Clash 2: The Wolf and the Desertstorm - a collab with Amaterasu

Chapter 22

"She's been quiet for three days now," Akio frowned in concern. "Refusing to allow hospital staff to see to her needs. She even hides herself in wolf form either under the bed or in the far corners of the room. It's started all over again. The fear and regret. Hating herself for what she is...I don't know how much longer she can take this cycle. I'm afraid of what she may do, Kakashi."

Kakashi also frowned, the sadness and worry clear in his single orb. "She's already asked me to kill her once in the past."

"And she hurt herself in the past as well." Akio closed his eyes with a sigh as he brought up a hand to rub at his exhausted face. "We can't return home if she is still like this. It's too risky for her. The Council will try and take advantage of her emotional state and bind her. I can't let that happen."

"Tsunade did say to be recovered fully before returning home—and that includes emotional state in my book."

Akio nodded. "Yes. She needs to be of strong mind and will to fend off the Council."

"How did we even manage this state of hers the last time?"

"It was Naruto."

The boy was nowhere near this time though.

Kakashi mentally cursed. That was right; if anyone had the best chances of pulling Hisayo out of her depression, it was Naruto. "And he's not even in the village at this time."

"He's away with Jiraiya at this time, yes." Akio nodded. "There is only us, Ken, Suzume, and Akira. But even with all of us there the previous time it wasn't enough still. We need Naruto for this. He has a truer understanding. He relates to her on a level beyond any of us here."

Taryn silently listened to the conversation from around the corner where she was standing. She had come in for her, mandatory, check-up but had stopped when she had heard Kakashi and Akio's conversation.

A sad expression marred her face. It seemed things weren't much different for Hisayo than they had been for her little brother when he was still the One Tail's host. She remembered all too well the state he had been in after going on a rampage. He had only been a small child at the time.

Akio's story about the Council left her worried. Ken had mention something before too. Were they planning on having Hisayo locked up? Like her father had done with Gaara? Isolated and alone? Growing to hate the entire world?

But if even Kakashi and the others couldn't pull her out of that state...

"Let me try," she heard herself say while stepping into view.

The two men looked startled to see her. They must not have noticed her presence.

"Don't take this personally," Kakashi said softly, "but I'm not sure how you could do what we could not. And in her current state, I'm not sure... It's just... we've know her a lot longer and we've known about her...other form. You didn't see her last time. You don't know what it's like for her."

"But I do," Taryn said calmly, "it may not be exactly the same, but I remember what Gaara was like. And maybe because I don't know her that well, she'll listen to me. With you she might think you're just trying to comfort her. In any case, what do you have to lose? She won't come out of it if you continue like this."

Kakashi looked at Akio. The older man shrugged. "It's worth a try."

The masked shinobi turned back to Taryn and nodded. "I suppose you're right. I just hate seeing her like this. It's like no matter what I say, I can't get through to her. I'm afraid she'll hurt herself."