Chapter 14 - A Breath of Fresh Air
It was a sucker punch Naruto didn't see coming. Tediously flipping through the reports stacked on his desk, he was actually relieved when Moegi walked into his office. Finally, something to take his mind off work. Unfortunately, the news Moegi brought to the him did the polar opposite of calming his nerves. He was out of his seat and out the door before she could even finish speaking.
When he made it to the hospital, the first nurse he made eye contact with told him which room to go. She already knew; all the hospital's staff did. There was only one Uzumaki family in the Konoha, after all.
"Hima...!" Naruto gasped while bursting into her room.
Already in the room was a doctor standing above Himawari's hospital bed and gesturing for Naruto to lower his tone, and a dark blue haired woman sitting on a stool.
The woman looked back at her husband, and he could see the wet trails her tears had left. "Naruto... Himawari; she won't wake up..."
His face sullen, Naruto walked closer to the bed. A mask was over Himawari's mouth, and almost every part of her body below her neck was blanketed in bandages. The doctor explained her diagnosis.
"She has several fractures and burns all over her body. As if that wasn't serious enough, she also has a severe concussion. We can keep her stable for right now, but there's no telling if she'll wake up anytime soon."
Naruto nodded slowly. He stared at his little girl. With so many bruises, burns and broken bones perhaps it was good that she hadn't regained consciousness yet.
'At least this way, she won't be in any pain...' Naruto thought.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and caused him to scan the room. "Hinata, where's Bolt? Didn't he get checked into the hospital too?"
Hinata sniffed. "His injuries weren't as serious... Thank goodness. He said he needed some fresh air and left."
Fresh air – Naruto knew exactly what that meant.
Bolt gripped his fingers into the hospital roof's fence while gazing at the Hokage Monument. Once again, he looked toward the monument when his thoughts were scrambled.
Why keep doing this, he wondered. The faces on that mountain weren't going to pop themselves free and help Bolt solve his problems. They weren't going to heal Himawari. They weren't going to crush the bastard who put her in coma. They were just going to do the same thing they always did, shoot their gazes across the village, like the inanimate figures they were.
Bolt clicked his tongue. "The Hokage are useless..."
"Hey! You're gonna hurt someone's feelings saying stuff like that!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
Bolt looked back, and his bandaged brow heightened in surprise. "Dad..."
Naruto smiled while approaching his son. Though, when a nasty glare was shot his way, he stopped in his tracks.
"Something on my face?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah. It's stupid."
Naruto wanted to explain that that made no sense, but he just shrugged.
"So why did you leave your mom alone with your sister?" he asked instead.
"Because Mom was crying. ...and every time I looked at Hima, I kept getting more frustrated."
"Frustrated? Why? It's not your fault she's in the hospital right now."
"Like hell it isn't! She got hurt saving me! If it wasn't for Hima, I'd be that bed right now!"
"Bolt. That's enough. I won't let you blame yourself for this..."
"And how are you going to stop me? You couldn't even stop the guy who hurt Hima. You always catch me when I'm pulling some dumb prank, but you can't stop one asshole who puts your only daughter in the hospital?! And you call yourself a Hokage!"
"Bolt!"
It was like slamming down safety shutters in the middle of a thunderstorm. Naruto met his son's glare, but it was hard to feel intimidated when Bolt was crying at the same time. Now was not the time for a scolding, but what else was Naruto to do?
"Bolt... The guy who did this to you and your sister; we'll get him. I swear we will," Naruto promised.
Bolt lessened his glare. "Like I'm gonna take your word for it..."
He walked off, leaving Naruto by himself on the hospital's roof. He took a deep breath after his son departure. At least he got some fresh air.
Sarada watched her mother cut fruit with an uneasy look on her face.
"Mom... I ate enough fruit already," she said. "You don't have to cut anymore."
Despite the young girl's protest, Sakura held out a plate of apple wedges. "Eat."
Sarada could feel her stomach which, was basically filled with nothing but sliced up pineapples; pears; melons; and apples, grumble in protest, but she took the plate regardless and began eating again. Her poor eyes almost popped out of their sockets when Sarada saw Sakura pull out another apple.
"Mom, seriously-"
"Don't give me that look, young lady. The vitamins in fruits are essential to a speedy recovery."
"But do I have to eat them all within an hour?"
Sakura ignored her daughter's question and started peeling. Sarada sighed and forced another wedge into my mouth.
"By the way, where did Dad go?" she asked after swallowing.
"He went after Hana. Hana's the only one who didn't need to be checked out, so he just left on his own." Sakura started slicing the apple into wedges. "Really, that boy... He could have at least said something when he left."
Sarada bit into another wedge. The prickling feeling she would normally feel when she learned her father was gone because of Hana was curiously absent for once. She was still bothered, of course, but not so much invoke scorn like before.
'It's still annoying though...' she thought.
Her thoughts began to wander off until they eventually arrived at a new destination; a dilemma that had been bothering Sarada even since she woke up in the hospital: Ryoma. 'Where was she taken? What's happening to her? Is there nothing I can do to save her?' where all questions that scrambled back and forth in Sarada's mind.
The thought of her own helplessness continued to haunt her until she heard footsteps and the wheels of a stretcher rush past her room.
"The patient has dozens of fractures, several puncture wounds, and some type of blockade in his throat," she heard a nurse urgently explain while helping pull the stretcher.
"Do we have identity of the patient yet?" a doctor asked.
"Yes. Shojiro Hanimura, sir."
Sarada and Sakura made the same flabbergasted expression when they heard the name.
"Ryoma's brother is in the hospital..." Sarada said.
It was the same pole Hana had climbed when he first came to the village. He sat on it and peered out at the same bird's eye-view as the one from that fateful night. The village and monument got none of his attention. The only thing caught in Hana's focus was the metropolis above the stone faces. Somewhere in that city was Onbara. What he was up to and what he had done to Ryoma, Hana had no idea.
"That never changes, does it? It's just like all those times in Guruma village. I'm always the last to figure anything out..."
Hana sighed. He would have stayed up there and sulked until the sun went down if he hadn't heard his name being called.
"Hana?" the voice called again.
The disheartened boy looked down and saw young lady in a cheongsam and a container in her hands looking up at him.
"Miss Beniko?" Hana said in a surprised tone. He jumped down and landed right in front of her. "What are you doing in the Lower Village?"
"Making deliveries, of course. The Majestic Dynasty gets orders from all over the Hidden Leaf!"
"Really?"
Beniko scratched his cheek. "Well... by 'all over' I mean 'geographically all over.' Obviously, we aren't that popular, otherwise we wouldn't be threatened with going out of business..."
Hana looked away. "Must be rough..."
He couldn't look her eyes right now. Beniko still had no idea what life Onbara was living. How would she react if she learned that he had kidnapped a young girl as a member of the yakuza?
The silence between Hana and Beniko was sullen. Then something hit Hana's nose. It was an aroma; thick and creamy, despite having no physical shape. Hana looked and his mouth began to water. It was the miso soup he had been served at the Majestic Dynasty, and it looked just as delectable now as it did then. The plastic over the bowl was peeled back only a bit, but so much scrumptiousness still escaped.
Beniko giggled. "That cheered you up a bit, didn't it?" Hana's hand inched toward the bowl, and Beniko abruptly yanked it away. "You can't have this bowl. It's for a customer."
Hana lowered his head in disappointment. Beniko just giggled more.
"This is the Hana I like. Way better than that mopey guy from a second ago," Beniko said while putting the bowl back into the container.
Hana watched her for a moment. "Miss Beniko, there's something about Onbara you should-"
"Not another word, Hana."
"But..."
"You know how I first met Onbara? He was laying at the foot of some steps bleeding like crazy. And even though he was bleeding, he still tried to shoo me away! Can you believe that? Ever since that night, I always knew that guy was hiding something. Something shady. But I never asked what it was."
"But didn't you always wonder?"
"Of course I did, but that's not the point. Not once did Onbara hurt me. Not a single time did he drag me or Grandpa into whatever life he was living. He always played guardian angel for us and the rest of the district. I just don't have to right to ask what was he doing with his life."
"Because he never hurt you? Well, what if he did?"
"In that case..." Beniko clenched her fist. "I'd make him spill the beans, and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer!" Hana inched back from Beniko's fiery aura. "...the reason you're asking is because something happened between you and Onbara, right? Did he hurt you?"
Hana made a face. "Well... I wasn't the person who he specifically hurt..."
"But your heart is aching, isn't it? That's the same thing, Hana." Beniko put a gentle hand on Hana's head. "Next time you see Onbara, don't let he get away until he gives you an answer you're satisfied with."
She tussled his hair a bit, left him with a smile, then rounded the nearest corner on the way to her next delivery. Hana smiled at the corner. Then his mouth receded. 'An answer I'm satisfied with...'
"Hana?" Hana heard for the third time that afternoon.
"Master?" he said upon looking back. "...did you hear that conversation just then?"
"Part of it. I wasn't aware you shared a personal relationship with the man who put Sarada and others in the hospital. That wasn't something you mentioned to the men who questioned you about him."
Hana avoided Sasuke's eyes.
"Did you think it wasn't important?"
"I..."
Sasuke recognized Hana's reluctance and sighed. "Forget it. I doesn't matter now. What does matter is what you plan to do next. You want to get answers from this man, don't you?"
It took a while for Hana to look at Sasuke and nod. "A bunch of them."
"Are you aware this man is very possibly a member of the yakuza?"
"I know he is."
"And you still plan to go ask him questions?"
"Mm-hm!"
"And if I told you couldn't?"
"I'd go anyway."
"And if I made you promise not to go?"
"I'd bite my tongue so I couldn't promise anything."
Sasuke suddenly felt very tired. It was nostalgic, really. It reminded him of his and Hana's time on the road, back when they were looking for Jingoro Masayoshi. His talks with Hana always degenerated into this kind of banter for some reason.
He smiled to himself. Then he pulled out his chokuto and passed it off to Hana. "If I can't stop you, I may as well help you as much I can." Sasuke showed Hana his back. "Don't get killed, Hana. You still have a lot to take care of."
Hana smiled and bowed at Sasuke's back while he walked back towards the hospital. "Yes, Master!"
Hana weighed the chokuto in his hands. It hadn't been that long since he wielded it, but he still missed the feeling of holding it in his hands. He supposed that was what happened when you carried a weapon with you for over half a year.
'Onbara... just you wait. I'm gonna make you tell me everything!'
Hana made a face when he realized that he still didn't know where Onbara had taken Ryoma.
"Maybe I should find that out first..." he said with a meek smile.
Shojiro's doctor took a deep sigh as she exited her patient's room. He was one of the busiest tasks she had to take care this month.
'Just where in the world did he get wounds like those from?' she wondered.
"Excuse, doctor, but can I talk to you?" a girlish voice asked.
The doctor was surprised to find a young girl waiting the Shojiro's room. She had a large bandage on her forehead and dressed like a patient. Also, judging by the way she occasionally squinted, she was obviously supposed to be wearing glasses.
"Can I help you?" the doctor asked.
"Is Shojiro Hanimura going to be alright?"
"I can't give specifics to someone who isn't his immediate family, but he's stable now, yes."
"Stable enough to have visitors?"
The doctor shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow visits from anyone who isn't family or his guardian."
"What if I went with her?" a new voice asked.
The doctor made a surprised face when Sakura appeared. "Sakura?! Does that mean this girl is your-"
"Daughter, yes. I'll make sure she doesn't do anything crazy, so can we go in? I know you're bending the rules, but-"
"No, no! It's fine, really. Go right ahead. I'll just keep this visit off the board."
Sakura flashed her a grateful smile. "Come on, Sarada."
The Uchiha women walked in. They saw a grey haired young man looking very weak in a hospital bed. His eyes hovered over to his visitors when he heard the door open.
"Lady Sakura and Sarada... I honestly didn't expect this type of visit after only an hour in the hospital," Shojiro said.
"Sorry to bother you while you're recovering, Shojiro, but Sarada needs to ask you something."
"Forgive me, Sarada, but I'm not much in the mood for interrogations. Perhaps later I will-"
"It's about Ryoma," Sarada interjected.
Shojiro's eyes widened.. "...what happened to Ryoma?"
"...she got kidnapped."
Had Shojiro had any strength to move, he would have jumped out of his bed and vaulted out the nearest window. Instead, he just clawed at his bed sheets.
"Dammit...! I tried so hard to keep her safe from harm, but it was all for naught. First, the yakuza clan leaders all die at the summit meeting I myself assembled, and now this..."
Sakura was taken aback. "The yakuza clan leaders are all dead?!"
"Most of them, anyway. Three of the seven still live: my father, Saizo Oza... and Minoru Yamabe..."
Sakura could sense added scorn in the last name. "Are you alright with admitting affiliation with the yakuza?"
"None of it matters anymore, Lady Sakura. Thanks to the Yamabe clan, the yakuza can be seen clearly by the public eye. Also... I'm no longer in the mood for keeping secrets."
"Then you'll answer my question?" Sarada asked again.
"If it concerns Ryoma, then certainly."
Sarada nodded and reached back for something. She pulled out of her hospital clothes a scroll that Shojiro's eyes boggled at. Sarada sprawled the scroll out on Shojiro's bed, then made the same hand sign she saw Ryoma make a couple nights ago: the tiger. A puff of white smoke rose from the scroll. When it dissipated, a silver egg was left standing in the center.
"I want you to explain to me why Ryoma had to carry this egg for so long," Sarada said firmly.
Shojiro saw the firmness in her gaze. "Very well. It will be an uncomfortable topic for me. You see, to explain why Ryoma has to carry the egg, I also have to recall my late mother... and the fact that Ryoma was the cause of her death."