Chapter 18

We were working on the last batch when a nurse comes in slamming the door open. "Lady Shizune." The nurse says exasperatedly as if she had been running, drawing her attention. I watch as Shizune gets up from station four and walks over to the nurse at the door. Their voices were mumbled before she turns towards me.

"Kira, they're back!" She exclaims and I nod to her causing her to grunt in question. "I'll finish up here Shizune, we can't let the samples simply sit. Go to Tsunade and find out how everything went for me, will you?" I sigh as I continue checking the latest rat. So far, only one batch has failed.

"Oh, right! I'll hurry back." She says before running out the door. Leaving me in the same silence I had been in before she came to help. -She was right.- I smile to myself as I put the rat in the opposite cage as the others. -This has gone a lot faster with help. And she picked up on it quickly too.-

I was just finishing the final batch and placing the syringes into the last case when Shizune had returned. Looking up I glance at her before spreading my legs on the stool and spinning it. "We're done. I'm drained but we now have nine batches of eight." I smile letting the sensation of spinning cause my skin to tingle from it affecting my equilibrium.

"That's.. amazing." She breathes and I giggle. "We need to distribute them to the medical ninja as soon as possible."

I nod to her putting my foot down to stop my spinning. "I've already put the instructions in each case, especially the most important warning. Not to administer it twice to the same person without allowing the specific amount of time for it to completely leave their system. Once I recover, we should make one for the hospital as well." I inform her before looking over at her smiling face.

"Right, I'll take them and make sure they are handed out." She says walking further into the room towards me. "You should go see Sakura and Naruto. She's seeing to Naruto's injuries in room A-12." I nod to her but remain sitting causing her to look at me confused as she picks up the cases. "Oh, right." She speaks as she realizes what I was waiting for. "The teams sent out beat the two Akatsuki. One was brought to the hospital for a physical examination from Naruto's new jutsu." My brows furrow. "Naruto sustained injuries similar to the Akatsuki from the fight." She explains and I get up.

"What room?" I ask her causing her to stiffen before she looks away. Probably wondering if she should tell me or not. "I want to see for myself, the injuries." I tell her in a tone that shows her I'm not playing around.

"Oh. 3-A.. I'll get someone to accomp…" Her voice is cut off from the distance now between us as I make my way through the halls to the examination room she informed me of. Pushing the doors open I see two medical-nin standing over his body. They look up at my presence to see me pulling on some gloves and walking over to them. First taking note of the energy burns all over his body. Kakuzu... My eyes fall on his ring momentarily as I stand over him.

"Hey, you don't have.." One begins and I shrug pushing my healing energy into my hands and closing my eyes. Focusing and feeling around the injuries.

"Just be quiet for a change run, and get Tsunade if you must, but this involves my teammate." I mutter to them as my hands trail over his body and to his arms. He seriously let his body become captured by the village. How reckless. I nearly click my tongue in disdain.

It didn't take long for the doors to the exam room to open again. I could hear her heels on the floor as she walks up behind me. "I figured you would be here." She says sternly and I shake my head finishing with his left hand just above the ring before she even moves beside me.

"Lady Shizune. Sorry, the report is not finished we were interrupted." One of the nin says and I very nearly growl at their tone. Moving away from the body I pull the gloves from my hands with a sigh before seemingly walking over to the trash can. Throwing my gloves away.

"No need." I speak lowly putting my hands into my pockets and turning to face the three of them. "The jutsu... Severed the chakra throughout this man's entire body. Even his cells didn't escape the damage. It's as if whatever jutsu was used pierced through his skin like small senbon needles. Cutting off everything from his energy flow." As I speak Shizune's eyes widen, the other two nin look at each other before one speaks up.

"But how… you examined his body only for a short time…" He began and I withdraw my right hand, holding it up to stop him there.

"I do not need to explain how you obviously are slow, now for my teammate." I sigh and walk out of the room. Now heading to the hospital room containing my teammates. Walking slowly through the halls to make it seem like I was in no hurry to get anywhere. My hands are back in my pockets as I walk.

As I stop in front of room A-12, I curl my fingers around the ring now in my pocket before sliding the door open. -Child's play- I thought as I step into the room, smirking at my thoughts. "Thanks a lot, Sakura." Naruto's voice reaches my ears before I even close the door behind me.

"Hey, Naruto. This new Jutsu of yours is only a last resort, right? Promise you'll think before using it." Sakura asks him as I come around the curtain to see her looking down at him. Worry filling her gaze. Naruto simply laughs trying to get her to cheer up.

"What's the big deal? As long as you're here to patch me up." He closes his eyes as I stop at the foot of his bed.

"That's not the point! Medical Ninjutsu is not a miracle. There are limits to what I can patch up." She glares seriously down at him. Naruto looks down and places a hand on his cast in silence.

"She's right." I speak finally making them realize I am here too.

"Kira." Sakura says in realization as I walk to the other side of Naruto's bed, my eyes focused on him.

"I saw the body, Naruto… You keep using that jutsu... You'll lose the ability to use your chakra in your right arm." I speak gently, watching his eyes waver on his cast. "Meaning, if that happens, your Rasengan wouldn't work and you would no longer be able to use your shadow clones either. You will be forced to retire as a ninja."

"But I sort of like things this way." He speaks gently. "The way they are now. It's sort of like the three of us are on our road to finding Sasuke together." Sakura gives a gasp of surprise as I fold my hands on my lap patiently. "And don't worry, I know what my body is capable of." I finally smile as Sakura unfolds her hands from in front of her and puts them behind her back.

"Oh, well." She lightly chuckles making Naruto laugh in return. I smiled at them gently even though, deep down. I know, they are wrong...

In the morning I had just finished my shopping. I am walking down the streets of the village frowning at my own predicament. The fight with Hidan, ruined my last outfit that I had brought with me. I had a feeling I would be going on missions and stuff but for some reason, the thought of my clothes never once crossed my mind. Shizune herself this morning, while I was getting ready to work on the hospital's supply she pointed it out to me that the clothes I was wearing had become ratty, stained, and torn. She took my blood for me and promised that she would get the medication done correctly before I would even allow her to send me off to the market.

Looking down at my outfit I sigh. I had managed to find the right color of pants and sandals but they definitely don't fit me like my last outfit. Probably because they were the right size and made for females. Riding low on my hips my pants cling to my every curve. My shirt however was nowhere to be found. So I had to improvise. I couldn't go back to my swim top like I used to wear. It felt... Weird. After having been in a much different outfit for so long I had become accustomed to it. And I do so miss my cloak.

I found a halter-style blacktop that reminded me of Ino's but there was one thing in that shop that caught my eye and I just couldn't move on from it. Something, that took the last of my money… Price gouging goons. I nearly growl. It was a black jacket-type overcoat. Made out of the same fabrics as my pants. So it was a bit thicker than what I expected. It stops just after my breasts leaving my halter peeking out beneath it by about an inch as it stops at the bottom of my ribcage. The sleeves were long just like with my cloak. The high collar made me feel a bit more hidden but it had made me smile. The inside may not be red like my cloak but it had screamed out to me nonetheless.

I could hear Naruto yelling making my steps falter just outside of a food shop. "Ichi... Raku" I read the banner slowly before shaking my head. The memory of Naruto always saying something or another about an Ichiraku ramen shop runs through my mind.

"What seems to be the commotion?" Kakashi's voice reaches me so I decided to see for myself what was going on. Stopping just beside him I tilt my head.

"Kakashi Sensei." Sakura says surprised causing Naruto to make a sound of question as he looks up behind him. "Naruto, can't eat with his right hand, and we're having a dispute over who's going to feed him." Kakashi sighs and I could feel the disgust radiating off of him. Why would they be disputing tha… My eyes widen as I look from Sakura to Sai. Could it be that the two of them….

"Here comes the choo choo!" Kakashi suddenly says pulling me out of my thoughts to see that he had picked up Naruto's bowl and was holding out chopsticks with noodles hanging off of them out towards him… Kakash…. A fit of laughter begins to fight its way out of me making my legs give out and I hit the ground. No longer able to keep it in, I laugh... And laugh. Grabbing onto my stomach as it begins to hurt I couldn't help but continue. Kakashi's tone of voice and the scene I had witnessed continuously replays in my mind making my lungs burn and my head begin to swim from the lack of oxygen.

"Huh?" Their voices ring out in my ears as I feel their eyes on me. Gasping for breath I fight to clear that image out of my mind only for it to make me laugh again. Laughter meets my ears from those inside as they continue to watch me struggle to contain myself. A fit of laughter… I haven't had in such a long time.

Finally stifling my laughter I roll onto my hands and knees gasping. "Woah, Kira!" Naruto's shout reaches my ears as I push myself to my feet. "I've never heard you laugh like that!" He exclaims causing a bead of sweat to trickle down the side of my face. My eyes now falling on the other members of Team Kakashi.

"Right?!" Sakura gasps and Kakashi stands setting Naruto's bowl back down. "You're always the one most… well emotionless."

I shake my head and sigh. Oops. "I have not laughed like that in… sixteen? Years." I tell them back to my usual self before my eyes fall on Kakashi. "That was... Unexpected."

After a small giggle, Sakura turns her attention away from me towards Kakashi. "By the way, it's good to see you on your feet after that last mission, Sensei. You're usually in a hospital bed. Knock on wood huh." She smirks at him.

Kakashi turns to her stammering before his head drops as he looks down. "So that's how they see me now, huh? That hurts." He says rather pathetically. Does, Kakashi really have these kinds of emotions? Maybe I would have noticed before now if I would have spent more time with them rather than training. It's almost like… I missed out on a lot and I don't really know them at all... He then raises his head to look back at Sakura after his momentary sulk. "Well uh... I didn't have to use my Mangekyo Sharingan this time." My eyes very nearly widen as I watch him. He has... Mangekyo? I thought that was a special ability solely for the Uchiha, only awakened by their Sharingan and their blood? How does he have it? "But I tell ya, if you guys hadn't arrived when you did, I would have had to for sure. Then I would have been bedridden, just as you said." He then laughs lightly as he turns to Naruto.

So, he can use the Mangekyo but he can't withstand it and it takes enough out of him he is hospitalized afterward. Figures Kakashi would find a way to obtain such power. "Naruto, there's no question you've gotten stronger." He pauses making Naruto look up at him. "You're my equal. Stronger, even. But as far as you've come, keep in mind, the greater the jutsu the greater the risk to your own self." He says seriously making Naruto look down.

"Yeah." Naruto answers lowly. Probably thinking about everything Sakura, Kakashi, and I have told him.

"Naruto... That new jutsu of yours.."

"Kakashi Sensei." Naruto interjects before he finally looks up and smiles at him. "I know my limits better than anyone else. I'm going to be Hokage someday, right? I mean come on, if I'm stronger than you then what's there to worry about?" I shake my head and very nearly look down as I put my right hand in my pocket and curl my fingers around the ring. That's if, you don't die first. Idiot. I silently say to myself before finding a spot next to Sai to sit.

"Anything I can get for you?" The man behind the counter asks as he looks down at me. Even I can tell his eyes are swollen from being around all this steam far too much.

"No thanks, I'm uh. was just going to set with my team while they eat sir." He gives a sound of question with a look on his face that seemed to scream he was about to yell at me for taking up room hungry customers could set in. I raise my hands in defense to him. "I'm sorry, just not a big eater you know?" This didn't seem to alleviate his glare in the slightest. I sigh then get up, after buying my new outfit. I can't even offer that I would pay for a bowl of ramen without him making me one. "Sorry." I speak lowly before turning to go.

"Thanks for the ramen, pops!" Naruto calls as he gets up to follow me out. "Kakashi sensei will cover the bill!" Naruto chuckles making Kakashi grunt in question.

"Thanks, Sensei!" Sakura yells as the two of them run out of the building. "Kira, wait!"

"Wh. Wait a second!" Kakashi gasps after them. I stop and look back towards the two catching up to me.

"What are you guys doing?" I ask them as they stop in front of me with a smile.

"Well, you were actually spending time with us as a team!" Naruto laughs as he puts his hands on his hips. "Would kinda defeat the point since you don't eat!" I tilt my head seeing Kakashi and Sai coming up behind them. A smile wrinkling Kakashi's mask.

"You mean.." I frown looking between the four of them. "You guys actually want me around?"

"Why wouldn't we? We're team Kakashi." Naruto chuckles and rubs a finger under his nose sheepishly.

"Exactly." Sakura glances at Naruto before she smiles at me. "We've always wanted you around, even back when we were Team Seven." She explains and I give her a skeptical look causing her smile to fade as she makes a sound of question.

"Sorry, but that's hard to believe, coming from you Sakura." I smirk now making Naruto laugh.

"Right?! She was always yelling at you for some reason or another!"