Part 3
Sasuke's eyes slowly opened in the darkness of his hospital room. His arms and legs had been restrained by chakra-enhanced bonds and he simply didn't have the energy to break free. The sound of a mechanical hiss caused the raven-haired teen to turn in the direction of the sound. There he saw the blond that he had found dying in his apartment, hooked up to various devices and tubes. A machine was pushing the needed oxygen into his body and his eyes were closed.
Naruto's chakra was still very weak but not nearly as bad as it was when he first found him. Another source of chakra caused him to turn his attention to the corner. A faint smirk traced his lips at seeing the trademark orange book and the wild silver hair of his former sensei.
"Yo!" Kakashi brought a hand up in greeting, the corner of his visible eye crinkling as he smiled beneath the mask.
"You would think that after three years that you would have moved on to another series of books." Sasuke mumbled as he tried to sit up a bit, which wasn't easy considering that he was restrained.
The silver haired jounin marked his place in his precious Icha Icha before moving to help his former student into a more comfortable position. He was careful of the IV tube in his right arm that was bandaged in some places and mottled with sickly colored bruises in others. Kakashi knew that Sasuke was covered in bruises when they had treated him for his wounds that were received before arriving, the severe lacerations of his hand and wrist when he broke Naruto's window and various other vitamin and nutritional deficiencies.
"Icha Icha is a classic and as long as Jiraiya-sama continues to write them, I will be an avid fan." He said and sat next to the raven-haired teen, a single black eye moving over to the blond who was still eerily silent. "Its been three days since either of you had been conscious."
Sasuke looked over to the blond, allowing emotion to seep into his eyes and on his face. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Hokage-sama thinks so. She believes that Kyuubi is almost finished healing the damage caused by the poison and then their chakra will need time to replenish. She believes that they should be awake by the end of the week at the latest."
Sasuke felt the weight that had been sitting on his shoulders lift and he allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips. The then turned to the copy-nin, his eyes determined and hard. "I'm not leaving this room until he's awake. The dobe owes me some answers as to why he tried to kill himself."
Kakashi arched and eyebrow as he studies his student. "Sasuke, for a genius you can be quite the baka from time to time."
"What?"
The jounin sighed. "I didn't think he'd take it this far, but I knew he was hurting. Naruto has been searching for the last three years for a way to locate you and bring you back to Konoha where you belong. You are his best friend and he would have done anything to bring you back, but I guess over time, he just gave up." Kakashi reached up with a sigh and ran his fingers through his silver hair. "I should have realized my student wouldn't have been able to handle it much longer…I guess that makes me a baka as well…"
Sasuke's hand twitched as he pulled his eyes from his friend and to the floor. "I shouldn't have taken so long…it just…it took me too long to become strong. He would have died if I hadn't come back when I did…and all of this could have been avoided if I would have come home sooner." The Uchiha mumbled softly, knowing that he was showing a side of himself that no one saw, but he trusted the copy-nin and knew that he wouldn't interrupt.
"Orochimaru would have continued to attack Konoha out of his hatred for the village as well as to have me with him. I knew that he wanted me for his vessel and as long as I stayed here, people would get hurt…Naruto, Sakura…the others, they could have died at Orochimaru's hands if they happened to be in the way when he came for me. I didn't want that. I saw my entire clan decimated by my brother…if I lost my acquaintances…No…" He paused for a moment, knowing that the simple brand of acquaintances didn't fit at all. "If I lost my friends, I'd have nothing."
"You'd still have your revenge to seek on your brother." Kakashi baited, interested to see what the younger man would say.
"No…I'm not going to seek Itachi's death anymore. He had his reasons for what he did and while I will never understand or forgive him, I won't allow him to make myself the last of our clan using my own hand. I won't pursue him anymore," He looked back over to the sleeping blond. "Especially when there are people that I need to protect. His death won't bring back my family, but now I can use the strength that I gained to protect what's important to me."
Kakashi was proud of Sasuke. The boy had definitely matured from the vengeful child who sought the strength to kill his own flesh and blood, to someone who wanted to protect the few people he was close to…his precious people.
"You know that the elders are in council now trying to decide your fate and have been for the past two days. You defected, Sasuke. You knew that there would be consequences."
"I know, but I had a reason and I'll deal with the punishment later." He turned to the copy-nin and tilted his head to the side curiously. "Did they find a brown sack in Naruto's apartment?" He asked and received a nod.
"No one has been able to open it. It's sealed with at jutsu and they're concerned that if the wrong jutsu is used to break the seal, the contents will be destroyed. Even Jiraiya has been reluctant to try."
"Hn." Sasuke smirked and activated his sharingan, meeting the single black eye of his sensei. "Watch."
Kakashi lifted his Hitai-ate and focused sharingan on Sasuke's hands as he went through a long series of seals. The movements were easily copied by the jounin as he mirrored the younger man's actions. Tired, Sasuke leaned back against the pillows and sighed. "That will release the seal on the bag then you will see the true reason why I felt I had to leave and why I could finally return. The sooner you do that, the sooner I can get out of these restraints."
Kakashi stood and stretched his lean form casually. "I think I just might stroll on over. They should be wrapping things up for the night and maybe I'll catch them before they leave. Don't go anywhere." He ordered with a bit of amusement.
Sasuke shook his head and leaned back, watching as the Jounin formed a few hand signs before vanishing from the room with a puff of smoke. A sigh escaped his lips as he gazed up at the ceiling, his fingers twitched. He wanted nothing more than to go over to the dobe and make him wake up.
'I hate seeing him like this…' Sasuke thought his fingers twitching with his turmoil. 'Naruto…why did you do it? Did you really think that I wouldn't come back…?' He allowed a bitter bark of laughter to escape his lips.
"Of course he would think that I wouldn't return. I didn't give him any reason to think I'd ever return to Konoha…" The raven-haired teen mumbled, continuing in his mind. 'If I had told anyone of my plans, word could have made it's way back to Orochimaru in Oto putting everyone here at risk…'
A deep sigh escaped his lips as dark eyes drifted closed. "Naruto…I'm sorry." The Uchiha mumbled before allowing himself to drift into a fitful sleep.
o-o
The doors to the council room was pushed open drawing the attention of the Hokage, Jiraiya, the counsel elders and a few other high level jounin and anbu. A single dark eye spotted the very burlap sack that he had been discussing with Sasuke, sitting on a separate table. Without a word, the silver haired ninja walked to the center of the room where the sack sat and studied it for a moment, aware of the eyes on his every move.
"Kakashi, what is the meaning of this? We're in the middle of a very important meeting. If you wanted to be involved in this, you should have arrived on time."
Anko snorted, a look of amusement crossing her features. "Yeah right! When have you ever know Hatake Kakashi to be on time…for anything?"
Elder Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes at the copy ninja as he smiled beneath his mask, the squint of his eye being the only indication of this. "We are discussing what to do with Uchiha Sasuke. We do not need interruptions."
"You don't know the reason for Sasuke's defection, do you?" He asked casually.
Tsunade stood and crossed her arms, moving to stand before the silver haired man. "Did Sasuke tell you why he left? You better explain, Kakashi."
"He didn't say why he left but the reason as to why he left Konoha is in the bag." He said, gesturing to the sack that sat on the table.
Jiraiya moved to the table to examine the bag in question. "It's been sealed, no doubt by the kid. We don't know what's inside and without using the jutsu he used, whatever is inside may be destroyed." The white haired man smirked as he met the eye of the copy ninja. "So are you gonna open it? I know that you know how, thanks to the Uchiha."
"Of course. Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama, please stand back." And with those words, the Sannin did as asked. The other jounin and the council elders stood, eager to see what was in the bag.
Kakashi looked over to four of the anbu who had been present and nodded, watching as they crouched and went through a series of seals, bringing up a barrier to protect everyone within the council room. The silver haired man didn’t hesitate and began forming the seals that he had copied from the teen.
As he formed the last seal, Kakashi placed his hand on the bag and felt the jutsu release. Pale fingers moved to the rope that held the bag closed. Immediately the scent of blood reached his nose as he looked inside the bag. A single eye widened as he looked to the Hokage, unable to change the look of surprise on his face to that of indifference.
"Kakashi!"
"I didn't expect that he'd get both…" The copy ninja mumbled and looked to his leader. "The jutsu sealed the bag and preserved its contents."
Both hands disappeared within the bag as he pulled its contents out for all to see.
Gasps of surprise and utter shock filled the room as Kakashi pulled the heads of Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto from their resting place. Kakashi turned his attention to the elders of the council.
"Sasuke left Konoha in order to keep Orochimaru away from Konoha while he got stronger and when he finally gained enough power, he killed the biggest threat to us and his right hand man."
"That explains all of the bruises, lacerations and fractures." Shizune said softly from her place at Tsunade's side. "He had nothing in his stomach and from what the lab results showed, he'd ingested nothing but enhanced soldier pills in order to make his way back to Konoha.
"There were multiple fractures in his fingers and left wrist, three ribs, his left clavicle, an hairline fractures in his left femur and foot. They're almost healed. I believe that he managed to find a healer at some point and allowed them to heal him enough so he could travel. We've healed him but we're still treating his nutritional deficiencies and the other side effects of the soldier pills."
"Hokage-sama, both you and I know that Sasuke will not leave Konoha. By taking care of two of our biggest threats, he has shown that he is loyal to Konoha and its people." Kakashi shook Orochimaru's head in emphasis.
"Be that as it may, he still deserted Konoha. He can't go unpunished." Elder Homura said, his eyes not leaving the dismembered head of the man who killed the third Hokage. His friend was gone because of the snake Sannin and mentally he thanked the Uchiha. "Hatake Kakashi, will you be willing to become a guardian for the Uchiha? You will be responsible for him and his actions."
The jounin did not hesitate in his answer. He knew that Sasuke would not leave the village because the one he cared for the most was here. "I will."
Tsunade looked to the clock and saw the late hour, allowing a sigh to escape her lips. "Its late." She turned to Ibiki and tossed her head in Kakashi's direction. "Take…those. You know what to do with them. Kakashi, You are free to release Sasuke from the restraints but he is to remain under anbu guard in the hospital until further notice. I will think of a suitable punishment for him and remember that you will be held responsible for his actions.
"This information is to remain confidential. I want all chuunin and jounin who are not on guard duty, present tomorrow. They will be informed of Orochimaru's demise tomorrow and will disperse the information to their genin teams. Is that clear?"
"Hai Hokage-sama!" The assembled group chorused.
The copy ninja placed the heads back into the bag and handed the bag to Ibiki. He turned to Tsunade and bowed respectfully. "Arigato, Hokage-sama."
"I will be at the hospital in the morning to check on Naruto and Sasuke's progress. If he's doing well enough, I will want to know about his time in Otokagure no Sato."
"Hai." The silver haired man bowed once more before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
o-o
Iruka's eyes snapped open as he felt the surge of chakra outside of the door and felt his grip on Naruto's hand tighten. He relaxed when he felt the familiar chakra of the copy ninja. The door slid open and Iruka smiled sheepishly at the silver haired man.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away." Kakashi teased before moving to check on Sasuke.
"He was asleep when I came in." The chuunin said softly as Kakashi pulled up a chair of his own. Kakashi gave the younger man's shoulder a meaningful squeeze. "I had to make sure they were both okay…I couldn't get here any sooner."
The silver haired man smirked in amusement. He knew that Iruka had been banned from the room for twenty-four hours due to the fact that he hadn't left since Naruto and Sasuke had arrived at the hospital. It was obvious that the chuunin was still exhausted, it was clear in his eyes, but he also knew that Iruka needed to be here just as much as Kakashi himself did.
Iruka leaned in and placed his head on the jounin's shoulder and sighed as he held Naruto's cool hand. "Sakura and the others don't know that these two are here, do they?"
"No. I think that our boys need to talk before they have to deal with the others. Hokage-sama agreed so the information has been kept from them but tomorrow there will be an announcement to the chuunin and jounins. They will find out, but still won't be able to see either of them until the Hokage deems fit."
'Our boys…' Iruka thought with a fond smile. The statement was true. He thought of Naruto as a son and cared for the Uchiha deeply and it hurt to see them both hear like this even though he knew that they would be okay. He knew that his lover felt the same way. Kakashi cared about all three members of team seven but shared a bond with Sasuke. Both of the sharingan users were intelligent, strong and quite passionate when they set their sights on something. Even though it appeared to be nothing more than a teacher/student relationship, Iruka knew that it was much deeper. He could see it clearly.
"So what will the announcement be?" The scarred teacher asked curiously, turning slightly to look up to his lover, but was only met with a smirk.
"It’s a sec-ret."
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Chapter notes: I still don't own Naruto. I'm saving up my pennies to buy the rights to it though! I think I should have enough in the year 2092!! *Does Gai-sensei nice guy pose*
The next chapter will be the last.
Thank you to all of you who have reviewed! For some reason, its not letting me respond to the most recent review so yeah...
Thank you XxSasukeLovexX, Tari, RamenFox, and last but not least KyuubiXNarutoRULES.