Red Nara

- A man in his thirties with clan insignia on his face said sarcastically, jumping to the ground, "It's okay, Ruri-chan, it's a guest.

- Yes, Tsume-chan sent me an invitation, and without an escort because I've been to your place many times and I know the way to the chapter house very well," he smiled at the girl, "and earlier I was just joking.

- Tsume...chan? - I literally saw the question mark over the bowed head of the kunoichi.

- Ryo Nara, the young head's teammate," the chunin introduced me with a sigh.

- Ryo Nara, that's the one?! - The girl rounded her mouth, clenching her clenched fists to her chest in a burst of emotion.

The dog hid his eyes with his paw, and I felt the impending storm of excitement in my ass and realized that it was time to get to my feet before she recovered from the shock.

- Takeshi-san, take care of this for me, or Tsume's probably waiting for me," I clapped the man on the shoulder and without waiting for an answer, I took off, "Shunshin!

I took a breath, adjusted my clothes, and knocked on the door. Because of the clan's specialization, most of the shinobi's houses were made of stone or wood with regular doors, not the paper walls and sliding panels that Nara or Senju preferred. Their keen hearing and excellent sense of smell are sometimes an inconvenience as well.

- Ryo? - My partner opened the door in person. - Come in.

- Hey, what happened that you decided to send Kuromaru with a message? - Asked Tsume, entering the house following her.

- She didn't want to go to the hospital," the kunoichi grimaced, "especially since To-san's death, she's been in a bad way, so I thought I'd be on the safe side. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important.

- I was just getting ready for tomorrow's mission, but it can wait," he dismissed the question out of politeness.

Tsume didn't even notice my impeccable appearance, although she would have noticed it earlier, but she was worried. I decided that it would be easier to deal with the case and then try to have a normal conversation, so I got down to business.

- So, where's the patient?

- She's in her room. Come on, I'll walk you in," she grabbed my sleeve and dragged me behind her.

- Hey, Tsume, take it easy! - I exclaimed, feeling the expensive fabric crackle threateningly.

- Musume? - came a faint voice from the back of the room as my partner noisily swung open the door of the first-floor bedroom and dragged me in.

- Ka-chan, I brought Ryo-kun, he'll have you back on your feet in no time," the girl announced.

- Tsume-chan, I told you it's just a weakness and it'll pass," the older Inuzuka sighed a little irritably.

But she didn't look too good, her pale appearance, the circles under her eyes, and her gaunt face signaled that she needed to see a doctor right away, rather than waiting for it to pass, as many shinobi liked to do.

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