AN: A more warm welcome than expected. Here's Round 2!
"I know I've been telling you to try to find a man Hana-chan, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."
The Inuzaka tried hard not to roll her eyes at her longtime friend's amused tone. Nigashi Katsumi had been the girl next door and her playmate for as long as she could remember. A short petite dark haired youth was smiling back at the shinobi, hands on her hips in mock disapproval.
They'd gone to the academy together, though Katsumi had never graduated despite having excellent chakra control. All her mental evaluations indicated she was ill fitted for the psychologically traumatizing tasks most shinobi would be forced to undertake. Instead she had been transferred to an apprenticeship with the hospital when the higher ups decided front line duties would not be in the Nigashi daughter's future.
"I don't need a man, I need answers!" Hana said, tapping a finger against her crossed arms impatiently. "I take it he's going to live judging by your smile?"
"Oh he'll do more than that," Katsumi replied with a nod. "He must have a blood limit of some sort, or perhaps a freak genetic mutation. We've never seen an ability to regenerate quite like his. Once his the ribs were back in place, he started mending right up even without any help from doctor. The left tibia and right ulnar radius show indications that it might have healed on its own while you were dragging him through the streets. Physically, we expect he'll be ready to be back on his feet within the day, though when he might actually wake up is questionable."
"Good. Whoever he is, I've got some questions about that thing that attacked me."
Hana shivered as she recalled clammy hands wrapped around her throat. Whatever that creature had been, it was a menace that needed to be tracked down and killed.
"What happened Hana?" Katsumi asked with concern in her eyes.
The brunette's strong empathy was one of the reason she had been disqualified from even taking the genin exams, and a part of the kunoichi was glad Katsumi had never been exposed to the dirtier side of protecting their village.
Hana nodded at the patient room where their mystery guest was currently resting. "That guy and another person popped up in an alleyway I was walking by. He saved my skin from the other one. Whoever or whatever that thing had been, he was dangerous. Too dangerous to allow to wander in Konoha."
"Have you reported it?" the nurse asked with alarm.
"I have," Hana replied. "ANBU has been alerted to keep an eye out for the description, and the Hokage has been notified as well. I'm to hold a meeting with him first thing in the morning."
"Hmm, well I'm sure they'll handle it," Katsumi replied with a bright grin. "On another note, I really think you should give this guy a chance! He might be the one you're looking for."
Hana stared at her friend in disbelief. "And on what criteria are you judging this supposed compatibility on? For one thing, he's unconscious, and even if he weren't I'm fairly certain whatever language he was speaking in you don't understand, cause I sure as hell didn't recognize it."
The nurse chuckled, winking slyly at the Inuzaka. "All that other stuff you can find out later, what I'm talking about is the gear he's packing around his waist."
The kunoichi flushed at Katsumi's conspiring tone. "What?! Why would you-?!"
"I'm his nurse," the petite Nigashi retorted. "I have to check him for injuries everywhere you know, and I mean evvvverrrrywheeerrre."
"Oh my god," Hana groaned. "I am not listening to this!"
"Well you should. They said a well-endowed man can keep his woman happier than a thousand love letters, and judging by his size he could keep half the women in this village happy…all at once."
Hana blushed and waved her friend away, too embarrassed to even reply as she laughed.
"Besides it's not like he's bad looking," Katsumi continued as she followed Hana away from the patient's room. "Exotic is definitely in right now."
"Katsumi, I really don't care," Hana groaned.
Just the thought of her last date left a bad taste in her mouth. Honestly did some men really think a bouquet of flowers and some honeyed words would be enough to get her to drop her panties for them?
"I'm just saying Hana, sex is a healthy part of being alive, and I don't mean the kind that involves your own hand or toys. You should really let a man take care of your needs once in a while!"
Hana flushed as a pair of older nurses chuckled as they caught wind of their conversation.
"She's not wrong dear!" called out the older of the two as they walked past.
"See, they agree!" Katsumi exclaimed gleefuly. "When are you going to let some lucky guy pop that carefully guarded cherry of yours?"
"One, the chances of my cherry not having popped on its own from the sheer amount of physical activity I put myself through is as close to practically 0. Two, I'm not just going let some guy put his hands all over me just because! I need a real relationship, you know, commitment? Love? That ringing a bell to you?"
"We all want love," the nurse replied unabashedly. "But that's not going to land in your lap if you're not willing to take some risks. Besides, when you do find the man you want to be with, don't you want to be able to keep him happy?"
"I think he'd be a lot happier knowing he's the only guy who's ever got his hands on me," Hana fired back. "And plus, I'm a fast learner, I-"
A poof of smoke in front of them cut her off before she could finish. Katsumi gave a squeak of fright at the unexpected arrival of the masked ANBU member.
"Inuzaka, Hana?" the voice from behind the polished face plate was hollow and devoid of emotion, just like every other special division operative.
Hana stepped forward. "That's me. Did you need something?"
"Come with me, the Hokage wishes to speak with you," he replied, turning to leave.
"I thought my meeting was tomorrow morning?" she asked, confused.
The bear mask ninja cast a sightless glance back at her. "There has been some…complications."
Hana felt her stomach drop. Complications were never a good thing, not when the word was used by shinobi.