Konoha Hospital

The room was brightly lit as the medics got to work. Shinichi's Akatsuki clothes were burnt to a crisp and instead replaced by Washi's robes. Nobody suspected anything, nevertheless it was inevitable that he, Washi, would get the Hokage to help deal with this situation. He stared at his old comrade's wounds darkly as the medics started healing, the burns were so intense that even with medic-nin it may take up to a month for Shinichi to fully recover. However the process had already begun, Konoha's best medics gathered chakra in their hands and the skin was healing before his eyes as if time was going backwards slightly. The charred skin was gradually healing and the internal damage was lessening even as he thought about how the Hokage would deal with the intruder.

He made a few hand seals, thus forming eagles made of compressed wind chakra. They would give the Hokage a message to meet Washi at the hospital. It was rather urgent.

Kayn walked into the hospital, looking for washi. He had recieved his message and was there to see what was going to happen. "Washi, whats the situation. What is so urgent that you need me?" Kayn was in no rush but he needed an assessment of the situation. Kayn calmly waited for his reply.

"This burnt person that is now getting treated is the Akatsuki member Shinichi Shiroto, who betrayed the sand village recently. I found him near the village and defeated him although I do not think his heart was in killing me," responded Washi cautiously, "I believe he is a good man at heart but whether he will be forgiven or punished is up to you and the Kazekage."

"As of right now he is in our borders. We must heal him and i shall arrange an escort for him afterwards. As for what happened, well done washi. But now i have a mission for you. But this time it is of a different matter. I want you to find this man." Kayn held up part of the ninja who attacked him earlier's outfit. "My ninja hounds will be able to track him. I shall send one of them with you. But understand this. I will relay messages to you through the hounds. Be cautious and return immediatly after you learn of his wherabouts. I dont want you gone for too long."

Washi nodded, looking darkly towards the burnt Akatsuki member. He was once an old comrade of his and Washi still felt sorry for what had happened in their fight. He turned round, his robe swishing as he did so and he bowed gracefully at the Hokage before leaving the room with a hound following him.

"I will do as you wish and I will return in due time," he said as he left, closing the door behind him gently. His mind wandered a little, it seemed the Hokage had made a personal request and the man he wanted tracked seemed to be of high importance. Washi would be on his guard.

Over a week had gone by since Shinichi's defeat and only now did he stir from his slumber, eyes fluttering open weakly as a gasp and soft moan of pain erupted from him, slipping back into consciousness the pain returned, although he realized it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been when he'd lost consciousness. No sooner had he opened his eyes than the eyes on his phoenix pendant shone brightly, a red aura emanating from it, which slowly covered his entire body. The medical ninjas looked at each other uncertainly, stepping back suspecting some trick. The Phoenix chakra consumed him, and began to heal him faster, his hair, burnt away, grew back miraculously, longer than before. The sound of roaring flames could be heard, and the chakra took the look of fire even as it sped along Shinichi's recovery. One of the med ninja ran off to alert the Hokage as the aura faded and Shinichi slowly sat up, still severely exhausted, and likely to pass out again, though his injuries were now minor, and the only thing left of his fiery encounter were the burnt robes he had been wearing and a burn scar upon his face, mostly upon his forehead, in the rough shape of a phoenix wreathed in flames, the fiery tail swirling down the side of his face and wrapping around his left eye.

Kayn stepped into the room now holding the akatsuki member. Kayn knew this was a former comrade of the anbu agent washi. For now he would tread softly. " So, it looks as if you are back. With little time to spare i suppose. Kayn took out what was left of his assasins akatsuki robe. "Look farmiliar? I believe it belonged to one of your fellow akatsuki." Kayn put the robe back and reached for his staff. He had only been training for a little while, but now was as good as ever. He took it out and concentrated his chakra at the end, also getting hidden chakra in the staff. "Sealing jutsu!" and he left a mark on the forearm of the ninja. "This mark shall supress your power, never to be at maximum. You are still a dangerous ninja, this mark will allow me to know who you are. As for now, i believe one of your old aquaintence's shall be returning soon." Kayn turned and walked out of the room, leaving behind a few chunin just in case. What will happen to the kid? he did not know. But for now he shouldn't be able to use his full amount of chakra. Only time will tell what shall happen.

Shinichi stares at the Hokage for a moment, eyes nearly trembling as the seal is placed on him, his Phoenix pendant shimmering a little as a snarl spreads across his face. He had held back in his battle with Washi, for respect and for old times sake, but he had no love for this kage, particularly now with a limiting seal placed on his arm. He took a step towards the kage before he left the room, leaving a few chuunin as guards. This was outrageous and unnecessary. He could make short work of the chuunin, though he wasn't sure the extent this seal would limit his power. He growled angrily glaring at the mark on his arm, sliding his fingers along the cool chain of his necklace trying to calm himself.

A few days of constant journeys had tired Washi a little and he was certainly glad to be back in Konoha. He had important business to attend to and needed to talk to the Hokage once more but there were places he wanted to visit before he did that.

Washi took a nice stroll through the village as he thought about where he would go. The most important place he had to go to was the Hospital at the moment. Shinichi should have been getting better by now and he might prove a valuable ally. Washi gently unwrapped his scarf and placed it inside his robe as he entered the hospital.

He walked with purpose and calmness through the corridors. Occasionally waving and greeting people he knew. At last, he found the room that Shinichi had been placed and nodded the chuunin guards away before opening the door firmly.

"Ahh, I see you've made a remarkable recovery but why the angry face?" said Washi as he raised one eyebrow in surprise while scanning Shinichi.

Shinchi scowled a little, averting his eyes as Washi walked in. He turned to face the window, staring out, standing tall and proud, although it seemed more in defiance than anything now. He wordlessly lifted his arm, the hospital robe he was wearing falling down off his arm, showing the mark of a strange seal on his forearm. He had finally come to terms with his power in its entirety. The full strength of it, even as far as the speedy recovery it had helped him with...He had survived. That thought hit him now like a ton of bricks. What had destroyed his father had only made him stronger. He smiled just a little, though his anger remained. Now that he no longer feared his power, now that he knew he could withstand and control it, he was more proud than ever, more clear, and confident. And now his power was sealed, a fraction of what it was supposed to be.

The power of the phoenix. It was needed. Now when all plans come to fruition and akatsuki are finally a threat, it was down to making a team to counter that very threat and who had the most firepower? Why...Shinichi Shiroto of course.

"Still not talking eh..." said Washi softly as he walked beside him, looking out of the window, "Maybe, this will get you talking..."

In one fluid movement, he withdraw a small ring - similar to the one he gave Anei and threw it up in the air before catching it and handing it over.

"How about...hunting your old akatsuki comrades?"

Shinichi turned his head to look at his old friend squarely in the eyes, his eyes more vibrant than ever, but somehow darkened as he glanced down at the seal he bore. He took the ring and examined it for a moment, thinking as he held it in his hand that he saw the faint image of a phoenix upon the piece of jewelry. He activated his burning hand technique and the phoenix became clearer. still very faint, but just visible enough to not be a trick of the light. sadly, the burning hand technique only lasted so long before fading away. Shinichi turned back to the window with his lips set in a firm line.
"You may have better luck chucking matches and candles at them my old friend. Who knows what limitations the Hokage has put upon me."

Kayn walked back into the room coming back from the sand village. "Shinichi, i have come for the same reason washi has." Kayn looked at shinichi softly. "I could only do what would protect the village, but i might have something to help." Kayn took out his staff and placed the end on shinichi's shoulder. Water began to flow on the seal covering it, then the seal dissapeared. "That will last until i release it. If you help that time will grow. So will you?" Kayn looked at shinichi. "But be warned, if i am killed, the seal stays." Kayn turned and walked out of the room.

*Ukokei had been watching from the distance, his image being right outside the window. Hands sprang up from below the Hokage and Washi, quickly pulling them down below. Ukokei reappeared next to Shinichi.* "Hmmm.... My comrade. It has been quite some time. I must say, you look different.... Good thing I sensed your chakra." *He said as he gripped Shinichi tightly.* "Lets get out of here before my mirror clones disperse." *He jumped out of the window, several Anbu agents below having heard the alarms. They threw kunai, only to have them blocked by the mirrors. Ukokei ran across each of them, quickly vanishing from the village through another mirror. The mirror transported Shinichi and Ukokei into the forest, Ukokei falling to the ground exhausted.* "Get moving. We can't risk you being caught again. Take these coordinates to our new base, it was a village until I conquered it, and it's in a remote location. GET MOVING!" *He said screaming.*

Shinichi just stood there for a moment, stunned, to say the least, that anything like this could have happened right beneath the nose of the Hokage and Washi. But he recovered quickly. Perhaps it was the site of the 'God of Akatsuki' on the ground before him, or the simple fact that Uko had gone through such lengths to rescue him. For one reason or another, Shinichi's pride swelled up within him again, the phoenix, freed and in theory, no longer restricted. After looking over the coordinates handed to him, he activated the burning hand technique again, and felt it in its purest form as the papers he was holding burst into flame. Grinning widely, his pendant flashing as he slid the ring Washi gave him squarely onto his finger, he began to walk in a circle around Uko, pressing his white hot fingers against the trees, flames so intense they ignited immediately. As the flames closed them in, he knelt next to Uko and smiled. There wasn't necessarily any logic to what he was doing. Rhyme or reason had naught to do with it. The phoenix followed its instinct, and this had just felt right. He clasped uko's hand in his, pulling from his hand the Akatsuki ring, even as his own hands began to melt the flesh.

"You saved me, I'm touched. But perhaps if I destroy you, the Hokage may see fit to release the seal entirely, so that even an untimely death will not hinder me."

The flames rising high in all directions, Shinichi increased his hand technique's intensity as he stood, melting the Akatsuki ring in his hand, though strangely the one Washi had given him endured. He let the molten metal drip down onto uko, where precisely, he could not say, and effortlessly strode through the smoldering trees out into the rest of the forest, dissappearing.