Chapter IX: Memento Mori
I looked around the room. The light was getting in rather nicely. And there were plants at the window crawling out and in, against the liqueur colored wall. So green. Well, of course, I was in Konoha, wasn't I? I looked away from the window and then to the neatly organized desk. It's cleaner and more organized than my entire flat. Well, I had a cat though, and that was a good enough reason why I couldn't have a clean flat. That and my incurable laziness. At least it doesn't smell like cat piss every day now. I discovered a year ago the magic of nice smelling cat sand. So has Mikasa.
"Kaya are you avoiding my question?"
Yes.
"Hm?" I asked focusing on the woman in the white medical robe. Was that how it was called? She has been talking all this time. Oh. Oups. The looke she sent me could cut glass, her brown eyes narrowed to slights. But then her face broke into a sigh.
"You didn't hear anything I just said, didn't you?" she shook her head in disapproval letting go of my analysis worksheet on the desk and leaning back into her chair with a tired expression.
"Nope" I lied happily. I caught a black strand of my hair between my fingers and meticulously studied it. When did it become so wavy? It's almost curly. I've decided that humidity and my hair was not a good combination.
"Your medical results aren't bad, but they are far from good." she said tiredly grabbing her glasses. "There's a slight anemia and that might be the source of the headaches, or at least it contributes to it. Your eye tests, however … are not good."
I knew there was something fishy. I mean, I heard her the first time but I couldn't understand a thing she said, and now I was patiently making her repeat it in words that I could understand. Yay for me. I mean, I could have just asked, but that would require me behaving like an adult. Well, while technically I am an adult, on paper I'm 12, soooo…
"Your eyes are losing melanin." she said urgently as if trying to get my attention. "Are you familiar with the term 'Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis' ?"
"Those are terms." I pointed out gracing her with my attention. "And no. I've never heard of it in my entire life."
"Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis" she started with a formal voice as if she was giving a lecture " is a chronic unilateral uveitis appearing with the triad of heterochromia, predisposition to cataract and glaucoma, and keratitic precipitates on the posterior corneal surface. Patients are often asymptomatic and the disease is often discovered through investigation of the cause of the heterochromia or cataract. Neovascularisation (growth of new abnormal vessels), is possible and any eye surgery such as cataract surgery can cause bleeding form the fragile vessels in ... I lost you at 'Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis is' haven't I?"
Oh my Vala, I've opened Wikipedia.
"Yep," I nodded happily. "What does that mean? Do I have cataract?"
"Well, no, not exact-"
"Am I going blind?"
"No! Of cour-"
"Then everything is fine. If I'm not going blind. Heterochromia would have been awesome though."
"Will you just listen?!"
I looked at the flushed medical-nin. That was uncalled for. I knew she was young and probably was getting used to having an entire department in her charge, hell she let me cut her off twice, but holy Gandalf did her voice get plastered on the walls of her office. She must have thought the same thing because she recomposed herself and looked at me with a silent 'sorry'.
"It means that your eyes might be sick or your body is and that's what causes the melanin loss. But in here" she pointed at the medical report "it doesn't say anything about any cause that could set it off. So, it should be because of your eyes. You don't actually have Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis, but that is the only thing close to your condition. Do you have any other symptoms aside headaches and sudden blurriness?"
"No. But they both are very effective in making me want to jump off the Hokage mountain." I answered dryly. Why did I even come to this greenie? I should have made an appointment to someone else. Maybe I will. It couldn't be bad if I listened to another opinion on my… condition. I nodded. "What does it mean that I'm losing melanin?"
"Loss of color in the iris. Sensitivity to light. And that might cause headaches. However, it could be premature cataract or worse glaucoma, but I should have been able to see it if that was the case. There are obvious symptoms for both of them, which clearly aren't present in your case." she sighed exhausted. "And beside, we all loose melanin as we age. It's why our hair turns grey. Perhaps it's something from what you eat or drink. Maybe you are allergic to something and that gives you headaches…? Anyway, I'm going to prepare some eye drops. Who knows? Maybe it is just a phase. Oh, and I'll prescribe you something for your headaches. Perhaps even write you a natural diet. Yeah. I want to try that."
I don't like it. Her eyes were shining and her huge smile did nothing but creep me out rather than assure me that everything was going to be fine. She was enthusiastic about the whole 'natural remedy' and I seemed to be her new Guinee pig.
"Doc, are you experimenting on me your naturist ideas?" I asked as she disappeared behind a door to her lab without closing it.
"No! It just occurred to me. Your affliction isn't an illness, it's more of a temporary condition so if we speed it up it might be better for you during the missions and training. It might take months or even years before the blurriness settles down and it might affect your vision. So, I'm going to detoxify your body and give you a temporary treatment in order to locate the cause of it."
"O…k." I said unsure of what the hell she meant with all that. It doesn't make any sense. "So when should I come after the eye drops? Tomorrow?"
"No. Ten minutes."
She is creepy. Especially when I didn't exactly speak with her but with her lab door. Yeah. Good talk, door. I sighed. I wonder what the others are doing. I didn't attend this morning's mission as I wasn't really fond of pulling some plants out of the ground. Sure, it might have been very important to the client who was growing herbs, but for us that was both boring and a waste of our time. I didn't realize how boring it was to do D-rank missions until we actually had to do them.
But after several days spent helping the population of the village with various day-to-day activities, I was supportive of Naruto's whining outbursts. I have to meet them after I get out of here. Kakashi expects that. He knew where I was and I was pretty sure the others knew as well by now. And at least the blonde will be nagging me until I told him why was seeing a doctor. Urgh. That's why I hate working with other people.
"Here you go."
I looked to the brown-haired woman holding a phial of some transparent liquid for, across her desk. I took the phial skeptically. This is the miraculous thing that will make my blurriness go away? Oh, well.
"Do I want to know what you put in here?" I asked.
"No. I want you to get a brain scan as well." she said categorically as if she expected me to oppose the idea. "Not today. You'll have to make an appointment for that as well. I doubt I'll find anything wrong but I want to be sure. Better like this than sorry. It could be a case of encephalitis mixed with something else." she grimaced. That was the third diagnose she put on me. "It's frustrating until we find the cause of it. Anyway, I'll write you a healthy diet to stimulate your metabolism. A healthy life style is the key to longevity."
"Longevity isn't really one of my main concerns. I'm a ninja." I said dryly. Too few shinobi actually lived long enough to have a family.
"Ah, ninja." she shook her head writing a rather long list. "There, you're free to go."
"Am I supposed to understand what you wrote here? It lacks any legibility."
"Legibility isn't my concern. I'm a doctor."
Ҩ
I was still smiling when I got to the Hokage building. That woman. I liked her. After all, how many medical-nins actually treated you like a patient and not a simpleton child in this village? I want Tsunade here. Now. I bet she would know exactly what was wrong with me. I've violently run into something, while being trapped in my own head. I forced my legs to not give in and fall.
"What the – KAYA-CHAN!"
Fucking wonderful.
"Hey Naruto." I said waved at the spiky blonde. Sakura smiled delighted while the ever scowling Uchiha sighed. Yep, I'm stuck with these guys.
"Kaya-chan: Sakura started "you're done with, um, your appointment? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah." I said sending a glare to the grey jounin a who kept quiet.
"Why did you needed to see a doctor, Kaya-chan? You seem well." Naruto inquired giving me a checkup, head to toes look. This idiot blonde midget. Well, in some years he wouldn't be a midget anymore.
"Keh. Just a problem with headaches. Probably because of lack of sleep." I waved my hand nonchalantly. "What's the mission?"
"To find and catch Tora the cat." the duck almost growled in visible annoyance.
"Cat? I love cats!"
"Come on." Kakashi said walking. "We had enough chatting. We have to do the mission today."
Three hours later Tora was tearing apart Naruto's face. I laugh at the sight of the distressed blonde and the vicious cat fidgeting with her claws out. It fits her name. If she was but a little bigger, I would have believed her to be a tiger cub.
"Does it have a ribbon on its right ear?" Kakashi asked through the station. "Is it our target, Tora?"
"It's the target for sure."
I laughed approvingly at the Duck as Naruto's desperate screeching intensified. I took the cat stroking her head. Sakura watched the ball of fur closely in case it tried to escape again and I tried to keep her claws away with my jacket. If she as much as scratch it, I'm drowning it in the river and burn the body. I loved my jacket, more than Jace Herondale loved his.
"Why isn't it trying to kill you?!" Naruto protested as we were walking.
"She is." I said adjusting the cat in my arms, one hand fixed on the back of its neck "but she can't reach me. I grew up with cats, you know."
"She's adorable." Sakura said, without touching the her though.
"Really? Do you want to hold it then?" I said through gritted teeth and her answer was only a nervous smile. I looked back with the corner of my eyes, just to make sure the Uchiha was here as well. That duck is awfully quiet. But... it was Uchiha Sasuke that I was talking about.
At the Hokage tower we understood perfectly well why the cat run away in the first time. That's not how you show affection to a cat. The lady who owned the cat – and who I learned, was the wife of the Fire Daimyō – was practically terrorizing it by snuggling it tightly, while Tora was meowing desperately much like Naruto earlier.
"I understand that cat perfectly." I whispered to Sakura and she nodded watching the fat lady almost squash Tora. "So that's the wife of the Daimyō. Burning her cat wasn't a viable option then."
Both Sakura and Sasuke shot me similar horrified looks. I should really keep my psychopathic thoughts to myself. I smiled at the two and turned to the Hokage who was reading our next mission, sitting at a table full of scrolls and papers, even notebooks with missions. Iruka was there as well as other chūnin, sorting the assignments I guessed.
"Now then, Kakashi's seventh team's mission is..." the Third read "babysitting Yojyu-sama boy. Grocery shopping at the neighboring town. Helping dig up potatoes at..."
"No! No thanks to all of those!" Naruto exclaimed making elevate gestures through the air to make a point. Really? He's going to explode. But hell if he wasn't right. I didn't want to babysit. Anything, anything but that. "I want to do more exciting missions!" the blonde continued.
I looked at the others and although they kept silence, I could see they agreed with the blonde. Geez, guys. But then again, when did I become this lazy Shikamaru? Speaking of which... I hadn't really interacted with the other genin. I've been spending time with team seven and training and had no time to take check on other people. Haven't seen Ino for a while. And we've been passing by the flower shop on our way to some missions. Not that I wanted to see how she's doing or anything. We weren't friends. Yeah. What was this all of the sudden? Wanting to see people from the Academy? Pfff. Not me.
"You always lecture me like that, pops.: Naruto said sitting of the wooden floor with his legs crossed. How and when did he get there? "But I'm not the kid who used to pull pranks anymore."
"No, you're the idiot who constantly whines now." I agreed. "But he's right. We can't keep doing D-ranked missions or we'll lose our bloody minds out of boredom. Aren't genin supposed to do C-ranked missions as well, whatever that means?"
"Kaya-chan..." I heard Sakura half protesting or something while Naruto was watching me with an expression torn between indignation and surprise.
"You have been paying attention." the Hokage said almost smiling. "But you are doing missions voluntary."
And if I don't like the mission I can refuse. ... and be put under ANBU surveillance until the team gets back. I gritted my teeth at the implied truth. That quieted me. Wonderful. Awkward. The rest of the team was looking at me. I smiled at the Hokage. Ok. If he wants me to shut up, I will.
"I understand." he said pretending to be deep in thought over the matter. "If you insist, I will allow you to take on a C ranked mission. It's to escort a certain person." Oh. Oh, no.
"Really?!" Naruto turned to the Third with the face of a happy golden retriever. "Who? Who? The feudal lord? Or a princess?"
"Don't be so hasty. I'll introduce him now."
Why did he have to say that? I closed my eyes. Now my brain was swimming in Lord of The Rings. Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold... No. Nope. I shook my head earning a look from Sasuke.
"Can you come in, please?"
...When woodland halls are green and cool, and the wind is in the west. We all turned after the Third invited someone to enter the room. I sighed in anticipation. Yeah. It was that mission.
"What? They're all kids!"
...Come back to me, come back to me and say my land is best! A very drunk Tazuna took some consistent sips from the bottle he was holding, steadying himself in the doorway. At least the entish song stopped.
"What the hell are you reciting?" Sasuke whispered to me while he shot me a suspicious look.
"Oh shit, was that out loud?"
"Hey, is the smallest one there with the idiotic face really a ninja? And what's up with the shitty poem?"
"Pfff. If that is shitty you should take a good look in the mirror, Mr. Mission." I said shaking my head. I looked at the inebriated man with disgust.
"What did you say, little girl?!"
"Kaya, we don't insult the client." Kakashi warned. "It's unprofessional."
"Who's the smallest one with the idiotic face?" Naruto asked and I sighed. Sasuke and Sakura got a little closer and the blonde looked up to both of them. I came laughing and put my hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry blondie but you're in minority." I said gesturing from my forehead to his, pointing out the significant difference of height. And I'm shorter than Sasuke. Realization dawned on the blonde and Kakashi had to hold him back. With one hand, because this is Naruto we're talking about. Shouldn't that mean that we need an entire army to hold him back? Shh. Not yet. A couple of year later.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"You can't kill the person you're supposed to escort, idiot."
"I'm going to kill you!"
"I am the bridge building expert Tazuna. Once I have returned to my country, I will have all of you protect my life with yours. Until I finish the bridge."
"Ha." I said amused. "Well aren't you optimistic? I will not give my life to protect a drunk. They will, but I won't." The others looked at me with surprised expressions. Of course, that's not something a shinobi would say. I couldn't stop myself.
Tazuna sent me a long glance before he became preoccupied with the bottle again. So much about that. I knew Tazuna, hell this was the mission for team seven. This was when it all actually started. And I knew that, as a civilian, being aware that somebody wants you dead, the mob to be more exactly – Gato – wasn't really a nice feeling. Yes, I was thinking about his family as well. But that didn't mean I should be kind to him, not when he was treating us with superiority even if he needed us to protect him. I hate arrogant people. I shot Sasuke a look and snorted. Yeah that much is clear. The black haired duck frowned at me but I just looked at Kakashi.
"So, when are we leaving?"
"You have one hour to pack. We meet at the Village Gate."
Hurrah. It took me twenty minutes to only get home. Leaving in forty minutes? That leaves me very little time to actually pack things. I rushed through the flat ignoring the fluffy cat that was watching me from my bed, sitting comfortably on a hump of clothes. I should have washed those earlier. Well, now it was too late. I went to the kitchen and took out of the fridge the packed food I've put in a day ago. Something really stinks. I've been preparing for a long-term mission for some days now and I still felt a little paranoid about forgetting something.
Let's see. Food, ninja tools, sleeping bag, rope. I always had rope with me, memento for Samwise Gamgee. I snorted. I'm nuts. I also packed another change of clothes, in case the ones I had on got turned to rags. Good. I checked again to make sure I got everything. I'm still forgetting something. The kunai and shuriken were in my tool holder, food and water supplies alongside clothes in the bag, bandages and medicine in...bandages and medicine. I shook my head on my way to the bathroom. How could I forget? Well, I didn't. I took my eye drops with me as well. I wasn't going to disrupt my treatment because of the mission. Although I could say 'no' to this mission. I shook my head. And miss an opportunity to see how far I've come with my training? Miss all the fun? I chuckled and Mikasa watched me changing the sand in her litter box. Never in a million years.
I'll might killed, actually. But how else was I going to make sure that everything went according to the anime? I wasn't Naruto or Sasuke. I was something like Sakura, slightly above her, but most likely just as useless right now. Yeah, this is bad. I grimaced at the thought. Now is not the best time for self-pity and underestimating myself kind of crisis. Nope.
"So." I began turning in the middle of the room. "I packed my things, fed Mikasa and changed her litter sand, threw away the bad food in the fridge, closed the windows." I turned to the pyramid of laundry "didn't do that and neither had I paid the bills." That was bad. That will bite me right in my ass when I get back. If I get back. Well, I've died once before. Maybe this time I get put Tokyo Ghoul. Wait. No. Bad idea. No, joking. I was joking. I shook my head.
The hour is almost gone. Time to get going. I turned to my left looking at a very unusual object for this ninja world. Kakashi's words came back at me from three or so days ago 'Admittedly, it's unconventional, but not unheard of'. I played my fingers of the smooth wooden surface and nipped the cord. This is from back home. I smiled. Not the thing itself. No. One of those things, that along with my conscious, I took with me in this world. I put my black jacket on, rolling my sleeves up, struggling with the eye drops. I think I'm paranoid indeed.
I watched my eyes in the mirror, attentive to how the supplementary liquid mixed with the cornea. The doc said that they are losing melanin. Yet I couldn't see any difference. Of course, they weren't pitch black as Sasuke's but they were dark. We'll see how helpful these things are. I snorted, putting the eye drops back in my backpack, leaving the flat in a hurry. I'm going to be late.
Almost done with editing. Back when I wrote this chapter Unus Annus hadn't happened yet, but damn the title of this chapter makes me miss it soo much. The next one is the last. After chapter 10, it's only new chapters, baby. Hehehehe.
Old Author's note:
Quick chapter, enjoy and let me know what you think about it!
Catch you guys later!