Reunion

Two years ago

Tsuki sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her eyes. Yuina lay in the bed opposite, sleeping fitfully.

"What are we going to do?" she asked herself, gazing at the old woman's silver hair, thinking how similar it looked to her own, "Masses of injured Konoha shinobi, and now this! How could anyone want to kill Yuina?" she thought about the scores of people she had seen Yuina save. "This Ryoichi must be an absolute bastard…"

She breathed out, releasing some pent up anger.

"I need some air," she thought, getting up and walking out.

Kazuki loped on in wolf form, already panting.

"It's wearing off," he thought, "I hope this hospital is nearby."

He trotted over a rise and saw a small wooden building. It had turned out to be a lot further to the hospital than he had first thought, having to run not stop all through the day and well into the night. Luckily Kaito's magic orange had kept him going and it looked like he would just about make it. He advanced cautiously down the ridge, cautiously sniffing for danger.

Tsuki wandered down the hallway, yawning. She was tired, but was afraid to sleep and surrender herself to her nightmares. She quietly opened Akiko's door, peering at the sleeping girl inside. Tsuki closed it again, grimacing.

"Just one more person I have to save," she thought, moving off down the hallway. She walked through the reception, noting the absence of 'Make-out Tactics' on the desk. She came up to the wooden double doors. She frowned, sensing a faint, irregular heartbeat outside. Taking a breath, she slid the doors open.

Kazuki transformed into a sleek, minky furred cat. He padded along the dirt path, listening intently for any sound. He gazed up at the firmly shut double doors looming over him. Wondering if this was really the right place, he glanced down either side of the path. As he was looking, he heard a sharp noise behind him as the doors slid open. He whirled around, blinded by the sudden bright light interrupting the darkness, to see a silhouette standing in the doorway. Then he heard the word no right-minded cat ever wants to hear:

"KITTY!!!"

Kazuki blinked. "Oh crap…"

"KITTY!!!" Tsuki screamed in delight, staring at the startled feline blinking up at her from the path. It tried to leap away, but Tsuki was too quick for it. Grabbing the hissing creature, she wrapped her arms around it and hugged it tightly, squealing like a child. The cat's eyes bulged outwards as the girl happily squeezed the life out of it.

"What the hell are you doing?!" it gasped.

Tsuki paused, wondering whether the possibility of a talking cat could make her stop hugging it. She looked down at it, but didn't quite let it go.

"Huh?"

"Could you let go of me?" asked the cat, gazing up at her with obviously forced kitten eyes.

Tsuki stared at it. "You're a cat…" she said.

The cat raised an eyebrow. "And you have a face…" it replied.

Tsuki blinked in surprise. "Cats don't talk," she said, secretly thinking how cool it would be if they could.

Tsuki yelped as she was engulfed in bright blue light. She opened her eyes again to find that she no longer had a cat in her eyes. Instead, she had her arms wrapped tightly around a tall, bleach blond sixteen year old boy who happened to be drenched in blood.

"Hi," whispered Kazuki, his bloodied face a couple of inches from Tsuki's startled purple eyes.

There were any number of suitable responses Tsuki could have taken, but she decided to forget all of them and instead kneed the injured man in the crotch and slapped him to the ground.

Kazuki awoke to the feeling of a cold ice pack being clamped to his forehead. He opened his eyes to see Tsuki and another girl leaning over him. The other girl was holding the pack on his head. He gazed up at her and she caught his look. She blushed and fumbled with the ice pack, causing it to slip over Kazuki's eyes.

"Akiko!" scolded Tsuki, moving the ice pack back onto his forehead, "Stop fooling around!"

"Sorry," Akiko mumbled, avoiding Kazuki's amused expression.

Yuina hurried through the door.

"Akiko told me you were hugging a boy," she said to Tsuki, "and then kneed him in the groin and knocked him down."

Before Tsuki could reply, Yuina saw Kazuki for the first time.

"Oh my God!" he gasped, staring at his bloodied and bruised body, "What did you do to him?"

"He was like that when I found him!" protested Tsuki.

Yuina peered under the sheet, which Kazuki found uncomfortable. She raised an eyebrow at Tsuki.

"OK," Tsuki admitted, "I did that…"

Akiko stifled a laugh. Kazuki almost joined in, but the throbbing crotch pain prevented him.

Tsuki glared at her. "I didn't mean…" she started, "I mean… I kneed him… Oh dear Jashin…" she sighed, giving up.

"Right…" Yuina continued. She turned to Kazuki. "I'm amazed you made it all the way here. You've lost a heck of lot of blood, but I think Tsuki can sort you out."

She nodded at Tsuki, who placed her hands over Kazuki's wounds. His eyes widened as the gashes and bruises healed over in front of him. He moaned as the broken bones inside him moved back into place and the tears they had left on his insides healed over, causing Akiko to giggle. Tsuki glared at her, self-consciously removing her hands from Kazuki's body.

"Thanks…" he said to Tsuki.

"You're welcome," she replied, beaming happily.

"Although…" he continued, surreptitiously looking down, "You missed a spot…"

Tsuki frowned. "I did? Where?"

Kazuki simply stared at her. She blinked, innocently confused. Suddenly she got it.

"HELL NO!!!" she cried, jumping back.

Kazuki frowned at her. "You did it," he argued, "You need to fix it!"

Akiko gave them a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Yuina threw up her hands. "Oh I'll do it!" she exclaimed, exasperated

Kazuki started. "What? Wait, no!" he cried as Yuina walked over to him.

Without looking, Yuina thrust her hand under the sheets. Unfortunately, she did it a little too fast. Kazuki cried out in pain as her hand connected painfully.

"Don't be such a baby," she said as Tsuki and Akiko began laughing uncontrollably.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence as Yuina healed Kazuki's final injury. After a few seconds she withdrew her hand.

"There you go," she said, wiping the hand on the front of Tsuki's kimono, "All done."

Tsuki jumped back and began wiping her kimono furiously, while Kazuki stared at them with a disturbed look on his face.

"Where's all my stuff?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Akiko went to fetch a box containing Kazuki's newly washed clothes and his metal block. Yuina frowned and picked up the block. She looked at Kazuki.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, holding it under his nose.

"My master gave it to me," replied Kazuki.

Yuina stared at him. "Who is your master?"

Kazuki looked deep into her questioning eyes. "Daichi Shiryuu."

Yuina's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yuina Kichimarou?" asked Kazuki, his face turning serious and knowing.

Yuina nodded weakly.

"My name is Kazuki Shiryuu," he said, "I travelled for days and nearly died to get here." The two of them stared at each other. "Your brother is dead."