Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 8, 2010 23:05:51 GMT -5
Kaori nodded. "I didn't have an image from the Tsutomegi records to show you," she explained, "but once I got a closer look at your system, combined with what I was able to interpret from what you gave me, it appears that you were simply born this way. Perhaps it is an adaptation from your clan's methods, or perhaps is a direct result of the relationship between you and your 'spirits'. I can't say for sure, at least not at the moment. Regardless, it won't hurt you. The worst that could possibly happen is that you may have to adapt to a slightly different style of chakra usage, though I won't make any predictions on that until I see how you perform in therapy. "This other knot, now. That... is a little trickier. For one thing, the other knots - the ones I removed - seemed more spontaneous. A reaction of sorts, perhaps. I remember Ichi-kun saying something about restraining one of his brethren, yes? From what I read, it doesn't seem that has to happen normally, so perhaps those knots are a result of strain on your system, or a response to some other stress. "This one, however, is completely different. Its design seems almost intelligent, somehow. Positioned where it is, and twisted so that it cannot be undone and yet doesn't harm you in the least.... It's almost like someone wanted to restrict your chakra flow. Like a seal, if you will. I believe I may be able to remove it, in time, but it will require a great deal more study on my part before I will so much as touch it. In its current state, leaving it alone won't harm you, but picking at it definitely will. "Don't worry, Tsutomegi-kun," she reassured him. "You are absolutely fine."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
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Post by strangevisitor on Jul 20, 2010 23:54:08 GMT -5
Absolutely fine. Don't worry, Tstuomegi-kun, this won't hurt a bit, you'll be absolutely fine..A chill ran down Utsuro's spine, and he shivered just a bit, focusing on the Hokage's voice instead. Therapy. That did not help him feel any better, though. It did give him something to say, at least. "Ah..strain..there...was an incident..a few years back...it is very likely it may have been the cause of some of them...Knowing my luck, they were probably developing my entire life.." Words softly left his mouth as he looked over the images, studying the differences further, eyes locking on that final, strange knot. "But this one...almost intelligent? But...that would imply that..someone thought to put it there...and I think I would remember if someone had knotted my chakra system purposefully..unless I was made to forget....but...you said I was not under any sort of outside influence.."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 21, 2010 0:10:58 GMT -5
Kaori paused a moment, mulling her words over carefully before speaking. "That's not entirely accurate, Tsutomegi-kun," she told him cautiously. "I said you weren't under any outside influence from genjutsu or similar effects. Whatever did this to you did so in a way so that you wouldn't notice. What I can understand the who - or what - would have that sort of ability, and why." Unless... No. No, it was impossible. That was just a myth. Or was it...? After all, Tengakure was supposedly just a myth too. Yet here she was, speaking to its sole survivor. "In any case, Tsutomegi-kun," she continued, "while that knot is an inconvenience to be sure, it isn't dangerous in the least. In fact, taking into account the fact that you're still recovering from a major operation, I daresay you're healthier than I've ever seen you. Once you've healed enough for me to loosen the seal a little and you start using your chakra again, you'll notice a big difference. Well. You let me worry about that knot. For now, you just focus on getting better and looking forward to the Academy, hm? Take good enough care of yourself and it's quite likely you'll be able to start at the same time as your friend out there. Ameno-kun, was it?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Jul 21, 2010 1:25:15 GMT -5
Something. Some thing. Had knotted his chakra system, restricting it, in a way he'd never had noticed. But why? Don't look at me, I'm just keeping Raijin-kun in check..It was....best not to dwell on it now. Hokage said he was in no danger from it, and she had proven herself to be trustworthy. An impressive feat considering she was both a Tensei and a doctor, really. But what she was saying...about being healthier than she's ever seen him...that..that sounded good. Utsuro smiled faintly. "Well...I have a good doctor now...But...yes. Ayaka-san. She and Takeo-sama came to visit me today." The latter part of the statement was made with a hint of amazement and just a pinch of pride. He could really get used to this 'having friends' thing. "It would be very nice to start at the same time as her. I fear we both will stick out enough as is without having someone else to turn to."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 21, 2010 3:04:25 GMT -5
Kaori nodded. "I'm afraid that's so," she agreed. "But you two will have each other, and you seem to have made plenty of friends who will be willing to help you. With hard work and dedication, I'm sure you both will catch up in no time. Be sure and help Ayaka-kun when she needs it, hm? After all, she's even newer to this than you are." Not to mention, it would be good for him to be able to teach someone something. Perhaps it'd boost his confidence a little. "That said, the nurses tell me you've been doing well, and I certainly can't find anything wrong, so I'll leave you to your friends, hm? Did you have any more questions before I go?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Jul 21, 2010 23:00:37 GMT -5
"That is...very good to hear...um...th...that therapy.." Utsuro began to inquire in response, the color draining a little from his face as the word left his lips. "Wh-what should I..expect?"
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 22, 2010 0:48:13 GMT -5
"Oh, that?" Kaori asked. "It's nothing to worry about. You'll just be doing a few exercises with your chakra to get your body used to your new system, and to get you used to your new chakra flow. Think of it as training, but the kind of training you can do sitting down or in a hospital bed. If you like, I can have someone start showing you the kinds of things you will be doing in advance, so you know what to expect."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Jul 22, 2010 2:42:45 GMT -5
"O-oh..That..I see.." Utsuro looked more than a little embarrassed, and relieved, upon hearing this information. Some of the color finally returned to his face, and he nodded slightly. "I appreciate the offer...but...I do not wish to take up someone's time that way. Thank you for the reassurance, though."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 25, 2010 19:01:30 GMT -5
"Of course," was Kaori's warm reply. "It's what I'm here for." She paused thoughtfully for a moment, as though considering something, and then brought her chair a little closer to Tsutomegi-kun's bedside. When she spoke again, it was in a far gentler tone than she'd used before. "And now that I've answered your questions," she told him carefully, "I'd like you to answer some of mine. You mentioned an... incident... that may have caused some of the problems your chakra system was having. Would you feel comfortable enough to tell me what happened? It would help me figure out why your body became the way it is if I were to know more details."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Jul 25, 2010 20:21:37 GMT -5
The boy was quiet for a long moment, face dark with introspection as he considered the request. He nodded softly, speaking quietly as knowing his friends, Takeo-sama at least was right outside the door, listening, and he would rather not trouble them with this particular tale. "Of course. I feel I owe you that much, at least, for all you have done for me. You asked me about my scars before, the stories are connected, so I suppose this is.....two birds with one stone, as they say?" He consented, eyes growing more dim and distant than usual as the memories began to play out in his mind. "It was...a little over 2 years ago, now. I was in the Rain Country. The Village Hidden in The Mist had been...far too cold and heartless. I was glad when Ichiyuumaihi had caused an incident as he is prone to doing, leading us to leave the village in a hurry. "Thanks to the namesake weather of the area, I caught a rather unpleasant cold, and against my better judgment stopped in the next town over to seek treatment. This unfortunately led to my meeting with one Akiyama Masanori-sensei." The look on Utsuro's face as he uttered this name was something akin to the look someone might make when tasting the most unpleasant thing imaginable. Twice. "Akiyama-sensei seemed very pleasant at first. He smiled a lot, spoke very warmly to me, much like you do. He listened to my story, and seemed genuinely sorry for the way I had been treated in the Mist Village. I was naieve, stupid even, and told him everything. As my luck would have it, he was the one person who believed the existence of Tengakure. "He assured me I would be fine, he was just going to give me a 'booster shot' to help me with my cold. I trusted him. Then I blacked out from the sedative." A hand reached up to rub his arm, most likely where the mentioned shot had been injected, but he hardly seemed aware of doing it himself. He continued on, almost reciting the story mechanically. How he had woken up half-drugged still on the operating table, bright lights not blinding him enough to avoid seeing himself....dissected. The sedative was not strong enough to keep his head too swimming to hear them talk of him like some....creature, not even a human being. "..when I came to again, when they had sewn me shut and the sedative had worn off...again....Ichiyuumaihi emerged, tried to fight our way out of there...My body was too weak, though, and Akiyama was not finished with me, apparently. He worked for Mist Village, you see. It seemed someone there had become interested in my abilities as a Tsutomegi, and wanted them for future Mist Shinobi. When cutting me apart yielded no results, Akiyama pursued....other methods. "They strapped me down to a chair and stuck wires all over my head and body. They asked me questions about Ichiyuumaihi, how he 'worked', how I had him in the first place, how they could give others my power. When I gave them an answer they were not satisfied with...the wires shocked me. The more 'wrong' answers I gave, the higher the voltage..." Tears flowed freely down his cheeks at this point, the stammering nothing unusual for Utsuro, though. "Ichiyuumaihi...he tried to save us again....and again....but every time they shocked me, he failed to seize control....Then...it happened." Swallowing hard, he trembled slightly. "The electrical shocks...Ichiyuumaihi's attempts to change my chakra to his own...the combination....somewhere...it woke up my lightning spirit prematurely. I remember feeling an immense power welling up....that horrible machine exploded....there was screaming...mine or theirs, I could not tell....and I lost consciousness. "According to Ichi-sama, the premature spirit went on a berserk rampage. Everything in that 'hospital' had been fried, several blocks of the city were blacked out....It was only when my chakra had been almost completely depleted that Ichi-sama was able to wrest away control and seal it away. He went back into the hospital only long enough to find and grab our belongings, and then ran until my legs couldn't go any further." And then, Tsutomegi Utsuro fell silent.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 28, 2010 0:34:23 GMT -5
Kaori sat unmoving, unblinking, as Tsutomegi-kun related his tale. Towards the end she felt a bit of dampness escape her eye, but she ignored it. How on earth had he survived that ordeal? Just how much did this child trust her just by letting her near him? One thing was certain, though. Akiyama needed to be found and stopped. For now, though, there was one of her own to be cared for. And though it was somewhat out of character for her to do this to most people, Tsutomegi-kun wasn't just anyone. And so when he finished her story, she found herself wrapping her arms around him in a secure, almost motherly fashion. "It's all right," she told him softly. "That's all in the past now. You're safe here. I promise."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Jul 28, 2010 2:01:27 GMT -5
After his tale was finished, Utsuro was not surprised in the least to see the Hokage's arms moving towards him. That kind of horror story, she was probably going to perform another one of those diagnostic techniques to see if he was traumatized or something similar. Needless to say, he was completely caught off guard when her arms moved past his head and instead wrapped around him. His eyes widened as the shock took hold of him. The Hokage was....was hugging him. And what was more, the warmth in it and her voice alike had the most horribly familiar feel to it. Nobody had embraced him this way. Not in seven agonizingly long years. Not since his own mother had died with the rest of his village. Eyelids slammed down like floodgates on a tide of saltwater, and it was all he could do to stifle a simpering sniffle. He wanted so badly to say something. Even if just to ask if it would be bad form to hug the head of the village. Instead he just found himself sinking against her, fingers curling in the fabric of her sleeves. Tsutomegi Utsuro felt safe.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 28, 2010 2:06:40 GMT -5
"It's all right," Kaori told him in that soft, comforting tone. "You can hold on to me. I'm here to protect you, and everyone else in this village." One hand came up, and began softly stroking her young companion's hair. How long had it been since anyone had well and truly comforted him like this? "It's okay," she repeated. "You can let it out, if you want. It's just you and me here."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 11, 2010 1:21:27 GMT -5
I'm here to protect you, and everyone else in this village.It was too much. Everything that had happened, everything Utsuro had seen, done, been through since having no choice but to leave the place he had been so happy to call home...Reliving those horrific memories yet again. And yet this time, for once, he was not alone. Someone was here. Someone listened. Someone cared. Someone he had been so afraid of...was STILL so afraid of... He lost it. There was no possible way Tsutomegi Utsuro could hold his frail thread of composure any longer. The tears flowed freely, arms wrapping as tightly as he could muster around her. His face buried into her shoulder, unhibited by any care whatsoever for appearing weak or useless or anything of the sort. The last time someone had cared enough to comfort him like this, that someone... he would never be able to see again. Who knew when someone would even be able to care enough to do so again. Utsuro did not care in the least. This moment was real, he was here, and he was going to savor every last moment of this warmth for as long as it lasted. It wasn't like he could properly keep track of time right now anyway.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 22, 2010 20:30:55 GMT -5
Kaori didn't speak. Words were unnecessary, even unwanted, at this point. Had Tsutomegi-kun ever been able to well and truly let go like this before? As guarded as he was, Kaori doubted it. And if Kaori could give that to him, it would be not only good for him, but would deepen their trust. And he needed to trust. He needed to trust someone for his own good, and equally important, for the sake of the village, he had to trust Kaori. But more than that, he needed her, in a way Kaori had never been needed before, and probably never would be again. The boy was clinging to her like a lost child, scared and alone, finally reunited with his mother. And if he needed Kaori to be that mother figure, she would gladly rise to the occasion. Her arms wrapped even more securely around Tsutomegi-kun even as she continued to stroke his hair, gently offering comfort and reassurance. Even as she did that, for a reason she barely understood, she began to softly hum her favorite lullaby, one passed down from generation to generation among the Tensei clan since time untold. It had always comforted her in times of distress; perhaps it would help Tsutomegi-kun as well.
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