Bored.
That's all I was at the moment. A hot, bored mess. I was seriously contemplating whether or not to play jail break with the hospital nurses again. I don't see why I'm still stuck in this stuffy hospital room anyway. Any injuries I had have already healed and being stuck surrounded by white walls all day, every day was enough to make even the sanest of people crazy.
It was about midday. Clear blue skies with minimal puffs of white clouds. Birds sang the day away and the village children played hop scotch and tag down in the street. It was a normal, peaceful day. But I couldn't enjoy it!
With a low grumble I decided that I'd had enough. I kicked off the blankets and jumped off the bed and onto my feet. Being as quiet and stealthy as I could, I tiptoed over to the door of my room, my bare feet softly padding against the tiled floor.
My ears twitched as I listened for anyone near the outside of my door and when I couldn't pick anything up, I grabbed the handle of the door and slid it open enough for me to stick my head out. I surveyed the long corridor and listened out for any sign of a presence. Odd how there wasn't even a single doctor or nurse anywhere to been seen. Man, this was too easy!
I grinned from ear to ear and slid the door open more so my petite frame could slip through and began to tiptoe down the corridor.
"Ahem." I froze instantly in mid stride. Shit. I've been busted!
Slowly and slightly shaky, I turned around. An awkward smile coated my lips like a fish hook was tugging at my upper lip. My eyes meet with an amused ravenette. His arms crossed over his chest and his left eyebrow rose upwards while a smirk threatened to take hold of his lips. Behind him stood Sakura, Naruto and a beautiful blonde lady. She was dressed in a grey shirt that barely stopped her large bust from spilling over the fabric, a green overall covering her shoulders and black three quarter pants. She had liquid brown eyes that were shielded by a scary and uninterested look, and a small purple diamond was painted on her forehead.
"Natsuki, are you trying to sneak out again?" Sasuke asked.
"Ahaha... maybe?" I awkwardly laughed.
Everyone sweat dropped at my response to the question. I could practically hear their thoughts, "...idiot."
I was lead back into the hospital room I was taking up residence in and was helped back up on the bed by Sakura. After I was comfortable, everyone began to crowd around my bed.
"How are you feeling, Natsuki?" My knuckle-head of a best friend spoke up with a smile that could light up a room.
"Mn. I'm fine." I returned the smile.
My gaze reverted back to the strange blonde woman. Who was she? She looks familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.
Naruto must have caught what or rather, who I was staring at and took it upon himself to introduce us.
"Oh, um. Natsuki, this person here is old lady Tsunade." Naruto paused for a few seconds like he was trying to figure out how he was going to word what he was gong to say next. "She's the Fifth Hokage..."
My eyes widened at the information I was trying to process. No way. She's Hokage-sama's replacement.... This woman? I don't know what to say. Every thought that once filled my head was now dust in the wind thanks to the news and this woman's filthy presence. My feelings however, were going on full scale rampage. The only clear thought that remained constant in my head was the need to rip out her throat. Hate burned in my veins like an infectious poison ripping all sense of reason from my body.
Unconsciously, my fingers dug into the sheets of the bed and my growing finger nails pierced holes in the soft material. A low growl vibrated from my throat and chilled the outside air making things more tense. My eyes flashed black and gold and then back to blue every tenth millisecond. With each flash of my irises, my headache would return and spread. The anger from it heating up my body to the level of an inferno. I was loosing control.
"Shit! Everyone, get out now! She's having an episode!" Sasuke's smooth voice was tainted in panic, fear and desperation to get everyone away from me. "Sakura! Go and get the doctor, now!"
Sakura yelped at the harshness in Sasuke's tone and with wide, fearful eyes, turned tail and ran off to find the closest doctor.
My right hand shot up and grabbed a fistful of my bangs in a vein attempt to control myself and neutralize the pain my headache delivered to me. Through my hazy vision I could make out the shapes of white lab coats filing into the room and running over to me. The doctors pushed me down onto the bed while I thrashed around like a wild animal in a cage. I was scared. I couldn't get a hold of my emotions and I was scared. I had to go through this thing on my own. I tired to call out to Sasuke but instead of his name, an animilistic roar ripped from my lips.
"Restrain her!" I caught one of the doctors order and my arms and legs were pinned down by nurses. I thrashed more in an attempt to get free but a cold sting in my arm gradually ceased my movements and I was being pulled into unconsciousness. The last thing I saw was Sasuke walking out of the room.
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I awoke with a start and instantly regretting it when my vision painfully buzzed out and I went blind for a few seconds before everything came back into focus.
"Take it easy. You've been out of it for a few hours." My head whipped around to Sasuke taking up vacancy in the chair next to my bed.
"W-what happened?" I groaned as I try to make sense of what happened a few hours ago.
"You had an attack so the doctors had to put you under anesthesia to calm you down. You passed out shortly after." He explained. His onyx eyes refusing to meet mine. I felt a pang in my chest at the action.
"What do you mean 'attack'?" I asked. What was wrong with me!?
"The doctors are calling it 'panic attacks'. The reason why you're still admitted in the hospital is so that the doctors can keep you under supervision. Psychologically you're unstable..." He trailed off. The news shocked me, my heart felt like it was a shuriken throwing practice board.
"U-un...stable..?" I choked out. "So what. Does that mean I'm screwed in the head, I'm crazy?! Dangerous even! If that's the case, then why don't you just euthanize me! Put me out of my misery! We all know that's what the village wants, it'll be doing them a favor!!' I screamed. I gasped at the headache returning and I wanted to scream out in pain and frustration.
My eyes widened when Sasuke slammed me into his chest, his arms wrapped securely around my crumbling figure. He handled me tenderly, like I would fall apart. But, the stitchings holding me together were fraying...
"Shhh... It's okay. I'm here, nothing will happen to you. It's alright now..." He whispered sweet nothings in my ear and I felt myself relax in his embrace.
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After a few more weeks I was discharged from the hospital but was still kept on close watch. I was surprised to say the least when they said I could go home.
I guess I should thank Tsunade. I heard from Sasuke that she was the one to get permission for me to leave the hospital, however I would have to pay frequent visits to their rehab department four times a week.
During my time out of the hospital, I would stay at home and watch TV or sneak out to train in the forest. However, today Naruto was pounding at the front door of the house sometime in the afternoon.
I opened the door to see the blonde ninja in a puffing mess. I went and got him a glass of water and he chugged it down like he hadn't had a drink in years.
"Are you alright, Naruto?" I asked.
I waited for him to catch his breath before he spoke up. "Natsu...ki... I-it's.... Kono...hamaru. I need... your help.." He managed to say in between gasps of air.
"Sure. What's wrong with him?"
"He's in trouble." When my fuzzy grey ears picked up that sentence I was in a panic. Konohamaru, even if he was a pain in the ass most of the time, I considered him a little brother.
Me and Naruto ran to the Hokage Tower and down the halls to the storage room. Moegi and Udon, Konohamaru's friends, stood outside the storage room with concerned expressions.
Moegi was the first to notice us. "Ah, Naruto-nii-chan, Natsuki-nee-san!"
"What going on?" I asked the little orange haired girl.
"Konohamaru-chan locked himself in the storage room and he won't come out or let anyone in." She explained.
"Yeah, even Naruto-nii-san wasn't allowed in." Udon sniffled.
I nodded and thought I'd try my luck. I walked up to the door and gently tapped the wooden surface with my knuckles.
"Konohamaru, can I came in?" I kept my voice soft and leveled.
"No! Go away, old lady!!" I growled and was about to snap at him when I heard a stifled sniffle sound and the smell of salty tears tickled my nose. My anger immediately simmered.
"Konohamaru.... please let me in. I just want to talk..." I made my voice sound as sincere as I could. It seemed to work because the door clicked open. I grabbed the handle, opened the door, walked in and closed it behind me and locking it.
When my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw the tiny form of a sobbing boy. His legs brought up to his chest and his head buried in between his knees to muffle his cries.
I walked over to the little boy and sat down next to him. When he didn't acknowledge my presence I pulled him into me and held him against my chest, the same way Sasuke holds me when I'm sad.
Konohamaru was shocked but after he processed what I was doing, he tried to push me away. I didn't let go and only held him tighter.
"Shh... It's okay to cry... It's okay to rely on me.." I cooed. He relaxed and gripped my shirt in his hands while he cried into my chest.
I gently stroked his spiky brown hair and rocked him back and forth. Looking around the room, I understand why he locked himself up in it. It was full with all of Hokage-sama's things. I felt a lump climb it's way up my throat paired with a sob.
After Konohamaru somehow calmed down a little we sat in silence.
"Konohamaru, you really cant stay cooped up in here. It's not healthy and you're doing more harm than good. Everyone out there is worried." I said and pointed to the door.
"This is Gramps' room! I won't let anyone use this room!" The boy suddenly snapped at me. I was dumbfounded at first, I didn't know what to say to him. "That's why, I, his grandson, will protect this place! I won't let that old hag have it!"
I stared at Konohamaru for a while before I let out a chuckle. Konohamaru gave me a confused look then furrowed his eyebrows into an angry line.
"Why are you laughing! I'm serio--"
"I know you are." I cut him off and he once again stared at me confused. "I understand why you want to protect this place. You wan't to preserve the memory of your grandfather. You're scared people will forget him. If I was in your shoes, I would probably do the same thing you're doing."
"Really?" He beamed. "So you'll help me?!"
"No."
Konohamaru looked shocked and rejected at my short answer.
"Listen Konohamaru. I loved your grandfather like he was my own family. That's why it hurt me a lot when he died. But I didn't only see him as a grandfather, I also saw him as the Hokage, as my teacher, as a kind and amazing person. He allowed me to stay in the village when I was barely a pup. I was a total stranger, yet he took me in and trained me in basic ninjutsu. He was kind to me, he treated me like a normal person, even if I did have these ears and tail." I said and gently touched the fuzzy ears on the top of my head. "He treated everyone equally and fairly, even Naruto. And for that I sincerely respect him as an honourable ninja, even if he died in a battle, he did it to protect the village."
I looked down at the boy who stared at me so intently and absorbed everything I was saying.
I flashed him a smile, "That's why I think he'd want both of us to be brave and move on with life, no matter how much it hurts and we want it to stop."
Konohamaru took in every last word and thought about them carefully. His face was focused but the ghost of a smile brightened his face. He must be remembering his grandfather. "I guess you're right." I smiled at the boy's response.
"But I still hate that old lady." He grumbled.
I laughed, "Haha, don't worry. So do I."
I stood to my feet and dusted off my clothes. Turning back around to Konohamaru, I offered him my hand with the biggest and brightest smile I could muster.
"Let's go, Konohamaru-chan." I winked. He blushed slightly and took my hand getting to his feet.
The door suddenly opened and the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, walked in, grabbed a book and walked off while avoiding and fighting off all of Konohamaru's traps without breaking a sweat, her face stone cold and unaffected. That lady is seriously scary.
I felt a tug on my tailcoat and looked down to see a grinning Konohamaru. "Thanks Natsuki-nee-san."
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Hi everyone! I'm back!~
I'm sorry if I made you wait so long for my next update, but school and exams are officially done for the year so I can focus all my time to writing my stories.
I want to thank everyone of you guys for the votes, coments and reads. You guy have no idea how happy that makes me knowing that my story isn't a piece of trash and people actually like it, so thank you!!!! <3
I want to dedicate this chapter to huggle4stick for your awesome comment on the last chapter. Because of you and my other readers who have messaged me to continue, I came back to finish this story and see it through to the end of shippuden. Thanks again and thank you to all my followers and readers. You guys make writing enjoyable for me. Comment on anything you want to see happen in either the future chapters or in the sequel, which there defiantly will be!
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Thank you and goodnight!~