Chapter Four: Discovering


The week passed in a flurry of tests.

First, the hospital had examined every nearly every aspect of her health. Kimi had noticed that their mental evaluation was extremely lacking, but at least their physical one was very thorough. She sat patiently in the hospital room, listening as Misaki informed her about the final test.

"Now that they've examined your physical and mental health, all that's left is to test your chakra."

"Neat." Kimi tapped her foot softly against the floor. A few minutes passed before the door opened and the doctor walked in.

"I am Dr. Hyuuga Haruki," said the lady briskly. "I believe you have come here for chakra evaluations. You are Mita Kimiko and Yamanaka Misaki, yes?"

"That is correct," replied Misaki.

Kimi observed the doctor. Her off-white, pupil-less eyes confirmed that she was indeed a Hyuuga, and the hitai-ate around her forehead marked her as a branch member. If Kimi remembered correctly, only the main family kept their forehead bare.

Unsurprisingly, Hyuuga Haruki was a woman. It seemed that almost every doctor in Konoha General was female. When she had asked Misaki about it, the older lady had given a sardonic smile before stating that a woman's nature was better suited to nurturing and the healing arts. That struck Kimi as a bit odd and more than little sexist, but she wasn't about to change her career choice because of that. For some strange reason, Kimi really didn't care about the issues surrounding equal-opportunity murder.

Dr. Hyuuga skimmed the files in her hand before stepping forward. The veins around her eyes bulged as she activated her dojutsu.

Incredible. I wonder how the Byakugan works?

"Channel chakra through this paper," Dr. Hyuuga said, handing a small paper to Kimi. "I assume you know how to."

Kimi nodded before sending a pulse of chakra through her hands. The tenkutsu on her hands were the easiest to use, and manipulating chakra through them had become almost effortless. To her slight disappointment, nothing happened to the paper; it didn't crinkle, burn, or do anything else.

Maybe it's not for elemental affinities?

The doctor pursed her lips. "Give me your hand."

Kimi held out her hand, and the doctor held it lightly. Then, the Hyuuga—with Byakugan still activated—sent a jolt of chakra through her hand. Kimi flinched and yanked her hand away. The doctor scribbled a few notes down.

"I see. Mita Kimiko does indeed suffer from chakra hypersensitivity. It is relatively mild, so it should have no effect on her career. Other than that, her chakra sense is normal. Her blood work should be finished in three days, and the information will be sent to the Yamanaka clan." Dr. Hyuuga had recited everything in a bland, emotionless monotone. She turned to leave, clearly finished with the examination.

"Um… doctor?" called out Kimi.

She paused by the door. "Yes?" she said, with a hint of annoyance.

"What do you mean by chakra sense? I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me." Kimi knew that the doctor was busy, but she simply couldn't pass the opportunity to ask questions to another doctor. Misaki smiled with a sort of fond exasperation; Kimi had interrogated almost every medical personnel that she had come in contact in.

Dr. Hyuuga's annoyance grew, but she answered regardless. "Chakra sense refers to how a person's chakra system reacts to foreign chakra. Generally, it is divided into two categories: internal and external. Most people have normal chakra sense, which means the ability to distinguish between signatures within the system and at close range. People with chakra supersensitivity are individuals with greater than average ability to distinguish between types of chakra. They are often referred to as sensors. You suffer from internal chakra hypersensitivity, which means that your internal system is sensitive to the point of debilitation. You appear to have no aptitude in external sensing." The doctor sighed sharply, wrapping up her hasty but coherent monologue. She left without another word, causing Misaki to chuckle quietly.

Mentally, Kimi filed the new information away. While the trip to the hospital had been tedious, it had also been very informative.


Now that her medical documents were all in order, Kimi could take the placement tests.

Joy. More tests. Just what I need.

Both Inoichi and the Academy teacher had told her that the placement tests were incredibly important, so she decided to put slightly more effort into it than normal. So, going by the old grading system, Kimi aimed for about seventy-five percent. She had no doubt that they were giving her a hard test by a kid's standards—for all she knew, it could be the final exam—so getting too high of a score wouldn't help her.

The written assessment consisted of three sections: chakra studies, civic studies, and basic studies. The first was self-explanatory, as it covered the theory of chakra use. Civic studies covered the procedures, laws, and rules of Konoha, while basic studies included but was not limited to math, history, and language arts.

The practical assessment was also divided into three sections: taiutsu (martial arts), ninjutsu (chakra techniques), and bukijutsu (weapon use). Kimi understandably found this part harder than the written one, though it wasn't as hard as she expected.

By the time she finished with both sections of the test, Kimi's mind and body were exhausted. The second she reached home, she collapsed in her bed and promptly fell asleep.


Kimi received her acceptance the two days later, officially announcing her enrollment into the Academy. With a sinking heart, she showed it to her parents before tucking it into her bookshelf. Kimi stared at her small hands.

Sometimes, she really hated this.

This strange body, this violent world… this constant dance on a tightrope—struggling to juggle secrets and memories.

But then, she would remember her new family, her second chance, and her joy at simply being alive.

No… this wasn't her old world. But it was her world now, and she could do nothing but accept it. New resolve filled her. She would have to make the best of it.


"Good luck, Kimi. I'm sure you'll do great!" Her mother hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, mom."

Kimi's dad patted her lightly on her head. Kimi rolled her eyes and latched on to him with a hug. Sighing softly, her dad hugged her back wholeheartedly.

"Bye, dad."

"Have fun at at school," he said quietly.

"I'll try." She grinned wryly at her dad. She opened the door, prepared for her first day at the Academy.

"Wait!"

Kimi looked back at her parents.

"Mom?" she asked, confused.

Her mother bit her lip in anxiety—a habit that Kimi had also picked up. "Well," said her mother slowly, "I understand if you don't want to, but… is it ok if I walk you to school?"

Kimi's eyes softened. "Of course, mom."

Her father looked away. "I'd come too," he mumbled, "but I have work and—"

"I know. It's fine. Love you dad!" After one final goodbye to her father, Kimi grabbed her mom's hand and started walking down the street. Her mother was silent for several minutes, something that was unusual for the peppy and cheerful older woman.

"Is something wrong?"

Her mother smiled. "No… I was just thinking about how fast you've been growing. It seems like just yesterday you were a baby in my arms." She carefully touched Kimi's hair. "And you look so different, too!"

Self-consciously, Kimi tucked her hair behind her ear. She had gotten a haircut yesterday, shortening her hair to chin length. But Kimi had forgotten a key fact about wavy hair—the shorter it was, the wilder it became. Now, her hair was unbelievably frizzy, which was made worse by Konoha's natural humidity.

But her hair wasn't the only thing that had changed. Misaki had taken her to a store to buy ninja clothing. Of course, Kimi had picked the most civilian-looking outfit, which happened to be a skirt and half-sleeve shirt. Like it had promised, the clan paid for all her supplies, including clothing.

They better, she thought bitterly. No need to waste hard-earned money.

Her family's strange turn in fortunes hadn't escaped her notice. Not long after she had accepted the scholarship, her father's suppliers suddenly started working with him again. She didn't know if the Yamanaka were behind it, but she wouldn't put it past them.

"Kimi? Hello? Are you there?"

Kimi blinked then grinned sheepishly. "Sorry!"

Her mother laughed. "You don't need to apologize, Kimi! Though we're already here, you know…"

With a start, Kimi realized that they had arrived at the Academy. "Oh." She reached up and hugged her mother again. "Bye, mom. Don't worry! I'll do great!"

Kimi didn't know who she was reassuring. It seemed like both of them needed it.


Acceptance letter in hand, Kimi stood in the large courtyard with the other students.

Wow. The Academy is… really cliquey.

The kids had congregated into little clumps based on clan affiliation. Children from the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans stood near the center, all laughing and chatting. The Inuzaka clan kids were wild and rambunctious, chasing each other across the courtyard, dogs in tow. The Aburame clan congregated in the far corner, silent and isolated. With amusement, Kimi realized that the aloof Hyuuga and Uchiha clan kids were on opposite sides of the courtyard—and that a glaring contest had started among a few of the younger members.

Sure, there were other, smaller groups of kids, but Kimi couldn't identify any of the clans, excluding the ones she'd seen in the show. She made a mental note to learn more.

Slowly, Kimi began to walk through the courtyard. Technically, she could stand with the Yamanaka kids, but she didn't know any of them, despite being an "affiliate" of their clan. Instead, she made her way to a group of nervous-looking kids dressed in rather ordinary clothes. Civilians, from the look of it. But before she could do anything, the head instructor began to speak. His voice echoed loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Welcome, students." The man's expression was made more by his deep frown lines. He appeared to be in his late thirties, which was certainly old for a ninja. "Now, I understand that your enthusiasm for learning is simply unmatched." Kimi quirked a smile at the blatant sarcasm. "However, before we begin, our esteemed Hokage, the Third Lord Hiruzen-sama, wishes to say a few words."

The kids burst into whispers, quieting only when the Hokage stepped to the podium. Kimi examined the leader of Konoha carefully, noting his authoritative stance and kind yet tired eyes. If the instructor was old by ninja standards, then the Hokage was positively ancient. The older man waited until everyone became silent again.

"The Will of Fire is the philosophy that binds Konoha together." His voice was deep, gravely, and steadfast. "Although we may come from different families, we are one. Never forget that."

The speech continued for about a minute more, full of platitudes and patriotism. Of course, the Hokage encouraged them to become strong ninja and so on. He seemed sincere but also rather sad.

As he should be. He's sending children to war.


Kimi sat in the back of the classroom, trying to remain as unnoticeable as possible. She examined the kids around her. Many looked physically older than her, which was expected, really. Although the standard Academy program was six years long, Kimi had been placed in the third year. Well, considering that the first two years were mainly to bring up civilian kids up to speed… it wasn't too much of an accomplishment. More of an acknowledgement, really.

She scanned the room for characters that she knew, but that was made harder because nobody looked like cartoons. Everyone looked… well, human.

Then, the teacher started calling out roll.

"Akita Io, Eto Tsubaki ..."

Attentaively, Kimi listened to each name. "… Ikeda Hakui, Jujiro Mizuki …."

She frowned. Mizuki? That sounded familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. Kimi mentally shrugged and kept listening. Soon, the teacher reached the end of the list.

" … Umino Iruka, and Uzuki Yugao."

She blinked. Iruka… wasn't that Naruto's teacher? And she'd heard the name Yugao before, too. Kimi wrote the three familiar names down, just in case.

After a cursory introduction, the class went straight to work. First, the teacher reviewed the basic subjects, making sure that they hadn't forgotten everything over the break. After that was taijutsu practice, then civic studies, and finally, lunch.

Kimi noted that the classes were much harder than the civilian ones. Were they challenging for a twenty-something year old who had graduated from med school? Not at all. Well, excepting taijusu practice, that is. Her old memories had no effect on her muscle memory. To her slight disappointment, the Yamanaka had already taught her much of what the Academy was currently reviewing. But it was only the first day of school. Hopefully, she'd learn something new.

With a small sigh, Kimi looked around the courtyard for a place to sit. Although she felt slightly guilty for thinking it, Kimi really didn't want to sit with any clan kids. She'd already had enough of clan politics, thank you very much.

In the end, she decided to sit with the purple-haired girl—Yugao, if she remembered correctly—in the corner. She might as well try to figure out why Yugao's name seemed so familiar. Besides, the girl appeared lonely, and Kimi's bleeding heart prevented her from leaving the kid alone.

"Hello!" she said, cheerfully introducing herself. "I'm Kimi. Can I eat lunch with you?"

Yugao looked up, startled. "Um… ok. You can join us. Tsubaki and Hakui aren't here yet, but I don't think they'll care."

Oh. Apparently, Yugao wasn't eating alone. Regardless, Kimi plopped down next to the other girl. Wasting no time, she unpacked her homemade lunch and began eating the onigiri with relish.

Man, mom's such a good cook.

"So… Kimi-chan," began Yugao tentatively, "I haven't seen you before."

Kimi smiled. "Yeah, I'm new. This is my first year in the Academy."

Yugao seemed a bit impressed. "This is my second."

Kimi mentally did the math. So, that meant that Yugao had skipped a year.

Yugao suddenly stood up and waved. "Hakui-chan! Tsubaki-chan! Over here!"

The two aforementioned girls quickly made their way to the tree.

"Hi Yugao!" said the one with black hair and dark eyes. "And… who are you?"

"I'm Kimi. Can I eat lunch with you?"

"I guess." Tsubaki shrugged before sitting down. "I'm Tsubaki."

The shorter brunette ducked her head shyly before joining the rest. "My name's Hakui," she said softly. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here!"

In the easy way that only children could do, the trio of girls easily absorbed Kimi into their group. The girls were different ages—Tsubaki was nine, Yugao and Hakui were seven, and Kimi was six—but they all treated each other as friends. (Relatively, at least. The kids were much too young for Kimi to think of as equals.) Although Kimi was out of the loop on some issues, like childhood crushes, she was able to participate in the rest of the conversation. To her surprise, the girls were already thinking about their specialization and future as kunoichi.

"I'm gonna be a kenjutsu master!" announced Yugao proudly. "My dad's real good with swords, and I'm gonna be just like him!"

Hakui wrinkled her nose. "But that's so dirty! Don't you wanna be a med-nin or scout?"

"Well, I am a sensor…" Yugao thought about it for a moment. "No, swords are still cooler."

"But I'm gonna be a med-nin. Fixing people is what I gotta to do. At least, that's what my mom told me."

Tsubaki frowned. "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm bad with chakra control, so I can't be a medic… I guess working as a scout would be cool."

"What about you, Kimi-chan?" asked Yugao.

"A doctor," replied Kimi. "Medicine is really interesting."

Disappointment appeared on Yugao's face. "Oh. That's neat, I think."

The conversation quickly turned away from ninja stuff and more to things that regular kids talked about, like summer break and school.

Even if they were in ninja school, kids will be kids.


In some ways, the Academy wasn't that different from its civilian counterpart. It still had classes, recess, and lunch breaks. Kids wrote notes in class, turned in homework, and took tests on the material. The written studies operated in about the same way as the civilian school's subjects.

But in other ways, the Academy was completely different.

For one thing, the atmosphere was incredibly competitive. Everyone was pushed to become the best at almost any cost, leading all kinds of cutthroat behavior. Friendships became more like alliances as eight-year olds participated in an odd sort of politics. The clan kids especially succeeded in this environment. They had an extra edge from training at home, and they also possessed an already solid social network. Children from ninja families did alright, for about the same reasons as the clan kids. The civilian kids were basically thrown to the sharks. Most were weeded out in the first two years, though the war meant that the standards for advancement had dropped.

Underneath this already tense mood was an undercurrent of… urgency. The higher-ups were pushing for more soldiers, and more soldiers meant more early graduations. In just the first week of school, several kids were moved up a grade, and one was immediately promoted to genin.

Kimi supposed she was lucky, in a way. She had managed to integrate herself into a group of friends with a ninja background, despite being a civilian. Yugao and Hakui's parents had been genin teammates, and Hakui's mother currently worked with Tsubaki's mother. Kimi had noticed that the kids in the Academy generally didn't form friendships outside of their little groups. And at the same time, she managed to fly under the radar, keeping her ranking at exactly ten—the bare minimum required for her sponsorship, but not high enough to attract too much attention from the teacher. Kimi felt so incredibly bad for the civilian kids who had no idea what they were doing and the over-achievers who found themselves graduating much too soon. She did her best to be nice to them, but sometimes, that wasn't enough.

Kimi took solace in the fact that the war would end soon. At most, it would last for another year. Once it ended, then perhaps these children would be given a chance for a more normal life.


About a month in to the new school year, Kimi was well on her way to adjusting to the curriculum. The written subjects were a breeze, and the practical subjects weren't too different from the training the Yamanaka's had given her, even if it was much harder. Kimi compensated for her average practical scores by getting perfect scores on all the written tests. She soon fell into a routine and began to appreciate the (incredibly slight) challenge that the harder work posed.

Unfortunately, at around the same time, Kimi ran face first into a problem caused by the ultra-competitive atmosphere.


"So all you have to do is—" She paused, distracted by the shouting coming from the other side of the courtyard. "Um, multiply by ten to find the percentage. Does that make sense?"

"Wow, Kimi, you're so smart!" said Tsubaki admiringly. "I got it, now."

"Thanks." Concerned, Kimi bit her lip when she heard the shouts grow louder. "What's going on?"

Tsubaki shrugged. "I dunno. Probably the boys doing something stupid." She wrinkled her nose.

"Huh." Kimi stood up, grabbing her bag.

"Hey, where're you going?"

"I just want to see what's going on. I'll see you after lunch, ok? You should finish the rest of your homework."

"Uh, ok."

Kimi began jogging to the other side of the yard. She frowned as the voices became clearer, allowing her to understand what was being said.

It didn't sound nice at all.

"Aw, is the civie crying? Are you sad that you're stupid?"

"Shut up!"

"You're a big fat idiot, you know?"

She turned the corner and saw a group three boys taunting two others.

"Yeah, they're retards!"

She narrowed her eyes. The brunet was standing stock still, frustrated and clearly angry. He hadn't responded to their insults, but Kimi could see the beginning of tears form in his eyes. The white-haired one was glaring at them, face red with rage. She suppressed a sigh. Though the Academy teachers ran a tight ship in the classroom, they really didn't care about what happened outside of it.

Dammit. My bleeding heart is going to get me in serious trouble one day.

"What's going on?" she asked, stepping forward and smiling.

The kids all looked at her. "What the hell do you want?" replied the tallest one, a gangly boy of about nine. The red markings on his cheek marked him as an Inuzuka.

"I was just wondering what you were doing." Kimi deliberately positioned herself between the bullies and the victims.

"None of your business."

"Really? I think you're being a bit mean," she said mildly. "Why are you picking on them?"

"We're not pickin' on them." A red-eyed kid smirked. "We're just givin' them a little help, ya know."

"Motivation!" added a bespectacled boy. "We need to put the losers in their place!"

She looked at them in silence.

They're just children, she thought, suddenly feeling rather old. They're practically babies.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why do you care? Stop asking dumb questions!"

Kimi ignored him. "So you think civilians are stupid?"

"Well, duh!" The Inuzuka barred his teeth, displaying his fangs. His canine companion did the same.

"So you think the Yellow Flash is stupid? His parents were civilians, you know."

He turned red. "Nuh-uh!"

"It's true."

The red-eyed one scowled. "You're just a dumb girl. What d'you know?"

"Tsunade-hime's a girl. Are you calling her dumb? The head of the Inuzuka clan is a girl. Are you calling her dumb?"

"N-no, but—"

The Inuzuka boy growled. "Watch your mouth or I'll rip your throat out."

Kimi sighed out loud. Again. Children. "You know, lunchtime's almost over. Here." Kimi opened her bag and pulled out a couple of onigiri. "You want some?" she offered to the bullies.

All the boys stared at her, confusion clearly etched on their faces.

"No, seriously. I have extras. You want some?"

The Inuzuka boy grinned. "Sure!" He grabbed one from her hand, sniffed it carefully, and messily ripped it in two. He shoved one half into his own mouth and tossed the other to his partner.

After inspecting her and the onigiri with suspicion, the other two took the offered food.

"Why don't you three go play ninja or something? You have better things to do."

Kimi glanced at the bullied boys. Both were looking at her with a combination of hurt and confusion.

"You know," she said, "I have more food. Do you want to come eat lunch with my friends and me?"

The two boys exchanged looks.

"Please?"

"Ok," said brown-haired boy, speaking for the first time.

"Great!" She herded the two boys to her corner of the yard. "I'm Kimi. What're your names?"

"Umino Iruka," mumbled the kid with the ponytail.

"Jujiro Mizuki."

Kimi blinked once. I'm sure that Iruka was Naruto's teacher. But Mizuki... I know that name. But from where? "Cool." She carefully eyed the two boys next to her. "If you don't mind me asking, why were the other kids picking on you?"

Iruka looked down, and Mizuki glowered.

"Cause they're jerks," muttered Iruka.

After a few seconds, the white-haired boy answered. "They're jealous that I'm a civilian that does better than them. And Iruka doesn't get good grades, so they're mean to him too." His expression grew darker.

"Oh." Kimi hesitated. I think he's pretty accurate, to be honest. Mizuki must have been rather isolated because of his background… and Iruka's been ostracized because he hasn't succeeded in school. "I'm a civilian too, you know."

"Really?" asked Mizuki, trying to hide his shock.

"Yeah. Hey, I'll introduce you to my friends! They're all really nice…"


It took longer for the other girls accept the boys, but in time, they too were assimilated into the group. Although the Iruka and Mizuki didn't always eat lunch with them, they did become fairly good friends with the girls. To Kimi's amusement, Tsubaki even developed a bit of a crush on Mizuki. All in all, Kimi felt fairly happy with her actions.

Then, Kimi went and reread her journal—the one that had every detail she could remember about the show. The truth hit her like a lightning bolt.

He's the traitor, she thought numbly. He tries to kill Naruto.

Kimi frowned. No. He could become a traitor. Right now, he's just a prickly nine-year old boy who's friends with Iruka. She immediately felt a headache begin to develop, and with a sigh, she rubbed her temples. I guess I could keep an eye on him… but the future isn't set in stone. I'll try not to judge people based on what could happen in a possible future.


Kimi's training with the Yamanaka continued, but she quickly noticed that the focus had shifted.

Instead of taijutsu and regular training, the instruction was instead concentrated on more specialized subjects. How to read body language, how to identify plants, and how to deceive…

The subtle arts were the Yamanaka's specialty, and they seemed willing to share their knowledge with her.

Kimi found it all incredibly fascinating. She took it in stride—at least, until they started working with poisons.


Misaki calmly pointed out different plant, quizzing Kimi on the medicinal uses of each one. Kimi was entirely engrossed by the fact that even plants utilized chakra. In fact, some herbs even affected the human body's chakra system.

"Good." Misaki smiled. "Which parts of the Guzen shrub are deadly, and which parts are not?"

"The leaves and berries are extremely poisonous, but the roots can be ground up to create an all-purpose panacea."

"I'm impressed, Kimi-chan. You remembered all of them perfectly."

"Thanks, Saki-sensei." The Academy took up a good amount of her day, but it still left enough time for Kimi to focus on learning other things. (Somewhere along the line, Kimi had begun to call the older woman by that nickname. Several hours in a greenhouse, pointing out plants and mixing antidotes, could really speed up bonding.)

Misaki gently guided her to the back room of the Yamanaka greenhouse. Here, the clan would prepare the plants. The room was large and clean, with various tools to create various tinctures.

"Now, I'm sure you know the difference between an antidote and a poison, correct?"

"Of course. Simply put, a poison is used to harm someone. An antidote is used to cure a poisoning."

"Yes, but what's the specific difference between the substances?"

Kimi paused. "Well, sometimes there isn't a difference. An antidote, by itself, can sometimes have the same effect as a poison."

"Correct. Kimi, I know that we've generally worked with antidotes. You better learn to cure poisons before you learn to use them, right?"

"I guess…"

"I think you're ready to move on to the more dangerous subject."

Kimi swallowed, suddenly feeling rather uneasy. Learning how to identify poisons will help you cure them, she reminded herself. You don't have to use this knowledge to harm others.

With the serene patience Kimi had come to associate with her, Misaki explained the safety procedures and the different types of poisons. Kimi listened attentively. When it came to the management of poisons, the Yamanaka were quite thorough.

"Today, I want you to mix a poison using the Guzen berry, Wolf's Bane, and the Toku leaf." At Kimi's panicked expression, Misaki laughed. "Don't worry. It's only a mild paralytic. It's not deadly at all."

"But the Guzen shrub and Wolf's Bane are—"

"Incredibly deadly, I know. But the chemicals in the Guzen berry counteract the toxicity of Wolf's Bane. And—" Misaki stopped for a brief second. "It's impossible to overdose on the resulting poison." She coughed once. "Let's start with the Guzen berry…"

Kimi spent the next thirty minutes priming the Guzen berry and the next fifteen shredding the Wolf's Bane. The work was more labor-intensive than difficult, and the safety equipment that Kimi wore mitigated practically all the danger.

"All that's left is to add," Misaki's hand hovered over a series of glass vials, "the Toku extract." She handed a vial of colorless liquid to Kimi. "Three drops should be enough."

Kimi unstopped the bottle, noting that Toku had a strong, almost familiar smell. For some strange reason, Kimi thought that Misaki was watching her extra-carefully while she added the final touches.

"Wonderful," said Misaki, pleased. "Congrats, Kimi. You created your first poison. It's known as the Devil's Kiss. It's a tradition in the Yamanaka clan to mix this poison first."

"Thank you." Hooray. What a big milestone. I can officially mix poisonous substances! "What does it do?"

"Other than being a mild paralytic, it also slows down reaction time and numbs sensation. Devil's Kiss is an excellent all-purpose poison. The side effects are very mild, so it's normally used to incapacitate. It's common to use that poison in practice spars."

"That's interesting."

"I think so, too. Let's bottle up the poison so we can store it safety for later use, ok?"


Kimi went to the Shinobi Archives whenever she got the chance. Since she was now an Academy student, Kimi had slightly higher clearance. Though she generally hovered around the medical section, Kimi decided to head the area with books on poisons.

All the books she could access were small and very uninformative. Kimi couldn't help but smirk at some of the titles. Help! I'm Poisoned! was a picture book about antidotes. A Service to the Very Stupid Idiots Who Poisoned Themselves was an extremely censored public service announcement by Tsunade. A Beginner's Guide to Poisons… that looked interesting.

Kimi opened the book and began skimming, searching for the section on the Devil's Kiss. To her delight, the book had a small blurb about it.

The Devil's Kiss is a common poison used by many ninja in Konoha. It is unusual because it works as a hallucinogen, a paralytic, and an intoxicant. The addition of the Toku plant (page 31) causes…

Kimi turned to page 31. Kimi had seen the small herb in the greenhouse, but she didn't know about its uses. There were quite a few plants in the greenhouse that she hadn't learned about, and the Toku plant was one of them.

The Toku plant, also known as the Lover's Tongue, is a rare herb found only in certain locations in the Land of Fire. It is prized highly for its unique flavor and properties. Formerly, members of the nobility would drink alcoholic beverages with Toku extract, as the plant is famously known for loosening inhibitions and causing mild amnesia, allowing the upper class of society to engage in…

Her eyes widened.

Suddenly, it all came together.

The interesting flavor of the tea.

The symptoms she had experienced after her meeting with the Yamanaka.

The familiar scent of the extract.

They had fucking drugged her.

Her heart pounded in her ears.

How dare they.

How fucking dare they.

Dimly, Kimi realized that her hands were shaking. Slowly, she put the book down and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her rage. Quicky, her anger was replaced by a different emotion.

How could she have been so stupid?

The Yamanaka were ninja. Drugging a child was probably so inconsequential to them. Hell, they probably thought they were doing the right thing. She had been far, far too trusting.

Apparently, a child's body did mean a child's naivety.

Her expression twisted into a sneer.

She would never make this mistake again.


About six months after her entrance into the Academy, the Kannabi Bridge was destroyed, leading to the withdrawal of Iwa from the war.


Kimi stood next to her parents, holding their hands tightly.

Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash and the new Yondaime, looked over the massive crowd. Practically everyone in Konoha was there, civilian or ninja. The esteemed Elder Council of Konoha, the leaders of the major clans, all the heroes of the war… and the shopkeepers, the farmers, and the merchants of the village.

Even from her place in the middle of the crowd, Kimi could feel the Hokage's blinding presence.

"Citizens of Konoha! I declare the Third Shinobi War to be finally over!"


AN: Every named character (except the Hyuuga doctor) is canon. This chapter had the first major canon event, and the next chapter should have another one.

There's nothing I love more than reviews, and all of you have made me extremely happy. I really appreciate it!

On a different note, I am looking for a beta! Please let me know if you're interested.

This chapter's recommendations are Heaven and Hell by Abundant E and Aberration by Rin O' Gen. The first is an engrossing story about the Uchiha clan in the Warring Clans era, while the second is an interesting take on the "person literally falls into the Naruto world" trope.

Please don't be afraid to comment or give me criticism. I have rhino-thick skin. Thank you for reading!