Natsumi's eyes fluttered open and she moaned in pain.
"You're awake!" Sena sat beside the bed and beamed down at the girl.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Natsumi laughed under her breath and attempted to sit up. She rubbed her face and stared at the IV in her wrist, her face twisting in confusion.
What the...? Her expression softened and she relaxed and gingerly rested her arm on her lap. I remember now.
"No, it's definitely a very good thing!" Sena gently hugged her and sat back down. "I'm just surprised that you're up already. What do you remember?"
"Everything." Natsumi prodded the area around the IV with a frown. "Can this come out now? It really hurts."
Sena studied the monitors for a moment and then nodded. "Y-Yeah... of course." She pressed her lips together in thought as she carefully removed the IV and pressed a square of gauze on the area to prevent bleeding.
"Is everything okay?" Natsumi studied her expression carefully and Sena quickly waved her hand and laughed.
"Oh, everything's fine! Actually... a little too fine. I can't explain it." She placed Natsumi's finger on the gauze to apply pressure and set the IV aside and shut off the monitors, removing the sensors from Natsumi.
"What do you mean?"
"It's nothing to be worried about, really." She sat back in the chair and crossed her legs after a moment, her eyes falling on Natsumi's arm.
Natsumi followed her gaze and her eyes widened in surprise. The cuts from before! They're gone! She ran her fingers over the area. Without leaving any mark, either.
"You're a great healer, Sena. There's not even a scar."
Sena blinked and then let out a sigh. "Thank you, but I can't claim that. It's so strange... after we got you settled in and hooked up to the monitors, we worked to restore your Chakra so a safer level. By the time I got around to attending to the cuts, they were already healed. I've never seen anything like it."
"W-What?" Natsumi stared down at her arm again and felt her cheek. "They healed on their own?"
Sena nodded and crossed her arms. "Of course, I'm glad that you're alright, but I'm just so perplexed by it. I have heard of some people who have extraordinary healing abilities, but I've never known anyone who had met someone with the ability before."
Natsumi flexed her fingers slowly. I have a special ability? But... I've never noticed anything strange before.
"How has your healing been before? Is this typical for you?"
Natsumi shook her head and opened her mouth, stopping herself. Actually...
"One time, a few years ago, I took a pretty serious fall while training and I was sure that I had broken my arms when I tried to catch myself..." She bit her lip. "I was convinced they were broken, but by the time I reached the hospital and they did an X-ray... there was no fracture at all. The doctor said that it was only a case of bad bruising and some muscle tearing. She said I was lucky."
Sena nodded as she listened, muttering to herself. "I've got to get access to those scans... I'm sure it was the same thing that happened back then."
"How could I heal so quickly, though?"
"Like I said, there are stories of a clan with an extraordinary healing ability. No one I've talked to seems to know who they were, but you could be a descendant of them. Do you know anything about your parents?"
Natsumi shook her head and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Maybe we are descended from that clan. But we don't even know who are parents are. There's no way I can find out for sure without having even their names...
"Sorry," Sena whispered softly and Natsumi turned to meet her eyes. "I don't know who my parents are, either."
"Really?" Natsumi leaned closer to her. "S-Sorry, that came out wrong. What happened to them?"
Sena shrugged. "I'm not sure, entirely. I was found in a nearby mountain pass after a terrible rockslide. I was half-dead, and my parents' bodies were so crushed that they were unidentifiable. When I woke up, it was in the hospital here in Konoha nearly a month later and I had no memories whatsoever. I couldn't even recall my own name, so the Hokage named me after I had finished recovering."
Natsumi bit her lip and stared downward. "That's awful. I'm sorry."
Sena shook her head slowly. "It's alright. Without my memory, I'm actually able to be at peace about it. It's better than living in a state of constant grief, at least."
So that's why... I always thought there was something about her smile...
The door burst open and Kiri rushed inside.
"I heard talking! Is she awake?!" She stopped and grinned at Natsumi, hugging her tightly. "You had me so worried!"
Natsumi laughed and Kiri sat on the side of the bed, grinning ear-to-ear. "Natsumi, that was incredible! I've never seen anyone piss Yuuri off that much before! You were amazing!"
Natsumi gulped and felt the color leave her face. "She's... mad?"
Crap. I'm dead. I just made my new Captain mad!
Kiri laughed. "Oh, she's absolutely fuming! It's hilarious!"
Natsumi gulped again. She's probably forming a plan to get revenge right now. She'll make shoes out of my skin.
"She's locked herself in her office and hasn't come out since the match. I've never seen her so humiliated. You did a great job!"
She slapped Natsumi's back and Natsumi laughed softly. "T-Thanks..."
Kiri studied her face and held up her hands. "Hey, don't sweat it. She's mostly pissed because you beat her by following all of her rules, and that's what bothers her the most. Until now, she's been untouchable." She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "So... where did you learn that technique from?"
Natsumi laughed and scratched her cheek. "Oh... um..." She coughed awkwardly. "Well... you see... one of the times I had snuck into the off-limits area, I found this old storeroom of scrolls. None of them seemed to have anything interesting on them, but I found one scroll that had rolled underneath of a shelf. When I looked at it... I saw that it had been written by Lord Fourth."
"And?" Kiri brought her face closer and smirked. "You took it, didn't you?"
Natsumi blushed and averted her eyes. "W-Well... It's not as if anyone really cared much about it... it had been collecting dust a long time." She dared look at Kiri again, who was still smirking smugly. "A-And really, what's the purpose of writing down a Jutsu only to have it forgotten?"
Kiri chuckled and patted her head. "I'm not going to report you or anything, so don't worry."
"Are you a big fan of Lord Fourth?" Sena smiled faintly and Natsumi nodded quickly.
"Of course! Everyone always talks about how great he was, even after he's been gone all this time. He was a hero and was so courageous and strong that he saved everyone. I've always wanted to have that kind of strength." Natsumi grinned and her eyes were bright. "Being Hokage is Naruto's dream, but I want to someday have the Fourth Hokage's skill and have everyone love and respect me as much as they did him. I'll use that strength to look after Naruto and help him achieve his dream, and make everyone acknowledge him, too."
The two shared an expression and smiled, and Natsumi's cheeks warmed.
"B-But that probably sounds like a silly goal."
"No, it's actually wonderful." Sena touched her shoulder.
"That's the first time we've seen you get really worked up over something before." Kiri nodded. "It's adorable."
Adorable... there's that word again. She crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. "Thanks..."
A knock at the door made her look up and their teammates filled the doorway.
"Knock, knock." Kuma chuckled and stepped inside and met Natsumi's eyes. "Oh, Mina, you're awake already."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" She looked at Sena.
"W-Well..." Sena smiled. "With your level of Chakra exhaustion, I expected you to be out for at least a few days while your body recovered, however, you've recovered in only a few hours. I still highly recommend taking it very easy and waiting until tomorrow to begin your training, but your recovery is incredible."
"I'll say." Kuma approached the bed and the other members filed inside, though missing Yuuta and Jiro— much to Natsumi's relief.
"Mina, that was amazing!" Aia held Natsumi's hand her between hers. "I've never seen anything like that before!"
"I can't believe you got the Captain like that." Kuma nodded in agreement and leaned his shoulder against the wall. "You've definitely more than proven that you're one of us. You'll have to show us how that move is done some time."
"Yes!" Aia agreed with a nod. "It was great!"
"Oh no, she won't." Sena shook her head. "The toll it took on her body proves that it's too advanced of a technique for her at this time." She looked at Natsumi. "It's fine to build up to it, but if you push yourself too much, you'll be risking your life. Promise me that you'll wait to try again."
Natsumi nodded. "I promise." I still feel sore and drained... there's no way I could muster that Jutsu up a second time.
"Good. Depleting your Chakra to such low levels can be deadly, so you need to be more careful next time." Sena held up a finger and her mouth twitched in a smirk. "Although, I won't scold you for doing it now, because it was great to see Ayeka get so flustered like that."
Kuma laughed. "It was fuckin' great, that's what you mean. To see her finally put in her place..." He shot Natsumi a grin. "Now if only you could knock Cessa down a peg like that. He pisses everyone off."
Cessa? She bit her lip. Oh, that's right. It's Yuuta's codename.
"Is she good enough to walk?" Kuma looked at Sena and tapped his left shoulder. "It's time she met Noboru."
Sena looked Natsumi over. "I think so. You might be a little unsteady, but I can always help support you as we walk."
"Walk?" Natsumi looked around at the group. "Where are we going?"
Ne chuckled and tapped her own shoulder, turning so Natsumi could see the tattoo there. "It's time to get your mark, Mina."
Natsumi opened her mouth and quickly shut it again. I have to get... a tattoo?!
"W-What?" She croaked and paled. "Really?"
They nodded collectively.
"It's really not that bad." Sena smiled reassuringly. "The tattoos are small and it'll be over in no time. They heal in a few days' time and won't bother you after that."
"Won't people notice the tattoo though?"
"Well, yeah." Kiri shrugged. "But that's why we always dress accordingly while off-duty. You've never seen mine before, right?"
That's right... Kiri and Sena both cover their shoulders.
"Come on, Mina. It only takes a few minutes. There's no need to worry about it." Aia smiled. "Noboru is highly skilled, so you'll hardly feel it."
I guess... there's no getting out of it.
Natsumi shifted and dangled her legs over the side of the bed, exhaling. "Alright, I guess I'm ready then."
"Carefully, now." Sena reminded.
Natsumi slowly touched her feet to the floor, applying gentle pressure and slowly stood. She wobbled and Kiri steadied her.
"There we go." After a moment, she let the girl go. "Try that now."
Natsumi took a cautious step forward. I still feel a little dizzy, but at least my legs are working.
Kiri draped her arm around Natsumi's shoulders and began to lead her out of the room. Natsumi glanced over her shoulder as the rest of the team followed and she looked up at Kiri.
"Why is everyone coming, too?"
"Our team is like a family." Kuma walked with his hands in his pockets and stepped to walk beside Natsumi. "Most teams just send their newbies to Noboru on their own, but not us. We shed blood together, we stick together. Getting your mark is an important moment and makes you officially part of us. There's no way we'd make you do that alone."
She smiled and felt herself blush. Despite the Captain being awful, that horrible welcoming tradition, and the tattoo... I'm really glad to be here.
"Aw, how sweet." Kiri stuck out her tongue at Kuma. "You've got me all choked up."
"Bite me." He laughed and nodded at a group of unmasked ANBU members as they passed on the other side of the hall. The two men nodded back and then stared at Natsumi, whispering to one another. Natsumi watched as they passed the two, who kept staring at her.
Is there some kind of organization-wide dislike for new members?
They continued to walk through winding halls and passed more members who stared and whispered at the girl.
What's going on? Natsumi clenched her fist and Kuma stopped finally in front of a doorway and motioned inside.
"Here we are." He smirked and nodded inside.
Natsumi stepped inside slowly and looked around. It was an average-sized room with some chairs arranged, wheeled carts of ink and tools, a mirror along one wall, a padded table, and the heavy smell of sanitation in the air.
A tall man in his black ANBU clothes stood at the far side of the room cleaning and sanitizing his equipment as a brunette woman held the back of her shirt up to examine a fresh, large tattoo between her shoulder blades. The tattoo was of a brightly colored falcon with its wings outstretched in flight and its blood-covered talons extended.
"Noby, it's perfect." She swooned at the tattoo and pulled the back of her shirt over her head to leave the area exposed while still modestly covering her front. She noticed Natsumi and turned to her, smirking. "Noby, we've got company."
Noboru turned to the doorway and nodded as she stepped inside.
"No need to look so worried. I'm not gonna bite."
Natsumi swallowed and nodded and the other filed in behind her.
"Hey, Noboru." Kiri winked and looked at the women. "Hey, Kiki. Got another one, I see?"
The woman named Kiki smirked and turned, thumbing at her back. "Noby just finished it. Do ya like it?"
Kiri nodded and chuckled. "Great as always."
Noboru set down the sterile equipment and held out his hand for Natsumi to take. She reached out carefully and grasped his huge hand and shook it.
"It's Mina, right? I'm Noboru."
He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her over to a comfortable-looking chair and patted it's back.
"Go on and sit. I've been expectin' you."
Natsumi sat and felt herself sink into the comfortable chair, letting out a slow breath. The woman, Kiki, sat on the edge of the low, padded table and watched Natsumi with her arms crossed and her feet kicking in front of her.
"So, you're the one who beat Ayeka?" Kiki laughed. "Wish I had seen it for myself. Hell, we all do. Just imagining the look on her face after losing to an adorable kid like you is enough to tickle my—"
Noboru cleared his throat and met her eyes. "Language. She's a kid." He scowled. "And I just sanitized that! Get off."
Natsumi's cheeks warmed. "Y-You know about that?"
Kiki hopped off the table and stood beside Kiri. "I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now. You're famous on your first day."
W-What?! Famous? How do they know? She glanced over at her team, who all broke out into guilty smirks. "G-Guys?"
Kuma chuckled. "We were all so damn impressed by you managing to beat Ayeka like that that we just couldn't keep it to ourselves."
Aia and Ne nodded simultaneously and Ne spoke. "So, while you were out, we took the liberty of going around and telling everyone we could find."
Aia nodded. "Don't get us wrong, we don't hate the captain, but she's just... you know... hard to get along with. And she's one of the strongest members in the ANBU, so it's not every day we see someone best her."
"You did well." Torou spoke from the back of the group, his voice deep like thunder. "We're proud to have you on Team Yoru."
Natsumi's blush deepened. "I don't know what to say..."
Noboru wheeled over the cart and sunk into the chair beside Natsumi, taking a piece of gauze and soaking it in alcohol before wiping it over her left shoulder.
"How do you handle pain?" He grunted and set the gauze aside.
"What?" Natsumi bit her lip. Oh... "Um... I'm not sure. The normal way?"
He chuckled and motioned for Kiri to come over.
"Thought so." He glanced up at the woman, then to Natsumi. "Squeeze her hand if ya have to but try to keep this arm nice and relaxed as much as ya can."
Relaxed?! She gulped. Yeah, right...
Kiri pulled up a chair on her other side, sitting backward as she extended her hand. "It's like a bee sting."
Natsumi took her hand gently, staying quiet and biting her lip as she controlled her breathing.
Stay calm... stay calm... like a bee sting...
She glanced at Noboru, who smiled reassuringly and held up a small, almost pen-like machine. "Ready?"
She nodded. No.
He pressed the tip to her skin as she watched and the buzzing began and pressed it into her arm.
She jerked uncontrollably at the pain and bit her lip harder. That's more than a bee sting! She breathed in and out slowly, keeping her left arm still while squeezing Kiri's hand until her fingers turned white.
"S-Sorry." She muttered.
Kiri shrugged. "Don't apologize. I offered to do this. You're the one who doesn't have a lot of choice here."
Natsumi nodded slowly and dared to look at her shoulder.
Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Sharp, searing, stabbing pain. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Occasionally he pulled the device back and used a cloth to wipe away small amounts of blood before continuing his work. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
"Outline's what hurts the most. Fillin' in is easier." Noboru briefly looked up at her and lowered her eyes again. "You're not doin' half bad."
"T-Thanks." She gulped and forced herself to look away. It hurts! I just want it to be over already.
"Most kids your age scream like crazy." Kiki chuckled as she watched. "I remember when Kiri got hers. It sounded like she was being killed. It echoed all down the halls and everything."
Kiri laughed under her breath. "Hey, I don't remember you doing all that well with it, either. You passed out halfway through."
Kiki laughed. "That's because I was an idiot and holding my breath."
Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Natsumi's hand trembled and she loosened her grip on Kiri's hand. If Naruto sees me with a tattoo, he's going to flip out. That means I'll have to go through my clothes and choose what I wear carefully... and make sure that he's asleep or not home when I change or take showers...
"Hardest part's done." Noburo and motioned for her to look. She peered over at the neat red outline.
I guess that wasn't too bad, after all... She settled back into the chair. But it's not done yet...
Natsumi squeezed Kiri's hand again as Noboru continued, falling into a rhythm and she relaxed slightly. He's right. This part isn't as bad.
Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Wipe. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
"You're doin' just fine." Noboru held her arm gently with his free hand and worked carefully. "I didn't expect much else from the girl who beat Ayeka."
Natsumi blushed faintly. "T-Thank you."
"And with the Fourth Hokage's own Jutsu, too." He grunted in approval. "Not sure how ya learned that, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that you've impressed us all."
It was a fluke, really, but everyone likes me because of it... Natsumi smiled. "I wasn't even sure it would work since I'd never been able to get it right before. It was just luck."
He scoffed. "No such thing. Learnin' a technique like that takes natural skill. It's clear you're a born fighter."
"Lord Fourth would have been so proud." Kiri smiled. "Seeing someone your age learning such an advanced technique on your own."
Natsumi's heart skipped. "W-What? You... knew the Fourth Hokage?"
Kiri laughed and nodded. "Most of us here did. I joined while he was Hokage, you know, and so it was only natural that we worked with him a lot. Chie was the only one who never met him, but she was only a toddler when he died."
Natsumi's eyes widened. "Y-You never told me that!"
Noboru chuckled. "Big fan?"
"Huge." Kiri replied and shrugged again.
"What was he like? Was he funny? Was he serious?"
Kiri laughed and held up a hand. "Hold on there, now. We can have story time later. But, he was great, truly. Intelligent, strong, fiercely loyal, and also really kind. That was my favorite thing about him. Losing him was hard on the whole village, sure, but it was hardest on those who knew him personally. He was a great man."
I'm so jealous!
"Please, please, please can you tell me more about him later?"
"Of course." She winked. "Since you asked so nicely."
"Keep doin' like you're doin' and you'll be at his level in no time." Noboru smiled slightly. "My gut says that you're gonna be great, and it's never wrong."
"Never." Kiki chimed and nodded.
"It seems fittin', too, you carryin' out his legacy. He'd be happy to know there was someone followin' in his footsteps. Once you master it, I think we'd all like to see you use that technique again."
Natsumi smiled and looked down at her lap. I hope he'd really be proud of me. I want to be just like him.
"Which is why," Sena smiled. "While you were recovering, everyone had a little meeting."
Natsumi looked up. "A-A meeting?"
The team nodded simultaneously, and even Noboru and Kiki nodded as well.
"The Fourth Hokage was renowned for his speed and given the title of The Leaf's Yellow Flash. We decided that it'd only be fitting since you have the natural skill with his technique, to give you a nickname, too."
"A nickname?" Natsumi looked around. I get a nickname?! "Really? What is it?"
"The Red Flash." They answered in a chorus and Natsumi's eyes widened.
"R-Really? But... are you sure? I'm nowhere near that skill level."
"Well, considering it was a unanimous decision made by three different teams, I'd say we're sure." Kuma smirked. "We're all eager to see how you'll grow and we all believe that you're capable of achieving that level."
Natsumi bit her lip and her eyes watered. "I don't know what to say..."
Sena stepped closer and she and Kiri grinned.
"Man, I really wanted to tell you as soon as you woke up, but everyone wanted to be there for it."
"That explains your expression when I first mentioned Lord Fourth, then." Natsumi muttered but was grinning herself.
"She's always been horrible about surprises." Sena giggled. "And she's got no poker face at all. No matter the game, she always loses."
Noboru sat up, wiped Natsumi shoulder gently, and then let go of her arm. "All done now."
Natsumi craned her head to smile at the tattoo.
I guess I really do belong here. The people aren't anything like I thought they would be, and I like how everyone is like family.
"It looks great. Thanks." She smiled at the man, who nodded and set aside his tool.
"Happy to do it."
Aia tugged on Natsumi's hands and pulled her to a stand, grinning.
"Come on; We've done the Captain's welcoming tradition, but we haven't done ours yet."
Another tradition?!
"I-It doesn't involve more tattoos or fighting, does it?"
The woman laughed. "Nope! You'll see!"
"Alright, I don't want to see you do any extensive training until after you've recovered more." Sena nagged gently as she draped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "With your accelerated healing, that should only be a few days, but I recommend taking it easy for a week. Sparring and swordsmanship can wait, and there's plenty of lectures you can do in the meantime."
"Lectures?" Natsumi sighed as they walked.
Kiri nodded on her other side. "Yup! You've got to get trained in anatomy, physiology, psychology, and so much more. ANBU aren't just fighters; we're also specialists in the human mind and body. There's a lot to learn, but you're smart, so you'll be fine."
"And it will be Aia and I teaching some of the classes, so it won't be dull." Sena giggled as they stepped through the doorway into the locker room. She moved her arm back to her side and Natsumi opened her locker. "But, you're going to go home, have lunch, and take the rest of the day off. Chakra exhaustion is no joke."
"Just nod and say 'yes.'" Kiri whispered and laughed quietly. "Otherwise she'll never stop nagging."
Natsumi laughed and nodded. "I promise to take it easy."
"Good." Sena smiled and poked Kiri hard in the ribs. "See? At least someone listens to my advice."
"Your advice is boring." She laughed with a shrug.
Natsumi began to change, carefully redressing without disturbing the bandage over her fresh tattoo that still stung if touched, but was barely noticeable now. She placed her gear into the locker and zipped up her new jacket, stopping halfway like Kiri had done before, and looked down at the photo in her hands and smiled.
She stood in the center of the group, surrounded by the entire team— besides Ayeka, Yuuta, and Jiro— and they all were standing with their left arms facing the camera to show off their matching tattoos as they made ridiculous faces. She turned the photo to the back to see the date written at the top with their signatures beneath Kiri's bold, bubbled letters that read: "WE 3 OUR RED FLASH!"
She taped the photo on the locker door and her smile widened.
The Red Flash... I like the sound of that. She looked at each of the goofy expressions in the picture and stopped when she reached her own. I hope you approve too, Lord Fourth. I want to carry on your legacy, after all. I hope I have your blessing.