The day was coming to an end, it was evening now, and the rain had died down considerably, but that didn't comfort her. Yuudai wasn't home yet. She knew missions could take a while, and he didn't really fill her in with details, but she knew that it was close to the village, having to do with the seven bells... Why else would he be sent on a mission? Why else would he take a mission? If it wasn't so important, why would he risk himself?

She looked up at one of the clocks in the house. Time. She still couldn't read the symbols on the clock but from how the sun was getting close to the horizon, she knew it was getting late, close to dinner time. Earlier that day, after Yuudai had left to begin preparing, she had woke with the worst head rush ever, and nausea bad enough to make a sailor become seasick. Which is when she purged crackers and water down the toilet for a good twenty some minutes, during that time she had noticed red blotches in the blackness that was her vision, and from those splotches, more colour bled through; white, yellow, green, blue... Then everything had come into a fuzzy focus, fuzzy, but enough to make her headache worse. Slowly, as her blood pressure had begun to drop, her vision focused. Sight... She could...

She could see.

Now, the first thing she saw was the toilet, and it's contents. Blinking several times, she got up and flushed the toilet and walked to the mirror. Who is that?! She thought, startled by what she saw. Long red hair, periwinkle eyes, pale skin, freckles? It was...Me. She said both aloud and in her head. Reaching her right hand up, she touched her delicate, long nailed fingers to her raspberry coloured lips, and let her left hand play through some of her hair, watching the light shining on her locs. She let her eyes take in every single detail of her person, her curves, her face, how the light played across her hand, how her fingers moved... It was...

Amazing.

After that she had spent some time cleaning, making the bed, staring in wonder at everything, prepping food for dinner, making herself something for lunch and then playing around with makeup to see how it made her look.

But that was earlier. The marvel of sight had worn off when her anxiety started to creep into her mind. She wanted Yuudai. She wanted him safe and home. She wanted to tell him that she could see, she wanted to look at his face and be lost in what she could only assume was perfection. Now she was pacing, worrying, waiting, glaring at the door that Yuudai had fixed after Isamu's breaking and entering. She was always prone to worrying over things, little things, big things. She knew that he was powerful, but that would never stop her from her fear of losing him. All it took was one mistake in the heat of battle, one mistake and that was it.

She was pacing, rubbing her hands, unable to sit still in her anxiety. Dinner was already made. She had nothing left to busy herself with now. All that was left was to wait on him, so that was what she was doing.

Rain. It was still raining. How long had he been out? He stumbled then quickly caught his balance. "... would you like a lollipop? The doctor gives me one every time! I think it makes your booboos get better! Momma says that doctors are smart and make you feel better! You should go see a doctor!" Who had said that? Clearly that was the voice of a child, a female child perhaps? The Sannin slowly rotated around in an attempt to find the small child that had just called out to him. No, there was no one there. Was he imagining things? A small tug was felt from his right side, a tug of his coat. Steadily turning his head to look down and to his right, hoping to find the source of the voice. It was then that his eyes caught a tuft of purple hair, something akin to his own. The eyes seemed so familiar, yet he couldn’t figure out why. Why did everything seem so familiar, yet so out of place at the exact same time? Where exactly was he? The place around him seemed like Kirigakure no Sato, but there were so many changes around that he couldn’t place it upon his tongue. “I’ll be fine little one.” The words were harder to spit out than he had anticipated, what exactly was wrong with him?

Darkness. Utter darkness. He couldn’t see a single thing. Gradually, his eyelids lightly opened before falling down. Urging them open once more, Yuudai’s eyes soaked in the environment around himself, this seemed more familiar to him. He remembered this area. It was roughly near the local blacksmith that he had purchased his first actual katana from, the one katana that lasted him the last five plus years. He had apparently blanked out on his way back. Pushing his body off the wall he had used to support his body, Yuudai stumbled a bit before regaining his footing once again. He felt light headed. Blood continued to seep out of his left side, a small trail of blood lingering behind his person, his left hand bloody from trying to force the blood to halt it’s flow, to act as a temporary blockade for the red fluid essentially for life. He could make his way back home, that much was for certain, he just couldn’t recall how much longer he could keep consciousness, maybe half an hour, maybe longer. It wouldn’t do for him to pass out in his current spot.

Left foot, right foot. The patter of rain drops. The faint sounds in the background. They were constants, knowing that they had another day to fight for their security. That was all he could ask for as of right now. Apparently, the blow he had taken was getting worse due to not seeking out medical attention immediately. He had played it off earlier in the day, after Mizuru had fled, yet all the memories after that remained a blur. Only recalling talking to the man who had aided him and leaving him shortly afterwards were the only things he could seem to recall in his current state of mind. He needed to make his way back home, to see if everything was alright. He was needed out here, so he couldn’t remain with her at all times, but he knew that was understandable, and with the way his mental circuits linked up, he wouldn’t change it either.

How many minutes had passed? Time didn’t seem to be adding up anymore. It seemed like an eternity, yet it also seemed to pass by in a flash. Now, he was standing in front of the door that he called home, one that his right hand slowly went to hover over, grabbing the door knob and twisting it open. Maybe, he should have gotten the wound all cleaned up before he went home.

She could hear quiet noises outside, noises of heavy feet shuffling across the ground. Her thoughts instantly went to Yuudai. Is he home? Is he okay? Why is he late? Did he have to go to the hospital? What will he look like? She heard and saw the doorknob turn slowly, ever so slowly, and then a right foot came into view, then the rest of the person. Purple hair, hanging limply, sticking to a pale man's face because of the rain, his black clothes matted down with rain, his astounding blue eyes somewhat dull and halfway closed. She stood quickly- and now dizziness. His chakra, cold. Yuudai. This was Yuudai, all wet and half dead on his feet. Not exactly what she wanted her first visual memory of him to be, but she wasn't going to arg-

He was holding his side. Not just holding, but his hand was plastered to his side, red staining alabaster. She let out a shaky sigh, and hurriedly hunted down a large dark towel. Dropping the towel over the couch, she would, without looking at him, tell him to lie with his wound away from the back cushion. At the moment she was a busy little tornado, grabbing a bottle of near frozen water, and her first aid kit, she mentally got herself prepared for the worst. One could never prepare for that though, now could they?

She would pull his hand away, then proceed to peel his clothes back away from the source. Looking at the wound, she would take in a deep breath and open the water bottle, using the cold water to help clean, stop the bleeding and make it feel a bit better. Gathering a bit of chakra in her left hand, she would place her hand over his wound, letting the numbing jutsu take place. His body would be numbed for two and a half inches down, and five inches across, greater in size than his wound. While doing this she would reach down with her right hand and grab one of her anti-septic cleaning pads and tear the top off. When she would remove her left hand she would make sure to thoroughly clean his cut.

Glancing up at him, she would allow herself, if only for a moment, to admire his features, the elegant but masculine planes of his face, his lips, his beautiful eyes. This was her man. This was the father of her child. She loved him dearly. This was her's and her's alone. No other person could claim him, and she didn't care how selfish that sounded. She smiled slightly. "You better have kicked major ass for the worry and trouble you've put me through today." She said lightly, half teasing half serious.

145/150:

The door seemed to slowly creak open, was he just imagining it? He recalled fixing the door, making sure that it produced no unwanted noises when the incident occurred that forced him to repair it. At least the door was still standing, not taking a single bit of damage from any of the attacking forces. Though, who knew how long it would remain safe inside the village. The daytime was littered with attacks on the streets, at night things settled down but the fear would remain constant with the civilians. How long had it taken for the door to fully open? His thoughts were far too jumbled, his mind far away, thinking about the events that he partook in earlier in the day. At least, at home, he’d have sometime to lay down, to relax, before he would be at it again tomorrow.

As he stepped inside, every object, the lone individual in his home, he could make out, yet nothing seemed to be registering for him at the moment. He was just too caught up. Far too foolish for his own good considering what he had just went to try and accomplish. Upon setting foot inside, he was almost immediately ushered to lay down on the couch so she could inspect his wound. From what he knew about Himitsu, she did have medical training, though the concept behind her addressing his wounds seemed odd to him, it was difficult to do without sight, and from what he gathered, she still believe that she was blind. Yuudai wasn’t in the mood - in the right state of mind - to contemplate. He’d let her do as she pleased. Better for her not to worry even more than she would be doing. Once he laid down upon the couch, his head facing up towards the ceiling, yet his eyes following the movements of the woman who probably spent more time in his home than himself, not that he minded. While his vision did not seem to want to cooperate, likely due to the loss of blood, Yuudai could still make out the silhouette of Himitsu, never once taking his eyes off her. Was she alright? Nothing happened here while he was out? He hoped nothing happened.

Countless minutes had seemed to pass for the Sannin that was still laying down, his eyes now focused on the wall directly behind Himitsu. There was a voice, one that had taken him a bit of time to tune in to, though the entire message seemed to be registered completely. How would he answer that? The end result of the confrontation with Mizuru… well it certainly could’ve been better for the cause of Kirigakure if things had gone a little better. “I did all that I could. Not sure about kicking major ass, but the task was accomplished.” Seeing as how she was most likely done with her endeavour with dealing with his battle wound, Yuudai attempted pushed his torso upward by pushing off his elbows and forearms. It was a struggle, though it may be due to the lack of sleep he had recently received and the added events of today. As he would push himself up, his voice came out rougher than it normally would, “What time is it?”

As she was cleaning she heard his not as satisfactory answer. So that had been why he stumbled in the door half dead and bleeding. She didn't like that answer. She didn't want to hear that answer. For once, she wanted him to tell a lie to her, even if it was a blatant lie, but alas, she knew he would likely always be truthful. It was just how he was. "Shh, what was it I heard? Was that the sound of 'no Himi, I got my ass handed to me'? I don't want to hear that Yuu." She said shaking her head slightly. She had used a kinda playful and slightly sarcastic tone, but that was because she was annoyed and simply not in the correct mood to deal with life at the current moment. She had been worried sick, anxious, pacing, sitting, pacing again and doing more busy work.

She felt and saw muscles move under his skin. What exactly was it that he was trying? Oh. He was trying to sit up, and she wasn't going to allow that. Before he could lift himself very far, she would place her right hand on his chest and give light downward pressure. Not enough to actually make him lie back down, but enough to show him she didn't want him to move. "Uh-uh. No no. Did I say to sit up? I've only cleaned your wound. I still have to heal and stitch it dear." She had rights to be assertive at the time. She was fixing his hurts, she knew more about healing than he likely did. After she would make sure he was laid back down, she would gather more chakra in her right hand and place it directly over his wound, letting the energy seep into his wound, weaving the tissue and veins back together, skin seeming to pull towards itself. The small blood vessels would come together first, then the larger veins, followed by the muscle tissue. While healing, she spoke, answering his question. "I can't read a clock, but it's evening time. I made dinner while waiting on you, I wanted you to have a hot meal when you got home, since you were on an important mission, but it's probably cold by now." She said with a slight sigh.

By now a good part of the wound had closed up. Now he was less likely to bleed, and he would be able to function a but better with most of his muscle restored. This jutsu was too weak to heal all of the wound, and so her suture material would come in handy. Using a small suture needle and her suture thread, which was non-absorbable, she would push the needle through his pale skin and pull it out through the other side, repeating over and over, clipping and knotting where it was needed. Wetting the corner of the towel he was lying on with the cold water, she would make sure to clean whatever blood on his skin that she had missed earlier. Looking up to his eyes her expression softened. He looked so tired, like he was going to fall asleep right there. "Why are you prettier than me?" She asked softly, putting away her medical supplies and throwing the used materials away in a nearby mini trash can. Moving, she sat next to him on the couch, near his head. Looking down at his face with a happy expression she spoke again, "I went to the doctor this morning, you know. Our baby girl is going to be beautiful."

135/150:

The tilt to her voice had given away the teasing aspect of her being, yet to Yuudai at the moment, he really couldn't deal with it at the moment and his mind wasn't in a state to say anything back, thus just releasing an incoherent grunt. His body didn't seem to want to listen to him, it was difficult to get back up, too much blood had escaped him, so when Himitsu pushed him downward, his body just gave out, not wanting to put up any resistance. Softly landing back on the couch, he listened to every word the escaped her mouth, his eyes watching her speak, telling him to remain laying down. Something about having to clean and stitch it up. If he could shrug, he would, but instead he lay motionless, his chest rising and falling gently from the oxygen intake, and his eyes continuing to watch the sole individual in the room. Whom was he to argue if she would be the one addressing his wounds. He recalled her having knowledge in the field from the countless conversations they had in the past, but the amount of skill required would also need one's sight, something that would be a problem considering the last time she had seen a doctor for that. 

Ah, so it was around time to eat dinner. How long had he been out for? From the morning, so at the very least, 8 hours he had left her home with Suichi. It never felt like that much time had passed, but after he had left the other individual who aided him in his task, it seemed the Sannin had forgotten the concept of time momentarily, until his eventual return to his abode. 

He barely felt anything as Himitsu began her stitching, her eyes clearly focusing upon her movements. It seemed as if she functioned completely normally, just like the doctor had mentioned, though there was still the problem that the doctor had diagnosed that one time. She lacked the ability to see, or so she had convinced herself of. As her eyes shifted over to his own, her words rang clearly in his head. Her complimenting his appearance... that made things click, allowed the lines to be drawn. She was able to see now? That's what it seemed like as of right now. His lips were pressed into a thin line, wondering how long it had been, so he decided he may as well ask her. "How long?" Still, his voice was rough, but he wanted to know. She made movements, leaving the his line of sight momentarily before returning and then taking a seat on the couch, near the area his head was occupying. His body still felt too heavy to move, so he couldn't adjust himself at the moment without having to exert too much energy on his own part. And then, everything seemed to change once again with the next words that escaped her. He was already aware he'd be a father, but knowing the gender of the child was news that was welcomed. A smile appeared on his lips, one that wasn't as hidden, though having to make the muscles move took a bit of effort in his own part. "I... I.. I don't know what to say. All I know is that I'm happy.. can't really jump for joy in my current state." There was softness in his tone, knowing that words really never applied much to him, he still had some issues with expressing himself verbally.

"How long? Well it happened some time this morning." She'd answer once she had sat down. While up and cleaning the medical supplies up, she had gotten a cup of salty water, same salinity as saline; she had also refilled the bottle of cold water. He needed to hydrate since she was certain that he'd lost a lot of blood based on his condition and appearance. This meant that he lacked vital water, and needed to replenish it as soon as possible if he was to get any better. She heard him tell her that he didn't know what to say, but he was happy. He is smiling. She thought. It's so perfect, his smile. His smile made her smile, and she allowed a soft laugh to escape her throat.

Lifting his head and supporting it, she would move to sit where his head had once been lying. Putting his head down on her lap gently, she would reach to the end table and grab the bottle and cup. "Drink this. It's saline. It will help." She said, putting the cup close to his mouth. When he finished the cup, she would take it, and place it back on the end table, now opening the bottle of water. "And this as well, if you can. You need to get liquids in your system, you lost some amount of blood. I don't see why you didn't just go to the hospital." She said, placing the bottle the same way as the cup, holding it for him so he would have to move as little as possible. She was watching his face, and would take the bottle when he indicated that he could drink no more. Carefully looking over his face, she lost herself in thought.

I don't want him to leave. I don't want him to go again tomorrow. There's no way he'll be recovered fully. I just, I can't let him go when he's still hurt. I can barely stand to see him like this, and this only a small wound compared to some I've heard described. ... I just don't know how I would react, function without him, if he got hurt, if he died... She cut her own thoughts off before she could become upset enough to cry. She nor Yuu really needed that at the current time. Sighing softly, she would lean down and aim to kiss him on the center of his forehead. "I really wish you didn't have to go on these missions. I get so worried about you."

His head was lifted, something he could not accomplish from his own efforts; his body was not complying with the instructions he provided. The small hand beneath easily recognized by Yuudai, as there was no one else in the proximity of his home, except for Suichi who would most likely be wandering about; who was likely worried in his own personal way. And then his head was once again placed down, this time entering the confines of Himitsu's lap. His head laying in close proximity to her, his thoughts instantly traveled back to the news she had dropped on him just a few moments ago, that he'd be a father to a little girl. It was a nerve wracking thought, as he didn't know if he'd have what it would take to be able to fill that role, but he knew that it wouldn't be like the absence of a father figure that he had in his own life.

With a cup placed near his lips, he'd tilt his head downward upon the instructions he had been given to drink the water, as not to spill it. Thing was, he hadn't heard that it was salinated, thus the contours of his face matching up with his reaction. Yuudai, however, continued to drink it until it was finished, maybe listening to the full sentence would've prepared his taste buds better. Then there was another bottle placed in front of him, his reaction seemingly cautious of the contents inside of it, considering his last bout with a liquid. Ever so slowly, Yuudai allowed the contents of the bottle to enter his system, thoroughly content with it being just plain cold water. Taking gentle sips, just a bit at a time, he finished roughly less than half of what was in there before turning away from it. A few light coughs escaped him, though more from downing the liquid than coming down with any form of illness.

What seemed like just a second later to Yuudai, a gentleness was pressed down upon his forehead, his eyes spotting the familiar face of Himitsu just above himself. She was worried about him, worried about his safety, though in actuality, he was doing this to guarantee her well being. It was just how things worked, someone needed to make sure things would remain secure around the village, he was one of the many who could aid, one of the few who held substantial amounts of power behind them to aid their cause. "I have to. I can't just not do anything at all, especially considering with my standing with the village. If I can make it so you two can be safe, I will." He'd allow the clock to tick for a few seconds, before adding in gently, "I love you."

She would observe the look on his face when he drank the saline water, the lines of his face changing to reflect unpleasant surprise about the water being salty. She smiled softly at his reaction. She liked his face, even his displeased reaction made her heart flutter quietly. He was beautiful, prefect, sexy. How her plain and boring self had managed to keep a man like him interested baffled her. She made a pleased humming sound when he finished all of the saline. It would do him a lot of good now that he had a bit of liquid in his system. She was even more pleased when he managed half of the plain water. It was more than she had expected him to drink, which was still a good thing.

But still, his tentative expression towards the water was slightly amusing. But what was even more heart touching was his answer to her. If he could make it safe for her and their growing child, he would. Even if that meant him getting battered and hurt. She swallowed a sound before it could emerge. He cares... about me... that much? Enough to spit in the face of death and stand in danger's way... She was touched to say the least. For her, it was finally sinking in. He wasn't really one to verbalize his feelings, and he showed his affection with little things like doing things for her, or just being around her, nuzzling her when they lie in bed cuddling. Small things, but they meant something, they meant a lot to her.

But this... This was his life he was risking for her. He would risk it for her, and she had to wrangle her emotions before she cried from the weight of what he was doing. And then he said something; three words, simple words, but words that made her heart skip a beat. "I love you." Never. He had never said that to her before, not the entire eighteen weeks they had known each other, not the entire time they had been together. Not until today, now. It meant so much to her, no one had ever expressed this to her before. Not even her own family. She had only a vague concept of what affection and love should feel and be like until she had really started spending time with the purple haired man who rested in her lap. She now knew what a bond felt like, and it made her scared, anxious almost. The thought of losing him, the thought of him getting hurt. Unbearable. It made her heart race, thumping uncomfortably in her chest when he was late returning from a mission, or when he worked himself exhausted while training.

With love came fear and anxiety. It was a horrifying concept for her, but she would go though it and suffer it because to her, having this bond was the world. She would trade her happiness for his safety in a heartbeat, because if he was hurting, she was as well. Leaning down as best she could with her baby bump, she would cup his face gently with both hands and kiss him again. A gentle loving kiss before she would rest her forehead on his and reply back, "... I love you too, Yuu..." She was trying fairly hard not to cry, because neither of them needed to deal with her hormonal issues and emotional reactions, but she just wanted to lie on the couch next to him and cuddle and just be with him. She couldn't help but let out a small shaky sob of a breath. "I'm sorry, I just... You're the first person I've ever had a bond with like this... I'm not used to feeling these emotions..."

Did he ever picture himself in the exact same situation he was in now prior to today’s events? Most likely, but they certainly were never under these exact same conditions, they were always a bit more… proper, formal even. Words weren’t something he was used to using too, especially when it came to something like this. The concept behind the three words he just said mere moments ago always confused him, perplexed his mind, as he never really imagined himself being able to say that to someone else, hell he had never really imagined himself having a family of his own one day. The main things that circumvented all that, all prior to meeting Himitsu, were of protecting the village and likely succumbing to the life of a shinobi, likely having a shortened life due to the constant dangers that would surround one’s life. All that, had seemingly changed overnight all due to one constant variable, or rather two in this case, Himitsu and their child. A visit to Kumogakure no Sato and some alcohol had resulted in all of this occurring, though in the end, he wouldn’t change it.

Maybe it was the loss of blood that caused him to say those words, the realization that death could come at any moment, but the words did not mean any less than they were supposed to. As a man of few words, he felt that it would easily convey his message to the recipient, that he clearly held her in such a high regard compared to his very own life. Few things ever concerned him, but when they did, they were of the utmost importance. Life was a fragile thing, everything could be shattered in mere moments, a person’s existence could be meaningless after mere seconds, thus it was best to take things in stride, enjoying what one has and not needlessly worrying about the uncertain future. The things in a person’s control were limited, even their own life, their own future, their own legacy, wouldn’t be in their hands, it would be controlled by everything else. Thus, if it meant having to say those words to her at this particular time, knowing he may not be able to in the future, he would.

Upon her reaction, it was pleasant. The softness of her lips descending upon his own, though clearly aware of her discomfort due to the growing child. Her much smaller hands cupping his face, a feeling he was growing accustomed to after weeks of spending time with the one of two… soon to be three females he held highly in his own life. His eyes were closed on their own accord, a gentle force placed against his own forehead before the words he said early were reciprocated. It was even harder to make his eyes open back up, though it had been a fairly long day, and the loss of blood made him more weary than he needed to be. Adding in Himitsu sobs, he wanted to stay awake, though he had a feeling that he’d succumb to sleep, whether he would want to not. “Don’t worry, just relax and do what your heart tells you to.” It was harder to form coherent thoughts, though it didn’t stop him from reaching up pushing strands of hair away from her face. A slight tilt of his lips formed before it was distorted by a yawn. Sleep.. it would be nice to get some. Adjusting his head slightly, to get a bit more comfortable, it would just take mere seconds for his breathing to relax and for his mind to wander off to REM.

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