Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Hope ❯ Part 3 ( Chapter 3 )

I am glad that I am getting a good response for this fic. One of my wonderful reviewers complained about the chapter being too short. Hey girl, I hate short chapters too! Man, I can understand how you feel when the story just stops, annoying isn't it? If you check out one of my fics titled `To hold on', I'm sure you'll get a VERY sore headache. I can write long chapters, like the aforementioned chapter above, but really, reading it later on will be tiring for you guys. But I'll try my best to update as often as possible, okay?

Happy reading!

HOPE 3

Tsunade frowned at the report in her hand. She felt her face flush red as she read further and slammed the report folder on her desk. "Where are those two?" She asked, glaring at the messenger who flinched a bit under her gaze.

"They're dead, Hokage-sama." He said, swallowing. "The report says that the jounins dispatched last night killed them."

"Yes, I know they're dead!" Tsunade snapped. "Where are the bodies?"

The poor messenger swallowed again. "In the morgue, Hokage-sama."

"Burn them!" She hissed and glared at the messenger who looked like he was about to wet his pants. "Well?" She yelled, pupils (if possible) dilating even more from the anger she felt. "Get going!"

"Yes Hokage-sama!" The messenger said with a bow and scuttled away before she started spitting more fire.

Tsunade slammed her fists on the wooden table angrily. The occasion that took place last night was something she was not expecting at all. She cursed several times, grabbing her over cloak and heading out of her office, ignoring her secretary who was reminding her of the many appointments that was waiting for her attention. She headed straight for the hospital and in to the secluded ward. She entered the room and found one of her men lying in the bed, pale as death and his face a painting of black and blue bruises. His long hair lay sprayed around the soft white pillow, his forehead bandaged along with a portion of his cheek and neck. She didn't even want to think what he looked like underneath the blanket.

She approached the bed and placed a hand on the sleeping man's forehead. According to the report, he was badly beaten up and when he had lost consciousness he was repeatedly - Tsunade balled up her fists, not wanting to cross that line of thought just now.

"Iruka." She whispered and in her heart, she prayed that he'd wake up soon. Her skills as a healer was no longer required since the hospital doctors took care of him already. The only thing she hoped now is that when he woke up, his state of mind would be all right.

*

"Hey Naruto!" Lee greeted the blonde boy.

"Oh hey geji-mayu!" Naruto greeted back, facing Lee, both hands behind his head.

Although Lee really did not give any permission to anyone to call him that pathetic not to mention insulting nickname, he didn't mind it coming from Naruto. After all, he learned to respect Naruto. He merely gave Naruto a scowl at the nickname then allowed a sigh to escape his lips.

"Where you off to?" Lee asked, shifting the weight of the plastic bag he had in his hand to the other.

"Nowhere really. What you been up to?" Naruto asked, sneaking a glance at the bag Lee was carrying. It had something green in it. Naruto began to wonder that if Lee's taste in food also matched his poor taste in clothing. Maybe Lee really liked green things.

Lee noticed the wondering look in Naruto's face and gave out a sharp `ahem' to catch the blonde boy's attention. "Just shopping for some vegetables. I wasn't expecting to see you here in the market place."

"Ah!" Naruto grinned, the marks on his cheeks making him look like a baby fox. There was something charming about the boy that somehow made people turn. "I just had lunch at the Ichiraku! Nothing to do since baa-san did not give me any missions, so just walking about!"

"I see." Lee said, nodding. "Oh yeah, did Iruka-sensei find you last night?"

At the mention of that name, Naruto frowned, all traces of cheerfulness clearly leaving his face. "No. Why do you ask?"

Lee frowned, then rubbed the back of his head. "Well, mom asked me to go fetch some soy sauce from the nearby store and it was raining last night." Lee nodded to himself, as if assuring his own mind that the memory was true.

"What's that got to do with Iruka-sensei?" Naruto snapped, waving a fist in the air.

"I haven't finished yet." Lee said, waving his index finger at him. "Anyway, while I was heading home, I saw Iruka-sensei running down the street calling out your name. He looked liked he's been out in the rain for a long time." Lee then rubbed his chin, tilting his head up in thought. Naruto blinked at what Lee said and stared at the ground for a few seconds. "Anyway, did he find you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. I was at Kiba's house with Shikamaru."

Lee shrugged. "I think you better go see him. Maybe it's something important." Lee rubbed his chin again. "No ninja would be running around in the cold rain looking for someone. Hmm! Hmm!" Lee nodded to himself. "Well, I'm off! Still have to make lunch! See you around, Naruto!"

"Yeah." Naruto said in a dazed voice, waving as Lee headed the other direction.

The blonde boy quickly headed to Iruka's house only to find it empty. He frowned then remembered the academy and went there only to find out that Iruka hadn't come in that day and that Genma had to take his place. Naruto growled inwardly and went about looking around town for the chuunin teacher. By the time the sun was already setting, Naruto found no trace of the chuunin. He gave out a frustrated cry and decided to go bother someone.

His face cracked in to a mischievous grin as he headed for the Hokage's office, only to find her sitting in her chair, feet on the table, sipping orange juice out of a champagne glass.

"BAA-SAN!" He greeted her, with the loudest and most annoying voice he could ever muster. There was suddenly an audible `tonk' as the empty glass Tsunade had been drinking off hit his head. He caught it quickly before it crashed to the floor. He just knew that if it did, Tsunade was going to make him clean it.

"Keep it down, you idiot!" She hissed and raised an eyebrow. "If you're here to pester me about -"

"Why can't I have a mission today? I was so bored! There was nothing to do! I spent the entire day -" Naruto began to rant about how he spent his day, from the moment he got out of bed till the last few hours. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache brewing. "Then I bumped in to geji-mayu and he claims that Iruka-sensei was looking for me last night! So I went looking for Iruka-sensei - baa-san! Aren't you listening?"

Tsunade had a sad look reflected in her eyes. "Naruto."

Naruto stopped his ranting, seeing the serious expression on the Hokage's face. "What?" He asked.

Tsunade studied the boy for a few minutes, her eyes boring in to his blue ones. She then slowly got up and grabbed her over robe from behind her chair, pulling it on. "Come with me. There's something you need to know." She then stopped and a small sigh of regret escaped her lips. "And see."

*

The beeping of the heart monitor was like drums in his ears rather than beeps. The white walls were like blinding headlights to his eyes and the smell made him want to gag. But what horrified him the most was the sight on the bed.

He was just lying there, pale as death with bruises all over his face. He did not know how to react. He was vaguely aware of a loud scream of horror ringing in his ears.

He then realized that the scream was coming out of his own lips.

TBC

Yikes! One of the reviewers suggested that whatever yours-truly has in store for Iruka should be a past. Eh, thanks, but I don't think this fic would work out if it was something in the past. This situation I am building up here will tackle the `loneliness' field, if you get my drift. As for the Angst genre, maa, maa, just wait and see!

Tune in next time folks!