Chapter 18: A Late Night Visit

Sayuri opened her eyes and looked around. How long had it been since she had fallen asleep? She was still in the training area. She saw Sasuke next to her, still lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Sayuri reached out and felt his pulse. He was thankfully still alive.

Darkness had fallen and Sayuri could not see far. Sayuri went to get up but as she stood she felt her legs shake and she could not support her weight. She fell back down to the ground. What would she do now? She had to check that the others were OK. She looked over to where she remembered seeing Naruto last. He was still there also. Slowly Sayuri crawled over to where Naruto lay.

She finally got there and checked his pulse as well. He was fine, but why was he asleep? Sayuri noticed something glisten in the moonlight on his head. She touched the spot and her hand came away wet with blood. The wound did not appear to be that bad. Naruto would be fine.

Sayuri searched the darkness for Sakura. The moonlight highlighted a figure quite a ways away from Sayuri. That was Sakura, also lying on the ground.

She's probably just unconscious too Sayuri hoped. She did not have the strength to get all the way over there.

Naruto stirred next to Sayuri. He opened his eyes and saw Sayuri next to him.

"What's going on?" he asked, "What just happened?"

"Naruto, Sasuke is fine and Sakura is over there. I do not have the strength to go check her but I'm sure that she is just unconscious. Go over there check her and bring her over here if she is alright,"

Naruto nodded and ran over to where Sakura lay. He dropped down next to her and checked her pulse. Then he picked her up and brought her over to Sayuri.

"Do you feel OK?" Sayuri asked Naruto.

"Just got a headache," he said.

"Go get help Naruto," Sayuri said.

Naruto nodded and took off into the darkness. Sayuri just lay there looking up at the moon and the stars. She felt her body shake and she convulsed. Rolling over onto her side she spit up blood. Why hadn't the person killed the others? Sayuri heard someone coming. She sat up and pulled a kunai out of her pouch. Shakily she poised herself in case it wasn't Naruto. When Naruto and Kakashi came into view, Sayuri dropped the kunai and let herself fall over onto the ground.

Kakashi dropped down next to her.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"She used the Mangekyou on me," Sayuri said weakly.

Kakashi gave her fearful look.

"Where is Sasuke?" he asked.

Sayuri pointed into the darkness in the direction where Sasuke lay.

"Sleep Sayuri you need your rest,"

Gratefully Sayuri let herself slip into unconsciousness.

Sayuri drifted in and out of consciousness. Time had no meaning, and she could not keep track of it. There were a couple times that she had eaten. Everything was so disoriented to her. All she could remember was the attack on her. She thought and dreamt of nothing else. There was one thing Sayuri was grateful for. There was no pain. She had a very vague memory of a lady coming in and out of her room.

When Sayuri finally awoke with full awareness again she realized that she was in a hospital room. She tried to sit up but the pain of straining her muscles was too much for her to handle. She just lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Thinking about her sister made her freeze with fear. What would she do when her sister came back for her? Sayuri was in no state to battle for a long time.

A nurse entered Sayuri's room and walked over to Sayuri's bedside. The nurse smiled down at her.

"Hello Sayuri," she said with a smile "My name is Yami and I will be your nurse while you stay in the hospital,"

"How long have I been asleep?" Sayuri asked.

"Three days now," Yami said, "We would like to keep you here for a while before we let you go. Kakashi was very vague about what had happened to you so it has been difficult treating you. There must be a good reason for the secrecy though. We are doing our best with what we have at the moment,"

"How long will it be until I can fight again?" she asked.

"Oh we would like you to stay bed ridden for at least two weeks. Then we would like you to take it easy for two following that before you fight again,"

"A MONTH?" Sayuri yelled.

The nurse jumped, startled at Sayuri's reaction, "Yes, you need to fully recover. If you strain too much we may not be able to treat your next injury as easily," and with that the nurse left the room.

Sayuri lay in her bed fuming. How would she protect herself? Determined to sit up she pushed on herself up with her arms. She let out a cry of pain and fell back down again. The nurse came back into the room.

"What are you doing?" Yami asked.

"Trying to sit up," Sayuri said coldly.

"I'll help you,"

Yami put her hand behind Sayuri's neck and lifted her up. Then holding Sayuri in place she adjusted the bed so that Sayuri could sit up in a comfortable position.

"Do not strain yourself," Yami scolded.

"Being able to sit up shouldn't strain me," Sayuri said angrily as she looked out the window.

Yami sighed, "We have not let any visitors in for the passed three days and the same children that have been bugging us every day to come and see you are out there again this morning. Are you up for visitors?"

"Yes please," Sayuri said feeling a little better.

"Keep it short," Yami said and she walked out of the room. A few minutes passed before Sayuri's room door flew open and Naruto came running in.

"Sayuri-san!" he called and he threw his arms around Sayuri.

"Ow," Sayuri said.

Naruto jumped back "Sorry Sayuri," he said.

Sasuke and Sakura walked in.

"Hey guys," Sayuri said.

"How are you?" Sasuke asked.

"I'll live I'm sure," Sayuri said with a smile. It felt great to have her fiends around again.

"Naruto told us what happened after we were knocked out," Sakura said.

Sayuri swallowed hard. Did he tell them about the Mangekyou?

"It's great to see you guys," Sayuri said.

"They wouldn't let us in or tell us how you were for three days!" Naruto exclaimed, "Not even while we were in the hospital!"

"I was unconscious," Sayuri replied, "How long were you guys here for?"

"Just one night," Sakura said, "We had all been knocked out by a hit to the head,"

"It could have been worse," Sasuke commented plainly.

"Well at least you guys are OK," Sayuri said.

"How about you?" Naruto asked, "How bad is it?"

"Well I can't move yet because it hurts too much," Sayuri said, everyone gave her a sorry look, "But let's not talk of such troublesome things. I need some cheering up,"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all spent the entire morning with Sayuri. Sayuri had found that it even hurt to laugh but she let herself laugh anyways. She couldn't even bare the thought of what it would have been like to go through this alone. When lunch rolled around Yami came in with Sayuri's lunch and shooed her friends out, saying that Sayuri needed to rest.

Sayuri hated to see them go, but the nurse was right. Sayuri had started feeling tired again. After finishing her meal Yami adjusted her bed and she fell asleep again. She did not remember her dream. When she woke up she saw that darkness had fallen over Kohona. Sayuri called the nurse and had her bed put upright so she could sit and eat.

After Sayuri finished her meal Yami came back in.

"You have another visitor. Normally I would not allow visitors at this time of night but it is a special permission from Kakashi if you want to let him in,"

"Who is it?" Sayuri asked.

"He said his name is Sasuke,"

"Yeah sure," Sayuri said casually, even though inside she felt her heart lighten. She wanted some time alone with him.

Yami left and a minute later Sasuke walked in again.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asked.

"Not much better," Sayuri said truthfully, "I still cannot sit up by myself,"

Sasuke walked over to her bedside and sat down next to her in the chair by her bed. He did not looked at her but stared at the ground, as if he was contemplating something.

"I have suffered it too," Sasuke said.

Sayuri was confused, "Suffered what?"

"Mangekyou," Sasuke said simply.

Sayuri was not that surprise by this statement. After all Sasuke was Itachi's brother, and the only one left of the Uchiha clan. He could not have gotten away from Itachi completely unscathed.

"How old were you?" she asked.

"Very young," Sasuke replied, "The doctors said that it was a miracle I survived it,"

How traumatizing she thought.

"I just thought that you should know that you are not alone in your suffering,"

"I understand that now Sasuke," Sasuke looked up at her, "Come sit," Sayuri patted the space on the bed beside her.

Sasuke stood and sat down on the bed. He turned, put his legs on the bed and leaned back. Sayuri moved closer to him, painfully so. She took his hand in hers and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm scared," she said.

"I know," he replied.

Sayuri smiled and let her exhaustion take over her.