The Forgotten Fox

Part 10

Naruto's pov.

I wake up in the hospital feeling wrong but smile softly when I see that Kashi was sitting next to me. His eyes were closed and he had a hand pressed tightly to my face so I cuddle into the warmth he provided me. "Kakashi?" I ask groggily deciding that this was the best plan for now, if he thought I was out of it then he might let slip why I felt so wrong here. "Naru." Kashi breaths out before he leans over resting his forehead to my own a small relieved sounding sigh leaving him. "What happened?" I ask softly making him shake his head slightly before he tells me every thing that has happened, it would appear that I have been here for a couple of days and I was healing slower than normal due to my chakra exhaustion. I get check out of the hospital telling Kashi how I really felt the need to shower after being in the hospital. I think that is why I felt so wrong was the need to shower which is all I put it up to. Kashi and I were quiet as we walked, the villagers giving me pointed and hate filled looks like normal. I could over hear Sakura's kaa-chan singing and bragging to anyone who would listen that Sasuke had saved her from not one but two demons and how she was one step closer to marrying the stuck up Uchiha brat.

"Don't let that get to you Naruto. Sasuke and I know that your the one who saved her so try not to feel down." Kakashi says as he gently pats my shoulder in his attempt to make me feel better. Honestly I didn't care if Sakura thought Sasuke saved her or not so long as she was saved. "I didn't do it for praise sensei I did it because she needed to be. If I wanted glory or the attention I would be acting out or making a scene over how everyone has the story wrong." I say making Kashi chuckle lightly at my words. He had signed me out of the hospital, a perk of being from the same clan. "Ken said he wanted to talk to us about something once you were feeling better. I will send a clone letting him know you are." Kashi says making me roll my eyes. Ever since he signed me out of the hospital he has been keeping a close eye on me. I think he was worried because I over heard one of the nurser talking about how Isao had been alone with me for a couple of hours the other day. I suppress the shudder at the thought of what the hell Isao might have done to me when I was passed out let alone had he done such a thing.

"Naruto are you ok?" Kakashi asks me as he looks me over making me give a small sigh and shake my head. I didn't want to worry Kashi about nothing that could be nothing. "Its nothing sensei I was just thinking about how much damage was done to the village during that attack and how I could have stopped it had I been stronger." I say and I see a frown on Kashi's face at me just calling him sensei, he was going to take me for ramen before heading home so no one would notice us going to the same place. Kashi gives a silent sigh before nodding his head and he gently pats my shoulder giving me some comfort that I really needed, he had kept up the genjutsu on the ring that was on my finger so as not to have more problems arise than already were. "You can't beat yourself up over something that you couldn't control Naruto. I think every single one of us ninja feels that way. Even I feel that I should have done more to keep the destruction of the village from happening as well as trying harder to stop all the death that happened." Kashi say making me give a small sigh glad that he felt like I did. "Ramen sound good or do you still want some BBQ?" Kashi asks me and I was about to answer him but hearing Sakura talking to her mother and the way the villagers were talking about me I suddenly wasn't very hungry at all. "Can we have a meal togther later? I'm not very hungry anymore." I say softly knowing it would crush Kashi in some way but I really couldn't handle the way people were looking or talking about me.

"I'll walk you home. You need to rest a little more to heal all the way. There will be a service for all those that passed away in the attack. I hope you come to it." Kashi says making me nod my head agreeing with his words. We walked all the way to my 'parents' house where we parted ways but instead of heading inside I slip to the back of the house then rush to Kashi's apartment where I slip in the window. I yawn lightly and head to the shower when the front door opens making me pause and hide. It was stupid but I knew that on occasions Asuma, Gai and Kurenai would drop by unannounced to check up on Kashi. "Naru you here? I could have sworn he would get here before me." Kashi says as he walks around and I relax before slipping out and over to him hugging him tightly making him tense up but relaxing when he noticed it was me. "Naru what made you not want to go out and eat?" Kashi asks as he gently rubs my hands and arms helping me to relax and calm down. I bite my lower lip as I think about how best to answer my mate who had been worried about me, felt all my pain during my fight with Gaara and had stayed by my side until my eye opened, well he tried to anyways. "I just felt wrong and wanted to get cleaned up before we go out to eat. Plus the way the villagers were looking at me and talking about me it made me feel....." I say letting my words die out not really sure how to describe what I was feeling at all.