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Nat's design (I drew her myself!)
"Kuina, you've gotta look after yourself better." I stick some medical tape over the patch I fastened to her cheek, "I know," She sighs, "What's up? I know that look on your face." I sit back down on my father's seat, "There's this new kid that came to the dojo, I'm pretty sure he's one year older than you and he just won't give up." She bunches up her fist, "Don't tell me that idiot's running his mouth saying that he's gonna be the greatest swordsman or something." I click the medical box shut and slide it back onto the shelf, "How'd you know." She says and the two of us laugh, "Come on, let's go it's still light out, let's go play." She smiles, I nod. The two of us walk out, "You know you ought to teach me how to swing a sword or something, don't take this the wrong way but I'm almost jealous, you're so much stronger than me and you seem to have a lot more fun than I do." I rest my hands behind my head and look up at the blue sky, I suddenly feel a slap to the back of my head, "OW!" I hold my head, "What was that for?!" I turn around at her, jabbing my finger towards her, "Now you listen to me Nat! You're stronger than anyone in this village you hear me!" She shouts back, "Kuina..." I look at her, "Who does everyone go to when they're sick in this village huh?! Look, ever since... your father passed away a year ago, you've got no one left to look after you, your mother left you before you even knew it to go become a pirate. YOU'RE THE BEST MEDIC THIS VILLAGE'S EVER SEEN!" She grabs my shoulders and I saw tears pooling in her eyes, "Kuina..." I look at her, "I swear by my Wado Ichimonji, I'll use it to protect you if only you keep protecting me too." She holds her pinky out, I smile, "I promise." I hook my pinky with hers, the two of us smile, "The unbeatable duo, with patches and swords." I giggle.
"Mr. Koushirou?" I poke my head into the dojo, "Oh Nat, are you looking for Kuina?" He smiles and lets me in, I slide my sandals off, "Oh no, I'm here to drop off the ointment you asked for, I finished mulling it this morning." I hold up the sage green jar, "Oh you're a dear, would you like to come in, Kuina's just about to have a duel if you'd like to watch." He smiles and I go on my tiptoes to pass him the jar, "Oh yes please, I haven't seen her duel in a while." I nod, he nods and the two of us walk into the open room, I shut the sliding door behind me and sit on the ground, "Oh wow..." I saw a bunch of the small boys blush, I furrow my brows, "Nat!" Kuina looks at me, "Hi, I thought I'd pop in when I dropped off your ointment." I wave, "Alright, let us begin." Mr. Koushirou says, I saw a boy with green hair holding at least nine bamboo swords, I giggled, "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT!" He tries to shout at me but it was muffled and barely audible, "Bow before the Gods." Mr Koushirou says and the three of them bow at the alter, I saw the green haired kid drop a sword from his mouth, "What do you think he's doing, he's crazy." I inch closer. to the other kids and whisper to them, they back up tremendous amounts and their faces were bright red, "Geez, alright." I furrow my brows and sit back down against the wall, "Now bow to each other." He says, the kid bows at Kuina and drops another sword, I snicker and hold back a laugh, I heard him growl at me, "Begin!" Kuina brings her sword down but he blocks it, my eyes widen slightly impressed, however she goes for her second strike and he was defeated, "Arghh!" He falls back, "Damn it!" He grabs two swords, Kuina and her father were both slightly taken aback, "So. Have you studies two sword style technique before?" She asks, "No way! This is the first time I've ever even held a bamboo sword!" He grits his teeth, "Oh, is that so?" Mr Koushirou looks at him, "I REFUSE!" He charges at Kuina only for her to slam the sword in his face and he finally falls down, properly defeated, "Oh my God!" I shoot up from my seat and run over to him, "Has he ever heard of dodging?" One of the kids sweatdrop, "This match, is over." Mr Koushirou draws his hand down, "He's like a boar," Kuina drops the sword back in the barrel, "Kuina." Her father looks at her, "He's an amateur, ten years too early to even start the two sword style." She looks at him, I roll him on his back, "Come on big shot, it almost makes me laugh that you thought you could just beat Kuina in a simple duel, sorry but you need to train harder." I cross my legs and look at him, I saw him grit his teeth tighter, "You bitter? We can go another round." She stares down at him condescendingly, "Kuina. Stop." I look at up her, "A loss is a loss! And now I'll be a student here! You got a problem with that!" He yells at the sensei, "Not at all." He shakes his head, "Let's go, want to get some yakimochi?" She holds her hand out, I take it and she pulls me up, "Yeah but I gotta look after Marimo here first." I jab my thumb at the boy, "WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!" He jumps on his feet, he wasn't taller than me so I took this to my advantage, "Come on Chibi-chan. Let's get you to the doctor's practice, I'll even let you choose your favourite lollypop." I grin, Kuina and all the other boys snicker lightly, "I'M NOT A LIL' KID! HOW OLD ARE YOU ANYWAY TO BE A MEDIC!" He shouts, "I'm seven." I say calmly, he laughs, "Seven and you're a medic!" He holds his stomach and bawls with laughter, "I'm seven and I've saved at least thirty lives on this island. So do you want to get that stinging sensation off your face or so you want to keep it and have a nasty bar shaped bruise on your face." I look down my nose at him, he grumbles and stops laughing, "That's what I thought." I grab his wrist and pull him out of the dojo.
"What's your name anyway and how old are you?" I swivel around in my chair and grab a jar of ointment and a few bandages, spinning and pushing the chair back to him, "Zoro. Roronoa Zoro and I'm eight." He frowns, "You know, you're older than me but you still act younger than me." I smile lightly and dip my finger in the jar, "Do you finally get what I mean by annoying." Kuina walks in, "HEY!" Zoro yells at her, "Close your eyes, if it gets in, it might sting." I stand up while he sits on the bed, I slather a light coating of the cream coloured ointment, "It's cold!" He whines, "Just shut up will you. it's doing you more good than harm." I wipe the excess off on my skirt and unfold the long gauze dressing, "This is going to be and look awkward, sorry Zoro." I snicker as I place the patch vertically down his face and use small pieces of medical tape to stick it in place, Kuina snorts as she hides her laugh, I lick my lips and bite the inside of them to try not to tilt a smile on my face, "I look like an idiot don't I." He frowns, "You can lay down here if you'd like, I have a spare bed as well. You're welcome to stay." I offer, "Nat! But he's a boy, are you sure?" Kuina asks, "I'm sure, besides, if anything happens I'll call you straight away!" I wink and wag my finger.
- Six Months Later -
"Zoro! I'm home!" I shut the door with the hell of my foot, "Oh God. It doesn't get easier." I drop all the bags of groceries on the table and slump against the door, I grab my shoulder and roll them to loosen the tension in them, "Zoro?" I ask, I walk to the dojo, "Have you seen Zoro?" I ask the boys, they all blush and frantically point at the river, "Thanks." I saw Kuina standing near a tree looking down at him, "Look at that idiot." She says as we see him holding a boulder with just his teeth, "I swear, I'm a doctor, not a dentist. If he chips his teeth, it's his funeral." I sigh.
- One Year Later -
I was at the dojo treating some of the adults Zoro beat in a fight, everyone was shocked at his exponential improvement, even some of the adults were afraid of him now, "Ooh! Ow!" One of them whines at the stinging feeling, "Suck it up before I punch you unconscious." I look at him, he gulps and complies without a fight.
- One and a Half Years Later -
I clap as Kuina beats the duel again, "Good job Kuina, good job Zoro." I clap, "You're still weak Zoro, nothing ever changes. You know, for a boy. You're pathetic." She points the bamboo sword at his face, "But Zoro isn't weak at all, he's one of the strongest out of all the guys. He's even beaten grownups." The boys whisper, "But! He's nowhere as strong as me. Even with two swords a weakling is still a weakling." Kuina butts into their conversation, "You losers ought to do good with that and keep quiet. Your howling makes you look even more pitiful than you already are." She walks out of the dojo, "Excuse me." I bow at Mr Koushirou and walk out after Kuina. "Are you okay?" I saw her standing at the corner, we saw Zoro walk out, he was washing his face after the duel, "Why can't I beat Kuina! Why? Why? Why! I'm gonna be the strongest swordsman in the world! That's it, tonight I'm gonna fight her again." He wipes his nose.
I was preparing dinner, it wasn't anything spectacular but it was edible, "Zor! I've made dinner!" I call up, I hear thumping and a final thud when he hands on the floor, "Dumbass Marimo, not even a thank you." I growl at him, holding the plate above my head so he couldn't grab it, "Hey! Gimme!" He tries to jump up and grab the plate, he tries to climb me to get to the plate but I felt him grab the part of my shirt on my chest as he scrambles to grab the plate, "YOU FRIGGIN PERV!" I scream and drop the plate on him.
I was in my room, flipping through the encyclopedia of the human body, trying to learn as much as I could when I heard my door open, I saw Kuina with dull eyes, "What happened?" I shut my book, she walks over and flops on my bed, "It's not fair." She cries, I sit next to her and I pat her back, I feel her wrap her arms around my waist and pull herself onto my lap, "What the hell are you a caterpillar?" I joke, "My father said he won't inherit the dojo to me, that I'll never be the best swordsman, that I can never do what a boy can all because I'm a girl." She chokes and sobs, I frown, "What the hell, that's stupid and sexist." I shake my head, "Right! I don't understand! Why was I born a girl!" She cries, my eyes widen, "Kuina, you're my best friend. I think it's stupid you should say such a thing. Yeah sure, boys are physically stronger than us when they grow up but who cares. That'll only make it that much better when you're the best swordsman in the world, show them all that we girls can do just that too. We might need to work harder but it'll just add that grain of salt to all the stupid boys who think they're better than us." I knock her head, she stops crying and looks at me, "Nat..." Her lip trembles, "Thank you!" She hugs me and lets her final tears run down her cheeks, I smile, "What are best friends for right?" I smile and hug her tightly back, resting my chin on her shoulder.
