A/N: Remember when I said dates were important? Well, they are starting to come into play right now. I know this once didn't change a lot either, but I know that it is for the best. I added small things. I might be slowing down since I am doing something else. But I will do this!

Please leave a comment, a question, and maybe a thought!

Chapter 25: She Wakes Up

July 6th:

I jolt awake and sit straight up. I immediately double over in pain. I finally look up and see that I am alone in the room. I grumble and grab my midsection since that is where a majority of the pain is at.

How long have I been out? I remember the memories from the group and talking to Temari about the man from the Sand. Maybe I have been out for a long time. I don't hear anyone in the house. I try to put up my bubble but I cannot infuse chakra still.

Idiot.

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. I tilt back and launch myself forward to a standing position. I nearly scream in pain and my legs feel like they are jelly. I almost fall over from the pain but I manage to keep standing with the help of the wall. I hold my right hand against the wall and my left is holding my midsection to keep everything in place. I need to get looked at by someone.

I walk against the wall until I make it to the doorframe. I turn and see that it leads to the hallway where my bedroom is.

I sigh, I walk in the direction of my room. Maybe someone will be in the room that can actually run around. Honestly I know that I am in no condition to even think about running around but the thought of laying on the table any longer physically makes me sick. I need to get back to working on the group. Only I know that I do need help from all of them. I stop to catch my breath for a little bit.

Man, I am tired. Not doing anything is more work than I ever thought possible; I am a ninja that has always done everything and lately I have basically laid around and let everyone else do everything for me. Well that stops today.

This mission was in trusted to me and I am the one that needs to let everyone know what to do and when to do it. We still need to get the rat out of the village. I think that there is more than one in the village. I continue walking to my room.

No… don't go there. Come back.

I finally turn the corner and see that no one is in my room. But there are books and scrolls everywhere but I do not feel the impulse to clean everything up. That was on order from Lord Third when I was younger. He wanted everything to be cleaned in a certain way and for me to never leave a mess. And I had no other choice than to listen. I never understood it but as I got older it was all that I knew how to do. I look around my room and see that the bed is still a mess and now it has a few books on top. The floor has open scrolls and books, like someone was trying to read something in a hurry to leave.

I turn back to the hallway and switch my arms to head back to the kitchen. I grunt through the pain since it has gotten worse than when I first got up. After what feels like forever I make it to the kitchen. I turn right and switch my arms again to get full support with the wall.

I notice a glass of water on the counter and realize that I am thirsty. I reach the water and pick it up. I stand there trying to get all the water that I can without hurting myself. I finally finish drinking the water and decide to keep moving. I don't feel that my voice is strong enough to even speak I remain mute as I make my way around the kitchen to the living room. I have to pause every few meters to give my body a break.

"No," I hear someone say when I am close enough to the frame for the living room but I am giving my body a break.

"You really think that?" another voice questions, I think that it is Saskue.

He shouldn't be here.

"I do really think that," I know that voice, it is Shikamaru's.

"Is that why you and Temari had to talk outside?" a voice pushes, maybe Neji.

There is a silence in the room. My body refuses to move another step and I do not blame it. I slide down the wall and sit by the doorframe and listen to what they have to say. Besides, I know I will be put back on the table.

"Shikamaru, you know how hard this will be for everyone?" a female voice asks, I would guess Ino.

"I know but look at it this way; it would be harder in the other ways. You guys all know that, especially with everything that has happened in the past week with Tooru," Shikamaru explains.

Few days.

"I still think that we should ask Tooru about this though," Saskue interjects.

"She has been out for days at this point Saskue, besides her body is still too weak for anything really," Shikamaru counters, "Besides we need to act fast in order for this to work."

"But who would stay with her?" Neji asks.

"We would, Yamato and I are perfect guards for her," Kakashi says.

There is another pause. Something seems off about the whole thing. Why is Shikamaru fighting so hard about whatever it is that they are talking about? Normally, at least to my knowledge, he knows when to wait. Besides, there is also the fact that he needs me for this, if I am thinking about the plan from I guess a week ago. Only, that would be bad since no one else knows fully what the full plan is.

He is an idiot if he thinks he can just do it without me.

"Shikamaru this isn't like you," someone finally speaks up, I believe it is Naruto.

"No, this needs to happen," Shikumaru snaps.

"What the hell is wrong Shikamaru?" Naruto questions.

Another pause. I close my eye and can feel that something is about to be said that is going to change the dynamic of the group.

There is no noise being made from the other side of the wall. I can hear breathing but other than that, there is nothing that I can hear from them. I lean my head back and take in a breath, waiting along with everyone else. I have no idea what could be going through Shikamaru's head.

"Answer me Shikamaru," Naruto states.

"I can't," Shikamaru replies.

I get the image of Naruto standing up and moving toward Shikamaru. He walks over and kneels in front of Shikamaru. But Shikamaru turns his face away and tries to hide his face. A sigh that he is truly having trouble with something going on. Naruto tries to pull his face to look at him but Shikamaru turns his whole body to the door and…

"Where is Tooru?" Shikamaru asks, almost right on cue.

I hear someone get up and know that it is Shikamaru, I can feel his chakra coming closer. He stands in the doorframe and turns to me.

"Hey, you shouldn't be up," Shikamaru says as he kneels by me.

I shrug my shoulders and open my eyes.

"You need to be sleeping Tooru," Shikamaru nags.

I turn my head to him and look him dead in the eyes and try to communicate that I hate staying still.

"Tooru, look, we need you to recover and doing this will not allow you to recover, do I need to go and clear off your bed?' Shikamaru questions, "Actually, I don't care. I am putting you to bed."

There is still a lot of silence from the other side. I narrow my eyes at Shikamaru and he gets up and walks back into the living room as though he never saw me. There is still a silence from the other room. I squirm a little bit, I begin to worry about what is going on. I take note that nothing seems to be moving, not even a small wind.

I pull myself up on the wall and turn into the doorframe to take a look inside the room. Everything is frozen, and the room is not like a normal room. Something is off but I cannot tell what it is. I just know that I need to get out of here and get anyone else to help here. I slowly back away from everyone and move into the kitchen.

I turn to see Shikamaru right in front of me, causing me to fall from being scared. Yet, he is still froze. I look at his hand and he has a kunai in his right hand. And it looks like he just pulled it out. I scramble backwards. I feel pain surge through my whole body.

I cross the doorframe and feel something thick on my hand. I freeze in my place, my eyes locked on Shikamaru right in front of me. But the thick liquid that I have touched, I don't need to look to know what it is. I have felt it many times when I wasn't a spy and I was much younger. It gave me nightmares for a long time.

Then the smell hit me. It overwhelms me to where I want to throw up, only I cannot take my eyes off of the kunai. I finally notice the red on the blade. Did Shikamaru… did Shikamaru kill them? I don't even know who is actually dead, but I have a feeling that they all are.

I have to get out of here, but I cannot will myself to move. I stare in horror at Shikamaru.

Suddenly Shikamaru springs. He moves forward slowly, one foot in front of the other. I try to move back but I feel the blood on my hands.

"Because of you," Shikamaru says, "All of them have died. Why did you take in the chakra? We told you not to, we knew the trouble it would cause, the leader came and took you. None of us stood a chance against him. You did this Tooru. How could you?"

There is a tear coming from Shikamaru's face. He is upset and maybe even heart broken by what he is doing. I feel my mouth open but no sound comes out. Shikamaru is now standing over me with the kunai raised. He starts to bring the kunai down and…