The Akira Files Book 2

The After Effects

Akira's POV

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. It was probably closer to the 6th or 7th. I'd wake up confused and disoriented, everything was on fire, people hurt, the ground burning. This was becoming a part of my life, and I still wasn't really sure what it even was or why it happened.

I watched the chunin get taken away on stretchers, each one sending a confused but falsely positive smile my way.  They weren't blaming me per se, but it was in their eyes. Distrust, fear, all plain to see. I couldn't watch, I lowered my head and walked out of the burning arena. I craved cold air.

"Akira. Wait."

Dad... I forgot he was here... I stopped patiently until he caught up and began walking again. "Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"

"Probably, but they are short-staffed this year." We continued in silence. He was hoping I'd open the topic on my own and I was hoping the silence would last. A short sigh later and he was talking again. "Akira, I think we need to talk."

We reached the open air. Concerned jounin watching me and Kakashi, my jutsu had long since vanished leaving me with my usual dark hair, slightly shorter stature and well... I was a girl... We left the area without exchanging anymore words, we had just passed the school when I opened up the conversation.

"So. What'd you need to talk about?"

"How did you know I was watching the first exam?"

Looks like he doesn't want to talk about it either. "I dunno, a guess?" He wasn't buying it. "I just felt like you'd be there... it was probably my own delusions or something."

"What made you think I'd be there?"

I hunched my shoulders, "Maybe 'cause unlike my family, you've been there for me in the past? Maybe cause I feel like you would want to see me there? I don't know. I just- I felt like you'd be proud watching me and- I don't know."

He was silent for a while, laying out his answers. "I was proud of you." Past tense hurts.

"Yeah, I was feeling pretty proud f myself too. Until –you know- the catastrophe of the century."

"I think you're over exaggerating."

"Am I though?" I looked at him then, and regretted it. He wasn't mad, or upset, or even disappointed. His eyes were clear, as mine raged with anger, regret, guilt and a mess of other emotions I had no intention of delving into.  I ended up looking away.

"You know when I took the chunin exams, I killed three people. No one's dead yet, be thankful for that."

"Until it happens again. I just- I just don't understand why it keeps happening."

"This is reoccurring?"

I opened the gate to our houses front yard. Letting him roll past me in his wheelchair. Maybe I should have been pushing him back... "Well, yeah... a few times..."

"Have you figured out why it keeps occurring?"

"No. Have you even been listening to me?"

"Yes, I have but there must be a common theme, right?"

I moved around him and opened the front door.  "No." I hesitated. "Probably. I don't know. I black out every time... it's something to do with a genjutsu though. I don't really know all the details."

"That would explain why when the genjutsu was cast you reacted like that."

"Yeah... So what do I do now?"