Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

CHAPTER TWO

AN ENCOUNTER IN THE HOSPITAL

It was the day after attack on Konoha. The whole village was moaning the death of their Hokage and many unnamed shinobis who had died protecting the village. The Hokage's funeral was to take place the day after so that all the injured could also pay their respects too.

After the grueling fight with Gaara, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all were left in the hospital. Sakura being the least injured hadn't need to stay at the hospital for more than few hours while Naruto had been discharged the next day after all his injuries had been miraculously healed by nine tails fox's chakra. Sasuke however was still in the hospital recovering.

At around 4 p.m. in the evening Sasuke, to his annoyance, found himself surrounded with Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Gai (who was apparently trying to convince Kakashi for some weird contest), Asuma and Kurenai. He understood his team's presence their but why the hell were other senseis there. Unknown to him they had been guarding Sasuke and had decided to appear casually when they saw his team visiting him. Just when Sasuke was about to yell at everyone to get out of there, a figure appeared at the doorway.

"I see you are awake now."

She was the same person Sakura, Kakashi, Naruto and Gai had met yesterday. Even though they had met her before they were still in a shock from her beauty. At the sight of her everyone got into fighting stance surrounding Sasuke in a strategic manner.

"Um… Sasuke, Could you please tell your friends that I am not a threat?"

Kakashi looked at Sasuke and saw him nodding. Slowly he got out of his stance and made his way to the chair he was previously sitting on. Soon everyone followed the suit.

Seeing everyone back to their normal self but still alert she entered the room, drew a chair and sat next to Sasuke. Kakashi saw a change in Sasuke's eyes as if he was glad and relieved but soon dismissed the thought after Sasuke returned to his stoic look just a moment later. The woman by his side was now undoing his bandage and to everyone's amazement Sasuke made no effort to stop her even when she wasn't an authorized medic.

"So how have you been Sasuke?" she asked while undoing the last bandage on his arm.

"Fine."

She nodded her head and then placed her hands over a wound. A golden glow surrounded her hand as the wound began to close on an inhuman pace. She repeated the process with all his injuries. Seeing Sasuke getting healed at such a fast pace everyone was itching to know how she was doing it but all the adults chose to remain silent and watch. After all Sasuke apparently had no problem with the ongoing. When Naruto was about to shriek Sakura placed a firm hand on his mouth whispering him to stay quiet and letting go only when Naruto had nodded his head in response.

While she was healing Sasuke, a statement dropped out of his mouth.

"I thought you weren't coming here again."

Seeing Sasuke start a conversation everyone's eyes in the room were bulging out of their sockets except the person who was being addressed.

"I know the gap was longer this time but you of all people should understand my reasons. My work has been real hectic", she answered with a warm smile. Her smile increased her beauty tenfold. It wasn't a big one, just an indication that it was there.

"So how long you plan on staying here this time?" he asked with a frown on his face.

By this time she was finished with his injuries and there was no sign left to tell that he had been sitting there severely injured just a few moments ago.

"Seeing that I am not using time travel this time I'll be staying here for quiet a while. At least till the task I am here for is over." The word time travel caught everyone's attention and left them completely confused 'what on earth she is talking about'.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows and asked, "And how long shall that be?"

"I can't give you an idea yet but it shall take a year at minimum."

Satisfied Sasuke nodded his head and resorted back to silence. This time she took the initiative in the conversation asking random things like his graduation, recent missions, his team and the strange thing was that she appeared to be well informed about everything. Sometimes Sasuke graced her with a statement in response and sometimes resorted to his characteristic 'hn'. Everyone else was listening to their conversation and to say that they were surprised was a horrible understatement. The world might have ended for them by now. Sasuke having a casual talk surely didn't find a place in their definition for normal.

They were now listening to a part of the conversation where she appeared to be reminiscing a memory; "You know the last time I met you, well on my return trip I was so lost in thoughts that I nearly messed it up and ended about ten years back in the past where a woman on seeing me appear out of nowhere pointed a finger at me and started shrieking at top of her voice "ghost, ghost". It later took me an hour of hearing her ranting before I convinced her that she must have seen an illusion. Her voice was so shrill that the thought of it still makes my ears ache"

After hearing her story while Naruto was trying to vainly contain his laughter (Sakura had been glaring at her) the strangest thing of all the weird happenings of the day occurred.

SASUKE SMILED.

Sure it was a small one but it was still there. At the sight Naruto immediately fell from the chair and pointed a shaking finger at Sasuke trying very hard to say something but apparently words were failing him. Sakura was barely containing her squeal of delight as her inner fan girl danced around in circles. None of the grown ups were able to keep surprise off their face not even Kakashi. Their state of non-occurrence was punctured by the reason of the smile.

"Finally a smile."

"Hn"

"And now we are back to square one. You know Sasuke I could write a whole book about your monosyllabic dictionary." She said with a fervor that told she meant every word she had said. Sasuke responded with his traditional smirk.

Her eyes softened a while later as she addressed Sasuke saying "You know a lot of people say that it is hard to make an Uchiha smile. I don't believe them. Those people just don't know what to do. You have a nice smile. I really never figured out why you keep it hidden."

"Like you hide your pain." Sasuke asked back. Sasuke hadn't meant to say that words. They had just fallen out of his mouth against his will. With Sasuke's retort Kakashi noticed that a sad smile was now gracing her lips as if desperately trying to hide how hurt she felt with the statement.

"I don't hide it. There just isn't anyone to see through it."

A thick silence fell around the room after last two statements.

After a minute her smile was back in her place as she teased Sasuke a little about his fan girls chasing him when he was a kid and he resorted to hide in a shopping centre till the coast was clear. Sasuke sent his coldest glares at her but she didn't flinch. After a little laughter she said;

"Well it's nearly time for me to head back now though I guess I should introduce myself to your friends who have been so patient through my entire visit."

With that she finally turned to everyone else introducing her self; "My name's Naomi Sasaki. That's first name first. Glad to see you all."

Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, Gai didn't bother introducing themselves as they knew she recognized then after yesterday's conversation. Asuma and Kurenai said their names. After that Kakashi asked a question to her; "where are you from?"

"Well, I am not affiliated to any village though I have visited Konoha often."

Seeing that Naruto was also about to ask something she slightly shook her head saying,

"I am sorry but I can't settle your curiosities right now as I am running out of time but just know that I am a friend." with that she turned back to Sasuke;

"I guess I'll be going then. But remember Sasuke even if I have healed you, don't you dare get out of bed before an hour or I'll myself ensure that you have your rest." With that she started walking towards the door.

"Wait." Sasuke looked a bit hesitant to continue bit still said, "Would you come to my training day after tomorrow. I'll be training with Kakashi sensei." By now everyone was thinking that they were having some weird dream.

"Sure, after the funeral ceremony right but only if your sensei is comfortable with it."

They together looked at Kakashi who after some time agreed with a slight tilt of his head in acceptance.

"Bye then. See you tomorrow Sasuke." And with that she disappeared just outside the door leaving many curious people in her wake.

A few minutes later Kakashi asked Sakura and Naruto that shouldn't they be helping around the village in the recovery from war? Both of them immediately stood up, said their farewells and exited from hospital seconds later.

With only the Jonin left, Kakashi thought it was time to find out as much information about the visitor as he can though he knew the only source right now was the stoic Uchiha who might not be very cooperative. Seeing Sasuke talk so casually had been a real shock but now he was hoping that Sasuke would keep up that attitude for a little longer.

"Sasuke, just understand that what I am going to ask next is for security purposes and it would be best for everyone if you cooperate." Kakashi started cautiously. With Kakashi's statement Sasuke turned to face to him but said nothing whatsoever as if waiting for Kakashi to continue. Kakashi obliged going direct to the point now.

"We want you to tell us all that you know about the visitor you just had."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows saying "Naomi?"

"Yes."

"I can't, sensei." With that he looked away from his sensei. Kakashi sighed. He knew Sasuke wouldn't talk easily but he had not foreseen a blank refusal. He might as well start with persuasion because honestly though she was very nice he had a feeling that she could be a formidable opponent if working against them.

"Sasuke, now listen here. I met Naomi yesterday too. She claimed not to have any chakra but still has no problem with healing or teleportation. She even regenerated my chakra within seconds giving no explanation and seeing that I had to use the chakra seconds later it wouldn't be a wrong assumption that she already knew that I would need it soon. With the current situation the village is in you should realize that for the sake of the security of the village we really can't take the risk of standing in darkness so it shall be best if you cooperate and tell us all that you can about her."

With the every word Kakashi said Sasuke had been growing more and more impatient and couldn't hear his voice any longer. Trying very hard to control his anger he began in a formidable tone;

"Sensei when I said, I can't, I meant it. I can not explain who or what she is. Not because I don't wish to or Naomi's stopping me but because I really don't understand her myself." He stopped to look at the faces around him and then continued.

"You want to know all that I know about her then here are the facts. I met her first a day before Uchiha massacre and she seemed a casual civilian to me. The next time I saw her was when I woke up after the massacre and apparently she had taken the charge of looking after me for a while. For the time I stayed with her I noticed that she appeared to be incredibly powerful even if she wasn't a shinobi. She can do all weird kind of things from flying herself to making other objects soar. The only person except me she met from Konoho was the third Hokage who apparently respected her enough to bow to her every time he saw her even after her constantly expressed displeasure against the custom. I remember once asking her who she was. She tried to explain it to me but I barely understood anything. It's all so unbelievable that it would be best for her to explain it to you." He paused for a while and saw others desperately trying to make heads and tails of his talk. He then continued further.

"Also, just know this sensei you won't find any information on her till she is willing to trust you with it. Spying on her is no use cause you already know she doesn't rely on chakra or chakra signatures in any form. Drawing her in a fight shall only be a foolish act as I believe her to be very powerful, much powerful than any person I have ever met. If my words are unbelievable to you than just wait till she explains her existence to you. I still can't believe it until she is standing in front of me. You suspect her to be a danger, well just let go of that notion because she is someone who doesn't indulge in a fight till it's the last option. Also she has an uncanny ability of seeing the true self of a person and you really can't put on a façade against her. To coat it all she can see through people's thoughts with no effort at all though she usually doesn't prefer to do so."

Everyone was shocked into silence for like nth time today partially to see Uchiha talk so much and partially by his words. Sasuke who was now at the verge of losing his temper further added his voice dripping with venom;

"Now if you don't mind I need to have some rest or Naomi's gonna return back here true to her word." With that he closed his eyes and laid back clearly not in a mood for further interrogation. One hour and he would be out of this place.

The rest four now stood up taking their leaves while their minds were practically buzzing with today's events and Sasuke's words. One thing was sure that they needed to solve this mystery soon.

Kakashi was lying on his bed still in his uniform. After seeing Sasuke he too had joined Naruto and Sakura around the village and was now tired. His thoughts had drifted back to Naomi and more he thought about her, more confused he became. 'That girl not only had weird powers but a strange aura too. She just appears to carry a feeling of peace and serenity with her as if nothing would go wrong in her presence'.

'Even after putting the events together and looking through them again and again he still couldn't figure out a logical explanation and Sasuke's outburst just made it even more confusing. Do heck with it. He shall see her day after tomorrow so best he could do now is observe her closely every chance he got'. And with that he got up to change and go to sleep.