WARNING! LOTS OF TRIGGERS FOR FLASHBACKS AND JUST ALL AROUND CRAPPY FEELINGS

AN: Here's the next one! So Angsty! Though I guess that's what happens when you have a dog eat dog shinobi and bandit filled world *sigh* Well! Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

Chapter 2: Breathe

I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next several days, enough to realize we had been taken to a hospital with more chakra signatures constantly watching Okaa-san and I. When I finally, fully woke up, I laid still for several moments to take stock of any remaining injuries. The multitude of cuts were gone, the dislocated shoulder from struggling against the, no don't think about it, was healed. All that remained was a dull ache in my ribs and an odd pull on my back where that man had sliced me from my right shoulder to left hip as he was torn away by icy winds in a last ditch effort to cause me more pain.

Slowly blinking my glued together eyelids apart I stared dully at the white ceiling before painfully turning my stiff neck to where I could feel Okaa-san's terrified/tired chakra. Seeing her huddled on her bed with her face buried in her knees long, violet strands of hair surrounding her body I twitched in her direction, before stilling as I felt someone focus in on me. Choosing to ignore it as it didn't feel threatening, just watchful, I slid carefully from the mattress and over to her bed. Disregarding her flinch away from me, I climbed up next to her and put my tiny arms around her, allowing tears of relief/loss to leak from my eyes where I buried my head into her side.

When all Okaa-san did was curl further into a ball I wept as I realized she didn't recognize me at all. Feeling her confusion and fear I twitched as she clumsily patted my head whispering, "There, there little girl. Where are your parents?" The hidden chakra signatures became tense and sorrow seemed to bleed from one, before they went still with what felt like an iron will.

A pained sound filled the air confusing me slightly before I realized that wounded sound was coming from me. Choking off that noise I let my arms squeeze around her once more before looking up into her glassy, distant eyes. "Ah, my Okaa-san seems to be far away right now. Thank you for your concern. I'll, I'll be alright." Forcing myself to let go I stood helplessly beside her as she began to hum the lull-a-bye she used to put me to sleep with so long ago.

"Do you know what happened to my baby? Raiu-chan? Where are you? Raiu-chan?!" Cold, hard fingers dug into my upper arms as her now crazed, frantic eyes bore into mine. "What have you done with my little star?!"

The door burst open as tears started to silently stream down my face and Okaa-san shook me to get me to answer her. A needle was inserted quickly, yet gently into Okaa-san's arm causing her to slowly go limp and her eyes to roll into the back of her head. Blinking quickly I stepped away from the multiple people, nurses maybe? as they checked her pulse and rearranged her body to lie down flat on the bed. When the man who seemed to be in charge turned to me, I paled and tried to disappear into the wall at my back, hugging my arms to my body. Noticing his eyes taking in the pin pricks of blood where her nails had been digging into my arms, I covered them from sight to discourage him from coming closer.

"I'll take over from here Takayoshi-san," the slightly gravelly voice from the doorway surprised me and I flinched badly. Turning my attention to the new threat, and oh my god, his chakra was enormous! I froze, realizing there was absolutely nothing I could do if this old man, wearing a robe and some kind of hat with a pipe in hand, wanted to kill/hurt/maim me.

My mind descended into panic for several long moments before rational thought grabbed hold and I focused on how he was still in the doorway, and his chakra was calm and full of patience. Breathing deeply I managed to calm my rapidly beating heart and focus on his sad, sad eyes. Something resembling approval flashed through his eyes as I managed to pull myself back from the edge of a full on panic attack.

"Do you know who I am child?" My wary eyes scanned him as the way he said that meant that I should know him, I started to shake my head no, before stopping on his hat which said fire-shadow on it. My eyes widened in surprised alarm and shot to his, as I carefully nodded. Okaa-san, a pang ripped through my chest, had made a gorgeous light blue with pink sakura petals covering t kimono for his daughter-in-law two years ago. In halting words I told him so, ending with a respectful, "Hokage-dono." Surprise was plain across his face before he nodded to confirm my statement. "Yes, she treasures that kimono to this day. Do you remember how you came to be here?" Swallowing past the sudden lump of fear in my throat I carefully nodded. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Clearing my throat I started from when I had left the river, and why it had taken me so long to get back to Okaa-san, all the way until I was tied to Okaa-san then a pained whine escaped my lips before I could suppress the sound. Blinking rapidly, I mechanically told the rest of the hellish nightmare through a tight throat, stopping when I got to the rough, yet gentle hands pulling me from Okaa-san. The entire time I focused on the fire-shadow symbols on his hat trying to not actually think about what I was saying.

The Hokage puffed slowly on his pipe contemplatively before he asked, "Do you have an Otou-san we can contact to come get you? Or any family who can come stay while your Okaa-san heals?"

"Okaa-san said it was a one-time thing, an accident. She said he was a ninja from Konoha and they were both drunk, but she, she wouldn't have chosen another path that night if given a choice," voice thick with tears I swallowed and let my eyes drift to her seemingly serene face. "It's because of me that she decided not to return to Kiri. She said they would have killed me and her if I looked anything like him when I grow up." Sensing the sudden stillness from the Hokage I looked up barely catching the slightly wide-eyes before he forced himself to relax. "Okaa-san never told me his name, just that he was strong, and to never go looking for him. I assumed she meant he rejected me and would not be happy if I went looking for him. Okaa-san was, is, my only family. She once let slip that she had been lucky not to be at home when everyone was killed." I stumbled over the past tense word as technically she was still here.

I could feel the Hokage's eyes drilling into the top of my bowed head as I twisted my fingers around and around each other. Hearing him sigh I focused back on him as he rubbed at his chin in thought. "Well, there are many different paths we can take from here. If you choose to stay here in Konoha, we can make you a citizen and you can either choose to stay in one of our orphanages, or we can set you up in an apartment, while we look for your Otou-san." At the last statement my eyes widened in slight fear.

"No! Please! Okaa-san was very adamant that I never seek him out! What if he kills me? Who will look after Okaa-san?!" My voice broke on the word kill as I now knew intimately that there are far worse things than death. My wide eyes fell on Okaa-san and my hands clenched into fists as I struggled to get my trembling body under control. "I, I have access to all of our money and all of our possessions, including all of the merchandise we haven't sold yet. I can afford an apartment for myse, for us." My voice wavered as I don't know how I was going to take care of Okaa-san when she was so…broken. While I was definitely older that she is when I died I had never had to care for another person before, especially one who broke out into violent, panic frenzied fits. However, I couldn't see any other choice, as while we were well off, I don't think I could afford to board her anywhere that could help her, and find my own place.

"Ah. Well, your own apartment should work well, for now at least. However, your Okaa-san will need around the clock care. We have a room here at the hospital that she can stay in for free while she heals. As for your Otou-san, I must insist that we at least find out who he is so that any kekkei genkai can be hidden if necessary. I promise absolutely no shinobi of mine will do you harm under my watch. After finding out which shinobi it is, I will personally look into what happened between him and your Okaa-san to cause her to be so adamant." Unclenching my bloodless hands slowly, I barely nodded feeling slightly sick at the thought of some random man having any say over me. "Now, as for school, did you attend any school or have any teachers during your travels?" Hearing his voice brought me completely back from the precipice I had been teetering on.

Carefully I nodded, "Okaa-san taught me, and sometimes, instead of ryo, she would have her customers teach me something. I know the individual basic histories of the five great nations, and most of the smaller ones too. I know how to do math and science. I can cook, dance play the yamatogoto and the shamisen, and I can do Ikebana, and know how to sew like, like Okaa-san. I am adept at using a katana, kodachi, and dagger set. I can mold chakra and," here I pause remembering how Okaa-san said to never tell anyone this particular skill. Glancing at Okaa-san's still form then the two hidden chakras, causing slight alarm to shoot through them I refocused on the now extremely intense Hokage. "I can sense chakras around me, and what they are feeling. I recently found that I can make water, wind, and lightening into something resembling an ice thunderstorm when I want it to, though I can't do it for long, and not always on purpose." My throat closed remembering when my chakra just would not respond as it felt like it had run out. Before something deep inside snapped, followed by what felt like an electrically charged blizzard. "I, I can be useful. Please, please don't kick me out!"

Distantly I realized he had never even mentioned me leaving, but after such a long day and with how absolutely wrecked I felt, I couldn't quite seem to control myself. I threw myself into a low seiza bow and refused to let panic completely take over at being in such a vulnerable position, though the Hokages abrupt aborted jerk in my direction almost sent me spiraling into the abyss. Thankfully he pulled up short and I got my frantic breathing and heartrate under control, just in time to feel embarrassed at having behaved like a complete child.

"Child, Raiu-chan. Stand up, please. There is no need for such formality. Your mother is much beloved by many of our elite citizens and shinobi alike. You and your Okaa-san are welcome here in Konoha as long as you'd like to stay. I only asked about your schooling to see if you wanted to go to our civilian school, or attend out shinobi academy. Depending on which you choose will decide which set of apartments you will be placed in." The gentleness of this voice almost made me start crying all over again as I realized he thought I might break, just like Okaa-san had. Which I couldn't even guarantee I wouldn't, as I was trying so hard to push it down and away from any conscious thought.

Scrubbing at my face, my breath hitched as my back and ribs reminded me I was not completely healed yet. I carefully sat up flinching away from the sudden hand that was held out to me I half swallowed a whine at the expected, but not received pain. The weathered hand stayed still and his chakra was forced into a calm state, so I tentatively reached out and accepted the help up, wide eyes darting around looking for any threat not really noticing the almost grounding feeling coming from where our hands connected. As soon as I could, without being completely rude, I pulled, snatched, my hand back and blenched it in my other one. He continued gravely, "I also will have you speak to someone about what has happened. What you and your Okaa-san went through was horrific, and you should not have to deal with the after math by yourself."

I had started to protest having to talk to anyone about what had happened, then stopped realizing he was right. There was also no way I was going to be able to survive as I currently was. Gritting my teeth I nodded, "May, may I have a day or so to decide which school to attend Hokage-dono?"

"Of course. You will be released from here in four days, if you still have not decided we can set you up in a temporary hotel room to give you more time. Let me grab the new medic in charge and I will introduce you before I leave you to rest. Anbu Cat and Hawk will be here if you need anything." With slightly bewildered eyes I watched as the most important man in the village left, before I noticed how exhausted I was causing me to sit down heavily on my bed. Between one blink and the next the Hokage was back with a light haired woman in a medic's uniform. "Raiu-chan, this is Yamanaka Inori. She is the medic assigned to you and your mother. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to ask her, she has my full confidence and trust."

Yamanaka-san bowed slightly and said, "Pleased to meet you Raiu-san. You may call me Inori if you'd like. Let me know if there is anything you need." Nodding hesitantly, I bowed slightly back withholding a wince as my back and ribs made themselves known again. Inori-san frowned slightly and said while letting her hand light up green with healing chakra, "May I check on your wounds Raiu-san?"

"Yes please," my voice was slightly raspy as I worked hard to stay awake now that all of my adrenaline had drained from me. As soon as the soothing chakra touched my back I slipped back into the darkness.

AN: Please let me know what you think! So far I have 7 chapters ready to be typed up so I will be cranking them out every few days or so. I hope you enjoyed this emotional roller-coaster!