Chapter 12

Tsunade had been in her office for days trying to figure out what had happened to Haruko. She slammed a book shut, "Why can't I find anything about this!" She opened another book to the middle of it and there was a picture of a large and strange seal, "Hm?" Her eyes scanned the page, "Nekomi Demon? A junchuuriki? Four tailed demon cat, terrorized the mist village for ages until she was sealed away eight years ago…She was put into the body of a young child who will hold her for the rest of her life.." She closed the book, "Haruko…"

- - - - - - - - -

Haruko opened her eyes to a blurry room. A had touched her arm, "Haruko-Chan?" Naruto said in a worried voice. Her arm almost burned where he touched her. She snapped it back, "What's going on..?"

"You're in your…hospital room."

"You hesitated."

"I-I did not." He turned away from her, trying to hide a pained look.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Well…there was an…Incident."

"Wha-."

"Just calm down, I'll tell you…"

- - - - - - - - -

Haruko lay wearily in her hospital bed after the confrontation with Akira. Her mind was restless and her back was hurting her, almost like it was burning. She rolled over onto her side, "Ugh…"

"The door…" A voice whispered. She looked around, the room was completely empty, "Go to the door…" The voice said, louder this time, a low raspy his. A sharp pain began to weave its way through her head. The room began to spin around her. She rolled off the bed onto the cold hard floor, ripping IV's out of her arms, leaving thin trails of blood on her arms, "KILL THEM ALL!" The voice screeched. She screamed and dug her fingers into her skull, as if trying to get to her brain.

Raidou and Kotetsu, who were now on guard at her room, ran inside only to see her sitting there on the floor with her eyes closed. Complete silence filled the small space.

"Haruko?" Raidou asked cautiously. She slowly lifted her head, her eyes still closed. He leaned down, "Are you okay?"
Her eyes suddenly popped open to reveal large deep purple cat slits. Raidou backed away a bit, but was hit under the ribs with a kunai before he could get out of her reach. Kotetsu ran quickly into the hall with Haruko hot on his trail.

He slipped around a corner and slammed right into Tsunade, "What are you running from so quickly?"

"It's Haruko, something strange has happened to her…"

Naruto came out of one of the rooms wondering what all the commotion was about just as Haruko ran passed him, leaving a large and deep cut across his arm.

Haruko walked around the corner and looked right into Tsunade's eyes. Terror ripped through her. She did the first thing she could think of and flicked Haruko's forehead, sending her flying into a wall. She quickly sank down to the floor.

Tsunade walked slowly toward her, half expecting her to jump back up, but she just lay there in a heap on the floor. Tsunade noticed that her back was exposed a bit and a strange seal had been planted there.

She knelt down and put her hand over it. It felt hot and had a sort of ashen texture, "It's like a burn…" She turned to Kotetsu, "Take her to another room, one where she can be quarantined and watched at all times."

- - - - - - - - -

"So now you're in the quarantined room, and they aren't gonna let you leave until they figure out what's wrong with you."

"What the hell…" She sighed, "What's happening to me…?"

Just then Tsunade walked in with Neji trailing nervously behind her, "Good, you're awake," Tsunade said, "Neji needs to have a look at your arm."

"Oh…alright…"

Tsunade held Haruko's arm out and Neji walked over, "Byakuugan." He ran his fingers up her arm, "I may be able to fix it…You'll have to prepare a seal though."

"Right, it'll be done shortly, please prepare for it."

"What's going on!" Haruko demanded.

Tsunade looked down at the floor, "I haven't been completely honest with you. I've caused one of you chakra points to completely explode."

"Wha…I…"

"Neji is going to try and fix it, but we don't know how well that'll work."

She started to sit up, "Why the hell didn't you tell me this!"

"Haruko, lay down."

"No!"

"You have to calm down, you're wounds aren't completely healed yet!" She forced her back down onto the bed, "Neji, we'll prepare the seal as quickly as we can. Will you watch over her until we're finished?"

"I suppose so. It'll give me a chance to examine her chakra flow so I don't mess it up…"

"Good, I'll return when we're ready for you." She quickly left.

Neji gently picked up her arm, "Byakuugan." He watched the chakra flow through her body, "Your lower arms only have one working chakra stream through them…" He looked a little closer, "Scar tissue blocks all the others…What happened to you?"

She angrily yanked her arm out of his grip, "Nothing."

They spent the next few hours in silence until Tsunade walked in, "It's time now kids." Neji stood up nervously and Tsunade picked Haruko up.

- - - - - - - - -

The seal was a huge black and green yin yang, much like the 64 points seal. Tsunade sat Haruko in the center of it and she nearly fell over, "I'll need a clear shot at the chakra point. Someone'll need to help her stay sitting up straight."

Tsunade motioned to Kotetsu and he walked over to her, "Keep Haruko sitting up." He nodded and sat down with his back to her, linking their arms together so he'd keep her sitting. He pulled her shoulders back so the chakra point would be clearly visible. Sweat rolled down her face from the pain.

Neji opened the Byakuugan and put his hand over her left shoulder, "Here goes…" He began the process.

- - - - - - - - -

Haruko awoke laying on her back in her hospital bed. Sasuke was sitting in a chair next to her bed, slumped over, sleeping. She smiled a little. Her arm no longer hurt. She let out a long, drawn out sigh of relief.

A soft knock on the door startled her, "Come in…" She said, her voice a little raspy. Naruto walked in and shut the door behind him, "How're you feeling?" He whispered, not wanting to wake Sasuke, he knew he hadn't been getting much sleep lately.

"Better…How long have I been out for?"

"A week." He laughed, "Tsunade's gonna release you tomorrow."

"Heh, that's great."

Just then Sasuke sprang awake, "Ugh…fell asleep…" He looked over to see Haruko awake and rushed to her side, "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

"Sasuke-kun…I'm fine…"

"Good."

"He hasn't left your side for three days." Naruto Teased.

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled, smacking him in the back of the head. Haruko smiled, happy to know that she had people in this village who really cared for her.