Chapter 3
They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. I can't very well remember what happened the first time, but right now the only thing flashing before my eyes was the crimson knife plunging towards my heart. The only option left to me was to raise my arms in a final line of defence, close my eyes and await the inevitable.
"Mom... I'm sorry..."
One long, agonizing moment passed as I awaited my end. Was it already over, I wondered, like a bullet right to the brain. No pain, just lights out. Was I on my way to being reborn again? What about Mom? Right... Mom... maybe she's somewhere in this darkness too...
"You're going to be alright now."
A gentle, yet strong voice called to me from beyond the dark. Clear as though they were standing right before me.
"You can open your eyes now."
At the voice's behest, I slowly opened my eyes. Arms still raised in a defensive stance. Before me was an older man, face scarred from age and, well, the large scar stretching from his brow to chin. His hair, black as a raven save for the few wisps of grey was slicked back. A thick, caterpillar-like moustache coated his upper lip. Eyes a similar dark tone but holding a gentle strength. I could sense relief deep within as I stared into my reflection upon their surface.
"Uh... What?" I stammer, confused as to what was happening. Only now did I realize the man held me in his arms.
The man smiled, warm and reassuring. "Its okay. Its all over." He turned, motioning behind him. Peering past his shoulder, I saw the witch. Pinned to the ground as two figures held her. Struggling angrily under their grip. I could hear her trying to scream but a mouthful of dirt had a tendency to prevent that sort of thing.
For a moment, I thought the three were just passing shinobi. They wore the basic uniform and flack jacket after all. But I could see an insignia on the back of one of the people pinning the witch. A white and red hand fan within a four-pointed star. The Uchiha, specifically the military police force.
I turned back to the kind man, still someone confused and overwhelmed by the entire situation.
"You did good kid," He said, "we heard your cries and came as fast as we could."
Someone heard me. Someone came to help us.
My eyes went wide as the realization hit me. Mom! I frantically started looking around, trying to find her. The man holding me slightly taken aback by my sudden flailing. "Whoa whoa, everything is fine now kid." He tried calming me down as my eyes caught sight of something. A body lying still, stained in a deep crimson.
"Mom..." My voice quivered as I pushed against my saviour, trying to escape his grasp. The man followed my own gaze, the colour draining from his face once he noticed. "TOUMA! WE HAVE WOUNDED!" One of the men holding the witch down raised his head, following the man's outstretched arm towards the motionless body. Touma's body blurred as he quickly moved to Mom's side.
"Miss! I'm with the Konoha Police Force, can you hear me!" He lowered his head towards Mom's back as I continued to struggle in the older man's grasp. Instead of releasing me, the man pulled me slightly closer and turned himself, shielding my view from what was going on.
"No! Let me go! Mom!" I continued my struggle, I had to get to her. I had to tell her help was here. I just needed to hear her voice...
The tears returned as I stopped my pointless resistance. A gentle hand placed on my head as the man stroked my hair. No words were shared between us at this time, my fears that the worst had come to pass growing. Squeezing my heart and pulling it into the deepest pits of my stomach. It was hard to even breathe. I couldn't even cry properly.
"Why..." My tiny fists curled around what bits of the man's jacket I could grip "Why didn't they get here faster? This is a village of ninja isn't it!? Why did they let this happen!? Why to Mom!?" Rage began building on top of the despair. I needed something, wanted something, to blame for this horror. Mom had been nothing but kind to everyone. She didn't deserve this.
"Listen, kid-" The old man began when another voice, Touma's cut him off.
"CAPTAIN! SHE'S STILL BREATHING!"
We both looked into each other's face, our expressions a mirror of one another before turning towards Mom and Touma.
"Its faint, but she's still alive sir!"
The older man wasted no time, he released me from his grasp and began barking orders. "Touma! Do what you can for her! Misaki!" He turned his attention to the other person, "I'll take care of the perpetrator, I want you to go and get some medical-nin ASAP!" The woman, Misaki nodded her head but didn't move immediately. The man turning back to me, his face brimming focus on the duty he now had to perform.
"Stay here, we'll take care of your mom." With a flicker, his body vanished and re-materialized in front of the pinned witch. Once there, Misaki herself vanished, her body flickering out of existence. Now freed, the woman immediately tried getting back to her feet. However, the older man's hand snapped out, grabbing her face.
"Damn you! Let me go!" Clearly she had not given up on her murderous intentions. I could see her one hand searching the ground for her weapon. Thankfully it had likely been confiscated when they pinned her.
"Settle down. We'll have a nice long talk at the station." The older man pulled her face closer to his, I couldn't see exactly what was happening but the woman froze up then simply fell limp. The man placed her head back on the ground before standing back up and turning back to me. For a single instant, I could see his formerly black eyes had become a crimson red. Quickly fading back to normal as he approached me.
"Touma! How's she doing?" He called out upon reaching my side again. Touma currently had both hands pressed against Mom's back.
"I've managed to slow the bleeding but my medical jutsu isn't all that great. Misaki needs to get back fast." The old man nodded at the news before kneeling back down to my level. Hands placed on my shoulders, he gave them a gentle yet firm squeeze as he looked me directly in the eyes.
"I know you're scared, but your mom will be just fine. Misaki is fast and we'll have medics here in just a few minutes. Okay?" Once more he flashed me that soft, grandpa-esque smile. Admittedly, it did the trick. The tightness on my heart eased up a bit and I could breathe again. I was still shaking pretty bad however, something he noticed.
"My name is Gento, Gento Uchiha. What's your name kid?"
I hesitated for a moment, my vision glancing back to Mom for a moment. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I tried to speak. Voice cracking on the first attempt I did manage to find my words. "M... Meiko. I'm Meiko."
"Meiko huh? That's a pretty name. Do you know what it means?"
A memory floated to the top of my mind. Back when I started learning to read. Mom brought out a picture taken the day I was born, on the back a small note was written. 'Meiko, the newest member of our family." If I remembered correctly, Mom said it meant...
"Um... Child of fate." At the time I remembered it feeling extremely cheesy. Mom said it was because she and Father were fated to be together and I was the result of that destiny they shared. Back then, I had figured Mom was a bit too much of a fan of romance novels but now, seeing how far she had been willing to go for me, it was simply a way of showing just how much she truly loved me. It was still extremely cheesy though.
"Oho, sounds like your mom had some big expectations for you." Gento gave a light chuckle, his hands sliding from my shoulders and down my arms so he could take my hands in his. "I think she was right too. You were very brave today. Not many kids your age could have done what you did."
His words were sincere, I could feel that. But I didn't do anything special. All I did was cry and run. Kids literally do that everyday. I couldn't do anything to help Mom when she really needed it. Wasn't a basic rule of Isekai that one gets some crazy power to help them dominate in the new world? Figures I'd get one where I couldn't do jack when I needed to act most.
"Captain!" A feminine voice called out. Landing beside us was the woman, Misaki. Although she appeared to be alone.
"Welcome back, how did it go?" Misaki, at Gento's words, simply motioned towards Mom's direction. There, two more figures had appeared and were already getting to work. Touma taking a step back to give them space. I watched on with bated breath as the two medical-nin began working with trained precision. Hands glowing with a soft green light, they removed the blade embedded in Mom's shoulder and slowly began checking the rest of her body.
I simply observed in silence, Gento opting not to try and distract me any further. Touma regrouped with his team, wiping the blood from his hands on his shirt, getting a swift slap over the head from Misaki for dirtying his uniform. I paid little attention to them. My hands gripped Gento's tighter as I said a prayer to whatever deity was out there. "Please... Don't take my Mom..."
Minutes passed and finally, one of the medics got to their feet and approached us. He was a young man, short auburn hair tied in a mini-ponytail. "We got her stabilized. Another few minutes however and we would have lost her for sure. That said, she has lost a lot of blood, we need to get her to the hospital for proper treatment." Gento nodded, a slight grunt indicating his acknowledgement. The medical-nin then turned his attention to me. "Oh dear, you don't look so good."
As he leaned down toward me, his hand began glowing with that same green light I had seen from afar. "Don't move, this won't hurt a bit." This was my first time seeing medical ninjutsu in person. It was surprisingly warm as he ran his hand over various parts of my body. Almost like a bubble of hot water gently being pressed against my body, permeating through my skin.
As the investigation continued, the medical-nin's brow furrowed. "How do you feel?" He asked, a hint of concern in his voice. I looked up at him, somewhat confused. Sure I was a little sore, I did get kicked around after all. Mom went through a whole lot worse. "A... little sore I guess..."
"Just a little, huh?" His voice was stern, as though he doubted my words. His attention shifted to Gento. "She needs to go to. The scrapes and bruises I can treat here but there's a couple cracked ribs. I want to get a second opinion to make sure there's no other injuries."
That caught me off-guard. My ribs were cracked? If that were the case, wouldn't it hurt like hell? I looked down at my chest, my shirt stained with blotches of deep red mixed with dirt and grass. Curiosity getting the best of me, I poked my chest where the witch had kicked me.
Big mistake.
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through me from the point of contact. It was so sudden I couldn't even cry out in pain, just a shocked gasp escaped me as my legs gave out. Thankfully, Gento was quick and caught me before I collapsed.
"Darn it!" The medical-nin uttered in disbelief. "I told you your ribs were cracked, why did you go touching them for!?" I had no response, or rather, was unable to respond. The only noise coming from me right now was a droning 'Aaah' noise as I trembled in pain. The medic sighed as that warm sensation touched my ribs again. Surprisingly, the pain began to recede to at least tolerable levels. "... Did you really not notice?" Muttering under his breath as he pulled his palm away.
Gento got to his feet, turning to the sleeping woman some several meters away. "Misaki, Touma, I'll take her into custody. You two help the medical-nin and escort little Meiko here to the hospital." The shinobi responded with a resounding 'Sir!'. Touma chose to escort the medics while Misaki moved to my side.
Misaki shared the same black hair and eyes as Gento. Her hair was tied back in a bun, a small pinwheel used as a hairpin. "Hi Meiko, I'm Misaki." She outstretched her hand for me, shining a grin that reminded me of a certain Yamanaka I met earlier. "You're a pretty tough kid, I know how rough a cracked rib can be." I shook my head, rejecting the notion. I wasn't tough, I was just too out of it to notice the pain I was in.
My gaze fell upon Gento whom was currently tending to the witch. With a single hand, he was able to pick up the woman and throw her over his shoulder. Just as effortlessly, he then flickered away. I watched his silhouette appearing every few meters as he shrank into the distance. As for Mom, the two medical-nin had produced a stretcher and were now carrying her away. Touma taking the lead as the three sprinted off.
Turning back to Misaki, I looked down at her outstretched hand, placing mine in her palm. "Say, do you know where your dad is? When we get to the hospital, I can send someone to contact him." I shook my head at her question.
"Dad went out for work today." I remembered Father saying he had a big shipment due today and left early this morning to deliver it. Days like this he was usually gone until late at night. "He usually comes home after I go to bed when this happens..." Misaki's gaze lowered at my words.
"I see..." A hint of disappointment on her tongue, "That's too bad. I'll leave a message at your house then. Do you know your address?" I nodded, it was something Mom made sure I had memorized in case I ever got lost.
"My house is the Hashimoto Forge, in the western district. Right beside the bridge." I repeated Mom's instructions verbatim, then gave the house address. Misaki released my hand and produced a notepad, quickly scribbling down a note before tearing off the paper. "Say, would you like to see something cool?" Misaki smiled expectantly as she folded the paper into a small square.
I cocked my head to the side, curious as to what she meant, then nodded. Her smile widened as she raised a thumb to her mouth. "Okay, prepare to be amazed." Misaki placed her thumb between her teeth and I heard a small click as she bit down. Forming a few quick hand seals, she slammed her palm on the ground. Black writing emerging on the ground as she shouted out "Summoning jutsu!"
A cloud of smoke engulfed the area before the policewoman. The wind blowing it towards me, I covered my face. The cloud dissipated quickly and there before us sat a small tabby cat, a blue shinobi headband tied around it's neck.
"Nyaaaa," The cat let out a long yawn before stretching it's body. "Ah Misaki, what can I do for nya?" I knew from the series that talking ninja animals existed, but seeing a talking cat was still quite a sight. It even had that typical verbal tic cats had in anime.
Misaki produced the note. "I need you to deliver this note to the address written on it. If no one is home, you'll have to wait for them." She motioned to me as she continued. "Oh right, Meiko, this is Mochi. Mochi, this is Meiko." I looked back to the cat and gave a small bow, my ribs shooting with pain again, numbed thankfully but still enough to cause me to flinch.
"Nice to meet nya." Mochi returned my bow.
"Oh Meiko, could you describe your dad's appearance to Mochi, so she knows who to keep an eye out for?"
I nodded, Father was one who had a tendency to stick out from a crowd. "Dad is tall, very tall." I held my hand above my head for emphasis. "And he has a massive beard, it goes down to his stomach." Once again, I motioned with my hands to help try and paint a picture with few words. "Its also the same colour as mine and he has lots of muscles."
"I think I get the idea, nya." Mochi replied, scratching her face. She then turned to Misaki and retrieved the note. Despite having normal paws, the cat was able to take the paper as though she possessed normal fingers. Sliding it into her headband for safekeeping.
"Meiko and I will be heading to the hospital." Misaki informed the tabby as she took my hand once more. Mochi got to her feet and started trotting off down the path, stopping a few feet away.
"I expect proper compensation after this." The cat said, a greedy look in her eyes. Misaki laughing at the notion.
"Yeah yeah I know, fatty tuna right? I got you covered."
The smirk stretched across the cat's face as she took off running. Misaki scratching her head as she sighed, "There goes this week's paycheck. That cat can be so greedy." Turning back to me, the woman crouched down, arms crossed across her knees. "We should get going too. Come on, I'll give you a lift." Without waiting for a reply, pulled me up and onto her back. "Now hold on tight." With that little warning Misaki took off running.
Startled at the sudden acceleration, I yelped in surprise. Misaki laughing as I tightened my hold around her neck. The speed that she was running was astounding to me. We were in the middle of the park when we started, but she was clearing the area in seconds without even breaking a sweat. The buildings that felt so far away earlier were already towering around us as she dashed through the streets.
"Hey Meiko, its going to get bumpy from here, make sure you don't let go." Misaki's warning came with little time for me to realize what she meant by bumpy. The two of us launched almost vertically, reaching the roof of a three story building in a single bound.
"WAAAAHHHH" I cried out and slammed my eyes shut, clinging onto the policewoman for dear life. The experience reminded me of a roller coaster, when you go into that first big fall down the tracks except, well, up.
"Hey, Meiko," Misaki called back to me, "Try opening your eyes." I responded by burying my face further into her collar. Laughing, she tried again to convince me. "Trust me, this is something you'll want to see."
Taking in a deep breath, I raised my face forward and cautiously opened my eyes. My breath caught in my throat as the scene unfolded before me. Time slowed as we soared through the air. Below us, the village stretched out all around, glowing in the evening sunlight. Bright orange highlighted by the deep shadows cast from the setting sun.
"So, what do you think?" Misaki asked as kicked off the next building.
I had a hard time finding the right words to express how I felt. Nothing I could say would do it justice. All I could say was simply, "Awesome..." Misaki giggled at my child-like wonder. "You get to see this everyday?" I finally managed to ask once I regained control of myself.
Misaki nodded, looking back to meet my eyes. "Yup, it never gets old." I could sense the pride in her words. It caused a question to surface in my mind.
"Hey... why did you become a ninja?"
Landing on top of a power pole, Misaki stopped for a moment. I guess my question caught her off-guard as she took a few moments to seriously contemplate her answer. "Well..." A small, nostalgic smile emerged as old memories played behind her eyes. "To put it simply, I love this village. Yeah, its my home but there's more to it than that." Patting her chest, just over her heart, Misaki closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I know you can't really see it, but on my back is the insignia of the Military Police Force. In the centre is a red and white hand fan, the mark of my clan. The Uchiha."
I knew of the Uchiha, yes. I knew a lot more than most honestly. Of their past... and their possible future. Biting my lip to keep my silence, Misaki continued. "Members of my clan are often expected to become shinobi, as you can see, I certainly followed my calling." Setting off again, I could now see the hospital in the distance. "Even as a kid, I always wanted to serve on the force." She continued, "My dad was a member, as was his dad. Its kind of a tradition at this point. When I have my own kids, I hope that they'll follow in my footsteps."
It was clear how much pride Misaki held in her position and in the police force. This was her fulfilling her childhood dream. As we neared the hospital, something caught her attention. "Hey Meiko, mind if we make a quick detour? I need to check on something." Misaki's face hardened slightly as she wished to answer her call of duty. Giving my consent, her expression softened. "Thank you."
Changing course, Misaki took a sharp left turn and crossed over several streets. Our destination was out front of a small shop where a child, older than me by a couple years, was in clear distress. Placing me down, Misaki approached the young boy, asking what was wrong.
Between his sniffling, the kid pointed to the roof of the shop. There lay a cat in no clear hurry to move. "Toko is stuck up on the roof. He fell down yesterday and hurt himself but now he's back up there again." Misaki looked to the animal and chuckled.
"Cats can be like that. I'll get Toko down for you." Patting the kid's head, Misaki causally hopped up onto the rooftop. This action alerted the cat as the creature got to it's feet and jumped back, now standing at the edge, the old sangawara tiles rattling underneath. "Uh oh..." Cautiously, trying to avoid startling the pet any further, Misaki lowered her stands and slowly outstretched her hand. Keeping it nice and low as she made her approach.
"Hey Toko, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you, just going to help you down okay?" As I watched the rescue unfold, I noticed the cat's back leg twitching. That must have been the injury the kid mentioned as it appeared to be trying to avoid placing it's weight on it. Because of that however, the poor thing's sense of balance was off. The tile under it rattling from the shifting weight suddenly sliding loose.
"Crap!" Misaki cried as she lunged forward, the cat sliding off the roof just out of reach. The boy screamed as the cat fell towards the ground. I found myself running towards the falling beast, just managing to get underneath with my arms outstretched to catch it. The old tile landing at my feet and shattering on the ground. The feline landed in my arms causing another stab of pain in my chest.
From above, I heard Misaki call down, "Nice catch!" Following the cat down herself. In my arms the feline began struggling to escape after having realized it was no longer falling. The claws came out as the cat unleashed one final warning cry. Like a switchblade, it's paws slashed at my eyes. Flinching, I closed my eyes and awaited the attack. Before the angry cat could find it's target however, I felt her weight lift out of my arms.
Misaki held the critter by the scuff of it's neck, the beast angrily flailing in a futile effort to get at me. "Now..." Misaki began, her voice a guttural drawl as the air grew cold around her. The cat freezing up mid swing under the pressure. "Is that any way to treat someone who saved you?" I could almost swear I could hear Toko scream as I looked into his wide golden eyes. Having contracted with the ninja cats, Misaki certainly had a way with felines, even normal ones.
"I hope there won't be any more trouble out of you, mister?" One final, thinly veiled threat from Misaki and the cat grew limp, surrendering to the superior predator. Instantly, her mood shifted back to a more bright and cheery one. "Good!" She chirped and approached the boy whom was standing in awe of Misaki and her... negotiation skills.
Toko was placed into his owner's arms, the boy's face beaming at the return of his fluffy friend. "Thank you miss!" He shouted with glee. Misaki returned his happiness with a big, toothy smile of her own.
"Anytime kid. You run home now and make sure Toko doesn't get out for the next couple days so he can get better." Rubbing his head, the boy nodded and ran off back to his home. We watched in silence for a few moments before Misaki spoke up. "To answer your question," She began, "this is why I became a shinobi." My eyes wandered between Misaki and the boy disappearing into the distance. Honestly, I don't think I could completely comprehend her meaning, but I did know she cared for the village and it's people. She wanted to help and protect them.
Apparently, Misaki was able to see through me, planing a hand on my head and ruffling my hair. "Its okay if you don't understand now. You will when you get older." I found the statement a bit funny considering my history. Still, she was probably correct. Perhaps one day I would better understand.
Helping me up on her back once more, we made our way to the hospital. I was thankful as the numbing was starting to wear off and my chest pain was steadily getting worse. "Say Meiko, what about you? Would you like to be a shinobi?" That was the second time I was asked that today.
Closing my eyes, I took a moment to consider my answer. Admittedly, soaring through the air on Misaki's back was one hell of an experience. To be able to do this myself was certainly tempting, yet it felt as something impossible for me to ever attain. "I don't know..." My voice came out small and weak, just as how I felt a short time ago. "I don't think I'm cut out for that..."
To my surprise, Misaki started laughing. Confused, I felt my cheeks flare up. "Hey! What's so funny?" I shouted, getting defensive.
"Sorry, sorry!" Misaki apologized yet still giggling regardless. "I didn't think you'd be so self conscious about it. And here I thought every kid wanted to be a ninja."
My face grew redder, "Well sorry I'm not like every kid." Growing frustration in my voice. Honestly I wasn't sure why this was getting under my skin as much as it was.
Misaki's laughter continued as we landed at the gates of the hospital. "Well, that is true. Not every kid could be as brave as you." She spoke her praise while taking my hand, "I think you'd make a great ninja."
I could only stare up at Misaki, dumbfounded at her straightforward approval. Me? A shinobi? My mind refused to accept it. And yet, I found myself turning beet red, my face hot with embarrassment. I shook my head, violently denying the notion. "All I did was run away. I couldn't do anything." The horror of the attack came back in an instant. I was back there, helpless. Stuck in the stroller watching Mom being attacked. Stabbed over and over and all I could do was cry.
My body was trembling again, dried tears once again welling up. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Pulling me out of my mind, Misaki looked me dead in the eyes. "Meiko, you did exactly what you needed to do. If you hadn't, we wouldn't have gotten there in time. Your mom is safe now BECAUSE of your actions." Her expression softened, giving me a sweet smile. "You did good."
I fell silent again, I couldn't exactly argue against that, even if my feelings said otherwise. Patting my shoulder, Misaki motioned to the hospital doors. "Come on, let's get you all checked out so you can see your mom." Nodding, I followed alongside as we entered the building.
Inside, I spotted a familiar face. Touma, the third member of the police squad that came to my rescue. Touma appeared to be around the same age as Misaki and sported the same uniform. His hair a raven black indicated he too was likely of the Uchiha bloodline. His eyes however, were hidden behind round, solid black sunglasses. His uniform differed from Misaki and Gento's in one aspect though, the shirt he wore underneath his jacket sported a very large, popped collar.
"Hey Misaki, you finally made it." Raising a hand in greeting he made his way to our side. "Let me guess, another detour?" His playful tone indicating Misaki made a regular habit of her 'detours'.
Laughing, Misaki punched the man lightly in the chest. "Hey, it couldn't be helped. Besides, I had a wonderful assistant this time." Directing Touma's attention to me.
"So..." I then asked, "How is my mom doing?"
Touma smiled softly at my question. "She's going to be just fine. They took her to the operating room and will have her all fixed up in no time." At his words, I let out a deep sigh of relief. Staggering a bit as my legs nearly gave out as the tension left my body. I felt something warm run down my cheek, the tears starting up again. At least this time they were the good type. Touma and Misaki, upon seeing this, moved to comfort me before I wiped them away with a soft chuckle.
"I'm so glad." Sniffling, I did my best to fight back the tears but the floodgates were open. I finally broke down. My cries intermixed with laughter and the occasional hiccup. My shinobi companions allowed me time to vent my emotions until one of the workers, a receptionist, came over to see what the problem was. Misaki took over the task of explaining things while I was preoccupied.
Several minutes passed and I was finally able to calm down. My face was honestly a mess at this point. I tried wiping away what I could and thankfully someone handed me a napkin. Once I had myself cleaned up, for the most part, Misaki approached me, a woman in a nurse outfit standing beside her. "Meiko, this is Yuzuyu, she'll take you to see a doctor. You still need to get a check up after all."
The nurse was an older woman but still held a healthy glow about her. Holding out a hand in invitation, one I took with little hesitation. As we made our way down the hall, I looked back to my two saviours waving goodbye. I stopped, Yuzuyu looking to me with a slight hint of confusion. "TOUMA-SAN! MISAKI-SAN!" I called out, needles stabbing in my chest as I did so. "THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY MOM AND ME!" If I ever saw Gento again I needed to make sure I thanked him properly as well. With that done, I turned back and thanked Yuzuyu for waiting and we made our way to the waiting area. The wait time was extremely quick and I was called in merely minutes after sitting down.
Treatment was relatively simple. As with the medical-nin before, the doctor checked me over using some kind of healing jutsu. In the end, he determined that the worst I had suffered was two cracked ribs. Considering the situation I certainly got off lucky. Once he had finished the diagnosis, all that was left was to patch me up.
It is a very odd feeling, the sensation of healing in real time. The scrapes and bruises felt as how one would expect, the pain simply fading. My ribs however was a different story. How does one describe how it feels when your bones are fusing back together? There was a bit of pain, yes but the doctor said his jutsu would suppress the worst of it. All in all the procedure took about an hour. At the end of it, he complimented me on my fortitude. Having not cried or complained once. Honestly, I think I was all cried out by that point.
Having been given a clean bill of health, I was released from the doctor's care. The nurse brought me back to the waiting area at the front of the hospital. Outside, the sun had finally set. The stars twinkling through the windows. Other than the receptionist on duty, I was left alone. Misaki and Touma probably returned to the station to deal with that witch. With nothing else to do and no one to talk to, I approached the receptionist.
"Excuse me, do you know what happened to my mom?" While she herself didn't know, the lady was kind enough to look it up for me. So I took a seat and a few minutes later she came back to me. My mom had made it through surgery just fine but needed time to rest. When she asked if there was anyone else they could contact to come pick me up, I let her know that Misaki had already done that before we arrived. There was a hint of pity in her eyes as she returned to her station.
I knew I was going to be in for a long night. With everything that happened, the exhaustion I felt was certainly of no surprise. The only thing keeping me awake at this point was the rumbling of my stomach. "Right, Mom said she was making hamburger tonight..." I let out a deep sigh, stomach audibly growling. It was then something touched my face.
"Hey there." It was Misaki, still in uniform. In her hands was a paper bag, from which emanated a tantalizing aroma. My mouth instantly started watering while my stomach became extremely vocal. The feral growl it emitted caused me to once again flush a crimson red as I tried in vain to squeeze it silent.
"I figured you'd be hungry after all that. Do you like yakiimo? I happened to pass a stand on my way back from the station." Opening the bag she produced two long, paper-wrapped objects. "I may have bought one too many though." Wiggling one of them, as if to taunt me with her offering I graciously accepted. "Careful, its still hot."
Unwrapping the top half revealed the crispy, reddish-brown skin of the sweet potato slightly charred. Splitting it in half, the inside burst with a cloud of steam, revealing the sweet orange flesh inside. In my haste I took a bite far too quickly, yelping as the potato burned my tongue.
"I warned you it was still hot!" Misaki said, bringing out a bottle of water for me. I took a quick sip, letting the water cool my tongue before swallowing.
"Thank you." Something I should have said earlier honestly. Carefully blowing on the potato this time, I slowly worked away at my very late dinner. With my first, proper bite I thought my body would melt away. The sweetness was almost akin to that of a cake which, for my young palette was more than enough to send me on to cloud nine. I could hear Misaki giggling at the obviously stupid face I was making but in this moment I was too preoccupied to care.
"So, did you hear about your mom?" Misaki eventually asked after giving me some time to get some food in me. Licking some stray crumbs of potato off my thumb, I nodded.
"Yeah. They said she is resting right now." I took another bite, with some food in my stomach, the exhaustion was starting to take over as my eyes grew heavy.
I felt a hand tap my back. "That's great news. I'm sure she'll be up and about in no time." The next few moments were sat in silence as we each took another bite. The only noise being the ticking of a large clock above the receptionist desk. Nearly nine o'clock, normally I'd be in bed by now. My body swayed back and forth as I fought to stay awake.
Misaki could clearly see I was fading fast. "If you're tired, you can go to sleep. I'll wake you when your dad gets here or your mom wakes up, okay?" While I wanted to resist, to stay up and wait, my body was at it's limits. I didn't even have the energy left to finish my dinner. Giving in, I gave a simple 'okay' as my head fell towards my lap. I felt Misaki's hand catch me and sit me back up before my eyes closed and I drifted away.