Of Matches, Winners, and Reunions pt.4
-Of Matches, Winners, and Reunions pt.4-
“I thank you for your patience. Now, let us adjourn until next month.”
As soon as Lord Third finished speaking, the Genin began dispersing and returning to their mentors.
Amaya felt a presence approach from behind, prompting her to turn and locks eyes with her father - who grinned in response.
“Good job, Squirt.” He praises, holding up a fist. “We knew you could do it!”
Amaya laughs and bumps her knuckles against his playfully, allowing him to pull her into a short embrace. “I’ve still got the selection exam to go. Let’s save our celebrating for if I win when it’s over.”
“Making it this far is just as worthy of praise.” Her father replies, briefly turning his attention to Naruto when the blond exclaims something about looking for Kakashi before running off. “How does he always have so much energy...?”
“I think he’s just too tenacious to run out of steam...” Amaya replies, snickering at his tired expression.
Kenji shakes his head and allows his gaze to trail over his daughters form, once again locking on the large stain on her shirt. “How’s your shoulder?”
Amaya reaches up and rubs the area in question. “Saa~… It’s healed, but there’s still discomfort... Kakashi-sensei suggested I get it looked at.”
“You wanna get that checked out before heading home? You probably won’t have any better time to do it after...”
Amaya frowns at his words. “What do you mean?”
Kenji chuckles. “You’ll see when we get there. But let’s worry about that shoulder for right now.”
“Okay then...” Amaya sighs, shaking her head at her father’s vague answer as he leads her from the building.
“How is it, Manami-chan? Everything check out?”
At her uncle’s question, the brunette shifts in her seat as she checks over the medical charts - mainly focusing on the test results. “Well, there’s both good and bad news...” She informs with furrowed brows.
Amaya‘s hand subconsciously moves up to her previously injured shoulder, the movement making the scratchy shirt - which the hospital gave her to change into - inch her skin even more. “What do you mean...? It’s healed, right?”
Closing the file and tossing it onto the table next to her, Manami leans forward in her seat, her hand reaching out to pull down Amaya’s collar to reveal the irritated scar. “It’s healed completely - that’s the good news. The bad, is that there has been severe damage done to the muscles and surrounding tendons of your shoulder. I don’t see you regaining full movement in it without discomfort any time soon - if at all.”
Amaya felt her breath hitch in her throat as her eyes widened. “Wh-what—?” She stammers out, feeling little to no comfort as her father places his hand on the shoulder in question.
“What about her Taijutsu...? Will she be able to continue as a ninja?” Kakashi, who had rejoined them at the hospital, asks; making sure to keep his tone of voice neutral despite the obvious rising tensions in the room.
“We can’t be certain, but it’s not impossible...” Manami murmurs, gently taking her cousins hands in her own as Amaya meets her eyes. “If we had caught it when it initially happened, we probably could’ve prevented this... But there are other options—! There’s therapy... And if you continue to experience discomfort, we can even try surgery to repair some of the damage, but it’s a moot point. The wound has already been healed - and for some time, now. So anything of that sort would just make the recuperation time longer than necessary... Time you don’t have if your continuing on with the Exams.”
The room is silent for a moment as her words sink in, that is until Amaya lets out a huff.
“I guess it’s a good thing that I’ve been working towards a cushy-office job, huh?” She muses with a small wobbly smile. “Maybe God does have a sense of humor...”
“Sweetheart...” Her father murmurs softly, not bothered by the small jab she made at his work; knowing it was her way of attempting to lighten the mood.
“It’s okay... I’m okay.” Amaya breathes with the shake of her head, her grin growing wider. “With all things considered, I got off pretty light. Besides, only the best have an Achilles-Heel, right?... I just have to be more careful from now on.”
Kakashi, despite the rooms dreary atmosphere, chuckles lowly to himself. ‘These kids are gonna be the death of me.’
-The Next Day; Minamoto Compound-
Amaya lets out a blissful sigh and rolls over onto her stomach, stretching lazily as a dopey smile forms on her face. ‘The old man did say to get some rest... Who am I to fight an order from the Hokage...?’ She muses, and at that thought, the brunette could feel herself slowly beginning to doze off once more.
Everything is silent and quite peaceful for a few more minutes, well, that is until her bedroom door is slammed open and a sudden weight flops itself upon her.
“WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!”
Wheezing at having the breath forcefully expelled from her lungs, Amaya groans. “Go away, Cho... It’s too early...” She grunts, burrowing her head deeper into her pillow. A moment passes before one of her eyes snap open in realization. ‘Wait a minute—!’
“CHO?!”
Amaya pushes herself up and onto her knees, sending her white-haired cousin flying from the bed and onto the floor with a low “oof”. “What are you doing here?!”
“We came to visit with the Old Man...!” Cho replies, quickly pushing herself up from the floor before plopping back onto the mattress, making it bounce.
“We’re staying until after the Chunin Exams are over.” Yuichi’s voice suddenly informs from the door, prompting Amaya to look up and away from Cho - who was now snugly cocooned inside the duvet.
“Nice bed-head, by the way.” Haru smirks.
“Wha...” Trailing off, Amaya reaches up to touch her hair and flushes.
The two snicker and the brunette chucks a throw pillow at them, her eye twitching. “Get lost already!”
As if she screamed for his help, Toshiaki suddenly appears. “IMOUTO...!” He calls out dramatically. “Are these ruffians causing you distress?!”
“Saa~... You’re all causing me distress...” Amaya grumbles, though her eldest brother ignores her and continues on as he turns to the two boys.
“You two...! Didn’t your mother’s ever tell you not to enter a girls room unannounced?!” He questions, attempting to appear intimidating.
“Oi, Kurai... That’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it?”
Everyone turns as the twins also make their presence known, spotting them both leaning against the door-frame.
Kurai nods and turns to Yuichi and Haru. “Don’t take any advice from him, he does it all the time.” He advises, pointing to Toshiaki.
“Biggest perv of ‘em all. Maybe even more than Ebisu...” Kou adds as an afterthought.
Toshiaki gapes at the duo in shock. “Y-you... You two take that back, right now!” He orders. “No one is worse than Ebisu! No one!”
“Can you guys please just get out already? I’ve gotta change...” Amaya grumbles, only to be ignored a second time.
Toshiaki brushes his hair from his eyes and poses dramatically. “I have always had the purest intent when having anything to do with the opposite sex!... I don’t know what youdo in your daily endeavors, but it doesn’t apply to me!”
“And yet, out of all of us, you’re the lewdest of all...” Kurai deadpans as Kou snickers to himself.
Toshiaki’s face flushes. “I... I am NOT!”
His younger siblings were having none of it, however, as they began chanting. “Pervert! Pervert!”
“TAKE IT BACK YOU SCOUNDRELS!” Toshiaki screeches, chasing after the two as they run out of the room and down the hall, paying no mind to Haru or Yuichi - who were close to tears at this point from laughing so hard.
Amaya sighs and rubs her temples, her tired gaze falling onto a now dozing Cho as the girl began to drool slightly. “This is going to be a long month...”