Team Kakashi, team Gai, and Tazuna all sat in the hospital lobby waiting for the results to come back. Sakura had just explained what had happened with a quavering voice and tears in her eyes.
They had all been through so much in the last few weeks and this just made her snap. Naruto looked at her as a strong person but this made him want to start bawling.
Nobody said a word, just sat there staring off in different directions. Finally, Gai broke the silence.
"He better not die. If he does then I'll have to get him back," he said with his fist clenched.
Tenten hit him in the back of the head. "Sensei! How dare you!"
"You won't be able to get him back if he's already dead," Neji said smartly.
"Of course I can! You'll see! I'll get him back so bad that he'll wet himself!" Gai shouted as he stood and raised his clenched fist.
"You can do it, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted as he stood and admired his teacher with sparkling eyes.
He can't wet himself if he's dead! Neji and Tenten thought to themselves with their heads down.
"Quiet down you two! This is a hospital," Tazuna whispered urging them to sit down so they wouldn't embarrass him further.
Kakashi's team continued to sit in silence until finally Sasuke spoke up.
"The man who injured him…was a Uchiha," the young shinobi whispered with hatred burning inside him.
Everyone turned to gape at him except for Naruto who already knew.
"W-why didn't you tell us earlier," Gai screamed at Sasuke.
Tazuna slapped him so hard on the back he fell forward. "What did I tell you about yelling?!"
"Mr. Tazuna, please try to respect the patients who are resting," a passing nurse told the elderly man.
"I'm sorry, Matsuri-chan," Tazuna whispered before turning to glare at Gai, still lying on the floor.
Suddenly, Kakashi came out of the room and glared at all of them.
"Alright, which one of you put me in here?" he growled.
They all pointed at Gai who looked up to see his fellow shinobi glaring at him.
"Ah, my eternal rival lives," Gai said nonchalantly while getting up. Jabbing his finger in Kakashi's face, he continued to yell. "I knew you wouldn't die! Then it wouldn't be proper rivalry!" He chuckled loudly.
Kakashi grabbed his finger and bent it far enough for it to snap audibly several times. Gai made a choking sound deep in his throat and tears formed in his eyes as he chewed his bottom lip in pain.
Matsuri had just come back to scold him but when she saw his "accident" she turned sympathetic.
"This way, sir, we'll have that looked at," she said leading him off down the hall.
The rest turned to gape at Kakashi. He looked perplexed.
"What?"
Sakura sighed as everyone got up to leave. Except for Lee who was, of course, sobbing over Gai's broken finger.
"Why you Gai-sensei?" he asked nobody in particular. Tazuna was rubbing his back comfortingly then waved the others off.
Kakashi shrugged then followed the others out the door. As soon as they were outside, Sakura turned to glare at him.
"You didn't' have to break his finger you know," she said, her voice steadily rising. "And what's wrong with hospitals anyway? You would have died if we hadn't taken you there!"
Kakashi looked at his feet like a child when they know they are in trouble. He sighed before looking back into her hard green eyes.
"If it hadn't been Gai who had brought me here then I probably wouldn't have gotten as upset," he replied, not explaining that the same hospital is where he had declared their absurd rivalry. "I'm just tired of being in the hospital all the time, alright?"
Sakura turned sympathetic and just stared back into her sensei's eyes wishing that he wasn't so complex.
Naruto spoke up. "Well, I'm hungry, let's go back to Tazuna's and see how much ramen he has left. Last one back cooks!" And with that he began sprinting down the road. Lee followed immeaditly with Sasuke, who couldn't resist the competition, and Neji who mumbled something about it being pointless and stupid.
Tenten, Sakura, and Kakashi followed more slowly, talking about whatever came to mind and enjoying the walk back to the house.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Did Naruto and Sasuke ever find out who did this to me?" Kakashi asked pointing to the bandage wrapped firmly around his head.
Sakura turned to him and thought over wether she should tell him or not. It was a serious matter that another Uchiha had survived, but it was worse knowing that they may have strayed toward the wrong side like Sasuke's brother, Itachi.
She decided to hold it off for another time. "I'm not sure. They came back to the house right after you passed out so it's kind of a blur."
"I see," he mumbled, obviously not believing her.
Tenten looked at her friend questioningly but Sakura just shook her head, signaling to keep quiet. Tenten just cocked an eyebrow and looked forward as they came upon Tazuna's house.
Tsunade came to greet them at the door. "Oh! You're back! Where's my father and Gai?"
Kakashi smiled apologetically and replied as calm as ever. "There was an accident there so they had to stay a little longer."
"Oh my, I hope it was nothing serious?"
"No nothing at all. There's no need to worry."
Tenten and Sakura sighed and went inside, Kakashi behind them.
In the kitchen, Naruto and Lee were arguing over who was back last while Sasuke and Neji stood there looking as bored as ever.
Sasuke then grabbed the ramen packet out of Naruto's hand and filled a pot with water. "Don't you ever shut up."
Everyone just stared at him and Naruto blushed but stayed silent.
Everyone else moved to the table and started asking Kakashi about what happened. Naruto stood where he was and just stared at Sasuke. Why did he have to be that way? So cool and calm but always taking control of the situation. He hated it! Sasuke always took the spot light.
He opened his mouth to say something when three men burst into the house through windows and the door.
Tsunami screamed. The shinobi all faced the men ready to attack while Sakura and Tenten got Tsunami and Inari out of the room.
Naruto was ready to let them have it when one of them turned to him. He couldn't speak. The man had his face completely covered except for his eyes which were blank. Several scars marked his skin around his eyes and, looking at his torso, he noticed he was incredibly skinny.
The others must have noticed this too because they all froze with the same shocked expression. Even Lee, Neji, and Kakashi who were facing the other two men.
The man facing Naruto spoke up, his voice high pitched and full of venom. "Where is the Jinchuuriki?"
Yay! The dreaded cliffhanger! Ok, nothing new there. Just review. Please. It helps. And give me dango. I need it badly. Thank you. :3