[ Medical Facility, Land of Iron ]
[ SHOHEI NARA ]
The smell of antiseptic and medicine had been a feeling I had grown accustomed to these past few days. The faint and steady sounds of the three Genin's breaths sounded across the room.
It had been a week since the attack. They had staved off the enemy long enough for me to arrive. But they had taken the force of the enemy, and luckily enough they had come out of the ordeal alive.
But in this world luck rarely is ever in the favour of shinobi, most especially shinobi as young as them, which makes me wonder…
'The attack was planned, that much was obvious..and the two enemy parties both had the same goal; to capture Jinichi. But why?
Why would the rogue-nin gain from trying to capture Jinichi. And why leave Aoi and Kisuke alive in the process? Wouldn't it have been better for them to have been killed to silence them?
I am grateful for the act of mercy shown to them by the two enemy parties; but wouldn't leaving them alive do more harm than good to their mission?
And also why Jinichi? Why a civilian Genin, with no relation to any of the village's clans?'
My gaze fell on the unmoving figure of the brown-haired boy, his expression awfully serene and calm despite the life-or-death ordeal they had faced just a few days back.
Kisuke was no different his blonde hair a mess as he laid in his hospital bed; unmoving, one would assume the worst if not for the faint rhythmic rise of his chest.
Aoi was different. She was tossing and turning while in her bed; a frown spreading across her face as her breathing grew more frantic.
!!
I walked towards her bed and placed a comforting hand on her head, her erratic movements slowly calmed down and her breathing steadied.
" Sigh…."
'...life and death situations are a continuous obstacle that must be overcome in a shinobi's life, they cannot be avoided or be deterred, my job as a sensei is to guide my students and give them the power needed to protect themselves.'
[ Three days later ]
A dozen or so nurses and doctors had done their hourly check ins on the Genin.
The doctors had pointed out that they were each recovering, Aoi and Kisuke had taken the most of the beating so they needed more time to recover. The medical ninjas in the hospital would check their body conditions in intervals to check the progress of their recovery.
Occasionally they would come back to use medical ninjutsu to speed up the recovery process.
Jinichi on the other hand despite having some physical injuries was taking a long time to wake up. The situation had left the doctors and nurses confused, what was even weirder was that his injuries had already healed by this time, the boy had just not woken up yet.
....
A faint green light shimmered, painting the room in a bright green glow.
The source; the medical ninja, Saori.
She was currently attending to Kisuke after she had finished attending to Aoi and Jinichi. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as she continued healing Kisuke. A few moments later the green light died down returning the room back to its bland colours once more
"And I'm done. Aoi and Kisuke are progressing steadily they should wake up in a day or two. " Saori said wiping the sweat of her forehead before facing me.
"Saori, once again I'm grateful." I bowed slightly, my voice steady and sincere.
"Theres no need for that Shohei, I'm just doing my job." Saori waved, gesturing me to stop. Her expression then turned slightly serious.
"That said, it's good that you brought them to the hospital the time that you did, if you had come a bit later….well it's good that you did. The kids are lucky to have you."
"….Thanks." I muttered.
' Sigh..'
....
The very next morning, the heavy silence of the room was finally broken by a sharp, sudden gasp for air. Kisuke bolted upright in his bed, his eyes wide with terror as his hands frantically gripped the white sheets. I immediately rushed to his side, placing a firm, grounding hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Easy, Kisuke, you are safe now." I reassured him. He blinked rapidly, his erratic breathing slowly stabilizing as he processed my words and his surroundings.
"Sensei... where are we? what happened to the others?" Kisuke rasped, his voice incredibly dry and hoarse from days of total inactivity. I poured a small cup of water from the bedside pitcher, gently guiding the rim to his chapped lips so he could drink.
"We are currently in a medical facility located within the Land of Iron, I believed it would be best for you guys to get the necessary medical attention on short notice. And as for the others,
They are both resting right beside you, completely safe and steadily recovering from their injuries." I explained softly. He turned his head slowly, his tense body visibly sagging with relief as he spotted Aoi and Jinichi sleeping peacefully in their beds.
The remainder of the day passed smoothly, with Kisuke remaining awake long enough to eat a small meal and undergo another medical evaluation. He eventually drifted back into a deep sleep, allowing his battered body to continue healing in peace.
The tranquil atmosphere, however, was violently shattered exactly twenty-four hours later when Aoi finally decided to rejoin the waking world. Her awakening was not gradual or peaceful in the slightest; it was an explosive, terrifying eruption of pure, unadulterated combat panic.
Aoi suddenly screamed at the absolute top of her lungs, her eyes completely blind to the sterile reality of the hospital ward.
"JINICHI!!!!!" she roared desperately, violently thrashing against the tangled bedsheets as if she were actively fighting off an invisible attacker.
I surged forward immediately, my chair scraping loudly against the polished tile floor as I moved quickly to intercept her flailing limbs.
"Aoi, calm down!" I said, slightly bewildered by her outburst.
She thrashed wildly against my grip, completely lost in her own world.
"They took him, Sensei, that masked monster took Jinichi while we were completely helpless on the ground!" she cried out in despair. Kisuke was violently jolted awake by the sudden commotion, rushing over to her bedside despite his own lingering, painful injuries.
"Aoi, stop fighting Sensei, just open your eyes and look directly to your left!" Kisuke pleaded, firmly grabbing her trembling hands to ground her. His voice seemed to finally pierce through the thick, suffocating veil of fear plaguing her mind.
She froze instantly in my arms, her erratic breathing hitching as her tear-filled eyes darted frantically toward the hospital bed on her left. The sight of Jinichi sleeping peacefully under the thick white sheets instantly drained all the fight from her battered, exhausted body.
A heavy, sob forcefully escaped her lips as she completely collapsed back onto the pillows in total, overwhelming relief.
"He's here, he's actually here with us." she whispered repeatedly, fresh tears rapidly streaming down her cheeks. Kisuke remained by her side, gently squeezing her hand as they both stared silently at their entirely unconscious teammate.
Once Aoi had calmed down, she wiped her eyes and turned her fierce, demanding gaze toward me with an unspoken question.
"What exactly happened after that masked monster knocked us out, Sensei?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Kisuke leaned forward as well, laser focused on what I was about to say.
'They both deserved the truth, especially after fighting so bravely to protect their comrade to the point of risking their lives.'
I pulled my wooden chair closer to their beds, letting out a long, heavy sigh before beginning my detailed explanation.
...........................….
"Then I escaped to the surface with your unconscious bodies in tow, right before the grotto could collapse on our heads." I concluded.
Kisuke let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair in disbelief.
"So Jinichi saved us by turning into a monster, and then nearly brought the cave down?" he summarized.
"That's the shorter version of it but yes." I nodded. We sat in a heavy silence as the revelation settled over the hospital room.
"What happens to us now, Sensei?" Aoi asked quietly, her eyes drifting to Jinichi.
"My immediate priority was your ensuring your lives were no longer in danger, which is why I rushed you guys here," I answered.
"However, I still needed to address Taro's imminent execution." I couldn't abandon our objective, even after the recent events that occurred.
"So, I created a shadow clone to handle the mission's diplomacy while I guarded you."
'Truthfully, I just didn't want to deal with that flamboyant spineless aide all over again, it would've been a pain'
"My clone intercepted the Aide, presenting the stolen blade just before Taro was executed." The relief on the accused man's face flashed back to my mind.
"The proof of his innocence was undeniable, clearing him of all charges." Taro was released, fulfilling the first half of our mission.
"However, our job isn't complete; the client must still be returned safely back home."
"We must physically escort Taro back to the Hidden Leaf Village," I stated.
"Given the unknown factions targeting our squad, the return journey will be dangerous." Aoi and Kisuke nodded, their faces hardening with determination.
"For now, your only mission is to rest and allow Saori to heal you," I ordered.
I stood up and walked to Jinichi's bed. The boy looked incredibly small beneath the blankets, a surprising contrast to the beast I had fought. His breathing was steady.
The medical staff remained baffled by his comatose state, given his injuries had already healed.
The suppression seal over his heart was still faintly visible. It was a complex formula I designed to restrict foreign chakra through the individual's pathways. However, I doubted ink and chakra could permanently contain power of that magnitude.
He would have to learn to actively suppress it himself, or risk endangering everyone around him. The heavy burden of teaching him that control would inevitably fall upon my shoulders.
'Just what kind of lineage are you hiding Jinichi?'
My mind flashed back to the unnatural form the boy had taken back in the grotto.
The memory always came back to me in bits, purple eyes, golden armour and claws, devilish horns and a vile chakra that seemed to weigh down on the world. The beast like state that was similar to that of a rampaging jinchuriki.
'An unrecorded Tailed beast? No… somehow this feels different.
It was more primal, carrying an ancient, bitter hatred.
One thing is clear the boy holds a power within him that even I have never seen. Just who are you Jinichi?'
I pulled the blanket up closer to his chin.
"Take all the time you need to find your way back to us, Jinichi," I whispered.
Aoi and Kisuke watched me, their eyes filled with worry. They had willingly risked their lives to protect him, proving their bond was stronger than fear.
The sun disappeared, casting long shadows across the floor as night fell. The hum of the ventilation provided calming background noise to the silent ward. I returned to my wooden chair, crossing my arms as I settled in for another sleepless night. My mind replayed the image of Jinichi tearing through the assassins.
'I needed to report this unprecedented incident to the Hokage the second we crossed back into Konoha. I believe Lord third will have an answer to this.'
Until then, I had to ensure not a single word of his transformation leaked out. If other hidden villages caught wind of a Genin possessing such power, they would immediately send elite hunters. The Land of Iron was neutral territory, but that didn't guarantee safety for exhausted shinobi. With a single hand sign my chakra flared, my shadow morphed before taking the form of a chameleon the size of the hospital bed.
"Kiseki,be on guard." I whispered. The chameleon simply nodded the disappeared from sight.
'Kiseki will act as my sensor, keeping watch for any prying eyes and unusual activity.'
The quiet hours dragged on, marked only by periodic visits from the nighttime medical staff. Saori checked on Jinichi before her shift ended, shaking her head in baffled frustration.
I thanked her for her hard work, escorting her out before locking the door. We were entirely alone once more, isolated within the safe confines of the facility as the night deepened.
Kisuke's soft snores soon filled the room, a peaceful contrast to Aoi's restless shifting beneath her sheets. She was still struggling to process what had happened. It was a heavy burden for a young kunoichi.
"Try to get some sleep, Aoi; staring at him all night won't make him wake up faster," I advised softly. She nodded reluctantly, closing her eyes and trying to find some semblance of peace in the quiet room.