A/N: Another fluffy chapter.


Karin's sudden grunt of pain caught Shizune's attention from where she was helping with the boards.

The redhead had sunk to her knees, cradling her foot in her hands. Her face was twisted in agony as she looked up at the older woman.

"What happened?" She inquired, setting the board down and taking a step closer.

Karin wordlessly uncovered her foot. Shizune clapped her hands over her mouth at the wound. Somehow, Karin had managed to drive a spike all the way through her foot. Luckily it hadn't gone through bone. Unluckily, she would need to be checked over for unsavory side-effects.

Shizune hurriedly knelt beside her and called out. "Sato! You're needed!"

She hardly needed to wait long; the boy quickly leapt down from the roof he was shingling and rushed over, a concerned look on his face as he noticed his superiors.

"What's wrong?" He breathlessly asked before seeing the wound. "Oh."

"I'm gonna use this as an in-the-field lesson, alright?" Shizune spoke, not just to Hideki, but to Karin as well.

Karin grit her teeth together and nodded. Above her, Hideki shakily nodded his own head, shifting from foot to foot.

"Okay. First I'm gonna need some water. Can you get me some water and a towel?"

Nodding once more, he turned and raced away.

"How much does it hurt?" She inquired softly as she inspected the metal.

"On a scale of one to ten? Maybe around four," Karin replied, shrugging her shoulders. "It's not the worst thing I've experienced. I'd have to give that one to roasting my entire back like a marshmallow."

Shizune had to chuckle at that one. "I suppose anything else would pale in comparison," she agreed. "I'll have to tell those boys a thing or two about leaving boards with nails in them."

Hideki came back a moment later, a bowl of water sloshing about, a towel under his arm. He stopped, splashing a bit of water on Karin's exposed foot, apologized, and sank down, setting the bowl on the ground and handing Shizune the towel.

She accepted it and carefully turned Karin's foot over. When the board moved with it, both parties winced. She ignored the reaction and dipped the towel in the water, wringing some of it out. "Alright. Now I'm going to have a limited amount of time to do this, but once I rip the board off, I'm gonna need to clean the wounds and you'll have to help me sew it shut, alright?"

"But… thread…?" He questioned.

She smiled, and as he ducked his head in understanding, Karin chortled.

"Alright. On three." Shizune gripped the board. "One… two…"

She abruptly ripped it out, causing Karin to tense up, and before blood could well to the surface Shizune was pulling her sandal off and dabbing the wounds with the towel.

Once they were both clean, Shizune placed her hand on the pad of her foot, letting Hideki watch as a soothing green chakra encompassed her hand. A few seconds later, she pulled her hand away and the wound was gone.

"How did that feel?" She asked the redhead.

Karin shrugged once more, giving a halfhearted thumbs-up.

"Now you try." She handed her foot over to Hideki, who situated it in his lap. "Remember what I've taught you. Focus and concentrate your chakra."

Taking a deep breath, the boy obeyed. His eyes narrowed and sweat beaded his brow as he cautiously placed his fingers over the top of her foot, and green chakra lit up his fingers.

For a good minute, nobody dared speak as the boy worked. Finally, the chakra dissipated, he leaned back, and lifted his hand away. The wound was gone.

"Good job!" Shizune praised with a smile before turning to Karin. "How's it feel?"

Karin flexed her foot and smiled. "Not bad. I still feel some lingering pain, but it's better."

"Here." The older woman fished around in her pouch before pulling out two pills. "Antibiotics. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use them, but… well."

At her exasperated look, Karin laughed and popped them into her mouth. "No worries, I get it," she replied, taking a swig of her water bottle. "Thanks, 'Zune."

She looked to Hideki, who was patting his brow with the back of the damp towel. "You're getting to be a pretty good medic, y'know?"

He blushed. "I… kinda like it. It's challenging, but in a good way. I wish I could've learnt some techniques sooner."

"It takes a lot of control to be able to master, let alone do," the noirette reminded him. "I'm proud of you for taking to the art so fast. Most of your peers couldn't."

"Remember Boruda trying so hard to sew a simple incision shut?" The redhead snickered as she pulled the sandal back on. "Poor guy tried for half an hour before giving up. I doubt the cook ever let him live that one down."

Shizune chuckled, but not unkindly. "Medical isn't for everyone, but we're grateful for those who do decide on it."

"If it's not a burden, I would like to learn more advanced techniques," the teenager shyly piped up.

"Of course!" This time the woman smiled wide, and as she stood and helped Karin to her feet, she gestured to the designated medical tent. "We've always got those who need help."

His eyes lit up and as they both bade Karin goodbye, Hinata sidled up to her with a fond look on her face.

"He's growing into the role nicely," she quietly commented, glancing over at her friend. "Are you alright?"

"He's gonna be one hell of a medic-nin," she responded with a chortle. "My foot's fixed up good as new. I don't doubt he'll become a powerful ally soon."

The fond look on the older woman's face made a nearby Hinata's bloom with a soft warmth, having heard - and saw - everything. She watched the boy as he disappeared into the tent, his ginger ponytail bobbing behind him. For a moment, all she could see was the face of a sunny blond, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth.


A/N: I love wide-eyed idealistic characters. They have a certain innocence to them that's just pleasant on the tongue.

Please tell me what you thought!