By the next week, Kumiko was only awake for a few hours of the day, and the amount she ate almost doubled. But yet, when she was awake, she seemed so energetic, as if her eating and sleeping habits were completely normal and healthy. Surely eating and sleeping that much can't be good for anyone, right? And if she's tired almost all the time, where is she finding all that energy?

Kakashi just couldn't make sense of the situation. Is this how normal kids normally are? Surely not, right? The ones he's seen have never seemed to be like this…

He had mentioned it to Sakura, but when Sakura checked, she confirmed that there was nothing noticeably wrong with the girl's health. And because of this, Kakashi had felt reassured. If a medic ninja as skilled as Sakura was saying there was nothing wrong, then surely that must be the case. But medical ninjutsu and medical knowledge can only find so much. Even they have their limits, but no one bothers to acknowledge them.

That is, until something happens to make them realise. Kakashi just wishes he knew earlier.

It seemed to be an ordinary day. Well, it didn't quite feel normal to everyone.

It wasn't long after Kumiko woke up that morning that she started feeling it. There was a burning feeling in her stomach, but she couldn't identify it. It had started off so mild, she barely even realised it, but as time passed, it grew increasingly worse and worse. She started to feel as if her stomach was on fire, and at some point, the pain became unbearable.

Kakashi's team had just finished training for the morning. They were about to walk away from the training field for now, feeling nothing amiss. Kumiko, as per usual, was holding onto the sleeve of Kakashi's shirt as they walked, so he was able to tell immediately when it happened.

As they were about to walk away from the training field, Kakashi felt Kumiko suddenly collapse. He immediately looked in her direction to see her on the ground, arms around her stomach in pain. "Kumiko!" He called in concern as he knelt to be closer to the girl who was now laying on the ground.

The others in the team turned around, and seeing Kumiko's condition, Sakura immediately rushed over. She used a diagnostic jutsu to try to figure out what could be wrong with her. If it's something she can treat, she needs to know what it is. It didn't take long for her to realise it wasn't working.

"There doesn't seem to be any problems with her health. I can't find what's wrong with her." Sakura said, mildly panicking about the unknown but clearly bad situation.

It was then that Kakashi noticed the ominous chakra that seemed to come from Kumiko. He wasn't sure what it was, and he hardly acknowledged it since he was too busy being worried about the girl's wellbeing. It wasn't until one of his teammates spoke that he realised what it was.

"Hey, what's wrong with Kumiko-chan?" Naruto asked, clearly concerned. It was only when Kakashi thought about Naruto that he had an idea about what it could be, though it seemed like an unbelievable possibility. There was no way…

Kakashi slightly lifted the sky blue shirt the girl had been wearing that day, just enough to reveal the slightly glowing black markings on her stomach. Everyone was shocked, but there was no time for that.

"Naruto, go get Jiraiya." Kakashi told his teammate with a sense of urgency, though he tried to keep his voice calm. Naruto took a moment to understand the situation, but he left quickly. Kakashi was thankful that the toad sannin had returned to the village recently.

It didn't take Naruto very long to find his mentor. Jiraiya was somewhat confused when Naruto suddenly appeared, seeming to be in a rush.

"Ero-sennin, there's an emergency." Naruto said, which was enough to make his teacher follow him as he hurried back to where he had left Kumiko and his team.

When Jiraiya got to the scene, he almost immediately understood why he was needed as he saw the young girl in pain on the ground with the black markings indicative of a seal. "What happened?" He asked anyway, wanting more context to the situation.

"It seems whatever seal she has is malfunctioning or something." Kakashi answered, and though the silver haired jonin was fairly good at keeping his voice sounding relatively calm, it was clear that he was worried.

"Let me see it." Jiraiya said. Kakashi helped Kumiko to her feet so the seal could be seen easier, but it was mostly hidden by the girl's arms that still held her stomach in pain.

"Kumiko-chan, you need to move your arms so we can try to help you." Kakashi gently told the girl. She didn't want to. She was in too much pain to want to move her arms, but she did anyway. Kakashi offered her one of his hands though, so she could hold on to it to try to help comfort her.

Jiraiya studied the seal on the girl for a bit, trying to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it. "Although the seal itself is fairly complex, it's not too difficult to get the general idea. It seems to be a seal with many layers. The problem right now is that two of the layers are weakening, one more than the other." He started explaining.

"It seems like it may have been caused by a change in her own chakra, so it's likely this isn't something that just suddenly happened. Her body was probably expending some of its own energy to try to hold it together, but it can't anymore."

"The layer that has been mostly weakened is the one protecting her body from whatever is sealed inside her. The one holding back its chakra seems to be weakening as a consequence." He finished explaining.

"Can you fix it?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know enough about the seal to strengthen it, but I can fix it temporarily by adding another seal with similar properties to the weakened layer." The sannin answered. He then got to work setting things up. He had to draw some symbols on the ground around the girl first, then he had to draw the seal on the girl's stomach, over her already existing seal. Once everything was set up, he activated the sealing jutsu.

Once the seal was finished, Kumiko fell unconscious. Kakashi was close enough to her to catch her before she fell to the ground. "Having a new seal suddenly implemented can cause a strain on a person's body. Especially someone so young, and especially when they already have a seal." Jiraiya explained to ease Kakashi's concern.

"As I said, this solution is only temporary. The only way to fix the problem would be to find out exactly the type of seal used." The sannin warned. He then stopped to think for a moment about the same question Kakashi had had. "But what exactly is sealed inside her?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't know she had a seal until this happened." Kakashi explained. "And she doesn't remember anything, so she wouldn't know either."

"I didn't think anything would be sealed inside a person except for a bijuu. But it obviously can't be one of them, because there are only nine and we already have an idea about where each one is located." Jiraiya thought aloud.

Kakashi agreed with his confusion. It must be something fairly strong if it needs a seal with so many layers, likely as strong as a bijuu, but what could possibly be as strong as a bijuu? To their knowledge, no such thing existed.

After contemplating the issue for a moment, Jiraiya decided to leave. He had no reason to stay now that he's done what he can to resolve the situation.

Kakashi decided to bring Kumiko back to his apartment so she could rest. He wasn't sure how long it would take her to wake up, but he felt reassured that when she did, she would be back to being alright.

Kumiko wouldn't wake up until two days later. During that time, Kakashi had barely left his apartment, not wanting to be gone when she woke up, and wanting to be sure nothing bad happened to her.

When Kumiko woke up, she just stared at the ceiling for a moment. She still felt tired, and she didn't really want to move. But after a moment, she willed her body to allow her to sit up.

Kakashi noticed the movement from the other room and went to check on Kumiko. He was relieved to find that she'd woken up. "Awake?" He asked her as he walked into the room.

She turned her head to face him for a moment before deciding to nod. Kakashi went and sat at the other end of the couch. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked. "Any more pain?"

Kumiko shook her head before deciding to reply. "I'm okay." Kakashi was relieved to hear the response.

"Do you know what happened?" He asked. The girl thought for a moment and frowned slightly before shaking her head.

"I don't know. I was hurting, then… I don't know." She could somewhat remember the unfamiliar white-haired man and having Kakashi by her side, but it's not like she could make sense of the few things she was able to remember from the event.

"Are you hungry?" Kakashi asked the girl, and it was only then that she realised how empty her stomach felt. Before she could answer, her stomach growled, which told the both of them that the answer was yes. "Is there anything specific you want?"

The girl thought for a short moment before energetically answering: "Cake!"

Kakashi wasn't sure if cake was at all the healthiest option right now, but after what just happened, he felt that he could make an exception just this one time…even though this is the second time.

The girl quickly got dressed in her favourite outfit - the light blue dress and dark-ish blue jacket - before they left. When Kumiko grabbed Kakashi's sleeve, he realised just how much he'd missed having the girl attached to him while she was asleep for those two days. Though he would never admit it. He refused to accept that he might actually be happy that he has to take care of her. It's only because she has amnesia. Once she remembers everything, he will be glad to send her back to where she came from.

But none of that mattered as he watched the girl's bright smile for the first time in what felt like a while as she happily ate the piece of chocolate cake she had ordered. It was as if seeing that smile erased any of the worry he had been feeling for the past few days. It was as if, even if just for a moment, it erased all the bad.

When Kakashi showed up the next morning for his team's training, everyone was relieved to see Kumiko back at full energy, as if nothing had happened. It was nice to see that she was alright again.

Kumiko was, admittedly, a bit confused about their reactions. The poor girl didn't realise how long she had been asleep after the incident, so she didn't know just how much she had made the others worry.

Later that day, Kakashi and Kumiko were called by Tsunade. Kakashi knew that she likely wanted to talk about what happened a couple days ago. Since Kakashi had hardly left his apartment for the past couple days, after the incident, and since Tsunade understood why, they had yet to actually discuss it. Kakashi was sure that she had probably heard the story from Jiraiya.

"I'm glad to see you're better, Kumiko." Tsunade had greeted once the pair had arrived in her office. She then got up from her chair and walked over. "Do you mind if I check on your condition to make sure you're alright?" She asked the girl. Kumiko nodded in response.

Tsunade started by using a diagnostic jutsu to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the girl's health, before then asking if she could see the seal. Kumiko didn't understand what she was talking about, so Kakashi had to explain that Tsunade wanted to see the strange marks on her stomach.

Kumiko decided it was okay, but when she lifted the shirt she was wearing enough to reveal the area where the seal had been, there was nothing there. It wasn't strange for a seal to not be visible without the influence of chakra. But when Tsunade asked Kumiko if she could combine chakra, all she got was a confused reaction.

It really shouldn't have been surprising that this girl didn't know how to use chakra. She thought of a solution for a moment. It's likely the only way for the seal to appear is if it's influenced by chakra. "Kumiko, do you mind if I use my own chakra to make the seal visible?" She asked the girl.

Kumiko was absolutely confused, and therefore she wasn't sure how she should answer. She looked to Kakashi for guidance, and he nodded at her, telling her that it would be okay. As a result, Kumiko nodded to Tsunade to answer her question. The woman knelt to be closer to the girl's height.

Tsunade was careful to use only just enough chakra to trigger the seal. It didn't take much for the black markings to appear on the girl's stomach. "Do you feel any pain?" She asked the girl. Kumiko shook her head in response, the clear look in her eye telling Tsunade that she was being honest.

Tsunade studied the markings for a moment. She wasn't a seal expert like her old teammate was, but she wanted to better understand for herself whatever she could about the seal. Once she was done, she stood up again. "Kumiko, do you mind waiting outside so I can speak to Kakashi?" She asked.

Kumiko absolutely didn't want to leave Kakashi's side. She brought her free hand to also hold on to Kakashi's shirt's sleeve, as if to show just how much she didn't want to leave. Kakashi, of course, noticed this. "It's okay Kumiko-chan. I'll just be in here. It will only be a few minutes, and then you can come back in." He tried reassuring her.

Kumiko was hesitant, but she was willing to listen when it was Kakashi telling her this. The others in the room noticed her slight reaction of acceptance, and knew that she had decided to listen. "Shizune, can you take her?" Tsunade asked the other woman in the room, who had remained quiet throughout the whole meeting.

"Sure, Tsunade-sama." The black haired woman responded then proceeded to walk in Kumiko's direction, but to her mild surprise, Kumiko hid behind Kakashi. She was clearly not comfortable going with the woman who she hadn't actually met yet, especially if she wasn't going to have Kakashi with her.

When they saw her reaction, Tsunade wondered what she would do. She didn't want to leave the girl alone outside the office, but if she didn't want to go with Shizune, who is the only other person there…

As if perfectly timed, there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Tsunade asked the person on the other side.

"Sakura!" The voice called back in response. Tsunade was relieved as she invited Sakura into the room.

When Sakura walked in and noticed the group of people, she became slightly curious, but she decided she wasn't going to ask for now. "Sakura, do you mind bringing Kumiko outside for a moment so I can speak to Kakashi?" Tsunade asked her pink haired apprentice.

Sakura was a bit confused about the situation, but she agreed anyway. She walked over and smiled at Kumiko. "Come on, Kumiko-chan." She invited as she held out her hand for the girl. The child hesitated, looking once again to Kakashi for him to silently encourage her to go, before hesitantly letting go of Kakashi's shirt's sleeve to hold Sakura's hand. Sakura led her out of the room to wait.

Once they were out of the room, Tsunade went back and sat in her chair, as if the whole situation were tiresome. "Do you have any idea yet what that seal might be holding?" She started.

Kakashi shook his head. "There's been no clues as to what it might be. It can't be a bijuu, since they're all already sealed, but I can't think of what else someone would seal inside a person."

Tsunade thought for a moment. "There's something strange about this whole situation." She commented.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"There are too many factors that we know too little about. For instance, was the seal placed on the girl before or after she was attacked?"

This idea surprised Kakashi. He hadn't thought about it before, and part of him wondered just what it was Tsunade was implying. He thought back to what happened with his old teammate many years before, with her being purposefully given a faulty seal. Remembering the outcome of that event, Kakashi grew slightly worried as he tried to push away the unpleasant memories. He knew it wasn't likely the case, but he couldn't stop a part of himself from thinking it.

Tsunade noticed the brief flash of concern in Kakashi's eye, so she decided to further explain what she meant. "I doubt anyone would use such a complex seal if they didn't intend to keep whatever it is sealed properly away." She started. This made Kakashi's concern decrease even more, though this was already a point he had considered.

"But it makes me wonder why she was left alive. And if it had been the intention to keep her alive, why she was left in such bad condition? If she had been given the seal during the attack to keep away something that had been a nuisance, it would make more sense to keep her alive so she can keep it sealed. If it was sealed before the attack, why didn't who or whatever attacked her finish her?" She questioned as she thought. She then sighed as the answers seemed to evade her.

"We need to find out where she got the seal from so we can get more details about it, and about the situation." Tsunade said after a moment of trying to think.

Kakashi knew that that also meant finding a lead as to where Kumiko had come from. A part of him almost felt disappointed, though he refused to admit it or to acknowledge it. But Tsunade took his silence as a hint to how he was really feeling. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but be careful not to get too attached." She warned him.

Kakashi smiled, as if to convince both himself and Tsunade of his next statement. "Don't worry, I won't."

Tsunade decided to accept the response for now as she leaned back in her chair and thought for another moment. "I'll try to find a way to learn more about the situation, and perhaps find a way to help Kumiko recover her memory." She said. She then called the girls back into the room.

The second the door opened, Kumiko rushed to Kakashi's side to grab his shirt's sleeve. The two then excused themselves and left. Tsunade turned her attention to Sakura. "Did you need something?" She asked, remembering that Sakura had seemed as though she had something she needed to say or do.

"Oh, yeah. I just came to drop off the report from the hospital." She answered, remembering why she'd been there in the first place. She handed Tsunade the regular report then left.

Author's Note:

Hello! This part is a bit shorter than the others, but I decided it would be best to end it there. In fact, the conversation with Tsunade was only added to this chapter instead of the next because of the word count. But thankfully, I was able to make it work without starting into the next thing that's going to happen! Don't worry, things will be explained a bit better later in the story! I'm sorry for the lack of information about the situation so far, but if no one in the story knows, it's only fair that the readers don't know yet either! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this part, and I hope you will continue to enjoy the future chapters of this story!