Book 2: The Three of Us

Chapter 25: Returning to The Front

Cracking my eyes open, the lamp that was just turned on makes my eyes burn. Letting out a groan, I turn over and pull the blanket over my head. Pulsing pain shoots through my head from ear to ear and the light was not helping. 

Something is thrown on my legs, making me tense as I curl into a tight ball. A familiar snort is followed by, "Come on, Inner. It's time to leave. I know you're not a morning person but this is getting ridiculous." 

My head spins as I try to process what's being said to me. Wait. But I'm a morning person. And I'm not Inner. Another sharp pain moves through my head as my brain is bombarded with memories. Finding out Kisame can use nature chakra, thinking that's incredible but also hurt that he was hiding something from me. The world starting to become distant, my limbs tingling until they turned numb. Something pushing its way to the front of our mind - Inner. Taking over as I'm pulled farther and farther back into our mindscape. Being dragged down the library hall, thrown in a room and hearing the deafening click of a lock. 

Bringing my hands to my head, I massage it, attempting to lessen the pain. Damn Inner locked me in the room with all our undealt with shit. The first thing I did when she put me in that room was scream at her, going on un-relentlessly about how she broke our rules. And she ignored me. She spoke nothing to me until I calmed down and gave up the fight. Eventually I caved in and went though each book that held my recent undealt with negative memories. The books had sharp teeth that dug into my arms when they decided to jump off the shelves and attack. Wresting the books, holding down there furry legs and arms as I pried them open to read through the pages was no easy task. 

Time seemed to stretch on forever but the concept of time passing was lost on me. I had no idea how long I'd been in that room but eventually I finished reading all of them, soothing the book monsters until the animalistic features faded away and all that was left was a fresh clean book. 

Opening my eyes slightly, I pull the blanket off my head just enough to look at the room I'm in. My gaze lingers on the window as I look out it at the snowy landscape. The discombobulation of lost time overwhelms me as I realize that we are not in the Land of Fire anymore. We are either in the Land of Iron or at least near it. That's days of travel from where I remember being last. 

Inners words move its way to the front of our mind, 'We arrived in the Land of Iron last night. All that's left is a half-days travel to the Summit.' 

My face twists into a grimace as I glare at the world around me, 'I can't even move right now.' 

'Suck it up. I had a fucking headache the whole time I was fronting because of you,' Inner snaps out, her annoyance pushing its way into my own emotions. 

My view to outside becomes blocked, pulling me out of my mind and back to the world around me. The face of Kisame leans down to my level and gives me an annoyed look, "Inner, let's go already." 

I blink slowly as I process his words, trying to find how I should respond and finally deciding on, "Not Inner." 

The annoyed look disappears from his face, replaced with surprise and then relief. A hesitant smile pulls its way onto his face as he says, "Hey, Sakura." 

Grabbing his arm, I pull him down towards me and onto the bed. He lets out a quiet yelp of surprise but doesn't protest as I get him to lie down next to me. Once I know he won't be moving any time soon, I wrap my arms around him and burry my head into his chest. Not long after Kisame wraps his arms around me and pulls me even closer. 

"I'm sorry," Kisame says, voice barely louder then a whisper. 

"I forgive you," I say back, my voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. But I know he heard me when in response he leans his face to where my shoulder meets my neck and lets out a sigh of relief. 

The peaceful moment is broken between the two of us when the door loudly slams open and Tsunade steps through the doorway, her loud voice traveling across the room, "Get off your lazy asses and hurry up. We have a schedule to keep." 

I let out a groan when her voice worsens my headache. Turning over, I glare at her, eye barely able to stay open, "My head feels like its going to explode. The possibility of me traveling right now is next to none." 

Tsunade rolls her eyes as a light smile pulls its way onto her face, "Good to have you back, Sakura. Not gonna lie but Inner's a bit of a grump." 

Inner loudly yelling, 'Bitch!' in my mind has me grabbing my head and once again attempting to massage the pain away. Closing my eyes, I massage my forehead, "She's not too thrilled you said that and is being very vocal about it." 

Tsunade shrugs and makes her way over to me, "She can deal with it. Now let me help you with that headache." Stopping in front of me, Tsunade reaches out with her hands, healing chakra already concentrated into her palms as she sets each on the side of my head. The smooth feeling of healing chakra travels through my head, reducing the pain until it disappears all together. Letting out a breath of relief, all the tension I didn't even know I was holding is released from my body. 

Once Tsunade steps back, I open my eyes and give her a grateful smile, "Thanks." 

Crossing her arms over her chest, the tone of her voice changes, slipping back into the role of Hokage, "Be ready to leave in ten minutes. We have a schedule to keep and under no circumstances am I going to let us be late."