Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Hope ❯ Part 5 ( Chapter 5 )

HOPE 5

Kakashi was about to smile and give him an encouraging word or two when the sudden look of horror filled Iruka's eyes, making the dark pupils dilate. Cold sweat began to form on the man's forehead and neck and all the muscles, injured or not, began to tense, his breaths becoming hitched at the pit of his throat.

A loud scream escaped the man's lips, as he jerked his hand off Kakashi and struggled to get away from him as far as possible. Kakashi jumped back in surprise and then tried to calm him down in vain. Doctors rushed in as soon as the scream rang out through out the entire almost-empty ward.

"Get off me! Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" Iruka screamed, thrashed and howled. Kakashi found himself staring at the once calm, cheerful and sweet man battle with a mass of white doctors and more kept pouring in and finally the Hokage herself. "Don't touch me! Get off me! Off! Get off!"

"Sedate him!" Tsunade finally said, snapping to her senses.

The screams and thrashing died down in a few minutes once of the doctors had pushed a needle in to Iruka's veins with a rather large dose of the sedatives. The doctors that were surrounding Iruka took several steps away from the mangled bed, where Iruka now lay on his side, exposing his entire torso for the world to see. Naruto let out a small yelp at the sight of the torso. Not only was it covered in bruises, but it was also covered with cuts of all sizes, nail prints and by heavens, were those teeth marks? How hard was Iruka bitten for the marks to stay on his skin for two weeks and counting?

"Leave us!" Hokage said, ordering the rest of the doctors to leave, save for one. She turned her eyes towards Kakashi and Naruto. "That goes for the both of you as well."

Naruto blinked and nodded. Kakashi merely led the boy away, closing the door behind him with a light click. Tsunade was a skilled healer and would take care of Iruka's body. Kakashi crossed his fingers in hope that she could also cure Iruka's state of mind.

*

Tsunade sighed and leaned her head back on her chair. It's been one week since Iruka woke up and also one week since she's been doing her infamous chakra healing. She was drained and tired and really needed sleep. She had ordered the doctors in the hospital to sedate Iruka if he ever launches in to another panic attack and so far, ever since he woke up, he had had four panic attacks. Most of the time, Iruka was asleep but when he wakes up to find someone near him he started to scream bloody-murder.

Naruto was one of his victims.

The boy had come to visit him, in high hopes that the teacher would be better and in a right state of mind. Unfortunately, whatever dosage of sedatives was given to Iruka that day was already running out. Naruto was backhanded rather hard (considering it came from an injured-bedridden man) and landed on the floor. The poor boy was so shocked that for the whole day he couldn't speak. Tsunade worried about him and advised him to not visit Iruka at particular hours of the day. She also gave him so reassurance that he would be okay. The boy wasn't a depraved insensible wretch to understand her.

But what worried Tsunade the most was Kakashi. The man, ever since that incident in the hospital with Iruka, Kakashi had been sucking up all A-class missions that the other Jounins were left almost jobless. Last night, Kakashi took a mission that required teams. When the team returned, they looked ashen faced and were stuttering a bit. If Tsunade remembered what one of the jounins said, it would have been something along the lines of horror. Apparently, they had witnessed Kakashi in his angry-sharingan-mode and it was really not a pretty picture. She then ordered them to not give Kakashi any missions and should he have any problems, he is to come and see her personally.

So far, Iruka has been healing quite nicely. Her chakra healing had somewhat sped up his healing capabilities and most of the bruises that littered his face and torso were gone. He looked more human now rather than a Picasso painting. A week of sending chakra into him and tapping in to the right muscles and nerves really was paying off for she was getting pleasing results. Sooner of later, Iruka would be able to go home.

*

Iruka woke up in the middle of the night and stared at his ceiling. He felt greasy and dirty. He tiredly brought a hand to his head and touched the greasy locks of brown hair. He winced inwardly and told himself to use an entire bottle of shampoo the first chance he got. He slowly sat up from his bed and blinked at how he could move easier. He stared at his arms and noticed how the bruises were little now. He slowly got off the bed and slid in to the bathroom to relive himself. He was very hungry and really wished he could have something warm to eat. Maybe some beef ramen.

Iruka looked at the mirror and paled at the sight that greeted him. His face was white, and he had bags under his eyes. His hair was free from the ratty-ponytail he always wore and was limp and greasy around his face. His cheekbones were protruding more than usual and so were his collarbones. He still had a small bruise on his jaw line but otherwise his face was fine. The bandage that was on his other cheek was removed, along with the one around his neck and forehead. His lips were dry and ash in color. He licked it slowly, giving it a little moisture and much to his chagrin, nothing happened. It was still the purple-gray color. He lifted his shirt slightly and his eyes widened at the sight of his ribs protruding sickeningly out of his skin. He quickly pulled his shirt down and left the bathroom, sitting on his bed instead. He stared at the stars outside

He felt really tired. He remembered clearly what happened and felt repulsed. He was angry with himself for being weak, for not being able to fight two other chuunins that were clearly amateurs. He had hoped that he would save such a sacred act for someone that means dear to him. Now, he couldn't even stand another presence within a five-foot radius.

The door opened slowly and he tensed on the bed at the sudden presence.

*

Kakashi was pissed. First, that damn thing happens to Iruka. Second, Tsunade gave a pathetic order to stop giving him missions. Third - well, there wasn't a third. The point being was that he was not in the best of moods. And the fact that whenever the topic of Iruka being in a hospital came up, he wanted to pound the living daylights of whoever opened such a topic.

He found himself making his way to the hospital. It's been a week since his last visit and he thought it cruel to act like he was currently doing so. He entered the room silently and his eyes widened at the sight of Iruka sitting on the bed, muscles tensed.

He didn't speak for several seconds. When he finally processed the idea that Iruka was awake he took some steps forward to face the man, only to be stopped by his words.

"Come one more step closer and I'll tell Hokage-sama to make sure you're banned from entering my room."

Kakashi flinched. Well, if that happened, looks like he'll have a third reason to be put off on a daily basis. Instead of coming up with a comeback to the words the academy teacher said, he merely sighed. "How do you feel?"

"Does it concern you?" Iruka retaliated.

Kakashi felt something in him twist. "Is it a crime to ask the well-being of a comrade?"

"Can't you see it for yourself, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka's voice was as cold as steel.

Kakashi closed his eyes, saddened. "I can see that Hokage-sama is doing a good job with her chakra healing. Your bruises are almost all gone." Kakashi kept looking at the back of Iruka. The man not once since he came in turned to acknowledge his presence. "But how do you feel?" There was silence. "Naruto is worried about you." Iruka's shoulders slumped forward. "He told me that you weren't eating."

"Again, tell me why does this concern you, because I am confused." Kakashi blinked. Either Iruka hit his head badly or Tsunade messed up somewhere in her chakra healing. "Because I cannot seem to find any reason for a man like you, who finds me but an `annoying-selfish-over-protective-teacher' to be here in the middle of the night asking my well being."

Kakashi blinked. "Annoying-selfish-over-protective-teacher?" He parroted, not exactly sure where all of that fit in. He took one step forward and was stopped again.

"One more bloody step and I fucking swear on my dead parents' grave that I'll scream till my damn throat rips!"

Kakashi swallowed and stepped back. "Iruka, I understand that you're upset, but I mean no harm. I want to help you."

"Help me?" Iruka asked, amused.

Kakashi frowned and in a blink of an eye, he was in front of Iruka hands on his shoulder and looking at him deep in to his eyes. Before a word could even escape his mouth, he watched with wide eyes as Iruka paled even more, shiver and then shut his eyes tightly.

Iruka could feel the rough and cold touches on his body, the painful sensation upon his entrance and the choking feeling on his throat. He could feel sweat drip on his rain soaked body, the feeling as if fire had burned him. He felt the monstrous hands; limbs and lips touch him in areas he wished he could cover at the moment. Black night blinded his visions and cries of pain escaped his lips as he was continuously used.

Kakashi winced as the loud scream rang out in the entire room like a war siren. Immediately, nurses and doctors piled in to the room and ordered him to leave immediately as they sedated the man on the bed. Kakashi stared at the scene with bewilderment. Iruka didn't even want him to touch him. He felt his throat constrict and his chest tighten. With a heavy heart, he headed home.

Tomorrow, he would apologize to Iruka.

*

That next evening, when Kakashi got off watch duty, he headed automatically towards the hospital. However, he was not expecting the nurses to tell him that he was forbidden by the Hokage to visit Iruka as of that day. He did not know whether to laugh it away as a joke or just muse on how the nurse's - better yet Hokage's - head would look pretty in his freezer.

"Fine. Could you just at least tell him I'm sorry?" He said, look at the nurse, who nodded.

Without another word, he left the hospital and headed home, taking a warm bath and then lying on his bed, the latest edition of Icha-Icha-Paradise in his hand. He was not really reading, considering the fact he read the same paragraph at least eight times already in the past hour. His mind was busy whirling with issues about Iruka. What did he call himself? Annoying-selfish-over-protective-teacher? He was about to shake the thought of when he suddenly remembered. No wonder the sentence rang bells in his head.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Shit! I called him that!"

~Flashback~

"You're a real piece of work you know that?" He said, annoyed that he was putting forward negative thoughts on his decision for his team.

"They're kids Kakashi-sensei! They need more experience!"

"What you need is to get out more in the open and see the capabilities of your former students. They can do this! They're my soldiers and I know what's best for them now. This chuunin exam is one of them."

Iruka had narrowed his eyes. "All I'm saying is that you give it a little more consideration. A little more thought."

Kakashi fumed and it wasn't in his nature to do so. He had pride for his team and knew that they would make it and yet there he was, arguing with a man of a lower rank over what is best for the `children'. So they're a bunch of thirteen year olds, so what? He was already an ANBU member by the time he hit that particular age.

"Have you given your doubts much thought?" He said, voice incredibly calm that it somewhat sent shivers down Iruka's spine. "Tell me something Iruka-sensei." Kakashi said, shifting his weight to the other foot and emphasizing on the word `sensei'. "Were you there when they tackled a Jounin in the country of the wave? Did you witness the fight they put up that time? Even in their D-ranked missions when they tackle problems? How their mind works not in a classroom but in an open field? Hell, have you seen them during training?" Kakashi's eye hardened. "No! You haven't! So keep your complaints to yourself. I have no time to deal with an annoying, selfish, over protective teacher like you!"

~End flashback~

Kakashi closed his eyes, biting his lower lip, his face no longer covered by his mask. He brought his favorite orange book up and stared at the letters before thwacking the paperback on his head.

"Idiot." He mumbled, and shut his eyes hard, in his head the face of a wide-eyed Iruka with flushed cheeks staring at him.

TBC

Whoa! Kakashi is mean when he is PISSED! Don't you agree? I think that the above conversation between Iruka and Kakashi was a tad bit OOC on Kakashi's part. Oh well, nevermind!

Tune in next time!