Once the news that I was awake spread, Shisui wasn't the only one who visited. Tsunade was the second person to show up, and she looked like a teenager.
Ugh, yeah. I had done that.
She glared at me for a long while before using diagnostic jutsu on me.
"You're recovering, but still in no shape to fight."
Ino had left the bed and was now sitting on the chair by my side.
The slug princess was still glaring even after performing the diagnostic.
"I know you went after me to remove the seals and that they changed recently, but I advise against removing them until I have had the time to study what they do."
"I'm not removing them anymore."
Ino looked at me. Even Tsunade seemed startled.
I shrugged. "I wasn't asleep, or at least didn't feel like that to me. I was working on modifying the seals. They aren't a problem anymore."
"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked, reaching closer and using another jutsu.
"I am."
"Still, you need rest," the slug princess said after a while. "Whatever you've done, it needs time to heal naturally. Even your enhanced regeneration doesn't help."
"How long?"
Tsunade shrugged. "I'd give it a couple of months at least."
After Tsunade, the next visitors, surprisingly, were Rock Lee and Karin. They walked in hand in hand and all lovey dovey
Rock Lee bowed at the waist, a perfect ninety-degree bow, then shouted. "Thank you very much, Hinata-san!"
I hadn't been fast enough to cover my ears, and now they were ringing. Karin just giggled, not seeming concerned that her boyfriend - if that was what they were - just tried to deafen me.
Karin had a bit more tact. She gave me a hug, maybe sniffled a few tears on my shoulder. I just patted her hair.
Thankfully, she didn't try to prank me. I guess that with Rock Lee in the room, she didn't want to continue our competition, which was fine for me. I didn't mind some time to gather my bearings and think of the next best prank.
The rest of the day was a procession of people coming and going from my room. Mikoto and Itachi visited. Mikoto gave me a fond smile, looking at me and Ino. Ino still hadn't let go of me and didn't seem to mind what people thought. We talked about anything and everything. They invited me and Ino for dinner, asked if I needed anything, and just seemed worried about me. We didn't talk about Sasuke, but I felt like I needed to apologize.
"I'm sorry," I said once they were preparing to leave.
Itachi turned to me. "What for?"
I shrugged. "I should have told Shisui early."
It felt like it was my fault he had gone missing.
Itachi's face was serious, but he didn't seem angry. He approached, hand going into an inner pocket of his robe and pushing a rolled-up scroll to me. "If you find him, this will help."
Mikoto was at the door, looking at the two of us. She gave me a nod and a sad smile. The Uchihas left after that.
The scroll turned out to be a fuinjutsu: evil releasing method.
By the end of the day, I'd had more visitors than I could remember. From Secretary-chan to the GGC grannies, they all came. Some stayed, some cried, some pinched my cheeks like I was still six.
Last person to visit, to my chagrin, was Inoichi. The mind ninja walked inside the room, looking at me and Ino. And Ino was still holding my hand. For a moment, I thought he would be mad or something, but he smiled.
"I'm glad you're well, Hinata-chan."
I nodded.
"Ino's been beside herself ever since."
"Dad!"
"Not eating properly, not sleeping at her house."
"DAD!!"
"Picking a fight with her teammates."
"I'm not-"
I gave Ino my most disapproving look.
"Really, Ino-chan?"
Ino hid her face behind her hands. Inoichi and I burst out laughing.
In the end, the mind ninja didn't stay for long either.
"Please, come by the house anytime you want," he said, patting my head. I didn't dodge this time. Ino held me hostage. I think she was miffed that we teased her.
"I will," I said.
I stayed in the hospital that night, but the nurses discharged me in the morning. I collected my things: the seals, the bracelets, my beacons. I concentrated on things around me. A few beacons were missing. One was still in the Gelel mine, trapped beneath the rock; that one I gave up as a lost cause.
Another was somewhere far away. And in that direction, I thought about Suna. Did they pick one up to study?
There were a few others scattered here near the village. Ino had a couple of my beacons. There was another locked in some dark room. Most of them were bundled with my stuff at the hospital. I'd need to find a way to reverse-summon those back; no need to let the enemy or anyone else have them.
I insisted that Ino go back to her house to spend the night. Mostly because I wanted some time to think about my choices. I had been expecting not to have time to do anything once I got back from the mission, with the seal killing me and all that, but now, unexpectedly, I was on a forced vacation.
That gave me a lot of ideas about things I always wanted to do and didn't have time for.
I could open a bakery and introduce the joy of sweets to everyone in the village. Maybe snag Secretary-chan to work the place for me. I could even try to sell some of my seals to the village, or maybe get a contract for them? I could pump the exploding tags and storage seals at a decent clip if I dedicated the whole day to making a bunch.
Then I could dump them into the village and get paid for it.
It was a good idea, something I hadn't considered before.
At the crack of dawn, I left the hospital. Ino was there, of course. We took the highways and went through the now familiar, yet strange, roofs of the village. The mood, despite everything, was heavy.
Even at this early hour, civilians scurried all around, always seemingly in a hurry. There were more Uchiha police around, which also didn't help with the tension.
We landed in front of my apartment, and I stepped inside. The place looked about the same, with a few changes. It was clear Karin still lived here, and it had traces of her all around. New pictures of Rock Lee and Sakura in the living room, a few pieces of clothing scattered around. There were even unwashed dishes on the table.
Karin was still asleep, from the looks of it. Her chakra was calm.
I had little time to consider things. As soon as we were inside and the door closed, Ino grabbed me, pushed me against the wall, and then kissed me like her life depended on it.
Maybe the war and everything else could wait. Maybe, just for now, I could enjoy being alive.