The chapters are bit sad and sappy lately. Give the girl a break ok? She's grieving. To all the people who are grieving out there, give your heart a break and grieve. There's nothing wrong with grieving. But after that, you've got to move on…

BLOND HAIR

CHAPTER 36: OH, LITTLE STARS. GIVE ME STRENGTH….

The sun had set hours ago and the stars had replaced the sun. There were thousands of stars, twinkling in the black sky. "The stars looked like small pieces of shattered glasses… like pieces of my shattered heart..," Aoi mumbled as she closed her eyes. She was lying at the river bed, looking at the stars. She had let out her anger and now she felt calmer. The anger had died out but the pain in her heart was still there. It was not as painful as before but it was there, barely noticeable but existed.

"I'm so pissed at you….," she mumbled, her eyes stayed close. "But I can stay piss for long. I love you too much to get mad at you or hate you…." Aoi slowly opened her eyes which were brimming with tears. "Oh, little stars! I know you can hear my broken heart… Can you give me strength so that I can continue living? So that I can move on?," she asked the little stars that were shining above her. She waited but the stars gave her no reply. She let out a heavy sigh as she closed her eyes again.

Tsunade was standing at the window of her office. She gazed outside, her face looked troubled. "You're still worry about her?," a voice asked and the door clicked close. Tsunade didn't have to turn around to know it was Shizune. She just nodded without turning her head. "I made you some tea. It might calm you down..," Shizune told her. Tsunade heard the sound of the cup placed on her table, but she still didn't turn around. "I'm sure Aoi-sama is fine, wherever she is..," Shizune started, trying to comfort the Hokage. Tsunade sighed. "Shizune, I want to be alone…." Shizune nodded and closed the door behind her as she went out. Tsunade sighed again.

Aoi slowly opened her eyes. It was already morning. She had fallen asleep by the river bed. But when she stood up, she was surprised to see she had a blanket on her. She clutched the blanket. "Who….," she muttered to herself as she looked around. She got up and folded the blanket neatly. She was still puzzled by the blanket but she thanked whoever who had gave her the blanket. It had keot her warm through the night. Aoi stretched and took in a deep breath. "A brand new day, for a brand new start…," she encouraged herself. She looked at the blanket. "I'm still sad and hurt," she confessed.

"But that's not the reason to stop on living!," she shouted as she ran happily towards the village. Aoi may not notice it but there was a shadow lurking in the bushes. From behind the bushes, the shadow watched her. The shadow had watched her since she first came to the waterfall and let out her fume. The shadow had stayed with her through the night. Looking at Aoi; shivering because of the cold, the shadow had wrapped the blanket around her. The shadow had smiled when she saw her satisfied face as she wrapped the blanket tighter around her. The shadow had watched her and he will continue watching her…..

Aoi entered her apartment and headed towards the shower. After shower, she made herself a light breakfast. She noticed that her body was dreary and weak and she had the symptoms of cold. She decided to go to the hospital to get some medicine. She knew it was because the night she spent by the waterfall, sleeping in her wet clothes. "I could've gotten worst, if not for the blanket…," she mumbled to herself as she glanced at the blanket which she placed on her bed.

On her way to the hospital, Aoi met a lot of people. Many of the people welcomed her back and asked about her health. She treated them kindly and warmly. She knew she had no reasons to treat such nice people other than with open hearts. Aoi whistled as she entered the hospital. She had received her medicine and was about to leave when she noticed the hospital was crowded than usual.

"Why is it so crowded in here?," she asked one of the nurses. "Oh, one of our medic-nin is out for a mission so our hands are quite full..," she explained politely as she pushed the wheelchair of an old man with a broken leg. Aoi nodded. She looked around she felt pitied for the people. So, she decided to stay at the hospital and helped. She was a medic-nin and she had vast experience with injuries and wounds.

Tsunade entered the hospital and looked around. She called Shizune. "You told me they needed me at the hospital. But it's doesn't seemed like it," Tsunade told Shizune as she looked around herself. "That's what they told me, but I guess they finished with all the patinents….," Shizune explained with a puzzled face. A nurse walked by and Shizune called her. "Didn't you called Tsunade-sama here because you said you needed extra help?," she asked.

The nurse gasped and nodded. "We did. But we found a volunteer and she was indeed a big help. I'm so sorry. I forgot to inform you about it…," she bowed and apologized. Tsunade waved her hand and asked who was the volunteer. She wanted to thank the volunterr herself. "Oh, she's in the lounge. Talking with some of the nurses… Excuse me…," the nurse replied and bowed before she leaved.

Both Tsunade and Shizune looked at each other. They walked towards the lounge. From outside, they could hear giggles and laughter. Tsunade opened the door. The giggles and laughter died instantly. There was a woman without a nurse's uniform. She had her back turned towards Tsunade. Tsunade was shocked when she turned around.

"Aoi!," she exclaimed. Aoi smiled and waved at Tsunade. "Good morning, Tsunade-sensei!," she chirped cherrfully. Tsunade noticed the cheerfulness in Aoi's voice, She lurched forward and held Aoi by her shoulders. "I was so worried about you yesterday! Are you ok?," she told her as she looked at Aoi worriedly. Aoi smiled. "I'm fine. I just needed to let out some fume yesterday. I'm fine now!," she told her former teacher, not a lie but also not the truth.

Tsunade nodded, clearly relieved. "So, you're the volunteer," Shizune exclaimed as she emerged from behind Tsunade. Aoi nodded. "I came here for some cold medicine. When I saw the crowd, just felt like I should help. So, I did," Aoi explained. Tsunade smiled and nodded approvingly but froze afterwards. "Cold medicine? You catch cold?," Tsunade shouted. Aoi flinched and replied, "Not really a cold. Felt like I'm catching one so I came for the medicine. But I feel fine now. Probably because all the work I had done…," Aoi explained fast.

Tsunade nodded, satisfied. Suddenly, the lounge door was opened. "There's that boy again, who always used out his chakura during practice," she mumbled as she walked into the room. "You mean Naruto-kun?," one nurse who was chatting with Aoi before asked back. The burse who just came in nodded. Aoi was out of the room before Tsunade could even formed her sentence.

Aoi walked towards the entrance. She saw Sasuke was carrying Naruto while Sakura looked worriedly at Naruto. Kakashi was walking behind them, reading his book. "What happened?," she asked as she wheeled a wheel chair towards Sasuke. Sasuke placed the unconscious Naruto on the wheelchair. "The dope tried too hard during practice and used up all his chakura," Sasuke replied and started wheeling the wheelchair. "Where to?," he asked as he walked towards the empty beds. Aoi ran to him and asked him to follow her.

Naruto was sleeping on the bed. Aoi had checked him and like Sasuke said, he used up his chakura. "It would be a while before he regain conscious..," Aoi turned to look at the Uchiha prodigy who was leaning by the wall. She looked and him and it took her a while to notice. "You had injured yourself!," she exclaimed with horror as she saw a cut at his left arm. Ssuke lifted his arm and looked at the wound. "It's nothing….," he mumbled. Before he could say anything else, Aoi was already pulling him towards a treatment room.

Sasuke watched her as she cleaned the wound. He hissed when the antiseptic touched the wound. She looked up and smiled apologetically. "Sorry.. Should've warn you about that…. It stings right?." Ssauke snorted and looked away. Aoi continued cleaning the wound. "This cut is pretty deep. You should got yourself a medical attention..," she muttered as she brought Sasuke's hand closely to her face to examine the wound. "Kunai? Direct attack from the front?," she guessed. Sasuke nodded, quite amazed. "How did you know that?," he blurted out before he could've stopped himself. Aoi smiled.

"I spent all my life watching people got slash in front of me. After a while, you'll just have the rough ideas…," she explained as she turned around and took an ointment from the shelf. She placed the ointment on the table and opened the lid. Sasuke saw a white pearly gel in it. "What's that? Never saw that before…," he mumbled. "This, is a hand-made ointment. I received it from a friend of mine..," she explained as she swabbed the gel with her index finger.

Slowly, she rubbed the gel on his wound. "Tell me if it hurts ok?," she told him as she gently rubbed the gel on his wound. Sasuke nodded. He watched Aoi without blinking his eyes. 'Her hand is so soft and gentle… The gel is cool but her tough is warm. Wonder what she'll do if I yelped in pain?," Sasuke talked to himself. He smirked and waited for an opening.

Aoi swabbed the gel again and when she started rubbing, Saske yelped in a pain. "Ouch!," he exclaimed. Aoi stopped rubbing and looked at him. "Hurt?," she asked in concern. He nodded. Aoi brought his hand closed to her mouth and started blowing slowly and gently on the wound. Sasuke was stunned cause he didn't expected her to do that. He thought she would be startled and apologized like mad. Aoi kept on blowing for a few seconds. Finally, she lifted her face and asked him. "Still hurt?." Sasuke shook his head slowly. Aoi smiled. "Good.. Let's continue. I'll be gentler this time…"

"Thanks…," he blurted out with lack of passion as he walked out of the room. "No problem. Just find me if you're injured or something!!," she replied happily. Sasuke had walked a few steps when she called him. "Sasuke-kun! Wait!." Sasuke stopped and turned around. Aoi walked to him and held out her hand. She had the ointment on her palm.

"Take this. Use it to heal your wound. Dress your wound neatly ok? If possible, avoid contact with water..," she took his hand and placed the ointment on his palm. Then, she smiled gently and turned around to leave. Sasuke stood there, watching her leave like a dumbstruck person. When she vanished for his view, he looked down at the ointment. He unconsciously clenched the ointment.