Chapter 234: Go Ahead, I Can Endure It
Kitahara Kaede dashed to Terumi Mei’s side.
*What happened?*
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. In the previous moments, the Fuguki Suikazan had clearly been pushed back; he had been on the verge of collapse. Given Mei’s strength, how could she have been hit by a projectile of that caliber?
It didn’t make sense.
Just as Kaede was about to speak, Mei lifted her head. Her lips were pale, and she looked disheveled and fragile.
"I’m sorry..."
The words Kaede had been about to utter died in his throat. In her current state, wounded and shaken, it felt inappropriate to press her on why she had slipped up.
"It’s alright," Kaede said, his tone softening. "I was too eager to attack. I didn’t protect you well enough."
At those words, Mei’s downcast eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
*He’s taking the blame for me?*
*He really... does care about me.*
An indescribable joy welled up from the depths of her heart. She struggled to maintain her composure, biting her lower lip hard, using the sharp sting of pain to suppress the smile threatening to break through. When she looked up again, her expression of weakness seemed even more pronounced.
"Don’t say that... The mission failed. Let’s head back to the village," she whispered. She braced her left hand against the ground, attempting to stand on her own. However, the movement tugged at the wound in her right arm, and the blood began to flow more urgently.
Quick as a flash, Kaede reached out and pressed his hand onto her shoulder, pinning her back to the ground.
"Don’t move," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "The hairpin is still embedded in the flesh. If you try to walk back like this, you could cause permanent damage to your arm."
Mei settled back down under his pressure, her face clouded with a mix of hesitation and helplessness. "But... I don’t know any medical ninjutsu."
In truth, after recovering her memories, Mei had studied medical treatment and had already planned how to fade the resulting scar. But in this moment, she didn’t want to treat herself. For a fleeting second, she even thought that having a scar wouldn’t be so bad—a permanent reminder of the injury she had sustained to keep him by her side.
But she quickly suppressed the thought. *What if it looks ugly? What if, in the future, he looks at this scar and feels annoyance rather than heartache?*
Kaede didn’t overthink it. He reached for the ninja tool pouch at his thigh.
"I have hemostatic powder and bandages, but for a penetrating wound like this, pulling the needle before applying medicine will be very painful." He produced a small vial and a roll of gauze, looking her in the eye. "It’s far more painful than medical ninjutsu. Can you handle it?"
Looking at his earnest expression, Mei answered without a moment’s hesitation.
"Go ahead. I can endure it."
Kaede shifted forward, closing the distance between them. He first used a kunai to carefully cut through the blood-soaked fabric of her sleeve, exposing the entry point of the hairpin. The area around the wound had already begun to swell. The pin was lodged deep; even the slightest tremor caused fresh blood to seep out.
Kaede’s frown deepened. "I’ll count to three. I’ll pull it out quickly, so just bear with it."
He gripped the end of the hairpin with one hand and stabilized her forearm with the other. Just as he was about to apply force, Mei suddenly spoke.
"Wait..."
Kaede paused and turned to look at her. Mei’s eyes were darting away, unable to bring herself to look at the wound.
"I’m a bit... afraid to look," she whispered. "Could I... not watch?"
Kaede found the request reasonable. No matter how strong a shinobi was, it didn’t mean they were immune to the visceral reaction of being injured.
"Fine. Turn your head away."
But in the next second, Mei didn’t turn her head. Instead, she leaned forward, resting her forehead and cheek lightly against Kaede’s shoulder.
Kaede froze for a heartbeat. He could feel the weight of her against him, accompanied by the faint, delicate scent of her skin. He had never imagined that her request "not to look" would involve this.
***
Instinctively, Kaede wanted to pull back. But at that exact moment, Mei closed her eyes and spoke against his shoulder.
"Start now."
The request trapped him in place. She was injured; if he pulled away abruptly, he risked jarring the wound and making it worse. With a focused effort, Kaede forced his attention back to the injury.
He gripped the hairpin, confirmed the angle, and with a sudden, sharp flick of his wrist, yanked it out. A line of blood sprayed across the air.
"Ngh..."
Mei let out a soft moan of pain, her body shuddering visibly. The pain surged from her arm through her entire frame, and a cold sweat broke out almost instantly. Yet, she didn’t pull away. She kept her cheek pressed to his shoulder, her senses filled with his scent.
Strangely, this numbing pain brought with it an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Kaede tossed the hairpin aside and reached for the medicine. "The powder will hurt even more. Get ready."
Still leaning on him, Mei gave a soft, breathy affirmation. "Mm."
The warmth of her breath brushed against Kaede’s arm, causing his movements to lag for a split second. He felt completely out of his element. This position was too intimate—it had crossed the boundary of normal comrades on a mission. And yet, he couldn’t say a word.
Gritting his teeth, Kaede poured the medicinal powder directly onto the wound.
The moment the powder touched the raw flesh, Mei gasped sharply. Her left hand instinctively gripped the fabric at Kaede’s waist, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
Kaede stiffened again. He could feel her hurried, ragged breathing against his skin. The soft, fleeting touch of her face against his neck sent his own heart skipping a beat. He was rarely one to lose control, but right now, with a wounded Terumi Mei clinging to him, his rhythm was completely shattered.
He forced himself to stop thinking about anything unnecessary. He quickened his pace, rubbing the powder in and wrapping the bandage around her arm in neat, firm loops.
Mei never loosened her grip on his clothes. Her breathing grew more erratic. The pain was real, but as she pressed against his neck, she found she couldn’t bring herself to let go.
Once the final knot of the bandage was tied and he was certain the bleeding had stopped, Kaede finally released her.
"There. It’s done."
As he spoke the words, he felt a wave of relief. Only then did Mei slowly pull away from his shoulder. She lifted her face; her eyes were rimmed with red, and fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead.
"Thank you."
Kaede stood up, subconsciously touching the side of his neck where she had been buried. His fingertips brushed against a spot of dampness.
He paused. *Did she... cry?*
Looking at Mei’s pale face, he decided not to ask. Bringing it up would only make the situation more awkward. He averted his gaze.
"It was nothing. Fuguki Suikazan got away, so let’s get back to the village."
Mei looked up at him, her expression unnervingly docile. Kaede tucked the medicine back into his pouch and added, "This was just emergency first aid. You’ll still need a proper check-up at the hospital once we’re back."
Mei nodded gently. She quickly lowered her head, using the deepening twilight to hide the heat rising in her cheeks.
Kaede didn’t know.
That small spot of dampness on his neck hadn’t been a tear. It was a secret kiss she had stolen in a moment of pain-induced abandon.
Kaede glanced at her bandaged arm. "Can you walk?"
Mei looked up and gave him a soft, lingering smile. "I can. Just walk a little slower for me."