Sigh... finished chapter two... Well, here's my character's offical introduction even though it's only the name... Yeah... please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but Hijiri (smiles)
Phase 2: Long day…
The white translucent curtains flapped gently, caressing the white lily in a slender vase by the window as the morning breeze made its way quietly into the dim room. Sunlight crept slowly into the room, casting itself on the figure on the bed. Opening her eyes, she squinted immediately when the light stung them. The small gesture brought jolts of pain to her skull. Groaning inwardly, she could feel every muscle in her body crying out in pain.
She tilted her bandaged head away from the sunlight even though it felt like her neck was going to tear. Staring at the door, she lets her eyes adjust to the rather dim surroundings before getting out of the bed. She could hear her bones crack as she pushed her sore body in a sitting position on the bedside. Stifling a groan, she gripped the edge of the mattress as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the pain and soreness in her body and the giddiness in her throbbing head.
"You shouldn't get up so early."
Her eyes snapped open instantly to the voice then letting out a small cry, squinted them again when pain shot through them.
"Gomen! I didn't mean to startle you! Are you alright?" the owner of the voice ran to her side and placed a hand on her hunched back,
"Here, let me see."
Slowly, she opened her eyes again as the stranger supported her chin with a hand. A pair of light lake-green eyes stared back into her emeralds.
"Well, I guess it's just the muscles. Don't need to worry about it", the girl smiled as she moved back to lean against the white wall.
She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the pink hair girl,
"You are…?"
"Eh? Oh! Haruno, Haruno Sakura", Sakura beamed with shining eyes as she introduced her name with a friendly tone,
"We brought you back to the hospital when you fell into the river."
"We?" she blinked.
"Oh! My teammates. Heheh…" Sakura stuck out her tongue and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.
"So what's your name?"
The girl glanced at Sakura briefly then letting her eyes down, turning her head away, her straight silky black hair swished down over her right shoulder, covering a side of her face.
"…Shifuen, Shifuen Hijiri…" she said quietly.
Sakura frowned slightly at Hijiri's sudden quietness. It made the atmosphere felt heavy. She sucked in a deep breath before letting it out in a huff,
"So… how are you feeling now?"
Hijiri nodded quietly. "Better… at least I can't feel the soreness now. Thank you…"
Sakura pressed her lips together as she nodded in acknowledgement. A long, uncomfortable silence embraced the brightening room as sunlight crept in. Leaning against the wall, Sakura shifted her weight to a leg to ease the growing feeling of awkwardness in her. She glanced at the Hijiri, she looked tired. Sighing, she pushed herself away from the wall and walked to the door,
"Well then, I think I need to go now for some errands and you should rest more before moving around." She cast a sidelong glance at the other girl and smiled,
"I'll visit you so get well soon."
With that, she pulled the side door open and closed it quietly. Hijiri stared at the door while listening to the silence in the room. The breeze blew against her back gently, blowing some strands of hair to her face. The image of Sakura by the door kept replaying in her mind, that protector… Closing her eyes, she whispered,
"Konoha… ka?"
-.-.-.-
"Come in," Tsunade's authoritative voice boomed across the corridor from the office. Flinching away from the door, Sakura furrowed her brow as she gingerly reached for the knob. Now what's up again? Judging from her sensei's tone, it seemed like Tsunade was frustrated. There were also sounds of books falling and things being thrown accompanied with Tsunade's frequent angry grunts and whines. Better be careful, wouldn't know what she's up to… Opening the door just big enough for her to poke her head in slightly, Sakura was about to greet her sensei when NNNNNOOOOOOOOO! Her eyes widened in horror as her lips twisted into an ugly frown. The office! The once clean and tidy office of the Hokage… No words could describe the present situation of it… no words. Well, there are two words: total destruction.
Sakura felt like crying.
"Kya! So it is here all the time! Yokatta ne!"
Tearing her eyes away from the chaos, Sakura gaped at Tsunade who had her back to her, humming a lively tune as she 'danced' to her seat, avoiding fallen books and debris of furniture with quick and synchronized footwork to the beat of her tune. Her fists balled as anger and frustration builds up in her rapidly. Unable to hold back her fury any longer, Sakura slammed the door wide open, causing it to actually knock down a huge chunk of concrete from the wall behind it and the first two hinges to snapped, leaving only one hinge to support the falling heavy oak door.
"What… what is this, Tsunade-sensei?" Sakura spoke through gritted teeth, her eyes glaring at her sensei in absolute fury.
Her back still facing Sakura, Tsunade choked on her chocolate at the sudden outburst. She slapped her greasy hand against her chest in attempt to cough out the chocolate as she turned to her student, eyes watered by the choking.
"Ah… cough, cough Sakura ka. cough what's wrong?" She reached for her cup of tea when she finally coughed out the melted piece of chocolate and swallowed it again, along with her tea.
Sakura twitched her left eye slightly. "What's wrong? This!" She gestured to the office,
"What… why… you…"
Tsunade shrugged. "Oh! I'm just looking for the box of chocolate Anko had given me yesterday and you know how the stuff got into the way, so I just clear them out."
Panting in anger, Sakura closed her eyes as she tried to regain her composure and relaxed the tension in her muscles. Calm down… calm down… she'll clean it up herself so calm down…
"Oh! Almost forgot! I'll be going to the library so clean up the office before I return. Thanks."
Snap!
"Tsunade-sensei…" Sakura growled dangerously as she lifted her head up with a murderous look.
Tsunade cringed. If looks could kill, she would have been dead. "Yes Sakura?"
Sakura's left eye twitched more. "For the past four years, who is the one who always cleans up the mess?"
Tsunade gulped. "You…"
Sakura nodded and took a step forward. "And who is the one who always causes the mess then slaps her butt and ran off?"
Tsunade stepped back but realized she was corner when the edge of her desk bumped onto her thighs,
"Erm… me? But I didn't slap my butt!"
Sakura raised an eyebrow and folded her arms to her stomach. "Un-huh. So what are you going to do about it now?"
Averting her gaze from Sakura's intense glare, Tsunade survey the office. A bit messy here, huh? She continued examining the chaos when she rested her eyes on some fallen medical books. When Tsunade did not answer her question, Sakura shifted her weight onto a leg in irritation,
"Well?"
Still looking at the books, Tsunade opened her mouth to speak but closed it. Sighing in resignation, she slump her shoulders,
"Wakatteru, I'll clean it up, ok?" Am I getting old or she's growing too fast? I'm losing my place here! Ceh! Teenagers…
Tsunade shook her head at the thought. "By the way Sakura, how's the girl?"
Sakura looked at her sensei confusedly. "What girl?"
Tsunade stared at her student dryly. "You've got your brain fried by anger just now?"
Looking at Tsunade blankly, Sakura's mouth formed an 'o' shape when she finally understand what her sensei was referring,
"You mean Hijiri?"
Tsunade cocked a delicate brow up. "Hijiri?"
Sakura nodded. "Yeah, The girl Naruto, Sasuke-kun and I had rescued. Her name's Isuzu. Shifuen Hijiri. And well, she recovering quite fast since we've just found her yesterday."
Tsunade's face suddenly became serious in hearing the information. "Shifuen… ka?"
Sensing her sensei's sudden seriousness, Sakura furrowed her brow as she nodded slightly, not daring to utter a single word. Taping her chin thoughtfully with a finger, she folded her free arm to her stomach and stared at the carpeted floor for awhile before making her way out of the office,
"Aren't you supposed to meet Kakashi? You'll be late if you don't go now. I'll clean up the office later. Remember to study the notes I've given you."
Sakura looked at Tsunade confusedly as her gaze followed her to the door. "Eh? Tsunade-sensei… Where are you going?"
"The library. Oh! You can have the chocolate, it tasted funny… Ok then, see you tomorrow." Tsunade kicked some stacks of paper out of her way when the remaining hinge of the broken oak door gave way; the sound of metal snapping reverberated in the office followed by a loud crash. Both Tsunade and Sakura stared at the rubble, yes, rubble of what remains of the oak door. Apparently, the oak door crumpled into pieces right after it crash. Sakura was about to apologize when Tsunade cut her,
"I didn't know I can be so destructive when looking for things…" She looked at Sakura then to the office and shrugged,
"Oh well."
Sakura watched her sensei disappeared at the corner of the remaining door of the office. She sighed tiredly. It was still morning but she was already feeling exhausted. Urgh… Today's gonna be a long day… Then suddenly, she remembered the serious look on her sensei's face and furrowed her brow worriedly. What's with the look… is she alright? Shaking the thought out of her head, she told herself she did not need to worry so much and made her way out from the office without causing more damage to it. Mwu… the poor office…
-.-.-.-
Tsunade quickened her pace to the library as the name kept repeating itself in her head. Shifuen… Did something happen there? Why is she the only one here? And that wound… What happened there? Her forehead wrinkled as she thought of the possibilities but quickly shook them out when it began to give her a headache. First, I've got to cure that wound. Oh… hope nothing bad had happened… if not, Konoha might… Sighing, she pushed the doors of the library gently for fear of wreaking them too. She scanned the area and pouted, today was going to be a long day…
そして呼んで ココロで
-.-.-.-
Ah! Gomen minna! You guys must be wondering when the others will come in! Don't worry! Next chapter! Anyway, thank you for reading!