Susurrus [Itachi x OC]

7: The Red Clouds

There's only one thing in vaguely aware of: something soft is covering my body.

Is any of this real?

Am I imagining things?

Is this another Genjutsu?

Am I in a dream?

Or is this a nightmare?

My eyes barely open, allowing the faintest amount of light into them.

I'm in a hospital room—as far as I can tell—and there's something with red clouds draped on top of a thin white thing—a blanket maybe?—resting on my legs. The soft wool feels like it's woven, as though it was handmade. Who in the Akatsuki would've hand-woven me an afghan?

A long, slender hand clasps my own, and I immediately know who's at my bedside.

Slowly, I open my eyes fully. The room is torch-lit, revealing a medical shinobi's dream: two walls lined with tall, dark, wooden shelves with jars full of a variety of body parts suspended in a suspiciously-glowing green liquid. The third wall is lined with tall, white, wooden shelves housing what appears to be every medical Ninjutsu textbook that's ever existed. The last wall has two large medical carts and a multitude of sensors, scans, and various other pieces of heavy medical equipment.

"Ta... Ta..." I can't seem to form his name. My hands immediately rush to my throat, only to find that it's been wrapped in bandages. "Ta!" Helpless tears run down my cheeks.

Itachi gently brushes away my tears with his thumb. "You won't be able to speak for some time, Tani. Kabuto had to do some major reconstructive surgery after your fever spiked to a ridiculous number yesterday."

"Wh..." My chest quivering, I silently cry at the pain in my throat.

"Why?" Itachi seems to be reading my mind. "Your body went through hell after you extracted your Tailed Beast. When I brought you to the hideout, Kabuto had to remove what was left of the seal on your stomach to stabilize you." I blink at him, painfully contorting my face to show my confusion. "The reason you don't remember it is because it happened while you were unconscious."

He lightly strokes my hair. "Did you see anything when you were unconscious this time? Have you experienced anything else in the times you've been unconscious, Tani?"

I frown. "Ta..." A painful cough wreaks havoc on my chest. "Ta... B... I..."

"Matatabi?" Itachi whispers. "You saw her?!"

I blink once in response.

"Wait what?!" He seems genuinely surprised, the stoicism seemingly vanishing from his face. "Your bond must be so strong that it transcends all odds! It's wonderful that she can still find a way to communicate with you, even though she's no longer sealed within you." He pauses, pressing his hand more firmly around mine. "In all seriousness, Tani, are you okay? Truly?"

Long waves of exhaustion suddenly flood my body, and my eyelids begin to flutter in my internal fight to resist sleep.

"Ta... Tire..."

"That's okay, Tani. That's okay." He gently strokes my cheek, wiping away a few drying tears with his thumb.

As sleep overtakes me, my brain catches one last string of words.

"I'll be right here."

~*~

"Kakashi-sensei! Lady Tsunade!" A small cobalt house-cat screams, panting as she races into the Hokage's Office. "I... I... I have news!"