Namikaze -Iruka Umino-

Chapter Three

~ Week later~
Iruka woke up to Naruto yelling at the teen. He rolled over to see the blond boy with a worried look.

"What's wrong?" Iruka asked looking at the boy. Naruto just ran from the room causing the Umino boy to run after him, as the two got into the living room Iruka noticed Kakashi standing there. Asa was no where to be found, this started to worry the two as they looked to the ninja in front of them.

"Kakashi... Where is Asa?" Iruka questioned. Concern in his voice for his friend and the girl he had taken a liking to. Kakashi looked at Naruto then to the ninja with a sad look.

"She is... In the hospital. On the mission we were attacked. Asa wasn't quick enough to block the attack," answered the boy. Iruka's face fell as he looked down to the ground. Little sobs were heard as Naruto started to cry, Iruka looked to the boy and pulled him into a hug.

"Can we go see her?" Iruka asked again. He hoped to see the girl he liked to make sure she was okay. Kakashi nodded his head as the two rushed from the house. Iruka held onto Naruto as they ran to the hospital, fear took over the teen as he ran.

The boys ran into the hospital, Kakashi asking for the Namikaze. The young looking nurse told the group where the girl was just before Iruka took off running. Once the words came from her mouth they then were off, the door to her room was just around the corner as they came to the hall. Kakashi ran in front of Iruka and threw open the door.

Iruka's pace slowed as he came into the interance. Naruto jumped from his hands and ran to his aunts bedside, the woman who was like a mother to him laid on the bed unconisious and just barely breathing. She looked worse than Iruka had thought. She had deep cuts that littered her body, bandages covered most of her arms and other parts of her body that was unseen.

Iruka's body move on its own making him go closer and sit next to her beside. Taking the girls hand he sat there, tears streaming down his face as silent sobs took over. Naruto sat on her bed poking the girls cheek trying to get her up.

"Will... Will she wake up?" Iruka asked looking up at Kakashi. The silver haired boy looked to his friend, seeing the look of desperation he then knew deep down how much Iruka cared for the girl. Kakashi sighed, not know how to answer. The nurses hadn't come in to tell them anything and he wasn't sure how deep or bad the injuries really were.

"Let me find a nurse, they might be able to tell me," Kakashi told the Umino boy. Iruka nodded his head as his attention turned back to the little four year old in front of him. Naruto sat staring at Asa as she let out shallow breaths, tears brimmed the boys bright blue eyes that matched his aunts.

The boys sat silently as they watched Asa's chest move up and down slowly. Iruka hadn't noticed when someone walked in, only when a hand landed on the boys shoulder did he look up to see the Third Hokage. The man stood there with a small smile to both boys.

"Iruka. Can I speak with you outside?" questioned the older man. Iruka nodded his head as he moved to stand up, leaving the room with the Hokage and leaving Naruto all on his own. The two left the room and into the hall where the Hokage's face became serious.

"Iruka," started the Hokage, "as you know Asa is very immobile right now and someone needs to watch over Naruto. I know how much good of friends you two are and how much you care for the girl. I'm wondering if you would take care of the boy, even when Asa is conisious again and moving she will need help-"

"How bad was she injuried?" interrupted Iruka as worry took over.

The older man sighed, "She suffered a major wound to her abdomen. Minor cuts all over, bruises, a little head injury. She was on low charkra. She will need you there for her to get better then, I have planned to get her into this hospital to work as a medical ninja like she wanted. She has the boy to worry about, I don't want her on mission anymore."

Iruka stayed silent as he took in all the information. The boy looked into the room they were standing outside of to see Naruto watching the girl who cares for him like a mother would. A thought then popped into Iruka's mind about a conversation him and Asa had just days ago.

"Sir, Asa and I were talking a few days ago and she wanted to get a bigger place. She wanted to get one with a few more bed because of Naruto growing older," Iruka told the man. The Hokage nodded at this new information, taking everything in to make a decision.

"I've been hearing that you had been staying with her as well, is that right?" the old man inquired. Iruka nodded his head as an answer.

A smile appeared on the man's face, "Well then. I think where I need you to look after the girl for a while, helping her out why don't the two of you share a place. There's an empty on close to the academy. It's a small home, with three bedrooms."

"Yes, when she wakes up I can tell her about it," smiled Iruka.

"Okay. Come by tomorrow for the set of keys you both need. Pack everything in the next two days," told the Hokage as he turned away from the teen and went down the hall. Iruka turned back to the room to see Naruto still in his spot watching his aunt still body.

The sight still bothered the boy as he knew she would be like this for a few more days or so. He could feel the sadness coming from the boy, how scared he is of losing the last of his family. Iruka felt it too, the sadness of losing his best friend and crush. The girl who has his back and his heart laying still on the bed broke him.

Iruka sat back into his seat as he picked up Asa's hand once more. The two stay quiet like before, just watching the girl's breathing. It felt like hours that the two were sitting there, Kakashi hadn't come back and Iruka was curious as to why. It wasn't long after that thought when Kakash walked into the room again, standing beside Iruka who had soon after fallen sleep.

The young teen woke his friend, shaking his shoulder. Iruka opened his tired eyes while rubbing them to see Kakashi standing next to the bed. Asa still was out, her breathing never changed the whole time Iruka slept.

"Why don't you go home and sleep. Get Naruto to bed too," Kakashi suggested. Iruka nodded his head, knowing that the boy needed to sleep as well. Iruka stood up, picking the child from the bed where his aunts sleeping body laid. The two left the hospital as Kakashi stayed behind to make sure his friend would be okay.

Iruka still worried for the girl, but he needed to sleep so tomorrow he could pack both apartments up and get them into the house that the two teens would soon share. Iruka was nervous about this arrangement, but he knew that the girl got lonely without someone around her age. She enjoyed her nephew but having another older teen in the house with her to help her out and take care of Naruto when she wasn't able is what she was missing.