Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

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Amy
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Sat Oct 12, 2024 11:58 pm

Tsubaki couldn’t help but drag her feet as she and Tousha entered what seemed like the fiftieth small village they had visited since beginning their search for the bandit crew. She accepted the fact that is was probably more like the sixth village but it felt like the fiftieth and that mattered more to her than facts at that exact moment in time. Because, the plain truth of it was that she was tired. Physically tired. Emotionally tired. Bone tired. Soul tired. If there was a phrase for a type of tired, it applied to her. The quiet, selfish part of her wanted to just find a place to grab a quick bite to eat and hunker down for the night. A simple bowl of ramen or a couple salmon onigiri would easily tide her over till morning and getting either would require little to no conversation. But it wasn’t who she was. It was a heavy, self-imposed burden that Tsubaki carried around to check if anyone needed any medical attention in every place she went.

The burden had lightened, for a while, when she was alone and in the worst state she had ever been in. It had stopped mattering as much, the desire to help people. For a while, it had been nothing but an act, no heart behind it. But that driving desire to help people, to save them, was what had saved her in the end. So despite the fact that the burden was only heavier than before it was just a little bit easier to carry than it had been in the past. Which was good because she never planned to put it down again. Even if she really wanted to.

Quiet town,” she remarked as no one came out to greet them. In an ideal world, Tsubaki would have preferred things that way. But the fact was that it was unusual. And unusual tended to mean worrisome. And the two of them had had enough worry to last, if not a lifetime, at least a few months. As they neared the center of the town, things got a little livelier if you could call it that. Several townsfolk were outside, pulling their laundry from the lines. Others were watering small, dying flower boxes that sat outside their windows. And still others just stood aimlessly, their eyes following the newcomers wordlessly.

Maybe the worst part was that it wasn’t the strangest town she had been to in her travels. It probably wasn’t even in the top half.

Do you think they even have an inn here?” The town was plenty big enough to have one. If not an official inn, someone who volunteered their empty room to travelers. Once, she had been in a town of less than fifty people and they still had several different accommodations to offer. It was the atmosphere that had Tsubaki questioning if they would be welcomed there for the night. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something didn’t feel quite right.

Can I help you folks?” The rough voice of a tired man called out to Tsubaki and Tousha from behind them, from the direction they had entered the town.
Last edited by Amy on Mon Oct 14, 2024 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Sun Oct 13, 2024 2:07 am

Tousha nodded, peering this way and that as they walked through the threadbare town. Not for lack of buildings or people, but threadbare from a lack of life. The townsfolk were going about their day but there was a heaviness to everything, as if the simple act of carrying on was a burden all its own. He could almost smell whatever it was in the air - something stale and lingering, threatening to suffocate the joy from anything it touched. Not even the late afternoon's stiff gusts could rid the town of the stinking moroseness that assaulted him from every direction.

Something was wrong here.

"Very quiet," he muttered, almost to himself. He noticed a middle aged woman sitting on her front porch as Tsubaki asked if the town even had an inn. His dark, thin eyes met the woman's and saw nothing but vacancy staring back, a haunting look that made Tousha's brow crease with worry. Those bottomless eyes followed him for a few moments before settling back into barrenness.

Tousha was about to answer Tsubaki's question when he heard a voice call out to them. He turned, half facing the man who it belonged to. Tousha guessed the man was in his early fifties, with a mostly bald head save for patches of wispy white hair that blew in the wind. He was wearing simple but clean clothing and leaned heavily to the left on a walking stick.

He was hobbling their way them with purpose, each step a visible burden. Without thinking, Tousha started walking towards the man to ease his journey.

"Hey there," Tousha called back, waving a friendly hand at the aging man. "We're just weary travelers, sir. Looking for a place to rest our backs for the night."

"is that so?" the man said, stopping and letting the pair of strangers come to him. He attempted a smile but it did nothing to veil an underlying misery. "I'm afraid you've come at a... Worrisome time. But, if you head the way you were, you'll find what you're looking for."

Tousha offered the man a polite smile. "Thank you kindly, we'll do just that." But, instead of turning and walking down the road in search of an inn, Tousha shot a look at Tsubaki, then back at the man with the walking stick.

"What's got this place in such a worry if you don't mind me asking?"

The man couldn't seem to answer for a few breaths. He clutched at his walking stick with a kind of unspoken bitterness that made Tousha's heart ache. Finally he said, "Sickness. A curse. Don't know." He could barely get the words out. His body began to shake with a mixture of equal parts fear and helpless rage, the wrinkled lines of his face contorting into something almost inhuman.
Last edited by Toshi on Tue Oct 15, 2024 1:06 am, edited 6 times in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Mon Oct 14, 2024 4:47 pm

Her feet moved slower than Tousha’s, keeping her several feet behind him. They didn’t need to stay in the town for the night. They had enough supplies to get them to the next town though they would probably have to walk for a while as they had been flying most of the way up to that point. But it wasn’t as though Tsubaki or Tousha were strangers to walking so that didn’t really count as a deterrent. Most of their stores were gone so they would have to hunt, which she didn’t mind doing. Most of the time. When she wasn’t so tired that the though of tracking even a rabbit made her want to cry a little. She scratched at the back of her head, figuring they could tough it out for one night in a strange unsettling town. If worst came to worst, they could just leave in the middle of the night.

The stranger’s next words were what caught Tsubaki’s attention. She took several quick steps forward, her body still half behind Tousha’s though she could see the man clearly and he would be able to see her. She gave him a quick once over and other than the fact that he seemed to require the cane to walk, she didn’t see anything wrong with him. No sickness and certainly no curse. Just a man, too frail for his age, who seemed to be tearing himself up about something.

What kind of sickness?

I just said I don’t know,” the man said with a tired, dismissive sigh. “Thought you folks were looking for an inn.

Tsubaki clicked her tongue, stepping out from behind Tousha completely. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin slightly. People dismissing her because of age, her gender, her size, or whatever else was not new to her. It had been a hurdle she’d had to get over quickly as it had been preventing her from doing her job. Now, it was just an annoyance.

Yep, we are. Is there a medic here?” She nodded as the man shook his head no.

Well there is now, at least temporarily.” She swung her bag off of her shoulder and pulled out her smaller medical pack. She passed the larger back to Tousha to carry before hooking the med pack around her body. “Show me to the sick.

The man’s eyes softened slightly but he offered no apology for his behavior. Tsubaki didn’t hold it against him, there would be time for that later after she figured out what was going on. It was difficult to walk slower than the man did but somehow, Tsubaki managed it, wanting to be able to talk to Tousha before they got wherever they were going. “I’d suggest you go find the inn but I think we should stick together.” She almost laughed as she spoke, knowing that he would never go on without her. They had hardly left each other’s sides since the ordeal they had been through. But still, it seemed to be the right thing to say. “Don’t touch anything in the room when we get there. Sickness or curse, whatever you want to call it, the fewer people who contract it the better.” For what it was worth, Tsubaki hoped it was a simple illness that the small town had simply never seen before. It would certainly be the easiest problem to solve. And if there was one thing the two shinobi needed, it was an easy problem.
Last edited by Amy on Fri Nov 01, 2024 9:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Tue Oct 15, 2024 12:39 am

'Oh boy.'

Tousha knew that click, just like he knew whenever Tsubaki crossed her arms like that she was awakening a very special side of herself. The Medical Kunoichi in her breached the surface of her otherwise impassive temperament as she shouldered through the old man's dismissive tone. A small smile touched his lips as he watched Tsubaki take charge of the situation, slipping off her traveling pack in favor of her medical kit.

There was some mild pouting when she handed the heavy travel pack over to him. A minimal amount. The smallest amount possible to still describe it as 'pouting.' He shouldered Tsubaki's pack with a small grunt, his poor back complaining under the added weight. It wasn't the only part of him doing that, either.

"Tousha the doorman. Yes, ma'am, happy to take your luggage, no problem at all. Whatever you need. I was a Kage what happened."

He made sure to mutter under his breath, fearful that the now very confident Tsubaki wouldn't appreciate this bout of self pity. Tousha walked, if you could call their current speed walking, side by side with his friend as she mentioned sticking together - the only option - before advising him about sanitation protocol. He responded with a quiet thumbs up, half focusing on not letting his knees buckle and the other half on the town around them while the old man led them to the sick house.

The more Tousha saw, the more he knew he didn't like what they were going to find. Many shared the porch woman's vacant, hopeless expression. Where he didn't see a void of hope he saw either fear or anger or a combination of both. That anger only seemed to be building as their aging guide made a right and brought them down a new street. A group of townsfolk were gathered outside one of the buildings, shouting at someone standing in the entryway.

"That's not good..." Tousha muttered, his eyes scanning for any immediate threats. A few of the men were carrying knives but none were free from their sheathes. Whatever was happening, it seemed to be nonviolent for the time being.

As they neared the building Tousha caught some of what they were shouting at what he could only describe as the most tired looking person he'd ever seen. She looked to be in her mid thirties, but she might've been much younger. Hard to tell with the dark rings under her eyes. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore a physician's smock that concealed most of her body. Her arms were raised, barring people from entering the building with the sternness of a concrete dam.

"We want to see our boy!" one of the voices shouted, enraged. "Get out of the way!"

"Why aren't they getting better?!" Another voice, a woman's. The despair in her words dug into Tousha like a carver's chisel. "You said you could help!!"

The woman guarding the doorway tried to shout over the crowd's rising roar but Tousha couldn't make out the words. What he did pick up on, however, was that many of the townsfolk had also noticed Tsubaki and himself walking towards them. A few of them pointed in their direction, a couple shook their heads, and then a trio of able bodied men stamped down the road. They didn't look any more pleased for it.

"Stop right there!" the one in the middle shouted at them, holding up one hand and placing the other on a long knife's handle. "I don't know who you are but this isn't any of your business. Best go back the way you came before -"

This one says she's a healer, Tokeno," the old man interrupted, gesturing to Tsubaki. He stood between them with a pained expression, holding his free hand up to the men as if to ward them away. “She wants to help our sick!"

One of the men, the largest of the three, made to step forward but halted as Tokeno grabbed his shoulder. The larger man stopped, though begrudgingly.

"None of the other healers have done a damn thing for them," Tokeno said, glaring at Tsubaki, then back at the sick house. Tousha could see him weighing his options, trying to reason through the panic threatening to overrun the street. "No. No, I don't think so."
Last edited by Toshi on Tue Oct 15, 2024 1:37 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Tue Oct 15, 2024 10:46 pm

Not good was putting it lightly. These were not people who were tired. Not people who were weary. Not people who were beaten down, looking for the light at the end of a tunnel. These were people who were living on an edge. Whatever normal life they had all been living before now, something or someone had stolen it from them. Even if you could ignore the lack of good will in the town, the lack of expression, the lack of joy, it was impossible to ignore the taut thread of anger that pulled them all together. Each one carried it differently but they each carried it all the same. Whatever it was, it was a burden that was quite literally stealing the life from this small town.

Tsubaki tightened her grip on the strap of her bag. She had been in tumultuous situations before. She had arrived to towns still healing from the emotional and physical wounds of war. She had arrived to the sites of natural disasters and had to help people who had just lost everything they ever had - everything they ever loved. But even those people had held more hope in their eyes than the people of this village did. The usual passive look in her eyes sharpened into something much keener. She and Tousha were going to need to stay on their toes. Even if whatever was going on wasn’t malicious, it was worth not being taken by surprise.

The woman who was trying to herd the crowd looked like she was about to keel over on the spot. The old man had said there were no medics in the town which meant she probably had minimal training at best, most of it likely self taught. Tsubaki glanced up at Tousha, not trying to hide how entirely unimpressed she was with the debacle happening in front of them. Not only were they unorganized, they weren’t following any type of protocol. The woman was clearly trying to keep them from entering the building but there was no way she was able to keep them out all day, every day. She blinked, realizing that she was still staring up at Tousha.

Well,” she said as she stretched her arms behind her back, craning her neck one way and then the other. “Nothing I love more than convincing people to let me save their lives.” Her words may have been jovial but her tone would betray to Tousha how exhausting it actually was.

Without wasting any more time Tsubaki stalked past the old man and towards the trio who had broken away from the crowd. Their eyes widened slightly in surprise as Tsubaki walked right up to them, not an ounce of fear to be found in her face. She looked up at them, his eyes scanning over their faces as if searching for some reason to respect their opinions. When she found none she turned her head back towards the woman and started to walk around the men, glancing back up at them only long enough to say, “None of those other healers were me.

Luckily none of the men tried to physical stop her and Tsubaki easily threaded her way through the crowd - by using physical force - and soon arrived at the doorway. The woman looked even more tired up close, her hands reaching out for Tsubaki.

Miss, please, I don’t have any answers.

Hopefully, I do,” Tsubaki said with a reassuring smile, ignoring the still shouting group of people behind her. “Let’s leave the crowd to my friend so we can talk inside.” Tsubaki gave the woman no opportunity to decline, grabbing her by the arm and politely but firmly leading her through the door which she shut and locked behind her.

The name’s Tsubaki and I-” Tsubaki’s eyes scanned the room, widening as she processed what she was seeing. “I-” She took one step further in, her brow pulling low over her eyes. “I’m here-” That was what had been missing from the town. The hope, the joy, the laughter. The life had been missing from the village and Tsubaki hadn’t been able to put her finger on why. It was because it was all here, in this over-sized room. A room that felt more drowned in sorrow than any room she had ever been in before.

They’re all kids.
Last edited by Amy on Thu Oct 17, 2024 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Wed Oct 16, 2024 1:20 am

"Go easy on 'em, Tsubaki. They're just scared."

But of what?

None of this was adding up yet. Tousha had seen plenty of villages ravaged by sickness during his wanderings, many worse off than this one. In all his years he'd never seen a mob of townsfolk this upset with the people who were trying to cure the ailing. Even under the most dire of circumstances healers were treated with adulation. Sometimes even veneration, as if they were sent by higher powers. They were lifelines to hope itself.

Sickness alone didn't do this to communities. There was something much scarier at work here, he was sure of it.

Tousha shifted slightly as Tsubaki approached Tokeno and the two men flanking him, ready to drop the traveling packs he hefted on either shoulder if they moved a single aggressive inch. All of them were at least a head taller than the Kunoichi, broad shouldered and well muscled from hard manual labor. He'd met countless men like them: stubborn, arrogant, dismissive. Worst of all, they enjoyed holding power over people. Especially women.

Unfortunately for them, they'd never met anyone like Tsubaki.

Their eyes widened even further as the Kunoichi told them off and walked around them, hardly paying them a second thought. Tokeno was so stunned for a few breaths that he couldn't articulate his outrage. The man's face reddened as he turned to stop Tsubaki, reaching out to forcefully grab her arm.

"Wait! Get back h-"

"Hey."

Tousha was suddenly standing next to Tokeno. The other two men turned their attention away from the Kunoichi slipping into the crowd of townsfolk and towards the former Kage, who had his hand clamped firmly around the man's wrist. Tokeno glared down at that hand, and then crawled back to Tousha himself. A sickly sweet smile beamed back up at him. A smile that didn't quite touch Tousha's eyes. The traveling packs hit the ground with soft thumps somewhere further up the road.

The old man with the walking stick was already hobbling away as quickly as his failing body would allow.

"You're a dead man," Tokeno growled, reaching for his knife. His two cronies did the same.

"Oh, no question," Tousha shot back, already molding a dose of chakra. It slipped into Tokeno's chakra network and flowed up to what passed for a mind. "But first I should introduce myself. You know, before the killing me part. Name's Tousha. Charmed."

A strange, dazed look flitted across Tokeno's face. His expression softened somewhat, his body language slowly shifting from homicidal rage to something calmer. Not completely relaxed by any means, but much more malleable. The other two men, now brandishing their knives, noticed this change and stopped in their tracks. They looked to their de facto leader with no small amount of bewilderment. There was much less stabbing happening than expected and that seemed to be throwing them for quite a loop.

Still holding the man's wrist, Tousha said, "Tokeno was it? Great. Would you mind doing me a little favor?" Tousha nodded towards the shouting crowd of townsfolk trying to get into the sick house, where Tsubaki had disappeared into. "My friend and I are here to help, but you and your friends are making that difficult. You wouldn't want that, right? Tokeno? To make our lives difficult?"

Tokeno shook his head dumbly. Tousha started shaking his head too, looked at the cronies while shaking his head, waited until they started shaking their heads as well, then turned back to his new friend.

"That's good. Real good. So could you please ask them to go home? For me." Tousha let go of the man's wrist, still smiling. Tokeno stuttered for a moment, horribly confused as to why this seemed like a good idea, then decided that it was, in fact, the best idea he'd heard in a while. Without another word, the burly man turned towards the crowd and started walking.

The two men holding knives watched their addled friend walk past them, looked at each other, then at Tousha. The Shinobi beamed at them both, looking at one and then the other. They both sheathed their knives and followed after Tokeno, occasionally glancing over their shoulder to make sure he wasn't following them.

Tousha gave the trio plenty of space while they inserted themselves into the crowd, spreading the word that they needed to return home in a safe and orderly manner. There was resistance at first, but Tokeno had a certain charm that eventually won them over. In a matter of minutes the townsfolk disbanded. They were still angry and afraid, but they relented all the same. Tousha, having retrieved the travel packs, stood at the sick house's front doorway until he was sure the threat had passed.

Tousha slipped into the building and closed the door behind him. He needed to find Tsubaki. Hopefully she had some answers.

Jutsu usedShow
[Genjutsu • Charmed]
C-ranked Status Genjutsu
The user of this Genjutsu will say a phrase containing the word “charm”, “charming” or “charmed.” Any target who hears this will feel inclined to treat the user with a friendlier temperament, becoming more agreeable and helpful. This does not allow the user to force the target to do something he or she would be adamantly against, but instead offers more wiggle room for coercion. This technique can be maintained for up to 4 posts or until the user releases the Genjutsu.
Last edited by Toshi on Thu Oct 17, 2024 4:51 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Thu Oct 17, 2024 9:10 pm

Yes. All young.

Tsubaki didn’t, couldn’t respond to the woman. Her footsteps were silent as she walked further into the room. It was suffocating. There were no cries, no moans or groans, no heavy breathing, no rustling of the sheets. The children were all completely still. Completely calm. Nobody coughed or even sat up to look at her her. Those who had their eyes opened had them locked onto the ceiling, unseeing. She counted as she walked. Nine boys, thirteen girls. Young was putting it lightly. She didn’t estimate any of them to be over nine, maybe ten. It was difficult to tell when they were all so pale, so still. The uneasy feeling that had been gripping her since they stepped foot into the town now had her on high alert. Her eyes flickered around the room a final time as she turned back towards the woman.

What’s your name? Do you have any training?

The woman smiled but there was no joy behind it. “Just Mai is fine. Not for something like…” her hand helplessly drifted across the room. “Like this. I-I bandage small wounds and treat stomach aches and deliver babies.” Her voice broke, her teeth catching her trembling lower lip. “I delivered most of these kids.

It must be hard to see them like this,” Tsubaki said with a soft tone and an even softer smile. “You’ve done a good job taking care of them so far, Mai. I can tell. I’m going to help you. And hopefully them. Can you tell me who got sick first?

Mai took a deep breath, blinked the moisture from her eyes, and squared her shoulders. “Yes. It was this boy, here, Jinbe.” She had only walked a short way into the room, gesturing at one of the smallest kids in the room. He had dull brown hair and his skin seemed nearly translucent, the blue of his veins easily visible. “He’s only five,” she whispered as Tsubaki sat on the edge of the bed.

I have more questions,” Tsubaki said as she pulled back the sheet, watching as the boy’s eyes popped open but stayed fixed on the ceiling. “But do you think you could go get me a bowl of warm water and a few clean cloths?” She watched Mai hesitate, her eyes lingering on the face of the young boy. “It would be really helpful,” she added when it looked like Mai was going to refuse.

Okay. I’ll just be a few minutes.” With a gentle bow of her head, Mai headed back towards the front door but then veered off to the right and down a short hallway. As soon as the woman was out of view Tsubaki performed a short hand seal and a soothing coating of green chakra formed over her hands. She placed her hands on the wrists of the small boy and waited for her chakra to zap through the small body and make its way back to her. A grim look overtook her face as she stood and walked to the next bed, and the next, and the next, and around the entire room she went.

Mai’s footsteps began heading back towards the main room at the same time Tousha slipped into the building, heading her way. She walked to meet the both of them, speaking before Mai even had time to be startled. “Mai, this is my friend, Tousha. Tousha, this is Mai. She’s been the one watching over all of the kids.” After giving them a moment to get acquainted, Tsubaki pointed at the room, starting at the first bed on the left hand side where Jinbe was.

Mai, am I correct in assuming that Jinbe got sick first and then each bed towards the back of the room was filled as more children got sick and then you looped around to the right hand side up to this young girl,” Tsubaki pointed to the right hand side of the room. “who is closest to us?

H-how did you know that?” Mai tilted her head slightly, not looking at Tsubaki or Tousha and instead trying to figure out how Tsubaki had figured it out.

When Mai looked back at her, Tsubaki grinned at her. “I’m a very good medic, Mai. Are there any bedrooms here?

Yes, of course. I’ve been staying here ever since-” The exhausted woman’s voice broke again.

That’s okay, Mai. Can you prepare two beds for us? I think it would be best if we stayed here, at least for a while.

It seemed like Tsubaki’s “guesswork” with the kids had earned her some trust because this time Mai didn’t hesitate to agree to Tsubaki’s request. As soon as she was out of sight, Tsubaki turned to Tousha, finally letting the slight panic she felt show in her eyes.

I have no idea what’s going on here. They’re all…fine. No fevers, their hearts seem fine, working perfectly. I don’t see any rashes. No coughing. No lesions. But without fail from this kid,” she pointed at Jinbe. “Progressing this way, all the way around to this girl,” she pointed at the same girl she had a moment ago. “Their oxygen levels are dropping. His are the worst, hers are the best. But I-” Tsubaki shook her head, lifting her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “I have no idea what’s wrong with any of them.
JutsuShow
*[Iijutsu • Diagnostic Check]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A technique used by medical shinobi to deduce what is going on with a patient. They will perform a hand seal and green chakra will cover their hands. From there, they may place them upon a number of patients equal to their [Chakra Pool]/2. Their chakra will travel through the patient at [Control] Speed before coming back to them and allowing the medical shinobi to be able to tell their patients temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate for as long as they have chakra.
Last edited by Amy on Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:55 pm

I hope the... Concerned citizens outside didn't give you too much trouble, Mister Tousha," Mai said, bowing politely as the Shinobi approached, then placed a ceramic bowl full of lightly steaming water on a nearby table. Next to it she laid out some folded cloth hand towels. “They're usually much more agreeable. My apologies."

The poor woman looked like she was clinging onto consciousness with her little finger. Still, she made the effort to apologize for the people who'd been one wrong word away from trampling over her to get inside. Mai's kindness and resilience prompted Tousha to straighten his back a little, the weight of Tsubaki's pack suddenly feeling insignificant.

Tousha waved his free hand and flashed a sheepish smile. "No trouble at all, Mai. Thank you for taking care of..." His smile fell. Tousha looked at Tsubaki and then across the room, his eyes widening slightly.

"All the kids?"

Tousha went silent, leaving Tsubaki and Mai to discuss how whatever was happening had progressed. He stepped away from them, his legs feeling numb and heavy. Their voices seemed muffled and distant as Tousha's eyes wandered from patient to patient. Some of them seemed so peaceful. Unbothered in a way Tousha almost envied. Others stared vacantly at the ceiling with an indifference that didn't belong in a child's eyes. That look was beyond lifeless. It was as if life had never been breathed into them at all.

Something unseen hung heavy in the room. The edges of Tousha's awareness pulled away from it, terrified. Or was that just his imagination?

Reality came back into focus with Tsubaki's voice. He turned to his friend, watching the rising panic in her eyes. It was in her voice as well, in the way she analyzed a problem that didn't seem to have a reasonable answer. The only thing she seemed to know for certain was that these children were fading quickly and she didn't know why.

Tousha gently touched Tsubaki's shoulder. He was trying to anchor himself as much as he was trying to comfort her. Feeling something real was helping him breathe again. Tousha closed his eyes, gathering himself. He needed to be in the moment for so many reasons.

"How long do you think they have?" Tousha asked, dreading her answer. "How can I help you?"
Last edited by Toshi on Fri Oct 18, 2024 10:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:47 pm

Bring me Shirai.

The words were on the tip of her tongue but they would do no good to say out loud. All it would accomplish would be making a hopeless situation feel even more hopeless by stacking two impossible tasks on top of each other. But it was the truth and that made it hurt even worse. She and Shirai had faced so many medical emergencies together that it was second nature to them. He always let her lead but just as he was able to predict what she needed and when, she could do the same. There was a confidence and calmness that came from the environment created when they worked together.

She cared for Tousha deeply and they had been through so much together, too much in a short period of time. But it wasn’t the same. But like so many other times in her life, her train of thought ended with a single question. What other choice did she have?

I don’t know. I need more information but I needed Mai to go away for a few minutes. She’s one piece of bad news away from a full breakdown. Twenty-two patients is plenty.” Tsubaki braced her hands against her lower back, stretching as she stared over the room. What did she need? Data. Twenty-two kids was too many to watch on her own. She could keep track of most of them, but not all of them. And if they started to get worse and needed more attention it was going to get even harder to manage her time between them.

As her eyes skated over the room, back and forth, Tsubaki’s mouth moved as though she were talking wordlessly to herself. Even if Tousha or Mai spoke to her in that moment, she wouldn’t have heard anything they said.

The kids who were the sickest needed the most attention because they could take a turn for the worse at any moment. Their oxygen levels were low, but not dangerous yet. But the kid who were newly sick could hold some of the most important information for what was going on because Tsubaki would be able to see the illness progress from as close the beginning as possible. The only thing better than observing them would be for a new child to get sick and Tsubaki couldn’t bring herself to hope for that.

She sighed heavily, her hands falling to her sides and her eyes finally refocusing on Tousha. “Data. I need to know where the kids live, I need to know where they play, where they go every day. I need to know if they all go to the same place. I need to know when they got sick, if it happened all at once or if they got ill slowly. What symptoms they showed first, what happened right before they got brought here.” This time, the sound that came from her mouth sounded more like a groan than a sigh. “Not to mention I also need to track all of their vitals so I can figure out how fast they’re dropping and how long we have to figure this out.

There was an undeniable look of disgust and distaste on Tsubaki’s face when she spoke again. “And the only way to get all of that information about the kids is to talk to their parents.” Her least favorite thing of practically all time. Talking to hysterical parents. “We’re going to need a lot of paper.
JutsuShow
*[Medicinal Style • Medic]
C-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Perhaps one of the most important disciplines of any aspiring Medic, one who has mastered this Discipline can maintain a clear mind when treating patients. Techniques of equal rank or lower that affect this character's emotional stability or distract them from their work will have no effect while they are treating patients.
Last edited by Amy on Fri Oct 18, 2024 9:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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B-Rank MNKatō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF

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Toshi
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Fri Oct 18, 2024 10:57 pm

Keeping a mental checklist as Tsubaki rounded off every scrap of information she'd need to have a shot at helping her patients, Tousha tried not to feel overwhelmed by how long gathering that data might take. This wasn't a big town by any stretch, but it wasn't small either. Hunting down all of the children's parents would take time. Time the patients who fell ill before the others might not have. Steeling himself, Tousha nodded along diligently.

He wanted to make a joke about Tsubaki's allergy to talking with people she didn't know, but Tousha pushed down the urge with more willpower than he cared to admit. Maybe he'd say something after there weren't a bunch of kids slowly wasting away.

"Understood," Tousha said curtly, feeling himself shift fully into do-or-die mode. "I'll start with finding the parents, get what info I can fro-"

Tousha was interrupted by the pounding of footsteps coming their way. He turned and stared wide eyed as Mai marched down the hallway, carrying two boxes of papers. The documents weren't the alarming part, it was the look of intensity on her otherwise exhausted face. She stepped right up to Tousha and shoved the boxes into his arms, placed her hands on her hips, and squared her shoulders in Tsubaki's direction.

Your beds are ready. I hope they're to your liking," she said, her once cushiony voice bolstered by fresh resolve. Tousha had the impression Mai wasn't especially concerned about the comfortability of their beds. “And for your information, young lady, I've been watching over many of these little ones since they were wee babes. Do you think I'm going to fail them now? HMM?? Do you think I'm going to break down on them? I think not."

Tousha looked literally anywhere else in the room.

Mai pointed at Tousha and said, “Those boxes your assistant is holding are all of the records we have on the twenty-two patients. That should get you started well enough." Then Mai reached into her medical smock and started pulling out crumpled pieces of paper. She piled them on a small table at the foot of one of the beds, making sure to get them all before turning back to Tsubaki.

And those have all the information I could get out of their parents before this place became completely overrun."

Then she turned back to Tousha, who was placing the boxes of files on another table in front of a different bed. “While she's working through what we have here, I can lead you to wherever you need to go in town."

Tousha shot a look over at Tsubaki, not sure which scary lady to listen to first.
Last edited by Toshi on Fri Oct 18, 2024 10:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

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Amy
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Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:00 pm

Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Sat Oct 19, 2024 12:32 pm

Tsubaki tore her gaze from Mai, stalking over to the table where she had haphazardly piled the scraps of paper from her smock. She pulled out piece after piece, scanning the information on one before setting it down and moving to the next. Her head began nodding the more pieces of scrap paper she worked her way through, the panicked look in her eyes receding slightly. “This is perfect,” she breathed, a sense of relief in the words. “This will save us so much time.” It wasn’t everything and some were more detailed than others but each piece of paper held critical information. None more critical than the dates the kids got so sick they had been admitted to the makeshift hospital.

Read through those,” she said as she walked by Tousha, tossing the lid off of the first of the boxes, standing on her tiptoes to see inside as she flipped through the files. After a grand total of ten seconds of doing that she grabbed the box and dropped it on the floor with a thud, kneeling in front of it.“No sense in asking parents questions they already answered. That tends to piss them off.” It was what had urged her to get incredibly good at remembering details and taking notes if she thought she couldn’t remember. Angry, scared people screaming in your face that they had already given you the information you were asking for wasn’t very good for anyone’s morale.

Her fingers danced along the tops of the files, occasionally pulling one half out of the box before shoving it back in. While checking the vitals of all the kids she had noticed that Mai had taken the time to write each child’s name and age on a piece of tape stuck on the wall above their beds. It would allow her to easily match the records in the box with the child they belonged to. With a heave, she pushed herself back to her feet.

I have everything I need to get started with these,” she gestured towards the two boxes. “You will if you don’t take care of yourself,” Tsubaki said to Mai. “When’s the last time you had a meal? A full night’s sleep? A bath?” It was as though Tsubaki was just now hearing everything Mai had said to her. “You’ve done a great job taking care of these kids but now you need to take care of yourself.

You’re off duty tonight,” she continued, her voice clearly offering no grounds for argument. “After you’re finished taking my assistant,” Tsubaki couldn’t stop the smirk that briefly brightened the look on her face. “Around, go home.” Mai opened her mouth looking for all the world like she was going to argue.

Just for one night.” Tsubaki stared at Mai who still looked disagreeable to the idea. If it were any other situation she would have threatened to kick them out of the hospital for good. Bar them from entry. Most people didn’t believe she could do that until they tried to get back in the first time. But something told Tsubaki that that was not the right move with Mai. Instead, Tsubaki glanced over at Tousha, hoping he saw the imploring look in her eyes. He was better with people. Hopefully he could convince the tired woman.

Tousha, I need information on the five who have been sick the longest and the five who have most recently fallen ill sooner than I need the rest so focus on them for today.” As she spoke she dropped the second box onto the floor next to the first and settled herself back in front of them, quickly lost to the information she needed to sort through.
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B-Rank MNKatō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF

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Toshi
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Wed Oct 23, 2024 1:34 pm

Thumbing through one of the boxes of paperwork, Tousha watched and listened as Tsubaki defused the time bomb that was Mai. He felt a great deal of sympathy for the woman and understood her need to help others on a spiritual level, but Tsubaki was right. As she often was. All of the pluck in the world wasn't enough on its own to keep someone on their feet forever. By the look of her, Mai was one robust sneeze away from toppling over.

A small pffft got away from him at Tsubaki's 'assistant' jab. He kept his back turned on the Kunoichi and tried to cover with a few well placed coughs. He might have been biased on the matter, but Tousha thought it was handled quite smoothly.

Tousha the Assistant walked over to Tsubaki and handed her the handful of files he found matching the names taped to the wall over each bed. He snapped off a brisk salute at her request of him and said, "Yes, ma'am! Leave it to us."

Maybe I could just sleep here," Mai said, still looking distraught at the idea of taking a night off away from the children. Her tired eyes locked onto Tousha's, her expression desperate. She knew Tsubaki wasn't going to budge an inch but maybe she could get through to him instead. “Then when I-"

Tousha smiled as kindly as he could at her. "Mai, Tsubaki's right," he said simply. "You've done more than enough for them, and there will be more to do when you've had some rest. Away from... This. Just for a night."

Mai held her own hands, trying to grapple with the finality of his tone. She pinched hey eyes shut and let out a jagged breath. She was fighting back tears, probably blaming herself for not being able to help her patients more than she could. Tousha walked up to the poor girl and reached into his jacket, pulling out a kerchief. He offered it to Mai, who looked down at it in a kind of stupor.

Finally she reached out and took it from him, dabbing at the corners of her eyes while she pieced herself back together. Tousha gave her the time she needed to let reality sink in.

Thank you," She said, handing him back the kerchief. “You're both..." She struggled with the weight of the words she wanted to say for a moment or two, then politely bowed to Tsubaki. “I apologize for my rudeness earlier, Miss Tsubaki. Please forgive me."

Tousha glanced at Tsubaki, who was already lost in pouring over the other box of files. He nodded towards Mai, giving the Kunoichi an imploring look like the one she'd given him.
Last edited by Toshi on Wed Oct 23, 2024 2:08 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

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Amy
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Wed Oct 23, 2024 3:59 pm

What she really needed was a larger area to spread everything out. If she moved the beds to an angle she could get all of them away from the back wall and also add more free space on the sides. The tables were nice but took up too much room and they didn’t have any equipment to keep on them anyways. She could probably move those to a storage closet or something. Once that was done there would be plenty of space to put each kids file’s in front of their bed so that she could start connecting the dots. If there were any. The kids were so varying in age it didn’t seem likely that anything in their history would give her any answers. More likely it was in the recent notes, the ones that Tousha had gathered and handed her, where the important information would be. But things were too dire to pass up on any information. There wasn’t going to be time for mistakes.

She picked up a file that had Jinbe’s name on it, glancing up towards his bed before setting it in the first pile she had forming in front of her. Once she had everything separated she cou-

Tousha and Mai were both still in the room, both looking at her expectantly. The focus in her eyes flickered, confusion tainting her gaze. She had no idea what they said. Not to each other and certainly not to her. The file she was holding lowered until it was set on her lap. Asking for them to repeat themselves seemed like it probably wasn’t the best idea given the tears in the corners of Mai’s eyes. Tousha wasn’t much more help. He was just looking at her expectantly. The slightest of shrugs lifted her shoulders as she smiled at Mai.

You’ve done a great job here, Mai. Some food and a half decent rest will have you feeling good as new.” A look of confusion crossed over Mai’s face. “I understand,” Tsubaki hedged next, practically sighing as the look of confusion on the woman’s face faded. “Everyone is just doing their best. Good luck in town.

With a slight shake of her head, eyes closing to hide the brief look of perplexity she knew crossed over them. Her words, vague as they were, seemed to do the trick and she was quickly alone. It was quick work to finish pulling out the files she needed. The boxes were moved back towards the front of the room and the files piled in the center. She worked quickly to remove the tables and shift the beds, clearing as much free space as possible. The kids who had been sick the longest didn’t even seem to realize it when she was rolling them around. The second half of the kids did though. Their eyes shifted from the ceiling to her face though the look didn’t change.

Tsubaki didn’t know a lot as she stood in the center of the newly arranged room, a stack of files at the foot of each bed. But she did know one thing. The longer she spent around these kids the more determined she was to save them. With a short huff of air, she turned towards Jinbe’s bed and moved to sit with the files. A flutter of his eyelids stopped her. They opened slowly, already trained on her. His file said he had blue eyes but they were so dull and without life that they almost looked black. A chill crawled up Tsubaki’s spine as a small light sparked in his eyes before they closed again. For a moment, Tsubaki didn’t, couldn’t move. But there was no time for that.

It’s you and me, kid,” she mumbled as she sank to the floor and began sorting.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MNKatō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF

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Toshi
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:43 pm

Flushed with embarrassment, Mai turned away from the focused Kunoichi and made for the front entrance. Tousha sighed softly to himself. Tsubaki was a superb medic. One of the best he'd ever met. As she sat there, chewing through paperwork like an afternoon snack, Tousha could see just how determined she was to help the children laying still around them. For that he couldn't possibly fault her. Tsubaki's dedication to her role when she slipped into Medical Kunoichi mode was more than admirable, it was inspiring. She made him want to be better than he was the day before and better still the day after.

Regardless, it made his soul ache a touch seeing how closed off she was to even a simple apology once she became engrossed in her work. He made a mental note to talk to his friend about it after the kids were safe.

Without another word, Tousha left Tsubaki to do what she did best. He had his own part to play and it wasn't pretending he could cure the ailing.



The children are in good hands," Mai said, trying to convince herself it was fine to leave them for a night. She flashed a shy smile that suited her face perfectly. “Tsubaki seems incredible."

Tousha returned her smile. "She's really something else," he said, scratching at his nose. "Now, about getting that info she needs..."

The Shinobi formed a single hand seal, his index and middle fingers forming a lopsided cross. He molded chakra into the air around them, kneading it into him-sized masses. Four Shadow Clones emerged from puffs of white smoke, all of them looking at Mai with the same polite smile. She looked taken aback for a moment, marveling at how a medic's assistant could manage such a thing.

The real Tousha said, "We'll split up to make things go a little quicker. Just tell me and my me's where the kids' parents are and leave it to us."

After a breath of hesitation, Mai explained to each Shadow Clone where all the homes they would need to visit were. After a minute or so of giving details and pointing in the right directions, the clones took to the rooftops and disappeared from sight. When Mai turned around from watching the copies bolt off with surprising speed, she saw Tousha kneeling in front of her with his back turned. She hadn't been offered a piggyback ride since she was a very young girl, but she recognized the stance easily enough.

You want me to...?" She asked, flushing again.

"It'll be a lot faster. Trust me," Tousha said, giving her a thumbs up and a nod.

Gathering what little resolve she had left, Mai hopped on. The two disappeared in a burst of speed.



It took a little over ten minutes. The clones had found the correct houses, explained everything to the best of their ability, and gathered what information they could. Tousha and Mai had better luck, seeing as how the parents seemed to trust the midwife much more than some random stranger asking about their sick children. Go figure. He picked up on a few interesting details and wondered if the clones would relay the same information once they met back up.

But before that could happen, Tousha needed to get Mai home. Even the parents had forgotten their concern for their own kids long enough to point out that Mai looked like she was about to fall asleep on her feet. She waved it off like it wasn't a big deal, that she was feeling fine, but Tousha knew she was far from it.

That's why he wasn't surprised when, on the way to her home, Tousha felt her head resting on his shoulder. Her breathing had slowed and he caught the occasional gentle snore. When he arrived at her house Tousha got the front door opened easily enough, carried Mai to her bed, and laid her down as gently as he could. He covered the sleeping woman with a quilt and locked the door behind him as he left.



Fifteen minutes after Tsubaki had given him his assignment, Tousha returned to the sick house. He'd dismissed his clones and all of the information they had learned flooded into his mind with perfect clarity. He immediately pieced together the important information they had learned and prepared to present his findings to Tsubaki.

"No noteworthy consistencies about the kids that I could tell. Except one," Tousha explained, his arms folded across his chest. "All of the kids take part in a tribute that happened recently. Something about honoring an ancient spirit that lives nearby. The parents seem to think it's more superstition than anything else, but the kids love it. They get to run off into the woods and 'commune with the wisps.' Seems harmless enough, they've never had any incidents before."

Then Tousha nodded at the first child who got sick. Jinbe. "Guess when he started feeling sick."

Jutsu usedShow
*[Ninjutsu • Advanced Shadow Clone Technique]
S-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Ninjutsu • Shadow Clone Technique]
After performing the correct hand seals the user proceeds to create a number of clones of themselves (maximum is equal to 1/3rd the user's Chakra Pool). Unlike the Clone Technique, these clones are actual copies of the user in both appearance and substance. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing jutsu on their own, be given complex commands, caught in genjutsu, and can even bleed, but they will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. The clones will be created in roughly the same condition as the original and any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed. Given that the clones are an exact replica of the user, they share the same stats except for Chakra Pool, which is determined by the number of clones presently in effect. The advantage of this form of the technique is that once dispersed, the chakra distributed to the clones returns to the user, allowing any unused chakra to be regained, slowing the draining usage of this technique. The chakra returns to the user at a different rate depending on the user's control.
1-15 Control: 1/5
16-25: 2/5
26-35: 3/5
36+: 4/5
Last edited by Toshi on Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Fri Nov 01, 2024 11:03 pm

Tsubaki sat cross-legged in front of the back wall and she stared at what she had created.

The old medical records had been mostly useless, as predicted. They were thorough and well-kept but useless for what she needed. All they had been able to tell her was that all of the deliveries had been normal and none of the kids had ever suffered anything worse than a bad case of the flu. They were all, every one of them, incredibly healthy children. If even one of them had suddenly gotten as sick as they were it would have been cause for concern. Five of them would have been unbelievable. A dozen would have been considered a catastrophe. But twenty-two? Tsubaki didn’t even have a word for that. Not a single word in her vocabulary could encompass the horrors that this town was facing.

Her eyes traveled up and down the rows of paper on the wall. She had taken Mai’s notes, the ones that had been shoved into her pocket, and organized them and tacked them up. Each child’s name was at the top of a row followed by every note pertaining to them. Oldest notes at the top and the newest at the bottom. Next to each row was a new piece of paper covered in Tsubaki’s own notes, compiling the information from the different days. It all seemed like a useless endeavor though. Even with all of the information visible at once, laid out and organized none of it led her to any solutions. There were a couple of pieces of information that seemed helpful on their own but in reality, they meant nothing. They achieved nothing.

She was still sitting in a room full of dying children.

When Tousha returned she was still sitting in the same spot, staring. Waiting for an answer to come to her. Tousha did not bring her answers though, not really. It was just more questions.

That could be useful. More useful than anything I figured out.” Tsubaki said evenly, her tone giving away little to nothing about how hopeless she was feeling. “Maybe they ate or got into something out in the woods.” Almost as soon as she stopped talking she shook her head angrily, shoving herself off of the ground. “No, that wouldn’t make any sense. All the kids would have gotten sick closer together if that were the case.” She started pacing, arms crossed over her chest.

It’s still a better starting point than what I got. All I know for sure is that the time between the kids falling sick got shorter and shorter as more got sick.” She jerked her head towards Jinbe. “The kid after him, it took just over a month. Then, just under. And then consistently, they just kept getting sick but each time it took less and less time. The last two got sick within twenty-four hours of each other.

But that information doesn’t help me” she snapped, her eyes narrowing. “Because all it really tells me is that I have no way of knowing how much time we have. Because Jinbe is definitely the sickest but the other kids are catching up quickly. Much quicker than if the disease were acting the same in all of them.

Tsubaki paused only long enough to take a breath. “Which is-just-diseases don’t evolve like this. So I don’t know why. I don’t know why they’re sick. I don’t know what’s making them sick. I don’t know how much time they have. I don’t know how to help them at all.” Her hands clenched into tight fists, the muscles in her arms rippling with the restraint she was using to not lose her temper. Dropping into a squat, pressing her hands to her forehead, she laughed suddenly though there was no humor in the sound.

Oh, the other thing I found out. Mai was wrong. She said she delivered most of the kids. She actually delivered all of them.” Tsubaki glanced up, the look on her face a tad calmer than it had been before. “Did she get home okay? Did she tell you where the kids were going into the woods? Maybe we should go check it out tonight.” What Tsubaki didn’t say hung in the air.

The clock was ticking.
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B-Rank MNKatō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF

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Toshi
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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Toshi » Wed Nov 06, 2024 1:33 pm

Tousha sat next to Tsubaki when she asked about Mai. He didn't want to talk down to her, literally or figuratively. That and his feet were sore from walking. With a groan he fell into a cross legged position and rubbed at his tired eyes for a few moments. Being back in the sickroom was already beginning to wear on him.

"She's home. Safe and sound," he said. "Poor thing was out before we even got there."

He reached into a waist pouch tucked behind his low back and added, "The woods are nearby, a few of the parents pointed it out. We definitely need to check it out tonight." He pulled out a couple of small apples and a length of jerky. He snapped the dried meat in half. "But first, here. You haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

Tousha handed her one of the apples and the jerky, smiling softly. "Mai isn't the only one who needs to take care of herself, hm?"

Mostly he wanted her to take a few minutes to focus on something else. Anything else. Her frustration with their predicament was obvious, but there was an underlying hopelessness that needed tending to. Sharing a quiet meal often worked wonders for one's mental health and by the look of her, Tsubaki needed to step back for a moment. Beating her head against an unknown wall wasn't going to solve anything in a hurry.

After taking a few munches of the apple, Tousha motioned towards the nearest patient. "What if it isn't a disease?" he asked, his tone calm. Conversational. He hoped it helped disperse some of the despondency hanging in the air. "I felt something when we first got here. Not sure what it was, but it was almost alive. Thought it might have been my imagination but now... I'm not so sure."

He leveled a look at Tsubaki and asked, "Have you checked if they have any foreign chakra in their system?"
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Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

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Burnt Children, Drawn To A Flame

Post by Amy » Mon Nov 11, 2024 12:47 pm

For a while, Tsubaki stared at the food in her hands. She had almost refused to take it, finding that she had no appetite at all despite the fact that Tousha was right about when their last meal had been. It wasn’t unusual though, not for her. When she was working, everything else seemed inane. Eating, drinking, sleeping, the list went on and on. Everything that wasn’t her work was nothing more than a waste of time. How many times had Shirai criticized her for the habit? More than she could count or remember. She always just laughed at him afterwards when she was nearly collapsing from exhaustion and reminded him of the trite exuse about doctors making the worst patients. Today though, today she didn’t have the energy for quips. With a small sigh she lifted the food to her mouth and began slowly eating while Tousha mused.

It’s probably not a disease,” she agreed. “If it were, I would be able to find some trace of it.” Tsubaki closed her eyes and dropped her head between her knees, trying to find an even footing. It was difficult, when dealing with such intense situations, to stay in control. If she let go for even a second, if she let herself feel the gravity of the situation, the panic that licked at the edges of her subconscious would flood in and sweep her up in it. Whether she succeeded or not, whether the children lived or not, it didn’t matter. Afterwards, when all was said and done, that was when she would let herself feel. But not a moment sooner.

I wish I could,” she continued, finally pushing herself back to a standing position and walking over to the nearest bed. A young girl rested in this one, her eyes fully closed. She was one of the more recently sick children and still looked as though she were merely resting. “But I don’t have any techniques for that. I’ve tried to develop one a few times but…” It hadn’t really been possible at first. She had been the only one in the crew who knew jutsu. And then she had taught Akio and Shirai but after that everything had started happening. Things had gotten bad so quickly that there just never seemed to be time. She should have made time. She should have made time for a lot of things. “Anyways, I don’t have anything for that.

Her feet fell heavily on the floor as she walked back over to the wall of notes, her hands drifting across, tapping different notes.

On the off chance that this was some sort of targeted attack I tested six of them for poison but didn’t find anything. I’ll test the rest tomorrow if we don’t find any other leads.” Tsubaki’s shoulders dropped as she sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Her eyes flickered to the window as she turned towards Tousha. “Let me check their vitals once more then we can go check out the woods.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MNKatō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF

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