Hikari; Cataclysm

Chapter 5

Boring was the one word that best describes the rehabilitation sessions. Since Sakura was one of my attending physicians, things tend to get a bit terrifying here and there. I still didn't have full use of my legs so I had to move around in the wheelchair. Kakashi-sensei was long gone to train Naruto on his chakra nature manipulation and I was left with paperwork that was piling on the hospital bed. Since I had regained my full upper body function, I had been working non-stop and bickered endlessly with the nurses along with Sakura when I stayed up too much to work when I should have been resting. I couldn't afford to sleep yet, Hitori's funeral wasn't done, Senpai was sending troops to catch a team of Akatsuki that had attacked the Fire Temple. That was dangerously close to my liking and all I got from Itachi was that Sanbi had been captured. Enraged, I slammed the table. We aren't making any headway but Itachi's position might be compromised if he sniffed around too much. Also, with the Akatsuki constantly occupying themselves with sucking in the Bijuu, I doubt that Itachi had a window to send messages. Hence, I looked out of the window for something to cool down my head this afternoon. I didn't notice how much time had flowed by.

‘You've been looking out there for five hours straight. Something in your mind? Here, take this and eat,’ Sakura said as she put a small bowl of pills and a cup of warm water on my desk before she sat down near the table next to the bed. She was writing reports on my progress so I ingested the medicine in the meantime.

‘I'm bored as hell, that's all. I just hate sitting around doing nothing. How is my progress, Sakura? Tell me that I could go out already,’ I pleaded after I drank the cup of water.

‘You're doing exceptionally great. We'll be starting your physiotherapy tomorrow. Tsunade-Shishou had approved of it just now. She is still the head physician on your case, you know. If she doesn’t give her approval for your release, what power do I have in refuting that? As if you moving around in a wheelchair wasn't proof of your bad condition,’ she explained. I laid down on my back and stretched my body while yawning.

‘This is seriously damaging my ninja skills. I need to start training,’ I pressed on with the complaint.

‘Stop complaining and listen to us, dumbass,’ she replied and I merely snorted at her comment.

‘Tyrant,’ I muttered under my breath and I could tell she was triggered by my snide remark. ‘No, nothing, Sakura-sama.’

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the window of my bedroom was cracked for no apparent reason and my eyes narrowed at it.

‘Did you do that?’ I questioned and a sliver of worries slowly creeping up my spine.

‘No,’ she mumbled looking at the said window. I got a bad feeling about this. It was just about the end of the day that the dreaded news came to me. One of my Foundation Anbu operatives appeared kneeling near my bed.

‘Director, Sakura-sensei. I'm sorry for informing you this way but Asuma-senpai was killed in action from his battle with the Akatsuki duo, Hidan and Kakuzu,’ he said. Anger now was rising to the top of my head. Sakura could just hold her mouth in despair, no doubt thinking of our dear trio, Ino-Shika-Cho. In a burst of rage, I wiped all of the things on the damn desk. I turned my body to the side and tried to stand up.

‘Hidan, Kakuzu, I will kill you all!’ I growled as I took a step forward and fell miserably to the hospital floor. In agony, I punched the hell out of the floor. 

‘Why am I the one that has to be stuck here?! Fucking useless leg…’ I cried miserably.

I clawed my way to the doors crying over my good friend and company, my master's son, Sarutobi Asuma. My fingers had been bleeding during my struggle and Sakura that had seemingly recovered from her despair, had knocked me out of it.