A/N-Thanks to those who reviewed Chapter 22-Kyiri Makrono, Duckichan87 (who reviewed chapter 19, 21 and 22 at the same time), Emily-The-Elemental, Elemental Dragon 2.0 Kaori Uchiha192, and Gin-Inu. (glomps reviewers). Here's the chapter! Read and Review.
Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 23
She was vaguely aware of something heavy lying on her stomach. She tried to move her arm to reach out to move this heavy thing, however, when she shifted her left arm she found it tied up, supported above her head and off to the side. After making this brutal discovery, she tried to twitch her other hand, only to feel something wrapped around it. It was at this point that she decided to open her eyes.
The light in her room temporarily blinded her. Once it had cleared, however, Michelle raised her head off of the thin pillow and immediately felt queasy. Attempting to brush it off, she looked down at her stomach. She saw a head of black hair lying there... one that looked suspiciously like...She attempted to say something, however, her voice was scratchy from being unused and she had to clear her throat before starting again. "M...Mika?" In a voice that still didn't sound like her own.
The black head lying on her stomach shot up…not Mika.
It was, however, a familiar face. Sasuke. Mika and Seyann were asleep against the bed on her other side. They were the ones holding her hand. Slowly, they came back into consciousness as well, hazy relief on their faces due to the fact that their friend was alert.
She lay her head back against the pillow, aching all over her body. "What are you guys doing here…I thought you left." "We did." Said Mika. "And then you didn't show up when we were supposed to chat…you who are never late…" Seyann finished "We got a little worried…not just a little…actually." "Seyann tracked down Tsunade who let us search…and we found you here."
Sasuke spoke up from his place on her other side. "Michelle, you are the last family I have. Please never scare me like that again." Michelle nodded and smiled weakly. "I'll try."
"Chelle…" Mika looked at Seyann uncertainly. "There's…another reason we came. We overheard the doctor…car crash?" Michelle nodded. "I saw it a second before it actually happened…I had the Sharingan on." Mika looked down at the floor, black hair curtaining her face. "I…don't know how to tell you this… Your…parents…your parents they…"
Michelle's eyes widened in horror as the truth sank in. "Don't tell me." She said in a dull voice, processing this bit of information. "They're gone. That's why…you're back. I don't have anyone now."
"You still have me." Said Sasuke firmly as tears began to leak out of her obsidian eyes.
"We didn't want to tell you Chelle-chan." Said Seyann, herown eyes a deep blue. "We didn't want to hurt you…but I'm sure you'd rather us tell you than some cold doctor." Michelle nodded before she started sobbing.
In a lame effort to cheer her up they told her some of their escapades in Konoha that day and a couple from Suna where Mika had gone. The funniest one, in Michelle's opinion had been Seyann's description of what had happened when she had gone into Kakashi's house…
And discovered his Itcha Itcha paradise Library.
After adequately yelling at him, to the point of where her eyes were a bright annoyed orange, she had yanked a kunai out of her holder the Hokage had given her and had partially released Celina. Going around the room, cutting and slashing wildly she had made short work of the entire collection before she had fully calmed down. Michelle let out a dry chuckle at Mika's description of the horrified look on the Jounin's face.
During this story, the doctor who had examined their friend the night before had walked in. "Wow…news spreads fast between friends." He commented as he saw the cozy scene in front of him. "Miss. Sanchez, now that you are awake…I should tell you that…" Michelle held up her uninjured hand. "I know sir. My friends told me." "Very well then. Do you have any other family you could stay with?"
Sasuke stood up. "I'm her last living relative, her cousin." The doctor nodded and said, "Is there anyway you can prove that?"
Sasuke looked at Michelle and said "We might as well…it can't hurt anything." Michelle nodded. "Not for too long, I can't use up too much energy." Turning to the doctor, Michelle said "Our family has a certain rare trait where our eyes occasionally turn red. Here…" With that, the two Uchiha's blinked and briefly turned on the Sharingan. "I see." Said the doctor a little dazed. "Ok then…" he walked out of the room in a daze.
The rest of the week passed in a blur. Mika and Seyann would frequently come through the mirror at all hours to visit Michelle, accompanied by Sasuke. Mika had commented about how horribly dry and dusty it was in Suna, only to have her boyfriend overhear her and comment "Well it's the desert…"
Mika laughed this off and said, "In all seriousness…If I ever live there…" she turned scarlet at this and continued "Then I'll need a steady supply of Chapstick from you and Seyann…now you'll never wonder what to get me for my birthday."
On the Friday after Michelle's parents had been killed Tsunade came out of the mirror to talk with Michelle but not before sending everyone out of the room-she had to talk with the female Uchiha. And since the girls were now Konoha Kunoichi, they were in no position to refuse the Hokage.
"Michelle…several days ago, you were offered the chance to leave this world and become a Kunoichi. As I understand it, your reason for staying was your family. What I'm trying to say is… Do you stand by the decision you made before?" Asked Tsunade in a gentle voice.
Michelle looked at a Polaroid picture that had been taken at some point that week, showing Mika and Seyann on either side of Michelle's hospital bed, laughing at some joke one of them had just told. Sasuke had taken gone photo happy after Mika had demonstrated the function of the camera.
"I…." Michelle started, looking at the picture intently. "Tsunade-sama, in all honesty…"
It was for this reason that Tsunade had sent her friends out of the room…If Michelle was going to come to the Naruto world, then it was going to be of her own choice, not because she wanted to support her friends.
"I've never been much for dealing with change …that was one of the reasons I didn't go…And even now…that I have no family here…I have to now deal with the loss of my parents and that is going to be hard enough to do without the major adjustment of living in a new world…My decision remains the same."
Tsunade sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Ok. Then I have a preposition for you. The council has received word that there are still ninja slipping into this world because they are the kind of ninja that kill for fun like Gaara used to and they see the untrained 'normals' if you will as easy prey to satisfy their bloodthirsty urges. I propose that you stay here, keep up your training and, if I find out about any nins killing in this area or you sense anything yourself, you are the protection…you hunt them down and kill them essentially or capture them if you can. You will be paid in Konoha money of course."
Michelle nodded and said "Ok…. I can do that. We're lucky that I'm 18…legally I can live alone. But as long as I have the mirror, I never will be."
The next day the doctors released Michelle to go home and heal. It was decided that Mika and Seyann would take her back to her house and get comfortable. Getting comfortable involved moving most of Michelle's bedding downstairs so that she could sleep on a cot so as not to do stairs with her bad ankle. Mika also thoughtfully moved the gilt mirror downstairs so that, in a pinch, she or Sey could come through and give Michelle a hand until she was better.
Finally Tsunade said that it was time to go back. Mika gave her parents a call and, after a tearful 'Hi, how are you,' she told him about the situation after which, Mika's parents agreed to come by as often as they could to help Michelle.
With one final "Is there anything else you need before we leave?" The two girls went into the mirror.
Only this time it wasn't as bittersweet as last time. Thanks to Mika and Seyann's begging (or bugging) the Hokage…
They would see each other again.
A/N-There you go…Michelle doesn't go to Konoha…yet.
YET!
I know I haven't done a one-shot in a few days…I'm writing my Calculus Final tomorrow and I can't tonight but I believe that tomorrow I should have enough time to post a one-shot about Mika and Sey's first day in Konoha…till tomorrow…
Review!
