FOREST OF DEATH: 74 HOURS LEFT
Hatake Kakashi was glad he'd sequestered a private room as soon as Hikari and Sasuke recounted their encounter to Team 10. He was especially glad for it as Hikari's words rang out in the oppressing silence. He sat heavily on the couch.
He'd fooled himself into thinking Naruto understood. When the three of them had worked on a technique to counter an attack similar to Haku's mirrors, Naruto had been quiet. He hadn't protested his supporting role. Kakashi had thought it was because he understood he'd made several mistakes in Waves.
For all that he'd tried not to do it, he'd superposed his genin team on his own Team 7.
But Naruto was not a mix of Minato-sensei and Kushina with Obito's personality. He was naive in a way that none of them had been. That the war hadn't allowed them to be. Kakashi did not think Naruto was endangering his team on purpose. The blond healed so quickly that he likely didn't realize that an injury could kill Hikari and Sasuke. Sasuke's rapid recovery from what appeared to be death in Waves had likely just reinforced the problem. And Kakashi had done nothing to rip off his worldview, so Hikari had had to.
Kakashi paused.
Maybe Naruto's Shadow Clones were a factor. Each clone experienced death, if you understood death as the cessation of being. And their experience transferred to Naruto. Had Sasuke, Hikari, and Kakashi himself "killed" Naruto several times? Did that make Naruto subconsciously think himself immune to death?
Maybe Inoichi would have an answer. He closed his eye and vowed to broach the subject.
Sasuke was not a copy of himself. That had been easier to see since the Bell Test. From what he understood, he had stood by his team to face Orochimaru, just like he'd stood by his team in Waves. He hadn't attacked Lee with his full strength even when goaded. He had coordinated with his team while in the Forest. He had survived impossible odds. Even with Orochimaru's mark on him, he hadn't attacked a Konoha team. He had accepted Team 10's presence instead of insisting they could do it on their own. Kakashi... was proud of Sasuke. He had come a long way from the Academy. He had improved dramatically, individually and as a member of the team.
And Hikari was not Rin. That had been clearest from the get-go, both in skills and personality. She was not interested in medical jutsu. She looked at traditions with curiosity and respect but was not bound by them. Hikari was creative in a way that Kakashi deeply enjoyed. And she had stepped up in a situation where most would have crumbled. She had carried her teammates for kilometers to get them to safety. She had called for help even as she improvised pseudo-medical treatment far beyond her. She had held up an assassination squad.
It was unfair to his team to compare them to his dead.
Asuma whistled. "Damn. I wonder what Umino Iruka would say to defend himself."
Kakashi turned. "What?"
"Don't get me wrong, it's not like he could have let the kid skip classes and deface the Hokages monument, but..."
"Yes, leaving a class alone regularly is not a great answer. Hikari-chan is right," Kurenai remarked. "I wonder how much they didn't learn because of the interruptions."
Hatake Kakashi turned his attention to the clearing as the awkward standoff broke.
Sasuke, who had heard the whole exchange, strode forward so he stood between Shikamaru and Hikari. Naruto, who had overheard the conversation since Hikari's critique of his attendance in the Academy, was frozen.
"Dobe," Sasuke called. "We'll build the fire. Are you coming?"
"I – ah – I – I'll-"
"We need more people to build traps if we want to eat any protein," Ino intervened. "You go."
Sasuke nodded. When Hikari didn't move to follow him, he shoulder-checked her. "Let's go."
Hikari nodded numbly before following.
Sasuke didn't lead them far, just to the next small clearing. They sat and said nothing.
Kakashi focused on the other group.
Ino was glaring at Shikamaru. "You don't always know everything!"
Shikamaru closed his eyes. "I know, I messed up. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me!"
"I'll talk to her, when she wants to talk to me," he promised. "And I'll apologize to Sasuke. I had no business dragging him into the conversation or talking about his family."
Chouji spoke to Naruto. "They only told us the bare bones of what happened. We didn't even know you had engaged Orochimaru until Hikari spoke to you. Can you tell us-"
Ino whipped towards Naruto, interrupting Chouji. "And how did you think you were going to beat one of the Sannin, huh?"
"I…"
"Right," she scoffed. "You weren't. And you definitely weren't thinking of Hikari. Just like when you dropped her in training."
"Ino," Shikamaru tried to interrupt.
"No! Enough is enough, Shikamaru! I'll make sure Hikari knows asking for a reassignment is possible. And, in my opinion, she should do it."
"Reassignment?" Naruto's voice was small. "What does that mean?"
"It's not regularly used by genin under a jonin sensei," Shikamaru explained. "It means Hikari would change teams, maybe enter a Department."
"But… she can't do that! We're a team!"
"She can," Ino stated. "She likes Team 7. She loves learning from Kakashi-sensei. But she has grounds upon which to ask for a reassignment. She has other skills, other paths to explore than combat."
"Reassignments are not regularly used because it hurts a career, Ino," Chouji intervened. "It shows you can't work well within a team."
"I prefer that to her being dead because her teammate couldn't do a basic threat assessment. And if either of you are her friends, so do you." She turned to Naruto, "Was that another class you missed, Naruto? How to differentiate genin-level from Kage-level opponents?"
Naruto recoiled back. "I… I didn't know!"
"SHE TOLD YOU!" Ino screamed.
"She said they both told you, Naruto," Chouji said with a soft, non-threatening voice.
"I-"
"She'll need an independent jounin if she wishes to cite irreparable differences instead of incompetence," Ino talked over him. "I'm sure my dad will be willing to do it."
"It's her choice, Ino," Shikamaru spoke, voice somber. "I agree that she should know it's an option but… don't make plans without her."
Ino nodded, jaw clenched. "Let's do those traps, and you, Naruto, tell us what happened. Without excuses for yourself. I don't want to hear them. And then we'll tell you what we know happened after you got knocked out."
Hikari's gaze settled on her lap. Words didn't come easily to her, not even at the best of times. Speaking was... stressful. She never managed to be content with her sentences. (Should she have used a synonym with different connotations? Had the rhythm, intonation, or timing of the delivery been off? What about tone?)
She remembered her mom putting an arm around her shoulders as they talked. There are different types of honesty: brutal, thoughtful, compassionate, cutting. Each have their place, sweetheart. I'll teach you how to move someone to tears, how to strip them of their power, and how to gain allies. I'll do my best to give you the tools, but only you can choose when to wield them.
She hadn't... lashed out at Naruto. Her words had been... not blunted, but rounded out and controlled. She hadn't struck out at his deepest insecurities.
That didn't make it okay.
His dream wasn't any of her business. It was annoying to listen to, but it didn't have anything to do with her. She wasn't his friend, parent, or teacher.
And the middle of the chunin exams was hardly the place for this discussion. Shinobi operated on a strict hierarchy. It wasn't her place to reprimand him. She should have brought her concerns and complaints to Kakashi-sensei and let him handle it.
"The Nara doesn't know what he's talking about," Sasuke snapped, bringing her attention back to him. "He doesn't know what happened. He doesn't know anything about my clan."
What is done is done, what I spoke impossible to swallow back. Focus on this conversation.
She stayed silent for a moment, weighting her words, and then she shifted so she sat cross-legged with her hands in front of her, palms loosely open. "I don't think you realize how... scared... clans were. After."
Sasuke blinked twice, surprised. "Hn."
"It is... not even a clan's worst fear come to life. It is... was... unthinkable, to be betrayed by one of your strongest, by your heir, by the one who was supposed to love you most. And suddenly it wasn't only tangible in their thoughts. It had happened. Right in front of them. And no one could deny it."
"Hn."
Hikari glanced at him, not forcing eye contact but trying to read his body language. His shoulders were less tense than at the clearing, and he was still facing her and listening. She took that as encouragement to keep talking.
"No one felt safe. Your family wasn't just in charge of Konoha's military police force. They were Konoha's Military Police Force. I don't know the institution's responsibilities. But..." she trailed off before starting another train of thought. "Shinobi, especially grown and full-strength clan shinobi, regularly don't mingle with civilians. But that wasn't true before your family's tragedy."
She grimaced. Euphemisms could diminish the sheer magnitude.
"Sorry. Before you family was killed." She clenched her jaw. "I apologize. That was passive voice. I'm not doing this right. Before..." Uchiha Itachi doesn't deserve his clan name. "Before Itachi killed most of the Uchiha clan, the police force was active in Konoha. They patrolled the village, which made them respond quickly to any conflict, and their very presence dissuaded crimes. People saw them, every single day."
"And now?"
"The Police force was reformed, but now they're not as visible." She wasn't only talking about the new police being split into civilian and shinobi. Sasuke knew that. She made eye contact and tried to make him see the difference. "When I was little, I was told that if I got lost, or felt unsafe, or needed help, I had to find a shinobi with an uchiwa on their back. I once got lost." It was after a tour where she'd spent half a year outside of Konoha. She hadn't remembered where anything was. "I found a woman with the uchiwa on her kimono, and I asked her for help. I don't think she was even part of the police, but she made sure I made my way back."
"Who was she?"
Hikari swallowed. It had been more than six years since that day. "I don't know. I don't remember."
Sasuke settled back in his seat from where he'd leaned forward. "And now?"
"No kyokuba-dan child goes out alone." They didn't have to be with an adult. It could be just a group of children, but they had to know where they were going.
That was now.
Just after the Uchiha Incident, it had been a different story. The Uchiha clan had been one of the most numerous and strongest. They were there one day and gone the next. Slaughtered, she reminded herself. Not gone. Killed. It didn't serve Sasuke to minimize what had occurred.
Hikari had been walked to and from the Academy by her parents. She'd been reassured daily that it would be okay if she wanted to pull out and try something else.
People had been terrified. Some kyokuba-dan members with civilian family asked to move their loved ones inside the compound temporarily.
"So you understand," Sasuke said abruptly. "Before, people respected the Uchiha name. Now, if they speak it, it's to whisper about... him. He... that man... he killed them all. You understand that I have to..."
She reached out, hand fluttering around his armband before drawing back shy of touching. "Not exactly. As I said, I'm not anyone to judge your goal. Shika, well, he doesn't know you. You told us your ambition was twofold, to restore your clan and to kill him. I think... I think you should make the first part a dream. Plan for it, envision it, and don't lose sight of it." She gave him a small smile. "The best dreams are those that are actually slept on."
"And the second?"
Why do you want to kill him? She almost asked before stopping herself. She knew why. That wasn't what she wanted to know.
"Will you feel pleasure when you kill him?"
"When I... when I... I'll be glad he's dead."
"Will you feel pleasure or relief?"
"Hn," Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away from her.
Hikari didn't push. Justice brought closure, but it hadn't been handed in this case. Itachi was free and had faced no repercussions. She didn't think Sasuke was wrong for seeking out closure himself.
When Sasuke faced her again, she asked softly. "I think you need to ask yourself what you're willing to do to kill him."
"Anything."
"If you had to slit my throat to rip out his, would your hand shake?"
Sasuke flinched away from her.
"Sasuke-kun. I apologize. It was a rhetorical question," she hastened to reassure. "I know you wouldn't hurt me."
"I..."
"You wouldn't. You've proven you wouldn't. I shouldn't have said it like that." I'm making mistake after mistake. She rubbed her forehead with her hand. She just wanted to sleep. Maybe, when she woke up, she'd be less dumb.
"I'm an avenger. I..."
"You're more than that. You're a great teammate, and a good friend," she swallowed. This was selfish. It had nothing to do with Sasuke and everything to do with her. She knew it, but she had to, for her peace of mind. "I'm sorry," she locked her eyes on Sasuke's. "I am so, so sorry."
"What?"
"I apologize," she repeated, hoping he'd accept it but knowing even his acknowledgment would be more than she deserved.
"What for?"
"Naruto-kun called you a coward, but you were everything but. You tried to get us out, and, when that didn't work out, you bought me time to get to Naruto-kun. You did everything right. And I... I let you face Orochimaru of the Legendary Three alone. I was the coward, and you paid the price for it," she swallowed and clenched her jaw to blink back tears. She wasn't going to emotionally manipulate her friend. She wasn't.
Sasuke didn't say anything.
"... I also apologize for hurting you."
"What?"
She circled one of her own wrists with her opposite hand. "Your wrists. Your right one, especially." It was the one she'd squeezed so hard she felt bone twice over, before she'd tied both together to carry him more easily.
"You were trying to get my attention because I froze," Sasuke protested, his self-disgust apparent.
"I should have found another way," she argued. "You were almost there."
"I almost stabbed myself," Sasuke sneered.
"You were moving. You got us out of the way when it - he - attacked. I didn't even see him move."
"And the second time?"
"We'd just seen our teammate go mad, try to punch a Summon to death, and almost die himself," Hikari tried be flippant, but her breath hitched.
"It's fine. You didn't hurt me."
I did. I didn't argue, didn't protest, didn't do anything right. I call myself your friend, but I left you alone, and that being bit you and put vile stuff into you, and I didn't get it out. I didn't treat it right.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't get it all out. I don't even know if I helped or if I made it worse, I'm so so-"
"Stop it!"
Hikari stopped babbling and blinked more, looking down at her lap. Of course he didn't want an apology. They were supposed to be a team, and Hikari had left him, and now Sasuke had something messing with his chakra, with his soul, and -
"Are you cold, Hikari?"
She didn't understand. It was summer, and she wore long sleeves. Why was Sasuke asking he if she was cold? He wasn't getting it. "It's still there. I didn't get it out. I tried. I did. I'm sorry. I didn't break my promise. I did try. I did my best. I'm sorry it wasn't good enou-"
"Cold, Hikari. Yes or no."
"No," she twisted her hands together.
A hand landed on her neck. She turned confused eyes to him, but he wasn't looking at her.
"Stay here. You're not very warm."
Hikari pulled her knees to her chest as she watched Sasuke gather up fallen branches, picking the driest of the bunch. He laid them in front of her, some distance off.
"Fire release," he called out while forming a single Tiger seal. Hikari watched, absentmindedly wondering how Sasuke managed to shape his chakra to breathe out a small tendril of fire. How many of these small tricks that weren't quite jutsu did clan kids know?
Sasuke's face scrunched up in pain, and his hand flew to his neck. The tendril stuttered and died.
He snarled and tried again. A stream came out, setting the wood on fire.
Sasuke's knees slammed into the ground.
Whisps of black started spreading from the mark.
"Hikari! Sasuke-kun!" Ino's voice called out from somewhere.
Hikari didn't pay attention to her. She couldn't. Her fingers scrambled over the clasp of her apparatus, trying to get the fabric off the handle.
When she managed it, she stumbled over to her teammate.
Calm down.
Think about the pieces that make up Sasuke-kun.
Clean movements. Confidence in a fight. Arrogance in a win. Focus and ambition. Willingness to listen.
She put a hand on Sasuke's forearm. "Sasuke-kun, I need access to the mark. Please let me see."
He removed his hand shakily. She didn't waste any time putting the glowing ribbon on top of it. It was harder than before. The ribbon didn't soak up the black slime easily. It was resisting. Sasuke's knees hit the ground. She moved with him.
"Talk to me, Sasuke-kun. Please."
Magnificent fire dragons hiding steel. Painful hits aborted into taps as they sparred.
Sasuke let out a shrill scream from behind his teeth.
"Do I stop, Sasuke-kun?!" Her voice came out panicked. She made herself take a deep breath, concentrating on matching her chakra to who Sasuke was.
"Don't stop, Hikari. I think you're moving the energy inside, drawing it out."
That was Ino. When had she gotten here?
"Sasuke-kun?" She asked. His choice, it had to be his choice. Orochimaru had put something on his body and soul without consent. She wasn't going to do that. She'd already done that. She tried to shake off that thought. She wasn't trying to put anything in Sasuke. She was trying to draw out what didn't belong. She wasn't trying to overpower his own, but to distinguish what wasn't his.
Pride and protectiveness. Speed and heat fighting beside me.
"Do. Not." Sasuke managed, face still contorted in pain. "Stop."
She closed her eyes.
Inquisitiveness when she explained a tumbling move.
"Teme, what's..."
Determination. Hunger for more. More skills. More control. Always demanding perfection from himself.
"Stop, Naruto! Don't interfere."
That was Shika.
Right. Team 10 was here. They had come. She'd called and they came. She wasn't alone with her unconscious teammates. They had woken up. And -
"Nara," Sasuke bit out.
The ribbon, halfway filled, started draining back into the mark. His hands slammed into the floor.
"Hikari. Something. Changed. Bad."
"Shikamaru, let's move back," Chouji ordered. "Naruto, you go stand with them."
Watchful eyes as Naruto's taijutsu improved. Swiftness as he dodged a punch.
She sagged in relief as the ribbon regained the gunk.
A quiet presence following her to the river. A now familiar scoff greeting Kakashi-sensei's excuses.
She kept shifting her chakra to resonate with Sasuke's as orange trousers and blue standard sandals came closer.
"Come on, teme," Naruto helped Sasuke sit up so he wasn't on all fours, careful not to move the ribbon.
When the black stuff neared her hand, Hikari threw it off and to the floor.
Sasuke sighed in relief.
"I don't have another ribbon," she said quietly. She was glad that the pain had abated, but now they had no way to get more of the black thing out.
Sasuke nodded to indicate he'd heard.
Naruto started searching his pockets.
"I took them, Naruto-kun." Before the team from Sound had attacked, she had used up all of the scraps of satin Team 7 had brought into the Forest but for one of her apparatus' ribbons. Now that was gone, too.
Her blond teammate stopped his search.
Team 10 walked up to them.
"Hikari, what were you doing?" Ino asked softly.
"Trying to make my chakra similar to what I think Sasuke's is. It seemed to draw out the bits that weren't his," she paused, exhausted. "Did it work?"
"Sort of? I don't know how you did it since you are not a sensor. Only very skilled sensors can distinguish between individual chakras. Your chakra, inside your body, stayed the same. It was what you were putting into the ribbon that felt... close, sort of, to Sasuke's. Not identical, but... cohesive."
"Did it work?"
"You did manage to work out some of the invading chakra. I don't think it was a lot, though," she added the last part looking at Sasuke. "Sorry."
Sasuke glared at the ground. "If she did it again, would it draw it out?"
"I don't know," Ino said, helplessly.
"It didn't seem to hurt you when you were unconscious. And it was easier than now," Hikari told him. She didn't want to do this again, not when it hurt him so much. And there weren't any more materials. She didn't want to chance it with fabric she was unfamiliar with. What if she overloaded it?
"It may be only because more time has passed, and the invading chakra has settled," Ino said.
"With him awake, Sasuke's chakra is more active. Maybe because Hikari's isn't identical, Sasuke's body tries to reject the foreign chakra," Shika pondered.
Hikari closed her eyes. That would be great. If that was it, then someone more experienced could get the dark chakra off.
"She did fine," Sasuke snapped.
"I'm not saying she didn't," Shika said and turned to her. "I'm not saying you didn't. It's remarkable that you managed this much without being a sensor. I don't think even medic nin train to match their chakra to individuals'."
She nodded to him. A sort of dull surprise hit her. If they didn't match their chakra to the patient's, how did they get it to be accepted? Could you make chakra neutral?
Ino and Shika continued to debate the issue.
"Are we going to move?" Hikari interrupted. Everyone turned to her. "Sorry."
"We do need to get to the tower," Naruto added when everyone remained silent.
"Maybe there's a base there. With food and medical supplies," Chouji added as he pulled out a bag of chips.
"We are meeting Team Gai at the end of the day," Ino countered. "We should just stay here. We have our scrolls. It's not like anyone is going to pick two teams to attack."
"Hikari and Ino need to rest before we move closer to any team. Right now, we're almost at the edges. It improbable that any team will stumble upon us." Shika said.
She nodded. Resting would be glorious. And Ino was still new at sensing. If she'd been doing it continuously to find her, or even mixed with her Mind Transferring into birds, she had to be as exhausted as Hikari felt.
Shika walked up to her. "May I sit?"
Hikari nodded. Now that everything had caught up to her, she didn't feel so good. She'd gotten angry because it had sounded like Shika was siding with Naruto. Choosing him over her. That was unfair. Naruto was his friend. And he had call her actions or word cruel, but not her directly. They'd talk this over. Just... not now.
"So? Moving or staying?" If they were staying, she wanted to sleep.
"What if we put it to a vote?" Chouji suggested.
"I'm too biased to vote, but you go ahead." If it were up to her, they would stay, and she would sleep, and if any team came after them, the others could deal with it. Her brain wasn't up to considering safety risks.
She listened as they voted, with Ino, Shika, and Sasuke wanting to stay and Naruto and Chouji wanting to leave for the tower.
"Hikari," Shika called her.
"Yes?" She tilted her head towards him as she pondered if she should find a better spot or just slump over.
"The smoke signal started far from here. If both Naruto and Sasuke were unconscious, it means you carried them."
She hummed in agreement. That was an experience she didn't want to repeat. She was a flyer. She was meant to be carried, not carrying.
"Did you pull anything? Does anything hurt? When was the last time you ate?"
"Nothing pulled. I carried them one at a time. My back is sore, especially the lower part," It wasn't too bad, but she wasn't going to be doing walkovers any time soon. "We ate before we got attacked." She was hungry. It had been a full day since.
Chouji turned to her, alarmed. "I have stuff besides chips. Here," he handed over something. "A chocolate muffin."
Hikari took it reverently. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes. I've got more chips."
"Thank you, Chouji-kun. I really do appreciate it," she stuffed a huge chunk into her mouth. "I'm going to sleep."
FOREST OF DEATH: 67 HOURS LEFT
Sakasu Hikari woke up disoriented. Above her was a canopy. She squinted. The tree's trunk was thicker than normal.
She sat up as everything came back to her. They were still in the Forest of Death. She was beginning to hate the place. She glanced around for her teammates and tensed as she only saw one.
"Calm down. The Nara, Naruto, and Chouji went fishing. Your friend slept for a while. She's around there now," he pointed, "trying to see if she can sense Kakashi's rival's team. The Nara left you some cream. He said you knew what it was."
Hikari nodded slowly, taking the small jar. Anti-inflammatory, numbing agents, and muscle relaxants. Good stuff. Thank you, Shika.
"He also talked to me. Apologized. About what he said," he added stiffly.
Hikari nodded. That was good. She thought they could be friendly if they gave one another a chance, even if not friends.
"You?" She rasped out, hand reaching towards her bottle of water.
"Fine. I haven't used any chakra, since that seems to be the trigger."
"Are you in pain?"
"No. It's fine."
No pain was good.
"You?"
"I?" Hikari asked, confused.
"You crashed hard," Sasuke said defensively.
Oh. He was asking how she was feeling. "I'm fi-," she pulled back at the last moment. She didn't really feel fine. This part of the exam was beginning to feel eternal. She couldn't believe only two full days had passed. She wanted to go home. "I feel better. Thank you for asking."
"Hn. Why do you never lie? You twist words, but they're never false."
To stay rooted in an intact reality. So I don't lose myself in an infinity of different narrative threads.
She shifted in her seat and told a different set of truths. "Do you know what shinobi clan is known for the fairest deals?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"The Yamanaka. The friendliest?"
He thought about it for a second. "The Akimichi."
"The laziest?"
"The Nara. So what?"
"Ino helps around the shop in the weekends. Chouji-kun takes some of the Akimichi restaurant's leftovers to shelters. Everyone knows Shika napped his way through the Academy."
"Hn. And?"
"If you're within her sight, Ino can take over your body and make you do what she wants. Chouji-kun will one day be able to crush buildings. Shika has already challenged jounin to shogi and won." She locked eyes with Sasuke. "The kyokuba-dan considers Language an art form, and we are artists."
A singer could ensnare the unwary and lure the cautious towards a trap of their own making. They could not have the other party in contracts doubt their word. The kyokuba-dan were traders, truth keepers, and... they were already different. Compared to most, they were exotic, weird, outlandish. They could not afford to have people look at them with hostility.
"So you don't lie because you can do it too well."
Hikari nodded.
"Is there another reason?"
Hikari shifted, looking out across the clearing.
"Not even your friend can listen to us," Sasuke pointed out.
"I'm not worried about her." And with Ino around, she wasn't even worried about another team.
Sasuke tensed. "You think there's surveillance?"
Hikari considered it more seriously than she had previously. "Not really. If there were, Kakashi-sensei would be here."
"Kakashi can't interfere in the exams."
"Yeah, well, missing nin are also not supposed to interfere."
"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash." Sasuke said.
Hikari nodded, remembering sensei's words. "Also, I think the rules would have changed."
"What do you mean?"
"There are seven of Konoha's Clan Heads' children in this forest. And all three of the Kazekage's children." Considering that Suna's kageship was hereditary, that was no small deal.
"And you."
"And me. I think that if they knew there was a S-ranked missing nin in the exam, they would do something. Orochimaru is Konoha's missing nin. One of the most drastic, immediate actions would be to call off the exams, right?"
"Yes."
"Konoha would look bad internationally. But then compare that to the Kazekage's children being harmed or killed because of a missing nin from Konoha, in an exam hosted by Konoha, in Konoha, while Konoha's leadership knew of the threat."
"Not good."
"Really not good. Shinobi have tried to start wars for far less."
"Hn. So, no surveillance. What's the other reason?"
"Right," Hikari blinked twice and got back on track. "What are artists, Sasuke-kun?"
He didn't answer, confused by the question.
"Think a little bit mean," she suggested absentmindedly, wondering if Chouji would have another muffin. Fish were fine, but chocolate was chocolate. "What are artists?"
"Liars?"
Hikari couldn't control her flinch away from Sasuke, nor the way her jaw clenched. She looked away from him and ran her tongue over the roof of her mouth.
An uncomfortable silence settled over them.
"Sorry."
She gave him a tight nod.
"What are artists, Hikari?"
She blinked, but her shoulders relaxed a fraction.
We are storytellers - and denouncers. We are performers - and entertainers. We're dreamers - and...
"Escapists."
"Escapists?"
She nodded but obligingly elaborated. "We like to see, create, and become beautiful things. We like to... suspend reality, even as we apprehend pieces of it. We don't like the world we're in, so we create our own."
"Hn."
Hatake Kakashi watched as Asuma turned to him as if from far away.
"They don't have the full picture, Kakashi," Asuma said as he pulled out a cigarette. "They can't really expect you to -"
"They can," he interrupted. "They do."
In our world, those who break rules are trash. But those who abandon a teammate are worse than trash.
He'd told them that. On their very first day, he had tried to pound Obito's words into their heads. He'd been trying to make sure they never forgot their importance since then. But it seemed like he was the one who'd forgot. Again. How many more times would he forget? How many more times could he fail? How many more people could he mourn before he broke?
"Kakashi!" Asuma's voice demanded his attention. "There's nothing we can do for them in the forest. You're doing everything you can, trying to come up with a counter seal."
Was he? Sasuke was alive and not aggravating the cursed mark. But he could have died. He'd had a 90% chance of dying, and Kakashi had left them without medical attention. The Sandaime had said no, and Kakashi had obeyed.
Hikari's assumption about there being no surveillance was wrong, but it was justified. Why were they letting the exams continue? Orochimaru had left every other genin alone, but he could just as easily have killed them. With the number of bloodlines, including Rasa's children there, it was a wonder he hadn't taken one.
He glanced down to the seals he was working on. He'd developed it with Hikari's explanation in mind. If Sasuke's body was still willing to reject Orochimaru's mark, it meant it was still fighting. It meant Sasuke was fighting Orochimaru at his most unconscious level.
He theorized that his chakra recognized Hikari's as a mix of other/non-threatening/similar/ally. And he recognized Orochimaru's as other/threatening/hostile/enemy. But Sasuke's body on its own could only defend itself. It took adding Hikari's chakra, flavored as Sasuke's, into the mix to make it reject the threat.
He was going on a hunch, but he thought Hikari's method highlighted the difference between the mark and Sasuke. She saw Sasuke as a friend and she wanted to help. He didn't think she disregarded his faults, but she didn't focus on them when she transformed her chakra. On the other hand, Orochimaru's mark fed on negative emotions. It spread quicker when Sasuke felt threatened or angry. With Hikari's chakra, Sasuke's could eject the threat via the helping hand provided.
Kakashi was sure any medic nin would discard his theory. But Hikari's method shouldn't have worked. It should have done nothing: not harm Sasuke, but not help him either. It should have washed over Sasuke the same way it did when he took a ribbon she was infusing in training. It shouldn't have gone in to draw out the invader. But it had worked. He didn't know to what extent, but it had worked.
He could help it along. He'd need to match his chakra to Sasuke's to highlight the intruding chakra as he activated the seal. And then, with the differentiator, the seal acting as a container, and the added energy, Orochimaru's chakra should be driven out. Maybe two seals, he mused. He'd be pitting his own chakra and Sasuke's against one of the Sannin. He'd add a fail-safe, another container, that would make several sessions possible. Without Orochimaru to reinforce his chakra, they could drive it out. Even if it took time, he would make sure Sasuke's soul and energy remained his own.
FOREST OF DEATH: 66 HOURS LEFT
Nara Shikamaru shifted from where he sat next to Hikari. They'd eaten, Hikari had rested, and he'd apologized to Sasuke. It was time.
"Hikari," he started. "Can we take a walk together?"
She nodded and without a word followed after him.
"I'm sorry," he shot out, nervous, as soon as they were far enough away that they wouldn't be overheard. This wasn't the first time they'd fought, but it never failed to leave a bad taste in his mouth. "I regret what I said. I had no right to say anything at all. I didn't even know what Naruto had done. I just heard you, and I know you don't like him, and of course you have your reasons, they are absolutely valid, and-" he wasn't explaining himself. "I reacted without thinking. I hurt you, and I'm sorry."
Hikari took hold of his hand, leading him over to a tree and starting to climb up it.
Shikamaru relaxed. He had messed up, but he hadn't destroyed anything.
Once they were settled in one of the branches, she spoke, "I should have realized you didn't know but… well, I know he's your friend and I felt like you were choosing his side. I know there are no sides, but…"
Shikamaru closed his eyes in relief. He was so glad he and Hikari were used to explaining how they felt because of something the other did or felt. "I sort of did," he swallowed hard. "Choose him over you in that moment. I know I didn't show that I trust you and your judgment," he stopped there because Hikari had tensed. He'd hit the issue. "But I do. I trust you, and I know you're not cruel. You're… " he swallowed but said it. "You're a beautiful person. I stand with you, and I know I didn't show it, but I promise you, I stand with you."
Hikari nodded a little slowly. "I don't like this test, Shika," she whispered. "Everything went wrong so quickly. We were doing great one moment, and then we weren't."
Shikamaru took back her hands. "We're finishing this, Hikari. The worst is over. We just need to hang on and head for the Tower. No one will want to attack two teams."
They would regret it. He had a sensor and mindwalker, a heavy hitter, a stamina prodigy, a pair of taijutsu partners, and himself. Shikamaru would make them regret it.
FOREST OF DEATH: 57 HOURS LEFT
Hikari watched Gai's team with curiosity, pausing to eye Rock Lee with distrust. She wasn't going to forget he'd attacked Sasuke anytime soon.
"We don't know one another," Tenten broke the standoff with a smile. "Why don't we introduce ourselves? I'm Tenten, and my best discipline is kenjutsu."
Hikari considered the older girl. She was establishing her team as an allied force, revealing information that wouldn't be disclosed to potential enemies.
"Hyuuga Neji. Rookie of my year. Taijutsu."
"I'm Rock Lee. I excel at taijutsu!" he gave them a thumbs up.
"Ino," her friend picked up the thread. "I was within the best 5 of my class in taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, kunoichi classes, and written tests."
Tenten's brows rose, impressed.
"Uchiha Sasuke, best overall scores."
"Uzumaki Naruto! I'll be the next Hokage, datte..." his eyes cut to her. "I'll be the next Hokage," he finished.
"Akimichi Chouji. I'm learning my clan's techniques."
"Nara Shikamaru. Strategy. I like to nap."
"Sakasu Hikari. Best at kunoichi classes." Tenten's mouth tightened. Hikari decided to add on to her introduction. "I like glitter, rhinestones, and sparkles."
"Oh. You're that type of kunoichi," Tenten murmured.
Hikari gave her a smile, aesthetically pleasing and entirely empty.
"Tenten, Sakasu-hime isn't..."
"A kunoichi?" Hikari interrupted. "I am."
"Sakasu-hime, Tenten didn't mean to offend."
Hikari's lips quirked up, appreciating his effort. She had enjoyed talking to Hyuga Neji. She was glad he didn't want to alienate her. "I was not offended. I am the type of kunoichi who excels at kunoichi skills. If she considers those skills negligible, that's not my problem."
"Oh, come on," Tenten scoffed. "They try to put us into cages. From the first foot we set in that classroom, they tell us our careers will be centered around Infiltration, Cyphers, Genjutsu, or Medicine. There are teams with three male shinobi, but no team, much less combat teams, with even two kunoichi. Kunoichi classes are designed to give us supporting roles. Nothing more. If the classes were great, they would be taught to everyone."
"They do try to guide us towards those paths. But just because male shinobi, and some kunoichi, disregard the skills doesn't mean they're not valuable," Hikari argued. Without those classes, she never would have been able to get a signal to Ino. For that matter, Tenten wouldn't have been able to cheat in the first exam. "But I agree," she said, surprising Tenten and Neji.
"You do?" Ino asked confused.
"They teach skills that are seen as auxiliary. In my opinion, knowing them is advantage, and they should be taught to everyone. I think that it's because shinobi aren't very consistent."
"We aren't," Shika cut in.
Hikari shrugged. To everyone, Shika was agreeing with her. But Hikari knew he was emphasizing that she, too, was a shinobi. She was... and wasn't. The Academy wasn't her education system. It didn't uphold the same values she did.
"Shinobi value knowledge. The Shodai Hokage wielded all chakra transformations, iryo and barrier ninjutsu, senjutsu, and his kekkai genkai. The Nidaime created and mastered many techniques, including jurikan ninjutsu, and he was the best sensor history has recorded. The Sandaime is renowned as The Professor. The Yondaime was considered a prodigy: jurikan ninjutsu, barriers, fuinjutsu, sensory abilities, senjutsu, and most transformations. And yet, as you say, shinobi look down on kunoichi skills. Why? They're centered around spreading, getting, or guarding knowledge. It's inconsistent."
Tenten nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, being in infiltration does not come with the same clout as being a front-line shinobi. Knowledge is prized, but not equally. And the less valued skills are only taught to kunoichi."
Ino spoke up. "And even though kunoichi know more about the entire skillset than their male counterparts at graduation, the Cypher and Information Department are both led by male shinobi."
"The strongest kunoichi of all Nations, Tsunade-sama," Tenten took up the conversation, "is a legend because she turned a support skill into a front-line ace."
Hikari leaned forward, interested in the conversation. She and Ino had discussed how shinobi viewed kunoichi. Maybe Tenten would agree with them. She'd thought Tenten disregarded the skills, but she maybe was just angry at how they perpetuated kunoichi adopting lesser valued roles. "And Tsunade-hime is an exception. The current medical system is not designed to encourage a similar skill set."
"Tsunade-sama created the medical system! And she was the ultimate combat medic!" Tenten argued. Oh. Hikari had touched something she was passionate about. Was it strong, historically important kunoichi, or only Tsunade-hime? The medical system, maybe?
"She did create it as it stands today," Hikari agreed. The Senju hime had wanted more combat medics. That didn't mean the system she'd established created them. "Do you know the laws that govern medic nin?" she asked, curious.
"I've heard them, but I don't have them memorized."
Hikari smiled at Tenten. "I disagree with you. Do you wish to listen to my reasons?"
"You want to convince me that her work doesn't favor kunoichi in the front lines?"
She shook her head. "I want to expose why her creation doesn't encourage combat medic nin, and why I find the laws problematic. If you're willing to listen," she tacked on. She didn't want to speak to empty air. "And then I'd like to listen to you."
"I would like to hear it," Neji cut in. "Tenten?"
"Yes. Hikari-san. Hikari-hime," she corrected. "I'd like to have this conversation, too."
"Thank you. Hikari-san is fine, if that's more comfortable for you." She addressed her teammate, who had been quiet since his introduction. "Sasuke-kun, do you remember the exact wording?"
"Hn. Yes."
"Could you recite them, please?"
Sasuke crossed his arms, but complied.
"One: No medic-nin shall ever stop treatment until the lives of their party have ended.
Two: No medic-nin shall ever stand on the front lines.
Three: No medic-nin shall ever die until they're the last of their platoon.
Four: Only those medic-nin who have mastered the Strength of a Hundred Technique are permitted to discard the above-mentioned laws."
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she said before turning to Tenten. "For absolute laws, they're incredibly short. Just sentences; desires, really. The first one... does it discredit triage work and palliative care completely? Will medic-nin continue trying to save one life, even at the expense of others or their own? The second... Let's skip it quickly. The third one, what if it's a platoon full of medics? Does the law expect them to be immortal? Tsunade-hime advocated for a team to have one single medic, so let's add that as an assumption. Why are medic nin penalized if they die before all others but non-medic nin aren't if they fail to protect their medic? Also, if a medic-nin breaks the law, will they be treated as criminals posthumously? Is their name not to be remembered with respect?"
She stopped to gather her breath and thoughts. The rules had been inscribed at the cover of Sakura's notebook. If anyone asked her, they were the work of someone immersed in grief, desperate to stop deaths, and unwilling to consider anything but their own narrative.
"No medic-nin shall stand in the front lines, except if they master the Strength of a Hundred Seal. As things stand today, the second and fourth can be condensed into 'No medic-nin shall stand in the front lines, excepting Senju Tsunade.'. She laid down these laws, wrote no instructions for the seal, and left."
"Tsunade-sama wanted medics to be strong enough before they got send to the front lines!" Tenten shot back. Hikari smiled. She loved good discussions. "So they wouldn't get slaughtered! Everyone goes for the medics first."
Hikari shrugged. "I don't presume to know what she wanted. She established laws that restrict medics heavily, and the only way out is her way out. What if a medic nin doesn't master the seal, but they have mastered kayakujutsu, or kenjustsu? Or, what if they are an expert in puppets and poisons like Suna's Lady Chiyo? She went head to head with Tsunade-hime in the Second War. And yet, if ex-councellor Chiyo was from Konoha, she wouldn't be allowed into the field."
"I don't think it's quite that literal, though."
Hikari looked at Tenten funny. "They're not in figurative language. Fire, and therefore Konoha, has a civil law system. Our written laws are rules of conduct that express rights and duties. In this case, medic nin have a lot of obligations and almost no rights. I think that's odd since she wanted more on the field."
"Tsunade-hime created the medical program. A superb one, the best in all five nations. Her jutsu are invaluable! She has contributed to more and better trained medics."
"You're completely right. I'm not arguing that. I'm saying she created laws that discourage nin to enter the medical program. You admire her. Do you want to be like her?"
"Sure," Tenten shrugged. "I'd love to."
"And yet you're not training at the hospital," Ino pointed out, picking up where she was trying to lead Tenten to.
"I... Well, I don't have a good enough chakra control, and I wanted to be at the front lines, so I was picked for a combat team."
Hikari nodded and sat back. That was her whole point. If you wanted to be in the front lines, you didn't study to be a medic. "Regardless of her intentions, Konoha has one single medical combat nin. Her." And she's not in the village. She left. There is no one in Konoha to teach anyone the very skill that would enable someone to rise to combat medic. And the Hokage has not changed the laws. Why? "Konoha fought the Third War with medics and without combat medics."
Shika shifted forward so he flanked her. "The Second War, too, excepting Tsunade-sama. At her urging, the Hokage agreed that more medics in the front lines would bring down fatality rates. Konoha employed a two-fold strategy. Medic nin with decent taijutsu were drafted, so mostly jonin who worked at the hospital. And those with an affinity for Yin and Yang pure techniques were called to learn. Nara jonin fit both descriptions. Our clan lost 18% of their active shinobi. Of those, 70% were women. Of those, 75% were medics."
Hikari resisted the urge to smile at her best friend. Shika was so intelligent it hurt her mind to contemplate. But he never took an active role in discussions. Not in a group. He thought it was too troublesome to argue. But now he was here, offering hard facts to support her points.
"I don't get it!" Naruto exploded forward, eyes shiny. It was as if Shika's contribution had given him permission to speak. "Why did so many die? Didn't jiji do that so there were less deaths? Aren't those laws all about people not dying? That the medic will keep trying until they've healed their precious people?"
"That was the intention, Naruto. And these are the results. They're not mutually exclusive. We'll never know if more people would have died, had they done something different," Shika shrugged.
Tenten ignored the interruption. "Alright, I get it. The law came into effect once the war had already started, so they scrambled, and it ended with disproportional death rates for medically inclined kunoichi. What about the Third War?"
Ino raised her hand. "The existing medic force was diminished and overtaxed after the Second War. The hospital's application rates dropped after the laws. Now most of the new generation of medics are civilian-born."
"As Hikari said, the program demands a lot from medics, and it restricts them to the hospitals," Shika supplied. "Most clans prefer to teach in private instead of enrolling their members. Unofficially, there were nin with medical skills at the front lines in the Third War. Officially, teams didn't have a medic member."
Tenten frowned. "Because no one has mastered Tsunade-sama's technique, registered medic nin can't stand in the front lines. But don't medical platoons get sent regularly to the field?"
Hikari didn't know. Most of the shinobi inner workings and actual reality was lost on her if it wasn't written down.
"They do send out platoons," Shika saved her from having to answer, "but not alongside the forces. They're deployed when the immediate danger and combat has passed. When single medics are sent with a squad, it's with orders to stand back and not get involved in the fight under any circumstance."
Tenten nodded slowly, taking all of it in.
"But the Lady just needs to teach more people the strength thing!" Naruto exclaimed. "Then they could fight."
"That does sound youthful!" Lee intervened for the first time. "But Lady Tsunade-sama is not in the village, Naruto-kun."
Hikari nodded to Tenten. "Senju Tsunade is Konoha's hime in a way no other is or ever will be. Konoha would benefit greatly by having her back." Why did she abandon her home, her responsibilities? Where has she been, when her people have needed her? Where was she in the Third War?
Neji's head turned sharply toward her. "What about you?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "What about me? Like Tenten-san said, Tsunade-hime created medical jutsu as we know it. She turned the tides in Fire's favor during the Second Wold War. She has saved hundreds directly. It can be argued that indirectly she's saved hundreds, maybe thousands, with the skills she passed on. What have I ever done for Konoha?"
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Weren't you just saying she didn't do those laws right?" Naruto interrupted.
Yes, but I'm pretty sure stating it so plainly will do me no favors with the village's leader, who granted her the power to dictate them. She raised an eyebrow instead of trying to find a response that he could repeat.
"But you're saying she's great!"
"I'm saying her accomplishments are many. Not taking into account those who hold political positions, she has shaped Konoha more than anyone else. Tsunade-hime is one of the most important figures in Fire's history." The Senju have shaped the village's institutions, and the Sandaime has tried to make the wheels keep turning even as some of the cogs have fallen off.
"But! But! You just said she did it wrong! That those laws are not helping medics! I don't understand!" Naruto clutched his hair.
She took a moment to organize her words. "To materialize dreams, you have to create measures that fit reality as it is. Not... not as you want it to be." She turned to Shika, hoping he'd be able to explain it better. This had been pounded into her head. It wasn't enough to dream. You had to know your people, what worked for them and what wouldn't. "You have to observe the narrative as the narrator. Not as a character."
Shika nodded before turning his friend. "Tsunade-sama saw a very real problem: without medical techniques, those in the front lines were dying. But we can't just send medics out there. The Second War proved that sending medics from the hospital would end in a bloodbath. She established laws wanting to recreate how her own team had solved the issue: demanding combat medic nin with control so great that they instantly healed themselves. No hand signs, no waiting time, no drop of chakra wasted. With the Strength of a Hundred, they could walk the battlefields with their platoon, healing while fighting."
"That sounds great! Why is that bad?"
"It's not that it's bad, Naruto-kun. We are not talking about morality," She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Even if we were, it isn't an evil idea. It's an unrealistic one. The problem I see is that the measures don't have actual medics in mind."
You don't have to be evil to harm. Negligence, apathy, selfishness... those claim far more victims than evil as we understand it.
"She's a medic herself! How does it not have medics in mind?"
Hikari turned to Shika, trying to dismiss herself from this conversation. It wasn't her problem if Naruto missed the entire point. She was talking to Tenten, not her teammate.
"Naruto, she's a combat medic. The only one in Konoha's history."
"Since her," Tenten intervened, "no one has exhibited that level of chakra control. No one can hope to replicate the seal. No one enters the medical program thinking they'll learn how to be combat medics."
"That you know of," Hikari intervened. "To your knowledge, no one has exhibited Tsunade-hime's chakra control."
"No. Hikari, no," Ino pleaded.
Tenten turned to the blonde, surprised at the tone.
Hikari pretended she didn't see her friend.
Ino didn't give up, striding over to her, taking her arm below the cuts, and shaking it. "No. Not her."
Hikari tried to dislodge herself with no success. "Ino..."
"Not Billboard Brow!" Ino wailed.
"The Academy didn't tag her for it, so maybe not," she offered a different truth. She wasn't lying. She couldn't be absolutely certain that Haruno Sakura was a chakra prodigy. She was just mostly certain.
Ino put her forehead against her shoulder.
"Yamanaka-san, if you could let go of Sakasu-hime?" Neji asked, voice taut.
"Look here, Huyga-san," Ino turned to him, dragging them both forward, anger replacing fake distress. "This here is one of my best friends. If she has a problem with me being near her, she'll tell me, and I'll let her go."
White eyes narrowed before they turned to her.
"I appreciate the sentiment, Huyga-san, but I am honored to consider Ino one of my best friends. And, please, call me Hikari."
The hands in her arm turned softer, grip slackening.
Neji nodded. "You may call me Neji. Do you know someone with perfect chakra control, Hikari-hime, Yamanaka-san?"
Hikari shrugged. "I am not privy to Academy assessments, Neji-san."
At the same time, Ino nodded. "Possibly. She's in the medical program, too."
"The Academy doesn't test us rigorously, and she is hard to judge by her accomplishments and classwork, but I'd put her in the 10th percentile. Maybe top 5," Shikamaru mused, "she's likely better now than she was at the Academy."
Neji's brows rose. "Still, there's no written records of Tsunade-sama's technique. It is unlikely she'll ever learn it. Her fate is to remain a medic."
Naruto's eyes boggled. "So, this person that may or may not exist can't learn it?!"
"It would appear so, Naruto-kun," Lee was nodding vigorously. "It is truly saddening. Still, if the Will of Fire burns bright in this Flower of Konoha, I am sure that with Hard Work she will accomplish it."
"Right! Right! I'm sure this person has it! Who is it?"
"They're talking about Sakura, Naruto," Chouji kindly pointed out.
"Sakura-chan! She's so awesome!"
Hikari fancied she could see the hearts in his eyes.
"Although this conversation has been enriching," Neji cut in, "we are best served by exchanging information. Hikari-hime, I would like our conversation to be postponed to when the second task has been finalized."
Hikari nodded. That was fine.
Sasuke came forward, the map he and Ino had drawn out. "This depicts teams' positions up to the Tower."
Hikari sat down next to Shika to listen to what Team Gai had learned in the day. In return, they'd tell them about the weird grey-hair-and-glasses genin who'd approached them at the First Task. She, and Sasuke and Naruto, had mostly dismissed the issue, since they couldn't do anything, but a warning would be delivered.
Hatake Kakashi turned to Kurenai, because she had been Rin's friend.
"Is Hikari right? Was Rin a medic-nin and if so, did she get reprimanded when…?" When Obito died saving him, crushed beneath a mountain of rocks. Had she been punished for not staying until the end? Had they labelled Rin a lawbreaker for dying before Kakashi had?
"No, Kakashi," Kurenai said gently. "Rin-chan wasn't officially a medic, but her parents were. They taught her."
Kakashi gave her a tight nod, but he was unsatisfied. Did that mean she did all of the hospital shifts on her own time? He tried to ask, but the words got stuck on his throat.
"Did you hear your genin, Kakashi?" Kurenai asked, voice soft but demanding his attention. "She was articulate and gave no inch."
Kakashi nodded woodenly. "She's like that. Doesn't speak often, and takes her time, but when she does…"
"And yours, Asuma. Both Ino-chan and Shikamaru-kun."
"Ino did not surprise me. She's not afraid of speaking out. Shikamaru, though, I did not expect him to say anything."
"I think he was trying to make it up to his friend," Kurenai remarked.
Kakashi thought so, too. He was proving he'd support Hikari. He let Asuma's response wash over him until he mentioned his name.
"What?"
"I asked you why Hikari-chan is in your team."
"Yes, Kakashi," Kurenai intervened. "Why is someone who excelled at kunoichi skills under a male, combat oriented jounin? They don't generally do that."
"I asked for her. Third in taijutsu, just after Sasuke and Hinata."
Asuma chuckled. "I don't think Suzume-san forgives you for it. She was going to offer the girl an apprenticeship in infiltration."
Kakashi winced. Apprentiships weren't offered lightly. If Hikari decided to do as Ino suggested – if she left because Kakashi had failed her – then she had a good place to go. It was a good thing, he tried to convince himself. He'd miss her, but she'd have a place. He shook off those thoughts. She hadn't asked yet, maybe would never ask. Ino had said she liked being his genin, and Kakashi didn't understand why, he wasn't a good sensei like Minato-sensei had been but… he'd take it. He'd fix this.
"What happened with the Anbu team?" Kakashi interrupted Kurenai and Asuma's conversation. "Did they capture Kenta's team?"
Asuma nodded, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. "It was hard, too. Two of them at chunin level, one of them high jounin. He had some trick like Lady Tsunade's: healed instantly. Taking him alive was tricky, even for Anbu."
Kakashi nodded, glad he'd pulled some strings to get Moose, Lynx, and Tenzo in the squad that was sent in. Moose's and Tenzo's kekkai genkai were specially handy for capture. And Yugao was a tracker, sensor, and kenjutsu mistress.
Kurenai's voice was deceptively mild as she said, "In a completely unrelated topic, we should take the time to visit the hospital. Yugao had a bad run-in with a medic-nin. He managed to injure her after the guy's teammate had drained her chakra, leaving her with only kenjutsu. She's expected to make full recovery."
Kakashi breathed out. Yes, he'd visit his comrade and thank her for a job well done. He relaxed into his seat. No one would attack three genin teams, which meant his team was safe for tonight now that there were no traitors in the Forest. He should get a nap in.
Uzumaki Naruto sat down next to Chouji and put his head in his hands. He didn't get what had just happened. The conversation about medics and girls and laws and… how did everyone know this? He'd been lost for most of the conversation.
He didn't like it.
"Hey, hey, Chouji, why did you say nothing?"
Chouji shrugged. "Akimichi techniques are pure Yang. Tsunade-sama's technique is Yin. Since she established the laws, no Akimichi has signed onto the program. Everyone is encouraged against it, actually. Akimichi are strong. We help the front lines."
"So you agree?" he frowned.
"With what?"
"With Hikari."
"Yes, but it's not a matter of agreeing with her. She's stating facts. Facts don't care about opinions."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means that, after the laws were established, entry applications went down. You can't argue against that. Just like you can't argue with Shikamaru's statistics. Honestly, I think they could rule the world together."
He ignored the last part. He didn't really get why Shikamaru liked Hikari. He was supposed to be his friend, and he had Chouji. Why did he have to like Hikari? She never skipped and was never any fun, but Shikamaru liked her. And then since they'd been put in a team, she'd hoarded Sasuke-teme. "So it doesn't matter, what the Lady wanted to do?"
"It does, but not a lot. If you hurt someone, even though you didn't mean to, that doesn't make them any less hurt."
Naruto faced down.
He hadn't meant to hurt Hikari or Sasuke. But he had stayed to fight, and they'd stayed with him because they were a team, and Sasuke had gotten his chakra all twisted up. And Hikari was angry with him. And Ino. Ino was scary. Hikari had been, too, when she was asking the questions, but Hikari didn't yell, which made her scarier. Was she going to ask to be reassigned? He frowned. The thought made him uncomfortable. They were a team, and they were supposed to stay together, and the whole point was that they never left you.
The thing she'd said about dreams and reality and about him skipping had hurt. But he had skipped classes. That was a fact. And he hadn't known what chakra was until Waves. That was another fact.
Sasuke was hurt, and that was a fact even if the teme was pretending he was fine. And Naruto hadn't meant to make it easier for Orochimaru to hurt him. But Chouji said that didn't count for a lot. He'd just… he'd thought they could do it. Like with the team with Rain. They'd trained so hard, and he had improved a lot, and he had wanted to prove it. Heroes didn't run.
"Hey, Chouji."
"Yes?"
"Why is Tenten also calling Hikari a hime?" Neji did it because he liked Hikari, but why was the other girl doing it, too?
"Because she is one."
"No way! Of course she's not! Himes are pretty and kind and…" And Naruto wanted to save one to become a hero. Then everyone would be impressed. He'd know, right? If Hikari was one, he would know.
Chouji's face clouded over. "Hikari is pretty and kind! She's one of the kindest people I've met! I don't know why you don't like her, but she's my friend. If you can't see that because you want Sakura on your team or because of something else, then she's better off asking for a reassignment."
Naruto blinked, startled. Chouji had never contradicted him. He shifted around, uncomfortable.
"She's not the daimyo's daughter." She was from the circus.
"No. She's the daughter of our kyokuba-dan's leader."
"So what?" He frowned. They were a circus with quite a bit of people, but so what? Other clans were large, especially civilian clans.
"They uphold the balance between Konoha and the daimyo. Do you not like them? You sounded funny."
Naruto shrugged. When he was younger, he'd liked the colorful, shiny clothes. And then he'd heard the whispers in the orphanage. The hope that they'd be the ones chosen. The kyokuba-dan, he'd heard, adopted more than any other clan or family. He'd been excited. They were different, like him. People liked to gossip and whisper about them.
He'd thought… maybe… maybe they had a place for him.
He'd gone into their compound, because the older kids said you could enter once. Only once. That was fine. Naruto could make them like him, dattebayo! The first person he encountered had frozen, with big, big eyes staring at him. He'd been crushed. That was the look of people who weren't going to yell, but who would make excuses not to be near him. But the guy hadn't done that. He'd closed his eyes and counted to twenty although Naruto thought he wasn't supposed to hear that, and taken deep breaths, and then he'd asked Naruto if he wanted to see him do cyr wheel.
Naruto had yelled YES even though he hadn't known what it was. The guy had explained that most people weren't there, but he could show Naruto some cool stuff himself. And he'd shown him how he could go round and round and round using only a huge ring. And Naruto had gotten excited, but the guy had told him that no, he could not try. And to sit down. Naruto had sat down and had watched him do a flat spin, sort of like a coin being spun. And Naruto had jumped up and shown him how he could make cartwheels, but he'd gotten too close to the wheel, and it had smacked him in the face.
The guy had panicked, the ring had clattered to the ground, and he'd been tilting his head this way and that. And are you okay? And Naruto had said that yes, he was fine, dattebayo, and his eyes had been watery, but it didn't hurt too much. But the guy's hands had been shaking, and he had shouted for other people.
And they'd come running. And some of them hesitated, but most just went to fetch some ice, and the guy had gotten yelled at, and Naruto had started yelling because it wasn't the guy's fault. And the guy had looked near tears, apologizing to Naruto and to the other people. And Naruto had gotten angrier, and the people hadn't cared what he had to say even as they pressed ice to his face, they'd said the guy should have called them to supervise him. And that had made Naruto angrier, but the guy had said they were right, and then he'd put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and asked him where he lived.
The next day, Naruto had gone back, and the woman who greeted him told him he couldn't come in. But Naruto had said he knew the guy, and woman had said okay, I'll go get them, you stay here. And as soon as she went off, Naruto had gone back to the building where the ring was, but no one was there, and once the guy found him, he'd been angry and had said he'd told him he couldn't come back and the woman at the gate had told him to wait. And he'd walked him back to the orphanage and had spoken to the one who ran the place.
Naruto hadn't gone back again.
And a year later when Naruto had gotten into the Academy, he hadn't paid attention to the girl with braids and questions who sat with Shikamaru. But then he'd noticed that no one picked up the girl. So he'd followed her, but she'd gone to the circus compound, and Naruto had realized that she wasn't like him, she was allowed in. She lived there. She belonged with the people with loud clothes and unapologetic stance who didn't care that people gossiped about them, even though she wore nothing special and backed off every time her questions exasperated or annoyed Iruka-sensei. And why her? Why not him?
So Naruto had ignored her, but they'd been put together, and she'd released Sasuke-teme when Naruto had managed to tie him up. And the bastard had interrupted him with Sakura-chan, and Sakura-chan had gotten the loudest and angriest she'd ever been when she realized Naruto was Naruto.
And then he'd ignored her in the bell test because he didn't need her help, and Kakashi-sensei had reprimanded him. But then they were a team, a real team, and he thought okay.
But now they didn't have to be a team, and Naruto didn't know how he felt about that.