Pearl: Ah, okay...chapter three.

I am no owner of Naruto. (sniffles)

Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Miracles

The morning came with a rooster's call. Naomi already awoke from her slumber and was on the roof of the house she slept in. It was made of wood with a stone chimney attached behind it. She sat in her pajamas and watched the village wake.

During this time, Naomi thought, "Lord Hokage needs to see me again today. Turns out, he didn't mind my three-day late arrival yesterday, but I wonder what's he called me for this time?"

She drew in the morning air and released it.

"Well, I'll find out later. Right now, it's time for breakfast."

Naomi climbed down the ladder that leaned against her house, and walked in. After feasting on two fried eggs, a bacon strip and a waffle, Naomi came back outside and decided to explore more of the village. She walked down aisles of shops and peered at what fancied her interests. Owners of the shops persuaded villagers into buying their products and often the villagers would bargain for a lower price. Children ran around spinning their toy pinwheels. Naomi caught one pick pocketing an old man and scolded him as he ran away. The man thanked Naomi who said that his gratitude was unnecessary.

There was a store selling trinkets and another selling jewelry. Naomi just ended up buying a silver bracelet with sapphire stones, but one particular store caught Naomi's interest. It sold many different handkerchiefs; some cute and simplistic and some with intricate details. Naomi stuck with a simple baby blue one made of silk that she glided her hand over. The border trims were soft and delicate and each corner hung a miniature tassel.

"Ah, you have an eye for spotting the 'chiefs," the store clerk said as she observed Naomi. "Are you interested in purchasing this particular one?" she asked holding out the baby blue handkerchief towards Naomi.

Naomi took a step back and said, "No, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't have any money left."

"Oh, well then that's too bad because I had someone earlier wanting this one, but that wouldn't be my problem now, would it?" The clerk asked sarcastically.

"N-no, I'm sorry."

With that, Naomi turned away and left, but she took one glance back at the blue handkerchief. The clerk gave her a grin as Naomi drifted away.

As she continued wandering, Naruto spotted her, and he began waving frantically. She didn't see him, and he ended up looking like a big idiot. He then stopped and shouted her name.

"Naomi!"

Well, she heard him, waved, and walked towards him.

"Hey, Naruto! Good morning." She greeted.

"Same to you, Naomi. By the way, I was wondering if you wanted to watch us train today." Naruto asked eagerly.

Glad to be invited, Naomi said, "Sure! I would love to, but Lord Hokage has called me, and it looks like I need to see him now."

"That old man called for you?" Naruto asked with curiosity. "What for?"

"That's what I'm going to find out right now so I guess I'll see you later, Naruto. Bye!" Naomi shouted as she ran off, but she stopped mid-way, turned around, and said, "I hope Sakura likes her gift she'll receive from you." Laughing, she ran away towards Lord Hokage's place. Naruto smiled and waved behind her.

"I hope she'll like it, too." He thought.

The doors loomed over Naomi as she walked closer and closer. There were guards at the doors, and the one on the right raised his hand to stop Naomi.

"What do you need, young lady?" He asked loudly.

"I'm here to see Lord Hokage." Naomi gulped.

"And what business do you have with Lord Hokage?" asked the guard from the left.

Naomi dug into her sack once again, but this time she pulled out a rolled up piece of paper with a dark green ribbon tied around it. Soon enough, she found herself inside with the doors closing behind her. The green ribbon was all that the guards needed to see to let her in. It was a specific green ribbon you could only receive from the Hokage. It represented the color of the Leaf, but Naomi didn't understand the concept of the ribbon so she left the subject alone.

Everything just seemed to tower over Naomi, but she remembered that yesterday everything made her dizzy. Red columns with gold rims at the top and bottom stood in a row on each side of Naomi. A red carpet led you straight down this hallway to a door. Naomi walked down observing the Japanese walls behind the columns. Yesterday, she observed the red columns.

When she reached the end of the hallway, she slid opened the Japanese door, and her eyes traced the simple white squares on the door. In this next room, a servant awaited Naomi.

She greeted Naomi and said, "Come this way."

Naomi is Hokage's healer, and within this building the Hokage was holding a meeting. He had planned for Naomi's arrival. (Even though she was three days late, and they all had to wait for her.)

Hokage stood near the back of the room, and before him, knelt the Jounin, who were eager to meet the healer. Among them was Kakashi. They pictured him as an old man with a gray beard that he would twiddle with when he was thinking. Kakashi joined in with more silly ideas, and they all whispered back and forth.

"Hachiro, I told you to stay home and rest. You need it," whispered a kunoichi to the man who knelt beside her.

"Don't worry," he assured, "I took my medicine this morning, and I think I feel pretty good right now. Besides this is a very important thing I wouldn't want to miss."

The female teacher gave a small annoyed groan and whispered under her breath, "Of all the times this old man comes, he comes when Hachiro isn't well."

Hachiro periodically coughed, but he held it in. No one really could tell that he wasn't well. He or she was all too busy muttering about this "old" healer.

The servant, who was leading Naomi, told her why she was called. Naomi already knew that she had the task to be the Hokage's healer, but being introduced to the Jounin group gave her an itch. She wanted it to be a secret, but people would have to know who the healer was in order to be cured of anything. Naomi heaved a big sigh and walked on.

Finally, they reached the room, and the servant called for the Hokage through the door. Inside, the Jounins stopped whispering, straightened up, and lowered their heads. A guard inside slid opened the doors, and the servant whispered to the guard's ear. The guard turned around, walked to the Hokage, and whispered in his ear. After receiving a nod from the Hokage, the guard returned to his post.

Hokage walked in front of the group of Jounin and said, "Now is the time to meet our healer."

Then he gestured to Naomi at the door and said, "Please, come in."

With a deep breath, Naomi walked in. She saw the Jounins, who didn't see her with all their heads down, and was glad to see Kakashi within the group, but she felt that someone in the room was not well.

"You may see her." Hokage finished.

Several whispered, "her?" before they raised their heads for the shock that awaited them. They saw a girl that looked like she was fourteen with big, funny glasses that hid her face. Their own faces filled with confusion and others with amusement. Some burst into laughter, but quickly silenced themselves by snickering. Kakashi just sat wide-eyed staring at the goofy-looking girl.

"I see why she asked for Lord Hokage the other day." He realized.

Naomi looked around the room and said, "Hi. I'm Irunaki, Naomi. Nice to meet you."

Her response was silence. Then she closed her eyes behind her white glasses, and when she opened them, she walked towards a man in the first row. It was Hachiro and he just stared blankly at her. Naomi knelt down in front of him and placed her hand on his forehead. Everyone watched in curiosity.

"You aren't well." Naomi said. The lady next to him smiled.

"Uh…I'm fine! You don't know what you're-" Hachiro said, and then pop! In went a small white pill that Naomi flipped into his mouth.

"There, that should do it. You should feel better soon," Naomi assured returning to Hokage's side.

The female teacher whispered, "Did you swallow the pill? I bet it's under your tongue."

"It's not. It-it dissolved on my tongue…like ice. Wow…something inside of me feels nice and cool." Hachiro said taking in a deep breath. "How odd..."

Everybody heard him and looked at each other. Naomi just smiled, and under his mask, Kakashi smiled back.

Hokage put his hand on Naomi's shoulder and said, "Naomi, I believe this group needs an explanation."

Naomi looked at Hokage and then the Jounins.

"I felt his body temperature," she said. "It was just a little above a hundred degrees. He needed to rest, but that pill I gave him should cool him down, and he should be feeling normal soon."

The teachers just looked at her disbelievingly.

"That's a pretty rare talent." One jounin said as another agreed. "She's a walking thermometer." Another joked laughing. The group was a bustle of laughter and talk about this odd girl that would aid the Hokage.

"I guess I'm something to talk about," Naomi thought blushing.

Suddenly, the doors flung open violently and a lady stumbled into the room. The guards from before were chasing her and yelling after her.

She hid behind Hokage and begged, "Please, Lord Hokage, help me."

The guards stopped and asked her to step out from behind the Hokage.

"My son," she said desperately, "He's very ill, and I'm afraid…please, please help him. I heard your healer. He's in town today. Please, Lord Hokage!"

She fell on her knees and bowed her head.

"He?" Naomi thought with some offense. "Ah well, might as well help her."

The guards were dismissed by the Hokage after Naomi knelt down in front of the woman just as she did with Hachiro. She placed her hand on the lady's forehead.

"You are not well yourself. Please, let me see your hands," Naomi said.

The woman did so and after examining them, Naomi faced the woman and smiled. "Your son only has a fever, but it's a pretty high fever. You must've been worried and stayed up several nights with him." The woman's face filled with surprised and she asked, "How did you know? Who are you?"

Naomi smiled, gave her a small bottle, and said, "I am Lord Hokage's healer. Here, you should put two small teaspoons of this powder into some boiled water and let your son drink it. Then let him rest some more. He'll be better in no time, and you should do the same for yourself."

"This powder would work? My income is low, but I know that the doctors at the hospitals usually assign liquid medicine when children are sick with the flu." the woman said skeptically easing herself off the floor.

With a smile, Naomi looked at the woman and said, "You'll just have to trust me on this one, but if you're that doubtful of my medicine then what other option can you take?"

"What are you saying?" the lady asked with a hint of anger.

Tension filled the room, but Naomi's smile never wavered. It's as if she never sensed a change in the atmosphere.

"It never hurts to try." Naomi said cheerfully.

The mother, who sighed, released the tension in the air and said, "I guess you're ri-"

"Now then! Don't forget two teaspoons not tablespoons! Or are those the same thing? No, no! But yes! Boiled hot water! You can let it cool if you want before your son drinks it because he could burn his tongue! Or burn is mouth...no, it's about the same. Oh! Right! Save a small batch for yourself!"

As these words poured out of Naomi's mouth, she led the mother towards the door and said, "Don't forget! These are the doctor's orders! I hope you feel better soon!"

As the door closed behind her, the mother stood out in the hall blinking twice in front of the servant.

"What a weird doctor." She thought with amusement.

Inside, a Jounin whispered, "What kind of doctor doesn't know their measurements?"

Laughing, Hachiro said, "Her kind."

"Well, she does seem to be a pretty doubtful doctor, but if Lord Hokage requested her then I'd say she hasn't shown her true talents yet." Kakashi said to Hachiro, who agreed.

"Would you like to explore the village, Naomi?" Hokage asked when everything resettled.

"I already did, Lord Hokage. There were several people who were ill. I cured them the best I could. They said I worked miracles." Naomi answered in a little embarrassment.

Before Hokage said anything else, Naomi dug into her sack again and pulled out some carrots and lettuce.

"See? The villagers rewarded me with these, but I don't think I have any use for them." she said with her hands full of vegetables.

Hokage laughed at this and the group of Jounin joined in. The joy of everybody's laughter warmed Naomi as her laughter echoed among them.

Naruto: (gasps) O.o Now, I understand how Sakura and Sasuke feels. Hey, guys! Come back!

Pearl: Oh, boy...