Konoha Hospital.
"Sigh–" Ino dramatically huffs.
The Yamanaka heiress drags her swollen feet to the Hospital's entrance. Already wearing her medical uniform, she hopes to escape her morning session with Kazuya. Four days of no progress was a lot for her to stand.
'Remember, Ino. Smile and keep it short.' She subconsciously readies herself.
The door groans against her palm as she enters...
"Woof! Woof!" Ginmaru barks happily. The grey Ninken circled a child in a hospital gown. The child has a pale appearance, his body trembling lightly, but the joy in his face didn't match his body's struggles.
Ginmaru nudged his head against the boy's outstretched hands. Haiiromaru was sitting next to an elderly lady. The two were calmly watching Ginmaru's interaction with the child.
"You must be the older brother. The old lady chuckled, stroking his rich fur.
"Woof..." Haiiromaru responds.
Kemurimaru was not interested in the patients; he moved to the lone patient in the corner of the lobby. Kazuya sat in the corner with a strap jacket binding his limbs. Taiju positioned himself near the ex-Anbu. Shifuku rested in its sheath. The nurses by the reception area watched in awe at the Nin who brought the three Inuzuka Ninken in today and somehow got the approval of Lady Tsunade to allow Kazuya to participate in this therapy session with strict restrictions.
"Taiju...what is happening?" Ino mutters in disbelief.
"I had a chat with Tsunade yesterday. She wasn't sure you could get through Kazuya within a six-month time span."
"I didn't ask you–"
"I know, Ino...but I can't help my maggots with their endeavours." Taiju winks at her
"I hate you, Taiju." Ino bites her bottom lip.
"Ginmaru, on your back." Taiju orders.
The Ninken followed his orders and presented their belly to the child, wagging his tail in anticipation of belly rubs.
"C-can I?" The kid nervously asked.
"Go ahead, kid. He won't bites." Taiju encouraged.
"Okay..." The kid reached down to rub Ginmaru's belly.
Ino walked over to Taiju and Kazuya, eyes still on her patient.
Kazuya was smiling at Kemurimaru sniffing his shoes. The hound looked up at Kazuya's cold eyes and goes on his hind legs, placing his paws on Kazuya's knees.
"Woof...Woof." Kemurimaru barks lazily at Kazuya.
"Am I getting interrogated?" Kazuya hums.
"This is the first time I've seen you genuinely smile." Ino points out, returning to her professional tone.
Kazuya kept his eyes on Kemurimaru. "Hey, doc? Could you let me pet him?" He pleads.
Ino looks at Taiju for reassurance. He reassured her with a nod.
"Kazuya. If I let you go–"
"I promise I just want to touch the dog. I won't disturb anyone. Either way, Taiju would cut me down before I can think about it." Kazuya jokes.
"I don't kill my comrades, Kazuya. " Taiju winks at him.
Kazuya's eyebrow twitches at his promise. "You shouldn't call me a comrade, Taiju. I've killed as many of my men as I have enemies." Kazuya clears his throat.
"You think I'm no different? Just cause I came from the Maggots pit, doesn't mean I haven't killed my fellow Leaf ninja. It is a shadow we carry until our last breaths." Taiju places his hands on the man's shoulder.
Kazuya tensed at the touch; the former Anbu leader stared at Taiju. Eyes shaking with neglected emotions. Kazuya didn't look like the dangerous patient that nurses and guards spoke of, a man who slaughtered his own men for state secrets was now looking like a vulnerable child.
"T-thank you..."
Clip
Taiju unclipped his jacket, Kazuya's shoulders stiffened before he straightened his posture. With shaky hands he stroked Kemurimaru's fur; the soft hair and warm skin on his fingertips were calming to him.
Ino watched the interaction with utter shock, she grasped Taiju's elbow. Squeezing him to assure herself this was real.
Taiju smirks up at her, "Aren't you going to take notes?"
"Shut up, Taiju...let me do my j-job–sniff." Ino swallowed down her emotions.
...
The rest of the animal therapy session went smoothly. No panic attacks or the triplets being energetic. The Inuzuka Ninken aren't just combat animals. They are bred to develop a deeper, almost telepathic bond with their master. He observed it with Kiba and Akamaru, Hana and the triplets. They don't treat them like pets, they are an extension of their souls and in return the Inuzuka inherit Ninken traits that many see as feral traits, but maybe this is far more evolutionary than the human body can reach. A kekkei genkei that gives a clan animal traits and a natural feel for nature and human behaviours.
'Truly remarkable. ' Taiju ponders.
"Hey. What are you thinking about?" Ino pouts at him.
"Listen, Ino. I think you'd benefit from learning about the Inuzuka's connection with their Ninken. " Taiju suggested.
"Huh? How so?" She questions.
"Your clan's Mind Body switch technique has similarities to their Beast-human formation. " Taiju scratches his chin in thought.
Ino looks at him with a puzzled look, her brain could not fathom the correlation between two distinct clans' kekkei genkei. "What are you on about?" She lets out a frustrated growl.
"Sigh... Ginmaru– Kemurimaru–Haiiromaru, come." He whistles them over.
"Woof!" The three perked up at the call, rushing over to Taiju.
"You three are a handful~" Taiju shakes his head at their antics.
Ino clears her throat. "Taiju. I-I want to thank you for today, and all that you do for the girls and me..." Ino whispers out her gratitude.
Taiju isn't one to take praise, but he nods appreciatively at her, "Let's go home, boys."
Flashback sequence~
[Land of Iron ]
The cold wind howls in the evening, snow dusting the land with more layers of frost. Taiju sat by the steps leading to the backyard. His legs folded under his knees, hands resting on his kimono-covered thighs. Taiju's scarlet eyes trailed across the hibernating flowers, such beauty put under the spell of frost.
Ameyuri sat beside him, leaning against a cold wooden pillar with the nonchalance of a house cat. She had one eye open in his direction.
"Petty for your thoughts?"
Taiju's lips curved into half a smirk. "I'm meditating. " He answered.
"Stop lying. " Ameyuri huffs, leaning off the pillar to invade his space.
Taiju remained still. "Ameyuri. "
"It's master to you." She purrs with a toothy grin.
Taiju sighs out a frosty breath. "How do you it?"
"Do what?" She tilts her head, hands on her lap like a child interested in a conversation.
"This." Taiju gestures to the whole land. "How do you go from Kirigakure to this? Doesn't the fear of being hunted down cross your mind? We ninja are tools of the state. No village would allow their asset to be possessed by an enemy village. Even if you are assumed dead on the record books, a ninja's greatest weapon is certainty; knowledge is useless without the certainty of it being useful. " Taiju proclaims.
Ameyuri smirks at him, "You're surprisingly intelligent, Taiju. " Ringo admits with no shame.
"That doesn't sound like a compliment. " Taiju grumbles.
"It's not." She points at him. "To answer your question, Yes. I do fear of Kiri coming for me, but living in fear is far worse of a fate than physical imprisonment. " Ameyuri confesses.
The wind passes by to fill up the heavy silence.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were my family. We bled together, killed together and grieved our comrades together. We never cared about our reputation across the elemental nations. We only cared about our livelihood. " Ameyuri trails off. Even if my value to my home was nothing more than a war machine. I– myself am a human being. I choose to fight for village. I choose to sacrifice my body for my brethren. I chose to put my life above the Land that raised me to be a tool, and if that means I must die for treason, then so be it."
Flashback end ~
Taiju walks down the path leading to the Inuzuka Compound. The warm breeze of the Leaf tickling his lungs. The sun tanned his pale skin to a healthy fair skin. Kemurimaru sniffed his knuckles, giving a lick to signify his want for attention.
"I know, boy. I'll give you guys a whole thigh of cow." He promises.
"Woof!" The three bark in excitement.
Taiju looks up to the sky. "Life was easier when I was a sword swinging idiot. This thing of growth is annoying. "