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Chapter 10

I think I was awake for not even half a second, when I was assaulted by two bodies, I think that they were hugging me, one larger than the other. What the hell?

"NATSUKI-CHAN! I MISSED YOU!" I know who that is; he's blonde and short and my brother.

"Natsuki-chan don't you ever do that to me again! I had about three heart attacks while you were out, I'm still too young to die you know? Too young!" And there was my bestie.

I blinked to clear my vision a little better, and saw not only Naruto and Azami in the room, but Gai also – not that I was that surprised by that; he spent whatever time he could with his 'true love' – but what surprised me was that Itachi was here also. He was on a crutch and still bandaged, but he looked fairly well to have been through what we just had been through. It was nice that he had come to see me though.

"Hello?"

"Hello? You almost die and that is all you can say?" Azami shrieked at me.

I just nodded, rubbing Naruto's back as he hugged me on the bed. I could feel him falling asleep, so I passed him on to Gai to take to Azami's, as I doubted I'd be getting out of the hospital today. I don't think Azami would allow it.

"I am glad to see you awake Uzumaki-san," Itachi said from by the door, "You had quite a few of us worried, but I hear that is a regular occurrence from you."

"Ehehe... I can be a little bit of a risk taker when necessary on my missions."

"So I am told."

I needed to talk to Itachi about his... situation with Madara, "Azami-chan why don't you go tell the Hokage I'm awake?"

"OH! I almost forgot! I'll be back real soon Natsuki-chan, don't move from the bed." Azami said before hurrying out of the room. Okay, I had about ten minutes if she got lost on the way, but most likely five.

"Itachi I know what you can do about Madara, and don't interrupt me. Just hear me out first, okay?" I waited for his nod of understanding, "Alright... when you make your deal with Madara, because I know you will, instead of saying you'll kill your family, just say you'll gather them all together for him to kill. Believe me, he might like that more."

"And what will Sasuke believe? Should I leave him also to pursue Madara instead of him?"

"When Madara is erm, killing your family, you stay with Sasuke so he knows it wasn't you. But make sure you catch Madara just as he leaves, so that Sasuke will have someone he wants revenge on. He will hate Madara as much as he would have hated you, but he will still have you; his brother. You can choose whether you leave or not, and you may not be entirely as powerful as you would have been, but I just thought-"

"It's perfect Uzumaki-san," Itachi said, "Thank you."

I grinned at him, I helped someone! Two people if you counted Sasuke, my grin widened when I saw Itachi smiling slightly too, a relieved look on his face. He never wanted to do all that, hopefully I haven't altered anything too drastic.

Just then Azami returned to my room, perfect timing, "Uchiha-san, your nurses are getting a little worried, perhaps you should return to them before they have heart attacks too."

"Thank you Amaterasu-san, I will take my leave then. I'm glad to see you feeling better Uzumaki-san, and thank you for saving my life." I wasn't sure if there was a double meaning to the last words he said to me, but I smiled and nodded all the same. I hoped he would give my idea some thought. Sasuke needed his big brother, like I hoped Naruto needed me. He nodded to Azami too, before he left to his own room.

Azami gave a huge sigh, planting herself into the chair by my bed. "I don't know how you do it."

I was confused, "Do what?"

"Go out and fight, never knowing if you will return. How do you face the prospect that you could be killed, or tortured, or captured..." she started tearing up slightly, I must have been hurt real bad this time, "I might never see you again every time you go on a mission. I just don't know how you do it, I'd go mad!"

I took her hand in mine, poor Azami-chan, couldn't even hurt a fly, "I can do it because I think about all the people I am helping or saving, like you with the poorly babies. What would they do without their 'Aza-chan'?" she gave a watery chuckle then, making me smile at her too, "And if I think that the worst has come, then I will think about all the people I love who depend on me in the village, and I will fight with all I have. I fight for the people I love, you and Naruto."

"And Kakashi?"

I froze. What? I hadn't mentioned him since my first encounter with Azami, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh nothing; never mind. At least I understand better now. You're so strong, I feel so weak compared to you and my parents."

"You never think like that again Azami-chan! You are just as strong, if not stronger, for simply letting us go. You know you might not see us, but you let us go anyway."

Azami smiled at me, before standing to open the curtains and letting in the evening sunlight. I looked around the room and saw a small bunch of wildflowers that Naruto had taken to picking for me every time I was in the hospital. I saw the usual box of sweet dango Azami bought for me (but then would end up eating herself, she loved food on a stick) and the usual bouquet of sunflowers, my favourite flowers. But I never knew who they were from...

"Azami-chan, who are the sunflowers from?"

Her head suddenly snapped to look at the sunflowers, before she turned to look at me, but she couldn't look me in the eye, "I don't know. They always come for you when you're in the hospital though."

She wasn't telling me something. I'd have to trust that it wasn't something important.

But I still wanted to know who had sent me those sunflowers, as it caused many questions to race through my head.

Who was it who had known my favourite flower?

I arrived home the next day leaning on a crutch to find another bunch of sunflowers at my apartment door. I picked them up but found no card attached. Oh well, I don't want to waste these beautiful flowers, I might as well put them in some water. I walked inside and found a spare jug to put the flowers in. I wasn't used to getting flowers, so I didn't really have any vases. Once the flowers had enough water I put the jug in the centre of the dining table. It seemed to brighten up the place a little. Turning to go to my bedroom to change, I had a huge fright when I saw an ANBU shinobi stood there.

"H-Hideki?" I asked, a hand clutched to my chest where I thought my heart was going to pop out, "What are you doing here? Were you trying to scare me to death?"

"I apologise, the Hokage merely sent me to check you were fine."

"Oh, well, I'm good thanks. You want to stay for some tea?"

"Thank you Uzumaki-san."

"Please, call me Natsuki-chan. You're practically my friend anyway. Just wait here while I go change, I'll be back in a second." I said as I went into my bedroom. I threw on some comfy shorts and a t-shirt, much better. Once I combed my hair back into a simple ponytail, I went to the kitchen and made some tea and took out some snacks from the cupboard. Taking the food and drinks into the living room I saw Hideki lounging on the sofa like- erm... he was lounging on the sofa.

"Well, I haven't seen you in ages. Been busy?" I asked while sat on the armchair opposite him. I poured the tea into two cups and handed one to him.

"Yes, I have received quite a few missions from the Hokage." Hideki said as he accepted his cup. I wasn't sure how he was going to drink it, but I'm sure he was able to. Kakashi managed and he had only had half a mask on. But to make it easier, while we sat to eat, drink and talk, I kept my eyes on the floor so he could drink in peace. As an ANBU member, his anonymity was of great value. Who knows how many enemies he had as 'Hideki'?

Naruto was staying the night at Azami's again, so we kept chatting late into the night, until he had to go, so we said goodbye but he promised to drop by more often. I hadn't realised I would have missed him, his calm and laidback manner soothing to me. It reminded me of someone, but I was too tired to remember properly. I just lay on the sofa after clearing everything up and using the bathroom.

My body still ached from the mission, and I would have to change the bandage on my leg tomorrow morning, but right now I just lay on the sofa, exhausted. Burying my face into the sofa, and smelt a familiar scent. Woodsy and masculine, I couldn't think where from. But I knew one thing; I knew Hideki as a non-ANBU person. As I didn't know man men, that should narrow the list of possibilities down quite a bit, but I was too tired to think much more on it. It could wait until morning.

I just fell asleep and thought of the smell, dreaming strange flashes of silver all night long.

Silver?

When I woke up my leg was freshly bandaged.

I felt a little creeped out, someone had been here when I was asleep, but then I noticed the blanket that had been laid on me, the pillow now resting under my head and the sunflower I was clutching in my hand, along with a note.

I hope you feel better soon

I left some painkillers on the coffee table

X

Well, whoever it was, they didn't seem to want to hurt me. I didn't trust them, but I'd appreciate what they had done for me. True to their word, a bottle of painkillers sat beside a glass of water on the coffee table beside me, and I quickly downed two of the pills. It wasn't long before the front door opened and Azami and Naruto came waltzing in. Naruto raced towards me and carefully sat on my uninjured leg, cuddling close to me. I hugged him back just as fiercely. Azami walked to the kitchen balancing a box in one hand.

"Natsuki-chan I missed you."

"I missed you too Naruto-kun." I said with a smile, kissing him on the forehead.

"Natsuki-chan!" I heard Azami call out from the kitchen, "I brought something for us to eat for lunch since I thought you'd be too tired to cook."

My face drained of colour. Azami's cooking, however much she loved cooking, never turned out quite right, and tasted even worse. But we all hated hurting her feelings, and usually ate it with our poker-faces. Naruto buried his head into my shoulder.

"Natsuki-chan it tastes weird. She got me to taste it this morning and it was icky."

"Well, after we eat it and Azami leaves, how about I take you out for ramen?"

"YAY!-"

"Shh! I'll only take you for ramen if you be nice about Azami's food, okay?"

Naruto nodded his head and ran into the kitchen. I heard Azami's voice from the living room, "Are you hungry Naruto-kun?"

"Yep! Can I have some to eat now?"

"Really? Sure!"

Naruto would do practically anything for ramen... even facing Azami's cooking. I heaved myself off the sofa with the aid of my crutch and made my way to the kitchen where I could hear eating already. The next few years would be interesting. But I could cope, I had Naruto, and Azami, and Gai, and the Hokage, and I had the feeling I had Hideki as well.

I'll be fine.