Konohagakure Curse Seal Rehabilitation Program

Assistance Request Report

Name of Requestor: Chief Inspector Itongokiri, Village of Hakyo, Land of Waves

Summary:

Reports of the disturbances began approx. one month ago (June-July 27 AU), though some reports state that the activity has been going on for at least two years, albeit to a lesser degree. Unclear if damage produced during this time due to possible affected individual, or local wildlife. Initial report filed by local trappers, confused by forest damage and other signs of berserk state damage. Contacted local authorities, who then contacted dept. Reports of unusual roaring sounds, rumbling and crashing in the distance, unusual tree damage, etc. Initial descriptions and photographs seem to indicate an energy-producing curse seal mutation ("Beamer"), due to the nature of the damage, in addition to the expected enhanced strength, etc. Damage seems confined to nearby forest and rural area, has not spread to Hakyo proper, nor any other residential area.

Mission Outline:

Orders are to investigate quickly and determine the location of the affected individual, as curse seal activity has not been reported widely in this area and further non-action may prove harmful to both the affected individual and the local population. Due to the confined nature of the destruction, it can be assumed that the individual has lived with their condition for a while, and/or is lucid enough while in their berserk states to not seek out populated areas, and/or lacks bloodlust, etc. These traits are not usually apparent in second-generation mutations, where the berserk state is far less controllable and is harder to hide. Therefore, if said individual is found to be a first-generation curse seal victim, procedure may be changed accordingly. Otherwise, follow standard procedure in aiding and processing the individual.

(Addendum: It is imperative that the reason for the increased activity and destruction is also determined in processing the individual, to aid in future therapy sessions.)

Kedamono Enbi
Chief of Staff
Curse Seal Rehabilitation Program

ACT 7

BONE

Chapter 52 - Orion Alphard

Preliminary Actions: Mission Summary (and a Brief History)

Reports about the disturbance had begun to trickle in maybe a month previous, through the hotline. Reports of loud crashes and stomps, inhuman roars, and trees found scorched with holes and enormous gouges in them.

Basically, entirely indicative of a curse seal victim who had run out of CV's.

Better yet, the area was unaccounted for. Meaning that someone had migrated.

Or, the more-likely option, that this was someone new.

After all, Orochimaru kept very careful record of every single one of his experiments. And the team made a point of keeping careful record of every single victim they found. Deceased or otherwise.

There were still a lot of people left unaccounted for. Twenty-seven years was a lot of time for a population to scatter.

And multiply.

Orochimaru did not have any children on his roster. Barring the ones who had begun as children, of course.

The CV's had been developed almost entirely for them, those second-generation children. Though, of course, there were other uses. Not every curse seal victim was exactly a model citizen. It didn't help that the seal itself had a bad habit of causing mental illness and tendencies of extreme violence.

Therapy and medicine helped. A lot.

And for those that needed a little extra help, well. There was a wing in Konoha's hospital just for them.

Luckily, once the aggression and the delusions were taken care of, a surprising amount of people were keen on returning to society, if they hadn't already been trying.

As one man put it, "I didn't ask to be experimented on."

And a surprising amount of people were keen on having relationships with these returnees.

As one wife of a curse seal victim put it, "It's the man I fell in love with, not the monster. The monster he is in bed, however…"

After which her husband nudged her, his face flushing, and she stuck out her tongue at him, playfully, nudging him back.

Though Sakari always hoped that, whenever a "live one" was reported, that it was a child, a second-gen. Out of the four members of the seal team—the field team, anyways—she was the one who threw herself into her work most completely, feeling an intense passion and sympathy for any offspring of a first-generation curse seal victim.

First-gens had much more control over their transformations. A luxury that genetics and body modification didn't allow their children.

Not every curse seal victim was so open about their condition, however.

It was always so tragic when their secrets manifested in those children, for that reason entirely.

Because it was so undeniable.

As Sakari put it, whenever the subject came up, "I just want them to know that it's okay for them to be the way they are. That we can help them live with that."

Another reason why "live ones" always got everyone so excited: because they were, well, exciting.

The seal team's usual duties were check-ins once every three months or so, to replenish any needed CV's, write down any incidents, have them filed.

Yawn.

(Even though it wasn't so bad. Really.)

Now, fighting down a rogue victim in a full second-level transformation?

That was fun.

A challenge, anyways. Jimichi didn't like it. He preferred the healing aspect.

Which was why, generally, he stayed on the sidelines. He was the medic, after all. He had to stay safe, for the sake of his other teammates.

There were four of them, naturally. Like any other team.

Fuguki Jimichi, the medic.

Hyuuga Ninako, the scout.

Haruno Sakari, the muscle.

And Uchiha Hajime. The leader.

They had been working together for three, almost four years. And they made a damn good team, if their results were any indication.

Naturally, the Seal Team had existed long before their particular squad had been put together. And curse seal victims had been dealt with for far longer, though usually by independent ANBU teams. It was Naruto's idea to make a dedicated squadron for them.

"I mean, it'd be a really good thing if we have this, like. Public group that people know they can go to if they need help, y'know?" was how he explained it.

He used this same reasoning when he set up plans to reinstate the police force, adding, "'cos, uh, even though they do kinda take care of internal crime and stuff, I don't think that 'Torture and Interrogation' is exactly the most… approachable thing. If people need help, y'know. I mean, yeah, you can approach anyone with a green vest if something's going down, but it's super hard to get everything organized cos there's no, uh… organization. Y'know?"

(Sasuke eventually got used to it. Even though the Uchiha name was no longer associated with the department.)

(The reorganization of the crime department, as it happened, ended up saving the government a significant amount of money as time went on, after a year or so of flustered adjustment.)

(And once Andou got his hands on it, well. He was probably the first ten year old to have ever successfully aided in the consolidation of eight different departments from three different focuses into one concentrated force.)

(Then again, he was Andou. He drafted up a neater, cleaner genealogical chart for the Hyuuga clan when he was five. For fun.)

The Seal Team was, technically, associated with Health Services, and Konoha's hospital. And the majority of the staff was at the hospital, the folks responsible for treating the in-patients, the therapists, the child care specialists, the hotline operators.

Hajime and his team were just the face, the field guys.

And, naturally, they'd been carefully chosen to represent only the best that Konoha had to offer.

(Sasuke only allowed himself to feel pride for his son's achievement once this had been stressed to him.)

(The best that Konoha had to offer, hm? Well, that was their opinion, he supposed.)

(Wondering why they had chosen Hajime and not his brightest one, Takeru.)

(The fact that the Seal Team would likely not have existed if it hadn't been for his involvement, years and years ago, in setting free the occupants of the North Base was entirely lost to his memory.)

But Hajime was an excellent leader. Smart and capable. And, presently, discussing the team's plan in what to do in their inevitable confrontation with the reported target.

Transport Up

"Standard procedure, right?" Sakari said. "Gather intel, have Ninako do a scan of the area, then approach, standard-style?"

"Yes," Hajime said.

"We know anything about the town, again? Hakyo, innit that what it's called?"

"Uh-huh," Jimichi said.

"Anywhere near Ryokyo?"

"Seems to be in the general area," Ninako said.

"We should visit Karin-san, then. Once we're done here."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Sakari," Hajime said.

"Aw, why? Karin-san's great."

"She always gets angry when we drop in unannounced, Sakari-chan," Jimichi said.

"Plus she always gets so weird around Hajime," Ninako said.

Hajime said nothing.

"We could at least call her, if you really wanna set something up," Jimichi said.

"Maybe. If we're close enough."

They continued to run.

"I do want to go sight-seeing, though. I love the coast. Bet Kenji'd love it if I brought him home some seashells."

"Whatever you want, Sakari-chan," Jimichi said.

Standard Procedure, Step One: Gathering Intel

So how long had the disturbances been going on?

"Well things been kinda quiet around here mostly, they've only just now gotten troublesome."

"We've been hearing things for about a year. Two years. Didn't think to say anything 'til now though."

"I didn't even know this was a thing until recently. I always just thought it was a wild boar, or a monster doin' all this."

"They're not monsters," Sakari said, "they're just a little different, is all."

And where were they mostly concentrated, those disturbances?

"Just in that forest over there. We found some trees cracked in half while huntin' in there recently. Looked pretty serious."

"Animals don't do that."

"Nope, they sure don't."

"That's why we figured to get together and see if there was somethin' could be done about it."

"Yep."

And was there anyone they know in town, or in the general area, who might have been responsible for this?

"How d'you mean?"

"The general profile for these sorts of people is someone that… tends to live alone, isolated," Ninako said, "prone to anger or annoyance, sudden shifts in mood… You guys know anyone like that?"

Exchanged glances.

"Well, there is that one guy."

"Which guy?"

"You know, the big fella."

"Oh yeah, that guy."

"Which guy?" Sakari said.

"Lives out in the woods. He's been there… how long?"

"Can't even remember."

"Yeah, me neither, s'like he's been there for forever."

"Maybe if we asked your mother?"

"Please, if you could stay on the subject," Hajime said, "tell us more about this man, if you can."

"Well, he's really tall."

"Really tall."

"A big fella."

"Yup."

"Doesn't come out of the forest much. Trades vegetables for food sometimes. Or milk. He likes milk."

"Oh, and he likes chickens."

"Loves chickens. Won't eat 'em, though."

"Nope."

"So he's something of a hermit, you might say?" Ninako said.

"I guess that's what you could call him."

"Weird guy. Doesn't talk much."

"Yeah, I'd say he's a hermit."

"…you don't suppose he's the one causing all this trouble? He's odd but he seems so gentle, not violent at all..."

"We'll find out soon enough," Ninako said, with a smile like the letter V. "Thanks for the information."

Standard Procedure, Step Two: Scouting the Area

"What do you see, Ninako?"

"Trees. Lo-ots of trees."

"And?"

"We got some serious splinter damage going on, for one. …aaand some burns and hole damage. We might have a Beamer on our hands."

"Great."

"Don't worry about it, Hajime," Sakari said. "If we work fast enough we won't have to deal with that."

"Hopefully. Look further, Ninako, see if you can find where this guy lives."

"Already on it."

A pause.

"Okay, there's a house maybe a mile down from here, in a clearing. Kinda small. There's a garden out back, too. Hahaha, check this out, he's got chickens too…"

"Anyone human there?"

"…might be. There's something small in the house, not a chicken, but I have no idea what it is."

"See if you can confirm for us."

"Gotcha."

"Guys," Jimichi said, "what's that sound?"

The sound was their target, approaching at 30 miles an hour and increasing.

(Not) Standard Procedure, Step Three: Confrontation

The earth shattered.

"Oh, there he is!" said Sakari. Smiling.

"Fall back!" said Hajime.

He reached for a blank scroll, for his brush.

The man with orange hair like fire and brown skin like mud reached for a tree.

"Ninako, look out!" Sakari said, needlessly.

The tree was intercepted by Ninako's exquisite palms and twirled into a oblivion of shredded pieces.

"I'm fine!" Ninako said.

"GET OUT… GET OUT…!" the man said. He breathed deeply, bull-like.

"We're just trying to help, sir!" Sakari said.

"GO AWAY!"

His back seized and shifted in ways they were unfamiliar with.

The air grew hot and orange.

"Oh, crap, he is a Beamer!" said Ninako.

And in an instant a row of trees were suddenly cored through with a sound like a roaring crack.

"GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUUUUUT!"

Hajime's brush flew over paper.

An enormous snake of ink and whiteness came out of it and wrapped itself around the man, pinning his massive arms to his side.

"Sakari, you know what to do!"

"Right-o!"

"GO AWAAAAAY!"

Sakari had a CV in hand and she was very small and very strong and very quick.

The man was stronger. Ink splashed everywhere as his arms ripped the ink-snake apart, getting on clothes and faces and mud-colored skin.

A large arm like a tree trunk hit Sakari in the stomach and sent her flying into another tree.

And the man.

Began to flee.

Roaring as he went, almost like he was sobbing.

"Orders, sir!" Jimichi said.

He was at Sakari's side in an instant. She was coughing.

They could have pursued him but.

"Let him go, we can try again later."

"Good idea…" Ninako said. She was wiping ink out of her eyes. "Hahaha, man, Hajime, way to go."

"You okay there, Sakari?" Hajime said.

"Owwwww jeez." Sakari had one eye closed.

Jimichi had his hands on her and they were glowing.

"I'm sorry about that," Hajime said.

"Not your fault, really…!"

"Don't move, you've got a cracked rib or two," Jimichi said. "I'm gonna try and mend those first before I work on the bruising."

"Man, that guy was… something. I mean, your python-bind usually gets 'em, Hajime," Ninako said. "We're gonna have to step up our game."

"How long until you think we'll be able to move Sakari, Jimichi?"

"Don't rush me, Hajime. But we should be fine in a few minutes."

"Nah, nah, nah, I think I can walk, I'm feeling miles better!" Sakari gave a weak thumb's-up. "You want us to move out soon, Boss?"

"It's best if we get out of the area. In case he comes back."

"And it'll probably be better for Sakari-chan if we can get her rested and laid out for a few hours, at least." Jimichi's brow was furrowed. "That was a bit of an impact."

"Oh c'mon, I feel fine."

"Sakari-chan, please don't strain yourself, I'm not done yet."

"At any rate, can we get some clean clothes and a shower?" Ninako said. She flicked ink off of her hands. "I feel disgusting. You got an extra jacket for me in there, dontcha Jimichi?"

"I have everyone's clothes with me, Ninako." Jimichi's pack carried many things.

"We have rooms booked in a hotel in Hakyo. Once Sakari's ready to go we can check in and rest. We'll give another go tomorrow," Hajime said.

"Sounds good t'me, Boss."

Sakari gave another thumbs-up, and it wasn't as weak. It made Hajime smile, a little.

(Not) Standard Procedure, Step Four: Rinse, and Repeat

There was trouble at the hotel.

"…I thought we had two rooms with two beds each," Hajime said.

"I'm sorry, dear, there must have been a mistake."

"Can we get what we originally asked for?"

"'fraid not, we don't have enough rooms."

Hajime groaned.

"Oh that's no problem. We can just split up the rooms between us and share beds."

Sakari had her arm around Jimichi's shoulder.

"You sure, Sakari?" Ninako said.

"Well, if it's okay with you guys. I'm just peachy."

"Well I could always sleep on the floor or the couch or something if you wanted to share the room with me, Hajime," Jimichi said.

"Oh, who said you had to room with him?"

Sakari had her hand on Jimichi's chin. It was a bit of a reach for her.

"Oh get a room, you two," Ninako said, laughing.

"Oh. I intend to."

Jimichi's face was slightly red.

Hajime's wasn't.

"So I take it you'll keep the rooms?" the receptionist said.

"Seems like!" Ninako said.

A few minutes later, Sakari and Jimichi were on the bed together. "You know I really wanted to have you carried here," Jimichi said.

"I told you I can handle it, silly."

Jimichi sighed, rolled his eyes. He'd taken his pack off and put it on the couch.

"Take your shirt off, I want to see if the bruising's gotten any worse."

"Okie-dokie."

He'd already given Hajime and Ninako their changes of clothes, in the hallway, when they were fumbling with room keys.

Sakari had a body in miniature, proportioned like a woman, with hips and breasts and other curves, but smaller, more compact, like someone had taken her by the head and the feet and pressed together. Her muscle-stomach was a map of mottled reds and growing purples.

"Oh, dear, dear. This is going to take a while." Jimichi tapped his fingers together. "Sakari-chan, I told you, I should have carried you."

"Hey, it's just bruising. Nothing this old girl can't handle."

Jimichi sighed. "Get onto your stomach, please."

She winced a little, as she did so.

His hands were very careful, and gentle.

"I'll let you sleep on the bed, if you want," he said, after a while. "I'll take the couch."

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"No, really, I don't want to make you uncomfortable at all."

"Jimichi, it's fine. Besides, I doubt my girlfriend would care if I had to share a bed with you. We're grown-ups, aren't we? Not like I'm gonna get cooties from you or anything."

She looked up over her shoulder at him with her round eyes.

"Well, if you really say it's fine." Jimichi's eyes were elsewhere, though he was smiling.

"It is fine. I don't mind at all."

His fingers moved over the ridges of her spine.

"Wonder how long it'll be before those two get at it, though? I mean, you know them."

"You know we were all thinking the same thing there," Jimichi said.

"Oh, absolutely." A pause. "Well, except maybe for Hajime. You know how he is."

"Business as usual until nobody's looking." Jimichi laughed, shaking his head. "He's hopeless."

"Tell me about it."

He took his hands off her back. "Well, the good news is you didn't do any more damage to your ribs or spine coming over here. I'll see if there's anything I can do for your stomach in the meantime, then."

"Jimichi, you are such a sweetheart."

"Just doin' my job, Sakari-chan."

In the next room over and a few minutes later, Ninako was coming out of the bathroom in her underwear, toweling her head off. "Oh, that felt good. Shower's free if you wanna use it."

"Thanks."

He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his shirt off, his fingers laced around his knees.

Ninako's heart-shaped mouth slid sideways. "Okay, Hajime, what's the matter?"

"Hm?"

"You've got that look on your face you get when something's bothering you. Come on, tell me what it is."

She got on the bed with him and held her hands together between her knees.

"That skirmish today. You should have been able to see him coming."

She sighed. "Oh, that. My eyes were a mile away, Hajime, I'm not omnipotent."

His expression didn't change. "I know you're not. But you… well, you just seem a little… off today."

"Off?" She sighed again, but it was halfway to a laugh. She leaned back on the bed as her voice rose and fell. "Ah, first Jimichi, now you."

(He had asked her on the way over if she was feeling well, and he had felt her cheek. She didn't have a fever, and she had laughed at his worry there, too.)

"Ninako, please. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I've been fine, honestly. A little tired, maybe, but nothing too bad."

"You think you should have stayed home? Maybe you're still getting over that stomach flu you had."

Ah, she laughed there. "Hajime, that was two months ago. You worry about me too much, it's cute." She leaned in and put her nose by his ear, and he jerked back.

"Ninako, stop it."

Though he was smiling. He couldn't help it.

"I'm fine. Honestly. I mean, sure, there's… a lot on my mind, I guess. Maybe I should put it out of the way 'til the mission's done," she said.

"What's on your mind?"

Ninako tossed the towel, lazily, to the floor, and lay on her stomach, on the bed. "Hajime, y'think we should get eloped?"

The question passed through his mind three times before he could react. "…wait, eloped? As in, like, married?"

"Yeah, that."

"Ninako, I—where did that come from?"

She shrugged, and the beautiful curves of her scapula made the black straps of her bra subtly shift. "I dunno, it's just something I've been thinking about lately." She sighed, and it was very deep and heavy. "'course, I know it wouldn't be anything official, knowing my family and especially knowing your dad."

She already had her forehead covered with a white band of cloth.

She turned and looked at him over her shoulder.

(He loved how she did little things like that, even though he knew she could see him anyways.)

"It's just, we're practically married to each other anyways, aren't we? We've been together how long?"

"Seven years this September."

"Right." Pause. "Wait, seven years?"

"Seven years since you first said it was okay for me to call you my girlfriend and let me hold your hand. And the rest."

She looked up, and down, and smiled at the memory. "You romantic little dweeb. That was your fifteenth birthday!"

His face turned just so slightly red. "And?"

"You thought I was taking you seriously then?"

"Ah, well, um…" His face grew redder, his eyes sliding sideways.

She got up and she put a hand on his shoulder, with wonderful, playful, mocking laughter. "Hajime, I'm just kidding. Seven years this September, that's how long we've been together. Though I loved you long before that, and that's the truth."

She laid a sweet kiss where his ear met his jaw and his shoulders rose beneath her touch.

"Now where was I…?" she whispered.

"You were making a point?" he said, quietly, through his hot smile.

"Okay, well, that's a long time to date someone, you know? But it feels like we're still just kids, sneaking around behind our parents' backs. It's stupid."

His eyes softened. "Ninako…"

"It's just got me unsettled is all, okay? It doesn't feel right."

"And… you want to settle this by getting eloped?"

"Yeah!" She sprang back away from him with the enthusiasm of a child, sitting on her feet. She clasped her hands in front of her chest. "I was thinking we could do it after the chuunin exams or somethin', ask for some time off. You know Naruto-san would give it to us."

"Yeah," Hajime said, "he probably would."

"So we'd find some cute little temple and have a priest do it and, bing! Married! You and me, husband and wife. Just like that."

Hajime, despite his confusion and worry attempting to override it, couldn't stop grinning.

"I'll… take it into consideration," he said.

Ninako laughed. "You dork! 'I'll take it into consideration'? What are you, some kinda feudal lord or something?"

"I'm just trying to be responsible about this. Ow, Ninako, get off."

She draped her body over his, cheek against cheek, chest against chest. "You're too responsible sometimes."

"I know," he said. He put his arms over hers, pressing his temple against her closed, beautiful eyes and their long lashes. "I just think this is… something we should think about before we make any plans, is all."

"Think about it?" She suddenly pulled herself away and sat on his knees. Her face was hurt, almost puckered. "Does this mean you don't really… love me? I mean, if you have to think about it…"

He put his hands on her shoulders. "No, no, no, no, Ninako, it's not… it's not that. I mean, it's not like I don't love you. Hell, if I could, I'd… I'd run away with you right now and marry you today, but… well, we can't and oh damn it Ninako will you stop laughing at me!" His face narrowed against the noise. "You just said that to embarrass me, didn't you."

"Oh you know I did," she said. She covered her mouth with the fingers of one hand, and reached for him again with the other.

(Ninako had a hobby, and that hobby was making Hajime blush. He was, she believed, at his cutest when he was at his most flustered.)

"It's okay, if you wanna think it over a bit more, that's fine with me," she said. She kissed him on the high ridge of his cheekbone, and laid down on her stomach again, resting her chin in her palms. "Don't know why you'd ever need it, though, if you supposedly love me so much."

"Oh come off it, Ninako." He laid down on his back, his hands behind his head, his head turned towards hers. "I… I love you too much for this not to be something special. I don't want to rush it, I want to plan it. Make it… real. In our own way."

She scooted closer, on her elbows. "And what do you mean by that?"

He looked at the ceiling. "…like a… honeymoon or something would you stop laughing, I'm trying to be serious about this!" He rolled on his side, his back to her, as she laughed with her forehead on the bed. "I'm saying we should plan this like a vacation! Get… married first, and then do things that… married couples do. Go to the beach, get massages… I don't know, things like that."

"I think," Ninako said, once she was over her laughter, slipping an arm over his arms, "that sounds wonderful."

Her nose was on his base of his neck, and it was making its way up to his hairline with kisses to keep time.

"…but only after the chuunin exams are done, okay? I don't wanna leave before Karai and Inou are done with them."

Her kisses ceased. "You really worry about those two, don't you, Hajime?" Her voice was softly, sadly admiring.

He didn't respond.

(He didn't need to.)

(Oh, did he ever worry about them.)

(And she knew this.)

"Just one more reason why I love you so much. You've got such a big heart." She rested her cheek in the crook between his shoulder and his neck. "The big heart of my big concerned Hajime."

"Stop it, Ninako," he said, chuckling.

He could feel her body convulsing with a barely audible laugh, her smooth, gently-round belly against his smooth, all-angles back. "So what's say we have a little honeymoon of our own, here? To hold us off until we make our… plans."

"Mm, what, with Sakari and Jimichi next door?"

"There've been worst places. Besides, you know they totally set us up for this."

"Yeah. I know."

"So are you for it or what?"

He turned over and laid beneath her, stomach to stomach, face to face. "Absolutely."

They were left alone with their bodies and their love until the morning.

Both of them cherishing every moment, because they knew how rare such moments were back home.

(Everyone in the team did.)