excellent work everyone, I want an hourly report on his condition no matter how insufficient you might think it is." praised the exhausted medic as she looked at the nurse on duty. Receiving a nod of understanding, she made her way out with an equally exhausted Shizune.
"You did well today Shizune your skills are progressing steadily." smiled the worn out medic. "Before I debrief the ANBU on this matter I'm going to see how Iruka is doing." Shizune stopped walking here head bowed. Tsunade noticed this and turned and faced the younger women.
"Why have you stopped Shizune?" inquired the blond. The brunette started to shake her head.
"He's dead." was all but whispered. "The ANBU brought him in along with Kakashi-san...there was nothing we could of done to save him..."
"H-how did he die?"as all she could say, trying to comprehend how he could of died.
"It appeared a long blade entered his back at an angle, and followed all the way through passing through his heart." nothing was said after that, Shizune looked at her master. "What are you going to tell Naruto?"
"I don't know...I honestly don't know."
In the Inuzuka compound two exhausted teens laid on the grass, along with a sleeping canine. They've been training all day only having one break which was at midday, however even the break didn't do much to their energy levels. Both had got stronger over the course of three years, Kiba's team work with Akamaru gotten to the point were very few words had to be exchanged. Naruto's taijustu has gotten stronger and more refined as well as his arsenal of ninjutsu's has increased over the years as well.
"I haven't had a sparring match like that in ages." breathed the blond looking up at the late evening sky. "Red sky at night Sheppard's delight." he mumbled to himself.
"Boys can you come in!" shouted the Matriarch through the sliding patio doors. Groaning they got up reluctantly dusting themselves off as they made their way to patio doors. When they made their way through the house they found an ANBU standing near Tsume.
"Uzumaki Naruto?" asked the toneless masked ninja. The boy just nodded. "Your are to report to the Fifth Hokage immediately."
"Do you know what Baa-chan wants?" inquired the whiskered teen.
"She didn't say anything, except to bring you to see her asap." answered the ANBU nonchalantly.
"Can you wait until I have a shower? I'll only be five minutes." he asked receiving a slight nod, quickly looking at boy next to him he ran up the stairs. Kiba knew something was up, his eyes narrowed slightly at the ANBU standing infront of before making his way up to his room.
Five minutes passed and a refreshed blonde walked down the stairs making his way towards the masked figure.
"Ready?" holding out his gloved hand to the teen who took it hesitantly. The moment his hand held the gloved one they were gone.
In a plum of smoke the pair appeared infront of the Fifths office, letting go off his hand the ANBU knocked on the door.
"Enter" the man opened the door, walking into the room.
"Uzumaki Naruto Hokage-sama." announced the man stepping aside as the teen entered the room. The blond noticed Jiraiya, Shizune and another man he hasn't seen before. Hearing the door close behind him, he couldn't shake a feeling in his stomach.
"You wanted to see me Baa-chan?" he asked in a reserved tone, his eyes glancing at each of the occupants.
"Yes Naruto I did..." she started unable to meet his eyes. "How are things with you and Kiba?"
"Things are fine...but that's not why you asked me here...is it Baa-chan?" observed the teen his sapphire eyes never leaving the medics. Taking a deep breath she finally met the boys gaze.
"Naruto...Iruka..." taking another breath she continued. "Naruto...Iruka is dead." a deafening silence gripped the office every ones eyes were on the teen.
"H-how can he be dead? I saw him just yesterday." he asked more to himself than to anyone in particular.
"He came to me last night asking about Kakashi, and I told him that there has been no contact from him. He knew something but I couldn't put my finger on it, so I sent Cat to watch him and if necessary stop him. You know as well as I do Naruto, Iruka would of gone after Kakashi, Kakashi in turn would of done the same."
"So you let him go?" emotions were creeping into his voice. "You let him go with out sending someone after him?" he could feel his blood beginning to boil. "And yet he still died!" his irises narrowing into slits burning a hole in the Hokage's eyes.
"I sent an ANBU team after him! Put they didn't get to him in time, not before Matsuho did." the last bit was a mere whisper. Now the whiskered teen fist started to shake with anger, the anger making his blood boiling.
'She's going to pay dearly for killing him, along side Hatake for failing to protect my surrogate father.'
His eyes were now blood red, the Kyuubi's chakra making it's way into his system fuelling his anger. The occupants felt the change of the boy's demeanour becoming darker and the bloodlust leaking of him, Jiraiya and the other man were getting ready to stop the blond boy before they could act he was gone.
"Jiraiya, Yamato get after him before anything happens!" barked Tsunade, as the words felt her mouth a massive roar echoed through out the village along with a wave of K.I. Both me left the room and ran after the teen, an other wave of K.I washed over the village along with an explosion of chakra.
"There he is!" shouted Yamato pointing out a red figure on the wall facing away from them. "Is that two tails?" asked the brunette racing across the roof tops along side the toad sage.
"We have to stop him before he loses more control, and become more animalistic." speeding up to get to the possessed blond. As they were about to reached him he launched himself into the woods running across the forest floor, making his way towards the dark presence he felt. Seconds passed as he made his way to the clearing, every single one of his senses were amplified; he was able to see, smell and hear far better than any animal even better than the Inuzuka's clan traits. Reaching the clearing the chakra covered teen stayed in the middle searching for the one how hurt his father.
"Are you here to cause me harm Naruto-kun?" asked as sickly sweet voice, the whiskered teen swirled around facing the voice. "Are you here because I killed your precious Iruka?" the glee clear in her tone, a deep menacing growl vibrated in the boys throat warning her that he will attack.
"I had the privilege of killing Iruka, and Kakashi was the one who sentenced his own lover to death!" cackled the women. It was clear she was enjoying reeling the boy up, making his anger fester into something far more sinister. The coaxing was working another tail formed, with a roar the boy launched himself at the women, appearing before her. His hand drawn back the demon cloak mimicking his actions, brought his clawed hand down on the demons face sending her flying into the surrounding trees.
A dust cloud appeared half a mile away from the village wall, spotting it the two men made there way towards it.
As the dust was settling a manic cackle filled the forest, a silhouette made it's way through the settling dust. The blond crouched low to the ground, every muscle coiled ready to launch himself at her again. In a blink of an eye she had him pinned against a tree by the throat, her slender fingers tightening.
"You are weak like the rest of your kind." her grip getting tighter. Franticly the blond struggled against his assailant trying to get free with little success, the demon fox cloak started dissipate. "You are going to join your precious mother and father, as well as Iruka." tanned hands gripped hold of the enemies wrist trying to pull her off. His body slowly started to shut down due to the lack of oxygen, his raw instincts kicked in fighting the person restricting his air. The more he struggled the more tired his body became, green eyes danced at the site of his life slowly diminishing.
A kunai flew through the air impaling itself in Matsuho's arm, instinctively she released the suffocated teen and jumped away from him. Looking in the direction of were it came from she wasn't surprised who she saw.
"Well look who we have her." a slightly annoyed expression flashed across her face while pulling the embedded weapon out of her arm. Her emerald eyes drifted to where the unconscious teen was being help up.
'It seems my fun has been spoilt. No matter there is always next time.'
A demon grin reached her lips at the thought.
"Until next time." she said grinning like a mad man, before bursting into green flames. Her laughter died down as she disappeared leaving only small flames dancing around the clearing.
"Master Jiraiya, Naruto is gaining consciousness." called Yamato gaining the Sannin attention. Walking over to the pair he watched as the boy stirred, suddenly sitting up and coughing violently. Sapphire eyes looked from the man crouched next to him then to his master, remembering who he was fighting he scrambled getting up and looking around for his opponent.
"She's left Naruto so calm down." placing a calming hand on the Chūnin's shoulder. Feeling his godfathers hand on his shoulder he shrugged it off and began to walk back to the village. Ignoring the calls after him, he hoped onto a branch and yet out of site.
"He's taken this really hard, hasn't he." observed the Jōnin staring after the boy.
"He has. Iruka was the first person to see him as that and not what he holds. The man was his family, a father he never had." replied the Toad Sage, his eyes full of sadness. "It seems fate tries everything to put a dampener on the boys happiness."
The Fifth Hokage walked down a hospital corridor towards Kakashi's room, her feet heavy as the carried her to the ill Jōnin. Something inside her felt empty.
'I failed to protect my subordinates, and most importantly I failed my godson.' she was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realise she was in the room.
"I'm glad your here Master." greeted Sakura walking up to the medic holding a chart. Noticing the outstretched clipboard, she ran through the charts one after the other. Then something jumped out at her, his blood and liver results. "Do you noticed the subtle changes in his red and white blood cell count? That what has me stomped they're going up and down but ever so slightly, it's properly nothing considering what he went through." looking at her team leader sadly.
"Have you touched him at all Sakura?" asked the medic staring at the girl.
"No master I've only came in to see how he was doing. Why?"
"To be on the safe side I want a full blood test. Use level 3 HI (Hazardous Infections) protocols." ordered the Sannin. Upon receiving her orders the younger kunoichi got to work immediately, gathering everything she needed to comply with Lv3 HI protocols. Ten minutes past as the two medics drew the necessary blood to carry out the test.
"I'll see to these personally along with Shizune as Hinata and Ino are still working on the poison." told the pink haired teen bowing to her superior, making her way out of the room carefully transporting the blood. Tsunade watched the young women leave before cleaning her hands at the near by sink, staring at the still reflection in the mirror.
'What are you hiding Kakashi? Something isn't right.'
She thought as she walked to the door giving the sleeping man one last look, she walked out of the room leaving the sight of the sun slipping into the earth leaving an array of oranges, pinks and purples.
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