"Hmm? What's wrong, not welcoming me?" the girl asked again.
"Hahaha, of course you're welcome!" Natsume Yō laughed in reply.
Grrr! Grrr!
Out of nowhere, her stomach growled. Her cheeks flushed crimson in embarrassment.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Yō blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter. Without hesitation, he dropped down to sit on the ground, pulling some food and water out of his pouch. He passed them to her with a grin. "Since you're teaming up with me, you'd better eat first. If you slow me down, don't expect me to drag you out."
"O-okay…"
Chinatsu eyed the little spread he'd laid out, her throat bobbing as she swallowed her hunger. Casting him a quick glance, she sat down shyly.
"Eat slower, don't choke. Here—water."
She was clearly starving; she nearly choked several times, and each time Yō silently passed her the flask.
Five minutes later—
"So, which scroll do you have? Heaven or Earth?"
Yō didn't know this girl, but she already knew him. Her name: Mizuki Chinatsu.
"I… I have the Heaven Scroll. But… I haven't collected the set yet. Isn't that… embarrassing?" she asked carefully, clearly valuing Yō's opinion.
"What's embarrassing about that? If you're missing one, you just go grab it. We've still got a whole day left. No rush."
Yō shrugged, tossing a strip of dried meat into his mouth.
Chinatsu exhaled in relief and stood up. "Then, let's go!"
"You're a medical-nin, right?" Yō suddenly asked.
She stiffened at once, then forced a casual tone. "...Yeah. Why?"
"Nothing. Just curious. Most medics don't have much combat strength." Yō scratched the back of his head. For some reason, being around her felt… oddly comfortable.
"Hehe, of course. But I graduated third in my class. I like medical ninjutsu, sure, but I never slacked on combat training!"
Her eyes sparkled with pride as she continued, "I've always believed even a medical ninja should be able to protect themselves. Like Lady Tsunade—she can heal, fight, and carve her name into history!"
At the mention of Tsunade, Chinatsu's expression turned into open admiration, her small fists tightening unconsciously.
"You really are the most unique shinobi I've met so far."
"Eh? What makes me unique?" she pressed eagerly.
Yō tapped his chin in thought. "How to put it… You've got a clear plan for your life. You already know where you're heading. That's rare. A lot of people drift around into their thirties and still don't know what the hell they want to do."
"R-really? Hehe… that makes me happy!"
"And you? What about your future?" Chinatsu tilted her head toward him.
"Me? I just want to grow stronger—strong enough to protect the people I want to protect. Then live free, unchained by anything."
He smirked bitterly. "Kind of pathetic, right? Everyone else is dreaming about being Hokage, defending the village. And I'm just here saying I want freedom."