The Demon They Once Feared. {BOOK 2}

|16| Late.

Though when Sakura's green eyes landed on Mina, they couldn't help but widen in horror, a gasp leaving her lips. "M-Mina?" The pink-haired girl stammered, shocked. Gaining a nod from the Uzumaki, Sakura continued, "I didn't know you were the patient that needed immediate treatment." She whispered, unable to get over the shock.

"Yeah," Mina responded, voice not reaching it's usual fake happiness. "I can trust you right?"

"O-of course," Sakura responded to the random question with a nod, rushing towards the terrible looking girl. Lifting Mina's hand and inspecting the boniness and then moving on to inspect the extremely thin arm, looking in horror at the scars. "Why didn't you just go to Lady Tsunade?" The pink haired girl questioned, narrowing her eyes, examine the extent of Mina's condition.

"I didn't want her to worry," Came Mina's response, looking to the ground, "With everything that's happening with the Akatsuki, I didn't want to trouble her any more than she already is."

"Lady Tsunade cares for you like her own child, you would be troubling her more if you didn't tell her." Mina smiled at Sakura's statement, a warm feeling in her chest rising. And somehow, Sakura's words seemed to mend a part of Mina's cracked glass heart. "When you were back in the village, I could physically tell that a lot of stress and worry was lifted off her shoulders, you should've seen her when you were gone." She laughed lightly, "I had to force her to get some sleep!"

Mina laughed along this time, though it didn't reach her eyes. "That's why I came to you."

Sakura's expression changed into a serious but sad one, "can I ask what happened when you were with Orochimaru?"

At the question, Mina stayed silent for a moment and just when Sakura was about to apologise for asking such a question, Mina grinned suddenly. Laughing slightly, Mina answered with lightheartedness and a shrug of her shoulders, "Being tortured, experimented on, not being fed, ya know, the usual for a psycho like Orochimaru."

Sakura stared in shock at Mina, mouth open, Sakura was about to reply but her words were washed out of her mouth when noticing the determination crossing her features. "I want to get healthy again, but I'm pretty sure that there is something physically wrong with me."

"Maybe one of Orochimaru's experiments," Sakura mumbled, a thought in her mind.

"Exactly." Mina grinned, more of a genuine one this time.

"I'm thinking it's something to do with the stomach, that's why you're not absorbing the nutrients of all the food you eat an-" Before Sakura could finish the sentence, Mina butted in, correcting her on something.

"I'm vomiting up all the food I eat."

"....I see," Came Sakura's response as she grabbed a pair of rubber gloves from an area of the room, "I'll get to work as soon as I can, but I may need to call in Chiyumi for assistance."

"Chiyumi?" Mina repeated the name, tilting her head to the side in question.

"Yeah, she's a medical ninja now, on par with me actually. Are you okay with her helping?"

"As long as you fix me," Mina responded, staring at Sakura with certainty in her violet eyes, a glow in her eyes. "But make sure you don't tell anyone about my condition. Wouldn't want word to get out, ya know." She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"Okay."

"How long will it take?" Mina asked.

"A couple of hours, but I'm guessing you want to return to a healthy looking teen right away."

"Is it possible?"

"Yes, it will take longer but Chiyumi and I can pull it off. You'll be back to being a normal teen by the end of today."

"Thanks, Sakura." Mina smiled, a more genuine smile, showing her gratitude towards the pink haired teen.

*-*

"You have a goal now right?" He questioned when taking a break from the gruelling training.

"Yeah!" Mina had responded, grinning and taking gulps of water. Refreshing her dehydrated form. "And I know what I need to do!"

"Good," Gon laughed, "Then nothing can stop you from completing your goal?" He asked, although, it sounded more like a statement.

"I know exactly what I need to do when I get home," Mina said, placing the water bottle down and rubbing a hand on her fake healthy looking thigh.

"What is it?" Killua asked, stretching his hands above his head, hearing a satisfying pop from his joints.

"I need to see a friend, hopefully, she can fix me up physically," Mina informed with a small smile, prepared for the but-load of questions. But when they didn't come, she glanced at the two young boys in confusion.

They were grinning at her, "I'm glad you found your reason." Gon said, eyes crinkling closed when the abnormally large grin overtook his features.

"I know it can be hard to live without a real purpose, and with people telling you're this and that," Killua spoke, smiling sadly at the ground, "but this dork is weird." He muttered pointing a thumb next to him, at Gon.

"Oi! Who're you calling a dork?" Gon asked in frustration, glaring at his friend.

Mina smiled when the two started bickering.

*-*

At the thought of returning back to a normal healthy teen brought a smile to Mina's face. It was one less thing to worry about. And when she has her healthy body back, she'll look after it, while being able to train properly and without much worry of passing out as soon as training started. She was finally able to start recovering from the things that happened in the past, and that gave her all the more reason to get back to normal.

But when there is a voice that will speak to her at unknown times, memories of the traumas she had witnessed, and the horrible thought of failing, it set a small doubt in her mind. One that would ruin and destroy her from the inside if nothing was done to stop it.

At least she was trying to become normal again.

And hopefully, it wasn't too late.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

So... Double update today. Feel honoured, I'm ditching the studying I'm supposed to do for the test tomorrow.

Anyway, thank you guys for reading my book. As I have warned before (I think) Updates will become slow as the REAL exams are coming closer.

Gosh, I really don't want to grow up. 

I have been lazy with my writing and studying lately, and I apologise if I'm not able to update as much as I want to. When writing this I came to the realisation that there is a lot -A POOP TONNE- of content I need to revise. I'll try my best to get chapters written and posted, although they may be shorter.

I hope you guys can understand the struggle of life and thanks a bunch for the support.

Barry-The-Berry

unedited, 11/02/18