Spirit of the Triage by emily4498

Chapter 2

A week later, a Chuunin escorted me and Kushina from the tiny apartment we had been given to the Shinobi Academy. The small stipend for food and necessities was barely enough for us to buy a change of clothes and two meals a day. It wouldn't be enough to cover much more but I could stretch it far enough.

"Nii-san?"

I wasn't sure exactly when I started off-and-on thinking of Kushina as my sister but I convinced myself it was when that niggling bubble in the back of my head finally burst a few days before. Most of the time, I was successful in ignoring the real Kichiro jabbering on, but sometimes he annoyed the hell out of me.

Nii-san? He said pointedly.

I ignored them both, stubbornly staring straight ahead at the Chuunin's back

"Nii-san? Are you alright?" Kushina asked. My hands clenched when the mocking came.

If you don't say something this second, I swear I'll—

"Nii-san! Listen to me!"

"Um, I'm listening, Kushina, what is it?"

"There's something I really need to tell you."

"Then tell me," I answered simply, putting my arm around her shoulders.

"It's a secret."

"Then whisper it."

"I'll tell you later, okay?"

"Um, okay?"

"Nii-san?"

"What?"

"Look!" She shoved her hand in my face, making me go cross-eyed trying to see what was between her fingers. I grabbed her wrist and held it at a reasonable distance.

"It's a tooth."

"Yeah! I lost it this morning!"

"Cool. Maybe the tooth fairy with visit you."

She gave me an odd look. "Tooth fairy?"

"Yeah."

"What's that?"

"You put the tooth under your pillow at night and then the tooth fairy come, takes it, and leaves a coin behind."

"I've never heard of it."

"If you don't believe in her, she won't come."

"Did she come when you lost your teeth?"

"Yep!" I lied for both me and Kichiro. Small things like the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa Claus were the small wonders that made a childhood memorable, and happier. If I was stuck taking care of Kushina via Kichiro in my head, I might as well make it a little bit more magical. Besides, kids who didn't get the small wonders never seemed to be very happy.

The Chuunin leading us sent me an odd look, but eventually ignored the conversation.

"You never said anything."

I shrugged.

"You never say much."

I shrugged again and she giggled.

"So she'll come tonight?"

"Sure."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The Chuunin turned to us and stopped outside the doors of a school building. "Here is the Academy. I hope you remember the way because this is the only time you will receive an escort, kids. I can't tell you where your class is, but it's in there somewhere. I look forward to serving alongside you." At that, he was gone. Kushina lifted my arm off her shoulders and threaded her fingers through mine, squeezing tightly. I led the way through the doors, remembering what Sakumo told me the last time I saw him.