Reborn as an Uchiha [Naruto fan-fic]

26: progress

“Thou hast awakened at last, fair sleeper”

When Anko opened her eyes the first thing she saw was the low hanging ceiling of the dim cottage.

“A full day’s cycle hath passed whilst thou didst lie in peaceful repose”

Suddenly feeling wary, Anko turned to face the owner of the voice

His face which was a mixture of gentle and weathered features was framed by a strong jawline and prominent cheekbones.

With sunken eyes and long but rough grey hair that had red streaks in between, he looked to be someone in his early sixties.

His extraordinary height, as well as his impeccable posture were his most eye grabbing trait.

After witnessing Anko attempt to sit up, then fail, he furrowed his brows and bellowed

“come now, thy aid is required youngling!”

The creaking sounds of the unsteady floorboards rang out as a person cautiously entered the room.

Anko raised her brows in surprise when she recognized the person

“Miku?”

The crimson haired lady stared at her with a perplexed expression before asking

“I’m sorry, but have we met before?”

“It’s me An-, It’s me Yui”

“Yui? Hmmm… I’m sorry but I’ve never heard of that name before”

“Huh? That doesn’t make any sense …”

Anko words trailed off as if suddenly realizing something

“… so that’s it”

The utterly confused Miku reigned in her thoughts

“I don’t know what you’re talking about but right now you’re seriously injured. Here, bite”

She stated while outstretching her hand to Anko who had already shot the large man a questioning glance.

She was ultimately unable to read anything from his expressionless face.

Following that, she craned her neck and softly bit down on the Uzumaki’s hand.

Immediately she did so large amounts of life force flooded into her and causing her wounds to begin closing at a speed obvious to the naked eye.

‘incredible’

Anko thought as her jaws tightened subconsciously.

After just a short while all her injuries were almost fully healed and she could move around again.

Some scars still remained but Anko didn’t mind them one bit. She bowed her head in deep appreciation

“Thank you”

“Thy gratitude is not required, for this is but a trade, a mutual exchange”

These words made Anko tense as she once again recalled the nature of her predicament.

“That’s right, where is the person that was with me”

She questioned

“dost thou perhaps, speak of Uchiha Tengen?”

Anko’s expression instantly dimmed.

“Be calm, whosoever didst take part in the war, ought surely to know of the dread terror that is Tengen”

'The war?'

Anko pondered as she regained some of her composure

“where is he”

“verily, he lies in yonder chamber, yet his wounds are grievous and I fear he might not escape the jaws of death”

"I'm going to see him"

"Act as you deem fit"

Anko immediately walked to the door and opened it.

There, laid out on an improvised bed, was an unconscious Tengen.

His left arm was gone, and his prosthetic leg had varying levels of damage.

His face was deathly pale while his skin had lost all it’s luster.

When she witnessed his condition Anko fell into a deep silence.

She didn’t even notice the other two people who were already in the room.

One of them was an extremely beautiful lady with stark white hair who lazed on a couch whilst the other, a tiny red-head, stared at her with a bewildered expression.

‘What the f*ck is Anko doing here?! Is this some sort of main event??'

Karin’s mind was in turmoil when she heard the door creak open, her mother entered the room walking alongside a freakishly tall man who had to bend his head so as to avoid the low hanging ceilings of the dilapidated cottage.

Anko recognized the man from an old framed photo on the table but apart from that, she had no other impression of him.

“Now that ye are all assembled here, I pray thee, fair lady, to recount the tale of what befell”

…

Deep in a dark cave, a sleep deprived Renji raised his right palm and with great focus pointed it at a section of the chains shackled to his left arm.

A split second later the chain rattled as though struck by an invisible force.

Although it appeared undamaged, upon close scrutiny one could notice a small and almost imperceptible nick on the chain.

Filled with dark glee, the young Uchiha let out a broad smile.

He was making small but steady progress.