The next day, Kurenai couldn't stop herself from going to the hospital to check on the two children she had found. The boy could be patched up easily but she wasn't so sure about the girl. The burns would leave some serious scarring.
Kurenai entered Konoha hospital and wasn't surprised when she saw countless slum residents hanging around. Some must've come to get patched up while others were there to yell about lost loved ones. As Kurenai thought about it, it saddened her. The slums were beyond repair and that meant many would be left homeless. Rumours had even spread that the water around the slums had been ignited from all the contaminants roaming the water. Thinking back she didn't remember seeing the water on fire so it seemed farfetched.
She walked through all the wards, tugging on the sleeve of her shirt uncomfortably. She had always hated hospitals and now here she was, randomly checking on a child she had rescued. Her sandals squeaked against the polished floors and she tried to make her steps wider so the sound could be reduced. To no avail, it seemed to make the squeaking louder.
She turned right toward the east wing of the hospital. The previous night, the girl had been taken to the Accident and Emergency Ward, otherwise known as the Casualty Department. The boy was taken to Infection Control since a burn across his arm had begin to leak out a white fluid. Kurenai then spotted the give-away to where the girl was. Deep scratches along the right wall.
"Barely got a pulse here!"
Kurenai rushed after the paramedics as they pulled the girl away on a stretcher. In the bright light of the hospital, the extent of all her wounds became visible. Her skin was a ghostly pale. Her arms were bleeding to the point the burns couldn't even be seen. Wood shrapnel had pierced her lower abdomen and was still bleeding, drenching the ash covered blue shirt she wore.
Kurenai didn't understand why she was crying as she followed the paramedics but for some reason she was.
"Where are you taking her?" Kurenai questioned.
"Casualty Department. Best care in Konoha," one of the paramedics simply replied. They pushed the massive double doors aside and went through. Kurenai tried to keep up but suddenly felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked at the hand then up to who it belonged to.
Kakashi looked at her with either a sad or blank expression. She couldn't tell by the mask blocking a majority of his face. She knew what he was saying though.
Don't follow her.
Suddenly, she heard screaming and spun around to see the paramedics back up against the wall. The girl shot up from the stretcher. She got onto her hands and knees and pounced off the stretcher. Kurenai stared in horror.
The girl hissed and growled each time the paramedics tried to get close to her. Kurenai didn't know if she should intervene but she was worried for the girl's condition. Blood formed puddles at the base of her hands. As she leapt off the floor and onto the wall, blood dripped everywhere. The paramedics got behind her and grabbed her by the waist.
She let out a high pitched scream and gripped her nails into the wall. Kurenai saw that the small girl's nails had lengthened dangerously. They screeched as it left jagged claw marks across the pale green walls.
"Hold her down!" one of them yelled. Another came at her with a syringe filled with a transparent liquid.
Kurenai stepped forward but was immediately held back by Kakashi. "Stop it! You're going to hurt her!"
They ignored her pleas and kept the girl firmly at the waist. They stuck the syringe into her neck and she let out another scream. The girl slumped and her eyes drooped. "N-N-Naruto..."
The paramedics carried her back to the stretcher but this time they strapped her down in case she woke up again. They turned down the hall to the Casualty Department leaving Team Omega behind. Kurenai stared at the place the girl had once been.
Blood was pooled on the floor and bloody hand prints were smeared across the floor. Kurenai turned to the men behind her.
"I wasn't the only one who saw that, was I?" Asuma questioned, glaring at the no cigarettes sign.
"Did the Bijū inside her awaken or was that her natural personality?" Gai asked, rubbing his chin.
Kurenai didn't answer and just stared at the blood smeared everywhere. She had said the name "Naruto" before she passed out. That must've been the boy's name. Her brother.
Kurenai felt saddened knowing that the only reason the girl woke up was to try and find her brother. Despite all the pain she went through, it had all been done for her brother. "We should probably get going. Nothing we can do now."
Kurenai nodded and turned, following the men out of the ward.
That was how she remembered the night going. The girl woke, leapt from the stretcher like a predator, clung to the walls like she was stalking her prey then was knocked out before she could attack anyone. She walked through the hallways, trying to figure out where the girl could be. Would she still be in critical condition or would she just be unconscious?
A nurse passed by carrying a clipboard and Kurenai reached out. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a small girl with short red hair?"
The nurse stopped and looked up at the ceiling as she thought the question through. She nodded and smiled. "Room 109, the Head Nurse is there so you'll know if you're in right room if you see her. Black hair, green eyes."
"Arigato," Kurenai smiled. She was near Room 97 which meant Room 109 was a floor above. She went up the flight of stairs, looking straight ahead but wondering the whole time. Had the Jinchūriki released the Bijū last night in an attempt to find her brother?
She shook her head and ignored the thoughts as she walked toward Room 109. As she neared the room, she felt a chilling sensation. The kind of feeling you got when you were younger and had to stand in front of the class to speak. She reached out and knocked thrice on the door. It opened and a young woman, probably mid-thirties, stood in front of her. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail with a white nurse cap firmly atop her head.
She raised her thin eyebrows. "Something I can help you with?"
"Hi... is there a little red haired girl here?" Kurenai asked, hoping she didn't sound like a stalker. The nurse stared at her blankly and slowly nodded.
She stepped to the side, allowing her through. Kurenai smiled and walked inside, looking around the room. It was painted a pale green like the hallways. The window had been closed but the curtains were open to let in some light. The bed was pressed up against the right-side wall, bedside table filled with fresh bandages, anaesthetic, ointment, needles and everything else along the lines of surgery equipment.
Lying in bed, was the small red haired girl. Kurenai's heart sank. The girl was wearing a white hospital shirt but it couldn't conceal the thick bandages wrapped around both her arms. The top of her head was wrapped tightly in bandages along with half of her face. Her eyes, nose and mouth being the only things visible. The trash can beside the table was filled with bloody bandages and empty glass bottles that must've contained anaesthetic.
"You must be Yūhi Kurenai," the nurse behind her answered. Kurenai turned toward the nurse, crimson eyes flashing. The nurse nodded her head. "The name's Ling, Head Nurse of Maternity and Burn Unit."
"I'd introduce myself but you already my name," Kurenai stated, giving a small smile.
Ling nodded and went toward the girl's bed. She straightened the drip and oxygen mask along with the thin sheets that were supposed to be considered blankets. Kurenai held onto the end railing of the bed and watched the nurse. "How's she doing?"
"The head trauma is severe. Slight concussion. Multiple second degree burns across both arms. We needed to stitch up the wound on her cheek and we had to disinfect the scratches she had over certain parts of her body. Since she had been in the direct area of the flames, she'll need to be deposited clean oxygen through an oxygen mask for a while. But... there is something else that was bothering me," Ling carefully leaned the girl forward. She lifted the back of her shirt up.
Her vertebrae jutted out from her back, the outline and detail of every bone was present. The effects of malnutrition had hit her hard for a four year old.
All Kurenai could do was stare. Ling lowered the shirt and got the girl back into a comfortable position. She sighed and straightened the blankets again. "Never thought I'd see you again. Especially like this."
"You know her?" Kurenai questioned.
Ling nodded and handed Kurenai a clipboard. She accepted it and skimmed over the sheet. It was personal information on the girl before her, allow with an identification photo after she was born. Kurenai read it over carefully.
Name: Uzumaki Kitsune. Date of birth: October 10. Time of birth: Unknown.
Unknown? Kurenai looked up at Ling with a raised eyebrow. "Her time of birth is unknown? How is that possible?"
"She was brought to the hospital by Hokage-sama. Her parents were killed during the Bijū Attack so her and her brother were brought here. As a hospital we're listed to use the time of arrival at the hospital as time of birth but I didn't feel comfortable since that would be a lie."
Kurenai could understand that. She looked up at Kitsune. She appeared to be breathing fine now but it was largely thanks to the oxygen mask. A thin tube ran in through her nostrils that Kurenai hadn't noticed before. She smiled weakly. At least the girl was alive.
"And her brother? Nothing critical happened to him?"
"No. In fact, he's awake right now. Keeps asking where his sister is. As sweet as it is, we can't keep covering up where she is. We keep telling him she's asleep though that's not necessarily a lie. At the moment she's merely in a comatose state."
"May I see him?"
Ling led Kurenai down to the Infection Ward. It was exceptionally crowded with slum residents. Not that it was surprising. Living in the slums meant you'd be exposed to all types of diseases. Many of the residents were either complaining to nurses, or crying silently. Many people hadn't gotten out alive.
She wished she could've done something to save them too. But they were too late. It had taken the whole night and half the morning to put out the fire.
"I wish I could've done something to save everyone," Kurenai muttered.
"It was just bad luck. Don't beat yourself up over it. It's human nature to feel guilt when you see other's pain. The thing with shinobi that annoys me the most is the fact they want to save everyone. In this world, that's not going to happen," Ling stated.
Kurenai frowned at the woman before her. Ling looked like a gentle and innocent woman who dealt with people everyday but in really, it looked like working in a hospital had hardened her to reality. Usually when someone said "I wish I could've saved them all" the automatic response is "it wasn't your fault". No one really says you can't save everyone. It made you seem heartless and synthetic.
They walked in complete silence through the ward. Nurses passing by greeted Ling with a smile while she merely nodded or didn't say anything. She stopped outside Room 65 and pushed the door open. There was no one in the room except for Naruto.
He was lying in bed, empty jello containers around him. He looked up, spoon sticking out of his mouth. He stared at Kurenai with big, blank eyes then they shifted to Ling. The spoon immediately dropped from his mouth.
"Is Imōto-chan awake? Is she? Is she?" Naruto asked, eyes filled with hope. In that moment Kurenai remembered what it felt like to be a child. Hope and hopelessness became one when you were that young.
"Still asleep, Naruto-kun. We don't want to disturb her," Ling answered.
His expression fell and he slumped against the pillow. He went back to silently eating his jello, going through them like they were going out of fashion.
He wore an identical white hospital shirt like his sister. His arms had small bandage patches over it and on both cheeks. His long hair needed a haircut and by the looks of it, a good scrubbing. Kurenai understood that he lived in the slums but hadn't the person who had taken care of him bothered to trim his hair? She cupped her hands behind her back and smiled at Naruto.
"Naruto? I'm Kurenai."
His eyes looked up at her briefly then down at the jello. Still upset over not being able to see his sister. She glanced at Ling who nodded to tell her to continue.
She sucked in a quick breath and continued. "I'm the one who got you and Kitsune out of the slums when the fire broke out. You do know there was a fire?"
Naruto nodded. His head then snapped up as he thought over what she said. "You helped me and Imōto-chan?"
She smiled and nodded. At least he listened when he heard his sister's name. He sat up a little but immediately winced and settled back down. Ling walked past Kurenai and left the room, giving the two privacy. Besides she didn't look interested in the very least. Kurenai got a stool from the corner of the room and placed it by Naruto's bed, sitting near him. "Did you and Kitsune live in the slums by yourself?"
"No. Some old hag named Yumi took care of us but she hurt Imōto-chan so we went away," Naruto shook his head.
"Yumi? Where is she now?"
Naruto shrugged. He couldn't be lying since he seemed to be telling the honest truth of what came to mind. Four year olds were more honest than most. Kurenai looked at the empty containers for a second.
She felt like an interrogator but she needed to know how they ended up so close to the start of the fire. If she had arrived a few minutes later. They would've been dead by now.
"Naruto, you can tell me if it's too much for you to remember but I need you to think back as far as you can. Do you know how you ended up by the fire? Were you there before it started? Did you see who started it?" Kurenai asked gently.
Naruto's face scrunched up in concentration. He bit the corner of his lip. He scratched the back of his head, more flakes falling from his hair. "There was a man. He wore something like Iruka-san but... he had yellow hair and scary green eyes. He also knew me and Imōto-chan's names but we never met him before. Then he made it rain snow and we went to sleep. Then we were tied to a pole when we opened our eyes. That's it."
Not an exact description but blonde hair and green eyes described Sato exactly. Kurenai knew something was fishy about him. Becoming a Keepers private guard took years of training and trust, neither of which seemed like Sato's strong point. She rubbed her chin as she thought. Then she realized Naruto had mentioned Iruka.
Had he come by to check on the boy earlier? She looked up at Naruto again. "How do you know Iruka?"
"He came to see me. Asked the same stuff like you but he gave me jello later. You didn't bring any," Naruto pouted.
Kurenai chuckled and thought everything through. Everything pointed at Sato but no one would believe the Keepers' most trusted man would do something so treacherous. Hell, no one would believe her or the kids. They weren't old enough to tie their shoelaces, let alone be able to point fingers and tell who burnt their home down.
She tucked a strand behind her ear and sighed. "Listen, Naruto, you must really want to see your sister. I can get you in since you told me everything you know. Would you like that?"
"Really?" Naruto's face brightened and he sat up. She smiled at how his expression changed. Way better than getting teeth-decaying jello. She performed the necessary hand seals. Naruto watched in amazement at how fast her fingers and hands moved into different seals. She grinned and reached out, tapping his forehead.
He frowned at the action but felt a cool breeze slide over his entire body. He looked down at his hands but there was nothing there. He lifted his hands up to his face and tried to see where his hands had gone. He rubbed his hands together and felt them touch but couldn't see them. "Aggghh! I'm see-through!"
"Shhh!" Kurenai hushed and stood up quickly, placing her hand over where his mouth was. "You're going to have to be very quiet or else they won't let you near your sister. Can you be very quiet?"
She felt his head move in a nod. She smiled and retracted her hand. Slowly she stood up. She extended her hand to him and felt his small hand grasp hers. As she helped him up, she had to be careful since his injuries were still fresh and she could hear his hisses of pain every time he moved too quickly. The dent that indicated he was sitting rose and she knew he was standing. "Now stay close behind me and don't make a sound."
"O-Okay," Naruto mumbled. She made a quick clone of Naruto as best as she could remember his appearance then left the room with Naruto clinging to her shirt.
She closed the door behind them and began walking through the hallways. Moving slowly so Naruto wouldn't feel pain was difficult. She naturally walked fast and walking at this slow pace reminded her of when a bride walked down the aisle at a wedding.
Every time someone walked too close behind her she had to move faster so they wouldn't notice that the back of her shirt bulged out a little. The walk was long and slow. Walking up the stairs Naruto whimpered in pain with each step. The muscles in his legs ached as he lifted them but he determinedly continued.
They entered the Casualty Department. It had gone from bustling and noisy to deserted and quiet. Luckily for them Kurenai's squeaking shoes covered up the padding of Naruto's feet on the floors.
They reached Room 109 and Kurenai opened the door. She stepped inside and looked around to see of anyone was around. Ling hadn't come back to the room so they were clear. Kurenai pried Naruto off of her shirt and led him to the bed.
She peered into the hallway then quickly closed the door. She turned around and looked around for Naruto before realizing she hadn't released the jutsu. She placed her hands together, both index fingers pressed together and pointing upward. "Kai!"
A faint ringing sound went off and the jutsu wore off. Slowly but surely Naruto became visible again. She suddenly wished she hadn't released the jutsu.
Naruto stared at his sister's comatose form with sorrow filled eyes, his pools of blue filled with fresh tears. "Imōto-chan?" he whispered.
He reached out a shaking hand and touched Kitsune's hand gently. She didn't respond and remained still. He climbed onto her bed and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Imōto-chan, wake up! Wake up!"
"Naruto, be gentle with her. She's in a lot of pain," Kurenai warned as she moved to stand beside him.
He stopped and slowly turned to her. His eyes had stretched so wide she could see the stretching marks around it. "Pain? What's wrong with her?" his expression shapeshifted into one of anger and he bared his teeth as he growled. "Who did this to Imōto-chan? Why isn't she waking up?!"
He leapt off the bed and grabbed Kurenai by the bandage wrapped shirt she wore. His eyes flashed red repeatedly. Moving between blue and red. Kurenai gulped.
Calm him down. Calm him down. Kurenai thought. She reached out and lightly touched Naruto's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Kitsune is alright, Naruto. She just got hurt a little and needs to rest. If you wake her up, it'll take longer for her to get better. You do want her to get better, don't you?"
Naruto nodded but still remained angry. "Who hurt my sister?"
Kurenai didn't know how to tell a child how his sister had nearly died protecting him. She had taken the full brunt of the fire to keep him safe. It was the only viable explanation.
"Someone who we're dealing with as we speak. We're going to keep you and your sister safe. I promise."
"People break promises. And if Imōto-chan gets hurt then I don't believe in them!" and with that, he climbed onto the bed and hugged Kitsune close to him. His hand went down to hers and held onto it gently. Kurenai smiled and watched the twins. She swore she saw Kitsune's hand twitch but it was probably a trick of the light.
She watched the two for a few minutes until she looked out the window. The sun cast a vermillion haze over the village, shrouding it in blends of pink, magenta, orange and red. She should probably leave.
"I should take you back to your room before Ling comes ba-"
Naruto had dozed off beside his sister, their hands still intertwined loosely. His head was leaned against hers and a thin line of drool dripped onto Kitsune's shirt. Kurenai wanted to wake him up before Ling found them but she felt like she should leave them like that.
Maybe Naruto's presence so close to Kitsune would help her get better quicker. Twins did share a strange bond that no one would ever understand. The type of bond you wished you could have with your friends but then something wouldn't work out along the way. With twins, that bond was eternal.
Kurenai pulled the sheets back slightly and tucked Naruto up underneath it. He snuggled beneath them and curled up against his sister. She smiled and went to the curtain, closing it so that darkness enveloped the room. She made her way to the door and opened it slightly. Before she stepped out, she looked back at the sleeping twins and smiled softly. Then she stepped out and closed the door.