Ryozan had done well in introducing himself, because she had no idea how to do it; “This is a strange boy Mr. Watanabe asked me to bring along.” didn’t sound so appealing no matter how you placed it. Glad to know his name, Kaede was ushered in by Chizuma, informing her that Natsumi was ready and waiting for her. It had then become clear that Ryozan’s suggestive implication for his invitation had brought out the protectiveness of Natsumi’s mother, who didn’t seem willing to let him stay alone with two girls, one being her own child. Offering an apologetic smile to him and hoping that Chizuma would go easy, the Hyuga would step further and further away to make a silent entry into the medical bay of the Uchiha Clan. Celebrations were in order despite the casualties, but here Natsumi was looking down and avoiding her in a fashion similar to how Kaede had avoided her earlier. It went without saying that they had to clear the air before things could become normal once again. 

In the middle of her self-pity, Kaede had come to her quietly and without hesitation brought her arms around Natsumi. Firmly securing her in a warm embrace and careful to avoid her scarred arms, covered though they may be, Kaede brought her left cheek against Natsumi’s and rocked in a motherly fashion. 

[b]“Whether your father asked me to or not I would still have come …because you need me, don’t you?”[/b] she mumbled, pulling back and smiling at her best friend. It might have come as some sort of shock to her, but Kaede was truly happy to be here, even letting the baked goods she kept in hand settle on Natsumi’s lap for this hug. It would go against any responsible parent’s wishes for sugary treats to be consumed before an appropriate dinner, but the only responsible parent wasn’t here right now. No offense to Chizuma, of course. The lime-green haired wife of the Hokage had always been the more lenient of the two, and since they were children would often help sneak sweets when Kenji or Takeo didn’t happen to be looking. 'What they don’t know won’t hurt them.'She’d say in a hushed tone. 

Moving her hands down to the bandaged arms of Natsumi, Kaede had begun to let the strong flow of chakra circulating throughout her body constantly sink through the bandages and tend to the scarred and dead tissue within and around her arms. Kaede believed things would be okay between them, but Natsumi was owed an explanation that she was happy to offer. 

[b]“I avoided looking at you earlier because I didn’t want you to feel worse about what had gone on. Besides, that wasn’t really you at the time …you wouldn’t have tried to hurt him like that. As long as I didn’t break, you wouldn’t have felt so much worse than you might already.”[/b] Hopefully it made sense. Leaving Natsumi idle like this for so long wasn’t her intention, but she underestimated the hospitality and good spirits of the Akimichi time and time again. As her energies seeped through the skin and flowed among the tender bones, nerves were being nursed and the renewal of life was being attempted through otherwise deadened arms. Even with her accelerated healing skills she would need to be careful, the damage wasn’t like anything she had ever seen before. Activating her Byakugan and looking closely, her examination bore fruit in the form of chakra traces throughout her body. Some of the chakra was obviously Natsumi herself, but other parts, mostly her arms, showed more of what she might consider ‘taint’ in her natural chakra pool. 

[b]“So that was the Kyuubi’s power. It's dangerous.”[/b]