"I'm getting real tired of waking up like this, you jerk!" Tsukisa yelled to the empty house.

That evening after their first real match, Kushimaru left for another mission. If she was a normal 6-year-old, she would've developed separation anxiety, or a fear of falling unconscious if every time she woke up, her only caretaker was gone.

Annoyed, she got up and left her room.

Just like he's been doing for the past year and a half, there was a note on the table and some money for food. And again, if she were a normal 6-year-old, she would spend the grand total of 85 Ryo on snacks or take out. Really, her sensei doesn't know who he has, she's saving him so much of his precious mission-earned money by cooking.

She pocketed the money and read the note.

Mission, 6 hours.

How long was she asleep? And how long has he been gone? Whatever, he'll come back when he does.

After washing up and scanning their fridge, she made a mental note of what to get and headed towards the market street.

By now everyone was aware of her as she used to come with Kushimaru before. And after the first two times of getting their property (harmlessly) booby-trapped, no one tried to cheat her out of her money again.

In addition to the physical training she was getting, her sensei let her go to the library for some self-study. She used her time to read up on things exclusive to this world, like history, language, biology with regards to chakra, chemistry with regards to chakra―just anything chakra-related. She'd studied enough biology and anatomy for two lifetimes, but this new Naruto-exclusive element was throwing off everything she thought to be true. She had to modify her knowledge.

Looking around the gloomy marketplace, she found the vendor she was looking for.

"Hello, Uruchi-san," she greeted the shopkeep, one of the few people she talked to.

"Ah, Tsukisa-chan! How are you doing child?" He asked pleasantly. "I hope you aren't pushing yourself too hard now."

"Only when necessary, Uruchi-san."

"Of course, of course," he relented. "We all need something to fight for, after all." He smiled a sad smile.

She then remembered hearing whispers about his son who died on a mission recently. He'd died fighting for Kiri. She felt slightly guilty for bringing up those memories in the man.

But she reasoned that it wasn't her doing. He thought of such things on his own.

"...Yes, we do," she admitted after a while. Something to fight for.

She found the ingredients she came for―tofu and fresh cod―and haggled for a cheaper price. When she was satisfied, she bid Uruchi goodbye and headed back home.

It was 1900 by the time she started cooking. She often uses chakra strings around the kitchen to practice her control. And especially after today, she was feeling pretty good about her skills.

She still couldn't believe it! Even though her sensei said he would only be on the defensive, she was able to land a hit! On one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist!

He said he'd only teach her specialized kenjutsu if she was able to pass, and another technique of her choice. Something about her becoming his official student if he taught her the longsword art. And as for the other one, she already knew what she wanted to learn.

In the past year, she's been able to master most of the traps her sensei often works with. Her taijutsu and speed were nothing to laugh at either. Her chakra control was coming along nicely, and she's as strong as any genin, maybe even chunin, according to him (she had no way of knowing as she hasn't fought anyone else yet).

Her only weaknesses, on her part and any opponents', are ninjutsu and genjutsu, both of which require adequate chakra reserves. She had no doubt she would excel in either given her delicate control from her previous career as a surgeon, but she just didn't have enough chakra.

"Focus," Kushimaru laid a fist on her head.

"GAH!" she screamed in surprise. It took her great effort to refrain from attacking him. "Don't do that, Sensei!" She wasn't even aware of him entering the house.

"Don't sing away from the Field," he dropped his hand, and hers automatically went up to rub the area.

It took her a moment to realize that she had indeed been singing before he came. The song she sang during their fight was playing in the back of her mind, and she had unconsciously hummed along. In her past life, she relied heavily on music. It was the only release she had from her stressful career. She would listen to it to occupy herself whenever she was doing mundane tasks as well that didn't require thinking, like exercising or cleaning.

Was she not supposed to sing while cooking? She looked up at him to explain.

"Do not mistake the Fight for anything else," he started. "Keep it separate from other activities. It's not a problem if you lose yourself in a battle, since instinct can sometimes be more useful than thinking. But at all the other times, your mind needs to be sharp. You need to be present."

She stared at him in awe as she took that in.

Most of the time, he was a sadistic prick. But it was moments like these that reminded Tsukisa that her sensei was a legendary swordsman for a reason. And it was moments like these that scared her, moments when he made sense.

And the scarier thing was, she could back up everything he'd just said with science from her old world. She'd learned it was extremely dangerous to make any associations with fight, flight or freeze situations. And if these associations overlapped with other situations, the same reactions could be triggered, even when the situation doesn't require any fight, flight or freeze responses.

In other words, compartmentalizing; keeping 'work life' and personal life separate.

"What?" he asked when she didn't say anything.

"...Just...that was like the wisest thing you've ever said."

Kushimaru didn't reply and just pointedly looked on, his inexpressive mask adding to the seriousness of his words.

"But, yes. I understand Sensei. Singing is reserved for the battlefield."

"Hn. Why did you sing?"

"Aside from trying to throw you off?"

"Yeah. You could've distracted me in several other ways. Why singing specifically?"

She grinned. "The silence was getting to me," she answered honestly.

He stared for another moment and grunted in acceptance.

-:-

"Tomorrow we'll start with the longsword art," Kushimaru said at dinner that night. His mask was tilted to the side so only his jaw was visible. He was seated on the couch with his food while she was at the table facing him.

"Yes!"

"Should be manageable with your height now." She really was tall for her age; she looked about 10 or 12. He took a bite. "You'll also be starting at the academy next week. Don't waste 4 years in it like everyone else."

"Yes, Kushimaru-sensei."

"What else did you want to learn?"

She placed her chopsticks down and cleared her throat. "Iryoninjutsu," she said with all the seriousness a 6-year-old can muster.

Iryo...? While it's true that Kiri could use more medics, since there always seemed to be a shortage, there was no need for medic-nin. No shinobi should be bothered with healing, the civilians should be capable of at least that much. The shinobi though are a tool, a weapon to be used at the village's discretion. But medic-nin were weak, always had to be protected. If everybody was strong enough to protect themselves, then there wouldn't be a need for them. And if they weren't strong enough and died, then there was nobody else to blame but themselves. Simple as that.

Strength is law.

"...Why?" he asked skeptically instead of immediately shooting her down.

"Why..." she repeated. She looked away, but for a moment she appeared to be somewhere else, seeing something that wasn't there.

Kushimaru narrowed his eyes. She was probably thinking of some sentimental shit like her old village or something. For all the tough front she puts up, the girl thinks too deeply about things, feels too deeply.

"Because I know I can be good at it," she faced him with confidence. "Why deny myself a skill if it can help me and others in the future?"

There it was again. 6-year-olds couldn't think very far into the future, and for the life of them, could not be practical. They'd want to learn flashy jutsu because that was "cool". But she didn't ask for that (never mind she couldn't do it).

Kushimaru wasn't stupid. He knew she was a genius, maybe even a prodigy. But being special was not always a good thing, particularly in a hidden village. There were dangers even he didn't know about. But, with all of her intellect, if she still wants the limelight, then she would pay for it. With her life, if she has to. She should know the consequences of such actions.

"You will fail."

"You don't kn―"

"I'll get you one chance to learn," he looked straight at her. "When you fail, because you will fail, we will never talk about this again."

She met his stare and gave a solemn nod. "I won't fail."

"We'll see."

She turned to her meal again with a small smile. It seemed different somehow to Kushimaru from all her other foolish grins. It almost threw him off.

Silence fell over them, as it often did, and each was left to their thoughts.

From her reaction and intent to learn iryoninjutsu, Kushimaru could already tell she was going to have trouble with the darker parts of this life. She was missing something. She lacked that drive, that mindset needed to be an unparalleled shinobi. She didn't have the desire to be the strongest like most of Kiri did. When he first found Tsukisa, her will to survive was strong enough. She was wild and made an impression on him. But now that she has survived, it seems as though her fire's dimmed.

He'd rejected all the other children that hoped to be his student before. They were all a boring bunch of spineless doormats. How could he train them as his student if they acted like pets instead? The most he could do was teach them tricks. But Tsukisa was different. She talked back and kept things interesting, but listened when it mattered. It was that strangely high level of understanding again. But maybe that's why she's like this. That understanding could be why she's lacking.

Had he made a mistake? Should he have chosen one of the other children?

Kushimaru was concerned. She carried his name and everyone knew by now that she was his student. He couldn't take it back or have her embarrassing him. Perhaps he's gone soft. Perhaps this relative safety and comfort he's provided have made her complacent. She's gotten too used to this peace for the past year and a half; they both have. And it needed to change.

After thinking through various options, he came to a conclusion. With her skills now, it should be possible. Her tracking and usage of traps were satisfactory. Her taijutsu and kenjutsu could use some work though, but nothing she can't learn on the job. Her problem solving was pretty good, she figured out he was following her and her diversion tactics―

His mind came to a screeching halt.

"What language were you singing in?"

She flinched and snapped up. Her eyes were wide with alarm, caught off guard by the abrupt question. "Oh, umm... my mom taught me..." she said looking down again.

Well, that was a first. Her mother. He didn't think she'd remember. She's never talked about her family before, so he assumed she forgot about them. And he didn't really care as long as she focused on her training, so he never thought to ask.

"Where was she from?"

"... I don't know actually, she never said."

"Hmm." He would have to look into it. "As long as you don't get distracted in battle." He took a cold bite of fried rice.

-:-

"When you said you'd give me a chance, I thought you meant like training with a medic or something, not a whole 'internship'," she said making air quotes.

"What? You don't want it?" he asked seriously, glancing down at Tsukisa. Seeing her attempting to protest, Kushimaru continued. "You said you'd be good. If you can pass the exam, you can study iryonintsu."

"The exam is for people who've already st―"

"Then I guess you won't be learning," he turned to walk away. She quickly grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving.

"No, no wait, I'll go."

He turned around and glanced at her. "Room 2B. Go pass or fail, stop wasting everyone's time."

"You're really petty, ya' know that?" she couldn't help but say. She knew his views on how exemplary a shinobi must be and knew he disapproved of iryoninjutsu. He was just trying to discourage her without actually saying no.

He just stared at her. "Go. Also, you're coming with me on missions now," he said nonchalantly before shunshinning away.

"Wha―!? Sensei! You can't just―UGH!"

Her hands curled into fists in frustration. He can't just drop that news on her like that! He's taking her on missions now? Already? She's not even a shinobi yet! She hasn't even started at the academy! Is he even allowed to―No, calm down, he's just trying to get under your skin. Focus on the task at hand.

She gathered herself as she looked ahead. She was left standing in front of Kirigakure General Hospital not two days after their match.

He didn't even tell her what he was planning, and she didn't get a chance to study up on local techniques. Not to mention, she can't even create healing chakra. If she passed this with her old medical knowledge, she'd be suspicious because she's only 6. But if she fails this, he won't give her another chance to learn iryoninjutsu.

He really was a trap specialist, even when he's not intending to be.

With a deep breath, she started walking toward the building. Hospitals and her have a weird relationship. In her past life, because of her family situation, she was forced to study medicine. Her parents didn't give her any other choice but to become a surgeon. It was useful and helped a lot of people, sure. But that didn't mean it was right to do that or that she liked being one. Of course, she didn't hate it either, she just wanted to be able to choose.

So this time, she did. She spent her whole first life studying medicine. If that knowledge can increase her chances of surviving and literally save her life, then she's not going to waste it. She's going to milk it for all it's worth and make the most of her knowledge.

Last time, she was forced to become a surgeon, but now she's choosing to be one. She's choosing to honour her doctor's oath, and choosing people as something to fight for.

Consequences be damned. She promised she would do everything in her power to save lives, and that's what she's going to do.

With renewed determination, she walked in through the main entrance. The place was drab and patients were shambling along like zombies while the employees were running about. Already she could tell they were understaffed, and the quality of healthcare provided here wasn't enough.

She'd have to fix that.

She walked up to the second floor and knocked on a room labelled B. When she heard Come in, she opened the door. There was a man inside behind a table covered with papers and folders.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Um, I'm here for the...uh, internship," she started. When the man didn't say anything and just stared at her, she continued. "My name is Kuriarare Tsukisa."

"Hmph, nepotism can you get far these days," he mumbled more to himself than to her. He started digging through the mess on his desk and pulled open a folder. "Fill out this form. You can start the written exam after."

She took the sheet of paper and looked it over. Most of the areas were already filled with messy writing. Questions like registration numbers, proof of citizenship, address and among other things Kushimaru never told her were all answered. She even had recommendations. And everything was signed by her sensei and someone named Suikami. This was more than she could've asked for.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she accepted it and looked around the room. She saw a small plastic chair with a desk. It was actually a bed table she realized as she got closer.

"Um," she stopped before she sat down. "Do you happen to have a pen I can borrow?" she asked lamely. The man looked so done with her that he actually released a small amount of killer intent. Tsukisa immediately stiffened and stood at attention. He was a shinobi and not a civilian medic.

The man pulled out a drawer and started rummaging as if he didn't just declare a death threat. "Very far indeed," he mumbled as he tossed her a pencil. She caught it and relaxed only slightly when he contained his murderous aura.

That was uncalled for, she thought. Tsukisa didn't know about other shinobi, but she took killer intent very seriously. And, if her asshole of a mentor just tells her these things, she would've come prepared.

She sat down at her 'desk' and filled out the remaining blank areas (things like personal statements, interests and skills she thought could be useful). She memorized the information that was already filled for future reference and handed it back the form. The man, grudgingly, gave her the exam. It was a thick package of paper, filled with all sorts of hypothetical situations and short answers. She wanted to cry.

-:-

When Gonbee said he wanted to support the village more, he was expecting Suikami to give him higher ranked missions, or maybe even a promotion to full jounin. He didn't, however, expect to be made a consulting healthcare administrator.

Consulting my ass. His only job is to work through any backlog of paperwork for all the wings and departments in the hospital. That and taking on 2 'talented' medic-nin-hopefuls.

Gonbee was given all authority to test them and train them as he saw fit so long as he was reasonable and met the medical board's expectations. Of course, reason was a relative term. He found the hardest questions given to chunin level medics and made an exam out of them for the kiddies. He didn't believe for a second that they would amount to much. They just had friends in high places.

So imagine his surprise when both of the academy-aged children passed his medic-nin internship exam.

The first participant's performance wasn't too far-fetched. He was a 14-year-old genin named Kirisaki whose interest and skill were already apparent. The second kid however came as a shock. A 6-year-old child who's never had any exposure to the art, no teachers, and not even capable of producing medical chakra. She barely managed to pass (she got 82% when the passing mark was 80). But the fact remains that she did.

Her scoring was weird too. She wasn't able to answer anything that involved chakra. All of the questions were solved with manual procedures and medicine. And she described techniques that Gonbee's never heard of. That alone should've been enough to fail her, (hypothetically) using untested procedures on patients.

But the more he thought through them, the more he realized they were indeed possible. With his skill and experience, he could picture the techniques as having high success rates.

If anyone else had tested Tsukisa, Gonbee was sure she wouldn't have passed.

And now he had 2 children to babysit at the hospital.

-:-

85 Ryo - About CAD 10.00

1900 - 7:00 PM

-:-

A/N: Thank you for reading! I'll be posting every Friday!