While she was in the Konoha hospital, I visited her every day. The Third even gave me a break on my missions so I could do this. He knew how close we were. And to this day I could swear he knew that I loved her almost as much as he did. Every day, I tried to help her walk a little. And, unfortunately, every trial ended up not working. No matter what the doctors tried, she still couldn't use that leg.
"Come on, Ana. You should get some rest," I told her. That was at least the thirtieth time I had said it, too. She was so stubborn.
"I want to try to move my leg. I won't stop until I do!" Ana said. She was determined to use her leg again. As I said, she wouldn't let anything stop her.
"It's been two hours, Ana. Time to stop,"
"Oh, fine. But I get an extra hour tomorrow. I know I was close to moving it..." She sighed. I smiled; her determination was amazing. I would have given up by now.
I helped her to get her legs back onto the bed, and pulled the blanket over her. She yawned; I knew she was tired. I smiled at her, pushing strands of red hair out of her face. She smiled, ruffling my hair and giggling a bit. Then she sighed, and stared at the cieling. I just watched her for a minute.
"I know I can get through this. I just know it," she said quietly. I sighed, smiling. "I know you can, too," I said.
"But you have to help me. You swear you will? Cross your heart," "I swear," I said, making an X over my heart. She smiled.
"Thanks a ton, Kakashi-kun!" She said, smiling. I nodded, smiling back, and tucked her in.
"No problem. Now get some sleep. I have a feeling that tomorrow's going to be a big day," I said, yawning at the end.
She nodded, and closed her eyes. When I left the room, Asuma was sitting in a chair outside the door. He had his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands. I tapped him on the shoulders. Surely he had news; if he did, I could tell it would be bad. But I had to know.
"What's wrong?" I asked. He sighed, dropping his hands.
"None of the doctors think she'll ever use her leg again," Asuma said. He sounded tired; sad, angry, and tired. "I don't care what the doctors say. Ana says she's going to use her leg again, and I believe her."
"She doesn't know everything, you know."
"She knows what's going on in her own body. She said she could feel it that she was close to moving her leg again."
"I just don't know anymore, Kakashi," he said, close to tears. "Even my dad's starting to lose hope."
"Well, I'm not. She'll pull through. Ana always finds a way to pull through."
He just sighed, leaning on his hands again. I walked away, not wanting to hear him talk about losing hope anymore. I knew Ana, and if you trusted her enough, she'd pull through. I just knew she'd be able to walk again. Why couldn't anyone else see that?
When I got home, I flopped onto the couch. I was exausted, having been awake since six. I had spent the entire day at the hospital, trying to encourage Ana. All of this was tough on me and her family. But what about her? It was her future at stake, surely she was more stressed than us, right? Wrong. She was taking it as a mission she had to complete, or a game she needed to win. I fell asleep trying to think of how she managed such thoughts.
The next day, I went to the hospital at 7:00AM. Ana was awake, but no one had helped her to where she could attempt to move. It was kind of weird, knowing that she was still laying there. Usually, she would already be working on moving her leg. Then I noticed everyone in the room. Asuma was sitting in a chair, looking anxious. The Third was sitting calmly, his eyes locked on Ana. Her doctor was sitting, as well.
"What's going on?" I asked, thoroughly confused.
"She said she had a surprize for us," Asuma said.
"Wait and see," Ana said happily. I knew then that everything would be fine.
Ana sat up on her own. She turned herself towards us on her own, as well. Dangling her feet off the edge of the bed, she sat there smiling at us. We were all in shock; yesterday she couldn't sit up on her own at all. Let alone turn herself. I smiled, standing to go hug her. Ana held up her hand to stop me.
"I'm not done yet," she said, smiling wider.
And what she did next was great reason to smile; she moved the upper part of her leg.