A Lethal Observer - ALW Saga Book 2

Chapter 17

The whispers... they're getting stronger. Even in my sleep they won't stop following me...

"Hanako!"

Hikari? Is that you?

"Hanako! Can you hear me?! I'm here!"

I can hear you, Hikari... but I don't know where 'here' is.

"Hanako!"

I saw her. I recognized the ruins, the same ones where I had first met Amane in a memory. She was screaming desperately to the surrounding air. In her hand was the stone. Why did she bring the stone?

My thoughts were interrupted by the deafening whispering.

Hanako opened her eyes, her vision was red. Sweat was dripping from her forehead. Amane was looking at her with wide eyes. "Are you okay? I thought for a moment you were sick! You're burning!"

The recent dream made Hanako sit up and her eyes faded to black. "There's somewhere I need to go..."

Amane gave her a confused glance. "Somewhere you need to go?"

"Yes... I need to go. My sister is waiting for me!" Hanako hurried out of bed and almost run out of the room, but Madara was standing at the other side of the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" He was looking at her with fiery crimson eyes.

Hanako took a step back. "I need to go somewhere. I think I found a way back home."

Her reason wasn't convincing enough, but Madara sighed in defeat. "All right..."

* * *

The ruins were just as Hanako remembered in the memory. They weren't as dilapidated as they were in her time, but still old.

"Of all places, you needed to come here?" Madara raised an eyebrow at her. "Why here?"

Hanako clenched her fists. "Can I have a moment please?"

Amane understood her intentions. She grabbed Madara by his arm and dragged him inside the ruins. When they were gone, Hanako let herself fall to the ground, with a dry chuckle she covered her eyes and started to cry.

Silly me... I got excited over the idea of going back home... Mom must be so worried. When was the last time I talked to her? A few weeks? I've been so busy with the Anbu that I forgot about my family...

I still haven't apologized to Itachi... what if he doesn't want to hear from me ever again? What if he thinks I really abandoned him?

And Shisui? Kazuki? Takeshi? Hyori?

Hanako's heart clenched at the same time an explosion alerted her. Amane and Madara had suddenly destroyed the ruins. When Hanako turned, she remembered the same ruins in the present. Amane walked out the place and hurried in her direction with a worried expression. "Hanako!"

The girl was dumbfounded. Wait... I was here when that memory happened?

"I heard you calling me! I let my guard down and this freak destroyed the ruins with a fire jutsu!" 

Hanako paled. Yes... I remember I called out her name when I saw her, and she heard me...

"It's not my fault you were looking elsewhere. You insisted on fighting me, but you must never let your guard down even with members of the same clan," Madara chastised. "And I did give you a few seconds before attacking."

Hanako was still lost in her thoughts. Can I talk to Hikari the same way?

A sudden idea popped in her mind. The stone! Hikari was holding the stone when she called out to her. She should use the stone to seal a message in it and have it deliver it  in the present.