33 Chapter 32 (1/2)

Boring was the one word that best describes the rehabilitation sessions. A slice of terrifying here and there because my attending physician was Sakura. I still didn't have the full use of my legs so I had to move around in the wheelchair. Kakashi-sensei was long gone training 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 isn'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 Sanbi had been captured. Enraged, I slammed the table. We aren't making any headway, Itachi position might be compromised if he sniffed around too much and with they constantly occupying themselves with sucking in the Bijuu, I doubt that Itachi had a window to send messages. I looked out of the window for something to cool down my head in this afternoon. I didn't notice how much time had flowed by.

”You 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 used the time ingesting the medicine.

”Huh, I just hate sitting around doing nothing. How is my progress, Sakura?” I asked after I drank the water.

”You're doing great. We'll start your physiotherapy tomorrow. Tsunade-Shishou had approved of it just now. She is still the head physician on your case, you know,” 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 complained.

”Stop complaining and listen to me, dumbass,” she replied and I merely snorted at her comment.

”Tyrant,” I muttered under my breath and I could tell she was annoyed. ”No, nothing, Sakura-sama.”

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

”Did you do that?” I asked and a sliver of worries slowly creeping up my spine.

”No,” she answered looking at the said window. I got a bad feeling about this. It was just about the end of the daylight that the dreaded news came to me. One of my ROOT operatives appeared kneeling near my bed.

”Director. I'm sorry, Asuma-senpai was killed in action,” 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 anger, I wiped all of the things on the damn desk. I turned my body to the side and tried to stand up.

”I will kill you all!” I gritted 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 it stuck in here?! Fucking useless leg!”

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

The third day, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, and Sai had been waiting for me to wake up. That day was the day of memorial for two of Konoha shinobi clans; the Hyuuga and the Sarutobi. Hinata had brought me the black Kimono to wear to which, Naruto and Sai helped me wore it. When I was finished, I took a seat in a wheelchair and Sai pushed me towards the cemetery. In the hindsight, this moment of despair had brought something good, at least. Naruto had finally seen it as he was holding hands with Hinata all the way to the cemetery.

There, I was greeted by Hiashi-sama, Hanabi, Neji, and Kurenai-sensei who took over my wheelchair and brought us to their final resting place. Tears that we withheld for two whole days were let go and I really wanted to give in to it. I place the bouquet of flowers on their grave and silently prayed for them. After a while, only Kakashi-sensei and me that was left there since he promised to bring me back to the ward.

”How's Naruto doing?” I asked, monotonously.

”Well, he succeeded,” Kakashi-sensei answered and that finally brought a smile to my face.

”I knew he could do it,” I said and silently, I renewed my promise to Hitori and I will defeat these guys. He then pushed me back to my ward. Before I slept that night, I promised to myself that I will get better in no time at all and then I will bring hell to Akatsuki.

The next morning, I was visited by Tsunade-senpai who was excited to see that I was doing the walking exercise today with Sakura. She had told me that Kakashi-sensei had gone out of the village to assist Shikamaru's team to continue their manhunt for the task force that was formed to hunt the Akatsuki in Fire country. I was making good headway in my rehabilitation and the strength was slowly coming back to me.

”You're showing good progress, Hikari-kun,” Tsunade commented to announce her arrival and I perked up, grinning at her.

”Morning, Senpai, Shizune-san. It's thanks to all of you,” I beamed and follow through my exercise. Senpai took a seat near the bed as she continued to watch me walking shakily while holding the bars.

”How's Naruto doing?” she asked.

”From what Kakashi-sensei told me, he's starting to get the hang of it. Though he did say that it might be a while longer to perfect it,” Sakura explained and I bit my lip to try to steady up my hip as I begin the next set.

”I see...” senpai answered.

”The fact that Kakashi-sensei joined team 10, means that team 7 would work well with team 10. Our team should be the reinforcements, is that right?” Sakura probed and I was eager to go to but I doubt that I would be useful for now.

”You're sharp. That's to be expected of you,” Senpai said.

”But we don't know if Naruto-kun's new jutsu will be completed. We should send a different team,” Shizune-san interjected.

”He will complete it. Trust me but count me out for now. I doubt I can be at use until two weeks later, I hoped,” I said while gritting my teeth as my back suddenly cramps up due to the strain.

”Sakura, go tell Yamato to complete Naruto's new jutsu in 24 hours! And that if they can't do that, we'll send a different team!” Senpai ordered and Sakura immediately said yes. ”Shizune, in case they don't make it. Check the schedule to form a team that would work well with the team 10!”

”Understood,” Shizune-san answered and my interest piqued.

”Who is Yamato?” I asked.

”He's filling in for Kakashi when the man was recovering from Sharingan use,” Tsunade-senpai explained. ”You know him, didn't you? Tenzou?”

”Oh, Tenzou-san?! He's good that man is! So, you tasked him for us? Good choice!” I said and that was my undoing as I fell down on all four. ”Ahh!! It hurts!!”

”Well, that's enough for today. Let's get you up and rest. I got somewhere to be,” Sakura said as she quickly picked me up from the floor.

”I concur, Sakura-sama!” I said as I was being carried and she just had to give me a knock on my head.

”Knock it off, idiot!” She yelled and I couldn't do anything but whined in pain. The two women just laughed at me as they went out of the room and on time, Hinata came in with the whole family to visit me.

”Good Afternoon, Hikari-Nisan. Brought you Omurice!” she greeted and my eyes immediately lit up at the sound of my favourite dishes in Konoha.

”Oni-chan!!!!!” Hanabi ran in and immediately help me sit on my bed.

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”Hanabi-chan, I miss you! My, you've grown!” I rubbed her head and smiled at her to which she blushes beet red. She had grown into a teenager and that had slipped through my notice.

”How are you feeling?” Hiashi-sama greeted me and bowed at him.

”Great, Hiashi-sama. I would be training with you again in no time,” I beamed at him. Hiashi-sama turned away and scratched his chin.

”Uhmm, you can call me Tou-sama,” he said and my heart soared, ”I kinda like it.”

I immediately stood up and hugged the man in gratefulness. There was goodness in all of this after all.

”Thank you, Tou-sama,” I cried and then fell limply but he caught me in time and set me back on the bed. That day I felt truly happy that I spent my time with my loved ones. Two days later, I got a visit from the person that I least expected.

”Hikari-kun?” Kurenai-sensei greeted as she entered the ward after she knocks. I had been given crutches as a substitute for my trusty wheelchair, finally.

”Ah, Kurenai-sensei, how have you been? Come in,” I said as I rose from the bed to sit properly. I noticed that she was wearing a loose casual dress for the day, I wondered why that is.

”I've been well, considering...” she said, solemnly. ”Say, I'm going to the cemetery, wanna come with? Already asked Godaime-sama.”

”Oh, sure! Wait up for me, okay?” I said as I hastily fetch for my now trusty crutches and stood up before I went to the doors.

”How's your progress?” Kurenai-sensei asked as we made our way to the cemetery.

”Well, Senpai said that I could get out of the hospital in a day or two and start training after I lose the crutches,” I answered. We were greeted by people all of the way to the place. It seemed like the whole village was mourning for our loss and it made a smile on my face.

”Eh, good news then,” she said indulgently. She was different now, no, not because of the death but she was softer and the fiery eyes she used to had had simmer down now. Not too much though. I knew not to mess with the genjutsu mistress of Konoha. Talking was a good way to heal ones pain as we did a lot of that all the way and even at their grave. That day, tears were not seen on our faces as we honoured their sacrifice to the village.

”Should you really be walking around like this?” someone said from behind of us.

”Tsunade-senpai gave me approval,” I answered as I turned around and saw Shikamaru was standing behind of us. I wondered how long we stood here.

”Not you, idiot. Kurenai-sensei,” he said. I turned to look at her and when I saw it, she was blushing lightly.

”It's okay,” she answered. I wondered why. Geez, wondered, wondered, it seemed that everything was a guess these days. Well, yeah, but... Shikamaru walked forward to place a pack of cigarette on top of Asuma-sensei's grave and kneeled down in silence.

”Your shougi partner isn't around anymore...” Kurenai-sensei asked. ”You were his favourite student, you must get lonely, no?”

”He taught me both very important things and complete rubbish. Shougi was only one of those things,” Shikamaru explained. ”Saying I'm not lonely would be lying but I belong to a generation needing to grow up now. So, I can't just lie down crying forever. I was always complaining and trying to avoid my responsibilities”

My eyes turned to Hitori's grave. He's right, grieving won't get me anywhere and it's best that I moved forward.

”That child, I'll protect him when it's born,” Shikamaru said and my eyes darted towards Kurenai-sensei. ”Until then, I'll have to become a cool adult too!”

”What? You're expecting? How come today did I found out about this??” I said, surprised. ”Ne, Kurenai-sensei, let me be his godfather?”

”We didn't know if it is a girl or a boy yet, idiot!” Shikamaru said annoyed. ”Besides, if anyone can be his godfather, it should've been me.”

”What's that? Wanna fight?!” I yelled as I held up a fist at him.

”What? Wanna try me on?!” Shikamaru said and we were close to actually fight when Kurenai-sensei blurted out laughing.

”Thank you, both you. You all can be his godfather,” she said, smiling.

”Aww, man!” I groaned.

”Troublesome dude,” Shikamaru groaned too and Kurenai-sensei giggled at our behaviour.

”Well, I got somewhere to be. Can you send Hikari back to his ward?” she asked.

”Sure thing,” he answered.

”No, no more hospital!” I drew an X with my hands. ”Instead, teach me how to play Shougi, would you?”

”Ah, come, let's go to my house,” Shikamaru said smiling and we made our way to his house. Well, the trip was uneventful, Shikamaru and Shikaku-sama were all talking cryptically and all they did was strategize, strategize and strategize. My time there wasn't long because Sakura chased me out of there with a vengeance. So, I ran away from that evil girl. A feat that failed miserably and that night I slept with a large bruise on my head courtesy of her fist.

Three days after that, I was discharged but instead of going home, I was at ROOT HQ distracting myself with work. I didn't think that I would be up for it back then. My intelligence team was making headway nowadays, information running in like crazy. Thus, working would be all too logical. Until one day that is.

”Orochimaru has been killed by Uchiha Sasuke and has been gathering allies. – Hawk”

There was no mistaking it. He did it, he killed the snake. I should have been happy for it but instead, he didn't come back, instead, he was gathering a team and I know what for. I quickly write a note for my senpai and called someone to send this to her.