Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
November 3, x787.
A few moments later, Alfonzo had led Naruto into his makeshift workshop. Then, he offered the young shinobi a seat. Meanwhile, he leaned on the workshop's workbench.
Naruto, on the other hand, accepted the seat he was offered while his head was still lowered. However, he did not begin speaking immediately. Alfonzo did not press him, though. He was pretty sure he knew what was bothering him, so he let Naruto go at his own pace.
Eventually, Naruto raised his head and looked at Alfonzo with uncertainty in his eyes.
"Old Man Hokage called me to his office after the academy let out." Naruto said in a shaky tone. "And when I heard about it, I thought I was in trouble. But I hadn't played any pranks since you first came to the village. So, I didn't know what I had done wrong."
Instead of replying, Alfonzo only continued to look at Naruto solemnly while urging him to continue with his gaze.
"And that made me kind of nervous. I was wondering if someone had blamed something on me… again." Naruto continued. "I mean, things like that have happened a lot. Whenever something happens that no one wants to take responsibility for, they just blame me."
Although things like that were never mentioned in Naruto's source material, Alfonzo could imagine such a scenario. And the thought was making him rather irritated. Though, he managed to hold it in.
"And when I got there, the Old Man looked really serious. So, I thought that was it." Naruto said, lowering his head again as he spoke. "But I was wrong… Really wrong…"
===Flashback===
"Naruto, my boy, please, take a seat." Hiruzen said in a grandfatherly tone after Naruto entered his office. "We have many things to discuss."
Hearing Hiruzen's tone, Naruto hesitantly took a seat in front of his desk. Then, before Hiruzen could speak again, he spoke to defend himself.
"Old Man, I don't know what anyone told you, but I didn't do it." Naruto said, beginning to defend himself. "Ever since Big Bro Alfonzo and Big Sis Elicia started helping me with my training, I haven't played any pranks on anyone. I have to be the strongest in the village if I wanna be the Hokage someday."
With that, Naruto continued to explain how much he had changed over the last ten, or so, months. Meanwhile, Hiruzen could not help feeling grateful to Alfonzo and Elicia for influencing some of the village's young talents so positively. Still, he needed to correct Naruto's misconception.
"Calm down, Naruto." Hiruzen said, interrupting Naruto's rant. "I did not call you here because you were in trouble. Like I said, we have a number of things to discuss."
Hearing that, Naruto looked at Hiruzen in confusion.
"*Sigh* I'm sure you've been wondering this for as long as you can remember." Hiruzen said in a disappointed tone. "The question of who your parents were… before they lost their lives defending the village."
Naruto's confused expression immediately turned into a sad one after hearing Hiruzen mentioned the loss of his parents. However, when he heard that they lost their lives defending the village, his expression turned to shock. He had never been told how his parents died in the past, after all.
"On the day of your birth, your mother was set to give birth to you in a secret, secure location outside of the village." Hiruzen said in a solemn tone. "And my late wife, Biwako was acting as her midwife. However, shortly after---"
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Naruto shouted, interrupting Hiruzen's story. "Why was my m-mom having me outside of the village? Why wasn't she at the hospital?"
With Naruto's question, Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before replying.
"*Sigh* It's because she was the village's previous Jinchuriki." Hiruzen replied. "And for her, giving birth brought a certain level of danger. So, we had to move her outside the village at that time."
"Huh? A Jinchuriki? What's that?" Naruto asked. "And why was having a baby dangerous for my mom?"
"*Sigh* You've heard of the Tailed Beasts in your academy classes, yes?" Hiruzen replied with a sigh. "Well, a Jinchuriki is a shinobi who has one of the Tailed-Beasts [Sealed] inside them. And to answer---"
"Which one did she have [Sealed] inside of her?" Naruto asked in an interested tone. However, before Hiruzen could respond, his expression turned serious. "It was the Nine-Tailed Fox, wasn't it? And it must have gotten free. That's when it attacked the village, right?"
Hearing Naruto piece together the facts without needing an explanation, Hiruzen was surprised. AS previously mentioned, Naruto was not the smartest child in the village. Then again, Naruto was aware that he was born on the day the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village twelve years ago, so it made more sense than he originally thought.
"*Sigh* That's right." Hiruzen replied. "Your mother was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox. And yes, it managed to get free shortly after you were born."
Naruto's expression fell immediately. And based on his expression, Hiruzen could tell exactly what he was thinking.
"Don't overthink things, Naruto." Hiruzen said before Naruto could fall into self-loathing. "The Nine-Tailed Fox did not get free because you were born. In fact, the village took precautions to make sure that did not happen. And the precautions worked."
"Then, how?" Naruto asked in a desperate tone.
"To answer your second question from before… During child birth, the [Seal] holding the Nine-Tailed Fox inside your mother would weaken. And an outsider to the village took advantage of that fact, extracting the beast before the [Seal] could be restabilized."
Hearing that, Naruto's anger spiked. On top of that, his blue eyes turned red and his pupils turned from round to slitted. At the same time, an ominous magic power began to leak from his body.
"Calm down, Naruto." Hiruzen said, hoping to calm Naruto before the Anbu hiding in the room determined that he was a threat. "You need to remain calm."
Hearing that, Naruto took a deep breath before calming down significantly. Though, it was obvious to see that he was still aggravated.
"Now, I'll get back to my explanation." Hiruzen said after Naruto calmed down. "During the intruder's attack, my wife was killed and you were taken hostage while he tried to extract the Nine-Tailed Fox from your exhausted mother."
Though Naruto was still aggravated, he was focused on Hiruzen's story.
"Before he could, however, your father arrived on the scene and tried to stop him." Hiruzen continued. "Unfortunately, with you in the intruder's hands, your father could not use his full force."
That caused Naruto's expression to change once again, his mood falling very quickly.
"And the intruder used that to his advantage." Hiruzen said, continuing his story. "He threw you away, forcing your father to move to catch you. And that was enough of an opening for the intruder to finish extracting the Nine-Tailed Fox."
By this point, it was obvious that Naruto was blaming himself for what happened, despite the fact that there was nothing he could do as a newborn.
"*Sigh* You can't blame yourself, Naruto." Hiruzen said in a consoling tone. "As a newborn, there was nothing you could do about it."
"I know… But it's still because of me…" Naruto replied in an irritated tone. "*Sigh* Anyway, what happened next?"
Hiruzen could not help but pity Naruto after seeing his expression. Still, he followed Naruto's request and continued the story.
"After your father recovered you, he immediately moved you to somewhere safe." Hiruzen said. "Meanwhile, the intruder left your mother to die. And not long afterwards, the Nine-Tailed Fox appeared in the middle of the village and started destroying everything in sight. We can only guess how that happened. But we suspect that it was summoned by the intruder."
"So, that's how my mother died?" Naruto asked in a downcast tone.
"no, that's not it, actually." Hiruzen replied, surprising Naruto. "But I'll get to that later. For now, let me continue my story."
Refocusing on Hiruzen, Naruto nodded his head to acknowledge his words.
"While the forces of the village tried to stop the Nine-Tailed Fox, your father went to check on your mother." Hiruzen said. "And he found that she was still alive. Though, it was clear she would not last much longer. AS you may know, once a Tailed Beast is extracted from a host, they lose their lives. But since your mother was from the Uzumaki Clan, a clan known for their immense vitality, among other things, she was able to hold on for a while."
"Wait! I've never heard of the Uzumaki Clan." Naruto interrupted loudly in a confused tone.
"*Sigh* That's because the Uzumaki Clan did not reside in the village." Hiruzen said in a downcast tone. "They were wiped out during the last war. Something Danzo planned without my knowledge."
"Danzo, the one who was arrested and executed a couple months ago?" Naruto asked. "But how, how could he plan something like that."
"it's because he was afraid that your mother would return to the Uzumaki Clan while she was hosting the Nine-Tailed Fox. And he convinced the King of Fiore that it was a good idea to keep the Nine-Tailed Fox under our control."
"Does that mean the village destroyed my mother's clan?" Naruto asked, his eyes turning red once again because of his anger.
"No, not directly." Hiruzen replied. "Before the war, we received information that the Hidden Mist, Hidden Cloud, and Hidden Stone were joining forces to attack the Village Hidden by Whirling Tides, an independant shinobi village located on an island off the coast of Fiore. And the village's greatest ally in the past. And Danzo convinced the king to stop the village from aiding them in crisis."
"Why?" Why would they want to attack them?" Naruto asked angrily. "And why would Danzo convince the king not to help them?"
"*Sigh* Because of fear." Hiruzen replied. "The Uzumaki Clan was also known for their unequivocal talent in the [Sealing Arts]. And they provided the Leaf many amazing [Seals] for a very affordable price. And as for Danzo, I already explained that. He wanted the Nine-Tailed Fox to stay in the Leaf."
By this point, Naruto was once again leaking that ominous magic power. And it took Hiruzen a while to calm him down. But when he did, he could finally continue his story.
"Back to the story… While the village's forces continued to try and contain the Nine-Tailed Fox, your father confronted the intruder, after getting you and your mother to safety, and was able to defeat him. Unfortunately, the intruder was able to escape."
Seeing that Naruto was once again invested in his story, Hiruzen continued.
"After that, your father confronted the Nine-Tailed Fox in the village." Hiruzen said. "And after a short confrontation, he teleported it away, where he tried to [Seal] it inside of your mother again, which would save her life. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned."
Hearing that, Naruto clenched his fists. However, he stayed focused on Hiruzen's following words.
"After the [Sealing] process started, the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked you, who was nearby, to try and stop it." Hiruzen said, his tone turning downcast as he spoke. "To save you, both your parents jumped in front of the attack, gaining fatal wounds in the process. But they were able to keep you safe. And because your mother was no longer a suitable host because of her injury, they decided to [Seal] the beast inside of you… Sacrificing their lives and saving the village in the process."
Hearing that the Nine-Tailed Fox was [Sealed] inside of him, Naruto did not know how to react. The only thing he could do was open his eyes and mouth wide in dumbfounded amazement.
"Is that why everyone calls me a demon?" Naruto asked in a shaky voice.
"*Sigh* Yes and no." Hiruzen replied, a bit of self-loathing leaking into his tone. "At first, I didn't know how it started, but there was a rumor floating around the village that you were the reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox. And no matter how hard I tried, I could not stop it. Nor could I find its source. But no one knew you were the Nine-Tailed Fox's Jinchuriki. That was an S-Class secret. But after Danzo was brought in by Alfonzo, it all came to light that it was all Danzo's doing. He wanted you to feel despair so that he could bring you under his command with promises of making everything better. Luckily, you were a strong willed boy. And because you did not give into the despair, his plan failed."
Naruto only fell silent after that. He did not know how to process everything he heard. And Hiruzen gave him some time to think. Eventually, with his eyes red and the whisker marks on his cheeks having expanded slightly, Naruto made eye contact with Hiruzen before asking another question.
"And who were my mother and father?" Naruto asked in an eerily calm tone. "You've mentioned them a lot. But you haven't said their names even once."
Hearing that, Hiruzen looked down with a guilty expression on his face.
"Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki." Hiruzen replied, unable to make eye contact with Naruto. "And your father was Minato Namikaze… The Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf…"
Instead of flaring up in anger like Hiruzen expected him to, Naruto was so caught off guard by the identities of his parents, more specifically, his father, that he could only look on in disbelief. In fact, his confusion and disbelief were so great that his anger disappeared completely, resulting in his eyes turning back to their usual blue color while the whisker markings on his face returned to normal, as well.
Then, surprising Hiruzen even more, without another word, Naruto stood up from his chair and left his office with a lost look on his face.
===Flashback End===
"And then I came here." Naruto said, concluding his story. "I'm not even really sure how I got here, though. The last thing I remember before running into you was hearing that my father was the Fourth Hokage."
With that, Naruto clenched his fists in frustration and anger.
"Why? Why was I treated like that for all my life?" Naruto asked, his volume rising with every word while that ominous magic power began to leak again as his eyes turned red. "I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage… The village's hero... The Yellow Flash. The man who single handedly stopped the Stone from invading Fiore in the last war. So, why!?"
As Naruto's anger rose, the ominous magic power he was emitting began forming a red magic power cloak around him. On top of that, the whisker marks on his face began to expand while his fingernails and canine teeth grew in length.
At the same time, Alfonzo tapped his right foot on the floor of his makeshift workshop, coating the entire room in metal. Then, at blinding speed, the metal was inscribed with sigils that contained magic power. As a result, the ominous magic power Naruto was releasing could not affect anything outside of the room.
In the next instant, Alfonzo's fingertips on his right hand lit up with magic power. Then, in a burst of speed, he appeared in front of Naruto before placing his fingers on Naruto's abdomen. After that, the rampaging ominous magic power began to recede inside of Naruto. At the same time, Naruto's heightened state of emotion calmed.
"Chill out, Naruto." Alfonzo said in a soothing tone. "Even though the [Seal] holding it inside of you is really strong, the Nine-Tailed Fox inside of you can influence you if you let your darker emotions get out of control. So, you have to try and keep your cool at all times. Otherwise, you might end up hurting yourself or the people around you."
Hearing that, Naruto finally looked up and made eye contact with Alfonzo.
"Does that mean you knew about all of this, too?" Naruto asked in a somewhat betrayed tone.
"*Sigh* I did." Alfonzo replied. "But not until I raided Danzo's base after he tried to kidnap Lici. I found records about it back then."
"Then, why didn't you tell me?" Naruto shouted, sounding even more betrayed.
"Because I'm not a member of this village." Alfonzo replied calmly. "And without permission from the Hokage, I didn't have the right to."
Hearing that, Naruto knew Alfonzo was right. However, he still felt betrayed that this information was kept from him.
"But I was the one who told the Hokage that you deserved to know all of this." Alfonzo continued, causing Naruto to raise his head once again. "And if he had refused, I would have told you myself, the village rules be damned. Everyone has the right to know who their parents are and what kind of situation they are in."
Hearing that, Naruto relaxed a little. The feeling of betrayal had disappeared, at least.
"And when I brought it up to him, he asked me to let him tell you everything." Alfonzo continued. "So that he could apologize for all the ways the village had wronged you."
This time, Naruto put on a sheepish expression while looking away. Meanwhile, Alfonzo, after seeing Naruto's expression, could not help but grin.
"You were in so much shock that you left before he could finish talking, huh?" Alfonzo asked in a mischievous tone.
In response, Naruto only nodded his head.
"Well, don't worry about that old man." Alfonzo said dismissively. "For letting all that happen to you, let him sweat a bit. Let him be unsure if you're gonna flip shit and go on a rampage in the village. For now, you can stay here for a few days until you get your head on straight. It's probably better if you're not alone for now. Don't want that Nine-Tailed Fox taking advantage of you while you're at your lowest."
Once again, Naruto nodded, feeling grateful for Alfonzo's offer.
"And when you get your thoughts in order, I'll help you control that power." Alfonzo added. "I know quite a bit about these Tailed Beasts. Probably more than anyone in your village, or any other village, knows. So, I should be able to help you a whole lot."
"Really?" Naruto asked, his eyes shining at the proposal.
"Yeah, don't want you losing it if you get too angry or depressed, after all.' Alfonzo said with a smile.
With that, Naruto lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Alfonzo's waist while thanking him repeatedly. Meanwhile, Alfonzo patted the young boy on his head while thinking to himself.
'*Sigh* I guess I need to try and talk to Kurama.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'Hopefully those [Seals] I've been researching will work the way I want them to. But they worked when I tried them on Lici. So, this shouldn't be a problem.. I hope."
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
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Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
November, x787.
After Naruto started staying in Alfonzo's residence, things did not change much. Though, the other academy kids were curious to know why he was staying there. On top of that, they wanted to know why Naruto looked so lost when he arrived after seeing the Hokage. However, none of them knew how to start the conversation.
Still, not much changed for the academy kids during the time following that day. However, their training schedule did change a bit.
Since that day, when the kids arrived, Alfonzo would start their training with basic training. Meaning, he would help them strengthen their bodies and work on their magic power control. After that, he, Wendy, and Saeko would take Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to different locations to continue their specialized training. Meanwhile, Rika would take over the other's training.
While the group was separated, Wendy would teach Sakura everything she knew about [Medical Ninjutsu]. Though, the pace at which she taught was much slower than her training under Tsunade. Still, Sakura improved a good pace.
Saeko, on the other hand, only taught Sasuke about the basics of swordsmanship. Neither his mind nor his body was ready for her more advanced techniques. However, Sasuke's Sharingan cut down the time needed to learn significantly. Though, it could not make up for the lack of experience.
Meanwhile, Alfonzo had not started training Naruto as a Jinchuriki. Instead, he tested Naruto in the use of the [Sealing Arts]. Naruto was an Uzumaki, after all. So, [Sealing] ran in his blood. And the results were quite positive. Though, he did have to help Naruto work on his penmanship.
Lastly, because of Rika's training, the other kids all improved immensely in the use of throwing weapons. Although Rika was a magic gunner, for the most part, her aim was superb, regardless of what kind of weapon she used. And with her guidance, the six kids learned everything needed to hit a target from a distance.
Other than those small changes, however, not much changed for the academy kids and the visitors from Magnolia. Until today, that is.
Today, while Wendy was working at the hospital, she walked into a patient room to see a patient who had injured their self during training. But she, and Carla, who was following her while she made her rounds, were surprised to see a familiar face.
"Ah! Miss Wendy!" A young man with bushy eyebrows and a bowl cut who wore a green spandex body suit said energetically after seeing Wendy enter the room. "Oh, and Miss Carla is with you , as well. What a pleasant surprise to see you."
This young man was Rock Lee, a member of Team Guy. Immediately, after recognizing him, Wendy could not help but blush, having remembered Lee's declaration the day they met in the Valley of the End. Meanwhile, Carla could not help but scowl, not liking the love struck look in Lee's eyes.
"Uh… Good afternoon, Lee." Wendy said in a flustered tone as she tried to regain control of her facial expression. Um… What seems to be the problem?"
"Ah! Yes! I'm sure you want to know why I'm in the hospital." Lee said while smiling brightly. "Well, during training this morning, while letting my youth explode with my teammates and Guy-Sensei, I believe I tore a muscle in my leg. And although I'm sure my youth would carry me through, Guy-Sensei told me that knowing when to rest and recover is crucial to becoming stronger."
"Well, he's not wrong." Wendy replied while shaking her head as she approached Lee's sick bed. "Allowing the body to recover properly is quite important."
By the time Wendy reached Lee's bedside, she was once again in control of her facial expression. Though, there was still a slight dusting of red on her cheeks due to Lee's fond smile. However, she put those thoughts to the back of her mind. Instead, she channeled her magic power into her hands, causing them to light up in a teal color.
"So, which leg is bothering you?" Wendy asked calmly.
"My right." Lee replied.
With that, Wendy placed her hands on Lee's right leg. Then, she let the diagnostic spell she learned from Tsunade do its work.
Meanwhile, Carla, who had only been watching the interaction between the two, could not help but deepen her scowl. The slight blush on Wendy's face was making her uncomfortable.
'No! Absolutely not!' Carla thought to herself. 'Wendy is too young for romance. I won't let her fall into this boy's clutches. Even if he seems genuine, I know he's up to something. He probably wants to get to either Ur or Master Tsunade through her. I just know it!'
While Carla was fooling herself into thinking that Lee was up to something nefarious, Wendy continued examining Lee's leg.
"Yes, it looks like you really did tear your quadricep." Wendy said in as serious tone while wearing an equally serious expression. "It looks like there is quite a bit of strain on your hamstring, as well."
Meanwhile, Lee watched Wendy's face with fascination, drawn in by her serious expression. However, when she gave her diagnosis, he snapped back to reality.
"So, it was as I expected." Lee said, sounding a bit downcast while he lowered his gaze to his lap and clenched his fists in frustration. "I guess that means I'll have to put my training on hold for a while, yes?"
"That's right." Wendy replied with a nod as she raised her head.
However, when she saw the sad expression on Lee's face, she did not know why, but she began to panic.
In fact, the reason she started to panic was simple. Ever since Lee made his declaration of love, though it did not contain the word love at all, Wendy had found herself thinking about it over and over.
As previously mentioned, Wendy had been confessed to many times in the past. She was quite cute, so that was natural. However, thanks to her instincts as a Dragon Slayer, she, like Carla, could tell that those men had ulterior motives when they declared their love for her. But her instincts did not alert her at all when Lee did the same. And that led to her thinking about him much more than she intended to.
"D-D-Don't' worry." Wendy stammered out as she subconsciously grabbed Lee's hand to comfort him. Then, at a much louder volume than intended, she continued. "I'll do my best to heal you. So, you won't have to miss too much training time. Only a day or two at most."
Immediately after her words ended, Wendy noticed that Lee's gaze was no longer focused on his lap. And when she followed Lee's line of sight, she saw that he was staring at his left hand, that she was holding tightly.
In the next instant, Wendy reddened up to her ears while her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Lee, on the other hand, was staring at his and Wendy's hands with shock written all over his face. And all though he was happy that Wendy took the initiative to hold his hand, the more surprising thing was the care she showed for him.
Because of his low amount of magic power and inability to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, Lee had been mocked as a failure. In fact, no one ever showed so much care when he hurt himself in the past. Until he met Guy, that is. Even his teammates, Neji and Tenten, had told him that he should give up on becoming a shinobi during their time in the academy. Though, Tenten was much more tactful about it than Neji, who said it as bluntly as could be. In fact, even after becoming a Genin, Neji had told him the same thing on several occasions.
But Wendy, despite having known him for less than a month, showed him such concern. And he could not understand why.
The reason for Wendy's concern was simple, however. For the last three years, she has been a member of Fairy Tail. Meaning, she has seen just how hard her guildmates work during training. Especially those in Alfonzo's inner circle. So, she could appreciate someone who worked hard to achieve their goals.
And after using her diagnosis spell on Lee's leg, despite having not seen the rest of his body. She could tell that he worked extremely hard to improve. Perhaps even as hard as Alfonzo, Elicia, and the others. And she could definitely appreciate that.
Meanwhile, Carla was getting even more irritated seeing the position Wendy and lee were in.
"Wendy, you don't have time for this." Carla said sharply. "You have a lot of other patients to see after this, remember?"
Hearing Carla's voice was enough to snap Wendy back to her senses. However, the blush on her face and ears crept down her neck, as well.
"A-A-Anyway, I can heal the torn muscle." Wendy said, beginning to stammer again. "I'll take care of all the strains, too. But you maybe should let me see the rest of your body, too. No! Wait! I didn't mean I wanted to see your body… No, wait, that sounds wrong, too! I mean, you should let me observe.--- No, check! Yes, you should let me check the rest of your body for any unknown injuries, too."
Seeing Wendy's flustered state, Lee could not help but smile warmly, which made Wendy even more embarrassed. Meanwhile, Carla's scowl deepened even further.
"A-Anyway, I'll heal the tear first." Wendy said as she looked away from Lee's eyes and focused on his leg. "After that, it will take a day or two before you can train. But at least you won't be stuck in the hospital. Then, when you're discharged, you can set up an appointment for me to see what I can do with the strain I'm sure the rest of your body has been put through."
After her initial stammering, Wendy eventually started talking so fast that Lee had to concentrate to understand everything she said. However, after she finished, he nodded his head with a smile.
"I understand, I'll make sure to schedule the appointment promptly." Lee said while his gaze was focused on Wendy's lowered face.
Although Wendy could feel Lee's gaze, she tried to put it out of her mind. Instead, she focused on healing the tear in his quadricep. And it only took a few minutes for Wendy, with her blend of the [Healing Magic] allotted to her by her [Sky Dragon Slayer Magic] and Tsunade's [Medical Ninjutsu], to heal Lee's torn muscle.
"Okay, I'm all done." Wendy said, the blush on her face having receded by quite a bit by now. "Remember, take it easy for a day or two. Otherwise, you could reinjure it again."
"Yes, I'll follow your instructions." Lee said with a nod. "And I'll make sure to schedule an appointment to see you again."
Seeing Lee's smile, Wendy's blush try to make a reappearance. However, she was able to hold it back with her will. Then, she nodded to Lee and turned around to leave. Though, she did not realize that she was walking a little faster than usual while her movements were quite stiff.
"Have a good day, Miss Wendy." Lee said energetically. "I'll see you soon."
Raising her right arm, Wendy gave a little wave. Though, she did not turn around. Meanwhile, Carla glared at Lee as hard as she could before hurrying to follow Wendy.
Eventually, when Lee could no longer hear Wendy's footsteps, he clenched his fists before thrusting them both up above his head.
"Yosh! I knew my youth would prevail!" Lee shouted happily. "Alfonzo was right. I just had to be calmer when dealing with her. I need to find a way to thank him."
"My youthful disciple!" Lee heard a familiar shout from down the hall while he was congratulating himself. "I've come to visit you! I even brought my special protein drink to help your muscle heal faster!"
"I don't know how many times we've asked you this, Guy." A stern female voice said shortly afterwards. "But please keep your voice down in the hospital."
Knowing exactly who the first shout belonged to, Lee could not help but smile.
"I can't wait to tell Guy-Sensei about what just happened." Lee said excitedly. "Maybe he'll do some laps around the village with me to help me celebrate. Oh but wait, I'm not supposed to train. I could hurt my leg again. Oh, I know! We could do those laps on our hands. That's brilliant!"
Meanwhile, Wendy, after meeting Lee, continued her work at the hospital. And although her quality of work was not affected, she could not stop thinking about their little encounter. And eventually, her shift ended and she and Carla, accompanied by Anko, went back to the residence she shared with the others from magnolia.
When Wendy, Carla, and Anko eventually arrived at the mansion, Anko excused herself as she had work to do at the T&I Department. Meanwhile, Wendy and Carla entered the house after bidding her goodbye. And when they did, they noticed that the house was empty. Realizing that the academy kids must be here already. So, Wendy and Carla quickly made their way to Wendy's room to get ready for Sakura's training in [Medical Ninjutsu].
As soon as they entered the room, Wendy was surprised when Carla closed the door behind them and looked at her with a stern expression while resting her paws on her hips.
"Carla, is something wrong?" Wendy asked in a confused tone.
"I forbid you from seeing that boy again." Carla said sharply.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Wendy asked, her confusion growing. Though, she could not help but think about Lee when Carla mentioned "that boy."
"I already told you, you're too young to start thinking about dating." Carla replied, still in that same sharp tone.
Immediately, Wendy's expression changed from confusion to anger.
"And I already told you, I'm not a kid, Carla." Wendy said, her tone turning sharp, as well. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
Taken aback by Wendy's tone, Carla's expression showed confusion for a moment. A moment later, however, her stern expression returned. But just as she opened her mouth to retort, Wendy spoke once again.
"Don't say anything, Carla." Wendy said, still speaking sharply. "Enough is enough. I know you want what's best for me, and I appreciate that, I really do. But enough is enough. You're not my guardian. In fact, I should be yours. You're only nine years old, after all."
Once again, Carla was taken aback, causing her expression to change. However, this time, Wendy did not even allow her the time to get her expression under control.
"Besides, you're being a real hypocrite right now." Wendy added. "You tell me I'm too young to be dating, but you're seeing Happy. And don't try to deny it, you all but said so yourself when we first got here. So, you don't have the right to tell me if I can date or not."
This time, Carla looked away sheepishly, feeling the tiniest bit of guilt for acting that way. Still, she wanted to say something. But once again, Wendy spoke before she could.
"You're supposed to be my partner, Carla." Wendy said. "but the way you're acting only shows that you don't trust my judgement. And, honestly, I'm getting tired of it. This isn't how partners are supposed to treat each other."
"And ignoring my advice is showing that you trust me?" Carla, finally finding the opportunity to speak, said angrily.
"You're not giving me advice, Carla." Wendy said, calming down significantly after hearing Carla's tone. "You're trying to dictate how I live my life. Not even Master Ur treats me like that. I mean, you just forbade me from seeing Lee again. Seriously, what even gives you the right?"
Hearing that, Carla opened her eyes wide in surprise. For as long as she could remember, the only thing she ever tried to do was make sure that Wendy was okay. However, she never realized how the way she acted could be seen from Wendy's perspective. On top of that, other than whining and showing some token resistance, Wendy never made her feelings on the matter known.
But when Carla took a moment to think about it, she realized that Wendy had told her how she felt numerous times. She was unable to count how many times Wendy told her that she was not a child or that she could make her own decisions. But all those times, Carla merely dismissed her complaints as a child's whining.
"And although it hurts to say this." Wendy said as she lowered her head. A moment later, however, she raised her head with a firm expression on her face. "I can't be friends with someone who wants to control all my actions."
Immediately, tears began to well up in Carla's eyes. Wendy's words had seriously hurt her. That said, because of her own hurt, Carla did not see the tears that were welling up in Wendy's eyes, as well. Instead, without a word, she turned around, opened the door, and ran away.
"Carla, wait!" Wendy said while raising her right hand in Carla's direction. trying to stop her, to no avail.
A moment later, Wendy dropped both her arm and her head as a wave of sadness washed over her. However, she decided that she would not apologize for what she said the next time she spoke to her best friend. The words she said, needed to be said, after all.
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