*
“ Itachi-nii! Let’s play! Saying ‘No’ is not allowed! ” I said as I suddenly jumped infront of him.
He was in his usual spot on their house’s porch. Aunt Mikoto told us that it was Itachi-nii’s day off today. He usually tells us no when we ask him to play with us, saying that he still have mission to do.
“Yeah! Mother said it’s your day off so you have no excuses anymore!” Sasuke chimed in, jumping at his brother’s back.
Itachi-nii looked at the both of us and sighed.
“Is that a yes?!” Sasuke and I asked excitedly.
“What choice do I have?” He told us with a good-natured frown. “What do you guys want to play?”
“Hide and seek!” Sasuke shouted.
“You’re going to find us! Ninja Skills is not allowed! ” I told him over my back as we ran upstairs.
“Where do they get all that energy from?” Aunt Mikoto asked and shook her head as we passed by her.
“Nami-chan! Let’s hide here.” Sasuke whispered as he waved for me to come over. He went inside the cabinet as he gave the door we came in, one last look.
“Wait..” I told him as I put my ears against the door. I started to hear footsteps getting closer.
“He’s coming!” I whispered at him as we closed the cabinet’s door where we are hiding from. It was pitch black inside. We clamped our hands on our mouth to avoid making sounds and the only thing I can hear is my heartbeat ringing to my ears.
The room’s door opened and closed and the footsteps came closer to the cabinet. The cabinet where we are hiding when it suddenly opened, we were both blinded by the sudden light shrouding us.
“Found you.” I heard Itachi-nii say.
*
I woke up as I felt a hand touched mine. I didn’t move. I didn’t open my eyes. To begin with, it felt so hard to open my eyes. It’s like it was glued close. There was an oxygen mask on my face and I was very thankful for it. It was helping me breath. I pretended that I was still asleep. No, unconscious. I don’t even know what I am doing here. Did something happen? Was the village attacked? It feels like there’s something.. something big happened.
The person removed his hand from mine and went outside the room. I tried to identify who the person was. But for some reason, I can’t. It was all fuzzy. There’s just this one person I can identify. Father.
"So it happened. That Itachi." I heard him say. It was barely a whisper but I clearly heard it. I hadn’t notice that the legō-fēlēs was activated until I heard my father whisper.
My heart literally skipped a beat as I remembered what happened. My memories that happened that night played like a movie inside my head. A movie that no matter what I do for it to go away, it will only show more hurtful things. Things that will never happen again. The warmth and happiness that welcomed me everytime I walk by the compound will never be there anymore. It will only be an abandoned place full of haunted memories. There will be no one that will greet me and throw jokes at me like Aunt Uruchi. There will be no one that will welcome me with a warm smile every time I go to their house like Aunt Mikoto. She was close to a Mother to me. And most of all, there will never be a kind, gentle and loving person that I always admired. The person who has a great love for his little brother. Itachi. I wonder if it was all an act? If all Itachi did, all that smiles.. Was all that true?
I didn’t notice that a tear escaped my eyes until someone wiped it.
“Nami. I know you’re awake now. You don’t have to pretend that you’re not.” Father told me.
I slowly opened my eyes. Sure enough, Father was standing beside my bed. Relief flashed across his face. I can easily read his expression. I don’t know how I can do it. I just can.
“F-Father…” I said. My voice was hoarse and it was dry.
My eyes widened as I remembered someone.
Sasuke!
Is he okay?! He didn’t die, right?! No. I will never accept that thing to happen!
My chest started to hurt and I started to gasp for breath.
“Is Sasuke al..right?! Where is he?”
My father rested his hand on my forehead as I felt myself relax as something cold spread through me.
It’s one of his jutsu.
“Relax. Relieve yourself from bad memories for now.” He commanded.
A doctor came in and checked up on me. Checking my vitals for normal signs until he said it was okay to remove the oxygen mask. I learned that I had some sort of heart illness because of the wound inflicted to me of what happened last night. What I did to stop the kunai from running through my chest helped but it still reached a good millimeter of my chest that got critical. They had done a surgery for now to compromise for it getting worst.
"What are you doing here, Father? I thought you'll still be away for a good two days?" I asked, looking at him.
"You've been unconscious for 2 weeks." He answered, but he didn’t look at me. He sighed. Probably because he knew I can read that he was worried.
"What about Sasuke? Is he.. Is he okay?”
"Yes. He was released in the hospital last week."
“Father.. There was someone else that night.. It wasn’t Itachi-nii who tried to kill me..” I trailed off. Saying Itachi-nii’s name felt so foreign to me. Why am I feeling this? Why am I full of doubts about him now?
"I know." My head snapped to my father’s direction.
“You know? How?” I asked.
“I just know it. And you know him well. It’s up to you to judge if he really wanted to do it or not. If he did it or not.” He said and he stood up. ”I will go now. I still have a Mission to finish. Don’t ever worry me like that again, Nana.” He said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
I smiled at myself. “Thanks for worrying, Papa.”
I think I will be discharged much sooner from here. The doctor said I just need to recover my strength and I will be okay to go. It may take two or three days more. Ughh. Spending the night inside the hospital just creeps me out. It’s so silent inside the building. The usual sound is when nurses pass by in the corridor. The usual tapping of their feet to the floor. It was 11 in the evening and visiting hours is over. I stared at the ceiling, willing myself to go sleep. My left hand is still wrapped in bandages. A few minutes later I drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
"You sure she already woke up? What if she’s still in a coma or something?" A voice woke me up and someone started poking my cheeks. I stirred pushing whatever is poking my cheeks away.
“Go away.” I groaned. “I’m trying to sleep here.”
"Goodmorning Nami-chan!" A familiar voice greeted and I tried to remember whoever person owns that voice. I heard it befor—Naruto!
I bolted up and surprised them. But they surprised me back. The whole gang is here. My friends are all here.
Shikamaru was beside me(my left side), holding out a basket of fruits, followed by Chouji who was always eating, then Ino with a flower.
Sasuke was on another side being annoyed (and is quiet) then Sakura, Naruto, Kiba, Shino and Hinata.
"Oh Goodmorning guys." I greeted still surprised. “Is there a party or something?”
They looked at each other and laughed.
"You've been at the hospital for two weeks now. And you were unconscious." Naruto said. They all climbed at my bed and kissed my cheek(Maybe a get well soon gift). So we were all sitting at my bed. I hope the bed will not break with all of us weighing it down.
"We were worried about you. It's not that fun when you're not playing with us." Sakura told me. Wow. Just Wow. I never thought the Sakura now will be worried about me. But well, She is my friend.
"I know, I know. Sorry for worrying you guys." I told them rubbing the back of my head.
I glanced at Sasuke who was looking outside the window. Sasuke was so silent it made me uncomfortable. Naruto, Sasuke and I were usually the loudest ones when all of us are together.
I held his hand under my bed cover to prevent Sakura and Ino from seeing it. Ino and Sakura glaring at me all day is the last thing I would like to be worried about. Sasuke was surprised of what I did and I shrugged. All of them didn’t open the topic of what happened to Sasuke’s Clan.
"The doctor said you'll be discharged here tomorrow. You recover fast." Shikamaru told me.
“Really?! The doctor told you that?! ” I asked excitedly.
“Yeah. We all heard it when we were on our way to your room. We heard the doctor saying that you will be discharged tomorrow.” Chouji added as he popped another for to his mouth.
I raised my eyebrow. “Ohh! You guys are eavesdropping! That’s bad!”
“No We’re not!” They all told me in unison. I held out my hand in defense.
They just laughed.
“But it was a good thing, the doctor allowed for the oxygen mask to be removed or else I can’t kiss your cheeks.” I told them laughing.
“You are always the one to kiss our cheeks so we did what you always do to us.” Kiba said, grinning and Akamaru barked in agreement.
My friends left when nurses came barging in inside my room and said visiting hours is over. They walked outside the room, grumbling and muttering things about nurses.
"Honey, You'll be discharged tomorrow so you need plenty of rest, okay?" The nurse told me as she held the door before closing it.
"Umm, Miss Nurse.. Can one of them stay?"
"Sorry, but it's not allowed. You just have to sacrifice one night and you’ll be discharged. Goodnight." And with that, she closed the door and the lights.
I sighed and lied down the bed, staring at the ceiling again.
I turned to the side, my back facing the window. I closed my eyes and relaxed trying to sleep. I turned to the side again, rolling over. The IV was removed earlier so I can roll around all I want.
"Ughh. I can't sleep!" I whisper-yelled and sat up, messing with my hair.
I felt a presence of a certain someone coming from the window, I squinted my eyes through the darkness when I saw an outline of someone jumping in from the window.
"Hey." He greeted.
"Oh! Yo.” I replied.
I moved to the side to give him space which he sat.
I looked at him, like observing him. This guy changed too. The usual happy and noisy Sasuke became an indifferent and silent one. He changed like my Father and Itachi did.
Why is it that people who are close to me change infront of my eyes and I can’t do anything about it. For it to just stay the way it was?
"Nami, Is there something wrong?" Sasuke asked. Maybe he noticed my expression suddenly changing.
I felt tears building at my eyes and as it almost fall, I rubbed my eyes, removing the tears and pretended yawning to prevent him from seeing.
“It’s nothing. Hey.. What if someone catches you sneaking around here?” I laughed silently as I looked at the door, back to him.
"Nami, I'm sorry."
"Sorry? What for?”
"For what happened to you. You will not be in that condition. If you didn't come to that place. You shoul--"
"Sasuke. Ssh. Everything is fine. I came there to help you."
"Everything's not fine! You now have this heart illness that can kill you and it's all my fault." He told me, raising his voice.
I pulled him to me and hugged him tight.
"What I am feeling now is nothing compared to what you are going through." This made his body tense. "It's okay to cry Sasuke. I'm your bestfriend and I will always be here for you. You know that."
I felt his body shake and his sobs. "You're going through as much as pain as I am. Mother and Father, you treated them like your own parents too. Even Aunt Uruchi. You were close to my Clan as much as I do."
"It's okay Sasuke." I rubbed his back and my tears fell too as his sobs broke to whimpers. “I know. It hurts, too. But you just have to be strong. Everything will be okay. I’m here. Sshh.”
Itachi-nii, If you can hear me.. Why did you do it? Didn’t it hurt?
I guess I just need to trust in your reasons right?
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