Surgery was going smooth and simple, no grand experiences, no startling revelations or miraculous healing- it was a an affair with no drama. Yet, the Hatake had found himself concerned during the entire ordeal so far, randomly twitching inside the waiting room and refusing to leave. Anxious, not merely for the acknowledgement his student was undergoing a drastic operation. It was further met with familiarity- the stinging grasp of remembrance, for it was irrefutable that Obito had died in a very similar manner, it was irrefragable; crushed by rubble, his left side visual but bloodied and limp- the bleak expression he'd worn, near exact, to how Naruto had appeared as he took the news of his disablement. Only difference being that the blond had, by miracle, survived. While waiting Kakashi was nary convinced he wouldn't, as he had last seen the energetic man- after his fervent burst of emotion Naruto had simply stilled; his entire body had frozen and he did not blink once regardless of how long the jonin maintained his stare to be certain.

Two hours after the procedure began, the dear academy teacher ran in. Hair flying about and nearly all out of its tail, sweat shining his face, panting and his entire body had been shuttering. Those hospital staff who had witnessed the bold entrance appeared both startled, and entirely ready to push the poor chunin out for his inappropriate haste. As it were, one of them did, and in a display that Kakashi could say with complete assurity he had never before seen, Umino Iruka, one of the most soft-hearted persons he had ever met; snarled at the nurse- said 'fuck off!' loudly while well within the man's personal space, and then slapped him across the cheek. Kakashi, stared, at the man, at Iruka- and in watching the brunet's clenching and unclenching fingers, knew that the affronted nurse had gotten the merciful side of the teacher.

The seething chunin walked to where Kakashi sat- and though perhaps inadvisable, one silver brow arched. There, three black eyes clashed; an ebony sky crashing against a pit of ashes, he was glared upon with a titering gaze, one so obviously fractured Kakashi knew the wall it held would crumble easily. Just watching as the wells of emotion shook within the man- for there was no consolation he could present. Instead, in sympathy, Kakashi turned his gaze to the door; the sight of fearful irises quaking with instinctual panicked anger- a glance which he had confronted far too many times; and he had no desire to do so when preventable.

Neither of them had a want to speak within the sanitary atmosphere of the hospital hallways. Yet, by the build-up of mounting guilt, Kakashi did so anyway. "Two-hours." That was all he had to present, because speaking optimistic words such as 'he will be okay' was too daunting a hope to build. A shinobi needed to maintain the mentality that it was completely possible for a comrade to die, regardless of personal bond. Iruka knew that true enough as the silver-haired nin beside him did- however, the academy teacher was rather inexperienced in practicing upon that law. He got no reply, as expected. So the silence progressed ever further, much as it had for the past hours he'd spent doing nothing, merely awaiting results he was afraid to hear.

Soon it was only him who was conscious in his waiting, because of all the anger plaguing around his mind, Iruka's body denied the need to stay awake. Collapsed on one of the inexpensive chairs in the hall, the soft snores filling the area and Kakashi found it calming, in opposition to his own introverted mentality the knowledge of another nearby was stopping him from falling into that familiar cravace of self-evaluation. Even if such relief would prove unimportant later on as he fell ever further into self-inculpation, the brief encounter of levity was welcomed. Even as the heavy door clicked open, the snores did not stop- rather got a fraction louder, had it been a more casual situation Kakashi might have found the response intriguing, as it was he spared no focus on it. Starring instead at the firm figure of the Hokage walking towards him, she was wiping sweat off her brow and ever so slightly panting, however her gaze was immensely firm, daunting in the manner only a leader might possess.

"I didn't remove his arm." He blinked for a moment, shock radiating cold through his system, eye focused on the image of the woman afore him- evaluating her for many frigid minutes. Then anger began to come forward, seeping outward from his stomach and growing as a plague within him, and infracting his upon his mind for the first time in nearly a decade, fist coiled in his pockets. Rationality kept him from reacting, training stopping him from moving forward with abrupt emotion, and awaiting her explanation with a stone made iris. "I still do not believe it can be recovered, I did as he wished. But, I did kill several of the nerves in his arm still capable of receiving pain, so the remaining limb should be less painful. That said, while he had managed to retain some symbalence of usage with the ligament when he was returned to us, he will have none now- it is, escentally, a dead part on his body." A battle persisted in his mind at her decision, but even he knew that there would be no obvious winner. It did not stop his eye from staring down at the woman, commander or not. It was in no way his choice, but the arm should not have stayed.

His breath came out as a heavy, annoyed sigh, but he held himself firm from making comment. "And his chest?" She tensed further, lips thinned so far he almost anticipated that they would disappear entirely. Regardless, of her obvious strain he felt no sympathy, perhaps it was her choice of conduct, or more precisely, her behaviour around Naruto while she had been explaining his condition, a nauseating spite conjealing inside his stomach. For moments they said nothing to each other, a glaring match that was rather unnecessary. Yet, despite age and experience being on her side, Kakashi still won and she closed her eyes away from his stare.

"I can't truly heal it all that well, its a horrible wound, and if it were a limb I would have removed it. However, as it isn't so simple, I have mainly removed all of the extensively burnt tissue, that which was blackened. Then, I attempted to heal those lower layers of skin which- while not salvageable, I could reduce the damage infracted. It will scar, and it will not be a pleasant experience, for awhile he will need a special type of ointment to further alleviate the damaged tissue. He will have difficulty breathing for the rest of his life, not because his lungs were injured, but because it will simply be too painful to raise his chest fully." In a show of exasperation, her fingers pinched at her nose. "He will need monitoring, continual help, at least until he comes to both adapt to his condition and accept it." A frown came then, and Kakashi could swear it was the most emotion he'd seen from the woman after having found out about the situation. He ignored its presence, and offered no consolation, instead straightening himself.

"I'll do it." He was faced with shock at his words, yet as firmly practiced, he gave her no indication of his feelings upheaving and the ire integrated therein. Even as intense hazel eyes stared him down, it was his aggression baring over his mind in a daunting pressure had him staring her down, with a type of intimidation technique he did not commonly use; even on the battlefield. "He can stay with me." No details of what he would do, how he could aid were offered to the woman, because he had no want for her to understand his reasoning. That being, he knew the risk that was building around the blond, the possibility that would linger over him. Already Naruto was fragile, his hopes, dreams were dashed, his body crippled- by a man he considered his friend no less. One hand was clasping onto a cliff and several fingers had been burnt- if things weren't properly watched, crumbling mentality would give way and what remained would fall; suicide. Too similar had occured to his father, and he had lost far sooner then Uzumaki Naruto- after all, the village scorn unto the blond was no new experience as it had been to Sakumo.

Very briefly, her eyes narrowed, and the sigh she let loose was so heavy it could have shook the walls. "Fine." It was spat out, "I'll mark you as inactive. Don't expect this to be permanent Kakashi, we need all top Jounin when against the Akatsuki." Replying would service nothing, thus, he didn't, and his ever familiar blank stare remained, blinking slowly in his response to her irritation. She walked away with footsteps that implied anger in their slight force.

"Thank you Kakashi-san." That startled him, he hadn't noticed the Iruka waking. Alas he was, and he was leaning forward so his elbows on his knees, arms hanging limp inward, there was a smile on his face- miniscule and so plainly forced it was simply sad to see from such an emotional man. It was in his irises that his true feelings were dancing, and all of them dark. Real gratitude rested in his voice however, and Kakashi with everything playing in within the man did not want to tip the delicate scale the academy teacher had managed to make for himself emotionally; he merely nodded his acceptance of the man's gratitude.

Walking away, he considered, he never had people within his apartment out of his own volition. It would be a new experience to have Naruto there. Given so, he would have to prepare it properly.