"…exhaustion and dehydration … make sure both of them stay in bed, especially that Kakashi. He has a reputation for disobeying direct orders from nurses…"

The smell of antiseptic and laundry detergent wakes me up, and I force heavy eyelids open to see white and pale green everywhere. The ceiling, bedside table and curtains are pure white, and the sheets and walls are pale green, and the choice of colours makes me slightly nauseous, but I keep my eyes open and try to push myself to a sitting position. I grimace, feeling something hard on my ribs, and I realize there's some sort of plaster that's holding it in one position. Am I injured there?

"Mirai-neechan!" comes an exclamation and I turn to see Sakura, much to my delighted surprise. She's dressed in a nurse's clothes.

"Sakura!" I smile, but wince when a pang of pain shoots down my neck. Surprised, I brush a finger against where it hurts, and the touch results in a dull ache.

"There's severe bruising on your neck and throat," Sakura says. "It must have happened when she was trying to throttle you. You also have a fractured rib – I'm surprised you were able to fight the pain before! It should have been overwhelming."

I blink, glancing down at the plaster again. "I … I didn't even notice," I say truthfully. "I mean before. The pain didn't bother me at all. I guess I wasn't paying much attention… Are you okay?"

Sakura smiles at me, but it's a tired sort of smile. "I'm fine. I'm a medical-nin, remember? I healed myself before we even got back, so most of my injuries were already close to healed. I took a chakra pill on the way, and I'm completely fine."

"What about Naruto? And Kakashi?" I add hastily.

"Naruto is fine. The Kyuubi heals him at incredible rates… Kakashi however," she hesitates, and my heart skips a beat, "he's recovering. But he'll be fine." I let out a breath in relief. "He just went through severe chakra depletion … he wasn't supposed to use his Mangekyou Sharingan, you see, but he used it anyways and even tried to use Kamui. That's the thing that almost sucked Isamu into another dimension," she explains, seeing my confused expression. I still don't really understand though.

"He'll be okay, right?" I whisper.

Sakura smiles wanly. "He's always okay. Now, you should get some more rest."

"How long have I been here?"

"Almost a day, but that's completely normal. Now, rest," she says commandingly, and she adjusts my blankets as I lie back down obediently. She smiles before she leaves.

::~::

I pass the next couple of days in a haze. At first, I keep expecting Kakashi to drop by and visit me, but after frequent visits from Naruto, Sakura, and even Gai and his pupil Lee fail to procure even the slightest sign of him, I resign myself to knowing that he won't be visiting.

He must be avoiding me because he knows about Kiyosho. That must be it, and really, I can't say I'm sorry he's not coming to talk to me. I don't know what I'd say to him, and I don't know what he's planning on telling me, if he's planning to tell me anything at all. There's so much that he's kept from me even now, like why he was so close to our little village that day, why he even stayed when he was obviously well enough to go back to Konoha, and how he even managed to track me to where Isamu had taken me. I know so little of this man, so why do I yearn for his company?

Though Sakura's company is a blessing in itself, she pretends she doesn't know anything about Kiyosho. Sensing that Naruto will be easier to ask, I question him about Kiyosho's funeral, if that will be held.

"They're waiting for you to be released, neechan," he says with an air that suggests that it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I appreciate that they're waiting for my decision in the matter, but it's a pressure that I hadn't expected to have to face. It should have been obvious that this was something I'd have to arrange, but with all that's been revealed to essentially everyone … I would have thought somebody would take the responsibility off my hands. Perhaps it's cowardice that makes me try and shirk away this responsibility; cowardice at facing Kiyosho, even in death. Knowing that he can't stand the sight of me … it's made me unable to even think about him anymore. It's unbearable.

Another thing I can't do is ask after the captured Sora-nin. Are they cooperating? Are they willing to settle down in this village like I am? Are they even still alive? I know there were maybe twenty of them, maybe even more than that, but nobody mentions to me and I fear that the answer will not be to my liking. I fear for their safety, but I also fear for the safety of Konoha citizens, and if the two clash, I have no idea what I will do.

They tell me I won't be here for much longer, and that as long as I keep the brace on to fix the position of my setting rib, they won't have much to worry about. The bruises on my neck are turning unpleasant shades of purple and yellow, but that only means they're on the right track to healing. The various minor cuts have all been healed already.

But the one person I can't help asking after is my sister.

"Sakura, what's happening to Tsubasa?" I ask, unable to stand the suspense anymore.

She flinches slightly, almost imperceptibly before she turns to face me, sponge in hand as she prepares to bathe me (the plaster is placed extremely awkwardly, and I can't move without the hard material hurting me one way or another). "She's fine," she says somewhat curtly.

"Are they interrogating her? Is she okay?"

"She's being interrogated, yes," Sakura says, and hesitates before continuing. "From what I've heard, she's been quite cooperative."

"She's afraid of pain," I explain to her.

Sakura nods. "That much is obvious. They didn't so much as even touch her before she spilled everything. Every little thing." The disgust on her face is unmasked as she washes my hair for me.

"It's not her fault," I say softly, and I feel Sakura's gaze flicker to the bruises. I know she thinks I'm being stupid, standing up for Tsubasa after all she's done, but I really have come to realize that my sister is the kind of person who can't help but be led by others, whether the intentions of those others might be good or bad. I don't even know if she knows the difference between right or wrong here. "We were both led to believe something, and it was only by luck that I came to Konoha and wasn't led in the same direction as her."

Sakura's brow furrows and her eyes are angry. "You're nothing like her, Mirai. You'd never do the things she's done."

I swallow. I can't say I wouldn't have, because I really don't know. The way they talked about Konoha … Konoha became a bloodthirsty village of thieves and murderers, but it all made so much sense, and it had appealed to our sense of vengeance. Who's to say that I wouldn't have done exactly what Tsubasa had done if I'd been in her place?

As Sakura finishes and wraps a fluffy green towel around me, I thank her profusely – she's always been so kind to me.

"Where will you be staying after you're checked out?"

I blink at the question, having failed to consider it myself. "Um … I'm not sure," I say quite honestly. Would Kakashi still be willing to let me live at his place? That might be too much to hope for …

Sakura frowns. "Kakashi hasn't talked to you about this?"

A little hint of annoyance betrays me as I say, "He hasn't talked to me about anything. He hasn't visited me at all." I hate how I sound.

Sakura's surprise is sincere, and she even looks a bit angry. "That idiot … just wait until I get my hands on him…"

"Please don't give him more stress," I say, regretting my hasty annoyance now. "I'm sure he's still recovering too, and he needs his own rest to be –"

"You don't know how quickly he recovers," Sakura seethes, positively fuming now. "I'd thought that after what Naruto and I told him…"

She looks at me then, as if only remembering that I'm there. "You don't have to worry about anything, neechan," she says, even though I haven't said anything to show that I'm worried. "I'll take care of this. Kakashi will definitely talk to you before you're checked out."

And with that, she leaves, ignoring my protests. I really don't know what I'd say if he did come – 'I need to stay at your place again even though you're probably disgusted by me and I'm sorry that I brought you to a place where you were nearly killed?'

But it seems that I didn't have to worry about meeting Kakashi at the hospital because despite Sakura's furious promise, he doesn't come, and judging by Sakura's increased tendency to flare up in anger, I'm guessing that it's because he's refusing or ignoring her.

Kaori also comes to visit me, along with her daughter. She must have concluded (correctly) that her husband's presence would only be a negative.

"Oh dear, Mirai, I just heard that you were here!" she says in a concerned, motherly sort of voice. Then her eyes drift to the bruises on my neck (the plaster is mainly obscured by the blankets, so she can't see that) and a look of horror comes to her face. Her daughter also looks concerned but it's much less so, and I completely understand, knowing that Ino is a kunoichi who must has seen much worse. Kaori too must have seen much worse, but perhaps it's mainly because I'm a civilian and not a shinobi.

"I'm fine, really," I say hastily, "it really looks worse than it is."

Her eyes tear up a bit.

"I'm really sorry I haven't been able to come to the flower shop, Kaori-san. I swear, as soon as I get out of here –"

"No!" she says sharply. "Wait until you've recovered entirely – don't you dare come to work anytime before that."

And she looks so serious that I can't help but promise just that, feeling completely miserable. But really, it's a relief that nobody's expecting very much of me.

The day I'm released, Sakura tells me that I am completely welcome to stay at her place if I'd like, with a dark look on her face that's directed to Kakashi, who, even though he's not present, can make her furious. I smile and thank her, but inside I'm worrying about how Kakashi will react to seeing me again. At least I'll know if he doesn't want to see me anymore.

Sakura offers to accompany me, but I decline as politely as I can. She knows and I know that I have to do this alone, that I have to talk to Kakashi alone. She gives me a bit of a wan smile as I walk away stiffly because of the plaster.

I don't even have to think about where I'm going as I walk, because the way to Kakashi's place is something I don't think I'll ever forget. I mentally slap myself for thinking it, but I can't help feeling that his apartment feels like home to me.

I'm going home, an obnoxious little voice sings in my head, making me feel confusedly elated. I scold it, telling it that it very well won't be my home for long.

My regular outfit has been discarded due to the sheer number of rips and tears in the fabric, and Sakura very kindly went out to buy me new clothes, something I've neglected to do since arriving in Konoha. The outfit she's gotten me is a knee-length one-piece, much like the one she wears quite often. The one she's gotten for me is a deep violet and it hugs my frame tightly but modestly. I'm not wearing it now only because of the plaster, and instead I'm wearing unflattering, loose hospital garments that don't fit me at all. I cringe as I see my reflection in a window.

I knock on the door, having lost the key.

I'm surprised when Kakashi answers almost immediately, and as he comes into my line of vision I drink in the sight of him greedily. His tousled silver hair is as soft-looking as ever, and his one visible eye widens fractionally in surprise before returning to its usual bored look. He's not wearing his usual shinobi outfit, but rather just the navy sweater and long black pants. His mask is up, as usual, but it comforts me somehow just to see him like this, unharmed.

"I'm sorry I lost your key," I say, slightly breathless without even greeting him.

He blinks, and his frame doesn't do anything to let me in. My heart sinks another inch. "It's fine. Nobody," he hesitates, "well, no thieves would break in to this apartment." I know he's talking about Isamu's break-in.

The ensuing silence is deafeningly awkward.

"I'm really sorry for causing you all this trouble," I say softly, not knowing really what else to say. I don't know if it's his intent to make me uncomfortable, but it certainly is working. I heard that he was once part of the psychology group in ANBU – he must have learned some tricks there. "I just … hope that you can forgive me, somehow."

His expression doesn't change whatsoever and he continues to stare at me in silence. A flutter of panic rises in my chest. What I wouldn't give to know what he's thinking…

"Why are you really here, Mirai?" he asks finally, voice quiet.

I swallow. I could have asked myself the same question. I avoid answering it. "Why didn't you come visit me?"

Something in his eyes hardens. "Is that what you would have wanted?" he asks, and if I didn't know better, I would have said that was a note of sarcasm in his voice.

"Why wouldn't I have wanted you to visit?"

He gazes at me. "I only thought … that after all that had happened, you wouldn't want to see me anymore. Or at least, you'd want some time alone."

He knows what I feel too well, much too well. "I… I did want the time to think … but I wanted to see you," I say quietly. "I thought that … maybe you didn't want to talk to me ever again … I was sure you were avoiding me." And I still am.

Kakashi's masked face is unreadable, but it seems as though I've passed some sort of test and he lets me in, not bothering to close the door. He leaves it for me to close as he ambles to the kitchen, as if hasty to keep some distance between us. I clamp down on the feelings of hurt and rejection and follow him instead. He motions for me to sit, and I do, but he merely leans against the counter.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me rather suddenly.

Upset. Rejected. Confused.

"I'm fine."

"How's your rib?"

"Healing," I say. Can't he ask the questions I want him to ask, like 'Do you still need a place to stay?' or even 'Can I get you a cup of tea?', which is something I'm really craving at this moment.

He seems to have run out of useless questions to ask.

I stand up, and the sound of the chair's legs scraping against the floor makes me cringe. But I walk towards him, and though he remains impassive, I can sense that he stiffens, just a little as I near him.

I reach out a hand and pull down his mask.

"Please," I whisper, "tell me what you're thinking. Tell me what's really going on in your mind, because I'm so confused and worried, Kakashi."

His gaze hardens once again. Finally, he says, "You want the truth?"

I tear my eyes away from the mesmerizing movement of his lips, and I nod.

"I have been avoiding you," he says in an inflectionless tone, and my heart sinks even lower. "I've been avoiding you, and Sakura knows it."

I swallow, feeling that familiar self-disgust start to flare up again. "Is it because … because of what happened with him?" I ask quietly, casting my eyes down. I can't look him in the eye, not when he's thinking of what I've done…

Quite audibly, and quite surprisingly, I hear him swallow. "It depends on what you mean."

At this point, I raise my gaze again, unable to bear it any longer. "What I mean is, are you avoiding me because you're disgusted that I slept with my half-brother?" I say loudly, feeling sick to the pit of my stomach and finding a vindictive pleasure in seeing him flinch.

Please … don't lie and say 'no' to me. Just say 'yes' and get this all over with…

But as I expect, he says in a strained tone, "No."

Tears of frustration well up, and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing them not to fall. Crying is something I've wasted far too much time doing – it's useless and it's a stupid, weak action.

"I should go," I say, turning away from him and striding quickly to the door. I hear him call my name, but it's a half-hearted protest, and it only makes me feel worse. "I don't even know why I came here. Thanks for all you've done for me."

But as I twist the doorknob, a heavy hand falls on my shoulder, and I freeze, staring at the door with an intensity that could burn holes through it. I don't know why I stop.

"Mirai," he murmurs; despite myself, a shiver runs through me, and I turn around slowly and unwillingly as if he'd hypnotised me.

His expression is again unreadable, but it's different from before.

But before I can begin to contemplate what he's thinking, he leans in, much to my shock, and kisses my temple.

"Take care of yourself," he murmurs.

::~::

Hey guys – yes, the longest hiatus I've taken thus far … 3 days without posting, I know! All right, so university just started for me and it's really quite busy … I'm only beginning to get used to waking up early again T-T. However, I'm super excited, and I've met super-nice people (though they all seem to scoff at my addiction to writing fanfiction…).

I know this is probably an unsatisfactory chapter and I'm sorry for that, but the next chapter will be called "The Promise". I'm hoping that it will tie most things up, and I might have one more chapter after that to completely end the story (though I might have an epilogue … I do love those ^^).

Please, as always, review, follow, and favourite! :)

-Jennifer *weary hugs*