Hey all ! * HUGS * I missed you guys a lot ! Did you miss me ?
I got back from the beautiful trip to Spain ! I hope you don't hate me for making you wait so long !
Anyway, I'm here now !
Sorry again, a million sorry's for making you wait and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter ! ^^
As he was holding her half-bandaged, battered, fragile hand, he realised it.
He had to help her. He had to save her.
The tips of his blond locks were covering his blue, sad eyes, which didn't sparkle anymore. The sunlight crept through the blinds- a frozen layer of dim yellow glow which hung in mid-air and hit the left side of Naruto's tanned face.
The blond's eyes were gazing down at the bandaged hand he was holding in his own, all light in his blue depths gone.
The clean, sterile white bandage started right above the knuckles and stretched onto the wrist and elbow of the person lying in the hospital bed, disappearing under the blue material of a hospital robe.
The boy's gaze moved, following the track of the bandages, then climbing up the bluish material which covered a slowly rising and falling chest, onto which a few brown locks spread in all directions. The gaze of the boy swam upwards on the silky hair of the girl, finally resting onto a face.
Both of Ai's eyes were closed, one underneath another white bandage and the other covered in a thin, purple layer, which resembled eye shade. On her left cheek stood, standing out in comparison with the white, pale skin of the girl, a skin-colored plaster.
The girl's lips were cracked and her chin shadowed a purple neck, different shades of deeper and lighter purple popping here and there.
' Don't blame yourself, kiddo. It wasn't your fault. '
Naruto flinched a little, startled. He hadn't heard the fox's voice in a while.
But he wasn't nor happy, nor sad. He only new anger and blame at the moment.
' Like you know ! And anyway, what do you care ? ' croaked Naruto in his mind.
The young shinobi felt the fox's shock and saddened retreat into its cage and a powerful wave of sadness splashed over him.
It wasn't like the fox and him were friends, but they had shared their fine, nice moments. He had thought, even if he didn't want to admit it, that it was the beginning of a friendship. So he couldn't help feeling betrayed when the fox had seemed to abandon him. But now it was back. It was there, in that tough moment, trying to comfort him and here he was, pushing it all away.
That was all he did. Ruin things. He ruined a friendship even before it started. He ruined someone's happiness, someone's health. Ai's health.
In the state Naruto was in, he didn't realise where the track of his own thoughts lead him to before it was too late. And so, old failures came kicking and screaming back, more alive and real than the present, topping over the new ones.
Sasuke. His promise to Sakura.
He could've been there. He could've helped Sasuke. He could've saved Sasuke.
He could've been there. He could've helped Ai. He could've saved Ai.
He could've done more. He could've fulfilled his promise. He could've said something nice to Kyuubi.
Ai's left hand covered the distance between it and the hospital bed, falling with a soft thud as Naruto's hand disappeared.
The boy lowered his head and covered the sides of it with his hands, pressing and gripping his shiny golden hair with so much strength it whitened his knuckles and hurt.
But he wanted to be hurt. He deserved to be hurt.
A tear somehow slipped through his shut eyelids and rolled down his cheek, falling into his lap.
Naruto's grip relaxed as he opened his watery, bloodshot blue eyes and stared at the wet circle it left on his pants.
Suddenly, a hot delicious scent was brought to his nose. He lifted his head.
Jiraya was standing in front of him, a composed look on his face and a mug of hot tea in his outstretched hand.
" Figured you'd need this " he said, in a soft tone.
Naruto stared blankly at the mug from which steam swirled upwards in a crazy dance. For a moment, he thought of refusing, throwing the mug into his face and running away, somewhere far where he could cry and hide. But he redirected his thoughts. And anger. After all, Jiraya did him no harm. He had actually helped him. If it hadn't been for him...
Naruto sighed and took the mug, bringing it to his lips and taking a sip from the hot drink.
The liquid slipped easily down his throat, leaving a pleasant, warm trail which made his body request more of it.
Jiraya pulled a chair from somewhere around and sat next to his student, another hot, steaming mug in his own hands.
" It wasn't your fault you kno-"he started, but was cut off by Naruto, who finally seemed to snap.
" DAMMIT ! WHY THE HELL DO YOU ALL SAY THAT ? I WAS THERE ! I COULD'VE SAVED HER ! I COULD'VE DAMN PREVENTED THIS ! "
The mug fell onto the floor and cracked, a million pieces of broken porcelain spreading under the bed on which Ai lied, unmoved. Naruto had his head in his hands again and his voice broke down.
" I could've saved her ... "
" Naruto... " called Jiraya.
No answer.
" Naruto . "
Silence.
" Naruto ! " the white-haired sanin tapped his student softly onto the back.
" If it wasn't for you she'd be dead. " he whispered.
Naruto raised his head and locked his filled-with-guilt eyes with the worried sanin's ones.
He opened his mouth, but whatever he had wanted to say was quickly forgotten by the sole sound of a soft moan.
Both heads turned in the direction of the girl, which was now stirring under the blankets.
Ai's eyelids trembled. She could hear distant sounds that resembled breathing and a continuous beeping that remembered her of the hospital.
Curiosity made her decide to open her eyes.
The light blue of the summer sky greeted her dizzied gaze.
Why on Earth was it day ? She could swear the last time she had been awake it was night.
However, when her vision cleared, the sky separated in two, then took the shape of two blue, deep orbs. Worry and hope was written in those blue circles.
She gasped. Eyes. Those were eyes.
As soon as she realised this, she became aware of the tips of yellow locks tickling her cheeks and forehead and tanned skin connecting the two mysterious blue eyes.
" Naruto ? " she asked in a very low whisper that came out hoarse.
Her throat hurt and requested water, but she didn't have time to dwell on that, because soon enough a heavy weight and two arms crushed her in a breath-taking hug.
" You're awake ! " yelled a certain blond.
" Na... ru... to... ! " breathed Ai the last air in her lungs.
She tried to push Naruto a bit, but she felt too weak.
" Gaki, get off her ! You'll suffocate her ! " laughed Jiraya from behind, tapping Naruto on the back.
The blond immediately let go, blushing and grinning nervously. Ai breathed relieved.
Naruto stared at the girl, beaming. His gaze was so desperately fixed onto Ai, it looked like if he lost sight of her for only a moment he would die. He was holding onto the image like lifelines.
Then Ai coughed.
The white-haired sanin bent and tapped her slowly on the back, while Naruto's face lost its glow again, guilt returning to the corners of his heart.
" I'm gonna go call a nurse. " said Jiraya and raised. " And get a glass of water " he added, exiting the room.
Naruto and Ai were left into an awkward silence, the only sound being the constant beeping, which was doing a lousy job loosening up the atmosphere.
" I'm sorry " " Thanks " said Naruto and Ai at the same time, their gazes down.
Both raised their heads and locked eyes.
" What are you thanking me for ? " asked Naruto, feeling sick.
" Why are you apologizing ? " retorted Ai.
Naruto bit his lower lip and looked away.
" It's my fault you ended up like this. " he whispered.
" It's your fault I'm alive " corrected Ai, her voice still hoarse.
Her throat hurt when she spoke, feeling like someone stuck a thousand tiny needles in there, but she had to sort things out and make Naruto understand it wasn't his fault, although the moment she opened her mouth to speak it transpired her efforts were pointless at the moment.
" Don't " said Naruto, cutting off her to-be complaints. " It's my fault. Period. "
Ai glanced speechless into the depths that seemed to stubbornly glow, ready to fight back if provoked, and she realised she had absolutely, but absolutely no chance at the moment to change his mind.
She sighed and changed the subject, regardless of the dizziness and pain, feeling it would make her blond companion feel better.
" How...how did they let you... " she closed her eyes so as to avoid his gaze.
" Let me what ? " he asked.
A short break filled the next few seconds.
" ... let you... let me in " she finally finished, in such a low voice only his years as a shinobi could've made Naruto hear her.
Naruto actually grinned hallow.
" Let's just say Ero-senin can be very convincing when he wants to. "
Ai opened her eyes and stared at the white ceiling, trying to imagine how the white-haired sanin could look even scary.
But he was nice to her all the time, how could she know. After all, wasn't she the one who had been afraid of him at first ?
She closed her eyes again, blocking the beeping out and focusing on Naruto's steady breath.
Before him, she had been terrified at the thought of approaching the hospital at more than one kilometer. But now, with the blond by her side, she felt safe.
The two ninja have done so much for her ! How could she ever repay them, thank them enough for their kindness ?
" Hey... " broke Naruto the silence, cutting off Ai's thread of thoughts. She felt sleepy and weak, buit she let out a sound of agreement leave her lips.
" That man...the one who..." started Naruto, letting the sentence hang. It didn't need and end, for Ai's weak muscled already responded. Her breath fastened a bit, but she did her best to hide it.
" ... he ... did this before, didn't he ? " asked Naruto, raising his gaze.
Ai stared blankly at the ceiling and nodded, a knot in her throat.
" Where does he live ? " asked the blond in a low, scary hiss.
Ai felt confused for a moment, then her heartbeat fastened too when she realised what Naruto was trying to do.
" N-no ! " croaked Ai and raised her head a bit, trying to lock gazes with the blond, but it fell back. Her head hurt.
She closed her eyes shut.
" Y-you can't hurt him. L-let him. It's not his f-fault " she stuttered.
" Why ? Why let him ? " asked Naruto.
" He didn't let you . " he murmured, more to himself than to Ai.
" Because..." Ai said, then saw that she had no option left but...
" Because he's my father..." she whispered, half hoping Naruto didn't hear.
But the way the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees, she was sure he had heard.
Jiraya entered the room, holding a glass of cool water in his hands.
" I brought water ! " he happily announced, but his smile faded when he felt the tension in the room.
" What's wrong ? " He asked.
The blond raised his head and locked a pair of blue, wide with shock eyes at his sensei, in his head echoing the words of the girl.
' He's my father... father... father... '
Thanks a lot for reading my silly work and please press the nice button below ! :D It'll only take a moment !
* sends kiss * Thank you ! ^^ ^^ ^^
