The Return (Book 2 of It's Not Forever) COMPLETE

Chapter 26

    Thunder rolls overhead and rain begins to pour as we take off toward the compound. I pray that she will be there and safe. Sai stays behind to head home with Ino and Inojin before the storm gets too bad and I fully understand. Shikamaru and I reach the compound as the storm rages on, the wind whipping at our soaked clothes. I try to see if I can feel her presence anywhere but can't. We enter the compound and I sigh at the amount of houses that are inside.
"Which one did she live in?" I call over the sound of the rain.
"It's this one at the end." He gestures to the house at the other end of the compound. "Their household was the head of the clan."
We rush toward the house, glancing around every time the lightning illuminates the area to see if she happens to be outside. The front door of the house is laying on the floor inside, not suspicious of a crumbling house. Faint footprints in the dirt and dust are just barely noticeable between the flashes of lightning. We step carefully inside and my eyes are drawn to the bloodstained floor. The signs of the massacre are very evident in here and it's almost creepy. The footprints skirt the stain and climb the staircase to the right of the room. They travel down the hall and stop in front of each door. One has knives sticking out of it and I assume Sasuke did it at some point since he stayed around longer than she did and Itachi didn't seem the type to do it. I look into the first room on my side of the hall while Shikamaru does the same on his side. As he looks into the one next to the knife door, he turns to me and motions for me to come over. It's a little girl's room, painted a nice shade of purple. Toys are littered across the floor and drawings are taped to the wall at a small child's height. Lightning flashes again and I notice a form on the bed with their knees to their chest. Shikamaru pulls me from the room before I can get closer to her. I glare at him and he holds his hands up in surrender.
"I was just going to tell you that I forgot she is terrified of thunderstorms so let her know you're there before you touch her or she'll freak out."
I nod and soften my expression before returning to the room. She hasn't moved from her spot but she jumps and starts to shake as lightning lights up the room. I wait for the thunder to die away before speaking.
"Kaida? It's me, Shikamaru and I have been looking for you everywhere."
She peeks up from her arms but doesn't fully lift her head.
"Go away... I'm broken."
"Broken?" I look to Shikamaru for help but he shrugs as he steps in and leans against the wall.
"I talked to Sakura. She said there's only a 5 percent chance that I'll ever be a fully functioning ninja. I'm broken." Her voice sounds like she'd been crying.
"You're not broken, you're just a different kind of ninja. You'll still kick butt and do what you've always done, just in a new way. It's a learning experience."
Before she can respond thunder and lightning clash outside and she jumps again.
"Come on Kaida, let's get you back home and we can talk more."
She nods and slowly gets to her feet. I notice a small notebook in her hand but don't question it right now. My main concern is getting her back home and making her feel better. Shikamaru and I let her walk out first and she stops in front of the knife door and pushes it open. When we go to follow her, she holds out a hand to stop us. A small light appears in the room a moment later and I realize she lit a candle. The light moves around the room, casting a slight glow on the bedroom. She comes back out holding the candle and a small backpack is over her shoulder. She leads the way out of the house and to a small gazebo in the backyard. I realize that it's a memorial area for the ancestors of the clan. A bunch of candles are settled in the center and she uses the lit one to light the others then kneels in front of it. The light makes the large stone in front of her almost glow. Shikamaru and I step out of the gazebo but still under the roof to give her a bit of privacy as she talks to them. I hear her squeak as the lightning flashes again but the thunder sounds further away now. She joins us a few minutes later after blowing out the candles and I use my sand to cover her as we walk. I don't want her getting sick.