Blood in the waters, how would you feel?

[Chigokai Yuna]

Yuna would find herself in Aescculium once more. She has thought long and contemplated about her own powers. Whilst the Kaguya bloodline proves to be strong in its own rights, she had looked through the catalogues of different bloodlines and core abilities that would work just as good, if not better than Kaguya with Chigokai.

One that she definitely knew about was the core ability, Tide Caller. She has harnessed the power back before she became the Sennin and had total control of the waters. Right now she does have some of the power but it pales in comparison to what she can actually do. Such a thing is vital in a life or death scenario. She would bite the bottom of her lip as she looked through the list of bloodlines and core abilities which gives descriptions of each one. Each power is strong by their own rights, however, with the powers of a Chimera, just the right powers mixed together can prove to make a dangerous opponent. That is something that she is vying to look for.

Then her eyes settled on it. The Empathetic core ability. In her head, she laid the groundwork By now, she has come to fully understand the powers of the Chimera. For the most part, she can turn bloodline and core abilities on and off, as long as she has access to them. But it would mainly work for those that she actively uses them. She then found it out. The best way to go about using her power.

She was in her usual non-anbu attire as she would make her way to the receptionist. Yuna would smile softly at the receptionist before saying, "Hello. I would like to change some of my chimera abilities. I would like to change the Kaguya into Tide caller. I already have Tide caller as a genetic implant, which I have used as an actual core ability years ago. As for my new genetic implant, I will change it to Empathetic."

With that said, the receptionist would nod and ask Yuna to sit in the waiting area until she is called. Once she was there, she would wait until she is called into a room to be put into surgery.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Sometimes Kitsune took shifts at the hospital to get away from all the annoying paperwork that comes with being Raikage. It also helped that she was the country's best surgeon, so she was always welcome there. Besides, who was going to tell the Raikage she couldn't scrub in on a surgery? No one, that's who. So when serendipity struck, and Yuna came in looking for some genetic alteration, it'd be Kitsune who would be performing the procedure.

"It's been a while." Kitsune said as she entered the waiting room where Yuna was sitting. Their last meeting had gone rather well, and they'd learnt a lot from their prisoner. "How have you been? And I can see from the chart the receptionist gave me that you're looking to do some swaps, is that right?" she asked, her tone warm and inviting. "C'mon. Lets get you on the table." she added, nodding towards Operating Room 1. It'd be good to flex her genetic implant muscles again, especially on someone she trusted, who also trusted her.

Once inside the operating room, Kitsune had Yuna get into an operation gown and hop onto the table. She then went about prepping her for surgery, sterilizing the area to be worked on, and making sure all the necessary tools were at hand. "So, what exactly are we looking to change today?" Kitsune asked as she began to prep for the initial incisions, her hands steady and sure. "I could understand that you're looking to remove your Kaguya abilities, and make your current genetic implant, Tidecaller, the replacement, yes? And then..." she paused, looking at the chart she'd been given initially. "Empathetic for your new Genetic Implant? Interesting choices."

[MFT; WC: 282]

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

As always, Yuna would hear the blood flow of someone approaching, a blood flow of someone that she knows. "Kitsune-sama. It sure has been a while." She would reply. To her, it felt a little weird to talk not in a total professional environment to Kitsune. Albeit, she has been Sennin for some years and worked close with her, it still feels a little odd. Perhaps it is because Yuna herself is mostly all business. She keeps most of her double life separate and very few people know who she is on both sides of the coin. Kitsune is one of them. Despite that, Yuna just never really learns to really let loose and be relaxed to any point of informality.

"I've been doing good, how have you been doing? And yes, I have done some research and am planning on going through another change. I am no stranger to the Tidecaller core ability but the Empath will be new. That will be my genetic implants as the Tidecaller will then be fully activated as my second power to overwrite Kaguya."

She would follow Kitsune to the operating room and she would lay on the table. To someone like the Raikage, she would probably know what's going on in Yuna's head. Finding different ways to be able to counter different types of shinobi. It is known that there are ninja that have the Empath core ability, are able to, in a sense, have more clarity in battle and are more focused to even see those that are more slippery and hiding in the shadows.

Yuna would nod to Kitsune, signifying that she was confirming what the Raikage had on her paperwork before any work to begin.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune didn't need to be a mind-reader to see the gears turning behind Yuna's eyes. As the Sennin spoke, Kitsune began the methodical process of scrubbing in, the rhythmic sound of the water and the sterile scent of the prep-room providing a familiar backdrop to their conversation. She caught the subtle tension in Yuna's posture—that unwavering professionalism that seemed etched into the younger woman's very soul.

"I've been as well as a woman buried in scrolls, letters, and diplomatic headaches can be," Kitsune replied with a light, melodic chuckle, her voice muffled slightly by her surgical mask. "Which is why I find myself here. Scalpels are much more straightforward than nobles."

She moved to the side of the table, her eyes softening as she looked at the chart once more. The shift from Kaguya to Tidecaller was a return to form—a reclamation of a power Yuna had already mastered. But the addition of the Empathetic core ability? That was a tactical evolution. Kitsune understood the drive all too well. In their world, being able to sense the flicker of an enemy's intent or the hidden presence of a cloaked assassin was the difference between a successful mission and a memorial service.

"The Empath ability is a subtle beast," Kitsune remarked, her gloved fingers lightly tracing the surgical sites where the genetic stabilizers would be injected. "It's not just about seeing the unseen; it's about feeling the weight of the air around you. Combined with your Chimera nature, you're becoming something truly formidable—a hunter who can feel the heartbeat of her prey before they even know they're being hunted."

She reached for the anesthetic, her movements fluid and practiced. "Relax, Yuna. You're in the best hands in the Land of Lightning. We're going to weave these threads into you perfectly. When you wake up, the tides will answer to you again, and the world will speak to you in a language very few can hear."

With a reassuring nod, Kitsune began the procedure, the humming of the medical monitors filling the silence as she set to work on the delicate task of surgically altering Yuna's body.

[MFT; WC: 355]

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Yuna would nod to what Kitsune had said about the Empath Core ability. One of it's most potent abilities that Yuna had studied, was that of being able to sense emotions of people and living things all around her much better than even veteran shinobi and ninja. Put into the hands of a veteran shinobi makes it all the better to make it nigh impossible to get by without being noticed.

Yuna would smile at Kitsune, who had also seemed to see through her trying to always be professional by acting a little casual and talk about getting away from the life of the Raikage for a moment or two. Yuna truly wished the same could be easily done with Anbu Sennin but that work never truly ends. Surveillance, planning, and security. New or otherwise changed variables. Chasing ghost stories sometimes to meet dead ends or the closing of a mission success. And up until about a few years ago, she had picked up a lot of the other Sennin's work load as she was the only one available. And just even more recently, she now has a full roster of Anbu Captains in which to take some of her work off of her shoulders. They're a bit on the complicated side but she'll just have to see how they work in the future.

The Anbu Sennin would relax on the operating table as Kitsune would assure that after she wakes, she will have new and returning power. Such powers that Yuna would rather cultivate in a controlled environment rather than learning on the fly in the chaos of the battlefield, which she has done in the past but usually leaves her in a precarious position.

She would close her eyes as the hospital drugs would kick in and drift off into sleep and numbness.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

The transition was seamless. One moment Yuna was analyzing the strategic benefits of her new powers, and the next, the sedative pulled her under, her features smoothing out as the tension of duty finally bled from her frame. Kitsune watched the monitor for a moment, ensuring the Sennin’s heart rate settled into a slow, rhythmic baseline before she let her own demeanor shift. The playful friend receded, replaced instantly by the absolute focus of the surgeon.

"Rest now, Yuna," Kitsune murmured, her voice barely audible over the hum of the machinery. "You’ve earned a few hours of silence."

Her hands began to glow with the soft, emerald luminescence of medical chakra, the light casting sharp shadows against the sterile walls. This wasn't simple field triage; this was rewriting the fundamental building blocks of life. Kitsune moved with the efficiency of a maestro, her chakra scalpels making incisions that were less about cutting flesh and more about parting the pathways of chakra and genetic code.

She began by isolating the Kaguya markers. They were dense, calcified structures within the genetic coil, stubborn and strong. With practiced ease, she unraveled them, dampening their dominance to make room for the dormant Tidecaller sequences to surge forward. It was like breaking a dam; she could almost feel the phantom pressure of water responding to Yuna's chakra network as the old ability reasserted its rightful place.

Then came the delicate work. The Empath ability.

Kitsune’s brow furrowed slightly in concentration as she integrated the new genetic material into Yuna’s sensory cortex. This was a poetic irony that wasn't lost on the Raikage. Yuna, who had spent years stoically shouldering the burdens of the village, stepping in for absent Sennin and managing the darkness of the ANBU alone, was now seeking the power to feel more. To sense the emotions and intentions of those around her. It would make her a perfect hunter, yes, but it would also open the floodgates to the world's noise.

"You're making yourself into a lightning rod," Kitsune thought, her fingers moving in a blur of light as she sutured the metaphysical connections. "But if anyone has the discipline to filter the storm, it's you."

Time lost its meaning in the OR. By the time Kitsune stepped back, the monitors were humming a steady, strong rhythm. The procedure was a textbook success. She cleaned up, disposing of the surgical tools and stripping off her gloves with a sharp snap. She pulled a chair up to the bedside, picking up a chart to monitor the recovery, and waited for the anesthesia to wear off.

"Wake up, Yuna the Tidecaller," she said softly, watching Yuna's eyelids for the first flutter of consciousness. "The water is waiting for you."

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Yuna drifted off to sleep. In her dreams she was standing at a busy intersection. And a man was standing by her. Her eyes would widen as she would realize who it is. "Hello Yuna...." She stared at

him in disbelief. Ziren.... Her father.... She ran straight to him and hugged him. Tears would roll down her face as she couldn't believe that she was seeing him before her. After all this time.... No matter how many times that she has visited the cemetery or even the cursed place where he had died. She never seen him until now.

"Dad..." Was all that she could say as she choked back on her tears.

She buried her face into his shirt. Trying to remember what it was like to be around him. "It's okay Yuna." He would say. "You worked so hard to achieve the impossible goal that I myself have made." He would pause, giving her a soft smile, and she couldn't help but also smile back at her father. "The world will always be an unforgiving place. But it also doesn't have to be. There will always be a time for when the olive branch can be extended before it is too late."

"But...." Yuna started. "How...? The whole thing with Sand is a mess... They have Akkuma who has had a hand in killing so many people in both Cloud and Leaf. He needs to die but.... They want to protect him... Dangling him in front of us like they want to incite us to attack first."

Her father was quiet as he processed the information. "Hm... I understand. It must be a hard position for you to be in. There will always be people that will have that darkness inside of them. But what matters is if they themselves can be pulled from the darkest depths. I have known a few people who have turned from the dark path that they were on to one more bright. I have also met others who are steeped in blood that are unredeemable. What matters is that you must exhaust all other means before resorting to taking a life. That isn't something that could be taken back once done. Of course, I know that there are times where such times don't allow for means to talk of peace. But I have trust in you that you will do what is necessary to protect the ones that you care about."

It made sense to Yuna. She knew of her father to be great at debates. Able to pick apart someone's entire argument to prove a point or make them see that there were more options available than just their way. "But what if what I do isn't enough?"

"Then you can say that you've done your best." Ziren would say instantly. "We are all human. No matter how powerful one person may seem. We live, grow, make mistakes and learn from them. Not one single person is perfect and that is something that you must accept in your heart."

"But..." Yuna would say again. This time however, she couldn't find any words to say.

"It's not your fault Yuna." Ziren assured her. "You didn't know about what was happening in Cloud when you were in Sand. I have made peace with my decision to do what was necessary to bring peace using my own two hands one more time. You did everything you could in Sand, as I did in Cloud. There are battles that all can't be won. And it is important to always remember the ones you care about. But now... It is time for you to wake up."

Without giving Yuna a moment to speak more, he would walk away, the crowds immediately making him disappear from her view.

"Dad..?" She would call out to him. "Dad!"

Yuna would wake up and sit up straight in the hospital bed. "Dad!" She realized where she was. Yuna took a deep breath and put her hand to her head. It felt like the world was spinning. And.... She could sense things. It was different from how she sensed people by their blood flows. It was like... she was standing at the edge of a storm. So many emotions that were in the hospital that she could sense.

She would look over at Kitsune and gave her a sheepish smile, "Thank you, Kitsune-sama. It will take some getting used to, but I think this Empath power mixed in with my other powers will surely be useful."