Chapter 36: War Heroes

                                    

                                          


                          
Yuzuki held her head down sitting on a hospital bed where she shared a room with Kakashi and Rin. She refused to utter a single word. Not even when Hiko asked her a question about her wellbeing, she only shrugged or shook her head. 
                          
 A sphygmomanometer was around her upper left arm for Hiko to check her blood pressure. "There doesn't seem to be any injury outside." he informed Minato who stood by the bed with arms crossed in concern. "A minor concussion is curable." Hiko said removing the device. He had already checked up on Kakashi first to make sure that scar and new eye was in good condition. For now, he had it wrapped up. 
                          
Rin laid in the bed across from Yuzuki with her face buried in a pillow and shoulders shaking, and Kushina who comforted the crying girl. When the red headed woman heard the news about Obito she fell to her knees in Minato's arms. It felt loosing her own child, the pain of a heartache was wrenching.
                          
 Hiko placed a comforting hand to Yuzuki's shoulder and instructed she laid back. She did so and felt a sense of relief on her body. She turned sore eyes to the bright day outside. It shouldn't be this sunny and bright, it should be raining and miserable to show how she felt, how they all felt. 
                          
 But a miserable rainy wasn't Obito. He himself was bright and sunny. Yuzuki balled up clutching her shirt over her chest as if to clutch her throbbing heart. 
                          
Daichi came hobbling into the room as fast as his limping leg would allow. His eyes first fell to Kakashi before he came to his daughter who had her back turned. She didn't even acknowledge him. "I heard what happened." he said remorsefully. "My condolences, Minato." 
                          
 Minato only nodded acknowledging his sorrow. Kushina left Rin's side on her bed and wondered over to Yuzuki. She brushed a hand by Minato's arm and sat by the bed cupping Yuzuki's red cheek. "She just needs time, Daichi." 
                          
 Daichi sighed heavily and turned his gaze to Kakashi who was staring at the white hospital sheets. "So the boy gave you his sharingan?" he questioned. Kakashi nodded subtly. "The sharingan is a gift, boy, you treat it well."
                          
 "I will." he replied confidently.
                          
Daichi then turned back to Hiko and asked, "And what about my daughter?"
                          
 "Overall, she is okay. A minor concussion, nothing serious. She just needs time to rest and heal." said the orange headed man reading over his notes. "Especially her eyes."
                          
 "What's wrong with her eyes?" 
                          
Yuzuki curled up further into herself knowing her father would shame her if he found out she awoke the mangekyou sharingan. Hiko pushed a smile, "Just her sharingan is all." he said. "It was a long hard mission." 
                          
Daichi hard eyes landed on Minato. "May I speak with you, Minato?" he gestured for the door. The yellow haired ninja nodded and followed him out into the hall where they exchanged hushed words. "I know Hiko is lying, he is terrible. What really happened on that mission?" 
                          
 Minato sighed deeply. "You are her father, you only deserve to know. She witnessed Obito's death... and in result her mangekyou sharingan awoke." 
                          
Daichi stiffened. "Just what I feared... I didn't want that for her, especially at a young age. The mangekyou is a tuff burden."
                          
 "She was afraid of telling you." Minato confessed. "She thought you might shun her in belief that the mangekyou is awakened by killing a loved one."
                          
 "That's not true at all." Daichi shook his head. "I don't know where that assumption came from, but it's a belief in our clan, and it's not true." Daichi knew this from experience.
                          
 "She might be glad to hear that. It's best if it comes from you." 
                          
 "You already let one student die, how can I trust you to take care of the rest?"
                          
Minato fell silent. "I've been thinking the same." and he circled past Daichi to enter the room again. He turned and followed Minato back into the hospital room. "Is Yuzuki okay to be discharged?"
                          
 "She is." replied Hiko who was checking on Rin. 
                          
 "I wanna stay the night." Yuzuki croaked. She didn't want to be alone right now, she felt like staying with her teammates was the best option for all three of them. Her father nodded in understandment who knew exactly what she was feeling, he felt the same when Ayame died. 
                          
"I'll be back for you tomorrow." he gruffly said turning to limp out of the hospital room. Another sob racked through Yuzuki and she buried her face into the pillow. Kushina cuddled closer to the grieving girl and held her tight. 
                          
Time seemed to bend together in a blur. The sun disappeared along with Kushina and Minato who returned home to grieve. The hospital became quiet with the odd crying baby and hushed talking in the halls. 
                          
Kakashi had been asleep since dawn settled. Rin and Yuzuki on the other hand where on the same bed. Rin had crept from her own bed and settled with Yuzuki to tuck in her cold feet. Together, they enjoyed the silent company of one another. 
                          
 "Obito didn't deserve this." whispered Yuzuki as to not wake Kakashi. 
                          
 "None of us did." 
                          
 "I saw that rock coming, Rin... and I couldn't react in time." 
                          
 "Don't blame yourself." Rin said sternly. "Obito died saving us. He died a hero. That's what he'll be remembered for. He wouldn't want us to be sad forever, he'd want us to move on and be happy." she tried pushing for a smile. 
                          
"I know." Yuzuki turned her gaze to the window at the sleeping village who will know Obito's name as a hero.