Shattered Sun

Broken but still good

Hatake Kakashi looked worriedly at his smallest Genin. They were on the way back from Nami when Naruto suddenly screamed and fell unconscious. Any and all attempt to rouse him was met with failure. Worse, something was wrong with his chakra as it flared and die intermittently. The boy was also boiling hot and then frigid cold like it couldn't decide whether to be hyperthermia or hypothermia. Even Sasuke has started to look worried.

Kakashi has three reasons to worry as he pushed his remaining Genin to their limit to get to Konoha; the Kyuubi, his student and his Sensei's legacy. He may have acted the part of uncaring but he do care, in his own constipated way. Naruto was important to him as more than just an asset or the one left of what was once his pseudo-family. But he forget it all as he all but flew to Konoha.

Upon seeing the gates, he stopped to see Sakura being carried by a barely standing Sasuke, "Register, I need to get Naruto to the hospital,"

He didn't wait for a reply as he sent a message to the Hokage via Pakkun who looked worriedly at Naruto. Shockingly right before Kakashi, his hair has started to turn from the stress the boy's body was going through. The golden strands slowly turning paler and paler. He placed the unconscious blond on to a bed and barked at the nurses to attend to the boy with threats of bodily harm...

"How long has he been unconscious?"

"It has been three days, Hokage-sama,"

...

"How is his chakra?"

"It has started to stabilize, sir,"

...

"It's like he's being drained of all colors,"

"It was the chakra, sir. Something happened to him on a genetic level but all attempts to read through testing was met by failure. I couldn't tell anything more than he's changing, sir,"

...

"The reading you gave me...is this true or has your machine broke?"

"I am sorry sir, but my team and I have done the test more than a dozen times. It kept coming back higher and higher,"

...

"Do you know what is going on Jiraiya?"

"Sorry, Sensei, but even Ma and Pa are confused. He's still Naruto but something is changing. I doubt he's waking up until whatever is going on with his body finished changing,"

...

"I can't believe you are dragging me back to Konoha because of this brat...but I have to admit, I have never seen such a case. It is almost like chakra poisoning or even chakra possession but somehow he remained the same,"

"Do you think you can do something about him, Tsunade?"

"I can try. No promises though...how long has he been unconscious?"

"One month and counting..."

"It's a miracle that haven't come out,"

"A miracle indeed," Something prodded his forehead, "Wait a minute...is that-?!"

...

Crimson eyes like hell fire blinked at him, "This is ridiculous..." A stuffy snort like the breath of a volcano blew at him, "But I am starting to think that nothing is beyond possible when it comes to you...foolish brat, hurry up..."

"Wake up,"

...

It felt like he had only blinked when he was forced to wakefulness. White crystal lotus bloomed in his blue depth as he looked around. The air smelled so clean and the bed, a real bed and not a cot, felt so soft under him. He stared at the clean ceiling in almost catatonic state, memories of the dying world coming to him slowly.