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The Darkness That Binds Him	By : XxKageTenshixX Category: Naruto > General Views: 4335 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Nor do I gain any profit from this story or the anime itself. I own just the plot of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Chapter 11
The sun had set, and the day was coming to a close. During that time, Iruka stopped by to check on Naruto four more times. Once before he left for the academy, grudgingly leaving Kakashi to watch over the blonde with a warning—threat really—to only keep an eye out. No contact unless it was an emergency. Even then, Iruka was to be alerted immediately before any decisions were made. After he returned home, Iruka checked on Naruto three more times to give him dinner and to help him freshen up. It was early into the next day when Iruka came by again.
"Did you get any sleep?" Iruka couldn't help but to ask. Naruto was still sitting in the same position from the night before.
Naruto didn't reply but Iruka could guess that he hadn't. If he had, it was probably no more than a couple hours' worth.
Shaking his head slightly, Iruka walked towards the bed and placed a few more items of clothing on it. He walked next to Naruto and put his hand gently on the younger man's shoulder.
"Breakfast will be done shortly. Come down whenever you're ready." Getting up, he left, making sure to close the door softly behind him.
It wasn't long before Naruto made his way to the kitchen, clean and dressed in the clothes that Iruka had given him. As was their routine as of late, the blonde took a seat at the table while Iruka sat next to him on his left once he had passed everyone their food. Iruka's attention lingered on Naruto for a moment in case he was needed. Neither of them gave a glance at Kakashi that was seated at the other end of the table.
"Naruto," Iruka said after a few minutes of silence. "We need to leave today, to see Godaime." He paused to examine the blonde's response. "For another check-up."
Naruto hesitated in his eating, which was hardly noticeable as he had only eaten a couple bites, and glanced at Iruka. Iruka could only smile sadly in understanding.
"It won't be long…just hold on for a while longer," he promised.
Seeming to accept his answer, Naruto went back to eating—picking at, really—his breakfast. It wasn't until Naruto was finished with his food that Iruka stood up and took both his and Naruto's plate to the sink after discarding any leftovers. Soon thereafter, Kakashi stood from the table as well, copying his host's actions and headed back to his temporary room briefly. In that time, Iruka made his way back beside Naruto and helped him to his feet. Kakashi was back by the time they made it to the door, and slipped on his sandals so that he could lead the out the doorway. Iruka put on his shoes and helped Naruto into a pair that Iruka had gotten for him a few days ago. Sooner than Iruka wanted, he led Naruto outside for the first time since they had ventured from the hospital.
Outside was warm. The sun was high in the sky and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. It was a perfect day to be outside but Iruka wanted anything but that, especially since Naruto was next to him.
Their journey could have been so much faster if they would have traveled by roof top, but Naruto wasn't in any condition for something like that. Naruto's lack of physical activity since his imprisonment had led to atrophy in his muscles. As a result, their journey proceeded at a snail's pace.
Iruka walked beside Naruto, both to help younger man walk and because he didn't want to stray too far from the blonde. Kakashi walked a couple of feet behind them. Iruka didn't like the idea of the older man being behind him but he didn't trust him to be any closer to Naruto than he already was. So he settled for having the white haired shinobi to protect the rear while he positioned himself to deflect any attacks form the front. It was a paranoid action but it was well warranted.
People were staring. Villagers and shinobi alike were quick to move as far away from them as possible but not far enough to take their eyes away. Some wore their fear in plain sight while others seemed wary of them. But it was the ones that radiated their anger at the sight of the quiet blonde next to him that kept Iruka close to Naruto. Though all of it, Naruto never bothered to acknowledge the people around him.
It took too long before they finally reached the hospital. Just like the people they passed outside, the occupants of the hospital went deathly silent at the sight of them. Iruka made sure he remained cautious of his surroundings as he made his way past the front desk, never making eye contact with anyone until they reached the elevator.
The ride up to the third floor was a quiet one, as was the rest of the way to the room where Tsunade waited for them. Thankfully, they didn't come across anyone else.
Tsunade looked up as they entered, her eyes making sure they avoided Naruto, and gave a small smile.
"Good morning," she greeted them softly, setting the clipboard on the edge of the examining table.
Naruto didn't say anything to her, his face gaining that impassive look that he seemed to give to everyone except Iruka. Iruka in turn sent a glare at her but nodded his head in a reluctant acknowledgement. Kakashi greeted her with his trademark "Yo" and eye smile combination.
Tsunade looked at Naruto for the first time since they entered the room. Iruka's hand twitched at the urge to grab Naruto and pull him out of the room and away from the woman in front of him.
"Naruto," She began softly, hesitantly. "How are you doing?"
Silence was her only answer, not that she expected to actually get an answer from him. If only. Naruto's expression never changed. He didn't even twitch at her question, only kept his eyes focused intently on the wall furthest from Tsunade. Tsunade could only smile sadly.
Motioning with her hands, she beckoned the three of them further into the room and towards the examining table. Kakashi never strayed from his spot near the door while Iruka helped Naruto onto the table.
Iruka stayed as close to Naruto as he could get without getting in Tsunade's way, his eyes never taking themselves away from either blonde. He didn't trust his Hokage, even though she was still distressed over her mistakes. He was prepared to take Naruto away at any sign of hostility or his son's unease.
Tsunade lifted her hand toward Naruto, a blue aura encasing it. She moved it slowly over his body, the blue covered fingers never missing an inch. Naruto sat still, not a sound coming from him, his eyes barely blinking. When her hands placed themselves over Naruto's chest they stilled for a moment before they repeated the same movements with his left leg. Her lips twitched, something none of the room's other occupants missed.
Tsunade repeated her scan once more, both hands working this time. The blue glow became brighter as she passed over Naruto's chest and leg again. The tense form Naruto took when Tsunade placed her hand on his leg made Iruka jerk, only barely stopping himself from ripping her hand away as he realized that she wasn't doing anything harmful. Yet.
Body just as tense as Naruto's, Iruka watched Tsunade walk over to one of her cabinets and pulled out a black case. All eyes were on her when she opened the case and pulled out a syringe.
Tsunade paused in her steps at the look the blue eyes sent her, but continued forward hesitantly.
"I need to take a blood sample," she explained, taking the syringe and set them down on top of the case.
Taking a couple of wipes, she cleaned the area on Naruto's upper arm that the needle was to go in to. Grabbing the syringe, she tore the protective cover from it and, as gently as she could, she stuck the needle into Naruto's arm and began drawing his blood. When enough blood was drawn, she drew back the syringe and placed it in another case. She picked up her clipboard from the edge of the table and excused herself before exiting the room. Before she passed the door, she sent Kakashi a look. Kakashi left behind her. When the door was closed, Iruka finally relaxed and sighed.
"As soon as she gets back, we're leaving, okay?"
The tension in Naruto's shoulders lessened as a response.
It was nearly an hour before Tsunade and Kakashi returned. Iruka couldn't help but notice how the atmosphere darkened when they entered the room.
Kakashi resumed his previous position near the door, his posture slumped slightly. His eyes found Iruka and then Naruto, before looking down at the floor. Tsunade was more composed but Iruka could see the slouch in her shoulders. Both were avoiding eye contact with him.
Iruka didn't like it. At all.
Tsunade sat down her clipboard—Iruka doubted she even needed it in the first place—and looked directly at Iruka. She didn't look at Naruto, which didn't matter seeing as how Naruto was back to avoiding eye contact with her and Kakashi. Tsunade waited a moment before speaking.
"Almost everything checks out fine…he's as healthy as he can get as the moment," she said slowly, looking at Naruto briefly.
"What does 'almost' not include?" Iruka narrowed his eyes, not liking the implications of the statement.
Tsunade's expression cracked a little, though she tried not to show the obvious distress in her eyes. Iruka unconsciously shifted even closer to Naruto, a sick feeling in his gut.
"Tell me damnit!"
"Naruto will not be able to resume his career as a shinobi."
The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Iruka stared at her, eyes wide in disbelief. His legs felt like they were going to collapse.
"What?"
"Iruka, I'm—" Tsunade began, her voice mirroring Iruka's own disbelief.
"What do you mean he can't continue being a shinobi?" Iruka's voice was harsh, almost hysterical.
Tsunade looked pained as she answered.
"I came across this problem when I first took Naruto to surgery after Sasuke's appearance during the festival last year." Delicacy was out the window now. "I removed as much as I could but the poison he was injected with was too potent. By the time I had removed it, the damage was done and I couldn't examine the poison to find a way to reverse the damage. Much of the poison dissolved when it was pulled from the body, too much to be examined. It surpassed even my healing abilities."
Iruka was quiet. "What's wrong with Naruto?"
Tsunade sighed softly. "Whatever it was that entered his bloodstream not only caused severe nerve damage, but it caused too much internal bleeding and damage to his heart—"
"Plenty of shinobi fight with heart conditions!"
"Yes, but… There's no reason why he can't—"
"Iruka!" Tsunade shouted, her voice firm in warning. "I'm sorry, I—that poison did too much. The pressure, it—it's too much. His heart has already failed twice before…I can't risk it failing again."
Tsunade looked straight at him, her remorse evident in her eyes, but Iruka didn't care, not when the essence of Naruto's dream was just beyond the gate.
Naruto.
Iruka looked at Naruto to see how he was taking the news. He was somewhat distressed that the younger blonde didn't show any sign that he had heard what Tsunade had announced to the room. It was as if it wasn't his future that was just thrown into the trash. It didn't matter that Naruto may have wanted to continue being a shinobi or not. It was the fact that the option was no longer a choice to him!
"His left leg is reluctant to heal properly, I'm not wholly sure if it has anything to do with the poison. Most likely it does, with the nerve damage…" She paused to gauge Iruka's expression. "I'm worried if the nerves…keep refusing to mend, he might have a permanent problem with it."
She paused again, looking at Kakashi this time. "Also, I'm still worried about the Ky�bi not healing him. I had hoped to see some sign of it by now but I haven't been able to even sense the Ky�bi's chakra." Looking directly at Naruto, she addressed her question to him. "Do you know why?"
Naruto said nothing, his eyes moving from the wall to stare directly into hers. Tsunade averted her eyes and straightened her shoulders, shifting her weight to her left leg. She could almost feel the death glare being sent her way from Iruka.
"I…in all honesty, I am surprised to see Naruto as responsive as he is right now." Her eyes found Naruto's again. His eyes seemed hard compared to a few moments ago. "If he, ah, if you—Naruto—are feeling more coherent then I would like for you to go see Inoichi for a psych eval."
She picked up the clipboard again and turned to Iruka. "Unless the Ky�bi reemerges, there is nothing more I can do for his injuries." She turned to the doorway, stopping to look at Naruto one last time before leaving. "I'm sorry." Her voice was soft as she closed the door behind her.
Kakashi was the only one to watch her go. Iruka was too furious to even acknowledge her departure. Feeling the need to get away from the building and the people inside it, he moved in front of Naruto.
"Naruto?" His voice was shaky but he tried his best not to show how devastated he was. And Naruto…Naruto wore such an apathetic look on his face that Iruka wanted to scream.
Didn't he understand what was happening? That he could no longer—
Iruka bit the inside of his cheek to hold back the sob that was crawling up his throat, his eyes blinking back the tears threatening to escape his eyes.
"Come on." Was all he could manage to say.
Naruto moved off of the table, Iruka moving to keep him steady on his feet. They passed Kakashi, who followed a few feet behind them. A few people were in the hallway this time, a look from Iruka was all they needed to be sent hurrying to the destinations.
Once they made it outside, Kakashi moved forward so that he was next to Iruka. "Iruka…" Iruka didn't answer him, only continued to help Naruto back home. "Iruka."
"What?" Iruka snapped, never stopping.
"I…" Why was it so hard to speak? "There is something I need to tend to…are you okay taking Naruto back to—"
"I'm not some defenseless child! If you need to go, then go!"
Kakashi did nothing but nod sadly and walk in the other direction. Iruka walked on, Naruto close by his side, ignoring those brave enough to continue staring.
Soon enough, Naruto found himself back in his given room, legs crossed and sitting in the middle of the bed. Blue eyes surveyed their surroundings, taking notice of the dimmed room. He unfolded his legs and moved them over the edge of the bed. Leaning forward slowly, he stood, wobbling a little as he tried to get his balance. On unsteady feet, he walked towards the door and opened it, stepping out of his room.
The hallway was dark, just like his room. He took a few steps, passing by a room, Kakashi's temporary room to be exact. A look inside told him that it was empty. Obviously Kakashi wasn't back yet.
Not sparing the room another look, Naruto kept walking until he stood directly in front of a door that was always familiar to him. Reaching out a hand, he turned the knob and opened the door softly as to not disturb its occupant.
Chaos was what greeted him. Books were discarded onto the floor, all of them torn beyond recognition. Scrolls lay in a similar fashion, a few dents in the wall an indicator that they had been thrown. The lamp on the table was in pieces and the table it sat on was turned on its side. The contents of that table could also be found on the floor.
Naruto looked around the room until his eyes landed on the figured on the bed. Iruka was facing the doorway, eyes closed tightly as he slept. It wasn't a peaceful rest, evident by the clenching of his hands and the fresh tear tracks on the man's cheeks.
Naruto stepped quietly into the room, making sure to avoid the objects on the floor. He paused in his steps briefly to bend down and pick up the blanket on the floor. When he was right next to the bed, Naruto's eyes warmed. Only someone as kind hearted as Iruka would cry in his sleep over something not concerning himself.
He placed the blanket over Iruka, making sure the older man was completely covered before turning his attention to the room. Quietly he started picking up things from the floor and placed them where they belonged. For the items that were beyond repair, he deposited them into the trash bin beside the table that the lamp had been on. Flipping the table back onto its legs, he stepped back. The room looked cleaned; not including the dented wall, there wasn't a thing out of place.
Taking one last look back at Iruka, Naruto headed out the door. He closed the door behind him, but continued to linger outside the door. He stared intently at the door, his thoughts flying a mile a minute before screeching to a halt at the sound of footsteps in the hall.
Naruto drew his attention away from the door and to the man heading his way. Kakashi didn't notice him at first, but when he did, he ceased all movement. Only his visible eye gave away his surprise. One look into Naruto's eyes had Kakashi world crumbling more than it already was.
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- 12
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The Darkness That Binds Him