Recovery.

(Written from the perspective of Zoro)

I woke up to find myself seated in a barstool, though that was not enough evidence. My eyes had been acting strange, probably because of the overexertion of my Rinnegan(I decided to call it the way they call it here, the name seems more befitting.)Hallucinations, maybe, but I could not distinguish even that. My edge on reality appeared to fade away, drifting silently…But the pain still remained, yes, very much still. My bones ached like crazy, and so did my head. My temples burned such as it were fire.When my eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, I found myself instead sleeping in a bed, undoubtedly the same I had been the last time I woke up after a bashing.Tsunade's lodge room.Ah, for some damned reason, the thought brought over a tinge of nostalgia, and a bigger wave of nausea accompanying it.I just kept staring at the ceiling, which seemed like hours, then after a while, I pushed myself up, my body slanted at a slumped forty-five degrees pose. I was sleeping in the bed, the same one as three days ago.My headaches didn't get any better, and I did not have the strength to move out of the bed, so I had no choice but to endure the boredom. I tried to go to sleep again, in vain. I could see through the window, pale light shining through the open pane. My guess was that it was late morning, the day slowly starting to get hotter. Cool breeze shot through the window, which was basically one of the only things of relief in the room. The room itself was small, just as I remembered it from just a few days before. The difference was just feeble, maybe only the fact that it was probably more ventilated, though nobody knows if that is true.

As I was still waiting, and healing, the door swung open, and in walked Tsunade.Wearing the same dress as the day I saw her that day, which I presumed to be yesterday, she walked near the bed, pulled a stool sitting uselessly in a corner, and sat besides me.She studied me for some time, her eyes darting across my whole body, her gaze sharp and steady. I felt uncomfortable at first, but I did not show any expressions of it." You seem to have healed pretty well for this short period of time, Zoro. All there's left is a fractured ribcage and a few major gashes, nothing that cannot be brought back to normal.So, how do you feel?" Inquired Tsunade absently.I replied, " uh… I'm fine, I guess… How did I end up here? What happened?"She responded, " I imagined that you'd ask this sooner or later. Better to elaborate at the earliest. The night two days past, more than a three hours before midnight, there arrived a man, carrying another wounded one, you. I found him at a roadside bar, drinking some sake. He was sitting in the barstool, with you beside him, apparently unconscious and leaning against him.I found you there, a familiar man, residing with a stranger in a strange place. I thought of your state, and approached the drunk man, wanting to find if he was friend or foe, for he was undoubtedly powerful. Thereon, things happened, Roger and I got acquainted, and Shizune helped me get you attended. The next day, that is, today has arrived, and this is the first time i've seen you since yesternight. Shizune had come earlier this morning, and had redone your bandages, and sanitised all the equipment again. I assume that you did not know that, and were asleep then."The Pirate King saved me. I was excited at first, and enjoyed the joy of being with Roger, but then I felt guilty and angry at myself, for I was too ashamed to even feel gratitude. How could I let a person who just endured immense hardship and came back from Death itself to cause even more trouble by letting myself be defeated in battle? A surge of guilt passed through me, once more downing my spirits, not that it was very high in the beginning.I replied, " Yes, I did not know that Shizune came here before this morning. Anyways, do you know where Roger is, currently? I have to thank him, and have also a great many other matters to talk about, urgently too. I take it that he is still in town?"

" I think so, yeah. Roger told me yesterday night that he would be on the outskirts, for he wanted a few peace of time and fresh breeze, and he insisted that he wanted to stay there, and said that he would just sleep under a tree, and it did not bother him." Tsunade answered. "According to him, he should be on the northeast side of here, that is the lodge. Beyond theshop known as ' Dai Dango', the town almost abruptly ends, and you find an orchard grove there, which is where you might find the person you want. The shop is famous for it's dangos, and even more so for it's rich and varied heritage. Almost everyone knows the shop, just ask people for directions if mine does not suffice." Tsunade said, and looked at me sharply. "Though I forbid you to move anywhere in this condition. Do not worry, or move in haste, because all will be fine soon. With my healing, and some nutritious food,I can bring you back on your feet by tomorrow's dawn. So I ask of you to just forestall your unjust urges for a day."

I sighed, " I can't move out of this bed even if I tried. I am too weak as of now to do anything, except talk, but hand gestures are within possibility. Anyways, how do you know this much about the township, when I thought that Shizune and yourself had only arrived a few days before I?"

I carefully did not speak of the matters the previous afternoon, because it seemed to be uncomfortable to Tsunade, and I would not try to invade anyone's privacy. Orochimaru and his accomplice would not be introduced into a conversation by me anymore.Tsunade continued, " I guess we have not told you this, because we thought you knew it. We are Ninjas, Shizune and myself. Shinobi, trained in the arts of Jutsus and hand seals. It is natural for us to survey a settlement or any place for that matter, before going there. It helps us in various things, one of them being where to buy good quality eggs."It was subtle but obvious humour, an effort to make a person laugh, but Zoro ignored it. " Well, that seems to at least explain a little bit. Since you say that you are a ninja, what kind of techniques do you use? Can you throw shuriken too? Kabuto threw some at me when we fought. Is he a ninja too?"Tsunade was getting a little tired of Zoro's ignorance of the situation, and possibly the world. Everyone knew who ninja's were, and all knew at least the basic knowledge about them, surely more than someone who asked if ninjas throw shuriken. " You seem to know little of this area, Zoro. But I will not ask you of your origins, for your sake and mine. Now, let me get back to your healing. I would prefer if you laid flat down on the bed, instead of this aberrant position. It will then be far more easier for me to treat you. And try to sleep, if you can, for this may take some time." Said Tsunade, and proceeded to cup her hands and brought it over my chest. It was her special style of medical healing, I knew it from Shizune's stories. Apparently the same chakra healing had been used the previous I was here, wounded. But I was probably unconscious while it had been applied on me, as I did not remember this. The treatment began when a soft emerald glow glistened on my chest, and I felt a tingling sensation across my entire body. It was cold at first, like pure river water flowing from melted ice had been poured on that particular spot on my breast. It was a relieving sensation, giving a new strength and in found energy and freshness. I felt elated and almost high; this thing was like a high-quality massage session.I muttered under my breath at how good this feeling was. "Ah…This magical healing thing you have is very effective, Tsunade…"It felt so good that I slept. Again.The next time I woke up, it was late afternoon. I checked out my limbs, and to my absolute surprise, they were all right. Well, except my right leg, which was just numb. I felt good, but sleepy. My eyelids were heavy, and my stomach grumbled in search of food. But I was all right, just as assured by Tsunade. I tried to get up to go down into the street. By now, I wanted to walk, or maybe even run. I was prepared for it, and set my legs down on the floor. Some parts of my feet were still covered with bandages and clean white clothes, but the remaining free area touched the ground, and I felt the warmth of it and embraced it. How I longed for this…to get up and walk around like a normal person. I started walking, though I still had minute limps under each step I took. Despite that, the magnitude of my limps were decreasing gradually. For that, I felt grateful. Yet, pain crept up my nerves, but I ignored it, focusing rather on the present and the impending future.I abruptly started to examine my surroundings, probably my subconsciousness that tried to engage me in other stimuli other than the suffering. I grabbed the windowpane as a support, and stared outside. A soft breeze was blowing, diagonally at his face, giving the room proper air circulation, and a certain positive vigour to the room. I glanced at the environment slowly and surely, taking in every detail. On the opposite, a tavern was situated, rivalling the economy of this somewhat-huge-for-this-town inn with accommodation. On the sharp right of the lodge he was staying, was the Tenko Ramen shop where we had eaten. It wasn't visible from the position of here, but I knew that it was just two buildings from earlier memories. A few small provision shops were scattered all around the scenery, each selling their own unique goods, but primarily the same ones were to be found. Two major grocery stores were present, one to the left of the inn, and the other to the northeast of the tavern. All shops fairly bustled with people, each having their own troubles and hurries. Sweat dotted all, while the sun shone brightly. I found my slippers lying in a corner, neatly arranged. They were in pretty good shape, except for a few scratches and holes which originated from the fight. I wore them, with certain difficulty, and started down the stairs. The wind, surprisingly with humidity, swept across my face with all but slowness. Each step I took hurt like hell, but I kept on, keeping not a destination. Not thinking about anything, for all my concentration was taken up to just keep my feet in the right places, I reached the last step.