The hospital was finally up and working: Hikari had donated a decent bit of the ryo that the merchant had given her into helping to get the place up and running properly. She had started to help train some of the other villagers to help around the hospital: giving them the basic knowledge that she herself had learned in Yokuchi. But, now the hospital was officially open.

Hikari had spent a large majority of her time in the past few days here even going so far as to take up one of the empty rooms and sleep on a cot, as had mother Yanagi who had kept to her word and been more than willing to learn the basics and help out as well. All in all it was taking a huge load off of HIkari's shoulders.

Hikari at the moment was in the much smaller greenhouse located within the hospital itself filled with some of the more valuable plants that had been able to be salvaged. Between some tender loving care she had helped to restore them back to the healthy plants that they were: of course she was worried about someone coming in and messing with them, namely the thugs that had been causing issues around the village from time to time.

She placed the watering can down and looked towards the door as her stomach started to growl: she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten or for that matter how many days she had already spent at the hospital. "Hnn... should go find some food or something."

Kurai was beginning to run himself ragged with some much training and studying. Even Kua agreed that maybe it was time for a well deserved break. It seemed that all he'd done since settling into the village was hard training and fighting, but Kurai wanted to be in the position to be able to protect the village should a serious threat rear it's ugly head. Kua told him that even thought there was still much he could learn that he was well in that position now, especially if he were able to stand up to a tailed beast such as himself.

He'd spent all day perfecting a camouflage technique that allowed him to become pretty much invisible, and even mask his chakra signature. Normally he would be drained and tired from spending so much chakra, but being a Jinchuuriki now, he barely even felt it. He decided to take his mind off training for the moment and properly explore his new home.

He came across a building he hadn't seen before. Walking inside while eating a large bag of popcorn (Which Kua had instantly taken a liking to) Kurai came to find that this place was Hinowa's new hospital. He came to the conclusion that Hikari must have been responsible for its creation, mostly because she was standing in the front room as he walked in. His sensitive ears could hear her growling stomach, so without a word he handed over the big bag to her and took a seat in the floor.

Had Kouki been to check the place out yet? What about those other 2 mysterious village heads? Kurai could only guess.

Hikari turned around as she saw her brother; with her new promotion had come a boost in her power: her Chakra Radar was now capable of seeing in greater detail than normal eyes could, and the whole village to boot. She blinked and took the popcorn he had handed her with a grin. "Haha, thanks. I'm starving. I've spent the past few days training everyone and getting this place set up."

She took a seat next to her brother on the floor and popped some of the popcorn into her mouth. She looked around the room as she chewed and swallowed the popcorn all before looking back to her brother. "So where did you end up going? Or is it a secret?", she asked curiously. If her brother didn't want to tell her she wasn't going to press the issue - secrets were secrets after all. She popped some more popcorn into her mouth as she waited to see if her brother was going to answer her or not.

There was no use in hiding it from her; he'd have to let his twin in on his new secret. He didn't know how he was going to break the news to his parents of how he now had a giant hammer wielding bull sealed inside of him, but he guessed that his sister would take it better than they would. Well, his mother at least. She was probably going to get all hysterical and be all “GET RID OF IT! OUT OF THE HOUSE” or something along those lines, but his father would be more receiving.

An aura appeared around Kurai. It was brown colored, like Kua, and had two large horns, like the one they saw that day he was nearly flattened in that avalanche. Behind Kurai was 2 long tails, lashing around in the air like snakes, and in the right hand of the aura there was a hammer. Kurai glanced over at Hikari and put a finger to his lips.

”...Mom and dad... Sooner or later they're going to find out,” he said. ”...I'll tell them my own way that i'm a Jinchuuriki now... Don't say anything before then, though... You know how mom over-reacts...”

Hikari had been in the middle of bringing another few pieces of popcorn to her mouth when she caught sight of Kurai's aura and froze. How was that possible? It looked like his aura had taken on the shape of that bull thing that had nearly killed him in the mountains just a few days ago. She sat there for a moment with the food halfway brought to her mouth as her brain processed exactly what was going on. Some how, some way, her brother had ended up with what she was assuming that bull thing inside of him. After her mind finished processing it the shock wore off and her facial expression returned to normal.

She gave a nod as she watched him put his finger to his lips: she wasn't going to say anything or reveal his secret to anyone. She placed the popcorn finally into her mouth and chewed it up before swallowing, glad that the roar in her gut had quieted down some already.

She thought for a moment about what their parents reactions were going to be and felt that Kurai was right in what their mother's reaction was going to be: she was likely going to freak out, at least at first. But, Hikari had been doing a lot of reading lately, and knew that there was going to be no 'get that out of the house' unless she planned on booting Kurai out because if anyone tried to remove that bull from Kurai it would kill him. "I won't say anything, it's not my secret to tell. If mom does react like that... well, from what I'm reading if anyone tries to.. well, take it out of you, it'll kill you. Might wanna let her know that if she tries telling you to get it out of the house or something.", she said softly, making sure that her voice didn't carry.

She popped some more tasty popcorn into her mouth, chewing and swallowing it again as the roar in her stomach finally died down. That was much better, though she knew that eventually she would have to get some real food in her stomach, but so long as the growling had stopped for now she was happy.

Yes... Kurai was well aware of the fact that Kua was a part of him now, and if they were to ever separate, it would mean Kurai's demise. He was fine with being one with the beast now, and also fine with the fact that they could not split again. As far as someone forcibly extracting Kua from him, well, that just wasn't going to happen. His twin seemed a little shocked, but she came to accept this fact. This is what he expected. His parents, moreover, his mother, was likely going to be more difficult. Kurai had done some reading of his own and found that some Jinchuuriki had their beasts forcibly sealed within them, and trapped within their subconscious. Some of them didn't get along with the beast, and had to muscle some of their powers away from them. Kurai and Kua got along for the most part. He told Kua that he wouldn't trap him and force him to do anything, especially since he'd volunteered to join with him. Kua seemed pleased with this revelation.

But something else entirely was weighing heavily upon Kurai's mind for the past few days. With all of the activity going on, all of the tasks he'd completed, all of the thugs, bandits, and so-called gangsters he'd beaten up and driven off, not to mention everything his sister had done both to help him and on her own, and especially with her being the village's only trained medic, and her establishment of Hinowagakure's first hospital, only one of the 3 heads of the village had come and properly thanked them: Kouki. She was also responsible for sealing Kua within him. Where where these other 2 supposed village founders? Did they know what was going on? Everything that had happened up until this point? Did they even care? It was something that began to irritate Kurai to no end. It wasn't that Kurai was expecting them to come and worship him, no. But ANY recognition was better than NONE AT ALL.

”...Hikari... these other two village heads besides Kouki... Have you seen them yet?”

Hikari titled her head a bit in thought as she popped some more of the delicious popcorn into her mouth, chewed, and then proceeded to swallow it. She thought back to all that had been going on the past few days and after a moment she straightened her head and shook it no. "I still haven't met or even conversed with Isao yet. I saw Kouki a few days back when she popped her head into the hospital to see if anything needed sealed up to keep people from getting into it - like the areas that hold the medicines and stuff. I did converse with Mizuko though through letters - she's been in the greenhouse busy constantly and has been sending the medical plants up as she's been able to revive them. I'm glad she's doing it for me, I don't have the chakra or time to spare with all of the civilians I've been training to help out in the hospital."

Annnd more popcorn into her mouth and the chew and swallow routine again. "Why do you ask?", she asked curiously. As she was waiting for a reply she noticed a messenger walk in through the main doors and over to the pair of them after spotting them. The young man, a Chuunin by the looks of his headband, handed over two letters: one addressed to Kurai Yanagi and the other addressed to Hikari Yanagi. Hikari took hers with a nod of thanks and opened it. She read the letter, which was a summons to Kouki's office to come meet with her, and then folded the letter back up - the same letter had been given to her twin. "I'm being summoned to Kouki's office... think she wants to have a little meeting."

He was about to answer, when in walked a Chuunin messenger. He handed a letter to Hikari, and one to Kurai. He peeled the letter open and read the words written within. The note appeared to be a summon to the Administration Complex by Kouki, and Kurai could guess that the letter given to his twin was the same thing.

Perhaps this was the meeting he expected, and he began to feel as if he'd probably spoken too soon. But then again, it was about time he saw all of the people who were responsible for the upbringing of the village, and about time than they saw who was responsible for it's safety.

Kurai folded the letter up as he stood to his feet, walking back out of the entrance to the hospital...

\Exit\

Hikari watched her brother get up and leave and then looked back down to her own note. She folded hers up as well, sticking it into her pocket. She threw the remaining popcorn into the garbage nearby upon standing up and walking over to it. She dusted her hands off and then walked down the hallway for a moment and peeked her head into one of the offices. "Itami, I'll be back in a little while: I'm going to meet with the Hinowa council." Itami gave a nod and then Hikari turned and walked back down the hallway.

Without wasting anymore time now that everyone would be able to know where she was at in case she was needed she headed out the door and towards the administrative building, wondering what this meeting was about to be all about.

[Exit]