Konoha's Chef (Gaara Love Story)

34: Recovery

Author's POV

Three weeks had passed since Akimi's surgery. Now, she was free to roam as she liked. However, strenuous actives, like running or picking up heavy objects, were not allowed, even though she had a stomach-transplant. Thankfully, she could cook again and tried her hand at sweets. She had a new stomach, but the stitches and nerves around the organ were fragile.

Gaara and his siblings left during her recovering stage after the surgery. The three visited her in her room one last time before leaving for Suna with the rest of the Sand ninjas. Grandpa Kosuke was busy with patrol as usual, so Akimi just walked around the village and slept outside like usual.

As for training, Akimi threw shurikens and kunais as accurately as she could. When Daikoku Sensei met with her, they worked on her Chakra control. Even though she could no longer climb trees or scale mountains like she used to, Akimi was determined not to be some damsel in distress. She was a Genin for goodness's sake!

"Good, you're improving," Daikoku Funeno Sensei praised. "Let me see you Chakra element."

"My what?"

"Chakra is split into five elements; water, fire, wind, earth, and lightning. To figure out which category you are in, run you chakra through this paper." He handed her a slip of thin paper. "Hold it in between you fingers like this, then send Chakra through it. If the paper crumbles, you have earth. Water if it gets soggy, fire if it burns, wind if it splits, and lightning if it wrinkles. Give it a try."

"Hai!" Akimi held the paper in between her fingers and concentrated. Seconds later, the paper crumbled. "I'm earth, right?"

"Right. Now, the way you fight is usually through trickery and traps. Poison, false remedies, and traps are all used in your fighting style. You also use different tools on hand as a way to disguise your true intentions, such as putting on a 'mask', if you will. In short, you have a double face, Akimi. One could also call you a bold-faced liar."

"Rude." Daikoku Funeno Sensei laughed, messing up her hair.

"You have a good heart, Akimi. So anyways, we need to find a way to elevate that technique using your Chakra element."

"Hai!"

"Great work! Want to go get some ramen? Or some jelly soup? Or what do you want?" Daikoku Funeno Sensei asked.

"Um, actually Sensei, I'm going to reject your offer," Akimi said sheepishly. "I wanted to go to see Sora's grave today."

"I understand," he said, patting her head. "Take care then, Akimi." He left her behind, probably going back to the Academy.

Akimi trudged towards the graveyard with a bouquet of yellow daisies. She knelt down, brushing her fingers over the carved stone.

Nao Sora

"Hi, Sora. Are you doing well? I found out my Chakra element is Earth. I wonder what's yours? I'm guessing maybe lightning and Kazu has fire. I don't know why I just said that; it seems strange. Or maybe you have wind, and Kazu has water. That would be cool. I wonder what kind of jutsus we could do.....as a team."

As she talked, she couldn't stop the tears that gathered at her eyes. Soon, she was trying to talk to the grave, while crying at the same time.

Hours later, Daikoku Sensei came back to Akimi, a bag in hand. He approached the kneeling girl and pushed her shoulder gently with a milk tea drink. "Here. You're going to need this."

"Ah! Thank you, Sensei!" She accepted the drink and sipped it, enjoying the green tea jasmine flavor.

"Sensei.....does it ever heal? My heart always hurts, no matter what. I can't seem to forget him. Will there ever be a time, when it won't hurt?"

The man reached down to touch the gravestone too. "Is he your friend?" Daikoku Sensei asked her.

"Yes."

"Then as a friend, don't forget him. Keep all those memories you spent with him and Kazu in your heart. And one day, you can look back without feeling the pain. Don't forget him, and don't try to. He has a special place in your heart, so keep him close. If he's your friend like you've said, then don't forget him or the time you've spent."

"It's so hard, I can't seem to stop crying," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"That's when you can go to your friends, right? You tell them how wonderful Sora was. What kind of person he is. You can share your memories with others, and they, in return, can understand how much you're suffering. They can take their share of the burden, and the pain will be easier to bear."

"I won't be alone."

"Yes, that's right." Silence washed over the girl who gazed at the gravestone.

"Thank you Sensei."

"No problem." So young, and already experience deaths of close ones.