Kushimaru was in a particularly good mood that day. Two weeks ago, Suikami finally agreed to let him go on an A-rank mission. He spent the last 13 days completing said mission, successfully he might add, and just returned to the village.

Infiltrating Kumo was easy enough for Kushimaru seeing as he specialized in stealth, but gathering intelligence, not so much. The team he was sent in with was able to manage that though. Tensions were running high between the elemental nations and the Sandaime wanted to stay on top when the inevitable conflict occurred.

Finally being on the field again, the actual field with stakes worth more than himself, was a thrill. Being amid such suspense and risk is so exhilarating to Kushimaru that nothing compares. He'd gotten so used to staying at home that he didn't even know he missed being a proper shinobi. For what is a shinobi if he didn't do missions? If he didn't kill like he was trained to?

He supposed, by that definition then, Tsukisa wasn't a shinobi. And it wasn't because she hasn't graduated from the academy or gotten her hitai-ate yet. And it definitely wasn't because she wasn't strong enough. On the contrary, she was quite skilled. She was deadly accurate with ranged weapons and alarmingly precise with taijutsu and kenjutsu. She was very self-disciplined and had a good work ethic too, seeing how she was able to manage the academy, training with him, work at the hospital and routine missions.

But all of these things were what a shinobi needs. What a shinobi is, according to Kushimaru, is a killer.

And she only ever killed with a moment's hesitation. A moment too long for Kushimaru's satisfaction.

Before he went on his A-rank, he'd been taking her on multiple missions with high likelihoods of confrontations. Whether it be more bandits, civilian gangs or even enemy nin, he sought them out specifically. There was no shortage of them. Kiri had a serious bandit problem, it's why there were so many orphans, and with all the skirmishes between the nations, Kushimaru had no doubt there was another war on the horizon.

While Tsukisa was able to kill on the missions, it was only when killing became necessary and there were no other options. And even then, it seemed to affect her. She was still overthinking things, especially when it came to the civilians. It was a weakness. And weaknesses had to be culled. The only way he knew how was through more exposure. More missions. More life or death situations.

When he came home from his A-rank that afternoon, shortly after stopping by the hospital, he planned to take her on another mission as soon as possible. Once he was rested and clean, he decided to make steamed pork soup for dinner that night.

He took out a kunai and started cutting the meat. It was about 2130 when Tsukisa came home.

"Sensei, you're back," she said, walking up to him. Kushimaru just grunted in reply. "How was your mission?"

Idiot, he thought. He pointedly ignored her and continued chopping.

"Oh, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's 'top secret'."

"Did you do the training I assigned you?"

"Yes, yes. It was business as usual while you were gone."

"Good, then we―"

"Oh, actually!" she started but stopped when Kushimaru glared at her for interrupting him. "Sorry Sensei, but it's worth it," she said, looking a little sheepish.

He highly doubted that.

"…Because…" she reached into her bag and held up a packet of papers. "Ta-da!"

"What is it?" he asked, uninterested.

"This is the Kuriarare Skinning Method!" she said dramatically. "It's a technique I developed at the hospital. It's―"

"What," Kushimaru said with more force than necessary, pausing his preparations for dinner.

"H-huh?"

"Why is there a healing technique with my name on it?" he clarified. This was about the worst thing that could've happened. Kuriarare Kushimaru was a Swordsman. And by that account, Kuriarare Tsukisa will be one as well. What was she doing? Why couldn't she learn that trying to heal people was not her job. There will always be people that need healing. She won't make a difference. Her time is better spent getting stronger.

"I thought you would be happy," Tsukisa explained, confused. "It's a whole new techn―"

"Why would you ever think I'll be 'happy' having my name used at the hospital?" his tone dipped even deeper. His name was supposed to be legendary on the field, to strike fear into enemies at the mere mention of it. Not give hope to weaklings stuck to a bed. Why can't she see it?

Tsukisa blinked and looked away. "It'll be useful, people can be…" she trailed off, confusion evident on her face when she looked back at him. "I don't understand. Why are you―"

"Then let me spell it out for you," he stabbed the kunai he was holding into the kitchen counter. "You are to be a shinobi. Trained by me. That alone is enough to make you one of the strongest. Shinobi are tools meant to kill," and here Tsukisa flinched. While Kushimaru largely wanted to give her hell for blatantly displaying such weakness, he didn't in favour of continuing his lecture.

"Medics," he spat, "do the exact opposite." He gave her the most scathing glare he could with the smallest bit of his killer intent. He's never used it on her before, but he felt it necessary to drive his point home.

Her eyes widened as she searched his face, his ever-present and inexpressive mask. She looked away and was quiet for a while, no doubt overthinking things again. "...I can help my allies and comrades―"

"HA!" Kushimaru barked. "Allies? What allies? We don't have any. The true measure of a shinobi is when he's alone." He picked up his kunai again and went back to hacking the meat. "And that's all you'll ever be."

He meant every word he said. He knew it to be the absolute truth because it applied to him too. He knew he was safest and strongest by himself. He knew he was alone, that's what he's been and that's what he'll continue to be.

Yet, there was a tightness in his chest as he said them. And it was followed by a feeling that he'd never felt before. He knew it wasn't fear though, as there was nothing to fear, and no one was in danger.

Instead, he felt like he… missed something?

He didn't understand.

He didn't understand when Tsukisa looked at him with blank eyes or when she clutched her papers. He didn't understand even when she turned around and walked away without another word, leaving him alone.

And a small part of him wished she didn't.

-:-

Gonbee was pleased, to say the least. After a month of teaching all that he had planned for his apprentices and keeping up with the Board's expectations, the results were finally showing. The most noticeable was Tsukisa's of course, but Kirisaki was also showing considerable improvement.

At this rate, Kirigakure might finally get a medic internship program. Apparently, the Board has been wanting to do this for some time but there wasn't enough interest. Not until Kuriarare Kushimaru brought Tsukisa to their attention. Deciding two applicants were acceptable for a trial period, Gonbee was selected to supervise it.

It's been going better than he'd expected in all honesty. Already a new technique has been created and it was immediately approved for usage. Tsukisa was a natural in medicine. She picked things up faster than he could teach her and made connections where there were none. Before she even came up with the 'skinning' method, she created many smaller procedures (unofficially, of course) that made things easier and more efficient for the staff.

Kuriarare Tsukisa was this program's―no, this hospital's golden goose. With her age and potential, there was no way the Board was going to let her go, no matter how many times Kushimaru threatened them. He was the one who brought her to them and now he wants her internship to end. He went so far as to talk the Mizukage into overriding the Board's decision. But even the village's leader didn't see the sense in just letting her walk out of this, especially when she wasn't being useful elsewhere.

"Sensei."

Gonbee was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw his student. "Tsukisa-kun?" he asked, surprised to find her at the hospital. "You don't have a shift today. You're expected tomorrow."

"I'm aware, sensei. I was hoping to talk to you about some things before moving forward."

She sounded a bit off to Gonbee. She usually has a bit more tact when speaking. Maybe something happened?

No, it wasn't his place to pry as long as she did her duties.

"Very well," he said, checking his wristwatch. "I'll be taking my break now," he told the clerical nurse across the hall and she acknowledged with a nod. He dropped off a clipboard he was using for his rounds and turned to Tsukisa. "We can talk in the lounge," he said before leading the way.

After the short walk there, he sat them at a table. Almost immediately, she began to speak.

"I'd like to change the name to Tsukisa's Infected-Skin Removal Method."

Gonbee was slightly taken aback by her sudden bluntness before registering the question. It seemed her sensei was less than pleased with her work at the hospital. That would explain her behaviour.

"It sounds like a mouthful, but if that's what you want, then it can be arranged." He took the package she handed him and looked it over. It was a revised copy of her report with all the notes and corrections taken into account.

"It is," she said wistfully. "Thank you."

"Of course," he turned to her expectantly. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually." She took out a storage scroll from her pouch and summoned 3 more packages. "These are additional procedures I've come up with based on some patients we've tended to. Please look them over and let me know if the Board might be interested in any of them. I can make a more comprehensive report to submit." She pushed the packages his way.

Gonbee was very taken aback. It had taken her about a week to write her last one, but she took less than a day to come up with 3 procedures and write up their reports?

She was holding out on them. And she was 6.

"Did something happen?" he asked before he could stop himself. "...why…?"

She rolled up the scroll and put it back in her pouch. "I was reminded of a truth, and I realized I don't care anymore. I'm tired and I'm done trying to hide."

Ah, she was a genius. Not one of those swords or weapons geniuses, but the streetwise ones who are too smart for their own good. Gonbee's only heard of them before. And most of their fates were less than stellar. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, because none of them were in the medical field, but he couldn't help wondering if his student would end up like them.

"...Tsukisa-kun, you're very talented," he started. "A medical prodigy even. While I'm glad that you'll be working harder, you shouldn't be careless. You should always give thought to your actions."

"I did, Sensei. I do." She looked down at her hands. "But regardless of anything and everything, whether I do something or don't do something, I'll only… ever be…" she trailed off.

While Gonbee was a believer in discipline, hard work and merit, he didn't believe in pushing one past their limits. But clearly, that's what Kuriarare had done. And for reasons he couldn't begin to fathom. He was a good shinobi, one of the strongest in Kiri, but his methods were questionable at best (and inhumane at worst). It's a wonder she's still his student after 3 years, even more so when she was living with him.

He wanted to reach out to her, to say something, anything. But before he had a chance, she stood up.

"I'll have more reports ready for you tomorrow." She refused to meet his eyes. "Thank you for your time," she said with a quick bow and turned away.

Gonbee sat in the break room and watched his student walk out.

-:-

Another month passed before Tsukisa turned 7. Her birthday came and went without much fanfare or acknowledgement from either of her sensei. But that's just the way the world worked for an orphan, wasn't it?

Kushimaru was rarely at home, even rarer would he talk to her. He didn't speak unless it was necessary, like during training to correct her or during missions to relay orders. Her life got much quieter after their last "conversation". Sometimes she would spend a whole day without speaking. On those days, Kushimaru's words would settle deeper in her bones.

While her life had gotten monotonous, she found purpose in helping people. Coupled with the fact that she was a doctor by choice this time, she threw herself into her work at the hospital. She made great improvements to the way medicine was practiced and introduced many more efficient procedures. She even met with Kirigakure's Medical Board to review her work a couple of times.

Tsukisa was quite proud of her accomplishments, but she didn't share them with Kushimaru however. After the last time, she didn't think she ever would again. Though seeing as how he was an elite shinobi, he probably heard about them anyway.

She hoped he wouldn't hear about her latest and greatest opportunity until after she'd achieved it. Said opportunity's name was Ringo Ameyuri, one of the Seven Swordsmen Of The Mist. She was afflicted with a disease deemed incurable by the doctors of Kirigakure.

She sounded important, but for the life of her, Tsukisa could not remember the character from the series. She did have some reservations about changing the fate of a potentially powerful shinobi, but then she realized she didn't care. As long as Ameyuri was a patient under her care, Tsukisa would treat her as such.

Fortunately, she was familiar with the disease that was affecting her. While it wasn't common in her old world, it wasn't rare either. She was able to identify and come up with a surgical procedure with little difficulty. After minimal testing, the Board and the other doctors gave their approval to use it. Of course, Tsukisa won't be performing it herself as she wasn't officially a medic-nin yet. Rather, Gonbee was to be the surgeon and she was the assistant.

As it stood, Ameyuri's operation was to take place the next day. While Tsukisa didn't want to be at home, she found it prudent to rest and brush up on her knowledge the day before. It was one of those rarer days when Kushimaru was home. He came back from a mission that morning and was resting.

Unfortunately for her, it was also the day the messenger from the hospital came knocking at their door.

"Tsukisa-san!" the messenger-nin addressed her when she opened the door.

"Kosuke-kun?" she asked, surprised. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes! Ringo-sama just had a cardiac arrest!"

"What?!" Tsukisa cried. "Why?!" Already she started working through all the different possibilities and complications this could have on the patient's health.

"They haven't figured out the cause yet, but they've stabilized her condition for now. They think it would be in Ringo-sama's best interest if you personally checked her over." Kosuke hurriedly explained.

"...Yeah," she said after a moment. "Ok, yes. I'll need my notes. Tell them I'm on my way."

"Yes, Tsukisa-san," said Kosuke as leapt away.

Tsukisa turned around to rush to her room only to find Kushimaru standing in her way. His white mask was a stark contrast in the darkening evening. He stood, arms crossed and watching her.

She chose to ignore him and walked around to get to her room.

"You are to be a shinobi," he said in that low warning tone of his.

Tsukisa stopped and clenched her fists. She tried desperately to disregard him, to just keep walking and leave as soon as possible. She knew arguing with him wouldn't end well. She knew that.

And yet...and yet, he thinks he can shut her out and talk to her only when he wants to? Only to tell her not to do what she wants to?! To stop her from doing what he doesn't want her to?!

"What's your problem?!" she turned around and yelled. All of the frustration and anger pent up from the previous months came out in full force. "Why are you so against this?!"

"You're my student," he replied with his back to her. "I won't have you tarnishing my name."

"Tarni―" she repeated dumbfounded. "I'm helping people! Hell, Ringo-san is your comrade, isn't she?! She's a Swordsman!"

"She's weak."

"For getting a disease?! She was born like that, you asshole! She can't help it!"

"Then why do you have to?" he asked, turning around to face her. "If she can't even help herself, then she doesn't deserve it."

"But―that doesn't even―you can't just―!" Tsukisa was utterly speechless. How could someone even think like that? "Agh! I don't have time for this!" She walked to her room.

"Do not leave, Tsukisa," his voice was eerily calm as it dropped even lower. "Or you will regret it."

"...I will never regret helping someone." With one last look at his masked visage, she entered her room. She quickly gathered the notes she was reviewing and left for the hospital through her window.

Once she arrived at the hospital, she was directed to Ameyuri's room. She found Kirisaki taking vital signs, and Gonbee and another person in a discussion.

Gonbee stepped forward when he noticed her. "Tsukisa-kun. Good, you're here. This is Kaigino Atama-san, head of the Board," he said, pointing to the other. She bowed to him. "They want us to perform the surgery now, so her condition doesn't worsen overnight."

"Wha―now?"

"Is there a problem, Kuriarare-kun?" Atama asked immediately. She's heard of this man before, from hospital directories and brochures. But she's never met him, not even in her visits to the Board.

Tsukisa clenched her jaw. "No, Kaigino-san," she answered, standing a little straighter. "If Gonbee-sensei is ready, then we can do it now."

"Excellent." Atama looked at her supervisor. "I expect nothing short of complete success."

They all bowed as the Board Head left the room. Within 15 minutes, an OR was prepared. She was mildly surprised as it usually took longer for regular patients.

Nepotism indeed, she thought to herself as the operation began.

-:-

After 6 hours and 3 complications, Ringo Ameyuri's operation was completed.

When Tsukisa went home that night, Kushimaru wasn't there. Then again, she couldn't care less. She went straight to the washroom. After washing up, she went to bed.

Of course, she wasn't sleeping, she was just resting. And as such, she could feel a presence walk into her room. Their chakra was calm and swayed only ever so slightly. It was not dissimilar to seaweed underwater. She knew this chakra anywhere.

"What is it, Sensei?" she asked, sitting up.

"Come with me," he said before walking back out.

"Where?" she shot back.

"You'll see. Let's go."

"...Seriously?" She got up and walked into the hall. "We're doing this again? We're just gonna brush everything under the mat and pretend like things are ok? Like we didn't just fight and you―"

"Suikami wanted to talk to you," he interrupted.

Oh. Tsukisa took in the new information. He was the Shinobi Commander if she recalled. Maybe this meeting has something to do with the operation she just performed? She felt giddy at the thought of a promotion to a full medic-nin.

"Come on," Kushimaru prompted.

Without a second thought, she put on her shoes and followed him out the door. After the trip to the administrative buildings, they were found in front of Suikami's office.

"Enter," came his exhausted voice when Kushimaru knocked. Tsukisa followed her sensei inside and closed the door behind her. The man himself was hunched over his desk, surrounded by columns of paper.

"You wanted to talk to me, Suikami-san?" she asked, unable to hold in her eagerness.

He looked up from his work and narrowed his eyes at Kushimaru. "You bastard."

"Huh?" she asked, looking between them.

"You sure you wanna do this?" He rested his elbows on his desk and laced his fingers together.

"It's for the best," Kushimaru muttered, refusing to look at his student.

"What are you two talking about?"

Suikami sighed and pulled open a folder on his desk. "Kuriarare Tsukisa is to serve Kirigakure in its ANBU corps. Upon completion of the two-year trainee program, Kuriarare Tsukisa is to be inducted into its regular forces. Effective immediately."

She heard a gavel banging accompany her sentence.

She forgot how to breathe.

Her mouth opened and closed without making a sound. She stood as the words lodged themselves in her mind.

And her world shattered in front of her.

"What?!" she cried. "What do you mean―! I-I can't―you can't just―!" She started gesturing wildly with her hands. "I didn't sign up for this!"

"But your sensei did," Suikami casually supplied.

"What?!" She turned on him, hurt and betrayal pricked her eyes. "Why?! Why would you―" Tears spilled over and trickled down her cheeks. "Why?"

"I told you I would break you." He finally looked at her. But all she saw was that never-changing, infuriating mask. "Come back when you're willing to listen."

"You asshole! You fucking―!"

"Take her away," Suikami ordered. Immediately, two ANBU flanked either side of her and grabbed her arms.

"Let go of me!" she yelled, trying to free herself. "Thi-this isn't fair!" she turned to her sensei one last time.

"You coward."

Kuriarare Tsukisa felt a pressure on her neck and darkness embraced her.

-:-

2130 - 9:30 PM

-:-

A/N: Sorry for the late updates the past 2 weeks. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was one of my favourites to write. Happy reading!