Hana

It was almost daybreak as I was standing near the edge of the forest. I couldn’t really sleep last night after Old lady Matsumoto left. I ended up getting up early and went for a walk outside. I’d left a note for Nezu in case she woke up and got worried. Old lady Matsumoto had shared her plans with us last night and I’d been feeling uneasy ever since.

It was the first time in my life where I was around people I really felt connected to and cared for. They valued me for something other than my ability to kill. Now, it seemed like we’d have to leave this place. And that was the best case scenario. I still wasn’t sure that Old lady Matsumoto’s plan was going to work out. Even if Kuro didn’t control the major banks, it was possible that he might have people inside the bank who could pass him information. And once he came to know that she was trying to get away, the best case scenario was that we ended up having to flee to a foreign land with essentially nothing but the clothes on our backs, carrying an injured man with us.

I felt like I was at a crossroads in my life yet again. I could sit back and hope that everything comes through with Old lady Matsumoto’s plan or I could try and do something. But, I felt that if I took that step, my goal of leading a life free of any shinobi nonsense would slip further and further away. I still wasn’t certain that I’d be able to do anything meaningful. Kuro was a former shinobi himself and was rumoured to have other ninjas in his organisation. I stared at my own hands. I had felt much more comfortable and happy as Hana than I’d ever felt as Kenji Akio. The mere thought of going back to my old form now filled me with dread.

It was at this moment that I was shaken out of my reverie by a rustling sound coming from the fallen leaves. I stepped back and saw that the source of the sound was a large cobra slithering across the forest floor until it exited the forest and came into the meadow. It soon raised its head and was readying itself for a fight as it turned to the direction of the forest. It soon became clear who his opponent was as a mongoose came running out of the forest, coming to a stop a few feet away from the cobra.

They started performing a deadly dance as the cobra lunged at the mongoose to strike it with its deadly venom. The mongoose was displaying brilliant agility as it dodged the cobra’s deadly lunges and swiped at it as best he could. The dance came to an end as the mongoose finally bit the head off the cobra. But unfortunately, the cobra had managed to coil itself around the mongoose and land a few hits before finally being killed. The mongoose freed itself from the cobra and managed to take a few steps before collapsing on the ground with its leg twitching.

I hurried over and picked up the mongoose. He was still breathing, but it was shallow and ragged. I carried the mongoose over to our house. A mongoose had a natural immunity to snake venom, but too much of it could end up killing him. I laid him at my table as I dug up a few herbs that I’d picked in the last couple of days. As someone born in a clan that was infamous for infiltration and assassination, my knowledge of herbs and poisons were rather extensive. I’d found a herb yesterday that acted as a good neurotoxin and cardiotoxin inhibitor. I located the areas where he’d been bitten and started grounding the herb into a fine paste.

This herb acted faster if it was imbued with some chakra. I activated my chakra as I applied the paste to his wounds. As I was applying the salve on the second bite, I saw the mongoose’s eyes flutter open.

“Don’t worry little guy. You’re gonna be fine” I said, running my hands through his fur.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He looked up at me and let out a small sound as I moved on to the third bite site. I was surprised when I felt something like a chakra burn on my fingers as I was applying the medicine. I looked more closely at the site of the wound again. I couldn’t find anything irregular there. It seemed unlikely, but it was possible that something in the venom might have reacted to the combination of my chakra and herbs.

The little guy was fast asleep by the time I finished treating his wounds. I laid him down on my bed as I sat in a chair beside him. It was gonna take a while to know if my treatment had been effective. The mongoose was considered a sacred animal in most places and with good reason too.

Mongooses were omnivores. They could sustain themselves on prey that were a lot easier to catch than venomous snakes. Yet, they did it anyway. A thankless job risking their lives as the hunters of silent killers.

I heard Nezu moving around in the kitchen. I decided not to tell her about the little guy in the bedroom as I still wasn’t sure that he was gonna pull through. I stepped into the kitchen and saw that she had more than enough things to be sad about already. Nezu’s eyes were puffy and swollen. She had dark circles beneath her eyes and the tip of her nose was red. She looked like she’d been crying all night.

“Are you okay, Nezu?” I asked.

“I’m fine Hana. It’s..It’s just that I’m really worried. I’m worried that something bad is gonna happen to all of us and there’s nothing…..absolutely nothing I can do to stop it. I’m scared that I’ll never hear Maya’s innocent laugh again”. Nezu said as she broke down crying.

I walked over to Nezu and held her close to me in a tight hug.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Nezu. Old lady Matsumoto has taken care of us so far. We have to believe in her. She will sort it out. Don’t lose faith Nezu”. I told her as she continued sobbing into my shoulder.

‘I understand now why the mongoose does what he does. Sometimes, you have to take on venomous snakes and put your life in danger so that the ones you love could live peacefully.’

Nezu calmed down after a little while and we had breakfast together. After breakfast, I went to check on my little patient. I was surprised to find that he wasn’t on the bed. I searched the room and found that he’d disappeared. He must’ve left through the open window. If he was well enough to move that far, then it meant that he was perfectly fine. I silently thanked that little mongoose for inspiring me as I packed a few essentials into a small bag.

I saw Nezu’s eyes widen as I stepped out of my room with a bag in my hand.

“What’s wrong Hana? Where are you going?”

“Nothing, Nezu. If we’re going to be away for a long time, there’s some things I have to take care of with my family. I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

“But Old lady Matsumoto said that she could help you get word to your family. Shouldn’t we contact her?” Nezu asked.

“No, this is something I have to do in person Nezu”

I could still see that Nezu was extremely worried.

“Don’t worry Nezu. I know what I’m doing. I’ll be back in a few days, well before our deadline expires” I said with a smile. Nezu still looked a bit worried as I left.

I had meant what I said to Nezu. I fully intended to come back. But whether I’d be able to do that was another matter entirely.