Chapter 40 -> Part 40

"You smell like Minato." Was Kushina's response.

"I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing."

Kushina pulled me over to take a seat on the mattress, which seemed to be the only semi-comfortable spot to sit in the entire warehouse-style room. "Can I ask you a question?" She plopped down across from me.

"You can ask me anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"And you'll answer?"

"I'll answer as honestly as I can."

"Can I tell you anything?"

"Anything you want."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

She grabbed my hand and slapped it onto her forehead. "Make sure."

I sighed and performed a basic diagnostic jutsu. "You haven't been eating enough vegetables and you're a little banged up from a fight of some kind I assume you had this morning, but otherwise, you're perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely sure nothing inside of me is broken?"

"Do you think something's wrong?"

"I don't know! Can't you just use your magic fingers to make sure?"

"It's not magic, Kushina."

"Well, then is there a way for you to be absolutely sure?"

"Nothing is one hundred percent, Kushina, but there is a jutsu—no, there's no reason to."

"Do it."

"No."

"Nii-san, please!" She begged.

"No, there's no need."

"Please?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"Because there's no reason to."

"I'm asking you! Isn't that reason enough?"

"My answer is still no."

She opened her mouth to argue but I interrupted her before she could say anything.

"And no other medic will even consider it without a damn good reason."

"Why?"

"When I left Konoha, only a handful of medics were able to safely perform the technique. Hell, if it wasn't for the combination of Sakumo's training and the Kyuubi, I wouldn't be able to handle the chakra cost in the first place."

"Please!"

"Tell me why and I'll consider it."

She pulled her knees up to her chest. "You're going to think I'm silly."

"You're being silly right now trying to dodge the subject."

"Please, Nii-san?"

"Kushina, I just woke up to find I've been gone for a year and a half. For the year before that, I barely saw you. I can't read you like I used to and I don't have any context to make a guess on whatever the hell you want to know or share. This dodging-the-subject-until-Kichiro-figures-it-out thing is not going to work because I'm not going to be able to figure it out. I don't have the patience to play this game with you."

Kushina scrubbed at her eyes and I inexplicably felt horribly guilty.

"Why don't you start from the beginning? What made you feel the need to barge in while I was showering?"

"Your hair is sticking up in the back."

"Kushina." I ran my fingers through my hair to smooth the cowlick. After a minute, I mimicked her position and tapped her hand to get her attention. "Hey, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"It's silly."

"Maybe, but it's important to you."

"You're going to think I'm silly."

"I promise I'll take you seriously, okay?"

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

It took a few false starts and indecipherable stammering, but she eventually managed to form a coherent sentence. "Jiraiya-sensei said I should train with other girls sometimes, but everyone my age is still a Genin and they all hate me." She fidgeted with her toes. "I don't know why and every time I try and talk to them, they're all mean."

Well, it wasn't hard to see why. She was more talented and driven than most of the other kunoichi, wartime or not. She also had the attention of the up-and-coming star of Konoha, at least, I assumed Minato was on a direct path to the Hokage's seat. Kushina also had one of the Sannin as her mentor and a famous medic for a brother. In the eyes of her peers, she was propped up on a pedestal and they hated her for having luck they did not.

"I thought it was just because they were intimidated because I outrank them so I went to talk to Mikoto-sempai, she's a Chuunin too and people from the Academy still like her!" She shook her head. "But Mikoto-sempai was just mean. She said I was a 'sick little know-it-all brat' and she said I wasn't a 'real woman' and I was just a 'messed-up kid playing dress-up'. Then, the hospital wouldn't let me access my medical records. No one would believe me when I said I was sick and didn't know how or what I was sick with."

"Tell me, do you know the last mission Mikoto-san was sent on?"

"Village guard duty."

"What about you?"

"I'm suspended."

"What mission before you were suspended?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Combat rotation in River."

"How long has she been a shinobi?"

"A year longer than us."

"Of the two of you, who has more missions, experience, and skill?"

Kushina shifted uncomfortably. "My stats are higher than hers, but I always work tag-team with Minato, so they're kind-of skewed."

"She's just jealous, Kushina."

"Is she?"

"Most likely. Tell me, who's her best friend?"

"She's and Uchiha, they don't have friends," Kushina sneered haughtily.

"And your best friend is Minato. Imagine if you were in her position and had to act like a perfect member of your clan, always upstanding and just better than everyone else, then a pair of nobodies, who always seem to think the world is sunshine and flowers, surpass you with what seems to be minimal effort, score the best sensei the village, and never get told off for acting out."

"Fusō sure ripped us a new one for that prank on the Academy."

"Yes, but it's already forgotten. A stunt like yours, whatever it was, would have gotten Mikoto-san shunned from her family and clan for what could possibly have been years."

"But we both want to be super strong kunoichi and we can be even better if we're friends and can work together. She's really good with Genjutsu and I'm really good with Taijutsu. We could totally get twice as good if we trained together and shared the Ninjutsu that we know because we're both really good at Ninjutsu too!"

"As a female of the Uchiha clan, it will be a long time before Mikoto-san sees true combat, if she ever does."

"That's a good thing! I don't want anyone else to have to fight on the front lines, that's why Minato and I take the assignments, even though Jiraiya-sensei doesn't like it, because the other kids shouldn't have to, including Mikoto-sempai."

"To most other people, it makes you seem like a patronizing glory hog."

"I don't mean it like that!"

"No, but it comes off like that, intentional or not. There's nothing wrong with you. As for why your records are sealed, you need clearance to see any medical files, even your own."

"Why?"

"Because the medical records of a shinobi are an extremely powerful tool that can be used against them. Very few medics are capable of healing an injury as if it never happened, and that can be a liability in many situations."

"But I haven't—"

"Your files were classified the moment you made Genin. Injured or not, its protocol. Only medics and team leaders have access."

"Still—why did she say I wasn't a real woman?"

I felt myself going red at the awkward topic. "If she meant what I think she meant, this is not a conversation you should be having with me. In fact, Fusō would probably be a better person to ask."

"Why? You're just as smart as her."

"It's not a question of intelligence."

Kushina didn't understand as I started to shift awkwardly. "You said you would answer my questions!" She accused. My face burned. "Why are you all red?"

"I'll answer it if you really want me to, but I think Fusō should be the one to answer your questions—it's not my place."

"Why?"

"Um, that's also why you should talk to her."

"But you know the answer."

"Um, if she meant what I think she meant, yes."

"Then why won't you answer?"

"Because if I answer, you're going to slap me."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

"Fusō is giving Nagato a Fūinjutsu lesson right now."

"She'll answer your question anyway."

"I don't want to talk to Fusō, I want to talk to you! What do you think Mikoto-sempai meant? She kept saying I was sick but you said I'm not so what's going on?"

I had no idea how to respond to that and shifted uncomfortably.

"He's right," Ise said without warning, leaning against the rail of the staircase. Kushina whipped around, startled, flinging two kunai towards him without even looking. I barely managed to grab one of the kunai scattered across the floor and throw it fast enough to intercept Kushina's. Thank goodness that she threw the kunai so they were less than an inch apart, otherwise Ise would have gotten hit by at least one of them. My heart pounded as one of the kunai barely nicked Ise's neck and all three hit the wall behind him with a dull thud. Ise didn't even see the kunai, he only flinched at the scratch and turned to see the kunai in the wall at awkward angles.

The second I was sure Kushina actually recognized him and wasn't responding as if he was a threat, I fell backwards on the mattress with a groan.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, leaping up to dash over to Ise and hugging him tightly.

"It's fine, Kushina-chan, no harm done. I should have known better than to announce myself like that."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

"It's fine, Kushina-chan," he assured her, patting her head. "Kichiro, you look like hell, again."

"Well, I feel like hell. Who needs me now?"

"No one. Your medical history was destroyed last night. I'm assuming that means you're headed into ANBU, correct?"

I scowled.

"Tonight or tomorrow?"

"Wait a minute! ANBU?" Kushina shrieked, albeit quiet enough not to let her voice accidentally carry out of the room. "As in black ops?"

My scowl deepened.

"It's supposed to be an honor to be chosen. ANBU isn't something you can apply for."

"I leave tomorrow."

At that, Ise started to scowl. "Is there any way to delay that?"

"Not that I know of."

He sighed. "What do you want for dinner then?"

"Ramen!" Kushina piped up immediately.

"We've had ramen three times in the past week, you've had it eight. No."

"Eleven," Kushina answered absently, her gaze intensely focused on me.

"It doesn't matter to me, I just need food," I answered, smirking at Kushina until she realized what she just said.

"How the hell could you possibly know I had ramen without you?" She exclaimed. "I was being sneaky and everything!"

"That is for me to know and you to figure out," Ise responded.

"You're a civilian! That's not fair!"

"You fight faster than he can see, I think it's perfectly fair," I inserted.

Kushina let go of Ise and raced across the room to belly flop across me. I groaned and poked at her side. She used to be ticklish, but apparently not anymore.

"You shouldn't have to go," Kushina murmured into my shoulder.

"I don't want to."

Suddenly, I could feel her thinking.

"And I don't want any part in—"

"Minato! I got it, I got it!" She screeched in ecstasy and pushed herself off me. I winced as her elbow went into my gut before she dashed out of the room.

"Don't try anything before someone checks your work, brats!" Ise bellowed after her.

"What are they trying to figure out?" I asked, curious.

"The Nidaime's Hiraishin."

If I had anything in my mouth, it would have been spat out at that. I sat up instead.

"Okay, um, who exactly put them up to that?"

"I have no idea, I don't even have clearance to see the formula they're working with."

Ise walk across the room to sit down in the spot Kushina had just vacated.

"So, ANBU," he began awkwardly. "Medic?"

"Yes."

"Are you staying in Konoha or travelling with teams?"

"Sakumo said I would be staying here."

"You know, ANBU is probably for the best. A few weeks ago, you were updated from a C-rank shinobi to an A-rank in most Bingo books. In Iwa's you're listed as an S-rank threat. From what I hear, that puts you in a class of heavy-hitters you're not ready for."

"I'd rather just work a boring job at the hospital."

"Yeah, kiddo, I know. You're safe though. ANBU headquarters has to be the safest place in the village, except, perhaps, the Hokage tower."

"I hate this."

"I know, kiddo. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No."

"Alright, how about you come and get something with me? There's a new ramen bar opening today and I only told Kushina no to ramen."

"Is the entire family obsessed with the stuff?"

"Minato started it," Ise petulantly said. "But otherwise, yes. Aren't you? You've still technically lived with the two of them for longer."

"I prefer spaghetti."

"That sounds disgusting."

"It's not as good as pizza, but it's a good enough substitute."

"I've never heard of any of those."

"I'll figure out how to make pizza eventually and then I'll make a killing selling it."

Ise snorted. "You mean to say this pizza thing is something you made up?"

"No, I'm not taking credit from the person who invented pizza, whoever they were."

"Okay, so what is this thing?"

"What? How does no one know the joy that is pizza?"

"Enlighten me."

"Fine! It's round and normally it's about this size," I held my hands out to demonstrate. "The bottom part is bread and then on top of the bread is tomato sauce and then on top of that is mozzarella cheese, and then on top of that is pretty much anything you want. I like all kinds of meat on it like bacon, sausage, ham, and pineapple."

"I only understood about half of that."

"You are deprived."

"I think you mean 'depraved'."

"No, just deprived for never knowing the joys of a good pizza."

"If you say so."

"Now you're just teasing."

"I've been teasing you."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You are surprisingly immature."

"I have to cope somehow. At least it's somewhat healthy."

Ise grimaced.