The sun was shining bright upon Fuyuko’s carefree sleeping face. So bright that it awoke her from her rather deep slumber. As she was getting out of her bed she felt some leftover exhaustion in her legs from yesterday’s mission. The feelings in her legs made her flashback to her younger self. Times where she would often have this feeling from playing too much in the forests. How her mother would take care of her needs while she had troubles moving around the house and do it herself. So instead of doing another mission today, Fuyuko decided it was time to help out others. Specifically people that were in no shape to help themselves for whatever reason that may be. Because they fell down the stairs or got injured doing a mission, she just wanted to help.

Since she wasn’t going out for a mission today, Fuyuko got out her comfortable clothes. A tight fitting pair of jean short shorts, a black t-shirt with a lightning bolt on it, a pair of worn-out sneakers and a braided leather bracelet on her left wrist. Getting her hair in a lose ponytail whilst having it rest over her shoulder. Once finished preparing her appearance she grabbed a slice of toast and headed over to the hospital. On her way there she came across a nice pair of wild flowers and decided it might be nice to bring them along and give them to someone.

Upon arrival at the hospital she noticed that the nurses were rather busy. By just looking for a few seconds she had already counted 6 individual nurses run through her field of view. This however made Fuyuko feel better, she was sure she would be able to be of assistance to the hospital. She walked up to the front desk “Hello, I was wondering if I could help out in the hospital.” she said with a smile to the nurse behind the desk. “Do you have any medical background?” the nurse replied without even looking at Fuyuko for a single moment. There was a slight pause, Fuyuko became anxious from the reply and lack of attention the nurse gave her.  “I have no medical experience ma’am, but I’m willing to help in any other way possible.” she said with a clear voice. “Well then I’m afraid….” was enough for Fuyuko to have her mood killed for the day and block out the rest of the sentence.

As Fuyuko was about to look up to give a reply to the nurse, she started to speak more. “There might actually be something you can do for us. Up on the second floor, if you go to the left after going up the stairs, the third door on the right. There is a young kunoichi, she’s a handful and as you may have noticed we got our hands full. If you could be so kind to help the girl with her requests that would be most helpful.” the nurse said. With no hesitation, and with her mood restored, Fuyuko replied “I’ll get right to it” with a big smile upon her face. She raced up the stairs and to the room and as she knocked she said “I’m coming in.”. Whilst moving into the room she continued talking “I’m here today to help out the staff and relieve them of some of their pressure, so if you got any requests, I’ll try my best to fulfill them!”. Fuyuko walked further into the room and got past the curtains that were covering the bed “Hi! I’m Miki Fuyuko, feel free to call me Fuyuko” she said with some excitement in her voice.


624 wc

Nozomi had been couped up in the hospital for a while now, long enough that she had an excess of energy pent up. Really the only joy she got from being here was being a nuisance to the staff, and so she'd generally been left alone after she had been patched up. She wasn't allowed to walk on her own or do really anything by herself, and hadn't really seen anyone since she woke up there beyond being told what she was and wasn't allowed to do by the doctors. It was really lonely, but she was used to being alone anyhow.

Still, she wasn't really capable of doing all that much on her own, so she'd had to get inventive. Most of the time she was alone, she was just practicing moving her chakra petals around her little portion of the room, or thinking up some new ways to use her chakra and make jutsu. But of course, her perceptive abilities were still off the charts, and at the level of a high end Jounin, so she always knew when someone was coming to her room before they got there. It was proving to be just such a time, and a small smile formed on her face.

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Nozomi winced slightly as her whole body seemed to protest the movement. Making a quick handsign, Nozomi made a water clone and a copy of her appeared next to the bed. Her clones were still fairly strong, even through she was crippled, and it rolled under the bed to hide from the newcomer before they arrived. By the time that Fuyuko pulled back the curtain, Nozomi looked to be all alone.

"Oh, hi." she said sweetly to the girl. "So they were getting too tired of dealing with me then?" she asked, laughing lightly, but keeping it soft. Her body was still hurting. "Well, I'm Nozomi, it's a pleasure to mess with you." she said, and her clone rolled out from under the bed and lunged at Fuyuko, stopping right in front of her and turning into water as Nozomi released the clone jutsu. She giggled slightly, as her entire goal had been to make whoever came in get drenched.

If it actually worked correctly, she'd point to where a towel was near her bed, and beckon the girl over to use it to dry off. If it hadn't, she would just laugh a little more before going quiet. Either way, she would apologize soon after. "Sorry, I just get bored up here. I rarely ever go a day without training or doing missions or fighting. I don't particularly have a lot of friends who would come up and talk to me, and I don't really get visitors either. I have to entertain myself however I can."

Fuyuko had said that she'd been sent up here to relieve some of the staff's pressure and to help out, so Nozomi thought about what the girl could reasonably do. Her wounds were only going to be healed with time, and the medical staff didn't have anyone around who was advanced enough to accelerate her healing without causing some issues that might persist. If she wanted to heal back to full power, she would have to let time take its course. "Well, there's really only two things you can do for me that I can think of. Three, maybe. But.... no. Two. I could use some company. And if you are so inclined, you might be able to help me think of new ways to mess with some of the staff?" a mischievous look crossed her eyes.

Taking the time that Fuyuko would have to respond, Nozomi looked over the girl, and got a measure of her. The girl was a deal larger than she was, by about half a foot. Her body looked about the same proportionally, and she was actually really pretty. Of course, her clothes were more on the normal side, as opposed to Nozomi, who was heavily bandaged across her whole body and wore a hospital gown over that. She'd actually recently gotten her long hair cut down to a little above shoulder length, as it was giving the nurses trouble to clean up when they washed her hair. It was annoying, but framed her face a little more. Fuyuko was about her age, a little younger than her maybe by a couple years, but they weren't too far apart.

WC: 751
TWC: 751

Fuyuko was greeted with a gentle reply which almost felt heartwarming. The girl in the bed stated that the staff got tired of her which made her wonder what kind of trouble she herself was going to get into. She took a better look at Nozomi whilst she was talking. It shocked her how badly injured she looked. She was about covered in bandages from top to bottom, it seriously made Fuyuko wonder how something like this could’ve happened. There was however no way she could ask though, it would feel like intruding on someone’s privacy.

Captivated by the sight of Nozomi, Fuyuko was oblivious to what else happened in the room and got startled when another Nozomi appeared and disappeared in front of her. The feeling of unexpected cold water over her made her let out a short but loud squeal. That sound was followed by some soft giggling from Nozomi whom was still kind enough to point her to the towel. “Thank you.” Fuyuko mumbled as she walked over to grab it and dry herself as much as possible. Her clothes however would need to dry by themselves.

However Fuyuko couldn’t help but feel sorry for Nozomi, she sounded like a busy bee only to be constricted to this bed. “I will do whatever she asks!" she thought really willing to improve Nozomi’s stay. Only to have that determination shattered moments later when Nozomi told her that she wants to pull more pranks on the staff. "Well I’ll gladly be your company for the day, and longer if you’d like and if I have time!” she said with a smile. After that however her face turns, giving a stern look “It’s not good to misbehave against the people that are treating you.” she said still with a soft voice. “But I could help you pranking people that aren’t in the hospital.” she said going back to her more happy go lucky mood.

After grabbing a chair and setting it next to the bed of Nozomi, Fuyuko went ahead and sat down. “Well let’s see… I don’t really want to intrude, it’s not polite and such, but how did you get injured to such an extend?” she said with a voice that only grew softer the further she got into the sentence. “Aaahh nevermind that!!” she said while glancing over to Nozomi to see her facial expressions. “Should I see if I can get a wheelchair? Maybe we could go for a stroll? Or…. Or…. Just take one if they don’t let us!” Fuyuko exclaimed as her face turned red upon the idea of going against her superior, but they did tell her to take care of Nozomi’s requests. “If… if you’d request that there was no way I could deny it, since I was told to listen to your requests…” she said shyly with her face becoming more and more red at the thought of being mischievous.

503 wc
1127 twc

Nozomi shook her head. "Ah, no, no need to bother them with the wheelchair thing. As long as I'm chaperoned, I'm allowed wherever. I just can't be left alone outside of this room or move myself for any measure of time without assistance. We can borrow one as long as I'm returned for my medical check up tonight. And if anything were to go wrong, returned on time, but a stroll won't be any sort of issue. And I think I'd appreciate that a lot. I wouldn't even need to prank anyone, I just need a change of scenery." she said, dropping her act a bit. She was playful of course, but the Hunter-nin captain wasn't a prankster at heart, she was just releasing pent up energy.

Laughing at her reactions, Nozomi shook her head in disbelief. "Oh gosh, you'll do anything I request? That's a dangerous mindset cutie. Rest assured I won't abuse that at all. As for my injuries, that's something I don't really mind talking about, but that can wait until we go on our stroll. I need some fresh air." She would wait until the wheelchair was brought forth and she was comfortably moved into it before she'd actually start her story about the wounds.

"So, as I'm sure you've gathered, I'm a high ranking kunoichi of Kirigakure, even though my age would suggest otherwise. I'm a Jounin, so routine fights with other strong shinobi happen all too often." she began, letting Fuyuko push her and focus on her story. She didn't care where they were going all that much, and in honesty just wanted to zone out into a conversation, so this was a good way to do so. Of course, she wouldn't reveal who her opponent was, or that she was a Hunter-nin Captain, but that's purely because it was secret information for the time being. She didn't really mind anyone knowing, there weren't all that many people who could use that information to their advantage. She didn't have family, she didn't have friends who could be used as leverage, mainly due to their strength, and she didn't have really any attachments to anything.

"Of course, most of the time, my fights end with me coming out on top with nigh any injuries myself, this is really the first time I've been majorly injured since I was in the Chuunin exams. I mean, of memorable fighters, I fought Maigo when we were Special Jounin, I fought an Iwa-nin named Suutei around the same time, I fought a couple Jounin in Kumo, and none of them really even landed so much as a hit on me. So it's been a while since I've really been challenged, and I was searching for that fight that could give me trouble, and boy did I find it." At this point, she'd settled back in the wheelchair rather comfortably.

"So, there I was, finding the strongest person I could to fight, and I chose to fight him single handedly. I mean, he outclasses almost everyone, so I figured, I should be able to have a challenge. I actually managed to give him a good run, and I managed to tag him multiple times in the fight before I took my first hit, but that hit almost removed my arm." She gestured to the arm that had almost been cut clean through at the shoulder. "I was a little slower than I should have been to pull off the victory, actually. I was so close, but in the end he just had that edge up on me. The next hit to land..." she gestured to herself in example once again.

"The doctors say I was lucky to be alive. Beyond that, my recovery is going to be a really lengthy one, as they've already done as much as they can for me. But he had shattered most of the bones in my torso, had massive trauma to my organs, and almost every other bone in my body was fractured if not broken. If I don't take it easy, I may never be able to return to high end combat again, and I wouldn't want that, so of course I have to comply, but I get so pent up being stuck inside all day without doing anything that I find it amusing to play pranks. They're mostly harmless pranks, but I guess I've been getting on their nerves a lot too. Thing is, it isn't just me playing pranks, I'm using it as a form of training. Keeping myself at a peak, ready for any situation. Of course, I can't really move, but if you'd been an enemy, my clone would have been more deadly. It's a way for me to figure out how I can fight if I can't move."

WC: 807
TWC: 1558

Embarrassment. That’s what surged through Fuyuko’s body as she listened to the answer she got to her suggestion. She wanted to break out of her shell a bit. Ever since coming to the city she felt a little out of place. The way she treated people in comparison to the general populace just felt two worlds apart to her. While she would go out of her way to help others, most people she has seen don’t bat an eye, because of this she feels like she has trouble fitting in. “Maybe it was a mistake coming here” she wondered. Quickly suppressing the thought she continued listening to Nozomi. “W-Well of course I won’t do everything, it’s just a figure of speech. I wouldn’t do anything that wouldn’t be morally okay. Nor would I do it if I got the impression that I’d be treated badly. But I just had a gut feeling that you’re not the type to abuse someone. Anyway, I’ll be right back.”

While getting the wheelchair she wondered where to go for the stroll. Her clothes still sticking to her body from being soaked earlier made her think getting a change of clothes would be nice. Surely Nozomi wouldn’t mind, she just wants to get out of the hospital. After carefully getting Nozomi into the chair the two of them left the hospital and their stroll began. Having barely left the hospital Nozomi’s story began. About halfway into the story the fighting was explained and Fuyuko had somewhat problems with registering what she was told. It made her feel unsure if she was ready for the task. She hadn’t put much thought, or any for that matter, into the possibility of her dying. While right in front of her was a girl, that talked like it was the most normal thing in the world. Well at least it sounded like that to her.

The story ended, but it left Fuyuko with a few questions for both herself and Nozomi. At least it seemed like she could get some answers to her questions, but the questions she had for herself would require a lot more thinking. “Aren’t you…” she hesitated. “Aren’t you afraid of dying? Why do you seek out a fight with someone that’s stronger than everyone?” she said. Maybe these questions could give herself some answers as well. After all she set out on a journey to help out all the people that are potentially mistreated. For that she would potentially need to put her own life on the line. That fact however didn’t become so blatantly clear up until this point. “Are you trying to protect someone? Or what is the reason you fight for?”

She waited to see if there would be a reply. If it stayed silent she would continue telling about how Nozomi’s story stirred the feelings inside her. If Nozomi did reply, Fuyuko would give 110% of her attention to the answer, to see if she could use the information to help sort herself out. In either case before she’d give her own reply she’d stop underneath a tree. Look up into the sky and gaze at the gray clouds that were coming for the village. “I’m… I’m unsure how I’m supposed to be feeling right now. Your story has stirred emotions inside of me. You see I’m a ninja myself. And probably like everyone else, got my own reason to become one. But what you said, about almost dying, isn’t something I’ve put any thought into at all… Which is kind of weird since I have almost died once before, or at least in that moment it felt like it.” You could easily tell from Fuyuko’s voice that she was somewhat scared.

“You see, when I was younger, about 5 years ago, I bumped into a man. The man was drunk and he attacked me, but I blocked the first attack with my arm.” She said while showing the roughly 6 inch scar on her left forearm. The pace at which she was pushing the wheelchair had also slightly increased as she recalled her memories. “I closed my eyes as he attacked me once more, but nothing happened. I opened my eyes and there was a man that rescued me. He treated my wound, but shortly after that he got attacked by ninja’s from the village. It turned out  later that he was a ‘dangerous’ man. But to me, he’ll always be a hero. It made me feel like everyone deserved a second chance, no matter what crimes they may have committed. Because everyone is still capable of doing good, right?” She finished her sentence with a lot of insecurity in it. She was afraid she would get judged for her reason to become a ninja, because it seemed to be so different from the norm.

Without realizing it they had arrived at Fuyuko’s home. “Welcome to my home.” She opened the door and pushed Nozomi in as the rain drops had just started to fall out of the sky. She pulled a chair away from the dinner table and put the wheelchair there instead. “I’ll be right back, one sec.” Fuyuko dashed to her room to get quickly changed, not wanting to think about what to wear she decided to go with her mission outfit. A tight fitting long sleeved black shirt with matching pants. “Do you want to eat or drink something?” she said as she walked back into the kitchen.


945 wc
2072 twc

It was a strange question to Nozomi, not in that the question itself was unusual, but she wasn't really quite sure how to respond to it. If there was an answer to it, it wasn't something that she'd really thought of. Some times she did actually have someone she was fighting to protect, and that was always worth it regardless of the consequences. In fact, fighting Enaka would have been to help protect everyone in Kirigakure as well, but that hadn't been her purpose for going there ahead of everyone. No, there was something else to it, something more. After a moment, she responded, sounding a little unsure of herself. "Afraid of dying? Ah, not really, up until now it hasn't really come up I guess. Well.... aside from once, but I was more worried about other things than that I had almost died."

She blushed slightly at that point, slightly embarrassed as she thought about the situation. Kaekio had almost killed her in the Chuunin Exams, and all she could think about as she recovered was how much she had ticked the girl off. Rationally thinking, she should have probably been more concerned about her state of being rather than if she was still involved with Kaekio. At this point, she wasn't even sure she could still date Kaekio, considering she had been labeled an enemy of Kirigakure, and her as a Hunter-nin Captain would be at a conflict of interest should she continue to date her. Not only that, but also just as a Jounin. She wasn't welcome, so how could they be together at all? Returning to her answer though, Nozomi shrugged it off.

"I guess, I really just fight for the sake of fighting. It gives me a bit of a thrill... I only really ever had one person to protect. And that's not possible anymore really. Given certain circumstances. And Sero doesn't need protecting. And the Mizukage has the main ANBU branch to protect her. As well as of course, all the shinobi employed by Kirigakure, of which there are many. I don't even know, to be honest. I like to push myself. I haven't always been a prodigal fighter. I worked for where I was and kept pushing myself past the next target, never letting anyone stay ahead of me for long." That was about as much of an answer as she could really give the girl. Well, maybe she'd have further to say on it later, but she didn't really have a lot of time to think up a proper response right now.

As they stopped under the tree, Nozomi took the time to listen to Fuyuko and actually examine her a little further. It was nice that she was out and about, and didn't need to worry about where she was going or what she was doing. Even the usual distraction of walking was gone for her, as Fuyuko was her navigator. It freed up a lot of Nozomi's head space, allowing her to take everything in. Her own short story began, and Nozomi listened attentively, letting the girl speak freely. She was actually pleasantly surprised when she revealed she was a ninja herself, although judging by her reactions and such from earlier, she was still rather new at it, not having experience forged into her yet. It would come with time though, like everything else.

She continued on about how she got her scar on her arm, and had been saved by a mysterious person, who had later been attacked by village ninja. Someone considered a danger, and yet had cared to her wounds. Of course, things weren't all black and white in this world of shinobi. Nozomi knew that much herself. Kaekio would probably fit under the category of a dangerous person, to be killed on sight if able, but Nozomi knew that she was a good person regardless what the Bingo books said. "Sometimes to most dangerous people are also the most heroic. He tended to your wounds when you were helpless, and that shows to his overall character. He did some good, and that's commendable. Unfortunately, there are times when character doesn't matter. Sometimes things are out of our hands."

Nozomi's response was soft. As they approached a house, Nozomi was surprised when Fuyuko welcomed her to her home. That was something she really hadn't expected, and a layer of blush became visible on her face. Luckily they'd just missed the rain, but that meant that they would have to wait it out here until it let up enough for her to go back to the hospital as well. Bandages were a bitch to replace, and water wasn't good for them. Fuyuko changed quickly, and asked Nozomi if she wanted anything, to which Nozomi's blush intensified slightly as her mind wandered and she stared at Fuyuko. The girl was quite pretty after all. "Oh, uh.... I mean...." she stammered. "Yeah sure, I'm not picky!" she squeaked out.

WC: 834
TWC: 2392

Something felt off, Nozomi didn’t seem herself from the moment they entered the house. “Are you feeling alright?” she asked as she got to the other side of the table. “Oh my, your face is kind of glowing red; are you getting a fever?” she said with noticeable concern in her face as she got closer. “Here let me measure your temperature” as she put her own forehead against that of Nozomi’s. “It doesn’t feel warm” she thought. After a second or three though she realized she was kind of deeply staring into the eyes of Nozomi and quickly backed off. As she felt her own face starting to light up a bit she said “Well in any case it doesn’t seem like you have a fever”. Fuyuko disappeared into the kitchen to prepare a meal for the both of them.

Once she disappeared out of Nozomi’s sight she stood still against the wall with her hand on her chest. It was beating fast, like she had just finished a workout. On top of that there was a weird feeling coursing through her body, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. After waiting for a bit to let her heartbeat go down she continued on her way to the kitchen. She checked the fridge and the few cupboards she had to see all the possible meals she could prepare, but it seems like she forgot that today was the day to do groceries as well. So instead she heated up some leftover goulash soup. After a few minutes the soup had warmed up, she grabbed two soup bowls and filled them up.

“I know you said you’re not picky, but I hope you like goulash soup. If you do, I hope you like it since tit’s leftovers. Forgot to do groceries she said laughing a bit.” She put the bowl down in front of Nozomi, walked to the other side of the table and sat herself down. She reached for her spoon to grab a bite, but her hand didn’t seem to be able to reach it. Looking down at the bowl she realized she had forgotten to grab a pair of spoons as well. She jumped up and raced towards the kitchen and back with the spoons this time. “Hehe that’s weird, this usually doesn’t really happen.” she said. She could feel her heartbeat rising up a bit again, but tried her best to keep it down.

Instead of giving in to her emotions, she quickly stuffed a big spoon of the soup in her mouth. She glanced over to the other side to see how Nozomi was doing. If Nozomi was struggling to eat the soup, which wouldn’t be all that surprising considering her condition, Fuyuko would offer to feed her. If Nozomi got by somehow she would ask in either case after her first bite how it was. But after the reply a silence would follow. Fuyuko had a hard time thinking of something to talk about, because every time she would look at Nozomi her heart would beat faster and if their eyes met a beat would be skipped. “Am I attracted to her?" she wondered. All though Nozomi was about half a foot shorter than her it didn’t take away from her beauty. She had stunning blonde hair which almost looked golden in the sunlight during the stroll. Her face looked silky smooth with a pair of cute freckles giving it an unique identity. To top it all off she had by far the most unique eyes Fuyuko has ever come across. They were just simply mesmerizing Fuyuko would be able to stare at them endlessly if it didn’t give her such a weird feeling inside.

The silence continued for a bit longer, until Fuyuko finally managed to muster up some courage to start the conversation again. “So are there any things you particularly like to do and why do you like to do those things? What’s your biggest obsession? What do you want to achieve in life? What makes you nervous? Or just tell something about yourself, like how you got to where you are now, your shinobi journey? Pick any question or questions you feel like answering.” Fuyuko had blurted out a whole bunch of questions with a sense of nervousness in it. Just to try and get Nozomi to fill the silence in house. The silence that felt more and more suffocating as time went on.

760 wc
2832 twc

As Fuyuko felt her forehead, Nozomi's blushing didn't go down, especially considering that the method she used got them a lot closer than Nozomi was expecting. Her eyes locked onto Fuyuko's and she felt like she couldn't move. Beyond that, she couldn't really say anything until the point that Fuyuko broke contact. These feelings weren't new to Nozomi, but they had previously only been reserved for Kaekio, so there was a bit of confusion as to why she was feeling this way. Passing it off as lust for the moment, Nozomi just looked down and tried to gain a hold on her thoughts.

By the time that Fuyuko returned with the food she'd made, Nozomi had regained her composure, and was sitting pretty calmly. A small smile formed on her face when she realized that she had forgotten to bring any spoons for the soup. "I don't think I've had goulash before. Most of what I've been eating lately has been ramen or something like that, because it's pretty fast." she said, and started to eat a little slowly after a spoon was in front of her. She wanted to be able to feed herself, it was one of those few things she could do on her own, and that little freedom was a gift she didn't want to give up.

After the flurry of questions, Nozomi sighed. "Quite a lot of questions in a row. Let's see, where to start?" she rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Ah, let's see... for things I like to do, it's not really anything special. I just fight and train and spar and travel. I just really enjoy the physical exertion as well as knowing that I outfight someone with skill alone. My biggest obsession? I don't know. Probably fighting, again. I'm fairly straightforward about that. Achievements? Become recognized as one of the best fighters in the world, it would be a bit of a lovely experience. I'm already a high class Jounin, so who knows? Maybe I'm up there in contention. Not a lot really makes me nervous, mainly just a few girls I've met." The last bit caused a little blush.

"As for how I got to where I am... well, that's a bit of a long story actually." she took a bit of a deep breath, also to steady herself. Her story was a bit of a rocky road for her. "I'm from a clan of fighters, the Himitsu clan. Actually, I was the heiress of that clan. Problem was, as far as members of that clan go, my early years weren't very filled with success. It's partially to do with a chakra born illness that I have. When I was younger and my chakra reserves were smaller, it was a lot harder to fight it off. I couldn't do the strict training that we had, and I wasn't advancing as fast as I should have. Up until the Chuunin exams a couple years ago, I wasn't really all that good at anything. But then I got a great tutor, and he trained me for the exams. I entered in to see how far I could go, and to my surprise, I blew away most of the competition. My matches were.... a breeze. The maze was hardly a challenge, and my matches with Yokochima Senju and Suteki Yaku left me virtually unscathed. It wasn't until my fight with my then girlfriend in the semi-finals that I couldn't continue, mainly because I couldn't stand to fight her. We both sustained rather heavy damage though, because I fought back once she cheap shot me. I'm not too sad, she won the exams anyhow. But the fight had disgraced me in the eyes of my father and my clan, and so I was disavowed from them. Since then, I've done everything I can to get stronger out of spite, and here I sit after my latest venture to see how strong I've become. I can't even complain. This damage was done with one hit to me, but I did fairly well up until that point, so I can honestly say I'm getting stronger than I'd ever thought I would be."

WC: 700
TWC: 3092

Hearing that Nozomi was the heiress to clan got Fuyuko interested. She wondered what could’ve have happened for to lose that status. So she listened patiently to the story. The moment that Nozomi gave her the reason why she was disavowed Fuyuko started fuming on the inside. She was having a difficult time controlling her emotions while Nozomi was finishing up her story. And as such the moment Nozomi had stopped telling her story, Fuyuko would start her next barrage.

“I’m sorry but like… how could they do something like that over something so small? How can they just disavow you over a single match in an exam? How can they feel like you disgraced them over that? Sure you didn’t win it, but getting to the semi-finals is still an amazing feat! You can only learn a lot from losing a friendly battle.” Fuyuko’s voice was harsh and loud, it was almost bordering angry. She paused for a second, realizing she just somewhat randomly lashed out and tried to collect herself. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have started somewhat yelling like that. It’s also not my place to judge the practices of other clans or families. But it’s just that that kind of behavior just rubs me the wrong way.” Fuyuko paused once more trying to calm down more. Her voice was still slightly agitated, but volume wise it came down back to normal speaking levels. “You see where I’m from, the results don’t matter. If you got first or last in a race, that’s irrelevant. All that matters is that you gave it your all. I just can’t fathom that particular concept some families and clans have. Just by going off the description you’ve given about yourself. You’ve become really strong, stronger than you yourself could’ve have imagined. Probably stronger than that your clan ever could’ve imagined. Some people just need more time, there’s nothing wrong with that is there?”

Fuyuko turned her head away towards the window and wiped a tear away that was forming in her eye, as she couldn’t help feel sorry for Nozomi. She wasn’t even sure how Nozomi felt about it all, she had only been told the story, not the emotions tied to the story. “If I said something I shouldn’t have I’m sorry. It’s somewhat hard to control my feelings sometimes, especially the ones that make me feel angry. I also just care about you….” The last bit said under her breath. It wasn’t until a second or so later that Fuyuko realized what she had said. She was uncertain why she did though. She had only known Nozomi for a few hours at this point, yet she felt so drawn to her. All that was left now was hoping that Nozomi wasn’t quite able to catch what she had said, since it made her feel a little bit embarrassed.

The rain had stopped by this point and the clock had ticked along faster than Fuyuko was aware of and so she suggested the two of them head back towards the hospital. She did however also mention that they could still stay a bit longer, there was still some time left. Albeit it wasn't much time, but seeing as how Nozomi clung onto the freedom she had earlier with feeding herself, Fuyuko assumed Nozomi would do the same now. And if Fuyuko was honest with herself, she didn't want to take Nozomi back to the hospital either, she wanted to be able to spend more time with her, any second more would be treasured. Although she wasn't quite certain what made her feel this way.

wc 631
twc 3463

Nozomi smiled a bit at Fuyuko's outburst. The girl certainly had a good heart, and Nozomi couldn't fault her for being angry about the situation. "The Himitsu clan holds itself to high standards. It wasn't that I lost a fight, it was the way I lost the fight. From the onset, I should have been fighting with my all, rather than refusing to fight and hugging my opponent. That was dishonorable to them. I may have been able to win that fight, and then the exams, but I didn't, and they see it as a disgrace." she sighed. "It was for the best anyhow. I'm actually probably a deal stronger than most of the shinobi in the clan. I may try and seek for a trial by combat to bestow myself, and assert my claim over my father, but I don't particularly care at the moment."

Slightly adjusting in the wheelchair, Nozomi looked over to Fuyuko. "There's no need to apologize. Your reaction is... justified." she said, trying to figure out what it was exactly she wanted to say in response. It was a little difficult for her to think, but that's just because she was starting to get tired. "I really enjoyed this little outing Fuyuko. I would like to start heading back to the hospital soon, but we can take it slow on the return. I'm not ready to be done just yet, I enjoy having you around."

She looked at the clock herself and was quite shocked at where the time had all gone. Sure, they'd gone on a bit of a walk, and they'd had food, and had a lengthy discussion about herself, but she hadn't quite expected the time to fly so much. Truth be told, it was probably due in part to her enjoying the outside world again, but also partially because she was always in a rush to get to where she was going, and didn't usually take a slow walk to wherever she was heading. Being as fast as she was, she saved a lot of time by simply running everywhere, and that helped keep her in shape as well. Slow travel was a large time waster, and she'd been taking it for granted.

WC: 376
TWC: 3468

Fuyuko got filled with a sense of relieve as Nozomi told her that there was nothing wrong with her outburst. Followed by a warming glowing face, the words that Nozomi spoke echoed within her leaving her incapable to utter any more words or keep contact. She stood up, grabbed the finished up bowls and moved to the kitchen. She turned on the faucet and put the dishes in the sink. At this point she started really thinking about why she was feeling so different from her normal self. Now that she thought about it, she had never taken anyone to her home before. Or really had friends for that matter. Due to the location she grew up it took several hours for her to be with people her age and as a result of that she didn't really have any friends. She was very capable of getting along with people, but never considered any of the people she knew as friends. And now there was a beautiful girl sitting in her house, enjoying her food and her company. She was clueless on how to proceed next, uncertain on how to properly convey what she was feeling. But what was she really feeling?

Having run the water over the dishes way longer than that was probably necessary she quickly cleaned them up and put them away. She decided she should just put the feelings beside herself for the time being and just be her normal energetic self. But before heading back to Nozomi and heading back off to the hospital she wanted to give the girl something, something personal. Making a stop at her room she went into her closet and started searching. It took a little time for her to find it, but eventually she pulled out a piece of azure blue satin cloth. A smile appeared on her face as she yelled “keep your eyes closed Nozomi!”. Walking out of her room and back to Nozomi she kept the piece of cloth hidden behind her, just in case she would peek.

She got up close behind Nozomi and gently pulled her hair together into a ponytail and started wrap the piece of cloth around the bundle of hair. After a bit of struggling with it she finished making the bow. “There all pretty now!” she said with a smile on her face. “There a little more stylish now in that hospital gown of yours, it really matches your eyes” she followed up with a chuckle. “A little present from me, you're my first friend after all. I can call you my friend, right?” she asked somewhat teasingly, but a sense of insecurity could definitely be heard in there.

Regardless it was best if the two of them started heading towards the hospital again. She'd make sure to walk at a little slower pace this time though, try and drag out every possible second. Because if it wasn't apparent enough to an outsider, Fuyuko was also immensely enjoying the time she spent with Nozomi. She had certainly not expected to talk some much about Nozomi and especially going into so much detail of her life. She was grateful that Nozomi was willing to share so much about herself with her, despite hardly knowing her at all. So she asked while pushing Nozomi back to the hospital “Is there a way I can repay you? I mean, you've told me so many personal things. While I've hardly told much about myself. Not that my life was very eventful besides what I've already told you, but that's besides the point! Also don't say that the ribbon is already enough because that's a gift, so it doesn't count!”

wc 626
twc 4089

As Fuyuko asked her to close her eyes, Nozomi couldn't help but wonder what it was that she wanted to do. Most people didn't just ask someone to close their eyes for no reason after all. Obliging the younger girl, Nozomi's eyes shut lightly, and her ears started to do the rest. They followed her around the house, pinpointing that the girl was in her room doing something. Her curiosity was piqued, and her head tilted slightly in anticipation. After a few moments of ruffling sounds, Nozomi heard Fuyuko start to make her way back towards her. She continued on past her until she was behind her, and her hands moved up towards Nozomi's hair.

Her body tingled in excitement as the fingers ran through her hair, one of her favorite spots. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and was wrapped up in some sort of cloth, but of course Nozomi wasn't looking at it or able to feel it through her hair, so she'd have to check it out later. Her eyes opened up and a smile formed on her face. "Thank you very much Fuyuko. Of course we're friends! I thoroughly enjoyed this time. A pleasant surprise to be visited by, to be sure." She could only imagine the color that the cloth was, considering she said it matched her eyes. That would be pretty nice of a color if it was how she thought it was. Blue was her favorite color.

And so they set back for the hospital, Nozomi enjoying the slow pace they were taking, letting her entire body relax. "The best way you can repay me is to just visit me more. I would love to continue this friendship with you. I won't be in the hospital for long with our medics healing me. It'll take me a while to get back to my full form, but I should be able to walk at least, soon enough." she said. She was telling the complete truth. Within a few days, the healing process would have fixed her bones to the point she could walk, and a few more would let her fight a little. In a couple weeks, she'd be back up to her chuunin level. It would take a while, but she'd be back up to full fighting capacity eventually, and it was a lot quicker due to the medical staff around. Of course, if they had a higher level of medic, she could be healed instantly.

Still, there would come a point where they would reach the hospital and it would be time to part ways. It was with a bit of a heavy heart that Nozomi said goodbye to Fuyuko, and gave her her address. "I already know where you live, obviously, but if you ever visit here and I'm not around, I may have checked out. Most of the time I'll be at home or the training grounds, so it might take a little bit of searching, but you'll find me." Laying in bed though, Nozomi's eyes would close and she'd sleep peacefully for the first time in a while. Maybe things would start to improve soon enough, and Nozomi could stop being so confused about everything.

WC: 540
TWC: 4008

Exit Thread

Fuyuko was glad she was walking behind Nozomi, this way there was no possibility of Nozomi being able to look at her face. A face that was probably glowing red like a tomato combined with a smile that could only be described as a little kid getting  their birthday presents a day early. Those were the feelings Fuyuko got when Nozomi confirmed their friendship. It had probably taken her longer than a normal child, but her first friendship with someone was finally made.

The repayment she was offered was one she would gladly accept. There was nothing more she could’ve wished for. After all she had quite enjoyed taking care of Nozomi, probably more than she could’ve ever anticipated beforehand. However at the same time, she was a little bit afraid. How long would this friendship last? Would it end once Nozomi is able to take care of herself completely? The inexperience with friendships became all too apparent. She shook her head to make space for happy thoughts. For now it was just the two of them on a nice stroll back to the hospital.

However her blissful happiness had to come to a halt at some point, after all happiness could not last forever, otherwise one wouldn’t know when they are happy and when they are not. Fuyuko helped Nozomi get back into her bed and they said their goodbyes. Having received Nozomi’s address eased off the thoughts Fuyuko had earlier some more. Looking back once more towards Nozomi before she left the room she noticed Nozomi was already vast asleep. She headed back over and tucked Nozomi in properly making sure she was fully covered. Her face looked so peaceful, her lips partially parted almost inviting her in. Fuyuko leaned in, letting her instincts take over. She stopped herself inches away, and quickly made her way out. “What am I doing?” That’s all she could think at this point.

wc 326
twc 4415

[EXIT Thread]

Training:
Strength: E > D = 750 words
Speed: D > D-3 = 1175 words, 150 ryo
Endurance: E-1 > D-1 = 1000 words, 25 ryo
Perception: E-3 > D-1 = 625 words, 25 ryo
Reaction Time: E-2 > D-1 = 850 words, 25 ryo

Total: 4400 words, 225 ryo.

Training:

Katon: C->B [4000/4000]
Remaining WC: 8