Working With Your S.O. Has Ups and Downs [Tutor]

[Kogami Ayumu]

The previous night had been rough for Ayumu. Not long ago, Ayumu had encountered something new that changed his perspectives on a lot of things. For a long time he had despised all things demonic and assumed their evil nature was all he needed to know. Now he had one of those demons, or a spirit as he liked to refer to him, within him. He did not fully trust the spirit yet, but he had willingly allowed himself to become its host. Days had passed since then, days in which Ayumu had failed to let Kahako he had a roommate within his own mind now. He had been worried for her reaction given the absurdity of his decision to allow it. Yesterday, he had finally worked up the courage to tell her and predictably she had not been happy.

Ayumu had stated from a place of seeking forgiveness for failing to tell her, but the argument had gotten a bit out of control as he got defensive. He felt as though her own situation in which she had allowed not one but two souls within, one of which was unequivocally evil, to inhabit her body was undeniably similar to his own. How could she be mad at him when she had done it not once but twice? Well, of course, she had her own viewpoint on that. After all, Ayumu had options that did not require him to continue allowing the spirit, but he was not willingly to forsake the spirit when thus far he had only shown himself to be benevolent. Unfortunately, that argument never really went anywhere before Susumu had come home, effectively putting it on pause.

Now they were left in an awkward position. Both of them were not entirely over the argument, and yet both of them had scheduled today to continue Ayumu's medical training. Both had, perhaps, expected the other to cancel yet neither had. So now here they were, walking silently down the hallway of the Aesculapium to the Research Wing. This time, Ayumu had taken precautions in advance by changing his appearance ahead of time. Now he looked like a proper medical student and not at all like a Raikage in disguise. Of course, if anybody suspected him and looked too hard, they might still figure it out so he needed to do his best not to draw attention. The silent tension between him and Kahako was probably not the best for remaining invisible. Certainly they would work out the issue later, but right now they had to try to get through this. Ayumu cleared his throat, trying to disrupt the awkward silence.

"So... what are we doing today?" he asked. In all honesty, at this point he just wanted to be past the tension, but it would be difficult until they had a chance to talk in private again.

[Awaiting Kahako]
[Tutor Progress: 478/1500 words, 1/5 posts]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Only the sound of steps filled the hallway as Kahako and Ayumu made their way to the research wing of the hospital. What started out as a curious and playful inquiry turned into something so much more. By the time morning arrived, Kahako had half the mind to cancel the plans they had today, but in the end decided against it. She had to go through a lot of hoops to get today’s tour set up, and to cancel it all because of a lover’s quarrel was not only unprofessional, but also a terrible thing to do to the man she was going to marry.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t still upset, however. So, when he asked her what their plans were today, the response he got in return was informative, but cold. “I got permission to give you a tour of a couple of labs today.” She said, swiping a keycard that would allow them into a more restrictive part of the wing. “There is no form or research or experimentation that is illegal in Kumogakure, so long as the participants are enemies of the state, dead, or willing to have questionable procedures performed upon. However, we do restrict who can learn certain specialties that are deemed capable of shifting power in our country if fallen into the wrong hands.”

Opening the first lab, Ayumu would be introduced to a room filled from floor to ceiling with various forms of plant life. Rows upon rows of foliage native to Lightning country were carefully labelled with sun lamps placed at specific intervals. A wall by the window held a sink and cabinet labelled “Lab Equipment- FOR HERBOLOGY LAB USE ONLY.” Off to the side, half a wall held book shelves brimmed with old looking books, splattered with dirt and dried water marks.

The only thing that appeared new in the room was a metal table in the center. The thing had to be replaced in the last few weeks, and every time Kahako looked at it, she was filled with a bit of anxiety. “Look around, play a little. This lab is meant for student use to learn about our country’s natural medical fauna, so mix something if you must. When we’re done here, I’ll be able to show you other labs, but we’ll only be able to observe what goes on there.”

With a turn of her head, Kahako walked to the bookshelf and grabbed the first thing in her grasp before making herself comfortable at the metal table. She didn’t really pay attention when she grabbed the novel, so it wasn’t until she sat down did she realize she grabbed a 500 page essay on how terrible genetically modified vegetables could be for the human body. She quirked an eye at this. What was a book like this doing in the research division?

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

It was like pulling teeth to try to get Kahako to talk right now, but at least she was responding. That was good. She spoke of the questionable experimentation the branch was known for before opening the door to a lab, apparently used for herbology, the mixing of herbs to produce miraculous results. The medical branch was famous mostly for the medical techniques they performed with their chakra, but their expertise was far from limited to those abilities. No, without a broad knowledge of all things medicine, they would fall far short of their tremendous reputation. Looking around, Ayumu located a bookshelf with numerous tomes. Kahako told him to play, though she seemed less than enthused to show him anything. Instead, she selected a random book and began to peruse it, as if trying to pay as little attention to Ayumu as possible.

"Yep, she's still mad," the spirit within spoke to Ayumu.

'You think?' Ayumu snapped back.

"Maybe if you let me try talking to her..."

'We're going to save that conversation for when she's in a better mood, mkay?'

Walking over to the bookshelf, Ayumu scanned the various titles looking for something to guide his playtime. Pausing at one, he brushed a bit of dust away from one and found his mark. Alchemy for Amateurs the title read. Sounded about right. He flipped to a random page and found a recipe, then set to work looking around the room for the tools and ingredients called for. After a couple of minutes, he had successfully gathered what he needed to thanks to some well placed labels.

'Petals of a White Myrtle flower, leaves of the Wolfsbane plant, powder from crushed... Endrega teeth? Okay... Eyes of Kayran?! What in the world are these creatures?!' Ayumu thought as he read the ingredients from the pages and located each in the stores.

"Think I fought an Endrega, once..." the spirit claimed, prompting skepticism from Ayumu. Regardless of what these things were, Ayumu had gathered the ingredient. Now, what he was to do with them was another question entirely. He had located a mortar and pestle, and he knew what it was, but actually using it? That was a different story. The guide for amateurs was not of much help. Apparently it was not a guide for complete amateurs. Ayumu looked at the plant parts and then the tools. He looked between them once more. Silently, he stared for at least a solid minute.

[Tutor Progress: 889/1500 words, 2/5 posts]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

One chapter into the essay, and Kahako mildly wondered if her fire jutsu was strong enough to burn the damn thing to ashes. Unlike most scientific essays, the thing lacked any pre-comprehensive knowledge of genetically modified vegetables, failed to acknowledge the undeniable benefits, and lacked even a mention of empirical evidence that would back up its claim. She began to wonder how on earth a glorified opinion piece such as this made it to publishing, let alone the hospital.

Flipping the page only made her angrier, as she quickly realized that the book started combining faith to justify its reasoning behind the belief that vaccination was going to give one’s child mercury poisoning. This was definitely not the text she should have picked up when she had an already crappy temperament.

Just as she started to make the hand seals to ensure the medical branch was rid of this disgrace once and for all, a distinct lack of noise in the room caught her attention. Looking up, she noticed Ayumu with a pensive look on his face, a mortar and pestle in hand and about to crush the Endrega teeth into smithereens. Her eyes dilated in panic. “By the mercy of Shinbatsu, STOP!” She all but screamed as she lunched across the table and pulled the ingredient from his hands.

He pressed the pestle against the tooth, causing the thing to burst like a ripe cherry, squirting a green substance out of the mortar and onto both Kahako and Ayumu’s hands. Immediately, the smell would make Ayumu’s eyes water and itch, and his skin where the caustic goo touched him began to tingle. “Don’t touch your eyes!” she said, grabbing is wrists to stop the very thing she told him not to do.

Without explanation, she dragged both of them over to the tubbed sink along the wall. By now, the tingle on their hands grew to an itching sensation, then a burning sensation. “Under the water, rub gently, don’t scratch.” Just as quickly as she pulled them to the sink, she walked over to the supply closet, yanking the door open and grabbing a gallon of blue liquid Ayumu would not recognize. She popped open the lid, motioning him to urgently give her his hands in order to douse his skin in the solution. Immediately, Ayumu would feel relief as the acid was slowly counteracted with the base solution. “The liquid in Endrega teeth is extremely caustic. What in Raiden’s great name were you planning on making?” She said, ignoring her own injury as she tried to tend to his.

After his explanation, Kahako found herself tinged with regret. This is completely and utterly her fault. Engulfed in her ire, she failed to teach Ayumu simple lab protection protocol. Much to her embarrassment, it didn't cross her mind that he might not know what proper lab protection even was. At this she grew somber. After a minute of running her own hands under water, a very quiet, almost broken voice came from her mouth. "I'm sorry," she muttered. Her shoulders slumped in dejection, realizing that she failed in keeping her end of the bargain.

Spoiler

WCincluding previous post) 1000/1500 post 2/5

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Lacking any instruction on how to proceed, Ayumu was left with no choice but to throw caution to the wind and try something. He dropped some of the unground bits of Endrega teeth into the mortar and began to press the pestle into it to crush it further. The shout from Kahako came but a moment too late. The explosion of goo was truly unexpected and more than a little unpleasant. His instant urge to rub his eyes was cut short by Kahako restraining his wrists. She pulled him away from his experiment to the sinks where she worked to wash his hands off and then her own. Ayumu simply nodded slowly trying not to cry from the fumes agitating his eyes.

"I was trying... to make uh... okay, I admit it, I didn't read it," he said, realizing he couldn't even tell her the name of the concoction he was trying to make. It was shameful, but she had told him to play, and play was what he had done. He felt a bit defeated before he had even really gotten the chance to try. Suddenly, Kahako was apologizing. Ayumu had to think for a moment why she was apologizing. He was the one who had screwed up and covered them in itchy sauce. That broken wavering voice shattered Ayumu's defenses, as always. Sighing, Ayumu walked quietly up behind Kahako, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his face into the top of her head.

"Me too," he said quietly, "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't know how to say it."

[Tutor Progress: 1154/1500 words, 3/5 posts]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

“It’s not that,” she said, easing her shoulders and leaning back into his embrace. “It’s not that you didn’t tell me immediately, or even hesitated in telling me. You can just be so… hypocritical sometimes.” The back of her throat began to burn as the cool water ran down her palms. “You once told me that what I was doing with Satou what personal, questioned my motives and my judgement, and here I come to find out that you did the same thing?”

Turning off the water, Kahako pulled away from the warmth of Ayumu’s arms to wipe her red hands with a towel. “How is that fair? How am I supposed to see what happened here as you simply performing your duty, when I can also see it as you making a grab for power in your hour of need, and then deciding to keep it? How does what happened with him and I and what happened between you and the boy any different?” A single tear trailed down her cheek, not out of sadness, but the overwhelming feeling of frustration.

She wiped it away angrily, seeing the lone tear as a moment of weakness when all she wanted was the strength to express her feelings honestly. “I wanted to bring some form or normalcy to the man who once saved my life, and you—the man I love, and the leader I respected—questioned my judgement on what ended as an accident. After all these years, do you really think that critique wouldn’t still sit with me? That I wouldn’t still wonder if you continued to question my actions? And then you just go and do it yourself and see what you did as okay only because it turned out well for you in the end…”

'...it must be nice, being that lucky...'

Kahako wrapped her arms around herself, biting her lip from saying the last part of her sentence that she didn’t truly mean. “I meant what I said all those years ago, sometimes I go to a dark place and wonder if you see me as your equal, or as someone weak who constantly makes bad choices and always needs saving. But I am sorry about what just happened and about ignoring teaching you properly.”

Another tear streamed down her face, before she angrily wiped it away and sighed deeply. “It’s almost time for us to go visit the bloodline anatomy lab. It is something of Junko’s creation, and when I mentioned you were touring the hospital, he wanted you to see it.”

Spoiler

1000 + 415 = 1415/1500 wc 3/5 post

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Alas, Ayumu had read the situation wrong. It seemed their disagreement was far from over. The sting of that word felt like a dagger stuck into his gut and twisted. Hypocrite. She spoke of the time when they had disagreed in the past, when he had tried to tell her that she was letting her relationship to Satou alter her judgement. She claimed that it was no different than what Ayumu had done by saving the boy and taking on the spirit. Kahako pulled away from Ayumu, whom didn't try to stop her. He stood in place, staring at the wall in front of him as she continued, explaining how she thought what he did was not him performing his duty, how it was a power grab, how he was keeping it presumably she implied for selfish reasons. She insisted that what he did was no different once more as Ayumu silently let her continue as he processed the accusations.

She explained her motives for wanting to help Satou, and it was nothing Ayumu didn't already know. She cared about the man who had become one of her closest friends. She was willing to put herself at risk to do so. It was personal. That had been Ayumu's argument back then. She went back to the fear that she had back then as well, that he didn't trust her or see her as an equal. He simply shook his head as he located a pair of gloves and began to adorn the necessary safety precautions. She apologized for not teaching him properly, though that was far from what he was currently perturbed by. He returned to his project and tossed the leaves into the mortar, beginning to crush them for his attempt at the potion.

"I meant what I said back then, too. I don't see you as someone made of glass. You're a shinobi. I've never tried to restrict you from doing your job," he said as he finished up the leaves and moved on to the petals.

"What I wanted you to admit was that what you wanted to do for Satou was not duty, but personal, which I don't think you deny. You willingly put yourself at risk because you cared about him, not because it was your job. I wanted to hear you say it, even though I knew it would hurt. It hurt to know that you had someone like that, that you cared about as much as me or Susumu, but felt that you couldn't tell me about... for years. I couldn't say it back then, because it was too fresh. My mind went so some pretty dark places over that one," Ayumu admitted. He dumped the ingredients he had prepared thus far into the beaker, trying to focus his gaze on his work rather than look at Kahako. These were things that he had not said aloud before when the events had been unfolding. It wasn't easy to admit some of it.

"I didn't want to admit it, I was still angry, but the reason I ended up helping you rather than trying to shut it down was because in the end, I understood where you were coming from. I didn't want to take that choice from you. I may not have liked it... chalk some of it up to jealousy. But I realized that Satou was that important to you. If it were you or Susumu in that position, I wouldn't have hesitated to do the same thing regardless of risk," he went on as he finished dumping the rest of the ingredients. At this point, he paused. He didn't know what to do next. Hopefully Kahako would take over as he continued talking.

"So in truth, I don't disagree with you trying to save your friend whom you care for like family at personal risk... but I don't want there to be a misunderstanding either. That's not what happened with me and the spirit. I had no intention of transferring him to myself or anybody else. We were attacked. Without realizing what I was doing, I accepted his offer for assistance because I was losing that fight. I unknowingly allowed him in," he recounted, trying to set the story straight.

"When it was over with, I was given three choices: I could transfer him to someone else, which was of course out of the question. He would not remain within me without my consent, so my other option was to have him, essentially, killed. Him, the one who had just helped save both mine and the child's lives. Or I could allow him to remain. It was never about wanting to keep the power it came with, nor was anything about it personal. It was a matter of making a decision I could live with," he concluded, taking a breath. Whether she would see the difference or not, he didn't know, but that was the truth of what had occurred.

[Tutor Progress: 1982/1500 words, 4/5 posts]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

It appeared he didn’t want to end the conversation there. Instead of agreeing to go to the bloodline lab, he instead sat down next to his concoction with the intention of finishing it. With a pair of her own gloves, she rejoined him, now reading the book he acquired and the potion he was trying to create.

She listened in the meantime. Listened to how he reiterated the words he spoke to her all those years ago, to him admitting his jealousy. She could see it as much as she could feel it. He couldn’t look her in the eye when he admitted it all. “It wasn’t my intention to hide him from you for that long. There just was never a good moment to bring it up. Yours and my relationship was just starting to develop when we had Susumu on accident, and then life became about our son. Satou had always come and gone in my life. There would be weeks and months when we wouldn’t speak to each other. And it’s hard trying to explain to anyone a relationship you have a hard time explaining yourself. We just… always knew if one needed the other, we would be there. It wasn’t love in the sense of love like the way I love you, or the way I love Susumu, but it is just as hard to describe.”

At this, she noticed Ayumu stop, unsure what to do next. Silently, she pulled a burner from inside the drawer of the metal table, and plugged it into the outlet nearby. “Can you light this for me?” she asked, starting the gas. Once lit, she would slide the flame under their beaker.

A few seconds would pass before Ayumu finished his explanation. Kahako couldn’t fault Ayumu for not wanting to kill the demon, not when he had given her fiancé no reason to be killed in the first place. Whether she felt the choices they made were as different as he saw it, however, she would need more time to process. More time to heal from the years of believing otherwise.

“Can I speak to him?” she asked instead, staring at the water, waiting for it to come to a boil.

Spoiler

1415 + 361+ ~ 1776/1500 wc 4/5 post

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The things Kahako said about Satou were things that Ayumu to some extent knew. Some of it they had already discussed. He had accepted and for the most part moved past it. He didn't have a problem with her being friends with Satou anymore. The sting was still there slightly when he thought about how she hadn't told him for so long, but it didn't hurt as much anymore. On the contrary, it seemed that Kahako had held on to things from that conversation for much longer. He hadn't known.

He watched as Kahako picked up where he left off, showing him how to continue the process and asking him to light the burner. It would only taking the slightest of sparks. Ayumu formed a seal and channeled a bit of lightning natured chakra to his fingers tips. Between his index finger and thumb a very small spark of electricity formed. With a snap, the spark shot forward slightly and the heat from it ignited the gas and started the burner's flame. After his more detailed explanation for how the spirit had come to be a passenger within him, Kahako made a request that took him off guard. She wanted to speak with the spirit. The spirit had been silent in Ayumu's mind for some time, out of respect for the conversation Kahako and Ayumu were having.

"If it helps, I'm more than willing," the chimed in. Ayumu nodded.

"Yes," he complied. At the spirit's instruction, he placed a hand on Kahako's shoulder. The connection was enough to allow the demon to transfer his words to Kahako's mind.

"You can hear me now, yes? You wanted to speak with me?" the spirit questioned, allowing Kahako to lead the conversation.

[Tutor Requirements Completed: 1500+ words 5/5 posts]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

She felt the connection of the spirit when Ayumu touched her shoulder, not because of his words in her mind, but because Sukino and Sakana noticed him first.

Sukino’s initial reaction was to push the creature out, and strengthen Kahako’s mental defenses. Ayumu and the demon would feel the resistance, and Kahako had to close her eyes to wrangle Sukino’s soul into control. They would feel a much darker presence lurking in the background, pushing.... pushing… Almost like a balloon ready to pop. What felt like streams snapped, and Kahako winced.

Through the connection came whispers, jumbled and repeating. ‘…Does he even truly love you?... I will kill him one day you know… with your own hands… or the Elder one will do it with Susumu’s… let him consume his soul… Love? What a pitiable thing… Let me out, Kahako, and I will make all this pain that comes with love disappear…”

The presence of so many connected to Kahako’s mind nearly overwhelmed her, and she gasped before grabbing onto Ayumu’s arm tightly for support. She had only had a couple minutes before what was meant to be simple communication became something much more dangerous. “Feel this, creature.” Kahako said mentally like a clear sound over the growing whispers. “This is why I hesitate to trust you as Ayumu does.” She forced Sukino to open her mind to them more.

They would both feel it then, the wounds of Kahako’s soul, it felt like her skin was being flayed from her muscles, but there was no skin and no muscle. Just pain. Constant, consistent pain. “My soul has been broken by the demon inside Satou. My connection to my chakra rendered almost useless less I lose myself completely. Should the same come to pass to my husband, I will find a way to make your death a painful one.”

The connection became too overwhelming, and Kahako had to physically pull herself away from Ayumu’s grasp. She expected the demon to take control of Ayumu’s body, just as Satou’s demon did to him. Had she known a mental connection would come to pass, then she wouldn’t have requested to speak to him at all. A pleasant aroma filled the air, and Kahako’s shaking, gloved pulled the beaker away from the flame. “Congratulations. You made the concentrated version of a solider pill. Usually, we only use a dose like this in the hospital, because it’s not easy to use when it’s on the field.”

Taking her glove off, a shaking hand covered he mouth. Sweat beaded on her forehead, as she tried to recollect herself. Her face paled beyond reason. “I am sorry… I didn’t mean for you to see that.” She said to Ayumu, who was probably reeling as to what just happened.

Spoiler

1500+ words 5/5 post training complete

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu had made a mistake. He had followed the spirit's instruction without questioning what the connection might invoke in his troubled lover. As the connection was made to Kahako, unintentional connections were also made to the others within her. Normally, the words would have been lost on Ayumu, but the spirit could hear them and so they were relayed unto Ayumu as well. He could hear it, for the first time... the voice within Kahako's mind. The malevolent being, the terrible threats against both Ayumu and their son. Kahako spoke directly to the spirit, who could hear her over the whispers. The pain came next, allowing Ayumu and the spirit to understand the struggle Kahako went through daily. She explained her circumstances, and threatened the spirit with a painful death should it betray Ayumu.

"Rest assured, Kahako. I would sooner have you kill me than become like the monster I sense within you or the demon at the source," the spirit replied with resolution. With that, Kahako broke away and the connection ceased. Ayumu had braced himself with a hand on the table, having temporarily had his senses enveloped by the mental link. Kahako brought Ayumu's attention only momentarily back to the beaker which they had forgotten about as she pulled it away from the flame and congratulated him on his first successful attempt at potion making. In truth, he could barely even process what she had said about the concoction. Ayumu did not care for a threats on his life, but to threaten Susumu and the pain it was inflicting was more than he could bare. His anger boiled up from underneath unexpectedly, causing his chakra to flare up which in turn manifested as a light glow in his eyes. He gripped the edge of the metal table so hard that it dented in where he was holding it.

"God dammit! I would do anything to just drive my sword through that girl somehow," Ayumu cursed, trying to reign in the rage he felt. If he wasn't holding on to the table he would likely be thrashing around and stomping his feet in a tantrum. He, and the spirit within him as well, wanted nothing more than to kill this twisted soul that tormented Kahako somehow. Unfortunately, none of them had any idea how that could be accomplished without harming Kahako. This was not some physical thing they could just slay. It was beyond frustrating, it was infuriating. There was nowhere to outlet this anger as he felt driven to tear the room apart, though he refrained.

"We should leave this room before I break something expensive..." Ayumu said, feeling the need to take a walk. Perhaps it would work out some frustration. They were scheduled to visit another lab soon, anyway. Perhaps a change of scenery might do Kahako some good, as well.

Tutor Part 2: 475/1500 words, 1/5 posts

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Kahako had to clench her hands together tightly in order to hide the shaking. Never did she want Ayumu to see the constant struggle that happened within, or the pain that came with her battered soul. Just as she expected, it infuriated him to know there was nothing he could do. She knew, under his rage, he worried for her endlessly. And he had so much more to worry about as the leader of the village, than the mental state of his future wife.

As Ayumu’s rage festered, Kahako couldn’t look him in the eye, wincing slightly as he made a dent in the table she just recently had to buy for the herbology lab. “Yeah… let’s move on.” She almost whispered, “I’ll, uhh… give me a chance to bottle up what you made.” Moving to the cabinet, she grabbed a vial and after a few quick minutes, placed it in the section of the cabinet that held vials like it. “Okay, there will be someone to come by to see if it’s fit enough for us to use. Let’s… let’s get out of here,” she said awkwardly.

Playing with her hands, unable to remove the awkward atmosphere between them, Kahako escorted Ayumu further into the hospital. He would see there were more and more locked or guarded doors that required Kahako to have some kind of identification or approval for passing through. But it wasn’t long before they made it to a metal door with a placard that read “Bloodline Research and Development”

“Okay, I was explicitly told to not touch anything. Since this isn’t my focus, both of us could really mess up a research project if we did anything in here.” she mumbled.

Coherent to the research and development department, the bloodline anatomy laboratory was built. Technicians and medics of different specializations worked as one unit under Tsuyoshi Junko dealing with the complex systems of Kinjutsu, bloodlines, and special abilities found in shinobi.

White light fills the large sanitized room and bounces off the the green tile floor. From left to right, one would notice various illuminations of green, white and blue while also hearing various beeps from equipment.

Wall to wall, an individual would see what you’d expect out of a medical laboratory. Geeks in white coats carrying tablets? No silly. Well, that too, but mainly medical equipment. The laboratory filled with various tools and equipment used by medics working in the lab. The classical equipment includes tools such as Bunsen burners and microscopes as well as specialty equipment such as operant conditioning chambers, spectrophotometers and much more. All which was used to collect samples, study and perform tests on body fluids, teeth, chemical compounds, biological specimens, you name it.

Getting more to the advance side of things, one would find a row dedicated to computers and an open floor. At the center of the open floor and to the sides, one would see one of the most recent technical developments.

Large glass tube like machines that filled with water. Some illuminated green while others illuminated blue. Green meant a person was in the process of healing and blue meant the person was healed.

Inside, one would notice various sedated people wearing breathing masks tacked with sensors to monitor vitals. Some were individuals getting a heal from harvester missions Junko places them on. Others were individuals that undergone operation or had been captured to undergo operation due to breaking kumogakurian laws.

Strolling past all the advance technology, one would find the information area of the laboratory. Rows of white book cases filled with books on various subjects to assists medics as they tediously worked on assigned projects.

Also having entered this room for the first time, Kahako lead Ayumu to the center. “I don’t have a lot of knowledge in the field of bloodlines, but any questions you might have, feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer.”

Spoiler

330/1500 words (EXCLUDING Junko's write up [ty Junko!])

1/5 posts

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu tried to put what had just occurred behind him as they continued on to the next lab. This one was the bloodline research and development lab. Ayumu knew about this, of course. They had done immense amounts of research into bloodlines including most controversially how to remove them from an undesirable and implant them into someone loyal to Kumogakure. It was even possible in some cases to transfer some of the most complex abilities, Kinjutsu, to others. The ethics of all of this was, of course, questionable. Then again, assassinations were also morally questionable. A lot of things Kumogakure had their hands in made Ayumu wonder sometimes, but it was all a matter of perspective and where one was willing to draw their lines. Aside from that, if Ayumu were to try to shut down these projects he would face a lot of resistance from the medical branch while also simultaneously lessening Kumo's ability to defend itself. It was just something he had to accept. As they approached the lab, Kahako told Ayumu that neither of them were to touch a thing.

"Gotcha... look, don't touch," he said, acknowledging the instructions. They walked into the room and passed by a number of oddities that Ayumu took note of. Many things caught his eye as natural curiosity took hold. Of course, drawing his attention more than anything were the colorful lights and the bodies suspending in water that accompanied them. Ayumu paused in front of one, studying the person inside. They were obviously not conscious but suspending in the water breathing through a mask. Ayumu looked down, examining the readouts on monitors hooked up to the tank.

"Alright.... first question. What's this thing?"

Tutor Part 2: 758/1500 words, 2/5 posts

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

When Ayumu pointed to the glass tanks, Kahako smiled a little. “Ah, those. They’re one of our newer inventions, but older models have been around for years. We use Bacta tanks to submerge patients and subjects into them if they need a special form of recovery.”

With a few quick clicks on the computer, Kahako pulled up the patient information of the green Ayumu tapped on. “Tatsuya Morioki. Looks like he was a Kaguya who had a severe spinal injury occur while in the field…” Using the knowledge she had in traumatic surgery, Kahako sunk into a hip and speculated why he needed to be in the tank. “Hmm… spinal injuries can be pretty intense and very dangerous. If he had a bloodline transplant, I can see why the research division would want to personally see over the healing process… let me see if...” Digging further into the database, Kahako pulled up a scan of Morioki’s X-ray results.

“Ah, yeah, see here?” she said, pointing to the lower end of his spine. From top to the mid-section, the patient’s spine looked similar to that of a skeleton Ayumu could have seen in a diagram. However, when it reached toward the lower end, the image of the spine was oddly shaped, and the dark spaces between each vertebrae were almost nonexistent. “This level of thickness isn’t normal, this dense deformation here tells me that his Kaguya cells tried to repair the bone, and didn’t do so properly. If he were born Kaguya, there wouldn’t have been much of a problem. But if he is, in fact, a transplant, then I can see how the deformation can occur.”

There was an odd detachment when Kahako spoke about Tatsuya Morioki. It was more like he was a facinating science project instead of a human being currently unconscious in a tank. As Ayumu was probably well aware of the moral questionability of Kumogakure’s medical branch and its practices, but to hear it from the woman who normally showed so much care for others, it was almost certainly discerning.

Spoiler

330 + 344 = 674/1500 post 2/5

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu looked over the tank as Kahako spoke about it, informing him that these were newer models of a device they had developed long ago. A flashback hit Ayumu suddenly as he remembered a friend of his from ANBU. He'd been hurt very badly to the point where his survival was questionable at best. He was in a coma and had been placed in a bacta tank like this one, though obviously an older model. Another friend of his was present as well. She was crying. It was a memory he'd not thought about for a long time. Ayumu's eyes glazed over as he sunk into the memory, remember how it had felt to look at his friend on the other side of that glass. Kahako's voice brought him back to the present as she provided the name of the patient as well as his bloodline and injury.

Ayumu glanced down at the screen Kahako was looking at, skimming the information even as she spoke. She began to speculate about the injury and its severity. She mentioned the bloodline he had as the reason why this particular division was overseeing his treatment. Ayumu nodded, seeing the sense in that. Their bodies were different so it made sense that they would need specialized care, especially something like a Kaguya. Ayumu continued to watch as she brought up the X-ray images and pointed towards part of his spine where she spotted an abnormality. Ayumu didn't know what to look for, so he would naturally just assume that she was correct in her analysis.

However, it was strange to hear her speak about somebody this way. It was so impersonal, as if she was talking about a broken tool rather than a fellow shinobi. Ayumu studied her face for a moment and then shook his head. It wasn't as though they knew this person, nor was he even her patient. She was trying to teach Ayumu. This was an educational exercise. Still, Ayumu couldn't help but feel for the man, especially still reeling from the memory his mind had just chosen to dredge up.

"That's terrible. I hope he's able to recover..." Ayumu mused, looking up at him before forcing himself to look away. Of course, they were surrounded by the tanks at the moment so he could only truly look to the next one.

"What about this one?" he asked, reproaching it.

Tutor Progress: 1158/1500 words, 3/5 posts

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Kahako wasn’t thinking much on how she spoke to Ayumu, until she heard a sentence that she knew was dangerous to say. “Ayumu,” She said seriously, cutting him off from finishing his sentence. “It is dangerous to say that you ‘hope’ for anything. I know I sound a little hypocritical when I say that, given… well… you know...” Kahako looked to the side, not wanting to dredge that up again. “The first rule in the medical branch’s code of conduct there for a reason. ‘Loss of life is permissible, failure to fight the loss of life is not.’ All men will eventually die, some men will not recover. Doctors are not the saviors people make us out to be, we are only people delaying the inevitable.”

She knew she was one to talk, but she never called herself the perfect doctor. “If we hope for every patient’s recovery, or try to provide a positive outlook, we can end up hurting the people around the patient, or the patient themselves. Sometimes, in order for us to cope, it’s better to create some distance...”

With Ayumu’s acknowledgement, of what she was saying, she allowed him to guide her to the next patient. This time, the tank was also glowing green. “Sure, let me look up this patient.” she said as she started typing at the machine.

Tutor Progress: 674 + 224 = 898 / 1500 post 3/5

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Kahako's interruption stopped Ayumu short. He blinked a few times after she said his name and then she explained. She advised him that hoping was ill advised. At first, he didn't understand. What harm was there in being optimistic? He listened as Kahako explained further. They couldn't save everyone. Ayumu knew that, of course. What he didn't consider was the potential emotional damage in providing hope when the future wasn't certain. In some cases this might be good, but when the outcome was questionable it could do more harm than good if the patient didn't make it. It would be terrible for the patient's love ones, of course, to have the rug pulled out from under them in that manner. It would be potentially worse for the doctors who would have that experience over and over. Ayumu could only imagine the toll on them.

"I see your point..." he relented. He wasn't sure if he could adopt that viewpoint himself. Not yet. But he did understand the reasoning behind it. He expected that time and experience would be necessary to truly learn that lesson. He continued on to the next tank and inspected the patient inside. Admittedly, this was his first time seeing an individual like the one in the tank. One could tell at a glance that he was not your normal shinobi. His skin was clearly hard and rigid, not smooth like normal skin. It almost looked like stone. Ayumu had heard of such a bloodline, but this was his first experience with it. Aside from the abnormal skin, there were no obvious injuries that Ayumu could see.

"I'm assuming the skin is normal for this one, but what's wrong with him otherwise?" Ayumu mused, trying to find an injury.

Tutor Progress: 1450/1500 words, 4/5 posts

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

She knew Ayumu would have a hard time struggling at the thought of not being optimistic. After all, she herself had been a doctor for over a decade, the medical chief still fell victim to her emotions when it came to those she knew. It was why her being Sentou Henkan was both a blessing and a curse.

Kahako hummed as she scanned the screen. “Hmmm… this one is actual pretty interesting. He’s a Kyoujouran. Their skin is extremely durable, and it is actually very difficult to break into their skin.” With a little less caution, Kahako started to scroll through more of the files. Words and test results that Ayumu would not understand flew past the screen as Kahako scanned it.

“Ah, there it is, the hematology report. Looks like he was poisoned with a substance that had degenerative qualities. Although Kyoujourans have a steel-like skin, their internal muscle tissue is normal like everyone else.”

Kahako tilted her head and sighed. “Yeah, whoever was after him knew what they were doing. We can’t inject antidotes the normal way with a Kyoujouran. Needles are not strong enough, and scalpels will not be able to pull back the skin. I’m guessing they’re using the tank to try and repair his tissue slowly through his natural osmosis.”

At this, Kahako scrolled further into the patient’s notes. “He’s been under for almost two months…” She reported to him solemnly. “I’ve heard of people being in the tank for years, but since there is a poison in his system, it is likely he will not be able to retain a good portion of his muscle mass when it is fully cleansed from him. Thank Raiden, it didn’t target organs that couldn’t be reproduced.”

At that, the soft chime of the tank next to them came from a computer, and the lights turned blue. “Ah, some good news!” Kahako said as she slipped to the next computer.

“Green means that the patient is currently in the process of being healed. Blue means that the patient is done healing and is ready for final evaluation before bringing him out of stasis.” Pulling up the screen, Kahako quickly pulled up his files. “Ah, a Sharingan implant. From the looks of it, it seems like it was from the vault of the harvesters… so a request had to have been submitted. Must be Sharingan eyes that had Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, so she’ll be filling out a kinjutsu app when she is done as well.”

Clicking a button on her headset, Kahako turned the dial to a general hospital channel, and told Ayumu the number in case he wanted to listen in on the conversation. “This is Medical Chief Shinrya Kahako. I wanted to let Doctor Takaki know that his patient--” she checked her screen, “Choi Matsuka, has completed her stasis cycle in the bloodline anatomy lab and is ready for final eval.”

A few seconds of silence was greeted with a gruff voice on the other line. “Duly noted, I’m on my way now.”


Tutor progress: 898 + 506 = 1404 / 1500 post 4/5

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu listened once more as Kahako explained the patient's diagnosis. Poison. Though as a shinobi Ayumu should be fine with the use of poison probably, it was still a method he was not overly fond of. It surprised him to think of how this man's rock hard skin could actually be a detriment to him. Sure, it would do him loads of good in battle but right now it was actually hurting him. Unlucky. It was shocking to hear that he'd been under for so long.

"Two months? Tough break... that's a helluva recovery time, especially spent unconscious in a tank..." Ayumu commented before the ding of the next tank caught his attention. Kahako explained that the change in color meant that his healing was mostly complete. This one was given a Sharingan implant. Apparently the impalnt had been a success. Kahako called while Ayumu listened. He leaned in close enough to hear the response without bringing out his own headset.

"It's truly incredible somehow what this branch is capable of..." Ayumu mused, looking at the picture of the eye which the patient had been granted. "At any rate, that's enough for now, I think. We should get out of their way if this guy's ready to come out, right?" Ayumu suggested. Perhaps they'd hang around in the lab a bit longer before leaving, but for now they'd at the very least clear the way of the bacta tanks.

Tutor progress: 1450 + 239 = 1500+/1500 words, 5/5 posts

[Topic Left]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Kahako nodded, “Yeah, when a patient first wakes up, it’s best to keep introductions to strangers to a minimum, as they’re going to be confused enough with the loss of time. Let’s get out of here.”

As they made their exit, Kahako began to walk down the hallway and out of the research division. “I’m going to submit a request with the harvesters next week. They tend to be an extremely secretive bunch, so I have no idea what they will and will not let us see. I might actually have to pull junko into this, because even with the proper approvals, they might try to kick me out.”

Kahako scratched the back of her head as she thought about how today went. It seemed that they both still had some seeing and learning to do. No matter how old both of them grew, from their relationship to their professional lives, there would be things they didn’t see eye to eye on. She caught a glance at Ayumu. Despite their differences and difference of opinion, she didn’t think it was something that would harm their overall relationship. After all, no family was perfect, and no couple went through life without arguing.

OOC: 201 + 1404 = 1500+/1500 5/5 posts, tutor complete, topic left