Fate had been erased and then rewritten. With the knowledge he'd have from sixteen years of a potential future ahead of him, it was the perfect chance for him to determine the truth behind Destiny and Fate.
Two years beyond the death of the former-hime, he'd gone out and learned a number of other skills. Including some basic first-aid things. Too late to save Lee, but they'd saved Tenten on at least one occasion.
The problem was that the girl Hinata had just died. If he understood it, based on a question asked when his role as back-up had come up in that not-place with the disembodied voice, once that happened she would lose the future-memories. It wasn't until the last person sent back died before another reset would/could occur.
While her injuries were severe, her condition could be stabilized if one had enough chakra available. Fortunately, if one had a willing source to draw on, there was an emergency technique for transfer of that chakra.
That Naruto, even at this age, still had enormous amounts of chakra made the saving of the hime possible.
In fact, Neji gave a grim smile as he had Naruto hold onto the bloodied girl. It was possible to do THIS as well. Which was a technique he'd learned of in the Hill Country which allowed a married couple to share chakra and to some extent abilities. It required more than one session, but this situation provided the foundation to build upon later.
As for the traitorous medic/ANBU Kabuto, Neji thought he could simply find the fellow later and end his life in some painful and definitive manner. Which would be both amusing and useful. Though it would be more amusing to expose him as a double agent much later and then let the hime herself administer justice. It appealed to his sense of Fate.
Neji had watched as the hime went off to go warn the Third Hokage, as one of the ANBU on guard duty listened in, and then that ANBU get sent after the hime. It was Fate, or perhaps just bad luck, that the ANBU involved was actually a spy of Orochimaru. Kabuto used his position in ANBU and as a medical ninja to send information to Orochimaru regularly. Information like the arrangements for the Chuunin Exam that was to be held in Konoha this time.
"Okay, hold like that, and visualize your chakra as a stream running through you," instructed Neji to the new genin. "Yes, clasp her hands like that. Okay, now visualize that stream of chakra swirling gently along while I make a few adjustments. Slower! You need a gentle flow here. From your right hand pushing, from your left hand pulling."
"I had no idea you knew such things," said Iruka as he watched this. For that matter, he didn't know this sort of technique himself.
"I'm part of Gai-sensei's team," said Neji with his own hands over the clasped hands of Naruto and Hinata. He was the one guiding this technique after all. "Tenten doesn't have my level of chakra control or the Byakugan to observe such techniques. Lee, of course, can't use chakra at all. Therefore I am the logical choice to learn triage and basic medical jutsu. At least one member of each team should learn the basics."
"Oh?" asked Naruto. He'd never stayed injured for long himself, but he'd noticed other people weren't always so lucky.
"I know some exercises for better chakra control," said Neji. "I can give you a scroll to practice later. For now just keep the gradual push with your right hand and pull with your left hand. This strengthens and circulates her chakra flows."
"Interesting," said Iruka as he watched Hinata's injuries start closing up.
"That's better than I hoped," said Neji. "All I was trying for was stabilizing her." Naruto's own healing abilities looked to have become shared and enhanced by the hime's own chakra control and talents. Interesting indeed. He'd have to experiment with this, it could be quite handy.
Eyes twitched then blearily looked around. "Na-Naruto?"
"Hinata, did you mean it? Did you mean what you said?" asked Naruto.
Neji smirked a little at that. Naruto sounded so desperate. Of course, at this point he WAS desperate. Rejected by everyone, held in contempt by most, simply avoided by others, who had fixated on Sakura who summarily rejected him - usually violently. At this point in time, having someone his age declare that they LIKED him was something Naruto would seize onto with both hands.
"-say?" asked the girl. Hinata's eyes closed again.
Naruto looked frustrated so Neji spoke up. After all, he owed the boy a debt.
"Yes, she likes you. Mind you, her father wouldn't approve," said Neji. "Not that her father approves of her at all. Okay, you can stop now."
"So I can do this to heal people?" asked Naruto.
"No," said Neji. "I was the one actually performing the technique. You were supplying the chakra. You'll have to improve your chakra control a great deal more for any medical training."
Naruto got that stubborn look all of a sudden, and Neji knew that the seed he'd just planted would certainly change dynamics all around.
Now though, they had to get Hinata to the hospital.
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:40)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.