For Whom the Bell Tolls [Private/Plot Continuation: Kiyoko]

[Tomomi]

They were finally here after what felt like the longest stroll from the Byakko Estate to date for the descendant of Byakko. The weather was fairly decent while they were traveling over, but there had been no dialogue between either child nor adult. This was probably on purpose to allow Kiyoko to gather her thoughts as they were approaching the Hospital since she was going to see her father or what remained of him today and Kyuji knew that it was going to be a taxing, heart-wrenching meeting for her as it had been for him when his own parents had died right in front of his eyes. Neither him nor Kiyoko probably knew what was going to happen today as the descendant of Byakko had walked up to the receptionist at the front desk explaining to her that he needed some other medics to accompany Kiyoko and him so nothing would become odd or go absolutely wrong that would put anyone in danger.

His call would be met with three female nurses appearing that seemed to be related very oddly but he shrugged it off. He would tell them to prepare the medical equipment needed to monitor Kiyoko while she was here and also to inform the other doctors in the morgue to move her father's corpse to a side-room so she could be left alone with him as long as she needed while being able to properly monitor here while she would speak with him.

After the nurses went off to do their duties for Kyuji, he would turn and look down at the girl clearly nervous and anxious to see her father. A simple hand would pat her hand emitting a soothing aura from it with each gentle touch as he spoke to her solemnly: "I know how you are feeling, Kiyoko, trust me. I was going to make you go through a medical evaluation before seeing her father, but I decided that we are going to allow you to see your father immediately and have equipment set up to monitor you while you are with him. We will allow you to stay as long as you want within reason...if the monitors begin to beep signaling your vitals are getting out of control, we will have to remove you for your health. Do you have any questions or concerns or would you like to go right to your father and do what you need to do."

Of course, she would probably have something to say because she was young and children always had questions in some form. He honestly hoped she would be strong enough to handle seeing her father in the state that he was in for such a young age; he wasn't strong enough when he was eighteen and bawled his eyes out as his parents died right before him. However, she would have to be stronger for her sake and her mother's sake as well, but she was going to need a fatherly figure moving forward and Kyuji assumed that he would be filling that duty since he was already a father and a damn good one at that even though his son had wandered off to Cloud and hadn't returned yet. Either way, she was going to have to be strong especially moving forward or she was going to be bullied, harassed and probably put in harm's way where her home was located. The descendant of Byakko would need to assist the lass as much as he could moving forward even if she didn't want his help after all of this.

[OOC Note: Topic continued from HERE]

 

[Kitetsu Kurikara]

Kiyoko had begun to gather her thoughts throughout the entire walk, though it was a difficult task since she still didn't want to accept it. She hugged her pictures close to her body as they approached what she assumed to be the medical building her father was being...well, stored in. She listened as he requested a set up within a different room, though she was growing more and more nervous as she waited to see her father. When Kyuji placed a hand on her shoulder, her tension dropped almost immediately. She looked up at the caring man she respected greatly for what he was doing. After hearing his spiel about the way they would be proceeding, she thought for a moment.

"Will you be recording anything other than my vitals?" she asked, hoping the answer would be no. She didn't even want anyone to hear what was written in the letter. If they did record it, she would have to be careful about what she revealed; she wasn't sure what was inside the envelope just yet.

Given that her only question would be answered easily by the elder man, she would say she had nothing more to ask and simply wished to see her father now. The three paintings in her arms were the second important thing, and though she didn't mind sharing the story, it was a personal weakness that she wished to keep with those she trusted. And the same went for the snowflake, though it's story may remain a secret from listening ears for the time being. She then wondered: What would her mother do? Kiyoko was nearly positive she would be upset that Kiyoko was the last to see Kurai. She would be the only one of them to carry the burden of seeing him lying dead on a bed or table with no signs of life or color in his body.

 

[Tomomi]

The descendant of Byakko would look down at the Byakko-like girl and shake his head at her question if he was going to record anything else aside from her vitals. Truthfully, he should've probably not lied to her right there since she had put so much trust into him in such a short amount of time, but he didn't need her to be worried about anything else right now since seeing her father was going to be already taxing enough on her. He also would hear nothing following that question which made it obvious that she was ready to proceed with this day and he would give a simple nod to himself.

Before they proceeded however, he would open up his medical robes slightly to pull out a white blindfold and hand it to Kiyoko. An explanation would follow: "Please put this on. You may remove it after we are in the room where your father is being stored. I am asking you to put it on so you don't have to see other people who unfortunately have passed since I know you are anxious, nervous, and I don't think it would be best for you to see all of them right now. If you become a medical shinobi down the road, then you definitely could but for now, please put the blindfold on. But before you do, please get on my back since it will be easier for you to get to the location that you need to be at if I can carry you than trying to maneuver you through doors and what not blindfolded and with my one hand." He would then take a knee beside her to let her get on his back and allow her to tie the blindfold. If she followed suit, he would rise back to his feet and they would be off; if she did not, they would just stay where they were right now.

---

After a little stroll through the morgue that reeked of the dead for obvious reasons, they would come to a room that contained another room within. At this point, Kyuji would get back on a knee to alert Kiyoko that they had reached their destination and she could get off. After she took the blindfold off, she would see that there was no windows that went out to the morgue but there was a window in the room that they were in that went to the next room which contained her father. In addition, the three nurses had finished setting up things and would walk in telling Kyuji that everything was ready. A simple nod would be given as he walked over to the door that they had just exited from and held it open for Kiyoko with a motion to enter. The nurses would leave the middle room and head out to the morgue to do nurse things since they were not needed anymore.

If Kiyoko would enter the room, she would notice that the only window was the one that she saw when she entered. Her father was laying in a container in the center of the room covered up for now...she would probably lift the covering when she was alone with him. There was a machine set up near him which Kyuji would walk over and motion for her to come over to. If Kiyoko allowed him, he would slip the cuff on her arm to monitor her blood pressure and attach little wires to her neck region to monitor her breathing. Aside from those two little accessories, there was nothing else that he needed to do to prep her for her father. He would say one thing to her before he left: "I will be in the other room watching your conditions while you are paying your respects to your father. I cannot hear anything you say in the other room nor will I be able to make out anything that you show your father like your pictures or the letter that I gave you last night. If you feel better, you may move to the other side of your father with the machine and I will still be able to monitor you correctly. As soon as you are done, just give me a sign to come in and I will disconnect you from the machine. The only reason I would interfere is if your vitals begin to get out of control. If you don't have anything else for me, I will go to the other room and give you the time that you need with your father."

If he didn't need to address anything, he would give a nod and proceed to head out of the door and into a seat in the other room where he could clearly see the machine's readings. At the moment, her body was fine overall...just a little high which was obviously due to stress, anxiety, and what not. But, he would need to closely monitor her moving forward for sure.

 

[Kitetsu Kurikara]

Kiyoko was clearly uneasy when she was asked to put a blindfold on. She hated being unaware of her surroundings, and given that she truly did not trust anyone at the moment aside from Kyuji, it made her more nervous. But he supplied a quick reasoning as to why, and though she was still wary, she agreed with his words. Seeing more than one dead body in such an emotionally taxing day would unsettle her further. So she would comply, placing the blindfold on after she knew where Kyuji would be. She then settled on his back, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck as he walked.

Eventually she was set down once more, though she wasn’t sure how far they had gone. She had lost herself to her thoughts once more, a bad habit that she hoped wouldn’t settle in. It was dangerous to lose track of things going on around you, especially when one of your senses was disabled momentarily. But since she was able to take the blindfold off and nothing seemed out of place, she supposed it was okay this one time.

They had stopped within a single room with only one window. She didn’t understand at first, but then she recalled Kyuji requesting her father be moved to a room on his own. Perhaps that door with a window led to said room. She let a shaky breath escape her lips as she walked over to the door, steeling her nerves before opening it and stepping inside. She noticed the container first, and her heart began to race. Under that one cover was the sickening reality that she had been shielding her heart from for two entire years. She nearly ignored the other person in the room, but she saw Kyuji motioning for her and slowly approached the container. He slipped a cuff onto her arm, and she forced her eyes away from the elephant in the room to watch him as he set up some wires. She had involuntarily flinched when she felt pressure against her neck, but she didn’t speak up or move away. When Kyuji began to speak again, she listened closely. It was comforting, in a strange way, that someone would be keeping an eye on her through this process while still giving her the privacy she needed to face her father. She waited for Kyuji to leave the room before turning to face the container. She set her pictures down on the floor with shaky hands before removing the cover on the box.

There it was. Pale, lifeless, unmoving. Her father’s face, peaceful in his eternal rest.

Tears immediately escaped her lids as she looked at him. He looked so happy, despite all that had happened to him. Kiyoko wasn’t sure if that was something the medics had done when they had recreated his body or if he had smiled to the end, but it was a nice expression to see on his face. Kiyoko attempted to calm herself as much as possible. She didn’t want to be forced to leave without being able to say anything, after all. Once she was able to stand upright again, she picked up the pictures she had set down.

“G-Good morning, Daddy,” she began, smiling slightly beneath her watery gaze. “Mommy and I miss you…a lot, you know. She hasn’t been the same since you left.” Although it was starting off a bit rough, she knew she needed to get more comfortable with her words to stay in here longer. “I wasn’t sure you would come home when we heard you were attacked…so I painted some pictures for you.” Kiyoko set the pictures down, beginning to explain the story behind each image. She would then set them aside, letting out another shaky breath as she pulled out the letter that had been written to her. “A nice man named Kyuji-san visited our home to share the news of you returning at last. Mother…she didn’t take it so well. She won’t be coming to see you. But I don’t want her to see you like this. I want her to remember you smiling and kissing her on the cheek as you left the house,” she said as her voice cracked a bit. Her father had always had the most dazzling, handsome smile, in her opinion. He had always been so caring and loving to her, and she knew he meant every single “I love you” he spoke to her mother.

It was time for the note, however. She had said her part, and now she would listen as her father spoke.

Hello, Kiyoko. If you're reading this, then my last mission didn't go as planned. I am writing this letter to tell you the truth about your mother and I. When we found you, with your snow white hair and bright blue eyes, we knew we couldn't let someone else take you and risk your corruption. We wanted you to be as happy and carefree as you could be. But it seems that your past is beginning to catch up with you. And I have no right to keep you from it.

I was a shinobi of another village in the past, though my real name I will not share to protect you further. I love you too much for you to discover my past. I was on a mission with your mother when we found you, snuggled up in a little tattered blanket, fast asleep. You were hidden under the bridge in a small box. I knew we couldn't leave you there, but you would have been put into the foster system if we didn't take you in.

Her heart was beginning to ache, as did her chest from her tight breathing. Everything seemed to be silent around her. What was this? This couldn’t be what her father wanted to say. But it was his handwriting, and seeing that it was clean and smoothly written, he wasn’t forced to write it.

I don't know if your parents are alive or not, but I do know the years that I had you as my daughter were the best years of my life. I love you dearly, and I would die to protect you and your mother. Tell her that I love her and that I want her to continue on happily with you until you decide to leave and live your own life.

No, she couldn't. He should be here to say this.

But the most important piece of this message is this: You weren't just wrapped in a random piece of scrap cloth. This blanket that you were wrapped in had the symbol of a bloodline that I have never encountered personally. The Haku bloodline. If this is more than just a piece of material, then you have this bloodline inside of you. Although I cannot tell you how to harness it, you shouldn't deny yourself of your heritage. You must ask someone you trust about this. If it hasn't been found, the piece of the cloth that held the symbol is hidden within the fabric of my headband. This headband is in my armoury, along with a few weapons that you may claim as your own if you decide to follow the ninja's path.

Everything was growing darker, her world spinning in her head. She felt dizzy, sick in a way she had never felt before. This couldn't be true.

I'm sorry that I had to leave you when you were so young. Don't let my death hold you back. Let it push you forward. Protect your mother and your friends as much as you wished to protect me. Find your true destiny, and your real parents if you feel the need to. Stay safe, but do what you must to protect those you love. I love you so much, Snowflake.

She crumbled to the ground on her knees as her world began to spin. Her thoughts were muddled and unclear, but she knew what she had read.

The snowflake around her neck shattered as it hit the floor.

[MFT: 1,347 words]

 

[Tomomi]

The descendant of Byakko, the medical chief of the Hospital, and a father of two would position himself on his chair as the door closed behind him allowing the little girl the chance to have alone time with her father for one last time. He knew that she was having a troubling time right now with being in the room alone with her father, but it was in her best interest to pay her respects to him like Kyuji had done long ago in his home country of Earth since he would be cremated or buried after they were done here today. It was unfortunate that that the wife of the deceased couldn't also attend this "viewing" since she was not medically cleared after her incident last night at her home; thankfully, Kyuji was there and was able to take care of her until other medical shinobi appeared and removed her from her home. Fortunately, she was in the Hospital so Kiyoko could visit her if she wanted.

Back in the room, Kiyoko had gotten herself situated and began to remove the cover on the box in front of her. Immediately after removing the cover and seeing the lifeless corpse of her father, her readings began to tinker. Her pulse and breathing had increased while her blood pressure readings were beginning to slowly worsen as she began to cry which was made obviously to the medic by little droplets surfacing on the floor. The body of the deceased husband and father had been recreated in many ways due to the poor condition that it had been brought into the Hospital due to the harsh conditions of the assault and the climate of the desert; he honestly looked much better than he had when he originally was dragged into the morgue to be prepped for a viewing, funeral and/or cremation. It was just something that the Hospital and Kyuji did for the families so they could remember their loved ones as how they looked prior to their untimely passing. The readings would stabilize themselves after a few moments as it appeared that Kiyoko would be able to calm herself down, possibly because she could tell she was starting to go into the danger zone.

The girl would continue to have stable readings as she appeared to start to talk to her father and show him the pictures that she brought with her. It was somewhat adorable to see Kiyoko still using her love of art, he assumed, to try to make light of an eerie situation that she had been thrown into. Her exact words could not be heard beyond the glass window or he would've probably cracked a smile when she mentioned him. But instead, he was just keeping a watchful eyes on her body, her readings, and her well-being. Then, it all came crashing down literally. She would move on from her words to the letter that he had written for her and the readings on the machines began to go out of control as her pulse had grown weak, her blood pressure had fallen dangerously, her breathing had increased and her body had grown paler if that was physically possible. Within moments of reading the letter, she fell to her knees and the necklace around her neck had shattered.

Without a moment of hesitation, Kyuji jumped from his seat and ran into the room to catch her head in his lap as she began to collapse and all the machinery crashed around her. He removed his medical robe vigorously and would place it under her head as he would lay her on her side to be safe than sorry. A quick call from the headset in the room would bring in a nurse who would evaluate her legs about twelve inches as Kyuji could then check her breathing again and she had stopped breathing. Luckily, they had an AED in the room and Kyuji could attach the wires to her and begin the treatment. It would only take two or three clears to get her heart and breathing back to a steady rate. Once a few more nurses appeared, they would carry her off to a patient room and lock the doors behind them to where her father was located.

In the room, they would place her in a bed with a view of the outside world of the village and give her oxygen and intravenous fluids to help her body recover. As she was slowly waking up, Kyuji would be sitting in the room with her with the letter from her "father" on the nightstand beside her with a glass of water sitting there as well and the shattered remains of the necklace. He would look down at her as she woke up with a concerned look on his face as he addressed her: "Hey Kiyoko. Sorry to put you in a bed but it is hospital protocol if you pass out like you did."

 

[Kitetsu Kurikara]

Nothing registered in Kiyoko's mind. Her entire life flashed before her eyes, from rushing to her father the first time he returned home from a trade up to seeing his body just moments ago. She remembered each of the meals her family used to enjoy together, the first time Kiyoko had ever cooked a meal and the disgusted look that her father tried to hide. She remembered her first drawing, the one of her family that her father had framed so that it could sit on their night stand. He would see it every time he returned home. She even counted every single time he called her Snowflake. Then she began to hear something else; screaming, the rush of wind, the cry of a child. But she didn't remember what happened to have heard these sounds. Her entire life had been peaceful, hadn't it? This wasn't a memory.

She could feel the shards of ice surrounding her body, the cries of her name from a far too familiar voice. Pain lit up across her entire body, starting in her chest with a dull throb. The pain built, and she felt it spread throughout her limbs and her head as she wished to scream, but nothing escaped her lips. She felt like she was on fire, and yet she was shivering from the cold. She heard another name spoken that she didn't recognize.

Then the pain was gone.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she stared up in confusion for a moment through half-lidded eyes. She could have sworn she felt something, but the memory wouldn't come to her. Perhaps the dream had been forgotten already. Kiyoko slowly came to her senses, hearing the beeping of a heart monitor as well as words from a male's voice. Kyuji, she soon recalled. It took a moment for her to think over his words and comprehend what he had said. So she had passed out again. This was the second time, the first having been in her first training from overexerting her weakened self. But what had she done to cause it this time?

Then it all came back to her. She had seen her father's body, told him about the pictures and how she missed him so much. But the letter was the source, she soon came to realize. "Kyuji-san," she spoke softly, turning her head a bit to look over at him. She felt the tug of something under her nose, smelling the plastic a moment later. Oxygen. She then noticed the fluids connected to her arms and let out a breath, turning to stare up at the ceiling once more. So it must have been a pretty bad scenario for them to have taken this much precaution. She highly doubted she would be getting any answers from this medic, however.

"When you cremate Kurai, will you burn the paintings at the same time? I want him to have them." If she were to truly move on like he wanted, then she would need to let go of the pain of losing him. Having those pictures around as a reminder wouldn't help the process at all, and it was a personal thing that only she, Kurai, and Kyuji would know of. She couldn't keep them. Every time she would look at them, she would think of him. And she knew it would never stop hurting.

What scared her the most, however, was the letter that she spotted when she turned her head once again. She could see the neat handwriting from how it was laying. But who could she show this too? She was too terrified to trust anyone now. The only two she had been the closest to had lied about her entire existence. She wasn't a Mizuki at all. Without hesitation, Kiyoko started to sit up. She struggled a bit from the slight sluggishness in her body, but she managed nonetheless as she reached over to take the note. She skimmed its contents a few more times just to make sure that her memory wasn't playing tricks on her. "Would you believe that I'm not a Mizuki clan member at all?" she asked, laughing bitterly. It was a painful thing to come to terms with. She literally knew nothing about herself now.

 

[Tomomi]

Fortunately for the little girl, she had been in good hands with Allstate the only active Medical Chief in the hospital monitoring her as she had been looking at her "father." If she hadn't had him monitoring her, her initial shock symptoms would've been worse and she probably wouldn't be in the stable condition that she was in right now due to the mere fact that nobody else would have seen her for hours. She had truly lucked out to collapse when she did with the descendant of Byakko watching nearby, but this wasn't something that Kyuji would allow his pride to get in the way of since it was his job after all or the Kazekage would have never appointed him to this role. In her current recovery state, she would probably need to stay overnight to be safe before Kyuji could clear her to leave since she had an episode like her mother had. Simple protocol to assure she was going to be okay when she was released and to allow her little body to recover.

As she stirred more, he would apologize for putting her into a bed like he did, but she didn't really acknowledge him at all. She was far too weak to really conjure up much of a response to him right now which was understandable. After all, she had just collapsed seeing her "father" in a room and learning that she was adopted; Kyuji knew this as he peeked into the letter while she had been asleep, but he wasn't going to let her know of that. The only reasoning for him peeking at the letter was for "medical" reasons to know what triggered her shock; it was actually because he was being nosy and didn't have anything else to do in the Hospital while he waited for her to wake up. He knew that this would be a trying time for her since her whole life as she knew it had been destroyed and she had to start off anew. This was easier said than done, but she was capable of doing it since the good doctor had been able to do it as well, but he also had medical experience and years on her when he had to start over.

Anyways, he would hear her request to burn the paintings with Kurai and he nodded. It was a noble thing to do for her "father" and herself, but it appeared she was slowly grasping that she had to start over and try to remove all trances of her past life. It would be difficult, but she could do it. He would've responded to her request, but she would continue on laughing bitterly as she asked him if he'd believe that she was not a Mizuki member. This was where being able to fake his facial expressions and tone in his voice would come in handy since he needed to lie to her to keep her trust since she didn't have anyone to rely upon except for herself and possibly his family right now.

Luckily, his guilt for reading her letter wouldn't show as he begun to address her with a warm, gentle smile and his hand on her head: "I can burn the paintings with your father if that is what you want. Do you still want to have possession of his ashes after we are done or do you have a request of where and how you want us to spread them? As for believing that you are not a Mizuki member, no, I could not. But, I didn't know much about your family either. Why do you ask? Did that letter mention something about your family?" A simple request was accepted and a simple question was asked. Now, he needed to wait and see what would come of it. He wanted to question why her head was so cold, but he knew why from the letter. She had a lineage to the Haku bloodline much like his wife did and she would eventually hopefully be able to utilize these powers to benefit herself and more importantly the village.

Elsewhere in the Hospital, a nurse was checking up on Mrs. Mizuki's condition. The mother of Kiyoko looked so peaceful sleeping as the nurse entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was merely checking to ensure her room was still clean and all the supplies that she was using during her stay were still filled enough to keep her going. The woman still looked quite weak through the eyes of this nurse, but she should be able to make the recovery needed to be released within a few days and she could return to her home with her daughter and they could try to move on from this fateful few days from hearing the news from her husband to her daughter seeing her father. Yes, everything should work out fine.

 

[Kitetsu Kurikara]

Kiyoko set the letter down in her lap, her grip on it loosening as she smiled sadly. "I never did look like my parents, but for some reason I never questioned it. I thought it was just a unique thing. Some people told me I could have simply been an albino, since I'm so pale," she said, shaking her head before she looked over at him. "I wasn't born into the Mizuki clan. The Mizuki clan doesn't even exist; Mizuki Kurai isn't his real name." She paused for a moment before handing the note over. "Is there any way to try and find out his real name? I know you don't have much to work with, but I want to know where they found me," she spoke softly.

Perhaps if she were to trace her steps back to where Kurai - or whatever his real name was - found her as an infant, then perhaps she could learn more of where she came from. Perhaps she could even track down her real parents. She shivered once more and furrowed her brows as her thoughts were interrupted by her sudden chill. "Kyuji-san, why is it so cold in here?" she asked with a slight tone of discomfort in her words.

Suddenly another thought struck her; what of her mother? Surely she wouldn't like Kiyoko heading off towards her real parents. But she would have answers, wouldn't she? She was on the same mission as her father when they found Kiyoko. "Where is my mother? I need to see her as soon as I can," she stated. It might not be the smartest idea to ask about it now, given how her mother had responded to the news of her husband returning. As soon as the words left her lips, Kiyoko realized this. It would have to wait until Manami was more stable. But that wouldn't be fair to Kiyoko. She deserved to know if her real parents were still alive and looking for her or not.

[MFT: 333 words]

 

[Tomomi]

Elsewhere in the hospital, the nurse who was checking on Manami in her room would stand over her bed looking at the closed-eye woman with a sinister look on her face. She would snicker a little to herself as she pulled out a filled syringe and placed it mere inches from the widow's neck before the door opened up; the figure in the doorway was another nurse who would see this "nurse" turn her face with a devilish grin on it. Before the real nurse could escape, she was stabbed in the neck with the syringe and would die instantly from the substance that entered her body and dragged into the room with no other eyes around to hear her screams as she was stabbed. The victim would have her clothing ripped off her body and be stabbed repeatedly, after she already was dead, before having a message carved into her back.

Her blood would seep all over the pristine tile floor and Manami would not be responsive to anything that had occurred. This fake nurse would kick the window of the room shattering the glass and escape through it into the streets of the village with her bloodied clothing and knife. Her syringe was left behind at the scene of the crime and nobody would notice the scene in the room until the next scheduled nurse was supposed to make her rounds on the patients. As soon as the nurse found out, the ANBU were called and one of them would take little to no time at all in her ANBU cloak and mask that did not conceal her feline ears at all. She would begin investigating the room as soon as she would get there and in good time would report the findings to the medical chief and her father.

---

Back in the room where the "Mizuki" child was residing for now, Kiyoko, if that was her real name, would explain to the elder that she wasn't truly a Mizuki Clan member meaning she was adopted and her "father's" name wasn't truly Mizuki Kurai. She would then ask him if there was anything that he could do to find out this man's real name and possibly where he originated from. Before he could respond however to her questions, she would ask where her mother was and why it was so cold in the room. She was just full of questions for only waking up a little while ago after her incident when she saw her "father." But, it would not be good to keep her waiting too long since she probably would be able to be cleared soon if her conditions increased significantly...her "mother" unfortunately would not be released anytime soon for good measures.

After a moment to pause and gather his thoughts, he would begin to respond to the young lass. "Your mother is in another room safely resting. You can see her once she wakes up. As for your 'father's' identity and where he is from, that is not really the medical branch. However, I will ask some of the ANBU if they can assist us with your father's identity as they probably have the information marked down like they do about me since I am originally from Stone and my real name is not Byakko Kyuji. I adopted the name after joining the village and marrying my wife in front of Lord Byakko."

Another pause and another moment would be taken, he knew why she was cold but he couldn't tell her exactly why since he wasn't supposed to know the contents of her letter as that would be invading her privacy so he didn't truly know what to tell her about feeling cold...he would just wait and see if it went away or if it would be lasting. "I am not sure why you are cold since it is relatively warm in this room. It might be because you are recovering, but I am not entirely sure. But moving forward with your evaluation, I am willing to let you go and see your mother sooner if you show signs of improvement in the coming hours. I ask however that you take it easy till then and after you are released from the hospital since you need to allow your body to recover."

He also noticed she didn't address his question regarding Kurai's ashes so he would do what he needed with them to properly allow his body to pass to the afterlife. He knew what he would do with the ashes initially, but after the interaction with her "father", he wasn't entirely sure anymore of what to do. An urn would probably be the best bet for all parties involved, but there was still the possibility of connecting the father to his adoptive daughter even after his passing. This would be a fun decision to make, but he knew what he would need to do dependent on the events that unfolded. But for now, it was time to give Kiyoko all the attention that he could.

[MFT: 842 words total with 540 of them relating to Kyuji.]

 

[Kitetsu Kurikara]

Kiyoko looked down as she was denied access to her mother for the time being. Everything was so overwhelming, and yet she couldn't do anything about it. From being separated from her father, to being reunited with him, to being separated from her mother and learning that she isn't related to either of them. Tears sprung to her eyes yet again, and she couldn't help them as they fell. She let out a shaky breath, knitting her fingers together in her lap. "Kyuji-san...what am I going to do? I don't know what to think anymore." Her voice sounded so broken...much different from her usual gentle tone of speaking. She felt like her entire world was falling apart right before her, almost like she was locked in a glass cage so all she could do was watch.

What if it never went back to normal? Kiyoko now knew that Manami was not her real mother. She was a shinobi, who knew where she was found. But she was unstable due to the loss of Kurai...what would she even be able to share? It was highly possible that Manami wouldn't say a word to Kiyoko now that she knew. And what about Kiyo's own mental state? Having to take care of a woman with emotional instability that knew everything about your past without a word of question. Would Manami have more abusive spells like she had to force her into the hospital in the first place? How much worse would it get? And how much would Kiyoko be able to take before she snapped?

All questions that ran through the young girl's head, and yet she had no answers for them. She was growing more and more lost by the second. Now she wished she had asked Kyushiko to come along. After a moment of thought, however, Kiyo remembered the little bit that this man's daughter had shared about him. "...Your parents died when you were young. How did you make it this far?" Surely if he could continue on in life to become a Medic and father, then he knew something she didn't just yet. What could have brought him this far? Hadn't he lost everything too? And yet it almost looks too good to be true, to see him so happy and peaceful in his job and with his family.

[MFT: 390 words]

 

[Tomomi]

As one would assume, the young lass was having a difficult time of things currently as her whole life that she knew had been shattered right in front of her and she would need to pick up the pieces. Understandably, her body showed clear signs of anxiety and fear that could be sniffed by Kyuji easily. In all honesty, he felt terrible that she had to experience a death of a loved one so early in her life and have to move on from it. It was true that he himself had seen both of his parents die right in front of him, but he was more accustomed to death and heartache as he dealt with death on a daily basis back in Iwagakure under the leadership of his Medical Sennin, Uka; he also continually dealt with it here in Sand, but the technology here was much more advanced than it was back at home.

However, he couldn't get sidetracked writing nor in-character as his patient would turn to him and ask him how he made it this far while losing his parents so early on in his life. His golden eyes would close momentarily before reopening revealing his god's gift to him. This sight would probably take little Kiyoko back momentarily as body language would shift as he pulled a chair up to the side of her bed as he folded his arms and let out a loud exhale. Once the exhale was allowed to fully escape, he would begin with a solemn tone in his voice as his eyes, while beautiful, could still show pain in them when mentioning his parents: "So Kyushiko told you about my parents, hm? She is right that I lost them when I was young, it was around the age of 18. My mother was crushed to death and my father died due to illness and heartache. I saw both of my parents die right in front of my eyes and I was too useless and inexperienced to save them. Their deaths still haunt me while I sleep at night as I can hear my mother screaming as she was crushed to death and my father's last breath escaping his body. I failed my parents and was a complete failure while working as a medical shinobi in Iwagakure, but I kept going to work every day after their deaths in the Hospital trying to get better and more experienced. I unfortunately ran away from my home country when I was in my early twenties when the village was under attack. But, I would join Sunagakure soon after and bust my ass hard to get to where I am today which is a father of two kids, married, and running the medical branch as a chief as all of our other chiefs are AWOL."

He would then pause momentarily to gather his thoughts as he probably confused the girl more than helped her. He was known for going into speeches when talking to people so it wasn't anything new and he knew he would need to work on it if he ever wanted another promotion. After this brief pause, he would turn his head away from the girl as he continued: "I guess what I am trying to say is my life was not easy after my parents died, but I kept trying to move on and made some poor decisions in the process. I mean I am a medical chief in this village, I was only a lowly medic in Iwagakure and I believe I have turned my life around. I am far happier than I was before and I have a stable home and a support system for when things stray from their initial path. I cannot tell you exactly how to move on from the death of a loved one nor how to handle another loved one who is not mentally okay currently."

He would then take his only hand and place it on her head, giving her a gentle, warm smile as he turned his bed back: "Just know that I have your back as well as Kyushiko. If my daughter takes an interest in someone, then that individual must be something special as she keeps her distant around everyone probably due to her line of work." Good old Kyuji being the nice guy that he was; it was going to be the death of him someday.

A concealed individual would enter the room wearing a mask as she began to talk. As soon as she talked, everyone hopefully would know who she was. "Father, you talk much too much. But before you can say anything else, I need to tell you what I just saw in one of your rooms. I was called in because one of the nurses was found in an older woman's room laying on her stomach stabbed multiple times with a syringe at her side. The actual patient in the room did not respond at all while we were in there. It appeared she was in a comatose like state. There was a message stabbed into the nurse's back that read 'You're Next.' As your daughter and a part of the investigation team, I do not think it would be advised to keep the patient in that room considering the assailant shattered the window in the room and is likely to return to the scene of the crime eventually."

Her attention would then turn to her little plaything as she stepped a little further into the room and removed her mask to reveal her face to everyone. Her tone had turned from being extremely serious to concerning as she addressed the lass: "Kiyoko, are you okay? My father wasn't being too much of a bore I hope. Why don't you come home with us when you are released? I am sure that my father won't say no especially with someone in his hospital turning rogue and trying to kill his patients. I am looking out for your well-being."

Her father would look up at her as he removed his hand from Kiyoko's head as he responded to his daughter: "I am fine if she wants to come home with you later, Kyu. My only condition however is that we take her mother with us when we go home later so both of them can recover and they will not be in danger. Is that reasonable?"

"Yes as long as Kiyoko is okay with it" she would agree.

[OOC Notes:
MFT: 1082
Sorry if it is choppy. I got inspiration halfway through and had to rework stuff XD.]

 

[Tomomi]

Both of the Byakko family members would wait in Kiyoko's room for a response from the girl, but unfortunately neither of them would receive one. They would excuse themselves from the room after an awkward few moments and begin to discuss what to do from there. Kyuji was going to go through the Hospital and check up on the other patients to ensure that they were doing okay while his daughter was going to further investigate Mrs. Mizuki's room for any evidence that would point her to a culprit to identify. One thing was for sure, it had been an eventful day thus far and it would probably going get more interesting moving forward and in the future.

[OOC: Topic left due to inactivity. If you return, Kiyoko, we can discuss how to continue our plot together but I am leaving this for now because I might need the slot. If you do return, you are free to fill in any gaps that you need to.]