To find herself...[Private requesting Kitsune]

[Yamamoto Airi]

Airi had done everything in power by herself to find out what was going on with her and it lead to little in the way of headways. She did not want to go to Maru who usually had answers for fears that he was the problem to this. She did not want him feeling bad for something especially if he was not actually at fault. As such when books did not work and you had no friends that you wanted to turn she decided she would go to a place that could check her out physically and if nothing was wrong there then she had to go to Maru as the expert. So Airi made a very slow walk on this colder and cloudier day in Kumo.

“If they do not find anything wrong I’ll have to confront him about it…” As Airi walked past the flowers that were in front of the Aesculapium she felt a heavy burden on her heart. If they say she cursed...what would she do? She almost secretly hoped it was something else. Maybe her eye color change was genetic? It would not explain the blackouts and her fighting unconscious but she supposed things would pan out on step at a time.

As she made her way through the doors she watched people come and go...wondering if this was where she should be and not the Anbu. She loved helping people but whenever she thought of coming here she always thought about Byakko and the darker side of the Hospital. She knew there was no way she could actually perform experiments and things on anyone. That and she had no idea if she could be the tough parent and make people do what they needed to do to get better.

Shaking her head she moved to the counter and asked, “Hello...I would like to receive a blood test and ask some questions...where should I go to get in for a check up and that?” The nurse looked through some papers and then told Airi she would need to head to waiting area. Airi nodded and then followed the directions that were given to her.

As Airi sat down she looked around the room. She figured orphans and shinobi would come in to figure things out. Shinobi usually got a little better treatment since they were military but she wondered who would be looking in on her. Probably not anyone major as she held her hands she prayed that everything was okay with her and that there not any major problems. Airi had been in the hospital twice last month so at least her records were somewhat fresh...she tried to calm her heart as she waited to be called to go somewhere else.

[Topic Entered Requesting Kitsune]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Another day, another series of shifts at the hospital. Despite Kitsune being nobility and all, she still had to do her job, which was to perform research as well as sometimes perform actual doctorial duties. Today was one of the days she did actual medical work rather than perform experiments and deplete the already strained budget of the research department. So today she had to work to make the money. It really was quite ironic, considering that if only Osuteno would allow it she could fund the branch herself, and push for more breakthroughs. But she could also see why it’d be an issue, as it’d put her in a position of power above the Medical Sennin.

Regardless of all the bureaucratic nonsense going on, Kitsune was quite task focused, and the current task was taking care of this one girl who had questions, needed a physical examination, and some bloodwork done. She stepped into the waiting room to collect Airi ”Irie, Airi-chan. Please follow me.” she said and guided the girl to an office equipped with the necessary equipment to examine her and grab the required blood samples. ”So, Airi-chan, please sit down in the chair over there, and I’ll draw the blood for the tests.” she said, gesturing to a chair with an armrest designed to let the occupant stretch their arm down a bit so the veins would be easier to see.

In a manner of a few moments, Kitsune had sterilized the area where she’d put the needle, inserted the little needle and attached stopper, which, when vials were pressed into, would release the blood into the vial, without spilling any. She’d proceed to draw six small vials and place them in a little rack on the table next to them before removing the needle and wiping the area before putting a small piece of gauze over where the needle had previously been inserted and then a band-aid on top, to hold it in place. ”That’ll need to sit there for about an hour or so before removal.” she instructed ”So, Airi-chan. The receptionist said you had some questions, feel free to ask away.”

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Airi had been twirling her thumbs around as she looked about the room. Her now violet eyes scanned the area, not out of fear or worry but curiosity. She noticed that everyone at least looked okay but people watching was about all she could do. Normally she could remain very still and calm but the turbulence of her mind and her worry about her body caused her to fidget and shift in her seat. She glanced at the time over and over again until eventually she heard her voice called. “Y-Yes!” As she got up she would have fallen on her face if her clumsiness had not somehow been cured…the lady who called her in was Airi’s new definition of beauty. She felt herself go stiff as she walked trying her hardest to stare at the floor and no other part of this lady.

Getting into the room she felt a wave of nervousness take over. Airi herself was not afraid of hospitals or anything. As a matter of fact she had been here twice in the previous three months. One to repair her right arm that almost got cut off and then two weeks after that when her chakra gates had broken open and she had…well unlocked her abilities in the Pit. Nothing in here should be bothering her…except herself getting into her own head.

The Lady was efficient and Airi quickly took a seat. Airi rolled up her sleeve so that way it was still loose but still allowed access to her arm. She had considered going into the medical field and at least knew that when drawing blood she did not need to help with the pressure levels by tying her arm tightly. The lady quickly sterilized the spot she was going to draw from, inserted the needle, and then quickly drew six vials. The speed and efficiency she did this was remarkable and Airi could tell the lady could probably do this in her sleep. As the needle was removed she put gauze on her and wrapped her up. Not a single drop of her blood was wasted…which honestly astonished Airi.

The Lady was informed not to remove that for at least an hour or so…then she was told to ask whatever questions she wanted. Airi nodded nervously and said, “N-now I know I am maybe wrong in my information and or my thoughts so please correct them but I-I am just curious since Shinobi and chakra can really change how things work…” Airi nervously brushed a hand through her hair and held the end of it.

“I know…adolescence is a time for changing but very recently and very abruptly. My eye color changed from a soft chestnut color to violet…that seems highly unusual. Another thing was I used to know the Mystical Force Jutsu down pat…now it will not work for me at all but the Mystical Hand jutsu still works fine…”

Airi stopped with her hair and put her hands down in front of her. As she tried to think of everything she wanted to ask her mind started to go fuzzy. Kitsune looked at her very seriously, a professional, yet Airi could barely keep herself together. “I am not sure if it was in my profile but I was picked up via a chakra tester. I know no one in my family is chakra sensitive…do you know why that could be?”

Airi always thought it was weird but maybe it was not a genetic thing. Little did she know about the demonic blood that only flowed through her veins and that she was really only a half-sister to her siblings. The Inuzuka blood awakened when Maru had temporary filled her with Corrupted Yokai energy…if not for that she might have stayed the way she was. Maybe it was just her teenage years changing her body for what it was supposed to be. Airi would believe whatever Kitsune told her…the real questions were what conclusions would she draw and how much was she going to tell the young Genin?

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled a bit at how nervous Airi seemed to be before patting her head and telling her not to be nervous and that she was in good hands. ”Oh dear, introducing myself seems to have completely slipped my mind.” Kitsune suddenly realized, about halfway through drawing the blood, so why not do it while drawing the blood, right? ”I’m the Chief of Research here at the hospital, Duchess Shinrya Kitsune, but please, Doctor is more than adequate for this situation. I’ll also allow Kitsune, because you’re a real cutie.” she said with a grand smile, entirely unlike the other stuffy nobles in the country.

To be fair, Kitsune was definitely not a typical noble. She didn’t care much for protocol unless in very important situations, and this definitely did not qualify as it was just her job. Then, after listening to Airi’s first question, giving the young girl all of her attention, Kitsune rubbed her chin and pondered for a second ”Well, sometimes chakra sensitivity manifests after skipping a generation, but if, as you say, your entire family are unsensitives, my immediate guess would be… Well. Infidelity. That or someone having tampered with your genes before birth. And as that is still highly experimental technology locked behind military clearance requirements… I’d have to go with infidelity.”

The news were sure to be a surprising blow to Airi, but Kitsune would preempt some of it by adding ”To me, it looks like your true bloodline has finally reared its head and the genes from it have struck through. Like an Uchiha awakening their Sharingan.” She pondered for a moment or so before once again looking at Airi’s very pretty purple eyes ”Well. I can say one thing for sure. Purple suits you.” she said with a chuckle, trying to defuse the tension after the bombshells that got dropped, ”There are other tests that can be performed, but they’re more intrusive than mere blood samples.” she informed her patient as she sent the vials off for genetic analysis and sequencing to identify the reason for the sudden changes.

”I’d also like to offer you the opportunity for counselling” she said, turning to face Airi again, with her hands on her hips, ”It wouldn’t be here at the hospital, as that’s a bit too clinical, and my office is littered with research papers and projects in varying states of completion. Instead it’d be at my home in The Seki District. Away from prying eyes, and with my staff to handle serving us tea and sweets.” It was an open invitation and Airi would be free to show up any time she wanted. Even in the event Kitsune wasn’t home at the time being, she’d still be allowed inside to wait in Kitsunes study.

[MFT; WC: 461]

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Duchess…Chief of research...Doctor...this was Byakko-san boos so to speak.

The person before her was everything Airi was not. She was beautiful, accomplished, talented, and probably the hardest worker in any given room she was in. Airi could only imagine how tired she must be in comparison. Airi only had one thing and that was the duty to herself. Could Airi ever step up and do what Shinrya-sama did not only empower and support herself but an entire division of shinobi? A house full people? Airi was unsure if she was capable but one thing did sink in upon meeting the woman before her...there was a higher tier than where her eyes were set...would she try and achieve something similar?

Airi could not help but blush a little bit as Shinrya-sama told her that she was cute. “T-Thank you…” She certainly did not feel cute right now…If it was not for the grand smile and warmth that Kitsune was putting out for her benefit she might have thought that she was being joked with.

Something that surprised her was the amount of attention Shinrya-sama gave her as she spoke. Sure friends or other adults listened and then would speak but this attention was different. She seemed to be looking at Airi in not only her words but how she spoke it, what facial expression she was making. ‘She’s really trying to diagnose me…’ Airi felt a little self conscious but she knew that if you are going to lie to anyone in your life, never should it be the person who is trying to keep you healthy. Airi needed to stick true to herself so she could do her job.

Shinrya-sama seemed to think for a moment before giving her opinion on Airi’s problem. Kitsune said that she believed that the most likely case was...infidelity...Airi’s brow furrowed as she heard the word. She did not know it...break it down...Infidel...someone who lacks faith...or faithless. Someone you cannot have faith in...Airi could feel her eyes slowly go wide. Shinrya-sama continued to explain her thoughts.

True bloodline...so what the other stuff was fake? Was it!? Airi felt like she took a step backwards in her mind. No that can’t be true...she was just a normal girl who happened to be chakra sensitive right? As Airi looked out through her own eyes Shinrya-sama continued to speak…

Airi felt like soft hands wrap around her and panic set in. She thought she could hear a voice...lulling her to hide from the pain. That she would keep her safe and she would take care of the mess. Airi felt herself getting sleepy…

”Well. I can say one thing for sure. Purple suits you.”

Airi felt herself return...her training had saved her there from breaking down but...what had just happened?

Shinrya-sama went on to say that there were other tests they could do to get more specific details but those would require more consent from her than just a simple blood test. Airi felt a little uneasy going more forward than that. If according to her her bloodline was coming out...then she would figure it out.

Airi shifted a bit as she was offered counseling. Was this apart of her job? It seemed...intimate. Why would she allow a random no name shinobi into her home? She did not look worried about her and certainly many other Genin had the same problems she was going through...yet...the blackouts…

“I-I...I.” Airi stammered way more than usual. Clearly the news affecting her on top of everything else. Airi swallowed and said, “If you...do not mind that. I would like to accept your invitation and unless we see something really off putting...I think i will stick to the standard DNA tests...I just really want to make sure something is not wrong with me.”

Airi thought it was rude of her though and so she lowered her head. “Thank you...Shinrya-Bucho. For taking the time to look at me. I am certain you are busy doing everything else you must have on your plate.” Airi looked a little nervous and glanced around the room.

“I uhh...was nervous...maybe I had over used the opening of my chakra gates and that it was hurting me worse than what the books described.” Someone controlling chakra gates was not common but also not super uncommon...Airi had not met anyone else who could do that so she just wanted to make sure…

“If it matters at all...I feel like my sense of hearing and smell have gotten more sensitive. I do also know that at one time an Arch-sage accidentally put corrupt chakra into my system...but I think that left me easily...it also did not seem to harm me...so I thought everything was fine but...I never formally submitted that happened…”

She did not want to get Maru in trouble, but once again she felt she was going to open up to Shinrya-sama so she might as well know. “A-also...I have been having blackouts on missions...and when I wake up...well...things happened...bad things...to bad people. Never an innocent but still!”

She had no idea if Shinyra-sama was high enough to know of someone who was Anbu in training...but she hoped this would not get her removed.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

”Well, regardless, the tests will take a few days to complete” Kitsune said and patted Airi on the head gently ”It’s a complicated process, so why don’t we meet up again in a few days, at my home.” she suggested, figuring it’d be easier to give Airi the news and give her a counselling session while she was at it. ”Oh don’t you worry, Irie-chan. This is also a part of my job, so of course I’ll have the time.” she said with a smile. Then, though, Airi began talking about how she had controlled her chakra gates and thought maybe that could’ve been the issue.

”That’s quite the uncommon technique, that. But no, I’m fairly sure that wasn’t it. Or if it was, it could’ve just triggered something latent in your physiology.” she posited, giving a plausible explanation of the changes that’d have to stem from her being the result of her mother being unfaithful. Airi then began explaining further in regards to some of the changes that had happened, like her sense of smell and hearing getting more sensitive, and that got Kitsune to pay extra attention, because she only knew of a single kind of bloodline that had those traits.

In a few steps, Kitsune had retrieved a book from a nearby bookshelf and flipped through some of the pages before nodding to herself, having confirmed her thoughts about it, ”The only bloodline I know of that’d give those two particular traits at the same time, that’d be the Inuzuka line. They take on a few traits of the animals they’re partnered up with, like better sense of hearing and smell, just like you.” she said, putting the book back on the shelf ”As for the corrupt chakra, that shouldn’t wreak havoc on your genetics or body like that.”

All in all, it was getting clearer that Airi wasn’t what she thought she was, and Kitsune began formulating a few theories, but they’d have to wait for the results to come back. ”Blackouts you say? I’ll have to make a note of them, but I won’t discuss them with others, if that’s what you’re afraid of. Doctor/patient confidentiality. I’ll have to do an examination at a later date, though. So why don’t we put a pin in it for the time being, and I’ll see you in three days at my estate in the Seki District, okay? I’ll have your results for you then.” she said with a warm smile, trying to comfort the young girl before she had to head off to her other duties.

[Topic Left]

 

[Yamamoto Airi]

Airi sort of jumped when she mentioned the test would take a few days…mentally Airi felt herself relax…'right'. She had no idea why her expectations had been that she was going to get an immediate answer…though it was probably because now she wanted an immediate answer. Airi tried to explain things, attempted to give every possible answer she could but Kitsune shut her down each time. Airi…might just need to accept it…

'My mother was unfaithful to my dad at some point…and I am the result…'

Airi could not help but wonder what caused her mother to do this…what she thought of Airi…what her dad thought of her…did he know? Airi could feel chills as she thought about how he might look at her different. Would it ruin the relationship? Should she just keep quite? Why ruin the rest the family? She figured she would probably take it to her grave. Why mess with a good thing?

Kitsune thought that maybe the explosion of chakra from the gates could also have led to her sudden emergence…Kitsune mentioned the heightened sense would probably mean, though an unfounded guess, that she might be Inuzuka. A surprised look took on her face…”Ryou-chan…” She felt a mix of excitement and fear…would she be happy or would she be upset? Should she even mentioned it? Why mess with two families?

She went onto saying that the corrupt chakra probably had very little to do with it and that gave her a sigh of relief. At least none of this was his fault…as Airi slowly got to thinking she wondered…wait Maru was a Yokai and they could probably…

Kitsune said she would collect her results in meet her in the three days’ time at her estate. Airi nodded confidently and said, “I-I’ll be there!” She needed to confirm so things first though and if she really wanted to…she could try to learn Inuzuka techniques. If they worked then that was really a sure sign.

Airi got up quickly and bowed to Kitsune before leaving her office. “Thank you very much for your time and I really am looking forward to it. I’ll try and dress respectable enough!” With that Airi would leave through the doors and then exit the hospital. Once outside though she pumped chakra into her legs and booked it to her house.
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Once she got there she nearly broke down her door, she ran inside to get to her phone and tried to figure out what she would do. As she calmed herself she dialed the number to the closest person to him she knew. “Otani-san this is Airi! How do I get in contact with Maru-san?” If she needed to find someone and the only clue was her blood. Why not use a demon? With her plan set she would meet with Maru tonight and see if he could do it.

[Topic Left]

 

[Maikeru]

Chopping vegetables for a chili he was making that night, Maikeru looked up at the ringing from the phone. Clicking his tongue at this unique issue he had not foreseen when he first lost his arm, he set down the knife and moved across the kitchen to answer the buzzing device. Picking up the phone, and placing it against his ear so that he could use his shoulder to hold it in place, he slowly moved back to his cutting board to continue his meal prep.

"Yo." He said upon answering the phone, before Airi quickly exploded into his ear. "Airi? Wait, slow down... you're... Maru? I mean.. shit, hold on."

Looking to his left he saw his pot beginning to boil over, and he moved to quickly reduce the heat of the stove. Cussing in fuego under his breath, he turned his attention back to Airi.

"I don't know, how fast can you find a hot fox girl? At that point Maru would just find you.." He joked, before continuing. "No, don't do that. You don't want to see that. Look, I can get a message to him with Gosh if you really want. I'll have him meet you tonight in the Susukino District. There's a bar there where Kaibatsu meet up, I'll have him meet you outside. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. There's a giant sandworm on the banner. Look, I'm cooking dinner so I have to go, but good luck Airi."

Waiting for her good-bye, Maikeru hung up the phone to return to his domestic duties.

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