Nanoha

Goodwind Elite Ninja Nova Culinary & Pastry Master Certification

Household cleaning, home organization, and dessert making

Gathering intelligence, investigating ██, and neutralizing ██

Participated in a total of █ missions while employed at Goodwind Homecare. Average enemies defeated per mission: █ Average assists per mission: █ Overall contribution: █

Hone my skills and find ██.

Her vibe is...complicated. —Amber

Date Archived: Monolith Calendar Year █, █ Month, █ Day Belonging to: Shadow Ninja ██ (MIA) Condition: Partially Damaged Confidentiality Level: 3

The sketch appears to be the work of a child, based on its style. Its significance is currently unclear, archived for safekeeping. —Goodwind Homecare Archives

There was so much to take care of: preparing the ingredients, cleaning and setting up the dining area... Every little detail had to be perfect. The dough had to rise for just the right amount of time. Not a speck of dust should be found between the tiles. The tables had to be evenly spaced. The couch pillows needed to be fluffed up. All these little details were to ensure the best guest experience. Now everything was in place, she allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief, and then carefully placed the freshly cut sunflowers into the tall vase on the counter.

It was still early spring, with a lingering chill in the air. Droplets of water clung to the sunflower petals, quivering as if they might fall at any moment. Nanoha slipped off her gloves and lightly brushed them, feeling the coolness seep into her fingertips. For a moment, an unsettling sense of familiarity washed over her. For a ninja, "déjà vu" was a dangerous feeling. She needed to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. But for now, she chose to let it go. There were more pressing matters at hand.

As the morning mist began to lift, Nanoha pushed open the door. The wind and sunlight brushed past her as she flipped the wooden sign from "Closed" to "Open." "...Will anyone actually show up?" She couldn't help but feel a little nervous, as if she was sent back in time, to the very day of her junior ninja exam. She had waited all day, from sunrise to sunset, thinking it was some sort of special patient test. It was only later that she found out the Elite Ninjas who were supposed to be her examiners had been sent on an emergency mission.

She stood at the door, waiting patiently. Soon, the street began to come alive. The first customer appeared, followed by a second, then a third. She got used to move around the kitchen and dining area, gracefully maneuvering around the food displays and stacks of plates and cups, carrying the warm, mouthwatering aromas. Adults praised her for her attention to detail, and children were drawn to her gentle nature. She cherished every "see you next time,"—each one planting a small seed of hope in her heart.

The sunflowers in the vase were replaced every day, swaying bright yellow petals gently on the clean counter. She tended to them with care, even though their beauty would fade by day's end. She had been waiting for someone...

"Ah!!" A cheering little girl, flailing her arms around, accidentally knocked over her dessert. The melting cherry ice cream spilled everywhere. "It's okay. Let me clean it." Nanoha smiled and calmed the flustered child, then started cleaning up the mess. "Sis, your gloves...they've got some jam on them." Nanoha looked down at her gloves, the white satin now marked with a few dark red stains. A memory suddenly surfaced. Now she understood why she'd felt that strange sense of familiarity when touching the droplets on the sunflower petals earlier. Ever since her first mission, she'd started wearing gloves. Because she couldn't stand the feel of someone else's blood on her skin.

Ding— The wind chime by the door jingled as another customer walked in. "Welcome! How can I-" "I'll have the special plum wine with agar jelly, please." The customer smiled at her. At last, the person she'd been waiting for arrived.

The night was far from over. In a quiet, unremarkable alley, silence hung thick in the air. Someone would never speak again. Scattering sunflower petals on the ground had already lost their bright color. A short figure was patiently picking them up, as if performing a final tribute. "Are you going to clean up every petals? You and your master are very much alike in many ways." A female figure sat on the wall, swinging her legs idly. She held up a special-shaped shuriken to the moonlight, admiring it. It was her first time working with Nanoha, and the quiet, reserved younger ninja was a bit of a mystery to her. "You ever heard? For ninjas, a full moon is a bad omen. Guess we were lucky tonight." "Yeah, I had my first mission on the night of the full moon." "Really? How did that go?"

Nanoha didn't respond. She carefully picked up the last petal, ensuring no trace was left behind, then turned toward the woman sitting under the moonlight. "Can we go now?" "Yeah, sure. I'm starving. Let's grab a late-night snack."

"By the way...why don't you just stay and run the shop? I think you'd be better at it than me. This mission has worn me out. I'm ready to retire." "...You know the shop is an important contact point to the organization, right? We can't just change the person in charge without permission." "Don't be so serious. I was just joking."

That day would never come... Nanoha knew, deep down, after that full moon night, her dream had already slipped away.

"...Thirteen, fourteen." "Nanoha, what are you counting?" "..." "If you're counting the seeds in the sunflower, then I suppose you're not wasting your time." "In this bright sunlight, observing every detail of the target is part of the training too." "I understand, Master." "Go rest now. Come back in the afternoon." "Yes, Master." "This winter's especially cold. I wonder if these sunflowers will make it to spring." "...Don't look so down. If they die, we'll just plant more." "...It's not the same." "What's the difference? Let me ask you, does it matter which one of us get sent to the shadow?" "Goodwind ninjas must complete our missions. If one falls, we simply replace them, just like replacing a wilted flower." "I understand, Master." "Alright, let's head inside. Make me some hot tea, and have some yourself."

"What's this you're drawing? A shuriken? Or a sunflower?" "It's...a shuriken in the shape of a sunflower." "Mm... I like the creativity." "Still, a unique weapon like that could easily make you an obvious target to the enemies." "...But I want to be remembered." "Think about that once you've made it to the top."

"Miss Nanoha, based on your custom design, we should have a prototype ready in about a week." "Once it's ready, please come by to test it. We'll only proceed with production when you greenlight it." "This is a special perk reserved for the Goodwind elite." "Thank you." "If I may ask, is the design for this shuriken inspired by a flower?" "Yes, it's sunflower." "I see. 'Solar Arashi.' That's a beautiful name."