❝We don't meet people by accident. They're meant to cross our path for a reason.❞ - Neji Hyūga

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ONE:

THE MYSTERIOUS NURSE

In the murkiness of the hospital, the only source of light that battled against the looming shadows came from the almost-vacant reception. A single woman sat at the main desk, eyelids fluttering closed with each passing second; the lack of activity that was expected at that time of the day made it hard for her to remain awake. The flashing screen of a computer reflected on her face as her head lolled to the rhythm of an inexistent melody.

As a yawn broke free, she busied herself with staring at the ticking wall clock.

And that gave the intruder the perfect opportunity to sneak inside.

Between the muffled whispers of a remote wind as it softly knocked on the closed window, a long shadow crept around the desk and neared the quiet hallway. In an unnatural reaction to the nurse repentantly standing to reach for a welcome candy, it swiftly backtracked and hid in the grey counterpart of a rubber plant on the slippery floor.

As the nurse retook her seat in front of the clock, the trespasser slid away from its temporary hiding spot and across the glaring, powerless lights until meeting with the refreshing darkness spread along the many arms of the hospital. And it kept on like a fish in the water, comfortable and confident, towards its final destination.

The door was closed when the intruder reached it, yet obstacles like that had never posed a problem to them. Slipping underneath, they felt the oppressive touch of the wooden door and suppressed a grimace - no matter how simple it looked; sliding through tiny gaps was never pleasant.

Once inside, they emerged from the white floor and stood tall in the middle of the room. Hidden in plain sight, they stared at the man lying in bed with gleaming eyes - observing, waiting.

Moonlight streamed inside through still curtains and along the cold floor in a vain attempt to cast a glance at their face and discover their identity. However, as a traitorous gust of wind purposely ruffled the white material, the curious moon was finally satisfied as its creeping hands accomplished their mission.

Caught off guard, the woman retreated to the shadowy wall and ran her slender fingers through strands of long, white hair in an attempt to put it back in place. Her eyes stood out in the darkness - like a pair of violet stars glowing in a moonless night.

Focusing on the unconscious man, she immediately noticed the discomfort on his pale face. Beads of sweat glimmered on his furrowed features as his hands gripped the bedsheets and his teeth gnashed, as if he was suffering from the worst kind of torture. Curious albeit wary, the woman approached the bed with steps as silent as an assassin in the night.

Fortunately for him, she had no intention to end his life; her reasons to be there had a different meaning.

A nightmare, she mulled mentally as the man emitted a barely-audible moan.

A thin ray of moonlight touched his face, as if trying to comfort him. But it was to no avail. With a slight frown, the mysterious woman placed a small hand over his heart in search of his pulse. As expected, it beat at an erratic pace.

What kind of dream are you having that's putting you through so much mental pain?

As if he was broken away from the spell of his nightmare, he suddenly let out a long, relieved breath. She felt his heart relax under the faint touch of her fingertips, and surprise crossed her refined features when the man stirred.

He opened his mouth. "What...?"

Swiftly retreating to the back of the room, she watched as Neji Hyuuga slowly sat up and brought a hand to his head. Bandages covered his eyes, hiding them from the frustrated moon - and from her. In the dazed state his mind probably was, he touched the soft material before attempting to take them off.

"I wouldn't do that."

As her voice - clear, almost melodic - echoed in the room, his body stilled. She could almost sense his wariness in the way his muscles flexed and his lips formed a thin line, could breathe his confusion in the cold air.

"Who's there?" Neji demanded to know in a voice that would have frozen hell itself. "Show yourself."

A smirk curled on her lips.

"But I have. You just can't see me," she taunted while leaning against the wall.

By the way his jaw locked, she could tell that he wasn't appreciating her sarcastic attitude. However, she was satisfied; his surprise and temporary annoyance were enough to make him forget about the bandages - if only for a fleeting whisper.

"Who are you?" His shoulders were tense as his fingers curled around the blanket - he was ready to fight. "Where am I?"

There was a pregnant pause, during which the woman mulled over things Neji couldn't even imagine. In the end, she sighed and dropped her act. "You're in Konoha, in the hospital. And I'm just a nurse who happens to be assigned to you."

At that, Neji relaxed. "I see. I apologize for my harsh reaction."

She hummed and approached his seating form. "Don't sweat it. Your confusion is understandable, and my approach probably wasn't the most suitable."

His head tilted towards her, before he nodded in appreciation. "How did I get here?"

"I was expecting you to answer that question," was her response. "We found you where you are now. Unconscious. There were signs of muscle damage all over your body; your eyes are especially affected, perhaps because you overused your ocular technique - it's the reason we treated immediately."

Confused about the strange revelation, Neji pushed it to the back of his mind temporarily and asked, "What is the diagnosis?"

But she read between lines and noticed his concern. Am I going blind?

"Your body should recover with no problem, but your eyes... You're going to spend a lot of time in hospital, I'm afraid. But I have faith you will be able to see again," she spoke firmly, yet her final words held a strong vibration that made her sound reliable - that made him believe she was right. "Just keep those bandages on. I know they must be uncomfortable, but they will keep you from trying to open your eyes and damage them any further."

Neji let out a long sigh and accepted her words with a nod. "Thank you."

"There's something else," she added while watching his reaction closely. He seemed to be calmer, yet she could tell the news had affected him greatly - his voice had lowered to a quiet whisper. "The muscles around your heart were torn; it's a wonder your heart was still beating. Do you recall what happened to you?"

Leaning back against the pillow, the young man shook his head. "I remember the battle, but everything is blurry. Speaking o-"

"You don't need to worry about that, Neji. As far as I know, your teammates are safe and on their way back," she interrupted, earning herself a frown she caught by the way the bandages wrinkled.

Perhaps, he wasn't buying her act after all.

She glanced outside, eyes following the hypnotizing clouds swimming in the night sky as the moon slowly made its way beneath the horizon. Soon, the sun would announce the arrival of a dull morning.

I think it will rain, she mused mentally before turning to the silent man. "I will let you rest now. Take it easy - your heart isn't weak, but it needs time to recover its lost strength."

Expecting no reply, the woman started to retreat. Her shape started to shift and mould with the fading darkness, until only her striking eyes could be noticed - even if he couldn't.

"Wait!" Startled by his sudden call, she paused. "What's your name?"

The sketch of a smirk drew on her lips, before her body was engulfed by the shadows. Neji could still feel her presence in the room, yet in a different way. She was everywhere and nowhere at the same time; hanging on the ceiling, and lying on the floor - as if her soul had broken into tiny pieces and spread around the room.

His hair stood on end when her voice rang from the wall behind his bed.

"Sayoko."

And then, she was gone. However, the door had yet to move.