Ame took a deep breath, loving the feeling of midday sun on her bare arms. It was one of the few times a year where Kumogakure's usual thick cloud clover had given the Hidden Village's occupants a reprieve in the form of sunshine. Ame hoped that it would lighten her hair up a little, since it had gotten progressively darker recently, almost a shade of ultramarine. She rarely (if ever) wandered around the village without her dark red jacket, but it was currently out of commission thanks to a near-botched mission and severe injury bloodstains. Now her arms and shoulders were bared to the world, showing her light spattering of freckles all along her shoulders, upper back and the back of her arms. She wasn't ashamed of them, per se, but it was an odd thing to see in Kumo, and she was usually covered up to take shelter from her village's unpredictable weather systems. She could tell that today was going to be a fine day though and left her jacket haphazardly tied around her waist.

She turned to check if her new charge (the freshly out of hospital Elin Lane) was keeping up with her brisk pace, and slowed down a little to accommodate him more. She didn't want to lose him in the thick crowds that formed around lunchtime. Him getting lost probably wouldn't be too much of a problem, as she had already gotten used to his electrical signature and would be able to track him without much hindrance if he did, but she wanted to prove to her sensei/Raikage that she could be trusted. Besides, Elin seemed like a nice person and it would be terribly rude of her to leave him behind regardless. 

When he had asked if they could climb to Sky Point, Ame had simply stared incredulously. Sky Point was ridiculously high up. The air there was thin, and it was always cold. She was not in any condition to be climbing up there, no matter that the weather conditions were perfect for the climb, and neither was he if his shakiness was anything to go by. She still had a throbbing stomach wound and was not supposed to straining said wound for a week. Climbing up to Sky Point would definitely be considered straining it. She had explained this to him, also stating that there were nicer mountains to climb in Kumogakure, and once she was healed she would take him up her favourite one, the place wheeze she had first met her sensei and teammate. It was a beautiful place, but that would be for another time.

For now they would simply tour Kumo, maybe get some lunch if Elin started feeling hungry (Ame couldn't bear the thought of eating with her gut wrapped up as it was). She had a couple places in mind. They could possibly stop by the gear shop Ame usually went to. Elin would need the proper tools of course, and Ame had to talk to the clerk about her recent repair job anyways. She had taken to strapping her prized katana around her back once again, now that her jacket was around her waist. Her weapon pouches sat loosely around her hips, not to tight as to restrict her wound. She didn't want to strain herself any more than absolutely necessary.

"So Elin-san, where would you like to go first? Are you hungry? We could get some lunch if you like?" Ame stopped, looking ahead of her and mulling over their choices for restaurants. There were a couple places they could try, but Ame wasn't sure which one to recommend. She would just wait for his answer first.

---

Words: 626

She seemed to be taking in the air with a deep breathe as he mimicked her. The sun being out was something you did not often see, then again he had not often seen much of anything with his time spent in the hospital. He found it strange that she had so many freckles, with them on her shoulders, her arms and the amount of exposed back she did have. He thought freckles only existed on people's faces, but did not want to be rude by asking about something that might be a bit too personal. He had gotten used to this with the hospital having many other sick kids and adults of all ages.

She had a really dirty looking jacket, but he was not sure if it was dirty or if his eyes needed to be washed since he did not even remember to brush his teeth before leaving. Though his teeth were clean due to the food he ate not having that nasty stick to your teeth problem. He was a bit sick and tired of jelly and yoghurt but the custard was nice and he often got pancakes when he was not eating the dreaded Spinach and Liver combo.

She turned back to look at him as he was feeling a bit tired, since he was not used to walking this much as she seemed to slow down. He felt a bit better, even though he was a liability his mind taught him not to think like that most of the time. If you think you are a liability then you would not want to be around anyone, but he did feel like that sometimes. His excitement about being taken out of the hospital helped even though he had one thing which was bothering him.

He passed through the crowds of people fairly easily as he was mainly just sticking a bit close to her as some of the on lookers who did not know any better thought it was a brother and sister. While a few who knew of the Ryuzoji thought that this poor child was being taken to be tortured in the ways of that clan, which had garnered a large amount of fear and admiration. Mostly it was fear, for what reason the child would not know as he had yet to get up to date with the clan's of his village.

He was still somewhat disappointed as he began looking down with a slight pout on his face, the pout was considerably more noticeable earlier when she first said that they could not go up to Sky Point which was a brilliant place to be if he wanted to try and touch the sky. Deep down inside he knew what she said was true, but he was still being a bit stubborn about it. You could say he was also in his rebellious phase as well, though he was still being as polite as possible.

She then finally came to a stop as he accidentally bumped into her, his small frame made it so that she would not have felt much as he looked up as she seemed to just be looking ahead as she asked where he would like to go first and whether he was hungry. He looked down and gave a stubborn reply.

"You know where I want to go." as he looked a bit dejected as he kept his eyes on the ground before looking up to her slowly so that his eyes would glisten a bit with the reflection of her in his large glossy red eyes. They had built up some good moisture so he was well hydrated, or at least his eyes were as he thought about it and then spoke.

"I have always wanted to try out burgers, is that okay Ame?" he had become accustomed to just using her first name shortening it slightly and gave the impression that they were really close. In truth he had just not been properly taught the difference between which honorifics to use when.

~ Words 680~

Ame felt bad for denying Elin's request to go climbing, but she knew that it was for his own good.  He would probably just make his recovery slow down. It was better to leave the task for another day, once both of them were fully healed. Ame could feel the throb of pain that still lingered in her abdomen. She could foresee this injury being a problem. If she went even a week without missions she wouldn't be able to afford all of her necessities, thanks to her mother's refusal to fund her lifestyle as a kunoichi. Sure, the woman couldn't stop her from eating with the rest of the family as that was an important tradition, but her spitefulness knew no bounds. If Ame so much as mentioned that she was off on a mission, her sensei had told her she had team training, could she have money for some gear, he mother would glare at her coldly and tell her that this shinobi nonsense was what had caused the loss of her father (which it hadn't, but her mother needed someone to blame that didn't make it look like she was blaming a child) before going off in a huff. 

Ame had long since realised that it was pointless to try and convince her otherwise and had dutifully set out to make her own money and find her own way through the shinobi world. It had been rather tough when she was younger. She quickly outgrew the gear that she wore during her first few years in the academy, stuff her mother had bought her before the 'incident'. She had mainly scrounged for what he older cousins didn't need anymore, until she could make a steady salary from missions. She still had to save like crazy to maintain her weapons, but she had at least stopped getting taller. Her jacket would probably need replacing again anyways though, considering the kunai slice across the front and the general wear and tear. Ame sighed, wondering how much she'd have to pay this time. 

She snapped out of her reverie and focused back on Elin. Burgers eh? Her stomach throbbed at the thought of eating anything but plain rice, but she pushed away the unease to the back of her mind. "Sure, we can go for burgers. I think they have a place somewhere on Main, where all the tourists usually visit. Down here is just Onigiri, Sushi, maybe a Teppanyaki place or two. Nothing western. Come on then." Ame grabbed Elin's hand, so as not to lose him, and continued walking at a more sedate pace, not wanting to strain herself or Elin. The streets slowly filled until she could see only a sea of people. Thanks to her height she still had fairly good vision, but she doubted Elin could see much, so she gripped his hand a little tighter hoping he wouldn't end up pulled off into the crowd. 

Kumo was bright and cheerful today, though Ame knew they weren't expecting any festivals anytime soon. People were walking up and down the streets greeting each other, mothers with their children, shinobi coming back from missions and sharing the stories with the vendors. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and it rubbed off on her. She really enjoyed the sunshine, as long as it didn't come with humidity. The wind blew gently, setting off a wind chime in someone's doorway and it's high, tinkling sound echoes through the marketplace, everyone's chatter calming down almost as if they wanted to here the sound. This part of Kumo had always made Ame feel like she was home. It was a nice place no matter the weather, people lived up in apartments above the stores and made their street seem like home. The vendors were good folk, and some even waved to her as she walked past, Ame waving back. The people this end of town didn't care about family politics, and she was always grateful for the slight reprieve.

Main Street was worse by far, and Ame was glad she had had the sense to strap her sword to her back. If it had been around her waist she was quite sure that she would have lost it by now, and that was something she couldn't afford to do. They finally got to the restaurant and Ame breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of it, pulling Elin through the door behind her. It was fairly full, but their was mercifully a few open tables, and Ame smiled at the waiter who took them to their table. They received their menus before the man was off, and Ame looked down at the, happy to find that she could order simply steamed rice balls. It was insanely expensive, but Ame didn't want to disappoint Elin any further, so she dealt with it. "So Elin, do you know if you've been assigned to a squad yet?" Ame put down her menu as she asked her question, leaning on her arms from her position opposite Elin. The restaurant was brightly coloured, a real family-like place. Ame liked the warm atmosphere, but the talking was a bit much after the quiet of the hospital. She would just have to get used to it.

---

Words: 901 ~ 1527

She said they sure could have burgers and mentioned something about going to the main, which was a bit confusing as she mentioned it was a tourist destination. She told him it was mostly just Onigiri, Sushi and a bit of teppanyaki. He was not sure if she was okay, but he did have something else inside his box. However he got interrupted as she grabbed his hand as he blushed and smiled. He was actually really happy, that and the nurses hands always felt like they had been in some weird chemicals. Her hand was warm and nice and maybe just a bit sweaty, but he still enjoyed it.

As they walked the streets began to fill up again, it was like the people gathered and seperated depending on where you were. He then thought it was weird at first and then figured that he was the weird one. He could only see people and while he was being held he got bumped by a few people who were not watching where they were going. He nearly got knocked back as he just felt the tight grip of her hand as he fell forward. She would most likely have felt a slight downward pull as the boy was just barely held up by her as he regained his footing and bumped right into her slightly. He mumbled a sorry as he then took hold of her arm with his other hand and was now clinging close to her. He was starting to develop a bit of a fear for crowds, though mostly it was just that he hated being bumped into the whole time.

The people seemed so cheerful around them and talkative, but him and Ame actually were so different. Ame seemed like something was bothering her and as he clung close to her he looked down and he thought for a moment that she looked like she was in pain. He was not sure as he blinked again and could not tell anymore, as he looked up to Ame who had slowed down a lot since that moment when she stopped to ask him what he wanted to eat. Did she realise how tired he was, or how weak he felt.

He heard a wind chime as he got his smile back on his face for a moment, before getting dejected and looking to see if Ame was okay. The gentle wind did help to calm him down a bit, he could barely go any further though as his footing was struggling as he began leaning more and more weight on her arm as he held on tightly. As they finally reached the main area he began to stumble a few times as his eyes got a bit sleepy, he was not used to so much walking in such a long time as he struggled to hang in there as he did not even notice until now, that the people were glaring at them, or at least a few were.

When they finally reached the place she stopped as he fell had her hand not been holding him he would have hit the floor. His feet were bright reddish and were bleeding a bit as he did not have proper shoes or anything. His feet also had some foot prints from people stepping on his feet, he kept quiet through the pain having not wanted to worry Ame. He could not walk any further but they finally got here. He toughed it out and stood up falling against her hugging her as they entered the restaurant as he was stubborn as he looked down mumbling, "I can make it".

The waiter came and he was holding on even tighter as two waitresses stopped and thought they wanted a little brother like that too. When they finally reached their table which happened to be the closest one as the waiter had noticed the boy had sore feet and could not walk much further, and he noticed the lady seemed a bit out of it if they was a word for what he could see. When he finally got to the table and sat down he was holding in his tears as Ame put down her menu and asked if Elin had a squad after which he burst out crying for a bit as he held on tightly to his seat.

"Sorry" as he wiped his tears a bit and sniffed as the one waitress brought an ice pack inside a pillow for the boy to put his feet on. The waitress looked serious, but the waitress glared at her slightly before walking passed the girl with a resigned sigh.

As he looked to Ame and then said, "Sorry, I am not so tough. I did not mean to embarrass you, please forgive me." He was holding his head down before remembering her ask something as he clenched his teeth a bit. "My team left me behind, I do not even know where they are anymore. They never came to visit me once"

~Words  680 + 844 = 1524~

Ame realised that Elin was clinging a bit tightly to her arm and looked down, moving him slightly so that he was positioned in front of her instead of next to her so that she could shield him better from the crowd. He seemed to be being jostled quite a bit and she would have offered to carry him had she not been dealing with a healing wound herself. From where she was she couldn't see that he didn't have any shoes, assuming that the receptionist had handed him some when they had first left the hospital. It wouldn't make much sense if they hadn't,  considering that Ame was herself injured. She couldn't be expected to carry Elin around for the rest of the day. 

Only when he muttered about being able to make it did she notice that he actually wasn't wearing shoes. She gasped and turned to him, leaning down to pick him up despite the sharp pain in her abdomen at the movement. He was surprisingly light as she did so and she carried them to their table, noticing the stares of two waitresses. Ame wasn't sure why they were staring though. The waiter noticed how Elin's feet were sore and soon a waitress arrived with an ice pack for the boy. Ame was amazed at how Elin seemed to garner sympathy at the drop of a hat. People around him seemed to be drawn to the boy. It was odd, for lack of a better word (or maybe, just a little disconcerting). The waitress who brought the ice pack even glared at her. Ame was used to being treated poorly for family reasons but this? This was crazy. She was also wounded, if the thick guaze around her midriff wasn't proof enough. Ame had half a mind to stand up and complain but her cooler, more controlled side took over for her and a she took a deep breath, schooling her features until nothing was discernible. It wouldn't make sense for these people to be looking at her as such, considering that she had never been to this restaurant before and the staff didn't know her family name. The only way people usually knew her name was when she was wearing her jacket, as it had the Ryuzoji crest printed on it, but at the moment the symbol was hidden from view with her jacket inside out around her waist and pressed to the back of her chair.

As she asked Elin about his squad he burst out crying. Ame momentarily froze. She was awful with people when they cried. She herself had cried maybe once or twice in her lifetime (not including her hazy memories pre-age 4) and even then she hid her tears fiercely. She had never been comforted before,  and she wasn't exactly sure how to go about doing so. She awkwardly rubbed one hand on Elin's shoulder. "I-it's fine Elin-kun. You don't have any reason to apologise. I'm sorry I didn't notice your pain earlier and that I mentioned your team at all. Forgive me?" Ame tilted her head slightly and smiled. She owed Elin an apology for being so unobservant. 

Whether he accepted her apology or not, the waiter (a good looking young man with dark hair and eyes) would swing around again, asking to take their order. Ame would look away from Elin for a moment to order just her steamed rice balls before looking to the boy again. The waiter would take Elin's order before smiling and moving to leave the table. As he passed Ame, the waiter leaned down with a hand on her still bare shoulder and whispered in her ear. "The freckles suit you." Ame blushed softly as he walked off to give in their order, leaving her to mutter a quick 'arigato' under her breath.

---

Words: 661 ~ 2188

She seemed to freeze as the tears flowed from his eyes, he had looked up to Ame and was not sure what was wrong as he sniffed a bit more trying to get a hold of himself. As she placed her hands on his shoulders as he was looking deep into her eyes as her face reflected in them clearly. He really did not understand why they never came to visit him and had not even learnt of the facts on what had actually happened in their last moments together. If it had not been for the incident he may have remembered that day. A day which has been kept from him by his family and by the village itself for reasons that could not be explained. A memory deep within the mind of a small eight year old boy entering the battle field of a mission for the first time.

Around eight years ago at the border of Kumogakure no Sato, a small eight year old boy with blonde hair and red eyes had been getting ready for his mission as he put on his combat sandals and his battle gi for fighting. He was not that strong and had a lot of items on him at the time and was responsible for sorting out and carrying most of their gear. The leader of the team was a mysterious swordsman who did not say much as he looked out to the field and said to them that the mission today would be a test of their skills. The boy was not sure what would happen to them, but he was confident in their abilities at the time. If only he knew back then what he might come to learn in the future. The truth of the mission that took away half of his life.

He was half dazed and his emotions made him see something strange, but he shrugged it off a bit as he sniffed and heard her apology as he looked down as he finally rubbed his tears away with his arm having them finally stop. His eyes were still a bit puffy, but at least the sniffing stopped. He was not even completely sure why he was crying to begin with.

He noticed some strange guy approach Ame as he instinctively glared at the man who came to take her order, as she looked back to the small boy his glare was gone as he looked back down. A bit annoyed at the man who was busy bothering Ame who he had taken a liking to. The waiter moved to the little boy who looked up to him and pointed to the burgers and showed out his hands to show he wanted ten of them. He laughed a bit and then made a yelp as the boy accidentally knocked over a glass which happened to be on the table causing it to hit the foot of the waiter. He realised he should not have laughed and just bowed slightly and was about to rub the boy's head but he cancelled his attempt when he realised the situation he was in. He respected the kid due to knowing that it was probably just a phase he was going through.  

The boy watched the man whisper something into Ame's ear as he could not make out what it was, he calmed down a bit and before the waiter got too far he stubbornly shouted out. "Wait!!" as the waiter stopped and turned around slowly hoping it was not going to be something bad the boy looked down. "Sorry about your foot, and please can you bring some juice too please", he was polite by nature and was just a bit disorientated from the pain in his feet which had not fully subsided. He was not sure if she would be upset at him hurting the waiter on purpose even though he did not say it in a way that could indicate it was on purpose. Either way things were looking good and all they needed now was for the food to arrive.

The waiter started to think about whether she was worth the trouble then he looked at her cute freckles and then thought to himself that at least the kid did not punch him in the ribs or do something harsh like what he had experienced in the past when girls brought their children with. He was thinking to himself that she also looked a bit young for a mom, but in the end he had his orders which were actual orders and he smiled as he bowed slightly to show he accepted the apology as he left to get their order prepared.

~Words 1524 + 788 = 2312~

The waiter's words lingered in Ame's ears, reminding her of the last time she had been complimented in such a way. She could feel the unrelenting tide of a memory wash over her. She was used to these occurences now, and didn't bother trying to stop it, letting herself be carried away in the memory. The only outward sign was her eyes glazing over slightly. She felt everything becoming muffled, and it felt like she was closing her eyes, even as they were wide open.

"Hurry up Ame-san! You're gonna make us late!"

"Yeah! You're so tall, why do you always slow us down?"

Ame huffed internally and ran to catch up with the rest of the school group. The academy had decided that as a celebration of everyone doing well on their yearly final the whole year group was going halfway up to Sky Point for a picnic to signify that they were halfway to graduating and becoming proper shinobi. Ame had worn her brand new summer dress that day, and she was already starting to get goosebumps due to it being sleeveless. Ame hadn't wanted to get the dress dirty but it was so pretty she just had to wear it. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to purposefully roll around in mud or anything.

They trekked up the mountain, Ame dutifully staying at the back of the group. The picnic was a fun affair, and the teachers even brought ice-cream. Unfortunately, their expedition was threatened by Kumo's ever-changing and unpredictable weather systems. As a storm began to blow in they were ordered back down the mountain, in hopes of at least making it to a storm shelter before the rain started. On the way down Ame's dress got caught in a bramble bush and she couldn't bare the thought of ripping it and incurring her mother's wrath. By the time she'd realised it was futile to try and save the dress her group was already out of sight. The two boys who had shouted at her earlier and told the teachers that Ame had gone on ahead of the group, instead of being left behind. Ame tugged and tugged until her dress pulled loose, sending her off-balance and off the mountainside. It was a steep and rocky fall to the ground, and Ame just managed to catch herself, gripping the edge of the cliff in an effort to save her life. She wasn't sure how long she clung to the cliff edge, screaming for help. Quickly a spitting rain started up and made the ledge she held onto slippery. Ame closed her eyes as she fell, but stubbornly refused to let any tears fall. A pair of warm arms wrapped around her, halting her descent and she looked up to see a porcelain mask. The Anbu member alighted atop a tree a little ways down the mountain, jolting her slightly.

"You okay there little girl? That's quite a pretty dress you've got on. Your freckles suit you." 

Ame blinked and bobbed her head. "A-arigato Anbu-san!" 

She had never figured out who the Anbu member was, but their words had lingered in the back of her mind for her whole life. They had been the first person to ever compliment her freckles, other than her father who died later that year.

Ame shook herself free from the memory, still feeling the lingering cold of the hard raindrops on her arms. She shivered softly before focusing back on Elin. She showed no outward signs of her little lapse into her memories. She had them every now and again, and they agitated her to no end. They happened at the most unexpected of moments, and with the strangest of triggers. Ame shook her head to clear her muddle thoughts and exhaled. She shifted slightly and felt something brush against her shoulder, realising that it was a tiny slip of paper. The waiter must have slipped it into the strap of her tank top when he had a hand on her shoulder. Ame didn't want to bring attention to it, so she turned slightly, waiting for a moment where Elin was distracted to read it.

"So Elin-san, what do you specialise in? It's probably pretty obvious what I specialise in, considering the sword strapped to my back." She smiled and folded her arms on the table top. She was still a bit shaken up from before, but refused to show it. Once Elin was amply distracted, she would discreetly pull the note from her top and read it. On the paper was scrawled 'Is he your kid?' to which Ame smiled. Elin didn't look anything like her, so she wondered how the waiter had come up with that conclusion. It made her laugh a bit internally. When the waiter returned with the juice Elin had ordered Ame mouthed a quick 'He isn't' to him, making the waiter smile as he returned to the kitchen. The little blonde not being the cute girl's kid made things a lot easier. The waiter was still unsure why the kid was so protective of the girl though, if he wasn't related. He simply shrugged it off and got back to work.

Meanwhile Ame was busy trying to get to know Elin. "Well we haven't really had a proper introduction yet, Elin-san. I'm Ameryuu, but you already know that. People usually call me Ame, my sensei nick-named me 'little one' even though he's only a few inches taller than me and you can use -chan as a suffix if you want. Hm, I'm in the middle of applying for a promotion to Chuunin which will hopefully go through soon. I was actually in the hospital today because I got wounded on a mission," here she gestured to the bandages around her torso, "It was pretty bad actually, but I was fixed up pretty well so I'm fine now. I do believe that we're drafted to go on missions together, so I asked Sanosuke-sensei if we could do the sparring mission together, but if you aren't feeling well yet we don't have to rush it. Also I'm really bad at this, so you should probably introduce yourself before I embarrass myself further." Ame sighed and leaned back a little, feeling the vertebrae in her spine click at the movement.

---

Words: 1093 ~ 3281

He was not sure, but for some reason she did not even notice the short little episode between the waiter and the small boy who was now in her care. He took out and opened the container for his items as he opened it, there was a kunai, some shuriken, his headband which he should have put on already, a small shinobi card with his basic info as he picked it off shaking it as it was dusty. He was a bit hazy and he did not really want to say much yet.

During that moment he did not notice the waiter pass her by again as he wanted to be careful. He looked to her and before he could say anything she began talking again. His mouth was left half open as he did not get to answer her yet. She said they did not have a proper introduction yet as she began speaking calling him Elin-kun earlier and now Elin-san. She told him her name again which was a bit silly, but maybe she noticed that he was a bit hazy still and needed reminding of a few things. She gave him permission to use -chan for her if he wanted, but there was a reason he chose not to use it.

She said that she will be becoming a Chuunin soon as he held back his tears as his mind began to think of other things, she also mentioned how she was injured from a mission as he learnt that she was actually hurt and he was not just imagining things. Even though she said she was fine he felt a bit responsible since she pretty much had to hold his weight most of the time they were heading out to here. She seemed to sigh as she ended off talking about a spar between the two of them which made sense since he needed to get back in shape, he rubbed his eyes a bit showing he was a bit stubborn about crying in front of her even though he already did.

He stood up even though it hurt his feet just a little bit, the ice pack from earlier having helped a lot. "My name is Elin!" as he looked down to the side blushing. "I would call you Ame-chan, but I thought we were a bit closer then that Ame." He had taken a liking to her and to use a persons name without any suffix at all meant that you were really close, he had grown attached to her mostly from being in the hospital too long to be honest, and part of it was because she was nice to him and she looked cool too.

"I was also wounded, but that was mainly about." He began counting on his fingers since he was not too sure anymore, as he went with a silent one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. He stopped then looked to her, "Seven or Eight years cause I got caught in an explosion, can not really remember much else since I took a hard hit to the head. I still have all my memories, just could not go out cause my eyes were also hurt badly so it took them a long time to heal my eyes and get all the different metals out of it." as he looked down trying to remember the rest of what the doctors told him.

He then looked back to her, "It's okay if we spar, but could we do it in maybe a week or two. Sort of got sore feet and I need to exercise a little bit I think. Is that okay?" as he seemed to get excited for some odd reason as he then calmed down and looked a bit depressed. "I will try not to hold you back and do my best." his eyes were preparing to fill with tears again which was either due to the pain of him standing or his emotional state.

It was unclear when he had a chance but his juice was finished and three of his ten burgers were already gone. He was a pretty fast eater and if he could use handseals as fast as he ate he might have been able to learn ninjutsu. However he did learn fuuinjutsu which takes quite a good amount of chakra control as well as the ability to use a bow quite well as he looked to her. "I know a bit of sealing, but mostly for small items and I can use a bow pretty good too. Not really that strong even though I was suppose to be talented."

He stopped there waiting to see if he did okay, a part of him loved to get affection. People often mistook him for an attention seeker, but attention seekers do not care who it is, those who seek affection want to be cared for even if it is just a simple hug or a small pat on the head or a slight ruffle of the hair. He was also trained in a sense that if you do not get this affection it meant you failed. His emotional state was strong in general, but the disorientation and long time spent in the hospital disrupted his usually more calm self.


~Words 2312 + 889 = 3201~

Ame listened dutifully as Elin explained his own injury and why he was at the hospital in the first place. It sounded like a really bad accident, and Ame felt for the boy. Not being able to remember what happened in the past was the worst. She had firsthand experience with it, with how mixed up her memories were. No wonder he had been straining to see her earlier. She was surprised that it didn't end up being permanent damage. He really was lucky to have made it out with his sight relatively intact. His eyes filled with tears once Ame mentioned a bit of sparring, though they didn't spill over. He seemed to be worried that he would hold her back. Ame shook her head. "Don't worry about holding me back. I'm here to teach you until you get an offical sensei, remember? I thought the same thing when I was put with my squad. Let me tell you a secret." Ame leaned over, careful to avoid the burgers. "My sensei, is Raikage-sama himself." She pulled back, a wry grin on her face. "Now imagine how scared I must have been to be a dissapointment. To top it all off, my other teammate is my cousin, who was already Chuunin at the time. You shouldn't worry at all, Elin." Ame purposefully left off all suffixes, as Elin had done for her. 

Elin went on to explain his abilities, making Ame wonder. Fuuinjutsu was something thatt required amazing control. She herself could never imagine learning sealing. She smiled at Elin, Reaching a hand out to ruffle his hair affectionately. "It sounds to me like you're pretty good already. I don't have the chakra control for things like sealing. A friend of mine tried to teach me how to use a bow and arrow once, it was a total failure." Ame laughed. She noticed that Elin had eatern fast enough that three of his ten burgers were done. The fact that he had ordered ten burgers had amazed her enough to begin with, but she supposed that the hospital food was so bad he needed something to fill him up properly. She had barely touched her rice balls, and picked up her chopsticks to have something to fill her own stomach. They were quite good, not too salty, and they were mild enough for her stomach to digest. 

She wondered where Elin lived, considering that she'd have to take him home eventually. She vaguely remembered something about a temple in the documents Sano had given her, but there were two places that monks lived in Kumo. The upside-down one was quite hard to get to, but Ame would be fine, due to her chakra levels being quite high after all her time spent in a hospital bed. She decided to ask Elin himself. "Oh Elin, where do you live? I need to take you home sometimes later today." Ame would wait for him to answer, continuing to eat her rice balls with finesse honed from years of etiquette classes. She raked a hand through her hair, noticing how the usually chin-length strands were getting a bit long, now falling closer to her shoulders, about midway down her neck. She would have to cut it again. Or maybe she was let it grow for once, since her hair seemed to want to be long. It would be a decision for later. 

---

Words: 580 ~ 3861

She told him not to worry about holding her back since she was here to teach him until he got an official sensei. The word rang in his ears a bit as he could not even remember who his sensei was, he could just vaguely remember the silhouette of his team mostly. It was as if they were just shadows of the past, that he could never identify. She offered to tell him a secret as she leaned over as he blushed a bit as he looked down for a moment at the burgers before looking at her as his eyes were focused as he was eager to pay close attention to what she had to say.

She told him her sensei was the most powerful man in the universe, The Raikage who had a reputation as a ladies man, although that was just the small boy's misunderstanding of what the man was really like. Sanosuke was their leader and though he met the man a few times, he only knew of the good. Well to be honest since his injury he never got to learn more about their gracious leader and his bad reputation. Though he had all the time in the world to learn all about that, right now he was seeing Ame in a different light as a girl who might be in a world far different from his. Why would the Raikage train her other than her having the potential to be the next Raikage.

She pulled back a grin which confused him a bit, he was not sure if she was joking or if she was being boastful or if she was just being Ame. He had seen grins so often in the hospital and he could never understand them, not that he needed to since he felt words said more then a smile ever could. She then said how she was afraid to disappoint the Raikage as he looked down as he was feeling like that with Ame. She said his name without a suffix as he blushed and lit up a bit as he gave a small smile when she said his name at the end.

He then told her a bit about his abilities and as he was hoping for she reached out and ruffled his hair. He was giving a full smile and a slight giggle as he seemed a lot more carefree now. She said how she did not have the control to perform sealing techniques which he knew was the same problem some of the kids had when trying to touch on medical jutsu, although he had potential for that too he stayed away from it since he found sealing items far more useful. Which included sealing his toothbrush, the shoes he used to have, the teachers lunch for pranks and a few other uses. She also said she was unable to use a bow as he was thinking about it as he was wondering if he could teach her all about that.

She began to finally start eating her rice balls as she was focusing on that he took the burger carefully with his right hand on the one side, his left hand on the other side as he took it too his mouth slowly as he open his mouth as wide as he could, he had been taking quick bites earlier but he was more comfortable now and just went all out as he shover the burger in his small mouth he spilled some of the sauce on his face as he bit away a quarter of the burger before chewing properly this time. He was not in a hurry to eat anymore since the three he rushed carefully were cause he was starving.

She asked him where he lived as he paused for a moment as he then put down the next burger since he had devoured a rough four burger already leaving only two in the place and one half eaten on the side of the plate still held in his one hand. He took a deep breathe as he began thinking carefully. "Well I stay somewhere beneath a rock, and I forgot where but there also some secret entrance too. Have not seen the monk this month though so they might have left me behind." As he looked down a bit upset as he then began to eat the burger violently as the sauce shot out from the burger as if a splattering of blood. He knew his home was a temple beneath the rock, but why did they not visit him in the past month. Why was everyone close to him disappearing to begin with. Either way if she took him home he would be able to find all the answers he was looking for.

~Words 3201 + 803 = 4004~

Ame resisted laughing at the way Elin stuffed his mouth. It was cute, and proved just exactly how bad the food at the hospital was. He was starting to mess on himself actually, and she handed him a serviette out of principal. Her own meal was eaten quickly (she was hungry after all) but she didn't get any rice on her face or clothing. She could almost hear her mother shouting at her for spilling on herself as a child. All that shouting was probably the main reason she never spilled anything on herself now. Back then she had just sat there taking in all, while her relatives had looked on amused, most likely because they had received the same treatment from their mothers. Now she didn't have to impress anyone, but she sat up straight and ate daintily in any case. The phantom pain of being struck across her knuckles for not holding her chopsticks correctly was very much present. 

His explanation of where he lived was fairly vague, and her question seemed to make his eating more frantic. He seemed upset, but Ame wasn't sure of the reason why even after he finished his explanation. She had heard of the upside down temple of course, but wasn't exactly sure how to get there. There was always the possibility of asking Sano where it was (the Raikage had to know) but he was probably too busy for that. Perhaps she would just have to set him up in an inn for night. She was sure that she didn't have the ryo for that, but she'd make a plan. Before Ame could suggest this, their waiter appeared once again with the bill. Ame thanked him and opened it, noticing that the waiter had left a little note inside next to the bill. It gave his name, and address, in case she ever wanted to write him a letter. Ame smiled a little at this, pulled the appropriate money from her cache in her kunai holster, and took the note. On the bill she wrote her own name, just her first one. No point in scaring him off by informing him of her familial ties. 

Ame turned back to Elin once the bill had been swept off, along with her plate. "I'm sure that we'll find you a place to go. If all else fails I can always ask my mom if you could stay with us. We live out in the Ryuzoji compound. It's pretty far from here though, almost on the other side of Kumo. Do you think you're up to the trek? We could always put you up in one of the travelers inns for the night, or at least until I can ask Sano where you live. Your decision." Ame waited for Elin to answer her, and they would go from there. She didn't know how successful trying her home would be, but she wasn't about to leave the kid without a place to stay. And she didn't want to bother her sensei. A loud rumble echoed across the room and Ame turned her head to look out of the storefront. Rain exploded into existence, pounding relentlessly against the windows as lightning flashed and light up the room. Ame's perception went crazy, and she was momentarily 'blinded' by the surge of electricity. Her eyes widened. There had been sunshine just a few minutes ago and now a thunderstorm. Kumo's weather really was against them. If the journey to her home had been long before, now it would be nigh impossible. 

---

Words: 608 ~ 4469

He just managed to finish eating the last two burgers when that guy returned as he gave a stubborn look which was not as much a glare as it was before, but it gave the impression that if he did anything wrong this kid was going to give him trouble. He watched her take out some ryo as he felt a bit bad that she was paying for him as she was busy writing something in the note which he was a bit curious about, but he was getting a bit sleepy again now that he had a good meal. He also did not even notice that he was all worn out already for the most part.

Once the bill got taken away along with her plate, the waiter came to take his plate as he looked up as the waiter just sweat slightly as he then turned around not sure of his options. He had a beautiful girl with some interesting freckles and a boy who was something to her and had this impression that he could not shake off. He was not sure but he figured it might be worth it if he gets lucky, and if he does not get lucky then he could always try the next beautiful girl that walks in here. He began to wonder whether he would get a nice date alone with her or whether she would be bringing the little boy along with her. He then got called over to a table and just sighed as he left with the boy's plate as he mumbled.

"You forgetting my glass" as the man was not sure, then he looked and saw the empty glass which the boy was rolling around slightly before he gave it to the waiter who bowed his head in thanks and thought to himself the kid was not as bad as he thought before finally leaving the table.

Ame then began speaking to the small charge who was currently in her care. She said she was sure they would find a place for him to go and if everything went wrong they could  always ask her mom if he can sleep over. She said it was rather far and he was going to say yes as he stood up to say they should go, his feet were not paining as much as earlier but he sat back down his eyes about to fill with tears, he wanted to be strong but he could not walk with an ice pack attached to his feet, he also would need time for his feet to heal as well.

He gave a startled impression as he heard the lightning crash and the harsh sound of rain. While he normally would not be startled he was not in the warm hospital bed he was used to anymore and the crash was louder then he was used to as he shivered for a moment before calming down. He noticed her eyes act up a bit as he was not sure why that happened but figured she was also startled by the lightning.

He then sat there looking down at his feet which were not bleeding anymore, but were still too sore for him to walk. "I want to be strong, but I do not want to keep you from getting home if you have to go." as he looked to her wiping his eyes before he could start crying as he sniffs once. "I can not walk anymore today..." as he paused for a moment before looking down and saying, "Sorry Ame"

~4004 + 599= 4603~

Ame shook her head. She understood that Elin was still unable to walk. Ame herself wasn't too keen to go out there in this weather. With the way the storm was going now she was sure they would only make it a few meters before the rain would overpower them completely. She mentally laid out a map of the city across the table and tried to think of the closest inn to their current location. Most of the inns along this street were crazily expensive and Ame couldn't hope to afford them, and she didn't expect Elin to have the money to pay for them either. They were mainly aimed towards the richer travelers who traveled through Kumo on a regular basis, willing to spend money on luxury accommodations. There was one place that sprung to mind, but Ame wasn't sure if it would be full or not, considering that it was currently high season. One of her friends was currently staying there, as well as another acquaintance. She had been there once and it was certainly a nice place, very cosy and comforting, and it had been relatively cheap.

She wouldn't be able to stay there with Elin though. Her mother would be extremely upset if she didn't show up at home. She didn't want to just abandon the boy, but surely he would be fine for a single night? "I understand, so don't worry about it. Most of the place just along this street are very, very expensive, and I'm afraid I couldn't afford them if I tried. I do have a couple of friends who travel though, and the inn they stay at is cheap. It's not rundown or anything, in fact it's rather nice, and they serve meals during the day. It's about," Ame thought for a moment, "Two blocks over, I believe. Not too far." She didn't know if Elin would be willing to walk so far, but it was just about their only choice while he was in his current condition. 

Either way, Ame would get up pull her jacket from around her waist, draping it over Elin's shoulders to keep him warm. She didn't have anything else for herself, but she could deal with the cold and the wet. She had lived in Kumo her whole life. As a child she had even practiced her kenjutsu in this weather, the objective to become completely one with the blade and the power of the electrical storm above. She would last for longer than Elin would. Once they got to the inn she could always take it back from him, and continue her journey homewards. She would still be soaked to the bone, but that was something to worry about later. 

---

Words: 472 ~ 4941

He watched as Ame began to shake her head, not sure whether it was in disappointment or if she meant it was not a real problem. She spoke and said that she understood his problem and that he should not worry about it, as he felt a bit better that she did not show signs of disappointment in his weakness. She mentioned how the inn's in the area were extremely expensive. He was about to consider just asking her to leave without him and then go find some spot on the street to sleep, he was being a bit reckless in his mind due to fatigue mostly. She said there was a cheap inn where her friends normally stay and while he was considering whether he would make it, he had a feeling he would be pushing it right now. He already knew he could not stand for much further then walking to the door to get out.

Ame then took off her jacket and placed it over his shoulders as he looked to her his eyes starting to fill with tears again. His emotional state was also somewhat in recovery as well and it was really hard for him to think straight right now. He was about to say something when the waiter from earlier returned with an umbrella and an extra jacket which was extremely big as the guy gave it to Ameryuu. He whispered a few things with one of them being that the umbrella was from the manager who was worried about the child getting wet in the rain.

He said something to her, which Elin could not hear at all due to his emotional state as the waiter who served them would give some small socks and some shoes to Ame to give to the small child who was not quite acting his age. Though the catch up would happen sooner or later, as the man realised it might be best to let the girl put these things on the boy since the boy might be too stubborn to let him do it.

While not the best of things the socks would at least be able to keep the boy's feet warm and soft enough to keep his feet from hurting as much as they did, as the boy was still sitting there. He was clinging to the warm jacket as he looked up to Ame not knowing what was going on as he then lowered his head again to nod to the idea of going to the inn.

~Words 4603 + 426 = 5029~

OOC COMMENT: "It's Over Five Thousaaaaaaaaaand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ame noticed how Elin's eyes seemed to water often. She really didn't want him to cry again but before she had a chance to comfort him  their waiter appeared again, a large thick coat in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Ame smiled up at him gratefully, as he draped the jacket over her shoulders. "Arigato gozaimasu. We really appreciate it. Please tell the manager we say thankyou." The waiter smiled a little sheepishly. "No problem Ameryuu-san. Glad to help." Ame waved a hand. "Call me Ame." The waiter then brought out a pair of socks and a pakr of shoes that looked like they would fit Elin well. He handed them to her so that she may give them to Elin. Ame said another thank you and handed the socks to Elin followed by the shoes. Once he had put them on Ame would straighten up.

She slid her arms into the sleeves of the jacket and found that they covered her hands. It was very warm and she was quick to zip it up over her thin tank top. The rain outside the restaurant hadn't let up at all, and Ame could still feel the faint feeling of electricity zipping through the air at regular intervals. It unnerved her slight but she pushed the feeling on unease out of her head to concentrate on the task at hand. Ame would reach down and take Elin's hand, hoping thatbhe would be able to make it to the inn. Ame would wave and say a final thank you to the staff of the restaurant before promising to return the waiter's jacket tomorrow. Ame would then ask Elin if he was ready to go and open up the umbrella.

The moment Ame would open the door rain and wind slammed against her, her hair whipping around in a frenzy. Ame would hand the umbrella to Elin, not wanting him to get soaked, knowing that because of their height difference he wouldn't be covered down there. She would give his hand a little reassuring squeeze and duck her head, holding up one hand to protect her face from the harsh weather. She would move along the pavement and down the street, stopping every now and again to offer Elin extra support and ask him if he was still okay. They were nearing the inn at a good pace.

"Just a little further, I promise," she shouted over the wind. Ame would steady the boy if he was too shaky to walk properly as they neared the inn door. Ame could see the welcom sign swinging wildly in the harsh gusts and the light from inside spilled onto the waterlogged sidewalk. Ame huffed and took a few more steps, holding onto Elin carefully,  before pushing open the heavy wooden door and almost falling inside.  Her stitches ached she gasped for breath. The woman at the reception desk saw them and rushed forward looking concerned. "One room please." Ame managed to get out as pain washed over her in waves. The woman looked from her to Elin and then nodded,  scratching for a key behind her desk and handing it to her. "Go right on up dearie. 2nd door on your left.

Ame nodded gratefully. She knew Elin probably wouldn't be able to make it up a flight of stairs,  so she pulled him into her arms and carried him up. Each step yanked on the recently closed wound and she gasped a little each time. She stubbornly refused to give up yet. She had made it this far already. The door unlocked with a click and a turn of  key, and Ame had never been so grateful to see a bed in her life. She put Elin down on one before collapsing on the other,  unzipping and throwing off the jacket that may have just saved her from hypothermia. She propped herself up on her elbows and winced. Just as she had expected,  her stitches had come loose. She was starting to bleed through the bandages.

"Elin? Could you," Ame sucked in a sharp breath, "could you please see if there's a rag in that bathroom?" She didn't know what state he was in, but she needed to clean and redo her stitches asap. She sat up a little farther and almost swore. Ame reached over towards the dresser in the room and nearly cried in happiness to find a standard issue first aid kit. All inns were supposed to stock them for ninjas in a rush and she had never felt so lucky before. She didn't even know if Elin had the ability to walk all the way over there, but she really hoped so.

---

Words: 811 ~ 5752

She gave him the pair of socks and shoes, as stupid and childish as it was he felt a bit disappointed in putting it on himself, but making her do it might disappoint her. He was always conflicted by what he wanted and what everyone else wanted. He slowly put on the right sock as he was a bit nervous, the nurse often put them on for him since he happened to fall asleep barefoot in the strangest of places. As he got the first sock on, the time he took might have been frustrating, however he mistook Ame for being really patient even if that might not be the truth. He began to put on the second sock as he started to think back to that day.

A girl was shouting out to him to follow her, as a guy stood there sharpening his axe as if they were about to set out on a journey. The guy told him not to take too long to get ready and that it was time for things to get started now as they began to wonder around carefully when suddenly the water would rise up, but as he was nodding off falling slightly forward the small boy Elin woke up from his mini nap which was probably around five or six rushed seconds. He then put on the shoes and was then looking at them as he gave a slight pout and noticed they were really new. Did the waiter buy those from a nearby shop or something instead of having just gotten it from the owner. He was not sure, either way the waiter was kind to him like a guy he once knew.

He looked up and she did not even worry about it at all as she put on the really out dated jacket. Though it was not really the jacket that was outdated which he would learn later on as he returns to a normal life. He was not sure why she zipped up so fast, it did not really bother him much but he was bothered that some people were staring as if they never seen someone zip up a top before. Though if he paid better attention he would notice some girls looking at him putting on his shoes.

The rain seemed to have gotten worse or perhaps it was the same as it always was, he could not really tell and he was not sure what to do next until she reached for his hand and took it as he blushed and quickly moved feeling better with the socks on and the shoes were comfy. He clung close to Ame as he hugged arm and pulled right up next to her as his shoulder was leaned against her slightly. Had he been a bit bigger or more importantly heavier he might have become a real burden to her. She then asked him if he was ready to go as he blushed and nodded. He was happy to be with her and was glad to finally be getting a place to stay that was not a hospital. She opened the umbrella and their journey began, again.

He shivered a bit as the wind hit his face along with some water as he closed his eyes holding on tight and trusting in Ame. He was saved by her jacket that she gave to him since this weather was a bit brutal, not unusual but it was something you could never get used to. His hair was moving in a strange flowing motion as it brushed against his face and against his cheeks as well. He did not know what was going on but he felt her give him something as he took hold of it under his arm and held it slightly to the side as he was a bit too close to hold it up correctly. However it gave some shielding to his head as he opened his eyes and looked down. He was not getting rain to the face so much anymore but some wind still blew in between and he had to keep the handle of the umbrella tightly under his arm to keep control of it. She kept asking him if he was okay and he kept nodding stubbornly while just barely not being blown away as he tugged on her arm a few times from the umbrella catching wind.

She soon promised that they were nearly there as he was hoping that she would not be leaving him so soon. They reached the entrance and it was at that moment a huge gust of wind blew away the umbrella as he reached out to catch it, but it was flying away as he looked on helplessly as he turned to face Ame trying to shrug it off. She asked for one room and he was happy they were going to get to share a room together. His mind was a bit to simple to grasp that she might be leaving him behind soon.

They received some sense of directions and as they reached the stares he was about to cry when he suddenly flew into the air and he was being carried by Ame up the stairs as he then hugged her softly holding on so to make it easier to carry him, and because it felt warmer hugging her even though the jackets were really wet still. They finally entered the room and she just put him down and she just collapsed on the other he was worried but he suddenly just fell to the side as he was breathing heavily and coughed a little bit. He was sneezing and took off the jacket she gave him and put it on a nearby table.  

She was bleeding as he was half panicked as she asked for a rag, however in this moment he got serious as he quickly ran to the bathroom but the shoes were wet and he slipped hitting into the bathroom as he managed to grab hold of the basin. He looked around quickly and grabbed four rags and some towels bunched up together as he just kicked the shoes off so he would have a better grip. This did not help with the socks being wet too as he ran back out and as he reached her he fell on the bed next to her as the towels crashed on her head while the rags fell on her lap as there was bleeding in his socks. He pushed himself as he flinched a bit in pain as he looked up to Ame.

"Will you be okay?" as his hair hung over his face and his heart was racing as you could hear the heart beat and while not soaked his legs were wet and he got a bit wet even with the umbrella but fortunately it was not much or else he might have gotten sick. He sneezed again so they had to get warm soon too as well as he needed to make sure Ame was okay as he turned his gaze to her wound which was not completely obvious.

~Words 5029 + 1195 = 6224~

As Elin ran to the bathroom, presumably to fetch her the rag she'd asked for, Ame busied herself with removing the bandages from around her stomach. Each time she had to arch her back to pull the gauze around her torso stabbing pain assaulted her, making her head spin and her eyes become unfocused. She had managed to get the majority of the bandages off, judging by how quickly blood was soaking through the current layers. Ame cursed internally and sat up in one quick motion, almost jackknifing from the pain. She took shuddering breaths and grabbed the scissors from the first aid kit, snipping through what was left of the bandages and peeling them off. She groaned as they came loose, blood immediately starting to drip down her torso. By then Elin had reappeared with a few rags and some towels. Ame smiled gratefully and used a towel to try and staunch the blood flow.

"I'll be fine, I've had worse. Could you please fill a container with hot water? As hot as it goes if possible." She needed to clean it before she could apply fresh bandages. Ame pulled out a bottle of antiseptic from the kit, followed by a needle and suturing thread. She moved the towel away from the wound and winced at how it came away sticky. The blood was starting to lessen but she still needed to close it as soon as possible. While she waited for Elin to bring the hot water, Ame busied herself with removing the old stitches. The pinpricks of pain were barely noticeable in the swirling mass of pain that she was experiencing at the time. They came out nice and cleanly, probably due to being the dissolve-able kind. The ones she would suture with now would have to be taken out later, but their were plenty of med-nin in her family that could help her with that.

Once Elin had brought the hot water, Ame would pour half of the antiseptic into the container and mix it in. Ame dipped one of the rags in the hot water, steam rising from the cloth as she did so. She pressed the cloth to the tear in her skin, cleaning away the blood and trying to prevent infection. She hissed as the heat came in contact with the wound but took a deep breath and continued, hand clawing into the blankets of the bed in need of support. Once she had it properly cleaned Ame picked up her needle and suture thread and began to stitch up the wound with careful, neat stitching. She had learnt how to do so during survival classes at the academy. It was an essential skill of life as a shinobi, and she was quite glad that she had always been able to do it. For some kids the sight of their own blood was simply too much for them to handle and they quickly passed out. She had never had that problem, and her hands were always steady from years of kenjutsu practice, so she was able to do it quite well. 

She finished off the final stitch and breath a small sigh of relief, careful not to breath too deeply for fear of splitting the stitches again. She picked up the fresh roll of gauze and began to wrap herself up again, not too tight but tight enough so that there was a bit of pressure against it. Once she'd snipped off the last of the bandages and tied it Ame could finally relax a little again. She was out of danger, for now. She looked to Elin and noticed that he had removed his shoes and that there was a bit of diluted blood at the bottom of his socks. She pushed the first aid things aside and patted the seat next to her, offering him a place. "Come here Elin and let me see your feet. Maybe I can help."

---

Words: 665 ~ 6417

He noticed that he did not seem to bother her too much with his fall as he was a bit worried about whether she was okay. She said she was fine, but that was what everyone said when they were feeling bad. He went to get the hot water as he paused slightly again from the stinging pain in his feet. He resisted crying as he was starting to leave bloody foot prints on the ground.

He was still a bit worried when he saw her wound, it was unlike anything he had seen for a while. Last time he saw something like that was when he snuck around the hospital and found a guy with a huge gaping hole in his stomach which was a sight that scarred him at the time, until he forgot about it for some reason. He began to wonder if he should learn medical jutsu one day to help Ame, but then remembered he still has to fully master the art of sealing not to mention he needed to learn to better use his weapons as well.

He finally managed to fill the hot water as he carefully walked back with the bowl of hot water which he managed to hold by using one of the cloths to hold it. He put the bowl next to her on the one side as he was doing his best not to cry even though the tears flowing down his cheeks said a lot. He watched her pouring a familiar liquid as he looked and noticed it was antiseptic. He watched her dip in the cloth so easily in the hot water that was pretty close to boiling which was already a bit too hot for him to even try touching.

He watched her as she carefully began to apply it to the tear in her skin, which was not bleeding as much as it was when she first removed the bandages. He noticed her make a strange noise which he thought might be a cry of pain, but he noticed her gripping the bed tight as he began to feel like crying again. He watched her knitting into her skin as he thought that must be painful and without any of the anestetic stuff they used in the hospital she must have been tough.  

He watched as she was finally finished as he sniffed slightly before turning away trying to hide that he was in pain as he stood there, waiting for whether she needed help with anything else. He thought he glimpsed something as he turned slowly to look at her and noticed she was busy wrapping the wound again as he kept a close eye forgetting about his pain for a moment. After she was done she patted the spot next to her and asked to have a look, he was stubborn but he was not a glutton for punishment so he sat next to her as his feet lifted off the ground. He was not sure what to do as blood was dripping from them.

He was not looking but there were small shards of metal on the floor mixed in the blood, which meant that somewhere during their walk towards the inn he had stepped in some metal shards or flakes left over from weapons that were not cleaned properly after sharpening or simply from kunai fights where metal would sometimes scrape off the weapons and fall on the dirt. At the very least it meant he had gotten metal beneath his feet and had he worn shoes he would never have had this problem to begin with, having not really stepped out in the streets in a long time he was a bit careless and also it was a sign that he did not go out too often to begin with. He was sniffing a bit less now that his feet were not on the ground anymore, but it still hurt as he sat there. He did not want to keep quiet about it, since he could not even try to hide it as he spoke softly.

"It hurts, Ame"

~Words 6224 + 689 = 6913~

Ame carefully slid herself off the edge of the bed so that she was at eye level with Elin's waist and had easier access to his feet. She smiled at him to try and calm him down. "I'm gonna take your socks off now Elin, if that's okay?" Ame would wait for Elin to answer her before carefully peeling the boy's socks off, making sure to hold the fabric away from his skin. The wounds she saw underneath were cuts, but not too deep. As Ame laid the soaked socks on the ground she noticed the source of the problem. When walking Elin had obviously stepped on bits and pieces of debris and they had chafed and rubbed against his tender feet when he was moving, causing the tears. It was nothing Ame couldn't handle, but Elin was fresh of out a very, very long hospital stay, and was probably more susceptible to these kinds of wounds than anyone else. First things first, she would have to clean the wound. Luckily she still had the hot water from before and the extra rags Elin had brought her from before.

Ame touched the water with a tentative finger. It was still hot but no longer scalding. Her own hands were used to extreme temperatures, both from her Raiton jutsus and from various terrible training conditions. In her family you practiced kenjutsu even if it had started to snow. Ame could still remember what it was like to have frostbite. Not a pleasant feeling. She didn't expect Elin to be able to withstand the pain from the hot water. "I'll be right back okay? Stay here." Ame carefully toted the water container and walked into the bathroom, tipping some of the contents into the sink and adding cold water in it's place. The water was not between warm and hot, not quite as useful as a germ killer but more mild. She carried it back into the room, set it down, dipped a rag into it and went to clean Elin's scrapes up.

"This might hurt a bit." Ame was gentle, pulling back whenever Elin would wince or show signs of discomfort. She sang softly as she worked, a tale of springtime and summer birds, chrysanthemum and soft breezes. It had been her working song as a child, something she sang as did her tasks. Her mother had taught it to her. Once the scrapes had been carefully cleaned she paused in her song and properly inspected the cuts. They were pink and a little raw, as was the skin around them, but they weren't anything to lose any sleep over. Unfortunately it was usually the smallest of wounds that were the most painful, and there wasn't much Ame could do about them. She rummaged in the first-aid kit for a while, looking to see if they had something to soothe the pain. There were some standardized painkillers in the bag.

"Hm, well the wounds are fine. I just need to wrap them up and you need to let them heal. This is all I can do for the pain though, sorry." She handed him two of the pills, taking two for herself. Her wound wasn't at risk anymore, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. She grabbed a glass from the nightstand and filled it with water from the bathroom, returning and handing it to Elin. Dry-taking pills was never pleasant. Ame herself had quickly swallowed hers in the bathroom already. While Elin took his pills Ame set to work bandaging him up as she had herself. not too loose but not too night. His was a thinner layer, more to protect the feet from further abrasions than anything else. "There you go, good as new."  She sent him an encouraging smile and carefully got up, noticing that there was still shards of whatever he had stepped on on the floor. "I wonder if there's a broom around here somewhere... Oh, and stay where you are Elin. It's be best if you kept off your feet for a while."

Ame went to search for a broom, nearly going downstairs to reception to ask for one without her shirt that she had discarded earlier. She quickly grabbed it, pulled it on and laughed sheepishly before going to ask at reception once again. Hopefully Elin would take her advice and not move.

---

Words: 749 ~ 7166

He was nervous as she moved to help him out as he sat there resisting letting his tears flow. She smiled at him as he blushed being distracted from the pain for a while as she said she was going to remove his socks for him. He nodded as she removed his socks as he winced in pain. He gritted his teeth slightly as his eyes twitched a sign of him flinching from the pain. His feet had cuts and small little shards of metal here and there as he just resisted as much as he could as tears were flowing even though he did his best not to whine or make a noise while in the pain as some of the air brushed against his feet leaving this stinging pain that just would not go away.

He watched her touch the water with her finger as he noticed she did not react much as he calmed down a bit thinking the water was not as hot as before. She told him to stay right there as she left him alone for a while with what looked like a water container, since she was away he sniffed and cried which could probably have been heard slightly, but being in his current emotional state he did not think that far ahead. So he thought he was hiding his pain pretty well even though that was not the case.

He had wiped his nose on his shirt and rubbed the tears away when she came back letting out a small sniff as he was trying to hide that he had been crying. The puffiness in his eyes might have also ruined this all as well but there was no time to think of these things. She warned him that it might hurt and as soon as she touched his feet he winced a few times as she seemed to pull back trying to be as gentle as he later starter holding it in better. The look of discomfort on his face was just barely being hidden, but it was also sign that he knew he had to endure this pain. He stopped wincing and he got a bit better at hiding his discomfort, however he was near his limit.

He only noticed after a while that she was singing or humming something beautiful which was unlike anything he had ever heard before. He never really had a mother as most of the monk teachers were male except for two of them. After she was done cleaning she stopped singing as he did not even realise that she was finished as he was a bit shocked. He began to think she must be some kind of medical shinobi who was busy sealing his pain with some song jutsu. As stupid as that sounded his mind was busy making up things as they went along.

She handed him two pills as he was a bit reluctant by instinct, he had taken pills before however he wanted to not have to use them anymore. He watched her take two also then figured he could not let her be the only one taking them as he tossed them in his mouth and then was about to swallow when he noticed her bring water for him as he took it with both hands as she bandaged his feet while the pain killers were not yet working since they normally took a while in most cases. While bandaging she touched a point of pain with the bandage as he yelped. It was rather loud and audible, but he looked down as he held his mouth shut as he started crying.

When she finally finished he was completely in tears as he was full of emotions however they were no longer tears of pain, but tears of joy so to speak or a mixture of both as the pain killers were still going through his system. He was told to wait as he just looked to Ame smiling as he nodded with the tears flowing down his face and falling on his lap.

~Words 6913 + 684 = 7597~

Ame hurried herself down the stairs, humming the tune from that song of hers as she went. Nobody passed her as she walked, but she did hear people laughing and talking in the little dining room at the bottom of the inn. It seemed to have properly settled into late afternoon and she knew that darkness would set in soon. She didn't have much time to get home. Ame walked up to the reception lady who seemed to be in the process of leaving her desk. "Excuse me, but do you have a broom I might borrow?" The woman smiled heartily, shuffling towards a little closet set in the stairs. "Of course dearie, here you go. I hope you're feeling better now." The old woman handed Ame the broom and a dust pan. "Arigato gozaimasu. I am indeed better now. I shall return this when I am done." Ame climbed back up the stairs, careful not to agitate her brand new stitches.

"Okay Elin I'm back, I'm just going to-" Ame's eyes widened, noticing how Elin was obviously crying at the moment. She approached him hesitantly, putting the broom and dustpan down for a moment. "Elin? Are you okay?" She didn't know if the pain was worse than she'd expected or if he was crying for another reason, but it worried her. "I think you just need some rest. It's been a long day." Ame would coax Elin to get into the bed, hoping that some sleep would soothe his worries away. Once he was tucked in Ame would proceed to try and clean up the floor as she had first intended. It didn't take very long, and soon the floor was clear of debris. By that time the coin-flip weather center that was Kumo had finally decided to calm down and Ame could see a few rays of afternoon sunshine through her bedroom window. She smiled.

"Ah Elin, it is probably best if I go now. I'll see you again soon though, for missions or for training." Ame wasn't so keen to leave the boy on his own, but she was sure that her mother was already angry about her not returning home straight after her mission. Ame would grab the waiter's jacket from where she had discarded it and pulled it on, no point in getting cold. "Goodbye, Elin. See you soon." Ame would bend down and kiss the boy on the forehead before waving and leaving the room, finally headed for home. She made sure to return the broom to the reception first, of course.

It had been a more productive day than she had expected.

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Words: 452 ~ 7618

Training:

Ninjutsu: 

C ~> B (2000)
B ~> A (3000)
A ~> S (2618) [Splitting WC]

Total Used: 7618

Unused words: 0

He waited for her as he was sniffing and his eyes had cleared up a lot more then they did earlier. She finally came back up the stairs with a broom in hand as he began to rub his eyes as he had started crying again when she had come back up the stairs. What had only been a moment of seperation felt like a lifetime to someone who spent days in a hospital where you are never truly alone for very long.

She dropped her broom and dust ban and approached him as he sniffed as he was so glad she came back, thinking that she was leaving him behind for a moment. He had an emotional roller coaster of a day with the ups and downs of hunger, pain and general fatigue. She told him he needed to rest as she motioned for him to get in the bed, he moved slightly as he began getting into the covers as he slowly got himself tucked in while looking to Ame with some form of worry in his eyes. She told him she was leaving and that he would see her again, he was about to reach out to stop her but then she bent down and kissed him on the forehead as he blushed and in that moment of confusion she waved as he waved as his eyelids grew heavy as he tried to tell her to stay, but the words would not come out of his mouth. He did not know it yet, but he had already fallen asleep as his eyes were closed as the sunlight seemed to begin leaving the room.

He did not hear anything anymore, he was peaceful and his body began to recover as much as it could. He had no idea what else was happening as he just had a dream of him and Ame and his friends and family and in this mess of a dream he was at peace. However he had mixed emotions that would hit him the next day and only with some time, patience and training would he be able to handle his return to the world.

**************************************************************************************************
~Words 7597 + 361 = 7958~

Training Words Total = 1700 + 850 +
Training Strength E2 to D3 = 225 + 300 + 325 + 400 + 450 = 1700
Training Speed D1 to D3 = 400 + 450 = 850
Training Element Doton C to B = 2000
Training Specialisation Bukijutsu C to B = 2000
Training Specialisation Bukijutsu B to A = 1408/3000

~Exit Thread~