Unsealed Words: Sounds in Silence - Chapter 2 (Patreon)

Two weeks after learning of the jutsu hand seals, Sano thought she had a pretty solid grasp on them. Speaking/Learning sign language definitely helped with the dexterous bits, and her medics were suitably impressed with her efforts. She would find it hard to believe that they were just pretending because she was a child, either. That kind of thing was pretty easy to see through when you weren’t actually a child in mind. She didn’t need a Sharingan to see through  that kind of deception.

Speaking of!!!

She got stuck with the bug bois and not the fucking ‘do everything’ eye clan? Talk about unfairness. When learning the history of the hidden leaf with her uncle Jogan, the Uchiha and the Hyuga clan histories were taught alongside the Aburame, which was a newer clan to join into the fold.

And oh boy, did she get the short end of the stick. 

Nonetheless, she learned about the history of Madara and Hoshirama, the Hyuga, and the smaller but still notable clans like the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi. There was even a clan all about dogs! Named the Inuzuka! It was interesting for sure, so she enjoyed those sessions while they lasted. They had quickly moved onto the structure of the village, ninja ranks, missions, the government, fire daimyo, and the daily life of shinobi—basically, the day-to-day operations and what was expected from each branch of government.

Her physical therapy had been… progressing. She could say that she didn’t need help to walk to the adjoined bathroom anymore, but that was about it. Hopefully, by next month, she will be back to normal. It was the generous estimation given by one of her medics. They didn’t think it was going to happen, she could tell, but she was growing sick of staring at the same four walls and being alone with the kid without a leg. 

Not once have they spoken, not that she could speak, but the point still stands. He seemed to have given up on life, simply eating, staring, and listening to the world around him. It was sad, but he was still young. He had time to sulk. 

She sat there, practicing her signs, absolutely tunnel visioned into the process of speeding them up as fast as she could, when a shadow fell over her. Looking up, Sano looked at an absolutely bodacious pair of breasts.

“My eyes are up here, kid.” The snarky, yet humorous, female owner of the breasts said. 

A dark green kimono-styled top adorned the blonde woman standing next to her, covering a white blouse with an open neckline that showcased her impressive assets. On her forehead, a light purple rhombus stood starkly out of place.

Sano looked her up and down, then signed ‘Hello.’ 

The woman saw her sign, but ignored it, causing Sano to frown. The woman riffled through her charts like she owned the place. “Total amnesia, huh?” The woman lazily flopped her papers back down onto the side table and gave her a raised brow. “You don’t know who I am?” 

Still with a frown, Sano signed, ‘No. Should I?’

No family or friends had visited other than Jogan for the past month and a half. She figured Old-Sano would have had some friends who would have visited her in the hospital, but that didn’t seem to be the case. This woman also looked nothing like her and would have been tragically late to be a family member ‌paying her respects.

Even one leg had some family and friends visit now and then. 

“You remembered how to do your seals, though?” The woman asked, voice shifted into one of a strict doctor. 

‘No. I’m relearning. Who are you? Should I be talking to you?’ Sano signed, eyes narrowing. She lowered her hands next to the small button that would call her medics for help. 

The woman idly followed her hands with her eyes, then grinned. “Smart, but yes, you should talk to me. My name is Tsunade. I am in charge of the hospital.” Sano watched one leg actually grow interested upon hearing her name, going so far as to look over with some life in his eyes in their direction—burgeoning hope. 

That was probably a good sign.

“I am surprised that you are awake. I return to the village, get back to work, and the first thing I hear is about a girl awaking from a coma when she shouldn’t have.” The woman reached out, placing a hand on Sano’s chest, then the all too familiar Mystical Palm sunk into her, causing warmth. Slowly, Tsunade moved her hand around her body. From her arms, to her legs, then finally her head. “Hmm? You’re doing much better than expected. Your Aburame pathways are still shrinking. Do you still feel pain all over?” 

Sano nodded, with Tsunade’s hand still on her head. She signed, ‘Not as bad as before.’

“Good. Once that pain goes away, you shouldn’t be having so much trouble with physical activities. Still struggling to walk?” Tsunade’s voice was professional, but it was like she was unfocused, her eyes never left her glowing hand other than when she signed. 

‘Yes. I can go to the bathroom. Not much more.’ 

Tsunade didn’t look surprised. “That’s great. You’ll notice a drastic improvement from here on out as your pathway shrinks. Your Kikaichu's escape forcefully expanded them, and your near chakra depletion was doing you no favors. Bigger pathways mean more chakra to lose. In a coma, you can’t control your chakra, so you were barely recovering more than you were losing. Your pathways are smaller than they were at the start now. Once fully closed, you should be fully recovered.” 

Tsunade stopped her Mystical Palm and crossed her arms. “Your body is still trying to feed the Kikaichu, but there aren’t any there to feed. You’re still draining yourself. Don’t actively use your chakra, or you’ll reverse all the progress you’ve made.” 

Sano snorted, or at least tried. She couldn’t do much with her condition. ‘I don’t know how to use my chakra anyways.’ 

“I suppose not. Glad to see you’re doing well.” And with that, the bodacious blonde left and made her way over to her roomie. 

Sano continued her hand sign practice while eavesdropping on their conversation. 

“... reattach my… best in the village—no, the world!” One leg grew loud, making it easy to hear the desperation in his voice.

“... can’t…tried our best… Akimichi…. I’m sorry.” Tsunade said, calmly, professionally, and regretfully. 

One leg then raked his arms across his small table, scattering the papers, cups, his half-finished tray of food… It was a tantrum. Yet, she wouldn’t begrudge him for it. It sounded as if someone had thoroughly crushed his last ray of hope. Tsunade watched on calmly, not surprised by the outburst at all.  

Soon, a few medics came in and sedated him. Sano pretended like nothing was happening. It wasn’t her business, and it was quite tragic, all things considered. But, she got caught peeking, locking eyes with Tsunade who looked back blank faced. 

She signed nothing, and Tsunade didn’t bother acknowledging her either. She simply ignored Sano and gave some orders to the nearby medics, then left the room. 

Breaking bad news all the time must suck.

—--------------------------------------

A week later, Sano could confirm that Tsunade had been correct. Physical activities became easier and easier, at a much faster pace than before. With no medical knowledge, she didn’t really understand what her body was going through, but she could guess. If her Aburame tunnels were tubes, and they were shrinking, then the smaller they got, the less area they held. Even the most minute changes could be a dramatic shift in area, so she would grow healthier even more quickly from here on out. 

Today, she was going on a walk around the hospital with Kisaragi. The male medic had grown on her over the past few weeks. While he was a professional when he had to be, he often spoke to her like a normal person and not a child when they were just chatting. Kisaragi also taught her things about Shinobi that her uncle wouldn’t. 

Like, what was in her files. 

When it came to chakra, people had affinities for specific elements. Usually it was one element, like Wind, but occasionally people would have two, or sometimes even more! Kisaragi had told her she herself had the Earth affinity, with a very minor affinity for Water. It was in her academy files, which were free for him to peruse as her primary medic. That wasn’t to say that she couldn’t use the other elements, but she was going to struggle with them if she ever wanted to use them.

The shitty thing was that Old-Sano didn’t know any Earth or Water Jutsu. She never got that far, having focused her efforts on the Aburame Clan’s hidden jutsus exclusively.

Jutsus also had ranks, from D all the way up to S, which was somehow above A. It was rude to ask about other people's jutsu, an unwritten rule for all Shinobi, but luckily Kisaragi understood that she didn’t know any better and waved it off after informing her of that fact. 

Sano held onto her IV rack as she trudged through the hospital halls, Kisaragi by her side. ‘Is it rude to ask about specialties?’ She asked. 

Kisaragi helped her get out of the way of a rushing medic pushing a hospital bed, then flashed her a warm smile. “Nope! That would be a fairly common question. Not many people focus on specialities, but around here? Well, we’re some outliers. You can probably guess what we specialise in.” He flicked a finger upwards, and a bright blue sheen of chakra coated his finger. “Medical Jutsu—We are Iryo-nin.” 

Sano nodded, orange eyes focused on the visible, colorful blue coating Kisaragi’s finger. That wasn’t the Mystical Palm. ‘How many branches are there? Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu…?’

She still struggled with signing the specific names of the classification of jutsu, but Kisaragi had been around her enough to understand what she was trying to say. “Watch my hands.” He said, then slowly signed out the names as he spoke them, to teach their signs to her. “Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Fuinjutsu, Bukijutsu, Hiden Jutsu…” He winked at her for that one, “... and Medical-Jutsu. There are some others, but those are the important ones.”

Sano carefully watched his hands, trying her best to remember the signs. ‘Could any of those let me speak again?’ 

Kisaragi opened his mouth to reply, but paused. A thoughtful look overtaking his features. “I… I suppose you could ‘talk’” He air quoted, “with some of them. Genjutsu or Fujinjutsu would be my first thought. Both fields of study are extremely difficult, though. Both require excellent chakra control. You could use Genjutsu to make people hear your voice, even if you wouldn’t be speaking, or Fuinjutsu to play spoken phrases from seals…?” 

He finished, sounding unsure. “I am not an expert in those fields by any means. Although I am confident someone could use Genjutsu to ‘speak’.” 

Seeing a chance to speak, or just let people hear what she had to say, was enough motivation for her. ‘How do you learn Genjutsu? Can you learn at the academy?’

Kisaragi’s smile turned brittle. “Well… You would be taught the theory. How to free yourself from a Genjutsu and the gist of Genjutsu, but they wouldn’t teach you how to create them. When I mentioned chakra control, I wasn’t joking. You need a high level of control to even get the basics. Your time in the academy is much better spent learning ninjutsu and taijutsu, as those are much easier to learn.” 

Sano frowned, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. ‘So, I wouldn’t learn how to speak? Do they teach Fuinjutsu, then?’ 

“Absolutely not.” Kisaragi struck down that thought immediately. ‘Fuinjustu is dangerous. You can kill yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing.” 

Sano stopped, causing Kisaragi to stutter in his steps. He signed quickly, frustration clear. ‘So, what?! How do I learn then?’

He looked at her sadly, then turned his head to look at the surrounding people. They’d made it to a waiting room, and were getting stares. “You should bring this up with Jogan-san. He may help you when the academy cannot.” 

Sano frowned, then jerked her IV rack back in the opposite direction. ‘I don’t want to talk anymore.’ 

—--------------

‘Uncle, can you teach me Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu?’ Sano signed the moment Jogan sat down for their lessons that same day. She had spent the entire day after the walk through the hospital practicing her calligraphy. By now, she could understand the grammar rules for Japanese, yet she still needed to shore up her vocabulary and work on the written characters. Most of her words ended up squiggly. 

Her uncle scanned the scroll she’d been writing in, eyes landing on her diligent, if shoddy, practice. He said nothing, just stared at her scroll and flicked his eyes to her occasionally. On the best of days, he was hard to read. He was doubling down on it now. “I thought you wanted to learn Ninjutsu.”

‘I do, but if I learn Genjutsu or Fuinjutsu, I can speak again!” She signed eagerly and quickly, her bright eyes matching his dark brown, radiating her want.

He leaned down, elbows on his knees, and focused his attention on her. From this angle, she could see his sharp, angular mouth—now unhidden by his everyday trench coat. A small… bug crawled out from the corner of his lips, then scurried down and out of sight near his neck. “I can teach you the basics of Genjutsu, and I mean the very basics. Your best bet would be to talk to an Uchiha, as we don’t really have a Genjutsu specialist in the village.” 

That… was disappointing news. She knew Genjutsu was uncommon, but nobody specialized in it? That was hard to believe. Seeing her skepticism, Jogan continued. “They died, Sano.” 

Ah, right… The 2nd Great Shinobi War had just ended. The casualties sounded catastrophic. Even just spending time in the hospital and watching all the busy-bodied medics put that into perspective. Hell, her entire team died. They were in the recovery stage now—postwar recovery.

Shaking her head, she then signed, ‘What about Fuinjutsu?’

The barest of cracks in her uncle's face let her know that she had asked something she shouldn’t have. “The Uzumaki were the forerunners of Fuinjutsu for the Hidden Leaf. Their village was destroyed a few months ago. Genocide.” 

Sano shuffled uncomfortably, causing the sheets of her hospital bed and her flimsy gown to crumple. 

“I could find you some lessons. The Weapon Supply Division is always looking for more people to learn. If I am being perfectly honest, it would be a little more than the basics, and wouldn’t take you very far.” He sighed and tore his goggles off of his head. 

Jogan looked run down… tired. “We—I need to talk to you about the clan.”

‘Okay.’ Sano signed, a pit forming in her stomach. This didn’t sound like it would be good news. 

“You can’t live in the compound.” 

While that sounded bad, she didn’t really have enough context. ‘Is that bad?’ 

Jogan shook his head. “It’s not bad. It’s just—You are a part of the Aburame, that is not in question. But, being a failed host has unfortunate consequences. The hives will not tolerate your presence.”

Sano saw the moment where he understood that she still didn’t have context. “Long story short, you will have your own place to stay in the village. Paid for by the clan until you graduate again. You will be able to visit the clan compound for short stints, but you can’t stay.” 

During her entire time since waking, she had given little thought to where she would stay after. She had assumed she would be staying with Jugan, as he was her relative and member of the same clan. If she had parents, they would have shown up by now. He never outright said that her parents died, but she could tell. Any loving family would visit their child in the hospital. 

It wouldn’t be a bad thing to live on her own. Yes, she was eight, but she’d lived by herself back on—or did she? She blinked rapidly, shaking her head to clear her befuddled thoughts. Nearly every time she tried to think about her life on Earth, she blanked. She knew things, that wasn’t in question, but for things about her personally? Then it got muddy. 

‘That’s okay. I understand.’ She eventually signed, putting a smile back on to reassure Jogan. 

Jogan released a held breath, and gave the slimmest of smiles in return. It looked like he’d dreaded this conversation, and it went better than he could have expected. ‘Good. That’s good…” He sat back straight, combed a hand through his unruly hair, then got to the meat of today's meeting. 

More lessons! 

—--------------------

Three weeks later, and she’d shown her mettle. Today was the day of freedom! Honestly, she felt like she could have left the week prior, but apparently the ‘I am feeling fine’ from Earth and the ‘I am feeling fine’ in this new world were two different things. She felt absolutely, positively, outright fantastic.

Maybe it was her age, or maybe it was just some unknown difference between the worlds. She didn’t know, but she felt like she could run a marathon. In every way, shape, and form, she felt like more. It was different from anything she had ever felt like back on Earth. 

That’s including exiting a coma and being semi bedridden for weeks. Like, she knew she was a whole new person, but she didn’t think it would be like this! Now, she felt it. What would she feel like a month from now? Two months? Only time would tell, and she was excited to experience it. 

Currently, she was pacing back and forth in her room, waiting for Jogan to pick her up. He said he’d bring her some clothes to wear, and she didn’t feel like finding her new home in a village she’s never walked through before in a hospital gown. She’d wait. She’s waited for two months now, a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. 

When Jogan finally arrived, it took everything in her power not to sprint over and topple the man. She was ready to leave. His eyes crinkled in joy as she nearly skidded to a stop in front of him. Suddenly, a poof of smoke appeared above his hands, and in its place, a pile of folded clothes and some sandals rested in his grip.

Without a sign, she snatched them up and skedaddled over into the bathroom to change. Once dressed, she looked at herself in the small mirror placed above the sink. 

She looked young, as expected, with a sharp jawline and bright fierce looking orange eyes. Her hair was black. The clothes Jogan handed her fit well, possibly even belonging to her at some point. Like her uncle, she wore a trench coat—tan with a tall collar that would shield her face. A simple pair of dark black, slim-fitting pants hugged her legs with no excess fabric. Beneath the trench coat, she wore a plain dark green t-shirt, visible because she hadn’t bothered buttoning up the coat to cover her face.

When she strode out of the bathroom, Jogan gave her a quick once over and nodded, eyes still crinkled in joy. “Ready to go?” 

‘Yes!’ 

Jogan didn’t feel like an uncle, he felt like a friend. Just by looking at him, he looked to be around twenty-five years old. She remembered how old she used to be, twenty-two, so friends felt more apt. 

Exiting the hospital wasn’t as simple as walking right out the door. She had to file some discharge papers, go through a security checkpoint, and collect the belongings she entered the hospital with. It wasn’t much, simply a slightly bloodied thigh pouch filled with three kunai and seven shuriken, some combat boots, and a headband with the symbol of the village etched into the front metal plate. Her old clothes must have been deemed ruined. 

“Ready?” Jogan asked, looking down at her by her side. 

She nodded, a childish smile plastered and stuck on her face. She felt like a child now, with how giddy she felt. Finally, she could see her new home—literally and figuratively. 

As she stepped out of the Konoha Hospital, the cool evening air greeted her, carrying the faint scent of fresh earth and pine. The sun, now low on the horizon, painted the sky in shades of soft orange and purple, casting long shadows across the village. She paused for a moment, taking in the sight.

The streets of Konohagakure stretched out before her, bustling with activity as the day's last light flickered over the buildings. Lanterns, though not yet lit, stood ready to illuminate the pathways as night began to creep in. The distant hum from the market and the beats of conversation from the nearby shops gave the village an almost peaceful energy, despite its usual bustle.

The rooftops of the houses, clustered together like a patchwork quilt, seemed to glow with a gentle warmth, reflecting the dying rays of sunlight. The fabled Hokage Mountain loomed in the distance, the faces of the three Hokage carved into stone, watching over the village like silent guardians. She could hear the faint murmur of the village’s heartbeat—the sound of life that never truly stopped.

Her eyes scanned the streets, catching sight of children laughing as they chased each other, and vendors packing away their goods, already preparing for the quieter evening.

For the first time, it all felt real—this place, this village. The promise of a home. With the setting sun casting its final golden rays across the village, she felt the weight of the moment settle over her. She was here, in Konohagakure, a place teeming with activity.

As the wind rustled through the nearby trees, she pulled her collar higher, her thoughts lost in the beauty of this unfamiliar new world. The village at dusk felt like a new beginning, and she was prepared to give it her all.

Jogan’s gentle shoulder grasp knocked her out of her revelry. He gave her a slight push to get going, then walked off ahead to lead the way. They walked through winding down streets, weaving their way deeper into the fold of village life. After ten minutes of wandering, watching, and experiencing the outside for the first time, they arrived at a tall apartment complex. It wasn’t anything fancy. It looked simple, functional, and cheap. That’s not to say it was dirty, as it looked like a fine place to live.

Her room was on the third floor, the highest floor. It was also the closest to the nearby staircase. Jogan fished out a simple key and handed it over to her, alongside a metal keyring with… paper attached. 

‘Is this what we were working on?’ Sano signed, before grabbing said key and keyring. Before even opening the door, she flicked through the attached paper looped through the keyring itself. On the sturdy slips, simple phrases were written in orderly Kanji. ‘Hello!’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Sorry!’ ‘No.’ Lots of simple phrases for everyday life. 

The very first one in the long curved stack was, ‘I cannot speak.’ The second was, ‘War Injury’, which sounded a little dramatic. 

Jogan gently cleared his throat, hand held up to his face as he side eyed her. She sheepishly strode forward, head down and slightly embarrassed, to open the door. 

As she stepped inside her new home, the first thing she noticed was the floor. It was made up of simple, polished wood, its surface smooth but well-worn from years of prior use. The apartment was a single room, and in the far corner, a small futon was rolled up and tucked up against the wall. A colorful quilt was draped over its side, offering comfort on chilly nights. 

To the left, a small kitchen area was nestled up against the wall, complete with a basic stove and functional metal sink. A few common utensils and cooking pots were hung neatly on a small rack up above. The faint hum of the nearby refrigerator was a reminder of the modern conveniences that Konoha had embraced, even when everything was eerily rustic. 

Off near the futon, a narrow window offered a view of the village rooftops, where the shadows of buildings and the faint glow of freshly lit lanterns filled the air. The occasional rustle of leaves from nearby trees added a gentle, natural, and pleasant soundscape to the room. From the window, she could even make out the Hokage’s Monument! 

Off to the side, a small wooden wardrobe lay open, emptied of contents. By its side, a cramped two person table was pushed up against the plastered walls, barely having the room to fit the two wooden chairs accompanying it.

Lastly, in the center of the room, a large hand-made rug laid neatly, brightening up the otherwise neutral tones of the apartment. 

“It’s not much, but it should be sufficient.’ Jogan idly commented by her side, gazing about the layout alongside her. 

‘It’s perfect.’ She signed, more than happy with this setup. 

Jogan pulled out one of the chairs settled up against the small table, and turned it around to sit down. “You’ll have to go shopping tomorrow for the essentials. Food, toothbrush, toothpaste, all of that. The day after that… Well, I hope you’re ready to do the academy all over again.” 

Sano whipped her head around so fast the momentum caused her hair to slap her in the face. ‘So soon?!’ 

Jogan nodded. “You’re lucky you got out as early as you did. New classes start every two months.” 

Without thinking, she ran over and hugged him, arms thrown over his shoulders as she did a happy jig. If she could squeal, she would have. 

Once she broke away, she signed her thanks, which Jogan waved away, embarrassment oozing off him like a sickly scent. “My brother would have killed me if I had done anything less for you. You don’t remember him, but he was so very proud of you.”

Sano didn’t remember him, that was true, but Jogan did. He stared out the window, gazing about the landscape of the village wistfully. She strode in between his sight and held up her hands, plain to see.

‘He would be proud of you, too. Thank you for taking care of me.’