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Konoha Hospital (Then next day- 5:53 PM)
"There's nothing you or anybody else can say to change my mind, I'm going!" The blonde sat on the hospital bed pulling her sandals on, which was no longer a simple task with her eight month pregnant belly. "I can't just keep sitting around in the hospital. I might not be able to interrogate anyone right now but that doesn't mean I can't find out something by going through that assholes stuff."
Choji watched his wife already knowing the outcome. "Mrs. Akimichi, for the baby's sake you should stay here. The doctor has you on bed rest for a reason. I don't think you understand going on a mission would not only be unwise but you could go into premature labor." Choji watched as a nurse was trying to convince his wife to stay in the hospital. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. Ino was one of the most stubborn people he knew. Sometime she was just stubborn for the sake of being stubborn. The only reason she had stayed in the hospital for so long was for the well being of their baby and nothing else, Choji knew that. The circumstances had changed now though. Now part of her family was going through a crisis and she wasn't about to sit back after everyone else had helped. She was going to do her part and Choji knew that nobody, not even him, could make her see the situation differently.
"No, I think it you who don't understand! I'm going to go do this mission and everything is going to be just fine. This little guy is going to stay put until I say so."
"So, I'm guessing that Ino is going to be accompanying us on this mission?" Choji jumped, startled by the Inuzuka's sudden appearance.
"Accompanying?" Choji laughed, "She'll take over the second we leave the hospital." He watched as Ino continued arguing with the poor nurse. "Wait your coming too? You should take it easy Kiba. You just got back, don't you want to get some sleep?"
"I've got enough." Kiba said dismissively. He leaned against the doorway across from Choji. "So you're really going to let her go? She's do in a couple weeks right?" Kiba asked eyeing the blonde's bulging belly. Knowing full well that he wouldn't let Kanna go anywhere that far along, no matter how much it irritated her.
"Let?" Choji scoffed, "Have you meet Ino? Arguing would just be a waste of time. She'd go no matter what. So, I'm not going to bother. I'm just going to go with her and keep a close eye on her. That's all I really can do." Kiba saw the worry that seemed to have appeared in his eyes. He turned back to see Ino ignoring the nurse and tying her hitai-ate around her neck, now that her stomach was too big for it to fit around.
"Right, I'll watch out for her too, man." Choji nodded his thanks. Kiba start heading off calling over his shoulder, "We leave in five."
Kari's Hospital Room (2:37 AM)
Sakura slipped into Kari's room. Hinata was fast asleep on the cot that a nurse had brought in, Rini resting in front of her cuddled into her stomach. Naruto was sitting back in a chair his head resting against the wall behind him, his breathing even. Sakura was glad he was getting some type of sleep. She took the folded blanket off the end of Kari's bed and draped it over him. He didn't even stir.
Sakura did a medical scanning jutsu. She couldn't find any of the toxins in her system and her body seemed to be function just fine by itself and her chakra was mostly replenished. The only thing there really was to worry about now was her sight. Sakura took a syringe filling it. It would neutralize the meds she had given Kari to keep her in a coma. She pushed the meds into the young girls IV.
(4:38 AM)
Naruto jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at his wife. Her hair was a mess around her face and her clothes were rumpled. Rini was still asleep on the cot. "Sakura says she should wake up soon." Hinata put a hand on his cheek moving it up and stroking his hair back as she took a seat on his lap. His arms circled her waist resting his head against her shoulder. She pressed her cheek against the side of his head.
Kari stood in a seemingly endless stretch of white light. She wasn't sure what she was doing here, or even where here was, but she knew she was waiting for something. The last thing she remembered was her Uncle Shikamaru talking to her. Then nothing. She was just here.
Kari saw a figure approach from a distance. She could see someone coming but didn't hear any footsteps. It was silent. As it came closer Kari realized that the person was a man. When he was within feet of her he stopped. Kari gasped inaudibly. The man had a looked so much like her father that she had almost called out for him. Now that he was closer however, she could see many differences. While he was tall, had bright spike blonde hair and blue eyes, just like her father. But this man's hair framed the sides of his face covering his forehead protector and it seemed somehow neater then her fathers. He was wearing a normal Konoha Jonin outfit with a short sleeve white coat with flames on the edges. He had an air of a calm collected adult, nothing like her father's almost childish stature. It made her a bit nervous. Like when she has to be perfect for meeting with the Hyuga council with her mother. Then man smiled, and it seemed to light up his features making him seem much less intimating. He offered her his hand. She hesitated for a moment. After what happened last time…But this man didn't seem like he would hurt anyone. She took his hand in her much smaller one.
He guided her back the way he came from. She followed him silently. They walked for awhile. Everything looked the same, white. The man was the only other thing she could see. It seemed strange. The man stopped. Kari didn't understand why though. There was nothing different about this spot than anywhere else. He crouched down so that they were around the same height. And for the first time he spoke.
"It's time for you to go home now Kari. You don't belong here. Not for a long time."
"You know me? And where is here?" Kari asked confused. He shook his head at her a sad smile tugging at his lips. "I don't understand."
"It's probably better that way." He said looking at whatever he had been leading her to. She still saw nothing but white. "That reminds me." Kari turned back to face him wondering if he had just read her mind and then realized that she had stated her confusion out loud. He reached forward placing his right hand over her eyes, making a handseal with his left. Kari felt something cold on her eyes. It wasn't ice cold though, it felt nice. Like when you had a Popsicle after running around for hours without drinking anything. She felt him remove his hand. She slowly fluttered her eyes open. She was shocked to see…everything.
She had thought that they were in an empty continuous space of white but in reality there were tons of people everywhere. She turned back to look at the man wide eyed, mouth agape. He smiled at her nodding to the other side of the room. She turned and this time she didn't just see white. It was like a portal. She could see her parents in a hospital room along with Uncle Shikamaru and Arisa. They all seemed so sad. She turned back to the man. He was standing now. He looked down at her from the corner of his eye. She didn't move. He put his hand on her back and gently pushed her forward.
She took one step forward then turned. "Thank you," She said then gave him her biggest Uzumaki smile. He smiled back at her at her. Then she pranced through the portal.
"We come back later than. Arisa just wanted to see if she was awake. I didn't know what to do." Shikamaru sighed looking across the room at his daughter. Hinata gave him a tired smile.
"I understand. Thanks again for taking Rini back to the house. She doesn't need to be spending all of her time here." The Nara was just about to answer when Arisa interrupted.
"She's waking up!" Naruto was out of his seat and at Kari's side in a flash. Kari let out a groan before opening her eyes.
Alright that whole thing with Minato, yeah I DIDN'T plan any of that. It just sort of wrote itself in to the story. *Shrugs* So, I went with it. That's just the kind of writer I am.