Heya!

So sorry that this chapter is late, I had to be away from the dear internet for the entire weekend.

It feels so good to be back with civilization, I am almost a bit too happy...yeah the relationship between me and my computer is super unhealthy

Anyways, I give to you chapter 13!

When I woke the next day, a couple of my clan members came at 9 o'clock on the dot, all with worried and tense expressions. I groggily filled them in on my situation, making sure that they, especially my parents, are well aware of my current chakra situation. And to no surprise, my father was the least happy about the news.

"How could this happen… I knew you weren't prepared for Anbu...If we waited for just a little longer..." He had furrowed his brows and grimaced, pounding against the wall in his seat with his fist to only slump over to contemplate the outcomes.

As always I countered his directed criticism with an eye roll. "Father it was the inevitable, I wasn't cautious enough and I paid the price for it. Lady Tsunade is supposed to come for a few checkups and tests, so whether I will be able to continue my duties of as a ninja will be decided then." I calmed myself down from raising my voice and overworking myself. If I wanted to even get out of the hospital itself, I needed to rest and let my body recover.

My mother rests a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure the tests will come out positive and you will still be able to continue as a ninja. No matter what, you're still a Murakami. And Murakami's don't go down without a fight." She sets a case on my side table. "Something to keep you company."

I smile weakly and grasp her hand."Thank you, Mother. I'll be sure to tell you immediately about the results of the tests."

"Of course, just please rest as much as you can." After some more small talk and a few hugs, that is what I did. My conscious jumped in and out of reality as I took a few naps out of pure boredom. The registered appointment with the Hokage herself wasn't until late in the afternoon, so the only thing I could really do was wait and sleep. My lazy gaze traveled over to the small black box that my mother had laid down earlier in the day. Which takes us to my current situation, how to spend the seemingly never-ending wait of, what basically is, my fate. So sleep again, or find out what is in this box... The rabbit drags me down into Wonderland as I carefully take the black box into my lap. Its velvety texture and sturdy exterior are completely unknown to me. Under what seems to be the lid, My fingers hook under a hatch which springs the box open.

A small furry beast pops it's head up from the edge of the case, claws gripping barred at me. Its sleek black fur almost looks push back as its sharp canine fangs are bared at me. "Grr..." A low rumble comes from the animal's throat as it is not happy that it was locked in a box. A note inside the lid read, "Found it in your drawer."

"Right...Six months, you probably forgot about me." I let it sniff my hand, attempting to rekindle the friendship that I once had with the ferret. Instead of tenderly rubbing its soft head on my digit, my pet almost bites it. "Hey, hey, hey! No biting!" I tap it on the head in a reprimanding manner. It cocks its head the side with a glimmer in its eyes, then lets its long body sliver out of the box and curl up in my lap and begins to snore. "First few minutes out of the box, my surprise sleeps on me...Thanks, mother." Carefully, I stroke its soft luscious fur, from the head to the base of its tail, earning a small purr in satisfaction. "Ha...The nurses aren't going to be happy about finding a weasel in my room."

Knock, knock. Without even waiting for my reply, someone walks in, Lady Tsunade followed by two nurses with a cart of medical materials. The Hokage eyes the sleeping animal in my lap, but then leaving it be as if it was TonTon. Her high heels click loudly against the tile in the quiet room as she nears my bed. First orders of business would be changing the bandages around my wrists and checking my medical board."Good afternoon Murakami Mizuki. How are you feeling?"

"Little anxious, but other than that fine." I decided to keep a straight face and prepare myself for any possible outcomes.

"I'm sure you are well aware of your situation. Before we commence the testing, I want to apologize for endangering the lives of you and your partner, it was foolish of me to think that you two alone could take the possible chance of Orochimaru attacking." She sanitizes a sharp menacing needle from the cart and readies it at my shoulder. "First, we'll take your blood test. Are you prepared for what is about to happen?"

I nod and brace myself for the haunting feeling of a needle being probed into my body. Moment of truth. My anxiety peaks as the needle breaks through the surface of my skin, drawing blood into its once clear barrel. After a full helping of my crimson fluid, the needle is replaced with a sanitizing cloth for any stray blood. Lady Tsunade caps the test sample and hands it over one of the nurses.

"Run that up the lab and give a full analysis, I want to know every major and minor detail of the DNA strands." The Hokage orders and the nurse rushes off without a complaint. Lady Tsunade turns back to me with a glowing green palm. "The next test is for your chakra, please stay still and take long breaths. Count to ten and focus on directing your chakra to your palm." Her hand hovers over the center of my right palm, the thin blazing outline of her chakra grazing over my skin.

"Ten, nine, eight…" I tense every muscle in my body, hoping to force myself to remember what it feels like to be in control. Please, please...But like yesterday, I felt nothing. Where there was suppose to be something, there wasn't. And in its place, a sad panic.

"Seven, six, five..." There must be something, this is my body, I own it. No matter how small, let something come up, please. I won't let someone make me lose control of what I have the full right to own. My eyes close.

"Four, three, two..." I refuse to let this happen, to let everything that means so much to me just slip away. A sole part of my body and life, what I thought would do for as long as I could. This is mine. My left knuckles turn white and I curl my toes, closing in and attempting to withdraw the sleeping dragon within me.

"One..." A small trickle within me teases my sense. Got you! The lasso of my lifeforce wraps around the almost escaping tip of my power. Tighten, hold, yank. With an exhale, a final pull restarts the flow of my chakra, flooding all possible spots that it missed on its alternate flow. My eyes open to find a pleasant blue glow that I miss so much resonating on my hand. "Ha, thank Kami…." I exhaustingly mutter. Crawling down my arm, Lady Tsunade's warm glow retreats from its sweeping attack into my body. Must have coaxed my chakra to respond to my will. My lips turn up into a smile.

With a subtle gesture, the older woman gets a hold of the swirling glow on my hand and captures it in a container. "Perfect, thank you for cooperating. From first impressions, your chakra seems to be just as strong as it was before, your body just might not be used to controlling now. There are a few other factors that need looking into, but I would say that there is a now an 80% chance that you will be able to go back to your duties with the proper rehabilitation."

That statistic filled my head with joy. Yes! I keep my enthusiasm down and try to keep a straight face. "Wonderful." On the inside, a vortex of ecstatic feelings makes me want to hug the life out of the resting animal in delight, preferably at a different time when the Lady of the whole of Konohagakure isn't in front of me.

"That percentage is subjected to change as we get the results of your further tests. I will give the details from your test as soon as possible. Over the course of the next few days, a couple operatives will come and test your reflexes and such." She packs the rest of the supplies back into the cart, which the remaining nurse trolleys out of the room. "You are a very lucky individual. I hope you are able to come back under the force as an Anbu." The green coat of hers faces me as Lady Tsunade follows the departing nurse.

My hand falls on the sleeping ferret, stroking its delicate long body. "So I guess this means I can still look forward to meetings with you...But now I don't have an excuse to not fight him..." It will take some time to remaster my body, but I will do anything to give my life choices.

Bam!

I know, I know; plot twist failure, one slow clap for me. *cues sarcastic slow clap*

A lot of things have been weird for me while writing this, but I definitely have an ending planned, there are just too many ways to get to that ending

Meh, I still need to sort out the details, but I will continue to keep posting chapters, thank you for continuing to read this very messy work in progress story.

I will see you in the next chapter!

BYEBYE!~Grai