Paradise Found

CHAPTER 12

Chapter 12
A/N – Introducing…*drum roll*… Kyohei's ANBU squad! Nara Takamori, Hyuuga Shige, and Kido Yui! You may also ask them questions on Kyohei and Kimari's Tumblr blog :)

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"C'mon, Kimari, we don't have all day!" Hana sang merrily as she entered the examination room of the clinic, her cheery tone carrying the subtle hint of an underlying threat to it.

I glared down at my notes in frustration, silently willing my eyes and right hand to move a little faster in order to comply with Hana's request.

But I couldn't help it, I was still a slow reader and my writing skills were still shaky. I was much better than I had been before and even checked all the boxes for literacy now, but I moved at a snail's pace. To have my sister-in-law breathing down my neck didn't make things any better.

"You have five more exams to run through. I'll need you to do mine as well; I have to leave to help Takeo and Mimi. It's time." She explained quickly, packing a few things into a tote to take with her.

My head perked up from my notes at her words.

"Oh, good!" I exclaimed, my frustrations with pen and paper now forgotten completely. "I hope it goes well. I'll finish up your work here, don't worry. Let me know if you need anything else."

She gave a grateful nod and was gone not long after. This was a good thing, it meant that Takeo's ninken partner was getting ready to deliver her litter of pups. There had been some complications, and I was glad that Hana would be able to be there to help and lend her expertise.

Even after a few weeks of working with Hana in the clinic and kennels, I was

still astounded at just how deep her knowledge of the medical and veterinary sciences went. She could very well have been considered a genius in her own right, and the fact that she was also a formidable kunoichi was astounding to think about. She was a driven woman, and one that I looked up to.

I turned back to my notes after watching her leave, scribbling in messy kanji that I was still perfecting to take down the details of my last exam. Hana now let me conduct all of the first rounds of examinations before she came to do the actual check-up, and I wanted to make sure all the notes were perfect for her when she got back.

The exams were simple, just a standard wellness exam before Hana came in to see to whatever problem had brought an animal to her clinic.

I snapped my journal shut upon finishing, calling for the next animal to be brought in. It was a ninken-kunoichi duo this time, and her ninken partner looked to be limping somewhat.

"Oh, you're Kimari, right?" The woman said with a small grin, and I racked my brain trying to remember what her name might be. It was a familiar face, but I couldn't quite remember the name that accompanied it. "I'm Harumi, we met at the party. This is Hatsumomo. She's got a sprain, I think."

"Ah, that's right. Forgive me, I'm still putting names to faces here." I replied sheepishly, pulling out all the tools needed for the wellness exam and placing them on the table.

"Don't worry about it!" She assured me with a strong laugh, clapping my back as she passed by me to help Hatsumomo onto the exam table. I nearly fell off my seat at the force of the contact. "How're things going for you? Are you liking the work here with Hana? Speaking of, where is she?"

"I'm settling in well, thank you for asking. I like the work quite a bit!" I replied politely, which she seemed to think was funny for whatever reason. "And Hana should be back in a few hours, she's helping Takeo and Mimi. Are you ready to get started, Hatsumomo?"