Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Curative Career of Kaori the Ninja Nurse ❯ Raidou's Mission ( Chapter 28 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Author's notes: Sorry it took so long to update. I was away for three weeks on a business trip and had no internet access :(

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Raidou's Mission

Raidou was no fool, and he hated more than anything to be played for a fool. Beautiful women did not come up to him and proposition themselves - unless they wanted to be paid. His instincts automatically told him that the bold blonde with the ideal bust was up to something. He squinted his eyes and looked hard at her.

“What exactly do you want, Kakashi?” he growled.

The bodacious blonde blinked in surprise. “Who me?” Kakashi purred.

“Yes, you, Hatake Kakashi. You can't fool me. I'm a jounin too you know. I can see through your henge.”

Kakashi remained nonplussed. He shrugged and said in a sweet soprano voice, “Well, I'm still available.” He then smiled and winked, still in his transformed state.

“Does this have something to do with Kaori-san?” Raidou asked bluntly, his brow furrowing in anger. “You can forget it. I'm not interested in other women, or men, and especially not a trashy one.”

“Trashy?” Kakashi frowned and transformed his hair to pile it up high and artistically curled on top of his head. His dress hemmed flowed down to ankle length and the neck line rose up. Now he looked like a classic goddess. “This more to your liking?” Kakashi persisted.

“Y…No! I don't know what you're trying to accomplish by doing this, but you can forget it.” Raidou walked away angrily, though feeling a bit conflicted. The blonde was a knockout - the most beautiful, exotic looking woman he had ever seen.

Kakashi finally transformed back to his regular self. Raidou had passed the test. He was faithful to Kaori. He was good enough for her. Kakashi could now give her up without further regrets.

-…-…-…-

That was three days ago. Now Raidou was heading back to Konoha from his mission with Genma, Shizune, and Iwashi, a chuunin with hopes of making jounin. They were sent to patrol the northern border, checking out rumors of Orochimaru's movements. They found no validity to the rumors, no sign of Sound-nin. Orochimaru seemed to be lying low after his confrontation with Tsunade and Jiraiya months ago. Tsunade recalled them after their initial report of no findings since there were more missions still pending.

Raidou did not like long missions - they interfered with his routine. That's why he preferred the position of the Hokage's bodyguard. But Tsunade had Shizune as her attendant and she didn't feel that she needed a bodyguard (not that Sandaime needed one either - it was all for show). That was fine with Raidou as he found the new Hokage to be lacking in every Hokage requirement compared to the Great Professor. The woman was an insufferable alcoholic, bad tempered, rude and crass. Sure she was powerful, strong, the legendary healer, but she was nothing compare to the Third. He sighed as he thought of his former boss - patient and kind, wonderful and wise. Was he prejudiced because he was still faithful to Sandaime? No, Tsunade was definitely lacking in every virtue, especially diplomacy. He couldn't understand how Shizune put up with her.

Shizune was one of the nicest people he had ever known. She was almost apologetic when she issued orders, not like one of those pushy kunoichi who always felt they had to prove themselves in front of men. She was their team leader on this mission since Tsunade thought she needed the experience. But though she and Genma were somewhat involved, she was professional and let no trace of their relationship show. Despite her apparent docility, she was a smart and decisive team leader, but Raidou could see it was not natural and she had to make the extra effort to be assertive.

His friend was lucky to have someone like that. Though the two men were friends, they were not the type to compare little black books. Genma said little about how their relationship was progressing, leaving Raidou to wonder if it was working out better than his.

He genuinely liked Kaori. He wanted a woman like Kaori who seemed serious and intelligent, unlike the many silly giggling girls he'd encountered. She was nice, caring and considerate, unlike the many cold selfish kunoichi (with Shizune being an exception) he knew. He could see spending the rest of his life, albeit possible a short one, with the pretty little nurse. But did she feel the same? What if she didn't? How could he find out without making a fool of himself? He couldn't come out and ask her directly. That would put her on the spot and she'd be likely to say something she didn't mean. How else could he find out how she felt? He could ask Shizune, after the mission, he decided. Now would be inappropriate; even though they were returning to Konoha they were still on official duty and personal business had to take a backseat, he reasoned in his serious way.

At this thought, Raidou quickened his pace behind Iwashi. He wanted to get back to Kaori as soon as possible, before Kakashi could make more trouble.

Halfway to Konoha the team decided to take a break. But there was something wrong. They felt the presence of others with powerful chakra. They seemed to be coming from the other direction, from Konoha. The chakra felt unfamiliar, intense and evil, out of place in the peaceful woods. The two senior men went to investigate while Shizune and Iwashi waited for their report.

Raidou and Genma immediately recognized the four adolescents as Orochimaru's henchmen. The ones who set up the barrier around Sandaime. The ones who helped Orochimaru escape. There was no forgiving these punks, nor could they be taken lightly. Orochimaru must have held them in high esteem to rely on them for his plan to destroy Konoha.

A girl and three boys, the big one carried a large barrel. What was in the barrel? Something clearly important. From Konoha? That's the direction from which they came. They were apparently headed north to Sound Village.

Genma observed, “From your direction, it looks like you guys are on your way back from Konoha Village. Steal something important? Maybe we should take a look inside that barrel.”

The dark boy with his hair in a ponytail took a second to evaluate the two before replying, “Fighting against two jounin might be a little rough.” He gave his comrades a look and a nod.

The air turned cold, as if the heat from the environment was sucked in to fuel their chakra. Black marks of varying design appeared across their necks and faces. Every one of Orochimaru's team had a cursed seal.

Kunai and senbon clashed. The powered-up Sound-nin were fast, very fast, but as jounin, Genma and Raidou were just that much faster and more powerful even as they each faced two enemies. But then there was another surge in chakra and the enemies started to morph…

Raidou woke to find himself lying in a hospital bed with bandages around his head and chest. His head hurt like hell and he ached all over. In the bed next to him was his friend Genma looking not much better. He couldn't remember much of what happened. That they were defeated by Orochimaru's minions was obvious. Shizune and Iwashi must have come to check on them and luckily for them, Shizune was an expert medic nin. If she hadn't been on their team, it was likely neither of them would have survived.

Who were those kids? What experiments did Orochimaru perform on them to produce such creatures? He shuddered as images came to him of a humanoid spider and demonic twins.

Seeing that they were now conscious, Iashi, the medic on duty, immediately called Tsunade who wanted them awake for questioning as soon as possible.

“What happened?” Tsunade asked abruptly upon arrival with her green gambling robe opened in front and flowing behind her.

Genma spoke first. “We came upon four Sound-nin, the same ones who assisted Orochimaru in the attack months ago. They were carrying a large barrel. It must have been very important, they were apparently protecting it.”

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. “Uchiha Sasuke might have been in that barrel. I don't know why - seems a rather uncomfortable way to travel,” she added flippantly

“Uchiha Sasuke?” asked Raidou in surprise.

“Yes, he left Konoha yesterday morning. I've already sent a team to retrieve him.”

“Who?” both Genma and Raidou asked in concern.

“Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, and Akimichi Choji.”

“A bunch of genin?” said Raidou derisively and shook his head at her incompetence. Sure Shikamaru was smart and a chuunin, but he was a new chunnin with no experience and only one technique. There was no way a hodgepodge team like that could defeat the monsters they witnessed.

Genma calmly recommended, “If Uchiha Sasuke was in the barrel, then there's no way a group of genin could defeat them when we jounin were defeated. A special team should be formed to back them up.”

Tsunade shook her head and said, “We can't since Konoha has lost power since the attack by Orochimaru. Jounin and chuunin have been sent to deal with threats to the country, both internal and external. Even if Orochimaru gets the sharingan, averting war with other countries is the top priority.”

“But once Orochimaru regains his powers he'll immediately…” Raidou was about to say.

Tsunade cut him off. “I've already thought about it and I've made my decision.”

Raidou would have felt better about her confidence in the genin team if she had not been carrying around a sake bottle.

Tsunade listened to the two men as they recalled their fight with the Sound-nin. After hearing about the second surge of chakra and their transformations, she looked more concerned. Still she said nothing about sending backup when she left.

Genma sighed, “I hope those kids will be okay.”

“Yeah, the last thing we need is to fill up these hospital rooms, or the morgue,” Raidou said cynically. He sighed too and lay back on his bed, thinking about how close he had been to death, again, and how much he missed as a shinobi. Life was fleeting, he realized, and he had spent it not taking any chances other than in battle. He never did anything on the spur of the moment. He always thought things through, and analyzed the possible consequences. Even in his relationships with women, it was hard for him to express his feelings because of his well reasoned fear of rejection. They found him cold and unfeeling, even before his face was damaged. All the while he wanted to get close but couldn't. Now he decided…

-…-…-…-

It had been a crazy couple of days in Konoha. First there was Naruto's and Sasuke's fight on the hospital roof, then reports that Sasuke had left the village, then Raidou and Genma were admitted to the hospital. The hospital became a very busy place, particular for the Head Nurse, Kuchiki Kaori.

Upon learning that Raidou and Genma had been injured coming back from their mission, Kaori immediately checked their status. They were in stable condition thanks to Shizune. She tried to analyze how she felt about possibly having lost Raidou, and had to guiltily admit to herself she was distraught not just because he had been injured, but because Kaori had planned to tell Raidou about her feelings for Kakashi, which she expected to lead to a breakup, but now she couldn't. Such a blow could set back Raidou's recovery and her patients' health always came first. But Shizune then assured her they were fine and recovering quickly, which meant maybe she could get it over with. After all, ripping off a band-aid was less painful than slowly peeling if off, wasn't it? Well, maybe not to the one who had to endure the sudden painful shock.

Lunch time had arrived and with it came time for Kaori to check up on her patients. She smiled at the two now conscious men as she set up their lunch on the movable collapsible tables. “Hope you're hungry. That means you're recovering well,” she said brightly.

Raidou gave Genma a look that among men meant he needed some privacy.

“I have to use the bathroom and wash my hands first,” Genma said as he slowly got up, ignoring his moaning painful joints, and made his way over to the little boys' room.

“Kaori-san,” Raidou started to say when they were alone. “There's something I have to tell you.”

“Well, actually there's something I need to tell you, too,” Kaori said hesitantly as she moved his table over.

“Please, let me say this first. I know we haven't known each other very long, but I, um, care about you a lot. You probably don't feel the same way right now, which I completely understand with my face being as it is, but I want you to know that my intentions are honorable and I intend you make you my wife. That probably comes as a shock and I know you're not ready to give me an answer to something so important right now, but in time…” Raidou spoke quickly, afraid of losing his courage, afraid of Kaori's response.

What could Kaori say to that? The man actually wanted to marry her after only two dates. How could she break up with him now? How could she tell him about Kakashi? Of course she couldn't. Instead she forced a smile and said, “We'll have plenty of time to discuss this later. You've just been through a traumatic experience so you're probably not thinking too clearly right now…”

“But I am. In fact I already had these thoughts before my mission. I'm sure you're the right woman for me. You're intelligent and serious, beautiful and kind. You're an excellent nurse with a perfect bedside manner. I don't understand why some man hasn't claimed you already. I can't believe how lucky I am to have this chance...”

All the flattery went to straight to Kaori's head. How could she say no to something like that?

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Author's Notes: I adapted some of the lines from the anime/manga, but Raidou and Genma surprisingly were not bandaged up after their fight with the Sound Four.