"But Ms. Uzumaki, you must rest! You are not fully healed....you must stay longer! Please!" The nurse cried, flinging herself on Kushina and trying to physically force the redhead to get back into her bed.
Kushina pushed the nurse back and began throwing on her clothes, tripping as she tried to get her pants on. She knocked over an end table, causing items to scatter all over the room and make a rather large amount of noise. The nurse sat in the corner in horror as Kushina growled and managed to get her pants on. She then hurriedly starting throwing food and other ninja supplies into her pack before turning to the frightened woman. Looming over the nurse, she gave her a stare as if daring her to laugh. Then she began to leave.
"Thank you....for choosing Konoha....General Hospital....we hope you had a –" The nurse began, voice breaking with fear.
"Oh shut it, woman." Kushina said, slamming the door behind her.
Outside she stretched and did a few light hops to get her blood flowing. She felt great, like she could do anything. Tsunade's healing really did the trick. Despite her annoyance with the nurse, she appreciated that the woman cared. Still, she was in the mood to scare someone right then and there. Another nurse was walking by and Kushina lunged at her, but drew back, causing the nurse to jump and walk away quickly, looking back at her with a reproachful glare. Haha, that felt good.
Once outside the hospital, she noticed that it was almost dark outside. It had been a week since she had been admitted, and everyday she watched this same spot she stood in now from the window. She looked up at her hospital window, and shuddered. It had sucked in there. She had wanted to get things done, and sitting on her butt for a week was just a waste of time.
She also had to listen to Minato's boring lecture about the history, politics, and general culture of the Leaf Village. By the end of his hour long lectures, she thoroughly wanted to commit suicide, or force him to commit suicide. Either choice would have worked for her. Still, she had to admit, it was sort of fun.
"Konoha is ruled by a central council. This council makes all the decisions for the village. It consists of three people. The Lord Hokage and his two advisors, who also used to be his teammates back when he was a Genin. Kushina? Kushina.....WAKE UP!" Minato yelled, shaking her.
"Oh yeah...sorry, I don't want to miss all this VERY interesting information." Kushina said sarcastically, suppressing a smile as he put on an agitated air.
With a rather condescending "as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted" he continued the lecture. She stopped him again a few minutes later.
"Um.....Minato....could you get me a dictionary? I'd rather read that then listen to you go on about –"
"Dammit Kushina!"
The memory made her giggle. Now she just had to figure out what she was going to do next. Everyday he had come to visit and tell her all about Konoha, Minato had also told her how the search for her missing friends was coming along. Right now they had turned nothing up, but she wanted to look herself. Maybe, since she knew all of them, she would find something that the Konoha shinobi did not know to look for.
She decided she'd find Minato and help him search. She started off but got about a block from the hospital before she realized that she had no idea where to find Minato in this huge village. She figured Tsunade would know, and maybe she should ask her, but the woman was seldom at the hospital and was probably out healing people during the war. Other then that, she really knew no one else in the village, except her team from the battle a week ago. Now that I think of it, I wonder if Saizo is alright? Probably out there fighting right now, like I should be doing.
"Are you Kushina Uzumaki?" A deep voice droned from behind her.
She yelped in surprise, almost jumping out of her skin. Her pack flew off and slid across the pavement. She turned to the source of the voice to yell at the dude for frightening her, but froze when she saw it was an ANBU, sporting the mask on his face and a Konoha headband on his forehead. She hurriedly retrieved her pack and put it back on, looking embarrassed at being so surprised. Bastards are so quiet.
"Yeah, I'm her. What's up?" Kushina asked, crossing her arms and trying not to look angry. One more episode like that and I swear I'll have a heart attack.
"You have been summoned by the Lord Hokage. He wants to see you immediately. He is at the central government building." The ANBU said, pointing at the building. Kushina looked at it.
"OK...yeah, I know where that is. But why is he summoning me?" Kushina asked, turning back to the ANBU, but was shocked to see he had already left. Nice manners buddy. Well, mine as well make my way there.
By the time Kushina had navigated her way through Konoha's winding streets, darkness had completely fell over Konoha. The government building sat in front of her, the Hokage monument looming behind it. Anyone that walked through those doors would see the Hokage faces before them. The three of them glared as if passing down judgment on any who entered. The streets were relatively quiet, with a few souls passing here and there and a few hushed conversations being held on street corners.
She pushed the huge double doors open and went inside. It was well lit, the light pouring out of the building and hitting the steps she had just ascended before the doors clanged shut. Giant pillars rose to either side of her, holding up a very high ceiling. Chandeliers also hung overhead, candles burning on them and casting a strong light over the entire room. The small spaces behind the columns were not reached though, shadows and darkness had prevailed in these spots. The whole place had a creepy feeling. She walked up to the receptionist. The woman looked up as she approached. She was young, looked no older than Kushina herself.
"Hello ma'am. May I help you?" She asked.
"I'm here to see the Lord Hokage. I was summoned. My name is Kushina Uzumaki."
"Oh yes, I was expecting you Ms. Uzumaki. Follow me." The receptionist stood up and began walking back into a hallway leading deeper into the building.
Kushina followed her for what must have been fifteen minutes before they finally came out into a large room. Before her sat a platform, with three chairs, the one in the middle slightly ahead of the others. In them sat three people. One of them was obviously the Hokage, sitting in the middle chair, his robes marking him for Hokage just as much as his knowledgeable eyes and powerful presence. The other two were just as old, and flanked him on each side. They watched her, their fingers steepled beneath their chins. She felt the intensity of their glare even though she stood at a relatively safe distance.
"Kushina Uzumaki, Lord Hokage." The receptionist said, her arms sweeping out to indicate Kushina.
"Thank you. Kushina Uzumaki....come closer." The Lord Hokage said, as the receptionist left.
She stepped forward hesitantly. She had to admit that she was nervous underneath the gazes of three of the most potentially powerful people in the village, when it came to politics at least. However, she did not doubt the Lord Hokage's skill. The two flanking him didn't really look like they could do much though. She made it a thought not to underestimate them either, however.
"Lord Hokage, may I ask why you summoned me here?" Kushina asked, surprised when her voice came out with strength, keeping it rock steady.
"You mean no one told you? Surely someone at least gave you that bit of information before you found yourself here." The Lord Hokage said, his rasping voice seeming amplified in the chamber.
When Kushina shook her head, the Hokage leaned over to converse with his advisors. Kushina tried to hear what they were saying, but they where whispering, and she did not dare attempt to get closer, lest they think she was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. After a moment he looked back at her, and his eyes latching back onto her caused her stomach to do somersaults.
"I will tell you why we have summoned you. You are a shinobi of the Whirlpool village. We believe you may be the last, but we are still attempting to find others as we speak here in this room. You are in our ninja records and right now you are classified as a ninja of this village. All this you have agreed to, am I correct?"
"Yes sir." Kushina replied, trying in her mind to grasp where he was going with all this.
"That is good. I have summoned you here today for one purpose. You are here for a special reason. We have decided to make you a candidate for a possible promotion to Jounin." The Hokage finally said, searching her face for any sign of surprise. Kushina was a bit taken aback, but she made it a point not to let it show in front of these powerful people.
"If I may ask sir, how exactly did you reach this verdict?" Kushina asked, still keeping her voice steady.
"You were recommended to us by someone who carries quite a lot of weight in this council. His name is Minato Namikaze. He wrote a report and recommendation specifically for you. He was backed by a handful of other Jounin when he wrote it as well."
Kushina's eyes widened. What was he doing, going and pulling something like that? How did he know she was even ready? He's probably trying to get me killed to get back at me for giving him so much crap during his lectures. She wondered if she had to do any fighting to become a Jounin, like fight against another Jounin or something. She definitely didn't rule out that possibility.
"Although, how you could possibly have learned the things necessary to pass your induction exam is beyond me." The man to the Hokage's right said in a condescending manner.
"The very thought of an outsider becoming Jounin after a mere week and a half of inhabiting the village is preposterous." The woman to the left said, agreeing with the one on the right. Kushina wanted to do them bodily harm, more than she wanted to do to others on a regular basis.
"Now, now, we cannot know this until she actually takes the test. Aside from that Kushina, Namikaze wrote in his report that you exhibited great courage on the battlefield, as well as great skill in battle, incapacitating numerous opponents with rather limited injury to yourself. He said you were willing to fight to protect others and had enough battle experience to easily qualify for the Jounin rank. A recommendation from an esteemed ninja such as Minato has me convinced. You are ready to take the written portion of the Jounin exam." The Lord Hokage said, looking at the other two as if daring them to challenge his decision. Kushina swallowed, trying to make it as quiet and unnoticeable as possible.
"Great. Bring it on."