Genjutsu

Chapter 2 the aftermath

xXx

When Naruto woke up he was in the hospital. The room was empty for now. He laid there, thinking about what happened. Barely able to even process what Itachi had done to him. He stared at the cream colored ceiling, not really feeling any particular emotion, he simply felt numb.

Kakashi came into the room, happy to see the blond finally awake. Naruto noticed him and rolled over, turning away from his sensei, he couldn't bare to look at him.

Kakashi noticed this and walked over to the bed where the boy laid. He knew full well the effect that the mangekyuo sharingan can have, having been tortured with it himself.

"Are you all right Naruto?" He said softly trying to comfort the boy. Naruto curled up, holding his arms, still not entirely sure how to process what had been done to him.

"Would you like to talk about it? It might help" Kakashi said. Naruto lowered his gaze, now looking at the wall below instead of out the window.

"You aren't alone, he tortured me as well using that jutsu. I can understand what your going through" Naruto began to cry

"It's ok, I'll understand" Kakashi said, desperate to try and comfort him.

"No you can't" Naruto said quietly through his silent tears.

"Yes I can, he tortured me for 72 hours, stabbing me with a sword for what felt like an eternity. I promise I'll understand" Kakashi lifted Naruto up and held him close, trying to comfort him. Naruto turned to him and started sobbing into his sensei's chest.

"Why -hic- didn't anyone -hic- tell me -hic- about my -hic- dad" he said, face still pressed against Kakashi's chest.

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, confused by the question. 'What on earth did Itachi do? Did Itachi tell him about his father? If so, why?'

"Is -hic- the fourth -hic- really -hic- my -hic- dad?" Naruto asked, looking up at his sensei through tear filled eyes.

"Who told you that?"

"He -hic- told -hic- me"

"Yes, he is. But why does that matter?" Naruto began sobbing even harder, clinging to Kakashi's chest.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, hugging the boy.

"He -hic- with -hic- he -hic- said -hic-" Naruto sobbed again into Kakashi's chest. He couldn't bare to say what Itachi had done.

Kakashi held his student close as he continued to cry.

xXx

Naruto sat there holding his knees to his chest with his head resting on his knees, his eye lids heavy as he stared at nothing in particular. It had been days since the incident. He'd barely eaten since then. Most of the time he just sat on the floor of his apartment. He couldn't stop thinking, replaying over and over in his head what had happened.

He hadn't even been able to muster up the courage to tell anyone yet. He was just too ashamed of what Itachi had done to him, and how much he'd enjoyed it. Tears ran down his face on and off as he sat there, yet he couldn't bring himself to make any noise. Even when some noise did slip out it was nothing more than quiet sobs. He hadn't spoken since he came home.

A few of his friends had come to visit him so far, but he couldn't bring himself to look directly at any of them, let alone say anything. Some tried to get him to talk about it, assuring him that it would help. Others simply sat there with him, trying to help him not feel so alone.

None the less he simply sat there, unable to escape the thoughts that plagued him. He hadn't slept much either, when he did sleep he'd have nightmares about Itachi. Some were about what he had done, but others were about what he might do next time. After all he was after Naruto, surely he'd return again.

The only person who might have been able to get Naruto to respond would have been Sasuke. But he was still gone, having left the village long ago in pursuit of power. Only he might have understood the sick twisted things that Itachi had done to Naruto.

Iruka sensei came by each day to take care of Naruto. He did his best to get the boy to eat something and drink water. It seemed now days that Naruto always had an empty look in his eyes, like he was barely aware of what went on around him.

Iruka hated seeing his student like this. He wished so much that there was something he could do to snap him out of the state he was in. He cared for the boy like a father. Whenever he tried to comfort him though it only seemed to cause him to sob even more. He just couldn't understand why he had such an effect on the boy.

Of all the people who visited Naruto it was Iruka sensei that reminded him of the incident the most. He couldn't stand to look at his sensei, whom he looked up to as a father, because every time he thought about his father figure it only brought back to his mind the fact that his real father had been the fourth hokage.