"To each their own. That's always been a favorite phrase of mine." Senshi told him with a smile and a nod.

"Whatever you can do, I can do better. That's always been a rather liked one of mine..." Oita said with a small smile "Or at least my puppets can. Maybe I'll see if I can put some healing powers into a puppet..." Now that was an idea.

"That would be interesting. I've never heard of a healing puppet before." Senshi told him with a thoughtful nod.

"Well, perhaps now is not the time to think about it" Oita said, trying to draw their minds to the fact they were protecting some people here. "What direction do you think they are most likely to strike from?" he asked, looking around to make sure no one had snuck in the back.

"If they were to come, it would be the same road that you took to get here." Senshi told him with a nod, pointing out to the north. "That is the only way here from the village. Unless they go back to their ship and sail all the way around the island. Though that would take more time than I'd wager they'll want to spend."

"Why are they attacking exactly?" these people came across as rash... animal, barbaric, not exactly a high skilled squad, just strong "I mean... you make them sound as if they're after something, or have a time limit or... something."

"They appear to be looking for something, rather than just destroying us." Senshi replied with a shrug.

"Any idea of what they're looking for?" Oita asked, wondering if he was the only person asking these questions "Anything valuable or holy?"

"Whatever it is they are searching for, they won't find it in the village." Senshi replied, perhaps a little too sure of the fact.

Oita sat there for a moment, chewing the last of his sandwich, then slowly hit himself in the face with his own palm "You've brought it here... haven't you? You know what they're looking for and you smuggled it out... and it's here."

Senshi smiled and held a finger to his lips. "I didn't say anything." He winked to Oita and nodded his head. "It is our way to keep quiet about such things. We do not discuss them with outsiders, even if they are our allies. I am certain your friends have begun to figure that part out as well."

"What if my friends die?" Oita stared blankly at Senshi, his glasses reflecting the man right back at him, breath frosting in the air "Are you honestly saying that you won't tell me what these people are looking for, but you're happy to send a team of thirteen year olds out into battle for it, where they will face... by the sound of it... terrible and monstrous ninjas several levels stronger than they are?"

"I will not tell you, because I have been ordered not to." Senshi replied simply. He was silent for a moment as he thought, "But there are ways around each and every order. A puppet master like yourself should be able to see a loophole, yes?"

"I do not search for loopholes... loopholes are sly things, and can get people into trouble. No, I will just sit here, watching the forest, while you all... chat among yourselves. Don't mind me. We ninjas are sly and easily hidden after all... it might seem as if I just... disappear." Oita didn't smile, but he did keep a rather firm gaze with a tree several feet past Senshi's left ear.

Senshi thought this boy was smart, but he didn't even want to try a little wordplay around how to find out about what the enemy was searching for. He sighed and shook his head, "Not even gonna try eh? I could wind up in prison for telling you, you know."

"Then don't tell me" Oita said firmly, gazing at Senshi now and frowning hard "I am a ninja. We inevitably find things out. I am glad for your offer, but playing twenty questions for the details of this item is a bad idea. Just... talk among yourselves" Oita waved a hand at the group of men "And I will... watch from the shadows. The forest, I mean."

"Eavesdropping." Senshi replied with a smirk. That did sound more like a ninja than playing 20 questions.

Oita shrugged slightly and merely countered with "Gathering information." He then climbed down the back of his backpack, out of sight, and... disappeared. There was a small poof, and he was no longer in sight. No matter how many times they walked around and around the backpack they would not be able to find him.

"Talk among ourselves, he says." Senshi said out loud so the other guardsmen would hear. He smirked and shook his head a little, "The Heart of Ice is safe. As long as those Coalition ninja keep the insurgents at bay."

"I still do not believe that is what they are here for." One of them replied, shaking his head. He crossed his arms and looked at the others. "As far as everyone else is concerned, the Heart is a myth. Why would you send a group of elite ninja like them to capture a myth?"

Senshi shrugged and hoped the man was right, truthfully. "You all know how dangerous it would be if they did find it. I pray you are right, my friend. If they make it through these walls, there will be nothing to stop them from finding the Heart. Except perhaps that puppet boy..."


Oita walked up from the side of the walkway, holding a packet of chips in his hands and opening them slowly. "Hey, I'm back" he said, sounding as if he'd been gone for quite some time now; he seemed completely oblivious of what they'd been talking about... in fact he seemed to be almost not interested. Strange. Also, he appeared to have... come out of nowhere.

"Enjoy your stroll?" Senshi asked him with an arched brow. The kid was eating again...just how much did this scrawny little guy eat?

"Doesn't appear to be anyone coming around the backway" Oita said, starting to eat his chips slowly. He was making sure that he would have chakra when... anything arrived to be honest. He didn't want to end up dying because he was hungry.

"I would hope not. The only way in from the back would be by the sea. We're not prepared for an oceanic assault." Senshi replied as Oita explained his whereabouts.

"I know. I was just making sure, since ninjas like to come in from places that aren't well guarded, no matter how difficult it seems. Though, I believe I should go see my sensei now, if you will not miss me" Oita said, still going with that way of speaking that didn't reveal if he knew what they'd been talking about moments before.

Senshi nodded, he understood fully the need to check in with one's superiors. "Go ahead kid. I think we'll be fine for now."

Since Oita had little else to do, he nodded to Senshi and moved away, going to find Ishiaki. He was going to be quick with this, he didn't have too much time to slack off really. He just wanted to dart out, report what he'd found out, then head back to this post.



Ishiaki groaned and moved out of the tent again to catch some more fresh air. The smell alone inside was more than enough to make anyone sick, but even more so for someone who's other senses were heightened due to his lack of eye sight

Oita seemed to appear from no where, but that was just something he tended to do without thinking these days. It wasn't like he could sneak up on Ishiaki. "Sensei" he said gently from his place beside him "I need to discuss something with you. In private." He didn't seem phased by the smell... at least, he was trying very hard not to be.

"Pretty private right here. Everyone else is a bit occupied with the wounded, but if you'd prefer a more secluded area?" Ishiaki gestured towards the side of a section of tents.

"As secluded as possible" people listened in. Even if they didn't look like they did, they did. Oita looked around the side, then moved away, heading around to have a conversation with Ishiaki. Privacy was a good idea.

Ishiaki followed him and as they moved through the tents, they came upon a clearing some distance from the injured and therefore the nurses and medical staff as well. He looked at Oita and waved a hand around. "Secluded enough?"

"I doubt it," Oita said gently, eyes flashing slightly as he turned his gaze up to Ishiaki, "I just wanted to tell you that I have... speculations about what this attack is about. I was wondering if you desired to be aware of my observations."

Ishiaki nodded to him and held up a hand. "Give me a moment then." He formed the handsigns quickly, "Luxury jutsu - Silence is Golden." He pressed his hands to the soil and in a POOF! they were surrounded on all sides by apparently simple paper walls that one would normally find set up for privacy to change behind. He looked at the walls proudly and then turned back to Oita. "I desire to be aware of all your observations, Oita. No one will hear what we speak of in here, trust me."

"Through... cunning and guile," no reason to get anyone else in trouble, "I have managed to obtain the fact that these ninjas that are attacking are after an item called 'the Heart of Ice'. This is a semi-mythical item, which most believe to be non-existant, but I have also received information that it was moved before the attack. It is currently hidden in this very camp. That means the attack will eventually come to us if the other team fails."

"Through cunning and guile, eh?" Ishiaki smirked and shook his head a little. "The Heart of Ice is an item of legendary power, so the stories go. Are you telling me that these insurgents have come seeking an item from Fairy Tales?"

"I'm telling you that it's here. In this camp." Oita said flatly, not here for real disbelief "Whatever they were searching for. If it is this Heart of Ice thing, it's here. If it isn't the heart of ice, the thing they are searching for is still here. That's why they're so obsessed with protection right now."

"Then it's a good thing it's here. This relief center is built more to the likings of how the village should have been." Ishiaki explained, though he knew by now Oita would have pieced that part together already. "Find it. If anyone gives you a hard time about it..." He shrugged and shook his head lightly, "Make something up, or tell them the truth. Something, anything. We need to keep it out of their hands."

"Where do you suggest I start?" Oita said, unsure if he was the best person to send on this fetch-quest. It might mean talking to people, and it isn't as if he could just go around searching for something and not be COMPLETELY obvious to everyone involved.

"There's more than just tents here. My guess would be they'd be storing it in the safest apparent location. A guard tower, a small barracks perhaps?" Ishiaki thought for a moment and then smirked, "A wine cellar perhaps. I don't know what these people drink for fun, but if they've got a cellar for storage, it may be there."

"I shall... look around," Oita said gently, speaking as if he was in deep thought "But what should I do if I am caught? They might not be very happy that we're searching something that they're trying to keep secret."

"I won't lie, that may happen, Oita. If it does than either force the issue or send them on to me to explain. I trust you to handle the situation to your best judgement. But we MUST know where the Heart is." Ishiaki urged the lad.

"Alright. Thank you sensei, I will attempt to find it without notice." Oita bowed to him slightly, then looked around at the soundproof walls. He took a deep breath, crossing his arms and wondering where he should start. Basements... and other rooms.

Ishiaki nodded to him and dispersed the privacy walls. He stood up and looked at Oita. "Be careful. The people here are very wary of outsiders and if this thing is not a myth, they will protect it with everything they've got."

---

"Oh...well that certainly makes more sense." Aileen replied with a nod as she sipped her coffee. "So what type of fowl jutsu are you talking about?"

"Hmmm... maybe if you tell me a secret, I'll tell you one of mine." Akane said, still wanting to know what on earth those rogues were after. No doubt Aileen would know what she was talking about.

Aileen looked around at the other people in the tent. There weren't many of them and they all seemed pretty preoccupied with each other. She turned and looked across the table at Akane. She gestured for the ninja to lower her head. She hesitated for a moment and then began carefully, "There is a legend..."

Akane smirked and leaned down, sipping at her caffeinated drink as she listened in.

Aileen was skirting a dangerous line here...They were not permitted to speak of such things to outsiders. She swallowed and continued, "On this Island, there was once an item of great magical power. The Heart of Ice was once believed to be responsible for the eternal winter that blesses our island. It was vastly powerful, the winter was simply a side effect of it's presence. I believe they have come searching for it."

Blesses? It seemed more like a curse really. Akane lifted her head in somewhat understanding. "Why would they want it... to sell? Or somehow use it's power? And what for?"

"Perhaps both." Aileen replied with a shrug. "It would prove to be extremely valuable, should they sell it. But to use it...the legend says only a water ninja could wield it as a weapon. With all the animal-based attacks we've been healing, I do not imagine one of them to be a water ninja."

"No, definitely not. If it was stolen, what would that mean for this village?" Akane asked. It wasn't as though she doubted the other team, she just was curious as to what was at stake in this mission.

"The ice would recede and the heat would return." Aileen said dreadfully and looked up at Akane. She shook her head and smiled, glancing around at the others. "Of course, this is only a story."

"Seems a lot of effort for a simple myth. Perhaps there is truth to it." Akane said, not sure if she felt like commenting on heat returning. In the end, she couldn't help herself, "What would be so bad about heat returning?"

"Are you serious? It would completely destroy our way of life." Aileen replied, raising her voice slightly. "Everything that we know would be lost and we would have to start fresh. It would put this entire island into utter chaos."

Akane lifted her hands, "Okay, okay." She wasn't too good at being sensitive...but it was a work in progress. "My apologies.... I come from a very, very hot and humid environment. This way of life is foreign to me."

"I figured as much." Aileen told her with a nod. "It's alright. Our way of life is a rather harsh to most outsiders."

"The other team will be able to stop them. There should be nothing to worry about. If anything goes wrong, Kami, Oita, myself and Ishiaki Sensei are the back up." Akane explained.

"You have great confidence in your comrades." Aileen pointed out with a nod. She smiled kindly, "It is nice to see such trust in young people these days."

Akane shrugged, "So- should we get back to work?" she asked, still not very good at this and running out of small talk ideas.

"If you think you're ready." Aileen replied with a nod. She drank the rest of her coffee and set the empty mug down on the table with a smile.

Akane took a few more sips of her cup and set it down. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for convincing me to take a break." she said with a smirk. 

Aileen smirked and nodded. "It's in the job description." She said with a smile.

Akane smiled back and returned out into the cold air. Her goosebumps rose up almost immediately. "Which tent should be next?" she asked, cracking her knuckles as she had earlier.

"Take your pick." Aileen told her with a smirk, there was plenty to choose from and everyone needed healers right now.

"Let's just work our way around." Akane said, heading to the tent beside the one she previously worked in.

"Very well." Aileen replied with a nod as she followed her into the tent. It only took a few moments to get the rundown from the other medical personnel. She then steered Akane towards the patient needing their particular help first. The woman had a broken arm and several deep gashes that appeared to be caused by a sword or other long blade.

"Hello." Akane said to the patient, seeing that she was somewhat awake. Great, this one was conscious. She wasn't too good at these situations....At least she didn't think she was. "My name is Akane Tokushima and I am a medical ninja." she explained, "If you would just relax, I will speed up the healing process on your wounds."

The woman nodded softly and eased back onto the bed, relaxing under Akane's touch.

Aileen watched as Akane tended to the patient and couldn't help but smile. This young lady would certainly prove to be an excellent medic given time.

Well that had gone well, good. Akane immediately set to work with the healing process. She really had El to thank for helping teach her how to be sensitive to other people's situations and feelings. She had a way to go yet, but it was good progress. After a few minutes, she removed her hands. Akane had healed her up to at least 80%, saving her chakra that she would surely need for more patients. Admittedly, after taking a short break and jumping back into healing, it was alarming just how tired she was. Her fatigue felt as if it were taking a toll on her, now that the adrenaline of the first tent was through. "How's that?" she asked the patient. "You'll be sore for a week or two, but my teammate Kami should be in to give you something for that and any inflammation."

"It feels better..." The woman replied with a nod. She reached a hand out and grasped Akane by the wrist. "Thank you." She whispered softly.

Akane was taken off guard by this. Never before had she been so...directly thanked by a stranger like this. What should she say? After a moment of silence and a slight gulp, she said the most natural thing that she could think of, "You're welcome." In that moment it occurred to the young wind ninja that she really was making a difference in these peoples lives. In reaction to this, her cheeks warmed and she genuinely smiled.

The woman reclined back in the bed, smiling softly as she relaxed.

Aileen poured the woman a glass of water and smiled at Akane. "You look as if you could face a hundred more patients now. What's made you seem so more proud?"

"I don't know..." Akane trailed off. When they were far enough away from the woman, she said, "I've never been thanked...like that before. She seemed so genuine and I suppose I've never actually witnessed that before. I've never seen just how my work effects people."

"I thought you said you've done this before?" Aileen asked her with a smirk, "And never before had anyone thanked you?"

"Uhm...." Akane began, "I don't think teammates count."

"Your teammates do not thank you?" Aileen asked her, very confused by that statement

"Yes, they sometimes thank me... I mean in terms of having it matter or not. Only recently did they start to trust me healing them and I feel it's sort of expected that I fix up their injuries." Akane explained further. It was different when a stranger thanked them... and was so genuine about it. She hadn't saved someone's life like this before.

"Well get used to it, toots. You're doing a lot of good here, and we are a passionate people." Aileen told her with a nod as they moved to the next patient. "I'm sure at least in this tent, where most of the patients are still conscious, you'll get your share of thanks."

Akane didn't say anything as she moved on to the next bed. She wasn't really sure about this newly found praise and thanks....whether she really liked it or not. It gave her a strange feeling and whatever it was, it made her a bit uncomfortable.

The patients in this tent were hardly as stressful to care for as the previous one, but Aileen knew full well that each and every one of them was in need of the medical attention that they could only get from a medic ninja like Akane.

Akane noticed that although these patients required less chakra, she was growing very fatigued now. The first tent of twenty critically injured people really took the UNPH out of Akane's spirit. She was still determined, but there was no doubt that her assistant would see the bags grow under her eyes within the next hour or so.

Aileen passed Akane a damp cloth and motioned for her to wipe her forehead with it. It was starting to get hot in here, funny how that happened in the Island of Frost. She couldn't help but smirk at the thought of it really.

---

Akane found the tent rather comfortable finally. She took the cloth and dabbed her forehead to simply humor this nurse before sitting beside another patient.

Aileen couldn't believe she was doing it just to humor her. It felt like it was 100 degrees in here, surely the little ninja girl was hot. There was no way around this heat...

Akane moved to the next patient, their previous hadn't had a curse mark and she wondered if anyone in this tent would. "Hello, my name is Akane Tokushima and I am a medical ninja, please allow me to heal you." she said, though it felt odd giving herself that title. IT didn't really seem REAL or official yet.

"Hmph. Well get on with it then." The man replied, turning over to his side with a grimace. He had a large set of claw marks stretching down his back. The gashes weren't nearly as bad as some of the other patients, but as far as injuries go in this tent, his were probably the worst of them. At the top of the marks was that small symbol again.

Akane's brow lifted when she saw the spot. This man was awake and with a symbol, she couldn't pass this up. She sat down and hovered her hands over his cuts, "So- what's your story?"

"My story?" The man grimaced as she started the healing process. "I was minding my own damn business when this monster of a man attacked me for no reason. It's not like I have any idea what they came here for."

Akane raised her head for a moment and tilted her head to the left, as if hearing something subtle. She stayed paused, but when nothing came of it, she then resumed the treatment. "Neither do we, but the other team is working on apprehending them right now. Did you get a look at what the attacker looked like?"

"What part of monster of a man didn't you get?" The man snapped, he thought it was a pretty fair assessment of the man's appearance. He groaned and turned his head to look at her. "After the first hit, I turned to run and he tore my back to ribbons. Didn't ask any questions, just attacked..."

"Perhaps it would have been a lot worse if you had." Akane said, cleaning the wounds before sealing him up slowly. What sort of dishonorable person attacks helpless villagers like that? Her golden eye was still locked on the black mark on his back, worried about it..but nothing could be done.

The man spit and groaned. "If I ever see that beast again..." He let the statement die off there as she finished up the healing jutsu.

Akane pulled her healing hands away. "There... now, you're still going to be achy, but the cuts are all fixed up so you shouldn't have any scars." she explained.

"Oh wonderful, no scars, just pain." The man replied, rolling his eyes.

Aileen filled a cup and passed it to the man, "Here drink this. It'll help with the pain." She winked to Akane as the man drank.

"Oh suck it up - you're a lot better than you were three minutes ago. A 'thank you' would be appreciated." Akane said quickly. Patient or not, this guy was rude.

The man's face flushed from the contents of the glass and he glared at Akane. "Why shouldI thankyou fordoing yourjob?" He asked, his voice slurred and he fell back to the bed, asleep.

Aileen smirked and nodded to Akane. "He'll be out for a few hours now."

"Heh." Akane smirked, "Just in time too." Not that she would deck him one, but the urge was still there. Though there was something wrong with hitting a man while he's down. "Next." she said, glancing over. "Thanks for assisting me this whole time, you've been a big help."

"I'm glad to do it." Aileen told her with a smile. Her face was breaking out with a nice sheen of sweat however. "Is..is it getting hot in here?"

"No.." Akane wiped her hands off and looked at her, noticing the sweat. "Are you ok? You're sweating."

"I'm feeling rather hot, that's all." Aileen replied, wiping her forehead of the sweat.

She looked at her hard for a moment. It was warmer in the tents for sure...but to be sweating that much? "May I?" Akane lifted her hand and placed the back of it against Aileen's forehead. "Are you feeling ok? You are burning up."

"I'm...a little hot..." Aileen replied, shying away from Akane's hand nervously. She wasn't feeling very good at all truthfully.

"You feel feverish." Akane said with a frown. "How long have you been feeling like this? Maybe you should sit down for a while, Aileen." 

"Can't sit...work to do..." Aileen said, her body swaying slightly. She had to grasp the table for support.

Akane was behind her in a second with her arms available to help her stand. "I think you are coming down with something, Aileen." she began, "Come on, let's get you to the break tent so you can sit." Unfortunately, Akane was completely unaware that many of the doctors and nurses before her had fallen deathly ill recently. "I can handle these patients on my own, don't worry."

Aileen shook her head, "Nonsense..." She swayed and grabbed the table again, steadying herself. "I..I'll be fine." She insisted, looking at Akane warily.

"You are being ridiculous." Akane said, holding onto her more firmly to show her seriousness. "You look like shit." she said, losing some of her professionalism. "Come on."

"Not ridiculous..." Aileen replied, shaking her head. "I...I have to keep working...I have to.."

Akane had to put her foot down. "If you have the flu and a fever, you are doing more harm to these people than good." she said sternly, directing her out of the tent by force. "I'm doing this for your own good. I can handle it just fine, you need some rest. You've been working yourself into sickness."

"I know how to work sick!" Aileen demanded as she was shoved out of the tent. She had to keep working. If she did nothing, it would drive her insane!

"Nope!" Akane said, as if hinting that there was no use in arguing against her. Her grip was firm as she guided Aileen toward the break tent. "You have a fever, are pale and woozy....you're sitting out and that's that."

"But...I have to keep busy!" Aileen pleaded as she was shoved towards the break tent. Her head was swimming and she felt like the whole place was spinning around her. "Wait...wait..stop damnit!" Her face was turning green and she pawed at Akane to make her stop moving her

Akane let her go for a moment and took a step back to give her some room, "What?" she asked sharply, thinking it was just a rouse for her to slip back into the patient tent.

Aileen pitched over and hurled up the limited contents of her stomach. She clutched her stomach and collapsed to her knees, almost landing in the pool of her vomit when she collapsed.

Akane placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly through the relief center. "Hey! I need some help over here!" She hurried to Aileen's side and placed her hands on the woman's shoulders, "Aileen? Come on... let's get you out of the cold, ok? I'll help you." Though Akane knew that with her limited physical strength, that only went so far. She did her best to ignore the puke...not wanting to vomit as well from the smell.

---

Kami traveled to the fourth tent as Ishiaki had directed her to do. She saw burns and lacerations. Some of the burns were being soaked in cool wet clothes, cuts were partially chakra stitched where they'd managed to heal them partially and forced to move onto another patient. She didn't want to jump in and get in the way of the nurses but she eagerly wanted to help. "Excuse me." She said, making her presence known to the nurses. "I'm an herbalist. Where would you like me to start?"

"Well that depends on what herbs you're packing." A man said, looking up from a person who's arm he was wrapping in a green leafy wrap.

Kami smirked. The variety of herbs she had was rather extensive, the only issue was quantity. "Just tell me who is in need of more medical attention."

The man sort of glared at her for her apparent cockiness. He pointed to the corner where a row of cots had been set up away from the others. "Burn ward." He said and returned to his work.

Kami headed in that direction after giving the man a grateful nod. It seemed as she approached those with the more serious burns were set up from left to right. She started on the left and peeled back the moist cloth from a woman's scorched arm. "I'm going to need more maize..." She said silently and considering all the burn victims she moved to a flap in the tent and sought for a ninja not doing anything. She beckoned him to her and kindly ordered more corn and a series of other herbs from the green house. Once that was done she dropped next to the badly burned woman and began popping kernels of maize off one of the cobs she'd brought with her.

The man who replied when she asked who to work on came over to her as she was working on the ear of Kassa. "Sorry if I came off as ill-tempered. It's rather stressful around here in case you haven't noticed." He stuck out his hand for her to shake, "The name's Aritan."

"Kaminari." She told him as she gathered the kernels in a small stone bowl. She produced a tool and began smashing the kernels into a paste. "It's alright." She said as she added the shavings of aloe to the mix along with several other herbs. "With all that is going on I could not hold it against you."

"Good. I'd hate to have a pretty girl be mad at me." Aritan replied with a nod. "Whatcha workin on anyway?" He asked her, looking over her shoulder as she worked on the poultice.

Kami did not appreciate being called pretty by a male who was not Kano. She and Kano had only decided to see more of each-other the night before, but it still didn't sit well with Kami. For now she ignored it. "I am making a poultice." She said as she finished it off with a few more herbs. With one last grind to smash everything together the pale yellow corn mush turned an unhealthy shade of green, meaning it was finished. She pulled a brush from her pack and peeled back the cool wet cloth from the woman's arm. She delicately began to brush on the newly concocted salve.

"A Kassa-based salve?" Aritan asked curiously as he watched her work. "Where did you learn to make that for a burn? Typically we use the oils from the aloe leaf for that purpose."

"There is aloe in here." Kami explained. "I learned a few things about medicine in my home village. The Smoke, but this I learned how to make in the INC where I currently study."

"Oh? So I take it that you've seen our greenhouse. How would you say it compares?" Aritan asked her with a smirk. He knew they had the best greenhouse in the Coalition, he just wanted to hear it from someone who had actually been to the INC Village...

"I've never seen anything like it." Kami said moving to the woman's other side. "My village doesn't have a greenhouse. Everything we need grows in the forest. But the Inc village greenhouse I thought was rather impressive... till I saw the one here."

Aritan couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. "I am glad to hear that you approve. Unlike the INC Village or our neighboring Islands, we're unable to grow anything but thick hearted trees here. We needed a greenhouse large enough to not only provide us with healing herbs and ninja source materials, but also food to sustain us. It has taken us many years to create such a greenhouse as we have."

"And yet you do not eat the maize." Kami said as she covered the woman's wounds with the damp cloth now that she was finished. She turned around and began to work on the next burn victim, hoping she had enough. "Kassa I mean. You call it Kassa."

Aritan bristled a little bit as she mention eating the Kassa. "Why in the world would we eat the Kassa? It's a medicinal plant, you don't eat the leaves of the Aloe plant do you?"

Kami smiled. "Hiraka said just that." Kami told him as she finished off her poultice on the third individual and began to make more. "It is rather delicious if you give it the chance."

"Well maybe if you'd fix me something, I'll be able to give it a chance." Aritan propositioned her with a smile

"Once this is all over I have promised Hiraka." Kami told him. "You are welcome to try it." She had finished her second poultice and began working on her forth patient.

"I will take you up on that when this is over. Certainly can't turn down an offer from a pretty girl." Aritan replied with a smirk. He looked around at the other wounded patients and couldn't help but sigh. "Well, I better get back to it. Let me know if there's anything you need."

"I will." Kami said but in her mind there was a "Not" to follow that. She would ask someone else if she could. This one was throwing around words like "pretty" and while a little flattered, Kami did not appreciate it.

Aritan nodded and headed back to his own patients, tending burns and bandaging minor wounds. He continued to look over at Kami and watch her work.

Kami continued her work. She exhausted her second poultice just as she finished the last of the burn victims. The worst of them any way. Those who were still lucid enough to help others she made a third and let them distribute it among themselves while she moved onto the next group of people who needed help. These were recovering surgery patients who's surgeons hadn't had time or needed to save their chakra before healing their wounds completely. This requires not a poultice but a salve to help speed healing and keep the wounds clean.

Aritan finished up his own patient and came over to check on Kami. "I see you're done with the burn victims. Who you moving onto next?"

"Surgery recovery." Kami said as she came to the first of that line and pulled her salve from her bag. It had a pungent aroma when she removed the lid. It had a urine sort of color but was the consistency of petroleum jelly. She applied gloves for this job and dipped her fingers in, ready to coat the belly wound of the man in front of her.

Aritan blinked several times and had to cover his nose with his hand. "What in the world have you got there?? It smells absolutely horrid."

"Boiled down thunder buffalo urine." Kami answered. "With a few secret herbs from my village. It's an antiseptic and will double the healing time of the patient." She smoothed on a thin coating to the wounds of the man in front of her and moved onto the second.

"What is a buffalo?" Aritan asked her, completely ignoring the urine part of the equation. They knew fully well the medical aspects of certain urine of species in medicine. It was an absurd concept, but for some reason it was certainly useful.

"It is a large wooly creature that lives on the grasslands of my home island." Kami explained, moving to the next patient. "Similar to a cow or a bison... only much much larger and blue."

"Blue? I have never seen a blue mammal before." Aritan replied with curiosity. "Your island sounds like a wondrous place."

"It is." Kami told him. She didn't bother to comment that everything she was currently wearing was made from storm buffalo hide. She picked up her work again and moved onto the next patient. Working as fast as she could since there were so many. It was warm in this tent and as she put down her tools she asked Aritan. "Is there a place I can keep my coat?"

"Sure thing." Aritan replied with a nod. "By the fireplace there's a rack to help keep them toasty for when it's time to move tents."

Kami handed her tools to Aritan while she took her coat and hung it by the fire. It was simply too warm in here to keep it on as she worked. She returned, took her tools back and proceeded to the next cot in line.

Aritan couldn't help but stare at her as she came back from removing the coat. "So...that's from this buffalo you spoke of?" He asked her as he moved to the patient beside hers so they could continue conversing.

"Everything I wear is from Storm buffalo." Kami said beginning her work on the next patient. Her coat, pants and boots were all blue like her dress.
(which I established earlier fyi)

"Interesting." Aritan replied as he coated a burn with an aloe salve. "Our furs come from the reindeer. Have you seen them since coming to our little Island?"

"I have had little time for sight seeing since coming here." Kami told him, working quickly and moving to the next patient.

Aritan finished rubbing the salve in delicately and then started to wipe down his own hands. "Too true. Perhaps when we are finished here, I could show you around? I'm sure there is much here you would enjoy seeing."

"Burned and shattered buildings will not make for a good first impression of your village." Kami said, sort of wishing he would let her work. She was purposefully working away from him, seeking out patients of course who were worse off from the rest, but doing so in a direction that was generally away from Aritan.

"True enough, but would you have come for a visit if everything was hunky dory here?" Aritan asked her with a smirk as he moved to the next patient. He could tell she was trying to move away from him, but unfortunately, the patients here weren't exactly permitting him to continue to follow her around. He had to move in a different direction now.

"Hunky dory?" Kami asked, forgetting that she was seeking a way to be rid of his conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Ummm...how about complacent? Is that a term you're better aware with?" Aritan offered, it was a pretty good synonym for the phrase after all.

Kami nodded in understanding and frowned as her course began to lead her back in Aritan's direction.

"So would you have come for a visit if everything here was complacent?" Aritan replied with a smirk.

"Probably not." Kami told him honestly. "Unless I heard of a lightning type who was willing to train me, but I do not think my sensei has divulged the extent of his knowledge quite yet."

"Well, then you'll just have to stick around for the sightseeing." Aritan told her with a smile and a shrug. "When this is all over, I will show you the marvels of this land."

"When this is all over I doubt there will be time." Kami was trying to let him down gently. He'd called her pretty and now it seemed as if he were trying to convince her into going on a date disguised as sight seeing. Kami might not be the most knowledgeable girl, but she could tell when a boy was trying to spend time with her. They had work to do. This village was burning. It was not right that he had other things on his mind right now.

"There's always time for sightseeing." Aritan explained with a shrug as he worked on his patient. Couldn't she see that he was glad for a distraction from all of this carnage?

---

Oita nodded to Ishiaki and bowed "Goodbye sensei." He turned at once, dashing back off to his pack, and the other guards. He was going to have to be careful.

Ishiaki watched the boy go and then turned and headed back tot he surgery tent to return to the healing of the injured.

---