Innocent: Hello my friends...sorry I have not updated in quite a bit..I had some writers block on this story yet managed to publish two other one-shots. I get bored and then there is beautiful music and well...I get ideas. Anyways I racked my brain today and FINALLY figured out how far I want to take this story and it's sequels..which there will be five. The rest of the sequels will focus on Kiba then the other four that sort of branch off. It's a mixture between Azumi and Kiba..Shino..Sai..Sasuke and Itachi. A little bito f Gaara and Hinata but Taking her Stand is primarily all about this certain couple..so I am going to veer off a bit on Azumi untill the sequel...Enjoy!

Chapter Seven: Fears and Confusion

Hinata watched her friend pacing the cafeteria with the hostility of a caged tiger. She cursed, stomped her foot, and occasionally arranged bedding around the patients being brought down, all sixty in one straight line stretching from the front of the cafeteria to the back. Medical Nin from Konoha rushed around avoiding Azumi like the plague.

Gaara, Temari and even Kankuro stood off to the side, observing quietly only interrupted by Kankuro's curiouse questions revolving mostly around "What the hell is going on?"

You could cut the tension in the room with a butter knife. Hinata smiled softly arranging another I.v into a patient's arm.

'Azumi is a mastermind when it comes to tension..even the head nurse is avoiding conflict!'

Hinata sighed as three other patients, the last of them, were wheeled into the room and she moved forward to inject another I.v along with two others. The patient twitched beneath her touch, this was obviously one of the first to get the 'Chakra-sucking little buggers' as Azumi so affectionatly called them. Hinata dabbed at the blood with a cotton swab and tossed it into the nearest trash-can before joining the crowd. The eighteen..in this case seventeen medical nin were crowded around the only table left up, the one Azumi pocessed as her stage.

"Alright. Took more time then I thought but we got it done." Black eyes sweeped over the audience resting on her own opal ones for a second before flickering away.

One of the docters, Kero raised his hand boldly, then seemed to deflat under Azumi's odd-colored eyes.

"Yes?"

"What exactly..I..get what we are doing but..what exactly..is going on?"

Several nods and murmers of agreement ran through the ninjas and Hinata bit her bottom lip. Azumi's eyes where doing it again..flashing aqua then back to the discomforting black.

"We are saving lives..do not question why. This is the fucking reason you all decided to become Medical Nins no? To save lives? We are helping protect our allies in their time of need."

"Why are you in charge then, you are only a nurse..." Someone else grumbled, but Azumi caught it, once again the eyes flashing.Hinata rubbed her temples..Azumi was about to open a can of whoop ass on them all. Hinaa got that from her stance..not just her angry aura and eyes. Didn't they realize they where pushing her buttons? Azumi knew perfectly well what her position was..it wasn't her fault she was the only one to realize exactly what they were dealing with in her fourth year of training! Jeeze...

Azumi's mouth opened, but Gaara smoothly cut in.

"Azumi-san is in charge because she was the only one who realized that what we..are dealing with is a jutsu and not a poison. I put her in charge when she notified me of her findings."Everyone's eyes were on him then back on Azumi when the 22 year old cleared her throat, then broke the moment when she stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Nyaaa. So there." She straightened herself. "Now. At exactly Nine 'O three..Temari will give the signal. Each of you will be given three patients for the first turn, as soon as the signal..." She demonstrated the signal, her hand raised above her hand then slashing downward in a clean line "You will start the healing flush, handle you're chakra wisely, make sure an even amount goes into each patientt and flows smoothly to the three directed organs..The heart, the brain, and the right lung. If we get this done correctly..I say it'll only take two hours..any screw-ups and it can go any where from six to eighteen."

She paused at the groans. "After the first Chakra flash, fifty-four patiets should be taken care of. That leaves six patients. Me and Hinata will be more then capable to take care of the last six and if all goes smoothly everyone should be out of her by..ten'o three. Of course that gives you a day to rest up and regain energy and chakra. Tomorow..is the hunt."

Several confused murmers.

"That will be explained tommorow. Right now I want you all lined up single file. Nurses get the patients to the front doctes to the back. Pick three next to each other please and center yourself at the second one you choose."

Hinata followed the rest and chose three right away, no one seemed to be in a big hurry.

"This won't work..it uses up to much chakra..."

"An hour? This kid is crazy!"

Other coments rang throughout the lunchroom but Azumi paid them no heed, instead she positioned herself at the three patients next to Hinata's own and flashed her a false, but reasurring smile.

"Can you handle two flushes Birdie?" It wasnt a question exactly, or atleast not a serious one. Azumi was probably the only one who believed Hinata was stronger then she appeared to be.The Hyuuga grinned slightly at her best friend.

"Of course...but don't think I wont be talking your ear of tonight. I want to know what happened yesterday."

"We'll see Birdie." Azum murmered softly looking shaken up for a moment but easily slid back to attention as Temari's hand raised. Gaara caught her eye and offered her a nod, Hinata blushed, returned the favor with a soft smile before returning her attention to Temari.

The hand slashed down and Hinata, with a burst of speed flew through the hand motions then let it rip, her chakra flared as if with uncontained exitment and flowed from her hands to her three patients, smoothly..evenly..Hinata concentrated..she had to keep this up for an hour..then another.

'I can do this'

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Gaara watched silently. Every Ninja acted as if they had done this a thousand times before. Konoha was truly advanced in it's medicine-practice. The room sparked with energy and chakra, his eyes swept over each of the Konoha ninja's then..he raised an eyebrow.

Azumi...her hands were not outstretched, instead her arms were folded tightly to her chest, her eyes had changed again, from black to a pale almost white green. Her chakra was actually visible, while everyone elses stayed invisible hers boldy showed itself as bright aqua drops sprinkling down upon her three patients like rain. Each of her patients were glowing blue.

"Temari..."

"I know..I see it too..."

Kankuro glanced between his two siblings, sank to the floor and groaned.

"Would somebody please fill me the fuck in?"

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Azumi was struggling to maintain control, Mizu's comforting whispers was drowned out by white noise, crackling, energy flowing around her like electricity. She couldn't focus on anything but the three bodies. Her chakra control remained even.

As the first half hour of the flush came and passed Azumi wasn't feeling to well...not drained of energy but the familiar sense of doom..of being watched by filthy eyes. Azumi faltered but only for a second and she regained the concentration.

'He can not hurt us now..Never again...' She told Mizu comfortingly. Her heart sank when there was no reply and fear gripped her soul.

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"Okay. Stop!" Temari called loudly and slowly everyone seemed to snap from a trance, several fainted to the floor. Azumi seemed to be the first to move without collapsing in a heap as she helped Hinata up from her position on the floor.

Hinata gripped Azumi's arms and looked into her friends face...and paled.

"Azumi-chan?" Azumi?" The girl was deathly pale and sweat beaded her forhead. Azumi's eyes refocused, a stormy grey and she jerked away.

"I'm fine..need water.." She ran from the room, Hinata started to follow when another hand grabbed her elbow, she whirled around to face Gaara..a bit too close for comfort but she was too tired to be embarrassed.

"She'll be alright. Let her rest for a moment." Gaara's voice was soft he was about to continue when Kankuro's voice rang out, dripping with tease.

"Oh Gaara-bro, I see I did not give credit where credit is due!" He stopped next to Gaara and bowed deeply. "And here I thought my brother was gay! She's a looker..I uh..mean keeper!"

Hinata's eyes narrowed..she was too tired to deal with this. In a tone very similiar to Azumi's own cold voice she hissed out "Oh fuck off."

Kankuro's eyes widened slightly "Feisty 'lil thing aint ya?"

"Kankuro isnt there a blow-up somewhere you need to molest?" Kankuro's jaw dropped, his cheeks burned brighter then Hinata's did at the implication and the purple-faced man stalked away muttering things about ungratefull brothers and not needing a blow-up doll to molest when girls fell at his feet.

Unexpectedly Hinata burst into a fit of giggles. She covered her mouth, but couldn't contain the laughter as she doubled over.

"So..Sorry!" She stuttered through giggles as she tried to regain composer, only to find herself tumbling to the floor as Gaara let go of her arm to fold his own across his chest.

"I dont see what's so funny." He grumbled..which only made the Hyuuga laugh harder, now gasping for breath. After several moments, and an audience consisting of another sibling, Temari, Hinata found the strenght to stand and keep quiet, a light blush staining her cheeks and she breathed heavily feeling a bit dizzy.

"You and your brother...are just so...different" She tried to explain "I just uhm..."

Temari shook her head slightly, fondly ruffling the Hyuuga's hair as if she were a young child, Hinata scowled.

"Oh never mind!"

"Why don't you two just kiss already..jeeze the sexual tension is giving me a headache!" Azumi pipped in strolling to the rather small group looking refreshed and energized, Hinata stared pointedly at the floor blushing furiously.

"So..what did I miss?"

She glanced at the three, Temari looking like she was trying to hold in laughter, Hinata a red as a cherry, and Gaara looking..thoughtfull? Azumi eyed him coldly untill he looked up. The Kazekage smirked.

'That bastard!' She thought glaring at him..then her eyes widened as Gaara did exactly what Azumi had innocenty suggested. He planted a kiss right on her best friend's lips, then turned and walked away.

"Why that son-of-a-bitch!" Azumi snapped.

Hinata was staring after him, eyes wide, a hand pressed to her lips and a soft..smile plastered to her face. Azumi sweat dropped when she fainted, then caught her before she hit the floor.

"Well...there goes the next healing flush...I'm going to need someone else to help me..." She grumbled Temari laughed.

"Why don't you wait for tommorow?"

"Because I am a very impatient person." Azumi replied without missing a beat. She dragged Hinata towards a corner and set her down gently.

"If Gaara touches her while she's out I'Il peronally freeze his balls of." She deadpanned, pinning Temari with a cold grimace. The blonde was caught between laughing and taking her seriously. Azumi was unpredictable. She watched as the water-nin stalked off looking for possible canidates to do another flush.

'Hardly a week here and we are almost done..this is too easy..' Temari thought darkly settling next to the passed out Hyuuga. 'And I have a feeling Azumi knows more then she's letting on too. She was really weird this morning and now...she's springing back to her old self. I have'nt know the girl for long..only about three days and I have a bad feeling about this.'

Temari sighed. "Why can't everything just be simple?"

"Because simple isn't fun." Gaara replied startling her. Temari blinked up at him for a second.

"Azumi is going to erm..freeze your balls off if you touch Hinata-san." She warned her brother. Shrugging Gaara disapeared...again.

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"Arg! cowards..weaklings..no good..underpaid..fuckers!" Azumi howled as the last canidate took off for home, Hinata, Temari, and Kankuro watched with mixed emotions at the obviously pissed ninja.

"Damn..someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Kankuro shook his head, slightly scared of the still ranting girl.

"I don't even think she slept.." Hinata commented. "I better go help before she blows something up."

"She can do that?" The puppeteer said looking towards the nearest exit.

"She's done it before." Hinata hoisted herself up and walked towards Azumi, placing a soft hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry Azu-kun, I can help."

Azumi frowned "You sure?"

Determination filled her eyes, along with the desire to show everyone she wasn't weak.

"Always."

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So, there they were, two nurses and sixes patients left. Temari was ready to give the signal and one other remaind, still wondering aloud.

"What the hell are we doing here people?"

Hinata's eyes locked on Temari's hand..and as if in slow motion it went down...it was twelve'o three the next apparent switch out, the weakest moment the twelve ninja's held over their jutsus. Hinata flew once again through the hand motions only a bit slower, her Chakra wasn't so quick to jump to life but eventully she had it flowing, even though a bit roughly into her three patients.

Moments passed. silent and energy-charged. Hinata's arms grew heavier and heavir and finally..Temari's voice rang out above the pounding in her ears.

"Alright girls, Stop!" She stopped alright, the floor rushed to her and she heard Azumi cry out, arms caught her before it was too late, a flash of black and red, sea-foam green eyes staring into her half-lidded opal ones and Hinata sighed before darkness engulfed her.

Innocent: Well...there we have it. The fifth day in Suna and already it seems to be drawing to an end..or is it? -cheeky grin- Hope you enjoyed Chapter Seven!