A/N - Apologies, my dear readers! I didn't mean to take this long to post a chapter! I had a lot of stuff going on in my personal life. I got sick for a little while, not COVID-related, but it made my writing inspiration and motivation run straight into the dirt. Then, when I finally got writing inspiration, it was for a 'He's My Son' rewrite that I'm slowly working on here and there, and the first chapter of that will be posted shortly after this one. I'm estimating it for next week and then moving on to posting for 'The Great Medic' and 'He's My Son' on alternating weeks so that you readers have some stuff to read from me every week. At least, that's what I'm hoping, hehe.

Another reason for the lateness is that like a lot of writers right now, I spent a lot of time with my family. I'm going through some rough emotional patches so I decided to just allow myself time to be with my family and have fun with them. I vacationed in South Carolina where my aunt and cousins are and I had an amazing time! I haven't felt this good in a long time. I'm feeling pretty good mentally now so hopefully, there won't be any more long breaks between each chapter.

Um, there is one more thing I want to ask or mention. Please don't feel obligated to do anything with this but, um, I've been experiencing some extreme financial difficulties and I need to get my wisdom teeth removed but the cost is too much even with my insurance. So... if you can or feel like it, but you don't have to, I opened a Ko-Fi if anyone wanted to donate or tip me. There are also $1 sketch commissions labeled on there as well if you wanted a drawing of well, any character really, as compensation for tipping me. I hate to say that I am in desperate need of money but I'm struggling. Please don't feel obligated to, I would appreciate it though. Any Ko-Fi tippers will be recognized in every chapter!

Here is the link: https://ko-fi.com/deathbyshykid (if the link doesn't work, I'll post it in the comments, my bad)

But, um, without further ado, please enjoy the chapter.

:::^^^^^:::

"If you do this again, medic, I will kill you."

It was all Naruto heard when the lightning shot down from the never-ending ceiling. The world seemed to slow down as the electricity ran through his veins, pooling right behind his eyes. There was a brief moment where the world was shrouded in the same darkness as the ceiling of his mindscape before there was light, a fast beeping sounding off from somewhere. The blond-haired genin shot up, taking deep breaths as if he'd just woken up from a nightmare. It took a few moments for the lightning to clear from behind his eyeballs before he could actually take in his surroundings.

It was very early in the morning if the sun coming over the horizon was anything to go by. If it had been a Saturday, this would've been around the same time Naruto would be coming into work, his mind mused out. The beeping sound he heard revealed itself to be a heart monitor. The genin held a hand over his eyes to block out the sun, even just a little bit, his other hand moving to try and push himself up some more. He groaned lowly, a hiss of pain just behind his clenched teeth; guess the Kyuubi was right, he couldn't heal everything.

"There will be lasting damage that I cannot heal right now." Were his actual words, Naruto recalled.

The blond-haired teen stared at his bandaged hands, an IV lay hidden underneath the mess. He didn't even have to feel the stinging pinpricks of pain to know that his hands would scar. The medic-in-training shifted his fingers open and closed, getting the apparent numbness out of them. "How long have I been out...?" Naruto thought to himself, lifting his head to get a better idea of his surroundings.

On his bedside table were all kinds of 'Get Better Soon' gifts - flowers, handmade cards, gifts to be opened later, candies, and special-edition ramen. Naruto felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, reaching over to lightly touch the petals of the flowers; someone's been taking very good care of them while he'd been unconscious. After admiring the gift, he gathered a few cards to read. There was a bright neon orange one with black and white lettering on it. Based on the character at the bottom right corner giving a thumbs up with a large grin on his face, Naruto knew that the card was from Yiruma. It was crude and the man's handwriting was atrocious but it was still a very nice card. He opened it up to read the short note inside:

"I'm sure that when you read this, I will already be out of town-" There was a crying face added right beside it that had the boy giggling quietly in the early morning. "-but I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and your accomplishments. And I also wanted to apologize for not getting to you and your teacher faster." Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, breath stuttering out as his bandaged fingers traced the man's words. "You would probably be the first to say 'It's not your fault!' but, kid, I'm an adult and I'm also supposed to set a good example for you. I failed you, Naruto, and for that, I am truly sorry. I hope you recover fast and, when I get back in town, I'm treating you to whatever you want to eat! (But please no more ramen!)." There was another crying drawing beside it. "Good luck to you, kid."

"Oh, Dr. Hana..." His words were a whisper, touched by the kind words the man had written to him. It really wasn't his fault, Naruto would argue. Mizuki had a vendetta against him and had tried to... kill him. The blond-haired teenager scrubbed his face with a sigh before moving on to a few more cards from some of the receptionists and nurses he'd worked with over the past three years, all wishing him well.

Several were merely store-bought cards with a short note inside wishing him well. Ashido, the receptionist who'd been spoiling him with coffee and teas as of late, left one for him as well. There was a lollipop in that sickly sweet cherry she liked taped to the inside of her card. He popped it into his mouth as he continued to read through the get-well cards. At the bottom of the stack was a simple flashcard. He picked it up gently, examining the writing on it:

"I'm sorry I didn't get you a nice card like everyone else." Naruto's eyes softened - he would know that handwriting anywhere. "I know you're really sentimental, but I just couldn't bring myself to make something like that or buy you those fancy cards with the pretty pictures on them. You almost died-'' He stiffened up, finding that the more he thinks about how close Mizuki had been to kill him, the more he remembers how much it hurt. "-and it feels like everyone is covering it up with roses and pretty things." Naruto could almost hear the disgust in the boy's writing. "I want you to get better, to wake up and tell me you're okay, but you're still unconscious."

"Shika..." Naruto flipped the notecard over, continuing to read his friend's shaky writing:

"Dr. Teruya said they lost you in the operating room." His eyes widened, a gasp leaving him - the lightning, it was a defibrillator. There was thunder in his head, the Kyuubi no Kitsune confirming his suspicion. "So, you have to wake up because you fought so hard to stay here and keep going. Please, Naruto, I've never needed anything more from you than for you to just wake up."

Muffled noises came from the hallway just outside of his hospital room, pulling his attention away from his friend's note. Naruto carefully set the cards off to the side, staring at the door in anticipation. The noises grew louder the closer they approached his room and, within a few seconds, the door clicked open. His breath left him as three people walked in. Shikaku made eye contact with him first, his son blabbering on about something in a quiet voice, head turned away from his best friend, completely unaware. Yoshino was the next one to see Naruto, her eyes already watering with a large, shaky grin on her face. The blond-haired genin blinked hard, trying to keep his relieved tears at bay.

"S-Shika?" His voice sounded hoarse and unused. The heart monitor started going off, his heart hammering at the sight of his best friend.

Shikamaru froze, face paling considerably as his eyes widened. His body shook as his mother placed her hands lightly on his shoulders, turning his body slightly towards the other boy. "You're... up?" It was all he could manage to say at that moment, eyes watering as he stared in disbelief. Dark eyes searched the blond for any kind of genjutsu, hands itching to try to dispel any at all, worried it might be some fucked up prank. But Naruto was still there, staring back at him, a watery smile on his face. He huffed out a chuckle, eyes red as he openly cried, "You're up!" Shikamaru rushed to the blond's side, hands shakily reaching out to touch either side of the boy's face.

Naruto laid his hands over his best friend's, "H-Hi..." The annoying, quick beeping noise of the heart monitor filled the room in their quiet embrace.

"Hi." The Nara heir grinned, a bubbly laugh leaving him. He touched their foreheads together, feeling that Naruto was here. "Kami, you're awake..." Shikamaru whispered out, glancing at his parents briefly before pulling away slightly, hands slipping to wrap around his best friend's shoulder. He tugged Naruto into a tight hug, "He's awake!"

"We can see that, honey." Yoshino wiped her tears, leaning her head against her husband's shoulder, "It's good to see you, Naruto-kun."

"It's g-good to see you all as well." He beamed, chuckling slightly, leaning into the hug Shikamaru refused to release him from. Naruto sighed deeply, absorbing the other teen's warmth, "I... I have so many questions." His voice was quiet when he looked up hopefully at the Nara heir, searching his face for any answers.

Shikaku nodded, garnering their attention, "I know you do, kid. You've been unconscious for four days so there's a lot of catching up to do."

"F-Four days?" Naruto's eyes widened considerably. The black-haired boy beside him pulled away, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Yoshino?" The older Nara called out.

"Hm?"

"Why don't you go grab Dr. Teruya and I'll let Lord Third know that he's awake?" Shikaku questioned, already moving towards the door before noticing the sour look on the blond's face immediately after he'd uttered the words, "Naruto, I assure you that Hiruzen-san will only be speaking about that night's incident and nothing more."

"I don't... really want to speak to him..." Naruto's jaw tightened in remembrance, a wave of deep-seated anger on his face, "If he had distracted me more than he did that night, Iruka-sensei would've..." His eyes lost focus for a few moments before the blond-haired genin was able to collect himself enough, looking away, almost ashamed over how mad he felt.

Yoshino's eyes softened in understanding, "Then we'll just make sure that that's all he asks about. And once he's done getting all the information he needs for the investigation and reports, we'll make him leave to let you rest and recover as much as you need."

He looked up at the older woman, "Really?" His voice sounded small.

"Of course, sweetheart." She smiled kindly, moving towards the door, "I'm going to go grab Dr. Teruya, I'll be back shortly."

Shikakau waved her goodbye before turning towards the two boys, Shikamaru having finally calmed himself enough to take a seat beside his best friend's bedside. He searched their faces for a few seconds before giving them a rare soft smile, "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"'

"It really is good to see you up." He responded quietly before leaving the room to alert the Third Hokage of this recent development.

Naruto blinked in surprise before smiling, looking at the Nara heir who couldn't keep his eyes off him. It was almost like if Shikamaru blinked, the blond-haired boy would disappear. "There's so much I want to tell you... but I think it's best to leave all of that stuff until Hiruzen gets here." He whispered out, coughing lightly, finally noticing how scratchy his throat felt.

The black-haired teenager walked to a counter adjacent to Naruto's hospital bed, pouring a cup of water from a pitcher the other genin hadn't noticed beforehand. Shikamaru handed it over to him, Naruto clutching it carefully in his bandages, shaking hands. The Nara heir sat back down, watching his friend down his drink. He fiddled with his fingers, unable to look into those sky blue eyes, "You gave us all a bad scare, you know?"

"I'm sorry." He automatically whispered out, taking small sips of his water.

He laid his head down on the bed, his forehead barely touching Naruto's leg. "Dr. Teruya said that if you didn't have the K-Kyuubi, you would've..." The words died in his throat.

The tanned teen set his cup of water down on the bedside table before staring down at his lap, "I know. I'm very grateful to him..." A low roll of thunder fiddled behind his eyes. He glanced up, peeking out from behind blond bangs, moving to poke his friend to get his attention. "What happened after I fell unconscious?" Naruto asked cautiously, trying to ride the fine line between hurting the Nara teen any more than he already has by his near-death experience and trying to figure out what happened to him.

"Unfortunately, I don't really know all the details of everything that happened that night, to be honest." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck apologetically, "My dad was called for an emergency meeting in the middle of the night and was escorted by several ANBU agents to the Hokage's office. He was gone for a few hours but, when he came back, he woke me and Mom up and told us that... that you had been severely injured..." Dark eyes looked away as they began to water again, breathing hard in recollection. "Mom and Dad didn't think you'd m-make it. But I-" He wiped his eyes, scrubbing his face violently, "I'm sorry... It's been a hard few days. I'm just glad that you're awake, Naruto."

"Me too..." Naruto sighed quietly, staring off into the distance as a comfortable silence fell over them. He moved to prop the pillows underneath him up against the headboard of his hospital bed before plopping his back against it. His head tipped back, staring at the ceiling as a sudden thought overtook him. "Can... Can I tell you something?" His words were shaky, unsure if he really should say anything.

"Sure." Shikamaru lifted his head off the bed, staring up at his best friend.

"When I was, you know, um... being chased by M-Mizuki, I fell down this really big hill." His shoulder shook lightly, recalling the moment in sudden painful clarity. Naruto looked back down, staring at the other teen, "I realized then that there was a very high chance that I could've died, right then and there. There were so many t-trees and rocks around me. There was no way I could've stopped myself from being hurled down that hill; I had too much momentum. There was a chance that I could've just... cracked my head open and bled to death in that forest."

The Nara heir was having a hard time listening, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder - whether it was to reassure his friend or himself, neither knew for sure, "But you didn't. You're still here with m..." His words died in his throat.

Naruto bowed his head, tears welling up in his eyes, "There was a moment where I really did think I was going to d-die... and at that moment, all I could think of was... you." Beep, beep, beep went the heart monitor, speeding up in his anxious rumbling.

"W-What...?" Shikamaru's eyes were wide in shock.

"I thought of you when I was sure I was going to die, Shika. I didn't want to die." He ran a hand through his blond, sweaty hair, pulling on it as if to help control his emotions, "All I wanted was to be with you. I wanted to play s-shogi with you, hang out and talk with you... It was always you..." His voice turned soft.

Shikamaru's breath hitched, "Why are you telling me this?" His own voice was hushed, his bottom lip quivering.

Naruto blinked back his tears, hands falling to his side in a huff, "I don't know... You're just-" He swallowed thickly, staring at the ceiling once more, mildly frustrated, "You're just the most important person in my life..."

The Nara heir's breath left him, hand moving to reach for his friend's own one, "N-Naruto, I-" The door opened once more, a tearful Kaiya and Yoshino standing in the doorway. Shikamaru's hand fell back to his side swiftly, looking away from the blond.

Kaiya rushed up to the other side of the blond-haired boy's bed, pushing a hand against Naruto's forehead. She sighed in relief, "Oh, good, your fever finally broke last night. Thank Kami..." The older doctor smiled softly, "How are you feeling, little one?"

"I'm..." His voice died as he looked over at Shikamaru, desperate to know what he would've said if the others weren't present. When the other boy didn't move or react to his staring, Naruto looked back up at the two women, Yoshino having finally made it over to his bedside as well. "I'm alright, I think... My body feels really heavy though and I'm having some numbness in my hands, to be honest." Shikamaru's head jumped up, eyes worried and face pale.

"Well, exhaustion is to be expected after so much physical trauma. Your body hasn't moved much in four days and you were experiencing the effects of mild chakra poisoning which still hasn't left your body. However, the numbness is a little worrisome." The doctor's eyebrows furrowed together, deep in thought, "Do your feet feel the same? Both your hands and the bottom of your feet experienced glass trauma."

"I... can't really feel my feet right now," Naruto explained honestly.

Kaiya moved to lift the blankets at the bottom of his hospital bed just enough to show his feet. Similar to his hands, they too were bandaged heavily. The older woman was quick to remove the bandaging, observing them when she was done, "Your feet are showing slight discoloration, not to mention they're pretty cold to the touch. Can you feel anything at all?" She pressed carefully against the heel of his foot before pinching the skin in between his toes.

Naruto stared down at his feet, "I feel pressure but not the touch." Worried eyes briefly stared into Kaiya's dark red ones. "I need to get up." He mentioned with urgency, throwing the rest of the covers off his body.

Shikamaru stood up immediately, hands frantic, "Wait! You're seriously about to stand up?!" He glanced at his mom before staring at the dark-skinned doctor, "Dr. Teruya, you can't let him get up! He hasn't even been awake for an hour!" His voice was tinged with worry, eyes holding onto a panicked look.

Kaiya laid a hand on his shoulder, "I understand you're worried about his safety, kid, but he has to do this. We need to see if there are any neurological or spinal injuries we didn't catch the first time."

"Neurological? Spinal?!" The words were devastating for the Nara heir as he moved over to help his best friend out of bed and onto his feet.

Naruto shifted his body to the edge of the mattress, arms shaking from disuse. He grits his teeth, feeling his ribs shift in a way that his body didn't particularly like. Neither did the Kyuubi no Kitsune if the deep rumbling in his head was anything to go by. "I'm sorry if I'm messing up any of your work." He apologized, recognizing that not much had been healed, but it was good enough to test his body with. The blond-haired genin pushed himself up, bracing his tired body against the bedside table before planting his feet firmly on the ground and straightening himself until he stood at his full height. He clenched his toes, flexing them minutely before rolling one of his ankles slowly, testing all the movements while he leaned heavily on Shikamaru.

"What do you think, Naruto?" Kaiya whispered, her voice just teetering on anxiety.

"It feels fine but the discoloration is worrying as you said. I'm worried there might be a blood clot of sorts." The blond thought aloud before shutting his eyes, "Kyuubi? Are you there?"

"When am I not?" He responded shortly after, the voice nearly startling Naruto back onto the bed behind him. Shikamaru's arm shot out to catch him, steadying his best friend while the rest of the room stared in worry at the genin.

"Can you see if there is a blood clot somewhere in my bloodstream?" Naruto asked the demon fox as politely as he could.

The nine-tailed fox didn't respond for several moments before sighing, "There is none."

"Oh... Thank you for checking." Naruto's eyes opened, moving to stare directly at Kaiya, "The Kyuubi says that there isn't a clot so it has to be something else..."

Kaiya placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't look so disheartened. I'm going to put in some orders for some tests and we'll figure out why this numbness is occurring. Have faith, kid."

"Yes, ma'am."

She shot him a look, "Don't call me that, it makes me feel old." Before Naruto could respond with something snarky, there was a soft knock against his hospital door. His head whipped towards it, face paling significantly before dissolving into a bitter snarl. Kaiya's eyebrows furrowed together before going to the door to open it, allowing Shikaku and Hiruzen into the boy's hospital room. The atmosphere in the room was thick with animosity.

If looks could kill, the Third Hokage would be dead.

The older man cleared his throat before stepping closer to Naruto's bed, giving the genin a grim smile, "It's good to see you up." The blond-haired teen rolled his eyes, arms crossed over his chest and unwilling to say anything in response to the Hokage's words. Hiruzen sighed deeply, "I know that I'm probably the last person you want to see, but-"

"That's the understatement of the year..." Naruto hissed out, eyes narrowed and glaring daggers at the man. He sneered openly before taking a deep breath, deciding to stare out the window instead of at the one person he didn't want to see, "I don't feel like talking to you right now, so get over the pleasantries and... leave me alone." His heart monitor went off in panicked noises, his heart rate well over the regular beats per minute. Everyone stared at the machine, Naruto shrinking in on himself.

Hiruzen stared at the boy, face taut with sadness. Naruto's words made him deflate a little, knowing that the bridge between them had finally burned, there was nothing to salvage. He managed to gather himself enough to continue speaking, "Yes, of course." The old Sarutobi man moved to take a seat, folding his hands neatly over his lap. "Our investigation regarding Mizuki's traitorous actions against you and Konohagakure is ongoing, however, our information regarding what happened to you that night is, frankly nonexistent and extremely limited." He explained loosely, "I'd like you to go through that evening with me to connect some dots in our investigation."

"Okay."

"However," Hiruzen raised a hand, "I don't think it would be best for so many eyes on the conversation."

"They're staying." Naruto bit out, furious eyes gazing down at the man, "Unlike you, I don't keep secrets from people I trust."

"I see..." The Third Hokage nodded slowly, "Alright, then. If you wouldn't mind telling us about that night?"

"Fine..." Naruto leaned back against the plethora of pillows behind him, tipping his head back against them in remembrance. His eyes studied the ceiling for a few seconds before speaking, "Some of the stuff is still foggy, but I doubt most of that would be beneficial to you." He took a deep breath, shifting further into the comfort of his hospital bed, "It was almost one in the morning when Mizuki attacked me. My window had shattered in seconds and then, all of the sudden, he was standing inside my room, claiming that he would kill me."

"You!" Mizuki howled, an accusatory finger pointing at him, "You ruined everything!" His eyes held the devil in them, sharp and poised to strike. "I'm going to kill you, Naruto Uzumaki." His voice was haunting, promising his doom by his own hand while he-

"Naruto?" Shikamaru's voice filled his head like a breath of fresh air, dark eyes staring up at him. There was a hand resting in his open shaky palm. "Are you alright?" The Nara heir questioned quietly before turning towards the rest of the room, "Are you sure you need this information today? He hasn't even been awake for an hour..."

"Sorry..." The blond-haired genin mumbled out, running a hand down his face to collect himself some more before turning towards his best friend, "I'm okay. They need this information... Where was I?" He turned towards the adults in the room.

"Mizuki had gotten into your apartment," Kiya stated, leaning against one of the counters in the room.

"Right." His mouth was dry as he continued, "When I tried to get away from him, I accidentally managed to get that glass stuck in my hands and feet because I couldn't see where any of the pieces were since the lights were off." Naruto stared down at his bandaged appendages, eyes trailing down his arm where Shikamaru continued to hold his hand. He glanced into dark eyes, the other boy giving him a small smile of encouragement. "He tried to choke me to death..." The twelve-year-old whispered out.

Naruto watched with wide eyes as the man stalked towards him like a predator on the prowl. Mizuki's hand struck out with blinding speed, grasping at the boy's throat. The blond-haired genin could feel himself being lifted off the floor, gurgling out in pain as the man's hand squeezed around his neck tighter and tighter. Naruto kicked desperately at his attacker, his airway starting to get cut off. He can't hear what Mizuki's saying to him, but he knew by the tone that the white-haired man was threatening his death. "L-Let... me... go!" It was all he could manage to say.

Mizuki smiled as if it were the happiest day of his life. It was a smile full of teeth and gums, one that spread over the man's face, burning into Naruto's memory for the rest of his life. The man's lips curled sinisterly, staring intently down at the struggling teen. What was he even saying at this point? Naruto's having a hard time processing anything by this point, especially whatever Mizuki was spouting on about now, lost between the pain in his hands and feet and the lack of oxygen he was getting to his brain. "I... I-" The blond-haired boy gasped for breath, eyes red and watery, "I... d-didn't do... any... a-anything..."

Naruto gagged hopelessly, squeezing his eyes shut. He scratched up and down Mizuki's bare arms, his fingernails chipping and bleeding in his desperation. It hurt so much. The genin's eyes were fluttering open and close, mind screaming at him to move faster, hit the man harder. It was useless, though, his body was losing strength, and Mizuki-

A roar of thunder had Naruto shaking himself out of the memory, blinking away the sudden fog filling his mind. "I used one of those chakra scalpels Dr. Hana had taught me to escape Mizuki and get out of my room." He managed to say in one breath, successfully dissipating any suspicion on his internal distress. Kaiya nodded in understanding, explaining to those in the room what a chakra scalpel was instead of making Naruto do it.

"Is this where you jumped out of your apartment complex's window?" The Third Hokage questioned suddenly, lost in thought for a few seconds, "We discovered the damage when we went to investigate your apartment."

"Yeah, he chased me down the hall and I saw it as my only exit." Naruto's eyes fell to look at his hands, but his attention was quickly grabbed by Shikamaru whose thumbs kept making circular motions against the back of his hand, "He caught up with me in the streets where he attacked me again, covering my mouth so I couldn't make too much noise while he..." His eyes lost focus again, unable to stop him from remembering the man's kunai sinking between the muscles in his lower abdomen.

"I hope this hurts." It was all he heard as Mizuki twisted the kunai, pushing it deeper into his abdomen. Naruto couldn't help himself, wailing out high-pitched, tormented screams as tears ran down his face. All he could think about at that moment was how much it hurt, like molten lava and boiling water slipping through his veins, igniting them with a fire he couldn't extinguish.

Naruto cleared his throat, dispelling any of those heavy emotions trying to settle in his chest. "He stabbed me with a kunai but I managed to slip away by the skin of my teeth." He managed to say, coughing slightly. Shikamaru passed his glass of water to him, hoping that it would help the other boy a bit. The blond-haired genin took a sip of water, the coolness of it attempting to ease the panic he was feeling in his chest. "I went through alleyways while I tried to heal myself, however, because Mizuki was a chunin, he caught up with me easily." He continued, squeezing the Nara heir's hand as he went on, "He planned to assassinate me then and there, I could tell... We were in a very residential area, though, so I think he was just trying to get rid of... evidence."

"What happened next?" Shikamaru whispered out anxiously, unsure whether he wanted to hear the rest or not.

The blond-haired genin rubbed his eyes tiredly, voice wet with emotion, "Mizuki threw me into the streets, repeatedly slamming his foot down on my chest and sternum. However, because of the pain, I felt as well as the, um, screaming, I... think I remember seeing lights start to turn on? I believe that's why Mizuki suddenly fled to the forest." Naruto rubbed the sides of his head, not able to correctly recall that moment. The beeping of the heart monitor went off again, getting an irritated snarl out of the teen. "Can't someone turn that off?!" He grumbled.

"Until that chakra poisoning is out of your system, it stays on." Kaiya crossed her arms.

"Ugh..."

Shikaku shifted closer to his wife, placing a comforting hand on Yoshino's shoulder as he tilted his head in interest, "Did Mizuki have the scroll with him the whole time he was attacking you, Naruto? Or was this around the time when he stole the scroll of sealing?"

The blond-haired teen turned towards his best friend's dad, shaking himself out of his annoying stupor, "He had the scroll already on him when he attacked me in my apartment; I saw it on him." Shikaku and Hiruzen shared a knowing look, the boy noticing it instantly. "What does that mean?" He asked quietly, sharing a worried gaze with Shikamaru.

"We believe that Mizuki wasn't working alone in this attack." The Third Hokage started with a bitter look on his face, staring down at where his hands were folded in his lap, "The time frames between the Hokage tower being attacked as well as the scroll of sealing going missing and then him appearing at your apartment don't match up at all. There were also the attacks that happened against the hospital and the academy."

"What?! The hospital?!" Naruto's eyes flew open, wide and terrified. He frantically looked around for any damage he could see but, upon finding none, the teen stared desperately at Kaiya, "Dr. Teruya, a-are the patients okay?"

Kaiya raised her hands, hoping it would calm his anxiety, "They're all fine, Naruto. Most of the damage caused by the attack was done to the outside of the building, not to any of the rooms or patients."

"The academy, on the other hand," The Third Hokage began, crossing his arms over his chest, "has almost been destroyed. Many of the records have been lost as well as most of the building. It was almost like a floor had overtaken it."

"T-That's..." The blond-haired boy couldn't even believe what he was hearing.

"I know that this is a lot to take in, Naruto," Shikaku cut in, a soft look on his face, "but, if what you're saying is true, then that means that there is likely another suspect that helped Mizuki take the scroll and give him time to go after you." There was a worried frown on his face, "There wasn't any evidence to find at the Hokage's tower nor the hospital or the academy, just the damages Mizuki caused to your apartment. That's why Lord Third needed your side of the story as soon as possible."

The twelve-year-old fiddled held onto Shikamaru's hand tighter, a sudden burst of anxiety flooding his chest, "Does... Is there s-someone after me?" He can't handle another Mizuki... Not so soon after his near-death experience.

The Nara clan leader shook his head, "We can't be sure of this just yet. Mizuki's target was you but, if he was working with another person or a group of people, then the scroll of sealing was most likely the main target and you were the distraction."

"Or maybe not..." Hiruzen spoke out, a disturbed look on his face, "What if the hospital and the academy were the distraction for Mizuki to go after Naruto without any repercussion from the ANBU agents?" He ran a hand down his face, suddenly distressed. "I... took your protection away." Dreadful eyes stared up at Naruto, "When the hospital and the academy came under fire, I was sure that we were under attack and gathered all my ANBU agents to two affected areas, leaving you unattended."

"Leaving Mizuki time to... kill me..." Naruto's eyes were unseeing, unsure whether he was angry that Hiruzen had been a part of his near-death experience and accepting of the fact that he did well as the acting Hokage. Fearful tears welled up in his eyes, "So, it was a planned attack? It wasn't just... Mizuki having a grudge against me?" Shikamaru moved to sit on the hospital bed, wrapping his arms around his best friend. Naruto leaned in carefully, energy and patience running thin. He wasn't emotionally capable enough to handle whatever he was feeling at the moment.

"Naruto," Hiruzen whispered out, gathering the teen's attention, "Are you well enough to continue?"

"Yeah..." He wiped his tears, more willing to continue after realizing the bigger picture. The blond-haired genin continued to lean against Shikamaru, finding his warmth extremely comforting. Naruto hastily went through the rest of the incident, not having the energy to go into detail anymore. He explained to the group that, despite how badly his body hurt and bled, the genin decided to go after Mizuki. "If he had gotten away, Konoha would've been in serious danger." The teen had explained loosely, trying not to stare into the horrified looks on the adults' faces nor Shikamaru's pale face.

"I managed to get the scroll back, but it didn't get easier. I tried to get back to the village, however, Mizuki caught up to me easily, throwing me back down a hill." Naruto and Shikamaru made eye contact, a knowing glance being shared between them before he continued, "It was only when I thought I was going to die by Mizuki's hand did... I-Iruka... show up..." His voice died in his throat before realization dawned on him. "Iruka-sensei..." Naruto's breath rushed out of him, eyes pleading up at the adults, "Is he... Did he..." His heart monitor started sky-rocketing, a panic attack on the cusp.

Kaiya shot forward, "Naruto, you have to calm down. Iruka is fine, he's resting right now, okay?" Naruto's eyes watered, bottom lip quivering. "You did such an amazing job, kiddo. He's going to be alright." She smoothed down his hair in a comforting pet.

He nodded in acceptance, hiding his face in shame, "C-Can I see him?"

"Yes, but only after I've cleared you out of bed, okay?" She smiled softly.

"O-Okay..."

Hiruzen stood up, gathering the attention of the room at the movement, "Naruto, you don't have to speak about the rest of what happened. We have Iruka's witness statement from this moment onwards. Plus, I think it would be best if you got some rest." He bowed his head slightly, turning towards the door but paused. "I'm sorry for what I said to you that night. You did well, kid." The Third Hokage hid his face, "Rest easy." That was all he said before he left the room.

"Even if he and I don't really see eye to eye, I think he's right about you getting some rest." Kaiya mentioned, "That chakra poisoning still isn't out of your system and I'm sure you're exhausted."

"Well, sort of..." Naruto agreed hesitantly, looking at Shikamaru for a few seconds before glancing back at the older woman, "Can... Can Shika stay with me?" He eyed his best friend's parents, asking them for permission as well.

Yoshino smiled softly, "If he's fine with it, then I don't have a problem with it. Dr. Teruya?"

"I think it'd be best if you had someone with you, so I don't mind." Kaiya grinned, "Well, I have to get back to some paperwork as well as work on some of your discharge papers. I'm guessing you'll be out of here in maybe another twelve hours or so. I'll see you around, Naruto-kun." She waved at the group before departing herself.

"Shikamaru, are you going to be okay staying here while we're gone?" Shikaku said, "I've got meetings most of the day and your mother has errands to run."

Shikamaru nodded, "Of course, I'll be fine. I've got Naruto to keep me company."

"Alright, well, you two behave yourselves." Yoshino shook her head, amused before both herself as well as her husband left as well.

Naruto leaned his head against the Nara heir, "Thank you... for always being there for me."

He shifted himself so he was laying on his best friend's hospital bed, stretching out with his head lying against the blond's shoulder. Shikamaru closed his eyes, sighing deeply, "Of course, what kind of friend would I be if I wasn't there for you?"

He chuckled softly, eyeing the flowers on his bedside, "Were you the one keeping up with the flowers?"

Shikamaru's face flushed, eyes wide as he moved to pull the hospital bed sheets over his body. He pulled the covers up close, covering his mouth and nose with them. "No..." He whispered out, voice dissolving into nervous giggles.

"You can't hide anything from me." Naruto slipped into the covers as well, careful of the IV in his hand. He shut his eyes, allowing the exhaustion in his body to consume him a bit, "Shika?"

"Hm?"

"What would you have said... if Dr. Teruya or y-your mom hadn't shown up?" He whispered out.

Shikamaru turned towards him, cheek pressed against the other boy's shoulder, "I... I wanted to say... t-that you're the... most important p-person in my life as well..." There was a deep red flush on his face. He suddenly growled lowly, "But if you make me worry like this again, I'm not going to take care of your flowers."

Naruto smiled softly, "I promise it won't happen again." He cuddled up closer to his best friend, feeling Shikamaru sigh in relief as they both got comfortable in the earlier morning light.

It's a shame neither saw the sinister look staring back at them from just outside the hospital room, peeking in through the small window in the door. The man fixed his glasses before disappearing down the hallway.

Here is the link to my Ko-Fi again: https://ko-fi.com/deathbyshykid

Thank you for reading the chapter, I really appreciate each and every one of you!