Starring:
Date: September 20, 2016
Summary:
Taiki gets a lot more knowledge than he bargained for in his meeting with a Kiri kunoichi. NOTE: If you were not directly involved in this scene, you do not know the details. Ask Taiki for what you would and would not know.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Secrets in the Mist"
Taiki's office, Konoha Hospital
Having received a request to meet, Taiki set up a time in the late afternoon toward the end of his shift at the hospital. He has warned the nurses of his visitor and has made all efforts to clear his schedule as much as any medic-nin truly can. For once, his desk is empty, even the inbox and outbox. His ninken bracket the desk and appear to be lying down and snoozing while Taiki awaits the arrival of his visitor.
Akane, along with her ANBU guard who was one of them assigned to her when Hatsu-Yoichi had busted up the Uchiha Police Station and Akane had surrendered under the condition she be allowed to help rescue people first. And the man with the cat mask was polite but aware of her movements. He knocked on the door then announced he and Akane before entering. Akane walked past him with a quiet thank you. The ANBU bowed and backed out, remaining at the dor but trusting Taiki could handle his visitor.
Akane steped in and looked around then smiled. "Hello Taiki-san. Thank you for seeing me. I originally came to the Land of Fire to return Kyuketsuki-san to your village but I had something I would like your opinion on."
She bowed a bit, her face showng little but she stood again. The ninken and f Taiki had heightened senses, would note she smelled .. well she had tried to cover it with a sachet of sakura and lavendar, but there was fresh blood, the scent of raw meat still about her. She showed no sgns of being in pain, though that would be about her speed. She instead produced a relatively good sized scroll and rolled it out on the desk. "This holds several pairs of intact shackles. Hatsu used them to restrain chakra in her captives. The seal work is quite intricate and I thought you of all people could get some use out of the work done. It's quite elegant. I have shackles we took off prisoners and unused shackles from the storehouse. Of course kiri has some of it's own and I am here under my own volition, but I thought I might present you with a gift."
Shinobu's and Nozomi's noses scrunch up at first when Akane enters, and Nozomi whines slightly toward Taiki. He turns toward her and tilts his head to the side, and she whines again in a different tone, which causes Taiki to nod. For the moment he picks up on the flower scents, which to him are a bit stronger than Akane would normally intend, thereby giving him some indication that what he just heard from his partner is correct. But he himself doesn't activate his own senses, for now.
Instead Taiki looks down at the scroll and at first wonders why Akane was bringing these to him. His status as a Clan Head aside, this would be better going to the police or perhaps the T & I department. A second later, at least a couple of potential uses for medical procedures cross his mind, followed by references of trust between Akane and himself that would likely make him the safest person to give these to, since he is least likely to take the gift wrong and most likely to be able to get them where they need to go. "Greetings Akane-san," he finally says. "Sorry, Nozomi had to tell me something, which we may get to a bit later. But first… Chakra suppression shackels? Interesting… I had heard the Storm Brigade had taken soem high-profile hostages in addition to our Genin, and had wondered how they managed to keep such powerful shinobi prisoner. That makes these even more interesting."
Akane nodded. "I looked at the seal work but of course I can't figure it out myself. However, it is highly intricate work. I know the police would like to get some I am sure, but you are the most advanced seals master I know. So you should be able to make use of someone's creativity." As for the ninken she gave them a look.. It was a look that was obviously lighthearted but chiding them for telling Taiki what they smelled. "In any case…. They restrained two f our Jounin. Okumo Kji and Okumo Meruin were both held by them, though there was an interesting issue wth Kiji. Perhaps it is because of her hertage as a Shimizu, but the shackles over the months she wore them, retarded her healing factor. Normaly her healing and regeneration are on par with Meruin's himself. But she was reduced to the healing rate of a normal humanby the time she was released. There wasno such issue with the others we found."
Taiki looks upward in silent contemplation for a moment as he tries to remember what he knows about the Shimizu clan. When he finally does remember things, he blinks even more rapidly than when he heard that the former Mizukage was among their hostages. "That… should not have happened," he says with more than a little concern tinting his voice. "I may not know much about that clan, but what few things I do know tells me that such an ability is about as intrinsic to the clan as the ability to understand canines is to mine. It would take…" He shakes his head for a moment as if to clear it. "I haven't seen anyone or anything able to remove something that intrisic, not even biju."
Akane shook her head. "Neither have I. However she was the only Shimizu taken. so it might have been her. Kiji is…" She looked a touch hesitant. "Well I only know a little about her. I know Meruin raised her. But she is not the type to fully…. understand her instincts. It might have been the only way she knew to keep herself sane. She is also a sensor and apparently these shackles are tight enough on chakra use that even those abilities were kept from her. So it's possible I suppose that she chose to starve herself of chakra andthus depleted her blood.. Like.. a chakra form of anemia. I can only guess. An Okumo tended her and was protective, I would not infringe on his time with her so I am unable to report on her physical condition." She shiftedher stance a bit. "The only thing I know for certain is tht it took the aid of a Bijuu to keep her conscious when they removed the shackles. It was like she was in extreme pain. If you have connections in Kumo…" She was not ging to reveal who it was that healed or helped Kiji due to knowing about he Bijuu but if Taiki knew…..
Taiki tries to remember who Kumo's jinchuuriki is, but cannot, and then freely admits it. "The only medic I know well in Kumo is Iwata Michiko, and I don't believe she's a jinchuuriki. So I can't say as I would recognize the name unless it's just that I'm unaware of his or her medic status. I would say you need to have someone check on Okumo-san to see what damage those cuffs would have done to her psyche, but something tells me that's either said than done at the moment. All I can say is that her mind may not necessarily be her own, if they affected something that intrinsic. The possiblity for control or severe damage may exist."
Akane furrowed her brow as Taiki spoke to her of the Shimzugirl. The woman's face paled a bit too fast for it to have just been dread. She leaned forward, bracing herself agiainst the desk. "That.. That is not good to hear… She protected Naoya-san in battle.. But.. She…I thought.." She shok her head and took a deep breath, forcing smething down again then looked at Taiki. "She was quite attached to Yoichi. Meruin handed her to Yoichi when she was a genin and the two even designed battle tactics together. He would…absorb her.. Into his body." That look was definitely one of dread dawning. Hatsu had absorbe Kiji into her Hozuki body when the girl was captured… After they had shared quite a kiss… And then Akane wasn't aware of the room's angle anymore. She tilted and started to go down. Caught herself on the desk and locked her knees. "Sorry. Sorry…"
Taiki is up the moment Akane staggers, as is Shinobu. Shinobu quickly brings a chair over to Akane while Taiki channels chakra into his own senses to catch what is going on. "Sit," he orders, not asks. As he rounds the table he frowns and says, "You are a medic, and yet from what I can smell, you haven't even taken care of your own wounds. I'd be drilling you about the Medic's code right now if you were a Konoha nin, but since you're not, I'll just ask straight out, why did you not seek medical help, or at least close your own wounds?"
Akane sat, accepting the aid silently. She shook he head. "I thought Ihad at least stopped the bleeding. I am the most advanced medic in Kirigakure. I had teammates to save. Then I ran out of chakra. The ther medics… hey had their hands full too and I was the leader of the armada. I know how Konoha feels… Meruin would smack me if he figured it out too…" She used the failiar form for Meruin's name, clearly fully comfortable with being so familiar. "But I really had tought I'd stopped the bleeding."
Taiki, would discover that she was actually quite wounded, her top, a kind of corset, was reinforced with spider silk, keeping pressure on the wounds and absorbing blood but not healing it directly. She had multiple burns from lightning and wind cuts, but hte worst was her ribcage being nearly crushed.One side had the skin bound to her but loose, baring the ribs themselves. Ther was a bit of internal bleeding as well as one rib had impaled the lung.
Taiki quickly runs through a couple of hand seals and then starts his healing jutsu, though he stays away from the other jounin's chakra network for the moment. "Bleeding outside and in. Likely getting here re-opened your wounds," he says quietly as he starts to stem the flow of blood first. After getting a reading on Akane's blood type he gives it to Nozomi and then instructs her to get a pint of it and an IV. "Code, you have a pierced lung here. While I admire your ability to take pain, this is a bit much. I'm seriously considering strapping you into a bed for a few days."
Akane frowned but allowed him to check her over. The pain was serious but she was very good at hiding it. The stress to her system was there though. When he instructed Nozomi to get the IV and blood Akane nodded. She must ave known she was not ding well because rather than arguethe points, she simply let him do , and obeyed when ordered. She only asked him to stop for a moment whenthe IV was set up so she could remove her jacket. Along her left arm were some very very distinctive burns. The skin was melted and charred yet slowly healing. It was the work of several advanced healing jutsu yet he wound still was not quite healed. And could only have been caused by exposure to Amaterasu. "I.. will at least stay over night."
As Taiki takes a closer look at the burn pattern, his eyes narrowed. "I can order the Anbu to take you directly to the bed, Akane-san. Given the extent of your injuries, and the resistance to healing some of them possess, I think Meruin-san would have done more than slap you around a bit for not taking care of yourself." He then switches techniques so abruptly Akane would not have time to blink. Instead of the normal green, the chakra from his hand has several small black dots that upon closer inspection are actually tiny seals that enter his body. "I'm sorry, but I need to have a better view of the extent of your injuries." With this he produces a tag and places it on the burned areas, intoning, "Fuinjutsu: Chakra Diagnosis, Kai." Taiki's healing chakra is now spreading through Akane's body at an incredibly fast rate.
Akane snickered faintly at his comment abotu Meruin doing more than some light smacking around. He was probably correct…. His comment about ordering the ANBU to take her to the bed and keep her there made her smirk up at him, a promise in her eyes to make sure to break them in many places before they could hold her down. She was dstracted a little as he spoke about needing to lok closer.. She had a split second of recognition as he activated the seals, those dots and the chakra networl healing and the tag and she tried bolting up, tried to get away… "Wha.. Wait! No! Whisperit!" Of course he was probably going to hold her downa nd it wouldn't be hard, really, but she was panicing, knowing precicely how well Taiki knew chakra networks…. He had a reputation and she was originally from Konoha after all. And the next thing he would know he was staring directly into two very distict, very sharigan eyes and yet.. rather than blood red her sharingan was acid green… and clearly mangekyou. She was already trying to defend herself….
Taiki does indeed hold Akane down, especially as he has leverage, and Akane is injured, so she really isn't going anywhere. "Black fire wounds," he whispers to himself, not aware of what Amaterasu is actually called. "Hold still, your burn wounds can't be treated by normal means, and you're going to wedge that piece of rib into your lung even further than you have if you keep it up." For the moment, the presence of the tainted dojutsu is cateloged and relegated into relative unimportance as the majority of tiny seals focuses on the burn wounds. But it is certain that he already knows. In the meantime, Nozomi returns with the blood and transfusion equipment, as well as a rack to hang them on. "Right now, Akane-san, you're a patient in need of serious attention. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not going to attack you or hurt you, you have my word as a Medic on that."
Akane set her jaw as she was held down. Taiki had always been a person, a voice she had trusted as a chuunin for Konoha… So his voice did reach through her panic.. But she was still as tense as ever. He knew, he had seen, she was aware of that.. But between his strength, his two ninken and her injuries.. Unless she was willing to spit fire directly into his lungs.. she was hidden. The ANBU stuck his head inside and Akane had squeezed her eyes closed to hide them from him. Once the ANBU was satisfied there wasn't trouble and left Akane lifted her face again, a red tear, not fully blood, but working it's way up to it slid down her cheeks. It took several breaths and a few low growls of frustration before she was panting shallowly and leaning back in the chair, no longer struggling.
Taiki nods and sighs. What he now knows is going to be a political nightmare between Kiri and Konoha, and once again he's in the thick of things. Those thoughts are put out of his mind quickly enough as he nods slowly. "Now, I need to set up the blood transfusion, because I'm going to have to pull out that bone and seal your lung," he explains, pretty much seemingly ingoring the odd sharingan he sees. "I know things are bad now, but I need you to not fight me if I release my grip. Once we are done, I'll do my best for you, you have my word on that as the Inuzuka Clan Head. Will you let me continue to help you?"
Akane swallowed but took a few breaths and nodded slowly.. forcing herself to relax even just a little… She nodded again and turned the dojutsu off. She turned her uninjured arm vein up and seemed to be holding still and trying to cooperate and be strong but.. for the first time really in Taiki's knowing her, Akane was shaking, hard. And not from weakness or pain,it was purely from nerves. "They will kill my children. And neither husband will tolerate that." Yes he had heard that correctly. /Neither/.
Taiki's face goes blank for a moment when he hears that, with flashbacks to his past as the black sheep of the Inuzuka playing strong in his mind. The part about her having two husbands doesn't affect him at all. Rather, he is more concerned about her and her children. Rather than answer that immediately, he instead sets up the blood transfusion. He does have to let someone know. As bad as he feels for her, and as fearful as he is for her children, the treaties that hold Konoha together are very clear about this kind of thing. It is the same reasoning that saw him offering to seal off a Hyuga's eyes and volunteer to come up with a seal to make sure that none of the her children would manifest the Byakugan, not that Akane would know anything about that.
Still, the treaties are clear, and to violate those would put his clan at risk for bloody retribution from his lover's clan. Irrespective of any sanctions that Konoha would invoke, the Uchiha's legal rights to retribution make him keeping silent an impossibility. He is left inwardly railing against the unfairness of life, as he truly respects Akane, and does not want to see this happen to her. Still, his inner conflicts wage war across his face as for the first time in years uncertainty shows through.
Taiki sighs and shakes his head, "I'll do what I can," he softly repeats as his hand forms a chakra scalpel. "I have to go over the treaties that we signed when we Inuzuka joined this village." Left unsaid is that he knows those documents pretty well (he was born Founders Clan after all), and that he has very little lee-way. A small inkling of a thought surfaces that focuses on the Uchiha Clan Head. But he doesn't remember the details, and that would require further research.
Akane knew that look and closed her eyes, looking away. She slammed her injured hand down n her other arm, holding it still for him to set the IV even as she looked away. "Maybe you look away and I can send a message home…. do what you want with me but let me warn /them/." For the moment she looked much younger than she really was. But she was doing her best to keep that supressed as well. The panic made her blood pound which made he wounds throb and she had to focus to keep herself breathing properly…
Her mind went to Tatara whom had escorted her to the vlage and assigned he the ABU guard. Whom had helped her with a certain issue willingly and worked with her for the betterment of the child… She spoke, quietly, but kept her eyes down. "T.. Turn me over to the Head. Let me warn my family and tur me over to Tatara-san."
Akane's reactions don't seem to surprise Taiki in the least. After all, he has seen this exact same situation before. Sympathy shows through rather clearly, and it doesn't take even a moment for him to consider her initial request. "Send your message, I'll make sure I'm distracted." It is evident that he does not want her kids caught in the middle of all this. Conceal it, this is why he felt such animosity for Kiri. He wouldn't put it past them to kill the children out of spite, just to send a message that they were serious. And he's fought Tsiro before, and knows what the current Mizukage is like. This was a one-city-block-sized explosive tag that was about to go off right in his face. The least he could do is save the children. Mystery, he wanted to send his fastest Inuzuka clan members right to Kiri to rescue the children right now. But that would only escalate matters. No doubt Tatara, who didn't even know well, would demand the kids as well.
And here he was, this time as part of the aggrieved village. Once he had fought hard for the Shirayuki to be able to stay here, and he was told that if the shoe were on the other foot, he'd be campaigning for his own clan back. The sheer irony of this sickened him, but there was nothing he could do to stop this now.
Still, Akane's second plea reminded him of the very wording he wanted to look up. There was a provision to allow him to inform the Uchiha first, and to follow their lead on what to do from there. This would call for delicate maneuvering, but it was possible. Thank Kami that he'd been so close to Naru, Hinotori, Ryo, and countless other Uchiha in the past. At least in this situation, with this clan, he held some goodwill captial. "I believe that is within my abilities, but I'm afraid after you send your message off, I'll have to call for security from my own clan. I'm very sorry, but that's all I can do at the moment. If we, Tatara-dono and I, can find a way to save your children without escalating all of this, I'll take it." The implication that he was willing to use members of his own clan for said rescue mission is fairly clear there.
Akane let out a breath. Once the IV was set she wrote the message. It would be sent. Then she lay back as easly as she could, removing a kunai from her belt,she cut her top just below the bust line, removing most of it willingly so he could get at the bones he would need to work on. Then she flipped the kunai over and simply held it in her hand. She lifted her eyes to Taiki, aware of the likely pain tht was to follow. In her hand, the Kunai slowly started to show visual signs of heat. When she set it down again, it was white hot and ready to cauterize the wound if something happened or nicked a vein.
"Thank you… Taiki-san. I… am sorry to drag you into this…" She reached up with her other hand, the one not keeping a kunai at white hot temperatures…. And touched his face softly. A gentle expression crossed her face. "I will not harm your clan security. I promise." And then she lowered her hand again, allowing him at her ribs. As she removed parts ofher corset, it became painfully obvious that not only dis he have the busted ribs, but the skin of her rib cage on one side was ripped away from the bone. A high pressure water injury… She closed her eyes a moment then opened them, determined to watch and aid if she had to.
Taiki would only need the kunai if something bad happened, but Taiki has done enough of this kind of thing to not really need it. "Shinobu, go get a pack of Delta Clan members and get them here, parameter guard pattern alpha-4. Tell Anbu-san outside that I discovered something lodged in her ribcage and I'm quarantining this office, thus the extra guard detail. On your way out, tell Kenta that I'm not to be disturbed, unless Atsuro, Daisuke-sama, or anyone else that you or I call demands entry. You'll have to use the bypass to get in here, for I'll have to activate the barriers to keep up the pretense. Once you're done getting the Delta Clan members, proceed directly to the Uchiha Clan head, and no one else, and respectfully request his presence, /alone/ regarding a confidential, highly delicate matter. Make sure to stress the presence of the guards, and that I need to see him alone. Not even Naru can be here, for now."
Shinobu stands up and nods, then asks in human tongue, "What should I do if Anbu-san demands details?"
Taiki closes his eyes for a moment and then says, "Tell him I'm invoking my medic over-rule rights, and that the quarantine barrier, with the collected guard, should be enough. Anything else is need to know, and he does /not/ need to know. But use that as a last line of defense, please. I'd rather not endure a lecture from both the Jounin Commander and the Hokage if I can help it."
After Shinobu leaves, seals on Nozomi's legs flare bright blue as she walks over to the wall and places a paw onto the wall. Seals erupt all over the place, effectively sealing off the room from the outside world. "Never thought I'd have to use those," he says quietly before beginning the surgery, taking care to deaden nerves all along the area as much as he dares.
Akane listened as Taiki barked orders… ironicly. But she agreed with his method. Inside her head Kyoujin was screaming at her and it took all she had to continue telling the other to shut up. But when Shinobu asked about the ANBU questioning it and Taiki's medic override. She spoke up then. "Shinobu-san. Wait. Taiki-san, I was exposed to the Crawler during the Silence attacks. It never really left me. Use that." Then she held still, quiet and accepting. She did not cry out, she did not wwince or flinch. Even if he had done it with no nerve treatment and in the most cruel way possible, she would have remained the same. The seals on the ninken were interesting and a bit ofa light show but Akane simply seemed to fae. She was still awake, but her eyes turned almost a grey color, similar to overusing a dojutsu, though she could clearly still see. She had withdrawn inside herself completely, leaving behind what appeared to be a shell.
Taiki considers Akane's words for a moment, then nods once. "Use that, but only if ANBU-san pushes the matter. If he does, tell Kenta the same thing, then let me know the excuse was used when you get back." That said, he turns his attention back to Akane, and slowly starts to dig out the bone from her lung. He is careful of any major arteries, and also quick to temporarily shut blood supply to the area in which he's working. Less blood flow means less distortion of sight, which makes for cleaner cuts, after all.
There is a brief yelp of surprise heard from outside then an attempt to open the door. But since Nozomi had already activated the seals on the room, the ANBU's attempts to open the door fails. The surgery itself is slow, as Taiki has to be very methodical about this and attend to a hundred problems at once, so it should not be a surprise when, a short time later, several other voices are heard, including an argument between the ANBU and somwone unknown. Probably one of Taiki's clan members.
Akane remained mostly as she had been, a shell, a husk, fully withdrawn. It was almost like a person having been put nder Tsykuyomi genjutsu, only she had aaged to slip into her inner mind on her own and without a mirror. At one point she shifted just a touch, both to give Taiki a better angle and to once again reheat that kunai. The knocking on the door did not even phase her. Finally as Taiki worked her eyes spun back to life, that sharingan of hers active as she peered down at what Taiki was doing….
Taiki continues the operation, as he is standing in front of his desk in his office, bent over a barely-aware Akane, who is currently receiving a blood transfusion. Shinobu, of course, is bringing Tatara and will be able to get him past the ANBU and the Inuzuka Clan members guarding this area. The giant human-speech-talking dog is brooking no arguments, especially as he is acting under Taiki's authorization. Inside, Nozomi is maintaining the seals that are keeping everybody and everything out, and the three inside in. This seal also circulates the air in the office, since even outside air has been cut off.
At this point in the operation, Taiki has his right hand inside Akane, and has finally reached the bone fragment piercing her lungs. His left hand is keeping the hand-sized cut open as he does this. He slowly and gently starts to pull the bone fragment out while using the healing chakra from the chakra scalpel to close up the flesh behind him. This is an achingly slow process, as he is concentrating not only on repairing substantial damage done to the woman, but also keeping blood vessels form leaking blood until their repaired. "Just a bit more, then I'll use a more advanced form of healing," he says quietly, trying to reassure the Kiri Jounin he's currently operating on.
Tatara hadn't been aware of just how bad Akane's condition was, but he was aware she requested to see Taiki. Since the letter came so soon after she came into the village, he'd figured the letter was about her. He arrives swiftly after receiving it and would follow the giant dog through the ahllways back to where Taiki and Akane are.
Entering the room, the Uchiha Clan head lifts an eyebrow slightly as he spots Taiki performing surgery on the woman. A bit surprising, as he thought all that was really wrong with her was that seal, but it seems she concealed the true nature of her injuries, probably so she could get treatment without the risk of being assassinated due to ANBU and such seeing the opportunity to take her out. "… You called?" he asks, lifting an eyebrow slightly as he glances from Akane to Taiki.
Akane let out a breath and relaxed the eyes agai, closing them and withdrawing again. She was in pain but was doing quite well holding still as Taiki removed rib fragments from her lungs. She was wonce again withdrawn into a shell. But when Tatara entered the expression on her face went from seemingly asleep to annoyed and frowning. She opened her jade green normal eyes and stared at the ceiling…. Taiki would note that though she did not argue or fight,the muscles tensed around his hand as she seemed about ready to panic again. Her breathing became shallow. The one place she did not look was Tatara. And the expression on her face was one of defeat and resignation, a warrior facing certain doom.
After Shinobu got Tatara past the guards, he looks at the Uchiha Clan Head and says, "Please have a seat, I'm sure Taiki will be able to speak in a moment." After pushing a chair over for the man to sit in, he then moves away to lay by Taiki's desk, becoming quiet again.
Taiki, sensing Akane's body tensing, then says, "Relax Akane-san. Tensing will only make matters worse." Finally after another moment he pulls his hand out of her body, and drops several bone fragments onto the desk. His blood-covered hand is then raised as he forms several hand signs before intoning, "Fuinjutsu: Spiralling Seal of Health: Fuin." Both hands glow green and seem to swirl with black flecks that quickly invade Akane's body. As Tatara moved closer, he could see another reason for such a jutsu, a good portion of the flesh above Akane's ribcage has been torn off. "I'll do what I can for you," he says once more before finally turning a small part of his attention to the newcomer.
"My appologies for being less than polite at the moment Uchiha-dono. You and I don't know each other very well, though I know a good many of your clansmen. I only wish we did not have to meet under these conditions." Taiki sounds concilitory, but at the same time even more formal than his reputation would indicate. "Uchiha Tatara, Clan Head of the Uchiha, I, Inuzuka Taiki, Clan Alpha of the Inuzuka, welcome you to my office. Per the treaties of the foundation of the Village Hidden by the Leaves, I have asked for your presence concerning a matter of your clan's integrity and safety. Know that this room is secure from any eavesdropping from outside, and that no one else but those present in this room knows of the business behind this meeting, at least among those loyal to Konohagakure."
Noticing that change in Akane's expression, Tatara would smirk slightly then nod to the dog and move to sit in the offered seat. His Sharingan activates so that he might observe the procedure better, if only out of curiosity. There is no ill will toward Taiki not speaking to him yet, as he can see the other Clan Head is quite busy right now.
When he finally speaks, Tatara looks more directly to Taiki's face and nods. "I understand," he says as his Sharingan fades back to the black of his normal eyes. He listens intently to the man's words, casting a glance Akane's way once in a while. When he has finished that statement, the Uchiha nods again. "I understand. What is it that you've called me here about?"
Akane was currently holding a kunai that was white-hot… in her hand as if it were as cold as usual. When Taiki finally withdrew his hand from her body she finally let out a breath and went limp in the chair, panting as she recovered from havng to hold still for the extended surgery. She was clearly in pain and clearly upset. The expression on her face was shifting back and forth between defeated and some kind of riteous anger and exhaustion. She looked exhausted and slumped int he chair when Taiki began speaking to Tatara.
As Taiki finished speaing and Tatara stated he understood then asked his question, Akane's hand suddenly tensed. It was the only part of her to move at that point. And it tensed, crushing the wood arm of the chair she was in. The loud crack seemed to startle her though and she sat up more readily.
Reaching down to her lap she tossed a bandage to Taiki so he might wipe off his hands. "What do you expect?" She snapped. "I was beaten on by one of the seven swordsmen…." As soon as Taiki moved as far from her as he was bound to go, her scarred eye twitched and her hand shot over toward her bracer… (Unfortunately, Taiki would be much faster and would be able to grab the moving hand if he so chooses)
Whatever Taiki was about to say got cut off first by the partial destruction of his chair, then by Akane's sudden movement. Unfortunately for Akane, Taiki and his ninken are indeed much faster as Taiki grabs Akane by the wrist while Shinobu seemingly teleports (not really, but he's just as fast as Taiki) over to Akane's other side and positions his mouth right over the hand leaving the intended bracer. The threat is clear, any more similar movements and the dog would chomp down, hard. Given said dog's shoulders easily reach the height of Taiki's shoulders, that is a /big/ mouth.
"I understand why you feel the need to make the attempt, Akane-san, but for your safety, and my continued cooperation, I ask that you refrain from making any further attempts." Again, the message could not be any clearer, especially given that Taiki had been very understanding and cooperative thus far.
Taiki then sighs before speaking next to the Uchiha Clan Head, his voice somewhat resigned. "Uchiha Tataro, may I introduce the person known publically as Fujikujo-Doihara Akane, current Jounin of Kirigakure, and medic-nin. I have discovered that her lineage does not match the name. In fact, she is an Uchiha, and carries the Sharingan to levels I have seen only in certain individuals of your clan. This has been verified by both sight and by examination of her chakra network. The eyes were not transplanted. I'm sorry for being blunt, but given the situation, and the fact that children are in danger due to this discovery, time is unfortunately against us in this matter."
Though Tatara notices what Akane is doing, he also sees that Taiki and his ninken have things well in hand. The injured bird trying to flee the nest is going to wind up hurt even worse if she doesn't take a good look at her situation. Once he's sure she's secure, he looks back to Taiki and listens to what he has to say. His words about her level of Sharingan receive a slight lift of an eyebrow. There is a long pause before he looks back to Akane and then to Taiki again. "I see… I had suspected such, but had yet to confirm it… If you will, allow me to deal with her, and keep this knowledge between us. There are many wayward members of my clan and for good reasons… Madara being the foremost of them. I hope to mend the Uchiha, but it will take time."
Akane grit her teeth as Taiki snatched her wrist and Shinobu threatened to biteher. She glowered at the nin-ken but subsisted. She closed her eyes, clearly arguing with herself, calming herself. She could sit perfectly stillthrough a painful surgery.. but when it came to this… She clenched her hands again but did not break anything further…. She really did not want to turn Taiki against her but she also did not want to be executed or stuck here away from her families and comrades.
Her world narrowed and time slowed as Taiki spoke. Each word seeming to tae forever, each syllable andother nail in her coffin… And yet it was over far too quickly. She remained where she was, waiting for Tatara's reaction. She waited, each fraction of a second counted by a flutter of her heart The children wouldnever be found. Never be found. Never be found.
Tatara's words to Taiki got her to lift her head just a littleshe furowed her brow and her eyes opened but have yet to show any kind of sharingan. She looked over at Shinobu and then up at Taiki and twisted both arms to break their grip on her. But she was not going anywhere. She was simply breaking free of their direct hold. She sighed then, not really angry wth them, but only really knowing that one response to her situation since she had never been allowed or allowed herself to show fear. Especially in a dangerous situation.
She looked over at Tatara. "You want me, Fine. You lay a finger n my children and you will face the wrath of all of Kirigakure."
Once Akane is not acting as if she's going to escape, Taiki and Shinobu both relax and thus Akane is able to free herself. He nods once to her, then looks up and gives a curt nod to Shinobu, who backs off but sits down by the door. This time he first addresses the Uchiha, since the current situation pretty much demands it. "Very well. I was hoping you would say that, thruth be told. My treaty obligations required that I either inform you or Konoha's chain of command since the Uchiha are one of the founding clans. Since you have accepted responsibility for this, I no longer have to inform the village under those same obligations." Taiki leaves a lot unsaid there, primarily due to the fact that in situations like this, less is more for the political side of this case.
After a moment he goes back to healing the worst of Akane's wounds, he first puts his attention back to Akane and says, "I should note that it is my respect for you, and your word, that kept me from using more than warning measures Akane-san. You have shown honor in our past dealings, and I tend to reward that with honor in return." He then shakes his head and switches his words back to Tatara, "She has told me that her children are in danger should Kiri find out that we know. I feel you should know this because it complicates matters. If you need my clan's help in securing the children from harm, I will be happy to provide it. However, for personal reasons I cannot make the same offer if the object is to get rid of the children. I am sorry Uchiha-dono, but the Inuzuka Clan's past places that restraint upon me." There, the offer is on the table, such as it is.
Tatara glances to Akane briefly, trying to study her up until she speaks. He smirks slightly at her words and says, "As I said, I want to mend the clan. Mending does not mean exterminating. I am not Madara." He then returns his attention to Taiki, listening to him speak while studying his expressions as well. "Kirigakure will not find out that we know. They will assume we simply offered her healing before she left for home as thanks for returning a member of our village that had been taken by the Brigade. She was not the one performing the healing jutsu, so there is no reason for anyone to assume we saw her activate any dojutsu or use any jutsu at all. This conversation never happened. All you called me in here for was to use my Sharingan to inspect an injury you were unsure about so that you could more easily repair it."
Akane nodded to Taiki, taking a breath and letting it out. She still had the IV in and had Shinobu bit down it might have severed the line. But she was still tense, and depressed. Though again she was unaware of how to channel that fear. But Taiki's words about him respecting her made her nod.. then look up at him. She felt once again as a quiet student following Taiki and learning from him from a distance. As a Gein as a Chuunin, she had watched Taiki. She had always respected him.
However when Taiki stated Kiri would kill her children…. She blinked a few times. Tatara's comment about Madar made her peer at him… she knew little about Madara but.. "This village has hunted Uchiha for leaving the village before." She loked at Taiki and her demeanor changed to something more explainatory than accusing. "Taiki-san, I respect you more than you could possibly know. But it is not Kiri that will harm those children. It is the Uchiha who do not want any even possibly of the bloodline to be in Kirigakure." She turned again toward Tatara. "My husbands will not allow their children to come to harm. thus,if you go after them you will be slaughtered."
She had a moment when Tatara's words made her wnder if she'd overstepped but she held her ground. When he stated the cover story she took a deep breath and slooooowly released it. And then she leaned back n the chair, watching the Uchiha Clan Head…..
Taiki looks between the other two humans in this room, then bows his head and sighs. "I still stand behind my earlier statements, though from what Uchiha-dono has said, I would offer the benefit of a doubt if I were in sure shoes. Such things can be verified later. Furthermore, his instructions to me do not indicate that what you fear may happen will. My offer may not even be needed, truth be told. But that is a discussion between the two of you, and rightfully does not include me. Such is Clan business, after all."
After a few more moments the majority of Akane's wounds are sealed, and Taiki falls silent as if thinking some things through while factoring in what he knows of her history and his obvservations. Finally he says, "I am not by any means an expert on the Uchiha, but there are a couple of things I have noted that do not mesh with what I know from past experience." He gives a sideways glance to Tatara before adding, "One Uchiha in particular I have counted as more than a friend, though our relationship has been rocky, I had to help her with certain problems after the Recluse attacked her in the Land of Water." If Tatara knows of this history, that may provide enough of a hint to allow the Clan Head to understand things. "I would recommend someone you trust to give her a more thorough checkup, particularly in regards to her dojutsu." That's all he can say on that subject currently without breaking patient confidentiality. Turning to Akane, he asks, "Do we need to do something about the condition you mentioned in our cover story?
"Madara and his underlings were those who led the Uchiha as such," Tatara points out to Akane then looks between her and Taiki for a moment. "If there is something naturally wrong with her dojutsu and we treat it, Kirigakure will know we know. There are good medics there that can help her. Our job here is just to be sure she lives and is comfortable enough on her journey home." He then looks more directly to Akane and steps over to look her more directly in the eye. "Get some rest. Once you've recovered, we can talk again before you leave."
Akane smirked at Taiki's alluding to her eyes' anomaly. It was something that she dd notknow why precicely it happened but she had a theory. Still, this was not the place. She carefully stood up and moved asif to shake hands with Taiki but instead (assuming she was alowed to touch him) he would find her gripping his forearm and him being able to do the same. It was an old warrior's show of respect, allowing one in so close to your main body was an honor without having to speak it. She would clasp arms with him and then glance at the blood bag, pretty much empty by now. "You have done more than you had to Taiki-san. I never wanted you as an enemy." Assuming he wouldn't stop her, she would remove the IV and turned to peer at Tatara…. In answer to Taiki's final question, however she shook her head. "No. Shuuren-dono of Tea has helped me get it under control.
Tatara moving close made her step back a bit, but his words made her furrow her brow. She had spent so many years running frm this and hiding it… Could it really be this simple or was he going to try and assassinate her while she slept? She nodded slowly. A moment later she turned to Shinobu "Please extend this to your oher partner, Shinobu-san." But rather than speak, she bowed elegantly and deeply. A show of gratitude and respect. And she was sure to single out the ninken specificly. Because she understood what they really were to their human counterparts.
Finally she looked at Tatara. "We will talk before I leave. Yes." A glance between the two humans. "Am I free to remain at the inn or am I to be guarded and admitted to the hospital?"
