The Unsung Story of the Inconspicuous
A/N:Bet you thought I'd forgotten (I totally had). No, just busy, (and possibly lying), very busy. Here's a dubious chapter, enjoy.
Thanks vampy. Your patience is endless, your support is a constant encouragement.
I do not own Naruto or any of its characters or affiliates.
'Four of hearts,' Daisukenojo grinned.
'No fair,' Raiku whimpered. 'I can't even hold my cards.'
'You have a spare hand, don't you?'
'Yeah, but you need two to play this game! Who wanted to play Snap anyway!?'
'Sorry,' Sakura apologised sheepishly. Raiku had been dragged painfully into a seated position for this visit, abdomen pain settling into a dull burn and her various lacerations stinging in the air conditioned air. 'I learned how to play on our mission to Mist, and no one's agreed to play me since I got back.'
'So you thought the invalid would be a good choice?' Raiku asked, gingerly putting down a card. She yanked her injured wrist away with a shriek as two more able hands slammed down on the pair, making her bed dip alarmingly.
Sakura smirked, tucking the pile under the cards she already had. Raiku looked down at her two remaining cards with a depressed expression. 'I am not good at this game.'
'Don't worry, Ryuu's beating me too,' Lee called from his side of the room, cheerful despite the superior stack of cards Ryuu was hoarding, younger boy currently shuffling.
'I'm lucky,' Ryuu passed off, despite the fact Raiku knew damn well he could cheat at Beat your Neighbour.
'He can't move his arms!' Raiku protested in Lee's defence. 'Cut him some slack!'
'Well, we could always invite a teammate of his to help him,' Ryuu shot back.
Raiku glared at him. He smirked, clearly aware he'd won. 'That's what I thought.'
She looked down, realised it was her turn and put a card down, exhaling in relief when it wasn't a pair.
'That's me out,' she said, smiling and wincing at the same time. 'Shame.' She began to edge her legs off the bed. 'I... might go and take a walk...'
'You can't walk!' Sakura was scandalised. 'You can barely move!'
Raiku's feet hit the cool linoleum, legs shaking slightly as she wobbled. 'Totally,' Raiku muttered distractedly, more to herself than the rosette. 'Can.' She grabbed the edge of the bed hurriedly as she threatened to topple over, bracing herself.
'You had a broken knee!' Sakura raised an eyebrow. 'How did you break your knee, anyway?'
Raiku had brief visions of hurtling through the air, but quickly shook them off. That was quite impossible. 'Don't really remember- the whole day's a blur.'
'If you see my teammates, can you tell them I'm awake, Raiku-chan?' Lee asked hopefully.
Raiku visibly wilted.
'I don't think that-'
'I'll go with you to find them,' Daisukenojo volunteered immediately, colouring when everyone looked at him askance. Excuse to see Tenten? Probably. The red haired boy got to his feet, gripping Raiku by the upper arm. He was a little taller than her now, but far from catching up to Ryuu- at average height for a boy their age, while Raiku remained gawkish and too long for a girl, all limbs and spindly fingers. She found herself propelled forcefully out of her hospital room, yelping as her IV caught on the doorway and yanked her back, resulting in several embarrassing minutes of entrapment, bound up in tubing, as Daisukenojo pulled her free (by ripping her IV out of her hand and almost de-masking her).
'Back later!' Daisukenojo called into the room, slamming the door behind him.
'I don't want to find Lee's team!' Raiku wailed, stumbling as he pulled her behind him down the white hallway, her feet confused and leg still throbbing in pain. She almost fell and saved herself by clinging to Daisukenojo's sleeve, almost ripping his shirt in the process. 'They hate me!'
'Hyuuga hates you,' he corrected.
'That's what I said!'
'How badly can he hate you? You called him a girl once.' He snickered at the memory.
Raiku paled, face matching her hair, mask and clothes, now the only source of colour her eyes. But this would be the first time she'd seen him since he'd found out about her, and if she pissed him off he might go back on his word! And she was guaranteed to piss him off! Always did, it was like a Plot of its-
Her eyes widened. 'No way!' she exclaimed in horror. She slammed into Daisukenojo's back as he stopped, and he admirably only staggered a little. Granted, Raiku weighed less than your average ten year old, but she still thought it was a neat trick.
'What the hell?!'
'It was nothing!' she said hurriedly, hands gripping his shirt to stop her from falling over, effectively leaving her to clamber all over him as he struggled to turn around. 'Keep walking!'
'Get the hell off me!' he sputtered, trying to get a solid grip on her to pull her off as she hung precariously off him, trying to keep her balance as well as trying to avoid his skin.
'I can't, stop moving!'
'You're the one that's throwing me off! You're making a scene!'
'Maybe if you stopped struggling-!'
She looked up to see nurses and patients alike stopped in the halls to stare at them, and flushed.
'Walk!' she ordered hurriedly.
'I can't see!'
'Try it anyway!' she said, voice rising into hysterical pitch.
'Aren't you the Gairano in ward three...?' she heard someone ask with growing suspicion.
Daisukenojo about-faced, staggering in the opposite direction. She tried to lower herself down to the floor slowly, eyes almost ripping the walls apart to search for a Plot.
She twisted to check her back, hearing something crack ominously. But the crippling pain was worth seeing the flicker of black as the Plot hurriedly scurried over to somewhere she couldn't see it. Her skin crawled, hair crackling as live current ran through her skin.
'Stop that!' Daisukenojo yelped, mild shocks jolting him every now and again.
She contorted as Daisukenojo made it to the stairs, groping blindly at the walls as her arm wrapped around his face to cover his eyes. 'Get it off me get it off me!'
'That's what I was going to say!' he growled.
His foot caught on the first step, and as they fell through the air, something occured (occurred) to Raiku. Her life was suicidal.
She screamed as they rolled down the stairs, sharp edges slamming into her ribs and tangled limbs, leaving Daisukenojo behind as he managed to brace himself enough to stop and she continued on, rolling an extra few feet past the foot of the stairs to lie sprawled on the linoleum of the lobby. She blinked woozily, squinting to try and make the ceiling stop moving.
'Toaster!' She heard hurried footsteps. 'Toaster, can you hear me!?'
'Yes?' she offered uncertainly, lifting a hand to her hairline, bringing back the red-stained glove.
Daisukenojo sighed in relief, dropping and letting his hand hover over her head.
'Don't cling to me again, got it?' he asked, warmth flooding Raiku's face and bringing a flush to her cheeks as the injured flesh knitted itself together again.
'Got it,' she sighed contentedly.
'Hatori?' a high female voice asked. '... Gairano? Why am I not surprised to see you here?'
'On the floor?' she inquired.
'Injuring yourself in a place of healing,' Tenten corrected.
Raiku felt the Plot wriggle up along her collarbone to stare her in the face, gloating triumphantly.
'Neji?' Tenten called. 'Can you help me? She's staying in Lee's room anyway!'
She lurched upwards, gripping Daisukenojo. 'That's fine! I'm fine!' She gasped and lost all colour as what felt suspiciously like her previously broken rib acting up again sent a jolt of agony through her system. 'Really,' she forced out in a squeak.
'We were just coming to look for you,' Daisukenojo said to Tenten, forcing nonchalance, studiously avoiding eye Plot grasped her neck and tried to yank her back down to wait for Neji. She struggled valiantly, finally ripping free and into a wobbly standing position. She threw her arms up in triumph, inadvertently almost removing her dislocated shoulder in the process.
Obligingly, her legs gave out again.
She eyed the stairs and started to pull herself along the linoleum, making slow, agonising progress. After she'd pulled herself a few inches, someone gripped each side of her waist and pulled her up abruptly.
'No!' she whimpered. 'I can make it! I will make it!'
Her shoulder was yanked savagely up and back, popping as it jolted back into place. The room spun as Daisukenojo released her arm and Neji threw her over his shoulder.
'I think I'm going to throw up,' she croaked.
Neji's grip tightened.
'Don't you dare.'
'I'll electrocute you!'
'Try me.'
The Plot on her back made a sound distinctly reminiscent of smugness.
A/N: Don't murder me!
Reviews:
Dureth: Sorry. Went back and edited it, hopefully makes more sense. Thanks for reviewing.
Vanya Starwind: No one was more surprised than me. Thanks for reviewing.
Dermonster: I wasn't going to give an explanation, when someone says that you have no choice but to try and fix it. Hope it's clearer now. Thanks for reviewing.
Blinkin: No skip yet, rest assured. I decided she'd suffer enough this way- long term, rather than short term. Thanks for reviewing.
anonymous yay(there has to be some sort of name we can give you): Whether or not I undergo the time skip is dependent on whether or not I feel I can do it well- I won't let you down. Not like I did with chapter 29, which I've hopefully fixed. The time skip is still up for debate, but your faith in me is very, very much appreciated. Thanks for reviewing!
envysXsin: Ringing voice of insanity? I see we've met, somewhere. I would have to change the attire of the clique, though Raiku's doesn't leave much room to alter anything. DAISUKENOJO WAS IN IT. Sorry this chapter was also short... Thanks for reviewing!
RollInCream: Raiku never gets a break. Ever. As for Ryuu not liking Raiku, I'm not sure it would come across if he did, since he likes Daisukenojo fine and spends all his time abusing him... If you take away Ryuu's dialogue and simply look at his actions, I think he'd give you something to think about. RaikuxRyuu? I don't think that would make him be nice to her. In my mind (though it wouldn't work out that way in all likelihood) this is the relationship they'd have:
Raiku: Hey Ryuu!
Ryuu: -dropkicks-
Raiku: -sails into distance-
Thanks for reviewing!
