The Strength of the Weak {A Naruto Fanfiction}

The Strength of the Weak - Chapter 49

A sob wracks my body, causing me to fall into Naruto's shoulder as he pulls me into a tight hug, trying his best to comfort me.

"H-He's gone, Naruto-kun... Sasuke's m-my brother... the last f-family I had with me... but now he's gone. He left me alone!" I wail, my tears staining his hospital gown as I clench it in my fists tightly.

My tears don't stop flowing until a solid fifteen minutes later, small hiccups occasionally escaping my lips as I take comfort in Naruto's embrace. He doesn't let go of me, merely resting his head on top of mine as he lets me pour my feelings out.

"Look at me, Satomi-chan," Naruto says softly, causing me to glance up hesitantly, my long lashes glistening with the tears that had passed by them.

"You're not alone. This is Konohagakure, your home. All of your friends are here, and we all love you. Me, Sakura-chan, Grandma Tsunade, Pervy Sage, One Eye, hell, even Neji! We're all here for you, because we love you, Satomi-chan. As long as you're here with us, you'll never be alone, that's a promise."

My eyes widen Naruto's heartfelt statement, a small smile gracing my lips for the first time since we got back. Naruto's always been able to lift my spirits, the damn knucklehead. After all, he is Naruto Uzumaki, my best friend and the one that can do the impossible. He's my family.

I now understand what Ryouichi-sensei was saying. While I may be broken right now, with the help of my friends I can stand back up on my own two feet. 

I am Satomi Uchiha... and I am strong.

::

My head is tilted towards the ground as I wordlessly walk to my clan compound, the eery silence almost sending shivers up my spine. There was no greeting as I pass through the gates, a haunting silence screaming in my ears as I trudge up the stairs of my home.

Slowly opening the door, I let myself in and stare at the empty room in front of me, a sigh escaping my lips. My keen eyes spot a pair of plates sitting with spoiled food on the kitchen table, what used to be tomato onigiri laying untouched.

This was the last meal I ever cooked for both me and Sasuke. 

Gently padding over, I do the only thing I could do in this moment.

I pick up the two meals, waltzing over to the trash can and throw them in, plate and all.

::

A sigh escapes my parted lips as I wander the busy streets of Konoha, no destination in mind. I've been released from the hospital after a little bit, my injuries from Sasuke's retrieval mission not too severe. 

A flash of red catches my eye, causing me to pause in my journey and glance over to the side curiously. Ryouichi-sensei was standing off to the side, his eyes closed as he leaned on a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Slinking my way through the crowd, I approach my sensei, knowing that he let me see him for a reason.

"I understand, Ryouichi-sensei," I say, referring to what he had said to me while I was still in the hospital. Just from the tone of my voice, he could tell that I truly did understand what he had meant when he said he would refuse to train me until I showed him that I'm truly Satomi Uchiha.

"I see," he says quietly, peeling open his eyes to stare at me, "The reason I came to find you is because I just received the permission to take you out for some personal training."

Blinking, a smile rises to my lips. I haven't been training with Ryouichi-sensei in quite a while, it would be nice to learn some new things from him.