Chapter Text
No one ever told Naruto that coming home from the hospital would be one of the most painful things in his life. Before he opened his eyes, his body felt locked up in aches, especially around his lower stomach and hips. He opened his eyes after a few moments of groaning in pain, to see a familiar wall and the wall scroll to his left, but that didn’t seem to ease his ache.
He hated that he woke up, but that was because he had to use the bathroom. As if the feeling of stiffness and pain in his body radiating wasn’t enough reason to not get up, his body was demanding release.
And he did not want to piss himself.
So he forced himself to start moving. He moved as slowly as he could manage, letting out groans as he did. As he sat up, swinging his legs over, his bedroom door opened.
“I heard you groaning.” Naruto looked over and saw Sasuke standing there.
Naruto sat there as he let his body try to calm down but his mind was now in a panic mode.
‘As crap! Sasuke’s here?! I don’t need him to see me like this! Why did this have to happen to me?!’
“You okay?” Sasuke asked as Naruto was uncharacteristically quiet. Naruto tried to mask his discomfort with a weak thumbs-up and attempted to stand. But the moment he moved, a wave of pain radiated through his body, sending shockwaves of agony from his torso to his limbs.
Sasuke looked a bit uneasy but walked in, leaving the door open, “let me help.”
Naruto gasped and tried to wave him off, “nah I’m good. I don’t need your help.”
Sasuke stood there, looked down at Naruto, and crossed his arms, “don’t be stubborn. Your body is healing. Your body went through a traumatic event. It’ll be a while before you’ll be back to normal.”
“Tra-traumatic? What? I didn’t do anything traumatic!” Naruto defended.
“Two surgeries,” Sasuke clarified. “You had two surgeries, both in your abdomen. Whether or not you comprehend it, having surgery is considered trauma to your body and you need to recover.”
Naruto was silent for a moment, absorbing the gravity of Sasuke's words. He realized that, for all his strength and determination, he couldn't rush his recovery. His body needed time, and he needed to accept help from those who cared about him, even if it meant temporarily setting aside his pride.
With a reluctant nod, Naruto finally conceded, "Alright, Sasuke. Help me up." It was a small step, but it was a step toward accepting the reality of his situation and the support of his friends during his healing process.
With Sasuke's steady assistance, Naruto managed to get to his feet, albeit with some discomfort. Every step felt like a test of endurance, but he was determined to move to the much-needed toilet.
Sasuke offered Naruto a supportive arm, helping him walk toward the bathroom. The short journey felt like an odyssey, each step an arduous task. Naruto couldn't help but wince with each movement, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
As they reached the bathroom door, Naruto paused, leaning heavily on Sasuke. He glanced up at his friend, his gratitude evident in his eyes. "Thanks, Sasuke," he murmured, his voice a mixture of exhaustion and appreciation.
Sasuke nodded, his expression softening for a moment — until he realized that Naruto would need more help.
Inside the bathroom, Naruto faced another challenge—standing on his own long enough to take care of his needs. It was a humbling experience, one that reminded him of his vulnerability. But he also knew that this was just another step on the path to recovery.
Naruto turned to Sasuke with a weak and nervous smile. “Can you uh…help?” He asked.
Sasuke soon regretted offering Naruto help since this was uncomfortable and embarrassing for the both of them.
Afterward, with Sasuke's help, Naruto returned to his bedroom. He lowered himself onto the bed, his body protesting with every movement. Iruka had entered the room during their absence, and he watched with a mixture of concern and relief as Naruto settled back in.
“Thanks for your help,” Naruto said.
“Don’t mention it,” Sasuke said but soon added, “ever.”
Iruka walked over, “Thank you for your help Sasuke. I can take it from here.”
Sasuke nodded and walked out, leaving the sound of doors closing behind him to indicate that he had left.
Iruka looked at Naruto who was looking a bit pale. “Before you go back to sleep, you need to take some medicine,” Iruka informed. It seemed that he had brought in a tray carrying a few pill bottles and a large cup of water.
Naruto sat up once more, moaning as his body ached and the sound of bones popping was audible. Iruka opened the bottles and took out a few pills before handing them to Naruto. The blonde slowly moved his left arm but winced when he realized he couldn’t lift it. “What the—? Why does my shoulder hurt?” He asked.
“Maybe you laid on it wrong?” Iruka guessed.
“And why is my body in so much pain? It wasn’t this bad right after surgery,” Naruto mentioned.
“That’s because you still had anesthesia in your body. And you were in pain but that was because you were moving about,” he chided a hit.
“Really? I don’t remember that,” Naruto said as he swallowed the pills and grabbed the water to drink it. Iruka knew that some memory loss was common while still under the influence of anesthesia.
“Do you remember how you acted at all after your first surgery?” Iruka asked.
Naruto took a moment to try to think, and his face sunk a bit. “I remember some things…but not much,” he didn’t want to go into how immature he had acted or how he made himself even more sick.
Iruka could see the uneasiness in Naruto’s eyes and sighed. He helped Naruto lay down on his back, being mindful of his incisions and bandages that covered his abdomen. “Now just rest. I know you’ll be feeling better in no time, but you have to let yourself sleep.”
The blonde looked mildly uneasy but said, “And will you stay here?”
“I’ll be here for a while, but Kakashi and Sakura will be over in the evening,” Iruka explained.
Naruto’s eyes widened, moving his arms in an ‘X’ shape and he shook his head, “No way! Sakura can not see me like this!” He stopped moving when he felt his body ache from moving so abruptly.
“Why not?” Iruka asked.
“Cause I’m like…ya know…weak…and hurting,” he said as his voice grew quieter with some blush glowing on his face.
Iruka poked Naruto’s cheek playfully, “Just don’t think of that sort of thing. Besides you should be sleeping for the most part. Sakura is just making sure you’re okay for the evening. She’ll leave before it gets too dark out.”
Another concern struck Naruto, and he immediately reacted, “Okay…well…she won’t hit me right?” He asked.
Iruka turned his head, “Hit you? Does Sakura hit you?”
“She says I deserve it whenever I’m acting dumb. But if I’m always dumb, I always get hit,” Naruto said.
This was certainly a conversation Iruka was not planning on having. “She shouldn’t be hitting you, even if you are acting dumb. I’ll talk with her,” Iruka said.
Naruto immediately backpedaled, “No wait! Please don’t say anything! Usually, I can handle her punches! They’re not a big deal!”
“Naruto,” Iruka looked the boy in the eye, “Sakura should not be hitting anyone that isn’t an immediate threat to herself. So unless you have been threatening or hurting her, she should not be laying hands on you. Do you understand?”
Naruto nodded but he also didn’t know why Iruka was being so…defensive.
But something in Naruto’s chest felt lighter after speaking with Iruka about his concerns.