Loyalty (Sasuke Uchiha)

XXXIII: Repercussions

Sweat dripped down my face as I gasped for air, wiping it off with the back of my hand.

I had removed my torn up haori along with my shoes, dipping my legs in the cool water.

My eyes were burning, head throbbing as I placed my water covered hand over them. Occasionally blood would escape from my eye, as a result of the use of my genjutsu.

Repercussions of using that jutsu ate away at my own health bit by bit.

I could feel Shiroryuu's power emitting from my hand as I focused my chakra on my eyes, which felt like cold air blowing on them.

"I've brought you some ramen from a nearby village." Jugo spoke from behind me.

"Thanks, Jugo." I said as I felt him sit beside me, the delicious smell of ramen filling my senses.

It reminded me of the time Naruto and I hung out and ate ramen together when we came across each others paths during my mission and his training.

I laid down on my back, keeping my hand over my eyes as I continued my gradual process of healing.

"Could you feed me, Jugo?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied instantly. I heard him shuffle closer to me.

I propped open my mouth as he dropped a few strands of the ramen in my mouth.

It was like that for about ten minutes, Jugo feeding me as I focused my chakra over my eyes.

It was relaxing to be able to take your guard down around someone you felt comfortable with. I haven't felt that way ever since Naruto.

I sat up after Jugo finished feeding me, removing my hand from over my eyes. I opened them slightly, the pain less irritable this time as sweat continued to roll down my skin.

The signs were popping up. My eyes would begin burning again, and since Father wasn't here anymore to treat my eyes, I had no clue what to do. And my temperature would also start rising, but that's something I could handle.. I think. I'd have to rely on Shiroryuu even more now to relieve me of this pain. Of course, there was that permanent poison Orochimaru had stuck in me so I wouldn't feel the after affects of the experiments he conducted on me. But that only applied to certain areas of my body.

"May I?" Jugo asked me. I turned to meet his worried eyes, nodding my head slightly.

His cold hand pressed against my forehead.

"If your temperature keeps rising.."

"Don't worry." I assured him.

But he removed his hand from my forehead as I watched him stand up.

"I'm going to go find you medicine. I'll be back."

"That's not necessary."

"Stay here."

I rolled my eyes as Jugo rushed away.

"You don't look too good, princess."

I narrowed my eyes at the water forming into a figure in front of me, Suigetsu's amused eyes glinting down at me.

"What do you want?"

"I was curious about something." He said as he sat himself down next to me.

"What?"

"Why did you throw your life away for Sasuke? From the way you reacted you didn't look too happy when-"

"I made a promise." I interrupted.