A Chuunin's Duty (Kenshin)

“Raleth… until further notice you are a Chunin of Sunagakure. You will need to earn your rank back, and while your actions so far have been exemplary you will need to prove that this type of thing will not happen again. Mizuki will be the one to decide when you are ready for Jounin rank once more… good luck my friend.”

The words of his Kazekage, the daunting figure known as Kenshin Uzumaki, echo in the back of Raleth Sarutobi's mind as he gets ready. He wears a black quarter sleeve under his dune colored flak jacket, black pants, and his black ninja sandals. He drapes a sea-green, sky-blue trimmed sarutobi clan kimono on his shoulders, ensuring his immense presence and size would look less intimidating. His mind is blank as he dresses himself, his thoughts preoccupied with the his meeting with his Kazekage a few days ago. 

Truth be told, it went better than expected. His worries and fears were unjustified, Kenshin Uzumaki was a pragmatic and reasonable man, and his order to demote the white-ash-haired Sarutobi was something that Raleth accepted without protest. As he goes to his garden to grab a handful of apples, pears, and peaches, he thinks on the words of his old student, Zaine.

It's possible you haven't fully accepted your roll as Jounin.

A hefty sigh escapes the immense chuunin as he grabs his wide brim, straw hat. He turns down his street, away from the familiar smell of tea on the wind, toward a part of the village he rarely frequents. As he strolls and traverses the biome-cooled roads of Sungakure, he spots the white-brickwork of the hospital, and hopes the doctors and nurses would accept his aid. As he walks through the sliding doors, the sterilized air breezes past his body, a shiver runs up Raleth's spine.

The attendant at the front desk, a young man who looks as if he's somewhere else, spots an immense shinobi walking up from the front door. Though his face is obscured by his straw hat, the young man recognizes the features, build, and stature of a suna-nin known as Cliff-Splitter. Word had come in that he had been demoted to Chuunin, and many in the village wondered how he had been taking it. Fear flashed in the young man's eyes as Cliff-Splitter loomed over him, did the ex-jounin want to repeat his actions at the Grove in the Hospital? Cliff-splitter speaks, his voice having a surprisingly warm and gentle tone.

"This may be a strange question, but is there anyone who needs assistance? I'm not proficient in it, but I do know basic medical ninjutsu."

Before the attendant could respond, Cliff-Splitter extends his hand and opens his palms. A calm aura of stone-colored chakra bathes the large hands of the shinobi, its flow and movement would remind someone of warm sand shifting from a soft breeze. Though the chakra flowing was not intense, its control could only be described as careful. The sight would surprise the attendant; based on the many rumors he would have heard, he would never have expected Cliff-Splitter to have such a skill. 

As Raleth finishes demonstrating his Basic Medial Ninjutsu, he stops the flow of his chakra and waits for a response: hoping that he could help his village.


[[550]]

The morgue?
The thought of seeing Kenshin again was something that made Raleth nervous. Not because he didn't want to see his kazekage, but because he himself did not know the tall Uzumaki's opinion of the newly-demoted chuunin. He had hoped he would have been able to repair some of his reputation before meeting with the man, especially since their last conversation included him being demoted. Worry clouds the Sarutobi's brows, he shakes away the thoughts.

As the attendant mentions it, Raleth eyes the blackline on the white-tiled floor. It travels down a sterilized hallway and makes a sharp right turn, it continues deeper into the hospital. In the distance, the sounds of machines and apparatuses echo. Cliffsplitter returns his attention to the attendant, giveing the young man a farewell and a thank you for directing him to Kenshin. He walks away from the front desk and follows the blackline.

Nurses flit from room to room as white-ash-haired Sarutobi walks his way to the morgue. Behind closed door, he hears sounds of happiness and wellness, of good news and congratulations. Raleth turns right, a clean breeze sends an uncomfortable chill up his spine. The air hangs still, the occasional sob is drowned out by the rhythmic beeps of machines, the immense chuuin shivers from an unknown breeze. The beeping pace slows, the silence between them becomes deafening, Raleth Sarutobi faces the cold steel doors of the morgue.

Behind the frost-coated metal, Raleth can feel an intense presence, the overwhelming, yet calm, chakra of Kenshin Uzumaki. Though he has met the man numerous times, the pressure he feels is something he cannot get used to. Able to properly analyze the feeling, the white-ash-haired Sarutobi comes to a realization. The intensity he feels is not one of something brandishing its power, but something doing its best to mask it. The thought and feeling makes him hesitate, he winces as his fingers touch the frost-bitten handle. The immense chuunin pushes his way through the doors, a vision of the reaper in his house of death greets him. 

A tall and slender, silver-maned figure looms over a malformed corpse, the Kazekage prods, pokes, and examines what's in front of him. He moves with the precision and grace of one accustomed to death's face, look lost in the peace brought to him by his work. Almost forgetting himself, Raleth kneels to the ground and plants his fist to the earth. 

"Lord Kazekage, it's good to see you. I was told I could be of some service to you."

After his announcement, Raleth stands and walks to the silver-maned Uzumaki. He quickly scans the corpse on the table, he grimaces at the dead flesh. His thoughts wander to how this man could of died, as he sees no external signs of trauma. Though, the man looked as if he hadn't had healthy eating habits. Perhaps that was why he died? Raleth's couldn't know for sure, his knowledge in medical ninjutsu was lacking. Though, his chakra control was much better. Faced with Kenshin, the head of the Medical Corps, Raleth hopes an opportunity will arise, one where he would be able to learn more of the medical ways. If asked what his skills were, Raleth would demonstrate; opening his palm and flowing stone-colored chakra to his hand, displaying his prowess in Basic Medical Ninjutsu: the only healing based jutsu he knows.

[[563/1263]]

The voice of Kenshin Uzumaki sounded like a cold and bitter wind, one that made Raleth shiver in the freezing morgue. He turns to face the Sarutobi, his movements are precise yet erratic, like a marionette: as if his muscles were being pulled and tugged instead of contracting and relaxing. A small smile washes over the tall figure's face, something about how his skin twists and folds to make such an expression unnerves the immense chuunin. 

Raleth, having been a martial artist and a taijutsu master for many years, was someone who could read body language, to a level that allowed him figure out someone's feelings, emotions, or intentions. As he gazes upon the expression of Kenshin, Raleth realizes what he sees seems forced. Not intentionally so, but definitely not natural, as if the physiology of the man in front of him was...something else. Unease hangs on the Sarutobi's shoulders, the intense pressure from Kenshin was almost dizzying, he speaks to calm his own growing worry.


"Yes," thrums the warm, basso voice of the Sarutobi in the morgue, "I was directed here by the young man at the front desk. I wish to be of better service to the village, and I want to further my knowledge in medical ninjutsu. I didn't expect you to be here here, Lord Uzumaki."



[[221/1483]]

As Kenshin Uzumaki speaks, the unease that hangs on Raleth's shoulders grow. His mouth moved in a precise fashion, his voice, though being produced by his throat, seemed to come from somewhere else, the Sarutobi was reminded of a ventriloquist controlling a wooden doll. The uncanny look and sound of the slender figure was more than unnerving, the immense, ash-haired shinobi has to shake th feeling off.

"Its good to know the village is in the capable hands of a Kage with your prowess. I had heard of your proficiency with ninjutsu, but was unaware of your expertise in medical ninjutsu, perhaps you heal the damage you deal?"

As the slender Uzumaki asks Raleth to demonstrate his most advanced medical ninjutsu, the Sarutobi pauses to think. When it came to healing jutsu, Raleth was sorely lacking. His mind combs through the techniques he knows, and settles on the only applicable advanced medical ninjutsu he knows. He brings his hands to his side, and inhales through his nose. The intake of breath causes his chakra to circulate, it streams through the network at an efficient rate. He exhales, and flows his energy to his shoulders and down his arms, pooling and gathering the chakra in his palms. The energy flows around his digits, stone-colored chakra radiates from his hands, extending two inches from his fingers. Raleth displays his Chakra Scalpel, and Kenshin would note that the edge of the scalpel was more refined than the average shinobi, its sharpness would be equal to 60.

"This is not the only advanced medical ninjutsu I know, but this would be the only one that could aid a doctor or nurse."

Raleth halts the flow of chakra to his hands once Kenshin has finished his observations, and dissipates the Chakra Scalpels.

[[297/1780]]


AP: 726/764
Chakra Scalpel - 36 AP (10% Chakra Cost reduction)

Raleth shudders as the slender figure explains his interest in medical ninjutsu, and how his view clashes with most people's belief on it, the way his mouth articulated his words was almost natural. Something like passion takes over the ragdoll-like man, he loses himself in his own thoughts, and explains why he chose to focus on medical ninjutsu: his fascination with the inner workings of the human body. What look liked excitement shined behind his eyes when he spoke of the truth he found, and how he applied his findings to his work. And, what such an application has done to medicinal techniques, like the mystical palm. A dark thought blooms in Raleth's mind, the same thought that caused Raleth to shudder as the facimile of a man, Kenshin Uzumaki, explains himself.

Perhaps his interest was born from his own lack of...in-human characteristics? 

The slender-figure notices Raleth's stare, believing it to be a look of genuine interest when it was unease. He puppets his hand behind his neck and stretches his mouth into a smirk, he feigns the look of embarrassment, apologizing for losing himself in his speech. He then analyzes Raleth's chakra scalpel, and commented on the Sarutobi's chakra control, stating it was refined. He then hinted at an offer to become a shinobi of the Medical Corps. The ash-haired shinobi had never thought of joining the medical core, his own interest in his martial art took over his life. The thought of being in an official corps gave rise to new feelings.

Perhaps that is how I can be an asset to my village.

Suddenly, the pretense of emotion washed away from Kenshin Uzumaki's face, his expression become cold. His gaunt cheeks and hollow eyes gave him the appearance of Death, and as he spoke his words sounded colder than the bodies housed in the Morgue.  

“So what say you Raleth? Do you believe you have what it takes to join the Medical Corps?”

The presence of the man before him was intense, from just his words Raleth could feel the power that Kenshin possessed. In his house of Death, the Reaper had challenged the ash-haired Sarutobi.

"I believe I do, Lord Uzumaki," says the immense Raleth, "I could be a worthy asset to your Medical Corps."


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