Heavy. So heavy. Had she always felt so heavy in the land of the living? Uta tried to draw in a deep breath, but something in her throat stopped her. Uta tried to swallow whatever it was, but it didn't budge. She gagged slightly, but the next second whatever the thing in her throat was forced air into her lungs. She gagged again. Whatever this thing was, she needed it gone now! Her hands flailed towards her face and her fingers met with a hard plastic tube protruding from her mouth. She shakily wrapped her hands around the tube and began slowly pulling it out. It stung as the tube slowly slid out of her trachea and she gagged a few more times, but eventually the tube slid free from her mouth and she gasped in a few deep breaths. She slowly squinted her eyes open. Confusion met her as she looked at the fabric around her. She had expected to be in a hospital, but these weren't the room dividers. As her vision began to focus she realized the fabric was coming to a point above her and she could recognise the material. She was in a medical tent.

She let out a sigh. So the medical shinobi must've brought her to one of the tents that had been set up at the Chuunin exams. Uta was careful not to shift too much. If she was still in a tent after the exams, then her injuries from her battle with Usa must still be quite fresh and likely to reopen. She rolled her neck slightly, trying to remove some of the stiff feeling. Being in the land of the dead had felt like such a long time, so she had expected some time to have passed in the land of the living, but she must have been wrong.

Uta frowned as she looked around more. If she was still in serious enough of a condition to have not been moved to the hospital, then where were the medical ninja? Surely they wouldn't have just left her alone. Uta remembered all the lights she had seen before her return. Maybe they had more injured people than medical personal? Or maybe they had seen her injuries and had written off her survival? If that was the case, the injury must be an impressive one.

Curiosity got the better of her and she gently lifted the front of her gown, noticing that her arms looked much thinner than she remembered. She glanced under her gown, holding her breath and bracing to see either a mountain of bandages or a gaping hole in her chest. Uta tilted her head with a confused hum. There weren't any bandages, nor a gaping hole. Instead there was a monstrous scar marring a good portion of her skin on the right side of her chest. Uta pressed her finger to the scar. No pain. This was a fully matured scar. Even with medical ninjutsu, there was no way to have a matured scar without time passing.

She needed more information. Something wasn't adding up. Uta slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, her muscles all voicing their protests. She could see IV's leading to bags of liquid hanging on a small hanging rack. She read the labels. So she had been out long enough for them to put in a breathing tube, a saline drip, and a nutrient drip. That really didn't tell her much other than maybe a day or two had passed. Not enough for the scar. Uta raised her hand to touch her chin in thought and began muttering to try to figure things out.

She didn't hear the footsteps approach her tent, nor the tent flap opening. But she did hear the startled gasp and the sound on something falling to the ground. Uta turned her head to see a very pale, very startled young woman with pink hair and green eyes staring at her like she was seeing a ghost. Her face looked familiar. It reminded her a bit of Sakura Haruno. Maybe...an older sister? Had Sakura had a sister? Uta shook herself from her pondering. Whoever this girl is looked thoroughly freaked out.

Uta cleared her throat. It was still sore from pulling out her breathing tube, and her voice showed it as it came out as a rasp, "Oh, hello... heh heh." The girl pressed her hand over her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes. Yup, definitely related to Sakura. That girl had been a bit quick to tears too. Uta scratched her cheek, her voice a little stronger this time, "You wouldn't happen to be related to a girl named Sakura would you?" As the tears broke free from her eyes the other woman launched herself at Uta. The girl wrapped Uta in a hug that was almost painful, "Uta-sensei! Uta-sensei! You're awake! I can't believe it!"

Uta-sensei....

Uta-sensei.....?

Why was this girl calling her sensei? Only team seven had called her that.

Uta's eyes widened as a thought hit her. She struggled in the girls grip until the girl released her and backed up. Uta stared at the girl. There was no way!

"Sakura?! Are YOU Sakura?!"

The girl wiped her eyes and nodded. Uta brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, her head spinning. "Sensei?" The gir...Sakura's hand rested lightly on Uta's back. "How long have I been out for?!"

Sakura bit her lip and her voice took on the tone that well practiced medical ninja's used on patients, "A little over two years Sensei."

(Shorter chapter then the first, but I got a little carried away with the first chapter heh heh. Uta seems pretty surprised by just how much time has passed.)