The Queen of Masks [Sakura Haruno Story]

49

"Sakura!"

Sakura didn't respond, keeping her eyes shaded.

"Sakura!" Rui repeated, running towards her. His physical fitness had decreased rapidly over the years, but he was still fairly fast, and had covered the distance within moments.

Sakura rised her head, staring at Rui with blank eyes, but when Rui came anywhere close to the body laying in the centre of the field, Sakura was suddenly in front of him. She struck him the stomach, sending him flying backwards, crashing into the ground with a thud.

Rui coughed a few times, the breath knocked out of him, when a hand appeared in his field of vision. He took the hand and stood up with it's help.

Naruto had a busted lip and a dark bruise on his cheek. "It's no use. Did you see her eyes? I don't think she even recognizes us."

Without saying anything, Rui brushed past the blonde.

Deciding to try a different approach, Rui creeped forwards slowly. "Hey, Sakura. It's Rui. Remember? I'm your friend!"

Sakura tilted her head to the side slightly, which Rui took as a sign that she was listening.

"Come on, Sakura, you gotta remember me! I'm your-" He paused. "I'm your older brother!"

Sakura looked at him with wide eyes, as if finally recognizing him. Her expression broke Rui's heart; she looked like a child frightened of the dark, her eyes terrified.

A single tear streaked down her face. Followed by another. And another.

"Rui." Sakura sobbed out, crossing the distance between them and collapsing into his arms.

Her shoulders shook violently as Rui sank to the floor, rocking Sakura back and forth.

"The Queen. She- she's"

"Shh." Rui comforted. "I know, sis, I know."

The sobbing subsided after a few moments, and Sakura hiccuped a few time before looking up at Rui with teary eyes. "Rui. I don't know what I should do." She hiccuped again.

"Sis, you need to go to sleep." He began tracing circles on Sakura's back. "The Queen didn't train you for four years only to have you die of chakra exhaustion. Rest. Sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." He promise.

Sakura nodded, and released the flow of chakra she was sending to her nervous system, the only thing keeping her awake. And right away, her head drooped and she fell unconscious.

So far, Rui wasn't really feeling the free in freedom.

He had been spending most of his time cooped up in Sakura's hospital room, waiting for her to wake up.

You see, the head medic had decided to put Sakura into a medically induced coma in order to speed up the healing process. It was a fairly smart decision, however, everything went wrong when Sakura fell into a legitimate coma, and wouldn't wake up even when they had taken her off the medication.

It had been nearly two months now, and Sakura still hadn't woken up yet.

Rui ran his hands though his hair for what seemed to be the billionth time, and came to sit beside his younger sister, grabbing her hand.

"Wake up, Sakura. Please."