>>5946846This world was called impure for a reason, you posit. You weren’t the only one to realize that there was something fundamentally fucked up about the human experience. But, it is a great comfort to know that beyond the world of life and death there was a pure land from which all things emanated.
If only you had the eyes to see and the ability to see with clarity.
—
“OW! FUCK!” You exclaim as Naoki roughly sews up your wounded flap. “Can’t you be a little more gentle?!”
“If I go slow, it’ll just prolong your suffering. Don’t be a baby.” He says, finishing up your stitches. He examines your wound like a hawk, taking its measure. He even moves around you in a circle, checking it out from different angles. “The issue isn’t blood loss, it’s going to be how your muscle heals back together. We don’t want you to end up with a limp or chronic pain.”
“It’s a little numb.”
“You were cut with a blade. Some of your nerves have been severed, so I imagine that when that scar heals there will be a small numb spot. No big deal. Better shinobi than us are absolutely soaked in such injuries and they all find ways to cope, as you will.” He moves over to a pot of liquid he has bubbling, pours a cup, and hands it to you. “Not an antidote or healing potion. Just herbal nutrition I sourced from the market. It’ll give your immune system a boost and promote healing. If you stay off that leg for the next week you’ll be in the clear as far as lasting consequences go.”
You take the cup from here and drink it. It had a powerful taste similar to strong ginseng and iron boiled in… You don’t know what that unidentifiable disgusting taste is. You drink it, coping without complaint. “So, I’ll be hauled in a cart until we get to the fire temple?” You ask.
“Unless you want to ride piggyback.” He answers. “What even happened? Masami is worried and I haven’t asked questions yet either.”
“I shouldn’t say too much because there’s a lot riding on a false narrative of what happened.”
“You can trust me.”
“I know I can. Alright. In short, I got attacked by a hunter nin from Kirigakure. Apparently it’s not just my mom they wanted to kill. Hotaru rigged that whole situation to draw him out using me as bait.”
“He’s dead?”
“I say this with visceral certainty: Yes.”
“Good. And what about the other Kiri nin? Was one of them our hunter-nin or was the hunter-nin a third party?”
“The other two are blameless. Suffice it to say we encountered them and came to terms. We don’t need to worry about them.” You answer, cryptically.
“Hmm. Alright. I’ll tell Masami. You just get some rest. We leave tomorrow morning.” He moves to leave the room, before pausing and turning back around. “That sash?”
“It was my sister’s.”
“Got it. Take it easy, man.”
