Reckoning Arc: A Place Called Home

Yuina had been foolish. The circumstances weren't fair, but that didn't matter. They would always be unfair. What mattered was she found a way to overcome odds, or at least have an escape route at all times. It was her responsibility to deal with it. She needed more destructive power. She needed to be more adaptable and powerful in frontal assaults. She was going to have to remake her scheduled once she was approved to train again.

For now, she got to relax as an outpatient. It was a shame she couldn't immediately start while her motivation was at an all-time high, but having a break wasn't a bad thing either. It gave her time to relax, recover, and plan.

Her sense of self had been shaky as it clashed with the world, but she felt her two identities merge a little more. Like two circles beginning to eclipse. One day it would align.

Yuina had things to lose. A life to lose. There was no guarantee she would get another life. Her current existence was probably a freak accident. However, even if there was another life waiting for her, she didn't want to lose what she currently had. It was sad that she needed a near death experience to confirm that.

If she could die anytime, then allowing herself some flexibility was less scary. It wasn't enough for her to disregard the order of command, but she didn't need to be living her life like a puppet. It would take some time to readjust, though. Some habits were hard to break.

"You're awfully happy." Kakashi snacked on edamame as Yuina helped him practice 'code'.

"Do you have to say it like it's a bad thing?" Yuina folded the square paper. "It feels good to be out of the hospital." She hurt but less than she previously did, and she could finally start reintroducing solid foods. In her books, not having to be monitored at the hospital was a good enough reason to be happy. "Nothing is like being home."

"It's not that. It's the origami. Can't you make something else besides cranes?" Kakashi held the brush over the inkpot as he stared at the cranes that littered the floor.

"They say your wish will be granted if you make enough of them."

"How many is 'enough'?"

Yuina tilted her head. "Hmm." She looked up. "A thousand I think." She grabbed the orange sheet that was on the top of her paper stack and folded it into a dog. "Here." She got on her knees so she could reach across the table and drop it in front of him.

Kakashi noted how her fingers still trembled at doing such a simple task.

Kakashi gently picked up the origami dog and poked it. He was easy to please when dogs were involved.

Yuina believed he would have tried to sneak into the Inuzuka Clan's compound if he wasn't so rule driven or worried how it would affect his image if caught.

Yuina took the next sheet and folded it into a flower. She wanted to give it to Sakumo, but he was no longer in the room when she finished it. She put her hand on the ground and grimaced. Feeling in her pinky had been non-existent for weeks. It was a miracle that she recovered even ten percent of the feeling. The feeling of the floor was barely there. It felt closer to a numbing sensation. The two fingers next to it still had problems with motion, so her grip was horrible. The bending of her wrist to help push herself up sent a jolt up her arm to her shoulder.

Honestly, every action hurt to varying degrees, but she was adamant that she move as she feared that lying around would prevent recovery. She already lost some muscle and weight from being inactive and eating little.

Yuina's steps were shorter, as if she were wearing a constrictive kimono rather than loose clothing. She did her best to not drag her feet. She was happy to spot Sakumo sitting on the deck looking out into the distance as it didn't include the stairs – which was a current enemy of hers.

She draped her arms over his shoulders and leaned forward on him, glad to have something to help support her. "For you."

Sakumo took the origami. "You're in a good mood."

Yuina pouted. "Kakashi said the same."

"Did he?" Sakumo placed her worse hand in his.

"Yeah, then he complained about the cranes."

"Hoping to wish for something?"

Nothing in particular. Yuina had heard about the superstition and thought making 1000 cranes would take a good amount of time while also be a type of physical therapy for her hand. "I haven't decided yet."

Sakumo's attention was drawn back to the origami she had given him. "Is there a reason you chose a lotus?"

"You like flowers, it's pretty, and I know how to make it." He coughed away a laughter. She didn't understand why he was laughing. Maybe she should have remembered more from the ikebana classes she took. "Why? Does it have a weird meaning?"

"No." Lotuses had a variety of meanings: purity, rebirth, strength, and sympathy among other things. "Lotuses are praised for rising from the dirty and murky waters to bloom into the flower you see. It's the symbol of attaining enlightenment."

Yuina may have rediscovered some things, but enlightenment was too much. "Then may you reach enlightenment." She wasn't sure what Sakumo would need to be enlightened on, but it could be symbolic to him if it was something he believed in.

She continued to lean into him, enjoying contact with another person. There was a gentle breeze and she could hear some birds in the distance. Her enjoyment was interrupted by a flashback of the day she almost died. Yuina leaned her head against his shoulder. "Tell me a poem?" Poems weren't her favourite thing, but they were growing on her. It was worth it to see Sakumo relaxed and joyful. She sat in comfort as he recited her one. It was short and sweet.

"Yuina." Kakashi walked out. He needed a few clarifications before continuing.

"Come join us, Kashi-chan."

He sighed, but joined them. He sat next to Sakumo and leaned into him. It was nice to have this every once in a while.

After several minutes of enjoying each other's company, she started a game of shiratori. A word game where players need to say a word that begins with the final kana of the previous word. They weren't playing to one up each other, but used it as something to pass the time.

Yuina missed this.

After some time, Sakumo left to prepare dinner, and she answered the questions Kakashi had.

She still needed to think of what she was going to tell Orochimaru. She hadn't had a chance to speak to him yet. She hadn't even seen him since the mission.

She needed to thank him. Things were a bit blurry towards the end, but she had gotten the full details of her injuries. There was no way she survived without his help. Without him, she really would be dead. If that came to be, then she wouldn't have gotten the chance to enjoy herself today.

Hopefully, he didn't blame himself. Being left behind sucked. If her mom's words were anything to go by, then knowing catastrophe could have been avoided was just as bad, if not worse. She wondered how many people he lost. The title Sanin came from the second war. She couldn't imagine getting through something like without losing somebody.

Yuina's mind drifted to Sakumo. He must have lost people too. Maybe that's why she so rarely saw him spend quality time with others. He'd been adaptive to her recovery. Regularly checking her temperature. Testing her mobility. Asking about her mood. She couldn't help but wonder how he would have fared if she would have died. She left the door open for him to be emotional before, but he never accepted. She doubted she would get an answer if she asked and it seemed insensitive considering it had been a possibility.

Her fingers skimmed against the wood. She looked back one last time before heading back inside.