After a while, she went downstairs. She saw him lying on the sofa, eyes closed. His hair was damp, and he wasn't wearing his vest, but he still had on part of his uniform. He opened his eyes when he heard her. His heterochromatic eyes locked onto hers, a hint of desire still lingering.
"What about the bath?"
"Incredible. I should use the tub more often," she said, making him laugh. "And your shower?"
"Very stimulating."
"Mhmm..."
Kakashi-sensei lifted his feet when she went to sit down and placed them on her lap. To her surprise, he caught her with his legs and pulled her on top of him. She landed on his torso with a soft thud. She settled on top of him, feeling his strong, defined arms wrap around her.
"Ow. You're lucky I like you," she joked, rubbing her chin.
"I know."
Seina straightened up on his torso, looking at his face. He had said it seriously, rather than joking back. She didn't know if it was because he felt lucky, believed she was out of his league, or felt inferior to her. Either way, she wasn't going to let it slide. With her face inches from the jonin's, she stared into his eyes.
"I'm lucky too," she confessed with the same seriousness.
She watched as his features softened at her words. He looked at her with tender eyes. If she weren't literally lying on his chest and able to hear from a distance with her spells, she wouldn't have heard the excited, almost trembling rhythm of his heart. She found it surprising that she had this effect on someone as composed as Kakashi-sensei, but she couldn't deny that she loved realizing that his heart skipped a beat when he looked at her.
"You make it very hard not to kiss you right now."
"Who's stopping you?"
Kakashi-sensei cupped her face with one hand, bringing his lips to hers in a sweet, closed-lip kiss. Her eyelids closed involuntarily as she enjoyed the moment. Unfortunately, just then, she heard Naruto and Sasuke arriving in the front yard. The jonin sat up, with her in his arms, before kissing her a few more times like a thirsty man. Only when the front door opened did he let her go. They exchanged one last look filled with desire before she sat beside him.
"We're home!" Naruto shouted, appearing in the living room with a few bags.
"Stop shouting, dobe," Sasuke sighed behind him. "I'm going to develop tinnitus living with you."
Seina laughed at Sasuke's joke. At least, she thought it was a joke. Naruto was still trying to develop his indoor voice. Kakashi-sensei beside her shook with silent laughter.
"What are you saying, teme?" Naruto shouted again, making everyone cringe. "You should be super happy to have me around all the time!"
"I prefer Seina," Sasuke said, a devilish smile on his lips.
"This is a total betrayal! Besides, Seina prefers me!" his brother replied, crossing his arms.
"Actually, I prefer Kakashi-sensei. He doesn't give me tinnitus or headaches. Unlike you two."
Kakashi-sensei let out a laugh at the indignant faces of his team.
"Aw. I prefer you too," he confessed jokingly. He raised a hand and they high-fived.
"This is a MUTINY!"
Her teacher stood up, winking at her behind her brother and Sasuke's backs. She knew he meant it, despite his playful tone. She let him lift her, taking his hand, and they all went to the kitchen to put away the groceries and start making dinner.
"You know, something really strange happened to me this afternoon," Naruto said. "I saw Neji and Hinata walking around the village. As soon as Neji saw me, it seemed like he was almost going to cry! I swear!"
"It's true," Sasuke nodded beside him. "He seemed emotional. I don't know why seeing the dobe's face had that effect on him..."
Seina choked on hearing that. Damn. She hoped it had nothing to do with what happened earlier today, but everything pointed to it. Kakashi-sensei beside her patted her back while raising an eyebrow in her direction.
"Why do I get the impression you know something about that?" the jonin asked.
"Well. Maybe, hypothetically, it's possible that earlier today I removed Neji's seal, one of his secondary branch cousins', and maybe regenerated both of his eyes after they were ripped out on a mission."
"What!?" Naruto shouted, eyes wide.
"Seeing Naruto must have reminded him of you," Sasuke thought out loud.
She felt the jonin's piercing gaze on her face. She had to bite her lips to keep from laughing. She didn't even know why he was surprised by the things she did. In the end, she sighed, accepting her defeat.
"I talked to Tsunade-sama, so there's nothing to worry about. I think... Besides, I had the heiress of the clan's permission," she excused herself again.
"You have more and more reasons to be a prime candidate for kidnapping, or recruitment. I'm not entirely sure," Kakashi-sensei muttered under his breath.
"No one is going to kidnap me. Successfully at least."
"I'll hold you to that."
"Neji had his eyes ripped out?" Naruto asked, his face pale.
"Not Neji. His distant cousin, Tetsu."
Her brother and Sasuke needed a few minutes to regain their normal colour at the thought of dealing with someone with empty eye sockets. Kakashi-sensei, who had surely seen worse things, didn't even blink. She remembered how he had blown out an enemy's eye on her first C-rank mission just because they had insulted them. No. It was clear that it hadn't affected him.
The next day, Seina returned to the hospital. Again, she noticed the whispers that they thought she couldn't hear. She ignored the praises, and some words of jealousy, and headed for the changing room. Unfortunately, a few iryo-nin wouldn't leave her alone.
"Seina-san. We heard what you did yesterday with the eyeless patient. Could you explain to us how you did it?"
She swallowed a groan of frustration. What was she going to tell them? That she had used magic? Fortunately, something extraordinary happened. Shizune appeared at the door and saved her. She almost cried with relief as she left with the Hokage's other apprentice.
"I saw you needed rescuing," Shizune whispered. "Tsunade-sama thought something like this might happen."
"I don't know how much longer I can hide that I can't teach them to reproduce my jutsus. I even feel bad about it."
"We know. Come. Tsunade-sama wants to talk to you."
She changed her clothes again, a little confused. As soon as they arrived at the Hokage's office and saw her accompanied by Shikaku, she groaned in exasperation. The jonin commander smiled slyly at her reaction.
"Again?"
"I'm afraid so. The news about Tetsu's eyes has spread far," Tsunade-sama sighed. "Luckily, no one has noticed his seal. I had a very clear talk with the people who assisted you in the operation, as well as Neji and Hinata."
"So, what's the problem?"
"What's the problem?" Shikaku repeated with an incredulous laugh. "Seina, you've restored both eyes to a person with a dojutsu."
"Even I can't regenerate organs like that," Tsunade-sama confessed.
"Ugh. My head is starting to hurt. If I had known—"
"No! I don't want you to think that your powers are something to hide," the Hokage interceded, knowing what she was going to say. "You gave someone their life back, Seina. It's something to be proud of."
"Even so, knowing you, you would have done it anyway," Shikaku said tiredly. "You're not only competitive but also a good person. You couldn't avoid the guilt knowing you could have restored his sight and didn't."
Seina sent him a murderous look before crossing her arms, irritated but amused at the same time. Was she that easy to read? She was losing her troll touch that she had cultivated for years.
"The point is that now many people will wonder if you could help them with their amputations. Even the council has asked me to order you to help as many retired ninjas as possible due to injuries."
"And what's going to happen?" she sighed, asking the same question she had asked months ago.
"On Thursdays and Fridays, you will treat retired ninjas with amputated limbs. Even if you only manage to help 2 out of 10 people, that means our ranks will increase in number. This also gets the council off my back," Tsunade-sama murmured at the end.
"We will compile a list of potential patients for you," Shizune informed. "Our idea is for you to schedule appointments at your convenience in your personal office. We will set up an operating room for you alone on Thursdays and Fridays and assign a team of nurses, assistants, and medical ninjas to assist you if necessary. How does that sound?"
"That's fine. I work at the hospital those days anyway, so I don't mind focusing only on amputees and similar patients."
"Take the day off. That way, we'll let the rumour mill relax," the Hokage urged. "We'll use this week to get you the list as soon as possible."
"That sounds good."
"How's it going with Danzo?" Shikaku asked.
"It's going. I'll take advantage of today to keep spying. I think it will take me a week, maybe a bit more, to have everything ready. When I need it, I'll let you know so you can get Danzo out of his hideout."
"Perfect."
"Oh, I have a question. Why didn't Tenzou or Kakashi-sensei know where the base was?"
"Kakashi was recruited just days before he betrayed Danzo. Obviously, Danzo didn't trust him enough to reveal the location of the secret base until Kakashi earned it," Shikaku explained. "Tenzou, on the other hand, was with Danzo for 8 years. The problem is that his kekkei genkai was so important to Danzo that he separated him from the other recruits. Perhaps to protect him, perhaps for another reason… The fact is that Danzo kept him close at all times, housing him with him, and training him personally."
Seina nodded at his words. Now she understood many things. She left there feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. At least she wouldn't have to return to the hospital for a few days. She hoped this would dissuade her hospital colleagues from asking her questions she didn't know how to answer.
The walk to Danzo's base, invisible, was almost relaxing. She wanted to be alone for a while, even if it was to spy on a psychopath. She sat in the same tree, summoned the same creatures, confirmed that the entrance path was the same (and that the others went nowhere), and then ventured through the lobby to the real base. Contrary to expectations, there were more ninjas moving around.
Some were going to their rooms, others seemed to be visiting the showers, while others practiced in various training rooms. She counted the heads again and realized that the number was no longer 38, but 61. She mentally noted this figure. If she had seen the face of each and every one of them the other day, she could know if the number was actually even higher. Still, it was clear there were more than expected. There were about 100 rooms, and apparently, Danzo didn't trust some of his recruits to sleep in the base. Perhaps out of distrust, or maybe because it would be very strange for so many ninjas to suddenly stop living in their apartments. She didn't know. She needed documentation and possible records to find out, but that was beyond her orders.
She ventured into the last hallway she had left to explore but quickly realized it wouldn't be that easy. The central wing ironically split again like the roots of a tree. She stifled a sigh as she began to sketch out the new branches. She observed how these new hallways were practically deserted. If it weren't for hearing the sound of a couple of people walking further in, she would have thought there wasn't a soul there.
"We'll have the new group of recruits settled in soon," said a man in a monotone voice.
"What about the Yamanaka and your cousin?"
"They're young, but Danzo-sama wants to give them a chance to serve him personally as bodyguards. Between Yamanaka's special jutsu and Torune's poisonous insects, no one will be able to get close to him. They make a good team. They'll go far."
"Mhmm… It's a pity about Sasuke Uchiha."
"I don't think he cares that much. The best one is Itachi. He's in another league right now. Besides, he doesn't need him. He's more interested in his partner, the jinchuriki. She's proving to be the real surprise. However, she's also untouchable."
"As expected… With Hatake protecting her, being the Hokage's apprentice, and under Shikaku Nara's command, there would be great reprisals. Besides, her father's former bodyguards have an ear and an eye on her. It's impossible to do anything."
"For now, but Danzo-sama is patient, and we still have many things to do."
Seina frowned as she saw them approach the more populated part of the base. She considered following them but saw no point. Their conversation had been private. That was the only reason she had been able to hear them talk about anything. It was clear they weren't ordinary recruits. They seemed to be aware of Danzo's movements. She pondered what she had heard but told herself it would be better to stick to her original plan.
She found a library with all kinds of scrolls, some that left her in shock. They had techniques from other countries that everyone believed were lost, or even personal jutsus that had been stolen. She wanted to copy everything but held back. There was another training room, another locker room, a canteen, a laboratory, a meeting room, an archive, and what she was looking for, Danzo's office.
She heard footsteps behind her. With her heart racing, she realized it was Danzo himself. He was dressed in a white and black yukata, accompanied by a cane and a bunch of bandages covering the right side of his face. Curiously, he didn't use the cane for support like an impaired person would. She saw one of the hooded men from before re-enter the central wing, heading toward the office.
"Ah, Tatsuma. I thought you'd take longer."
"I just had a small errand to run, nothing important, Danzo-sama," he apologized, closing the door behind him.
"How is Sai?"
"He's fine. He hasn't shown any signs of failing in his training. He managed to kill his brother without problems."
"Good, good. I have a mission for him. It will be his first mission in Ne. I want to know if he's strong enough to obey me and sacrifice himself if necessary."
"What is it about?"
"Homura and Koharu have told me about a ninja resentful towards Konoha. Unmo Samidare. One of our teams killed his team as collateral damage in a mission. Apparently, he swore revenge. Tsunade doesn't think we need to do anything pre-emptively, despite our objections. Killing this ninja will be a good opportunity for Sai. If he succeeds, I'll start pulling strings to introduce him into Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki's team. They'll need a third for the chunin exams."
"Are you planning to spy on Team 7?"
"Yes. It's of the highest priority. Not only is it composed of 2 jinchurikis and an Uchiha with an active sharingan, but their teacher is one of the most powerful and skilled elite jonin in this village. Seina Uzumaki honours this with her promotion."
"A pity we can't recruit her."
"I know. A medical ninja of such calibre, with her whole life ahead of her to improve, would have been a great addition."
"I'll order Sai to come to see you."
"Do it. I'll be waiting for him. I only have a few minutes before I have to go back."
"Understood."
The spider she was using as her eyes moved slowly, safe in the shadows, and observed Danzo's desk. It was very tidy. There was nothing of sentimental value, just office material ready to be used and a small stack of books or journals. She watched as Danzo looked at the photograph of a ninja from Kirigakure in what seemed to be an unofficial bingo book. She read the handwritten notes from the ceiling, surprised at how complete they were. It was clear he had a mole in Kirigakure.
A sound at the door made her look up.
"Come in," the door opened. A boy, probably her age, entered. "Sai. Sit down. I want to talk to you about your first mission. Do you think you're ready?"
"Hai."
Seina felt a shiver at the emotionless tone. If it hadn't been for hearing his breathing, she would have sworn he was a corpse. What she could see of his young, slender arms made her think he had never seen the sun. He was as white as milk. With his short black hair, the skin on his bare neck looked even paler.
"Find him and eliminate him. Don't fail me."
"I won't fail you, Danzo-sama."
Seina left her creatures in their positions as she stood up immediately. She needed to inform the Hokage. The observer she had watching Danzo's movements would find out sooner or later, but at least this gave Kakashi-sensei time to prepare. She appeared near the tower, in one of the hidden spots she used to teleport without being seen, and deactivated the bracelet. She headed to the office.
"Tsunade-sama is in a meeting."
"Could you deliver a note to her? It's urgent."
"Of course. I'll try."
Seina took out a sheet of paper and wrote a brief message. She cast a spell on it discreetly and folded it before handing it to the secretary. The undercover ninja rose from her seat and walked to the door. She saw her knock a couple of times.
"Come in."
"I have an urgent note for you, Tsunade-sama."
The Hokage must have made some kind of gesture because the secretary went inside. It took less than 2 minutes to get a response. The secretary handed her a sealed scroll and a note.
"Give this to Shikaku and call Kakashi."
"Thank you," she said to the secretary before turning around. "Naruto? Sasuke?"
"Nee-chan? What's going on?"
"Are you with Kakashi-sensei?"
"Yes. What's up?" Sasuke asked. Through his eyes, she saw Kakashi-sensei's frown as they had abruptly stopped their training.
"Tell him to come quickly to the jonin headquarters, prepared for a mission. Orders from Tsunade-sama."
"Nee-chan says you need to hurry to the jonin headquarters. It's a mission."
"Does it have to do with Danzo?" She heard Sasuke as if he were right beside her, speaking to the rest of the team.
Kakashi-sensei got up, putting away his kunai as he touched the rune on his leg pouch.
"I imagine you're hearing me," the jonin said, staring intently at Sasuke's eyes. "I'm on my way."
He finished descending the stairs and hurried to the jonin headquarters. It took him less than 10 minutes to arrive. He greeted the few people resting there before heading straight to Shikaku's office.
"Come in." The commander looked up. He only had to see Kakashi's face and the scroll in his hand to understand what was happening. "Give it to me."
He let Shikaku read Tsunade-sama's instructions in silence. A few minutes later, another knock on the door caught the jonin's attention. He let the next person in, correctly assuming it was Kakashi-sensei.
"Can you…?" Shikaku asked, gesturing to the office with a finger. She had already enchanted the office to prevent eavesdropping even before finishing his sentence. "Perfect. So? What information do you have?"
"Danzo is going to send a kid on his first mission. He plans to eliminate a ninja named Unmo Samidare from Kirigakure. Apparently, one of our teams killed his team as collateral damage, and he has sworn revenge."
"Ugh. I know what you're talking about. Raido's team was the one sent."
"It seems the old council members have advised Tsunade-sama to eliminate him, but she disagrees."
"And now Danzo plans to take unofficial liberties… Kakashi, by the Hokage's express order, your mission is to capture that kid and bring him alive, secretly, to Konoha. Leave no traces."
"Should I make them believe he's dead or missing?"
"Dead. There must be no doubt."
"Understood."
"Do you know where the kid is now?" Shikaku asked.
She closed her eyes while focusing on the insects she had infiltrated in the base. It took her a few minutes to find him in one of the rooms.
"He seems to be packing. He should be leaving the base any moment now."
"Description?" Kakashi-sensei asked, turning back to look at her.
She looked directly into his eyes, transferring the memory with a bit of active legeremancy. Shikaku watched it all with a raised eyebrow. Her teacher nodded, blinking a couple of times at the foreign memory. It was the second time she had done this, so Kakashi-sensei was not surprised.
"I've got it."
"Go."
Kakashi-sensei turned around, giving her a final wink before leaving.
"Take a seat, Seina. What else can you tell me?"
She explained everything she had seen in great detail. She recounted word for word the conversation between who seemed to be Tatsuma Aburame and another unknown person, and then the conversation between Tatsuma and Danzo. The commander also studied her rough, incomplete but quite extensive map.
"You're doing a good job. You can leave it for today," he praised her, handing her the map.
"Thank you. Excuse me."
She went home to rest. She had many things to do, and only three weeks had passed since the New Year. When she arrived, she saw that Naruto and Sasuke were not there. Their notes on the table indicated they had just gone on a mission, so she took advantage of her solitude to leave her clones studying the necessary texts for the jonin exam. Meanwhile, seeing she had a couple of hours before dinner, she entered the shed to study her week's ninjutsu quota.