Chapter Text
"Doctor Hinohara!" A loud voice echoes through the emergency hospital tent. A loud thunderclap echoes through the forest of their main camp. The doctor focused her black eyes to the entrance of this tent. There was a man with ash-blue hair, navy Kirigakure headband strapped around his forehead, Jounin jumpsuit and Chuunin flack-jacket. With his body he almost blocked all natural light sources from entering this tent.
The doctor noticed a little jar in his hand. The jounin stepped forward and gave the jar to the doctor. "I'll kill you if you drop it." The woman laughed under her breath. "We both know. You cannot do that." Both Shinobi stared into eachother's eyes.
The doctor took the small jar and turned the small oil lamp just a bit brighter. There was strong medical water and an eye inside it. The optical nerves were in decent condition, the pink color wasn't too dark. Now the doctor looked at the iris. It had an strange white color. Something she had never seen before. "You'll transplant this eye into me." The man ordered the woman. Again a loud thunderclap echoes through their base camp. In the far distance they heard the sound of clashing steel. Seems the fight had moved closer to base camp.
****
With the ice cold water from the rain barrel. The black-haired young girl cleaned two empty rice bowls. The young girl places both bowls back on the little side table. She turned around walking towards the front door giving her mother a little nod. The gesture was returned. The communication between the two had always been short or non-verbal.
When the girl reached her right dominant hand for the door the mother spoke calm. "I work till late." Would she say. The woman's voice was warm but a bit shrill.
The young girl with black eyes looked back over her shoulder looking at how the older woman drank tea. "As usual.." would the daughter say calm then make a nod while smiling. The young twelve year old left their one-room house that was way too cramped for two people. The girl closed the door carefully as she was blinded by the bright sun. Their house was fragile without windows in a slumber area. Outside it was noisy, filthy and full of vermin. The girl made her way through the narrow pebble path. Doing her best not to break any self-made houses.
****
With both hands in her pockets of the girl black long pants she walked on the schoolyard of the shinobi academy. The girl lived a fifteen minute walk away from the academy. The academy was established close to one of Kirigakure's main clan buildings. It also had the environment from a neat neighborhood. The black-haired liked it, it didn't smell like trash. The girl smelled her own clothes. She had washed them in the river yesterday. So it wasn't that bad.
The young girl made her way to her classmates. She gave them a nod as a greeting. "Hey Ineshi." said a young boy with long, messy and tangled black hair.
"Hey, …." The young girl frowned a little. Took both hands out of her pocket folding them and thought about his name. "Ehhhh.." she would mumble looking at him.
The boy made a fist out of frustration. "We've been classmates for over six years now Ineshi!" His feelings were obviously hurt. The boy now pointed at himself. "It's Mamoro!"
The girl sighed a single time. She gave the boy a cold stare. "Half of our class will die next week. There is no need to remember your name at this point." would she say looking at him. She noticed her classmates' reactions. They were shocked. "Don't be stupid. They tell us for years." Ineshi made a fist and moved it against her chest in front of her heart. "Plus it's our half of the class that is going to die." She said. Ineshi relaxed her hand and placed it in her long black hair. It felt greasy and she was irritated by it.
Another boy yelled at her. "How can you say that?!" The girl took her hand out of her own black hair. "I'm realistic. We're the non-clans." would explain calm. "We're with seventeen students. The clans are with twelve." The fellow student grabbed her collar and pulled her close. "So! You expect a minimum of twelve of us to die?!' would he yell in despair. The boy pushed out of frustration Ineshi towards the ground.
The young black-haired girl fell on her back on the ground, but managed to make a half roll to break the impact of her fall. She leans on both her arms and tried to get back on her feet. "That's correct." Would she say. The boy made a kick towards her head. In this position she didn't have the chance to block. With the point of his feet he kicked her right onto her nostril. With a nosebleed as a result. Ineshi was smashed to the ground again, but didn't take her black eyes off him. She gave him a glare. Her nose hurted. "Don't be angry with me. But at our school system. The children from the clans are trained by their shinobi parents. Have steel weapons. They cut you in half, if you make one wrong move." would she explain. These words made the aggressive boy more angry.
The black-haired girl expected another attack. But it didn't happen. So she would get up. Maybe he realized that she was right.
"So.. Th-they keep their weapons during the t-test?" would Ineshi her only female non-clan classmate ask shocked. She was wearing shabby clothes with more than ten holes in only her oversized sweater. Everyone could tell from the sound in her voice that she just had lost the last bit of her hope.
Then a loud bell echoes over the schoolyard. Everyone looked up to the wooden raised deck of the school. There was a chuunin as she recognized the Kirigakure's flak-jacket. "Line up!" was the command. The whole schoolyard was in motion. The youngest classes with the youngest kids on the far left. With the oldest children on the right. Ineshi walked to the back of the group. The clan members stood in front of the non-clans.
"Before we start today. We have a punishment." The chuunin brought a child on the deck. "This student tried to steal a bowl of rice." Would the chuunin explain taking his katana out of his sheet.
Ineshi held her nostrils trying to stop the bleeding. The girl watched the chuunin cut the student's hand off. There was blood and screaming... He was probably starving from hunger. The girl narrowed her eyes. He was thin. You could see his ribs through the holes of his shirt. He was very malnourished. By Ineshi her judgement his body did not have strength to recover. The poor soul.
The chuunin sheeted his katana looking at the lined up students. Especially the young ones on the far left. They were scared, especially the non clans in the back. They were probably hungry.
Classroom assistants carried the handless boy off the deck. They disappeared with him. Probably towards the hospital. The chuunin continued his speech. "Monday is the genin exam!" he explained to the group on the far right. "Train hard! Everyone has a fair chance." Would he encourage us. But the non-clans knew it was an unfair match. "School day starts!" Would he yell. Everyone went their own way.
Groups started to form. Everyone could choose their own lesson. The black-haired girl started to observe the situation and released her own nose. Seems like the bleeding had stopped. Non-clans were going to taijutsu. They didn't have a sword and it was the easiest choice. Many clan members went to kenjutsu but some chose taijutsu. Genjutsu was not popular. Ninjutsu covered the basic three ninjutsu. Transformation, clone and replacement. Ineshi knew them for over four years now. She had a good feeling for ninjutsu. Many teachers were impressed, she had mastered them even before some clan members.
The young long black haired girl made her choice. She walked calmly towards kenjutsu. A weird choice for someone without a sword. So they stared at her. The chuunin teacher stepped up looking towards the young girl. There was an awkward silence. With her own black eyes she stared at the light green eyes of the teacher. His long white hair covered most of his face. “You look confident.” He noticed.
“I don’t need a sword to dodge one.” would she explain. She looked up straight in the eyes of the chuunin. The black haired girl thought she saw a slight nod. He turned to the other students. “Jirogetsu.. Be her partner.” would he order.
A short boy came from the crowd. He had a smile on his face. The boy had white hair with purple eyes. He had a katana at his left side but also had a wooden bokken in his right hand. “I am Hozuki, Jirogetsu. Nice to meet you.” would he say smiling. I could see his sharp teeth when he smiled. I gave him a nod. “Hinohara, Ineshi.” would she say calm. The girl took a defensive position. With observation alone she figured he was right handed. He didn’t have muscles. So he probably used speed and flexibility.
The purple eyed boy took a combat position. Rested his body weight on his right feet. “You’re a non-clan and know your own last name.” he noticed. “You’re lucky. Your parents are still alive?” would he ask, probably trying to lighten the mood.
“Yes. Only my mother is.” would she say calm. The Hozuki boy was right. She didn’t live on the street, her clothes were without holes. Plus she had food at least once a day. The girl narrowed her black eyes at the swordsman. “Please don’t go easy on me.” she asked with a respectful bow.
Jirogetsu quickly closed the distance between the two. “As you wish!” he would yell enthusiastically. As she expected he charged in holding his wooden sword in his right hand. A downward slash came towards the girl. Ineshi stepped to her right side, dodging his first strike. The girl made a push with her open hand palm towards the boy's right elbow. He stepped forwards to dodge. The girl almost hitted him. The young boy turned around and jumped backwards keeping his eyes on the black haired girl.
The boy looked at the girl as he just created some distance. A voice was heard. “Jirogetsu! Never underestimate your opponent!” The voice came from their teacher. The black haired saw the boy turn to face his teacher. “I wa-!!” An opportunity!
Ineshi ran quickly closer now that he was distracted. The girl would grab his wrist, step with her left foot between his feet. She turned and kicked his right dominant leg. The purple boy lost his balance and fell towards the ground. The woman pulled his arm up and moved it behind his back, locking him in this position. She placed her feet on his back pushing him down. Bet this was uncomfortable. Some of the spectators and fellow classmates seemed to be impressed. Ineshi smiled at the boy. “You’re distracted.” would she comment with a faint smile. With her free hand she took the wooden katana from his hand. The girl released the sharp-toothed Hozuki clan-member. He got up and faced her while rubbing his arm.
“Jirogetsu! You think Konohagakure will have mercy when you’re distracted!” The teacher came back at us. “No sir!” he would answer formally. The teacher now looked at the young black haired girl. “Name?” would he ask. “Hinohara, Ineshi sir.” would she say calm, making a respectful bow. The teacher gave her a nod. “Don’t expect any special treatment because you knocked down my weakest student.” He said while narrowing his eyes to Jirogetsu. Then he walked away. “Again!” would he yell. The boy jumped back on his feet and the two would face each other.
****
Again the loud bell echoed over the schoolyard the first half was over. Ineshi looked exhausted to Jirogetsu. They had done twenty-two matches. Every time either one had hit the other they started over again. Including her first win, the girl got eight points. The rest was for Jirogetsu. He clearly had experience with kenjutsu. But he was panting. “Thank you for your hard work.” he said politely.
The girl smiled a bit. She didn’t expect a clan member to thank her. She gave him a nod. The girl turned around and ran back into position. Everyone lined back up. Youngest on the left. Clan members in front of the non-clan members. The chuunin was standing on the deck again. “Respect for the headmaster!” would he yell. Everyone made a bow as a very pale man stepped up. Everyone stood still waiting for him to speak. A cold tense in the air filled the moment of silence. “This monday is the genin exam!” would he say. “Everyone in the last class must participate. Not showing up will result in defeat and an automatic death!” would he say. There was again a moment of silence. “Lunch break!” would he yell. The student yelled in unison. “Yes sir!” would they yell.
Fresh water tanks were placed on the schoolyard. It was free for everyone. Ineshi walked toward it, taking a carton cup. She filled it with water and would stand closer to her non-clan classmates. Everyone enjoyed the fresh water. Some had sticky rice balls for lunch. But most of us just had a drink. Fresh water was a luxury for non-clans. Most of them lived on the street. Alone. Trying to become a shinobi was their only way out of the ditch. As genin they could go on D-rank missions and earn their money for food.
Clan members were on the other side of the drinking table. They also had free water. But brought lunch boxes from home. Some even had fish. Fish had all kinds of vitamins and good fats. Ineshi watched them eat with one hand in the pocket of her black pants. She saw Jirogetsu drinking a lot of water. She gave a modest smile.
****
The loud bell echoed again over the schoolyard. The fifteen minute lunch break was over. Since there were no announcements the second part of the day started. Every day had two subjects. Free to fill in. Some classmates always chose the same. They excelled in one thing but fell behind in the rest. Non-clans that selected taijutsu their whole school career had a sincere chance of winning their exam.
Ineshi now made her way to ninjutsu. This was chosen by clan members but also non-clan members. Also noticeable was that most girls were doing ninjutsu. The black haired girl watched girls performing the transformation jutsu. The young girls were way off target. The girl looks at the kids performing ninjutsu. There were some serious good attempts.
The girl made her way towards the teacher until she saw herself. She stopped and gave a nod. "Good copy. It looks like my mirror image." would she compliment. The jutsu was released and Ineshi now her female non-clans classmate. She didn't knew her name. The black haired girl always had her distance from the group. Ineshi was a bit disappointed. "You're wasting your time." said Ineshi in a calm tone.
Her female classmate with short brown hair looked angry but also in disbelief. "Exams are one against one. Performing the transformation jutsu is useless." Would she explain.
The girl made a small nod. She seemed to understand. "Are you not scared?" The brown-haired girl asked.
The black haired girl looked at her. "I joined the academy to learn ninjutsu. Since day one the chuunin order us to train. They tell us about the death match at least once a week. I'm not afraid of something we have been preparing for." explained Ineshi with a confident voice.
The brown-haired girl gave a nod. "Why are you so distant?" Would she ask. "You always criticize us." The black haired girl made her way to a free place to train. She looked at the girl and smiled. “Because I want us to win.” The brown haired girl stared at her and watched Ineshi making a set of three handsigns. Four clones came at the black haired girl at her side.
The brown haired girl looked stunned at the result. “You… M-might have a chance.” would she say. The girl brought her hands together and also performed the three necessary handsigns. “Clone technique!”
All five Ineshi’s folded their arms to look at the result. There were two clones. They all looked identical. “Not bad.” Would she admit.
The brown haired girl looked at the clones one by one. “When you talked, your clones also moved their mouths.” The girl looked at one of the clones. “You know your clones can’t talk. There comes no sound out of it. You know that right?” All black haired girl gave her a faint smile. “Ofcourse. But you’re still figuring out who the real me is.” The clones and Ineshi herself ran forwards to attack the girl. She immediately dived to protect herself. Her clones remained standing. It was easy to tell which one was real. All clones would try to punch her. On physical contact they disappeared. The real Ineshi would offer the girl a hand. “You’re afraid of clones. They don’t have a physical form.” said she calm she then smiled a little. "You know that right~ ?"
"I know that they don't have a physical form!" Would the girl yell offended. "I couldn't tell who was the real you." Would she say shy. There was an awkward smile. She probably got her point. "You want to die?" Asked the black haired girl to the other girl.
There was again an awkward silence. The black haired girl sighed. "I don't hear a convincing 'no'." Would she say and Ineshi would walk away from her. She couldn't waste more time than she already did. If she didn't had the guts to live. So be it.
The black haired girl focused her chakra performing the three necessary handsigns. Now three clones came at her side. She released them again. The three handsigns were performed again. With again three clones. They again faded.
The black haired girl closed her eyes, she took a moment to focus. She took a necessary amount of chakra, performed again the three handsigns. This time only two identical clones appeared. She had aimed for three. The girl sat down on the ground. she was through her chakra. Twelve is her limit. She had to admit it wasn't a bad number. The girl had moved to the side and took a meditation state.
****
The large school bell echoed over the schoolyard. "Line up!" Was a loud command. Everyone ran back into place. "Lord second respects your effort." Everyone bowed and the class was over. The black haired girl didn’t have any belongings to take so she left the schoolyard. She just had to work hard tomorrow. The day after that were the exams. She wasn’t planning to lose. She had to fulfil her dream.
The young girl made a round in the neighborhood of school. It was clean and without the vermin. She was able to get home. But she chose not to go. The streets were better for her health then their own slum house. She wandered around a bit and made a big round through the city. The chuunin who patrolled the streets weren't a fan of homeless people. The view of the street became polluted if everyone just hung around in it. Bums with dirty clothes were not welcome. Vagrants were a large part of the population inside Kirigakure.
The girl arrived at the central market. There were a lot of people trading their belongings and food, carrots for rice. Rice for some change. And a nickel for onion. Everyone was desperately trying to get food. Very human, but also selfish. But Ineshi understood that everyone is trying to survive. The girl noticed the chuunins who supervised the situation. The girl scanned the crowd of people. She also saw some male jounins talking to each other.
The young girl didn’t bring anything, so there was nothing to do here. She made her way out. “Hey you there!” The young girl stopped seeing a woman probably around her early thirties. “You want to trade your red t-shirt for these beans.” she asked kindly. Ineshi smiled as she looked at the single meal. “No thank you.” She bowed politely when she declined her offer. “I was just on my way.” The black haired girl left the market. The woman was probably looking for clothes for her child.
After a short walk the young girl stopped in front of the hospital. She walked trough the gate towards the main entrance. Shinobi were on their way out. A man limped because he didn't want to strain his ankle. The other had bandages wrapped around his head. The girl moved to the side so she didn't block their way. She made a small bow. “Thank you for your hard work.” would she say. The wounded shinobi didn’t respond. The girl made her way inside the hospital.
The receptionist saw her. “Sorry. Your mother is still not done working.” would she say polite to the young girl. Ineshi gave her a small nod. “I am aware.” would she say. “Two chuunin squads were brought in injured.” explained the kind receptionist. Ineshi turned around looking through the door opening to the strumbling man. “So those two were actually the lucky ones.” She concluded since they can still move. The girl looked back at the woman.
“You and your mother are both so...so...” The woman couldn’t find the word she was searching for. A new female shinobi rushed inside. “Room?” she asked as she ran further into the building. “Operation room two!” Yelled the receptionist after her.
The young black haired girl looked at the receptionist. “Who was that?” she asked. She seemed to be here with some premeditation. She thought to herself. “One of our few medical shinobi. She is their last hope.” would the receptionist say in a serious tone. The woman would look at Ineshi. “You still plan to become one?”
The young girl gave a nod. “I see it through my fingers… Follow her. Your mother is probably there too.” would she explain as she tried finding the work schedule in all paperwork scattered around the desk. “Thank you.” the girl said as she ran after her.
The girl ran through the hallway. The operating rooms were on the ground floor. She skipped in another hallway and walked up five stairs. She took a seat in the empty operating observation room. There the girl who just had rushed past her was already with her hands in another’s female torso. From this distance it looked as if she was extracting iron shards very carefully. There were five injured people in the room. Her mother and the female shinobi that had just rushed in. Two people for five injured chuunins. They weren't small cuts or burns.
The two worked as hard as possible. The girl used a green chakra signature and was probably working on the internal organs of the female shinobi. Her mother had suture, pliers and a needle. She was closing a wound the old fashion way. Every time the chuunin got the needle in his skin his face twisted. It didn’t look nice.
By the movement of their lips she understood that the two were in a deep conversation. Probably about the big mess they were into. The medical shinobi looked up at the black haired girl. Only for a second since she was busy with her patient. They kept talking and working.
Ineshi noticed that her mother was gesturing, she made a motion to get into the operating room. The girl made her way down the stairs and into the operation room. The smell of burned skin immediately met her sense of smell. The medical shinobi spoke to her. “Your mother tells me that you’re in the shinobi academy. You read a lot of medical related books and you’re a hard worker.” The black haired girl nodded quickly. “This is an urgent situation. I’ll allow you to help. I’ve finished his internal organs. But he’ll bleed out if we don’t close the wound. That’s your job. Take the suture and close him.” would she explain.
“Yes ma’am.” would she say and move to the male chuunin. The wounded shinobi seemed young. Had middle long brown hair. Ineshi took the suture and after about ten seconds she had the suture through the eye of the needle. The girl stuck the needle in his pink flesh. She heard the instruction of her mother. “Insert on one side, pull it over the cut, insert the other side and pull it tight… Repeat” she would start the treatment. She was really concentrating right now. While doing so, she hears the medical shinobi speak. “If too tight the suture will snap. Too loose and it won't heal properly.” The girl continued the important lifesaving work.
The girl concentrated on the large 8 inch wound. This must have been a slash from a katana or even a bigger cutting weapon. “Am I doing alright?” would she ask outloud. The medical shinobi didn’t look up. “Without you he would bleed out.” The girl gave a nod and kept concentrating on this lifesaving procedure.
The young black haired girl was halfway when she heard the medical shinobi speak. “Don't put them too close together. The stitching will look nice, but costs more suture. The stock is very scarce.”
“Yes ma’am.” would she say, Now skipping a bit more skin between every stitch. It closed but the end result would probably be less beautiful.
The chaos in the operating room was getting smaller. The hard work began to pay off.
With a lukewarm cloth Ineshi was applying pressure to the man with a burned skin. It looked very painful. The girl remembered pictures from a medical related book. These had to be third degree burns. “Please resist the pain. The doctor will tend your wounds next.” The girl looked at the male shinobi. “Thanks girl.” would he say. Ineshi looked at his body. On the burned chest she saw a symbol. It looked like a traditional hand fan. But horizontal cut in two parts. “What is that?” would she ask the chuunin. The male spoke. “The enemy carved my chest after he shot me with a great fireball.” would he explain. It sounded very dangerous. A shinobi shooting fire.
The medical shinobi came towards us taking a tweezer. She started to pull off the burned skin. It looked very painful. “Take one too.” would she instruct. The young girl searched for another one. She took it and started to help. With every bit of skin that came off, the man moaned in pain. We went on for at least an hour. Then the medical shinobi put on a bandage to keep it clean.
The current emergency situation was completed. The young black haired girl looked at the medical shinobi. She seemed very tired. The last hour she hadn’t used her green hand technique. Was she out of chakra? Most likely… “What's your name?” The young girl looked curious towards the medical shinobi. “Reni.” would she say with a smile. “Thank you for helping.” would she say kind.
“We’re going. The doctor is tired.” said her mother. Without contradiction she followed her mother. They both walked past the reception and left the building without talking to each other. They both made their way back into their slum house. The older woman took a hand broom and swiped the rat poo mixed with dust out of their house. Every day the pests managed to get in.
The older woman gave the gray discolored blanket with holes to her daughter. Kirigakure was close to the ocean. So it was very cold at night.