Tayuya of the Sound Four had been defeated by Subaku no Temari and Nara Shikamaru, having been waged in a war of endurance with Shikamaru before being annihilated by the long-range wind attacks of Temari. Upon being hit by Temari's Summoning Bladedance, she'd been crushed by the surrounding trees as they were sliced apart. Upon sensing Tayuya's imminent death, Orochimaru had deactivated the curse mark, in order to prevent others from attempting to access the secrets hidden within.
Unfortunately, someone had already found her.
Tayuya's entire body was in a chaotic mess of feeling. At one part, the Sound Kunoichi could feel utter agony from what she could only assume was a combination of blood loss and crushed limbs, whilst at random points she felt an odd sense of sweet bliss. She kept drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to make out anything.
Her eyes eventually fluttered awake and she immediately groaned in pain. 'Great. I'll be conscious to witness my own fucking death.' she thought glumly before looking around. From what she could tell, she was in a campsite and night had fallen. There was a warm fire roaring in front of her, with a wall of logs made behind it to reflect the heat directly on her. She seemed to be laying down on a makeshift bed, made out of wood and leaves.
"Ah.. You're awake. I'm glad. You were in quite a bad shape when I found you." Tayuya would have scoffed at the voice that called out to her, if it weren't so utterly melodious and downright enticing. It sounded like a soft caring voice, filtered ever so slightly by this strange buzzing sound. The Sound Kunoichi had been around a bunch of people and a voice that caring was neigh-impossible to fake. Either the owner of the voice was a master at verbal deception, or they were genuinely caring for her. She didn't know which one was more surprising.
Tayuya shifted around ever so slightly to get a view of the person and her eyes widened a tad at the sight. A girl was standing above her and appeared to be around the same age as her, with long honey blonde hair that was tied in two pigtails and ran down her lithe body. Her skin was incredibly pale and bright yellow eyes stared straight into her core, giving her an innocent yet sharp look that was utterly confusing to the young Sound Kunoichi. Tayuya's eyes idly noticed that the girl's plump lips were a slight golden yellow hue, same as her hair and eyes.
Glancing at her clothes, it was obvious to Tayuya that the girl was a girl on the run or had been in the wilderness for a long period of time. She wore a plain white shirt with several large holes in it, with a short yellow skirt that was equally tattered. A small tan backpack rested behind her that was worn and covered in stitches.
"If you're done staring at my body, I'd like to hear you speak. I've been healing you to the best of my ability, but I'd like to be certain there's no damage to your vocal cords." the girl remarked in such a dry tone that Tayuya blushed, but she could see amusement flickering in the girl's golden eyes.
"Fuck... right. What the hell happened to me? Who are you?" Tayuya asked, coughing ever so slightly at the softness of her voice and inwardly cringing. She hated feeling weak. Especially around people.
The girl's eyes glanced at her worryingly before she responded, "I am Kamizuru Beatrice. Please, just call me Beatrice." Tayuya's eyes widened ever so slightly at the name before slowly muttering her own name in response. She'd heard back at Oto that the Kamizuru clan had been annihilated fourteen years ago by an unknown cause. "Judging by your expression you recognise my clan name. As for you, I found you wedged under a vast amount of cut trees and bleeding heavily. Judging by your figure and the damage to the area, I would assume you're a Kunoichi of some kind, yes?"
Tayuya paused for a moment as she thought about what she should reveal to the girl. She was technically still in enemy territory and severely weakened, but she had no choice but to give some information in the least, "Ahh. Yeah, I am. Why? You gunna kill me or something if I'm not in a village you like?" she threatened, before blinking incredulously at the bell-like giggle she got in response from the girl.
"It doesn't matter if you're the worst girl imaginable. I healed you. I'm not going to throw that away for some petty thing like village allegiances." she continued to giggle, seemingly oblivious to the light dusting of pink that now dusted Tayuya's cheeks before sighing and muttering quietly, "I don't belong to any village. I'm a traveller."
Tayuya noticed the solemn tone at which Beatrice had said the last part and she felt a spark of curiosity, but knew to keep quiet about it for now. Even it Oto, if there was one rule that people followed, it was to never piss off a healer.
So, she decided to change the subject, "Err. Right. How fucked up am I?" she asked, gesturing weakly to the large amount of bandages she found covering her body.
Beatrice couldn't resist a giggle at the phrasing of Tayuya's question, "Well, you were quite.. uhmm. 'fucked up' when I chanced upon your body, but your injuries will fade if you don't push it. From what I could find, you had just under seventy cuts and abrasions covering your body, with moderate levels of internal bleeding and your legs were basically flattened from all the logs." she remarked and Tayuya's face fell at the last part. Not being able to walk as a Kunoichi was basically a death sentence. Especially in Oto, she didn't even want to know what they'd- "You'll be fine."
…
Tayuya blinked and stared at the girl incredulously, "I get my fuckin' legs crushed and you say I'll be fine?! I'm a Kunoichi damn it! I'm fucked!" she screeched, tears welling up in her eyes from anger and sadness. She loathed being weak.
Beatrice merely giggled, ignoring the stern glare coming from Tayuya, "You'll be able to walk eventually once I'm done healing you. With physical therapy, you'll be up to peak condition within a month or so. Trust me, this isn't my worst injury I've treated. Far from it."
Yet again, Tayuya merely stared at the probably insane healer before sighing and looking down at her legs, which were being warmed by the fire. Then her eyes widened. She'd seen the state they were in after the fight with the Konoha and Suna brats before she passed out and Beatrice wasn't wrong in her assessment- her legs were crushed. But now they looked incredibly weak, but had regained some muscle. "H-how.." she found herself muttering as she flexed her toes and slowly attempted to move her legs, only to grunt in slight pain.
Her healer merely giggled that ridiculously intoxicating bell-like giggle of hers and smiled, "My abilities as a healer are rather unique." she said before turning serious, "Now, we shall need to move in the morning, so I suggest you get some rest. There is a village near here that will be able to drastically speed up your recovery process."
Tayuya nodded, but felt slightly suspicious about the girl's technique. She didn't need to be a healer to know how fucked her legs were. To even be alive now was a miracle, bullshit super-powered med-nin or not. Speaking of nin... "Wait, isn't there only like.. one damn village that's near here?"
Beatrice nodded, "Yes. Konoha. I need to restock on a variety of supplies and meet with a few people. Why, are you from there?" she asked curiously, tilting her head in a way Tayuya would have found adorable if she wasn't internally panicking at the new information.
'Fuck! Fuck fuckity fuck! Of course it had to be fucking Konoha!' she raged internally before hesitantly speaking up, "Listen.. I'm not.. err.. 'well liked' in that village, if you get my drift. In other words, they'd fucking cut my pretty little head off if I came near them, probably." she said hatefully, remembering her battle with those Konoha nin. Especially a certain Nara.
Beatrice gained a look of shock on her face before she sighed, "I see. Unfortunately, there isn't any other way around it. There's no other villages nearby and I'll need to resupply my travelling equipment," she paused for a moment and thought up an idea, "I have knowledge on Konoha's medical laws regarding Kunoichi in need. Regardless of your affiliation towards any specific village, a shinobi or Kunoichi's medical needs are placed above all else. They legally can't so much as question you until you're in proper condition."
Tayuya nodded slowly as she thought, 'If she's a travelling doctor or whatever, how the hell can she know all this crap?' she wondered as she narrowed her eyes, "So? Once they heal me they'll just torture me or whatever."
Beatrices eyes flared with an expression of barely contained rage before she slowly answered, "I will not let them injure you. You are my patient. After I just did all of that to heal you, I won't just let them ruin it all. I'd sooner kill them all before letting that happen."
Tayuya's eyes widened in shock as she heard that. It was plainly obvious that she'd been though a similar event and frankly that horrified the Sound Kunoichi. To see one with such a sweet and cute girl talk about- 'Wait. Cute?! What the fuck, brain. I'm motherfucking Tayuya the strong bitch in charge. Not some blushing academy schoolgirl-"
She was snapped out of her rampaging thoughts by Beatrice cocking her head to the side and tentatively asking, "Oh? Tayuya-san? Are you alright? You're cheeks are heating up again. Is it the fire? I can lessen it if you'd prefer."
If anything, this only further served to increase the reddening of her cheeks, "First off, no honorifics. Fucking hate that shit." she paused before quietly muttering, "I'm fine.. Just trying to wrap my head around all this, that's all. The fire's fine as it is."
Beatrice slowly nodded in understanding, "Yes, I imagine this had been quite a taxing event. As for Konoha, if it's needed, I can potentially induct you into what's left of my clan. You'd be under my jurisdiction under head-of-house. At most, you'd be interrogated for information surrounding whatever has annoyed them, but I would have to be present. I know a few techniques to get us out of there if needed." she paused a moment before her cheeks tinted a slightly golden hue and she quietly added, "I do not require honorifics either."
Tayuya stared at the girl for a long while before her lips twitched upwards, "You'd do that? You'd induct me into your clan? How? I thought you needed to be heiress or some shit for that."
The blonde-haired girl nodded slowly, a faraway look on her face, "Yes, I would. I'm technically heiress. It is well within my right to do such things for you, even if I'm the only surviving member."
Tayuya's eyes narrowed and she curiously asked, "Technically? What do you mean?" Beatrice flinched and Tayuya instantly realised she'd gone too far in her questioning, "Damn. Sorry. You don't have to answer that. Ahh, fuck. I'm not used to all this emotional crap." she muttered, unintentionally bringing a smile to Beatrice's face once more.
"It's alright. I shall tell you another time, Tayuya. For now, just get some rest. I shall have food and water prepared for you in the morning." she said as she lay down on the forest floor, "If you need me, just clap or something. I am usually quick to awaken. I shall need to heal you again in the morning, by the way."
Tayuya stared at the girl before quietly asking, "Why are you sleeping on the ground?"
Beatrice merely shrugged, "It does not concern me." she replied, before laying back and keeping her golden eyes on the stars above.
There was a silence before the Sound Kunoichi muttered, "No.. come here." Beatrice instantly shot up and stared at the girl with wide eyes. Tayuya merely smirked, glad to have surprised a seemingly relaxed girl, "Do I need to repeat myself?" she teased.
Beatrice merely giggled before laying down next to Tayuya, careful not to agitate any of her wounds. The girls stared at each other before Beatrice quietly mumbled, "Arigato. Goodnight." and promptly fell asleep, surprising her patient with how quick she'd fallen asleep, considering her prior statement about being a light sleeper.
Tayuya stared at the girl's peaceful expression for what seemed like hours before finally smiling and mumbling, "Goodnight.." before loosing herself to unconsciousness.
The next day, Tayuya's eyes slowly fluttered open when she felt the irritating glow of the sun pierce through her. She blinked in confusion at her location before the memories of last night returned to her. 'Right.. Beatrice, the wandering doctor.' she thought as she looked around the area. The previously raging fire had died down to a small trickle and flickered with life occasionally. She idly remembered that Beatrice had slept next to her lastnight and her cheeks reddened slightly before she wondered, 'Just where is the girl, anyway?'
A voice form behind her brought her out of her ravings, "Ah, good morning Tayuya. I brought you breakfast. Here you go." Tayuya turned and came face-to-face with Beatrice oncemore and she resisted a groan. This was the second time she'd been able to sneak up on her. The smell of food caught her attention and she blinked in surprise.
There was a carved wooden tray being held by Beatrice, with wooden bowls containing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with what smelt like cooked pork and a small serving of honey. There was a filled waterskin resting on the side.
Beatrice's cheeks gained that same golden tinge as last-night and she meekly responded, "I am unaware of what food you prefer, so I gathered a selection." she smiled slightly as she watched Tayuya immediately begin digging into the food without a moment's hesitation before she added, "When you have finished, I shall heal you once more."
As Tayuya munched on the food, she felt like she was in heaven. All the food that had been gathered was exceedingly ripe, seemingly picked at the perfect moment of it's growth stage and the meat was cooked to utter perfection. When she'd finished everything, she burped loudly and without shame, getting a giggle from Beatrice. The sound Kunoichi was quick to say, "Cheers. Haven't had a meal that tasty in forever." she got a polite smile and nod in response, "So, how's this healing work? You a medical Kunoichi or something?"
Beatrice paused for a moment and she muttered, "Or something..." before sighing in a way that told Tayuya that the blonde had been dreading this moment, "To put it plainly, I possess an ability that allows me to distribute poisons through mucosal contact. However, I can also use that same ability to create curative droughts that are tailor-made for a patient's DNA." at Tayuya's blank stare she sighed and muttered, "I can kiss people and make them better. Or kill them."
…
Tayuya blinked. Once. Twice. Then she blurted, "That's a fucking hot ability. Literal kiss of death. Neat." she muttered, forcing the developing blush on her cheeks down.
It was Beatrice's turn to blink in surprise, "You're not repulsed by my ability? Most patients feel some degree of distrust when I reveal that to them." she revealed, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
Tayuya merely shrugged, "Nah. You shoulda seen my team-mates! Their abilities were far worse. Hell, one dude had six fucking arms, man. You kinda get desensitised to strange stuff." she had to resist smiling when she heard Beatrice giggle from the story.
Beatrice smiled. "Arigato, Tayuya. This shall be the first time I have kissed one that welcomed it. Enjoy." before Tayuya could respond, Beatrice had leant forward and mashed her lips against her own. The sound Kunoichi couldn't resist moaning at the utterly sweet taste of Beatrice. Her lips tasted surprisingly similar to the honey she'd just ate, yet without the sticky sensation. When Beatrice pulled apart, Tayuya could see that her lips weren't as golden any more and had adopted the same pale sheen as the rest of her skin.
"Holy fuck, you're one hell of a kisser." Tayuya breathed with a flushed expression before her eyes widened in surprise as she realised that was her first kiss. Then she realised something else, "Hey, wait a moment! You said you needed to heal me 'once more'..." her eyes gained a teasing expression and her lips curled upwards, "So, you've been taking advantage of little ol' me whilst I was unconscious, eh?" her teasing was rewarded when Beatrice's cheeks instantly tinted a far darker yellow hue than before and she looked away in embarrassment. 'That's definitely a blush. She actually blushes yellow. Neat.'
"It wasn't like that!" Beatrice exclaimed bashfully, before looking away again when Tayuya's looked at her with a teasing sneer. She eventually sighed and muttered, "Alright, enough messing around. I'm going to start packing up and we'll be good to go in around half an hour. As for the.. technique, it uses, it's sustained by your chakra. I'd advise against using chakra if you can, but you shinobi types find that blasphemous." she remarked the last part dryly, her face momentarily shifting into a deadpan expression telling tales of the countless shinobi she's treated.
Tayuya smirked at the flustered expression on Beatrice's face before she idly wondered, "Right. Err. I still can't walk. How the hell am I going to get to Konoha? Doubt you got a stretcher in that tiny backpack."
The sound Kunoichi almost shivered at the highly amused smirk that now grew on Beatrice's delicate face, "Oh. That's quite simple. I'm going to carry you."