Chapter 34: Enter! Lady Tsunade!

We added another failure to our list and we weren't looking forward to seeing the look on Akane's face when we returned with nothing but scratches on our skin, dirt on our clothes, and exasperated looks on our faces. But, the first thing we saw once our village came into view was Megumi-sensei standing on the docks, impatience wearing heavy on her face.

"There's been an incident in Konoha." She said once we got off our boat.

We stared at her, confused and honestly a little fearful. My heart was in my throat and even though I had a good idea what it was, the graveness in her voice didn't help. I hadn't been able to shake Karin's words, her implication that Sasuke was hurt. Itachi hadn't helped either and all I could imagine was that Sasuke was mortally wounded.

"What happened?" Kyoske asked.

"After we left, Akatsuki members visited Konoha and engaged with Kakashi and a few other Jonin near the village gates." Megumi-sensei said.

"They were after the Nine-Tails." Megumi-sensei said. "And they went after him until Jiraiya came to his defense."

"But they fled." I finished, earning a look from Megumi-sensei.

"What members?" Kyoske asked.

"Itachi and Kisame." Megumi-sensei said gravely.

Hideki shook his head. "Why are you telling us this?"

"I'm going to Konoha for a few days." Megumi-sensei said, her voice low. "Akane doesn't approve but..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes looked over us, seeming to search for something on the floor, something only she could see. "This is something that I need to do."

"Why?" Kyoske asked, more confused than ever. He looked over at Hideki and I as if for answers before looking back up at our sensei.

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Hideki asked.

"I need you and Kyoske to prepare a briefing for the mission you've just completed and deliver it to Akane in the morning." Megumi-sensei said. "After that you boys can relax."

"Wha-what?" Kyoske looked over at me before looking at sensei again, his brow raised. "What about Miyuki?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Megumi-sensei said, her arms folding across her chest. "She's coming with me."

We left immediately. Sensei barely gave me enough time to shower and pack and before I knew it, we were back on the boat that the boys and I had arrived on. Megumi-sensei focused on the steering and while normally I would have volunteered for the task, it seemed to help her with whatever she was going through.

"You know you left them wondering, right?" I asked, breaking our silence.

She didn't answer at first. Didn't even recognize that I had spoken at all. She just kept rowing and put her whole body into it, her eyes hard.

"How bad are they?" I asked, hugging my knees to my chest.

She stopped rowing and I watched as the muscles in her back tensed. She didn't answer right away and I assumed it was because she was choosing her words wisely but her silence said enough.

"Weak." She managed and glanced back at me. "Kakashi's still unconscious."

"And Sasuke?" I asked, holding my breath.

She looked away. "The faster we get there the better."

"What happened?" I demanded, feeling myself already getting worked up.

"He tried to take on Itachi." Megumi-sensei said as she started rowing again. "It was a mistake and Naruto offered to help but he made it very clear that he wanted to take Itachi on all by himself."

"And?" I asked, finding it hard to swallow.

"It didn't end well." Megumi-sensei finished. "He's in a bad place right now."

"How did you find out?"

"How did you?"

"Itachi and Karin were nice enough to brag, mainly Karin."

Silence and sensei shifted as she began rowing harder.

"Jiraiya sent me a message." She said.

"You two are close suddenly?" I asked.

"It's complicated."

"Just like you and Kakashi?"

She glanced back at me. I didn't mean to sound spiteful or be spiteful for that matter but I knew that's how it had come out.

"That's complicated too." She managed, turning back toward the water.

I didn't know what to say but I knew that I had wanted her to say more. I licked my lips and looked away. We were silent for a few more moments after that until sensei broke it.

"How did the mission go?"

"It was a bust." I sighed.

She nodded.

"I figured it would be."

"Why let us accept it then?" I asked.

"To teach the Daimyō a lesson." Sensei said. "Just be grateful they didn't kill you."

I flinched at the word and looked up at her.

"Well, they can't." I said.

This made her stop rowing and she looked back at me, turning fully this time to shoot me a curious look.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

I looked at her for a moment, searching her eyes. She had no clue that I had heard her conversation a few weeks ago and Jiraiya hadn't told her about our conversation either. She was in the dark and I thought about holding it above her head, keeping my mouth shut until I had it all figured out myself. Until I realized there was nothing to figure out. Everything I knew was solid and in front of me. Project Zero had been Karin and I. Orochimaru had inserted the piece of Ten-tails chakra into us and trained us, thinking he could control us somehow but when he couldn't, he marked us except Karin grew worse. Beyond help, he had tossed her out and she had fled, barely holding onto life until she met up with Itachi but at that time she was broken and abused.

"I know what's inside of me." I said.

Her eyes widened.

"I heard everything that day." I hugged my knees closer.

She blinked at me.

"I know about the failed experiment and I know about Project Zero."

She was thinking this over, her tongue sliding over her teeth as she stared at me. Her expression was serious and I could feel it in the air as well. She was silent for a while and finally, she looked away, settling on something.

"I know who the failed experiment is too." I said.

She looked back at me.

"Who?" she asked finally.

"Karin." I said and looked away. "Jiraiya said that if I die, so does she and she…she means something to Itachi."

Megumi-sensei nodded. "I bet she does." She lowered herself down onto the seat in front of me.

"I wanted to tell you." She said, her tone changing.

"I almost killed you, right?" I asked. "That's what Jiraiya was saying in the end."

She looked at me before taking a deep breath and easing back.

"That's not the point." She said. "Jiraiya's an old man—"

"Sensei." I said, my tone surprisingly even. I had to give myself credit for keeping it together. I had imagined tears streaming down my face whenever I found the courage to pull the curtain back on my revelations. But I was keeping a stern front so far.

She blinked at me before running a hand through her hair.

"It doesn't matter, Miyuki." She said finally. "The past is in the past. We've all done things we're not proud of."

I wanted to tell her that me almost killing her didn't quite fit into that category, but I kept my mouth shut instead and focused on watching her as she stretched before pushing up to her feet and grabbing the paddle again. She began rowing almost immediately and my body jerked slightly as we started moving.

"Why was Akane not happy that you were leaving?" I asked a few moments later.

"Akane thinks she runs my life."

"Isn't she your mother?"

"Doesn't mean she knows what's best for me."

I didn't understand but something told me the whole situation was still a sore spot and pressing further wouldn't give me desirable results. So, I stayed quiet and remained quiet the rest of the way. To pass the time, I thought about Sasuke, imagining the fight between Itachi and him. I could almost hear Naruto trying to jump in, trying to offer some sort of hand as Sasuke snapped at him to stay out of it. I could hear Itachi's chuckle as he told his Sasuke that even after all these years, it still wasn't enough, that he still wasn't strong enough to accomplish his dream. It was heartbreaking to think about and I found by the end of it, I was basically chewing on the skin of my thumb, my nail gone.

We arrived in Konoha a few days later and we didn't waste time before rushing straight to the hospital. We split up, Megumi-sensei walking down a different hall with a nurse at her side and I watched her go before I followed my own nurse. The hospital was busy, doctors rushing from room to room but the wing that Sasuke was in was fairly quiet. My heart pounded in my chest and if the nurse noticed I was nervous, she didn't say anything. If anything, she seemed cheerful. We rounded a corner and she pointed to a room down the hall before turning to shoot me a kind smile.

"His room is right there." She said.

I managed a smile, my palms sweaty. What was I going to be walking into?

"He's fairly popular." The nurse continued, blushing slightly. "So many visits in the past few days."

I nodded, forcing a small laugh as she walked past me, disappearing around the corner we had come down. I looked back at the room, feeling a tightness in my chest. I started walking and it wasn't long until I started hearing voices, not a single voice from the room and my body tensed. Who was in there with him? Why did they sound so…hysterical?

I sucked in a shaky breath before turning inside the room and found Sakura sitting on Sasuke's bed, a hand on his arm, tears shining down her face. Sasuke looked down at her hand, his head low, his eyes heavy. He was a little pale too. He glanced up at the doorway and at first his eyes just moved right over me but then they darted right back and he stiffened under Sakura's touch. She stiffened too and swung to the doorway, her eyes wary until they landed on me.

"M-miyuki!" Sakura gasped, her hand sliding off Sasuke's arm as she stood up. She placed a hand on her chest, nothing but surprise working its way onto her features.

"Hi." I managed and looked down at Sasuke who had looked away from me and was now focused on his sheets.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, taking a few steps toward me.

I caught sight of flowers at his bedside and instantly regretted not stopping for something.

"I came to visit." I said with a small smile. "I heard what happened."

At this, he glanced up at me and Sakura's expression softened as she nodded.

"Oh." She said and looked back at Sasuke.

"Is he alright?" I asked, stepping forward.

Sakura looked back at me and hesitated before nodding at me.

"He's just a little tired, that's all." Sakura smiled. "He must be hungry."

I nodded even though he didn't look very tired. If anything, he seemed depressed, his eyes hollow. I wanted to run up and hug him, and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

"I was just going to run down and get him some food." Sakura said, wiping stray tears from her eyes. "It's a good thing you got here when you did honestly."

I nodded and stepped aside as she walked past him. She shot me a small smile.

"I'll be right back." She said.

She left and I watched her walk down the hall, her footsteps fading before disappearing completely when she rounded the corner. I looked back at Sasuke, studying his expression as he studied the blanket.

"Hey, Sasuke." I managed, my voice low. I moved toward his bedside and eased down into the seat next to him.

He said nothing, just continued to stare down at his blankets.

"We came as soon as we heard." I said softly. "Megumi-sensei and I."

Nothing.

"I was worried about you." I said, feeling something wet forming near the edges of my eyes. "But you seem okay, not as bad as I thought you'd be."

Still nothing.

"Sasuke?" I asked. I reached up and was going to brush some of his hair away from his forehead. I was just inches away when his hand shot up and slapped my hand away. The sound resonated through the room and I stood, my hand on my lap, my eyes wide. Something in him had shifted suddenly and there was an aura that wasn't there before. Something dark, something hostile. He looked up at him and I saw it, pure hatred burning in his eyes. It wasn't aimed at me, but at everyone. My breathed hitched in my throat as I looked down at him, my pulse pounding. What had just happened? What's happening?

I blinked at him and waited until he looked away from me before I dared to breathe again. Something was off with him and it was scary. What was that malice in his eye about? I knew he had been through a lot but had it really been that bad? I looked away, hating myself for the last one. Now what was wrong with me? Was I serious? Of course it had been bad. I remembered how I had felt with Itachi digging through my head. It hadn't been very nice and comforting.

"I'm sorry." I said, feeling a pang of jealousy and then surprising myself with it at the same time. Sakura had touched his arm and he hadn't swatted her away like she was some disgusting bug.

He didn't say anything in response. He just went back to staring at his bedsheets, his body trembling slightly. I fought the urge to hug him again for fear of him completely rejecting me and throwing me off the chair. I felt stung and hurt and fought the childish urge to just burst into tears right on the spot.

"I don't know what I did to you." I sniffed. "But I'm sorry for whatever it is."

I sat up, not even looking back to see if I had his attention or not. I started for the door, telling myself it was better to wait for Sakura in the hall rather than sticking around for whatever twisted abuse he had lying in wait for me. If he wanted space, I could give him space.

I headed into the hall and pressed my back against the wall. I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. Sure I hadn't told him about the mission but it wasn't like the mission had been that big of a deal. I remembered the kiss we had shared right outside of the stadium, the small smirk he had worn right before he went off with Kakashi. I lifted a hand to wipe at a stray tear before it could slide down my face.

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what I had done wrong and I was sure whatever it was, it didn't give him the right to treat me the way he was and had been ever since we had left.

"Miyuki?"

I looked up at found Sakura hovering by my side, a few snacks in her hands and in a small bag around her wrist. She blinked at me, her green eyes shining.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." I said, maybe a little too quickly. "He's in there. Hasn't moved."

I left down the hall then, not even hearing her if she called after me. I just wanted to get out of the hospital. I wanted to feel the sun on my skin, a gentle breeze rustle through my hair. I left the hospital and sat down on the steps outside, feeling just that as my head throbbed. It had been a long journey and I was sure what I needed now was a good night's rest.

"Miyuki? Miyuki! Hey!"

I looked up only to find Tenten running toward me. I smiled at her.

"Oh, hey."

"I didn't know you were back." Tenten smiled. "It's like you never left."

My smile tightened. "Yeah, Megumi-sensei said that Kakashi and Sasuke were badly wounded."

Tenten nodded, her eyes distant.

"How's Lee doing?" I asked.

Her smile faded. "He's…he's…he has high spirits."

I nodded, wondering just how bad he could be. I knew he had been badly injured and I regretted not visiting him at least once because I had been so focused on Sasuke. Gaara had really done a number on him.

"Lady Tsunade is here." Tenten said, easing down onto the spot beside me.

"Who's that?"

Her eyes widened, her expression changing. "You don't know her? You've never heard of her?"

I arched an eyebrow. "No, I haven't. Who is she?"

"Only the strongest kunoichi in the world." Tenten sighed pleasantly before tilting her head back toward the sky. "I saw her come in and head straight for the hospital. I mean she walked right past me and I couldn't believe it was really her. I couldn't even say anything. I bet she's here to take a look at Lee."

"To do what?" I asked.

"To heal him." Tenten said, glancing at me. "On top of being amazing, she's the greatest healer too."

I thought about all the potions that Akane mixed, fighting back the part of me that wanted to say Tsunade couldn't be as good as her. I looked away and nodded.

"Lee's that hurt, huh?"

Tenten nodded. "But he's still training in here. Can you believe it? He has a broken hand and leg and he crawls out of bed every day to do push-ups."

I fought back a laugh and instead coughed. "I can, actually."

Tenten giggled and hugged her knees to her chest. "I just want him to get better already and if anybody can do it, Tsunade can."

"Did you hear about Kakashi and Sasuke?" I asked.

Tenten nodded. "Rumors really. I knew they were unconscious though, trapped in some Genjutsu that was hard to release."

"Genjutsu?" I breathed.

Tenten nodded. "Pretty hardcore stuff. Genjutsu so powerful, not even ANBU could dispel. But, if the Third Hokage was around, he could've."

"But he's not." I said.

"That's why they called in Tsunade." Tenten smiled. "She can fix anything."

"You seem like her biggest fan or something."

This made her blush. "Yeah…I guess…something like that."

I nodded as silence fell between us.

"So…you and Sasuke, huh?" Tenten asked, a coy smile on her lips.

I flushed. "It's-it's not like that." I remembered wanting more though, at one point. Now, it just felt muddled beneath everything.

Tenten nodded, giggling. "Fair enough."

"Neji?" I asked.

She laughed out loud. "His eyes really opened when he fought Naruto."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Naruto beat some sense into him." Tenten laughed and I joined in.

"He's different now. Better, really." Tenten said, her eyes soft. "He's even come with me to visit Lee a few times."

I nodded. "Improvement."
Tenten nodded. We lapsed into silence once more, the two of us sitting shoulder to shoulder staring up at the clear blue sky above.

"Naruto taught Gaara a lesson too." I said suddenly.

"He seems to be doing that a lot lately." Tenten smiled. "He's not all bad. A little annoying…but he's good."

I smirked. "So's Kyoske."

She laughed again. "True."

I pushed myself off the step and looked down at her. "I should get going. It's getting late."

She blinked up at me. "You're not going to check in on Sasuke?"

"I already did…he's still knocked out."

Tenten nodded. "I guess Tsunade hasn't gotten to him yet. Don't worry though, she will. She's probably taking a hard look at Lee, which reminds me." She stood up and dusted her pants off. "I should go check up on him."

"Yeah who knows maybe you two will get to meet." I teased.

She blushed, her eyes twinkling like stars. "Omigosh! That would be great!"

"Just don't choke." I called after her, watching her run into the hospital after giving me a small wave.

"How was your visit?"

I swung around, my heart in my throat only to find Megumi-sensei leaning on the tree behind me.

"It-it was good." I swallowed. "How about you?"

"Fine." Megumi-sensei said, easing off the tree and walking toward me. "I got there as lady Tsunade was scolding Kakashi about being restless."

I nodded.

"I just came back for you actually. I figured we could check-in to a hotel so that you can rest."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I'm going to buy Kakashi a few snacks and come back here for a little bit. He's been out for a week and I'm sure once he really wakes he'll be hungry." Megumi-sensei said with a light smile. Again, I was struck with a sharp pang of jealousy. There was sensei being all kind generous to Kakashi. I was supposed to be bringing snacks to Sasuke, waiting by his bedside, the two of us talking and laughing together. But, now I was going to a lonely hotel room with nothing to look forward to but leaving.

"Oh." I managed.

Megumi-sensei shrugged. "I owe it to him."

I knew it wasn't that but I didn't want my jealousy to show so I kept quiet and looked away.

"Oh Shizune! What did we get ourselves into?" A busty woman with long blonde hair stepped out of the hospital and if I didn't know any better she sounded slightly annoyed. But, she was stunning with the smoothest skin I had ever seen and what looked like a green diamond at the center of her forehead. Her brown eyes looked tired and she was glancing at a woman beside her of average height and a slender build. The other woman had black hair with black eyes and she giggled at the blonde woman's words.

"Oh Lady Tsunade." The woman giggled. She sounded as if she was scolding a child and as the blonde smiled, she turned forward and caught sight of Megumi-sensei and I.

"Megumi?" The woman said, putting a hand on her hip. "You're still hanging around here?"

Megumi-sensei smiled and it seemed genuine. I stared between her and this Tsunade woman, still blown away by her beauty as she approached us. She looked down at me.

"Oh hello, who do we have here?" She asked, a small smile spreading across her lips.

Megumi-sensei snaked an arm around my shoulders. "This is one of my students, Miyuki."

Tsunade nodded. "Nice to meet you."

I nodded. "Y-you too."

"This is my apprentice, Shizune." Tsunade said, placing a hand on the black haired woman's shoulders.

Shizune smiled. "It's so nice to meet you."

"Thank you for helping them." Megumi-sensei said to Tsunade.

Tsunade smiled. "They were nothing."

"What about Lee?" I piped up, feeling the grip on my shoulders tighten.

Tsunade looked down at me and something on her face changed just slightly as she regarded me. I swallowed, not liking the change in atmosphere.

"Lee is…" She seemed to search for the word and glanced at Shizune who seemed more interested in something on her feet. Tsunade looked back at me before looking at Megumi-sensei.

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked.

"You can tell her." Megumi-sensei said, her smile turning nervous at the edges.

Tsunade didn't seem to believe this but when she looked down at me, she sighed.

"Lee is a special case."

"Special case? What does that mean?" I asked, looking around.

"Kid…" Tsunade looked away, running a hand through her hair before exhaling another breath. "I'm not a miracle worker and that's exactly what Lee needs."

My eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"He was hurt pretty badly." Shizune said. "There's only so much that we can do for him."

"Is he-is he dying or something?" I asked, my stomach tightening. All he really had was a few broken bones according to Tenten. But now it seemed even worse.

Tsunade shook her head, her expression serious as she looked back at me. "No, but his career as a shinobi could potentially be over."

I didn't know what to say.

"It's a 50-50 chance." Tsunade said. "And with as much as I enjoy gambling, those odds are never good."