Knock! Knock!
"Kurumari-sensei, we're here!"
Kurumari wiped her damp hands on her apron and hurried to open the door, her bathrobe loosely tied over her sleepwear.
At the dining table, Hikari—fresh from her bath—dried her silver hair with a towel. A small travel pack from the inn sat beside her on the stool.
The door swung open.
Three teenagers, roughly in their early teens, tumbled inside like a whirlwind.
"Man, the rain's brutal today," grumbled the blond boy in a black tracksuit, shaking water off his sleeves. His sharp brow made his bright eyes even more striking.
"I don't mind it," said the calm boy in a purple jacket, propping his soaked umbrella against the wall. A massive scythe was strapped to his back. His gaze lingered on the unfamiliar silver-haired girl at the table with mild curiosity.
"Tch! Of course you'd say that, you water-style freak."
"Says the unlucky guy who awakened fire-nature in the Mist Village, where water-style shinobi are everywhere."
The purple-clad boy smirked.
"Who're you calling unlucky?!" The blond's temper flared.
"You, obviously."
"Knock it off."
A girl with twin flaxen braids and a fitted blue shinobi outfit stepped between them, yanking both boys back by their collars before their noses could touch.
"Hana, if they keep fighting, skip the anesthesia next time you patch them up," Kurumari called over her shoulder, flipping food in the pan with a grin.
"She never uses anesthesia!" the boys shouted in unison.
"It interferes with medical ninjutsu," Hana replied flatly, her emerald eyes shifting to the blindfolded girl. "So… she's our mission client?"
"Yep. This is Hikari. Our job's escorting her to Tanzaku Town in the Land of Fire—C-rank."
"I'm Dōzan Hana. Pleasure to meet you." Hana offered a polite smile.
The boys followed suit, introducing themselves as Okamura Shin (the blond hothead) and Masato (the scythe-wielder).
Hikari pieced it together: the trio were former academy friends, now Genin under Kurumari's leadership—Team 7.
The Rules & The Plan
In the Five Great Nations, leaving the village without permission branded you a rogue-nin. Kurumari had bent the rules to search for her brother, but a covert trip to Fire Country? That'd scream "traitor".
So, she'd formalized it—accepting Hikari's pre-existing escort request at the Mizukage's office. Now, Team 7 was along for the ride.
Dinner became their briefing.
Table Talk
Shin, ever the chatterbox, leaned in. "Hey, Hikari—they say Tanzaku Town's insanely rich. Like, 'one jutsu could flatten a crowd of nobles' rich. True?"
Masato pointed to his own eyes, then Hikari's blindfold. "You idiot."
Shin missed the hint, scowling.
"I… don't know much about it," Hikari admitted softly. "I rarely go out."
Silence.
Shin's face fell. "I—I'm sorry—"
"It's fine," Hikari said. Really, she thought, playing blind was a genius move.
Masato cleared his throat. "Hana's a medic. Maybe she can help?"
"Impossible," Hana cut in. "If her optic nerves are dead from birth, even ninjutsu can't—"
"Hana!" Masato winced. "Sorry. She gets… technical about medical stuff."
Hikari waved it off. "I'm just grateful you're helping me home."
The Real Topic
Hana, eager to redirect, brightened. "Well, maybe Lady Tsunade could help! The legendary Sannin, granddaughter of the God of Shinobi, pioneer of—"
"Wait, Tsunade?!" Shin blinked. "Like… the blonde from Make-Out Paradise?"
Hikari choked on her tea. "…You mean Icha Icha Paradise?"
Shin turned beet red.
Hana's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"
"A… adult book," Hikari said innocently.
The room erupted.
"IT'S ART!" Shin howled, as Masato and Hana stared in disgust.
Hikari hid a smile behind her cup. The kitchen sizzled, laughter bubbled, and for a moment—just a moment—she almost forgot the tragedy that brought her here.
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