I actually wrote half of this chapter to go with another story I am half writing, but I thought it would be better suited here.
As always, I hope you enjoy

She wasn't sure when she became aware of herself, or if she was aware of herself at all.
A thick haze filled her mind and gradually she felt aware of her body.
Everywhere was sore.
A bruising, dull pain echoed through her body with the beating of her pulse and still half asleep, she wondered if perhaps she was dead.
No.
She couldn't be dead.
For if she were then surely she wouldn't be aware of herself?
Werent they all taught that after death there is nothing?
No, she wasn't dead and she knew it as well as her name is…
Her name…
In a blink of a second, she realized she couldn't remember her name.
A ripple of anxiety washed over her as she tried to recall something… Anything.
Nothing, there was nothing.
Something wasn't right, she should be able to remember...
Her lip trembled and she shook her head to the side.
How could she not remember anything!? Her life, everything… Everything was gone!
She gasped, inhaling air wildly and opened her eyes in panic, bolting upright and glancing around wildly.
A man sat by her bed, his eyes wide with surprise as he watched her hyperventilating.
Who was he?
Black hair, dark eyes…
He looked familiar but she had no idea from where she had seen him.

Standing and holding his hands up, the man moved closer to her and grasped her shaking hands comfortingly.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head and stuttered, trying to articulate to him her problem.
He seemed to understand and a softer look over came his features.
Her eyes darted around and took in her surroundings.
White walls, a curtain, a screen of some kind…
By all rights she looked like she was in a hospital room, the drip in the back of her hand further convincing her suspicions.

"You were in an accident. Do you remember anything?"

That made sense.
She shook her head again, her mouth too dry to talk properly.
A jug of water next to her bed caught her eye and she tried to motion to it, conveying how thirsty she was.
The glass of water was promptly lifted to her lips and she drank in greedy sips until he pulled it away again.
Gasping, her mouth now wet but not feeling anymore quenched, she nodded and muttered to him,

"Who are you? Who am I? What's going on?"

A strange look over came his features, one of relief and exasperation.
He pulled a picture out from behind him, a photograph of himself with a pretty looking woman.
The boy in the picture looked much younger than he did now, but it was definitely him.

"Your name is Yumi. A while ago you bumped your head and have been in a coma since… I'm Sasuke."

Yumi rolled the name around in her head.
Sasuke…
Yes, the name and the face paired together perfectly.
She took the picture and scanned over it.
It looked like someone had run scissors along one side of it, cutting out the rest of the photo and she could see the shoulder of someone whose face she would never know.
The shiny reflection of the photo caught her suddenly and she glimpsed into it to see her mirrored into it.
Surprisingly, she realized that she was the one standing next to him.
A small frown fell upon Yumis face and she reached a hand up to massage her temples.
Sasuke seemed mildly worried and placed a hand on her shoulder,

"Are you okay?"

Yumi nodded and murmured, "I just have a headache… When will I be able to leave the hospital?"

Sasukes lip twitched nervously.
They weren't actually IN a hospital, just a left over experimentation room from Orochimarus time.
Nonetheless, Kabuto had said she would be ready to walk around within an hour or two of regaining consciousness.
Sasuke had prepared a room next to his in preparation for her awakening.
It wasn't much, having no furniture in it besides a bed and dressing table, but it was all any of them needed.
Deciding that he at least owed her a degree of truth, Sasuke replied to her previous question,

"You aren't in a hospital, just an at-home treatment room. So you don't have to worry about a long trip 'home'. Your bedroom is just down the hall. Our medic, Kabuto, said you could probably get up in an hour or so… Whenever you feel ready."

Yumi nodded quietly.
Furrowing her brows slightly as she glanced back at the picture in her hands, she looked up to Sasuke and asked the question he had been dreading.

"What are you to me?"

Sasuke inwardly groaned.
He had agonized over this question since Kabuto had brought up the idea of erasing her memory.
The idea of tricking Yumi into thinking they were lovers didn't sit well with him, and trying to convince her that they were related was ridiculous.
In the end he avoided the question entirely, muttering softly,

"I'd rather wait until you remember that yourself…"

Yumi nodded slowly and seemed to accept the evasive answer, much to Sasukes relief.
He hated lying when possible, he really did.
Ever since the masked Akatsuki had forced them into kidnapping her in the first place, Sasuke had felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for tricking her.
She had always been kind to him as a child, training with him when Itachi was too busy and the like, he didn't want to return the favor with lies.
But if he didn't, Tobi had threatened to kill her.
Sasuke held no romantic feelings towards the elder kunoichi, but she was fairly innocent in the scheme of things and as he understood, had been forced into the Akatsuki in the first place.
A firm believer in avenging that which only needs avenging, Sasuke had grudgingly agreed to keep her with them until further notice.
At worst, she would hopefully retain her ability to cook and he wouldn't have to put up with the disgusting food that Kabuto finds…

Pein sat brooding on his couch.
Tobi was conveniently nowhere to be found, although Zetsu had shown up a few minutes earlier, seemingly confused by the frantic movements of the Akatsuki and apparently clueless as to what had happened.
Hidan hadn't made any more progress and Itachi had explained to him that there was a chance that the Jashinists mind had been damaged by being exposed to the Sharingan.
Pein rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palms.
Konan said nothing, knowing that there wasn't anything to say.
She couldn't give him reassuring words because they had promised long ago not to lie to each other.
Telling him that everything would be okay was a lie.
Hidan had been decapitated and Yumi was missing, supposedly kidnapped by someone with a Sharingan.
No… things were not okay.

It briefly crossed the bluenettes mind that perhaps it had been Tobi who had taken Yumi and the thought sent shivers down her spine.

He had tried to kill her less than a month after she had joined, it wasn't unlikely.
Following Peins example, Konan rubbed her hands against her face tiredly.
Hidan was the only one with the answers and she prayed that if Jashin was real, he would deliver the irritable man from the illness that had befallen him.
If only for Peins sake.

He had told Yumi that after her mission they would talk about Nagato, something she knew they were both hesitantly eager to do.
It would have been a milestone in their relationship.
But it was a milestone Konan now dreaded would never come.
Swallowing sadly, she walked over to couch and sat next to Pein.
They were silent for a few seconds before she murmured softly,

"I'm going out. I promise I will do all I can to find Yumi."

As she stood to leave, her wrist was caught and she looked back in surprise.
Peins head was still hung and resting in his hand but his words were recognizable to Konan.
In his deep monotone, he murmured,

"Stay with me. I am… devastated that Yumi is missing… But the other Akatsuki are searching for her and I have faith in them… I don't want to risk losing you too, Konan."

Konan hung her head and nodded quietly.
She sighed and Pein glanced up at her slowly as she formed hand signs.
A few seconds later, 12 paper butterflies fluttered around the room and moved towards the wall sized window.
Forming hand seals himself, Pein focused his energy and stopped the rain, waiting for Konans butterflies to leave Amegakure before letting it fall again.
He didn't want to lose Konan as well, she was and always would be his most trusted friend and comrade, but he understood her want to help…
After all, she had known Yumi too.

A shortish chapter, sorry.
I have future chapters written already so they will be up at some point…
Pleeeeeeeease rate and review.
I shall be eternally grateful to hear what you think.