The Crystal Serpent [Naruto X Oc] |Book 1

Chapter 84: A Fragile Awakening

Kei's eyes fluttered open, the soft light of the hospital room flittering through her eyelids. Her body felt heavy as if she had been sleeping for days, and her mind was foggy, struggling to piece together her last coherent memory. She shifted, feeling the cool, crisp sheets beneath her and the gentle hum of the Hidden Leaf village hospital.

Her hand instinctively moved her neck, clutching the small snake-shaped necklace. The smooth, familiar texture of the pendant brought a fleeting sense of comfort as she gripped it tightly, her father's face flashing in her mind. It was a birthday present, a symbol of the bond that had formed since their meeting during the Chunin Exams.

As she lay here, the memories of how she ended up here were clouds, like a dream slipping away from her upon waking. She remembered bits and pieces, fragments of conversation, flashes of faces, but nothing made sense. There was a battle, that much she recalled. Orochimaru had been there with Kabuto, and so had Tsunade and Jairya.

Her heart clenched as she recalled her desperation to stop her father from continuing down this path, and then faintly of three large creatures appearing in smoke, one being a large purple snake.

'I don't know what happened. Everything is fuzzy. The last thing I can sort of remember is yelling Father in fear that he was hurt.' ​​ Kei thought as she gazed at the ceiling, trying to push through the mental fog.

Kei gazed and then flickered over to a table near the hospital bed as she saw a small vase of water with two pink chrysanthemums in it. She narrowed her eyes, wondering who brought her flowers, temporarily distracted from her foggy memory by the gesture.

As Kei continued to survey the room, trying to piece everything together, she noticed the soft, almost imperceptible beeping and turned to see she was hooked up to a heart monitor. The steady rhythm was comforting and remained that she was safe. Her eye eventually landed on a shadowy sitting in the corner of the room.

The figure, though hard to make out, seemed to radiate a sense of familiarity. Her heart raced as the figure slowly emerged from the shadows, revealing her teammate Akira, who looked relieved.

"You're awake," Akira said softly, her voice carrying a mixture of concern and warmth. She approached Kei's bedside with a reassuring smile.

"Akira, what happened?" Kei questioned her voice barely a whisper, her voice dry and scratchy.

She winced, trying to sit up, but Akira gently placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her still."You need to rest in the Hidden Leaf Village Hospital and have been out for a few days now. They said you got caught in an intense battle, but you're safe now. Anyway, I'm going to let Lady Tsunade know you're awake," Akira said, leaving the room to get Tsunade.

With that, Akira left the room, her footsteps soft against the floor. Kei was soon left alone with her thoughts and the steady beeping of the heart monitor. The hospital room was soothing despite the whirlwind of confusion that preceded her upon waking up.

She narrowed her eyes as she recalled slightly her father saying something before everything with black, but not exactly what he said. She also remembered there being another person there, someone she was mad at and who was extremely loud. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember what had happened and who she was forgetting.

The door to her hospital room opened as Lady Tsunade entered her presence, commanding yet filled with genuine concern as she gazed at Kei lying back in the bed.

"Tsunade," Kei whispered, her voice carrying."What happened last thing I recall is shouting?" She questioned.

"You need to focus on recovering. You have been through a lot, Orochimaru. Whatever he used on you had you out of it," Tsunade said softly."Jairiya had to carry you all the way here back to the Hidden Leaf after Naruto woke up a day after the fight. Your father and Kabuto retreated."

'Naruto, that's right. We were traveling together to find Tsunade with Jairya and were mad at Naruto for his harsh words of calling me a traitor,' Kei thought as it came back to her on the last person who was there.

"I understand, so father knocked me out," Kei mumbled as she slowly started to recall more of her memories."Where is Naruto?" She questioned, curious about where the knucklehead was despite being mad at him still.

"Naruto haven't seen him since he brought you flowers yesterday," Tsunade replied."He seemed guilty about something and asked him about it, but all he said is he said something he shouldn't have to you," She said.

Kei glanced at the flowers, realizing that Naruto was the one who brought her flowers and narrower eyes throughout, wondering if she should forgive him for his comment.

"I see, so he does regret his words after all," Kei mumbled, her thoughts tangled with the anger she felt for him since that night.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as she felt a head touching her head and glanced to see Tsunade examining her body."It seems your mental state is still cloudy and still some soreness, but you can leave tomorrow; however, no missions for at least another couple of days," Tsunade stated.

Kei sighed deeply as she once again clutched the necklace she was wearing with a thoughtful expression on her face as he once again thought about her father and what exactly happened during the battle.

"Hey, kid, what is the deal with that necklace? You've been clutching it since you were knocked out," Tsunade stated.

"It was the first birthday present from my father. I guess it's a symbol of hope he cares about," Kei said, glancing back down at her necklace as Tsunade finished examining her.

"I see, kid," Tsunade said before she left the room to take care of other matters.

Kei remained in her bed, her mind a swirling mix of emotions and thoughts. The pendant on her chest was a constant reminder of her father's presence, and despite the recent pain and conflict, it was a symbol of something deeper, a connection between a father and daughter.

The room grew quieter as the steady beeping of the heart monitor continued its rhythmic lullaby. Kei's thoughts wandered to the future, contemplating her relationship with her father and her feelings for him. The battle with Orochimaru had left scars, both physical and emotional, but it had also brought to light her feelings for her father.

As she lay there, Kei's resolve began to solidify. She would recover and find her way forward, whatever it took. Her path was uncertain, but her resolve to save her father was stronger than before as she closed her eyes, clutching her necklace with a soft smile on her face, unaware of a certain blonde knucklehead entering the room and walking towards the bed

"Kei, I'm sorry for everything," Naruto said as he gently touched Kei's hair."Grandma Tsunade said you finally awakened and can leave tomorrow. If you can hear me, please come to the apartment tomorrow. There is something I want to give you in person," He said before leaving the room.

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Hey, lovely reader! Here we are, Kei finally awake completely but barely remembers everything that happened. Naruto had brought her flowers while she had been unconscious in the hospital. Now, he has something he wants to give her when she is released from the hospital. In the next chapter, we see what Naruto has for Kei as a gift to make up for saying the harsh words he did and if Kei will forgive him. This book will be coming to an end since we're close to the Sasuke retrieval arc, but there probably be one final mission for Kei and her team before that.

Question of the chapter: What do you think Naruto wants to give Kei?

Thanks for reading!

word count: 1,370