The Lost Flower of the Hidden Leaf (WIP - On Hiatus)

Chapter Fourteen; Silence before the storm

One month later

The forest was absent from its usual vibrant life. There were no rustling leaves, no playful furry woodland creatures, no chittering birds... The sun was at its highest, yet couldn't dispel the tenebrous shadows around Katana. Unease filled her as she cautiously made her way toward the barren rocky terrain near the borders of the Hidden Leaf. She glanced over her shoulder for the umpteenth time, straining to detect the smallest noise or movement. Nothing.
Katana sighed and leaned against a tree, taking a moment to gather her composure. She couldn't let Kakashi see her like this. The Copy Cat Ninja had already noticed she wasn't her usual self the last time she came to observe Sasuke's training. If he suspected she was unwell, he would tell Mameha. And the geisha was already watching her like a hawk. 

Every night since her return to the okiya, Katana had been haunted by harrowing nightmares. Flashing images of fire, water, mirrors of ice, and shining red eyes were accompanied by deafening roars or high-pitched shrieks in a strange harmony of melodious singing, only to end in blood, darkness, and pain. She awoke crying in agony each time. 
After a week of having to come running to her room in the middle of the night, Mameha had taken Katana back to the medics, but they found nothing physically wrong with her. They'd given her sleeping pills, but those didn't help at all. 
When another week passed, Mameha had invited Inoichi Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino to make certain her maiko wasn't under anyone's influence. But the two elite Jōnin specialized in mind reading, sensory perception, and interrogation had concluded the same as the medics — the dreams were merely the result from near-death experience and PTSD. But neither Mameha nor Katana accepted that.

From an early age, Katana had grappled with amnesia, remembering nothing from her time before she was brought to the Leaf. Some had tried to help her, but nothing worked, and through the years, she'd accepted she might never regain those lost memories.
This time, though, Katana fought with every fiber of her being to retrieve even the faintest recollection of what had happened after she fell into those monster-infested waters. Because if there was the slightest chance Sasuke's older brother did something to her, she had to know. She had to be prepared. 

A white light pulsing in the distance caught Katana's attention then. She smiled. Why didn't it surprise her Sasuke once again skipped lunch to continue his training? He could be so headstrong sometimes. Good thing his sensei was with him. Kakashi would ensure he didn't exert himself too much. Though she still questioned if teaching Sasuke the Chidori Technique was a good idea.
The Jōnin had sent word to Katana after Sasuke left the hospital without his doctor's approval, notifying her on where they would go for training. Mameha had been reluctant to release her from her two-week confinement, but the medics, Inoichi, and Ibiki had all insisted Katana was to spend time with her friends for her mental well-being. She could only see them every three days in the afternoon, and made sure to balance the time given between Naruto and Sasuke. 

Katana inhaled deeply and continued her way, following the sounds of training. She halted a few feet behind Kakashi and watched silently as Sasuke charged his chakra. Her brow furrowed at his new outfit. The black knee-high one-piece with short sleeves didn't look bad, per se. It was just... not what she was used to. Knowing her friend, Sasuke's choice to wear bandages and straps around his calves and left arm wasn't a fashion statement. At least it kept him from suffering further burns from any wayward lightning strikes. 
Her eyes flicked toward his intended target, and she pinched her lips when she saw the various crater-like impacts on the massive boulder's surface. His Chidori was growing stronger, but he still couldn't get through it. No wonder he was pushing himself again. 

"I thought you'd be seeing Naruto today," said Kakashi suddenly, keeping his gaze on his student. "He's still in the hospital, isn't he?"

That, he was. After weeks of trying, Naruto'd at long last successfully called forth Gamabunta, the great toad from Mount Myoboku. The gigantic animal hadn't believed a teenage boy had summoned him at first, but Naruto being Naruto, Gamabunta eventually came to accept the contract was signed and binding. But all the effort and use of chakra had taken a toll on Naruto, and whether he dared to use such a technique during the matches tomorrow remained to be seen. Considering who his first opponent was, Naruto may not have a choice.