Tale of the Setting Sun.

Chūnin Exams VII

Chapter 14: "Lightning Speed"

Much like the other buildings in Sunagakure, the infirmary was a hive of dimly lit rooms and connecting hallways, and as such, it was only by chance that Kakashi noticed Mayu being carried past on a stretcher. Once he'd affirmed that Naruto's condition had stabilized, he had worried over her battle against Fū - and as soon as he saw the blue hair clips attached to a mop of sandy hair, Kakashi jumped to his feet and stopped the medic nin in order to check on her.

But even without the medic assuring him that she would be alright, with just a cursory look over, he could tell that his fears had been groundless. Mayu was bleeding from what looked like multiple tiny perforations on her arms, but that appeared to be the extent of her injuries. She was breathing steadily, with no irregularities in her pulse; it appeared she was merely unconscious.

Relaxing, Kakashi nodded and stepped back, allowing the medic to direct her stretcher to another room.

Just as he'd walked back through the doorway, he saw Naruto's eyes snap open. Leaving the stunned boy to stare up at the clay ceiling from his prone position in bed, Kakashi locked the door behind him and checked the room once more. They were the only occupants in the room, and the medic who had been attending to Naruto had long since left.

But of course, that didn't mean anything in a hidden village like Sunagakure. He would have preferred to take Naruto to a more secure location, but to do so now would attract unwanted attention. Passing his hand over his face, Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate to reveal his sharingan. Glancing around, he was rewarded with a small chakra presence perched on top of the rim of the nearest window.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked in a taut voice. "What happened? ...I passed out again, didn't I?"

Without responding, Kakashi leisurely ambled over to the window. Pretending to look outside at the view of the drab, open field of sand in deep contemplation, he saw that the source of the chakra was a harmless beetle on the outside. The inside on the other hand was a whole different story. From what he could tell by its thin string of light chakra that jutted out from its posterior and led out of the room, it was a modified puppet, possibly with the added capability of recording conversations. Ingenious, what some of their jutsu could accomplish. However...

With an idle flick of his fingers, Kakashi squashed the insect against the wall, before turning back to face the genin. As soon as he met the boy's blue eyes, he internally winced; the pressure of the daunting task that loomed before him weighed down on him all at once like a massive boulder. Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, gathering his thoughts together. Nevertheless, it has to be done... - and with that thought in mind, he let out another exhale.

"Naruto," he began at last, "before anything, I would like to apologize."

The genin looked taken aback. "Apologize? What for, sensei?"

"In my defense..." Kakashi paused. "No, I have no defense. The truth of the matter is that everyone, including me, has been lying to you for your entire life. I could have done something about it, but I never did. I'm sorry."

"...I see." To Kakashi's surprise, Naruto's gaze sharpened. "And I suppose these lies have something to do with why I am passing out. Are you going to tell me what these lies are?"

"Yes," he replied, and was gratified to see a look of surprise flash across the genin's face. "I'm going to tell you everything that I know, consequences be damned. While it isn't much, it's the very least you deserve..." Kakashi trailed off, as a sudden thought struck him. "I'm assuming that you want to hear the truth?"

"Yes, sensei," said Naruto immediately. "Right now, please."

Kakashi nodded. "Very well. But there's one thing I'm going to ask of you. And that's to hear me out in its entirety. Some news might - will - be shocking to you, but I want you to stay here on your bed. In return, I promise you that I will tell you the entire truth as I know it."