I have to admit that I had a little writers block on this chapter. This isn't the end of the story though. Let's see how it goes:
Chapter 5.
"Dead….." Mumei said looking down at her book.
"Why?" she asked.
"Hn?" Neji asked.
"Why would you think that?" she asked with a frown.
"I heard from Tsunade-sama yesterday. Please, I would like to know." Neji said.
"Know what?" she asked looking at him.
"Know why people are saying you are dead." He said trying to clear things up.
"…..When I came back to the village, the nurse had told me that I was going to die after using that technique. I told Kazu and he said that I should retreat to a secret sanatorium to heal. I worked hard with all of the procedures and eventually got through the effects of the jutsu. Those were 2 years of my life I'll never get back, though." She said looking sadly at the book.
"That still doesn't explain the rumors." Neji stated, a tad saddened by her story.
"I suppose the nurse must have supposed that my disappearing to the sanatorium must have been my death. Then word must have spread that I was dead. I have not heard these rumors before but I returned to my village non-the-less. I had heard the C.E. had left our village for more power which a relief, yes, but now we have no leverage on them." She said looking at the sides of her political problems.
"So when they left your village, they never received word of you survival and thus attacked the village." Neji concluded.
"Correct." She nodded cheering up a little that she was talking with the genius once more.
"So how did you receive word that the C.E. was attacking the village then?" asked Neji.
"Our village isn't that stupid. We have spies in the C.E. that report recent news. Upon learning that they were going to attack, I had to make my way to your village. My duty was served." She said with a satisfied face on.
"How have you been these past few years Neji-kun?" she said with a warm smile.
"Alright I suppose. I have become a Jounin." He said thinking through the past few years.
"That's great!" she said.
"What about you?" Neji asked.
"I've been alright. The number of people who fear me has gone down dramatically." She said with an even warmer smile.
"What about ranking?" Neji asked, trying to avoid looking at her.
"Oh…..I've gotten to Jounin level too." She said nervously.
"Hn?" Neji asked but before she could respond the door opened.
Lee came in and gave a huge smile. "Mumei-chan! You're alright!" he gave her a huge hug.
Tenten and Gai stepped in and Gai gave off his regular speech about youth and healing while Tenten looked at him weirdly and then smiled at Mumei. Mumei smiled back.