A/N: Chapter numero dos up and ready to be read. Let's get the show on the road enjoy everyone. And Happy New Years everyone.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The hospital room was a new place for Fu's eyes to scan. Unlike her usual checkups, she wasn't use to the layout of the place. The strong chemical smell of iodoform gave the hospital its signature trademark for new patients. Those not use to it, may not have found it pleasurable. She had a list of places she would call "home away from home" and for better or worse, the hospital was one of them.
Her bed was a soft mattress with protective railings keeping her from falling out of the bed, safety padding covered the headboard and the bars at her feet. The blue paint on the walls comforted her with the calming color surrounding the room. The view outside from the wide window revealed the village almost as a whole. Seeing birds perched on branches building nests, the common rabble going about their days like nothing has happen and the sun penetrating the tree canopy bringing light to the village. It was peaceful.
A blue screen computer sat on a roll able table with words the young Jinchuriki couldn't make out. Her IV connected to her left arm was nothing out of the ordinary from her usual visits. The beeping monitor hanging from the ceiling reading her vital signs showing positive signs of good health.
Her company only consisted of the three who came to her rescue just a few moments ago. Tyra had Fu in an armband taking records on her blood pressure and other vitals, checking her eyes if they dilated at the presence of the light. Ichuru led the group, being the obvious leader, taking over the healing procedure on the arm of Taki's Jinchuriki. Moshi was learning the ropes, shadowing Ichuru, taking notes on how she did things during the procedure. Resting the bottom of the clipboard on his protruding belly as a support.
The injury as it was seemed bad for the most part but thanks to Ichuru's ability in healing techniques, to her it was like pulling out a splinter. Her arm in a sphere of water, watching it bubble like peroxide to a cut. It felt similar to rubbing shag carpet across one's arm in a slow manner but more satisfying than the carpet burn. The healing looked like the others but with water over the greenish glow. Her skin knitted itself together like a thread and needle weaving together what was lost. It was hypnotizing to watch the skin just reappear back before her very own eyes.
"So, you wanna tell me what the you did, Fu?
"I was just training Ichuru," Fu answered. "Had a training accident and lost consciousness. Once I woke up, I did whatever I could to get here."
"Training," Ichuru questioned. "Training doesn't offer these kinds of injuries. What kind of training were you doing to inflict this?"
The one thing she was afraid of. The confrontation was inevitable but she had hoped the training excuse would have just been enough to have the question shrugged off. Shibuki gave her the technique with good faith that not only that she could us it, but she would practice it with caution. With her presence in the hospital with visible injuries, the exposure of her possessing the technique, no doubt, dangerously close.
It was nerve-wracking for Fu to think of the pressure she had on her. Her training accident excuse was disregarded and Ichuru wanted an answer. Fu took slow breaths thinking of what she could say. Ideas ran through her head from development of new jutsu to a summoning gone wrong. To make things worse, she couldn't relax herself by rubbing her arm.
"Just tell her. It's better to tell the truth now that you're in this deep than lie and dig deeper."
"I know but Shibuki told me to tell no one that I have the technique. He could get in trouble."
If Ichuru knew anything thanks to her time being in the hospital, it was noticing when a patient was unwilling to release information. Most of the time she dealt with a teen afraid to admit about being sexually active in front of a parent, adults lying about no use of alcohol when the tests would come back positive and when ninja would not want to say how they hurt themselves. It was common for people to hide the truth but Ichuru was not in the mood to beat around the bush.
Ichuru requested the staff to leave. Waving her hand to get her staffs attention, she pointed toward the door. Tyra gathered up the equipment, wrapping up the cords avoiding to tangle them, putting the sensitive gear in her bag and making her way for the exit. Moshi, however, did not want to leave. He jittered and shifted his weight on one foot to the other. He obviously wanted to see what was going to happen but Ichuru gave him a stern glare sending the newbie on his way and learning a lesson in doctor/patient confidentiality.
The tension of trouble lifted a bit. Fu had let her shoulders relax a bit with it just being Ichuru now. Whether to be honest with her or not was still being jumbled in her head even after Ichuru shut the door behind her. Ichuru urged Fu to speak with a circular motion with her hand. Fu, in the end, decided to come clean and tell the truth.
"Shibuki knows that I have low confidence in myself when compared to others," Fu revealed. "So, he made me an offer to learn any technique I wanted, to improve my confidence."
"And this technique resulted in severe second degree burns? Ignoring the fact, you were given a technique to practice without supervision, what technique was given to you that could do this?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you. Shibuki could get in trouble."
"If he trusts you with it, then I trust him. If it's supposed to be a secret, then by the patient/doctor confidentiality I can't repeat it to anyone."
Fu wanted to find trust in Ichuru but she had put her trust in many people that used it against her. Perhaps Ichuru being added to the list of trusted like Seiichi and Seiji would be a good thing. Her main worry would be if the secret would be kept. The technique was locked away for a reason so the discovery of it being used might stir things up. Would she react how Fu feared or would the doctor stay true to her word and keep the secret Shibuki trusted Fu to keep hidden.
"I have your word that this won't be repeated to anyone?"
"You have my word. If I know what technique was used, then I'll be able to help your injuries."
The Boiling Water Blade was locked away by a council vote after being inhumane of a technique. The choice was unanimous once the only user past away with no one to defend the use of the jutsu. The main concern was if she would be yelled at by her doctor. Would the lecture bring the attention of the facility, maybe even bring in the higher ranked ninja to quell the situation. Thus, the secret would be out bringing her into custody and the scroll being confiscated. She didn't want that.
It would be brought to Shibuki's attention that she had it as soon as they got word. If he played favorites, it would bring suspicions of his involvement. He would have to be harsh, less the council bring it up. The charges were always serious in these predicaments. Fu could be stripped of her title as a ninja, imprisoned for life for "stealing" the scroll. She would take banishment over any of that. At least Shibuki would be safe and no one else would be accountable.
"Shibuki gave me the Boiling Water Blade Technique."
"So, you got these injuries practicing this technique?"
"Yes ma'am."
Ichuru rolled her eyes and took a long deep breath followed by a long sigh. The water healing Fu's arm was lifted with chakra, placed within a bowl and dumped down the drain of a nearby sink. Ichuru then opened the door to wave her assistants back into the room to continue as they were before.
With the arm now out of the healing bubble, her forearm was being wiped down with a cleaning agent to keep the injury, although healed for the most part, clean. Tyra gave Moshi some gauze wrapping and directed him in the procedure of wrapping the arm. Moshi started it at her wrist and with a clockwise spin, made his way down her arm with the sterile gauze tape. Ichuru overseeing the cleanup, had her eye solely on Fu writing down something unknown to the Jinchuriki.
The secretive information on the clipboard frighten Fu the most. The information was meant more for the eyes of medical staff only, so Fu would never know unless she were to snatch it away from the medic. Although that idea would not be the wisest course of action. What was it though?
Could it be what Fu said? Her confession about her use of the blade, perhaps even Shibuki's involvement. It could be used as some kind of blackmail but there would be no way her doctor would do that. Ichuru needed to know what caused the injury and Fu complied so it shouldn't be anything to worry about. The lack of scolding didn't ease her paranoia.
"Okay Fu," Ichuru said. "Now if you'll follow me we can begin your routine checkups."
Fu slid herself to the edge of the bed, nursing her right arm bringing it close her chest. Tyra aided the Jinchuriki with a sling to relieve the hassle needed to carry her arm. She slipped her arm into the sling being careful not to drag the sensitive skin along the fabric. The cold cloth stung her arm little a cushion full of needles. Her body stiffened to the pain. She tensed her arm and shook her head to regain composure.
Ichuru nodded for Fu to follow her down the hall to continue her time there. It would seem Moshi would not be following them giving Fu more comfort knowing it would just be those two. Fu knew the way to the checkup room by heart at that point in her life.
As usual as the routine was, Ichuru's behavior about the entire thing was odd, almost normal. Everything seemed completely normal. That's what was out of the norm for Fu. When she acted up or did things she was not to have done in the first place, she was met with anger or some sort of speech on responsibility. Nothing though but an "okay" and "follow me" made her uneasiness spike even more so. Ichuru could have at least mentioned her being absence for her last two appointment but did not even whisper it.
The room they used for checkups didn't have the nice set up in the treatment centers. It made sense for it to be not as high tech as the treatment rooms. People were relatively in and out of the room within the first couple of minutes for simple diagnoses like what type of medications children would need, if adults were sick or not and when ninja had to do monthly physicals.
Fu could draw the room with her eyes close, she was that familiar with the place. The sink tucked away in the right corner where they kept the syringes and disposed needles in a cupboard above, the patient bed against the wall hadn't changed from the last time she visited with the red colored leather and white paper covering the center that would crunch and crinkle when she would sit on it. The window on the wall had to have been designed flawed on purpose with a full tree blocking the view outside. The posters of health could be recited by heart from the ear and all its other parts to the cartoon diagram of pregnancy. A subject that Fu much preferred the cartoon diagrams over an actual picture she had seen before while reading on the subject in the library.
Ichuru brought with her the computer that was in her treatment room to continue her file. The routine was just like all the others before with checking her weight on the scale and, dreading the results, she had gained a bit of weight. She blamed lack of activity and no available missions. Her blood pressure had already been taken prior to her checkup so there was no reason to take it once more, along with checking her eyes for any changes in dilation. Ichuru followed the typical procedure and jot down all the prior information and went straight to the questionings.
"How have you been feeling, Fu?"
"I've…been feeling okay for the most part. Except for this morning."
"Mhm," Ichuru nodded. "Any dizziness, nausea or loss of fatigue?"
"Um, every now and then but it passes. Nausea and headaches are really bad in the morning but it goes away, though."
"Okay," Ichuru said writing something down on her clipboard. "Have you been taking your medication in regular and right amounts? If so, does it affect you the same way it did last month?"
"Not as well as the Carmustine but my seizures and headaches have gone down."
"Expected," she added. "It was still in its testing phase. While it showed promise in others, we put too much credit on it with you. The subjects were not as young as you were during the time. Any other problems to add other than the seizures?"
She had her headaches as per usual, the nausea still lingered every morning as she was informed it would, dizzy spells were added when she had visited before but she could not think of anything new to add. Had she not developed any new symptoms over the last couple of months? A sign of good fortune that nothing new reared its ugly head.
"Add the loss of motor skills," Chomei added. "That's something new to your list. Usually your motor skills are pretty good.
"I can't tell her that. It might affection my mission for tomorrow."
"I need you to focus, Fu. With this I take it you've been having trouble speaking or blanking out?"
"Oh, no sorry I was just thinking if there was anything else to add. Nothing new to add ma'am."
"That's good. Smoking or drinking?"
"Of course, not. Not of age for either."
"Any recent sexual activity?"
"Seriously, Ichuru?!"
"It's just a formality. I'll put 'No' for that."
"Thank you."
"How has your diet been?"
"Is that really a question, given my status in the village?"
"Lo mien."
As Ichuru wrote more things on her clipboard and typed things into the monitor, Fu kicked her legs waiting for any other questions. Fu started observing her arm now that it didn't look like a skin balloon and more like a normal arm. It still had some traces of the burn but not as noticeable unless it was pointed out but it could be covered with her sleeve, something she would have to replace after her appointment. Her injury though brought attention to the mission tomorrow. She had hoped that everything would be okay.
"Is this going to affect our mission tomorrow?"
"No."
"Am I in trouble?"
"No."
"Are they gonna find out about the Boiling Water Blade?"
"No."
"Why are you just saying 'no'? Its making me nervous."
"There's no need to be. I'm just answering you."
Her answer didn't make her uncomfortable situation any better. Fu's hands were trembling and the feeling elevated up her arms then up to her head. Sure enough, her entire body was trembling with fear. Her stomach turned like it was being tied in a knot, her throat tightening when she instinctually gagged, then her nausea crept up on her like a shadow during a rising sun. Tears swelling up clouding her vision, despite how much she tried to fight it.
The Jinchuriki believed that she had messed up. Looking for the Boiling Blade, breaking into the library for it, letting Shibuki give it to her and using it without Shibuki's supervision. She should have listened to Chomei and let it go. She shouldn't have sought it out. Any of it.
The pit in her stomach replaced her nausea with guilt. Filling her chest with the unbearable burden of screwing things up. It was the caravan incident all over again. Her team counted on her, Shibuki counted on her, this Naruto Uzumaki counted on her. She failed everyone was her initial thought. Her clouded vision broke when the tears rolled down her face. She choked on her own breath sobbing, nose running and body shaking. Her one weakness was presented before her. The fear of failing someone.
"Fu, it's okay," Ichuru reassured her wiping her tears with a paper towel. "You're not in trouble, your injuries were treated by yours truly so our mission will continue and as for the Boil Blade, I simply put down an accident involving Fire, Water and Wind Release. I didn't mention it by name. Does that make it better?"
"I'm sorry. It's just I feel so useless since the caravan incident. You were a great ninja before you joined the medical teams, our team leader Sujin is a skilled Jonin with a lot of battle experience with his family being from a long line of ninja and ties that connect him to a wealthy family to boot. What do I have? Talk to bugs?"
"Is that all," Ichuru chuckled. "Fu I wish I had your problems. Young and free with almost no worries to the world around you. I am a woman nearing her mid-thirties, working sixteen to near twenty-hour shifts six days out of the week, deal with life threatening injuries and people pretending they have imaginary pains to continue a pill habit. My bills are crazy, rarely have time to have a social life and the closest thing I'm getting to a vacation this year, is this mission tomorrow. The last two days for me have been more stressful than you can believe. I've been preparing for any medical emergency that can occur, putting in mind your condition, having to do all the hospital work and still have piles of paperwork I need to have done ahead of time just to allow this time of absence."
Her speech did not do what Ichuru had hoped. Instead of showing Fu that her problems were not that dire, she simply made the girl feel worst about complaining or letting it get to her. Fu had her head sunk into her shoulders, nursing her damaged arm even closer to her center and did what she could to avoid eye contact with Ichuru. If the doctor didn't know any better, she would accuse Fu of not even listening to her. Ichuru decided to take a step back from her current way of handling the situation and tried to level out with the Jinchuriki a bit more.
"Look I'm sorry," she said trying to comfort her patient. "You have your problems and I have mine. They may be different, still problems, but you must keep in mind that some of your problems may seem insignificant to others so it may be difficult for other to understand where you're coming from. If you think you're a liability, don't."
Her confidence was not her strongest suit when it came to proving that to herself. So, to hear it from another was both fulfilling and a change of perspective that everyone didn't enjoy her presence. Despite the praise from her future teammate, it was a bit embarrassing for someone to lecture her on how good her abilities were. She was used to being berated, insulted, put down and even threatened. So, it was a new and refreshing change. Ichuru putting so much faith in her abilities hit so hard for the girl she felt happy knowing that her teammate put their complete trust in her. She wouldn't want to burn that bridge.
"Fu I have read your file and have seen your accomplishments. Other than the caravan incident, you are a talented and strong ninja capable of a lot. Your skills in ninjutsu is something to be admired, custom made techniques only you are capable of, chakra control that I wish I had and, not much of a secret, our Jinchuriki. You are far from useless."
"Thank you Ichuru," Fu said with a smile. "I needed to hear that. Especially from you."
"Don't mention it. So, with that we can conclude your checkup. That gauze on your arm will do the rest of the work. Don't. Use. That. Technique. Again!"
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
"After this mission is done, I'll go over your arm to check if it healed properly. Try to avoid anything for the rest of the day. Sleep, eat your noodles, read, whatever you usually do in your spare time. We don't need you burning yourself any more than you already are."
"Yes ma'am."
"You're free to go."
Fu jumped off the bed skipping her way out the door and down the hall. It wasn't as bad as she feared it to be. It was actually the opposite of how she envisioned it. Her guilt inside was null and void and replaced with warmth and joy, butterflies danced inside her belly. Her smile stretched so far, she thought her face would be stuck that way.
Fu, just a moment ago, was crying her eyes out afraid of the repercussion of the technique she coveted so long ago to now wanting to cry in happiness of her new bond with Ichuru. Someone other than Shibuki telling her about her abilities and how important she was, giving her that special glow she would try to keep always. Fu felt like she may be able to add Ichuru to her growing list of friends.
"Fu!"
Fu jumped at the sudden shout. Her body stiff like a child caught in the act of doing something they shouldn't have. Cautious to turn around, she glanced over her shoulder to check where the voice came from. Ichuru stood in down the hall repositioning her glasses on her brow with her index finger. A half smile directed towards her.
"Give yourself more credit. You deserve it."