Chapter 17- Welcome Home

Readers, I feel a little weird about the time changes in the story so let's clear this up. I know that the Naruto wiki says that when Naruto is 16, that means Kakashi and everyone else is around 28-31 so I'm going to make Tsukiko 26 and Kakashi 29 because I wanted her to be 16 in the anbu and Kakashi to be 19. I think the math is right….I'm terrible at math….hurrah for those of you that actually tried to calculate. You guys are cool. Anyways, yes Kiki is 26 and Kakashi is 29. Naruto and they others in his class are around 16-17 years old. I made them a little younger because of reasons that will be revealed later on in the story. Anything confusing, just email me. Thanks and please leave Reviews!

~Naruto's POV~

Just as Tsunade finished healing Tsukiko, she was still covered in blood but the bite marks were just about gone…all that was left was small circular scars. Now something else took us by a frightful surprise…these new cuts were appearing down her eye lids to her mid cheeks and blood was streaming out from the cuts and her closed eyes.

"What's happening!?" Ibiki asked with a little concern in his tone.

Tsunade carefully opened one of Kiki's eyes to see more blood drizzle out and they were not green anymore but resembled her reaper sight. However, the design on her iris was blurring up like a water color painting that was bleeding. Kiki moaned softly in pain and scrunched her face a little.

"It's the phase she is in for reaper sight. As part of the phase, the devil cut her face like that and implanted the reaper sight. She may have the ability to do reaper jutsu but she will be blind for a few weeks. Since she is no longer linked to the devil, reaper sight and her reaper scythe will no longer be used to capture souls. You can't really heal this one. Her eyes and cuts need to heal on their own The cuts should only leave a scar the size of a hair so they will be barely noticeable. They will bleed every so often and she will need help getting around for a while." Calcifer said as he leaned down and licked her blooded cheek.

"We need to take her back to the village so she has a more comfortably place to sleep. She needs to be washed up and placed in a quiet and dark environment for a while. Good thing it's just about nightfall." Tsunade said as she stood up.

"She can come home with me. I'll take care of her." Kakashi suddenly said.

"I'll help too Kakashi sensei." I said as I looked at my onee-san on the ground.

"I will wash her up myself and you can do the rest." Tsunade then said as she put her green cloak.

"Anbu you are dismissed. No need to write a report for this…I was here so I will do it myself." She then said and the anbu nodded before disappearing back to the village.

"We'll come check up on her when she wakes up. Take care of her Kakashi." Asuma said before Kakashi gently picked Tsukiko up bridal style and we all escorted her and the Hokage back to the village.

~Kakashi's POV~

So much blood…I'm amazed she was able to hold out this long. Her scars look just like the one I received so long ago when Obito gave me his sharingan…looks like I'm not the only one who went through that kind of pain. I do underestimate her a lot…She's grown so much stronger than when we were in the Anbu. It feels right to hold her…I haven't held her like this since the night she died. I wonder how long she's been in hell now…I'm sure there is a time difference just like with the Sharingan gen-jutsu. That's how this feels right now…it feels like it only a jutsu and she really isn't here. However, I could feel her warmth and the way she breathed has calmed into a steady rhythm. This isn't a jutsu… she's finally home and in my arms. I can't fathom how much she must not like me now that she killed her emotions for me…

We finally arrived into the main gates to see some people crowded around in curiosity.

"Kakashi, who is that?" Gai asked me as he suddenly walked beside me.

"You don't recognize her?" I suddenly asked in a bit of shock.

"It can't be her…we haven't seen her in years…" Gai then said as he looked closer at her.

"Everyone go back to your night. There is no threat here." Tsunade said as we walked to the hospital.

Everyone whispered in curiosity and concern as to who was in my arms. Some thought she looked like a threat since she dressed so oddly and had a lot of blood on her. Thankfully, only a handful of us were allowed into the hospital. Naruto, Tsunade, Shizune, Gai and I were allowed to enter only by Tsunade's orders. She then turned around and took Tsukiko out of my arms and went into the female cleansing center with some nurses and we all waited out in the lobby for her to be finished. As we waited, I started reading Itcha Itcha Tactics again. I'm so glad Naruto gave me this…it's keeping from losing myself in worry. A very good distraction from the current situation…and my secret to keeping calm all the time.

"Lady Hokage wishes to see you Kakashi Senpai." A nurse came out to tell me.

"Can we come in too?" Naruto asked.

"Sorry, lady Tsunade only asked for Kakashi to come inside." The nurse said before walking off to do her usual rounds.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." I said as I put the book away and entered the female cleansing center.

"Kakashi…I asked you here to show you somethings." Tsunade said as she moved out of the way to show me Tsukiko's figure.

"Umm…Tsu..Tsunade sama…I don't think Kiki-chan will umm…appreciate me seeing her naked…" I stuttered as I realized that only a sheet covered Tsukiko's body on the bed.

"Baka! She's not naked!" Tsunade said before smacking me on the head.

I rubbed my head as I watched her lift off the sheet to show Tsukiko in white hospital clothes. Tsukiko didn't have blood on her anymore but instead, a small white cloth wrapped around her eyes. It would seem like she was dead but I looked closer and saw that she was breathing very calmly. Tsunade lifted Kiki's shirt slightly to show me the seal on her belly. This one looked somewhat like Naruto's but with different symbols.

"I have never seen anything like this before. I had Shizune do some research of some of the things on Tsukiko's body that concerned me because I don't think they are of this ninja world…I think she found a way to create jutsu…much faster than you. You developed Chidori in a few weeks right? As well as Naruto with his Rasenshuriken?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes. It takes even longer to learn how to use it though." I simply stated.

"It seems that Tsukiko has developed a new technique that allows her to learn and master jutsu with great speed. Faster than you learning or teaching a new technique to someone else. She is like her own database." Tsunade stated.

"How do you know this?"

"She has this kind of chakra that I have never seen before…it is like her father's but much more…stronger. She is the last of her clan. Also, as I was healing her earlier, she should have died with the condition her heart was in. There was a time in which her heart had no way of working but for some reason, there was something inside of her that was making it work and healing her faster than I was." Tsunade stated.

Something inside Tsukiko that was healing better than Tsunade herself?

"Has she developed a new medical jutsu that surpasses your own?"

"It seems to be that way. She has surpassed my medical abilities." Tsunade finished.

She must have been able to do it in hell because of the time difference but how long was she there for?

"There is some other things…" Tsunade said as she and another female nurse turned Kiki-chan to her side so her back was to me.

"Long ago, when she was only 13, I taught her how to use the Strength of a Hundred Seal and she actually gathered more chakra than it can hold and transformed it into this. It looks like it holds about 12 times more chakra than mine. And, on her lower back, I don't know if you knew about this or not but back when Tsukiko's mother tried to kill her when she was only 9 years old, her mother carved the word "demon" in Kanji on her back…well now it says "Reaper." Then lastly with the scars, it is hard to see them now but she does have bite marks from when her demon hounds held her down." Tsunade said as she gently lifted the shirt enough for me to see the scars on her lower back.

"Is this all that you found?" I then asked in a calm tone even though I was feeling a great amount of sorrow inside of me.

"No, there is one more thing. She has a tattoo of the letters IVCM. I don't know what it means but that is also the other thing I sent Shizune to figure out. Now her eyes are still in the same condition we saw earlier but I will give you extra bandages for when the bleed. Just keep the wounds clean and like her wolf Calcifer said, they have already begun to heal. My best guess is that she will regain her sight within 2 weeks. If she feels an immense amount of pain, then add this to her cheeks only, not the eye lids. This ointment will soothe the pain a little. Tsunade stated as she handed me a cream.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"If she wakes up, ask her what she likes to wear. We will have something made for her and we will also start looking for a place for her to stay. Please take care of her Kakashi…she's my only family left and I just got her back." Tsunade said as she gently held Tsukiko's hand.

That's right…Tsunade took Tsukiko under her wing as her big sister after her mother's disappearance. She must be hurting more than me right now…I can tell it in her body language and voice tones. But I love her just as much…if not more. We both just got her back…there is no way in hell that I will let her go again.

"Hai Hokage sama." I said before placing the ointment in my kunai patch and then walking over to the sleeping Tsukiko.

I looked down at her with a bit of sadness and then leaned down to pick her up. She had only hospital slippers but Tsunade carried those out for me and a robe. I walked out with her in my arms again and it was kind of nice to see Naruto smile. He hasn't smiled this wide in a long time.

"I'll walk with you and make sure she gets home." Tsunade said and Naruto asked to come along too.

We all walked out after saying bye to Gai and then walked over to my apartment. Tsunade smiled and placed the slippers inside the door and she and Naruto said their goodnights and left. I walked in the dimly lit living room area and into the hallway that lead to my room. She moaned a bit but I didn't see her face move much since the bandage was covering it. I placed her inside the covers and made sure she looked comfortable before changing out of my uniform and heading to the shower. I guess I'm sleeping on the couch for two weeks.

What did you guys think!? I know it's not romantic YET but don't worry…it's coming. Please leave me a review/comment and let me know how I'm doing so far! Thanks everyone!