A woman with red hair pulled him away from this training group. He started to ask what was going on but she distracted him with a simple question and answer session as they walked. The woman was truly strange. She showed up grabbed him and walked him through town just talking. how she spoke was very relaxing, and soothing. It was almost as if her voice could cause the clouds to move slower and the world to relax. the town always seemed larger when you were relaxed, but this time it seemed to stretch to the horizon. Her red hair made her even more beautiful to him. How she spoke made her feel like she was more than just a random woman, but possibly a mother to him.

She lead him out of town and he started to become confused. Why take him from one training field through the town, through the surrounding area just to take him to another training feild. Then he saw it. The pillar it was beautiful. The design was elegant, but simple. The warmth it gave off was almost the same as the forge in his own home. Family honor and strength. The pole seemed to hold the soul of someone.

She then spoke seriously with him. "Yes I accept any dangers that may come." I hope it has to do with that pole. Shinobi are to accept any danger that may come to them. and be willing to die in the defense of the village. He pulled out his scroll to call his scythe in case he needed it. "What do you want me to do?"

Maruki, as always, was trying to be overly friendly and polite. Shisen and her dog on the other hand, were being quite a pair of sassy bitches. She may not have thought she was being loud when she insulted Kino. To the trained ears of a Jounin, however, the words may as well have been spoken plain as day. That was more than enough to warrant him finally saying something. Though not as fast as some Jounin who focused more strongly on Kenjutsu, Kirugetsu's draw speed was still far quicker than the reaction time of these Genin. The blade swished through the air, taking a few of Shishen's hairs with it before stopping a couple centimeters from the Niken's skull. "I understand you might be trying to impress me or something by acting like a stone-cold badass or something... but if you and the furball don't cut the shit and behave like civilized beings, I will be forced to take corrective measures."

A flick and spin of his wrist, and the blade was sheathed once more. "He pisses ME off as well, Shisen... what with copying me like that. But you need to be more mature about it. You're not some punk, you're a damn ninja." Kirugetsu then turned to Maruki and answered his request for Kino to do him a favor. "You know where the Nara hang out. Go get a paper or two for yourself. After getting fixed up and having lunch, of course." his actions likely left Maruki and Shisen in a bit of shock and Arashi in a bit of an angry fit, the look on the Hozuki's face seemed to invite either of them to retaliate. After the briefest moment of glaring, he turned and walked into the hospital and left the group to choke down what had happened.

It only took a few minutes of general examination and treatment before Kirugetsu was released and feeling back to full strength, as he wasn't badly injured in the first place. However, the two Genin would likely take longer. To pass the time, he read a couple articles in a magazine from two months back. That got old fast and he put the book back down on the table and decided to start hitting on one of the nurses. "Hey, babe. Want to help me restore the Hozuki clan?" was one of the various lines he liked to use. They always failed, but it helped him feel a sort of normalcy in his now dismal life. He wasn't really that kind of guy... hell, he wasn't even that mean guy that his students probably thought he was. But he was having trouble dealing with the stresses in his life. He was a war hero, a celebrity, a sensei... and one of the last Hozuki he knew of. What would happen if and when he died?

"Fuck my life, this sucks..."

At the Konoha hospital Shisen and Maruki were split up and checked thoroughly. of course their injuries were quite different from each other. Shisen had mostly bruises and blocked Tenketsu. the Tenketsu should loosen up and become unblocked by themselves over time and with a little rest and time her bruises will disappear too, maybe with some kind of salve it would heal faster. Maruki however had a long cut all over his body and his other arm was impaled at two sides. He got bandages all over his body and his impaled arm in a sling. He didn't though Shisen would be this strong, he thought he was way better than his teammates, even as that cocky new kid kino and if he were not he would train until he was.

Getting out of the hospital he waited a couple of minutes before team moon to meet up with each other. Scattered all over the place he saw that he was the last one here. Naturally, Kirugetsu was not that hurt, Kino didn't needed to be checked at all and they could not do much for Shisen. "well, time for lunch I guess. Where will we be going?" he asked Kirugetsu. While they walked to a restaurant he walked next to Shisen. "are you all right? Also, I'm really glad we passed". Maruki once more swore that he would train hard and become stronger fast. he would go to the Nara directly after lunch and head to the Hyuuga manor library and gather all the books and scroll that contained techniques and training methods for his chakra release.

It was growing dark...



"Lightning release, weak against wind, strong against ground - unique combination with water...

Lightning release, does not electrify a blade, instead causes it to vibrate...

Vibrations cause numbess and loss of feeling...

Vibrations increase speed and cutting power, like Wind Release...

Chakra itself is a combination of both his spiritual and physical energy...

The jutsu he wants is not just spiritual or physical but both...

His arrow, the Ten-no-Ya, is a fully physical technique...

His Lighting Release uses more spiritual energy than physical energy...

His chakra is still a mix of both types of chakra....

Chakra must be mixed three times to make a single jutsu with both transformations...

Lightning release is not real electricity at first...

Everything I have been doing is wrong..."

Information flooded Kino as well as fatigue. All the research he had done on chakra, on how it is formed between spiritual and physical energy to make releases and how each release goes through a transformation - all things that were touched in the academy but left unexplained - filled his mind and forced insight onto his abilities. The previous hours of training, trying to 'electrify' his Ten-no-Ya was all wrong - all wasted time. He was merging chakra that was true electricity, far beyond his skill level, especially with very little training with Lightning Release. Only now did Kino realize that his first steps into elemental jutsu would be small, as he was far from learning any jutsu that was above the basic C-rank he should be using. A whole new type of transformation, and to use it with any jutsu he had required merging shape and nature transformations - a rare feat for even Jounin. It was beyond Kino, and he grasped that.



Kino sighed and dispersed his clone. He had little chakra left anyway, especially after making nearly ten shadow clones for the day. Reflecting back on his day of wasted training, he realized that if anything he had gained a feel for his chakra, and the ability to absorb Lightning-transformed chakra into his body to a far lesser degree. Picking up his books, Kino headed home. Although it was dark, his family - his uncle and brother - still waited for him. They had set aside a plate for him and both of them had a myriad of questions for him, mostly to their dismay. To his brother, he had not mastered any new technique and to his uncle he had not tested any new bow. What he did need, however, were arrows of metal, and his uncle could do such for him....

That next morning...

When fired from his bow, an arrow normally only lodged two or three inches into solid hardwood, it was the fate of his bow. It was its limit. This time, the arrow not only pierced through a solid 8 inch block, but through Kino's shadow clone and through another tree only to be lodged into the second tree it was fired into. Although he thought of his uncle as unreliable, his uncle paid to have several arrows of fully metallic builds made and brought to Kino. As always, Kino was forced by his own mental barriers to disregard the notion, thinking that any success with his arrows he would have would only provide more commercial business for his uncle, but Kino could not disregard the effect. By enhancing a fully-metallic arrow with his lightning-transformed chakra, he could overcome its weight and give it far more power than before.



It was not long before Kino realized that just a few minutes of repeated fire drained his chakra pools greater than firing his Ten-no-Ya, and was forced to stop. Repeating a simple skill gave him little valuable experience, and he sought out to do the one thing he thought might accelerate his training: find Kirugetsu. It wasn't even noon that Kino set out to find his sensei, mostly just by asking around to see if Kirugetsu or his new teammates were seen and ultimately by asking the Jounin center, which every active Jounin was required to stop by daily. His determination was to find Kirugetsu and simply ask him what he felt the best step was to develop a real jutsu. Merging the two types of transformation felt like an impossible to reach goal for him, so he had to find something entirely new. He had to travel down a different route, and he was seeking guidance.

Shisen was more than happy to see the new kid, who she now knew as Kino, leave them alone. To be honest, she did not have anything against Kino personally, nor was she overly bothered by him. Shisen was just the antisocial, isolated and out spoken child, there wasn't any other way to describe her other than being socially unacceptable to most people these days. It was needless to say that she didn't adapt well to new people, in the time frame of two days, she had been thrown into a squad with people she didn't feel comfortable with and it was a lot for her to take in. Only to lose someone from her squad and having that person replaced with some arrogant Genin who probably was no better than she was.

On the edge of being self absorbed, her thoughts were interrupted by the swish of a blade and a snarl from her Niken. Her head jerked up from its downward position, to stiff and apprehensive of the sword that just barely missed her only to be a few inches away from her Nikens head. The thoughtful and passive blue eyes of hers now were wide and startled as she scrambled away from the blade, tugging her Niken as she got to her feet. "For one who would just as quickly harm his own squad, you're one to talk!" Shisen snapped as she glared at him. It probably wasn't the reaction he wanted but why would he expect her to just not do anything about being threatened? A very dark, angry part of her wanted to say something about how he let his own clan die and didn't do anything to stop it, but she managed to refrain from speaking such angry words.

What he said next might as well have fallen on deaf ears, she would have none of it as the anger and hatred of her sensei was still very clear and evident on her expression. Arashi was also angry, snarling at Kirugetsu and snapping at him but not getting too close. Shisens anger only made the Niken more angry, as neither took a threat lightly and even though one could threaten Shisen, her Niken was an entirely different story. To understand the depth of the bond between the two, one would have to have gone through what they did. Arashi was the only one that Shisen had left, the only who she trusted fully and those ties ran deeper than any blood relation could even hope to comprehend.

Although, at the same time, she could understand what Kirugetsu's point was. Arashi was a little over the top at some points but that to was understandable, her aggression came from fear that would take time to overcome. Shisen would work with Arashi, but not for her sensei, she would do it for Arashi and no one else.

After their sensei left, she sat back down on one of the cots as some of the anxious nurses came scrambling over to her and her Niken. Placing a gentle hand on Arashi's back to keep her calm while the nurses handled her injuries, she murmured words of encouragement and soft spoken words to sooth the Nikens nerves. After what seemed like an hour, Arashi was taken care of and left the nurses ready to tend to Shisen. She let them look over the scratches and bruises while she fidgeted every now and then but sat still for the most part. The fight with Maruki was nothing less of what she expected of him, it was tough and challenging. Finally the nurses finished with her and she was able to met up with Maruki and Kirugetsu.

Purposely ignoring their sensei as they found a place to eat lunch at and walked along side Maruki, he was not as bad as she thought he was yesterday. Definitely more to him than his overly friendly and polite surface, she was somewhat alright with him being in the squad at the moment. "I'm ok... I'm glad that we passed to..." Shisen said in return.

Kirugetsu waited, hit on nurses, and had a snack while his squad was treated at the hospital. As it so happened, they didn't take quite as long as he thought they would. He was in the middle of recalling the look that the Inuzuka girl gave him after his threat. Her words were the words of a scared and angry young woman who was naive to the ways of the world, as well. Yes, he was willing to harm his students if it helped them become better warriors. Yes, he was willing to push them to the brink of death if it meant they would survive the coming storm. Yes, he was willing to make them wish he wasn't ever their teacher if it meant they could withstand the torment of war. But this girl was raised in the woods like a barbarian and didn't know how things went. That was why he would be forced to forgive her ignorance.

Maruki and Shisen came out and approached him, with the Hyuga commenting on where they were going to eat. "You'll find out. Just follow along." Initially, Kirugetsu wanted to go back to the Golden Cat. However, the last time he was there a fight broke out just outside the restaurant. Better to let that all cool down before returning, he figured. Where else would they go? Hmm. Oh well, he'd figure it out. As they walked, Shisen and Maruki chit-chatted... with Shisen outright ignoring the Hozuki. On and on they walked, with her still acting like he wasn't there... until Kirugetsu stopped outside a little "mom and pop" place called Toko's Spicy Delights. "Here we are. This place is as good as any, I reckon." and as the group went to enter, Kirugetsu put his hand in front of Shisen and blocked her entry.

"Where do you think YOU'RE going? You want to be childish and pretend I don't exist, I can do the same. You eat somewhere else and on your own dime." A smug little smile crept onto his face, exposing his shark-like teeth. "And find Kino while you're out. Do that and I'll maybe get you something nice down the road. Otherwise you and I are going to have a rocky relationship." His mind spoken, Kirugetsu left a water clone at the door of the restaurant to bar Shisen's entry as the original walked inside and motioned for Maruki to follow. Hopefully the kid would be smart enough to realize that Shisen was being taught a valuable lesson in dealing with consequences.

Regardless of if Maruki followed or decided to leave with Shisen, Kirugetsu walked in and was seated at a table by a very polite young man and told he would have an appetizer free of charge with his meal. Being a Jounin in the village sure had benefits, that was for sure. And despite Kirugetsu's preference for uncooked food, this time he chose to have some Takoyaki for his appetizer, Kamo Nanban (Soba noodles with sliced duck breast, scallions and mitsuba) as his meal, and some a couple of dried persimmon fruit as his dessert. It was unusual for him to eat cooked things, but this had been an unusual day... so why not, right?

"A'ways was'a sore loser..."



"Yes, sir?' asked a nurse whom thought Hayato was attempting to get her attention as she chuckled. Hayato had been reading the profiles of his soon-to-be squad before taking notice of Kirugetsu, and found this to be a prime opportunity. Kami Rinha, a chuunin of his squad was a medic-nin, and he was at a hospital for shinobi. Finding her might not be nearly as difficult as expected. "Yes, mademoiselle, I do think you can. How lovely of you to ask; don't see such a lovely face with such a fair heart often neymore..." Hayato replied to the nurse as he moved forward slightly, letting his soft, yet dominate features take over while his sly grin steered the new direction.

It took very little effort to discern the location of Kami from that point on. He was relocated to the front desk where all he had to do was state his name and purpose to find her, and he'd be sent to her current assignment. His suave efforts were pointless considering the nurse would've told him anyway, but it nonetheless was a common trait of Hayato to attempt to use his rhetoric to acquire what he wanted. Hayato darted through the halls to find Kami, whom was simply healing some genins that returned from a mission. Simple enough, genins getting hurt on their first missions and Kami - as a chuunin - needed practice. Made sense. Considering Division B was just dissolved, she was most likely put on clinic duty as a form of standby until this moment, when her new sensei would show up.

"Ah, a medic-nin at such a young age. Rare, truly. Congratulations, miss," Hayato told her as he strutted into the room, ignoring the general rules of courtesy as there were still two genin in the room, one who needed treatment, even if minor. "Name's Hayato Nakamura, but... most known me as teh Allure of Ame, mon cheri. 'Ohkage 'emself assigned me to ya, miss Rinha."

Shira never showed up. Honestly, Kami probably should have gone about her explanation another way. She was pretty sure going to Shira's house and waking her up at the mere hours would have been a better plan. But... Kami was really too busy to go about that. Kami's schedule was a mixture of volunteering at the hospital, training, and squeezing any free time into eating or sleeping. Usually she only had time for one or another. Her mother tended to frown upon Kami munching while at the hospital. It was probably something to do with all the delicious treats she could eat while the patients were eating what was basically mush. Hospital food was gross. They could get the most talented chef they could find and hospital food would still be awful. It probably had a lot more to do with illness and death in the air instead of the actual taste. The point was, at around six in the morning, Kami went to the hospital. Before she was given a team, she'd typically be there earlier. Today though, she had stayed home home later waiting for Shira.

And waited.

So, yeah. Kami probably should have found time to go fetch Shira. Oh well, eventually Shira would get the note. Eventually being the key word. It wasn't like the note would fall off Shira's door. After all, Kami had used a whole roll of tape. Because, right now, Kami was busy at the hospital. Volunteering basically just meant Kami wasn't allowed to cut into people or be paid. Not that Kami really needed the extra money. Sooner or later she'd be working here for real. Now though, she needed to dedicate time to her team. There wasn't really a way where she could apply for an actual job at the hospital and be apart of a team. When Kami dedicated herself to something, she dedicated everything. She was incapable of slacking off.

Speaking of slacking off, Kami couldn't help glaring at the genin she was healing. Seriously, what had these genins been doing to require her to heal them? Get ran over by a cart? Although, nowadays, Kami wasn't really sure what type of missions the village was sending genin on. She'd find out soon enough. "Are you guys idiots?" Kami asked nonchalantly, finishing healing the kid's injuries before flicking him on the forehead. "I know the first priority of a mission is accomplishing it but you can't really do that if you're injured. Unless you're a zombie." Kami paused, poking the skin that had formed over the cut she'd just healed.

"Ow!" The genin complained.

"Which you aren't." Kami said, finishing her thought. "A zombie. You aren't a zombie."

"Ah, a medic-nin at such a young age. Rare, truly. Congratulations, miss,"

Kami looked over her shoulder, turning away from where she was torturing healing genin. "Next time knock. It's probably more legal that way, Hayato." Kami bluntly suggested. She didn't really need Hayato to introduce himself. It wasn't like they had a lot of people bursting into rooms they weren't suppose to be in. Well, not a lot of seemingly sane people. Hokage had assigned Hayato to her. That meant... Well, Kami wasn't too sure what it meant except that Hayato would most likely more to be an extraordinary sensei. Or Kami at least hoped so. She wasn't going to give up her excuses, Shira and Namine, for free stuff for just any teacher. "As you can see, I still have a genin to heal." She motioned for the zombie-genin to leave before moving to the last one. "Are you going to make yourself useful or just stand there, Hayato?" Kami questioned, the corner of her mouth rising in a smirk. She pointed to the first aid kit on the counter. "Can you grab that?" She asked as she positioned her glowing hands over a bruise covering the young girl's side.

Maruki kept the smalltalk between him and Shisen going as good and bad as it went since the Inuzuka girl didn't really talk much. Maruki still hoped she would open up to him, not only to him but to everyone else as well. She seemed to share his happiness of being passed. Maruki noticed the tension between his sensei and his squaddie, he didn't really wanted to intervene but he did want it to get solved. The way Kiru slashed his blade at there before they went to the hospital really left him speechless. The appearance of Kino also made him feel uneasy. As he and Kiru conversed, even if it was not on friendly terms, it seemed like Maruki and Shisen seemed to blend away in the shadows and no longer existed. Maruki felt determined to become the light and have others stand in his shadow.

"You'll find out, just follow along,” answered Kirugetsu Maruki's question as to where they were going to eat. Maruki was not content with the answers but decided to keep quiet. A few moments later Maruki recognized the street where 'the golden cat' was located. His mouth watered by the thought of the last time they went there. The food was delicious there, but Kiru passed it. Maruki wondered why. A few moments later Kiru stopped in front of a small cafe-like thingy, it looked like a Dango shack "Here we are. This place is as good as any, I reckon." Said Kiru. Maruki shrugged and prepared to go inside when Kiru stopped him in his tracks. "Where do you think YOU'RE going?" asked Kiru, Maruki opened his mouth to say something, but then he said the question was directed at Shisen.

Kirugetsu told her she was not allowed to enter and have lunch with them because she ignored their sensei. Now this was something Maruki could understand, He swung his damn blade at her and his sense was not the man who was very likable in the first place. Maruki decided to not speak his mind this time, it was hard but he managed to keep his words to himself. "And find Kino while you're out" followed Kirugetsu with his characteristic shark-like smile. In Maruki's eyes this was a worse punishment than to not eat with them. Kirugetsu motioned Maruki to come with him and left a water clone at the door to block Shisens passage. Maruki looked from Kirugetsu to Shisen and back again, he bowed his head "I'm sorry" he said to Shisen "good luck" and went inside.

Maruki also ordered a Takoyaki but took miso and pork ramen for his main dish. As a desert he went with chichi dango. "Itadakimasu!"

Shisen didn't mind the small talk between her and Maruki, it was nice to talk to someone every now and then but it also got tiring. As they approached the restaurant, she felt relieved that she would be regaining some of her energy back but before she could go any further, their sensei stopped her. She wasn't allowed to eat with them? That was more childish than her own actions, which were to ignore their sensei but it seemed that he thought differently and thus was punishing her for something that made no sense.

Rather than express her frustration, she simply said nothing, there was no recognition in her eyes that the thing that blocked her path to the restaurant was even human. Although, it was amusing that he expected her to find the new Genin that was placed in their squad recently, she couldn't believe he was sending her to find him. Still, saying nothing, she simply turned and left, after hearing what Maruki said of course. Was she really going to find Kino? No, but she had to at least act like she was and so she wandered around the village with no real purpose, only stopping to buy an apple and a treat for Arashi. It was thirty minutes later that she decided to head to the Inuzuka manner to look at the jutsu scrolls again, even though they wouldn't exactly see a reason to, she wanted to be useful.

Arriving at the manner was the same as it always was, being greeted with stares and meaningless hello's. Approaching the room with the scrolls, she paused and ran a hand over Arashi's back before entering the room, sitting down on the mat as she took out the first and started to read.

"Learn quick, mon cheri, teh ruwels are not somet'ing I follow well..."

Hayato then snapped his fingers, emitting a high-pitch shriek that echoed within and only within the room. The half-dead genin both simultaneously shouted out and covered their ears; the torture itself was confined to the room by Hayato. More important, however, was the nigh-ear-bleeding focus of the sonic assault onto Kami. "Is not wise tah speak tah yer sensei like dat. I am yer sensei. Now, I dun," he began explaining to her before snapping his fingers again, letting out another torturous ring, "care if you call me Hayato-sensei, Nakamura-sensei or e'en Allure-sensei, but youse best call me sensei. I watched Kiru-san an' his lil runts. I won' be lettin' youse treat me like dem. I'll kell ya first.

With that, the sonic vibrations ended and both genin were cringing in the fetal position, regardless of their bruises and injuries, even causing some cuts to open up and bleed. Although there was a calm to the storm, Hayato drummed his fingers along the door frame beside the room, each thump as loud as a hammer. He stood beside the door frame for a second before saying, "Get dese kids stitched up 'n sent 'ome, den you'll be meetin' me in teh lobby. You, mon cheri, shall be helpin' me find teh others on dis team, and I'll be given ya all introductions soon. Don't be too long, tho - I'm a real impatient man. were the final words of Hayato before he exited the room, silently marching down the halls.

As Hayato walked down the halls, he only reflected back on how he saw Kirugetsu and his genin being treated. As aloof as Hayato was to Kirugetsu, he was stern in the sense that these kids would be under his supervision. He had little idea what the jounin office was to send them on, but if he was going to bark orders at them, they needed to listen. Chuunin or not. Hayato hunted the Sage Seals - he knew of ruthless power, and he saw the unforgiving nature of combat. These kids, if they were to act like those of Kirugetsu's, would die in a half-a-heartbeat in any of the combat Hayato was used to. Division B was already wiped out. As self-centered as Hayato was at times, he couldn't let Konoha take another hit like that.

Kami shrugged. It wasn't like Kami herself followed the rules perfectly- no one did. However, maybe because she was bias, but she was pretty sure barging into a hospital room was a lot worse then demanding free roasted chestnuts. The was the very real possibility that Kami could have been healing a half naked genin. Cuts on the torso, chest, and thighs were pretty common. There could have been a partly naked twelve year old in this room. Although, since the war modesty was dead. Mutilated bodies were difficult to heal with fabric in the way. But, for the younger genin, it was different. This really was a new generation.

However before Kami could voice her complaint, a pitching sound shattered the air. Her frown deepened, if that was even possible, as her ears went to cover her hands. Kami glared, simultaneously healing her ears as the sound went on. Hayato, her new teacher or not, had barged into the hospital he did not own and had harm children that were not his. This display was forever going to mark Kami's opinion of Hayato. She had seen too much during the war to let some old man treat her like a dog. Kami had been just fine without a team before; she didn't need one now.

Finally the ringing stopped and Kami rushed towards the genin. This couldn't be legal. Not knocking was something Kami could let slide. Harming innocent children was something sinister. Harming innocent, injured children though was just malicious. "Here." Kami stated, motioning around the room. "You are not my sensei. All you are is some ninja that broke into a hospital room and harmed injured children." She pointed out, motioning at the pile of children on the ground. There was no way she as going to let this man prance around, doing whatever the hell he liked. One of the hokage's dogs were off their lease and Kami would right the situation herself if she had too. Kami wasn't against storming her way to the hokage and demanding Hayato be dealt with.

"Here my mother is my teacher and the hospital administrators are my boss." Kami clarified. "Outside of this hospital is a different matter." If the hokage had assigned Hayato to her, this couldn't have been a detail overlooked. Or Hayato had simply not listened before. He did seem like the type to ignore what people told him and then did whatever he wanted anyway. " If you think what you just did was without repercussions, you are wrong." Kami wasn't yelling or causing a scene. She had spoken with a professional tone. After all, the injured children had been injured further and the didn't need to see the person taking care of them freaking out. Nor did these children need to see her simply brushing off this man's actions. Being a ninja was dangerous but if they weren't safe from their own comrades... then what was the point?

Waiting in the lobby was probably a bad idea. Especially since before Kami left with Hayato, she'd make sure he'd end up on the Banned list. Nobody at the hospital had time to deal with such implusive nonsense. All Hayato had managed to do was severely tick off Kami and injured already injured children. Kami couldn't understand his nickname. Allure. Unless it was suppose to be ironic, it really made no sense. There was nothing alluring about some man hurting children. Not even a snail would be attracted to that. "It's no longer anarchy." Kami tried to explain. "This is Konoha and there are rules now." Kami gently helped the genin up, minding their reopened wounds as she helped them back onto cots. "It would probably be best if you waited outside." Kami suggested. Even if Kami didn't turn Hayato in for his actions, the genin would most likely confide in their own sensei.

An hour later, Kami would appear in the lobby. If Hayato had heeded her advice and waited outside the hospital, Kami would head there. She had made sure to take all the time she could, even wrapping a child head-to-toe in bandages. It was a waste of supplies but... Well, it was worth it if it meant more time before she had to go find Hayato. This whole incident reminded Kami of something Shira had said about titles. Hayato assumed he had this title of sensei, but he hadn't earned it. It was an empty title until he was able to prove otherwise. At this rate, Kami was doubting that as even possible. She had also stopped by her mother's office to explain what had happened and where she was going. Her mother was an adult and could probably better handle this situation. Her mother could scare tigers into submission just by looking at them. Besides, her mother had more influence than her.

Kami sighed resigning herself to her temporary fate as she looked for Hayato.

Hayato withdrew his arm and stepped back, crossing his arms in the same motion and glaring at the girl with a glint of his own superiority. "In that letter, little girl, you'll see I've 'ad youse taken out of all of dese nice little clinics in Konoha. You won' be returnin' here for a whole thirty-days, an' dats only if I wan' chu to. You see, youse right; dis place 'as rules, an' one of dem is you listen an' respect your superior officers." Hayato then burst forward with speed, overlooking Kami with a new daunting body. It was no Killing Intent like his counterpart Kirugetsu had mastered, but it was easily an intimidating feature. For a moment, Hayato even spoke with a significantly lesser accent: "Do you know what I do? I hunt the deadliest nin left: the Sage Seals. Theyz the only men in dah world that can bring back Sai, an' deyz some of the teh most powerful. You will die if you don' listen tah me. You will die with jus' one wrong move, lil' girl. You won't be savin' a damned person if youse dead, an' it's my job to make sure ya don't. You got promoted to the field, girl, an' it's a helluva lot diff'rent than these cushy clinics."

Hayato stepped off from the girl and turned around to walk off. He wasn't going to let her step in. He wasn't going to entertain the notion that she deserved to reply. He was her sensei. He was her superior officer, and even if he wasn't known for it, ignoring his orders and making him wait only gave him time to go through the proper channels and have her place at these hospitals dissolved. As Hayato walked off, he radiated his rage, his superiority and his dominance. He was not going to allow her to do was the other genin did, even if she wasn't a genin. He never wanted this job. He never wanted to be a sensei. He was a killer. A hunter. A loner. He was a nomad, and there was no room for others in his lifestyle.

"Rule number one of the Allure, mon cheri: you will be treated as you treat me. You wan' a nice, productive sensei? Youse best be changin' dat nasty attitude."

Kami scowled as Hayato punched the wall by her face. Honestly, was this display really necessary? Of course, it was obvious Hayato wasn't patient. "You should have thought of that before further harming those children." Hayato's actions weren't really the sole reason Kami had taken so long but it had definitely had factored in. Because of Hayato, there had been ears to heal and reopened wounds to take care of. All of Kami's hard work had been undone. If Hayato had shown up earlier, when the whole group of genin had been there, Hayato would have probably been waiting for hours. Kami was a perfectionist. She wasn't going to rush through healing a patient; that only caused mistakes. "Healing is not something you rush." Not only could rushing cause damage to the genin but also Kami. After all, she had used her on chakra to heal those children. Medical ninjustu was a give-and-take.

Kami grabbed a hold of the scroll. She wasn't impressed. "I am also skilled in taijustu." Kami reminded him, using her free hand to gently shove at his shoulder. "Focusing on pressure points. If you want to threaten me, don't do so at close range." Kami advised. She was under no impression that she could take Hayato on in a fight. He was a powerful genin and Kami was a chuunin. She wasn't delusional. However, she could never just sit back and allow someone to threaten or harm her. Besides, in her on way, Kami was a threat. If Hayato got injured on a mission, it would be up to Kami to heal him. That was if she wanted to heal him. Kami wasn't a threat but, in the right setting, she could be.

Removed from the clinics. That was impossible. Kami could fight. She didn't have anything against fighting, but she loved working at the hospital more. There was something about being brought a destroyed body and making it appear human again. Sure nowadays was no were near as exciting as it had been during the Resistance but... It was still nice. Kami enjoyed being helpful. There was just something in working at the hospital that made Kami feel useful. There were tons of ninja out in the field; a lot less at the hospitals. Even if Hayato had the letter signed by the Hokage himself, as long as Kami remained in the village she was going to keep returning to the hospital. Words written on a piece of paper weren't going to stop her.

Kami raised an eyebrow at Hayato's new body. Was he trying to scare her? Kami had seen shredded bodies and internal organs that were no longer internal. A justu that changed his body wasn't going to frighten her. Kami would make sure to remain careful around him, but she was far from scared. Kami stepped forward as Hayato backed away. "If you had wanted me to treat you with a different attitude, you should have tried another way of approaching me." Kami pointed out. From the start, Hayato had done nothing to deserve Kami's respect. "An authority figure does not march into a hospital and harm children." Kami could never respect someone who would do such a thing. Hayato could get Kami suspended from volunteering at the hospital but all that did helped dissolve any chance he had at Kami ever treating him as a superior. The Sage Seals. Kami had never heard too much about it, but she was sure it wasn't as black and white as Hayato seemed to speak of. Kami's interest was definitely peeked though.

Tink. Tink. Tink.



"In my hands,mon cheri, are three metal pipes. With dem, I shoot jutsu dat can topple buildings. Try an' move now, an' you won't have a head," Hayato warned her. He was not playing. Not anymore. True, Hayato was not one to abide by the normal social convenes of Konohagakure - or anywhere for that fact - but blatant disrespect to him was not something he would allow. At least, not from someone under him. Damn the consequences as well; he never did care for reprimand, and the Hokage himself hated to even attempt such with Hayato... mostly for the same reason Kirugetsu hated even talking to the man. "I will do what I wan', an' no man here - not even Hosuka-san himself - will stop me. Not without'a catchin' first, an' even if'e does, I don' fear death. I cain't," he told her. He spoke words that within the village sounded like blasphemy. Speaking out against the Hokage, Hosuka, was insanity. Hitori, his brother, sacrificed his life to use the Reaper Death Seal on Sai himself - an act of valor that made every single man in the world respect Hitori and thus his brother. Almost everyone one, at least.

"I hunt men dat even Hosuka fears. In teh war, Sai had dese guards, you see. Teh last shinobi he evah trained. Dey had seals of unholy power, girl. Dey did grotesque t'ings to teh body. Dey could use teh power of teh Uchiha... teh Hyuuga... teh Senju... an' so many more. Any clan you can t'ink of girl. Sai had'm all, and made'm into beasts of men. Soldiers at'is will. Dey killed more people den Sai himself an' from what I take enjoyed it far more..." There was a look in his eyes. Of horror. Not of fear. But of a disgusting horror. Some of those with Sage Seals were abominations. Experiments gone awry, men after power or sometimes men so twisted they were beasts to begin with. The Sage Seals were not just a threat because of their threat of Sai, but because of their instability and raw power. Any one of them could have the power of a Kage, although few did. To encounter one was suicide.

"I read yer profile, girl. You may've seen twisted bodies, but chu ain't seen teh twisted minds. You ain't seen how dat nature chakra ain't really natural at all. How it affects dose who cain't handle it, girl. I've seen dem stop othah hunters like me by grabbin' children. I've seen some dat acted like your brother, an' made you feel a world a' guilt for what chu had to do. But what dey all had in common girl was powah... no remorse... no guilt. No humanity left in'm, for teh most part. Dat's what I'm used to, girl. Dat's what I fight. What I see. Even among shinobi, teh t'ings I see - not just broken bodies, girl - are horrific. But chu know what?" he asked her, as if she could answer him with him holding her throat as tightly as he did. He then loosened up and tossed her on the ground. It was made plain: his question was rhetorical.

"I always come back wit'a smile on mah face, actin' like it don't bothah me a bit. I seen my best friends die, girl. I watched my home burn. I hid in deserts for years... not one've you lil kids got shit on dat. If you t'ink you deserve what I got - where I am - and teh treatment I get... then you t'ink of everyt'ing you love - these people in dis building, helpin' dem, healin' teh sick, savin' the hurt... burnt to the groun' 'cause've of a war dat never needed fought. Gone. Den, when you felt teh loneliest in teh world, you had to hide in a place dat might'a been Hell on Earth just teh live. You a medic nin, girl. You do nothin' but save lives. Imagine not wantin' yer own. Den, den at t'at moment, you might get a sliver of respec' from me. Until den, you on my team, you my subordinate an you gone listen to what I say. If you don' like how I ac', I don't give a damn. But, mon cheri, I'mma tell ya, I really don' wanna have to beat respec' into ya...

...but I will if I have'ta."

Bells. They were coming from Hayato. There was no other explanation. The hospital had bells, alarms really, but these bells almost seemed more delicate than the roaring alarms of the hospital. Was he going to harm her? Being hurt wasn't alien to Kami. She, like many ninja, had been injured. There was a difference though. Kami could heal herself. As long as she had enough chakra, whatever impulses this man was acting on couldn't affect her. Pain was fleeting, temporary. It did not last forever. Sure, Kami could plead for forgiveness with her tail between her legs. But why? She had said nothing wrong, had done nothing wrong. She wasn't going to submit to a bully.

Fast. Kami turned her head, searching for Hayato. Unfortunately, she didn't find him until there was a crushing, suffocating pressure around her neck. Unable to do much else, Kami smirked. How afraid did Hayato have to be to resort to bullying children? It was pathetic really. One day he'd get his due and Kami would laugh. She'd laugh and laugh and laugh as blood gushed through Hayato's shirt and she stood there. He wasn't simply burning a bridge, he was dosing it in liter fluid.

Heresy.

This violence, rash man was threatening Kami to respect him but yet this man was insulting the Hokage. Hosuka-sama whose brother had sacrificed himself. Hosuka-sama that had lost so much but had still risen. Without him, the world would dissolve into anarchy again and men like Hayato would run around doing whatever they pleased. Although, Hayato already seemed to be doing that. Confidently, Kami noted. But... Hosuka-sama himself had to have a breaking point. Hayato could be given all the leniency in the world, but eventually Hayato would go to far. He stated he wasn't afraid of death and Kami understood. Death was a door, revealing new possibilities. It wasn't an end. But even not fearing death would be enough to keep Hayato alive. There was only so much Hosuka could take. Of that Kami was certain.

She rolled her eyes. The history was interesting and Kami was definitely going to pursue knowledge about the Sage Seals. However, Kami was absolutely certain there was more to it. Mostly, Kami was curious over the free will, if any, these people had during the time of Sai's rule. Had they killed people willing? Or were they simply sad, traumatized puppets?

"Burnt to the groun' 'cause've of a war dat never needed fought,"

Kami froze. She couldn't have possibly had heard that right. The Resistance had been necessary . Sai had attempted to create peace but instead caused even more grief. He had created a mass genocide. Sure, he was a destroyed man. However, as Kami thought, that was no excuse. No matter what happened to someone, they should always wake up and try their best to be kind and righteous. In this regard, Kami couldn't help feeling that Hayato was worse than Sai himself. Sai had a goal that had ended up corrupting him. Hayato, on the other hand, was violent and expected respect he didn't deserve.

Beat respect into her. How ridiculous of a notation. Honestly, all a beating would do was beat those last possible chances of Kami having any respect for this man. So, Kami just forced the corners of her mouth to curve further into a smirk until her face was lost in it. She gasped, opening her mouth. "Do it," Kami encouraged. Beating Kami up in a hospital with witnesses was even worse than the idea of even beating up his team's medical ninja. "And," She paused, trying to force enough out out of her lungs to say her piece. Because Kami was blunt. If she had something to say about someone, she'd say it. Hayato wasn't the only one who had lost friends and family during the Resistance. Kami had lost her father and, in his lost, part of her mother. "When you're bleeding and on your death bed," Which, by Hayato's impulses actions would probably be sooner than later. "See if I help you." That was the point of a medical ninja. Kami would be able to heal Hayato and his team. However, no one could force her to heal. Being a medical ninja had a lot to do with trust. Because, just as easily as she could heal someone, she could easily pull out a knife instead and finish the job.

Tink. Tink. Tink.



Hayato shook his head, assuming his speech would fall on deaf hears he would then have to make bloody, yet still made the attempt. "Youse don' think a man like Sai took o'er teh worl' alone, tho, didja? Sai wasn't nothin' for worl' domination. Truth is, an' everyone dat ain't a runt like you knows, dat Sai had his empire given to'm. He had a sensei dat was a tactical genius, an' alongside his son, brother and best frien' took over Iwagakure. Dey held a coup durin' teh Second Great Shinobi War, and den used dat country as a base to take teh others. Not shit I guess you knew, but lemme tell ya, it was a war dat didn't need fought. Do you know what spurred it? Teh arrogance of Konoha. No one knows what specifically started teh war, but it came from dese here - our lil home. First was teh Land of Lightnin', den Water, and seein' teh opportunity the Lan' of Earth came in. Dat war was fought o'er selfish pride; I was trained to fight'n'die in it. My home was Ame, girl. I fought a few battles, but when the coup in Iwa ended up branchin' to Kumo and started war with Kiri, we fled. We fled 'cause didn' stan' a chance. Ame was left to die by Konoha, and its only salvation was teh shinobi dat took over teh worl' once called it home."

Dozens of the little metallic balls floated around Kami, defying gravity as if that was an accomplishment. In truth, Hayato was just waiting to use them, even though he didn't really wish to. "You t'ink I'm some barbarian girl, but you don' know. You don' know how the foolish, arrogant pride of a few can cause the deaths of so many. You don' know not understandin' one's place can result in so much death. You don't see how teh Resistance everyone idolizes wasn't e'en the only one. T'ere were dozens of'm all across teh lands. It was with dere combined efforts dey beat Sai, not just a few. Dat is what Hitori and Hosuka understan', and dat is why we get so much lenience. We were part of teh same cause, but don't chu for a moment think tere weren't others like-minded dat would've done far more harm dan good. Theyz still aroun', too. Youse know what happened to Division B, an' dats why I was made a sensei. I won' letch punks get churselves killed. En' a story."

Kirugetsu sat down with Maruki, currently his star pupil, and waited for his order to arrive. Outside, the Water Clone saw fit to tail Shisen for a time. She had been rather uncooperative lately, and he was determined to see if the girl followed or ignored orders. "Tell me something, Maruki. What do you know of war? I know you're no slouch... but have you ever seen actual combat?" Kirugetsu already knew the answer, but allowed the kid to respond anyways.

Maruki enjoyed the warmth of the restaurant, it made him feel secure and at ease. it would be hard to eat his meals with one hand. but he guessed he'd manage. For a brief moment he thought of Shisen and what she was going to do but he quickly banned her out of his mind. Then Kirugetsu asked him a question "Tell me something, Maruki. What do you know of war? I know you're no slouch... but have you ever seen actual combat?" Maruki had to think about this for a moment. "I never experienced actual war because i grew up in a place quite far away from all that was happening. I know my parents died in the war and it must have been hard to experience it first hand. Combat however, I do know about. I fought many battles in my life even before coming to Konoha, sparring against my father and mother doesn't count of course but there were many ill-willed man I met during their absence." Maruki siad with a sigh.

"I figured as much. I'm not one for reading the files of my students, so I just wanted to confirm it for myself." Kirugetsu thought back to some of the battles he had fought, and one in particular came to mind. "Remember how I said I fought and killed your grandfather? It wasn't as cut-and-dry as that. He's one of the only people other than Sai to actually injure me. And it was because I was an inexperienced and hot-headed little shit." Kirugetsu pulled aside his shirt slightly to show a scar. The scar looked like it had come from a deep stabbing wound.

"He used Gentle Fist, just like you. But he used it with a sword. Never seen that before or since." said the Hozuki as he put his shirt back into place. The drinks soon arrived, and Kirugetsu took a sip. "War isn't just nation on nation. It's a person fighting a person. It's a man without money wanting to buy what he can't afford. It's a woman being upset she didn't get a job that was given to a man instead." another sip of his drink before continuing, and a sigh. "It's not about being the biggest badass, either. War sucks, kid. You weren't around to see the clan massacres. They weren't about being strong... they were about surviving. And most clans weren't near as fortunate as yours."

Maruki listened closely to his Sensei, bringing up his grandfather again. It kind of made him proud as he saw the scar on Kirugetsu's body. But Kirugetsu laying the case by himself being inexperienced rather than by his grandfather being a good fighter stung a little. Maruki took a swig af his drink. he nodded to what Kirugetsu was saying "I figured as much, I'm glad I wasn't there..." and then continuing "I know my clan has suffered an enormous amount of losses and is weakened considerably, but it survived... I dont know what i would have done without them." Maruki took another sip and looked at his sensei. he hoped the man would not pity him or be too harsh on him for showing weakness. He straightened his back to at least look a little tougher.

The kid spoke the truth. Not many could endure knowing their clan was damaged and barely able to recover, yet still willingly go forth with becoming a shinobi rather than stay and help rebuild what was lost. Hell, if Kirugetsu wasn't already a war-hero and nominated by the Hokage to teach a new squad... he'd probably be more focused on rebuilding HIS clan. "You're a good kid, Hyuuga. Wish I could say the same for the girl." Yeah, he was frustrated with Shisen... that went without saying. After all, the girl and her dog had been nothing but hostile and disrespectful most of the day.

The appetizers arrived, but Kirugetsu neglected to even touch them at the moment, instead speaking some more. "So tell me something. If it ever came down to you needing to attack and kill someone you thought you could trust. Could you do it? Say Shisen or Kino betrayed our village and handed intel to another land... or say you were a Jounin like me, and I decided to go off and kill some people. What would you do then, hmm?"

When the Hozuki called him a 'good kid' Maruki was filled with happiness. It was not something his sensei would say easily to anyone and thus not taken lightly. Then he started about Shisen. Maruki decided to speak his mind. "I'm sure she isnt that bad... actually i kind of understand her, I mean, if you swung your blade at me..." Maruki pondered what he was going to say next for a moment "I just think she needs some time" he concluded.

Maruki was the first to take a bite of the newly arrived appetizers. Just then Kirugetsu asked him a difficult question. before the man even finished his sentence Maruki had an aswer reay but waited for Kirugetsu to finish what he wanted to say. "Yes" replied Maruki simpily "I have already killed someone before, it was unnatural and hard, especially the first time. No-one shoud betray anyone or kill anyone willy-nilly. When I am not in direct danger of being killed by Shisen or Kino, following your example, I would first warn them and proceed in an attack the second they would attempt such a stupid act. If I really have to kill them, then so be it. Although I hope that day never comes." Maruki hoped his sensei was satisfied with his answer and took another bite of the takoyaki, deciding to leave it at that.

Well, at least the kid knew that it was a kill or be killed world when it came to shinobi. It was unpleasant, it was unfortunate, and it was unforgiving... but it was the life they had to live. If they didn't defend the people of the land, who would? After what seemed like an eternity, Kirugetsu smiled sincerely for the first time in weeks, and took a bite of his takoyaki. It was spicy, just like the name of the restaurant implied... but tolerable. And it was now, enjoying a meal with a student, that Kirugetsu actually seemed to be enjoying himself... rather than being a grim and frustrated man.

"Yeah, I swung my sword at her. And maybe that was a bit overboard. But put yourself in my shoes. A disrespectful Genin who insults one of the other team members, has a hostile animal with them, and does nothing to control that animal." Surely Maruki could see where the discipline was necessary. "I wasn't going to kill her and you all knew it. Scare tactics, nothing more." Another bite of the snack, a sip of water, and another smile. "If she does as I asked, I might not even have to discipline her anymore. And then she can join us next time."

With his mind off of things such as restoring his clan, his past conflicts, and old war wounds both physical and emotional... Kirugetsu really was just an average guy. It was rare these days to see him behave in such a manner.

Shisen had read the scroll at least five times now, embedding the steps and knowledge into her head every second she continued to read it. Using this time, this raw anger she felt towards her sensei and focussing it, honing it, into one task. The only task that she cared about, the Jutsu with Arashi, Human Beast Mimicry and then perfecting it, making it her own Jutsu in due time. It wasn't hard to tell that the Inuzuka girl was determined to learn, determined to prove that she could be a good Genin and even a great Chuunin, one day.

Despite her anti-social attitude and favoring solitude rather than the company of others, she was an excellent student. She learned quick, her focus was well honed and her control was a little above average, it was the way she acted in combat situations that made her place lower than a good deal of her fellow graduates. It was the same for Arashi, she was built well suited for a Niken, had the speed and strength. But her hostility towards others, her inability to work well with groups made her undesirable to those who preferred the company of others, most of her clan people were social thus making Arashi a poor choice for them. Shisen had heard the story behind the aggression, an awful one, filled with abuse and hatred. Such abuse, those intense constant harsh emotions of those around the Niken had allowed the aggression and hostility to grow, as it was nurtured before the Niken was rescued.

Shisen believed that her aggression towards others could be only handled with kindness and warmth, showing her loyal companion that not everyone was harsh. It was for that reason, that reason alone, that Shisen would kill to protect her Niken and if it meant trying everything to end the Hozuki clan, then so be it. Her sensei could be a war hero, could be the damn Hokage but she didn't care after all, she just wanted to graduate. Being placed in a squad, that was a mistake but if she had to endure it, then fine.

An hour had gone by, her anger and frustration towards her sensei had only faded to a dull light. Shoving any and all thoughts of her sensei, to the darkest part of her mind, she got up. It was time to search for the bratty, arrogant and probably no good for nothing Kino. With a sigh, she left the clans manner and begun her search, using her primary advantage. Scent.

"The Second Great Shinobi War,"

Kami blinked. Even herself, who grabbed onto any subject and intensely studied it, had barely heard anything of the Second Great Shinobi War. She had heard a little bit, but it was only passing words. Something her mother silently discussed with another medical ninja. Kami could understand. There was probably something so awful about that war that adults didn't want the younger generation to know about it. However, it just didn't sit right with Kami. If history was erased, how would they ever learn from it? They were bound to only repeat it.

Hitori was ready to let Sai live. Although that might not be complete nonsense, Kami would have never made the same decision. Sai had caused a massive genocide; he didn't deserve to be pardoned for that. And, even if he would have spent the rest of his life in jail, Kami couldn't see that happening either. Sai had never seemed like the type of man who would quietly sit in a jail cell until the ends of time. At first, Sai had been a good man. He had tried to change the world for the better. It was unfortunate the man had become corrupted. So many lives had been lost; too many children slaughtered. Kami would forever see Hitori in a different light, but she wasn't too sure that was a good thing. He had showed mercy to even his enemy, but... Sai could have escaped or people would have tried to free him. It was merciful of Hitori but definitely not a wise decision.

None of that mattered though- Sai as dead. Kami stared at the spiraling ball of wind. "You cannot have peace without war; you cannot have war without peace." Kami commented, staring at Hayato's hand. Was he going to injure her? In... a hospital? Kami tilted her head to the side, watching and waiting. She wouldn't stand here and allow herself to be injured. Her mother would be so ashamed if Kami wielded such like that. "It is wonderful people can believe otherwise." It was hopeful. A hopeful and pure thought but so easily corrupted. "However, people are flawed and emotional. A perfect world can't exist." That was unless someone had some powerful ability to brainwash the whole world. Otherwise, an Utopia was completely improbably.

Hayato was still insisting the war hadn't been necessary. But it had. Sure lot's of lives had been lost, but... The war had stopped a greater evil. "It was necessary. There was a genocide going on that needed to be stopped." She hissed the word genocide; it felt like poison on her tongue. Sai's reign had been a tramuatizing experience for anyone who had lived though it. One day you could be playing tag with your friend and a few days later be burying them. Sai hadn't been about peace as much as killing off clans. To Kami the war hadn't been about the freedom to able to use ninjustu or to create an army. The war had been about stopping a genocide.

Leniency because Hayato had helped finish the war. That was absolute nonsense if Hayato believed that leniency was endless. Kami reached her hand up and, if Hayato didn't stop her, Kami would poke him in the chest. "Sai was a good guy once too." She reminded him, brusquely. Even if Hayato was a war hero, that didn't mean he was resistant to being corrupted.