The light of day was so incredibly bright as Kaekio's eyes slowly openned. They felt heavy, and her body as a whole felt weak. "How long was I out for?" was the thought that crossed kaekio's mind. All she could feel in her entire being was pain. The girl placed her hand on her stomach which was the source of most of her pain, and felt... bandages? What had happened. Kaekio tried to search her mind, but everything was fuzzy, and dreary. The girl fluttered her eyes open, attempting to stretch, and panic seized her quickly. As she opened her eyes she quickly realized that not only were her legs and arms bound, but when she opened her eyes her heart sunk and fear filled her, before her she saw SANOSUKE? Kaekio violently pulled at her chains, and pain ripped through her stomach, causing her stop moving immediately, and when she finally stopped to blink, she realized that what she had seen wasn't actually sanosuke, those her fears weren't eased in the slightest. For the moment Kaekio realized where she was, that being chained to a hospital bed, with her having reopened her wound, in the middle of Kumogakure, the place from which she defected.

It was in this moment that all of her memories came flooding back to her. Her fleeing the country with Nozomi and Sero. Her meeting the Demon Ice witch of Kirigakure, and her challenges, one of them being her fight with Sero. Then the painstaking process of killing Kaekio, and creating Hachiko. Then Flashes of the months Kaekio spent in Kirigakure being an ANBU black ops for the village hidden in the mist, and her time with Nozomi. Then Ayakashi's declaration of an Invasion on the Kumogakure, and Kaekio being to be brought along. Then Kaekio spending more time with Nozomi, as well as Training with Ares and the wolf clan in Kumogakure. Then finally, her return to Kumogakure. It was meant to be a simple mission. Return the individuals of Kirigakure no Sato who had been captured by Kumogakure. But it all went oh so wrong. As ANBU surrounded the corrupt tree, and more showing up after Kaekio took some out, some being Ryuzoji. Forcing her back onto the hill top where she witness and foresaw Ayakashi about to begin war with Kumogakure even though she had promised not too, and Sanosuke looking to fight back. Then Came Kaekio's second betrayal of a country and then she...

Kaekio's thoughts were cut short when a nursed entered the room. Look of concern on her face as she entered, was concerning to Kaekio as well. But the tinge of guilt as well that took over her. She knew this woman. This nurse had patched her up a few times after some of the missions Sano sent her on. Kaekio bit her lip in shame as she looked down towards her body unable to face the nurse. "Maya, Come quick." She shouted down the hall, as she hastily moved towards Kaekio's side and began removing the bandages to begin tending towards the wound Kaekio had just reopened. "You're not even close to ready to begin moving about..."  she sighed. Muttering something under her breath that Kaekio couldn't quiet pick up, though she knew it's sound. Disappointment. Sorrow. Kaekio had let this woman down. The twinge of guilt spread through-out her core, as another young lady stepped into the room. "Maya. Please go inform the Raikage of this one's awakening." The young girl looked quite surprised to see Kaekio awake though it wasn't anyone she recognized. the girl then stuttered out "R-right away ma'am" before she took off down the hall, though, curiously not towards the direction which lead towards the main lobby, to exit the hospital, but towards the section of the Hospital where the offices were located. However Kaekio didn't pay much mind she was more worried about the words the nurse had spoken. Sano. She was about to alert Sano that she had awaken. Kaekio barely managed to stutter out the words in her weakened state. "P-please. I can't face him right now." However she was shortly after silenced with a small sigh, another one of dissapointment and sorrow, only filling Kaekio with more guilt. The nurse than spoke. "Hun, You've got yourself in a world of a mess, that I'm not even sure I've been prvy to all of the details on. However I do know that running from your troubles isn't going to make them go away. It's time you faced your actions deary." She would say wrapping up Kaekio bandages after resealing the wound in her stomach. " Try not to go opening this up again, mmkay? There's still a lot of us here that would hate to lose you again." Kaekio would swallow the lump in her throat, before the nurse would turn away, and close the door behind her. Now all Kaekio could to do was wait for the inevitable.

---

WC: 854
Total WC: 854

Lin was walking towards the Raikage building, she had decided that she would wear her robes, for once, and left the hat out of it. They were tailored to her size, rather than retaining Sanosuke's dimensions, and so she looked rather... formal, in them. She had brushed her hair over her scar, concealing her right eye and her scar from the world, and underneath her robes was wearing a skirt which hugged her stomach all the way to her hips, then pleated out. It had white trim around the bottom and vertical stripes. She had decided on a headband to keep most of her hair, besides the bangs that she wore over her scar, pulled back. Her shirt was a plain white one, underneath the robes, and she walked with a confidence of a Kage. Or she tried to, really she was nervous about her first week as the Raikage, and didn't know what sort of business she would have to go about, what problems she would have to solve.

The daylight shone through the building, reflecting off of some sign on the way to work as someone ran at her. She squinted and shielded her eyes as she saw... a young girl? She was dressed like she had come from the Kumogakure hospital. Strange, she didn't remember sending anyone there, and certainly didn't know of anyone that would land themselves in the hospital. Perhaps the girl would run past her and leave her to her business.

The girl's eyes locked on the Raikage, Lin, and she sighed, well, no turning back now. She stopped in her walk and waited for the girl to come to her. The girl bowed low, her breathing shallow and short. "It's alright, take your time. I am sure that whatever message you have is urgent, but you don't have to kill yourself in the process of delivering it." Lin smirked.

"The missing nin, Ex-Anbu Kaekio, the one that Sanosuke stabbed, she is awake!" the girl said in a panic. Lin blinked, Kaekio... the girl that had risked her life for Kirigakure to make sure that the relations between Kumogakure and Kirigakure didn't go into outright warfare. How very interesting. What was truly embarrassing was that Lin had volunteered over a thousand hours to the hospital in her time as a Jounin, and yet, she did not know this girl's name. Perhaps it was because she volunteered in the late nights, rather than during the day.

"Thank you, can you please take me to her...-?" Lin left it in the air with an upward inflection, and hoped that the girl would tell her name to Lin, "Maya."

"Ah, Maya, lead on." They both rushed through the crowd, most of the people avoiding the robes that Lin had on now, she felt a bit stupid in the big flowing things, but business was business. She made it to the hospital a few minutes later, rushing down the hall with Maya in the lead. She stopped in front of the door, catching her breath while Lin strode through.

Lin looked right, and then left and found Kaekio had indeed awoken. She hadn't been able to go near Kaekio when she was a Jounin, and yet, here she was standing in the doorway. She had, of course, never met her before but she was quite eager to meet the ninja that abandoned Kumogakure to go to Kirigakure, much like Satoshi Kazuhiko after her.

The other nurse in the room bowed her head respectfully to Lin,
"You may leave." Lin said to the woman, as she dragged a chair behind her and flipped it around, sitting with her left leg crossed over her right. Lin's tone brooked no argument, and she left with another bow. No doubt there would be ANBU outside of the room in a minute as word got out. She sighed, trying to keep this an Isolated incident might be harder than she thought.

"Hello, Kaekio, I am Katonrai, Lin, the new Raikage." She smiled, sitting a couple of feet from the bed's foot, watching her. She might, if the conversation went well, attempt to heal her. But she wanted to know everything. She would give a silent chance to Kaekio to introduce herself, but she wanted to hear the story right from the girl's mouth. All said, Lin wasn't an imposing figure, even in the robes, and her stance was friendly, not hostile. She hoped that it would allow Kaekio some room to breathe, and let her guard down a little.

WC: 794

Before her guest had managed to walk in, Kaekio had managed to manevuer her way around the chains in such a way that she was able to sit against the wall next to the window at her bedside. That of which, also had bars to keep her from leaving. However it wasn't long after Kaekio managed to do this before the Raikage would arrive at her hospital bed. Which, if Kaekio was being perfectly honest with herself, was completely fine by her. Turn the time she had spent sitting up, and talking to the nurse, Kaekio had managed to recall all of the events of the day of the invasion. All up to the moment, Ayakashi promised that her loved ones would hunt her down like the dog that she she was. Fitting given her sage mode of choice. Kaekio was even more lucky to this extent, that even as she just sat up that the Raikage would enter into her hospital, but It also wasn't the person wearing robes that she was expecting.

Kaekio's wide blue eyes would stare at the young women wearing what was unmistakable the Raikage robe's, fitted to her specific body, meaning she was without a doubt, the raikage. Kaekio swallowed the lump in her throat as the young woman sat down in front of her, Her snow white hair covering her right eye. Kaekio wasn't really sure if this was better or worse than Sanosuke himself showing up. If she had been honest, Kaekio was kind of missing the man whom she looked up to like a father, or a brother, and she had a gut feeling that even though she had done him wrong, that he would at least give her a mecriful death, if she were to be sentenced to such. However, Kaekio even in her years as a shinobi of Kumogakure, had never seen the woman before her eyes. Which meant, that not only did Kaekio not know her, or what she was like, but it's likely the latter was true as well, and furthermore, this girl would likely hold no remorse for someone who had betrayed Kumogakure.

Several thoughts went through Kaekio's mind. The first of which being "what the hell happened to Sanosuke?", "How did this unimposing girl make it as the Raikage of Kumogakure?", "how long have I been out?". However none of these questions surfaced, merely the puzzled look on Kaekio's face as her the girl introduced herself as lin, the New Raikage.

After the introduction Kaekio would stop looking so puzzled, and shake her head a bet to get the blue hair out of her face. before she would give a brief bow, as she sat upon the bed. Making sure to bow more with her neck, than her stomach, as she didn't want to reopen the wound that she just had gotten resealed. after her small bow, and her muttering the words "Lady Raikage. It's a pleasure." She would then look up to look the women in the face to show respect as she spoke. "As I'm sure you're aware. I am Ryuzoji, Kaekio." She would then shift her gaze down, a sullen look upon her face. "So. My lady,
what will be my fate?" Kaekio would then look back up to towards the Raikage. Not hiding her emotions. Her look of defeat. Her look of sorrow. Like the world was against her, and that death was closely upon her. Her crystal blue eyes, lifeless. Her hair unkempt as is flowed in the slight breeze coming from the window behind her. The doctors had managed to fix whatever had been previously done to her to hide her appearance. She was no longer tainted by Sero's chakra, nor no longer looked of Hachiko, the ANBU of Kirigakure. Instead she looked herself once more, though not as full of life as she once was. But instead defeated and broken, as her mind replayed the words of the mizukage, and the girls own actions over and over and over again.

---

WC: 685
Total WC: 1539

Lin patted down some of the creases in her robes, which she told the person who was ironing them not to put in there because it made her look to starchy. She sighed, there was no course of action but to just throw them in the laundry herself. She looked back up at Kaekio, the ninja that apparently had been sent to assassinate the Raikage. But she had been a Kumo ninja before, no? Did she not deserve to be heard like the rest of the citizens of Kumogakure no sato?

"My verdict may seem harsh to you." Lin cleared her throat, reliving a time when she had killed a man for threatening her family, and buried it deep down. This was no time for her own problems to come bubbling to the surface. "I would like for you to recall everything that happened from your perspective. And I would like it..." She thought for a moment, she had read the file on Kaekio, like she had read the file on Bokuden, and the others, and it just said that she was a traitor. Well, why was she a traitor?

"I would like it to begin with why you left Kumogakure no Sato in the first place. The real reason. And I would charge you to not lie to me to save your life, I have no intention of killing you without a reason. I saw 'treason' on your file, which I suppose is an offense punishable by death, but I also did not see any trial, no witnesses to your crime, and as you know, now, you only need written notice to leave Kumogakure.
You also, as I saw there in your file, haven't killed any Kumogakure ninja." She blinked twice, looked up at Kaekio, folded her hands in her lap, and waited for the story. She knew it from Sanosuke's side. Now, to hear who it affected in a profound way. The one who's life hung in the balance.

WC: 1137

Giving a brief sigh after hearing the Raikage words Kaekio would look at the window with a sullen look on her face, semi-turning away from the raikage, and saying. "I don't mean to offend you, Lady Raikage. However your threats of death don't intimidate me if that was your goal..." Kaekio would then pause for a brief moment before whispering to herself, "I'd much rather die to the hands of the village I love, and hates me, than force the woman who loves me to cut me down because of my own actions."  She would then let out another sigh... "If it's my story you want however.... I'll need to start a bit before I left so you can get the full context of my actions. I don't care if you end up agreeing with them or not, but if you want to at least understand my reasoning then this is where we will need to start." She then turned to face the Raikage once more as she prepped to start her story.

"The story begins before I was even too old to be a ninja. The first detail goes by the name of Bokuden... It's evident I've been in a coma for quiet some time, so I'm not sure how much you know about the clan, but he was a missing Ninja before I had even become a Genin. He was meant to take the Raikage seat instead of Sanosuke, instead he refused and left the village for reasons unknown to me." Kaekio would then pause for a moment. "However Bokuden wasn't the only ninja to leave at that time. " Kaekio would chuckle to herself a bit. "Seems to be a trend amongst my clan.. Anyways, the other two ryuzoji that left around the time Bokuden did was my own parents. Two people I could never impress no matter how hard I tried, but they were still the people I loved... Have you ever lost anyone Lady Raikage? If so, you'd know the feeeling is unbearable. Something that once one experiences, they never want to feel again." Kaekio would give a small break in her speech so the Raikage could process all of the information she had spat out up until this point. "It wasn't long after that, that I became a genin. I was assigned under sanosuke himself. And with him as my sensei, It didn't take long for me to grow attached. I used him to fill the void my parents had left, and I loved him like he was my own blood. I looked up to him, more so than anyone I had ever looked up to. So much so my aspirations quickly became to fill his shoes. To wear the exact robes you are wearing now." Kaekio would give a light eye smile towards the raikage. Not full of any malice or ill intent. Just a tad bit joyoues thinking of how simple things used to be. Before she was an enemy, a traitor to the country she loved. Before two countries, one of them being the country Nozomi hailed from wanted her dead. Before the the blue haired girl had the world against her. "It wasn't long after I reached the rank of Special jounin that I decided I would reunite with my clan. People whom I had grown out of touch with ever since my parents left. However what I found was... Rubble. Ruins. The scene of a battle, and no one in sight... Now of course my clan members were fine, I found them to have relocated shortly after, but it was then I learned the news. The one who had launched an attack on my clan, My blood, Was sanosuke himself. It was at this point that I realized I'd never seen sanosuke take a student other than a Ryuzoji. And That's when... I felt used. I felt betrayed. The man who I loved like my own father was using me and my clan members to get close to my clan, for reasons unknown to me, I don't know if it was to figure out our secrets so he take down bokuden, or stop whatever influence bokuden still had over our clan, But I did know that I could no longer trust my own Kage. The man I was meant to serve was out for my own blood. It was for that reason that I left. I wouldn't sit by whilst my own Raikage threatened my clan, and used me, while toying with my own emotions at the same time. So I left, and swore the head of the man who made me experience loss all again. " Kaekio would pause, a mix of disappointment and sorrow written on her face as she stared at the ground. "So I left with my girlfriend to her home country of Kirigakure as I'm sure you're aware. Once inside the country I was brought before Ayakashi herself. She ran tests on me, wanting to know if I was fit to be a ninja, but also why I was before her. After a fight with Sero, she determined I was worthy, and Kaekio died, and Hachiko the ANBU of Kirigakure was born. However, because of my leaving Sanosuke then rounded up Kirigakure members.. Ayakashi would not stand for this. So she rallied her village, and planned an invasion. Never had I seen a village move so quickly for war. " Kaekio would pause once more, only briefly so Lin could register what she was telling her. "It wasn't but a week or so after that moment we left to Kumogakure. However I had made Ayakashi promise me that innocents wouldn't be harmed in this. We would just get the civilians of Kiri and get out. From what I could tell she agreed. Then we invaded, and meet Sanosuke at the cursed tree. I came in ANBU gear so he wouldn't recognize me. Not long before he showed up I was told to go find the prision in which the civilians where held. However Sanosuke quickly had the mountain top surrounded with ANBU, and I was trapped inside. I Figured it'd be best to return to the top of the mountain. However I quickly detected elevated chakra, and It became apparent to me, Sanosuke and Ayakashi were about to fight. Something that would surely plummet both countries into war, and an Era of hatred. All because of my own actions. I refused to let people die because of what I had caused. So I stepped in between, and took Sano's sword. Stopping it in it's tracks, and revealing myself at the same time. Then Ayakashi told me I would be hunted by those I love. I can only assume she meant nozomi, and then I feel unconscious. Shortly after I wake up here, and here you are.... So, Any questions?" Kaekio would ask, having looking back towards the kage, having looked out the window at some point during that speech, not even she was sure when.

---

WC: 1195
Total WC: 2734

Lin nodded at the former ANBU, it wasn't a threat, it was a bit of a warning, and she didn't want to do it. She loathed sending people to their deaths, and was over cautious to say the least. She wanted to be sure of the kunoichi’s guilt before sentencing her. It was quite the different story than Sanosuke spun, or what she had read anyhow. She continued to listen, silently. She had actually met Bokuden, and had wondered why he was a missing ninja as well. Well, she knew the reason, but she found it hard to believe that the peace-loving Bokuden could harm anyone. She kept her mouth shut, nodding during the appropriate times, and then when Kaekio had finished put a finger to her lip in thought.

She did have one thought, one question that she wanted to ask Kaekio. She believed her story, because it matched most of the facts of Sanosuke's own writing, but it was more detailed, and screamed of experience. "Were you going to release all of the captives of Athos' keep or just the Kirigakure ninja?" She asked, wanting to know. It hit a nerve, she knew that it was not her that had caused the prison riot, Kaekio had taken a sword before the incident, but it still burned hot in her mind. She was the last surviving member of her family, or at least not including distant cousins. "Of course all of the Kirigakure ninja that are captured are now free, or at least they are doing the paper work to make them free. I wish it were as simple as waving my hand, but it isn't like the kage has actually, that much power."

She blinked and smiled at Kaekio, it held no malice. "I am going to release you from your captivity, and I'll do one better." She offered, she got up, brushing out the wrinkles from her robes again, the thing bunched like no ones business, "There is a new Kumogakure no Sato foreign policy which you are entitled to look over, You will be struck from the records as a missing ninja, and will not be aprehended as such in Kumogakure. Additionally..." Lin looked at the bandaged area of Kaekio, and noticed how she held herself to keep from the most discomfort possible, "I will heal that fully. If you agree, call for the nurse, and I'll have her tell me the extent of the damage. It shouldn't take but a trice to mend. That is if you believe me, and want to put your life in my hands."" Lin tilted her head. She was, in fact, the highest ranking and highest skilled iryoninja in the village at the moment, so her offer would be invaluable to Kaekio. Perhaps. Though, there was still her pride to take into consideration.

WC: 1634

"Were you going to release all of the captives of Athos' keep or just the Kirigakure ninja?" Kaekio let out a small sigh at the last question. It certainly wasn't an easy one to answer. Kaekio paused for a moment as she thought on her answer before speaking. "Did you want my intentions or the practical answer. Because my Intentions were to only release those affiliated with Kirigakure no sato. Athos' Keep holds many dangerous individuals from my recollection, and are in there for a reason. Setting them free, and upon the people of Kumogakure would no doubt lead to bloodshed, and almost certainly some of the blood would be upon civilians or those who had no hand in any of the matters leading up to those circumstances.... However, springing a jail break, and making sure all of the Kirigakure civilians and shinobi got free, whilst retaining every person who is meant to be in there seems something akin to a fairy-tail or a miracle. I doubt anyone could get it perfect, let alone a singular ANBU unit. And Honestly lady Raikage, whilst I love my country, Kirigakure at the time had given me a home, when my true home had abandoned me. I can't honestly say what would have occurred had I made it to Athos' Keep. I hope that answers your question. " Kaekio would pause for a moment. The sullen look never having left on her face. She was being honest, and had been completely honest with the Raikage, for she had no reason to lie. It was death by one country or another at this point, so It really didn't matter what the Raikage made of her. She could only hope that the Raikage saw how much Kaekio truly loved Kumogakure, it's just her issues, and her departure came from her issues with the raikage. The man in charge. Now what he no longer was in the picture, she had no problems with Kumogakure, and even if her assistance wasn't desired, she'd defend it to her very last breath. "Of course all of the Kirigakure ninja that are captured are now free, or at least they are doing the paper work to make them free. I wish it were as simple as waving my hand, but it isn't like the kage has actually, that much power." After hearing this, Kaekio cocked her head a bit. If the Kirigakure ninja were being set free then way ask the question at all? Unless Athos' Keep had been attacked and the Raikage thought it had been her. However her story told differently.. Maybe she didn't believe her? Either way it didn't really matter to Kaekio.

It was the next sentence that caught Kaekio completely off guard. "I am going to release you from your captivity, and I'll do one better." The raikage stood as she spoke that last sentence.  "There is a new Kumogakure no Sato foreign policy which you are entitled to look over, You will be struck from the records as a missing ninja, and will not be apprehended as such in Kumogakure. Additionally..." Lin then looked over the wounds Kaekio was holding over. "I will heal that fully. If you agree, call for the nurse, and I'll have her tell me the extent of the damage. It shouldn't take but a trice to mend. That is if you believe me, and want to put your life in my hands."" Kaekio would wait for the Raikage to fully finish speaking before she would respond.

"I appreciate your hospitality, lady Raikage. However.." she would look down at her wounds. "The wounds have been mostly healed already, they are just stitches left from what I can tell. I just need to let the wound heal it's self, and recover, and stop myself from reopening the wound. If you are saying you can heal my wounds further than the extensive repair your medical staff must have already covered I won't doubt your prowess. But I think I need to bare these wounds myself.... A sort of painful reminder of my actions. Something that can't easily be whisked away." Kaekio would then let out a small sigh. "However before you go. I do have a few things to ask of you. The first being.." Kaekio would then hold up her hands that were still shackled to the bed. If Kaekio wanted to try and channel her chakra, she could probably break out of them herself, but she felt that may be taken poorly. Plus having just turned down the chance to have this wound fully healed, she didn't want to open it right in front of the women who offered to help her. "If I am to be released, can I have these shackles removed?.. My next inquiry, is surrounding my status. within Kumogakure. From the way you were talking and your suggestion to familiarize myself with the Foreign Policy, I'm being released from my status as a Shinobi of Kumogakure No sato. I assume this to be the case. I would just like the clarification before I decide whether I defend this village as a shinobi in it's name, or whether I defend it as one who was exiled but still loves her home dearly. " Kaekio would pause for a moment. "My finaly question is reguarding the previous Raikage. If I knew him well, and I'd like to think I did. He seems too stubborn to be the type to retire himself after this incident. Was he ousted, or.. what happened to him?.. If he is still a shinobi of Kumogakure no sato, I can promise you my lady, that I won't harm him whilst he still bares the village banner. " Kaekio would say, still sullen and downtrodden. The girl truly felt like the world was against her. The fact Kumogakure wouldn't be hunting her was a blessing for sure, but with her wounds and the Military might of Kirigakure no sato, she doubted she would last very long in her own hands.

---

WC: 1024
Total WC: 3758

Lin nodded as the Kirigakure ninja, no, she mustn't think that, the kumogakure ninja before her told about what she intended to do. Intention was everything here. She wasn't a part of her parent's death. She blinked as she decided to not get help from her grievous wounds. They were almost healed, albeit, but they might still hurt, could still get infected. She sighed, wondering if she knew what she was doing when she asked to not be healed.

"Alright, I won't heal your wounds, and as for your question.
You are to be treated as a Kumogakure ninja, since, you see, you were exiled from the village and didn't leave of your own volition. I am sorry for the transgressions that Sanosuke committed against you, and he is, yes, a ninja that is still a part of this village. I will not re-instate your ANBU status as of yet, I want you to recover and send me a letter or see me before I do so. I hope you understand." She said, an apologetic tone taking to her voice. "As for your shackles. I'll call for the keys, as I don't have them." She made her way to the door and stuck her head out. Like she had guessed, there were four ANBU special operatives waiting for her. "Kaekio is to be released, and treated like a citizen of Kumogakure no sato. She is to be re-instated as a jounin, for now. We will discuss this at length, but at least release her from her shackles."

"Right away, Lady Raikage." The ninja took off at a fast-walk down the corridor. She sighed, and closed the door behind her.

"He is on his way, let's discuss your ANBU position. I believe it is too dangerous, but I want your opinion."

WC: 1960