Every writer should make sure to thank their betas/editors so thanks to my Betas otakufangirl101 and The Keeper of Worlds. Their support improves and keeps this story running.
Man a lot of people wanted to see this updated, makes me really happy, and ticked that I can't update faster, but here's a nice fat read for all my readers.
So go on and read the story, I hope you enjoy it. This should definitely satisfy you guys wanting longer chapter.
So work and school are being total wads, but I need the credits and the pay, so sorry if the fanfic doesn't take priority in my life right. Still I hope and I keep you guys coming back for more.
NOTE: This chapter has not been beta'd
xxxXxxx
Month Two Week Three: And Into the Lion's Den
Naruto tried not to get nervous as he stared at the walls of Kirigakure, ruled by the Mizukage, Yagura. The last four days of travel had been exhausting, not just physically, but mentally. The root of the problem stemmed from a few of his traveling companions, and their obvious advances towards him. He wasn't oblivious to the passes women made at him, he'd have to have brain damage not to notice; he just wasn't interested. And though it might be a bit cowardly of him, he preferred playing naïve and brushing off their advances. This stemmed from some bad experiences rebuffing Kirino and Saruhi, and while he knew all women weren't the same, it just seemed easier to handle things this way. The non-root of the problem was navigating through the soup fog that Kiri used as natural cover to hide their village. Just about separated from the group, nearly had his ankle snapped by a snare trap, and almost walked into a tree; all these happened on more than one occasion during the trip.
Now at the gate, Naruto watched as each kunoichi handed over her paper, orders, and was taken to a small booth next to the gate to be given a search. Once it was his turn he stepped up, handed over the papers Naoki had procured for him. He tried not to fidget as the gate guard looked over his papers with fine eye. Satisfied with his documents, she took him into the booth. Naruto was appreciative to find that the woman giving him the body search was a complete professional. The only problem arose when the woman's hand brushed up a piece of anatomy that clearly belonged to a different gender.
The woman stopped her search and tossed Naruto into the chair, "Care to explain?"
"It's not what you think!" Naruto frantically started. Despite Chojuri explaining what to do in this exact situation he still found it hard to actually get the words out, "I have…you see I really don't…crap, this is really hard to say."
"You better figure out a way, because you really don't want to be in a real interrogation right now," the kunoichi warned.
Naruto took a deep breath and swallowed his embarrassment, "I'm…I'm a hermaphrodite."
The woman's eyes widened and she breathily asked, "You're kidding right?" The stone silenced she received was enough of an answer for her, "You're not kidding. Sorry, I take it none of the women you came in with know?"
"No, they don't," Naruto answered. He hoped that this would be the end of it and that the guard would let him pass. "Please don't tell them," Naruto pleaded; no need for me people to know and have their curiosity land him into trouble.
"Don't worry, I understand," the woman replied, "I'm in the same boat as you."
Now Naruto reeled in shock, and sputtered out, "R-Really?"
"Yeah," the woman said. She quickly pressed her loose, baggy pants against her pelvis to reveal a noticeable bulge before pulling it away. "Your papers said that you're from that backwater village, so I'm guessing this is the first time you've met someone else like you."
"Yes," Naruto replied, quite uncomfortable with the surprise turn that this conversation had taken, but given his lack of options just decided to just run with it.
"There's quite a few of us in the village, and the villagers don't make a big deal of it, but most of us like our privacy," the woman answered. "Listen, I know dealing with this isn't easy, so if you need to talk you can usually find me here. My name is Suki by the way."
Naruto nodded, flashed a grateful smile, and said, "Thanks, Suki, I don't think I will, but…just thanks." Suki returned his smile, led him out, and let him go with a hearty pat on the back. Naruto sighed as he rejoined his group, but not before taking a last glance back at Suki. Chojuri sure as hell didn't cover any of that in her impromptu briefing.
xxxXxxx
A blue haired with glasses sneezed, "Apologies, Mei-sama." The girl rubbed her nose as she focused her attention back on to the two women in front of her.
"That's quite alright, Chojuri," Mei said and motioned for her subordinate to continue.
"Oh? Seems like someone's popular," Kushima teased as she oiled her blade. She and Terumi had been in the command tent planning the next raids on supply routes and bases, when Chojuri had walked in waxing on about important news. "Maybe our little spy is having dirty little thoughts about you?"
The dreamy image of Naruto wrapped around her like jungle snake had the immediate effect of fogging up Chojuri's glasses as a small trail of blood ran down her nose. Mei sighed and clapped her hands in front of the girl's face snapping Chojuri out of her perverted la-la land, "A-Apologies, again, Mei-sama."
"That's quite alright, Chojuri," Mei drawled, "but please, the message?"
"Yes, of course, one of our scouts just returned with news that Naruto is nearing Kiri. He should be in the village soon," Chojuri reported, and stood by as Mei and Terumi talked about setting up a proper line of communication to their new mole. The mission aside she was glad to find out that Naruto was safe, it had been agonizing waiting to hear whether or not her friend was alive. That relief was soon replaced by familiar agony, as Chojuri realized that now she had to worry about whether or not he would be discovered, tortured, and finally fed to the sharks as bloody chum. Chojuri took a deep calming breath; she couldn't lose her head over some boy with a pretty face, and adorable whisker marks, and beautiful bright blue eyes, and that cute smile, and his nice firm butt. Chojuri slapped her cheeks, erasing every possible thought she could have about Naruto, and tuned into her superiors conversation.
"…this way minimalizes his chance of discovery," Kushima finished, before turning to Chojuri, "think your scouts could manage that, girl?"
Chojuri struggled to reply, her eyes flickering left and right as she seriously debated whether or not to just nod and agree, "Uh…"
Mei sighed then asked, "You weren't listening, were you?"
"A-Apologies, Mei-sama," Chojuri muttered as her eyes darted to the ground.
xxxXxxx
"Thank you for showing me the way," Naruto said as he waved goodbye to his traveling companions. After his little episode with the gate guard, Naruto had asked one of the kunoichi for directions to the address Chojuri had given him. Instead of giving him the directions the woman insisted on leading him there herself, which had the added consequence of the other kunoichi inviting themselves. The kunoichi turned a simple walk into a full tour of the village, complete with promises to accompany them to their favorite spots. He really had to figure out a better way to handle women, because just going with things was probably going to get him into trouble. Lady troubles aside, Naruto had been fascinated with the village's architecture, all the buildings were cylindrical instead of square and he saw that many of them had trees on the rooftops. He had learned that height denoted the importance of the building, a choice made by the first Mizukage due the difficulty of spotting any defining characteristic on a structure, because of the thick fog that surrounded the village. The trees were added by the Nidaime to make the village look like a thick jungle from a distance. He placed all those interesting architecture thoughts aside, as he read the sign on the building that served as cover for his contact. "Miyuki's Canteen," Naruto quietly said to himself, Chojuri had told him that one of the bartenders in there was the contact; he just hoped that there weren't too many.
It was an inconspicuous tavern, aside from the large name in sloppy red paint, but the chatter of the locals and the clinking and clunking of mugs and glasses told Naruto it was far from unpopular. With nothing gained from nothing ventured Naruto stepped into the bar and bee lined it to the counter, he thanked the stars the no one, except for the bartenders, noticed or cared enough to notice him. A woman in scrubs ranting in the corner was taking all the attention for herself.
He took a seat and observed the two bartenders filling orders; one was hardy looking man in matching black shirt and trousers, broad shoulders and strong hands probably from lifting crates and tossing out dead beats, and a keen eye watching for any trouble makers. The other bartender was a tough looking woman in a red wife beater, that revealed an almost indecent amount of cleavage, and grey trousers, with her long maroon hair kept in a tight bun, a jagged scar running down her the right side of her jaw, and a black-jack secured to her waist. The woman caught him staring and he had to look down when her sharp black eyes glared at him.
Naruto counted to ten before looking up again only to find himself face to chest with the woman in question. "What're you lookin' at?" Naruto stammered out babble that sounded sort of like an apology, but her frustrated groan was her only reply. Then they both stood there in silence, he out of embarrassment, and she out necessity, "You need to order something if you want to keep your ass in that chair, girly."
"Oh, right, can I get a cup of green tea?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah," the woman said as she moved to fill another order. As she was doing that, Naruto figured that he'd have to give both bartenders the challenge. He just had to find the best way to give the woman the challenge without pissing her off further, and risk getting tossed out. "Here you go," the woman said placing the cup down with a precision that surprised him, "and make sure to pay for that."
Perfect, Naruto thought as called her back over, "How about a little bet?" The woman just stared at him with a look that asked if he was serious, "Before you disagree, will you let me explain?"
The woman huffed, but said, "Fine."
"It's simple, I give you a riddle, you answer right and I pay triple for this drink," now the woman quirked a brow in interest, "but, if you get it wrong the drink is on the house. What do you say?"
The woman thought about it for a moment and then answered, "Alright, girly, you got a deal but no going back on the deal, or my husband will have to have a word with you, got it?"
"Understood," Naruto replied, "Now, what's the most dangerous shark in the world?"
The woman's eyes widened before shifting back and forth, making sure there were no prying ears nearby, and then answered, "The one closest to you."
Naruto sighed in relief, "Good to finally meet you."
"Back at you," The woman wanted to continue, but was cut off by a customer asking for the check, "Shoot look, girly, works calling, but just stay in that seat until we close up and then we can talk. Oh, and the name's Miyuki." With that Miyuki headed off to tend to her customers.
Naruto took a sip of tea and took the time to relax; it had been a long arduous trip that wasn't over by a long shot. Bad things were headed his way, and he knew that when they came his decisions could mean saving a lot of people, or killing a lot people. Naruto hung his head as the oppressive thought became too much to bear, this was insane; he had no business being here. He should be in an operating room, or treating a patient, not playing the pity card with a gate guard. Come on, Naruto, hold it together, he thought, but he had been holding it together since Iori interrogated him. What got to him most, however, was the trust these people were placing in him. He was used to having it, after all people don't really want you wrist deep in their chest cavities if they don't trust you, but he wasn't used to stabbing people in the back. Then he remembered the rebels he saved and the ones he lost, this wasn't about him, this was about the people he could save. Whatever fear he felt, whatever pain he felt, he could take, as long as it meant more people didn't have to die. So, Naruto took another sip of tea and took the time to relax.
xxxXxxx
"So, girly-" Miyuki began.
"Naruto," he interrupted, he already sounded and looked a like a girl, and had girl's name. "You'll have to call me Risei in public, but when no one's around its just Naruto."
"Got it," Risei replied as she eye balled Naruto, "They told me you were a man, but…"
"But what?" Naruto asked, slightly annoyed that she didn't just spit it out.
"But, I can't really say I believe them," Miyuki replied waving at him, "I mean look at you."
"Well I'm not showing 'it' to you just to satisfy your curiosity," Naruto said. He could have laughed at the absurdity of the conversation, if it didn't remind him of where and what he was doing.
Miyuki snorted and said, "Not exactly where I was going, but it's probably a good thing that I can't tell you're not a girl. There's a lot riding on you."
"Yeah, me and my good looks, here to win the war," Naruto groused.
"Hope we're not counting on your personality," Miyuki said as she cleaned a glass.
"I've got a great personality, when I'm not worried about being captured or killed for espionage," Naruto spat, and as an afterthought quietly muttered, "Not mention living my last seconds as drag queen."
"I'll give you that one," Miyuki replied. Her own thoughts probably mirrored his, filled with nightmares of being dragged off by kunoichi to a cell, or just being run through with blade. She really did hope that this kid could manage a miracle because the village was on the verge of self-destruction.
"This damn disguise sure as hell isn't helping," Naruto griped. He adjusted the his bra straps, an action he'd never be used to thankfully, and wondered if the blasted contraption was just as problematic for women.
Seeing the discomforting act, Miyuki asked, "Wait, are you actually wearing women's underwear?"
Miyuki's loud guffaws grated on his nerves. "I have to. In case I lose my clothes I can still claim to be a hermaphrodite, at least the panties are comfortable." Naruto said, muttering the last part. It was stupid how much more comfortable panties were than his boxers. "I already met one, a hermaphrodite I mean, and managed to convince her that I was one, got me past the gates."
"Good, seems like the plan wasn't so crazy after all," Miyuki said after she managed to quiet down.
"Don't see why I needed the disguise in the first place. The men don't seem to be treated any worse than the women," Naruto said.
Miyuki's face turned to stone, "How long have you been here."
"A few hours, some of my traveling companions took me on a tour."
"Then no offence, but you have no idea what it's like," Miyuki said. Clearly, Naruto had crossed some unspoken line because the look she gave him made Naruto sit up straight. "Take this bar for example; it used to belong to my husband. Then some woman who had her eye on the place tried using some bullshit antiquated law applied men to take it from him. He tried to fight it, but the cards were stacked against him. Eventually he had to give ownership of the bar to me."
"A-At least he didn't lose the bar," Naruto said, regretting his choice of words immediately.
Miyuki slammed a mug down on the countertop making Naruto flinch. "He shouldn't have had to give it up in the first place damn it! He worked his ass off to make this place his, and just because he's a man those bitches walked all over him."
"S-Sorry."
"Don't be, you're right he still has his bar not matter what name the deed has on it. Not to mention he's better off than most men in this village," Miyuki said. "Most of the whore houses in the red light district get their workers by getting them hooked on drugs or threatening them. The female workers are treated better, which isn't saying much, but you're far less likely to find them dead in alley from an OD or…something worse. The Mizukage doesn't care enough to assign more than a token force to investigate what's going on. She also doesn't have a problem with her warriors blowing off steam anyway they want."
"There has to be someone the men can turn to?" Naruto asked.
Miyuki shook her head, "All the major offices are held by women, more than a few are crooked which makes it hard for men to have their concerns taken seriously. A few men have tried to have their voices hear but the people in charge don't mind using their power to get rid of any nuisances." Miyuki hung her head and sighed, then said, "The sad truth is that the war is making things hard for everyone around here, but men are taking the brunt of it. They don't have any real power to change things in Kiri and not for a lack of effort."
It was a douse of ice water to Naruto's head, and it was changing the notions he held about kunoichi villages. He had known that life in the civilian villages ran on a different cycle than the ninja villages, but he had no idea the differences were so drastic. Before his thought could run off the rail Naruto recalled that Kiri was considered the most militant, not to mention that his memories, the few he had, painted a different picture of Konoha. Of course he couldn't help but wonder if he was a special case given his unusual rapport with women. Miyuki began speaking again, so Naruto tossed that question onto the backburner with his other burgeoning and troubled thoughts. Maybe, when he wasn't about to dive head first into danger he could give them a proper pondering.
"I need to know what I'm working with, so what's your cover and what's your plan?" Miyuki asked.
"I was told to come to Kiri and find you by my, now deceased, grandmother. The outpost and the Kiri forces have a report corroborating my story," Naruto answered and Miyuki was pleased to hear that. It was a good cover; a common story heard nowadays so they wouldn't garner any unwanted attention, and seeing them together also wouldn't raise any eyebrows. "As for infiltration, Chojuri told me that I was supposed to try to seduce someone high in the chain of command. But I think it's a waste, I'm a trained and experienced doctor and if I could somehow managed to work, even as nurse, in the hospital I could find out some useful information."
"Like what?"
"Like when and where their sending their medical supplies, maybe even the routes their using," Naruto answered, remembering the sorry amount of supplies the rebels where trying to conserve. "There are also the medical records which would have lots of information on particular people. I might also be able to get my hands on casualty reports, and whose is and isn't on active duty to give the rebels a concrete picture of who they're fighting."
"That's a good idea, Naruto, in fact it might be the better approach," Miyuki started, "I've been scoping out key places around the village, and while I couldn't get into most I did get inside the hospital. It took some sneaking, a couple of bribes, and lots of luck but I found out that since most of the kunoichi are too injured to leave they have to write reports in the hospital. The reports are stored in the hospital temporarily before being sent to the Mizukage tower, and if the news is urgent enough the kunoichi have give verbal reports," Miyuki explained. She had been fortunate that the Mizukage could only afford to spare one sensor kunoichi, and doubly lucky that this one hated Yagura and had a lot of debts to pay.
The idea for Naruto to seduce wasn't bad given his looks, but it might be a long while before he got anything useful. This plan could get immediate results: black mail material, supply routes, enemy encampments, and maybe knowledge of where the Mizukage was spreading her forces too thin. It was an enticing idea, but Miyuki had to ask, "Do you think you can manage this?"
"I have to because the rebels need all the help they can get." Naruto grimaced as he recalled the number of rebel casualties during his week at the stronghold and the rations handed out to the civilians. While Mei and her people were giving one hell of a fight, the rebellion was running on its last legs. Giving them this information would give them the opportunity to resupply and strike at the Mizukage at the same time. Enough of these beestings would eventually weaken Kiri to the point that the rebels might finally be able to launch a large offensive. It was a long shot, but in his eyes it was better than whoring himself out. There was still one slight problem with his plans, "Any idea how I'm supposed to get a job at the hospital?"
Miyuki tapped her chin before replying, "I might have something, but it'll be up to you."
xxxXxxx
The next day Naruto stood outside the hospital. His heel tapped nervously as he waited in front of the hospital. The overly alert guards watching him like hawks weren't helping his anxiety, but the one sensor that Miyuki had told him about had already given him the signal that he was okay. What really had him jittery was the tardiness of Miyuki's acquaintance.
Being the owner of a bar, Miyuki had a fair share of connections with people from various backgrounds. One of these connections was Koaru, the chief doctor, who had been morosely nursing a drink and talking off any sympathetic ear about her soon to be violent demise. Apparently, the Mizukage didn't like how many of her kunoichi the hospital was losing, so Kaoru was terrified that her leader's patience would soon run dry and that her neck would soon receive a trim. Kaoru then proceeded to drunkenly whine about being short-staffed and asking strangers about where she was supposed to find new workers when it took so much time to train someone. In short, the woman was desperate for anyone with any training, and that was going to be Naruto's in.
Of course, that was yesterday, now that he stood here he was waiting for Koaru, with nothing but Miyuki's word to back him up, the plan not only didn't sound like a longshot, it didn't even sound like a plan. That thought evaporated like boiling water when he met Kaoru. It was her nervous muttering that first caught his attention, rushed mumbling mixed with the occasional 'no, no' or 'too much' or 'might work.' A pen cap that looked like it had been chewed by a toddler was trapped between her teeth, as she assaulted a thick stack of papers carried in one hand with the pen she held in the other. To be frank, she was a plain and haggard looking woman. Koaru's black hair hung in a miserable bun, locks sticking out here and there, and streaks of stress induced gray hair peppered her head. The front of the white coat she wore was covered in all manner of stains, some from a rushed meal, and others from rushed work. On her nose rested a pair of glasses, held together by duct tape in multiple places, which only made the bags under her eyes worse. Underneath the coat she wore blue scrubs that contrasted heavily against her sickly pale skin.
Miyuki wasn't exaggerating, Naruto thought as he took another look Koaru. The woman might as well have desperation written on her forehead. More confident in his chances, Naruto approached the woman as she came to the entrance, "Koaru-san?"
"Yes, what? Hurry up-out with it," Koaru's vocal rush caught Naruto off-guard, but just as he was about to reply he heard her exasperated sigh, "I don't have time for this."
"I heard you're short on staff!" Naruto blurted out, careful not to give away Miyuki's name.
Koaru spun on her heel and jabbed Naruto's chest, "Who told you, hmm? Out with it." She was already a minute behind, two more and her schedule would be shot.
"Does it matter? I've got training and need a job; you're short-handed and need some help," Naruto answered. He hoped he hadn't read her wrong, and that she was desperate enough to throw away any suspicion.
Koaru tapped her chin before quickly replying, "Good point. Come on, we'll walk and talk." With that Koaru walked passed the guards leaving a bewildered Naruto behind to follow her. They entered the hospital and she asked, "Tell me about your training."
"I was trained by my grandma, a healer from a rural village to the south," Naruto answered.
"You're kidding?" Koaru stopped out of shock, but then remembered her schedule and kept walking, "I need real professionals with real training, not some punk from the sticks with a quack grandma."
"My grandma wasn't a quack and I'm not some punk. I've completed dozens of surgeries and cured plenty of people," Naruto shot back, insulted by the jab at his skill.
"And I'm supposed to take you word for it?" Koaru spat, "The Mizukage is breathing down my neck to do everything but raise the dead. I need a sure bet, not a risk, and unless you can prove you're not the latter there's the door."
Naruto cursed his naïve to think that this longshot would just magically work out for him. Of course no self-respecting doctor would hire someone just because they showed up and asked for the job. Still, he couldn't quit, he had to prove himself to help end this war. Then, just as Kaoru was going to round the corner, the doors burst open.
"We've got wounded!" cried one nurse.
Koaru flew back around the corner asking, "How many?"
"Two squads, three of the kunoichi have chakra exhaustion, one of whom is also suffering from a heart attack. Those three dragged the other five to the gate," the nurse answered. Then she pointed to five women being brought in on stretchers, "Those five got the worst of it."
"Get me Tai, Renji, Kimiko, and Kanna, and I need the files on these squad members, and get that woman stabilized," Koaru barked as her hands ran through a set of seals and erupted into a green glow. As good practice the hospital had the file of each kunoichi in service and what squad they served under, which was the reason guards were posted around the building. She ran an analysis on each of her new patients, her mind running a mile a minute as she took in each of their injuries. In that time a middle aged man in green scrubs showed up, and Koaru wasn't pleased by that. She turned to a nurse, "I'm going to need the OR's prepped and ready for these patients," then she turned to the man, "Renji, where are the others?"
"The Mizukage ordered Kanna to the Nosu stronghold, and Tai had to cover a shift last night instead of taking his break. He collapsed into a bed half an hour ago and no one's been able to wake him," Renji explained.
"And Kimiko?"
Renji scratched his head and nervously said, "S-She had a bit of breakdown on a smoke break and we had to sedate her."
"Great," Koaru said, dragging her hand down her face, "take one break, everything falls apart. Who else do we have?"
"No one, chief, the other surgeons are at the stronghold or out with the Mizukage's kunoichi," Renji replied.
Kaoru cursed the war and the madwoman leading the village. To her regular staff this wouldn't have been a problem, well it would have been, but not a big one. Now, most of her people were scattered throughout the country, either in service to Kiri, in a hole in the ground, or with the rebels. Whining, however, wasn't going to help these women, but as she looked them over Koaru realized she wouldn't be able to help all of them. One of these kunoichi was going to draw the short straw and Koaru would be the one handing them out. Their injuries didn't differ too much, so she couldn't just go with priority. Looks like some of you are going to be unlucky today, Koaru thought and shot off orders, "Get these to the ORs, Dr. Inoue and I will be performing surgery."
"Yes, ma'am!"
As Koaru was about to follow her patient, Naruto stepped into her path. "Out of the way," Koaru growled.
"Let me help," Naruto asked calmly.
"What?" Koaru was sure she heard that wrong.
"Let me help," Naruto repeated, "It doesn't take a genius to see you won't be able to save them all. I have the skills you need, so let me help."
"This is ridiculous," Koaru said and tried to move past him, but Naruto wouldn't let her.
"You think I'm some punk, let me prove to you that I'm not. Let me help you save these people," Koaru's still appeared skeptical, and Naruto couldn't help but exclaim, "I know this is crazy, and irresponsible, but do you honestly think I'd ask to this if I didn't have the skill to back it. Damn it what the hell do you have to lose?"
Koaru grit her teeth as she considered his offer, it was stupid and irresponsible, but she really needed to the extra hands and she really wanted to report fewer casualties to Yagura. "Fine, but if you don't save at least one of them you'll be tossed in a cell and executed."
A little unfair, Naruto thought, but since there's no other way, "Deal."
"Alright, you two," Koaru pointed at two nurses, "take…"
"Risei," Naruto interjected.
"Take Risei and that patient and prep another operating room, and bring him the file on her."
"Yes, ma'am," the nurses rushed down the hall with gurney and Naruto in to, shouting for everyone to clear the way. Along the way one nurse broke off and grabbed Naruto a pair of scrubs. Soon they arrived at the operating room. Both nurses turned to him and one asked, "What do you want us to do ma'am?"
Naruto didn't miss a beat, "Prep her for surgery, get me her file, and tell me where I can find the sink."
xxxXxxx
Naruto sighed as pulled he snipped the surgical string. "Alright she's stable, but she's lost a lot of blood, take her to a bed and get her started on a drip," Naruto ordered. It had been tricky given the patients sickle cell disease, but thank god Honda had been such a task master in educating Naruto about surgical seals. Why a person with sickle cell was even in the military baffled Naruto, but it also made him think that Kiri wasn't in any better shape than the rebels. "Bring in the next one and her file."
"Yes, ma'am," the nurse said as they wheeled out the patient. Naruto headed off into the room next to operating, where he stripped off his gloves and dumped them in the appropriate bin, and then took a moment for himself to breath. He hadn't really expected to be thrown into multiple surgeries when he woke up today. Of course, there might not be another surgery given how long he had taken patching up that kunoichi. She had gone through some serious trauma, and fixing all of that had taken some time. Hopefully, that hadn't cost his next patient her life.
"We've got the next patient," Naruto looked into the operating room to see the nurses wheel in another woman.
"Alright give me her file," Naruto ordered, "and get her prepped."
xxxXxxx
"Doctor, we're losing her!" a nurse cried out as loud beeping filled the operating theater.
"Come on. Where is it? Where is it?" Naruto asked himself as his bloody hands dug into a woman's chest. His mind flashed back to his last rebel patient, but he shoved that thought out of his head. He'd be damned if he lost another person this way.
"Blood pressure dropping."
Where the hell was it? He had already stopped the bleeding from two veins, but the third one was giving him trouble.
"Heart rate dropping!"
"She's dying, I get it!" Naruto barked. Just one more second that's all he needed, and he could—there! He clamped the vein and stopped the bleeding.
…
The flaring wails and beeps of the machines died down. "She's back coming, sir."
Naruto's hands almost went slack in relief, luckily for his patient he remembered where they happened to be. "Alright let's finish this," Naurto said.
From that point on the surgery went off without a hitch. Now, as he sat in a chair outside the operating room, Naruto couldn't help but feel great that he saved his patients. That feeling of relief was carried away by the vicious claws of his mission; one day soon he might be the cause of their death. Don't get too attached, Naruto thought, that's how Honda trained you as a doctor, just apply those rules to being a spy and you'll be fine. Naruto snorted, who was he kidding? He could barely follow that line of thinking as a doctor. Still, he'd have to try sticking to it because the alternative was soul-crushing guilt.
"So," Naruto was startled from his thoughts by Koaru, who had a nurse alongside her, "I hear you patched up two of the kunoichi."
"Where did you come from?"
Koaru ignored the question and continued, "Seems you aren't just some punk."
"Thanks…I guess."
"And it looks like you made good your half of our deal, so I'll make good on mine. You've got a job here starting tomorrow, today, Mina-san here will get you settled in," Koaru said. She started to walk away, but not before throwing one last quip over her shoulder, "You better enjoy the sleep you get tonight."
Naruto and the nurse watched at Koaru walked down the hall and he waited until she was around the corner to ask, "I take it she's not easy to work with?"
"You'll find out how bad she is soon enough," Mina replied, "Now come let's get you settled in."
xxxXxxx
"So you actually managed to pull it off, good job," Miyuki said. She and Naruto were sitting in a small hidden room just off her home's kitchen. It was a room she had found by accident a year after purchasing the building. After some digging around Miyuki had found out that there were rumors about the previous owner being a smuggler, but nothing could ever be proven, and once the war broke out no one gave it much thought. She cleaned and used the room as a place to store any sensitive material she couldn't get rid of, and now it would serve as a private room for her and Naruto to discuss their plans. "Now that you can get into the hospital you'll need to gain access to the room where the hospital keeps patient records for the kunoichi. It might not seem important, but there's a reason why patients files are confidential."
"Do you know where it is?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, it's on the third floor and guarded by a squad of jonin, but gaining access isn't going to be the problem," Miyuki answered.
"What do you mean?"
"Doctors and nurses have to sign-out a patient's file and they have to record that patient's name. The jonin are constantly monitoring the doctors and nurses, and they check all the files being taken out to make sure none of the staff pulls a fast one," Miyuki explained, then asked, "See the problem?"
"I can see it'll be tough, but as long as I don't draw any attention I'll be fine," Naruto said.
Miyuki sighed, "The rebels are probably going to want info on targets they intend to off, either in battle or by assassination. If too many kunoichi start dropping like flies, someone going to get suspicious and look into it, and they'll see that you're the connection between all of them. Next thing you know their kicking down our door and were captured, interrogated, and executed."
A bit of sweat dripped down Naruto's head as he realized this was going to be a lot more complicated than planned. "So why do I do?"
"You're going to have to figure out some way to get the guards to look away when you're in there, or find out how to get the files out without signing your name," Miyuki replied.
"Well, I could use the nurses to pull files for me," Naruto said.
"Might keep them from becoming suspicious right off the bat, but then they'll just interrogate the nurses and find out you were the one asking for those files," Miyuki replied.
"So, I'll just use the nurses occasionally until I find a more permanent solution," Naruto replied, "Now what about the room where they keep mission files."
"That one is on the ground floor. It doesn't have as much security, but it doesn't need it because people are coming and going at all hours, not to mention that a file clerk, who organizes everything, is always there," Miyuki explained as she took a swig from her beer. "This may have been faster than seducing someone, but we've got our work cut out for us, and you might have to use your looks on someone anyway."
"Great," Naruto muttered and then asked, "Any idea where I can start?"
"It took a lot of work to get that info without raising any eyebrows; you're on your own from here. I'm going to get a message out to rebels, tell them about the change of plans, it might be a couple days before they get back to us, but hopefully they'll give us some targets so at least we'll have some direction to go in," Miyuki said as she stood up, "Now go get some sleep and try not to get noticed tomorrow."
Naruto stood up and followed her out, "I'll try, but people tend to notice me whether or not I want them to."
xxxXxxx
"Kashiko," a raven haired woman called as she knocked on the one-eyed kunoichi's door, "She's not answering, Asuna." In the days since Saruhi had revealed Naruto's tragic end word had gotten around the village. At first Kashiko's friends had been puzzled by her behavior, but when the news finally reached their ears they understood their friend's less than sunny disposition.
"Are you surprised, Kurenai-chan? When Naru-chan died last time Gai had to drag her out," Asuna replied. Asuna Sarutobi was a tall, muscular, tan woman with short, spiky hair combed back. Her muscular figure didn't detract from her feminine charm and in fact they added to her large breasts and full hips. She wore the standard Konoha jonin attire consisting of a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, and loose dark blue pants. Over her shirt she wore a green Konoha flak jacket and wrapped around her hips was a cloth baring the symbol of the Twelve Ninja Guardians. Two black bangles and an earring in her left ear finished her ensemble.
"I can't say that I am, but she had students now and it's irresponsible and unfair to them," Kurenai replied. Kurenai Yuuhi was a porcelain skinned beauty with long, black, wavy hair and exotic red eyes. Her attire was as exotic as her eye; a dress that seemed to be made of wrapped bandages with black triangle designs, one arm was wrapped in normal bandages and the other in a loose red sleeve. The dress drew attention to her long smooth legs and the flair of hips, while the tight dress accentuated in perky breasts.
"What can you do?" Asuna shrugged as she pulled out her smokes.
"You," Kurenai began as she snatched the cigarette and tossed it away, "could try helping me."
Asuna scratched her cheek and stared off to side as she mumbled an apology. Her larger hand pounded on the door as she bellowed, "Kashiko!" Both women waited an when no one answered Asuna said, "Well, we-"
The door clicked and a voice moaned out, "Do you have to make so much noise in the morning?" A disheveled Kashiko stood in the doorway in nothing but her underwear and a wife beater.
"It's the middle of the afternoon," Kurenai said, and then she took notice of Kashiko's state of dress, or rather lack of it, "Kashiko, your clothes. Get inside!"
"You called me out. Hey, don't shove!" Kashiko complained while Asuna sighed and followed them in, closing the door behind her. Kashiko, managing to shake of a pestering Kurenai, plopped onto her couch, her hand scouring for a beer can she hadn't drained. "So, what're you here for?" Kashiko asked, finally finding a half-full can.
"Give me that," Kurenai said, snatching the beer away, "Look at yourself, you're a mess and your place is a sty."
"It's rude to complain when you just barged in and didn't give me a chance to clean up," Kashiko replied.
Kurenai sighed as she cleared a spot for herself to sit, while Asuna just leaned against a wall. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in."
"So, why are you here?"
"To pull you out of youre wallowing. I know losing Naruto-kun wasn't easy for you," Kurenai said. A small part of her was mad that Kashiko seemed to act like she was the only suffering. The bright boy had been like a little brother to her and it hurt to hear that he had come back only to lose his life a second time. "But you have your students and they're counting on you."
Kashiko said nothing, just guzzled her beer down.
"You have a responsibility to teach those girls, if you don't you're failing them."
"Failing," Kashiko scoffed, "that's all I'm good for, and those girls are better off without me."
"Asuna, say something," Kurenai said, looking towards her girlfriend for help.
Asuna observed the distraught woman; this had always been one of Kashiko's problems, she couldn't let go. She always felt like she could have done something differently, and blamed herself for the way things did turn out. Kashiko was a woman very easily trapped in the past, but this time was much worse. Usually, she just wallowed for a bit and then got back to work to distract herself. This time, however, Kashiko got what she wanted, a second chance. And she failed.
That's not something you just bounce back from.
"Kashiko, you failed Naruto," Asuna said, Kurenai glared at her and Kashiko's shoulders sagged. "That's what's going through your head, it has to be. I can't say anything that will that'll change your mind, but I can say something about Naru-chan."
Kashiko's head perked up and Asuna continued, "He was a kind and selfless boy, and from what you said about his death, he hasn't changed in all these years, maybe a little braver, but still the same. I wonder what that boy would say if he was here now."
Kashiko didn't reply, but she set her beer down. Asuna tapped Kurenai on the shoulder and nodded towards the door. As they left Kurenai looked back at Kashiko, the woman's head was still down, but now she was fiddling with a piece of paper. "Asuna, should we-"
"Come on, Kurenai," Asuna said tugging her out the door because she knew that any platitudes from them would just fall on deaf ears.
The door clicked shut and Kashiko was left once more to her own devices. The paper in Kashiko's hands was of her and Naruto. It had been taken at the Ichiraku Ramen shop on Naruto's birthday, the last birthday before he disappeared; though Naruto had bits of ramen on his cheeks and her face was covered in a mask, it was clear both were sporting smiling faces. A warm bubbled swelled in her chest.
What would he say? Kashiko asked herself. He'd say something cheesy and optimistic about her getting back on her feet, but it would be enthusiastic and he's flash that goofy smile of his.
Naruto's last bloody smile flashed in Kashiko's mind and she dropped the picture like it had just caught fire. But before she could sink into her despair again, his words from that day came back to her.
"Sorry, Kashiko-chan, but when I put my life on the line for someone I see it through to the end."
"Seeing things through to the end, hmm?" Kashiko picked up the photo and gazed at it once more, "You liked keeping you're promises to people didn't you, Naruto? Would you hate me if I didn't keep mine?"
xxxXxxx
A few days turned out to be four, and now Naruto had been given his target, Riki Asagi, a jonin that was doing a great job of harassing the rebels supply lines. In those four days Naruto had also completely and utterly failed at not getting noticed. Koaru took full advantage of her newest hire, and while this meant Naruto was run ragged; it also meant that he saved more than his fair share of patients. A few of which owed their lives to his chakra, whenever he could distract the nurses long enough to heal just the fatal damage, making sure to leave his patients a nice, fat surgical scar to keep his secret safe.
This had the easily foreseeable result of turning Naruto, well actually Risei, into the hospital star. After all how can you hate the nice pretty girl that's saving lives left and right? Said girl, really guy, was sitting in the break room guzzling down a cup of coffee loaded with sugar. Not exactly a healthy way to drink it, but Naruto never knew about his hidden love for the caffeinated beverage.
"Risei-san," Naruto looked up from his seat to see Koaru, still looking as exhausted as ever, take the chair opposite him, "Your diagnoses with those patients the other day was good." She tossed three files onto his lap, "After your break is over you've got to look at those three."
"Three more? Great," Naruto said. He'd been trying to come up with a plan to obtain the information on Riki, but it seemed completely impossible. His first problem: Riki wasn't even in the village which meant he couldn't just ask for the file. His second problem: He had scoped out the room they kept the files in, under the guise of needing a patient's history, and found out that, besides the two guards outside the door, two more were hidden inside. When he saw no one was in the room he had assumed that Miyuki had gotten her information wrong, in hindsight he should have known better.
Naruto put a hand to his neck as he remembered how he had found out about the hidden guards. He had pulled his patient's file out and opened it. Only to find his wrist in a vice grip and ninjato on his throat courtesy of two kunoichi in black hoods sporting re-breathers. Only one spoke; ordered him to state his name and business. He gave his fake name, added that he was new, and said he needed a patient's file, she asked for the name and he gave it. The kunoichi took the folder from his hand, checked it, and handed it back.
"You don't open a patient's file until we've checked you out. Since you're new and no one seems to have filled you in on procedure, I'll let you off with a warning. Next time grab that patient's file and sign your name and the patient's name on that form next to the door, and one of us will check you out."
Naruto also hadn't accounted for the time his cover would eat up. In the past few days he barely had a moment's rest, and he had to fight Koaru for those. Speaking of Koaru, he thought that the woman was an absolute slave driver, at first, but his tune changed when he saw what, or rather who, she was dealing with.
The Mizukage: Yagura.
It had been on the second day of Naruto's employment when the Mizukage had dropped by unexpectedly. It had been the first time Naruto had seen the woman. At first glance, Yagura seemed like the typical oddly dressed kunoichi, and Naruto had almost approached her, but luck intervened when he managed to hear a nurse mutter her title. With that new information Naruto had taken a second look at Yagura. She sported a grey sleeveless shirt with the Kiri forehead protector attached to the front. Over that was short-sleeved mesh armor, and a green poncho along with a turquoise sash around the waist. This was paired with a green apron over her pants. On her back rested an odd staff-like pole weapon with uneven sized hooks and a green flower on the larger end.
Naruto, however, wasn't interested in her peculiar attire, that he had seen plenty of; no, what really surprised Naruto was that the Kage of a kunoichi village seemed to lack a lot feminine charm. To be frank, Yagura was short, flat, and had a shortage in the hip department. She was pretty, no doubt about that, her light grey hair and pink eyes gave her a bit of exotic flair, and that long scar going down the left side of her face added to her appeal, but she looked like a sixteen-year-old late-bloomer. And it wasn't that Naruto couldn't appreciate her beauty, being around women so much Naruto truly and sincerely appreciated the female form, but appreciation didn't exactly mean like. He could appreciate how a work of art was beautiful, but that didn't mean he liked it. In the same manner, he found, that as he grew-up, there were certain things about a woman's body that he appreciated, and certain things that he liked. He knew that might have sounded insensitive to some, but that was just a fact about people. Some liked this and some liked that; nothing to be ashamed about, unless you were being a jerk about it.
What really caught his attention was the spine tingling shiver that went up his spine when Yagura looked in his direction. Their eyes made contact and Naruto's body screamed at his brain to back away. When she walked past him Naruto kept observing her, he watched as Yagura asked the receptionist to fetch Koaru for her. When Koaru arrived Yagura asked why the latest shipment of supplies hadn't gone out yet. Koaru managed to sputter out a response about needing to secure a portion of the supplies for the civilians. That wasn't the answer Yagura wanted, and she quickly showcased her displeasure by gut-checking Koaru. The poor chief crumbled to her knees, clutching her stomach as her head touched the ground, but Yagura wasn't done. The sadistic Mizukage slowly ground her heel in Koaru's head as she informed the humiliated doctor that those supplies, in their entirety, would be going out in the next hour. Koaru, still under Yagura's heel, nodded her head to scared and ashamed to do anything else.
The exchange had only served to solidify the frightening picture of Yagura.
Naruto took a sip of his coffee and put those thoughts aside to focus on the matter at hand. How to steal Riki's information? He can't walk in and peek at the file, he can't sneak in and take a look, he can't bribe them, he can't blackmail them, and he can't threaten them. He could try seduction, but he couldn't seduce just one, and if he seduced two he couldn't really ask for moment alone in the room; it would kill the mood.
There was also his lack of seduction skills to consider.
What did that leave? Distraction, but how do you distract a highly-trained and obedient kunoichi? Naruto thought about it and realized that it would need to be something big, like an explosion, but blowing up a wing of the hospital didn't really appeal to him.
There was also his lack of demolition skills to consider.
He really did make a terrible spy, but he was here and wallowing would do nothing for him. So no explosion—but what about something like an explosion, Naruto thought as he put down his coffee cup, something very large and dangerous, something that would alarm everyone, something he had the skill to do.
Something very much like an outbreak.
"-handle it?"Koaru asked.
Naruto snapped back to the break room and turned his startled gaze on Kaoru, "I'm sorry what?"
"I asked if thought you can handle the new patients?" Koaru repeated, "The last I need is my new star doctor having a breakdown. So?"
"So, what?" Naruto asked.
Koaru sighed and leaned in towards Naruto and said, very slowly, "Do you think you can handle it?"
"Yes, I'm sure I can handle it." Naruto gulped down the last of his coffee, picked up his new case files, and left the break room with a plan slowly formulating in his mind. First, however, he had some people to see and some research to do.
xxxXxxx
After waking up in his bed, Naruto had to rethink his whole outbreak plan, and by rethink he meant not do it at all. Apparently, working in multiple stressful situations and getting little sleep made the mind come up with some crazy ideas. Ideas liking causing an outbreak in a hospital, and murdering patients wasn't really in his agenda. But just because it was crazy didn't mean it was bad, after getting some much needed rest Naruto realized that he just had to make it look like outbreak. And the solution to hat was simple: Ipecac syrup.
He would just place it on the food served in the cafeteria, and some people would start puking their guts up, there would be panic, and he'd shout the food was poisoned. In case of chemical attack the area would be quarantined and all kunoichi, and that meant all, were to report to assigned areas to prevent anyone from leaving. While the kunoichi were securing the area he could into the file room and copy not only Riki's file but as many other kunoichi as he could.
Copying Riki's file would have originally been a problem, but not anymore with tool Miyuki had given him. His hand touched the small plastic square in his pocket; Naruto couldn't believe she had managed to get a camera. The things weren't cheap and he's only seen them in books and magazines. With his new camera Naruto would be able to copy everything he needed, no problem.
Naruto waved and nodded at all his coworkers and patients as he headed towards the cafeteria to put his plan into motion. Pausing outside the door, Naruto took a calming breath and walked in.
The cafeteria was crowded, as it usually was in the afternoon, but Naruto ignored all the noise and headed straight for the line. Lucky for Naruto, the Kiri mentality of being able to fend for yourself, carried into their hospitals as most people, aside from a few items, had to serve themselves. Having knowledge of this he had rigged up small tube to drip Ipecac syrup from his right wrist when he squeezed a small, hollow, rubber bulb in his left, and hidden the whole thing under his coat. Holding his cafeteria tray would hide the bulb and small drops of the syrup would be hard to notice unless someone was looking really hard at his hands.
With the plan in his head Naruto picked up a tray and started serve himself a bit of this and that, not poisoning some food to make sure no one made the connection when they eventually tested the food. His biggest problem was the cafeteria workers hitting on him, which made him nervous, but since they were so busy looking at his face, or his chest and hips, they didn't see a thing. Naruto paid for his food and sat by himself, eating a little because his stomach was doing nervous flops. When he was sure that he couldn't keep anymore down, Naruto just watched and waited.
If this plan worked he'd have to start watching his back twice as much, no doubt security would be tightened afterwards. This was a one-time shot, after this he'd need a new plan.
"Hmm, I feel funny."
"What's wrong?" Naruto looked over to the nurses at the next table.
"My stomach feels bad." Naruto took one last breath, said a quick prayer, and pushed his tray away. Naruto had one last thought as he watched the nurse put a hand over his mouth.
This still might've been a crazy plan.
xxxXxxx
That's all intrepid readers, remember to leave a review and if you still haven't faved, I don't know why, hit that button.
I'll be back with another chapter my rabid raving readers.