[b]Shiō[/b]

Shiō's presence in the Land of Rivers was mostly a formality. The presence of the Shukaku made the situation unique but Shiō couldn't help but think their presence here was for reasons not truly divulged. She didn't like being away from Konoha - it was away from her research and patient, which she had a stronger moral obligation to than the Empire's assault forces. However, her presence was 'requested', to put it politely.

Shiō preferred to stay out of the confrontation with the Shukaku, as well as the rebel forces in general, citing the tenets of the Medical Shinobi. Of course, Shiō had really never had any qualms about violating them should the situation arise, it just made for a convenient rationale for her to stay out of the conflict and follow the true principles that governed her art. As a medical shinobi it was her duty to heal all who asked her too, although Shiō was equally comfortable breaking that tenet as well. There were pawns on both sides, pawns that had been drawn in not truly understanding the repercussions of what they were doing. It was those people that she felt the greatest sympathy for. There were, of course, those that relished the thought in taking another's life, with a larger number of those types within the Empire. Those were the people Shiō had less issues violating the tenets of her profession for, leaving those individuals to be healed by others.

Shiō had remained in Konoha after the 'fall' of the village to the Empire. While the people never supported the Empire's presence, for which she did not blame them, Shiō had at least 'officially' supported the Empire in Konoha. It allowed her the unique position of having official freedom within the village. It allowed for her to ensure that the people within the village, her people, were not treated unfairly, that the prisoner's received the care they needed, and that her patients would not be abandoned. It was convenient to brand Shiō a traitor, but it was a poor argument. Shiō was not one to abandon patients who could not take care of themselves. There were many that a journey to the safety of the Land of Wind would have been a death march. It was Shiō's responsibility to ensure that the lives of those people were equally respected and preserved, that they received the care they needed even when others would abandon them on principles.Her official status as a Medical Shinobi for the Empire allowed her to give ss much as she could afford, she gave to the people; medical supplies, food, and money. She did not ask what they were used for or to whom. It was not her place.

Shiō continued to watch, her tents thankfully still empty of the injured she expected to be seeing. For now, she would watch and wait, taking temporary comfort in the hauntingly empty flapping of the cloth tents around her.