Kiku was rarely proud of herself. After years of having all her flaws blown up and examined by her mother and sister, she'd developed a rather harsh view of herself. Kiku always saw more bad than good no matter what she did. However, as she tied her headband tightly around her forehead she felt a sudden surge of pride.
"It looks good on you."
Kiku smiled, looking up at Aya, who was just settling herself into the chair across from the new kunoichi. Kiku smiled back and leaned forward across the table.
"Just to let you know, you start work in two days."
Kiku's eyes shot wide open.
"Two days? Isn't that a little fast, Aya-san?"
The older girl shrugged.
"I just got the letter from the kazekage this morning. I DID tell you we were understaffed." She chuckled. "He seemed pretty pleased to put you to work in the hospital as soon as he could. It's rare to find people with your chakra element in Suna. You're pretty lucky. People with a water chakra affinity tend to make great medics in this village...I think you'll be the second one to be working at the hospital...and she's one of the best medics the village has to offer."
Kiku blushed and looked down at her hands.
The young girl remembered the first part of her test. The Kazekage simply took her to a table with a single piece of paper and told her to place her hand on it for a moment. The second she had touched it, the paper started to "sweat" and she hastily pulled her hand back.
The Kazekage had smiled then.
"Just like your father... I hoped so." he'd said. Kiku was a little confused at first, but it was later explained that the paper reacts to a person's chakra affinity. Kiku had inherited hers from her father...he'd been a water type as well. The thought made the girl very happy.
Snapping back to the current moment, Kiku looked to Aya.
"You said there's another person with the water affinity...who is it?" she curiously asked.
"Oh...that would be Emiko-sensei!" Aya said, happily. "She's really nice and smart...and awesome! I'm so lucky that I get to work under her as an apprentice...and you are too!"
"What do you mean by me too?"
"That was the rest of my news! Kazekage-sama said you should work under her as well...so the two of us..." Aya pointed at Kiku and herself. "...get to work together almost like a little team under her! Isn't that cool?"
Kiku's eyes widened and she smiled wide, nodding enthusiastically.
"That's awesome!" she said.
"Yup...just two more days!" Aya held up two fingers and flashed a smile. "You'll train for a while then you'll be working as much as me...and I will say...the pay is pretty decent and it keeps you on your toes! I think you'll love it!"
Kiku couldn't wait to start now. She smiled just thinking about it.
After 12 years of doing nothing, she finally felt like she'd accomplished something great. Kiku would never again accept the way of life her mother expected. Mother no longer controlled her life.