A/N: woot... double upload to apologise for the long wait!! :-)
I awoke earlier the next morning: I didn't want to have to rush in order to make it to the Academy on time again. I made sure Minato was awake on time and fully prepared to go, before we left. We arrived early at the Academy, and Minato's friends seemed completely bowled over by this.
“He's always late!” Snickered one of his friends, who I believe was named Chouza Akimichi, who was a rather portly boy with red swirls on his cheeks. He opened his mouth to continue his speech, when Takeshi-sensei came into the classroom.
“Settle down, settle down!” His kindly eyes settled on Minato, seated in the front row.
“Oh my goodness, it's a miracle! The mighty Minato-sama has actually arrived on time for once!” He gasped comically, clutching dramatically at his chest. The whole class was in stitches, causing Minato's face to take on the hue of an overripe tomato.
“Anyway, moving on. Picking up where we left off yesterday.” Takeshi-sensei began to teach us more intricate details about the body's chakra network and where the main chakra points were located. Halfway through his lecture I began to feel really REALLY nauseous. I could feel my stomach contents burning their way up my oesophagus as I dashed out of the classroom just in time to make it to the bathroom.
I spent a good five minutes retching up my innards before I was finally empty. As I reached up to flush the toilet, I was horrified to find that the toilet was full of blood. Well, that can't be good. I didn't know what to do: despite the fact that I had just vomited blood, I felt fine now, but I guess it would be sensible to tell someone. Flushing the toilet for real this time, I stood up and made my way over to the sink, washing my mouth and face.
Deciding against going to the medical room, despite common sense dictating that I should, I calmly walked back into the classroom and took my seat, ignoring the stares of my classmates and sensei.
Takeshi-sensei didn't bother asking me where I went, so I didn't bother telling him. Wow teachers here are so much more laid back than in England.
However, I soon noticed my mistake on coming back as a stabbing pain engulfed my whole body, forcing me to the floor, my entire body writhing in agony, eyes rolling back into my head. The last thing that I heard before slipping into beautiful, numb unconsciousness was a primal shriek of pure, unadulterated pain. It took a moment to realise, but it was me making the sound.
I woke up to the beeping of a heart monitor, yet again. My mind struggled to comprehend what had happened: I could hardly think due to my head being so woozy and foggy. I struggled in the hospital bed, trying to force myself to sit up before coming to a horrifying conclusion – I couldn't move my arms. Starting to panic, I tried moving my legs, begging them to even twitch, all to no avail. I couldn't even move my head, all I could do was flick my eyes around the room and clench my jaw.
Oh my goodness, I'm paralysed.
With that shocking conclusion, tears began to trickle down my face. To add to the indignity of the situation, I couldn't even lift my hand to wipe the traitorous liquid off my cheeks.
Just as the familiar feeling of panic began to sweep across my chest, constricting my lungs and making it difficult to breathe, a woman walked into the room. She had blonde hair and amber coloured eyes, a purple diamond in the middle of her forehead, and, I hate to say it but, rather large breasts.
“Ah. You're awake. I believe you have noticed that you can't move? Don't worry about that. It is a temporary paralysis brought on by the large dose of painkillers we had to give you. Shouldn't cause any permanent damage in someone so young.”
Wow, this woman could talk!
“Anyway, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Tsunade. I'm the Third's ex-student, and your doctor. I'm here to give you your diagnosis.”
Diagnosis? I knew I was having weird fainting spells and the like, but I thought it was just an extension of my usual anxieties, and the stress of waking up in another world when I thought I was dead. I didn't think there was actually something seriously wrong with me, not physically anyway.
Looking at Tsunade expectantly, I waited for her to tell me the news,be it good or bad.
She cleared her throat nervously as a look of pity and sympathy crept across her beautiful features before she regained her former steely look of determination and confidence. This can't be good.
“I'm afraid that your body is suffering from a very negative reaction to the chakra flowing throughout your body. It seems that you are biologically incompatible to the chakra that is present in most of the people in this world, and it is currently ravaging your body from the inside out. It has already begun to affect your brain, so you have probably experienced headaches, fainting spells, even hallucinations such as hearing voices that aren't really there and seeing people that other's can't see. I'm sorry, but there is no cure. You are going to die.”
Tsunade looked taken aback at how blunt she had been, but it didn't bother me. I knew I should be upset, angry, curse this world for taking away my second chance at living another life with people who actually loved me and cared for me, but all I felt was a cold sense of resignation. I had been ready to die that day I went cliff-jumping, and all of the emotions that had come with planning my own death came back to me. Acceptance. I was ready, and I sure as hell wasn't scared.
