As Shisui was running forward, his clothes clung to his back. He could feel the rough fabric of his black and white uniform shearing past the bruises of his body. The target was dead, so mission success. But now his wrists hurt from the bruises the heavy big manacles had caused. He could still feel the hands roaming his body. A place reserved for one person and one person only. By Amaterasu, he was relieved the mission was no witnesses. He had gotten his revenge ad that person could no longger touch a single other person in the living world.
There!
The red gates of Konoha stood proud and tall in the distance. But Shisui wasn't here for those. He made a small stop dropping off a little red scroll next to the guard gates, and shunshine'd as fast as he could to the Headquarters. He made it in less than a second. It would be a sad day should the Shunshin no Shisui not be able to shunshin from gates to headquarters in less than that. He gave the report and left for the hospital.
"SHISUIII!"
Kuramas voice was strong as always, but Shisui was just too tired to care in that moment. The older man would just beat him up for a deed not commited by him. Those damed brats of Kurama, always blaming him for their own deeds. Never taking responsibillity and always, always shoving it on him. And he tried to talk, he did. But the brats won't stop and Kurama believes his kits can do no wrong! He won't believe Shisui no matter what he says! And it's not like he can physically stop them. At such a young age they are stronger than he'll ever be.
So Shisui does what he does best. What will bring him the least amount of trouble, and what has gotten him out of situations time and time again.
He gives up.
It's that simple, he just stopped caring wether the blow of Kurama was aimed at his head or his groin. He admits though, sometimes, he imagines what it would be like to just angle his head a little differently, what it would be like to to take mission after mission and eventually he'll angle his response to the punch wrong and 'Bam! He's in the eternal sleep he longs for. However, considering the fact that Orochimaru somehow brought the literal dead back to life and anwsers to Kurama for some reason; not even in death could he escape Kurama. No matter how much he wished he could.
Besides, he mused as he walked into the infirmary, there to see his lover, his Tenzo needed him. His partner laid there, still and pale, in white, stiff, pale hospital gowns. He had been stuck like that since the Accident. A mission. It had gone wrong, and ever since Shisui had been missing his mission partner. Since then he'd only gone on solo missions. Besides, due to him having barely any friends, it wasn't like anyone would notice if he went dark. Not anymore.
Shisui slowly strolled in to the room. The cranes he had made still hung on the ceiling. He was still at 347. Anyhow, another visit, another mission, another crane. He should get done soon. Maybe Tenzo would finally wake if he did. On the foldpaper, however, he wrote about his day, only the enjoyable parts. Of course. He wouldn't want to bring negative energy into the hospital room. If he did, Tenzo would never wake up. Atleast that's what he was told.
Fold over.
Fold across.
Fold right.
Fold left.
The therapeutic motions of origami calmed him down. When he was done, he wrote down 348. When the Kurama finally came bursting into the room Shisui was done and gone. His calm was too.
Time to check into the med-ward! Can't hurt an injured person after all. Some how, some why Kurama didn't punch people in the med-ward. Shisui would question it, but considering the amount of questions Kurama normally threw up just by existing was quiet disheartening. So he just ignored it. That's what he was good at after all.
The nurse commandeering the office steered him to the section specifically for ANBU. That would make it harder for Kurama to track him down. He let the darkness take over the second he was in the assigned room. Ha, take that, you stupid Uzumaki! Can't hurt me now, can ya?
- •●•●•●•●•●
The grumbling of redhead next to his bed woke Shisui up. Why does thou hate me, Amaterasu?! Of course the Uzumaki would show up next to his sickbed. That didn't explain why he was here though.
"Are you alright?"
What. "What?"
"I said, are you alright, boy? Answer me!" Kurama's hiss pierced through the silence of the hospital room. The red of his bangs covering his eyes a little. "Absolutely. It's not like I am lying in a hospital bed right now." Sarcasm went a long way for Shisui. Only to recoil, as he's never had a death wish that bad before. Why, oh why did he think saying that was a smart Idea?! "Why do you care anyway? It's not like you ever have before!".
Kurama suddenly looked down with a sigh. He seemed irritated and exasperated for some reason. "It's been two weeks since you collapsed in the med ward for ANBU. They found exhaustion, chakra exhaustion, two broken ribs and malnourishment. And that's not even taking into account your mission injuries, which, how? Shisui, have you been taking care of yourself at all?"
Huh. Two weeks. That was, that was longer than he had thought. Also, how exactly was Kurama expecting him to answer? Yes, would be lying and no didn't feel appropriate. "Obviously", was his very smart response. He was fated to die the second he left the hospital anyway. Might as well dig his grave too.
"But seriously, why are you here? Did Taichou set you up to it? By Amaterasu, don't answer that I can see it on your face, of course he did. Well, I am old enough to take care of myself. So go tell him, if he wants to check up on me, he better come himself." Kurama looked more and more murderous the longer Shisui talked. But he didn't care. He was so close to going dark. So close. Taichou did not get to interfere now. After all, Taichou was the prime example of how to go dark, saying anything would feel like hipocrisy to Shisui.
"Listen up you insatiable brat. I am here not just because of Kakashi, okay? I do worry and you've distanced yourself in a way that screams of ANBU gone dark, alright?! You are not taking care of yourself so you better get healthy soon because I am so going to beat your ass once you get out of here." Kurama stomped out the room. Good grief. What made him so angry? Shisui thought to himself, it's not like anything special is going on. Well to Shisui.
- •●•●•●•●•●
Time went on and on and on. Shisui had indeed tried to take Kuramas advice and take care of himself more. His condition was concerning if even Taichou had picked up on his blatant neglect. But then again, the day he would actually approach Shisui and talk with him would be the day Shisui stopped calling himself Shunshin no Shisui. Never going to happen. Slowly, missions began to blur again. Slowly, more and more bruises began to add up. Slowly, the paper cranes began to add up. Then his crane number hit 483.
That was the fateful day. The day everything went wrong. Well, then again, that really depended on who you asked. For Shisui it went well, for the rest? Not so much.
- •●•●•●•●•●
Shisui stumbled through the gates. Once again, the sight of am angry Uzumaki greeted him. A sigh escaped Shisui's lips escaped him. Of course. Why wouldn't the Uzumaki wait for him at the big red gates. "What did I do this time?", he asked exasperated.
"How dare you ruin Gaara's sandcastle?!" The incoming punch was half hearted and easily avoidable to Shisui, but he didn't care. It was aimed at his head. Thus making it easier to have an... accident. Needless to say, Shisui was feeling like shit. His torso was hurting and he had a splitting headache and his feet had been hurting since the start of his journey and he was hungry and thirsty and couldn't everything just be over!
Shisui didn't see the surprise in Kurama's eyes. He didn't see team Ro standing in the bushes, holding a sign saying happy birthday! Shisui didn't see the little children sitting on the roofs, ready to congratulate him. No, Shisui did not see that. In fact, he did not even try to see underneath the underneath. Still, the damage was done. Not even Tsunade could heal that amount of brain damage. After all, no matter how half-hearted, Kurama's punches were still powerful and stronger than he average shinobis. Certainly stronger than Shisui's. Kurama hadn't expected to hit. There was no time, for a redirection. Shisui was called Shun-shin no Shisui for a reason after all.
For anoher year, the crane count remained at 483. Until it, as well as every single letter with it, was found.
- •●•●•●•●•●
A headache encompassed Tenzo. He was very reluctant to open his eyes. After all, he could see the light glaring down at him with his eyes closed. Where even was he? His memories... They were so blurry. An attack; no, a mission. It must have gone wrong... But how did he end up here?
He could feel a soft, heavy material cloaking him. They felt like bedsheets; could he be in the hospital? The beeping of a presumed heartmonitor was piercing through his thoughts. Just how long had he been under? Suppose he was in the hospital, how long would it take someone to find out he was awake; he had barely enough strenght to wiggle his fingers. However, if he, for some reason, wasn't, in the hospital that is, well, it couldn't hurt to sleep some more.
"Cough, cough", bless whoever's soul was that, but Tenzo would be going back to sleep, thank them very much.
"Tenzō, I know you are awake. Took you long enough to be honest!" Great. It was the most esteemed Kurama-sama. Surely, this day couldn't get any better, no? "I need to tell you something Tenzo, it's about Shisui."
Well, he went ahead and jinxed it. "Wha' happ'd 'im?" This was important. He knew that much, even if he was confused and alone. But still, he knew that much.
"He is in a koma. Self-induced. I think the bastard knew exactly what he was doing. It was on his birthday too..."
Wait a second.
Shisui's birthday was supposed to be months off. He had guessed he had been under for an extended time, but that long?! Why would his beloved even do that? "-Why?" He still managed to ask. His throat was getting sore. Why did the lights have to be so bright? Everything would be better if it weren't for this orangey darkness!
"I- I am presuming you asked why, so I suppose I should tell you the date. It's spring Tenzo, it's spring in the year XXX.
There was no way. Had it really been two years? Almost exactly two years. Heh. So much for spending the rest of their life together...
"Since you -well- know now, I suppose I'll just- I'll just leave now. See you?" Tenzō heard the clack of the door announce Kurama's leave. Hopefully, he wouldn't come back.
"Creak"
The door opened again, "By the way, I kind of called a nurse to check up on you. Is- is that alright?" The redhead sounded about as akward as Tenzo felt. Who was this man and what had he done to the strong and sturdy Kurama? Tenzo felt fear of whoever had put the much stronger man in this state. If Shisui- if Shisui had been here. Where was Shisui? He had, he had to visit his beloved. Groaning, ignoring the way the bedsheets started to slip to the floor with a smooth flop, he started to slowly get up. It drove beads of sweat down his face as his vision began to blur. How dare Shisui leave him alone, how dare Shisui have left without him, how dare-
The feeling of a broken genjutsu washed over him. It was a cold feeling, snapping everything into place. The familliar feel of it snapping alerted Tenzo of it in the first place. Who had done this. Why? Why would someone layer a genjutsu over him? No, over this room, was more accurate. The last traces of cold fire washed over him. The familliarity of the chakra signature told him the story of Shisui laying the genjutsu. How had that stayed hidden? What did it hide?
As Tenzo started better observing the white hospital room he had found himself in, he silence started to become noticable. He was used to Shisui being there to fill the silence, the space between words being to small to truly perceive. Now, however, Tenzo could not hear the bustling of he hospital, there was only silence. A look outside the window revealed the lush green of the hospital garden. There were people there, children running around and about. Screaming, most likely. But Tenzo did not hear a thing. It was silent.
A beeping startled Tenzo ou of his thoughts. The heartmonitor. It was still beeping. Sighing, Tenzo layed down again, previous quest forgotten. As he stared at the kranes on the ceiling, he prepared himself for a long time spentin silence only broken by the monotone heart monitor.
The kranes were very beautiful. Reds, blues. Wait, kranes?
How did they get there? Could he get them down?
Standing up was a wobbly and difficult affair. Sitting up alone had cost Tenzo so much energy already, however, he really wanted to get those cranes down. If only he could just reach them, why where they so far away? There! His hand snagged one of them, Tenzo let out ha bubbling shout of excitement, he had made it! He got the cranes! His widedned eyes lit up with joy, before filling with fear. A good minute of helplessly flailing about, Tenzo fell back into his bed, with him, the entirety of the cranes that had been strung up acrossvthe ceiling. He went through them, one by one, untik he came upon the last one. Numbered 483. It was obvious to Tenzo just who had made these beautifully folded cranes.
Shisui.
It had to have been him. He slowly unfolded on of them, having seen the ink that bled through the page. He wanted to see what was written.
Hi there, Tenzo
If you're reading this, that means you must have woken up! I am so happy you did! It has been a few months now and you have still not woken up. It is a comforting thought to me that one day, you will come across these and started opening them. I promise you, once I reach one thousand cranes, I am gonna wish you wake up and if you know what's good for you, you better do as I wish! I miss you. I am going to be running missions again soon, so I will be starting this tradition now.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!
One thing, if you wake up, and I am not there, and the cranes are not completed, do you think you could finish them for me and make a wish yourself? You being happy makes me happy, so don't you dare wish for that, alright? I pray to Amaterasu that one day you will be awake to see this. Aren't cranes lovely? Just like you, love.
I love you, until I see you again.
Shisui
The paper folded up again easily, even with the tears falling down his face.
As Tenzo faced the sun, visible through his window, and swore to Amaterasu that he would fulfill Shisui's final wish. He would be happy, and finish the cranes. He would wish for Shisui to wake up. He would also forever mourn Shisui, but that was a matter for another day. Right then, he had to prepare himself for the nurses prodding and pushing.
And so he did. Rightly so, as Lady Tsunade burst through the door. The wood harshly crashing against the wall. The loud shouting he had expected, however, never came. She just looked at him solemny. She could see Kurama had told him about Shisui. She might have also just been stunned by the mess in the formerly clean hospital, room. Where there had once been juste white. Now, the etire room was filled with colour.
"How is he?", Tenzo had to know, he had to know how his beloved was.
"He will live, although, with his injuries, that may be the only thing he does for the rest of his life." Coming from the best medic the hidden nations had to offer, these words doomed Shisui's fate. Maybe. He could still be saved but it was highly unlikely. Silently, Tenzo's eyes hardend in a decision made, that was now known to more than just him.
"The cranes are incomplete. I will finish them and make the wish in place of him, I will wish and pray for him to wake up."
A few years later a young man sat in a hospital bed. It was a stiff and uncomfortable bed, but it was his. He did not remember much, except for the monotony of folding cranes. Over, and over and over and over and over again. He did not know how many of them he had folded. Only that his reason had been noble and desperate. He hoped the person those cranes had been dedicated to was well. As the sun lowered itself into a resting position, the black haired man in the bed did too. Staring, at the colourful one thousand cranes on his ceiling, the young man smiled himself to sleep. He wished that whoever that particular wish was for was well and unharmed. Just like he was.