Bump Buddies: Take Two

|Part Eight|

|YOU|

After my conversation with Kakashi, I didn't see him much. With his team entering the final round of the chunin exams, training had been a top priority. Which meant I didn't see Sasuke very often either. Until now.

I sat in a hard, wooden chair at Sasuke's bedside as he slept. We were in the hospital and a bandage wrapped around his neck and a few others decorated his arms. Neither he nor Kakashi would elaborate on what happened.

Seeing him laying in front of me, injured and exhausted with no idea what had happened, made me want him to drop out of the exams. But I knew that was just due to my own fear. The fear of losing him along with everyone else that was already gone, and that would only lead to him pulling away from me more than he already has.

I reached into my bag that hung on the back of the chair and pulled out my journal. A worn, leather binding around yellowed parchment paper. I didn't write in it often, but after I was adopted by the Uchiha's I had started journaling as a way to filter my thoughts. At seven years old, it was hard to understand why my parents would abandon me. Writing about it had been Mikoto's idea.

I flipped to the newest page and found my pen before beginning to write—

July XX

Sasuke is unconscious. From injuries I'm not exactly sure of. I feel like he's hiding something from me but there's no way to force him to talk to me.

It feels like he's pulling away. The young, sweet kid I once knew was gone a long time ago, but the person he's becoming now is so angry and hungry for revenge.

Kakashi also won't tell me anything. Whether that's because he doesn't know or he's just choosing to keep it from me, I'm not sure. It would be nice if he and I could just talk about things, but I've made my bed where that's concerned.

Maybe if Genma—

I lifted my pen and rubbed my eyes. I was exhausted, which would be the only explanation for my train of thought. Genma had nothing to do with the situation at hand. He had little to do with anything in my life for that matter.

Sasuke's eyes blinked open and he sat up in bed. I didn't say a word to him. Simply watching and waiting to see what he would do.

A yawn snuck up on me and I covered my mouth.

"It's barely the afternoon. Why are you tired?" Sasuke grumbled.

"Says the one who just woke up." He shot me a glare and I shrugged. "I've been tired a lot lately. I'm probably coming down with something."

"If that's the case, keep it to yourself. The last thing I need is to get sick before the finals."

I was about to scolded him but didn't get the chance. The door to his hospital room slid open and a nurse popped his head in.

"(Y/N)?"

"Yes?" I replied, curious as to what he wanted.

"Lord Third wishes to see you."

I looked back at Sasuke. His confused expression mirrored what I was thinking. It wasn't often that the hokage summoned a specific person. At least not someone like me who was a relatively new jonin.

"I'll see you later. Don't push yourself," I said to Sasuke. He turned away from me without saying a word. His usual frown returning to his face.

The hospital and administration office were neighbouring buildings. It took less than five minutes for me to get from one to the other.

There was no one stationed outside the hokage's office as I approached. I used to think that was so uncommon, but with my frequent visits lately it seemed to be a regular occurrence.

I stepped inside and paused as I saw another man standing before the hokage's desk. He glanced over his shoulder with a confident smirk, senbon hanging from his lips as usual.

"(Y/N), thank you for joining us on such short notice," Lord Third spoke.

I bowed respectfully. "Of course, sir. Can I ask why I was summoned?"

"The finals for the chunin exams are quickly approaching. With there already having been two deaths, I don't want anything else unseemly to occur," he explained. "By Genma's suggestion, I want you to lead a quadrant of the security detail assigned to the exams."

"By Genma's—" I looked up at the man in question. He watched me intently and— from what I could tell— seemed pleased with himself.

"With the passing of Hayate, Genma will be taking over as proctor. You will be replacing him as head of his security team."

I was too stunned to speak. I had lead co-op missions before, but leading a whole squad was something I had always viewed as outside my realm of capability. Especially with being a new jonin.

I bowed and said the only thing I could think of. "Thank you, sir."

"Genma will share the details with you and make sure you're prepared for the switch. That is all."

I turned and walked out of the room, my legs feeling heavy as lead. Genma following behind me and only paused to close the double doors.

"I can't believe you recommended me," I said honestly.

Genma grinned and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "After our mission together, I knew you'd be able to handle it."

For a man who hadn't known me for very long, he sure had a lot of faith in me. More than I had in myself.

"That's a big step for me. I don't know how to thank you."

Genma leaned toward me. So close that I could feel the heat of his body radiating off of him. "A date."

"A date?" I questioned.

"Yup. After the exams are over, you let me take you on a date."

At the mention of the word my body froze. I thought of Kakashi and what this might mean for him and I, but I pushed those thoughts as deep inside myself as I could. He already told me dating someone wouldn't change things. I deserved to try and find someone else. Maybe even someone better.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I think I'd like that."
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