Since my team had been placed on mandatory leave while Ko healed, I wasn't allowed to take any missions. We all got together in the mornings to train, but the rest of the day was wide open.

I didn't really know what to do with all of the free time. I'd been training and going on missions so much that doing anything else felt weird. I'd be sitting in my garden checking on my carrots, then suddenly get this unshakable feeling that I had forgotten something important that I was supposed to be doing. I was going stir crazy. I considered tracking Misaki down to train some more, but she was getting tailoring lessons and I didn't want to bug her. In the end, I wound up volunteering at the hospital. It technically wasn't a mission, so I was allowed to do it on leave, and it let me help with the war effort.

Thankfully, most of the cases I handled were minor injuries or – if not minor – injuries where the patient could fully recover with time. I did come across several nin with missing limbs and lasting damage from jutsu that wouldn't be able to make a full recovery, but they were few and far between.

After two weeks of leave, Ko was well enough to train with us in the mornings again. We took it easy the first few mornings to get him back into the swing of things, but he seemed rearing to go. After training on the third morning, Chiaki announced she'd met with Falcon and coordinated a bar run for later in the night. I wasn't much of a drinker, but team bonding time was team bonding time, so I would be there.

When I returned to the hospital after training that day, I ended up working with a kunoichi from the Uchiha Clan who had a red scarf wrapped around her neck above her clan shirt; she had black hair cut even with her chin and was a few inches taller than I was. If I had to guess, I'd say she was four or five years older than me. She seemed familiar.

I'd just helped heal a man who'd been run through with a sword and was washing up when the Uchiha took the basin next to me. I nodded at her and went to move away when she spoke.

"Nara-san? Can I speak to you for a moment?"

I stopped, turning to face her. "Yes, Uchiha-san? Is there something I can help you with?" We were introduced when we both arrived at the hospital this morning, but we hadn't really spoken outside of coordinating to heal people.

She smiled at me. "Please, just call me Mita." She narrowed her eyes, and I felt a genjutsu affect me. 'You saved my life, afterall. I would not feel comfortable requiring you to use honorifics.'

I blinked at the unexpected Telepathy casting, but recovered quickly. "In that case, please feel free to call me Shinto." My eyes flicked down to the scarf she was wearing and things clicked together in my head. The scarf was covering a scar on her neck that was barely peeking out of it. Though I couldn't see the full scar, I remembered treating an injury that could have resulted in a scar like it.

I cast Telepathy. 'Wolf?'

She smiled. "You are too kind, Shinto." She cast Telepathy. 'Hello, Badger. I apologize for approaching you like this, but I didn't know how else to find you. Chiaki told me you were volunteering here, so I came by myself.' She motioned towards the door. "We are both on break. May I treat you to lunch as thanks for your help today?"

I nodded. "I would like that." It would also give us a chance to actually have a conversation with each other without the use of Telepathy.

We left the hospital together and started down the road. Mita seemed to have a destination in mind because she led the way. After a short walk, we ended up at a deserted ramen stand. It wasn't the ramen stand that was so famed as Naruto's favorite restaurant, but they did serve noodles.

We placed our orders and the chef went to the back, leaving us alone.

"Thank you for coming." Mita said. "I know this is not much, but I wanted to repay you somehow."

"No thanks are necessary. I know you would have done the same if our positions were reversed."

"True, but our positions were not reversed, were they? If you hadn't arrived when you did, I would be dead."

"I'm glad I could help. You seem to be recovering well."

"I am. I have yet to fully recover, but I am well enough to move freely and use chakra so long as I do not strain myself."

"I wish you a speedy recovery."

"Thank you." Mita smiled at me. "You know, we have met before."

I looked at her, confused. I didn't remember crossing paths with her before seeing her on missions.

Seemingly picking up on my confusion, she explained. "We briefly worked together some time ago when Aika-san brought you with her to the hospital. We traded names, but it was only the once. I am not surprised you don't remember."

I winced. During my hospital trips with Aika, I was tossed around like a hot potato from one med nin to another. I wasn't surprised I'd forgotten meeting her. Most of the people I met had just turned into blank faces I worked with for one day and never saw again. "I apologize for my inability to remember."

She waved me off. "I am not offended. I only bring it up because I find it interesting." She cast Telepathy. 'I would not have expected that young boy to one day be the fearsome ANBU that saved my life.'

I raised an eyebrow at her as I cast Telepathy. 'Fearsome? I think you might be giving me too much credit.'

'Or perhaps you are not giving yourself enough. The other ANBU do not know what to think of you. You and Misaki both actually. You both have surpassed many of them already and show no signs of slowing.'

'And is that a good thing or a bad thing?'

She shrugged. "Neither good nor bad. It is merely a fact."

Our conversation paused as our food arrived, and we both slowly began to eat.

Mita set aside her chopsticks and turned to look at me. "What motivates you, Shinto? Why do you fight?"

I was taken aback. I slowly chewed the noodles in my mouth to give myself time to think before swallowing and saying, "Why do you ask?"

"I am merely curious." she said simply, not giving anything away.

I was silent a moment longer before I spoke. "I want to live a good life. I want the people I care about to live a good life. I want us all to be free to live long and live well. The only way that happens is if they're safe, if the village as a whole is safe. That's what drives me."

Mita smiled warmly. "I believe you and I can become good friends, Shinto." She stood and placed some money on the table, enough to cover both of our meals. 'I suppose I will see you tonight for the bar crawl Chiaki and Tojo planned.' She said through Telepathy.

'Tojo?' I sent.

Mita chuckled softly. 'I forgot you have not properly met my team yet. Tojo is Falcon. I will see you tonight, Shinto.' With that, she turned and left the ramen stand.

I watched her go, idly noting the chef scooping up the money she left behind. I turned back around and finished my meal.

It suddenly hit me that I hadn't gone out to eat with anyone outside of my team or Shikaku in…ever? I ate out with Aika sometimes, but that had the same problems. I really didn't socialize all that much. I needed more friends.

I left a small tip on the table and stood, heading back towards the hospital to finish out my volunteer shift.

Maybe I'd be able to make some friends during the bar crawl tonight?