Ayaka looked at me with confusion for a moment before walking closer. "Noa, what did you eat to grow so much in five years?"
I chuckled. "A lot of food and chakra, that's what caused this."
She nodded, her palm glowing green as she checked my condition. "The previous medical-nin has alre…"
She stopped mid-sentence and glared at me when I tried to speak. I shut my mouth immediately. She was still frightening. Who knew she'd stay that way after all these years?
Once she finished, she sighed while I asked, "Can you please check on Shizuru as well?"
She nodded, curiosity flashing in her eyes as she moved to the next bed. After a few moments, she said, "They did a great job. She's fully healed, same as you. She just needs a little rest, and you need a shower."
I laughed softly.
Then she looked at me again, her expression turning playful. "Is this your little girl?"
I cut her off by raising my hand. "Ew, no."
She recoiled slightly at my tone before smirking. "Oh? Then are you maybe into…"
"Into interdimensional immortal beings that are at least two million years old," I interrupted again.
Her eyes widened, caught completely off guard by my answer. She cleared her throat and continued in a hushed, teasing tone, "It's fine to like a girl at your age. Just be direct and honest."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Please stop. I assure you it's not that. She's one of my closest friends, and I care about all of them. That's all."
Ayaka smiled, leaning back in her chair. "You still have that strange, overly mature way of talking you had back then. It still amazes me. I've heard that kids who think like that usually grow into powerful shinobi, and from what people say about your team, I guess that's true."
I lay back in bed with a cocky grin. "They sure are."
She raised an eyebrow. "You weren't that confident when I first met you."
"A lot has happened," I said simply.
She gave a small smile. "You can always tell me. I'm a good listener, I promise."
Since the soldier pill was still active and sleep wasn't an option, I decided to catch up with her. Talking helped, and Ayaka really was a good listener.
Almost two hours passed before I even realized it. She stayed quiet for most of it, focused on my words, occasionally nodding but never interrupting. I knew her temper well enough not to give her any openings while I spoke. Unfortunately, I eventually ran out of things to say and there was no escape from what came next.
The first thing that came out of her mouth was a chuckle. "You've done more than almost any eleven-year-old I've ever heard of."
Her eyes softened as she looked at me. "But I'm glad that you finally have friends now, and that you're living in a clan compound, building connections and relationships. It suits you more than isolation ever did."
She reached out and ruffled my hair. "Even though you lost your memory, you've made new ones. You've built a life for yourself, and that's something to be proud of. I'm happy you're living well, Noa. That's more than anyone could ask for."
I smiled, a genuine one this time. "Thank you."
Her hand dropped back to her side, and for a second she just studied me. Then, almost without warning, a small scalpel appeared in her hand. Her expression hardened, and her tone dropped to that cold, professional voice that terrified me. "Though for someone your age, you take a very relaxed attitude toward life preservation. What exactly did you do to end up with injuries like this?"
Sweat started to slide down my back immediately. I straightened up, forcing the most innocent look I could manage. "It was lightning! It hit near us and caused all the damage!"
Ayaka slowly turned toward the window. Outside, the sky was clear and calm, the breeze gentle, not a storm cloud in sight. Her eyes narrowed.
"I swear!" I said quickly, raising my hands. "It came from above! There was an explosion and then me and Shizuru were both caught in it. I promise!"
She studied me in silence for several painfully long seconds before sighing and setting the scalpel aside. "Fine. I'll believe you. For now."
I nearly collapsed in relief.
Her voice softened again. "Still, you should learn some medical ninjutsu. From what you've told me, no one on your team knows how to perform it, and that's a dangerous weakness. You're officially a genin now, so I can teach you without restriction."
The thought made me pause. I had considered it before, but my schedule was already insane. Between chakra training, lightning release, sensory control, fuinjutsu, and taijutsu drills, I barely had time to sleep.
I exhaled slowly. "I'd like to, but I just don't have the time. Training already eats up my entire day. Medical ninjutsu takes intense focus and perfect control. I can't add something that complicated right now."
Ayaka nodded with understanding. "Then how about this," she said. "I'll give you a few books with the basics. Study them when you can. If you ever decide to pursue it seriously, come find me, and I'll design a schedule that fits around your training. Even learning a simple healing jutsu could save your life or one of your teammates."
My eyes drifted toward Shizuru, asleep in the bed beside me. Her breathing was steady again, her face calm. "Alright," I said quietly. "I'll take the books."
"Good." Ayaka smiled faintly. "I'll bring them later."
She went quiet for a while after that, her expression distant, almost sorrowful. When she spoke again, her tone carried a weight I wasn't used to hearing from her. "When I heard about your team's success, I was proud. But I was also worried."
I looked at her, unsure how to respond. "Worried?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes. Because I know what this life does to people. You chose a dangerous path, Noa. I wish you'd picked something safer. Something that wouldn't take so much from you."
There was a shadow in her eyes, something old and heavy. For a moment, she wasn't talking to me at all but to ghosts from her own past. She forced a smile after a few seconds, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "But this is the life of the Hidden villages. None of us really get to choose the easy road."
Her voice softened again. "You've changed so much. I remember when you first came here, staring at the ceiling like the world didn't exist. Now you're standing shoulder to shoulder with clan heirs, changing things. You've come so far."
I smiled faintly. "I just try to keep up."
She laughed softly. "You've passed keeping up, trust me." Then her expression shifted again, thoughtful but warm. "Still, I'm glad you're not alone anymore. You have friends now. People who care about you. Remember to hold on to that. Power means nothing if you forget who you're fighting for."
Her words lingered in the quiet room.
We kept talking after that, about everything and nothing. About how Master Shuzo used to terrify half the hospital staff whenever he visited to check on the seals, about the food stalls that reopened near the Academy. It wasn't important conversation, but it was peaceful.
At some point, I started feeling lightheaded. My vision softened around the edges, and the warmth spreading through my body told me the soldier pill was finally wearing off. The fatigue I had been holding back came rushing in all at once.
Ayaka was still talking, her voice calm and distant, like a steady hum under water. I tried to answer, but the words wouldn't come out. My eyelids grew heavier with every passing second.
The last thing I saw was the dawn light creeping through the window, painting Ayaka's face in soft gold.
I wanted to talk to her more, but sleep took me before I could. The exhaustion won, pulling me under completely with one last thought of regret for not spending more time talking to her. It had been a rare moment of rest, a rare feeling of being unburdened, something I hadn't felt in a very long time.
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A/N: If you read Chapter 179 and have not voted yet, open this link (https://discord.gg/SmpXHEwPhE ) and help choose the name of that jutsu. There are no fixed options to pick from. You can suggest your own, and whichever one gets the most votes will become the jutsu's official name forever. The poll will be open for 6 more days.
It is the story's Discord channel, so feel free to hop in anytime. I am always around if you want to chat with me or some awesome people about this story or Naruto in general, heheheh. I cannot wait to see all your amazing and creative ideas for naming this divine feat of a jutsu, because I promise you, it is going to be something huge and important in the future.