Kushina's Diary
Chapter 45
Sora-nin
"I know it hurts, baby. You will get better now. You were so brave," Tsume sobbed. "Sensei, please help him."
Yakushi had to quickly re-dress without even taking the time to clean up. He was going to stink of sex all day unless he found time for a quick shower in the doctors' lounge. He gently eased the O2 mask off the muzzle and started probing with chakra at the tip of the nose. By the time he reached the splint on the tail he was smiling. "It all looks very good. All broken bones have started to mend, nasal passages and lungs are clear, he is breathing on his own and his heartbeat is strong. I've blocked his nerves enough to ease the pain, but I left them open sufficiently to remind him not to try and move. I would prefer not to have to paralyze him while he heals. Can you make sure he will not attempt to get up?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Listen to mommy, baby. Just rest now. Mommy wants you to stay and get better. 'Teda or I will be here all the time." She lay her head beside his muzzle. His tongue slipped out of the opening in the bandages and licked her face. She leaned closer and gently licked his nose. "I love you Kuromaru." She stood, a look of pure bliss on her face, "I've got to tell Minato... and Ino-Shika-Cho and the Fugaku's and everybody! This is wonderful!"
As she ran for the door Kushina hollered, "Tsume, put on some pants. You're naked as a newborn and you got slime running down your legs."
August 2 – Back in apartment. What do now? So many things need forgiveness. So many people, Nii-chan, need forgiveness from.
How can birds chirp so cheerfully so early in the morning? How is it that the sun can shine so brightly and the sky be so clear and blue when my soul feels so dreary? The refreshing breeze wafting in the window held only the slightest hint of the oppressive heat which would be felt in the afternoon. At least in the highlands further north the temperate evenings had reminded her of the cooling ocean breeze back in the Whirlpool. Here in the south there was nothing to dispel the extreme temperature except the shade of the glorious trees. God bless the First Hokage and his magnificent trees.
If only she could pull the blinds and stay locked in this room for the rest of her life... But then, without air moving the apartment would quickly become stifling. There was really no help for it. If she didn't get up soon a very angry Tsunade would kick in her door to find why she had missed her morning checkup. She frowned as she flexed her fingers. The left hand worked painfully when it moved at all. Even the sannin wouldn't guarantee she would ever be able to properly channel chakra through it.
She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. If it didn't run down her cheeks, she wasn't crying, was she? Her eyes were just watering. "Otemba-chan! You're back! We missed you." "Senpai, why is your hand wrapped? Were you injured in battle?" "What kind of fights did you have? Did you kill a lot of enemies? When I become a chunin I will win all the battles and be known as the Green Fist. It will be glorious."
She lifted her head and looked out the window. Namida squatted on the windowsill. Her teammates were standing horizontally on the walls. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry kids. I was such a selfish dweeb to not make time for you when you needed me before the exams. It wasn't fair or right."
"What?... oh that. I admit we were mad at the time, but Otemba-chan, we have seen a lot since the war started too. We've helped with injured in the hospital and worked in rehabilitation and done patrols outside the Village." Namida reached in and held her good hand. "I think we have a better idea what it means to be a chunin."
Aoba spoke up, "When we watched the Chunin Finals, we realized how much we still had to learn. Those Sand entrants were so fast and strong. Rin has that special jutsu and she worked with Minato-sensei and Tsunade-sama just to be able to compete with them. Even Guy admits he's not ready yet."
"Yep, that's right. But next time we will be prepared and show everyone the power of youth. When we met all those excellent ninjas who have been hurt in battle, we decided that it was understandable if an old person like you needed to take a break and go be a bridesmaid."
"Old!?!?" Her hand shot out and grabbed a green-clad ankle and dragged it into the room. Soon Kushina was on the bottom of a giggling genin dogpile. "I missed you brats. If I ever get too full of myself and ignore you again, just swat me up-side the head to get my attention." Seriously, "Namida-chan, have you seen Yosegi-chan since..."
The genin got up. "They had a memorial for the war casualties and... it was strange. All the other families' women and children were crying and stuff, but she just stood there with a far off look not saying anything. Is that normal, sensei?"
August 3 – Tsunade n Shizune treat hand. Wish had jutsu treat injured souls, Nii-chan.
Healing chakra engulfed her hand. "Who is in the next room with Tsunade? I never heard her laugh like that when she wasn't drunk."
Shizune smiled. "That's her cousin, Moritsugumi, come in for a check-up. They grew up as sisters and really need each other for consolation right now. It is hard to have a baby all alone when your husband has just died. They help keep each other from brooding over their losses."
-- --
"Is Yosegi-san at home? Might I speak with her?" The house had always before been open, light and inviting. Now a pervasive gloom had invaded all the darkened corners. It was not only that the blinds were drawn leaving the summer humidity, if not the heat, to fill the atmosphere. It was not just the black ribbon at the entrance. It seemed to Kushina that all the joy had been vacuumed out of the room and discarded in the rubbish bin.
Eventually Yosegi waddled in. Kushina was shocked by the sight. That she looked twice as big as the last time she saw her was not unexpected. After all the woman was seven months pregnant. It was her uncombed hair and her rumpled, sweat stained clothes which appalled her. Yosegi had always been meticulous about her hair and makeup. It was obvious that at the moment she gave no thought to either. "Yosegi-kun, how are you doing?"
"Why are you here? I am long past the need for any bridesmaids."
"Yosegi? I just wanted to tell you and your mother how sorry I am. Kunugi-sensei was a great man. I served under him these last months and got to know him well. He was always kind and he cared about those under him. He saved my life when he killed a Rain-jo..."
"STOP IT! Get out of my house. I don't want to hear another word!"
"But Yosegi-chan, you don't understand. I tried to save him but I was just too slow. I would have given my life..."
"Then why didn't you?" she screamed. "All my life it was Ninja this and battle that. Whenever I needed him he was always Ninja fight or Ninja mission. And now he is Ninja dead and I should be proud?? GET OUT! I don't care about your war and how many people he saved. I never want to hear about another fight or see another Ninja. ALL I WANT IS MY DADDY BACK!"
August 10 – After week have mission fit for one handed ninja. Treatment n rehab still leave hand unable focus full chakra, Nii-chan. After see Tsunade, go help academy new student orientation. Sixth years show new first years around to all classrooms and practise fields inside Village walls. Good see Masashi-sensei. Together maybe make one full ninja. Says right students see one arm chunin. Let know life they try join.
The bustling streets of Konoha always lifted her mood. Seeing so many people going about their business apparently without a care made everything worthwhile. She paused on a rooftop and tried to identify any visible difference. There were many fewer chunin and jonin around. The genin she saw were not goofing off as kids, even young ninjas, were wont to do. They were moving purposefully from assignment to assignment. If any ANBU were around they were taking unusual care not to be spotted, but there were many more military police wearing the fan symbol - Older police – like the guards on the walls, more than happy to be called out of retirement to once again be of service to the Village.
She was about to hop down and make her way to the hospital when she heard the faintest sound of a lone sentry calling out a warning. She turned, expecting to be able to see nothing, yet there on the horizon over the top of the wall, barely visible, were pinpricks. A flock flying in unchanging, perfectly geometric formation. She took up the alarm, "SHELTER, SORA-NIN, To The SHELTERS!" and ran across rooftops back to her apartment, yelling all the time.
No time to change out of her red shirt into her uniform and no need. Vest, weapons pouch, scroll pouch, Little Lady, water skin, let's go. The first bombs struck as she flew out the door. She hit the roofs running without knowing where she was going. First, civilians – already the streets were nearly empty and the few civilians left appeared to have a better idea where they should be than she did. Second, Hokage – The Hokage's palace appeared to have developed a rash of ANBU. They wouldn't appreciate her butting in there. Third, Hospital – At least until casualties started to pour in it appeared there were plenty of med-nin eager to show the sannin that they were as proficient in fighting as in healing.
What's left? What other big public building would make a juicy target? School's not in session for the summer... The Academy! – The First Years were there and most of the teachers wouldn't be. She was right. Only three teachers stood atop the Academy. As she leaped for the rooftop she saw one throw a kunai left handed, hitting a plummeting kunai attached to a paper bomb. The resultant blast nearly knocked her off the roof. "Otemba, girl, is ya all right?"
"Masashi-san, where are the kids, what can I do?"
"Dontcha worry. A teacher an' the sixth years got the younguns corralled an' safe in the bunkers. We'run jist knockin' down bombs ta protect the school roof. Ain't no good tryin' ta hit them flyers. Kunai come back down an' endanger folks on the ground." He knocked another bomb out of the air and then bent down to a scroll spread out at his feet. With a puff of smoke another dozen kunai appeared. "Kyougu-sensei made me this especial scroll ta do one hand summonin's. Pretty neat trick, hunh. Take ya a couple."
"Thanks, but let me try my own weapon first." She opened the skin and slowly and carefully completed the handsigns for a suiton and pulled a short knobbly staff out of the water. With a grimace of disappointment, she twisted her face in concentration until the water stretched into a long, smooth javelin. She appraised it, "Not the best I ever made, but it doesn't need to bounce off a spinning Hyuuga. Like you say, it would be better if it fell apart before hitting the ground anyhow. Hmm, see those two flying machines almost lined up. Betcha a thousand I knock at least one out of the sky."
"Yer on. Do it, girl."
She took two steps and let fly as hard as she could. The spear passed close in between them. The first flyer banked hard to the left and sped away. The spear missed the second so close it actually zipped between the ninja and her wing tip. Kushina never knew whether it disrupted the kunoichi's chakra or just her concentration, but she went into a death spiral. "Yes, now splat." "Way ta go girl!"
At the last moment the spin straightened out and she flew low over the rooftops. It appeared she was going to escape when the machine was engulfed in a fireball and tumbled, pancaking into the side of an apothecary and exploding. The elder policeman inclined his head in appreciation. Kushina cheered along with the teachers, then bowed deeply. "See, even he thinks I get an assist."
"Pretty neat, girl. Not many get acknowledged by the head of the Uchiha Clan. But ya still owe me the thousand ryo."
"Double or nothing on the next one."
"Yay, we saw you bring him down. Do it again. You are awful strong for a girl."
Kushina had never seen Masashi without a smile. He was the kindest and most even-tempered shinobi she knew, but now his face was red with rage. "MIZUKI! What are ya doin' up here. You are supposed to be in the tunnels."
"But I can help. You know I can fight. I bet I'll kill one if I get a chance."
"And you Tsubaki, I anticipate such stupidity outta Mizuki, but you I expected to have more sense. How could ya bring lil Iruka into a battle. Them machines is coming back agin! Everyone get back to the shelter, NOW!"
As she watched the three youngsters trudge dejectedly down the stairs, Kushina drew another rod out of the waterskin. "Kind of spunky, aren't they?"
"Tha' Mizuki'll be the death o' me. Smart enough, all right, but headstrong. Always gotta have 'is own way, like his dad. Shide Touji's one hard ninja. Met him?"
Kushina got a sour look on his face. "Yeh, long stringy silver hair, nasty eyes, bad mood, hangs on Oroichimaru's every word."
"That's him. Tsubaki now, sweet girl, but goes along with whate'er Mizuki says. Jist di'nt figure her to let him put the Umino child in danger. That there spear ready? 'Cause the one guy is comin' back for revenge for his friend."
She carefully straightened and strengthened the javelin since it appeared that the one-armed chunin was right. While the rest of the air raid was dropping random bombs throughout the village on the way to the main targets at the hospital or the Hokage's, one lone flyer was coming hard directly for the academy, preserving all his bombs for the assault. He came closer and she could see his face, distorted in a look mixed of rage, hate and anguish that centered on her red shirt. His eyes focused on her's and it was acknowledged that one of them was about to die.
Next: Chapter 46
Birth
