Naruto : The System Files

Chapter no.151 Waking Up

"How is he?"

This voice was a whisper, a monotone drawl in the baritone registry.

Naruto knew of it. He knew the person it belonged to.

"Roughed up. Badly. And he has one hell of a fever."

That voice was clearer, higher-pitched, but full, round, yet trembling at the edges.

Not the voice of a woman but not the voice of a girl anymore.

It was also a familiar voice.

"How so?" The man with the monotone asked again.

He had something to do with an animal. A big cat, if his memory served Naruto right. Lynx? Nah. Panther maybe?

No, that was not it either. Why was his mind so fuzzy? It was annoying. And the constant, uncontrollable shivers running up and down his body were annoying too.

"I'll need him awake for a complete check-up but I can guarantee he won't ever shout again." The teenager answered.

Naruto frowned. He knew her also. Pug? No. Chihuahua? The boy bit down a snort but wasn't entirely successful. He instantly stopped and whimpered a bit when his throat caught fire. That was not it but he was close. Willing his brain to supply him with an answer, Naruto kept coming short and frowned, dissatisfied.

Why was everything so foggy?

Why was his entire body pulsing with pain?

How can he use the Yang jutsu that the king unlocked in the skill table?

Someone shushed him and he felt something cold being placed on his forehead. The sensation relaxed him immediately.

"What I fear most is brain damage but I can't assess completely while he's asleep."

"What did your iryojutsu tell you?"

"He definitely suffered from anoxia, for how long exactly I can't say. His brain has been damaged and even if it was somehow repaired, the consequences could be anything."

"Given his healing factor, what can we expect?"

"Honestly sergeant, I can't say for sure. He could be paralyzed, amnesiac to various degree, he could be incapable of speech, he could be extremely violent or constantly terrified… Anything."

There was a sigh. "What about Cat?"

"She had a crack in her skull but it was nothing I could not fix. She just needs her rest."

"Alright." There was a shuffle of cloth against cloth, an exhausted groan, and stretched limbs before the man spoke again. "What a mess."

"Nothing you need to blame yourself for sergeant."

There was a marked silence, a hesitation, a waver in the baritone. "No." The man eventually acknowledged. "Still, for things to go FUBAR like that… And we are still not out of the fire."

Deciding he was safe among voices he knew and considering he felt like he had obviously been trampled by some kind of very heavy animal, Naruto drifted back into sleep. He was certain they wouldn't deprive him of his rest.

.....

As soon as tiger and the others were out of his reach, the blond found himself in a narrow expense of nowhere.

His breath hitched when in front of him shimmered the dead corpses of all ninja he and the king had killed.

Naruto glared at the apparitions who glared in return.