Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Ch. 10

When I entered Michiko-san's home, I quickly realized that Tazuna and his family were very well off compared to most of the other people in this town. The old man and his family had a spacious house and plenty of food to put on the table, enough to feed themselves and my team and I. In contrast, Michiko's place was small, and as we entered, there were several other people packed together in the tiny apartment that couldn't have been more than eight hundred square feet.

"Okaa-san, who is this? Why is this ninja with you?" a thin, almost gaunt looking man asked. Though the question was directed to Michiko-san, his steely glare was focused on me. Out of the corners of my eyes I could see that the other inhabitants in the room held similar expressions. Man, these people really haven't had any good encounters with ninja have they?

"Stop your staring, all of you. Don't you know that staring at a lady is rude?" Michiko-san scolded. "This young kunoichi is from Konohagakure. She means no harm. She's a medic and she's here to help Takeru-kun."

At the elderly woman's words, another woman, much older than me, but younger than Michiko-san, spoke up. "You can help my son?"

The desperation was clear in her voice, and I could see sparks of hope start to brighten her previously empty looking eyes. Oh man, just how bad was this guy's situation? She looked like she was clinging to her sanity by threads. Was I even going to be able to do anything? Between medical ninjutsu and my waterbending I can usually manage most injuries pretty well, but even I have my limits. I can't heal everything. Just what in the world have you gotten yourself into Sumiko?

"I'll do what I can. I've been healing all sorts of injuries since I was six. Now, please, if someone could lead me to the patient," I said with as much professionalism as I could muster. I am representing not only my team, but Kakashi and Konoha as well. Whatever impression they got from me was likely to be what they thought other Konoha ninja would be like, and what kind of village Konohagakure was. I have to make the best impression I possibly can.

I was lead to a small bedroom not too far from the entrance. In the small bed, almost completely covered in bandages, lay a boy who couldn't be more than a few years older than me. Fifteen or sixteen at most. I walked up to the bed and was about to run a diagnostic jutsu on him to assess the damage, when I realized that I could still feel the presence of the other occupants of the dwelling close behind me.

"If you all could return to the other room and wait there please. Of course, his parents may stay if they wish, but it would be best if everyone else were to wait in the other room," I said, not turning from my patient. Ideally, I would have the parents exit the room as well, but I had a feeling these people weren't going to leave a foreign ninja alone with their kin, no matter my intentions.

Slowly, I heard several sets of footsteps walk away from the doorway and the door shut close, leaving me in the room with the patient and two other people who I presume are the patient's parents. As soon as I heard everyone settle themselves back in the other room, I took a deep breath and began to focus. Okay, you can do this Sumiko. I am in no way an actual certified medical-nin, but I know I'm the closest thing to it right now. Which meant that I have to try to help as best as I can manage. I flared my chakra until it became that familiar light green and began to run a diagnostic jutsu on the teen.

"What is it that you're doing?" the father asked sharply.

I continued my jutsu and responded calmly, "It's called a diagnostic jutsu. It works like a scan that allows me to thoroughly assess injuries, both internal and external." As I finished speaking, I also completed my jutsu. As I let my chakra ease away, I let out a sigh of relief. No signs of heavy bleeding and no signs of infection.

"What was that sigh for? Is something wrong? What's wrong with my boy?" the mother asked frantically, moving to come closer to me, but the father held her back.

I frowned as the mother continued to ask all sorts of questions, talking a mile a minute.. This is why I dislike having to deal with people who aren't used to the life of a ninja or any other type of combatant. They're always so frantic and full of questions on every move a healer made. I mean, I get that they're worried about their loved ones. I'd be glad to answer any questions if only they stopped to take the time to breathe and let me answer. People who were used to ninja were less likely to show their distress so openly. They'd keep an eye on the medic if they were foreign, but they wouldn't be so visibly frenzied.

"No, it's good news actually," I assured the woman once she finally took a moment to breathe. "He has no internal injuries, and an infection hasn't set in either which is really good," I explained as I began to unwrap his dirty bandages. Judging by the state of these bandages, it was a miracle in itself that infection hadn't set in in some of these still open wounds not to mention that he didn't have any internal injuries either. I may have been able to get to those injuries with my waterbending, but like I mentioned earlier, it may have been more than I could heal. I wouldn't have been able to heal any infections at all. Only antibiotics could do that, and I don't have access to those. I doubt this village does either. This guy was really lucky.

"Your son has three bruised ribs, one of which is also broken. He also has a fractured wrist, a sprained ankle, a shallow stab wound just beneath his clavicle on his left side, and multiple abrasions to various parts of his body. All of these I should be able to take care of. Your son is very lucky," I told them. Really though, this guy must have a luck god on his side. He not only avoided infection and internal bleeding, but he avoided death too. If the weapon that caused his stab wound had hit any deeper or any further down, there wouldn't be a patient for me to heal right now. He'd be dead, I thought as I searched through my various pouches and pulled out some disinfectant, cotton swabs and fresh bandages.

I began to clean off the wounds on his arms before healing his injuries with medical ninjutsu. I paid special attention to the boy's wrist. I didn't have the supplies needed to make a proper cast, but I was able to fashion a splint for him. I'd have to make something similar for that ankle of his too, but I'll worry about that later. I've really got to work on those ribs of his.

I worked on healing his ribs for a while. Broken bones were tougher to fix than cuts and bruises. Even a fractured bone took less energy and concentration than a fully broken bone. As time continued to pass, I could feel myself start to tireout. I'm not used to spending this much chakra in such a short amount of time. I really didn't want to reveal my bending abilities, but I was running out of options. I said I would try my best, and stopping now wouldn't have fulfilled that promise.

I drew some water out of my pouch and began to use my waterbending to heal the rest of his torso. They healed up nicely so I didn't need to rebandage that part of his body.

Next, I moved onto his head. I carefully unwrapped the bandages from around his head and began to clean away any dry blood from his head and face. Man, I knew these people probably had little to no medical training, but wasn't it common sense to at least clean blood off?

After I had finished cleaning off the blood, I once again used my bending to heal the wounds on the boy's head. It was then when the boy began to regain consciousness. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and he looked straight at me with the prettiest green eyes I had ever seen.

"A-are you an angel?" he asked in a raspy voice. I couldn't stop the heat from rising to my face. He thought I was an angel?

"Takeru!" his mother cried out and ran up to the bed to hug her son. His father stood by his wife's side, staring down at his son with teary eyes. I stepped back to allow the family to have their moment.

"Mom? Dad? What's going on? I thought for sure they were going to kill me," the boy rasped out and then began to cough. Quickly, I pulled my drinking water canteen off my belt and handed it to him.

"Drink. Slowly," I told him, stepping back once more. He nodded through his coughing fit and then took a drink of water. As he drank, his father spoke.

"That damned Gato and his thugs! If only we could drive him out. Him and all his slimy thugs. He's ruined all of our lives. I bet he keeps all the food and imports in that damned warehouse on the docks that our family built. He keeps everything to himself and leaves us with nothing!" the older man roared.

My interest was peaked at this information. Gato kept a warehouse at the docks around here? This could prove useful.

I was drawn out of my thoughts when I heard a yelp of pain. The boy had tried to stand up and was now lying in a heap on the ground. I swiftly rushed over and helped him up.

"I wouldn't recommend standing just yet. I haven't gotten around to healing your legs yet, and you've got a sprained ankle. Even then, you'll be weak, so you're going to have to take it easy and take the rest for the next couple of weeks," I explained to him. A shinobi would have been okay within a couple of days or so, but he was a civilian and therefore needed more time.

"Who are you?" the boy asked me.

"Oh! Sweetheart, this is..." the mother trailed off. "Ah, it seems we never asked for your name kunoichi-san," she said sheepishly.

I smiled. "No worries. My name is Sumiko. I am a ninja from Konoha who was asked to treat your injuries by your grandmother, Michiko-san," I introduced myself, purposely leaving out the Hatake name just incase this was some sort of trap or ruse to get information.

"I thank you for your help, Sumiko-san. I am Takeru Hisakawa. I know you probably didn't come all this way to the Land of Waves just to patch me up," Takeru laughed weakly.

I bowed my head. "You are most welcome Hisakawa-san. While it is true that it is not my stated mission to act as a medic for civilians, I personally believe that if I am able to help, then I should."

There was an awkward silence as the Hisakawa boy stared at me with a weird smile on his face. I cleared my throat and spoke again. "If you don't mind, I would like to finish healing you up," I told Takeru.

"Oh, of course. Forgive me for staring, Sumiko-san."

I didn't respond to him as I began to heal up the remaining injuries on his legs. Soon, I was finally finished.

"Now, you'll still feel sore for a while, and I recommend you take it easy for the next two weeks. I don't have the necessary supplies to make a cast for your wrist, but I was able to make a splint. I would have made one for your ankle as well, but it wasn't as bad as I originally thought. Still, don't aggravate any of your injuries. Also, keep pressure away from your ribs for a while as well. You had three bruised ribs, one of which was completely broken. I managed to patch you up and heal the break, but it is still going to be sore. So, rest for the next two weeks got it?"

Takeru nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Sumiko-san," he said with that weird smile on his face once more.

I turned to Takeru's parents, "Well, if that is all, I believe I'll be on my way," I said and bowed respectfully before moving to exit the room. I was halfway out the door when Takeru called out.

"W-wait! Sumiko-san, will I see you again?" He asked with a pleading look in his eyes. What? What the heck is that look about?

"More than likely not. As soon as my mission is complete, my team and I will be returning home," I said.

"Oh, I see. Well, perhaps good fortune may shine upon me yet, and I will somehow find a way to see you once more," he said with this really weird sparkle in his green eyes. I didn't like it. He may have really pretty eyes, but he was being really weird. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, I quickly said my goodbyes and made to escape.

I walked the few feet back to the living room to be met with a bombardment of questions from worried relatives. They were all crowding around me and asking so many questions at rapid speeds all at once that I had no idea where to begin.

"All of you be quiet! Quit hovering like vultures! Give the girl some room," old lady Michiko demanded.

The rest of the family members moved away from me and settled back into their places around the room. I sent a silent thanks to the old woman but she just waved it away. "How is my grandson, kunoichi-san?"

"Oh! Please, my name is Sumiko, Michiko-san. Forgive me for not introducing myself," I said quickly before answering her question. "He is well and awake. He'll be sore for a while and will have to rest for the next couple of weeks, but other than that, he is just fine," I said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sumiko-san," she said and then began to pull out something from the sleeve of her kimono.

When I saw that the object was a scroll of some sort I began to protest. "Oh, no, Michiko-san. No payment is necessary. I was happy to help," I said with a nervous smile. I really hoped she would listen to me and not give me anything. These people already had so little, I'd feel terrible for taking something from them when I knew I would have helped these people, or anyone in this village, regardless if they had something to pay me with in return.

But the old lady wouldn't listen. "I won't hear of it. You did our family a great service. I must repay you somehow, and I believe I have just the thing for a young kunoichi just as yourself. Take this," the old lady thrust the dust covered scroll out in front of me.

Slowly, I took the scroll from her and wiped off some of the dust to see the character 'Bear' written on it. Under that, there was a seal. I couldn't believe it! This was- just how did she- and this was-what?!

"Ah, I see you know what this is then," Michiko-san said with a chuckle.

I stared at her with wide eyes. "Michiko-san, I cannot possibly accept this! This is a summoning scroll! Surely you would rather keep such a thing within your family?"

Why would she offer me a summoning scroll? These were difficult to come by. Summoning scrolls were usually kept within families, like how the Hatake clan were the primary users of the Dog scroll or the Saurtobi with the Monkeys, or passed down between master and student. The fact that Michiko-san had this scroll meant that there was shinobi blood somewhere in her family tree, but going by the look of this scroll, it must have been generations ago. This was truly a handsome gift.

"Nonsense! This scroll belonged to my grandmother, and even then it was her great-grandfather to use it last. You seem like a nice young girl, and I'm sure that you as a kunoichi will put this to good use. None in my family will ever become ninja, so please, do an old woman a favor and take this." she finished gently.

I stared down at the scroll in my hands and then looked back to Michiko-san. "Thank you, Michiko-san. I will treasure this always," I said as I bowed deeply in respect.

"Thank you, Sumiko-san. I hate to think what would have happened to my poor grandson if it hadn't been for you. Now, you've been here quite a while, and it's beginning to get late. I'm sure your team is wondering where you are," she told me.

I knew she was right. It had taken a few hours to get all of Takeru's injuries all healed up. Those broken, bruised, and fractured bones of his had taken quite a while to fix, and now it was almost dinner time. I told Sakura I would be back by then, and knowing her, she was probably beginning to worry.

It hit me then, that when I got back, there was a very good chance that I was going to be in quite a bit of trouble with Kakashi. I just knew that he was going to be none too pleased that I had gone off in unfamiliar territory on my own. Suddenly, heading back to Tazuna's didn't sound too great.

I said my goodbyes to Michiko-san and headed out the door. I had just rounded the corner when Kakashi appeared in front of me. His mask and headband may cover most of his face, but it didn't stop the unhappy and disappointed expression from shining through.

Oh, man. Am I ever in trouble.

I stood there, facing Kakashi while tightly clutching the scroll in my left hand. I knew from the moment I had agreed to help, that I would probably get into trouble with Kakashi. I went off on my own with unfamiliar people in unfamiliar territory without even running it by him first. I knew what I had done wrong, but still, I couldn't stand the look of disappointment on his face.

My gaze immediately dropped to the ground. "I-I'm so-"

"Stop right there," he said. "You and Sakura had orders to stay with Tazuna and protect him. You left the client and went off on your own in foreign territory when we have already been attacked by enemy ninja twice. I could have you written up for insubordination."

His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion which shook me to the core. Kakashi has never spoken to me like this before. I don't know how to respond, if I even should respond.

"Do you know how badly this could have ended? What if had been a trap? What if you had been captured? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Enemies don't care if you're young, a medic, or a girl. I may not have been able to get you back. Not in this condition."

His words hit me hard, and I realized just how far south this could have gone. It really could have been a trap. I don't have the greatest chakra sense and more than likely wouldn't have been able to tell if ninja had been there if they were trying to hide their chakra signature. They would know I was part of the protection detail for Tazuna with a quick look at my headband. Kakashi would have tried to come after me, but he was still weak. I could feel a lump in my throat tighten as I fought to keep the tears back.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't think th-that - I just w-wanted to help," I cried. I felt a hand on my head ruffle my hair. I opened my eyes to see Kakashi crouched in front of me with his hand on my head.

"I know you were only trying to help, but I need you to understand the repercussions of not thinking things through," he said softly.

I took a deep breath and tried to stop my tears. Slowly, I was able to calm myself down and sound at least sort of normal and not like I had just been sobbing myself raw.

"I'm sorry. I won't do something as reckless as that again," I apologized.

He ruffled my hair again. "Good. Now that that's been taken care of, let's talk about how you did. You did well. You handled yourself well in front of the villagers and managed to sucessfully heal the boy."

"You were watching?!" I asked in astonishment. I hadn't even felt the familiar crackle of Kakashi's chakra anywhere near me.

"Maa, you really couldn't tell? We'll need to work on that awareness of yours," Kakashi said as he stood back up again. "Let's head back and you can tell me more about your experience with those villagers," he said and then started walking back to Tazuna's house.

I told him everything. Including the information I had heard from the boy's father and about the summoning scroll I still had clutched in my hands. Kakashi raised one visible eyebrow at this so I quickly held out the scroll to him.

"I was going to ask you about it before I actually decided what I was going to do with it," I told him.

Kakashi picked up the scroll and inspected it. "This is a summoning scroll alright. Bears, huh? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone summoning bears. Are you going to sign it?"

I shrugged my shoulders in response. "Not sure. I'll think about it. Not like I can sign in right now if I wanted to anyway. Summoning takes up a lot of chakra. Chakra I currently do not have," I meant this in both the sense that i was tired from using medical jutsu all day, and also that I was a twelve year old genin who just didn't quite yet have the chakra reserves to successfully use a summoning jutsu and still be able to walk.

"Smart girl. We'll be working on that too then, if you want to sign the scroll anytime soon. I supposed Bears suit you more than Dogs though, huh?"

I looked up to Kakashi in shock. "You would have let me sign the Dog scroll?"

I wasn't kidding when I said shinobi guarded their summonings closely. Even if someone was the last of their clan, some shinobi would rather the scroll become lost with them, rather than give it to an outsider. There was a reason only so many ninja were able to summon. Sure, there was the reverse summon technique, where one gets drawn into the summoning realm of the creature that would best suit them, but that was dangerous and held only about a fifty percent survival rate.

"Of course, you're my student and you're a Hatake, imouto," he said with a squinty eye which I've come to recognize as a sign that he was smiling under his mask. "Of course I wasn't thinking for you to sign it until you got a little more experience, but it's a moot point now isn't it?"

I squeezed Kakashi into a tight hug. I know Kakashi let me use the Hatake name and let me call him Kakashi-nii, but still I've always had lingering thoughts in the back of my mind of Kakashi only putting up with me because he had to. Now though, those fears had been laid to rest. He called me a Hatake, he called me his sister. He called me family.

"You're the best, Kakashi-nii."

Alright. There's chapter 10. I've just finished the first week of my last year of Uni, so please be patient with me. Thanks for reading. If you're interested in reading any of my other works I have a few others for y'all to check out. Thanks again. -S.F.E.

Also, as a Texan, I'd just like to say that my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Houston, Rockport, Fulton, Port Aransas, and all the others who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. To my fellow Texans, I hope that you and your families are okay. I love y'all!