Shisui Uchiha POV
Getting under Hatake's skin and breaking his usual serious expression was priceless. And finding out Amaya could be a factor in that made it even more fun for me.
And I had to admit, it was pretty funny seeing the grumpy guy being so attentive and completely awkward with my sister.
After our brief exchange my subtle teasing Kakashi went back to giving his full attention to the documents in his hands. I stayed where I was, thinking about what I'd overheard from Amaya and the scarecrow-lookalike while they thought I was still asleep.
More specifically, about my sister being sick and apparently dying.
Just like it was clear Hatake was worried about the redhead, so was I. I can't say if more or less than him, but worried all the same. And something about Amaya in this situation was bugging me:
Her calmness.
Not because she said she wouldn't give up fighting to live I knew she wouldn't, and even if she wanted to, I wouldn't let her go down without a fight. It was her calmness about being right here, where we were staying.
From the first moment I saw the Uzumaki in the village, in the Hokage's office, she was restless. And then, after finding out we were going to the lab where she was created, it all made more sense to me.
When she stepped inside this place, her restlessness turned into nervousness, even if she held it in extremely well. And, though she fought it, I'd bet that when she came face-to-face with her creator, she was downright panicked.
But now the redhead was completely calm.
We're on the lowest floor of the lab, I thought, the place she hates and fears most in life, and she seems more at ease than me and Hatake combined. What's going on, or better yet, what happened to her to make her attitude toward this place change so much?
Amaya Uzumaki POV
Waking up again, I found myself in the lab's records room. Glancing slightly to my left, I saw Kakashi sleeping peacefully, leaning against the wall behind him.
And in that same moment, embarrassment washed over me as I realized where I'd fallen asleep. Kakashi never liked physical contact with other people, and I... I was tired and acted without thinking. I turned my eyes to the platinum-haired man again.
But... He didn't say anything, didn't protest, I reflected for a moment. Actually, ever since we talked in the village, he's been understanding and very patient with me.
Yeah, I know he's partly just keeping the promise he made me, but it doesn't seem like just that. He isn't just doing it out of obligation, I thought. He really wants to do this. I gave a weak smile at the thought.
I sat up, trying my hardest not to wake Kakashi. I looked at him for a moment, kneeling in front of him.
I raised my hands in front of Hatake and soon a pale green light began to emanate between my palms and his body. The least I can do now is heal these injuries, I thought, after all, he got them because I chose him to come with me on this mission.
Since Hatake's wounds were more superficial than mine, healing him was quick. Next, I went over to Shisui, who I was sure was also hurt, just like Kakashi.
As I quietly approached my brother, I could see him fighting his own body to stay awake. I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, making him turn his gaze to me.
– Amaya! – He said a bit too loudly, and I made a gesture for him to lower his voice.
I quickly looked over toward Hatake and confirmed he was still asleep – he needed that rest, even if it was just for a short while.
– Sorry... – Shisui said quietly next, and I sat down in front of him, like I had with Kakashi earlier – How are you feeling?
– Okay, although some of my injuries need more time to heal – I extended my hands toward him – Let me take care of yours now... – But he grabbed my wrists, stopping me.
– No, you don't have to.
– Don't be stubborn – I started trying to free my wrists from his grip.
– Listen to your big brother! – He complained quietly, trying not to let me break free.
– You might be the older one, but you're still the most immature one here!
I knew I couldn't struggle too hard to get free from Shisui since my injuries could get worse. And an idea came to mind to break the stalemate.
– If you don't let me heal you... – I warned him, staring seriously – I'll tell Kakashi what you're afraid of – Shisui froze immediately – Can you imagine how much he could tease you about it? – I had to hide the smile forming on my lips.
Just like I understood Kakashi well, I knew my brother perfectly. And there was only one thing he was absolutely terrified of, even if, in my opinion, it was silly; it was a total horror for the Uchiha.
So Shisui let go of my wrists a few seconds later, admitting defeat. If you can't win by force, I thought, use your mind to your advantage. I smiled victoriously, reaching my hands out to heal him.
– You fight dirty... – Shisui muttered, slightly pouting.
– I just used my knowledge to my advantage – I replied simply.
My brother stayed quiet for a few minutes, letting me heal him without further protest. But something about his silence was starting to worry me.
– What's wrong? – I asked, still keeping my voice low because Kakashi was sleeping.
– What happened to you? – He asked after a few seconds, but without looking at me.
– You mean what I said before, about being sick and possibly dying? – Shisui looked at me, surprised, and before he could speak, I continued – Yeah, I knew you were awake – I explained – That's why I said it then, since you and Kakashi were both listening – He let out a weak laugh.
– You never miss a beat... – Shisui sighed softly – But that's not what I asked.
– Then what exactly are you talking about? – I inquired.
– What happened to you that made you so calm here? – I paused my medical ninjutsu for a moment – Since you woke up, you've been acting so carefree, and it's so different from before... – I let out a soft sigh.
– Well, it's a bit complicated to explain – I said slowly, trying to order my thoughts to express it in a way that didn't sound crazy – And I don't really understand it properly myself... – I looked at Shisui – Do you know why I hate this place? – I asked.
– Because of everything they did to you? Everything you suffered? What was taken from you without a chance to object? – I shook my head slightly.
– I never hated my situation because of that, I even used to think that, in a way, I deserved it all... – I laughed humorlessly and looked at my hands for a moment – I just hated myself for killing the other children in this lab and for imagining that they hated me – I met Shisui's gaze – I hate this place for turning me into someone capable of killing even those like me.
– But it was never your fault! – Shisui raised his voice a little, but quickly lowered it – You were used by the bastards who created this place.
– I understand that now – I said calmly – But even so, I thought the children here hated me for what I did to them... – I gave a weak smile – Until I met them again.
– What...? – I turned my eyes to my brother and saw his completely confused expression, which made me laugh.
– I told you it was complicated...
I told Shisui what happened, from my reunion with Sukea to the moment the boy's soul left, along with the other children, the intermediate plane.
I only left out my conversation with the God of Death, since that could complicate my explanation even more i'd tell him another time, when I had more information.
And, although my brother was clearly interested in what I was telling him, exhaustion was still present in him. So when I went back to healing his last injuries, I took the opportunity to lower his cortisol levels so he'd fall asleep faster.
I didn't even need to lower it much, since the environment itself helped with drowsiness. The ether, itself, is a kind of anesthetic that temporarily shuts down some regions of the brain.
After making sure I'd healed all of Shisui's injuries, and that he was asleep, I stood up to finish the last few things so we could return to the village.
I gathered all the documents that Kakashi and Shisui had found and sealed them together with the ones we'd taken from the second-floor room.
Next, I went to where the boys had left the body of the ninja who posed as Anbu Ne and also my creator. His clothes were still the standard uniform of Konoha's Anbu, but the headband on his head showed he belonged to the Village Hidden in the Stone.
Looks like you just ended up being used in this whole mess..., I mused for a moment, and promptly sealed him away too.
Before storing the two scrolls in my bag, I stopped to think about something that felt a bit off in this whole situation. Maybe it's better to be safe about this..., I concluded.
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The last two things I did before waking Shisui and Kakashi were: find the emergency exit of that lab and retrieve the documents Sukea had told me about from his memories, the ones he'd hidden.
The exit was the trickiest part, but not impossible. I deduced it existed because when I was rescued, my creators left the place minutes before Konoha's team arrived.
So they must have had a hidden exit to avoid a confrontation with the village ninjas, I figured.
The documents Sukea had hidden really couldn't be found by just anyone, only by whoever put them there or someone with a visual memory of the spot.
Those were the only documents I didn't stop to read; I decided to do that when we were back in the village, safely my intuition was warning me something was wrong, and this time I'd listen to it.
I sealed those last papers together with the earlier scrolls and went to where my brother was to wake him first, since he still took some time to be fully awake.
Shisui mumbled some incoherent things, which made me laugh at him. But he was awake and would soon be more lucid. I then went over to Kakashi and crouched in front of him, bringing myself to eye level with his face.
I felt a little sorry for having to wake him, given how peaceful his expression looked at that moment. I touched his arm gently, trying to rouse him. Next, I brushed aside the strands of his hair that were near his eyes.
He opened his eyes slowly, focusing his gaze on me for a moment. Probably because he was trying to figure out where he was or when he'd fallen asleep.
– Sorry for waking you... – I said calmly – I know you're tired, but I think it's better if we head back to the village – He gave a weak nod.
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After both guys were awake, I guided them to the lab's exit. We walked a bit until we came across a large metal door separating us from the outside. It wasn't locked, just jammed, having been without maintenance for so long.
Kakashi and Shisui told me to let them force the door open so I wouldn't aggravate my injuries. And while they were doing it, I could hear a faint sound coming from outside. You've got to be kidding me...
When the two guys shoved their bodies against the door, it gave way all at once, making them almost stumble as they crossed the threshold.
A darkness deeper than inside the lab greeted us, and the scent of wet earth made me smile.
I walked calmly outside, observing the landscape before us for a moment. It seemed to be night, with only dense black clouds pouring down a heavy storm.
And I couldn't help but laugh at it all.
It was just like that time.
When I was rescued, I met Minato and Sakumo, and it was the first time I left the lab. It was almost like déjà vu. One minute won't hurt..., I admitted to myself.
I passed by Shisui and Kakashi and stretched my hands out into the falling rain. Cold..., I felt. Almost as much as that time. And I smiled again, stepping out into the middle of the downpour, letting the rain cover me.
The drops hit my warm skin, causing a sensation similar to a small shock due to the opposite temperatures. Then the drops traced paths down my body. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, savoring it.
Then I went back to Kakashi and Shisui, who were waiting under the covered part. They had given me time to deal with that.
– Thank you – I thanked them both as I approached – Really.
– Save the thanks for when we get back to the village – Shisui said – Now we need to go before we catch a great cold from all this rain.
– About that, I think I have something that might help... – I said, taking one of the scrolls from my bag.
I released its seal and a few white coats appeared there. Since I spent a lot of time outside the village due to the war, I always carried supplies and extra clothes for the teams I was assigned to.
– What don't you have sealed in these scrolls? – Kakashi asked sarcastically as he put on the coat, and I gave a weak laugh, doing the same.
– Shall we? – I asked, looking at the guys standing near me, and saw them nod.