A/N: Ok! Here is Chapter 25! I can't believe it's been 25 chapters already! I can't believe it's been 2 years as of July 12th! I'd like to thank everyone who has ever reviewed, faved, followed or just simply read this and enjoyed it! You guys mean the world to me! The results of the favorite Ryugakure nin poll will also be posted at the bottom with a special treat!
Infinite Katalyst: You'll have to wait on Karin time, but there's some Hinata in here if Sunset didn't quench your GaaHina thirst.
NaruSaku24: Aww, thank you honeydarlin!
***ATTENTION! ATTENTION!***
Do you think you guys could leave special reviews in honor of Blood is Thicker's 2 year anniversary? Just for me? You guys are the best and I'd love to be able to thank all of you, especially the shy ones who don't review! Thank you all, my precious baby angels!
Sakura waited patiently in Ryugakure's councilroom as the members of the council shuffled in, taking seats, glancing over documents and greeting each other. Nakina's 10 year old daughter, Tsubaki, sat in Nakina's chair, amusedly giving an impression of presiding over the council in her mother's absence.
The real person presiding over the council was Eiji Takeshi, the leader of the Takeshi clan and the uncle of Nakina's dead husband. He seemed to have a somewhat grumpy disposition, and a scar on his cheek from the civil war some 24 years earlier that piqued Sakura's interest. Upon the seating of all the members, Mitake, the hospital head and Sakura's temporary boss, turned to Eiji. "Sakura of Konoha here has received a message from her Hokage, Tsunade. She would like to relay it to us before we precede with anything more."
"Very well," Eiji said, gesturing for Sakura to stand and give report. She smiled at the council, wishing the charismatic Naruto was by her side. One of his better skills was talking to people.
"I received a message this morning via Mini-Katsuyu explaining that your leader is on her way back here as we speak with more in-depth details concerning the Small Village Summit and the civil war ocurring in Iwagakure. Escorting her is another team of Konoha nin, deployed to assist in further training of your ninja. Tsunade-sama, on the other hand, is headed to a Summit of the large ninja nations with the Kazekage and a representative of Iwa to discuss possible responses to the leader of Tani, Katsutoshi. Naruto is in charge of the village in her absence." Sakura recounted, trying to remember everything Mini-Katsuyu had told her.
"You mean the great Lady Tsunade left your dopey boyfriend in charge of a village like Konoha?" Mitake asked, looking at the rosette incredulously.
"It's his dream to be Hokage, and he's a village hero," the younger medic replied, trying not to beam with pride.
"Thank you for your report Haruno-san," Eiji said, nodding for Mitake to give her instructions on reporting back to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Ino sat in her temporary office, surrounded by 3 of the hospital's students - Yumiko, Kenshin and surprisingly Hajime.
"Anyway, Mom decided that since the political climate is so testy and that conflict could break out at anytime, now could be our only opportunity to visit Konoha for a while, and I can visit Naruto and my other cousin Aya who is there studying." Yumiko said, waiting for Sakura to return from the council meeting. "What's Konoha like, Ino-sensei?"
Ino looked up from the paperwork she was filling out and smiled, setting her pen down. "It's really big there, way bigger than here. The hospital is enormous, and there's so many medical ninja you'd wonder where they all came from."
Yumiko looked at her interlocked hands shyly. "I'd love to go study there one day, so I can return as a skilled doctor and restore the honor of the Byaki clan."
"Me too!" Kenshin chimed in, before noting Yumiko's weird look. "Well not to return honor to the Byaki, but to become an even better surgeon than my dad!"
Ino looked to her own student, Hajime, whom she was surprised showed up at all after the encounter she'd had with his mother the day before. She frowned slightly. "Hajime, not that I'll turn you away, but how did you manage to come here? Surely your mom forbade you from seeing me."
"I told her I was training with my teammates Satoshi and Akira. They're in on it."
Ino bit her lip nervously. Who knew what that horrible Tarimi woman would have said if Kiba hadn't showed up? She didn't want to start trouble, but felt bad for him. "I guess will have to do some combat training today to rough you up some then. We'll have to go to the training dojo though, because I don't feel like training in the snow."
The snow had finally started in Ryugakure, and according to the locals, probably would only get worse in time. At this point, Ino would prefer even the sweltering heat of Suna to the winter she was about to face. It was possible she and the rest of the Konoha deploys wouldn't be able to return home until the springtime.
With a thoughtful expression, Ino turned her attention back to Kenshin. "Hajime's mother put the thought in my head that the education system here is very flawed. Your mother is the Head of Education on the council, right?"
Not knowing where Ino was going with the question, Kenshin nodded. "I know this is a learning hospital, but due to the small amount of doctors there's also a small amount of apprentices too. I was thinking maybe if I talked to your mother, a class teaching rudimentary medical jutsu could be offered in the Academy to figure out good candidates for apprenticeship and also make their in-hospital training quicker since they would know the basics."
"That's a great idea, Ino-sensei, but who would teach it?" Yumiko asked, as the hospital had only 7 medical nin.
"I haven't figured that part out yet, but I also have an idea that the one doctor Yurika's practice of taking on a team of 3 students could be adopted by other available medics. I'm certain your cousin Aya will return here after studying in Konoha and not be considered an apprentice anymore."
The 3 apprentices sat pondering Ino's idea quietly, before Sakura poked her head into the office. "Yumiko, I'm back. Are you ready to train?"
The 15 year old leapt up, her orange hair smacking Kenshin in the face, causing him to blush. "Ahh, yes sensei! However, I want to ask my parents about it first, but I've decided I want to return to Konoha with you in the spring to continue my training!"
"Wow, that's a big decision Yumiko," Sakura said with a smile. "Talk to your parents and explore Konoha a bit on your vacation before you decide for sure, ok?"
"Ok, but I don't think my mind will change. I want to be the best medic I can be for Ryu!"
"She's as determined as you were about 6 years ago, Sakura," Ino noted, returning to her paperwork.
Hinata cooed at Kurenai's young son Asuhiru as she sat in a restaurant with her former sensei, Shino, and Kurenai's former genjutsu student Yakumo Kurama. Kurenai missed all of her old students and asked them to lunch, except for Kiba who was busy with his Ryu deployment.
"Has anyone heard from Kiba?" the widow asked, sipping her tea.
"He's sent me a letter or two," Hinata said, now tickling the infant, smiling at the musical laughter. "He likes it there, he's busy getting Chunin combat-ready."
"I haven't heard from him at all," Shino pouted. Yakumo chuckled a bit at his behavior, now a well-adjusted and talented young kunoichi.
"How was saying goodbye to your fiancé, Hinata?" Kurenai asked, her blood red eyes meeting the Hyuuga's.
"Uh, well both he and Neji left today. Team Gai is being deployed too, and Gaara is off to a Summit of some kind." she responded, having just come from seeing the two groups off. Gaara had given her a small smile, and told her that he'd enjoyed their visit, especially the nice dinner they had had. She had given him a quick hug goodbye, and blushed profusely afterwards.
"You must be quite close to the Kazekage to be able to call him by his first name," Yakumo commented, her gold eyes meeting hers just as Kurenai's had.
Hinata blushed, a normal ocurrence for Kurenai and Gaara to bear witness to. "He's my fiancé, and he insisted I didn't use any honorifics with him."
"When do you leave for your visit to Suna?" Shino asked, lowering his jacket collar to take a bite of his lunch.
"In a few weeks. I'll be there a fortnight, so I can explore Suna and get more used to it."
"Sounds like a fun trip. But remember, Hinata, you should save yourself for your wedding night," Kurenai said, taking her son back from the girl.
"SENSEI!" Hinata cried, trying to hide her face, even redder than before.
Setsuna of Shimo looked across the frosty landscape, the howling winds making her cloak swirl around her. Her trusty bodygaurds, a father-daughter duo named Nadare and Hatsuyuki stood behind her as she surveyed the skyline of her village. Smoke drifted into the air, as is fires were raging across the village. A worried frown graced her features. "Let's hurry."
The tall woman and her two subordinates raced across the road, finally reaching the gate of the village to see buildings on fire and many slaughtered corpses.
Several Shimo nin jumped down, surrounding the group of 3. "You are under arrest for traitorous activity," said one. Setsuna exchanged a confused look with Nadare as she put her hands up. "What's the meaning of this behavior? I'm your leader, you idiots."
"I'm afraid you aren't anymore," said a voice that sent a shiver down the stoic village leader's spine. She turned to see a man with the same powder blue hair as her own, pulled haphazardly into a ponytail, some falling into his dark eyes. He held up the head of her second in command, left in charge in her absence.
"Kinrei..." she muttered bitterly, her eyebrows knotting together. "So that's what Katsutoshi meant."
"Hello, sister. Long time no see, huh?" Kinrei said, dropping her subordinate's head at her feet. "You are correct at surmising Katsutoshi sent me here, he's letting me control Shimo, like I've always wanted."
"Where's that nasty girlfriend of yours?" she asked, crossing her arms. "That bloodthirsty wench is usually attached to your hip."
Suddenly, the woman in question appeared, jumping down from a nearby building, a sword of ice in her hand as her incredibly pale lavender hair waved in the strong winds. "Wench? You should be begging me to spare your life..."
"Byakuren, leave her to me," Kinrei said, stopping her with a raised hand. "A confrontation between her and I has long been in the works. Kill the gaurds, I don't care, but leave my sister to me."
Byakuren pouted a bit, but turned her attention to Nadare, who was shielding his daughter. "This should be fun..."
Kinrei sent the other ninja away, a started to do handsigns. Setsuna rolled her eyes, recognizing them from their teen years. Kicking upwards swiftly, she managed to get him to stop, catching her leg. Using their proximity to give a left hook to his abdomen, she spun away and watched worriedly as Byakuren chased Nadare and Hatsuyuki to the outside of the village. "I've told you a hundred times, Kinrei, we both know my version of that jutsu is much stronger."
"Is that so? Then why haven't you used it already and put and end to this?"
"I've considered it, brother, but I'm curious as to what Katsutoshi is trying to accomplish by manipulating you. You don't honestly think you'll really be in control of the village, do you?" Setsuna said, cracking her knuckles, preparing to fight.
"I've deserved this village, Setsuna! Father was senile and misguided when he chose you over me.."
"Whatever makes you sleep at night, Kinrei," Setsuna said, making hand signs for the justu he had tried to use earlier. As if trying to prove himself, Kinrei began doing the same again, before both unleashed the jutsu of their father's invention, the Frosty Wind Drill.
Two spinning drills of freezing wind met and sent the two siblings slightly backwards from the force of two opposing wind blasts. Eventually, the jutsus extinguished and Setsuna moved faster, swinging her long leg unto his gut.
He was knocked back for a few seconds, long enough for Setsuna to leap up onto the roof of a nearby building and set off clones in several directions. She needed to get to her gaurds and escape.
Kinrei landed in front of her, wheezing slightly from her powerful kick. "Did you honestly think such juvenile tricks would work on me, sister? We aren't 13 anymore. Byakuren is probably slashing up your little friends as we speak, and I'm going to take you into custody to await your execution for traitorous deeds against the village."
"We both know I didn't do anything, and you can't beat me." Setsuna said, remembering how it burned Kinrei up inside that she was always slighty better, faster and stronger.
"Maybe it would be hard just one on one, but I certainly can with the ANBU's help," he chuckled, making a hand signal that summoned the aforementioned ninja division. They surrounded the two siblings, their masked faces staring down their former leader ominously.
"You bastard, you've turned the ANBU," the cornered woman said. Kinrei beamed gloatingly.
"It wasn't hard, sister, they've taken a shine to Katsutoshi's dream after the Great Ninja Villages trashed the country and ruined the economy."
"You swine," Setsuna murmured, knowing she couldn't win against her brother and the elite ninja corp.
"Now, be a good girl and we'll make your death painless," Kinrei said, as the ANBU leapt and arrested her despite her struggling.
A/N: Wow! This chapter is kinda centered around female character, huh? Girl power! Speaking of girl power, the winner of the poll asking which Ryu nin was your favorite was Mitake Takeshi! For that, you guys will get her bio!
Once again, thanks for two great years! I look forward to not only reading all your fantastic reviews but also the rest of the story!
-MyHikari
MITAKE TAKESHI
-Age: 29
-Occupation: Head of Ryugakure's hospital/Single Mom
-Hair Color: Strawberry Blonde
-Eye Color: Bamboo Green (standard Takeshi eye color)
-Birthday: August 6th
-Family:
•Kura Takeshi (daughter, aged 12)
•Takeo Takeshi (older brother, Head Surgeon at hospital)
•Kirika Takeshi (sister-in-law, village Head of Education)
•Kenshin Takeshi (nephew, aged 15)
•Kouta Takeshi (nephew, aged 10)
-Background:
Was raised in the era of civil war in Ryugakure. Was taught medical jutsu by a kind doctor named Wakana. Started working in the hospital as a teenager with her sensei Wakana, after the civil wars had ceased, and her skills gre quickly. At 18, she fell in love with a ninja within the village, and had gotten pregnant. He died, however, on the same mission that Nakina's husband Torao died on, when their daughter Kura was only 2. The two women bonded over the loss, and are close friends. After the death of her sensei, she took over as hospital head at only 21.
-Fun Facts:
•Mitake hates surgery, and never enters the OR unless she has to.
•Tsunade is her idol, and she has always wanted to meet her.
•She trains her daughter in medical jutsu in her free time.
•After the former Hospital Head, her sensei Wakana, died, Mitake ensured that Wakana's daughter Miu would be able to train in the hospital to follow in her mothers footsteps.