When The Sun Shines (A Reika Namikaze Story) Book 1

25

"Twelve". A rough deep voice spoke out only to be broken by the constant beep, beep, beep of the heart monitor next to one Reika Namikaze.

"Twelve times, Reika." The man with white hair and crimson eyes spoke quietly. His voice hoarse from lack of sleep. His eyes had bags under them. He sat in a chair next to someone who he had taken under his wing. He had his hands clasped together while he rested his elbows on his knees.

He would never admit this out loud, but he sees her as his own daughter. Not knowing what she did or even why and especially at a time like that scared him.

He closed his eyes and shook his head softly as he let a tear escape. The stress and fear crashing down on him in waves. "They came for you twelve times to get you. Hank three times and the Akasuki the rest. And through it all, you slept peacefully as if you don't have a care in the world."

He took a shaky breath in as he looked past her to the moon that shown through the window. It was covered in thin clouds in a spooky manner. "I get that your chakra was unstable. I get that, but not even I can decipher the seal you used." He looked down on the seal which continued to glow a faint blue.

The blue of her eyes he can't get out of his mind. The eyes he wants oh so desperately to see again.

"Why do you keep pushing others away?"

Flashback

"The loneliness more bearable than the hatred she expects."

End flashback

"That's right. You are so used to being a lone wolf, you don't trust others. I suppose in one of your past lives, you trusted someone and they stabbed you in the back." He closed his eyes as he breathed in through his nose and let out a shaky breath as he pondered on everything he knows of Reika. "You have your own way of asking for help. And I have been blind to it all." He shut his eyes tight as he thought back.

Flashback

I stood with my arms crossed while leaning against a wall looking ahead at an exhausted sweaty Reika lies on the ground covered in dirt and blood. Her blindfold sticking to her face.

'She did excellent going against my clones. Especially on her first try' I had let my chakra slip for a second before realing it in.

She tilted her in my direction.

"Tobirama-sensei?" She called out to me.

"Hm?" I remember responding reading her body language. I can tell she wants to talk about whatever had been bothering her.

"Dreams haunt." She stated bluntly.

Of course they do, but not all dreams are as haunting as she makes them out to be. "They usually do."

End flashback

"But you weren't talking about normal dreams. You were were talking of the memories popping up. Haunting you as Hank filtered them to his liking." I whispered.

Flashback

"Ne, Tobirama," we were doing a routine check up with the camp equipment as per usual in war.

I tilted my head in her direction making eye contact.

"Paranoia distances."

"Indeed. Ones paranoia can cause rifts between loved ones. But the true friends will understand and help." I had explained. She taught me that even if she didn't mean to.