Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I wish I did, but I don't.
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Groggily, I sat up. My brain was filled with half alive pictures and fading memories. The murmurings I heard were difficult to decipher as they were out of context. It was like watching random film clips with that lasted no longer then 10 seconds. Every so often, I would catch a fading glimpse of a head of pink hair, or disembodied audio of a strong voice coupled with a commanding tone. It was rather disconcerting, these flashes. Like my memory had been tampered with.
The room was white, and bare like I had been placed in the middle of a sunlit cloud over a vast expanse of snow. The only thing that betrayed this image was the medicinal sterilized smell. A small noise made its way to my throat in a barely audible whimper. My entire body ached, as if I had run for kilometers without stopping, but the ache was centered on the place just above my clavicle on my left side. It felt a lot like the few seconds after stubbing your toe or jamming a finger. Except for this pain, it was constant.
"Oh, you woke up!" a nurse, in a white outfit and gentle smile walked into the room with quick efficient steps that clacked lightly on the floor. She fussed around me, adjusting the flow of the IV taped to my arm, and peered down at my shoulder. Thankfully, the staff at this hospital had not found it fit to put that strange incubation nasal tube in. I really don't like those. IVs I can deal with, having some tube in some place where it doesn't belong is not my cup of tea.
"Sorry, but can you tell me what happened?" I inquired while taking in my surroundings with distrusting eyes. How did I end up in the hospital? "I remember telling the ANBU captain my blood type, but not much after that." I admitted.
She smiled down at me, in a sort of I'm-being-slightly-patronizing-because-you-are-in-the-hospital-and-are-a-bit-slow way. It was like I had missed something big.
"Hun, I can't talk to you about it. It's classified." She peered down at me as if I should know such a simple fact.
Classified? What about the situation was secret? Some guy was running away from ninjas and couldn't, so he did the next best thing, he took a hostage, and screwed that up as well. What part of that information needed to be kept in the files with the big red stamp that says Classified?
"Ninjas make no sense" I grumbled.
"What makes you say that?"
The nurse and I both turn to gaze at the door, where a woman in a white uniform, and a customary headband held back her very pink hair, stood with a chart cradled in one hand. A small smile adorned her face, as if this situation was obscenely amusing. The way she held herself screamed ninja, and professional. I was slightly confused, if anything, I would say this lady could not have been any older than twenty. So why was the nurse bent slightly at the waist in a respectful bow?
"Haruno-san." The once cheerful countenance had all but disappeared from her voice and demeanor. Cool, calm respect, now colored her brisk actions. My eyes flicked from the lady at the door to the nurse standing solidly in the room and back. Maybe I hit my head really hard during the fight and it effectively scrambled my brains. I couldn't figure this out. The two caregivers all but faced off in the room. They were staring really hard at each other, like they were sizing each other up.
"Ummm...So." I voiced to shatter the intensity in the room. They both turned startled and slightly perturbed eyes to my position on the hospital bed. The pink haired lady raised one bubblegum colored eyebrow, and the other pursed her lips. Inwardly, I flinched back, panicking. What do you say to two people, you don't know, to diffuse a situation that may or may not even involve you?
"Exactly what drugs are you pumping into me?" I tugged ineffectually at the tube that streamed clear liquid from a bag to my arm. Great, now it sounded like I was accusing them of...something. I cast my eyes downward to the light blue blanket, like one you would find in a ratty hotel, which covered my legs. Mapping the rough texture of the blanket with the pads of my fingers, my cheeks seemed to flush of their own accord.
"Morphine in a saline solution." The lady, Haruno, supplied swiftly.
"Oh, thanks. I was just curious." I refused to meet her emerald eyes.
"See you later Miss Takahashi." The nurse moved to leave the room, her polite gentle smile was fixed in place. She glanced at me as she strolled away, and inside her mocha colored eyes, real distain lit them with an uncomfortable intensity. However, her smile did not waver. It was almost as if she was trying to ward me away from the Pinkette.
In the course wake of the nurse's departure, silence prevailed in the small room. I didn't want to say anything, as my earlier attempt at diffusing the situation backfired terribly and left me blushing like a twelve year old confronting her first crush. Needless to say, but the silence was not one of those companionable ones. However, I was getting bored with the scratchy blanket and cast my eyes around for something else to occupy myself with during these moments of silence.
"How is your shoulder?" The question was softly spoken. I glanced around and found her, she had stealthily moved so it looked like she was staring at the various machines that were apparently monitoring my vital processes. I became transfixed with the waves of lines on one of the screens that monitored my heart rate. She was watching me again, her expression tentative, like I was a wild animal and would get aggressive with the slightest provocation. Green eyes, analyzed me quickly and efficiently, taking in my position on my bed, how I cradled my left arm with my right so it was pressed against my torso, and how I refused to look at her. It was really disconcerting.
"Much better." I made a show of rolling it backward and abruptly halted as the dull ache of pain became a fierce roar. I gritted my teeth, and attempted to keep my face impassive. I failed, miserably. She moved toward me, concern replacing the tentative look from earlier. I winced slightly as I returned the appendage to my body.
"That may not have been the best idea." I hissed.
"Not really." She agreed with a smile quirking her lips.
We laughed together, and her laugh was pleasant. With the bell-like sound all the unnecessary tension fled from the room. I don't know what the nurse was so leery of, but I had a feeling that Haruno was nothing to be afraid of, even though she had pink hair.
"By the way, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Sakura Haruno, it's a pleasure to be working with you." She stated formally once the momentary giggles were finished.
"I'm Kai Takahashi, but please just call me Kai. I'm not very fond of titles." I said slowly watching her face. It showed no unnecessary inflection. She continued to smile as she narrated each thing she was going to do to me with practiced ease. Her voice was strangely lulling, even if she was explaining things that were apparently way beyond my understanding.
"The kunai entered here." She pointed to the middle of the pink raised area with her pointer finger. The nails were short and well manicured; except for some reason, I expected nail polish. There wasn't any. "And on the initial strike it severed the subclavian vein and artery, which was what made you loose so much blood, but considering the proximity of these blood vessels to your carteroid and jugular vessel, you were lucky. It would have been a lot more serious. The real problem came when he twisted the kunai. The movement shaved off the periosteum of the underside of your clavicle and severed some nerves making up your brachial plexus. My team and I managed to mend most of the damage, but your nerves are inflamed from so much rough treatment. You're not going to be able to use that arm for at least six weeks."
I snapped out of my reverie. Honestly, I was expecting to be out of commission for at least three months. She was giving me a paltry month and a half of rest time. Call me lazy, but I was planning on taking full advantage of my injury and escape the many chores that my mother assigns. For instance, I would not be able to go shopping with her as it was physically impossible for me to carry a grocery bag. The half formed plan in my head died with a soft sizzle, like a firework that everyone gets excited to see only to find out it is a dud.
Haruno must have not been able to read the expression on my face as she just stared at me with pursed lips and one eyebrow rose, making furrows in her forehead. For some reason, it pleased me that, even though I was a citizen, she could not read me like an open book. I smoothed the expression of disappointment away, and plastered a smile on my face.
"Haruno-san, has my mother caused much trouble while I was out?" I inquired sheepishly, as I was certain that my mother had indeed caused quite a ruckus. It was one of the things that are definite. Just like each morning the sun will rise, and in the evening the sun will set. If you cross my mother, she will make a scene.
Haruno barked out a laugh that was much different than the one she laughed before. Her emerald eyes sparkled with barely controlled mirth, and I was reminded of the time she first stepped in the room. Maybe she wasn't laughing at the situation she found in the room rather the one elsewhere in the hospital involving my ferocious mother.
"Once the medical ninjas came and stabilized you, your mother grabbed the nearest person with a hayate by the ear and hauled him off to the hokage, all the while screaming at him that if you died she was going to castrate every single one of the ninjas there. Once she got to shishous office, the ninja disappeared, it was just a clone. Tsunade-sama, has one hell of a temper, but your mother's tantrum put even hers to shame. " She could barely tell the story as every so often laughter bubbled from her slight figure. It shook her immensely.
I was completely and utterly appalled. My mother manhandled a ninja! The action itself was not out of character for her, but I never entertained the idea that the ninja would be vulnerable to her attack. The ANBU captain certainly handled her well. I suppose, I was unfairly judging the rest of the shinobi. With my mother, the ability shut her down so swiftly could be a innate thing that only comes with talent and practice. Maybe, the ANBU captain was extremely experienced when it came to dealing with difficult mothers.
The doctor understood my visceral reaction to her words and patted my hand gently, reassuring me that she didn't hold my mother's actions against me. I'd be fine if everyone else in the village was so understanding, but they weren't and I'm sure that come tomorrow, malicious rumors would be flying through the village, until it reached the ears of important people. That would be one more thing that I'd have to overcome if I ever wanted to get a job or date someone. I should just move to Suna or something.
I sighed, and switched subjects, hopefully to one that wasn't nearly as depressing. "You called the Hokage shishou, is she your mentor?" I inquired lightly. Even though I was asking the question to change the subject, I was genuinely interested. Vaguely, I wondered what it would be like, being taught medical ninjutsu by the best strongest shinobi in the village.
"Yea, Tsunade-sama is my teacher. I really like all the stuff she taught me, but sometimes she is cranky." The kunoichi paused and then added as a afterthought "and she drinks a lot, I'm amazed that she hasn't pickled her--"
Shouts of indignation and screeches resonated through the door from the hallway, effectively cutting off Sakura from her rueful reflection on the subject of her mentor. Stomps soon followed, along with the bleating requests for quiet from multiple nurses. I flinched backward and the steady beeping that indicated my heart rate suddenly picked up speed. I knew that screech, it was as familiar to me as my own voice.
"What do you mean that this section of the hospital is off limits to civilians? You ninjas have sequestered my daughter in this hallway, and presume to tell me that it is off limits? I will not stand idly by as you use your magic on her. She is... fragile, you don't have the expertise to deal with her." The yelling became more and more distinct as my mother drew closer to the door. I wanted to throw the blankets over my head and pretend that this wasn't happening, that my mother hadn't stormed the hospital, like one would conquer a castle, in order to yell at the top of her lungs exactly what she thought of me.
"I'm not fragile." I mumbled softly.
Haruno didn't respond, but I knew she heard me. The door flew open, slammed against the white wall with a crash that sounded a lot alike a paper bomb explosion. Framed in the entryway, with sunlight shadowing her silhouette, stood my livid mother. Twin fires of rage smothered in her chocolate colored eyes, and her petite frame shook with barely contained violence. Her face was lovely when it wasn't drawn up into a sneer of distain or twisted in a mask of anger, as it was now. Honey colored locks was bound tightly in a bun in which no single hair escaped.
The woman was shorter than the kunochi, but she did not let that deter her one bit. She strolled over to Sakura with one purpose, to put the pinkette in her place. She placed both hands on her hips and opened her mouth to start. I closed my eyes and counted, one, two, thr-
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Takahashi. My name is Sakura Haruno. I was one of the medics that operated on your daughter when she was brought into us." Sakura preempted my mother's verbal lashing with collected professionalism, much like what she showed earlier in front of the nurse. My mother was speechless, as I'm sure she was expecting a cowering nurse, and was met with strength and professionalism.
Sakura continued, "I'm sorry if there was any confusion, but I was the one who had your daughter placed in the ninja's wing of the hospital, as she is my patient and I spent the majority of my time in this section. Here I have your daughter's medical files; I was just about to go over them with her. I'm sure that the extra base of information will be beneficial." In one hand she waved the clipboard she came in with. The other dug around in her breast pocket until she found a pen. "Now let's begin."
The questions varied but all were about my physical health. My mother answered most of them herself, rarely turning to me for conformation. I was glad of the break. To be honest, the combination of watching the nurse and the doctor face off, my mother's dramatic entry, and the morphine, I was feeling extremely lethargic, and wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep. I drowsed for the next few minutes, my eyelids opening and closing slowly as I tried to fight off the sleepiness. Slowly, I caved to my bodies demands, and dozed off.
"WHAT?!"
I jolted in an upright position at the sound. My arm pulled unpleasantly at the IV, and my shoulder gave a weak flare of pain. The heart monitor bleeped at me, quick startled sounds. My breathing increased an increment. I glared blearily at the noise maker. It was my mother. What a pain.
"Kai will NOT undergo any psych tests!" Her tone was combative. In contrast to the relaxed position in the chair I fell asleep to, she was standing erect and glared down at the pink-haired medic. "My daughter is not a ninja; she will not have the inner processes of her mind picked apart by ninjas. It will not happen." Small particles of spit flew from her open mouth and landed on my bare arm. Inconspicuously, I rubbed them on the blue blanket.
"Mrs. Takahashi, The psych tests are perfectly safe. It is just to ensure that Kai has not retained some emotional trauma from what she experienced." Sakura reasoned.
"No, Haruno-san. I meant what I said." Finality colored my mother's tone.
"Very well, Miss Takahashi you will stay here tonight for observation, and can go home tomorrow morning. I will discharge you then. Goodnight ladies." The medic placed the clipboard on a holder at the foot of my bed, and strolled out of the room. The goodbye was icy compared to the moment of relaxed laughter we had earlier.
My mother stood as well. Her face was but a shade of the irritableness that she exhumed earlier. It looked like this day had latched onto her like a leech drained her dry of all emotional fortitude. Shadows appeared underneath her eyes, and it seemed to me that the scary emotional face she had been wearing all day had worn on her.
"Hey mom" I kept my voice quiet and assuring. "How about you go home and sleep. Dad gets back from his mission today, and I'm sure that he wouldn't mind picking me up tomorrow." She nodded as I spoke, the logic in my statements appealed to her. Her hand fell on top of mine, and she squeezed gently before following the doctor out the door. A wistful smile tugged at my lips, as I realized that even if she is eccentric, my mother wants the best for me.
I reveled in the relative silence for some time, yes nurses paraded around outside my door with even taps for footsteps, and the beeping of the monitors was soft and mesmerizing to look at, but it felt nice just to lay there and think of everything and absolutely nothing. My thoughts ghosted over everything that happened today. I pondered things about the guy who tried to use me as his hostage, and why he failed. I wondered what kind of person he was, and why he was running away from the ANBU. I possessed all these questions, and the likely hood that they would be answered was slim to none. Even then, it didn't really bother me that the ninja were going to keep me in the dark.
My thoughts turned to my behavior and actions. Honestly, I have no idea what made me react to capture in the way I did. I'm not a violent person, actually, there have only been a handful of times that I've struck someone. Maybe it was the adrenaline that made me react so strongly, or fear that powered my actions. I couldn't really say. I remember acting, but I don't recall making up my mind to physically assault the man who stabbed me. Perhaps I should get a psych exam; there might be something wrong with my brain.
Tired of thinking, I bent nearly in half so I could grab the edge of the clipboard tucked in a pocket at the foot of my bed. The tube connecting me to the bad was stretched as far as it could go, and my fingers barely grazed the very tip of the wood. I scrabbled with it, and finally got enough purchase on the wood to lift it gingerly out of the holder. I collapsed backward, panting lightly. My medical files clenched in my right hand. That was a lot harder than it was supposed to be.
I examined the first page methodically, starting with the neat scrawl at the top, deciphering it, before moving onto the next box.
Name: Kai Takahashi
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Physical Characteristics: Brown hair, Brown eyes
Weight: 49 kg
Height: 165 cm
The list went on and on, detailing the smallest things about me, even marking the strange discoloration above my left hip that has been present as long as I can remember. There was an entire page dedicated to details of when I broke my arm when I was eight. It looked like my medical files were complete, and I can't remember contributing that much.
When I finally reached the end of the folder, a pale green paper marked the last page. At the top, the title, Psych Evaluation Request, glared up at me. The form was short, barely reaching the middle of the page. Directly under the title, my name was fill out on the line. The handwriting was methodical and neat, It did not match Dr. Haruno's slightly cursive handwriting. When the form asked for a reason for the request, the person had written two lines.
"Subject does not conform to citizen role, possibility of sleeper agent?" I voiced in a confused whisper.
I pressed the pads of my fingers to the words. The childish part of me wished I could comprehend the reasons for somebody to write something like this. The papers, cool under my fingers, did not heed this desire and stayed blank. The inked words were like a brand.
"It's positively ludicrous." I drew my mouth up in a thin line.
At the bottom of the paper, was a equally neat signature. Itachi Uchiha.
"Who are you? And why did you request this?" I questioned the paper again, already knowing that it would not answer.
I know that this chapter didn't have much action. I just wanted you to get more attuned to Kai. Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know what you are thinking.