Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ I'll Cover You ❯ La Boheme ( Chapter 16 )

tsukiraven: I'm back! And let me start off by saying that my laziness is NOT my excuse for being late this time! --clears throat-- Let me explain...

Shortly after I updated my last chapter, my computer died. Utterly and completely. It was horrible; I was almost in constant fetal position wondering if it would be okay. It just needed a new hard drive. Thank my deity that I already had all of my crap saved on an external hard drive.

Otherwise, I'd've been toast!

Naruto: --in a full body cast-- Mmmphh! Mfff! H mm!

Jiraiya: --also in a full body cast-- Kmmf! Mmmm.... Nnff!

Kakashi: It's like they're... talking to each other.

tsukiraven: Oooo... Creepy.

Tsunade: What's that, Jiraiya? You want both of your eyes gouged out so that you can never look at beautiful young women again? --shrugs-- Well, if it's what you want...

Jiraiya: Mmmm! Nggg! MMMMMPPHHFFFF!

Sasuke: That's what you get for being a pervert.

tsukiraven: Sasuke's probably the only one here that won't own up to being a pervert himself.

All right, action! I don't own Naruto! Yet...


I'll Cover You, Chappie 16.
He is my student same as any other... the Kyuubi doesn't make him different!

Touch my sensei... And I'll kill you!

"Oh, we've finally made it!" Sakura beamed at the open gates of the city. Sunagakure lay sprawled out before the three young teens, an oasis in the desert.

More or less.

Each ninja hauled a pack up higher on their backs, and sprinted towards the city. It was their reason for coming. They were supposed to be Iruka's salvation, after all.

Tsunade had said that the poison took three months to fully take root. That meant what...

Sakura went over the entire math in her head.

'A month to get here, a month to get back... that's two months, straight off of the bat,' she thought to herself. 'But, to top it off, there's been all of those sandstorms on our way in. That set us back another three weeks. And all of those arguments we’ve had… Let’s say that’s another three days- half of a week.’ Sakura visibly winced.

“Sasuke-kun, Naruto,” she said quietly. Both boys turned around.

“What is it, Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked.

“I know that we’ve never been here,” Sakura stated matter-of-factly, “But we don’t have any time to lose. Let’s get the antidote and get out. Almost two months have already gone by.. Iruka can’t wait any longer.”

Sasuke smiled wanly. “I was just thinking the same thing, Sakura.” Sakura glowed with the almost compliment. Naruto nodded. “We have to get in, get out and get back to Konoha as quickly as we can…”

“We need a month to get back,” Naruto mused. “So let’s not waste anymore time! At the rate we’re going, we’ll be back in plenty of time for three months.”

“Right,” Sakura said. “But let’s not take any chances, there could be more storms on the way out like there was in. Let’s find Gaara and get that antidote.”

“Did I hear you say that you were looking for Gaara?” Team 7 spun around quickly only to find themselves face to face with a tall young woman, her blonde hair pulled into 4 pigtails around her head.

“Temari-san,” Sakura said, relieved. “Yes, you did. Could you please take us to him?”
---
“Kazekage-sama, a group of Konoha-nins are here to see you,” Gaara looked up from where he was seated by a window on the far side of his office.

“Send them in.” Almost immediately following his statement, Naruto burst into the room, an anxious look on his face.

“Kazekage? Where’s he? Who’s the new Kazekage?” Sakura shook her head and Sasuke glared mildly at Naruto.

“I am the new Kazekage, Naruto-kun,” Gaara said rhythmically, only a little perturbed by Naruto’s outburst.

“No way!” Naruto yelled. “You’re my age and you’re Kazekage already? That’s so cool!”

“Can we get back to the matter at hand?” Sasuke said.

“Yes, what is it you wished to see me about?” Gaara asked.

“Henshitsu,” Sakura stated simply. “We need an antidote.”

Gaara raised a non-existent brow. “You know that it won’t come cheap...”

“We know,” Sakura said hurriedly. “We have money to pay for it.”

“Hnn,” Gaara nodded lightly and turned, shuffling through a stack of papers. Pausing, he looked back towards the bedraggled group. “Go downstairs. There’s a room directly across from the staircase.”

“Will we find the antidote there?” Naruto asked anxiously.

“No. You’ll find a place to rest, sleep and shower. You need all three. I’ll get your antidote in order, and you can leave first thing tomorrow.” Gaara gave all three of them a piercing look with his bright eyes. “Dismissed.”
---

“I’m telling you, if Gaara can become Kazekage at this age, I can become Hokage!” Naruto shouted at Sasuke.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, throwing a pillow at Naruto. “Whatever, Dobe.”

“I’m serious, Sasuke-teme!”

“I bet you are.”

“How long are the both of you going to argue for?” Sakura asked, exiting the washroom. “I could hear through my whole shower!”

Naruto scratched the back of his head. “Sorry Sakura-chan!” Sasuke grunted. Sakura accepted both apologies.

The pink haired girl clambered into the soft, large bed directly in the center of the room and patted either side of her. Sasuke and Naruto, taking the hint, each took a side and climbed in beside her.

“Wow!” Naruto exclaimed, burying his face in a pillow. “Comfy.”

Sasuke nodded. “It is nice to sleep in a bed again.”

Sakura nodded and dropped her head to the pillow below her, breathing in its clean scent. “We’re all packed?”

“Yup,” Naruto slid next to her and wrapped his arms around Sakura’s waist, cuddling up against her.

“Alarm set to 3:30?”

“It is,” Sasuke crawled over to Sakura from the right and threw his arms over Naruto’s, trapping Sakura between the two of them. Naruto gave Sasuke a wide, blue-eyed smile and Sasuke returned it, however small the smile may have been.

And Sakura was grateful to have seen the exchange. “Good night.” And she switched off the light.

-_-_-_-
“Ahhh…” A cool breeze wafted in through white curtains, disrupting Iruka’s sleep and startling him into consciousness. He blinked, and sat up, wincing as he did so.

Iruka remembered something should be wrong with him. He remembered that he was waiting for someone to bring him food, and someone to come back to him. So why couldn’t he remember what, who and who?

And knowing where he was would’ve been a nice start.

A door at the far edge of the room creaked open, and Iruka jumped, gasping as this brought a jolt of pain to his raw legs. When he saw who entered the room, his pained expression melted into a smile.

A tall, lithe man with silver hair strode into the room. Smiling gently, he sat on the edge of Iruka’s bed and reached a hand up to stroke the said of Iruka’s face. “Hello Love,” he whispered.

Iruka smiled softly, leaning into the touch of his lover. “Hey there, Mizuki.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

tsukiraven: Dun dun DUUUUUN! I told you it would happen. -–sob–-Poor Iruka’s memories! Does he really not remember Kakashi? Does he really think Mizuki is his lover? What about his legs? What could possibly happen to Konoha’s favourite teach–-

Thunk!

Sasuke: Stop asking questions that you already know the answers to!

Kakashi: Sasuke, that was a little harsh.

Sasuke: She had it coming.

Iruka: Maybe a small smack, yes. You didn’t have to hit her over the head with a two-by-four.

Sasuke: --shrug–-

tsukiraven: Oh, so many pretty stars….

Kakashi: Well, all right, that takes care of this chapter. Now if you’ll all excuse me, Mizuki season just started. I wouldn’t want to miss a second of it.

Sakura: So this is good-bye until next time! -–waves–-Ja!