The soft beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room. I lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting. It had been days since I woke up, and while I'd spent that time gathering what little information I could from eavesdropping on the nurses, I still had more questions than answers.
I needed to be careful. I needed to control the narrative before anyone else did.
A knock on the door broke my thoughts. A moment later, the door slid open, and a woman stepped inside. She was in her late thirties, dressed in a standard medical uniform with the symbol of Konoha embroidered on her sleeve. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and her sharp black eyes held a mix of professionalism and warmth.
"Good morning," she greeted, picking up the clipboard from the side of my bed. "How are you feeling, Oliver?"
I hesitated just enough to make it seem real before answering, "I… I don't know." I let my eyes dart around the room as if seeing it for the first time. "Where am I?"
The doctor's eyes softened. "You're in the Konoha General Hospital. You were brought in a week ago after being found unconscious."
I furrowed my brow. "Konoha?" I repeated, tilting my head in confusion. "What… what is that?"
The doctor exchanged a quick glance with the nurse who had followed her into the room. The nurse, a younger woman with short auburn hair, looked slightly concerned but said nothing.
"You don't remember?" the doctor asked gently.
I hesitated again before shaking my head. "I don't even know who I am."
A lie. A necessary one.
The doctor sighed, flipping through her notes. "You told the medics your name before passing out. Oliver."
I blinked and slowly nodded. "Oliver?" I echoed. Then I frowned. "Only Oliver?"
The nurse, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "It's possible you had a surname, but no records of you exist in the village registry. If you can't remember it, well… you could always give yourself one."
I looked down, as if deep in thought. This was a defining moment. I could have chosen any surname. Something local, something common. But no—if I was going to live in this world, I would do it on my terms.
I looked up and met the doctor's gaze. "Oliver Queen."
The doctor paused for a moment before nodding. "Oliver Queen it is, then."
Hearing it spoken aloud, confirmed as my official name, sent a strange feeling through me. A connection between my past and present.
"Alright, Oliver Queen," the doctor continued, "I'm going to run a few quick tests. Nothing serious—just to make sure you're healthy before we release you."
I nodded, allowing her to go through the usual routine. Checking my reflexes, my heartbeat, my vision. I answered her questions carefully—just enough to seem like I was trying to piece things together, but not enough to raise suspicion.
After several minutes, she stepped back and made a note on her clipboard. "Well, aside from the memory loss, you seem to be in perfect health. There's no physical trauma, and your chakra system is functioning normally."
Chakra. That was confirmation that I did have access to it, though I'd already suspected as much.
"I see no reason to keep you here any longer," the doctor continued. "You'll be discharged tomorrow morning. Until then, try to rest."
I nodded, offering a small, uncertain smile—one I had perfected long ago, the kind that made people lower their guard.
"Thank you, Doctor."
She returned the smile. "Of course, Oliver Queen."
As she and the nurse left the room, I let my expression shift into something more serious.
I had a name. I had a starting point.
Tomorrow, I would be free. And that's when the real work would begin.