the storm bringer | ✓

Chapter Twenty-One ~ the Lady Misaki

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Winter rotated her head to the side as she navigated the busy streets of Konoha. For some peculiar reason she'd been summoned by the Fifth Hokage, the Sannin Tsunade. She had never met the lady before and she wasn't exactly certain as to why the woman would want her. Winter had been unqualified for any missions higher than D-Rank and so she'd just helped out around town, fixing any damage the invaders had left.

There was also one more problem.

Winter grumbled underneath her breath angrily as she stomped up the stairs leading to the Hokage's office. Since she could remember Winter would always jump in through the window. However with her lack of sight she'd most likely end up tripping and falling, breaking several bones. She was not spending anymore time in the hospital.

Winter sighs softly before knocking on the wooden door for the first time, not really listening for a replay seeing how she just walks in. The blonde Hokage folds her hands underneath her chin, studying the black haired girl in front of her.

"I've come to a predicament." She announces, "I have a very important client that needs to be escorted back to her home village and yet she refuses to go unless you are in the squad assigned to protect her. While I have heard plenty about your strength I also know that you are struggling with your blindness. Tell me, what exactly caused it?"

Winter calmly explains what happens, her expression unreadable. "Hmm... would you mind if I take a look at your eyes?" Winter shrugs her shoulders and unravels the black bandages, letting them drap around her shoulder lazily. She walks towards the Hokage who grabs a small lightly, shining it in Winter's left eye first. The once bright turquoise eye is dull and doesn't react at all. Frowning in thought she turns the light into her left eye.

Winter flinches, a bright spot making her left eye squint. "Ah ha! Just what I thought." She frowns in confusion. "You see that jutsu stole the sight of your right eye, but your left is just clouded. This is actually quite common with shinobi who lose their eyesight from jutsus. If you'd like I can cut an incision in your lens and remove the matter that is clouding your vision. You may become color blind but I suppose it's better than not being able to see at all."

Winter's face morphs into one of barely concealed shock. "That'd be great Lady Hokage." The blonde haired women smiles, "Perfect." She leads the young kunoichi to the hospital, Winter wrinkling her nose as the bitter smell of hospitals hits her. She hated that smell so much, it made bad memories come rushing back.

Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, Winter lays down on the medical table stiffly. Tsunade gets a scalpel ready, examining her eye. She grabs a syringe full of silver liquid, injecting it into Winter. Winter winces but soon relaxes as the morphine like drug kicks in. Tsunade keeps Winter's eye open with one hand, using the other to carefully drag the scalpel across the girls eye.

There's a hissing sound as a cloud of black matter rises out of her eye causing Winter to jerk slightly despite the morphine. Tsunade keeps her hand steady as she inserts a tool into her eye, draining the murky liquid underneath the clear lens. The surgery took perhaps fifteen minutes to completely clear Winter's eye and Tsunade places a hand over her eye, using a medical ninjutsu to heal the incision.

"Keep your eyes close until the morphine clears out." Tsunade instructs cleaning up her equipment. "Then you can open them. Once you get used to it come and visit me, alright?" She nods, her eyes closed obediently.

***

Team Seven waits in the Hokage's office as she calmly fills out various pages of paperwork. "Granny Tsunade!" Naruto suddenly explodes, "Can't you tell us why you summoned us?" "No." She states, her eye twitching slightly as Naruto starts a rant. He was suddenly cut off by a figure jumping through the window and landing next to the Hokage's desk.

Winter grins mischievously as her left eye looks at the other ninja, her right eye covered in the black bandages. "Geez Naruto, don't you ever brush your hair?" "Of course I do Winter!" He frowns at her before his eyes widen, "Wait, what?!" She winks at him, "Lady Tsunade isn't the greatest medical ninja for nothing."

"You can see!" He shouts in joy and goes to hug her. She stiffens as the blonde wraps his arms around her enthusiastically but relaxes slightly hugging him back loosely. "Yeah, well out of one eye. The others permanently gone." "Ahem." Tsunade clears her throat. "As to why you are all here, I have decided to assign a B-Rank mission to you." Kakashi almost drops his perverted book as Naruto starts cheering again.

"It's an escort mission for the High Priestess in Training of the small Village in the Mountains." Now it was Winter's turn to be shocked, her mouth dropping slightly as her eye widens. "Lady Misaki would please come in?" Winter's pulse starts to race but she quickly smoothes her face into one of indifference.

The soft chime of bells can be heard as a teenage girl walks in, her eyes a dark brown that seemed distant. Her black hair pulled back except for two short pieces in the front with metal decorations clasped on. She wore a white dress with soft pink panels on her waist and a red ribbon tied around her waist. She carried a fan made out of white feathers and a pure gold handle.

She bows to the Genin team, "Thank you for agreeing to escort me to my homeland. Especially you, Yuki." "I go by Winter now Lady Misaki." "Very well, Winter." The teens eyes seemed to glimmer slightly but it only for a second. Her face was a picture perfect one of kindness yet Winter knew better.

"You leave in half an hour." Tsunade orders, "And your job is to get Lady Misaki to her village as quickly as possible. Dismissed." Just before Winter jumps out the window Misaki mouths some words to her, making her blood boil.

You'll lead me there Ookami, whether you want to or not.

Lady Misaki to the side or up top (depending if you use your phone or computer) 

QUESTION: If I wrote an Akatsuki fanfic would you read it?