LEGACY

Tiga puluh

Chapter 30

Fumiko could feel herself regained consciousness before opening her eyes. At first, everything was blurry. But when she finally could see the ceiling above her, one of her eyes felt uncomfortable. She raised her hand to touch the eye before someone gently held her hand back.

"Fumiko-sama."

The girl tilted her head, noticing that Neji was beside her. He looked extremely exhausted, but a relief smile graced his face, knowing that the Uchiha was alright. Her gaze then casted down to their now linked hands, noticing how hers was plugged with IV.

"Here, drink this." Neji gave her a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Hn." She cleared her throat. "I... what happened?"

"The method that they used to you," Neji explained, his whole body was tense, "is damaging your body. You're in a critical condition and had to undergo a surgery. However... your eye..."

By the grave tone Neji gave when he talked and how he did not let her touch her eye, Fumiko knew she was now blind for good on that eye. They went silence for a while. An awkward silence and tense atmosphere filled the hospital room. Deciding to change the topic, Fumiko opened her mouth.

"The kids... are they fine?"

"They are. Hinata-sama is watching over them now for I can't bear the thought of leaving you alone." Neji explained, making Fumiko relaxed back on her bed.

"What happened then?" The girl rubbed Neji's knuckles with her thumb. "I remember feeling Itachi's chakra last night."

Neji went rigid again. He looked away, did not dare to look at his lover at all.

"Neji-kun?"

"He," Neji sighed, "let himself being captured and interrogated while being recorded. You've been asleep for a week, Fumiko-sama. Your brother's trial was 3 days ago."

Fumiko visibly froze. She looked at Neji with wide eye, not dare to ask the question she was dreading of.

"The trial resulted that the higherups were at fault." Neji said softly, "Itachi was proven not at fault and by the fact that he was actually providing information for Sandaime and you, Tsunade-sama decided to give him back his civilization."

"But..?"

"But the villagers feel unsafe with him around, thus Tsunade-sama ordered several ANBUs to keep an eye of your brother. The other clan heads also demanded that you're to be the heir of the Uchiha, not your brother. I'm sorry, Fumiko-sama."

"It didn't go according to the plan, huh." Fumiko sighed, but her posture got all relaxed as she leaned to her lover. "It's alright. I'm glad it went well for Itachi."

The both of them went silent and enjoyed the solitude. Not long after that, Tsunade barged in with her medical supply before checking on Fumiko's condition. After satisfied with her checkup, the older woman sighed and crossed her arms.

"I think it's safe for you to come back home tomorrow."

"No." Fumiko shook her head. "Today."

"Listen—"

"I know you're about to suggest an eye transplant, but I refuse."

Tsunade and Neji exchanged worried look. "But Fumiko-sama, if we don't transplant this eye for you soon, you'll be blind for good."

"It's alright."

"Fumiko,"

"No." The girl got up from the bedding and immediately took off the IV, letting her blood dripped from her arm to the floor.

"Fine." Tsunade grumbled. She signed some papers and gave it to Neji. "Just as you know, I publicly made an official apology to your brother. Though I can't say that the villagers are supporting my decision to let Uchiha Itachi becomes Konoha netizen again."

Fumiko just nodded and walked away, with Neji hot on her tail. Her body was still weak, but her Uchiha pride was bigger than usual. Neji walked slightly behind Fumiko on the right, showing to everyone else where his loyalty laid.

The girl, however, ignored his presence altogether as she ignored the look that the villagers gave to her. Some of them showed respect. Some of them looked scared. But most of them showed pity. And that enraged her. Fumiko hated being pitied.

She suddenly stopped abruptly, making Neji almost stumbled on her. "Neji-kun. Go bring the twins back home. I'll see you there."

"But,"

"Just go." Her hardened voice made Neji bowed and walked away immediately.

Fumiko waited for a moment until she came to face to face with her brother. Tenzo was there too, rigid due to the thick tension from the siblings. Itachi was scanning her whole body before stopping on her eyes. One of them had no light in it. It looked died.

"Your eye..."

The younger Uchiha scoffed. She then walked past the older Uchiha. "Come with me, would you?"

Itachi did not say anything but he followed the younger Uchiha anyway. At first, they went to Yamanaka flower shop, Ino was there.

"Ah, Fumiko-san!" Her cheerful voice died when she noticed all the bandages on Fumiko's body.

"Yamanaka." Fumiko nodded. "The usual, please."

"O-of course."

Ino hurriedly prepared a large bucket full of red and white roses for Fumiko. She was about to handed it to Fumiko when Tenzo took the liberty of holding it for her.

"Oh, no. You don't need to pay." Ino gently refused Fumiko's money. "Our family has caused you massive loss already. This is the least I can do."

Fumiko tilted her head in confusion.

"I... no, everyone knows what happened to you during the interrogation. It was being filmed. Both your memories and when you were in the interrogation room. We also saw Itachi-san's memories. We... we saw everything. How you sacrifice—"

"Enough." Fumiko's word was barely a whisper, but it was enough to stop Ino from talking.

The younger Uchiha then walked away, followed by Itachi who bowed to Ino before coming after his sister. They walked rather fast and Tenzo immediately recognized the path. The stepping stone path was leading to Konoha's graveyard.

Itachi stopped his track when he found out two gravestones with Uchiha clan symbol engraved on the stone behind them. A wave of emotions hit him. Hard. Itachi fell on his knees and his body started to shake violently. He pressed his left hand on his face while the other holding his body weight.

Fumiko did not cast a single glance toward her brother as he sniffed. Then the sniffs turned into sobs. And the sobs turned into him crying his heart out. Itachi could no longer bottle up his feelings, as he started to kept hitting the ground below him.

Tenzo could feel his heart broke by the view in front of him. He casted a worried glance toward his former captain and found her several feet away from Itachi. She was blankly looking at a gravestone that Tenzo became familiar with. Uchiha Shisui's gravestone.

Just like what she did on Sandaime's, Fumiko raised her hand. The flowers flew gently and landed on the Uchiha gravestones. All of them were in pairs, red and white, just like the symbol of the pride clan.

Fumiko was still facing up, her eyes closed. She felt the breeze that gently touched her skin before opening her eyes and looked at her brother with the gentleness that Tenzo never saw before.

"Nii-san," She said lightly while smiling, her hands were clasped behind her back. "okaerinasai."

Itachi, even though still sobbing, wiped his eyes furiously before returned her smile. "Tadaima, imouto."

:'))))