A Shadow Darkly

II

It was all a blur to Sasuke for the next few hours. He was able to recall bits and pieces – the other ANBU reappearing with reinforcements, Iruka being placed on a stretcher as Sasuke was bound, arriving at the hospital and being shoved into an empty room as every effort was given over to saving the chuunin’s life – and then Sasuke was no longer alone, watching machines breathe for Iruka, watching white bandages to turn pink.

Even he knew Iruka wasn’t going to make it.

ANBU entered the room, probably to take Sasuke for torture. But the nukenin wasn’t going to be taken for torture; not yet. Somehow, Sasuke kept his eyes from betraying his surprise and astonishment as Naruto burst in after the ANBU, completely ignoring Sasuke as he nearly teleported to Iruka’s side.

Mostly likely just back from a mission – blood covered his face, making those whisker-scars and electric blue eyes stand out even more – Naruto looked, well, radiant. His hair still stubbornly clung to the childish spikes in defiance of gravity, though it was definitely subtler, and he’d lost every ounce of baby fat, leaving him with a beauty that was almost ethereal. He worse a jounin vest – torn and also bloodied – over his trademark orange and black jacket and his forehead was encircled by a brand new hitai-ate.

The blond said nothing, and Sasuke watched Naruto’s eyes darken, shiver, and break with tears. No one dared move. No one dared breathe. The only sound was the steady ‘bleep, bleep of the heart monitor.

Beeeeeeeeeeee

Naruto made a coked sound and bowed his head against Iruka’s unmoving chest. Even though Sasuke couldn’t hear the sounds, he knew Naruto was crying.

Why?

Sasuke forced his gaze to the linoleum floor. Why was Naruto mourning? Iruka was weak – only a chuunin. He never should have been out in the woods alone. It was his own damn fault he’d gotten himself killed.

Suddenly, the room – which was chilly to begin with – became so cold that ice began to glaze over the glass of the windows. Sasuke looked up through his bangs and decided if Death had chosen to take on a human form it would be Kakashi. The jounin’s face was a perfectly blank mask beneath the mask, and that single visible blue eye was sharp and piercing as any knife. His gaze was centered on Sasuke, and the Uchiha was sure the jounin wanted to kill him.

The nukenin cocked his head and sported a grin, accepting the inevitable challenge. Only the Hokage sweeping through the door stopped any fight from breaking out. Tsunade looked winded, her face set in a determined mask, but the machine still whined that single note, and her mask became more somber.

“Naruto,” Tsunade said gently, “he’s gone.”

The blonde looked up at her – at every single person in the room including Sasuke – then back to the body of the chuunin. He slowly reached then for the machine and turned it off, rising to his feet to remove Iruka’s hitai-ate from around his head, swallowing all of his sadness.

“Prepare Umino Iruka for burial,” Naruto said in a hushed voice. “Full honours and make sure even those out on missions know. Hatake Kakashi, escort Uchiha Sasuke to the interrogation room and make sure he can’t leave.”

Kakashi’s silver head dipped once. Sasuke’s mind slowly stuttered to a halt. Why was Naruto giving orders and not Tsunade? Naruto was only twenty-three – there’s no way he could have ranked high enough to be giving orders to older jounin. Sasuke felt his body jerked up – felt something in his should pop too – and found himself being dragged from the hospital room.

What the hell was going on?


Kyuubi’s orange gaze settled on the form of the boy sitting in the shadows of the heads of the precious Hokages. Naruto had his knees to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, while he stared at the sculpture of the Fourth Hokage – his father. Slowly, Kyuubi rose from his crouch to stand over the kit.

“Moping’s not going to make him talk,” Kyuubi said offhandedly.

Naruto just looked at him for a long moment, then away.

Kyuubi sighed and scratched at the stubble across his chin. About a year and a half ago, Naruto’s curse seal had begun to weaken. Kyuubi had only to wait before he was free once more, but realized he did not want to leave once he was able to manifest on his own. He realized he’d become so emotionally attached to Naruto that he’d stopped thinking of the kid as a hassle and more of a blessing. The teenager was a genius no matter what anyone claimed. He’d managed, somehow, to combine all the elements into several secret jutsu he’d only shown Kyuubi and had become increasingly stubborn about leaving behind anyone on a mission. He could hold his own against Tsunade and had even taken her out twice – one completely by surprise. He knew the workings of Konoha’s ninja better than Tsunade herself and was open-minded enough to try anything once.

With Naruto’s unknowing help, Kyuubi had constructed the form he wore now and took the opportunity to emerge whenever he could. And that included around those Naruto considered friends.

Kyuubi spared a silent chuckle at the memory of the stricken looks on the faces of Tsunade and the Council when he strode through the doors of the Council’s chambers to announce Naruto wasn’t going to be able to make the day’s meting.

It had been priceless.

Of course, Naruto had chewed the kitsune out afterwards, but it had been so worth it.

“Talk to me, Naruto” Kyuubi half-pleaded, half ordered.

“I don’t know what to do, Kyuubi” Naruto whispered.

“About what?”

“Sasuke. Iruka. Maybe I should just give Tsunade back the position of Hokage, tell her I’m not ready.”

Kyuubi knelt by Naruto and wrapped his arms around the young man, trying not to let the kid feel his own discomfort.

“It’s hard. It will be harder.” Kyuubi said quietly. “But you’re strong, and you’re not alone. Besides, you’re not officially Hokage yet.”

“I will be in two days.”

Fuck. “When’s Iruka’s funeral?”

“In two days.”

Fuck.

Kyuubi hugged Naruto tighter and wondered what god hated the kid enough to have something so terrible happen on his birthday.