Jay let his conscience fade when he was finally placed on the cart, his injuries a bit beyond what even his Kurama boosted recovery could cope with in short order …
***
Outside the cart a wary Kakashi took the lead through a mostly safe place of what was otherwise a warzone …
Kakashi had already experienced a war, he could see the signs everywhere … the wary looks of the populace, small stands with food stamps and rations, the general state of disrepair of things … the small city looked like it was struggling to keep going … and from what Kakashi heard from Tazuna, that was mostly true … Gatoh simply had more money to throw at the problem …
[Sakura] - Is this … normal ? … -
Sakura's small voice snapped Kakashi's attention back to his genin …
Sasuke was also playing close attention, but where the Uchiha would keep a stoic silence, Sakura would speak what both of them were feeling …
Kakashi internally debated how to approach this … Jay generally did that … and despite Kakashi knowing deeply what Sakura was asking about, Kakashi wasn't sure if he should expose his genins to a harsh reality check just yet …
[Kakashi] “ This was supposed to be a simple rank C, at best a minor rank B … they shouldn't be in a warzone yet, they shouldn't have to deal with a jounin killer intent outside of training … “
Kakashi debated taking them and leaving, but Jay's wounds and the team's general exhaustion pressed Kakashi for choice … Reverse Summoning everyone to the Dog's Temples was a choice, but Kakashi would be left dry of chakra and extremely vulnerable … and he would owe the dogs a lot for hosting his genins for the days Kakashi would need to recuperate and travel back to Konoha from there … Pack they may be, but favors like this don't come for free …
Kakashi shook his head and focused on the now, Sasuke and Sakura were waiting for an answer …
Kakashi sighed.
[Kakashi] - It is but it is also not … They are fighting a war at the moment, things are harsh for everyone involved … -
Kakashi delivered his dry answer, regretting not having it in him to actually comfort Sakura as he saw little kids with ribs showing against their skin, playing on the streets …
Kakashi didn't know what to do when he could see Sakura trying to hold back tears and the way Sasuke got that little bit closer to his teammate …
They both walked with sullen expressions and fists closed tight …
***
What else would Kakashi say ? That's the way things work ? That the world is just like this, suck it up ? That I was younger than you and killing in the name of my village and its clients in a war barely more than a decade ago ? … Kakashi wouldn't shatter the peaceful illusion inside Konoha's walls … that peace was a thing … The new generation was born in peace and grew on it … Kakashi hoped, really hoped that they would know what to do and how to keep it … because Kakashi didn't and he was pretty sure no one else did either …
Kakashi knew that this civil war in Wave, happening so close to the Fire nation’s shores wasn't any kind of secret … there were countless other things happening behind the scenes, interests and profits … Kakashi was sure that at least some part of Konoha was aware and watching … Something that Kakashi made sure to keep himself ignorant of … he was the Hound, he did his job, he followed his orders, he protected his pack … Ignorance was a bliss Kakashi wanted to keep for himself …
Kakashi half expected to receive a missive back as soon as Akino delivered the message telling him to go back or worse … secure Konoha's interests …
Kakashi was already dreading the arrival at Tazuna's home, because he would have to summon Akino and see what Hokage-sama had to say about the current situation …
*** *** ***
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a stressed leader … Everyone knew that … His years were catching up to him and it was past the time he retired …
The only problem was, the rest of the Fire nation wanted him to hold the hat …
Nobility had a thing with ‘familiar’ faces, better the demon you know and all that … and in the wake of the Nine Tails destruction, Konoha had to bend to those turbulent winds or else their village would break …
Keeping ninjas in line was like trying to hold your breath in the way that you can only do it for so long …
The Nine Tails rampage and the losses that came with it, including Minato, were devastating to the village’s morale … many civilians and ninja families left the Konoha union to look for greener pastures in the employ of the Nobility, who was more than happy to add the extra manpower …
And Konoha had to bow to those changes, because the village needed time to recover …
But they recovered … more than a decade spent teetering on the razor edge … retired ninjas back into the employ and the defunct breeding programs reinstated for that crucial moment …
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But Fortune blessed their village, a population boom, new talents revealed and Kushina and Minato's son … that weird little genius was a gift …
Developing his own version of the Shadow Clone ? One that could practically double Konoha's production ?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was more than happy to give the boy his cut and let him help himself with his curiosity …
Even stripped of his talent for ninja work, even without the Nine Tails sealed in his gut … Jay Uzumaki would still be a person of interest for Konoha's due to his mind alone … Hells, Hiruzen was still fighting off the demands from Konoha's research and development department to have the boy working there on a permanent basis …
Hiruzen smiled sadly at the reality of some situations … the boy needed to be strong first, Jinchurikis had no other option after all …
Hiruzen muzzings during his smoke break were cut when a recognized presence jumped through his window.
Hiruzen released a sigh, breathing out the high quality tobako smoke before turning to one of Kakashi's ninken summons …
[Hiruzen] “ Sunglasses … this one is Akino … “
Hiruzen tried to think what could Kakashi be doing that needed him to send a ninken …
[Hiruzen] - Akino, Report -
The dog bowed before his chakra flexed slightly, chakra treads expertly used to take out a scroll and toss it to Hiruzen.
Reading the scroll, Hiruzen eyebrows climbed slightly …
Signaling for his ANBU assistants …
[Hiruzen] - Get me Shikaku and whoever was in charge of processing this Wave Mission … I want to know exactly what's happening in that region … I don't care how minor their civil war is, it's happening in our backyard and we just sent one of our Jounins teams there for a Rank C and I want to know why ! -
The ANBU ninjas working in the room immediately saluted before going on to complete their orders.
Hiruzen scratched his chin, thinking … Kakashi would be able to handle most things and Kakashi's genins were competent, top graduates and Jay … Handling two chunins by themselves was a splendid performance …
Hiruzen picked up a scroll and wrote his orders, telling Kakashi to proceed with caution and to make security for the bridge if the risk was acceptable … if some Fire nobility wanted to do underhanded deals, Konoha would get their due …
[Hiruzen] - Here Akino, thank you for the report … -
The ninken took the scroll and unsummoned himself …
[Hiruzen] - … Now let's see what this bridge and civil war is about … -
Normally, Konoha wouldn't expend the manpower in what was, at best, a minor dispute on the borders … but if some Nobility sought to take advantage of Konoha's missions … Well, that couldn't go unanswered, and Hiruzen was sure he would find some proof of the unfaithfulness, even if they had to make it from thin air …
[Hiruzen] - Get me Danzo or one of his ‘workers’, this looks like a job for ‘unaffiliated Konoha nin’ … -
Another one of his ANBU disappeared promptly as Hiruzen massaged his head … Fire nobility was getting bolder and bolder … Konoha recovered, but not yet back to its prime … Loyalty wasn't in question but any Clan Head of worth would smell the opportunity, should Konoha had to demonstrate its prowess against the Nobility once more …
[Hiruzen] - I think it's time to organize a Chunin Aspirant Exams … now the question is, invite foreigners or keep it internal ? … -
Hiruzen looked around for more ANBU ready to take his orders …
[Hiruzen] - I want a comprehensive report on this crop of genins. How many aspiring talents do we have ? … I need to make a show about Konoha's future … -
Another shadow moved out from the room, leaving Hiruzen almost alone …
Deciding that his smoke break was interrupted, Hiruzen picked up his pike and filled it with fresh leaves …
[Hiruzen] “ I need to thank Itachi and Jay for the changes in the paperwork organization … I can actually take breaks now … “
Hiruzen smiled, reaching for a drawer and taking out a recognizable orange book …
[Hiruzen] - … Where was I ? … -
*** *** ***
Kurama wasn't having a good time …
The Nine Tails never had to worry about someone else ever … but with the way his life was going, Kurama became painfully aware that if Jay died … Kurama would lose all the comforts he came to enjoy and crave …
Despite passing most of the time puppeting the Clone Jutsu, Kurama still lived inside the meatbag body … his Seal was still drawn in its flesh … even if Kurama almost forgot his actual prison while he lived through the Entity’s clone jutsu …
The entity’s body suffered some grievous injuries, so much so that the Seal was pulling on Kurama's chakra to try and heal the body faster …
Kurama wasn't quite sure how he felt about it … on one paw, the Entity was clearly trying to manipulate Kurama’s need for the comforts it could provide … on the other paw … Kurama fell for it … Hard …
Pride fought against self interest … but it was a massacre, Kurama wasn't ready to give up his creature comforts … but he would chastise Jay for it …
Kurama pushed a small trickle of chakra through the seal, keeping it as gentle as he could make it … the sooner Jay was conscious the sooner Kurama could yell at him …
***
When they arrived at Tazuna's home, the first thing Kakashi did was place Jay on a table to remove his clothes …
Kakashi could feel a tickle of the Nine Tails chakra leeching out of the seal and starting to repair the wounds … Kakashi would make sure everything was in place for it as best as he could …
Sasuke and Sakura were still close by and that was perfect for an impromptu lesson in first aid …
Clapping his hands, Kakashi made sure to snap his genins out of their stupoor.
[Kakashi] - Attention my cute little genins, this is a prime opportunity for you to learn about the more advanced first aid procedures … -
Kakashi pointed at Jay's body.
[Kakashi] - As you know, Jay can heal himself very fast thanks to his tenant and while this is a great boon, it's also something he has to look out for … Why is that ? … -
Sasuke and Sakura blinked for a moment before it clicked.
[Sasuke] - Broken bones, he always puts them back in place as soon as he can … -
[Sakura] - … Does he heal wrong ? … -
[Kakashi] - Great answer and as far as we know, his chakra takes care of things, it slowly pushes and pulls everything where it needs to go as he heals … but that's a bit of a problem because it just happens and it might cause extra damage if not guided … for this injury, under normal circumstances, you would need to carefully pull the bones into place, bandage the patient as best as you can and hope that you can get into an actual safe place or a med-nin to do it's job … -
Sasuke nodded through the explanation but Kakashi noticed that Sakura was looking a bit more interested …
[Sakura] - … Do you know how to put things in place like a med-nin Kakashi sensei ? Can we learn it ? -
Kakashi smiled brightly.
[Kakashi] - It's an advanced form of chakra control, a bit like wall walking in its basics, as you are trying to ‘stick’ your chakra into the patient's bones, but it's also increasingly harder because … -
Sakura almost bounced into place ready to answer …
[Sakura] - The boy's natural resistance to chakra interference, it's like genjutsu then ? … -
[Kakashi] - There is a lot of overlap between the arts but they are distinctly different. As a Konoha Jounin, I’m obligated to know at least a bit about everything and that includes medical ninjutsu … -
Sasuke grunted, his Sharingan already active as he focused on Kakashi's chakra …
Sakura was also leaning in further, Jay's body no longer making her as uncomfortable as she was now in an environment she felt confident … a learning one …
[Kakashi] - Now pay close attention to my chakra and what I'm doing … -
Kakashi started explaining out loud what was happening as he did it …
Chakra was infused into the body, carefully making sure to synchronize with it … then Kakashi started to vary his flow and pulses until he felt something ‘grab’ … Skin … no, keep varying … Muscles … no … through trial, error and the minute focus necessary to feel for the changes, Kakashi finally felt that his chakra was ‘sticking’ to Jay's bones … thanks to Kakashi's training with his summons in making chakra treads, the next part was a little bit easier to do …
Carefully pulling the bone fragments into position, removing the rib piercing Jay's lung, keeping alignment with the other major fragments before everything was back into position … finally, Kakashi calmly let his chakra fade as Jay's body and natural healing took care of the rest …
Sakura and Sasuke watched in awe as Kakashi spent an entire hour talking them through the chakra tricks and anatomy necessary to do a surgery without doing surgery …
[Kakashi] - ... And that's everything done … See kids ? This is why med-nin are a rare bunch, they do all of this and a bit more in a fraction of the time I took … -
Kakashi wiped the sweat off his brow … despite the carefree nature he presented, doing what he did was a grueling work in chakra control that was simply beyond the vast majority of ninjas … you either had to have an enormous talent or the willingness to spend countless hours training for it … it was not easy …
[Sasuke] - … How long until he wakes up ? -
[Kakashi] - Anyone else ? A few days … Him ? Probably in a few hours, he lost quite a bit of blood and his lung wasn't cooperating … I'll need to take a rest before using any more chakra. Why don't you and Sakura go help Tazuna out ? … -
Both genin nodded and went on to help Tazuna discharge the wood pallet they brought from the village, leaving Kakashi to finally be able to take a seat and let exhaustion sink in …
The soldier pill he took finally took its toll …
***
