Live to Hurt

everything was fuzzy, her head, her mouth and her sight. Sound was kind of muffled but she liked that, because her head was pounding at the same rhythm as when Yuii banged on pots and pans and the extra noise would have been worse. The little girl had probably gotten into the kitchen pots again and was making noise too, it would be just like Yuii to make a racket to wake Ming up after a hard night.

Hard night...

Yuii was gone, that's right, and she had been out playing her usual games but this time it had gone a little too far. She had been sitting and then...

"Oh god, Ren," she moaned, not really wanting to open her eyes. She felt comfortable enough but maybe she was just so close to dead in an alleyway that she had lost all feeling. Death wouldn't be so bad right now, there wasn't anyone around who would do so much as bat a lash for her corpse. Yuii was gone, Renzo probably finally saw her for the scum she had always told him she was and who else was there? No one...


"As expected, I would be interrupted in the middle of completing the pharmaceutical check."

How deep within her work was the kunouichi? Something that surely couldn't have been interrupted in lieu of a true emergency. However, with the enthusiastic measures that her staff had gotten her to take in order to break from the mediocre studies of her lab and draw her further more away from working with plants to working with the human body once more, Kimi couldn't help but pull away at their urging. A bit upset from her recent run in with her beautiful daughter, who was more than ready to leave the nest when the young mother was not ready for her, Kimi brushed back a loose hair in retrospect to fixing her bun once more. The Sanatorium's work was always very demanding, and she was not immune to its call.

"So, what's the story on this one? Is she going into cardiac arrest? Do I need to keep her heart up and pumping? Details, people. I. Need. Details."

Though, Kimi would receive all of the detail she needed once she entered into the room. The light shining upon the 'stage' of the Chief's Master field, Kimi reached over towards the sink in order to wash her hands and snap on the gloves that would label her sterile within the play. Learning to be fully prepared was something that came natural with age, but there was still some things on this Earth that someone could never truly be prepared for, be it personal or otherwise. This one happened to hit close to home, and when Kimi didn't imagine any other surprise could really bounce off towards her after living the life she had and being the wife of a demon, once again, the Nara was proven oh, so wrong.

"...Ming?

Kimi's questionable voice would come out in a slight hum as she leaned over the body of the woman, and this was someone who did not forget a face, no matter how much she tried. The woman before her wasn't her usual bubbly self, always offering a cute pout or a beautiful smile. In fact, Kimi wasn't really aware what had happened to Ming Yue over the years. It had indeed been so long, and the moment's hesitation for her recovery did not go in vain. She simply had to believe that she wasn't caught in another delusion once more. They tended to strike at her mind from time to time.


Her green eyes swept from one end of the room to the other and shew knew at once where she was. This was the place she had always wanted to work but if one were to believe Renzo the fate had decided another path for her. Fate, destiny, if she believed in that then she had to believe it had always been in the stars for her to suffer and while that might have been the easy way out Ming was too pragmatic to ever believe anything was more than her own fault.

She had chosen to be a ninja. She had chosen to leave her mother alone that day, She had chosen to flee from Renzo's apparent death. She had chosen to live in fear for years. She had chosen to work in Kumogakure. She had chosen to follow Kiyo to Konoha. She had chosen believe in Tatsuya and Renzo's word. She had let her guard down. She had chosen to send Yuii away and ultimately she had chosen everything that would lead to the end of any chance of happiness she ever had. Fear bred more fear, hate bred more hate and the innately happy girl she had once been had been so smothered in shit she couldn't breath anymore.

Her own name broke her out of her bitter thoughts and feelings, said with a voice that was familiar but not. It forced her to focus her eyes a little better and to pay attention to the person who had spoken it.

It had been so long since Ming had seen the dark haired girl, at least as long as the last time she had seen her, and now Kimi was older as she was but... beautiful. A lavender flower speaking to a clump of shit, she didn't really deserve it. It might have been kindif she had  never seen Kimi again.

But so she was alive, or Kimi was dead and you never really healed. She wouldn't mind the feeling of two broken ribs threatening to puncture her lungs for the rest of her life, it had hurt twice as much when Ren had turned away from her. No, she would go with alive for now and hope the later would happen soon because there wasn't much further to fall for her.

Someone was playing a cruel game with her life, if she chose to believe that.

"Kimi," of course this would be the first time Kimi would have heard her spoke too but at the moment it didn't matter. She didn't know if she was happy or sad to see a familiar face right now, and her body seemed just as confused as tears streamed over her face which had broken into a heartbreaking and sweet smile under all the smudged makeup and bruises.

"I-I..."


No words could escape her for a moment as the questionable identity of the woman before her was indeed confirmed. Where everyone knew for the most part who she was within the Sanatorium, Kimi couldn't fanthom strangers saying her name with so much familiarity, so much conviction. And then again, Kimi had never really heard Ming's voice in the first place, the woman always coming off as a mute to her. Her voice was filled with what she imagined for Ming's voice to be, a bit of sultry sound that only came from those who had indeed been introduced to womanhood. Though, it was also light and free as though she had an endless field of beautiful flowers within her, that could go on and on.

It was a sad thought, seeing her like this with ruined makeup and bruises upon her. Kimi always held a hard time keeping her emotions out of her work, something like this being a clear example of why. Compassion, no matter how little, was always presented within the mind of the kunouichi, and it would be displayed here as Kimi bent over Ming in order to lift the covers from her body gently and place her face right before Ming's in case something indeed had happened to her eyes. It had been so long, there wasn't any telling what was what here. Though the woman's hands would gently move down with a pair of scissors to cut off whatever remaining strips of dirty clothing that had been presented upon Ming's delicate body. It was too dangerous, after all, to move the woman around in an effort to take off the clothes by normal standards.

"Should I even prod deep enough to figure out what caused this, Ming? Sssh, calm down."

Kimi's voice was as gentle as ever, her own emotion tightening around her heart more than what it should as skin after skin was revealed before her. This looked, pretty much, like your typical case of 'Mission-Gone-Wrong', to Kimi. But then again, what was the makeup for? What world's cruelties had Ming Yue found herself a victim of within this night? Looking back to one of the nurses within the room, Kimi passed the woman the scissors before coming to a stand and taking her gloved hands to stroke gently over Ming's dirtied locks, her mouth set in a hard and disappointing frown. So many questions danced through her mind at that moment.

"Let's start with this. The last person I had seen you with Ming was Hasegawa Renzo. You were under his wing, yes? Oi...did something happen between you two? I'm going to have to do a full examination to make sure there aren't any...internal injuries as well. I can already see a few ribs not in place."

Personal trauma was something that Kimi had a good idea on how to handle, and the Nara was starting to understand why she had been summoned for such a case like this. It was hard to exactly remain in shock when the Medical Ninja was involved, because understanding would take place where strict fact was only supposed to be allowed. Kimi wiped at Ming's tears for her, knowing it could've possibly been too painful for herself to do it. She slowly undressed the woman and moved to gather the tools necessary in order to provide the needed check in order to determine an appropiate diagnosis of the situation. And if Ming didn't feel like speaking upon the truth of her attack, Kimi would be able to figure out the gist of such things from injury alone. But, the disturbing part would only stem from the perportrator of such attacks, for Kimi was sure the last place she had indeed saw the woman with was with Hasegawa Renzo...


There was nothing wrong with her eyes, she followed Kimi well with them now that she was awake and it was likely just makeup had just mucked things up for the moment. She sniffled pitifully, trying to clam down for the moment and thought about Kimi's question. Should she let her prod deeper and figure everything else? She could tell her everything that was wrong with her body.

"What caused? oh was my fault," she sniffled, tried to do as Kimi had told her and calm down but that was hard. She kept thinking about that stupid blond. "Two ribs gone, maybe three," she answered carefully, not feeling the least but embarrassed about being stripped but maybe that was the pain, "Hurts to breathe," and indeed her lungs seemed to strain to even get enough oxygen to speak in short sentences. "Pulled my arm out but I put it back," then she had dumped his body in that refuse bin, serves him right. "Leg wasn't working well... I don't know how I," pause, breath, "got here." it was too much to hope Renzo had brought her here himself, he would have been right to leave her on the street too. More likely someone else had come across her and called in a med-nin or anbu to move the garbage off the street.

She liked the feeling of Kimi's hand on her head; it reminded her of being small and her mother calming her down after a nightmare. She let her eyes slip close for the moment but Kimi was quick to start talking again. Talking meant thinking and the corner of her eye twitched when Kimi-mentioned Ren.

"Long time ago, not now" her brain wasn't putting things together well, it seemed easiest to explain this way."I left Kirigakure," because I thought Renzo was dead, coward ,"for a long time," never staying in one place, hunting that man, "'even have a cute sister" Yuii, and shes the most beautiful child you've ever seen, I love her like hell, "Found Hasegawa-sama in Konoha" because I was working for the Raikage and I went with her to the summit, "he asked me to come back," Yuii had cried about that, but Ming had been so happy to be forgiven, "'was happy but they", promised not to but they still, "left without me and..." I got myself raped, Yuii cried a lot, "and so on," was saved somehow, like today somehow, "and so on and," and Renzo says he loves me but doesn't know, "I make clothes now." She smiled at the last, the shop really was the last thing she had left in her life. Funny, work had always been a torture for her but now..."I'll make you a dress mmkay?" mischief bloomed in her eyes for one second, "Better than Hasegawa-corp." Which brought her to the entire reason of her story.

"So, Ren isn't involved," which was a bit of a fib because he had been the one to find her out on the street in a bad way and he was probably the reason her stomach felt like it was doing flops, she was anxious, and there was a tightening in her chest whenever she recalled his face. He could even still be in the hospital and part of her wanted to track him down and explain but that part always seemed to lose out in the end.

She wasn't really comfortable with the idea of being examined and that one more person would know the extent to which she had fallen but she wasn't really losing anything if Kimi decided to think badly of her for this,"'can exam me if you wanna. You wont like it."

Shit. She was probably talking too much and making a fool of herself or maybe she wasn't talking enough? Didn't matter but it mattered. Stupid.

"I'll live?"


The description of Ming's attack certaintly did pull at the heartstrings, as the nurse from the side sat up from her position in releasing the clothing from around Ming. Kimi held up the tweezers within her gloved hand, looking down towards Ming as she listened to her story carefully. It was brutal, from the suspected rib damage to the arm being pulled out of the socket. Kimi knew that her and her nurses would have some work ahead of them, and the woman was more than prepared to spend the time necessary in order to have Ming's recovery come out right, rather than rapid.

"Well, let's be thankful that whoever did bring you here knew to contact me for your recovery. I'm just glad that you were found before something worse happened."

Though, the simplicity of the statement wouldn't be taken for granted. It was indeed a good thing that Ming had been found, and from the girl wishing to tell the story about her meetup with Renzo, Kimi was more than willing to listen. As Ming explained her ties with the Hasegawa, Kimi had made her way near the end of the bed in order to gently open Ming's legs, giving a nod every now and then to allow for her to know that she indeed had her full attention. The knowledge of knowing that Ming was harassed by a male of sorts automically spelled sexual assault to Kimi, or at least was one of the more towering ideas. She didn't wish it upon anyone, but that didn't mean Kimi wouldn't check for it.

"You have a sister, you say? Was she around you during the time of the attack, Ming? If not, then I am happy she is safe as well. To hear that you and Renzo are no longer in each other's company is a little depressing, to be honest. He seemed quite taken with you. But, I understand circumstances arise and things happen. I can only ask for you now to take better care..."

Kimi's speech was indeed cut off once she figured out the status of the exam. Indeed, Ming had been sexually active recently, and it only made the Nara even more concerned. Smudged makeup, sex and assault? Passing out only to awake in the hospital, and she claimed that she worked with making clothes now? She wondered if Ming actually needed more assistance than what she had let on, and Kimi straightened in order to look towards the nurse and signal for her dismissal out of the room. If Ming could still speak despite the pain, it was a job that she could clearly handle herself.

"Yes. I would love to have a dress from Ming's personal collection and talent. Are you sure there isn't anything that we possibly could help with? That there isn't anything that I could help with, Ming? Your situation right now doesn't exactly look...chaste, to be honest. I don't want to have to report this as sexual assault, but that is what its starting to look like. Not to mention we would have to locate the assailiant and have the ANBU take care of him since your injuries appear to be the workings of a shinobi. Were you raped?"

Hearing that Ren wasn't involved made Kimi's heart drop even more. would he even care to see Ming in such a condition like this? Of course, the woman wouldn't ask. Some things just wasn't for her business. Kimi had made her way to the side of the bed now, attempting to help Ming sit up so that way she could set and wrap the rib injuries properly. These were typical bones to break in order to protect/attack yourself as a shinobi, so it would be a simple procedure for the Chief to endure through. Of course, a syringe of morphine to assist in easing the pain would be given as well, the combination of Mystical Force giving a calming agent in order to help Ming get to the most comfortable position as possible while Kimi worked her magic.


"Depends on who," She really wished it had been Ren, despite it all, but whenever she wished for things it had a nasty way of turning on her. She had wished to see Ren before and he had shown up just in time to see his pseudo lover beaten and cum stained. Bad timing and be careful what she wished for, maybe Ren would have saved her only to let it be his last act of kindness towards her.

"Yuii-chan," Ming spoke the name with motherly warmth, her eyes half closing,"I sent here away from Kiri- she isn't going to- become a shinobi- and have her life- turned to shit- or get warped by- me." But she questioned her choice of sending Yuii away often, nearly as often as she berated herself for not going too. The answer was simple to the second bit though and selfish too, she didn't want to leave Renzo or corrupt Yuii. "We both know how- difficult a Kunoichi's- live can be." As for Renzo, well she had a moment to think about that as Kimi poked around. To tell or not to tell..?

Why not, Kimi would be so alienated but the end of tonight she might as well unload. "Ren loved me yesterday- today he hates me- and its for the best- because none of this was him." Her face twisted into a bitter frown and she turned her head to stare at the far wall. There was more to it then that, there was always more to it, but for the same reason she had held her peace when Renzo showed up there.

More poking, more prodding and then a kind of question too.

The was a difficult question the answer.. She had been, before, long before but now? "Not tonight" she shifted very slightly but even that much made her hiss in pain. "First two were nice," they had been sweet on her and given her looks not unlike a young Renzo had filled with kindness. They had also had the decency to look put out when she left a little while after wards. Truth was she was still scared of men when she wasn't in control.

"Last one had evil eyes," she lowered her eyes, looking shy despite it all. "I wanted to see- if he would kill me." But he hadn't because she wasn't about to die without a good fight first. He had turned to zip up in that dirty back alley, thinking she was so beaten and frightened she wouldn't move, and when he had turned with a kunai to finish her off Ming lodged six needles through his eyes and out the back of his skull. Better she just left that bit out though and hopefully Kimi-chan didn't keep up with the street murders in Kiri. "He failed."

It was clear by the stubborn set of her jaw she was trying to intimidate Kimi with her bluntness and chase away any bit of Kindness the younger woman might have given her. She could have asked for help  but she so clearly believed that it was all her own fault and failings that led to everything that she didn't deserve that help or that she was just too far gone.

"I just need my ribs fixed," she said at the last "would have healed myself but- I'm here so..." right and try to change the subject too so that Kimi didn't get too involved. Medic tended to do that, get involved that is, which was why she avoided this sort of place.


It wasn't hard to understand the attempt to push away. The need to be away when one felt like that they possibly couldn't understand what was going on within the mindset of the said person. Everyone had their fair share of demons, and Kimi was more than aware that Ming wasn't any exception. Just how deep did the demons hold their claim to her, Kimi wasn't aware of most of all. Ming spoke lovingly about her sister, her Yuii, and about the reaction towards her not wanting to become kunouichi. Kimi could only continue her healing at this point, fully understanding what Ming meant by such a phrase. Even now, Kimi wondered why she continued her own shinobi path, when there was always more taken away from her than what she had gived to Kirigakure. It was a mystery that perhaps wasn't meant to be solved.

The wraps would come soon after the Mystical Force, The Nara making sure that she was being efficant as well as fast, not wanting to hold up more of the woman's time than needed be. Ming was putting up a wall, a shield, against Kimi's kindness, and who could blame her? Kimi didn't want her own demons revealed during her time, and she wasn't going to push any from Ming as well. She listened attentively, her enhanced hearing called for it. Kimi would ask Ming no more questions, digesting the information quickly. It seemed as though Ming was moving off of her own, her reactions towards Renzo causing the effect of her sleeping around. What broke Kimi's heart the worst was the claim that she wanted one of her Johns to kill her.

"Well, your ribs will heal in practically no time, Ming."

Offering the woman some reassurance in the one field she definitely could help in, Kimi only kept her eyes locked within the beautiful emerald depths of the woman before her, finishing the wrapping of her chest and torso and moving back in order to study her work and Ming. Judgemental wasn't one of Kimi's traits, and she couldn't see anything at fault for Ming. Something had definitely screwed with the woman to the point of this version of self-destruction, and if Ming didn't want help to save her, then Kimi had no choice but to let the woman save herself.

"It'll be interesting to tell my husband and daughter about meeting an old friend today. Does this mean that you'll be in Kirigakure for a while, Ming?"

Kimi knew that a subject change was necessary as well. The uptake was made quickly.

"If so, then perhaps we can join together for dinner? If you're not so busy, that is."

As if the woman would really refuse? Kimi could try to be a friend for her, a shoulder if Ming didn't have one. And By God, for such a woman of her calibur, a kunouichi, Ming didn't seem to have one at all. Kimi wanted to keep it professional, however, for Ming's sake.


"I'm glad," she said with a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she really needed to move like she had as a Shinobi but there was something disturbing about being helpless and weaker then you needed to be. That was why she still trained, in secret, and that was why she still carried weapons; because one never knew when their life would be in danger. That had extended to protecting loved ones once upon a time too.

She took a few tentative breaths, deepening each one a little further to test the limits of her lungs. It wasn't her usual but she didn't feel like she was going to die. It was better then she could have done, quicker too. she would be able to work again in a few days, sewing that was, and she wouldn't push herself until then. Maybe visit the reservoir and relax. The bandages helped her feel a little less awkward too, at very least she was partially covered.

Ming's cheeks glowed a deep red and she nodded slowly, It was pity, it had to be pity, and for a brief second all the hate in her heart wanted to force her to push away yet another speck of friendship. Bitterness told her it was an illusion, that Kimi was only helping her to make herself feel good. Self pity whispered that she wasn't worth Kimi's time of day, that she would only be burdening the other woman with her presence. "I... uhm... maybe. I do have the shop so..." She was thrown off by the gesture in the end, too thrown off to out right say no.

"There wouldn't... happen to be a spare set of clothes I could borrow? I can return them tomorrow but mine are-" Well Kimi had cut them off herself so she knew, " I don't really think I want to walk home like this, it'll probably just end up with a repeat of the evening and..." well to be honest she didn't want to repeat it because shame dampened all else.

"Maybe... lunch instead? I will need measurements." she blinked then rubbed her own cheek gently, "I mean, for the dress. It would be kind of awkward with your husband around..." and same old Ming in that regard, she wasn't really comfortable with men in a normal situation.


"Of course you can borrow clothes, Ming. I'll loan you one of my black garbs. Don't worry about returning them either, I'm sure you'll more than make up for it with that dress you wish to make for me."

Kimi's washing of the hands couldn't drown out the soft melodic flow of her alto-voice. As the woman dried off her hands, she sized up Ming and decided that her herself was only a few more inches taller than Ming, being pretty short herself. Definitely shorter than her comrades. The Nara wouldn't refuse the idea for Lunch, seeing as how it was definitely left up to Ming in order to establish the little 'date' between the two in the first place. If she wasn't able to come up with something, Kimi would, but then Ming did. So as Kimi made her way towards Ming, her hand went out in order to assist the woman off of the bed in order to have her follow to Kimi's office. She couldn't read really what was going through Ming's mind, but Kimi was sure that the woman didn't seem that sure of herself.

"Lunch sounds perfect, Ming. Perhaps Michiku would want to join us. My daughter is always drowning herself in her studies, but I must admit that I wanted the same for her as you did for your Yuii. I didn't want to expose her to the shinobi world as much as possible, and I was thankful that she retired when she did to pursue her actual dreams within the Sanatorium. Though, Michiku is about eighteen now, and definitely acting like a woman and wanting to make her own decisions. Distresses my poor heart."

Kimi tried to keep the air light, especially since Ming's distrust of men still made itself apparent as she suggested the awkwardness of having her husband around. There, Kimi couldn't really disagree, to be honest. It had taken her some time to grow accustomed to dealing with her husband's aura constantly around the house, growing a small form of immunity against it just as Michiku had did. And even still, the woman found herself being caught off guard if she wasn't too careful, or if the Nara demon purposefully smacked the aura directly in her face without hesitation. A lovely way to start the evening, your hormones jacked all to hell, the source of it being your husband. Nevertheless, Kimi wondered if Ming would continue such a destructive lifestyle. At the very least, she wanted for Ming to find love in some kind of way, that way she did not have to go through the self pity and pain that she had seemed to delve herself in. Kimi knew the feeling all too well. Kimi's hand pressed against the door of the patient's room, hopefully moving out into the hallway along with Ming behind her in order to guide her to the office where the Nara resided. Of course, Kimi's medical white coat would be out and around Ming if she didn't struggle, allowing the woman to move through said hall with modesty if she so chose.

"Hehe. You don't have to sugarcoat it, Ming. You don't want me to bring my husband around. That's fine. I don't personally think Ryuujin would enjoy being in the midst of beautiful women and was forced to behave. He can wait at home and see the dress as a surprise. Tell me, would you like to have lunch at your shop? I can always have the food brought to us if you don't want to go to a restaurant or the sort. We'll do whatever you like to do."

It was the least Kimi could offer at this point. But, the woman did have something she wanted to say. Just, if Ming would accept.

"You should know, Ming. That I don't find you really at fault for any of this. I know perhaps you're uncomfortable, that you aren't exactly proud of yourself right now because of the things you're doing...I can say this because I was very similar to that, only a few years ago I could honestly say I've been there. But please, Ming. Let someone be there for you like someone was there for me those years ago. You'll come to find that it can literally save you from such a lifestyle."


Yet another unfamiliar ceiling.  Just perfect.  That was the thought that crossed the Mizukage's mind once again when he finally woke up from the powerful sedatives.  The man sat up and placed his hand upon his forehead for a moment.  "G'damn you, Daichi.  You could have taken it a little easier on me, asshole," the man said as he noticed the blood coming from the side of his bandaged eye.  "Wonderful."

In spite of people being able to see him in his current state, the man sat up and spun to place his legs over the side of the bed and stepped down upon his own power.

"Hey nurse!  Nurse!" the man said grumbling for a moment and pursed his lips.  Man, did he long for some water right now.  Ripping out the I.V. from his arm, the Mizukage began a slow walk out of his room only to catch himself upon the opposite wall.

"Hey, nurse!"  the man shouted once more before picking himself up off of the wall and looked around for a moment.  It was to his, well it's hard to really define a word to put here, but he walked directly by Ming's room where both she and Kimi were at.  Neither of the two he wished to see at the moment.  He had hurt both of them an amount that nobody should be hurt.  Even if one of them, he couldn't control due to Fenrir's intervention.

"Can I get some water around here?  What is this, a holiday or something?"


"She can come," Ming answered immediately, not at all bothered by the addition of another girl. The age of the child bothered her, Kimi seemed much too young still to even possibly have an eighteen year old daughter but she guessed the child might have come from her marriage. Maybe her husband was quite old, love worked in strange ways sometimes.

Ming pulled on the lab coat and let herself be lead out into the hallway. The thin fabric covered more then her previous clothing had even whole and yet she felt oddly naked. She tucked her arms across her body, trying to keep her warmth in as best she could and followed along.

She mumbled something about her trust in men, more than willing to allow things to stay sugarcoated for now. There was more than one reason she wanted to avoid a window into the domestic lifestyle of her friend, one of which included terrible jealousy. "W-will the dress l-last under that kind of circumstance?" Ming asked, her face flaring up at the hint of passion in Kimi's married life. She could so blatantly speak on behalf of herself, her face betraying nothing, but when it came to her friends own sex live she couldn't help but be embarrassed. Maybe it was the difference between feelings, for Ming her nights had been about as enjoyable as tying her shoes or brushing her hair and so talking about it held no great merit but Kimi was talking about kisses and desires that had a base in love. "I can't cook, bringing food would be...best." she added, at last finding her tongue again.

"Of course it's my fault," she answered back, the answer coming out immediately and robotic. This was a mantra, the words she used to cause the most pain of all and she almost completely believed them "It's always my fault, I am controlling my own person am I not?" "I chose to go out, I chose to ignore the happy road, I should take the consequences of my actions. I am merely reacting within the realm of my own capabilities, making the choices I deserve," and in the process she was manipulating Renzo into hating her because she was too frightened to love him like Kimi seemed to love her husband.

Someone meant Renzo right away and for one instant she really wished she could find him to explain. Would he have helped her or would it all have sounded like dull excuses as it had to her. Again came the brainwashing she had given herself "This way is for the best, he doesn't deserve to be burdened with my problems or my vices. This is only proof that I'm unwor-"

Ming cut off suddenly, her eyes darting behind Kimi while her face turned deathly pale.

"Why is it every time I think about you, you show up?" Ming asked quietly, her mouth forming a pained grimace. Timing seemed to play cruel games with her heart, some other force wanted to sap the drama from her pained little life until all that was left was a wrung out husk. There stood Renzo, as he had been if not worse then before and all he did was demand water. But then memory of his turning away pierced through and Ming made a small sound as if choking.


Unable to keep the innocent chuckles from escaping her mouth, Kimi found herself laughing softly at Ming's questioning. The dress lasting a couple of rounds between Kimi and Ryuujin was something that even the Nara herself had asked was possible. After all, it wasn't like anything else was safe between the flame of such intense heat, and yet, thinking about this brought a red to Kimi's cheeks that was just inappropiate for duty. The kunouichi moved along to the office, stepping inside and leaving the door open for Ming's own entrance as she instantly made her way for the closet, one of the working suits that Kimi had usually dressed herself in standing tall inside on the hanger. This would have to do until Ming could make it home, at least, in order to dress herself properly.

"Well, I'll be sure that Michiku would be more than happy to join us. Is there anything that you have in mind for the menu of our lunch? Or are you alright with anything that I might bring?"

Kimi had to bite back the urge to ask Ming if there was anything allergic she could've been and the usual medical jargon. Now wasn't the time to continue to act and play as doctor since Ming was healed. But, the woman's words would settle into Kimi's mind as she handed Ming the stretching back suit that usual Medical Ninja wore underneath their lab-coats and their Medical vests. It wouldn't be much, but it would be alright and enough, and all the woman had to do was to just slip inside of it like a normal cat-suit would work. As well as the sandals that Kimi had provided for her as well, unless Ming wanted to remain in her own shoes. It saddened Kimi to hear Mind speak like this, taking responsibility for choices that she knew was wrong, and yet, she continued to go down the destructive path. So much memory flew through Kimi's own mind then, the woman recollecting and recalling her own past when such thought mirrored the one being spoken out loud within the vicinity of her office. And then, Kimi simply held her hand up, unwilling to listen to it anymore, for it was poisonous thinking, and no woman should've ever had to go through that.

"Just stop, Ming. And answer me this. What are you running from?"

Because that's the only way I'm going to believe you are doing this.

And, like a prayer being answered, Hasegawa Renzo came through her office's door as though he owned the place, which technically, as the Mizukage, he did. Kimi felt mixed feelings for Renzo, always had, since what he was about, and what he did, and what he knew landed her in trouble in the past that she could've definitey lived without. At the Mizukage's demand for water, Kimi found herself releasing a snort of disbelief, before catching herself quickly. It was just that hard to take Renzo seriously when he demanded something so small.

"Ah, Nanadaime-sama. None of our nurses are on your beck and call? I have heard the reason for your stay here, and I made sure that nothing was denied you. Well, hell. I'll get right on the job of retrieving you water."

Kimi stated, before noticing Ming's words. Ah, and this was where things were going to get uncomfortable, for the woman was just witness to Ming's struggle about leaving Hasegawa Renzo alone. A comforting hand would be placed on Ming's shoulder, a questioning stare towards her, as though Kimi was asking to see if Ming wanted her to kick Renzo out. Trust me, Kimi was not above doing such a thing in order to benefit the woman before her. If nothing was stated, Kimi would move over to the mini-fridge in her office, grasping onto one of her bottled waters and tossing it like a shuriken towards Renzo's direction. He was the Mizukage, he should've saw the bottle coming a mile away.


Kimi.  One of the last people she wished to see right now.  The woman had every right to be angry with him.  However, due to his current condition, the man wasn't able to catch the bottle.  His reflexes are currently shot due to the injuries he had sustained during his fight with Daichi causing the bottle to land directly upon Ren's face.  What made it worse, it was the cap that hit him.  This caused the man to quickly put his hand over his face.

Peering between his fingers, the Mizukage opened his eyes to note Ming Yue in the bed in the room directly beside him.  What a twisted and cruel fate the man had to endure.  Afterall, he was the one that brought the woman here to the hospital, yet he still had to endure this kind of torment?  It wasn't as if Ren truly hated the woman, he just needed distance away from her.

The bottle had broken as it hit the ground, spilling out as he looked on towards Ming and Kimi through his only good eye.  The blond stood there for a brief moment before lowering his hand down from his face.  Indeed, a tubular red mark was seen on the man's face before turning his head towards the exit of the Sanatorium.  Indeed, he didn't feel comfortable anymore.  His heart sank a few feet below his lungs into his gut.

Not a word was said before the man, while still holding onto something, started working his way out towards the main doors of the Sanatorium.  There was a pain in his chest that he couldn't outdo or cure from being here.  These were two women that were emotionally pained due to his weakness.

The man stopped for a moment after taking a couple of steps towards the main door of the Sanatorium.  "One of these days, Egawa Kimi, I will let you take my life for what I've done to you.  However, right now is not the time for I have a lot of things to do.  I don't expect you to completely forgive me, but I do hope you learn to accept my apologies to you in time," the man said before taking a painful step towards the direction of the main doors.

The double doors in front of him lead to freedom.  He didn't feel well enough to be bound by this accursed hell called the Sanatorium.  With a few painful steps, the man walked out of view of the two women and eventually walked out of the Sanatorium, even though he wasn't admitted to leave.


She sat back in one of Kimi's office chairs, hugging the catsuit against her body as she stared at Ren. Kimi's questions went unanswered, she couldn't answer her now because her tongue had dried and stuck to the roof of her mouth. Kimi seemed to understand though, she took over the situation fluidly as if the woman could read her mind. She was creating a buffer, trying to lighten the mood, and Ming had to be thankful for it.

"I'm fine," no she wasn't alright. She didn't want to face Renzo because she expected from him the wraith all men held. He had to hate her if only a fraction as much ash she hated herself right then and she had wronged him. She wanted him to stay because Ming wanted him to yell at her, to hurt her more and to solidify the future that no doubt was devoid of him. She wanted him to hit her because she wanted to fear him as she feared all others, and because pain was the proper retribution for her behavior. When she pleased them she was allowed to feel good, the eat, the sleep, when she displeased them there was only pain and that black and white world was so very simple to slip into.

"Kimi, n- shit," Ming winced as the bottle hit Ren, her own body sluggish and powerless to stop it from hitting. He was fine, he had to be fine, but the reminder that he was so weak and the harder treatment probably didn't sit well him him. "Shit, Ren..." She reacted with the same kindness and caring she would have the day before, every bit the same person as she ever had been, because loving him had been one of few truths she had shared with Ren. The difference between today and yesterday was now Ren would finally understand what she had been trying to say when she told him she wasn't worth his time, his energy or his love. In some small way is was a weight removed from her shoulders only to be placed on her heart. "You shouldn't be up..."

He ignored her, she didn't even exist to him anymore. Not a word, not a flicker of kindness in his eyes, nothing. She felt her chest constricting as the weight of what she had done, the real weight of it, settled onto her shoulders and at that very moment she wanted to die. If he yelled, she could bow her head and ask for forgiveness, even break down and explain. If he lashed out she would forgive him, because he was all she had left and all she wanted. If he broke down she would too, she would try to weep with him and maybe they could rebuild from nothing. From nothing she could make nothing and so everything was unraveling into the ocean with no chance of recovery, there was no hope.

"He hates me," she said aloud as the door swung shut behind Ren. The hope that his turning away had just been a bad dream, that he might understand or forgive her melted away as seconds passed and again she wanted to die. She wished she hadn't stabbed that cold eyed bastard earlier that night, that she had just let him finish the job and be done with it. No, Ren hadn't known then, she had still had the misguided dream there would eventually be someone to go home to instead of just twists to leave. Slowly she pulled her legs up onto the chair and curled her body until she reached the fetal position.

"Go after him, he'll hurt himself," she forced out, surprised in a detached way when her body wracked with a sob that made her newly healed ribs ache terribly. It was good though, she needed to hurt, she deserved it,

"I'm fine," she lied through her teeth, hoping she did a better job at fooling others than she did herself, "Please make sure he's alright."

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