Kita decidedly hated Taijutsu lessons.

She knew that Taijutsu lessons were helpful- in fact they were- but she just couldn't deal with the exercise and pain. The running, the sweating? At her worst she could wheeze through it. The stamina running that made her run triple the amount of her age? Detestable, but she would shrivel and gasp for air on the cool grass. The muscles that teared and painstakingly repaired themselves? She'd practically limped to school and cried out each time her leg jolted. But when she had to practice running past her limit? The burn in her lungs and the fatigue that made her legs heavy was the final straw.

So yes, she hated Taijutsu lessons.

Which was in turn, how she learned to love kunoichi classes.

'Well, maybe more… idolize?' Kita thought sheepishly, her fingers darting over the flowers in her bouquet. 'But it's not as bad as how the girls… "like" Sasuke-san?' Kita smiled blissfully as she felt the soft petals of the amaryllis.

"Hoshiko-chan! Please name and define your flower," Suzume-sensei looked at Kita gently, her dark wavy hair flying around her. Kita felt her face blush as Suzume-sensei smiled. 'Dammit Suzume-sensei's really pretty- and Nee-san said that Sensei was her favourite too.'

"I- uhm… this red flower is called an amaryllis? And, uhm, it's trumpet shaped petals means prideful, while the flower as a whole means self-confidence? I'm pretty sure that's all of it…"

"Good j-job, Hoshiko-chan! N-now that Hoshiko-chan is awake, we'll be going onto the topic of making an ikebana for an important person! Hup, hup!" Suzume-sensei's laugh trembled as the girls around her groaned in annoyance. "N-now, now girls. These things are very helpful for those considering to be a part of the seduction squad! So come on now, and let's arrange flowers!" Suzume-sensei cheered, her hands clapping together sharply.

"But, Sensei!" whined Ishida-san, her fingers tapping the desk repeatedly. "Flower arranging is bo-o-ring! Can't we do something like learning how to make yourself seem like someone else? Can't we do Taijutsu training?"

"I'm so sorry," Suzume-sensei breathed out shakily, her eyes widening in… something? "But you have to learn about these things, Ishida-chan. Beside's I thought you girls loved these sort of things?"

A silence cut through the chatting, making Suzume-sensei look at them with... something again. 'Suzume-sensei is weird.' she decided, giggling to herself as the woman flinched away each time a girl went over to her.

"... girls?" Suzume-sensei asked tentatively, her twitching body making Kita and her seatmates giggle. They laughed even harder when Ino-san smiled deviously at Suzume-sensei and started shrieking out words.

As soon as Ino-san started, multiple shrieks echoed the room at once, the voices overriding each other before it finally settled into the words; "NO! NO! NO!".

Kita felt her mouth clamp together as Suzume-sensei scuttled back, and blinked when Suzume-sensei blearily look at her before jerking away. She let out a small sound- almost a whimper- she shifted and smiled weakly. She's acting all jittery, Kita notices, feeling the tiniest proud at being so calm and level-headed because that's what kunoichi do. Or that's what her Sensei's said to her. Something about being really smart for her age and what-not.

"Ah… a-alright class. Let's get… um... going w-with our ikebana, shall we?"

"Ha-a-i Sensei," Kita droned out with her classmates, walking slowly up to Suzume-sensei's desk and snatched the stems and leaves. Kita licked her lips, feeling the dryness at the back of her throat and let out a small croak. She stumbled, shivering as her hand reaching out for Suzume-sensei and falling as Sensei shifted away from her grab.

"Can I… go to the Nurse, Sensei?" Kita glanced at Suzume-sensei, before looking down at her red fingernails. She stared wide-eyed as the hazel eyes lit up with curiosity and her glasses slipped down her elegant features. "I think I'm… uhm… getting sick."

"I… yeah. Yeah... yeah… that's fine, Honoko-chan," Kita stared at Suzume-sensei in shock, her eyes watering abruptly as Sensei's fingers drifted over her short bangs. "Wouldn't want you to catch… encephalitis. That was- was a horrible time after… after…"

"Honoko-chan?" Kita blurts out, voice cracking at the end of the sentence. She cleared her throat, coughing into her hand. "En-see-far-lie-tis?"

"I- did I say Honoko-chan? I'm sorry... Hoshiko-chan, my minds getting so old you see- see?" Sensei's voice hitched. her hands flitting around nervously. "And encephalitis is… is something many children are diagnosed with in… in the Land of Fire."

Kita felt herself step backwards, hands trembling as she looked at the woman shaking in front of her. Suzume-sensei wobbled on her feet, her head nodding along to some sort of song.

"Yeah- yeah... I'll be, uhm, going now." She manages to spit out, her feet lurching towards the door. "I- to bathroom to now the going. I'll back be soon." Kita curses herself- as her words got scrambled into messes- before hearing the repetitive thud of her feet.


"Hoshiko-chan? Are you…" Kita looks over to the speaker, tears and bile dripping down her face and she spills out words, the sentences slurring together. Kita felt herself choke, her throat burning as she turned back to hurl. "Oh Hoshiko-chan…"

She feels a hand stroke her back, the tiniest of chakra entering her system, it tickling her body. Kita squirmed uncomfortably, relaxing at the sound of a small amused huff. The flickering fluorescent light cast shadows over the Nurse, making her brown hair look like it's golden and the tiles made Kita feel like she was at the hospital for her sister all over again.

"Can you name your symptoms and why they came up so suddenly? We just gave you your injections at the start of the year too. Maybe the medication we used faded away too fast…"

"Suzume-sensei. She- I don't know why but she's acting all weird- and- can't I with this deal- with deal can't this I- Suzume-sensei-" Kita shuddered violently, throwing her body to the toilet bowl and hurled. "Suzume-sensei's acting all jittery and weird- but she's always weird."

"Suzume, huh?" Kita stares at the Nurse's Assistant, as she mumbled to herself, before gazing at Kita's shaking body. "Well… Suzume's a little sick today" Kita looked at her in confusion, her face shining from her sweat. "Sorry Kita, but Suzume's had to deal with this… sickness since she was active. A pity, she was such an excellent shinobi out on the field… but Hoshiko-chan-"

Encephalitis.

"Encephalitis." Kita murmurs, her eyes wide as she remembers how Suzume-sensei talked about it with nostalgia. Like- like she knew what it's like to see or have it.

"How did you find out about encephalitis, Hoshiko-chan?" asks the Nurse, her eyes peering into hers, a small smile on her face. "Encephalitis isn't widely known at all. Actually, no-one other than people born in the 1400s know about encephalitis. It's not a sickness talked about much, but it's quite common with children around your age here."

"Why?" Kita scratched a bump on her skin absentmindedly. "And do you mean, uhm, the Land of Fire when you say "here"?"

"Mm. Encephalitis is the inflammation of the brain. And the infection can be bacterial or viral, and is sometimes the result of an immune system disorder. Rarely though. Most time's encephalitis just gives the recipient no symptoms to mild flu-like symptoms. Sometimes though they have life threatening symptoms and have to be treated on immediately."

"How's it caused?" Kita mumbled out, snatching her fingers back from the Nurse's slap.

"Stop that. The scratching makes it worse," the Nurse sighs and leans back on her haunches. "Encephalitis is caused by animal or insect bites. Such a bother in the 1400s with how horrible our medical vary was. No proper equipment, medicinal drugs, not even a uniform for performing surgery in. Horrible really."

Kita's throat hitched, and she sat against the toilet finding comfort in the cold chill she felt against her arms. She hears a white noise buzz in her ear, making her feel sick in her navel as the Nurse examined her closely.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Hoshiko-chan. I just need your symptoms and when they started," the Nurse stated again, her customary smile softening at Kita's small groan. "And then I'll have to take you to the medical bay and you'll have to take some pills. Is that alright?"

"Yeah…"

"Great. Now what are or have you been feeling?" the Nurse asked promptly, her hand slipping into her pocket. She smiled again as Kita shifted to attention, inwardly thanking for having a quiet child to take care of. "Have you been feeling light-headed? Headaches? Sleeping heavily? Confused and sometimes a loss of sensation? How about vomiting- ah shit. Fever chills, maybe? That's common with vomiting."

"I… all of them actually," Kita paused, glancing at the Nurse shyly before continuing on. "I slept in much more than I have done in like, a year. And I've been having headaches all week too."

"All of them huh?" the Nurse hums, tapping her finger against her thigh and laughs at Kita's grim expression. "Calm down, Hoshiko-chan, it's not anything bad."

"... then what do I have?" she asks tentatively, her pale face slowly regaining its colour.

"Well you could have any of these; hypotension, plague, avian flu, encephalitis, lyme disease. And those are the simple ones." Kita gaped, ignoring the aftertaste of bile and blinked. The Nurse smiled calmly at Kita, chuckling as Kita paled. "Until I get you connected IV drip and take some samples I can't be completely sure. I might even have to get Yamanaka-sensei too."


"...?"

"Hoshiko Kita?" asked the Other Nurse, his eyes a pale blue, pale lavender. His hair looked nice and fluffy, she noticed. Fluffy. She giggled as the Nurse gracefully walked to her. He's pretty, and I wanna make him happy forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and never because I feel really tired-

"How are you feeling right now? We've put you onto the IV drip and have put the drug ketami-"

"You're eyes look tasty," Kita blurts out, eyes wide with wonder as her two fingers reached out for his eyes. The Nurse leaned back, making Kita's fingers graze over his cheekbone. "And I wanna kissy my sissy wissy. Ha, that rhymed."

The Nurse is looking at her with something like amusement. She is very funny, Kita nods to herself knowingly. He opens his mouth and talks slowly like she's a man. "Will you permit me to examine your eyes? I would also like to take samples of your blood and hair follicles. I promise it won't damage you extensively, Hoshiko-chan."

"Ah! Yesh!" Kita exclaims, giggling as the Nurse touches her eyelids, opening them open wider. She winced instinctively as the Nurse shined the light in her eyes. "Do you love the big pupper that loves huggy? I love him." Kita slurs, a blush on her face as she reached out to the Nurse.

"An' I'll help you date your beautiful husband! Silver fluffy man who steals pugger away from you cause you wanna pugger?" Kita sighs appreciatively, her hands clapping together happily.

The Nurse is staring at her, his shoulders shaking from something. Kita pouted, as she was forcibly straightened and poked at. 'Everyone's got this… uh…. "something" today. It sucks.' His shoulders straightens out, as he sat down on the stool behind him.

"Hoshiko-chan, whom is this silver … cloud?" the Nurse breathes out, his hand opening her eyelids and peering at them. Kita's humming this time, nodding knowingly as she gazed at the Nurse. 'I'll definitely help him date his silver pug…?'

"Cloud fluffy puggy? He's that… thing,"

"...that thing,"

"Yesh," Kita nods wisely at the Nurse. He stares back, his face blank. She sighs her face full of sympathy. "It's okay small- kinda puppy short- human. I'll teach you the way of the world. I promise that good pupper man won't reject finger you,"

She leans forward and pats his cheek, and frowns as the Nurse stood up, shoulders shaking. She barely noticed her arm being lifted up, until the sting washed over her.

"Can I…" Kita slurs out, her eyelids drooping down. "Can I sleep now, pretty?"

"Of course, Hoshiko-chan. Just please remain in the bed and do not leave until you have been picked up by your guardian and-"


"How is the student? Have they received the dosage yet?" Iruka lazily gazed at Iemon* carefully, his eyes examining his reaction. Iemon turned to Iruka, a languid smile on his face.

"Don't brood Suiei-gyo*, I've handled her farcical episode," Iemon glanced at him, his smile pulling his lips back sharply. Iruka sighed in exasperation, his hand on his hip. "She was having a sublime time describing my silver cloud husband and his huggable pugger."

Iruka felt his eyes widen fractionally, before his lips quirked up.

"Why was a student implying you were in a relationship with Hatake-sama?"Iruka's shoulder shook- from shock or amusement he didn't know.

"She even wanted to handle my espousal with Kakashi-kun." Iemon crooned, his hands clapping together as he spun lithely around Iruka. "Kakashi-kun and I, we would dance on the clouds and have a deep, emotional bond that men only get when they-"

"Your… espousal," Iruka interrupted quickly, flushing as the man smiled innocently. "She was planning an espousal for you and Hatake-sama. You. Hatake-sama. Married."

"Now, now don't be a homophobe. And I actually don't mind his perturbation, you realise?" Iemon smiled crookedly as Iruka laughed, his voice bouncing the room. "Although, I am aware of those ardent fans that romanticise you and… Kakashi-kun. Very amusing to the Clan Heads and I. More for me though. It's hilarious- a "friend-saver" being shipped with a "friend-killer"."

"They… romanticise me. With Hatake-sama? And don't say that Iemon. That's cruel."

"If you say so; it's true though. The Hatake Clan have a vast pit of bad luck and all the dead people in it. Like their clan, massacred in the Warring State and First Shinobi War. And if you want a further explanation I'll be exultant to do so, Suiei-gyo."

"Piss off will you, he's had enough of this bullshit from shitty Genin," Iruka snapped, a faint sneer on his lips as Iemon hung an arm around his shoulders. "And I've had enough of having random strangers coming up to me and asking me if I'm in a relationship with Hatake-sama. With Hatake-sama."

"Well, with you calling him "Hatake-sama" of course they're going to think you're the submissive one." Iemon laughed, Iruka's face twisting into disgust. "But really I think you're dominant. You know, when you get all angry- guhk."

"That's disgusting," Iruka spat out, his sneer shallowing into confusion. "That is actually disgusting, you pig. Why are we even acquaintances."

"Now, now it's only because the Hokage ordered for extra protection around you. You are the most connected person to the jinchuuriki.

"Are you stalking me and my student." Iruka splutters out, his tanned skin flushing in anger. "That would be illegal but we're a shinobi village. But it is illegal to stalk the jinchuuriki of Konoha without the Hokage knowing of you being there. You're not even on the team that follows me. So why are you stalking my student, Iemon."

"Honestly, this is why we're acquaintances. And also because don't you remember when you were sixteen and I was eighteen and we had the best time of our lives. Honestly it's me you should be thanking not-"

"Will you shut up about that, you pig,"Iruka squeaked out, his face flushing again as they spoke. "We had sex once and you gloat about it every single fucking day. Just- stop. Stop or my next class will be about how to kill a man."

"Touchy much, Suiei-gyo? I'm not a boar am I? That would be unsubstantial."


A.N: So Suzume is the kunoichi that taught Sakura and Ino everything they know! Well I decided to characterize her traits a bit more than "a crybaby" and "a germaphobe". Well, she's still a crybaby and a germaphobe except there's reason behind it. Lots of fun to make her character! Just saying, Minato was 25 when he died and he lived through the Second Shinobi War from practically the start. Suzume is 31.

Encephalitis is just a brain inflammation. It usually causes none to mild flu-like symptoms. Just as the nurse stated.

And the Nurse that had been mentioned in chapter 1 has resurfaced from the dark pits of hell!

And now he has a name! His name is Yamanaka Iemon. Yamanaka: "in the middle of the mountain". Iemon: (i) boar and (e) defense and (mon) gate. My interpretation is: the boar that defends the gate. He's very smooth and charming. Lots of words that are complicated and likes to manipulate/tease people i.e Iruka! Iemon is probably biromantic. Is an asshole!

And the word "Suiei-gyo" means: swimming fish! Another pun on the name! And he's probably gray-romantic because he's married to his job. Also Konoha ships people? Haha yeah, that's just the people from the Red Light District. They're kinda… weird.