Pov: Takumi Uchiha.
*Flip*
...
*Flip*
...
Hn.
*Flip*
...
"Should a kid your age be reading a book like that?"
I look up and see that I have finally arrived at Konoha once more.
"Are you judging a book by the cover? Switch professions" I raise an eyebrow.
"No way- gate duty fits nicely into my schedule, now are you a returning ninja or civilian?" The greying old man asks me.
"Ninja. Here is my mission scroll" I pluck the scroll from my jacket and chuck it over.
"So what's the book about?" The man asks as he looks the scroll over.
"Prostitution" I flip to the next page.
"I think I judged correctly then" The man scoffs.
"Not only do you lack insight, you also lack the ability to listen, this is a wholesome book of people in poor positions" I take my scroll back and he lets me through.
"Positions? What kind?" He wriggles his eyebrows.
"I deny you your response" I walk past him and into Konoha.
Step after step and page after page I arrive within the Hokage's open office, inside sits the old man alone with only paperwork to keep him company.
*Snap*
I close the book tightly and tuck it into my jacket, before walking up to his desk and laying the mission scroll down before him.
"We have a mission centre to return mission scrolls" The Hokage informs me but picks up the scroll anyway.
"I purposefully lack awareness of work areas for ninja" I state.
"That's fine. You do one mission a year so I best look over them personally, I got the messenger bird- smart choice going to a nearby ninja outpost to speed up the information gained" He smiles warmly.
"I wanted to sleep and read on my way back" I inform him.
"Now- your report Shinobi?" He asks.
"In the scroll" I gesture towards his hands.
"I prefer verbal reports for non confidential missions" He smiles.
"Hn. I too would prefer listening to another's voice after hours of listening to paper and ink shift across each other" I nod.
...
"And so- your report?" He asks again.
"I gathered information. Stone Jonin, stashing supplies for a location behind our borders" I simplify the mission.
"If that is the best you have... how is the book? I've read it once and found it quite insightful" He sighs as he stores the mission scroll.
"Wonderful. I do not frequent those kinds of districts so I found it quite insightful myself" I yawn.
"I suppose you wouldn't" He chuckles to himself and throws a bag at me.
I catch it and open to see the contents within... money?
"For your completed mission. Although I will refrain from sending you on an infiltration mission next time" He gestures to the bag.
"I get payed weekly" I throw the bag back and he catches it.
"And in return you are an active defender, this mission is a separate payment that everyone gets when completing their missions" He throws it back.
*Catch*
"I do not need this money, pay someone else" I throw it back at him.
*Catch*
"Do not refuse the payment- I already put through the paperwork and I am not undoing it" He smiles in a warm yet threatening way.
*Throw* *Catch*
"Hn. Fine- I will leave you to your paperwork" I pocket the money and begin to walk away.
"Remember to train a shinobi this month" He tells me and I sigh.
December... I took a two weeks to slowly walk back and many breaks to breath in the nature around me.
I wave my hand at him as I walk into the hallway and slowly out the building.
Coincidentally I walk into Obito, Rin, Hatake and their sensei.
"Oh- Takumi, your back! We just finished a mission, want to come eat ramen with us?" Obito perks up.
Food? I am more tired than hungry though.
*Yawn*
"Tired from the journey?" Rin asks.
"Can we hurry this up" Hatake asks.
"Rude" I comment.
"How did your mission go? Good?" Rin asks.
"It is done and that's all that matters until next year. Now I will decline the meal as I have to go find some ninja to train" I wave my hand lazily and continue on.
"Then, See you later!" Obito yells and Rin waves as their team enters the building.
I shake of the yawn and tap my chest.
*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*
No manner of rest is removing this ridiculous urge to train and improve, just how deeply am I scarred?
I can quell it with some training, perhaps these hundred hours a month are a blessing in disguise, I can use them to tame my own instincts slowly.
Or at least feed the critter within me. Stop it's unending desire to be better.
Pov: Saburo Mori
Is it night-time already?
...
"Done for the day? Get some rest, be sharper tomorrow" The Doctor tells me as I leave for the door.
"As always..." I answer and step outside.
...
Saburo Mori- just an orphan given a name common to the leaf, someone who didn't stand out much.
I wanted to stand out however, trained my entire childhood to do so and now I stand here as some unknown medical assistant to the real heroes.
When I aced the aptitude test for chakra control I thought that was my golden ticket, but I lacked skill to make up for my talent.
I am hopeless... I have a great scalpel jutsu but since I spent so long on training it I only have basics in anything else.
All I am is a tool, someone else's instrument in surgeries.
No one knows me.
I have no friends.
Only work.
...
*Tap*
I blink myself out of my trance as I bump into something.
"Sorry- I didn't see you there... long shift" I scratch the back of my neck... and move to the side.
"You are a medical ninja yes? I am struggling to find a ninja to train, are you willing?" The child I bumped into asks me.
..?
"No... I just got off work- I need to sleep if I want to get up in the morning" I reply with confusion laced into my voice.
"A tight schedule... I can work with that" The child nods his head as if solving the puzzle.
"That's not- Medical work is nonstop, I just did a ten hour shift and today was an easy day for us" I wave my hands and try to explain.
Shit- why did I say it was an easy day? My co-workers are going to kill me... tomorrow will be hellish...
"You lack the confidence to deny me and walk away. I can fix that, given you spare a hundred hours this month" The child steps forward, eyes gleaming.
"No- I said no before..." I reply softly, taking steps back.
The moonlight shines above us brilliantly, as he steps forward I awkwardly shift backwards over the stone street.
"Tch. None in this village are willing to be trained by me. Perhaps my deal will break and all will be lost" The child clicks his tongue and walks around me.
*Step* *Step* *Step*
What was that about?
Never mind... I have to sleep, I can't put on a poor performance tomorrow.
-Next day-
"Scalpel-" The doctor orders and I lower my hand onto the table.
The doctor runs his finger across the body and I follow his hand with my jutsu.
*Sliiiice*
The chakra slides through the flesh.
-Next day-
"Ten more injured- get over here! You set the beds and- You! Scalpel, sever the arm. Its lost to poison and must not spread!" The medical ninja yell out commands as we follow them.
"No! No! Please don't! I promised my daughter I would come back in one piece! You can't do this!"
*Splurt!*
Blood sprays across my face as the man resists his treatment.
-Next day-
Slice- stitch- slice!
-Next day-
Slice- stitch- slice! Slice- stitch- slice! Slice- stitch- slice! Slice- stitch- slice!
-Next day-
... I am so tired... I should of taken some sleeping pills yesterday if I couldn't sleep.
Idiot.
"Scalpel- don't doze off" The medical ninja reminds me.
"Sorry..." I wake myself up and finish stitching the patient.
"Is this the final one?" I ask.
"Yes-" The ninja replies before being cut off by the door opening.
"Thirty injured just arrived- stone like thorns puncturing multiple areas, we need you to stay on and cut them out for us. Doctor Mizushima will require assistance" Another staff member orders me and I get up to sprint over.
-Next day-
I glance out the window.
"Wasn't it just time to clock out?" I rub my eyes.
"Now it is time to clock in again, thanks for doing overtime today. Or yesterday" The Doctor thanks me and pats my shoulder.
...
...
...
"Saburo?" A ninja walks by and asks for me.
"Huh?" I turn around.
"Thanks... for your help" The unknown face bows before me, and walks away.
Who was that? What time is it? Midday... I could of sworn it was just morning...?
"Scalpel- good, I need you for a surgery. Very precise cuts need to be made and my chakra scalpel is too thick- you would be perfect for removing a few stone bullets from our patient. They are near the lungs and one wrong cut could kill" The doctor drags me to a surgery room and I wake up again.
Feeling tired. Woozy... and unsure of how I ended up with cleaner hands and multiple gloves on.
I enter the surgery room and...
...
...
...
*Slash*
"No- shit! Saburo! What the hell!?"
I feel a slap run across my face and tears flow down my cheek as my chakra scalpel loses focus for a moment... widening up enough to hit the lung.
Why was I using the chakra scalpel? How did I end up here? Why can't I think?
I hear screaming and yelling... a much more experienced medical ninja enters the room and performs a miracle before rushing off in a hurry to the next critical patient.
The voices of everyone around me gets blurry.
Before clearing up again.
"I'm sorry I didn't notice how tired you were- take some time off, get some rest..." Doctor Mizushima tells me.
And before I know it.
It's midnight again, I am sitting on a park bench and looking upwards at the stars in a daze.
...
"Tough day?" A child sits next to me.
"Tough... forever" I answer.
"I recall your tired face. Do you recall mine?" I look down to the child who speaks.
"The... one who wanted to train me?" I question.
"The very same. I too am having a tough time, finding someone to train that is" He sighs.
"Not the same. I nearly killed someone today... they should have been dead if it wasn't for someone else intervening" I choke out the words.
"And how did that happen?" He asks, with genuine interest.
"I was too tired... and let loose control over my chakra scalpel" I answer.
"I have heard of this technique in my caretakers notes. He dabbled in medical justu I believe" He replies.
"I am very precise with it... but I lost focus and pierced a lung" I start to cry.
"A shame" He notes.
"It is..." I sniffle.
"Can you show me your technique? How it looks?" He asks.
I raise my hand and coat it with chakra... that slowly forms a sharp edge on the end of my fingers.
"I see... like this?" He asks and mimics it perfectly. Every detail consistent.
"How did-"
"Sharpness. I grew curious on how to obtain it and then threw away all curiosity when my heart burned to use it once more. The second I heard this scalpel jutsu existed I stomped out that flame and slept" He answers me.
"You have a talent for sharpness? Like me?" I ask.
"I am the most talented when it comes to sharpness. That is my essence" He replies.
"That sounds perfect for a shinobi..." I sigh.
"Our essence, our talents take so long to find in this world- so many techniques spread thin in hopes to catch those talents in their net- I prefer a world that focuses down those techniques, making them perfect for the wielder" He tells me.
What is his deal?
"You have no talent at all" He scoffs.
"Excuse me?" I grow annoyed.
"You suck at this medical business. Why did you choose it?" He turns his head to look me in the eyes.
Those eyes I can see thumping with precision and cold calculated curiosity.
And yet... I see a warm fire behind those eyes peering through me.
"Because I aced the chakra control exam" I answer.
"Wrong" He tells me.
Who is he to- haaaa.
"Because I wanted to be a hero, someone who stood out in this world- and the hidden heroes of this world are the doctors and medical staff. The backbone to every-"
"Wrong" He cuts me off.
...
"Because it was the quickest way to stand out. I sucked in other subjects and soon learnt that I sucked at studying medical jutsu too... I was only good at cutting things with my chakra and now I am stuck here in this dead end job growing tired every day with no way out" I answer bluntly.
"If you could. Would you leave to become something else? Something shinier?" He asks me.
Shiny? Would I abandon everything I have built up for some fame? Power? Wealth?
"Yes..." I admit. Ashamed.
"What's your name?" The child asks.
"Saburo, Mori" I answer.
"Takumi Uchiha" He replies.
"The lazy Uchiha?" I question.
"The very same" He hands me a scroll and I open it.
...
Sign this to confirm I accept the training?
"What could you even do to help me? You are the lazy ninja" I frown.
"Ill pay you One hundred thousand Ryo" He tells me blatantly and hands me a stack of cash.
...
???
"I took all the spoils of my last B-rank mission, I thought converting the coin to cash would be more appetizing. Is it?" The Uchiha asks me with a smirk.
I need the money... and I have a week off of work.
It wouldn't be so bad to entertain a kid for a few days.
"... Okay...?" I answer hesitantly.
"Perfect. Sign the scroll and you shall emerge a stronger man" He pats the scroll and stands.
Thanks for reading! :)