• The concept of human beings are defined as a member of the bipedal primate species, descending from the Latin ‘Homo Sapiens’; we are known for being evidentially at the top of the food hierarchy. We have a highly developed brain making us capable of reasoning, languages as well as problem solving; amongst these qualities we are able to manipulate our surroundings, some being the people in our surrounding. Our bodies are exceedingly developed, and those of us who study shinobushido or the way of the ninja, our bodies as well as our deoxyribonucleic otherwise known as our DNA are permanently on hyper alert.


    Me? Well I was getting back to my old self, slowly but surely; my senses were that slightest bit duller. My vision and perception of things were not as sharp as I would like them to be; speaking of sharp my canines were actually a considerably normal size- well they were slightly longer than the average but none the less if I were to smile at someone they wouldn’t have palpitations because they thought I might go Hannibal lector on them.


    I was still a patient under the care of the Godaime herself; her honey orbs watching every breath I took and every beat my newly beating heart decided to skip. It was strange to feel that constant thumping beneath my now pigmented skin; beat after beat pulsed like a percussion symphony that was bound underneath a fleshy olive layer.


    I was prohibited to leave the hospital without direct permission of Tsunade, so instead I was stuck in my new room; it was set aside from the rest of the other wards, the rehabilitation suites. The other inhabitants were either trying to quit addictions such as drinking or drug intoxication while there was little ole me stuck between them all because I was trying to use to being human again-and it wasn’t exactly working for me…


    “Rei, I am warning you now- EAT THE GOD DAMN FOOD!”


    “No, have you ever tried to eat food when all you have been living on for the past five six years is blood? I don’t think so…Plus this food is more likely to eat me then me it!”


    Tsunade raised her manicured index finger to say something but she took one look at the congealed mass that was being constricted by the cling-film that wrapped itself around the plastic tray and let her hand fall back to her side in defeat.


    “Uhhh…I see your point, but if I order out from somewhere will you then try and eat something?”


    “…Fine…”


    “Good, Shizune will you get some ramen from Ichiraku for me?”


    The chocolate haired medic nodded and smiled at me sweat-dropping as she acknowledged the mush on the table that hovered over my lap. After Shizune left for the ramen stall Tsunade left to see to the other patients leaving me along with Hana in my little monotonous box room. I smile as Hana seemed unfazed by the little tiff between me and the Hokage; she had carried on colouring in while smiling as she admired her artwork.


    “Hey Rini-san when you’re all better what’s gonna happen to me?”


    She had caught me off guard with that, I knew that I would never replace her mother but I never wished to, but I wasn’t about to go and turn her out now as I?


    “Well…if you want you could always live with me if you wanted to there is more than enough room where I live so I don’t see a problem…”


    “Ahhhh Rini-san that would be great do you really mean that?!”


    “Of course Hana, do I break my promises?”


    “Nope!”


    I smiled as the young crimson eyed girl flung herself into my arms burying her head into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and returned the hug; I turned my head when I heard a light rap at the door; and there, in the doorway was the one and only copy-cat ninja that for once wasn’t holding his infamous little orange travelling porn show.


    “It’s nice to see you awake instead of strapped to a whole office of machinery…”


    I roll my eyes as Hana peaked at him from over my arms that were still draped around her lightly.


    “And it is so nice to see you too Kaka-chan…”


    He smiled his famous lazy grin that just simply oozed charisma that Gai was always trying so hard to achieve; he pushed off from the polished doorframe and came over till he sat on the edge of the bed. Hana sat between my legs holding my arms around her attempting to shield herself from his lazy yet all-seeing eye.


    “And who do we have here then?”


    He motioned to Hana while waving friendlily, she looked over her shoulder looking for the all go, and I nodded signalling her to go on.

    “My name is Akamatsu no Hana…”


    “Well Hana my name is Hatake Kakashi but you can call me Kaka-chan like Rei does. How does that sound then?”


    “Great Kaka-chan!”


    I smirk as they seemed to hit it off well, Kakashi leaned over to Hana and put his hand by her ear, he snapped his fingers and pulled out a teddy-bear and handed it back to Hana who started poking and prodding her ear to see where the bear had appeared from her face full of surprise. I chuckle as he winked with his visible eye and Hana started to ramble how Kakashi was a magician and her new best friend.


    With that Shizune came back food in hand, eye brows raises as Hana was now sitting on Kakashi’s lap attempting to see what was beneath his mask and headband but failed each time as he leaned back avoiding her grasp.


    “Hehe it seems you have your hands full Rei-san looking after two kids ne?”


    “Ahhmmm…”


    Was all I muttered as I continued to watch Hana attempting to wrangle Kakashi's mask from his face. She walked over to the bed and placed the wrapped packages of ramen on the hospital table.


    “I got some for Hana as well as I thought she might be hungry.”


    “Thank you Shizune-san it is much appreciated…”


    “You don’t have to be so formal, just Shizune is fine.”


    She smiled warmly as Hana crept from Kakashi’s lap and inhaled the scent that was escaping from the polystyrene cartons easing the lid from the steaming food, grabbing her chopsticks in the process. In a flash she was slurping noodles rapidly like Ramen-king Naruto himself, the odd one escaping from her lips and back into the plastic bowl that was held tightly in her hands.


    “Mmmm Rini-san this is almost as good as Sharky-kun’s gourmet food!”


    My throat tightened as Kakashi raised his eyebrow at Hana’s comment, but my face remained empty while she carried on eating her ramen-mine remained untouched.


    “Shizune-san would you take Hana out for a walk, as I need to talk to Rei for a while.”


    She looked from Hana to Kakashi and then to me before nodding and smiling taking Hana by the hand gently. Hana had finished her ramen so she was content to walk it off, teddy in one hand Shizune holding onto her other; she waved and sneakily hugged me before running back out the room with Shizune. I avoided any eye-contact with Kakashi as I knew what he wished to talk about and at this moment in time I wasn’t in the most talkative of moods to say the least.


    “Rei…I know it must be hard for you to adapt back to being human and learning of Itachi’s death, but I just want you to know that I’m always here if you wish to talk alright?”


    My violet orbs meet his single grey orb, my grip tightening on the fibered sheets; I could feel the lump building in my throat I didn’t want to cry even if I was now able to. The lump carried on growing to a point where it became hard to breathe while maintaining the doll like façade. Kakashi saw this as his ever observing gaze watched me begin to crack under the building mound of emotions.


    “Oh Rei…”


    He sighed as he pulled me into his chest in that brotherly way that he always pulled off that made me want to cry my entire heart out; he stroked my hair and rubbing my back as the tears started to fall in a now regulated pattern and onto his cushioned shoulder of his jounin vest…