Hours ticked by slowly in the small room as Darui waited for Mina to return. Before the deadline had even passed, he had strapped his kunai pouch on, and the cleaver blade on his back. The ryokan had felt too quiet as he stalked down the hall, searching for the small bit of purple paper he knew Mina would leave behind for him. By the time he busted down the door to the shinobi's room, he was already too late.

Her chemise was in a pile in the middle of the floor, the robe not far away. The bed covers were rumpled, the smell of sex was thick in the air despite the open window. Nausea rolled in waves, his breath caught in his chest. He didn't remember summoning Hinagiku, or the feel of her sleek black fur beneath his hand, the empathetic headbutt against his thigh. Or the unspoken conversation that ensued, if there was one. The branches on the trees as they slashed him were meaningless as he followed his panther into the forest, crossing the border into the Land of Fire, not caring about the possible consequences.

The panther's fur shimmered in the sparse dawn light under the forest canopy. Hinagiku stopped, delicately squatting down on a branch above his head. The tree vibrated under her heavy breaths, her tail swished in anticipation, stirring the scents in the air. A strand of silver hair glinted, lifting against the cat's heavy breaths. She whined lowly, her claws flexed and retracted against the bark. Smoke lifted from an ANBU outpost, high in the trees on the opposite end of a vast field.

"Is she still there?" he whispered. She shook her head and chuffed. "They're likely headed to Konoha."

Her tongue felt like sandpaper against his cheek and forehead as she tried to comfort him. Mina had never minded her rough affection like he did. He had spent far too many of his preteen years playing the role of chew-toy to the panther to enjoy her kisses. She roughly bumped his forehead with hers, and he teetered on the tree.

"I know, girl. I know. I'll get her back. I know the way from here. Thank you."

She licked him again then disappeared from the branch.

The sun was high in the sky by the time Darui reached Konoha. He watched quietly in the trees as merchants and shinobi mingled around the front gate. A lazy chuunin relaxed against a folding chair, while another harried worker stamped paperwork and waved people through.

Letting out a calming breath, he carefully dressed as a merchant from the Land of Hot Water. There was a rotten log beneath his hiding place outside of their border shield that he carefully laid on top of his sword and pack. He waited by the side of the road, in the shade of the trees for a passing merchant. They never saw him coming. By the time he hid their unconscious body inside the forest and stole their travel paperwork, the sun had barely moved an inch.

From there, it was child's play to enter the village. No one stopped him, the lazy chuunin only giving him a cursory glance. An Uchiha member of the military police looked right past him. The road to the Hokage Tower was dusty with uneven cobblestones waiting to break a civilian's ankle. Playgrounds were quiet, swings creaked forlornly amidst the sparse giggles from children too young for the shinobi academy. Mere children, who should be learning how to fingerpaint or reading 'The Fables of Hagoromo,' were already being tested on shurikenjutsu. Children should be children, not yet soldiers in training. Markets away from the main road bustled with activity as the housewives of shinobi made their purchases.

By the time he reached the Hokage Tower, he was on edge. If this was Kumo, someone would have stopped him by now demanding to see his paperwork. The disorganization was what struck him the most. Genin teams ran from one end of the village to the other performing menial tasks, paint buckets, or weeds, or cats in hand. How would they learn anything to prepare them for C-Rank missions? Not his problem, though, he supposed.

Green paint peeled off an old bench near the tower and he sat down, lazily draping his arm on the back. To complete the illusion, he pulled out Mina's copy of 'Icha-Icha Paradise'. The cover had long been replaced with his book jacket for 'Haiku and Religious Verses.' He never said anything, finding it funny that Kumo's most respected medic felt the need to project piety instead of admitting she enjoyed smut. Another uniformed police officer walked by him as he turned the page.

Down the street from the Hokage Tower, at the base of the mountain, was a small wooden building. The foundation lay on stones hewn from the mountain, its organic structure seemingly grown from the ground up, carefully repaired as time ate away at the wood. At some point it had been white-washed. The bottom of the wooden boards had since chipped, revealing the layers of paint behind its current forest green. Unlike most of the governmental structures and offices that surrounded the Hokage Tower, this building was unlabeled.

The shinobi from last night teleported in front of it. Darui's eyes narrowed before he forced himself to relax. His dark brown wavy hair was mussed, tear tracks streaked down his face. The uniform shirt of a Konoha jounin was wrinkled beneath his tanto guard. Another jounin appeared. Darui's jaw dropped. They had seen this same jounin during the reconnaissance mission. His hair was brown then, under a henge, though his eyes remained the same. Now that he looked at him again, the resemblance he held to Mina was uncanny, even with a mask covering his face. Though, Mina occasionally wore a mask as well, to protect her sensitive nose.

"Kaminari's in there?" the older shinobi drawled. The corners of his eye were tight, his voice shook despite his forced air of nonchalance. "I don't know what you think will happen if she's not, but it will not end well for you, Shisui. This isn't a game to me."

That Konoha dog who had kidnapped Mina ran a rough hand through his hair again. "Yes, yes. I told you! She's in there!"

They ripped the steel security door open, running down a long black passageway by the time it closed again.

The door swung open again, slamming shut as the silver-haired man bounded across rooftops. Darui dipped his head down, hiding his face beneath his hood, appearing fully immersed in his reading material by the time the man returned with his own book in hand. Through the open door, Darui could hear Mina's unbridled scream of pain. His hands clenched into fists, he ground his teeth.

'I will be calm,' Darui instructed himself. 'I will be calm. She's a jounin of Kumogakure, not a delicate flower.'

He forced himself to walk away from the bench, down to the marketplace, to wait for nightfall. A cursory glance showed the village was well-provisioned. Prosperous even, though their manpower left much to be desired. Merchants from every corner of the world lined the walkway, vying for customers. Alleyways were cluttered with small bits of refuse, greasy papers floated up on the breeze and stuck to the sides of buildings. Clearly, street custodians were not employed by Konohagakure no Sato.

An open-air tea shop with green banisters hung a small sign for fresh dango on the railing to the outdoor eating area. He stepped inside, hoping the hours would pass by swiftly. He tried to focus on the book in his hand, then on the chakra signatures around him. Eventually, he gave up, and stared at the cold tea leaves in the bottom of his cup—lying in small clumps, oozing the remnants of green tea.

The petite waitress startled him, placing a hand on his forearm. "Sir? Are you okay?"

"Yes, sorry. I don't mean to be so dull."

"That's quite all right. Most merchants find Konoha overwhelming on their first visit."

A police officer strode up to the counter and greeted the girl with a warm smile.

"I…yes. It is my first visit. Thank you."

"Of course. I'll bring you a fresh pot."

He nodded his thanks, forcing his muscles to relax under the officer's casual perusal. The man was older, perhaps mid-forties with the distinguished air of one used to being in charge. Stress lines covered his face leading to a permanent frown.

"Do I know you?" the officer gruffly asked Darui, graciously accepting a cup of tea from the waitress. She set another pot in front of him.

"Unfortunately, this is my first time in Konoha. I must have been turned around while trying to find my lodgings."

The man inclined his head and sipped his tea. "The streets can be quite confusing to first time visitors." He extended his hand, "Fugaku Uchiha, commander of the Konoha Military Police."

Darui shook his hand, his heart pounding in his chest. "Daiki Sato of Dagarashi Port."

"Ah, thought as much, the southern accent gave you away. You have your paperwork in order?"

"Yes," Darui replied, lazily holding up the sheath of papers for Fugaku's inspection.

"Everything appears in order. You will want to check in at the Grand Leaf Hotel three blocks from here. Curfew for civilians starts in two hours."
"Of course. Thank you for the reminder."

"You really do look familiar." Scarlet bled into Fugaku's irises, his sharingan spun slowly as he watched Darui. "No henge. Hmm."

Fugaku smiled at the girl, thanked her and laid a pile of money on the counter.

She scooped it into her hand after he walked off. "Don't mind him. His bark is worse than his bite. Stay as long as you like."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to be a bother."

"Oh, you're no bother at all."

The civilian curfew came and went, Darui hid on the rooftop of a nearby shrine, avoiding the prying eyes of the ANBU agents and police officers hidden around the village. He waited until the crescent moon was well over the tree line, bathing the village in darkness.

Sticking to the shadows and alleys, he crossed the village in soundless footsteps. The opposite end of the building Mina was held in had a pair of small windows. He finagled his way through, dropping down into a conference room. A circular table was in the middle of a ring of fabric-covered office chairs. There was a presentation board at one end, with small photographs tacked against the corkboard and small index cards neatly labeled beneath each one. Coffee was brewing from a machine tucked away in the corner that, from the sound of it, had just started.

The door leading to the hallway had a small glass window. He padded along the industrial carpeting and carefully glanced out. There was a guard in front of another door down the hall. Low security, and small bars were on that window. The guard was playing cards with someone else hidden in the shadows. Poker chips were thrown, their sound echoing.

"Hell, I'm out. Want some coffee? We're going to be up all night at this rate."

"Yeah. Fucking copy-nin and his demands. Must be nice to have friends in high places."

The first man walked down the hall in short staccato steps against the waxed tile.

"You're telling me. If she was our sister, she'd be thrown in a prison cell by now. But nooo, 'the Hatake clan is still powerful,' and 'he's the Godaime Hokage's lover.' That Uchiha isn't Hokage yet, no matter what Shisui wants to believe."

"Right? Obito isn't even in town right now."

Darui plastered himself against the wall as the door opened. A quick jab to the back of the shinobi's head rendered him unconscious. After gagging the man and binding his hands, he carefully dragged his body to the supply closet at the head of the table. Taking one last look, Darui quickly henged himself into the Konoha shinobi. He poured two cups of coffee and laced the second with five of the sleeping pills Mina had prescribed to him for insomnia a year ago.

"Couldn't remember how you take it, so I added five cubes of sugar," Darui said with a shrug, plopping back down on the chair.

"New game?" the Konoha shinobi asked. He took a long drink from the coffee and set it down. "Shit man, you drink yours like this? A little coffee with your sugar?"

Darui shrugged. "Don't waste it, there's not much left in the container."

"Fucking hell. That's what we really should be petitioning for, better working conditions." He took another long drink, wrinkling his nose as he set the paper cup back down. "Certainly better coffee, this tastes cheap as fuck."

Darui chuckled, sipping the coffee. "Why don't you make friends with Obito? Get us better coffee in the process."

"Shit man, I should," the Konoha-nin began to slur his words. He shook his head and dealt the cards. His movements became sloppy and uncoordinated. Not long after, he face-planted the small table.

There was a large key ring attached to the man's belt. The keys flew through his fingers as he sifted through them, jamming each into the lock. When the door finally clicked open, he held his breath. Mina was huddled on a wooden bench, shivering beneath a thin cotton blanket. She whimpered with every sleepless breath she took, her eyes were sightless, staring ahead at the wooden wall.

Darui crouched next to her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Mina, baby?"

She panicked, thrashing beneath him. He covered her mouth before she could scream. Her eyes were wide in terror, unfocused in the dark, she backed up against the wall, trying to free herself from him. Anger burned hot in his gut when he imagined what she went through to evoke that kind of reaction from a mere touch on her shoulder.

"Shh." Darui looked down at himself and released the henge. "Sorry, it's me. It's me, sweetheart. It's just me."

"Darui?" Her voice was cracked and broken, as she strained to sound each syllable. She shook her head to clear it. "Sorry, I thought it would be easier if they thought I was broken. I'm fine. I promise, just a show."

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and sighed. "I'm going to wrap you up and carry you out of here."

"I'm fine. I can walk." She touched a foot down on the hardwood. She hissed, seizing the front of his shirt in a bloodless grip. "I can walk," she insisted once more.

"No. And that's an order." He wrapped the blanket around her and picked her up.

She gasped when his shirt brushed against her bare wrist. A ring of blisters was translucent in the scant light penetrating the cell. "Stop gawking and put me down. You need two free hands."

"Hang on, I need to make it look like you broke out on your own."

"So they can't trace it back to Kumo."

"Yeah."

By some minor miracle, they left Konoha unopposed, avoiding every police officer and ANBU patrolling the streets. Darui stopped to retrieve their gear and secured it on his back. Mina staggered against the broken branches with bare feet. Sweat dripped off her forehead, glistening in the filtered moonlight below the forest canopy. He scooped her into his arms and jumped into the branches above. Mina's breath hitched as he flitted through the trees.

"I'm fine," she whispered, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I'm fine."

"We're stopping when we pass the border, so you can heal yourself."

"Okay," she whispered, tightening her grip on the front of his shirt.

The trees became sparse as they crossed into the Land of Hot Water. Darui didn't slow down, even as the sun peeked over the horizon until they were well within its boundaries. She gasped out as he rested her against a tree trunk.

"Mina?" he whispered. Her eyes refused to focus as he continued his perusal. Electrocution burns ran up both arms. The root structures of her chakra system was stark and prominent underneath her alabaster skin. Angry red blisters formed along the normally hidden chakra network. She gasped when his thumb brushed her ankle. Lifting the black cargo pants, his eyes darkened. His fist clenched unbidden at the open wounds on her feet and blisters surrounding her ankles.

"Mina?" he tried again.

"Sorry, I was taking a little cat nap. Have to say, I like playing the role of cargo."

"Can you heal yourself?"

"Hand me my med kit, please." He reached into the pack and handed over the dark brown medical kit. Rolls of gauze were pulled from the bag, carefully placed on top of her lap. A small container of ointment was placed on top of the tree limb. "Shit. Forgot silvadene. Whatever, it's fine. This is fine."

She dabbed ointment on the open wounds and around the edges of burn blisters. Darui watched as she loosely wrapped the injuries in the packs of gauze. Her face was placid, yet the corners of her eyes were tight.

"Mina, why aren't you healing yourself?"

Raising an eyebrow, she rolled her eyes and continued treating the injuries that extended up her legs.

"Mina."

She sighed. "I can't feel my chakra. Which is not a good sign, because they used electricity to torture me. My chakra system is unusable right now, every coil is broken and is currently leeching enzymatic material into my bloodstream. I'm trying not to think about it too much. But, everyone needs chakra to live. There's only three coils that are currently functioning."

He scrubbed his hand down his face and sat down next to her.

"The cardiac coil, the right inguinal coil, and the sinal coil are intact. Out of fifty-three coils. I…I can't feel the coils running up my forearms or calves."

"I see."

"I'm most worried about the thymal coil. It helps the thymus prevent infection. But I think it will be fine. I probably have about a week to get to the hospital. You could probably stop at every Ryokan on the way home and we'd make it in time. See? I'm fine. I'll be fine. You're fine. This is fine. Nothing we haven't been through before."

He didn't call out the bold lie in her voice. It was clear she was trying to not let him worry.

Her voice rasped with every word, tapering the ends of her sentences. "It's like the Aisu Bay mission. Just, instead of me carrying your heavy ass out of Iwa, you get to carry me out of the Land of Hot Water. Lucky you! I'm smaller too, so really, piece of cake."

Huffing in amusement, he stroked her back gently. "I'm not a medic, it's different."

"Maybe. But I won't lie and say it was a pleasure run out of Iwa. Your sword is heavy as hell. I was tempted to chuck it into the bay. But I know how sentimental you are."

"Rest. You don't have to talk for my benefit."

"I'm fine. Really. Just take me home, and it'll be fine. This is all fine."

Mina closed her eyes again, inhaling the familiar ozone and bergamot. The same smell had surrounded her since the day she turned ten and was paired with him, and every day since.

"Darui?"

He hummed against the crown of her head.

"Thank you for coming for me."

"I told you I would never leave you behind." He kissed the top of her head and leaned against the tree.

"Somebody did. They told me I was a Konoha shinobi before. When I was eight, I was left for dead on the banks of the Teshio River. Like that would convince me to join them. Or rejoin. Whatever the truth is. How could they abandon a kid to die?"

"It's their way, I suppose. They're dull and ignorant."

"What if they're right? All these years with no history. If Killer Bee found me, why hasn't he said anything in all this time?"

"I don't know. All I know for now is you need a medic as soon as possible. Even I know that your chakra pathways should not be prominent."

Mina sighed heavily and tucked her nose against his skin. "I told you, I'm fine. All this because Raikage-sama fancied an exercise scroll that a Konoha genin team was carrying."

"An antique scroll," Darui added with a slight huff. "It's priceless, apparently."

"Right. Still. To send two jounin after it feels like overkill. I think he just wanted a reason for reconnaissance on Konoha's genin capabilities."

"Probably so, you know he likes hiding the true purpose of a mission. And we did find out valuable information. Their borders are heavily guarded by ANBU squads. Their top jounin are the only ones leading genin teams. I'd be willing to bet that after the Kyuubi attack, their forces are severely crippled, even thirteen years later."

"Darui—"

He kissed the crown of her head and held her closely. "Yeah?"

"What if it's not fine?"

"Rest. I'll take care of you, I promise. Always."

His words fell away on deaf ears as she lost consciousness.

Two days passed before they ran into the first staffed Kumo outpost on the border they shared with the Land of Frost. Mina was worse. She tried to hide her pain from him, but every jarring jump Darui had taken made her gasp out. The corners of her mouth were tight when she smiled at him. Her jokes fell flat, her glare was weak. At night when she changed the bandages on her ankle, she refused his help.

Now, even he could smell the infection that set in yesterday. Though she shivered profusely, her body was hot and rigid against his chest. Darui kicked open the outpost door and gently laid Mina down on a small cot in the back of the room.

"Get me a medic," he commanded the stunned chuunin. Sweat appeared on her brow and her breath was shallow as she leaned forward against his shoulder. "Now!"

"Darui, I'm fine," she whispered, placing her hand on the back of his neck. Her eyes drifted close, her hand slackened against him.

There was a rush of fabric behind him. "Out of my way," he heard C say behind him, and he blew out a breath of relief. Kumo medics were always hit or miss. C was not. Over the generations, Kumo had learned lightning users had the most difficulty with controlling their naturally erratic chakra enough to use medical ninjutsu. Very few were ever able to become competent medics.

"What happened out there?"

"Run in with Konoha TI," Darui answered, unwrapping Mina's ankle. "They tortured her. They had her for twelve hours when she was released."

"Fuck. This is Ibiki's work. I've seen it before. I can't fix her chakra coils out here, she's going to need the hospital."

"The infection?"

"Yeah, I need to see those wrists."

"Her feet, look at those first."

C nodded. As he carefully removed her shoes, she whimpered but remained unconscious. Her toes were dark red and splotchy. Electrical burns ran in open sores along the sole of her arch.

"He's nothing if not thorough." C grimaced, assessing the damage. "Look at the chakra roots. You shouldn't be able to see it through her skin like this."

His hands glowed a soft blue against her feet until they returned to a soft pink. C wiped the back of his hand against his forehead.

"She needs antibiotics. The infection already reached her bloodstream, and the destroyed coils are fighting me. I'm using five times as much chakra as I normally would."

Darui released a steadying breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dull."

Mina's eyes fluttered open. "Darui?" she whispered, reaching for his hand.

"I'm here, baby."

She nodded and weakly pulled his hand against her forehead. The action always reminded him of canine affection.

"I'm here too, you know," C said loudly as he worked on her right ankle.

"Thanks, senpai, I'd rather it be you," Mina said sincerely.

"I'm worried about your lack of sarcasm."

"Infection," Mina replied, attempting to shrug her shoulders but lacking the energy to complete it. "I can't feel my chakra at all. And I'm so cold. I think I'd be cold if you dropped me in Suna right now."

C grunted. "Fortunately for you, you're heading home. We're getting snow this week."

Mina shivered in response, and Darui released her. Opening the closet on the opposite side of the small outpost, he pulled two blankets out and draped them over her.

"Body heat would be even better," C commented as he switched ankles.

Without saying anything, Darui climbed on the bed and pulled her into his arms. She was shivering hard enough to rattle his teeth. He tightened his grip on the blankets, trying to make her feel warm.

"Mina?" Darui asked when her face dropped against the side of his neck.

C shook his head. "She's unconscious again. I'm surprised she was able to stay awake while you were running back here. Can't say too many shinobi would've been able to withstand the pain. Some of that shivering is due to the busted chakra system, not just the infection." He wiped his forehead again. He stood up on trembling legs.

"A chair, Taichou?" a chuunin asked, pulling a chair to C. He placed a glass of water on the table next to him.

"Thanks," C replied, taking a long drink and sitting down. "I need fifteen minutes."

Darui stroked his thumb back and forth on Mina's cheekbone, kissing the bridge of her nose. He briefly touched her lips with his, tucking her face under his chin. "Make it ten."

"You really love her, don't you?" C commented, taking another long drink of water.

"Would that be such a bad thing?"

"Does she know?"

Darui shook his head. "I'm not sure."

"She's a Kumogakure kunoichi, through and through. She might not want to ever settle down. I hope you know that. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I don't want anyone else. Haven't for years. The very idea of touching another woman is dull."

C chuckled. "Well, have you tried?"

"No."

Running a rough hand over his face, C leaned back in his chair. "Kumo-nin aren't exactly known for monogamy."

"I can accept that."

He shrugged in response. "If you say so."

C rummaged in the first aid drawer before pulling out a vial of medication and a hypodermic needle. "I'm gonna give her enough sedation to make it to the hospital. She didn't say, but she has to be in a significant amount of pain."

"Make her comfortable," Darui agreed.

AN: Thank you for reading!

Beta'ed by: Cherryberry12 and Moonlady9