Graduation
Two years ago
Birds fluttered by the doorway, chirping happily. A red eyed girl watched them from a hammock hanging between two trees.
"Aya-chan!" Another girl's voice called from inside the little wooden building. "We need your help!"
Aya let out a tired sigh and slid out of the hammock. She lazily crossed the path and went inside the hospital.
"Hi Shiori," she greeted the receptionist, who nodded and went back to her paperwork.
Aya pushed aside the red curtain hanging over the doorway into the operating room. An old woman and a teenage girl were tending to yet another wounded Konoha shinobi on the wooden operating table.
"Ah, there you are." Yuina said to Aya. "He has an arrow head lodged in his rib cage."
Aya nodded and pointed a hand at the man. He groaned as a small piece of metal rose out of his open wound and floated over to a basin of water. When the arrow head was out of his body, Tsuki placed her hands over the wound. The flesh and skin immediately grew back and the wound became completely healed. The silver haired apprentice healer beamed at Yuina, who smiled proudly back.
"You've learned so much in your two short years here," the old woman said as they began washing their hands. "I'm impressed."
Tsuki's eyes lit up with a look that said: "I'm awesome!"
"Thank you, Yuina-sensei." She purred with fake modesty.
Aya coughed. "Er… can I go now?" She asked.
Yuina ignored her and turned to Tsuki. "Can I talk to you out back?" She said.
Tsuki nodded and followed her through to her office as Akiko arrived to move the wounded ninja into the bedrooms.
"Could you help me clean up the blood?" The girl asked Aya, struggling to pick up the heavy man.
Aya looked at the pools of red liquid all over the room.
"Nah…" she replied, walking back to her comfy hammock.
Tsuki and Yuina stood in front of Yuina's desk.
"How many patients have you treated so far?" The old healer asked.
Tsuki shrugged. "Feels like hundreds."
Yuina nodded in agreement. "It is hard work," she said. "But you have taken to it easily and I have never seen such a capable student."
Tsuki blushed. "Thank you, sensei."
"Ah, yes, about that…" Yuina coughed. "You are now no longer to call me 'sensei,' Tsuki-chan."
Tsuki frowned. "You mean…" She stuttered.
Yuina nodded sadly. "Yes, you are no longer my student," she sighed, "I can no longer train you."
Tsuki stared at her, devastated.
Yuina suddenly smirked. "I cannot train you…" she whispered, "because you have nothing left to learn."
Tsuki blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
"Instead of being by student," Yuina continued, "you are now my partner and equal."
Reaching into a desk draw, she pulled out a long green kimono. Tsuki's eyes lit up.
"Is that...?" she murmured, reaching towards the kimono tentatively.
Yuina smiled in a motherly way. "Yes, Tsuki, it's yours."
Tsuki let out a happy squeal and immediately glomped her former teacher. Instead of pushing her away, as she usually did, the old woman laughed and hugged her back. Yuina was about to say: "go try it on," but Tsuki had already scampered away into her own room to put the green robes on.
Yuina smiled proudly as she listened to the frantic changing of clothes next door.
Aya yawned and opened her eyes. She blinked and rubbed them as a young woman walked out of the hospital wearing a brand new green kimono.
"Tsuki?" She said, surprised. "Wow! That's pretty!"
Tsuki looked down at the leaf green healer's robes. She had always wanted a kimono like this and already it was her favourite item of clothing.
"Thanks!" purred Tsuki.
"So you're a real healer now then?" Aya asked.
Tsuki nodded.
Aya scoffed. "About time! You've been waiting ages for that kimono!"
Tsuki glared. "It's not just the kimono!" she scolded Aya, "It's about achieving the respect of my sensei and the others and proving to myself that I can do something worthwhile!" She looked down at the new kimono and coughed. "Although the kimono is good too…"
Aya gave her a friendly smile. "You deserve it, you're a great healer."
Tsuki smiled bashfully. "You are too!" she protested, flattered.
Aya made a 'pffft' noise. "No I'm not," she said, "I just most stuff around, I'd be rubbish on my own. I'd probably kill more people than I'd save."
"Awww…" Tsuki replied, patting her friend on the head in a comforting yet patronising manner, and secretly agreeing with her.
"I heard that…" Aya warned her as she read Tsuki's mind.