Post by Tensei Kaori on May 5, 2007 20:06:46 GMT -5
The sun had just barely begun to peek over the Desert horizon, granting those who remained awake one final reprieve even as a desert wind picked up, a dry warmth that spoke of the oppressive heat soon to come. The sentries on watch looked forward to this hour – not only because of the opportunity to enjoy the brief pleasant temperature that marked the passage from cold night to scorching day, but also because they would soon be replaced by the next watch, and allowed to sleep.
Today, however, not all was peaceful. Before long, a shout rose from the Northern border. Something had been sighted – something that, while appearing human, hadn’t moved since it came to the attention of the patrols. They muttered amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of this new appearance as some of the guards took turns peering at it through shared binoculars.
“What do you think it is?”
“It looks human enough.”
”You two, go alert Kazekage-sama.”
“Sir!”
“What should we do about it in the meantime? It doesn’t look too threatening.”
“Appearances can be decieving. We should be cautious.”
“Of course.”
“If it’s a threat, it’s best to meet it out there in the desert than let it come up to the walls, for all it hasn’t moved since we spotted it. I’ll take a group out with me to investigate. The rest of you wait here for Kazekage-sama, and remain alert.”
“Yes, sir!”
The team was chosen, and the other guards went back to their stations, struggling to keep their attention on their normal watches as well as the scene unfolding in the desert below as six shinobi made their way cautiously towards the motionless figure. The sun had risen a little by now, spreading a rosy light across the desert sands and irritating the guards on the Eastern side, who had to deal with the brunt of its glare.
“Careful, now,” the leader of the group whispered to his companions as they approached the figure – which, by now, was plainly visible as a woman lying sprawled out facedown on the sand. Tentatively, he called out to her. She didn’t move.
“I think she’s unconscious,” one of them whispered. Nodding, the leader motioned for the rest of them to stay back while he brought one other shinobi, this one female, with him to crouch in the cool sand right next to the fallen woman. “Oi!” he called, not loudly. “Are you awake?”
“She’s still breathing,” murmured the kunoichi, “but the others were right. She’s unconscious.” The leader of the group hissed in a surprised breath as his companion took hold of the woman and rolled her over, only to fall back in surprise.
“Konoha?!?” exclaimed the man, eyes going wide as his gaze fell upon the gleaming forehead protector the young woman wore – for young she was; she couldn’t have been any older than his own daughter.
“H-Hokage….” The Konoha shinobi whispered, her voice hoarse. Her eyes flickered open just the slightest bit to reveal a gleam of purple from underneath the long lashes. “Must… see…”
“Hush, now,” the Sand kunoichi said soothingly to their newfound ally. “Hokage-sama arrived here yesterday. We’ll take you to the hospital, and you’ll see her there.”
The girl from Konoha only smiled before slipping out of consciousness again. The male shinobi hoisted her up carefully on his back, sending his comrade forward to tell the others of this discovery.
Word soon spread back to the wall that a woman from Konoha had been found in the desert. The guards were in an uproar, wondering what she was doing out there – looking like she’d survived a month in the wilderness – and why she hadn’t arrived with the caravan yesterday, and why their Konoha allies hadn’t said anything about someone going missing from the traveling party. It got so bad that one of the senior-ranking guards on duty had to relegate his own post to a youngster just so he could go up and down along the wall, harrying the others to get back to work.
“This is indeed a strange occurrence,” said a voice that everyone in Sunagakure recognized instantly. When had Kazekage-sama gotten there?
“Take her to the hospital immediately,” their implacable leader ordered in his usual manner. Soft and dignified, a cold iron lay under his words that would make the most seasoned of veterans leap to obey. “Alert Hokage-sama that one of hers has been found, and ask her to come at once. She will want to treat this one herself, I think.”
If anyone thought this strange, no one said anything. They only snapped to carry out their beloved leader’s orders.
Tensei Kaori was not happy in the least to be woken at the crack of dawn by a knock on her door. Not that she didn’t always get up at this time – or before, even – but last night’s festival had gone on late into the night, and Kiyoshi had promised them a chance to sleep in today before starting in on the daunting task of sitting in a conference room all day. He, too, knew the agony of sitting in the same chair for hours on end talking to a bunch of stubborn advisors about matters that would affect their entire nations, if not others as well.
So why was someone knocking on her door? And why weren’t they going away? If anything, the knocking seemed to get louder.
“Honestly, Sensei,” Akina scolded as she hopped out of bed and made herself decent. “For an early riser, you have the most difficult time getting out of bed out of anyone I’ve ever seen.” Kaori just glowered in response as her loyal protégé went to open the door. Soft words were exchanged at the door before Akina returned to her Master’s side and, without a moment’s warning, ripped the blankets away from the still half-sleeping woman.
“What are you doing?” demanded Kaori rather indignantly, still upset about being woken so early.
”Kazekage-sama has requested your immediate presence at the hospital,” Akina announced, already half-dressed. The speed with which the woman moved never ceased to amaze Kaori, even if she was only half awake. That comment jolted her awake, though. “Why?” she demanded. “What’s happened?”
”The guards found something – or should I say, someone – in the desert this morning,” Akina explained, brushing her hair and tying on her forehead protector. ”She’s a Konoha shinobi, young, with curly brown hair and purple eyes.”
By this time, Kaori was already half-dressed as well. Early or not, it wouldn’t do at all to ignore a summons from the Kazekage, especially when it concerned one of her own. But Akina’s latest statement made her freeze in the act of wrapping herself in her robes of office. “You don’t mean…?”
”I do,” Akina answered with a nod, moving to assist the other woman so they could leave quicker. ”My Kohai1 has returned to us.”
The day had dawned, clear and bright, by the time the two kunoichi made it to the hospital. The formal, serious – and rather long-winded – greetings offered by the hospital staff when the two arrived, powerful leaders of a Great Shinobi Village and Medical legends alike, made Kaori want to scream with frustration. They only understood that she did not have time for such formalities when she demanded silence, commandeered a young apprentice to show the way, and left like a whirlwind.
The group of unsuspecting hospital workers were stunned, unable to speak or even move. Had that really just happened?
Turning back, Akina returned to the room to explain the situation. Whatever words she used, though, were lost to her ears as together with her young guide she passed through the doors leading into the Emergency Care Unit.
And there she was.
Lying on a soft white hospital bed, an IV already hooked up to her arm, was one of Kaori’s own students – indeed, a member of the last team she had ever taught. The purple gaze that was once so glittering with light and mischief seemed barely awake now, the girl’s once full and smiling face now betraying the telltale signs of prolonged malnourishment and goodness only knew what kinds of hardships. She had a wicked sunburn.
There, lying on a hospital bed in the middle of Hidden Sand Village, was Ichimu Kameko.
”Sensei,” the girl whispered, the relieved smile of one who is at last reunited with her family shining from that thin, careworn face.
“Hush, child.” Kaori said gently, laying a soft hand on her student’s warm forehead. “I’m here now.” Channeling the familiar pattern of chakra through her hand and oh-so-carefully into Kameko’s fatigued body, she murmured the incantation that had brought her to the attention of many. “Iryou Ninpou, Konpuriito Shindan2!” Instantly an awareness bloomed in Kaori’s mind, giving her detailed information on her young student’s physical condition. This, the first of her original medical jutsu, would perform a complete diagnosis on its target – to one who could interpret the meaning of the awareness it brought.
The jutsu complete, she nodded in grim satisfaction – Kameko was not well, obviously, but now that she was here, in the hospital, her life was not in danger. Indeed, she was better off than many had been in the attack on their caravan. Akina entered just as the diagnosis finished, carrying two white lab coats laid carefully over one arm.
Rising, Tensei Kaori began to remove her robes of office, exposing the normal clothes she wore underneath, and began her transformation from political leader to experienced doctor even as she began issuing orders to the nurses and medical specialists in attendance. It was only when she had finished that the Kazekage came forward, explaining what had happened as Akina painstakingly folded and stowed away the precious red and white garments that marked their wearer as the Hokage before joining the efforts herself.
Just that simply, as it always did when Kaori was caring for a patient, the outside world faded away. There was only her, Kameko, the other medical shinobi working with them, and the soft, caring voice – not even registered as belonging to anyone in particular – telling the peculiar tale of a young shinobi found lying facedown in the desert at sunrise.
Hours later, just short of midday, Tokoharu Akina made her way briskly through Hidden Sand Village, stopping any Konoha shinobi she met to inquire about the location of Homura Nadameru. She garnered no few odd looks, a dainty redheaded woman on an obviously important errand and dressed in a white lab coat – she hadn’t bothered to take the time to remove it before hurrying out – making her way steadily and efficiently through the village, neither hurrying nor hanging back. Tiny though she was, barely reaching five feet even in her tall high heels, folks still parted to make way for her before her authoritative presence.
Eventually Akina tracked down the kunoichi for whom she had been searching, another whom she called Kohai, and caught her attention. Moving to join Nadameru, she motioned that she wished to speak with her.
1Kohai - the opposite of 'Senpai', this term is used to address one's junior, like an underclassman.
2Iryou Ninpou, Konpuriito Shindan - Medical Ninja Style, Complete Diagnosis - Using delicately applied chakra, the user can instantly determine the physical status of a patient. Anything from minor cuts or bruises to major wounds and even illness or infection (though the last two require a little more chakra) can be detected with this jutsu.
Today, however, not all was peaceful. Before long, a shout rose from the Northern border. Something had been sighted – something that, while appearing human, hadn’t moved since it came to the attention of the patrols. They muttered amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of this new appearance as some of the guards took turns peering at it through shared binoculars.
“What do you think it is?”
“It looks human enough.”
”You two, go alert Kazekage-sama.”
“Sir!”
“What should we do about it in the meantime? It doesn’t look too threatening.”
“Appearances can be decieving. We should be cautious.”
“Of course.”
“If it’s a threat, it’s best to meet it out there in the desert than let it come up to the walls, for all it hasn’t moved since we spotted it. I’ll take a group out with me to investigate. The rest of you wait here for Kazekage-sama, and remain alert.”
“Yes, sir!”
The team was chosen, and the other guards went back to their stations, struggling to keep their attention on their normal watches as well as the scene unfolding in the desert below as six shinobi made their way cautiously towards the motionless figure. The sun had risen a little by now, spreading a rosy light across the desert sands and irritating the guards on the Eastern side, who had to deal with the brunt of its glare.
“Careful, now,” the leader of the group whispered to his companions as they approached the figure – which, by now, was plainly visible as a woman lying sprawled out facedown on the sand. Tentatively, he called out to her. She didn’t move.
“I think she’s unconscious,” one of them whispered. Nodding, the leader motioned for the rest of them to stay back while he brought one other shinobi, this one female, with him to crouch in the cool sand right next to the fallen woman. “Oi!” he called, not loudly. “Are you awake?”
“She’s still breathing,” murmured the kunoichi, “but the others were right. She’s unconscious.” The leader of the group hissed in a surprised breath as his companion took hold of the woman and rolled her over, only to fall back in surprise.
“Konoha?!?” exclaimed the man, eyes going wide as his gaze fell upon the gleaming forehead protector the young woman wore – for young she was; she couldn’t have been any older than his own daughter.
“H-Hokage….” The Konoha shinobi whispered, her voice hoarse. Her eyes flickered open just the slightest bit to reveal a gleam of purple from underneath the long lashes. “Must… see…”
“Hush, now,” the Sand kunoichi said soothingly to their newfound ally. “Hokage-sama arrived here yesterday. We’ll take you to the hospital, and you’ll see her there.”
The girl from Konoha only smiled before slipping out of consciousness again. The male shinobi hoisted her up carefully on his back, sending his comrade forward to tell the others of this discovery.
Word soon spread back to the wall that a woman from Konoha had been found in the desert. The guards were in an uproar, wondering what she was doing out there – looking like she’d survived a month in the wilderness – and why she hadn’t arrived with the caravan yesterday, and why their Konoha allies hadn’t said anything about someone going missing from the traveling party. It got so bad that one of the senior-ranking guards on duty had to relegate his own post to a youngster just so he could go up and down along the wall, harrying the others to get back to work.
“This is indeed a strange occurrence,” said a voice that everyone in Sunagakure recognized instantly. When had Kazekage-sama gotten there?
“Take her to the hospital immediately,” their implacable leader ordered in his usual manner. Soft and dignified, a cold iron lay under his words that would make the most seasoned of veterans leap to obey. “Alert Hokage-sama that one of hers has been found, and ask her to come at once. She will want to treat this one herself, I think.”
If anyone thought this strange, no one said anything. They only snapped to carry out their beloved leader’s orders.
Tensei Kaori was not happy in the least to be woken at the crack of dawn by a knock on her door. Not that she didn’t always get up at this time – or before, even – but last night’s festival had gone on late into the night, and Kiyoshi had promised them a chance to sleep in today before starting in on the daunting task of sitting in a conference room all day. He, too, knew the agony of sitting in the same chair for hours on end talking to a bunch of stubborn advisors about matters that would affect their entire nations, if not others as well.
So why was someone knocking on her door? And why weren’t they going away? If anything, the knocking seemed to get louder.
“Honestly, Sensei,” Akina scolded as she hopped out of bed and made herself decent. “For an early riser, you have the most difficult time getting out of bed out of anyone I’ve ever seen.” Kaori just glowered in response as her loyal protégé went to open the door. Soft words were exchanged at the door before Akina returned to her Master’s side and, without a moment’s warning, ripped the blankets away from the still half-sleeping woman.
“What are you doing?” demanded Kaori rather indignantly, still upset about being woken so early.
”Kazekage-sama has requested your immediate presence at the hospital,” Akina announced, already half-dressed. The speed with which the woman moved never ceased to amaze Kaori, even if she was only half awake. That comment jolted her awake, though. “Why?” she demanded. “What’s happened?”
”The guards found something – or should I say, someone – in the desert this morning,” Akina explained, brushing her hair and tying on her forehead protector. ”She’s a Konoha shinobi, young, with curly brown hair and purple eyes.”
By this time, Kaori was already half-dressed as well. Early or not, it wouldn’t do at all to ignore a summons from the Kazekage, especially when it concerned one of her own. But Akina’s latest statement made her freeze in the act of wrapping herself in her robes of office. “You don’t mean…?”
”I do,” Akina answered with a nod, moving to assist the other woman so they could leave quicker. ”My Kohai1 has returned to us.”
* * * * *
The day had dawned, clear and bright, by the time the two kunoichi made it to the hospital. The formal, serious – and rather long-winded – greetings offered by the hospital staff when the two arrived, powerful leaders of a Great Shinobi Village and Medical legends alike, made Kaori want to scream with frustration. They only understood that she did not have time for such formalities when she demanded silence, commandeered a young apprentice to show the way, and left like a whirlwind.
The group of unsuspecting hospital workers were stunned, unable to speak or even move. Had that really just happened?
Turning back, Akina returned to the room to explain the situation. Whatever words she used, though, were lost to her ears as together with her young guide she passed through the doors leading into the Emergency Care Unit.
And there she was.
Lying on a soft white hospital bed, an IV already hooked up to her arm, was one of Kaori’s own students – indeed, a member of the last team she had ever taught. The purple gaze that was once so glittering with light and mischief seemed barely awake now, the girl’s once full and smiling face now betraying the telltale signs of prolonged malnourishment and goodness only knew what kinds of hardships. She had a wicked sunburn.
There, lying on a hospital bed in the middle of Hidden Sand Village, was Ichimu Kameko.
”Sensei,” the girl whispered, the relieved smile of one who is at last reunited with her family shining from that thin, careworn face.
“Hush, child.” Kaori said gently, laying a soft hand on her student’s warm forehead. “I’m here now.” Channeling the familiar pattern of chakra through her hand and oh-so-carefully into Kameko’s fatigued body, she murmured the incantation that had brought her to the attention of many. “Iryou Ninpou, Konpuriito Shindan2!” Instantly an awareness bloomed in Kaori’s mind, giving her detailed information on her young student’s physical condition. This, the first of her original medical jutsu, would perform a complete diagnosis on its target – to one who could interpret the meaning of the awareness it brought.
The jutsu complete, she nodded in grim satisfaction – Kameko was not well, obviously, but now that she was here, in the hospital, her life was not in danger. Indeed, she was better off than many had been in the attack on their caravan. Akina entered just as the diagnosis finished, carrying two white lab coats laid carefully over one arm.
Rising, Tensei Kaori began to remove her robes of office, exposing the normal clothes she wore underneath, and began her transformation from political leader to experienced doctor even as she began issuing orders to the nurses and medical specialists in attendance. It was only when she had finished that the Kazekage came forward, explaining what had happened as Akina painstakingly folded and stowed away the precious red and white garments that marked their wearer as the Hokage before joining the efforts herself.
Just that simply, as it always did when Kaori was caring for a patient, the outside world faded away. There was only her, Kameko, the other medical shinobi working with them, and the soft, caring voice – not even registered as belonging to anyone in particular – telling the peculiar tale of a young shinobi found lying facedown in the desert at sunrise.
Hours later, just short of midday, Tokoharu Akina made her way briskly through Hidden Sand Village, stopping any Konoha shinobi she met to inquire about the location of Homura Nadameru. She garnered no few odd looks, a dainty redheaded woman on an obviously important errand and dressed in a white lab coat – she hadn’t bothered to take the time to remove it before hurrying out – making her way steadily and efficiently through the village, neither hurrying nor hanging back. Tiny though she was, barely reaching five feet even in her tall high heels, folks still parted to make way for her before her authoritative presence.
Eventually Akina tracked down the kunoichi for whom she had been searching, another whom she called Kohai, and caught her attention. Moving to join Nadameru, she motioned that she wished to speak with her.
1Kohai - the opposite of 'Senpai', this term is used to address one's junior, like an underclassman.
2Iryou Ninpou, Konpuriito Shindan - Medical Ninja Style, Complete Diagnosis - Using delicately applied chakra, the user can instantly determine the physical status of a patient. Anything from minor cuts or bruises to major wounds and even illness or infection (though the last two require a little more chakra) can be detected with this jutsu.
