-Mizuki-

The ceiling above me is white—stark, clean, and unfamiliar. I blink slowly, struggling to adjust to the brightness as it blurs the edges of my vision. My head throbs, sending dull waves of pain through my skull, but I can't close my eyes again. I feel... heavy. Like my body is sinking into the hospital bed, completely disconnected from the world.

The faint beeping of machines fills the silence, blending with the steady hum of life in the hospital around me. I turn my head slightly, trying to understand where I am, and that's when I see them—Papashi, Onii-chan, and Sakura. They're standing at the foot of my bed, their bodies outlined against the brightness, but their voices are muffled, like I'm submerged underwater.

I try to focus on their faces, but everything is blurred. Their expressions are strained, and their mouths move, but it's all jumbled, distant, and out of reach. It's like I'm watching from a faraway place, disconnected from everything. I want to call out to them, to ask what's going on, but my throat feels raw, my voice trapped deep inside.

I try to move my arms, but my body doesn't respond. It's like every muscle has forgotten how to function. Panic starts to rise in my chest, my heartbeat quickening in response. 

Why can't I move? What happened to me? Why am I here?

Then it hits me, all at once, like a floodgate being ripped open. Memories crash into my mind, forcing me to remember.

The mission.

Sasuke-san.

I gasp softly, the rush of thoughts overwhelming. The retrieval mission. We were so close. I was so close. I can still see it all in my mind—the hideout, the cold air, and the desperation that filled every corner of my heart as we came face-to-face with Sasuke-san. My chest tightens painfully at the thought of him. I wanted to get closer to him, to say something, anything. I wanted him to see me, to hear me, but... Yamato stopped me.

I feel a fresh wave of anger surge through me, burning in my veins. Yamato didn't understand. He doesn't know what it's like... what Sasuke-san means to us. He wrapped me in those suffocating roots, holding me back, keeping me away from Sasuke-san. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him to let me go, but my voice... my voice failed me, just like my body had.

Why did he stop me?

I close my eyes, trying to block out the memory, but it's too late. It plays over and over in my head like a nightmare I can't escape. I remember watching Sasuke-san walk away, slipping further and further into the darkness, and I was powerless to stop him. Again.

I failed.

The word echoes through my mind, twisting and curling inside me like a knife. We all failed the mission, but somehow, I feel like I failed more than anyone else. I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't brave enough. I wasn't enough. My chest aches with the weight of it all, the guilt, the frustration, the helplessness.

What could I have done differently? Should I have fought harder? Should I have tried to break free from Yamato's jutsu? If I had pushed harder, maybe I could've reached Sasuke-san. Maybe I could've spoken to him, made him understand that we're still his family. That I'm still waiting for him to come back.

Would that have made a difference?

The tears sting the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away. Crying won't change anything. It won't bring Sasuke-san back to me, to us. It won't undo the mistakes we made.

"Onii-chan..." I whisper, my voice hoarse and barely audible. The sound is weak, almost pitiful, and I don't even know if it escaped my lips or if it was just a thought. I'm too exhausted to tell the difference anymore.

I try again, forcing the words out. "O-onii-chan... Papashi..."

This time, Naruto hears me. His head snaps toward me, and his eyes widen in surprise. "Mizuki!" His voice is loud, too loud, and filled with relief. Before I can blink, he's by my bedside, his hands hovering awkwardly, unsure of what to do. "You're awake! You're okay!"

I try to smile, but it feels hollow. "O-Onii-chan... I'm sorry," I croak out. The words feel thick, tangled in the guilt that weighs down my heart. "I couldn't—"

"Don't," Naruto cuts me off, shaking his head. His expression softens, and he crouches down, bringing his face closer to mine. His bright blue eyes, so full of concern, look into mine. "Don't say that. You don't need to apologize for anything, Mizuki. You did everything you could. We're all here, okay? We're all safe."

Safe? The word feels foreign, almost mocking. I may be physically safe, but my heart and mind are anything but. The memory of Sasuke-san's cold, distant eyes burns in my chest, and the crushing weight of failure presses down on me.

Papashi steps closer, his single visible eye studying me carefully. He says something to Naruto, but I can't focus on their words. I'm too lost in my own thoughts, drowning in the what-ifs and maybes. What if we had tried harder? What if we had done something differently? What if I had been stronger?

I turn my head slowly, my gaze landing on Sakura, who stands quietly behind them. Her arms are folded across her chest, her eyes downcast. I can see the sadness etched on her face, the same pain that I feel. She's hurting too. We've both lost Sasuke-san, over and over again, and each time it feels like the wound cuts deeper.

"I-I could've done something atleast," I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper. The words slip out without thinking, but they're true. I could have fought harder. I could have—should have—done something to stop him. "I-I could've stopped him. I could've..."

My voice trails off, trembling with the weight of everything I wish I had done. The scene keeps replaying in my head—Yamato's jutsu, Sasuke-san walking away, and me standing there, helpless. Useless.

"Mizuki." Papashi's voice is calm, steady, but there's a firmness in it that makes me pause. "You did everything you could. You all did."

I shake my head, my throat tightening with emotion. "But Yamato... he didn't let me... He—" My voice cracks, and I choke on the words. "He didn't let me go to Sasuke-san. I could've talked to him. I could've told him that we're still his family. That I'm still waiting for him."

"Mizuki," Sakura speaks up, her voice soft but resolute. "It wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault. Sasuke..." She hesitates for a moment, the pain in her eyes deepening. "He made his choice. But we're not giving up. We're going to bring him back. We'll keep trying."

Her words are meant to be comforting, but they don't ease the ache inside me. What if we don't get another chance? What if this was it? What if Sasuke-san is lost to us forever, and we're just chasing a ghost?

Papashi moves closer to my bedside, his hand gently resting on my head. His touch is familiar, warm, like a father's, and for a moment, it eases the storm inside me. "You need to rest, Mizuki. You've been through a lot. You're safe now, and that's what matters."

Safe. There's that word again, hanging in the air like a promise I can't believe. I want to argue, to tell them that I'm not safe, not when Sasuke-san is still out there, alone. But my body is too tired, too weak. I close my eyes, letting the exhaustion pull me under, but even as I drift toward sleep, my mind won't stop racing.

What could I have done differently?

The thought won't leave me, no matter how hard I try to push it away. I keep replaying every moment of the mission, every choice, every action. What if I had broken free from Yamato's jutsu? What if I had called out to Sasuke-san louder, made him listen? What if...

Would any of it have mattered? Would he have come back to us?

I don't know.

I don't know anything anymore.

As the darkness of sleep pulls me under, one thought remains, lingering in the back of my mind like a shadow I can't shake.

Sasuke-san... will I ever see you again? Will you ever come home?

The questions echo in the silence of my mind, and I know that even sleep won't bring me the peace I so desperately crave. Because as long as Sasuke-san is still out there, lost in the darkness, I will never be able to rest.

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AAAAAA FINALLY! We back at updatinggg. I'm going to be busy for quite a bit because of work but I will make as much chapters when I'm available and schedule them for publication.

I start next week again so I'll try to cram as many chapters as I can :3

Anywayss, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, lemme know your thoughts!

Bye Potatoes!

Stay Fab!