Sakura scanned through the test results and smiled reassuringly at the young woman on the other side of the desk. Karin looked ambivalent on the surface. Her face was calm and her posture relaxed, but she sat a little too carefully in her chair and her pulse was racing. Sakura had happily agreed to evaluate the girl at Naruto's request. She had been very impressed by Karin's grasp of hospital procedure at the get-together a few days before. Now that the Kurosakis would be staying in Konoha, thanks largely in part to Naruto's encouragement, Sakura was more than willing to sponsor the girl.
"Your results are very good," said Sakura. "You have an excellent grasp of anatomy, except for the chakra system, but we can work on that." She looked at the notes from the practical exam. "Your skill in field dressings, triage, and patient prep are at a professional level already. But I wasn't familiar with some of the medicines you mentioned, should I assume those are from your homeland?"
Karin nodded. "I can write out the chemical composition for most of them, if you want."
Sakura's interest jumped to another level. Plenty of shinobi made use of poisonous plants, venomous animals, and similar ingredients, but the exact chemical components of poisons and medicines was generally something only medic-nin studied. If Karin had already started learning that sort of thing, then she was seriously committed to the craft.
"Another time," said Sakura. She flipped to a clean sheet of paper and readied her pen. "What is your previous experience in the medical field?"
Karin straightened in her chair. "Our family ran a clinic back in Karakura, and I've helped out there since I was small. We treated mostly minor injuries: cuts, sprains, simple breaks, minor illness, and physical check-ups. We also stabilized more serious injuries before patients were moved to a larger hospital. I entered school on a pre-med track and have taken Human Anatomy, standard Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and standard Biology. I interned at Karakura Hospital for the past two summers. And I…" She faltered briefly, a dark shadow flickering over her face before disappearing again. "I learned some techniques in Soul Society that I was able to adapt for regular use. Those are a bit like medical jutsu."
"Naruto said that Soul Society was your father's homeland?" prompted Sakura.
The blonde had discussed a little bit of his cousins' situation with her. From what Sakura understood, Karin's parents had married across battle lines during peacetime, but tension had recently resumed between the two groups. The Kurosakis had fled to avoid the more powerful organization that was Soul Society. It would explain her negative outlook about the skills she learned there.
At Karin's hesitant nod, Sakura continued, "What do you mean by adapting their techniques?"
Karin crossed her arms and scowled as she considered her answer. Sakura had only seen Ichigo in passing, more frequently since the dinner last week, but with the frown in place, she could definitely see the resemblance between the two.
"Soul Society's techniques usually only work on people from Soul Society," said Karin at last. "I had to change them a bit to get them to work on everyone else."
Sakura sharpened her gaze. If Karin was already creating new medical techniques, even just adapting old ones, then Sakura wanted her in the program yesterday. She just needed to clear up a few things.
You adapted the techniques on your own?" she asked.
Karin waved a hand indicating more or less. "I had to ask Kukaku-dono and Hat'n'Clogs, I mean, Urahara-san a lot about how kidou worked, and Ichigo was able to help a little since Unohana-taichou was teaching him at the same time. But I thought of most of the changes myself."
Advanced for her age, Sakura thought, given that they seemed to start learning practical skills much later than shinobi. "Can you tell me an example? Or provide a demonstration?"
"Yes," said Karin coming to attention in her seat. "A few days before the caravan reached Konoha, a boy was stung by a scorpion. I was able to one of my adapted techniques to draw out the poison. They brought him here for a follow-up a few days later."
"You healed Inago's grandson from the Red-Spiker sting?" Sakura demanded shooting out of her chair.
Karin's nod was wary but firm. Sakura slammed her fist against the desk, leaving a small dent in the wood, one of many as evidence of her temper.
"Those morons at the desk," she ranted. "I knew there wasn't a medic-nin traveling with Inago's caravan. They can't just change civilian to shinobi in a report because it seems unlikely. Lives are lost because of errors like that! Ugh."
Sakura froze mid-way into her tirade and glanced at Karin. The girl's skepticism was clear for all to see. Sakura cleared her throat and straightened. She took a moment to run a hand through her hair to straighten the short, pink locks and readjusted her lab coat on her shoulders before carefully sitting down and returning to business.
"I see no reason why we should deny you training, once we get your chakra control up to acceptable levels," said Sakura formally. "But before we start your paperwork there's one more thing to discuss."
"Yes?" asked Karin.
Sakura leaned across the desk to stare in to Karin's eyes. "Medic-nin have better training and skills than any other medical professionals in Konoha, but they are still shinobi. If you begin training as a medic-nin, then you will formally join the ranks, and you will be required to serve a field rotation. In the field, a medic-nin's primary duty is to support her teammates. For most, that means avoiding injury and conserving energy in order to heal her comrades. But it is possible, and even likely, that you will be attacked directly and forced into combat. Do you understand?"
Karin looked down and didn't say anything for a long time. Sakura waited patiently. She had never had to give this particular speech before. Most shinobi were indoctrinated to the life-style as children and grew up around people who fought and died as a matter of routine. But that wasn't the case for the Kurosakis as far as she could determine. They had grown up in a civilian village that was generally unaffected by war; an idea that was difficult for Sakura to even imagine.
A soft rattling noise drew Sakura's attention. Karin was shaking in her seat. Her hands were clenched in tight fists that did nothing to disguise the tremors. Sakura suppressed a sigh. She thought it might be too much, and Karin had such promise too. They could probably put her in the nursing program.
"I want to join," said Karin. She raised her head, and Sakura saw determination blazing in her eyes. "If that's the case, then I definitely want to join."
"It will be dangerous," warned Sakura. "Are you sure?"
"Ichigo has always protected Yuzu and me," said Karin quietly. "He got involved with Soul Society to protect us. And then, he got hurt and couldn't fight anymore. I wanted to fight for Ichigo. I wanted to protect him the way he protected us. But I couldn't do that. Me fighting just hurt Ichigo more. There was nothing I could do to fix it. When he got his power back, that wasn't because of me. And he was so strong, he didn't need me to protect him anymore. But after, he said he was glad that I had supported him all that time even though I hadn't helped at all.
"So I promised myself that would be stronger. That I would learn to heal, so if Ichigo was ever hurt again, then I could put him back together, I could really do something to help. So if medic-nin are the best, then I want to be the best. And if that means fighting, then I'm not afraid. I'll fight anyone if it means protecting my brother. So please," Karin's nervous energy drove her out of her seat and she bowed. "Please take me as your student!"
Sakura stared, stunned by the sudden display of emotion. She couldn't help but think to her own time as a genin and her first Chunin exam. Her skill back then hadn't been enough to protect her teammates. The shame of always staring at their backs, relying on them to protect her, had driven Sakura to learn medical ninjutsu from Tsunade, a sannin, the greatest healer of all time. Sakura had fought for every bit of strength and skill until she could stand level with her teammates and protect them in return. She understood Karin perfectly.
I'll teach you," said Sakura. "I will teach you everything."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Ichigo sat in the hospital lobby waiting for Karin's interview to finish. He idly watched the crowd pass by and decided that, after lunch, he would have to take the girls shopping. They were going to be staying—Naruto's speech had utterly convinced Yuzu and Karin, and Ichigo was willing to follow their decision—and they absolutely needed new clothes. Their Western-style clothes stood out even among the bizarrely dressed shinobi, and Ichigo wanted to avoid any more unnecessary attention.
He had failed in that regard in his fight with Lee, Ichigo knew. But he had needed to work off the energy from his nightmare, and it had been so long since he fought anyone just to test his skills. He couldn't resist the challenge once they started. Lee had been a good fighter and a good person too. His strikes echoed his resolve to work hard and improve himself. Each hit spoke of hundred hours of practice spent perfecting each blow. Lee possessed a devotion to honing his craft and a desire to strive that was full of potential. His whole outlook was… youthful. It was a refreshing change from the ancient opponents Ichigo usually fought against.
"Kurosaki-san, are you all right?"
Startled out of his thoughts, Ichigo looked up to see a familiar set of eyes staring at him. He stood and gave her a slight bow.
"Hyuuga-san," said Ichigo greeted. "No, I'm okay."
Hinata smiled. "That's good. From your expression, I was worried something was wrong."
Ichigo blushed. That was what he got for thinking about Soul Society in the middle of the hospital. "No, I'm just waiting for my sister to finish and interview. What about you? Are you visiting someone?"
Hinata shook her head spilling long black hair across her shoulders. "No, I'm usually the field medic in my squad, so I'm attending a lecture from Shizune-sensei today."
"Oh?" asked Ichigo. "That's impressive. I don't have much talent in that area, but the medics I know are all very strong people."
Now Hinata was fighting down a rising blush. "Thank you, Kurosaki-san. But I have a natural advantage. The byakugan lets me see what the problem is without having to guess. I don't have to work as hard as other field medics."
"That doesn't matter," said Ichigo. He ignored her surprised flinch. "If you're helping someone, it doesn't matter to them how you do it, just that you're helping. That's what I believe. But the byakugan, is that…?" He gestured toward his face.
Hinata's startled look shifted to amusement. "Yes, it's the Hyuuga Clan's dojutsu. It's why we're so recognizable."
"Then you probably know this guy I met the other day," said Ichigo. "Neji, I think was his name."
"Neji-onii-san is my older cousin," said Hinata happily. "When did you meet him?"
"I ended up sparring with one of his teammates the other morning," said Ichigo.
Hinata look had shifted to mild alarm. "You were the one sparring with Lee-kun? Are you alright? Lee-kun and Gai-san can be very intense in their work outs."
Ichigo waved a hand. "No, it was fun."
"Really?" asked Hinata. She still looked a bit dubious. "In that case, Neji mentioned Lee was interested in a rematch. If you're interested, then they meet at that training ground every day at oh six hundred when they're not out on missions."
"I'll think about it," said Ichigo. He meant it this time. He had enjoyed the fight, and more than that he had enjoyed seeing his sisters' faces when they learned he was interacting with someone rather than just wandering around the village by himself. "Thank you, Hyuuga-san."
"Just passing the word along, Kurosaki-san," she said cheerfully. She paused and stared over Ichigo's shoulder. "Oh! I need to go. It was good to see you again, Kurosaki-san."
"Of course," said Ichigo. "Good-bye, Hyuuga-san."
Another small bow and Hinata was striding away into the hospital. Ichigo glanced behind him. Yes, there was a clock, and it was almost noon. Surely, Karin would be done soon. He turned back. To his disappointment, Hinata had disappeared from sight.
"Ichi-nii!"
Karin hurried toward him. She wore a happy grin, and there was a lightness to her step that Ichigo hadn't seen in years. She was cradling half-a-dozen scrolls in her arms and carrying a thick packet of papers.
"What's all this?" asked Ichigo.
"Registration papers, hospital procedures, and Sakura-sensei gave me few medical scrolls to study while we work out my schedule," said Karin. Her smile abruptly turned into a scowl. "You didn't even let me tell you I made it."
"I already knew you could do it," said Ichigo relieving her of some scrolls. "Let's get back to Yuzu. She'll be happy for you. She might even make something that's not ramen for dinner."
Karin groaned and shuffled toward the doors. "I know she wants to make the perfect bowl of ramen for Naruto, but can't we get a break? We've been eating nothing but ramen for the last three days."
"Tell you what," said Ichigo. "You tell Yuzu the good news. Then we can go out for lunch and shopping after. She won't have time to make ramen tonight."
Karin considered it. "That's a pretty good idea, Ichi-nii. I'm going to need some clothes to train in anyway."
"I have them from time to time," said Ichigo. Then the rest of the statement registered. "Wait, what?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
Sasuke deflected another blow with his chokuto and darted forward slipping under the shinobi's guard to stab him in the heart. As the body of his latest opponent fell, Sasuke took a moment to survey the impromptu battlefield. Suigetsu was still locked in combat with two lightning users, Karin was still unconscious on the ground at Sasuke's feet, and another attacker was already making his way over Sasuke's defensive Wall of Flame.
The last Uchiha wasn't even sure why they were under attack. He and his team were on another fact-finding mission from the Hokage, reestablishing contact with some of Jiraiya's old informants, and keeping an eye out for dissent against Konohagakure. They were traveling in disguise too—that was why Jugo had been left in the village—and barely past the Land of Fire's borders. Plenty of people had a grudge against the Uchiha or the remains of Akatsuki or Sound, but no one should have been able to identify them.
The attack had come without warning. Karin's abilities as a sensor-type were unparalleled, but she had given no indication of pursuit. One minute everything was fine, with Suigetsu and Karin bickering like an old married couple, and the next she had dropped like a stone. A dozen attackers had dropped out of the trees, and they were in battle.
Sasuke inhaled. Forming a familiar series of hand-signs, he breathed out flame. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The attacking shinobi didn't have time to dodge. A brief screech of pain quickly cut-off as he melted into a pool of liquid fat and bone. Sasuke added more chakra to his defensive wall flaring the flames higher and forcing the other shinobi back. Except, there were fewer shinobi on the other side. There was a rumble beneath his feet, and Sasuke tensed to jump away. But he couldn't abandon Karin.
Hands shot out of the earth, avoiding Sasuke completely, and pulled the limp kunoichi underground. Rage roared through the Uchiha's veins. He struck down blindly, but the attackers were gone. He cancelled the fire wall, that was useless now too, and shunshin'd to Suigetsu's side, blasting through one of the attackers in an instant. Suigetsu took the opportunity to slice through the other shinobi's head then turned reproachful eyes on Sasuke.
"What took you so long?" demanded Suigetsu. "I could have—
"They took Karin," said Sasuke. "Hurry up."
Sasuke activated his sharingan and started running. Suigetsu would catch up sooner or later.
Most would find it difficult track shinobi moving underground, especially if the trackers were not earth-type chakra users. Sasuke had no such difficulty. He could follow the minute traces of displaced dirt on the surface. The enemy shinobi might as well have trampled through the forest for all the good it did them.
The longer it took Sasuke to reach Karin, the angrier he became. By the time he caught up with the troop, he was no longer a person who could be reasoned with. Not that the enemy shinobi tried. One carried Karin slung across his shoulders. The others, all seven remaining, stopped to confront Sasuke.
Seven shinobi weren't enough to slow Sasuke down, and these weren't even that good. He cut down the center of the line without stopping and charged the one carrying Karin. He, at least, knew how to dodge and avoided a blow that would have severed his arm. The enemy shinobi dropped Karin and turned to face Sasuke.
With his sharingan activated, Sasuke would never be able to forget a detail of that face, but oddly enough there wasn't much to remember. There was no hitai-ate. No distinguishing scars or tattoos. His features were regular to the point of blandness, and the color of his skin and hair could have belonged to a variety of nations. Only his eyes stood out, one remarkable feature in an otherwise featureless landscape. He had no dojutsu, just plain, brown eyes. But they were empty, yawning pits utterly devoid of light and life, lacking even the sick burn of madness.
For a moment, fear tugged at Sasuke and he hesitated. "Why did you attack us? What do you want with Karin?"
"Karin, descendant of the Uzumaki, recently of Konoha," said the shinobi in a voice as unremarkable as his face. "We need her."
"She's not yours to take," said Sasuke. "I'll stop you."
The man smiled. The emptiness in his eyes turned to hunger. "You can't stop us."
Rage over took the fear, and Sasuke charged. The enemy shinobi started forming seals. Sasuke jumped up and away as spikes of earth appeared in his path. A rock wall grew behind the spikes hiding the shinobi and Karin from view. Sasuke sent lightning chakra coursing through his sword, comforted by the familiar hum of electrified metal, and easily destroyed the wall in a single blow. The shinobi hadn't had time to move or prepare another attack, and on the backswing, Sasuke sliced him in half.
Sasuke quickly sheathed his blade and scooped up Karin before another shinobi could take her. He whirled on his heel, ready to confront the rest of the group, but they were already dead. Suigetsu had taken care of the remainder while Sasuke confronted the leader. He closed his eyes and powered down his sharingan. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed Suigetsu's frown as he picked his way over the dead bodies.
"That was boring," said the bloodthirsty swordsman. "I'm not even sure those guys knew how to use chakra."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Not everything has to be a great bloody battle."
"But that's what makes it fun," protested Suigetsu. "Tell me I'm wrong."
"You're wrong," said Sasuke flatly. "But you are right that none of them seemed terribly skilled. Only this one at earth release and those other two with lightning." He paused. None of the ones they had slain were wearing foreheads protectors. They were wearing similar clothing, but bandits did the same simply because that sort of clothing was cheap. "Check for any identification—
"Can't stop us."
Sasuke and Suigetsu pivoted toward the voice. There was no one behind them except the half-destroyed corpse of the failed kidnapper.
"Please tell me he is not coming back to life," said Suigetsu. "Haven't we had enough of that sort of thing already?"
The mystery shinobi didn't come back to life. He melted. Not into water as the former kiri-nin did at will, but by collapsing into the various components that made up a human body. His skin rotted off, his bones crumbled into dust, his muscles collapsed in rancid strings, and the few organs Sasuke hadn't fried in his attack ruptured into stinking black matter. A quick check showed the other bodies had done the same.
"Oh, gross," said Suigetsu.
Sasuke shot him a disbelieving look. Then again, Suigetsu rarely saw himself melt and reform. Sasuke shifted Karin into a more comfortable position in his arms—she was heavy with muscle, but he could carry her for a while longer—and started walking back to the road.
"We're just leaving?" demanded Suigetsu.
"There's nothing for us to take back to Konoha," said Sasuke. "And if more are coming, then we shouldn't wait around here with Karin still unconscious."
Suigetsu hurried to catch up. A worried frown showed on his face as he leaned in to get a closer look at the kunoichi. He would never admit it out loud, but Suigetsu liked Karin. And Sasuke. And Jugo. Sasuke had never been able to figure out why, exactly. They hadn't met at a great point in Sasuke's life. In fact, they had probably met him at his worst. But he, and the rest of Team Taka, had stayed with Sasuke even when he had returned to Konoha to face his punishment for deserting. It meant a lot to Sasuke to have his support, especially now that Karin was hurt.
Discover moreBooksSearch engine optimizationOnline advertising platformStory plotting softwareAuthor collaboration toolsWebsite hosting servicesFandom conventions ticketsWorld-building guidesAuthor merchandiseOnline critique groups"Do you think she'll wake up soon?" asked Suigetsu.
"I don't know," said Sasuke. He didn't know what had put her down in the first place. He planned to keep going. There was a town nearby where they could rest for the night. But if she wasn't awake by morning, then they were heading straight back to Konoha.
Suigetsu clicked his tongue. "Tch. Damn girl's missing out. Getting carried in lover-boy's arms like a princess. She'd be over the moon."
Sasuke flushed. His relationship with Karin wasn't like that. "Shut up!"
Suigetsu snickered. "Karin and Sasuke sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"I said, shut up!"
-0-0-0-0-0-
Yuzu felt the slide of yellow silk kimono between her fingers and decided to put it back. It was good quality but not the best, and she thought the starting price was a bit too much, especially on their budget. She bowed to the shopkeeper and moved to the next stall. They needed new clothes. Two months on the road, even traveling with a caravan, had seen a lot of wear on the few garments they had brought with them. She glanced at the crowd and then at her own sundress and sandals. Ichi-nii had a good point about blending in too. There were some Western elements thrown-in among mostly traditional clothing, but no one wore clothes quite like hers or her siblings'.
The problem was, she thought as she moved to the next stall, that they needed new everything, not just clothes, and buying that much stuff was expensive. They did have quite a lot of money from Uzumaki Mamoru that was happily resting in a brand new bank account, but that money wouldn't last forever. Even trading in the jewelry, gold, and silver their father had given them before they left would only add so much to their funds. Once Karin started her new job, she would be bringing in a little money, but they had no idea how much that would be or when she would start.
Yuzu winced when she thought of Karin's new occupation. Ichigo had not been pleased when he realized Karin's position as a medic-nin would involve actual combat. The resulting screaming match would have deafened the neighborhood if Ichigo hadn't remembered to perform a sound-dampening kidou first. Yuzu thought it was fairly obvious when Sakura was introduced as a medic-nin that fighting would be involved at some point. Then again, Ichi-nii could be a little blind about that sort of thing at times. Being oblivious to personal matters was a specialty of Ichigo's. He had spent years ignoring Orihime's feelings for him after all.
The fight had finally ended when Karin accused Ichigo of doubting her abilities, and Ichigo had claimed not to deny her abilities at all but insist he was looking out for her best interests. Karin had informed him it was in her best interest to learn to fight, so she could better protect her interests. Ichigo hadn't been able to argue with that, but Yuzu wished Karin hadn't phrased it quite like that; it reminded Ichigo too much of his failure to protect them from Soul Society.
They had gone out for a celebratory lunch anyway, and everyone's mood had slowly improved. Afterward, Yuzu had sent Ichigo with Karin so he could help her pick out the gear Sakura had recommended, while she volunteered to start shopping for their regular clothes on her own. Well, not entirely on her own.
Yuzu smiled down at the lion doll riding in her bag. "I was thinking I could get some fabric to make something for you, Kon, since we left all the outfits Uryu made in Karakura." She ignored the sweat beading on the doll's forehead. "Maybe something traditional. Like a yukata? In dark blue. That would look lovely with your fur."
She grinned a little at the sigh of relief. They should have told her Bostov was a boy much sooner. Though Uryu had known and had made all those women's outfits anyway. He brother's friends were so strange.
A new goal in mind, Yuzu looked about for a fabric-seller. She was handy with a needle. They all were after stitching up patients in the clinic. And Uryu had shown her a few embroidery patterns at her request including a fetching design using the Quincy cross. She could put it on their clothes like the Uzu-spiral on Naruto's jacket. She could probably make him something too. She knew he liked orange.
She didn't see a fabric-seller nearby, but she did see a flash of silver duck into a shop. Curious, Yuzu moved closer and saw it was a dango restaurant. After a moment's thought, Yuzu went inside too. She thought Karin and Ichigo would appreciate the sweet pick-me-up after they were finished shopping.
On the way back out, someone flagged her down.
"Kurosaki-san, over here."
Yuzu turned. There was Hatake-san sitting at a table with a rather scantily-clad woman munching on dango. Hatake didn't seem to be eating much with his mask in place.
"Hello, Hatake-san. I thought I saw you come in," said Yuzu. "It's good to see you again."
"It's just Kakashi, Kurosaki-san. Hatake-san was my father," he said. "This is Mitarashi Anko. Anko, this is Kurosaki Yuzu, the girl I was telling you about the other day."
Yuzu blinked then gave the kunoichi a quick bow. "Pleased to meet you, Mitarashi-san."
Mitarashi pushed herself out of her seat without answering and circled around Yuzu to take her measure. She stopped in front of Yuzu and scowled. Yuzu smiled back. That was what worked best with Ichigo.
"This is the girl that worked over Yamato?" asked Mitarashi. "Pull the other one, Kakashi."
"Oh dear," said Yuzu. "I hope Yamato-san didn't get in too much trouble."
Mitarashi threw back her head and laughed. "Come on, Kakashi. No one's going to take that seriously. She's carrying a stuffed toy, for goodness sake. Girl, look at you, and look at me. What do you see?"
Yuzu looked down at herself. She was wearing the same sundress with a daisy print she had picked out this morning, carrying a shopping with Kon poking out, and for the most part looked normal. She looked at Mitarashi and took in the boots, the fishnet armor, the skirt, the jacket, and most important of all the hitai-ate displayed proudly on her forehead.
She smiled at Mitarashi. "Your hair-cut really suits the shape of your face, Mitarashi-san. It's super-cute!"
The kunoichi gaped. From his seat, Kakashi let out a quiet chuckle. Yuzu kept up her smile. She did her family's hair after all. She noticed things like that. It wouldn't look quite the same on Karin. Her sister's face was a little too lean, but it was a cute style.
Mitarashi pointed an accusing finger. "Don't expect me to believe that's the first thing you thought of."
Yuzu felt heat rising in her cheeks and raised her hands to hide her blush. "Well, no, my first thought was… Most women don't have the confidence to wear just metal-mesh like that, but Mitarashi-san has such a lovely figure. The effect is quite striking. But that's just so embarrassing to say."
Mitarashi was staring again. Kakashi's chuckle had shifted to somewhat inappropriate giggle. Yuzu gave him a disapproving look. He if kept laughing like that, people would have strange thoughts about him for sure.
"Ibiki would laugh me out of the room," mumbled Mitarashi.
Yuzu frowned in confusion. Who was Ibiki? She glanced at Kakashi for guidance.
"Anko is highly place in T&I," explained Kakashi. "Her recommendation to Morino Ibiki, the chief of that department, would go a long way if you decided to join."
"Oh," said Yuzu with sudden insight. She clasped her hands together and turned back to Anko. "In that case, Mitarashi-san, how did you get involved in T&I?"
Anko laughed darkly. "After I quit that bastard Orochimaru, I spent a long time in Interrogation. They had to make sure I wasn't a sleeper-agent, you see. After they vetted me, I joined up. I don't think that's going to work for you."
"No," admitted Yuzu sadly. "But, Mitarashi-san, wasn't it difficult to work alongside the people who had been…mean to you before?"
"Ha!" The kunoichi let out a short, sharp bark of laugher. "The guys in T&I were the only ones who wanted to work with me. After all, they knew I wouldn't betray the village when everyone else still looked at me sideways."
Yuzu tilted her head thoughtfully. "Was that important to you? Knowing who might be a traitor?"
"It's the most important," declared Anko. "A village only works because shinobi can rely on their comrades. Betrayal is the worst thing one person can do to the other!"
Yuzu nodded in fervent agreement. She felt the same, especially after what Soul Society did Ichigo. "With feelings like those, you must have been great right from the start!"
Anko looked away embarrassed. "Well, Ibiki did say I showed promise, but the first time is hard for everybody."
"Oh?" asked Yuzu. "Is that so? Even you?"
"Yeah," said Anko with a little laugh. "I remember my first—
Kakashi coughed loudly into his fist, and Anko cut off abruptly at the sound. Yuzu pouted in disappointment. She had wanted to hear more. Mitarashi blinked rapidly as her brain caught up with her mouth.
"Natural talent," whispered the kunoichi. She cleared her throat. "That's very good. But a trick like that won't work on a prepared shinobi. Is that all you've got?"
Yuzu adopted a thoughtful expression and glanced up at the ceiling. She nodded firmly. "There's one more thing. Could you hold Kon, Kakashi-san?"
Kakashi took her bag with an amused smirk. Yuzu could sense it even though she couldn't see behind the mask. He and Anko watched as Yuzu raised her right arm above her head and assumed an expression of intense concentration.
Something shifted beneath Yuzu's dress. A thin dark shape snaked out of the arm-hole and twined around the raised limb. It slowed briefly, revealing itself to be a heavy black chain, before shooting towards the ceiling. The chain jumped over an exposed rafter and reached back down to wrap around Mitarashi's arm. A brief tug from Yuzu and the kunoichi was hovering half-a-meter off the ground.
Despite her situation, Anko's expression could only be described as victorious. "Excellent," she said. "How'd you do it, kid?"
Yuzu blushed. "Um, I'm not exactly sure. It's not something Ichi-nii or Karin can do."
"They're chakra-weapons," said a stunned Kakashi. He slid a half-drawn kunai back into his weapons pouch, and the rest of the shinobi in the establishment followed suit. "Kushina, Naruto's mother, could do something similar. It's an Uzumaki talent."
"Really?" asked Yuzu. "That's great."
"Yeah, yeah," said Mitarashi. "Whatever. Can you make more than one?"
"I can," said Yuzu hesitantly. "But, the more there are the harder it gets to control if they go through people or not."
"Through people?" repeated Anko.
Yuzu lightly shook her arm. It sent Anko swaying but also loosened the part of the chain attached to Yuzu. She showed off her wrist, which was manacled, sort of. There was a manacle there, but it was too small to circle the whole limb and bit through the middle of her wrist instead. She twisted her arm the opposite direction showing off a larger-than-average metal link that pierced her elbow. There was no blood at either site, but that made visuals even more disturbing.
"That doesn't hurt?" asked Kakashi sounding concerned.
Yuzu shook her head. "Not really." It did hurt some, but she had quickly grown accustomed to the pain the first few times she summoned the chains. "It's really the chains themselves that cause pain."
"Oh?" asked Anko looking doubtful. "I'm not exactly comfortable here, but I haven't noticed any outstanding pain."
Yuzu gasped. "Oh no, I definitely wouldn't use that ability without warning you first. You haven't done anything to deserve a nasty surprise like that."
Mitarashi considered this for a moment. Then she grinned. "Hit me with it."
"What?" asked Yuzu.
"Use that ability of yours on me. If I'm impressed, I'll present you to Ibiki myself," she declared. "Don't worry. I can take it."
Yuzu wasn't sure about that, but she wasn't about to insult the kunoichi by saying so. "Okay."
Yuzu closed her eyes. In all honesty, it had taken her a lot of effort to learn to summon just the chains without the accompanying pain. Adding the burning power associated with her hell links was a simple matter of letting the power free again. She didn't want to startle Anko too badly, so she slowly eased her grip on the fiery spiritual energy.
On the chain itself, previously unseen symbols glowed with sulfurous yellow light starting with the ones on Yuzu's arm and continuing link by link. The light started to darken as it reached the ceiling, and by the time it reached Anko, the links glowed a fiery red-orange. The ones touching the kunoichi lit up all at once. She seized, twisting back and forth on the chain like a hooked fish. She didn't scream only because she couldn't unclench her jaw.
After ten seconds, Yuzu dispersed the chains completely. Mitarashi dropped to the ground, but to Yuzu's surprise she managed to land in a crouch. Anko's harsh pants as she caught her breath were the only sound in whole restaurant. Eventually, she looked up and met Yuzu's eyes.
"That's was pretty good work, kid," she said.
To Yuzu's surprise and great relief, Mitarashi managed to stand a moment later. She fumbled with the arm of her jacket, pulling back the sleeve to reveal clear, unmarked skin.
"Damn, it feels like my arm's on fire," Anko said ruefully. "That's some trick."
"Ichi-nii can fix that," Yuzu reassured her. She gesture to the door. "He's on his way over."
"Eh? Were you planning to meet here?" asked Kakashi.
"No," she said. "But he and Karin definitely felt me do that. They're probably worried about it."
"How'd they know?" asked Anko. She looked a little pale but was determined to act fine.
"They just can?" suggested Yuzu. "Nobody else around here would be using a power like that, so they know it's me."
"So your whole family can sense chakra?" asked Anko.
Before Yuzu could reply, the door to the shop flew open. A frantic looking Ichigo and a worried Karin barreled inside. When they caught sight of Yuzu smiling, both of them relaxed and scowled. Yuzu giggled at their matching expressions.
"Geez, Yuzu," said Karin. "What were you doing?"
"She was applying for a position with T&I," said Anko. She stepped forward and wrapped her unaffected arm around Yuzu's shoulders. "I'm keeping this one."
Ichigo let out a pained noise, while Karin rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.
"You couldn't have given Ichi-nii a day to recover?" she asked.
Yuzu winced, but neither of her siblings looked particularly surprised. They had probably expected her to take this route ever since Kakashi suggested it. Back in Karakura, she had considered taking a teaching position somewhere or maybe opening a restaurant. But T&I suited her so much better these days, especially considering Anko's words. If they wanted to avoid a situation like Soul Society, then Yuzu needed to know the people in Konoha. T&I was the best place for that.
"Sorry, Ichi-nii," she said.
"It's fine," said Ichigo in a strangled voice. "If you want it, then it's fine."
Yuzu knew it wasn't really fine, but she was happy enough to avoid a shouting match of her own. They weren't her strong suit, and she didn't want to make Karin defend Yuzu's decision for her. Neither of them liked to argue with Ichi-nii in the first place. Two fights in one day were too many.
"Thanks, Ichi-nii," said Yuzu brightly. She glanced up at Anko, who had started to lean on Yuzu for support. The kunoichi might have been capable of withstanding the physical sensation of pain, but she had no training to shake off the foreign reiatsu in her system. "Do you think you can fix Mitarashi-san's arm?"
"Eh, call me Anko, kid. We'll be working together soon enough," she said. Anko glanced at her arm held limply at her side. "It won't go away on its own?"
Yuzu looked critically at her arm. She wasn't good with other people's spiritual power the way Karin and Ichigo were, but she knew every aspect of her own power. It was too dangerous to other people if she didn't. She hadn't used her full strength, and it was only the arm, but there was the matter of Anko's spiritual pressure to consider.
"Three days," said Ichigo, who had also been looking at the arm.
"At least, three days," agreed Yuzu. "And the feeling won't fade any in that time. Sorry, Anko-san."
"Hey, I asked for it," said Anko. She looked at Ichigo. "You can fix it?"
Ichigo shrugged. "Sure."
He stepped forward. A gentle golden glow surrounded his right hand. He ran it down Anko's arm, and then across Yuzu too. Yuzu gave a sigh of relief as the tight pain in her chest eased. Using her power didn't hurt her the same way it hurt other people, but there was still some pain. She was glad Ichigo had retained his own power to reverse the effects.
Anko had let go of Yuzu and was putting her arm through its paces. "Good as new," she said. "What did you do?"
Yuzu sent a pointed look at her brother. He needed to be more social.
Ichigo scowled at her, but answered anyway. "I dissolved the foreign energy in your arm."
"Oh?" asked Anko. "I didn't notice any foreign chakra. But if that's all, couldn't I have forced it out on my own?"
"I don't know," said Ichigo. "The energy is designed to stick, so it can't be resisted like that normally. But chakra might effect it differently."
"I can test it once Karin and I start learning chakra," said Yuzu.
Anko froze and turned to face Yuzu. "You haven't learned to use chakra? But those chains…"
"That's right," said Yuzu remembering. "Kakashi-san said the chains were actually chakra weapons."
Ichigo and Karin both looked at Kakashi. The jounin nodded in confirmation and straightened, just a touch, in his seat.
"Chakra-constructs, technically," said Kakashi. "It's a skill of the Uzumaki Clan. I'm surprised that you could use them instinctively like that. Your chakra reserves must be a lot bigger than we thought."
"What's this about the chakra?" repeated Anko.
Yuzu smiled sheepishly. "Well, we're not from the Elemental Countries, so none of us know very much about chakra yet. But Karin is going to go to classes so she can train as a medic-nin. I thought I could do the same thing. Is that okay?"
"Hell, yes," said Anko. Fire burned in her eyes as she considered the possibilities. "That sort of special circumstance we'll have to sort out with the hokage. Let's go, kid."
Anko latched on to Yuzu's arm, dragged her out of the dango shop, and took off at a sprint toward the Hokage Tower. Dumbfounded, Ichigo and Karin stared after their rapidly departing sister and, after a silent exchange, raced off in pursuit. Seemingly abandoned to his own devices, Kakashi heard a small whimper. He looked down. He was still holding Yuzu's bag with the stuffed lion.
"Better go after them," he said and got up to follow the crowd.
In the restaurant, the other shinobi patrons reluctantly returned to their original conservations. After a moment, the civilians did too. It was Anko's favorite dango shop after all. Stuff like that happened all the time.