Hurt. Everything is so painful. It's like there is a fire burning the insides of his body, through every corner and back. However, his pathetic body refuses to give up and continues to heal itself, repeating the process over and over. His mind decides to stay sharp as well even though it is now slowly being dull by the pain.
He desperately wishes that he would pass out within a minute or two to escape this torture yet he continues to stay awake, fully aware of all the sensations throughout his body. Until what feels like eternity, he finally got to drift away in peace, the sound of waves welcoming his rest.
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Today is a normal day for the Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp. A normal marine life with sailing the sea, fighting off while capturing some stupid weak pirates then snatching rice crackers from his friend Sengoku. The sky turns dark as he sets his sight upon the blue sea, far away into the horizon. Everything is as normal as it should be, yet, he continues to feel that something abnormal will definitely happen.
Rain begins to pour down the boat with a thunderstorm accompanying it. Wind starts to move violently, tickling the sea to sway the boat left and right. Still, Garp's figure stands strong in the middle of the chaos. Nothing caught him off guard nor startled him. Encountering a storm while being out in the sea is an everyday thing to a marine officer. It's something you can't do without as the protector of the sea.
Lower ranks officers run up and down keeping orders, reporting the information of their missions. One of his subordinates, Bogard, comes running to him holding a binoculars in a nervous state.
"Reporting Vice Admiral Garp, sir! We spotted a subject out in the sea, floating on a large piece of wood. There's a high percentage that it is a human sir!"
"Human? In this kind of weather? Probably a victim from a pirate attack. Prepare the boat! We are taking that poor soul on!"
"Yes sir!" Snatching the binoculars, Garp finally sees the mentioned subject. Floating far from them is a large piece of wood with a black hair figure on it. The color of red stains the white clothes that person is wearing, making it markable even in the hellish storm. The sea moves dangerously around the trunk of wood, ready to gobble up the whole thing when given. No mercy is shown. "A human out in this storm? Today is an odd day." The man grumbles.
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The sensation around his body is weird. It was all hurt and burning then turned into nothing. And when his senses come back, the whole situation is cold. Water is splashing on his back, trying to drown him while the wind is howling on his face, suffocating his vision and strength. His body begins to freeze making it harder to hold on the log. 'I am going to die' is the last thing on his mind before losing consciousness.
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Light peers through the glass of the windows, landing on the sleeping face of a young man. The pleasant disturbance slowly shakes him out of his slumber, making its way to the soft long ebony hair. White with a slight lavender tint greet the world when the young man opens his eyes, only to be startled by a voice near his bed.
"Reporting Doctor Kuchou, patient # 201 is awake." A clear and gentle voice that belongs to a young nurse, talking to a device on her hand.
He continues to stare at her, no, at the weird thing she is talking to. A small snail with weird shape and a creepy face, a hat on its head and glasses on its eyes. He definitely hasn't seen anything like that before. Has he? He couldn't remember anything. He doesn't know why he's here. Where is this in the first place? He was doing something before . . . . . . something important? His line of thoughts gets broken off when the nurse finishes her conversation.
"How are you feeling sir?" She asks, paper and pen in hand to begin the basic process.
"I am well."
"Your name, sir?"
"Neji. Neji Huyga."
"Hyuga-san, do you remember everything before you become unconscious?" The nurse gently lifts each of his limbs up slightly to check for any pain and recovery. She professionally replaces the old bandages and applies new medicine on the injuries. The comfortable coldness eases Neji's burning limbs, making him less tense at the interaction. The bright blue color of the oil catches his eyes. It reminds him of something. . . .
"No, I don't. Everything is very hazy to me." The young lady looks at him for a moment, checking the truth of his answer as well as the injury on his head. "Very well. I will let the doctor know of your condition. My name is Isabella. If you need anything, please ask for me. You are allowed to move around in the meantime but please rest and restrain from doing any heavy labor."
The nurse, no, Isabella finishes up everything she does and turns to the door, closing it quietly. Neji looks at the door for a moment, recalling the feeling he had when she treated him. Has he always been treated like this? With only medicine oils and white bandages? Isn't there another way? A quicker one. . . but what is it? How does he even know about that? A reassuring light of green. . .
Spacing out for a long while, he decides to stand up and move around. The stiffness in his muscles screaming their way out, his body begging to be used. Neji slowly stands up, steadily making his way out of the infirmary. Passing other beds, ignoring the stares and whispers about his special appearance and injuries, he has finally stepped outside. The dazzling light of the sun welcomes him along with the freshness of air, the tint smell of sea salt filling his lungs.
Following the white cement hallway, the young man drags his body to an empty entrance. Stepping down the stairs, Neji looks up at the sea. For a moment, he takes off his slippers, letting his foot down on the fine sand and walking all the way to the rocks. He finds that the blueness of the sea calms his chaotic empty mind.
Yes, empty. For a man with no memory other than his own name, his mind is indeed void. So he continues to sit there, staring at the wide tranquil sea, listening to the constant beating drums of the waves and letting the sun burn his back.
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Our strands of Memories (One Piece Naruto Crossover)
FanfictionThe dying genius of the Hyuuga clan is being transported to a new world. Being a new person with a new life yet the same past, what will he do? Following the shade of blue and the dazzling yellow, he will have to make his own decisions. Meeting t...
