Chapter 5
Saeko is once again in the Nara clan head's house. She is in the living room with Shikaku, Yoshino and Shikamaru. Yoshino is looking at them with questions in her eyes and Shikamaru only looks curious as to why Saeko is here again.
Shikaku sighs and crosses his arms "I know, I was supposed to bring her back home"
"yes, so what did you do ?" Yoshino looks exasperated
"I had to talk to her parents about enrolling her to the Academy. She's a sensor"
"uh-uh, and ?"
"her parents refused"
"so you kidnapped her ?" she raises her brow
"not for that reason and I didn't kidnap her. They didn't refused because they didn't want her to join the war or some money problems, her mother said she wouldn't spend any more money on Saeko because she lived and ate there for free"
"it's not only that" Saeko says quietly
"yes Saeko-chan ?" Yoshino says gently
"Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno only wanted one child. When Mebuki gave birth, she gave birth to two children instead of one. I was the first to come out and Sakura the last. Because of my gray hair," she takes a strand in her hand "they chose Sakura, who has pink hair, to be their child. She is a mix of them both, pink hair and green eyes but I don't look anything like them, I have gray hair and eyes and I have sharp teeth. They ignored me my whole life. They only fed me and let me live there but nothing more. Most of the time, I was invisible to them so I learned everything by myself early, like walking, talking, reading and writing. So using money on me while they already let me live with them... Yeah, they would never have done it"
"you poor baby" Yoshino takes her in her arms "Don't worry, you won't see them anymore. I won't let them alright ?" Saeko nods "Shikaku, where are the adoption papers ?"
"adoption ?" he says surprised "I was planning on taking her in as a ward of the clan"
"no that won't do. I want her as my daughter. Look at how cute she is !"
"troublesome woman... Are you sure ?"
"yes"
"fine... Shikamaru, what do you think about a big sister ?"
"eh ? Uh, I don't mind" he shrugs
"what about you Saeko-chan ? Does it bother you ? If you don't want to, it's fine. You don't have to say yes" Yoshino lets her go and puts her hands on her shoulders
"I don't want to bother you... I would be happy to be a ward of the clan, you don't have to adopt me"
"nonsense ! I've liked you since the moment I saw you at the door, plus, I've always wanted a daughter" she smiles
"yeah, I like you too kid"
"so ? What do you say ?"
"I... If you're sure"
"we are" the two adults say at the same time
"then, I accept" Saeko smiles shyly
"yes !" Yoshino screams in joy
"welcome to the family, Saeko" Shikaku smiles
"welcome nee-san" Shikamaru adds with a blush on his cheeks
Only a few days of living with them and she already feels more at home than she ever did with the Harunos.
Yoshino, Shikaku and Shikamaru are doing their best to integrate her into the clan. Unfortunately, the adoption was refused by the Nara elders. All because of succession. If she was adopted into the main family and something were to happen to Shikaku, she would become Clan Head and not Shikamaru because she was born before him even if she isn't of Nara blood.
The problem would have been the same if Shikamaru was born first. Any children Shikaku and Yoshino would have after, would become Clan Head if and only if both Shikamaru and Saeko are dead or in no way able to act as leader. You see the problem ? Yeah, it's troublesome.
However, they are more than happy to welcome her as a ward of the clan. With her talents, maybe even her being a prodigy they're not sure yet, she will bring honor and success to the clan when she becomes a full fledged kunoichi.
Today, Shikamaru, Yoshino and Saeko are tasked to bring wood for the clan so they go to the forest belonging to the clan that is full of deers and other animals. They laugh and talk like any other family and that makes Saeko happy. So happy that she can't stop herself from grinning from ear to ear.
"why are you smiling like that ?" the only boy asks
"hmm ? Because I'm happy"
"doesn't it hurt ?"
"a bit yeah" she scratches her head sheepishly "I'm not-" She cuts herself abruptly
"Saeko-chan ? Is everything alright ?" Yoshino leaves her things on the ground to go check on Saeko
"do you smell that ?" she furrows her brows
"smell what ?"
"it smells like iron ?" she tilts her head and sniffles "Yeah, I think it's blood"
"are you sure ? I don't smell anything"
"I am, it's coming from there. Follow me"
They follow her, part confused and part nervous because the forest is near the walls of Konoha and if there is blood, it's possible someone got into the village. Yoshino takes the kunai she always brings with her out, you are never too cautious while in a war.
"there" she points a few meter ahead, behind a tree
"stay behind me alright ? I'll go check" the two kids nod and watch her creep silently around the tree. She let out a relieved sigh "you can come, it's only a wounded deer. How did you know Saeko-chan ?"
"you can't smell it ? It's really strong"
"I smell it now that I'm near it but we were far from here, you shouldn't have been able to" Yoshino frowns "Do one of you have gauze or bandages ?"
"I do" Saeko takes it out of her pocket "What ? You never know when you need it" she explains in answer to the look on Shikamaru's face
"troublesome girl..."
they watch Yoshino wrap the wound after healing it with a glowing green hand "how did you do that ?" Saeko asks with stars in her eyes
"what ? Healing the injury ?" at the young girl nod she explains "It's called iryo ninjutsu"
"how does it work ?"
"you have to know a lot about herbs, medicine, a bit of poison and the body like the back of your hand and you must have very good chakra control to be able to do it. Basically, it accelerates the regeneration of the cells in your body where you have been injured. It does not heal you completely however. Minor wounds like scratches and being stabbed with a kunai are easy to heal and only leave a scar if the wound was deep but you don't have to worry about it once it was healed. Major wounds like broken bones are completely different. You have to set the bone right before healing it or you risk to heal the bone badly which will incapacitate the patient and you will be forced to break the bone to set it straight and heal it once again. You have to be careful after that, a week or so of minimum strain or you will suffer aches in your body later. Does it make sense to you ?"
"it's amazing..." she whispers
"it is"
"can you teach me ?"
"I don't know, will you be able to ?" Yoshino looks at the girl intensely
"I hope, I already know the body by heart and a few herbs and I think I have good chakra control, maybe not at the level required but I'm still working on it. Plus, even the basics of iryo ninjutsu and first aid would help me once I join the war"
"we'll see"
"thank you" Saeko grins from ear to ear