Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of the Blessed Flowers. Enjoy the 6000-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.
Aiko was silent, clear, and unsure of what to do next while he tilted his head and looked at the wounded Konan. This woman had been through hell… Aiko ran his fingers through his hair and then sighed, leaning backward in his chair. It was a very odd little problem that he hadn't solved and had wished to have solved.
What would he do when she was out of there? What? Aiko knew he couldn't have housed her here. It was simple. He'd not have the room and the resources to have allowed her here unless they shared the home. ANBU would or may have come after her and it was clear Konan still have some enemies that may or may not have come for her and come her in force.
Perhaps she may home them off but some of their enemies would find them tender fish in the ocean to consume. It would be clear to him they'd go through everyone to get there and while Aiko was more than willing to have defended her. It was clear he was but one man and while she was dangerous? She was still one woman. They were entire armies and people with the resources to have enticed more.
He sighed and leaned backward in his chair. It was clear this ended and would have ended today… Even if he wanted it to have been a certain way. They had a lot more and a lot worse to make up for when it came down to it.
Konan was silent as she looked around and then turned to the side, it was clear that he'd get on with such a measure which had been a lot odder when it came down to it.
He didn't know what to have done next, it was a lot odder than most of my projects and I don't even know what to say or what to do next. It was clear to him that she'd be a problem he'd have to solve before now. it was something he hadn't focused upon for now when push came to shove.
She didn't expect this to happen properly. It was something else to Aiko that she had become more and more elite. It was something at least that she had started to have healed up.
He waited until she stopped snoring, sitting up to try and look at her spine a second later. He braced himself for the cold. It was clear more than anything that this resulted purely in how he had expected it to. It was clear more than anything at the least. Well, these sorts of measures had only served to have annoyed him. her desire to be out and about was understandable, but it did NOT when he had to look over her wounds.
His cold fingers found her skin again as she grasped the tray in front of her, almost as if he was at peace with it all. Her skin which had been chalky pale white had regained some of its pigmentation which made him hopeful that she hadn't been able to have done something, it'd be a lot worse when it came down to it.
He had fallen silent before he questioned before it came down to it. She glanced at him, her eyes full of energy and full of pain as she tried to talk.
"Are you ok?" Konan heard from Aiko as she nodded for now. "Your spine should be ok enough… For you to WALK… Not use 70 Jutsu, not enough for you to fly, WALK… Would you like help with getting up? I know the pressure on someone's spine isn't easy to just overcome." Aiko said as he shook his head and looked around.
Konan wanted to say no she did not need a SINGLE ounce of help. However? She had been modest enough to admit she had needed help which reminded him purely that such a thing had only served to remind her that if Aiko hadn't assisted her? She'd be a corpse lying on the ground unable to do much more than die and decompose.
It was a wake-up call that she had needed help to try and fix this when push came to shove. It was all too clear to her if she had tried and tried more to have escaped this.
Well, she would be worm food at this point and it entirely reminded him of something he didn't at all wish to understand. He was superior to such antics.
He pressed a hand to her back while continuing to check to see if her wounds had healed entirely which he seemed to have properly focused upon. Konan sighed, questioning what to do next. It wasn't going to be easy to heal her wounds when push came to shove.
He sighed to himself, perfectly expecting such an issue to have been prepared for now. It wasn't going to be something easier to have focused on next. It was purely odd for now and yet he didn't want to have gotten himself in a situation he could not handle for now. It was clear beyond a shadow of a doubt these problems weren't to be over so easily. Aiko questioned what was to come if he failed at all to handle these problems.
It was honestly a bit much even for his efforts at the moment. They had so much more to question when it came down to it.
It made his brain simply hurt when push came to shove, and he tilted his head to the side before yawning to himself in terror when all of this was done before now. There was little to no real damn reason to cry over spilled milk like this. It was degrading to her as a shinobi, and she had dealt with similar pain to this.
It was clear if anything she'd have bitten her damn tongue and cut the damn waterworks. She was a shinobi and this pain meant nothing if she could not bear to handle a little damn amount of pain.
Aiko paused his task and looked at her, an eyebrow raised as if he didn't at all expect her to do something like this before he spoke a few seconds later.
"Are you… Ok? Because I can stop if this hurts you, you know. I don't need you pulling another muscle or something and you being laid up in the hospital for another few months." Aiko said while he sighed, too utterly thrown for a loop as to what she was doing and how well to do it.
"Are you going to need more time to work on my spine?" Konan asked as she tried her best to ignore his question.
"It might take a few minutes, might take an hour. I have to see how bad the damage is and if your bandages and such need more changing." Aiko said with a sigh as he tried to break the nose as best as he was capable.
"I can't just hug you or something and all your wounds just go away, there's not enough healing in the world to fix something like that so easily and you know it. every single little stitch and scar? It's going to take some time to stitch it all up, I can't speed these things up." Aiko said to which she fell silent.
Konan nodded and let him press a cold hand to her spine as he winced. Aiko frowned but said nothing as he was well aware this was bothering her. It wasn't like he wished to do this and yet. Well, it was what it was what it was.
"Are you going you going to be, ok?" Aiko questioned to which she frowned to herself. "There's a lot more to deal with and this isn't at all what it is that needs to be," Aiko said as he shook his head.
Konan sighed as he looked at a small mark on her spine. He sighed and went to grab the gauze before he looked at her mark.
"I'm going to need to wrap up your stomach, are you ok?" Aiko asked as she nodded. "Good, this is going to take some time to fix for now and I don't know what else is going to be a problem." Aiko sighed before he sighed to himself.
There was all too damn much before she sighed and let him cut the gauze wraps before looking at her wound. The pain in his patient was just going to bother him more and more at the time.
It wasn't going to be easy for her to heal. Konan as he sighed to herself before she sighed to herself before falling silent. She knew he was simply messing with her, and it became more and more of an issue.
Konan was all too much of an issue for the time being as she looked around and pondered what else would need to be said and done. Konan was prepared for the worst and yet it was questioning upon now. Konan watched Aiko look up and into the ceiling before he sighed to himself.
Konan was a lot more interested warrior and she sighed to himself as Aiko slowly picked up and over her back, trying to keep up her bandages before now. Konan watched as Aiko slowly started to sew up her skin once more.
"Are you going to be, ok? Are you rather, ok? Your skin will heal properly. It's a lot worse than it looks, most of the scar tissue was superficial." Aiko stated as he clicked his tongue and then placed the needle in his mouth. "Damn it, I'm trying, and it isn't exactly easy to fix now. There's a lot more damage upon your back than you had before." Aiko stated before he frowned to himself.
It was a lot worse an issue as he pondered what to say and do next. It'd need to be handled properly or else he may or may cause permanent nerve damage with the rest of his resources he looked around before sighing to himself. Konan rolled his eyes before he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, almost dropping the needle from his teeth as he continued the work it needed to be reworked. If anything? Well, these issues did not drop as fast as the needle did and it was clear more or less such problems had to be solved now more and more problems for now.
Konan was a problem for now and she questioned what to do next before now as of the second. She rubbed at her temples before she questioned what to do now.
Konan was a lot odder than he envisioned in the past, a very odd and snobby woman and yet one who had a very dark past from what he recalled for now. It was so odd and for now, before he crossed his arms.
"I don't know how to fix your skin yet… Well, I don't know how to handle it with what to do next." Aiko said before rubbing at his temples and falling silent for now and yet it was all we could afford to do for the time.
Aiko sighed as he started to work and questioned what he'd need to try and get it all to work for good. It was clear more and more he did not at all understand what would be needed for now that. Well, it bothered him more and more with the passing seconds that needed to heal properly as of the second and day as of this very moment.
"Is it easy to try and fix flesh when it's damaged so heavily?" Konan questioned as Aiko hummed.
"Sometimes, scarring can fade, and it won't do much if your nerves are already stitched back up…" Aiko stated before continuing. "The problem is your stab wound is so recent your body is still healing, operating around it isn't easy when it's clear your body is still trying to adjust properly without letting the internal wounds stitch up," Aiko stated before frowning.
"Meaning all the internal bleeding might kill me before infection does," Konan said as Aiko nodded.
"Yes, you might," Aiko said before frowning. "You are very passive about it… I'm going to guess you made peace with death a long time ago and this is nothing compared to it all." Aiko said before twirling the needle expertly.
"Depends upon the death. I devoted myself to trying and aid my friend and yet he is gone now, scattered to the wind and it is clear I was destined to die atop the lake. My best technique was worthless." Konan said as Aiko rolled his eyes.
"Losing to someone powerful enough to dodge billions of exploding tags is not destiny… You did all you damn well could and stood your ground, Konan. That's all a shinobi can expect." Aiko stated before frowning, interested in his work.
"When you deal with beating death? It is not enough to simply survive, Aiko. I failed my duty, and I cannot allow it to stand." Konan said as Aiko frowned.
"And dying for nothing and not even leaving a scratch will be better? I'm aware leaving him alive is a problem but if you lost once. What is the best option? Fight again and allow him to kill you?" Aiko said before sighing. "Bite this and grip the bed, I'm going to stitch you up and it's without anastatic sadly so you're going to feel pain, I'm sorry," Aiko said as he started.
Konan bit down on the gauze as the needle pierced her flesh, cold, precise, and felt as if burning was going on. Aiko was right, her nerves were on fire, and if not for his attempts to try and keep her in one piece? She'd be a corpse on the ground, an idea she was not at all fond of and it seemed neither was he.
Aiko seemed to be utterly prepared for it as he did his work as fast and as efficiently as possible.
"Are you ok? I'm almost… No, I am finished." Aiko said before finishing.
"Are you ok?" Aiko asked, eyebrow raised in anguish at it all, so annoyed at all he'd need to do for now and what needed to be done to try and fix it properly.
It was clear she was not and any attempts to be simply her trying and failing to reflect that. Aiko could tell when someone simply wished to try and hide it, but Konan was trying and failing to do it and it bothered him to try and see it properly, see it that way.
Still? Their problems seemed worse and worse at the end of the day. It became a nicer and nicer logic, for now, only becoming something he could wrap his head upon as the time being at the end of the day.
Konan was only going to become better if she managed to relax for now and seemed to be able to relax. She sighed and looked more and more content at the moment.
"Are you almost done? I need to talk." Konan stated before smirking to herself. "You seem to enjoy hurting my back a lot more than normal than a doctor should," Konan stated before looking to the side and was able to relax for now.
Aiko simply rolled her eyes and looked to the side and smirked to herself and yawned to herself. Aiko was all too interested in his little problems and if she was able to relax like this then she certainly was starting to get stronger and stronger.
"I am, what do you want to talk about for now? I don't know if you have any internal injuries and I don't know if they can be contained for now." Aiko said as Konan hummed.
She turned, rotating, and looked to the side as if she felt more and more tired at the end of the day. Aiko watched her recline, tucking her feet under her and showing the various scars and bruises under her robes at the end of the day.
She didn't at all seem to hurt more and more scared. Konan looked down at the ground. Konan yawned before slowly starting to speak for a few seconds and sighed, rubbing at her temples and waiting.
"You want me to lead the entire city but there is a problem with that. The entire city respects my power, not because of any personality I have at the moment. That means many people will attempt to take over leadership." Konan stated before she looked to the side.
"I don't even know if I can try and understand it at the end of the day… But you've been relaxing and understanding, all of it has been something I can deal with because our city is more than me and you know that." Aiko stated before he looked around and was able to yawn to himself.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can fix it all, there will always be problems and I'm not the man who dreamt of better relaxing memories all over for now… It's always been just below the surface." Konan stated to which Aiko shrugged.
"Does it mean you give up when people need you? we always get back up. It's what I like about our city. We don't just give up and you know it. I know you're not just going to give up which is why you're trying to heal back up so don't use that for all of it." Konan stated as she looked to the side and focused and found it to be a rather nice sort of thing.
Aiko simply paused to look down at her before he sighed and continued to grow more and more amused, glancing at her spine and working with precision as he usually did.
He knew more than to properly talk about it. He didn't want to push the topic with it and she didn't at all know about what would come as a result of her antics, as a result of what she'd throw at the wall.
Whoever had hurt her had almost killed her and easily so. No real amount of effort or training would undo the effort that had been put into trying to understand it at the end of the day.
The topic at hand bothered him… Utterly so, all too amused, all too unsure of what to do next… All unsure of what to do next and how well she'd react to it.
"If your spine is cut up? There will be a lot worse wounds to your legs." Aiko said as she got a hum in response to this as he continued to work.
"I still need to speak to the Hokage at some point. That man will bring the war to us, he will destroy everything that we've built, that we have." Aiko heard from Konan.
"Then I'll get you a pen… You're a shinobi, aren't you? stealth is our best weapon. I expect you of all people to know that considering how well it works out." Aiko said as Konan sighed.
"Perhaps, but the man is too powerful," Konan said to which Aiko rolled his eyes.
"Then why didn't he start a war? If he is so dangerous? Then why not go after the Kage, kill them, destabilize the rest of the world." Aiko said before pressing a hand to her spine and then turning her around slightly. "I don't want to try and think of it. Yet? Since you want to think of it, this guy is far beyond you then if he's that dangerous." Aiko stated before he slowly started to think more and more.
She didn't at all know what to do next. There was just too much to try and figure out as his cold, clammy hands observed her wounds with a precision that was baffling to her. She was too amused, tired at the end of the day, and too tired to figure it out at the moment.
"You…. Raise a fair point. Your odd mannerisms mask a very fair mind and I'm sure that you want to try and relax at the end of the day." Konan said before she turned to look at Aiko.
"I'm… Sorry, I need to check your stomach and front to make sure there's no infection and the kunai didn't pierce your ribs or stomach if that's ok?" Aiko stated to which she seemed to sigh.
"Go ahead. I am utterly unsure of what to even say at the moment. It is very odd to deal with having a private doctor." Aiko heard from Konan as he sighed, utterly baffled more and more by such logic and control.
She didn't even want to do much if anything at the end of the day, there was much more to see and do anyway, something far beyond what was going on.
It was a lot harder to figure out and do, to even try and assume it would be odd but she managed it for nothing else than simply how odd and uncertain. She did know a few things for certain and they bothered her a bit more than usual at the moment.
"You've patched up people with spinal injuries before," Konan said as his hand found the basis of her spine.
"Not a profession but correct. Most people who are in the field go for such a wound because it makes someone far easier to kill. You'd be surprised how easy it is to stab someone in the spine and then push them off a cliff and let gravity or a river do the rest." Aiko said as Konan hummed.
"COLD!" Aiko heard as he chuckled. "Remind me to punch you when I am done healing, Aiko. Please, it's the last you can do for this indignity and I will make sure to punch you in the throat when this is all over." Konan hissed before another searing cold spell came over her.
"Is that before or after you sigh in bed being annoyed the doctor who is busy patching up your spine is done, hmm?" Aiko teased, earning a death glare from her. "With all due respect, Konan? You shouldn't even be walking, the idiot was cocky, that's the only reason he didn't kill you because he was cocky. If you even try something like that again? He could kill you… Easily, with zero effort. Trust me, if he wanted a corpse, he'd get one." Aiko stated with a sigh afterward.
It wasn't a boast, a taunt, a mockery of her skills. She knew he was correct even as his calloused, clammy, cold hands pressed against her, his palms listening for her steady heartbeat and fingers prodding her vertebrae.
No, it was simply meant as a fact, a warning, not one to mock her as a person but simply one targeting what she knew. She was not a match for someone who could rip through her like paper. If he had wanted her dead so easily? He'd have snapped her spine like a wishbone and left her corpse to fall under the nearest wave.
It was a horrid problem, to be so helpless that she could barely move, scream even. If she was capable of such a thing? She'd have said so, said more and more about what could be done to fix it before it spilled over and made things worse. It was so horrid, so vile that she was baffled utterly, and entirely helpless beyond all shadow of a doubt that it scared her in such a way she never wanted to deal with it ever again.
Ever, as in never once would she wish for such a thing thrown at her wholesale nor even slightly askew at the end of the day, something that bothered her over and over.
Even if she could deal with it, for now, so odd in demeanor that it could and would allow them to end once more. They had a lot more to try and deal with than this and it was oddly soothing.
She sighed and knew more and more that she'd be purely unable to do anything about this, so purely driven by an idea upon which he could stay silent. The idea to which he could truly and without presence for now looking downwards at the ground.
The idea that he was able to relax once more was unsure and uncertain now was making him scared.
"You are not usually this silent, are you?" Aiko asked before raising an eyebrow at her.
"I am simply pondering how best to deal with my goals when this is done. I assume, however? You wish to become my physician?" Konan questioned as she looked to the side.
"It depends if you wish to heed my advice when it comes down to it… But if you wish? I will stay, you are master of the Rain and I will stay with my mistress as long as she wishes." Mareo said before he sighed and shook his head.
He could feel a smile on her face as he pressed his hands to her stomach, feeling the scar where the man's kunai had been cutting into her flesh.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Aiko asked, raising an eyebrow at the moment.
"I have become used to pain. However? Yes, I fear I will be harmed for a while and stuck in this damnable bed for all eternity… COLD!" Konan said as his fingers found her spine one last time. "E-enough. We are done with this for now… If you will. I wish to be left with my thoughts, at least without the medical expertise." Konan said as she sighed.
"I wish to still talk if you will listen to me," Konan said, resting her feet under her. "You are skilled enough to be a masterful doctor yet you waste your craft in this place, one where the scum and villainy of this place," Konan added to which Aiko shrugged and finally was able to relax a few seconds later as he pushed himself from her, able to think.
"There's still the innocent among the scum and villainy. All of it becomes harder and harder to ignore when you realize just who is innocent… And secondly? We are shinobi, we are not exactly the most pleasant people, to begin with." Mareo said before he looked down at the ground.
"You…. Make a very fair point." Konan said, realizing what he was trying to imply for the time being.
Yes. The idea was weirder and weirder, none knew what to do and he was unsure of what she could and would be able to relax at the end of the road, all of it was a lot odder and he was unsure of what came next to it.
All of their options needed to relax once more as of now, they had a lot more to try and relax once more. He knew more than her he had to deal with something else for now.
She didn't at all know what to deal with next before it came down to it as she looked downwards at the ground. She didn't at all know what to say next and she was able to relax once more.
She was exhausted for now. Every single thing about today made her want to scream and scream for it to end over and over and over while she sat in bed, unable to dwell on it for the end of the moment.
They had a lot more on the brain, something that disturbed her. How well could she manage to stand her ground against the enemies of her village if she couldn't…?
She mentally sighed to herself as she looked downwards at the ground before she finally managed to look down at the ground.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Aiko asked before he seemed to slump down into his chair and looked downwards towards the ground. "Are you going to be able to relax? You might be able to lay down but it's a lot harder to sleep on your spine." Aiko said as he sighed.
Konan sighed mentally but knew he was simply trying to do the best more than anything and she really couldn't fault him for trying. It was more than she appeared to be doing for now if anything. The idea of which she could not for the life of her understand or fathom.
"Are you?" Konan questioned to which she hummed to herself. "I do not for the life of myself believe I have needed help once more," Konan said to which he hummed.
"I do not for the life of me believe it matters how I appear… But if you wish to? I am simply a warrior to which you owe some spirit." Aiko said before he looked downwards.
"I would like to sleep if that's ok, will you need me for something," Konan said as he placed another hand on her spine. "I am beginning to not care how many times you touch my spine, it simply feels cold," Konan said before Aiko sighed.
"I'll be over on the other side of the room if you need me," Aiko said before he fell silent for a few seconds, he seemed to relax once more as he thought of it all when push came to shove.
All of it ended sometime soon, all of it ended sometime and she couldn't for the life of her. She didn't even know what to try and figure everything out.
She didn't know what Aiko was going to try and do, didn't know if anything could be done to fix it for now, and only seemed to see something she could mentally make a note of for now. The idea reverbed through her head like a beanbag ball.
It hurt, more and more and more with each passing second as she sighed and shrugged off her robe. It helped only to show the stress as she realized more and more what was likely to happen, to be said and done.
How many people knew about her? About Pain? He was dead and she was all that was left of their group, of what they had tried to build. It would be a miracle if everything went according to plan.
"Do you… Know what it is like to be left without any family?" Aiko heard from Konan as she looked out the grimy window, pausing only to look downwards and at the ground.
"Somewhat, though I suggest you mean someone whom I could not meet for now," Aiko said before he looked downwards before he seemed to fall utterly silent, unable to relax.
"You should have some idea who my compatriots are given my attire," Konan said to which he shrugged. "I know you know; most know whom criminals like them," Konan said as Aiko hummed.
"If you were another criminal? You would not be here; you would be inside a jail cell. Secondly? You of all people were involved in one battle and a handful of killings, nothing else and nothing more. I know you are not a missing-nin because I've read the books and there's no mention of you." Aiko said to which she blinked.
"I beg your pardon?" Konan asked before Aiko looked downwards.
"You are not a missing-nin for the civil war if that is what you are talking about and anything like that isn't something to fret over," Aiko said to which Konan was in utter silence, again and again.
All of it served only to remind him and her that he was as much a ninja as she was. it was worth a bow which she did only to grip her stomach, forgetting the pain that her injury had been giving her over and over.
He slowly trudged over and pulled his Kunai from his belt; he flipped the weapon over before taking it up to the fabric of her robe and cutting a piece off. Before she could relent? He tied it tightly around her stomach, just over her belly as she realized he had exposed her stomach.
"Your blood is clotting. Trying to stand fully up won't work because your wound is also inside your ribs. Doing so could cause you to die of internal bleeding. I'm going to have to make a tourniquet so you can adjust without tearing anything below your upper chest." Aiko said as he sighed. "I'm sorry about your robe. I will buy another one if that is what you wish." Aiko said before he sighed.
"No. I will replace it when I need to… It isn't exposing anything anyway besides my… Belly." Konan said, gawking at the improper word.
He spun the weapon around and offered it to her before she blinked and took it.
"For self-defense. You know how people around this village are around women… I need to head to the general store. Will you be ok if I do so?" Aiko asked before Konan hummed.
"How long will you be gone?" Konan questioned to which Aiko fell silent.
"How long will you be comfortable without me?" Aiko asked as he did so, gathering his sandals.
It was not a romantic question, nor one disturbing her. She needed him for her medical recovery and also, she knew part of herself would be remiss for now as she seemed to look downwards at the ground.
This wasn't something that could relax once more as she hummed to herself. They had a larger amount of what to try and figure out for now… All of it hurt more and more uncertain and unsure.
They had a lot more to try and figure out once more and more unsure and uncertain of himself what to try and look what to do next. They had a lot more to try and understand for now as she looked downwards at the ground.
"2 hours," Konan stated before Aiko hummed and looked downwards at the ground before now.
She didn't even know what to say and do, unsure of everything around her now, everything about it was odd and uncertain in her small little head… Yet? She had to keep going or else she'd suffer and fall downwards and into the abyss once more. All of it was odd, over and over when it came down to it.
She watched as Aiko hummed and looked downwards at the ground.
She didn't know what to try and figure out as it seemed to try and understand. She looked downwards at the ground before Aiko sighed and looked at her, unsure and uncertain of all words once again,
Every single little option would be able to relax once more and she had known what had been able to do and what she couldn't do. All of the options were on the table and she crossed her arms before now.
"Are you going to be ok if I take 3 or 2 and a half?" Aiko asked, raising an eyebrow as she seemed to try and figure out something.
"Are you good if I am asleep here?" Konan hummed as she looked downwards.
"If you are asleep when I return? I still need to check your spine again to make sure your spine is still in one piece and no further damage came down to it." Aiko said before he looked downwards.
He didn't know what to try and figure out what to try and understand as he seemed to think it would be.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that these chapters are all supposed to be long and none will follow canon… For an obvious reason. There will be some fights. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more of Aiko and Konan talking and Konan remembering her duties as town head. Until the 900–6500-word chapter! Lighting Wolf out!