Another one [Part-23]

[No, but I think you can ask that to the crying duck beside you.]-Matatabi

'Crying what-'

Veronica was about to look around when a little boy jumped into her arms.

"Sasuke...?"-Veronica

'I don't even have my notebook with me. I feel like pain's going to be a good unwanted friend in this life of mine...'

"He killed them...!"-Sasuke

'Oh fuck-

It already happened!'

"Cry... *cough* Cry all you want. I'll be right here beside you..."-Veronica

She gave him a reassuring smile, a smile he so desperately needed. A shoulder which he could lean on. That was all he needed right now. Someone who he could share his pain with. Someone who he could share his burden with.

But it seems that seeing his brother fight alone had taught him something which should never be taught to a child.

"It's alright to cry like this Sasuke... It's alright to be weak... It's alright to be yourself. I am here to share your pain. I will hold your hand tightly and not let go so please... just take a minute to think. You are not Itachi Uchiha. You will never be him. You are Sasuke Uchiha. You are my... brother. So please, don't bottle your emotions like this..."-Veronica

She felt a metallic taste on her tongue however, she didn't move a muscle. She held him tightly.

[You've gotten stronger.]-Matatabi

'How? All I did was comfort Sasuke.'

[Well, you would be able to understand if you were in my- Er, Our position.]-Matatabi

Veronica slightly nodded her head at that and continued to comfort the small boy. She sometimes felt herself wondering why she was doing so. She felt herself wondering if Itachi was watching them right now.

Sasuke fell asleep while sobbing quietly.

Veronica glanced at him and went into the bathroom. She kept coughing. Soon enough blood was the only thing that came out of her mouth. Not a single sound was made but you could see from her pained expression that the experience was anything but pleasant.

'Matatabi...'

[Don't worry, I'm already trying to help out with my chakra. Go ahead and call the nurses, maybe they'll be able to help too. Although I doubt it.]-Matatabi

There was a sense of urgency in Matatabi's voice that Veronica had caught but chose not to ponder on that for too long.

'Alright...'

She came out the bathroom and pressed the switch.

Her vision had black spots and she could feel the blood dripping down on her hospital gown. Soon enough, she had passed out.

---------------------

'Ugh. Again? Where am I now? Matatabi, you there?'

[Yes. You are still in the hospital. I need to rest for a while now.]-Matatabi

'Alright. I'll just talk to Tobirama-san.'

[What is it brat?]-Tobirama

'Do you think you could go around and check on people for a bit? I doubt I'd be able to move at all from this ICU ward. Also, how many days has it been since I visited Shisui?'

[It's only been a couple hours. Use a shadow clone to get to him. And how am I going to go and check on people? It feels like an abyss when I'm not in your mind.]-Tobirama

'Well, I know a jutsu that just lets you have the properties of a ghost. Although you won't be able to possess anyone like ghosts. Matatabi was the one who taught it to me.'

[Hn.]-Tobirama

Veronica sweat dropped at his answer and took it as a yes.

'Why does he NOT get along with the Uchiha? He even speaks the same language as them.'

Shrugging it off, Veronica made a shadow clone. Like last time, the shadow clone took the appearance of 'Karasu'.

'Even if he can tell that there's a henge here, it won't matter unless he gets to know it's me. Not only that, I made Karasu from Matatabi's remaining chakra so he shouldn't be able to sense that it was me who saved him either.'

Veronica nodded to Karasu and Karasu immediately moved out.

'This will also be a way to test my abilities. Karasu will need to get out of this hospital without any ninja finding out. I doubt that they would let a person with such a... peculiar chakra and a henge on; go out to town easily.'

[For a kid, you do a lot more thinking than even adults.]-Tobirama

'If I don't, then I'll die. In this world you either become Naruto to survive or you become someone like me to survive. I guess you can also become immortal like, Hidan.'

[Weren't Kakazu, Sasori and Orochimaru immortal as well?]-Tobirama

'Not really, Kakazu basically died. Sasori died too and if you want to kill Orochimaru then kill all of those people who have his curse mark and then kill him.'

Tobirama stayed quiet for a bit as if he was letting all of this information sink in, he seemed to have gotten comfortable with Veronica now as he was letting his emotions show better.

[Why don't you just kill Orochimaru? You could save yourself a lot of trouble.]-Tobirama

'I can't.'

[Why not?]-Tobirama

'Because I want to see Mitsuki. He's freaking adorable.'

[…

So, you're going to be sacrificing so many people to his experiments just because you want to see Mitsuk?.]-Tobirama

'Of course. Besides Orochimaru looked good in Boruto. Besides, I'm not kind. I don't care about people who have no attachments to me. My family is all I care for.'

[…]-Tobirama

Veronica wondered how he would react to her confession. It wasn't a secret, she would tell it to anyone who asked.

But no one ever asks.

Veronica giggled a bit at that and waited a bit to see what he would say.

[Why haven't you asked why Matatabi knows of your family jutsu?

No, do you even know of what your family was called? Do you even want to know why Matatabi has so much information about your family?]-Tobirama

Veronica's expression changed. At first it seemed a bit amused when she waited for him but now it turned more, emotionless.

'I don't. Matatabi knows better than anyone we only have each other to depend on. We don't trust each other.

We're just partners. People who have the same goal for now.'

Tobirama realized just how much he had underestimated Veronica. He realized that she was not someone who could ever be called a 'hero' she was someone who would only ever be the 'villain'.

Veronica sat up straight and made the hand signs for the 'ghost justu'. Pushing some of her chakra in her eyes, she saw Tobirama looking around the hospital.