Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

On the night of the Kyuubi attack, many people died, leaving behind friends and family. My parents were among them. At least, that’s what they told me when I asked why I didn’t have parents. That’s the same answer many children my age and a little older receive at the Konoha orphanage.

Many of the children who have been here the longest lost their parents in the Third Ninja War.

I was found in the rubble of a street, under a collapsed house during the attack, when I was still just a few days old. The search teams rescued me, but no one came looking for me, so I ended up here, at the orphanage of Konohagakure no Sato. Since no one knew who my parents were, the staff took it upon themselves to give me a name: Harumi, which means "the beauty of spring," according to a name book. Apparently, they wanted my name to bring good omens, and spring was the season when life triumphed. Given the circumstances in which I was found, the Matron thought it was a good name.

I don’t remember my early years very well—after all, I was just a baby. But I do remember the day I met Naruto.

I was drawing on an old piece of paper that had once been the wrapping for some kind of food. I heard footsteps coming down the creaky old wooden stairs and lifted my head. It was a boy who spent most of the day locked in his room. I always thought he was sick and needed to rest, so I was happy to see that he could come out. That old man with the funny hat came to visit us yesterday—he must have said the boy was fine. How lucky.

He approached to play with the other children, but the Matron hit him and put him outside the building. She said he should play out there. I found it strange because none of us were allowed outside without an adult. We were only three years old, after all.

The blond boy sniffled as he cried silently, watching the other children play tag through the bars. I kept thinking about how playing outside must be more fun than playing in here.

"That monster will end up hurting one of you," the Matron explained to the children who were watching the scene.

Monster? The blond boy didn’t look like a monster. Do monsters cry?

From the stories I hear, monsters are those horned creatures that hide under beds at night. Or the Great Fox that killed a lot of people a few years ago. The boy didn’t look like either of them.

Maybe the Matron was wrong.

One thing I’ve discovered is that adults make mistakes too. One day, one of the staff members, Ami, put sugar in the food instead of salt. None of the children could eat it, but she didn’t believe us when we said it tasted bad. The Matron forced us to eat it all, and only when it was the adults' turn to eat did they realize the mistake. I heard the staff talking about it, but Ami never apologized. It seems like only children have to say sorry when they do something wrong.

I looked at my classmates, who had already gone back to their game, then outside the bars, where the blond boy was still standing. I didn’t understand why he didn’t just leave. If I were in his place, I’d go to the city playground or find a puppy to pet. There are so many fun things to do out there...

The Matron and Ami were busy watching the other children. No one was paying attention to me. I was just drawing.

The path to the gate was too exposed. If I tried to go out that way, they would see me instantly. I looked around and saw that the window in the room was open to let air circulate. Summer was too hot to keep everything closed. My lips curled into a smile as a brilliant idea came to me.

I dropped the crayons on the floor and silently ran to the window. I peeked over my shoulder to make sure the adults were still distracted. The children were loud enough to drown out any sound I made. Perfect.

But there was a problem: the window was too high!

The room I was in was used to care for small children when the weather was too cold or too hot and the adults were too busy to watch them. Today, the Matron and Ami were in the garden, so the younger babies were also there. That left the room full of scattered old toys. They were all donations, already worn out when they arrived.

I saw a small wooden chair and dragged it to the window. I climbed onto it, stretched my arms, and managed to grab the edge, but not enough to pull myself up.

I stacked storybooks and toys on top of the chair before trying again. It wobbled, and I almost fell, but I managed to hold onto the window and avoid a fall. I let out a relieved sigh and smiled. I was almost there.

At least, that’s what I thought. My arms weren’t strong enough to lift me. I pouted and looked toward the garden, wishing I were taller like the older kids.

The older kids climbed trees sometimes—I remembered that. I tried to imitate what they did.

Still holding onto the window, I placed one foot against the wall. I managed to stay in place. I lifted my other foot off the support, and at that moment, I heard the toys crash to the floor. I didn’t wait to see if anyone heard. I swung my foot over the windowsill and...

Fell to the other side.

"Owfff"—the air was knocked out of my chest when I hit the ground.

The ground was farther than I expected. I held back my tears and looked around. The street was empty. No one had seen my escape...

"W-what are you doing?" I jumped at the voice behind me. I turned to see the blond boy who had asked, still sniffling, with a stubborn pout on his face and red eyes from crying.

"Shhh!" I put my finger to my lips, and the boy's eyes widened in surprise. I grabbed his hand and pulled him away, just in case someone looked out the window. I hid behind a nearby tree while peeking at the window, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing did.

"What happened?" the boy whispered behind me, curious.

"I'm seeing if the Matron or Ami will come looking for me," I explained, also whispering.

"Oh," the boy looked a little confused. "But why did you leave?"

I frowned too because this should have been obvious. "To play."

"Oh," the boy clutched the hem of his loose, stained shirt, looking shy. "Can... can I play with you?"

I narrowed my eyes, considering. I had heard stories that the city could be scary and dangerous, which was why we needed adults to go out. Our adventure to the playground would be full of dangers, and the boy didn’t seem very brave...

"You can only come with me if you’re brave," I declared confidently.

"I AM BRAVE!" the boy yelled, and I pounced on him, knocking us both to the ground, covering his mouth. I cast a cautious look at the window. He looked too, eyes wide. The suspense lasted a few seconds before we relaxed. "I am brave!" he repeated in a whispered-shout.

"Brave people don’t cry," I said with conviction because that’s what the older kids said. That’s why they never cried, or everyone would tease them.

"I wasn’t crying!" he whispered-shouted.

"You were crying before," I argued.

"I won’t cry anymore. I’m brave now, dattebayo!"

"Okay, but if you cry, I’ll call you Crybaby," I warned. That was a serious threat.

"I’m not a Crybaby," the boy pouted. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"I’m Harumi," I said, standing up from where we had fallen when I covered Naruto’s mouth. "Shall we go?"

"Let’s go!"

The trip to the playground was crazy!

Naruto and I found an adorable dog and spent a long time just petting him. I named him Kawai because it suited him, and Naruto agreed—though his opinion might have been influenced by the many dog kisses he was getting from our new friend.

Eventually, we moved on and walked through the streets. There were many adults rushing back and forth, and we had a bit of trouble staying out of the way to avoid being trampled. No one spared us a second glance because we were too small and too poor to deserve attention.

I didn’t mind, and Naruto even seemed a little relieved. I held his hand, and we ran through the crowd, maneuvering between the long legs moving in every direction.

“It’s like walking through a forest of giants!” I shouted to Naruto, not letting go of his hand so we wouldn’t lose each other—or else I’d get scared, and I wasn’t sure I knew how to get back to the orphanage alone. “Watch out, or you’ll get squashed!”

“Hai!” Naruto shouted back, but he was smiling as he ran, dodging people’s feet. “Watch out!”

Naruto pulled me out of the way of a man carrying a large box who couldn’t see us in front of him. Thanks to Naruto’s tug, I wasn’t trampled. We exchanged a look before bursting into laughter again.

“Let’s find the playground,” I said once I caught my breath.

“Do you know where it is?” Naruto tilted his head curiously.

I hesitated. “N-no, but I can find out!” I dragged Naruto with me as I ran toward a woman tending a fruit stall on the street and smiled. “Hi!”

“Oh, hello there, little one!” the woman replied cheerfully. “Do you need help with something?”

“Yes! Can you tell me which way the playground is, please?” I asked as politely as I could think of. I even said “please” the way Ami taught us.

“Of course, sweetheart, just go in that direction...” the woman pointed, “until the end of the street.”

“Thank you!”

Without waiting for a response, I pulled Naruto along as I started running in the direction she had pointed. This time, we did a good job dodging people’s feet, and I finally spotted our target. I let go of Naruto’s hand.

“Last one there loses!” I yelled, dashing off before he had time to process my words. I heard rather than saw Naruto running after me. He was fast—he managed to overtake me at the last second despite my head start. We didn’t stop running, and I grabbed his shirt to keep him from passing me too much.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Naruto shouted, trying to free himself from my grip without stopping.

“That’s ninja!” I laughed.

To be honest, I didn’t really know what “ninja” meant, other than the fact that many kids from the orphanage went to the Academy to become one. Not all of them seemed happy about it, but the Matron always said it was the best thing for them because they would get an apartment and money. I didn’t understand why the kids weren’t happy about that—I’d be thrilled if I could have a bed just for myself instead of sharing with Hoshimi and Kayoko and sleeping in a room with twenty other kids, all crammed into thin mattresses and sharing an old blanket. In winter, having so many people was nice because it kept the air warm even if the blanket didn’t, but in summer, there wasn’t much you could do to avoid soaking the bed in sweat.

The older kids played “ninja,” and it seemed like a hero story—where the hero cheated a little but always with good intentions, either to save a princess or defeat a villain. In their games, they always came up with some magic jutsu that defeated the villain, like the Invisible no Jutsu or the Super Strength no Jutsu.

“Oh yeah? Then I’m gonna catch you now!” Naruto spun, twisting his shirt in my grip, but as soon as I realized what he was about to do, I let go and immediately ran in the opposite direction.

“Get back here!”

Naruto chased me around the playground, and since I couldn’t beat him in speed, I had to maneuver around obstacles and force him to change direction. There were two kids in the sandbox building a castle—one chubby and the other with pineapple-shaped hair—and I ran in their direction, putting them between Naruto and me.

“You can’t destroy the sandcastle!” I shouted when I saw Naruto wasn’t slowing down—he was just going to stomp over it to catch me. “A good ninja doesn’t destroy other people’s things. That’s what villains do!”

Naruto skidded to a stop in the sand, waving his arms wildly to keep his balance so he wouldn’t fall on the castle—but he was going too fast, and he ended up falling anyway. He lifted his head with wide eyes and looked at the two boys staring at us, mouths agape.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your castle—I’m not a villain, dattebayo.”

I held my breath, waiting to see if they would complain to an adult like some kids at the orphanage did, running to cry to the Matron. That had earned me a lot of punishments in the past.

“It’s okay, it was getting boring anyway,” the Pineapple-Headed boy said, sounding uninterested.

“It’s fine,” the Chubby boy agreed softly.

“Do you guys wanna play ninja?” Naruto asked, eyes shining with excitement and relief that they weren’t mad at him.

“How do you play ninja?” the Chubby boy asked.

“Naruto destroyed the castle, so he’s the villain...” I began.

“Hey!”

“The villain has to catch the other players...”

“That’s just tag,” Pineapple-Head said, though he didn’t seem bothered by it.

“But! Every person the villain catches also becomes a villain and has to help catch the others!”

“The number of villains will increase...” Pineapple-Head said, intrigued.

“And the number of heroes will decrease,” the Chubby boy concluded, giving me and Naruto a shy smile. “Sounds fun.”

“Let’s play,” Pineapple-Head agreed, then added, “It’ll be better with more people. Wait here—I’ll go get Ino.”

“What’s your name?” Naruto asked the Chubby boy while waiting for Pineapple-Head to return.

“Akimichi Chouji,” he blushed, and I waved happily.

“I’m Harumi, and this is Naruto.”

“Oh, I’m Nara Shikamaru, and this is Yamanaka Ino,” Pineapple-Head—Shikamaru—introduced before he even stopped walking, accompanied by a blonde girl, though her hair was a paler yellow than Naruto’s bright blond.

“Whoa, your eyes are pink!” Ino pointed right at my face, making me go cross-eyed to look at her finger inches from my nose. “And your hair is super white. I like it—it’s cute.”

“Uh, thanks?” I wasn’t sure if I liked that kind of attention. Was I supposed to return the compliment? “Oh, um, your eyes are really pretty too—I like blue.”

Ino beamed at the compliment before turning to Naruto with the same evaluating look.

“Oh! Your eyes are blue, and your hair is blonde—just like me!” She tilted her head, tapping her chin as if deep in thought. Finally, she seemed to come to a conclusion and nodded to herself before declaring with certainty, “That means we’re relatives.”

Shikamaru frowned. “I don’t think that’s how...”

“Wahhh, that’s awesome! I always wanted a family!” Naruto jumped and hugged Ino, who immediately started struggling to escape.

“Hey, let me gooooo!”

“Oh, sorry.” Naruto still had a big grin on his face, then frowned in confusion. “What kind of relatives are we?”

"I don’t know, cousins maybe?" Ino shrugged, and Naruto just accepted the guess as absolute truth.

They explained the rules of the game again for Ino’s benefit.

"Oh, but I want to be the princess," she whined.

"But Ino, if the villain catches you, you’ll become a villain too," I explained. "You’ll be an Evil Princess."

"What? No!"

"Then you have to run."

"Alright, I won’t be an Evil Princess at all!"

"Then let’s go!"

They ran around all afternoon until the sun began to darken and the parents of our new friends started calling them home.

Naruto and I walked back to the orphanage at a slow pace, needing to ask directions from some of the adults still on the street to find our way, but we managed. The old three-story wooden building, plus the attic, was enclosed by a metal fence.

Unfortunately, the Matron had noticed my absence, and when she saw me returning with Naruto by my side, she marched straight toward us, looking furious. Naruto flinched beside me just as the Matron raised her hand to hit him.

Wide-eyed and unsure of what to do or what was happening, I did what any sensible person would do: I lied. I’m not entirely sure why I protect Naruto when everything I’ve learned here is that it’s every person for themselves, but he’s my friend, and unlike the others, I don’t think Naruto would snitch on me to the Matron if I broke the rules.

"Matron!" I called out as if I were overjoyed to see the woman who would slap my hand with a ruler whenever I disobeyed, while also grabbing onto her dress to stop her from reaching Naruto. "I’m so glad we found you! I got lost in the city, and a bunch of bad men tried to take me away, and then Naruto showed up and saved me!"

"And what were you doing in the city, you brat?" The Matron grabbed my shirt and shook me a little, still irritated about something—or someone (Naruto?). The moment my feet left the ground, my heart started pounding, and a shiver of fear ran down my spine. "Who let you go out alone?"

"I just wanted to go to the playground, but I got lost!" I started crying against my will, even though I was trying to hold it back because brave people don’t cry. I clutched the Matron’s hand that was gripping my shirt to keep the fabric from choking me.

"Who let you go out, huh?"

"I-if Naruto can go out, w-why can’t I?" I asked back, unable to stop crying.

My apparent inability to keep my mouth shut had made all the other orphanage kids distance themselves from me because they knew it was only a matter of time before they got punished because of me. Maybe that was another reason why I stuck by Naruto—we were alike in that way.

"I don’t care what happens to the Monster," the Matron growled.

"YOU’RE THE MONSTER!" I screamed, crying, because who did she think she was to call Naruto a monster when she was the one all the kids were afraid of? "It’s you who’s hurting me, it’s you who’s being mean to me, it’s you who’s being mean to Naruto, it’s you who hits me. NARUTO ISN’T A MONSTER, HE NEVER HURT ME, YOU DID!"

At my screams, the few people still passing by on the street cast glances at us, and I didn’t know where Naruto was or what else was happening around me. I knew she would hit me with the ruler again and lock me in the room, and I was already crying for a punishment that hadn’t even started yet.

People looked, but no one did anything.

The only thing I could see was the Matron’s face, red with anger.

"You want to stay with the monster? Then you will!" She kept holding me with one hand and grabbed Naruto with the other, dragging both of us toward the orphanage with steps faster than our short legs could keep up with.

We were dragged up the stairs to the room I recognized as Naruto’s. He was the only child with his own room because he was sick, and the adults didn’t want him to make the others sick too.

The Matron threw us inside, and I felt Naruto’s elbow hit my stomach as we landed on the floor. She shut the door, leaving us in the dark, and locked it.

"You won’t have dinner tonight!" she said before I could hear her footsteps walking away from the room.

With a groan of pain I manage to free myself from Naruto's limbs despite not being able to see anything and I begin to feel my breathing quicken with the knowledge that I am trapped here. Trapped in the dark.

Trappedtrappedtrappedtrappedtrappedtrappedtrapped

"L-light" I plead with my breath ragged "Naruto, light!"

"Harumi... there is no light here" he whispered.

No light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light no light trappedtraptraptrap.

"S-sorry for getting you into trouble..." Naruto was whimpering something but the only thing I could think of was darktrappednolighttrapped "Harumi?"

I can't breathe. I can't I can't I can't. My heart is going to burst out of my chest and I can't breathe...

"Sorry, sorry..." Naruto is crying, he shouldn't cry he said he would be brave and brave people don't cry "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!”

Darktrapdarktrapdarktrap

I screamed for help as loud as I could, but no one came and Harumi’s breathing was painful to hear. Was it my fault? Was it something I did? How do I make this stop?

Light? She asked for light.

But there’s no light here. My room is in the attic, with no window, nothing here but some old furniture and bugs. I like it when Jiji comes to visit because then Matron has to let me out and the old man always complains if I’m too pale or too thin, so Matron has to give me food, even if it’s not very tasty.

I’m not so much afraid of the dark, but I am afraid of being locked up here forever. Alone. I’m afraid they’ll forget I’m here and just move on.

Maybe that’s Harumi’s fear too?

She’s my first friend and the first person to stand up for me. Jiji is nice to me and cares, but he never fought with Matron to defend me and tell her she was wrong.

Harumi said that brave people don't cry. Still, even though she cried a lot, even though she's still crying, she's the bravest person I've ever met, so I'm going to be brave too.

I can hear her labored breathing and desperate cries. I crouch down and crawl towards the sound, feeling my way along the ground until I touch a foot and finally find Harumi's huddled form with her arms and legs tucked close to her body.

I don't know what to do now. I wish someone would hug me. I've seen other children being hugged and it seemed nice, they were always happier after a hug. So I wrap my arms around Harumi.

She won't stop crying. It doesn't seem like it's helping, really.

Maybe I'm just not good at this?

Naruto feels like the position isn't right, with his torso twisted and his legs stretched out. He spreads his legs so that Harumi is between them and he can hug her properly, from the front, like he's seen people do.

"It's okay," I say. It's not, but I would make it so she could stop crying like that. "It's okay. I'm sorry, it's okay. I'm here with you."

Harumi didn't stop crying, but her body fell on top of me and I tightened my arms around her. I didn't know if it was working or not, but I kept going until my voice was hoarse and my arms were exhausted.

At some point during her litany, Harumi stopped crying and started sleeping on top of me. Her breathing finally calmed down.

I finally managed to relax enough to sleep. I was so tired that I passed out with Harumi still lying on top of me. It was good to know he wasn't locked away alone again.

Chapter Text

I woke up with arms tightening around me and shaky breathing against my skin. It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t a dream and that there was actually someone with me in my room.

"Harumi?" I asked hesitantly. Was she already awake? I hoped she wouldn’t start crying again once she realized they were still trapped.

The arms tightened around me in response to my call, but Harumi didn’t say anything. Was it really all just a dream? In my sleep, I had sprawled out on the floor, arms and legs wide open. Slowly, not wanting to make her cry again, I brought my hands up until I felt Harumi’s long hair, which I knew was white.

So she was real.

Harumi didn’t say anything, just stayed there, hugging me with her face buried in my stomach. But the weight had consequences, and with the pressure, I felt an uncontrollable urge to pee. I really tried to hold it, but eventually, I really needed to go.

"Haru-chan?" I called, feeling her arms tighten in response. "I… um, can you let go of me for a bit?" She squeezed even tighter around me, clearly not liking the idea of letting me go, and if it weren’t so tight, I’d be really happy that someone actually wanted me around. But some things just can’t be postponed. "Haru-chan, I need to pee," I didn’t even feel embarrassed that my voice sounded like a whine.

Finally, Harumi let me go, and I managed to get up. But I didn’t even take a step towards the bucket in the corner, where I usually did my business, before feeling a hand clutching the back of my shirt. The sound of her dragging against the floor was the only sign that Harumi was also getting up and then standing still. Neither of us did anything for a good second, and it took me a moment to realize that Harumi intended to follow me.

I’ve lived in this room for over a year, since I was taken from the nursery, so I more or less knew where everything was. The bucket was in the corner of the room so I could lean against both walls to do what needed to be done. Maybe Harumi needed to go to the bathroom too? But I always thought girls didn’t do those things?

I stretched my hands forward and kept walking in small steps so Harumi wouldn’t trip behind me until I felt the wall with my fingers and reached out the other hand until I found the opposite wall. "We’re here," I told her, but Harumi still didn’t let go of my shirt, and I felt my face heat up when I realized she had no plans to do so anytime soon. "Um, Haru-chan, let go for a bit? It’ll be quick, I promise."

Harumi whimpered but did as I asked, and I felt a little bad about it, but the feeling was quickly overshadowed by the urgent need to pee. I felt her shrinking behind me, just a step away, which was already a victory. I pulled down and aimed, but nothing came out.

Harumi was right behind me. My face heated up at the thought that she could hear me, so I started singing loudly to drown out the sound while I finally went. It was a relief.

When I finished, I was relieved that Harumi didn’t seem about to cry again like yesterday. "I’m done," I told her. "Do you want to go too?"

I waited for a moment before feeling Harumi’s hands on my shirt, and I reached out my arms to her shoulders, slowly turning her until she was in the right spot. "It’s a bucket on the floor, right here. If you need to poop, you can lean against the walls for support," I explained, experienced. It was the first time I was teaching someone else how to do something. I was practically a sensei!

I took my hands off Harumi, but she took longer to let go of my shirt. The silence that followed was long and tense until I remembered she might be embarrassed too, so I started singing loudly again. I kept going for so long that my voice was starting to get hoarse when I felt Harumi grab my shirt again. "Are you done?" I wasn’t even expecting an answer anymore, so the silence that followed was fine.

I headed towards where I knew my old, thin futon was. We didn’t have to stay on the hard floor, even though we’d slept there that night. My stomach growled as I settled on the futon, leaning against the wall and letting Harumi stretch out between my legs to hug my waist. It was really strange to have someone so close to me for so long, but being hugged wasn’t a bad feeling.

Even stranger was seeing Harumi so quiet since we’d been locked up here, because she used to be really talkative when we were playing ninja with Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino. Sometimes I wondered if the person with me was really Harumi, but I didn’t have light to check, so I just ran my hands through her smooth hair and found comfort in having someone who wanted me.

Time passed, and no one came. That was normal for me, and I was used to hearing my stomach growl while being unable to satisfy it. But hearing Harumi’s stomach growl made me feel guilty. She wouldn’t be starving if she hadn’t defended me—instead, she could’ve stayed quiet and let me take the blame alone. It’s not like my punishment would be much different from this. The biggest difference would be that I’d be alone.

None of the other kids ever defended me, not even the older ones, all too afraid of the Matron’s punishments. That’s why, even though Harumi was crying all the time, I still thought she was braver than all of them. When the Matron grabbed Harumi’s shirt when they came back, I was so nervous and scared of worsening the punishment I knew was coming that I couldn’t force myself to move. And even if I had, what could I have done? Nothing, because I’m weak.

Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak. I can’t keep being like this.

I fell asleep again, and I think Harumi must have too. We woke up again and repeated our new routine: bucket and futon. Time kept passing, and I started humming since I didn’t know any stories I could tell to make Harumi feel better. I wished I was allowed to listen to the stories Ami read to the other kids at night so I’d at least know how to do it.

Much later, Harumi tensed against me and pulled away. I could hear her moving, but I didn’t know what she was doing. The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs made me tense with both the hope that maybe they were bringing us some food and the fear that the meal would be accompanied by a beating to "teach good manners," since our punishment wasn’t over yet.

The door opened, letting light in. The Matron left it open to see inside, and Ami quickly grabbed the dirty bucket to empty it outside. Neither of them carried any food, and I felt my stomach clench in protest.

When Ami went out to empty the bucket, the Matron turned to Harumi, and now I could see her pale skin and red eyes from crying, but she didn’t look sad anymore—she looked angry. Very angry. Like a rabid animal that might bite. The Matron made a sound of disgust, and I felt somewhat insulted on Harumi’s behalf.

"Apologize for your earlier behavior. For insulting me," the Matron demanded, still looking at Harumi. "Do that, and I might end your punishment."

I shrank at the idea of being abandoned again, but I also knew I wouldn’t hold it against Harumi if she accepted the conditions and left. I couldn’t say for sure that I wouldn’t have done the same if our situations were reversed.

I saw how tightly Harumi’s fists were clenched, trembling at her sides as she continued staring at the Matron with anger, even though she was pale with fear.

"I—I don’t lie," Harumi stammered but never looked away from the Matron. "You’re the only monster I see."

I wanted to be impressed by her courage, but all I could feel was a chill of fear when I saw the Matron’s expression darken, and she stormed towards Harumi, who was a bit further from me, her heavy steps echoing on the wooden floor. As she walked, she pulled out a stick, and the simple sight of it made Harumi’s eyes widen and tears start to fall. She immediately curled into a tight ball of limbs, but she didn’t make a sound until the Matron hit her with it.

I flinched before throwing myself at the woman. Not that it did much besides earning me a kick to the stomach, making me vomit on the floor while I kept hearing the stick hitting Harumi’s body and her soft cries.

"If you want to stay with the monster, you’ll be treated like one, you freak," the Matron growled before turning to me, grabbing my shirt, and dragging me out of the room, leaving Harumi behind. When I realized what was happening, I started struggling.

"No, let me go! Harumi!" I tried to pull and scratch the Matron’s hand, fear and desperation tightening my chest because she was locking the room with Harumi still trapped inside. Alone. "No, no, get Harumi out of there!"

The key was in the Matron’s pocket.

"The Hokage’s orders were only about letting you out," the Matron sneered with disdain before throwing me down the stairs, my body rolling, my back, knees, and shoulders hitting the steps until I landed hard at the bottom. I needed to go back, I needed to get Harumi out, I needed...

The Matron grabbed me again as I struggled to get up, dragging me all the way to the gates, where she threw me out. "Don’t come back anytime soon," she said before turning and going back inside.

Harumi.

I looked up at the roof, where I knew my room was, staring, fear making my hands sweat as I clenched and unclenched my fists. Helpless and too weak to do anything.

"Come on, Naruto, help Haru-chan," I told myself, trying to find the courage to go back inside and fix this. "You can do it, dattebayo."

I could hear the other kids running inside the orphanage, and I clenched my fists at my sides before sneaking back into that horrible place, hiding against the outer wall. I forced my breathing to slow until it was silent and strained to hear the sounds inside. It took more than an hour before the kids started coming out to play, and I heard two girls asking the Matron about Harumi, to which the woman replied, "She’s not worth our time. Now go play."

The kids started playing, running, hiding, or using some of the toys donated to the orphanage. No one insisted on asking about Harumi.

I stayed silent, trying to figure out what to do next and listening closely to everything around me.

"Ami, help me tidy up. Then we need to get the kids ready for adoption," the Matron said.

"Elder Shimura again?" Ami asked curiously. "I wonder why he wants so many kids. He came a few months ago and took four, didn’t he?"

“It’s better this way, fewer mouths to feed,” the Matron replied. “We’re already overwhelmed here, and there are too many children living on the streets because we don’t have any more space. We send those with potential to the Academy, and as far as I’m concerned, Shimura-sama can take as many more as he wants.”

“I suppose it’s the best for everyone. This way, we can bring more children in need to the orphanage and take better care of them, knowing the ones who left are well,” Ami agreed, only slightly hesitant before seeming to cheer up again. “Let’s make everything shine for the Elder!”

An idea popped into my head, and I started sneaking toward a nearby bush. It was easy to dodge the other kids since they were much more focused on each other. Hiding among the branches without drawing attention was harder, but again, no one was really paying attention to me.

Unfortunately, it was summer, which meant the ground was dry, and for my plan to work, I needed mud. Now that I was here, I couldn’t just go out and get water, could I? What could I do instead? Use spit? I’d be here forever. No, it had to be something quicker...

Well, this is going to be disgusting.

Looking at the Matron on the porch as she swept the floor and Ami gathered the scattered toys inside while keeping an eye on the younger kids, I steeled myself and opened my pants.

Peeing on the ground was the easy part, and now I had mud. I wrinkled my nose at the smell as I forced myself to gather the dirt and make a mud ball. I glanced around at the distracted kids and the Matron.

Alright. This is going to work, dattebayo!

Taking a deep breath, I stepped just a little out of the bush before hurling the ball at the Matron and immediately ducking back into the safety of the branches. I watched wide-eyed as the ball hit the grumpy woman square in the chest. She froze mid-motion before turning a murderous glare toward the children, who, noticing her attention, stopped playing and stared at her, terrified. Every one of them had been, at least once, a victim of the old woman’s discipline.

I saw the Matron’s nose wrinkle before her face turned red with rage. “WHO THREW THAT?”

No one dared open their mouth, too afraid to draw her attention and be punished for something that wasn’t even their fault. They looked at each other, all trying to figure out who was responsible.

“That’s enough playing, all of you!” she snapped, still furious. “Go inside, take a bath, and put on your best clothes. You’re useless.”

The children ran inside silently, eyes downcast. The hurried steps of the crowd echoed as they climbed the stairs. I remained hidden among the bushes, waiting for the two older women to go inside for the next part of my plan.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” Ami asked hesitantly.

“Hmph, I wish Shimura-sama could take all those worms,” she growled, wrinkling her nose again at the smell of the mud on her chest. “I need to go change.”

“Alright, I’ll finish cleaning up down here,” Ami said as the Matron headed for the staff room door, which was also on the ground floor.

Finally.

I crawled out of the bushes and managed to run to the side of the house, hiding from Ami while she continued gathering the toys. Just a few more minutes, and she’d come outside to finish sweeping the floor the Matron had left unfinished.

Running around the house, I slipped through the side door and passed through the living room, keeping an eye on Ami’s movements on the porch. I tiptoed until I reached the door. Pressing my ear against it, I listened carefully, feeling anxiety and fear tightening my chest because at any moment, Ami could look my way and catch me standing there.

I heard the sound of running water and finally dared to open the door.

There were three doors, and the sound of water was louder behind the middle one, so I tried one of the side doors. It was a bedroom, and I saw some books scattered on a small table near the bed. No dress or key in sight. Quickly, I closed the door and went to the other room, where I saw the stick the Matron had used on Harumi that morning lying on the bed and the mud-stained dress thrown on the floor beside it.

Quickly, I slipped inside and closed the door behind me, rummaging through the pockets and squeezing the fabric until I felt something hard—a key. I stuffed it into my pocket before rushing to the window just as I heard the bathroom door open. Climbing onto the bed, I jumped up once before running and leaping through the window. My stomach hit the windowsill hard. Dangling almost upside down, the ground seemed impossibly far away, even though it wasn’t that high.

The sound of the bedroom door opening made me throw caution to the wind, and I just used my legs to push myself the rest of the way through, falling to the ground on the other side. I immediately got up and ran to the other side of the house, pressing my back against the wall, feeling my heart racing in my chest, eyes wide, still not believing I had actually done that.

Now I needed to get to the attic.

Darkalonecaughtdarkalonecaught.

I heard the Matron dragging Naruto out of the room before locking the door. Deep down, I knew my defiance wouldn’t go unpunished. Just another reason for the other kids to keep their distance from me: I’m not very good at bowing my head and behaving. Again, it’s every man for himself here, and I knew that. I’ve always known no one would put themselves in danger for me.

That’s fine. I don’t care. I wasn’t even helping Naruto—I just wanted to go play at the village playground, and then the way the Matron spoke annoyed me. It wasn’t for Naruto.

It wasn’t.

But I’d be lying if I said hearing him scream from the other side of the door, begging for me to be freed, didn’t comfort me a little. The two outcasts of the orphanage, the ones no one approached because they knew we’d only cause trouble.

Darkdarkdarkdark.

There’s nothing around me. Before, I could feel Naruto even if I couldn’t see him, and that was a relief, but now I can’t see or feel anything except the floor beneath my curled-up body, the slightly rough wood against my skin. What if I don’t even exist? If no one knows I’m here, can I still say that I exist?

Lockedcaughtlockedcaught.

Unable to escape, easy prey just waiting to be taken down. Too weak to do anything but cry about how unfair it is. When the Matron returns, I won’t be able to do anything but curl up and hope she gets tired before breaking something.

Alonealonealonealone.

I’m surrounded by people, but no one who cares. Alone in a crowd. I didn’t even know that was possible, but it’s how I always feel in this place. No matter how full or noisy it is, I’m alone.

I hate this place. I hate these people.

I can feel the people downstairs and the children moving faster than the adults. It’s almost like feeling little ants crawling on my skin. It’s annoying and gives me goosebumps. Naruto always felt heavier than the others—it was easier to sense him, even before I met him. I could always feel his presence up here, locked alone in this room.

Maybe that’s why I stood between him and the Matron earlier? Maybe that’s why hearing her call him a monster bothers me so much. I’ve always been able to feel him nearby, for as long as I can remember, like a cool breeze on a hot day with the sun high in the sky. When I got sick along with the other kids, I remember wrapping myself in that sensation and feeling comforted. It was almost like a hug.

Maybe that’s why I care? But I don’t want to care, because he left even though he didn’t want to, and now I’m here alone in the dark, locked up, all because I cared about him. I shouldn’t have done that.

My skin is sensitive and sore from the lashes the Matron gave me with the “discipline rod,” as she called it. I’m still crying, snot running down my face, and my stomach growls, demanding food I don’t have.

I hate this place. I hatehatehatehate it.

How dare she? How dare the Matron? How dare she come here, hit me, and make it seem like she’s the victim? That the monsters are the children she beats? How dare she demand that I apologize? Monstermonstermonster.

I hate this place.

Anger is good. Anger is better than crying until I can’t breathe, better than the fear that leaves me trembling, unable to move a single muscle. Yes, anger is good.

I can feel the people downstairs, walking and walking like ants in an anthill. I can feel the two bigger ants and the sun—Naruto is still here?—near them, but unmoving. So still. Why? Did the Matron put him in time-out in the yard to get around the order from the strange old man who told her to let the boy go?

I feel little pricks when the ants get agitated for some reason. I feel the Matron-ant shine a little, as she usually does when she’s about to hit me, before all the ants rush inside. I can hear just a bit of noise from the floors below, but it’s distant and low and would easily go unnoticed if I weren’t paying attention. From what I’ve overheard, this building, decrepit as it may seem, was built by the First Hokage himself—though I’m not exactly sure who that is—when Konoha was founded.

The sun stays there a bit longer, retreating only when the Matron-ant moves away. The sun-Naruto approaches the Matron-ant, and I feel my hands sweat and my body tense, sensing them so close. So, so close.

The Ami-ant is wandering around, but I kind of prefer that the sun-Naruto be found by the Ami-ant rather than the Matron-ant.

Without really realizing it, my body moves until it reaches the wall in the direction where I feel the sun-Naruto. I hold my breath when I sense the Matron-ant approaching where he was and nearly vomit with relief when I feel him moving away, finally.

I can feel the sun-Naruto wandering around, passing uncomfortably close to the Ami-ant. Then I feel him start to... climb? He’s climbing? Why isn’t he leaving? Why is he coming back? If they catch him...

The other ants are agitated, and at first, the sun-Naruto manages to stay away from them, but as he gets higher, one of the ants gets too close to the sun, and suddenly, the sun-Naruto is climbing even faster while the ants on the floor scramble. What does this mean? What’s happening?

I hear the lock click and the sun is so close again.

Downstairs, I sense the Matron-ant and Ami-ant approaching a new ant... no, this one is more like a rat. It’s much bigger and heavier than the ants, but not as much as the sun.
The rat is strange. It feels like rotten wood, or wood eaten by termites. I push the thought aside because it’s weird, and I don’t care.

No, the only thing I care about now is the door opening to the sun-Naruto.

My decision not to care about him is quickly forgotten, and I throw myself at the boy because he came back. He came back for me. He faced the Matron and came back. He cares.

NarutoNarutoNarutoNaruto. SunSunSunSunSun.

My arms tighten around him because if he leaves again, I’m not sure I can push away the fear with anger. I don’t know if I can stop myself from falling apart again, and this time, without Naruto to help me.

He came back for me.

Naruto’s arms wrap around me in a quick hug, and it’s different from the one I felt from the sun-Naruto when he wasn’t near me but I could still sense him, but it’s still good. It’s good to know the sun-Naruto wasn’t just an imaginary friend I made up to keep me company.

Naruto pulls away, a big smile on his face but fear in his eyes.

“We have to get out of here,” he says, trying to sound calm and failing miserably. “Some of the older kids saw me going up the stairs, but I don’t think they’ll say anything yet.”

“Why?”

“The old hag is really mad right now, and no one wants to talk to her and risk getting hit. Besides, it looks like some old guy is coming to adopt some kids, so she won’t have time to come after us,” Naruto explained as we went down the stairs with him pulling my hand.

“Hey, monster, where do you think you’re going?” one of the older boys pointed at us from across the hallway. I think he must be one of the older kids, around ten years old, who didn’t show any aptitude for becoming a ninja, so he was kept here.

“Ugh!” Naruto made a face, annoyed at being caught, and his eyes filled with fear when we heard the sound of heavy footsteps—adult footsteps—coming up the stairs. They were ambushed.

The window behind me looked out to a tree, and I didn’t stop to think about what could happen. I just grabbed Naruto’s hand and pulled him towards it. “Climb!” I helped him up enough for him to reach the windowsill and get one leg outside before he gave me his hand and pulled me up.

“Are you going to get yourselves killed? Good riddance, monster!” the older kid called out, laughing at our fear, and I found myself wishing he’d trip on the stairs and fall. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get up again.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” the Matron appeared on the stairs, and I felt my eyes widen before giving the final push and jumping from the window to the tree.

“AHHHHHHH!” Naruto screamed as I dragged him with me since our hands were still linked.

We crashed into the tree, and I felt the thick and thin branches hitting my stomach, arms, and legs. I desperately tried to grab one to stop from falling too far. Fear choked me as Naruto and I filled the air with high-pitched screams.

Luckily, I hit a particularly thick branch with my body, and Naruto stopped falling thanks to several smaller branches that, along with my grip on his hand, kept him relatively safe. Now that falling wasn’t an immediate concern, I started frantically looking for ways to climb down quickly before the Matron reached us.

“Oh, kami, we jumped from the fourth floor! I thought we were going to die!” Naruto’s eyes were wild as he looked at the window we had jumped from.

Naruto mentioned a visitor—probably the Rat—so that should keep the Matron from coming at us full force, but I’d still feel better if we just left. We need to get down fastfastfast.

I looked down. It’s high. Really high.

“Wahhh!” The branches holding Naruto started to break. Time was up.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a white mask, but I didn’t even feel a tingle of awareness, so I ignored it and focused on our problem.

We’ve fallen a good distance already. There’s still a long way to go, but this height won’t kill us, right? Without thinking too much so I wouldn’t lose my nerve, I grabbed Naruto’s other hand and threw myself off the other side of the branch that was holding me. The shift in weight pulled Naruto from the branches with a sharp scream.

We were desperately holding on to each other’s hands, with the branch between us keeping us suspended, our feet dangling in the air.

“Wah! Now what?” Naruto looked at me with desperate eyes, and I kind of wanted to hit him for asking me something I didn’t know the answer to.

“Now we fall,” I said with a confidence I didn’t have, but I’d rather face this fall than go back to the dark room. “Bend your knees when you hit the ground.”

“Fall? Harumi, that doesn’t sound very saaaaaaaafe—” I let go of Naruto’s hand, and we were falling while Naruto kept screaming. I was so scared my mouth froze, and I couldn’t even scream.

The ground was coming fast.

I held my breath, bracing for impact, when I felt something—or someone—grab my waist, and suddenly, I was caught in someone’s arm like a sack of laundry. A quick glance showed Naruto too, in the same situation. I could see the person’s feet on the ground—glorious ground—wearing open-toed sandals, but other than that, no skin was visible.

At least we didn’t die or break anything… yet.

“Are we dead?” Naruto asked hesitantly.

Without ceremony, we were both dropped the remaining short distance to the ground. I landed on my stomach, using my bruised arms—from the Matron’s discipline and the tree fall—to stop my face from hitting the ground.

I managed to twist around to look, but there was no one there.

More importantly, we were away from the tree and outside the orphanage. Alone.

It took me a moment to realize I hadn’t felt even a tingle of awareness when the stranger helped us. Weird. Some people have more than one, but everyone has at least one.

“We’re out,” I said, unable to believe we’d made it.

“We’re out, dattebayo!” Naruto cheered. “Rescue mission to save Princess Harumi from the villain’s tower was a success!”

Princess Harumi? I made a face at that.

“In the end, I was the one who had to save Prince Naruto,” I teased back, sticking my tongue out at him when he looked at me.

“Hey, no, I’m the hero!”

“Who was screaming when we were falling from the tree?” I smugly reminded him.

“That doesn’t count, it was super high!” Naruto pouted.

“Oh, the hero needed to be saved in the end, huh?” I grinned triumphantly before adding with a wide smile, “Naruto-samaaaaa.”

“Ugh, stop that, dattebayo!” Naruto made a face.

“But, Naruto-sama, I’m so grateful you came to save me,” I kept teasing. “Should I bow?”

“You know what? Forget it,” Naruto stuck his tongue out at me and started walking down the street. I looked at his back wistfully, but then he glanced back and frowned. “Aren’t you coming?”

A smile—this time a real one—spread across my face, and I ran to his side.

I kind of resent the Sandaime for allowing the Yondaime’s son to be abandoned like that. There were plenty of children out there with no one to care for them for one reason or another, and they ended up in orphanages—but that wasn’t the case with Naruto.

Jiraiya of the Sannin and Uchiha Mikoto were the boy’s godfather and godmother, chosen by his parents, and even though Mikoto was willing to take care of him, she wasn’t allowed to. I understand the political issues involved, really, but it’s hard to remember those things when you watch the child being beaten or locked up like a wild animal that would attack anyone at the first opportunity.

These days, when someone says Konoha is a nice village, a peaceful village, I’m not really sure how to feel about that. Did the other villages treat their own children worse than this?
Seeing Naruto go out to play a few days ago with his new friend—Harumi, he found out—was a relief. Maybe I just needed to know that his life had good things too. Maybe that would make me feel like I wasn’t betraying the Yondaime too badly, the man who trusted me enough to ensure his son’s safety while he worked for the good of Konoha. The future seemed so bright back then. I wish I could have seen what Minato-sama would’ve done if he’d had more time.

Naruto looks like him physically, but he has his mother’s loud personality.

The order not to interfere unless there’s an immediate risk to the Jinchuuriki’s life has always been a rather cruel one. Sometimes I felt like a spectator to someone else’s suffering, and it made me feel dirty and wrong. This wasn’t why I became a ninja.

Even so, I followed my orders and watched when they were locked in the room again, extending my chakra sense to know what was happening inside. I had already checked the prison-room and knew there was no lighting, and the only source of air was through a pipe attached to the wall. The whole place was built with Hashirama wood, so it should be safe, at least physically. It was certainly not good for anyone’s mind to be locked up there for so long.

The fact that Naruto could still smile was proof of his resilience.

I watched as Naruto returned to the orphanage after being expelled by the Matron, how he snuck around, and I couldn’t help but feel somewhat impressed and proud of the little ninja. Maybe he wasn’t a genius like his father, but he was intuitive like his mother and had a lot of courage.

I rooted for him. Silently, of course.

When he reached the room and freed his new friend, I felt quite proud of the boy, even though the Matron’s approach wasn’t a good sign for an escape. Still, it was good for a child.
What worried me was the presence of Elder Shimura downstairs, and I didn’t want the old war hawk paying attention to the children. Naruto might be safe because he was personally protected by the ANBU and regularly checked on by the Hokage, but the girl didn’t have the same privileges. She didn’t even have a last name.

I just didn’t want Naruto to lose his first friend. Maybe the only friend willing to defend them from dangers I couldn’t defeat because of my orders.

Seeing the girl and Naruto climb onto the window and jump toward the tree made me raise my eyebrows in surprise. They were, what, three years old? Almost four, I think.

I watched, stunned, as the children jumped, and I moved before I really thought about it, catching them before they hit the ground and shunshining out of the orphanage—hopefully far from Danzō and his men. I quickly let them down and returned to my hiding spot. The decision to catch them was impulsive but easily defensible if anyone questioned me.

Of course, from that height, they probably wouldn’t have died—just broken a leg or something. They were falling feet-first, after all. But at their age, it’d be easy to claim I considered the risk high enough to the Jinchuuriki’s life to justify interference. Besides, the Sandaime, despite everything, was still somewhat soft when it came to the boy. Maybe because of guilt.

So, yeah, I’m not worried about Elder Shimura reporting my interference this time. Maybe he won’t even bother, knowing it wouldn’t have any real consequences, considering how well he knows the Hokage.

For now, I’ll just keep watching the kids and hoping things get better.

Chapter Text

"I'm hungry," Naruto complained.

"Yeah, I heard you the first time... twenty times ago," I grumbled, shooting a glance at the boy walking behind me.

I was starving and just wanted to stop somewhere and ask some nice adult to give us some food, but for some reason, every adult I looked at seemed cautious at best. I even saw an old lady spit on the ground behind us. The woman who had given us directions to the playground last time just turned her face away when I smiled at her. It didn’t go unnoticed how most of the hostile looks were directed at Naruto.

Naruto noticed what was happening, at least a little. I know he can feel the stares and hear the whispers of "monster," which I'm starting to get used to, but he pretends not to hear and complains loudly about being hungry. Loud enough to drown out most of the noise from the people around, for which I'm grateful because all those looks are making my skin itch.

Why is this happening? What changed since the last time we left the orphanage? Did the Matron spread rumors about us?

Either way, we both needed food, but I wasn’t going to risk asking an adult who obviously didn’t like us. My stomach clenched, and I felt the pain of hunger. When was my last meal?

The many bruises and small scratches scattered over my body certainly didn’t make it easier to move around the village. I was still wearing the same clothes from the day I went to the playground with Naruto, not even taking off my shoes. At least we were reasonably dressed, and our feet were fine, even though my arms and legs were sore—it must be the same for Naruto.

We walked for longer, through streets I’d never seen before, but I tried to keep us on the busier ones. I got a shiver of fear every time I looked down an alley, thinking how easy it would be for an adult to grab me there and make me disappear.

Despite the hateful whispers that followed us, I looked around, curious about what was out there. So many things I’d never seen but that seemed normal. I saw a place that sold food, and people were eating lots of meat. Meat! I’d only eaten that once, for the Matron’s birthday a few months ago.

I was distracted, staring at a plate a group of people had ordered. They were cooking… they called it barbecue. Frying the meat right on the table. How strange, but the smell was so good I could hear my stomach growl and feel my mouth water.

Would they give me some if I asked?

I was still distracted when Naruto grabbed my hand and started pulling me down the street.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked after stumbling and nearly falling, my attention still focused on the meat restaurant.

"Can you smell that? It’s so good!" Naruto looked back and smiled at me, not stopping as he followed his nose wherever it led.

"What are you, a dog?" I asked, a bit annoyed because the smell from the meat restaurant was really good too, and now I couldn’t smell it anymore. I stumbled again, partly because the lack of food was making me a bit dizzy. "Careful."

We stopped in front of a small restaurant that indeed smelled amazing. From what I could see, it had far fewer seats than the meat place, but that didn’t mean anything. The smell was great!

Naruto confidently walked into the restaurant, dragging me along. The place was actually quite clean, even though it was small. Most of the seating was on those super high stools facing the counter. Behind the counter, there was an adult with narrow eyes and a girl about the same age as the older kids at the orphanage.

Naruto, despite all his initial confidence, suddenly seemed shy, and I noticed the man behind the counter staring at us.

It wasn’t a hostile look, though. Not that Naruto seemed to notice the difference. I can’t really judge—neither of us has had the best experiences with adults, so caution is just common sense.

But unlike Naruto, I grew up watching how other kids always got what they wanted from adults by pouting, smiling sweetly, or doing little favors here and there. I paid close attention to learn how to do that myself, and I more or less know what expressions mean anger or fear. The man behind the counter didn’t look angry.

He seemed a little sad, though I didn’t know why. Maybe he’d lost something?

"Hungry?" the man asked, a smile on his face. I frowned. He was like Naruto, smiling when he was sad.

Naruto lowered his head and shyly gave a hesitant nod. I was too busy looking around to realize I should probably be helping Naruto convince the man to feed us.

"Well, you’re lucky I don’t have any other customers right now, so you can sit down," he said, pointing to the stools.

"Really?!" Naruto asked excitedly, jumping with joy.

"Yes, kid, really," the man confirmed. "You can call me Teuchi."

"But Teuchi-san..." I hesitated, but this was a problem we needed to solve quickly. "We don’t have any money."

The idea of money is a bit strange to me, but I remember hearing the Matron complain about how there was never enough and how this or that cost too much money. How the food had to be watered down because they were out of money and stuff like that.

I’m not sure what money is exactly, but I know it’s important and that “everything costs money,” according to Ami.

"That’s okay. Today it’s on the house," he said.

The girl shot the man a frown before shrugging and smiling at us. "Do you need help getting onto the stools?"

"No, nee-san, I can do it, dattebayo!" Naruto proudly pointed a thumb at his chest.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Bet I can do it faster."

"Let’s see!"

Immediately, we both raced to the stools, making both the man and the girl laugh at our enthusiasm. We made strangled noises from the effort of climbing the tall chairs, and I finally managed to hoist myself up, my belly resting on the seat, when Naruto shouted, "I won!"

I looked over to see that he was indeed sitting properly on the stool, even though he was panting. He flashed a wide, joyful grin at his victory, and I had to resist the urge to shove his chair and make him fall to the floor.

"What are your names?" Teuchi-san asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" the boy practically jumped out of his seat in his enthusiasm to introduce himself, beaming at the two behind the counter.

"H-Harumi," I added with a tired sigh as I finally settled on the high stool. It would’ve been much easier if I wasn’t so bruised and hungry.

"I’m Ayame. It’s a pleasure to have you here at Ichiraku! Do you like ramen?"

"Yes, we’re the best ramen shop in the Elemental Nations!" Teuchi-san added proudly with a grin as he put noodles into boiling water.

I watched their movements with curiosity and a bit of caution because I could still feel eyes on the back of my neck, which made my skin crawl. The urge to look directly at whoever was staring was strong, but I was really hungry, and it was hard to focus on anything else.

"What’s ramen?" Naruto asked curiously, leaning over the counter to peek as Teuchi-san cooked. Ayame-san poked his forehead to push him back before Naruto could fall into the kitchen.

"You don’t know what ramen is?!" Teuchi-san almost shouted in surprise. "That’s outrageous! It’s simply the best food in the world! I’ve heard from reliable sources that it’s the perfect meal for ninjas because it’s packed with nutrients, vitamins, carbs, and—"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, we get it: ramen is the best thing ever," Ayame huffed.

I watched the interaction with my head tilted, trying to understand. The lack of anger wasn’t that unusual, but usually, employees didn’t talk to their bosses like that. Ami certainly wouldn’t dare speak to the Matron that way.

"Are you two married?" I asked curiously. I don’t really have much contact with adults besides the Matron, Ami, the old man who comes to see Naruto sometimes, and the occasional couple who shows up to pick a child to be their kid. A man and a woman together means they’re married, right? Well, I’d seen some adults from a distance when Naruto and I went to the playground and the few other times Ami decided to take me along with a group of other orphans.

Teuchi laughed loudly, and Ayame made a funny face. "No, he’s my dad!"

Dad. Is that what a dad is like? Seems nice. Did the kids who got adopted have dads like that now?

I feel a familiar bitterness at this, the envy making me a little grumpy. I want this, but I know no one would want someone like me. Someone flawed.

I shake my head and push the thought away.

I felt something poke my cheek and looked to see Naruto’s finger on me, his brow furrowed. I forced my expression to relax—I hadn’t even realized I’d been pouting—and gave him a smile. If I’d been adopted, I’d never have met Naruto, and he’s kind of like my brother, so it’s okay, right? It’s not like I don’t have any family.

"And you two, are you friends?" Ayame-san asked as she went back to peeling potatoes—that’s probably what she was doing before we arrived.

Naruto opened his mouth to confirm, but I jumped in, "We’re siblings."

Ayame-san looked surprised by the answer, frowning slightly. "Siblings? You two don’t look much alike. I thought Kushina-san—"

"Ayame!" Teuchi-san called, and Ayame-san hesitated before turning her attention back to the potatoes, her lips pressed together. Maybe he wasn’t as nice as I thought? "Not all siblings look alike," the man added apologetically. "Sometimes, family has nothing to do with blood but with the people you choose to be your family."

Okay, he was nice. So why did he yell before? What would that Kushina person know about whether Naruto was my brother or not? Was she an expert on siblings? Maybe I could find her and see if I could really be Naruto’s sister like Teuchi-san said. Where could I find this person?

I was distracted from my plans by the bowl of soup with noodles, meat, an egg, and a weird little white thing with a pink swirl in the middle. "What’s this?" I asked, pointing at the thing with a suspicious frown.

Teuchi-san laughed and leaned toward us, and I saw Naruto—who was also admiring the dish—pay attention to the man. "That’s narutomaki!"

"Naruto... maki?" Naruto asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Is Naruto going to eat himself?" I frowned at the dish. Maybe these two weren’t as nice as I thought.

Teuchi-san laughed at us, hands on his hips, and I narrowed my eyes, trying not to stick out my tongue. Ayame-san was also laughing softly behind her hand, covering her mouth.

"Narutomaki is a fish cake, kid!" the man reached across the counter and ruffled Naruto's hair, making him tense up at the sudden contact — we both did, unused to adults who wouldn’t punish us — but it didn’t take long for him to flash a big smile at the man. "I added a few extras to your bowl in honor of your name."

"Come on, give it a try!" Ayame-san smiled at them. "I want to see your expression when you eat it for the first time," she pulled out a camera and got ready.

I shrugged and clapped my hands together like we always do before meals at the orphanage, with Naruto doing the same: "Itadakimasu!"

The first bite is... Ah, it’s like heaven. It’s like a warm blanket in winter or a hot bath in summer—good even though it’s hot. He wasn’t lying when he said it was the best of all! There’s no way someone who makes food this delicious could be bad, I decide. Teuchi-san must be really kind!

We ate quickly, so focused on filling our bellies that we didn’t talk again until we were done.

The day is hot when we finally leave Ichiraku and run toward the playground, hoping to find our friends from the other day again. I’m skipping with happiness, my belly full, and I can feel Harumi running after me.

Last time, we didn’t go this far because we didn’t want to get lost, but this time, I guess neither of us wants to go back, so we don’t bother sticking to an easy path back to the orphanage. Teuchi-san said we were heading toward Senju Park because it had the closest playground to the orphanage.

I can still feel the stares and hear the whispers of people around us, but I pretend to ignore them because today I had the best food ever, and I’m determined to keep the day great. Even so, I can sense Harumi is a little tense as she walks beside me, glancing around from time to time, glaring at any adult who gets too close as if they were the Matron.

The chill running down my spine warns me that maybe doing something reckless here would be even worse than facing the Matron’s fury. Mainly because I think I’d end up getting the worst of it between us, and I don’t want to take that risk. Getting beaten up isn’t fun, and I’d rather avoid it if I can. The whispers of “monster” make me want to hide, but Harumi is with me, so I pretend I don’t hear them and smile so she won’t think I’m a coward.

We reach the playground, and I quickly spot Shikamaru with his pineapple-shaped head and Chouji munching on a bag of chips. Ino is with other girls playing with dolls.

Dolls are a luxury toy at the orphanage, and I never get to play with one since the older girls monopolize them. Anyway, I’ve never really been allowed to play with any other kids before, so I stick with what I think I can handle and head toward the boys playing in the sand again.

The playground sits in an open clearing, surrounded by tall trees casting irregular shadows over the warm, light-colored sand. There’s an old wooden slide, its paint peeling in spots, and swings with rusty chains that creak softly when the wind blows. A metal jungle gym completes the space where kids are scattered, laughing and shouting.

Around the playground, mothers gather in small groups—some sitting on simple wooden benches, others standing with their arms crossed. Some watch closely, whispering among themselves, while others keep a greater distance, their gazes sharp with subtle tension. A few seem more relaxed, smiling softly as they watch their kids play, while others wear rigid expressions, as if always ready to intervene. I wonder what it would be like to have a mother watching over me while I play.

"Hey, guys," I greet them cheerfully, shaking off the sad thought, and Shikamaru grumbles an unintelligible reply, his eyes half-closed with sleep. Is it nap time for him?

Chouji nods once between bites of his chips. "Where have you guys been?" he asks, his mouth still full.

"Grounded," I reply, trying to sound indifferent so Harumi won’t get upset that the boys know she cried. I don’t want it to bother her—not when she defended me and got punished for it.

"Grounded for two days?" Shikamaru makes a pained face.

Two… days? We were locked up for that long? I knew it had been a while because I was hungry, but I never thought the Matron would’ve kept us without food for so long.

I see Harumi blink at the information. She clenches her teeth but says nothing. Her hands open and close at her sides. Is she going to cry again?

No, her eyes are dry, but she looks angry.

"Are you guys building a castle?" I try to redirect the conversation before Harumi starts yelling like she did at the Matron before. I don’t know how the adults here would react to that.

Shikamaru yawns before answering, "Hmm, yeah, it’s a—"

"You shouldn’t be around the monster," a boy about our age says, looking at my friends, and I feel myself tense at the prospect of being abandoned. "My mom says he’s bad. If you stay near him, he’ll hurt you."

Chouji stiffens, glancing between the new boy and me, confused. Shikamaru just yawns again. "What a drag," he mutters before going back to piling sand into the mound that’s slowly turning into a mountain.

Harumi, purposely ignoring the boy, sits down next to Shikamaru and starts patting the sand to make a harder wall for their castle. Chouji shrugs at the other boy, "Sorry, but if that were true, I think my dad would’ve told me to stay away too."

The boy growls as he stomps away towards the woman I assume is his mother who leads him away, casting a venomous glare in our direction.

I feel the tension leave me, and I take a deep breath, not realizing I’d been holding it, waiting for judgment. I also see Harumi relax when she hears Chouji, and I can’t help the grin that splits my face because I have the best friends in the world.

Today is a good day. I ate well, played with my friends, and even pulled a prank on the Matron. It can’t get any better than this!

Friends and… and a sister. When Harumi said that, I didn’t even know what to do. My face got hot, and my mind went blank. Sister. She wants me in her family. Sister. My sister.

Good thing she didn’t see me blush, though, or I’d never hear the end of it.

It can’t get better than this, dattebayo!

I throw myself into the sand next to the boys, on the opposite side of Harumi, and start pulling sand from the edges to build a wall. Konoha has a wall—I remember seeing parts of it while we were walking—so our castle needs one too.

"Why do people say those things about you?" Chouji asks hesitantly, and I find myself hesitating too, not knowing what to say. Not that I need to because Harumi seems to have her own ideas about it:

"Because they’re cowards," she says with disdain, anger bubbling under her skin.

"Cowards?" Chouji frowns, not understanding the connection. I have to agree with his confusion because, to me, it doesn’t make any sense either.

"We’re the same age. What do you think you’d have to do for all the adults in the village to call you a monster, Chouji?" she asks, irritated, practically punching the sand into the castle, destroying it instead of building it. "Nothing. The answer is nothing! Naruto never even had the chance to do anything to deserve that, so it can’t be his fault. People just hate him because he’s an easy target—small, someone they can hit, and who doesn’t have the power to do anything about it. They’re too cowardly to face the truth. Cowards and weaklings who need to hurt kids to feel better about themselves." She’s growling by the time she finishes, fists clenched over the ruined sandcastle. I could swear that last part was about the Matron if the tremor in her voice is any indication.

Shikamaru looks at Harumi for a moment as the stunned silence stretches between them. Then he looks at me, and I squirm when his gaze lingers. He doesn’t seem so sleepy now.

Shikamaru nods, as if reaching a conclusion, yawns again, and starts piling sand to rebuild the ruined castle. "Anyway, an adult who targets a child—no matter the reason—is just an adult who needs the right excuse to do the same to any other kid." He shrugs, indifferent. "People like that aren’t trustworthy, so I don’t care if they choose to stay away."

I don’t care if they stay away. People like that aren’t trustworthy. Just need an excuse to do the same to any other kid.

Shikamaru’s words echo in my head, and the thought of someone treating Harumi or Shikamaru or Chouji the way they treat me makes me feel sick. After all, why was I their target? What had I done? What could I have done when I only left the orphanage for the first time a few days ago with Harumi?

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see some people giving them strange looks, apparently having overheard Shikamaru’s words even though they were a bit too far to hear him clearly—but Harumi spoke louder, so maybe they heard her.

Some women pull their kids away, casting resentful looks our way, but a few mothers stay. Others, however, remain seated, tense but motioning for their children to keep playing. Not many stayed—only five of them—none of whom I recognized, but at least three of them were Shikamaru’s, Chouji’s, and Ino’s mothers.

I feel my face flush, realizing that not everyone hates me. That’s good. The day just keeps getting better and better, and I wish I didn’t have to go back to the orphanage at the end of the day.

I decide not to think about it until it’s unavoidable and keep playing in the sand with my friends and my sister.

As it starts to get dark, the mothers begin calling their children, and Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino—who had joined them later with her doll, the princess living in the sandcastle they built—leave together. Naruto and I are left behind, alone. 

“We have to go back,” Naruto laments, looking toward the street where we both know the orphanage is. Where the Matron would be waiting for us. 

“Do we have to?” I retort. 

“Don’t we?” 

“I don’t know,” I shrug before adding, “But we could say we got lost and ended up sleeping on the street. It’s not our fault, right?” 

“We’ll be punished for that,” Naruto reminds me, though there’s a glimmer of hope in his eyes, as if he’s trying to delay the beating a little longer. 

“We’d be punished anyway,” I scoff, crossing my arms so Naruto won’t see how my hands are trembling at the thought of facing the Matron again after what we did to escape. 

“Alright then,” Naruto agrees, and I feel the tension leave my shoulders at how easily he accepts it. “We need to find a place to sleep, dattebayo.” 

I point to the wooden tunnel in the playground as a solution. It’s big enough that we won’t be cramped and enclosed enough to protect us from the wind and rain. Naruto nods in agreement, and we settle inside the structure—our feet tucked in, our heads resting on the grass outside. 

As it gets darker, I can see the stars appearing in the sky, and I think it’s never been this easy to breathe before. 

We sleep under the light of the moon.

Chapter Text

We spent a week on the streets.

Surprisingly, finding a place to sleep wasn’t our biggest problem because the playground was great. No, the problem was food. We couldn’t go to Ichiraku all the time because it didn’t feel right when people started pointing at the restaurant with disgusted expressions that I knew were our fault since the food there was amazing. I didn’t want Teuchi-san and Ayame-san to have problems because of us.

As a result, we had to get creative and started looking for trees and bushes with little fruits. I knew some plants did that because there was a cherry tree in the orphanage’s garden, near the oak tree Naruto and I used during our escape, that gave little fruits once a year. So I thought, “If one tree can grow little fruits, there must be others, right?”

Easier said than done, but we ended up getting to know a lot of Konoha during our wanderings. Unfortunately, there weren’t many fruit trees around—or if there were, someone had eaten everything before we got there—so we kept looking.

We discovered the ninja district, which had lots of weapon shops and other things I didn’t recognize, but it was frequented by people wearing those headbands with a metal plate and a funny spiral symbol on them. I recognized these people as ninjas because they looked like the ones non-ninja people pointed at with mixed expressions of fear and respect.

Most ninjas ignored us, but some looked at us the same way other adults did: with anger and disgust. I was afraid of what a ninja could do to us if even non-ninja adults feared them. Another easy way to identify a ninja was the size of their “little ant,” which was much bigger than that of non-ninjas, although no one had anything close to Naruto’s sun.

Calling it a “little ant” was starting to get confusing. I didn’t know the name of this thing I could feel as if it were real, even though no one else seemed to see or feel it. Was it just me?

Anyway, this… thing was bigger in ninjas than in non-ninjas, even though sometimes it seemed almost the same. So I could more or less tell who was a ninja just by getting close, even if they weren’t wearing the weird headband.

Anyway, food was a problem, and discovering ninjas really distracted us because they could jump across rooftops and walk on walls, and it was all so magical that it actually made us forget about our hunger for a few moments—at least until our stomachs growled again.

We managed to get some stuff from a bakery’s trash and found some old bread. Unfortunately, it was really hard, and Naruto and I struggled to bite into it. The bland taste certainly didn’t help. Even so, we spent good hours gnawing on it until our saliva softened the bread enough for us to eat.

While chewing the bread, we were huddled in an alley, easily ignorable, hidden, and we overheard ninjas talking here and there. I could hear them talking about people they had killed and how much they hated “Iwa-nin,” which made me wonder if there were rock-made ninjas walking around. I’d really like to see them if there were. The ninjas talked about these Iwa-nin with even more hatred than most people directed at Naruto—and now at me. Poor Iwa-nin.

With our stomachs no longer cramping from hunger, even though they weren’t full, we were able to explore more of the ninja territory and found some large fields surrounded by trees. The only thing I thought was, “There must be trees with little fruits here!” before dragging Naruto with me to the tree line. The field wasn’t very well cared for because there were several spots where the grass had been torn up or burned, and I kept thinking it would be a lot of work to make it grow back.

When we reached the trees, everything seemed so big and… scary.

“Stay close to me,” I told Naruto, feeling afraid to keep going without the boy’s promise that he’d stick with me. I didn’t even want to let go of Naruto’s hand for fear of us getting separated, but I’m a brave girl, so I let go so I could explore the jungle and find something edible.

“Hai, I’ll stay close, dattebayo!” Naruto shouted as he jumped into a bush to look for little fruits.

“Naruto, the fruits won’t be in the middle—you can look without jumping into the bush,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I found something!” Naruto shouted excitedly, his legs kicking in the air while the top half of his body was still stuck inside the plant.

I ran over and had to jump to grab Naruto’s flailing legs, pulling and dragging the boy out to freedom. He fell to the ground with a muffled thud and a groan of pain, quickly stifled by his excitement to sit up and show me his discovery.

Naruto then showed me the strangest thing I had ever seen: a metal flower.

“I didn’t even know plants could be made of metal,” I commented, poking the thing with curiosity.

“Metal has to come from somewhere,” Naruto explained wisely. “Wood comes from trees, so I guess it makes sense that metal comes from a different kind of plant, right?”

“I guess so?” I tilted my head, not very convinced that was right, but I didn’t know what was wrong either, so I decided not to argue. Maybe Naruto was right.

Naruto poked the flower with his finger, and when he pulled his hand back, I could see his finger was bleeding.

“Oh, it’s sharp,” he said, putting his finger in his mouth to suck the blood, but he didn’t let go of the metal flower.

“Let’s keep looking for something to eat, Naruto,” I said when staring at the metal flower with curiosity stopped being fun. It wasn’t edible, so it didn’t need my attention anymore.

With a shrug, Naruto put the thing in the pocket of his shorts, and we kept searching until nightfall, when we slept under a tree instead of making the whole trip back to the playground just to hide among the equipment.

We both stank after living on the streets for so long without being able to take a bath, but I only realized it one night when I snuggled up to Naruto to sleep. He stank, but I noticed we both did, so I didn’t complain.

We also looked dirty. The clothes irritated my skin, and the sun was burning me. My body was covered in colorful bruises, but the scratches I got from falling out of the tree weren’t bleeding; just a normal scab covered them. Naruto wasn’t in much better shape than me.

We managed to get some berries from the field, but nowhere near as many as we’d like, and we were still hungry, so we went back to the city. I decided to find something in the trash. On our first attempt, a few days ago, the shop owner didn’t like seeing us rummaging through his garbage and came out with a broom to chase us away, so now I waited until the owner was busy, distracted, to sneak into the alley where the trash was out of sight from the street.

Naruto ran with me, our steps silent, his shirt wrapped around his head to hide his identity, leaving his belly exposed. If no one could see him, then no one would know he was the “monster” everyone hated. It was a brilliant idea!

This was non-shinobi territory, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any ninja around—it just meant there were fewer of them. I figured it was better to risk angering non-shinobi. Our survival chances were higher.

“Can’t we just ask Teuchi-san for more food? He was a nice guy,” Naruto whined when he caught the smell of where our next meal was.

The alley was poorly lit, which was perfect so no one could see us while we searched. We gently laid the trash down to avoid making noise and started digging through it to find something we could eat. Naruto put his shirt back on and joined me.

“No, Naruto. Teuchi-san will get in trouble if people see us with him too often,” I explained without stopping my search.

There were lots of eggshells and wrappers, but I finally found some leftover food someone had thrown away. There was even some meat. “Aha!”

“Well, what do we have here?” The mocking tone so close to us made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and we turned toward the entrance of the alley to see four men blocking the way. My heart started racing in my chest. “The monster crawling through the trash like a little rat! How fitting…”

Naruto’s eyes were wide, his fists clenched at his sides, his face pale with fear, and I had to resist the urge to start crying. “What do you want?” Naruto asked.

"Nothing, nothing, just... just settling some scores," one of the men—the leader—pointed out. He had a cruel smile on his face, and I wished so much that he would just go away. His clothes were worn out, just like his companions’, and it seemed they also spent a lot of time on the streets, with little money to afford their own homes.

Naruto was stumbling backward until he was beside me, and I could see his expression better—how he tried to keep a stern face, but he was as terrified as I was.

The men advanced into the alley, using their bodies to block any escape routes. One of them had a piece of wood he wielded enthusiastically, and I had a terrible feeling about what he intended to do with it.

None of them had that thing inside them, strong and big enough to be a ninja. All non-ninjas, then? Not exactly a guarantee, but the best I could hope for.

Still, there were four of them, and we were very small and alone. No one will come to save us. No one ever did before.

Are we going to die?

I grabbed Naruto’s hand, my breathing quickening, my eyes darting everywhere, trying to find a way we could run. We’re going to die we’re going to die we’re going to die we’re going to die.

What do I do? They hate us. They hate us more than…

They reached us, and Naruto stepped in front of me, ready to take the blows, but—

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I let out the loudest, shrillest scream I could manage, which was honestly pretty impressive. Naruto even covered his ears, shooting me a startled look. The men flinched slightly from the sudden, piercing sound but quickly recovered and reached for me, wanting to shut me up to avoid drawing unwanted attention. "IWA-NIN! IWA-NIN ATTACKING! HELP! IWA-NIN!"

The four men’s eyes went wide with shock, and I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, but the only thing I knew was that Konoha ninjas seemed to hate Iwa-nin more than people hated Naruto. "IWA-NIN! HELPPPPP!"

That scared them enough for one of them to lunge at us, trying to grab me, just as a voice called out from somewhere else: "What’s going on here?"

An opening!

I gripped Naruto’s hand and dragged him with me, taking advantage of the men’s distraction with the newcomer, and we ran as fast as our legs could carry us. The men did try to catch me, grabbing my hair, pulling me to the ground, and dragging Naruto down with me. But he didn’t stay down for long because Naruto, seeing the man holding me, immediately jumped on him and bit his arm, making the man release me.

We both fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, they were still four grown men, and all of this only served to ruin our best chance of escape. I saw the stick the other guy was carrying raised high, ready to come down on Naruto.

"No!"

But the blow never landed because the person who had spoken earlier, the one trying to find out what was happening, was now between Naruto and the strike, stopping the stick with… was that a knife? It had a weird shape. I think it was a ninja knife.

Naruto grabbed me and pulled me away from the fight, our backs pressed against the wall, wide-eyed as we watched the person take down all four men. Quick and efficient.

Is this what a ninja could do? I could understand why non-ninjas were afraid of them, but I kind of liked it. A lot.

The ninja was young, around the age of the older kids at the orphanage. A boy, with curly black hair and a blue shirt with a design on the back. He was fast, and when he finished, just a few seconds later, the four men who wanted to hurt us were on the ground.

The boy let out a sigh before looking in our direction, and I saw it: "Wow, magic eyes!"

"What?" Naruto frowned, shifting his gaze from the fallen men to the boy who had saved us, noticing those spinning red eyes too. "Whoa, they move!"

"That’s so cool!" we both exclaimed at the same time.

The boy scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Are you kids okay? Where are your parents?" he asked. "What are your names?"

I hesitated, but Naruto, in his excitement, didn’t think twice before answering, "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Idiot. He knows very well how people treat him, and I’d really prefer to keep this ninja on our side. Maybe he only helped us because he didn’t recognize Naruto right away. Maybe he didn’t care, because I’d noticed not all ninjas did, but it was still a risk Naruto didn’t need to take.

I let out a defeated sigh. "Harumi."

"Oh, I’m Uchiha Shisui," he smiled, crouching down in front of us until he was at our eye level, and I saw his eyes shift from red to black. "Are you—"

I lunged forward until our faces were just inches apart. Shisui leaned back slightly, surprised. "Your magic eyes disappeared," I whispered to him, alarmed. Had he lost the magic? Was that possible? Were his eyes broken?

Shisui blinked, even more surprised, then gave a wide grin before his eyes gleamed red again and turned back to black. I let out a relieved sigh. "They come when I call them, kitten."

"Your magic eyes can disappear?" Naruto, who had moved closer too, had wide, fascinated eyes. "Make them spin again!"

"Naruto!"

"Sorry," Naruto said quickly, then added with emphasis, "Can you make them spin again, please?"

Shisui laughed loudly this time but calmed down enough to grant Naruto’s wish. His eyes turned red and spun again for just a moment before returning to black. "That’s enough magic eyes for today. Otherwise, when I have to face more bad guys, my magic eyes will be too tired."

"Oh, sorry, I didn’t know," Naruto still looked at Shisui with a bit of awe.

"You still haven’t answered me: are you okay?" Shisui asked again. "One of them pulled your hair, didn’t he, kitten?"

I nodded, and I saw him reach out a hand to the back of my head. He moved slowly, as if not to scare me, and I kind of wanted to jump on him and never let go. His thing was warm like summer—warmer even. Warm like fire. "Why do you call me ‘kitten’?"

Shisui was touching my head, and I think he was checking to see if I was hurt. He was being very gentle, and I could fall asleep from the massage. Still, he smiled at my question. "The Uchiha like cats, and you remind me of a curious little white kitten."

"And me? And me?" Naruto jumped forward, eager for attention too. Shisui seemed satisfied I was okay and pulled his hand from my head to ruffle Naruto’s hair. "I think you’re more like an excited little puppy, Naruto," he said thoughtfully.

Naruto instantly deflated. "But you don’t like dogs."

Shisui laughed. "The Uchiha like cats, but I like both dogs and cats," he assured us. "You don’t seem hurt. So, is there an adult nearby looking for you?"

"No, there’s no one," I said because there’s no way I’d tell him about the orphanage. But Shisui’s worried expression told me that was the wrong answer, and I tensed up. "I mean..." I elbowed Naruto.

"Uh, no, we… uh, we have jiji," Naruto improvised, and I let out a sigh of relief. The boy’s old doctor didn’t seem like the type who’d beat us for running away from the orphanage.

"Jiji? Any more info for me to find him?" Shisui asked, doubtful.

Naruto and I exchanged a look, then shook our heads. Shisui sighed but accepted the answer without any sign of anger.

"Alright then, how about coming with me to where I work, and I’ll help you find your jiji?" he suggested.

"Where do you work?" I asked, suspicious because Naruto wasn’t exactly the most popular person, and depending on where we went, things could get complicated. But the way Shisui had easily beaten those guys, he could probably defeat an entire army alone, so I just shrugged and agreed when he answered, "The police station," whatever that is.

Magic eyes or not, I made sure to hold Naruto’s hand tightly. Just in case…

I vaguely remembered Uzumaki Kushina from when she used to visit Mikoto-oba at the Uchiha compound, her belly swollen with pregnancy. She was a loud, smiling woman — at least that's what I could recall of her.

Naruto was very similar to what I remembered of his mother. It's somewhat sad that he never had the chance to meet her. Even sadder that no one is allowed to tell him about her and his father.

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. I don't want them to sense that something is wrong and become wary around me. The girl, Harumi, has the eyes of a prey, always looking for predators around, always ready to flee. Even now, she clung to Naruto’s hand while keeping an eye on me and on the people approaching. She was cautious, even though her youth and enthusiasm still made her quite vulnerable.

I mean, who looks directly into a Sharingan and asks to see it again when I deactivate it? It was cute because people don’t usually look at a dōjutsu and think of anything other than how efficient as a weapon it is and how well it can kill or even drive someone insane. No one thinks beyond the weapon.

Magic eyes. Such an innocent description for something that can destroy someone from the inside out.

I knew, even if I couldn’t see it, that the Anbu watching over the Jinchūriki were tense when I activated my eyes near the kids. After all those rumors about the Kyūbi being controlled by the Sharingan, I kind of get it, but if they didn’t lift a finger to protect two children, then screw them and their fears.

I have a hunch about who Naruto’s so-called "jiji" might be, considering no one was really allowed to be near the boy. Well, almost no one. Even so, I couldn’t just take them to the Hokage Tower, and there wasn’t a protocol for what to do if you stumble upon the village’s Jinchūriki—a child—about to be beaten by a group of adult civilians while the Anbu do nothing. That, combined with the appearance of the two kids, paints a rather unpleasant picture of neglect.

If Naruto was living on the streets, then why wasn’t the police notified? If he ran away from home, then why weren’t there any search efforts? The boy could’ve been kidnapped, and no one would’ve cared if his guards’ level of concern was anything to go by.

I try not to judge too harshly because I know the guards rotate frequently to take on other missions, and it must be difficult to find people who weren’t affected by the Kyūbi Attack years ago and wouldn’t take out their anger on the boy. I hope the Hokage changes the guards after this.

At the police station, I feel more than see Harumi tense up, and Naruto hesitate, sensing his friend’s caution.

I made them sit on a bench and asked one of the older clan members on duty to keep an eye on the children because I didn’t trust that they wouldn’t just run off the moment I wasn’t around. Naruto seemed more curious and innocent, appearing to enjoy being surrounded by people who didn’t hate him simply for existing. That was because the Uchiha understood very well the role of the Jinchūriki in the village and wouldn’t harm the boy.

Unlike everyone else, apparently.

No, it was the girl who had “flight risk” written across her forehead in capital letters.

I knocked on Fugaku-oji’s office door and waited for the “Come in” before opening the door and stepping inside. It was a minimalist room, where most of the decoration was made up of documents stacked here and there, and a board with strings connecting photos of people and places from some ongoing investigation. “Shisui? I thought today was your day off.”

“Well, some things can’t be avoided. Let’s just say it’s part of the job,” I shrugged.

“And what brings you here?”

“I stumbled upon the Jinchūriki about to be beaten up in an alley,” I said, and saw how Fugaku-oji tensed for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. His ever-stoic expression didn’t betray anything, but I had a pretty good idea of what was worrying him.
“But I’m more concerned about what drew my attention to the alley in the first place, to be honest.”

That made Fugaku-oji release his nose and raise an eyebrow at me. “Hn?”

“Cries of ‘Iwa-nin attacking’ caught my attention and led me to the place.”

Fugaku-oji immediately grew more tense, looking ready to draw his weapons and head into the village, though it was more of an instinctive reaction because my presence here was proof that the problem had already been dealt with. Even so, hearing about the Jinchūriki, Naruto, and Iwa-nin in the same sentence made everyone think about how the people of Iwagakure hated even the shadow of Namikaze Minato and how they would love to get their hands on the Kyūbi’s vessel.

“You handled the situation, I assume?”

“There were no Iwa-nin, actually,” I clarified before letting out a sigh. “The girl, Harumi, Naruto’s friend, shouted about Iwa-nin when she saw they were surrounded and about to be beaten. I think she knew that would draw attention and maybe even some help.”

It was such a simple strategy. Simple but clever, considering that most ninjas, upon hearing her screams, would have likely killed the attackers before even determining who they really were. When it came to invaders, Konoha’s ninjas usually followed the “kill first, ask questions later” logic—especially when it came to Iwa and Kumo ninjas, the former due to the history between our nations and the latter due to their track record of bloodline theft.

It was a smart strategy, but flawed. Sounding a false alarm about a foreign invasion wasn’t a small matter, and it could land Harumi in so much trouble that I didn’t even want to start thinking about it. The worst part was that Naruto’s Anbu guards had seen everything, so it was a certainty that the Council and the Hokage would be informed even if I kept my mouth shut.

Fugaku-oji knew all this, and he let out another resigned sigh. “Great.”

“The Anbu agents who were supposed to protect Naruto did nothing, oji-san. Maybe you could use that with the Hokage?” I tried, hoping to find a way out for Harumi and for Naruto to keep his friend.

“I’ll handle it, kid. Send someone to call the Hokage,” Fugaku-oji commanded as he started organizing the paperwork on his desk to receive the Sandaime in his office.

“I’m pretty sure one of the Anbu guards already went to call him, actually,” I said, but even so, I turned to ask one of the younger clan members, who was still in his first days with the Police Force, to deliver the message to the village leader.

Before I left, however, Fugaku-oji called out to me: “Don’t tell Mikoto about this.”

Mikoto-oba, Naruto’s godmother, Kushina’s best friend, the person who tried to adopt Naruto after the Kyūbi Attack. When she found out about the state the boy was in when I found him, she would be livid.

“Do you really think she needs me to tell her to find out?” Shisui asked with a teasing smile. Mikoto-oba used to be a very competent kunoichi before retiring, and it was highly unlikely that anyone could keep secrets from her without her finding out eventually. “Good luck, oji-san.”

The police station was a very different place from what I was used to. Everyone seemed to be doing something, they dressed similarly, and they all had the same funny designs on their clothes that Shisui-nii had. There were a few people wearing different clothes who looked a bit sulky while the policemen asked them questions about something that had happened.

I felt a bit of empathy for them being caught playing some prank, but my sympathy wasn’t enough to defend them considering I was saved by one of the policemen. Shisui had spoken to an older man who looked grumpy before going to talk to a younger boy. The younger boy ran outside faster than I could, and I felt a bit jealous. That boy was much faster than me, and he wasn’t even that much older than me like Shisui.

And I thought I was fast for a kid…

Harumi didn’t seem to like this place even though people weren’t whispering about us or looking like they were going to hit us at any moment. You’d expect her to like it here since this was where the nii-san with magic eyes came from.

Shisui was coming back to us, but my gaze was drawn to a metallic glint on one of the desks when I saw one of the policemen playing with… “A metal flower!”

Shisui, standing in front of me, raised his eyebrows in surprise before looking in the direction I was staring and seeing the object. He chuckled before turning back to me, “That’s called a shuriken, Naruto.”

“Shu-ri-ken,” I pronounced slowly before grinning, “I didn’t even know metal flowers existed until—” Harumi elbowed me and gave me a look that screamed “shut up!” better than the Matron’s punishment stick.

Shisui gave us a quick glance but smiled without commenting on the interaction. “It’s not a flower, it’s a ninja weapon,” he explained before pulling a shuriken from the pouch at his waist and throwing it at the wall between me and Harumi, making both of our eyes widen as we stared at the metal flower stuck in the wall between us.

“Wow!” I couldn’t help but gasp at the demonstration. “What other weapons do ninjas use, Shisui-nii?”

Shisui hesitated at the honorific, but only for a second before placing a finger on his chin, thoughtful. “Ah, I know! Do you know what a kunai is?” he pulled out one of those strange knives I had seen some of the ninjas carrying around the village.

“Why are they so different?” Harumi leaned forward with a frown as she curiously looked at the kunai. She still hadn’t let go of my hand.

“Both are throwing weapons, but they’re used in very different ways,” Shisui explained. “Kunai fly in a straight line and can cut deep, while shuriken don’t cause as much damage but can curve through the air. Which one is better depends a lot on how you use them.”

“That’s so cool,” I whispered, still marveling at the ninja weapons.

“Are those the only ones?” Harumi asked, also staring at the kunai, her head slightly tilted.

“No, there are many others, but I don’t have any with me right now,” Shisui lamented a bit, giving us a crooked smile.

“Shisui-kun, it’s good to see you,” a raspy voice said beside us, drawing my attention to Jiji. He still had that pipe of his and the permanent smell of smoke.

“Jiji!” I jumped at him and hugged his leg because even though all adults were mean, Jiji had always been kind to me. He’s the reason the Matron lets me out of my room. After Harumi, Jiji is my favorite person!

Shisui, I noticed now, was kneeling before Jiji. “Hokage-sama.”

Harumi, I saw, narrowed her eyes at Shisui and then at Jiji, though I didn’t know what she was thinking. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it.

“Jiji, it’s been so long since I last saw you, dattebayo!” I said excitedly, and he placed his hand on my head, messing up my hair… not that my hair was tidy before.

“Yes, Naruto, it’s always good to see you, my boy,” he smiled, making his face wrinkle all over. “I heard you and your friend got into some trouble. Why don’t we talk about it in Uchiha-san’s office?” he pointed at the older man wearing clothes with a design similar to Shisui-nii’s.

“Hai!” I immediately agreed and grabbed Harumi’s hand to climb the few stairs to the Uchiha’s office. I couldn’t leave Haru-chan alone—she had held my hand the whole time until now, so I would stay close. I entered the office with Jiji and the Uchihas following behind. “Jiji, it was so crazy! We were there, and they just came at us out of nowhere with sticks to hit us! BAM! Out of nowhere, Jiji.”

“I see,” Jiji agreed with a strained expression. He turned his attention to Harumi. “And you asked for help?”

“Yes,” was all Haru-chan said, and I frowned at her silence. What was wrong with her?

“Hokage-sama, there were four adult men, and one of them, as Naruto said before, was armed with a stick to hit the children,” Shisui-nii said when it became clear Harumi wouldn’t add anything to the story.

Haru-chan frowned even more, looking angrily at the floor, and suddenly, I understood why she wasn’t speaking. The few times I’d seen her angry, she said bad things. She yelled, calling the Matron a monster in the middle of the street, and for a moment at the playground, I thought she was going to fight the kids who were mean to us. Was she going to yell at Jiji too?

“I heard you said there were Iwa ninjas attacking you. That wasn’t true, and you knew it, didn’t you, young lady?” Jiji’s tone was gentle as he insisted on getting an answer from Harumi. I frowned, not understanding why this was important.

“What is a Hokage?” Harumi asked instead of answering, looking at Jiji with suspicion.

Jiji sighed before answering in a calm tone, “The Hokage is the village leader. My job is to guide and protect the people of Konoha,” he explained with a smile, but instead of feeling reassured, Harumi narrowed her eyes even more.

“In that case, I think the fact that I had to lie for someone to help us says more about you and Konoha than it does about me,” Harumi shot back, crossing her arms and looking away, sulking. The room fell into tense silence, everyone was quiet, and I felt my hair stand on end. Her jaw clenched, and I knew that whatever was said next wouldn’t be good: “And what are you going to do about the men who tried to hurt us? What did you do about—”

I jumped in front of her and covered her mouth before she could say anything that would make Jiji and the Uchihas as angry as she had made the Matron. As someone who was constantly blamed for things I didn’t do and had been beaten many times, I knew that just because you were right about something didn’t mean you wouldn’t be punished.

I had never seen Jiji angry, and if he was the most powerful and important person in the village, I really didn’t want to. I was sure the punishment he could give us would be much worse than anything the Matron could do.

Harumi squirmed under my hand, trying to speak, but the words came out muffled, and I felt her lick my palm, but I forced myself not to let go because I really didn’t want her to be punished for her words. It’s not like I was very careful with these things, but I had never had to worry about someone else being punished in my place before.

The truth is, it was because of me that the Matron started to hate Harumi so much, it was because of me that we spent the last few days living on the streets and eating from the trash. My fault that people hate us and that those men wanted to hurt us.

I need to make sure Haru-chan will be okay. I need to.

I smiled at Jiji, a bit embarrassed, while using my other arm, the one not keeping my friend’s mouth shut, to hold her body and keep her from doing anything. She wasn’t struggling anymore, but I really didn’t trust that she wouldn’t say something stupid if I let go. “Sorry about that, Jiji. Haru-chan is upset because we haven’t had lunch yet.”
Jiji, however, was looking at Harumi with a serious and thoughtful expression that made me worried. She wouldn’t be punished for this, would she? I mean, she lied, but if she hadn’t, I don’t think anyone would have come to help us, so it’s not that bad, right?

While all this was happening, the older Uchiha kept an emotionless look on his face that made him seem like a statue. Still, I could have sworn the man was a bit impressed. It was hard to tell because he really didn’t show anything. That’s a real ninja!

“Where were you attacked?” Jiji asked, this time looking at me, and I felt tense under his gaze.

“Uh… I don’t know, there were some stores, I think?”

“The commercial district, Hokage-sama,” the older Uchiha said before turning his attention to Harumi and adding, “After Shisui brought you two here, I sent a team to bring the attackers in.”

I felt more than saw Jiji tense up a little, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, and he gave the older Uchiha a smile. “Yes, the Uchihas are very efficient in their work. Fugaku-kun is doing an excellent job.”

The older Uchiha’s name is Fugaku? What a weird name.

Harumi’s eyes were slightly narrowed at Jiji, but she didn’t try to fight against my hand again, so I slowly let her go, waiting to see if she would freak out. She didn’t, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“What were you two doing in the commercial district, kids? There are no playgrounds nearby. Were you lost?” he asked me, and I looked at the floor and walls. Anywhere but at Jiji’s eyes. “Naruto-kun?”

Ah, I shouldn’t tell him. He’ll make me go back to the orphanage. I don’t like it there, and if it were just me, maybe I could accept it, but with Haru? I can’t let her go back there! The Matron never liked me, but she doesn’t hit me much because she knows Jiji doesn’t like it, but Haru? Jiji doesn’t even know her name, I think.

“Naruto-kun…” Jiji sounds so disappointed.

“Argh, we were looking for food,” I confessed, and I felt Harumi look at the wall, still sulking and refusing to speak again. I kind of wished she would help me explain things but nicely, like when we’re playing together.

“Didn’t you eat at the orphanage before going out to play?”

Considering we had run away from the orphanage a week ago? No, we didn’t eat before going out. Not that the old Matron would have fed us if we had left with permission. As it was, she had left us without food for two whole days as punishment, and I wasn’t sure when she would feed us again.

"Naruto, when did you two leave the orphanage?" Jiji already seemed to understand what was going on, and I pressed my mouth shut to avoid saying anything else. Jiji sighed. "Why don't you two go to the hallway so I can talk to Fugaku-kun and Shisui-kun here?"

I sighed in relief at not seeing any anger on Jiji’s face and held Haru-chan’s hand before leading us outside. I can hardly believe we got away with it.

I sat down in one of the chairs in Fugaku’s office, feeling my knees creak from the effort. I was too old for this job when I passed it on to Minato-kun, and I am even more so now.
Watching Naruto grow up makes me feel ancient. Like a dead man refusing to go to the grave.

“The attackers will be properly punished, Hokage-sama,” Fugaku said, and I knew this wasn’t up for debate. I really don’t like the idea of punishing people for the stupid things they do out of grief, but I also can’t ask the police to turn a blind eye to a blatant crime.

“Yes, I know you’ll make sure of that,” the problem is, that won’t make the Uchiha any more liked by the villagers because, to them, Naruto deserves to be punished.

“Hokage-sama, the Anbu guards didn’t interfere,” Shisui said, voicing what had been bothering me since I received the news that Naruto was at the police station.
More than just not interfering in a case of physical violence that could have killed the boy — beating a three-year-old child with a stick was no light matter — they knew he and his new friend were living on the streets, and no one thought I should be informed? Why wasn’t this included in the reports?

I let out an exhausted sigh. “The agents I usually assign to Naruto’s safety were needed elsewhere,” I said. “But the orphanage should have sent me a notification too.”

“With all due respect, Hokage-sama, they were looking for food in the trash in that alley when they were ambushed,” Shisui said, seeming to regret the entire situation as much as I did. At least he wasn’t responsible for putting Naruto in that situation, so it wasn’t as bad for him. “They preferred eating from the trash over going back to the orphanage.”

I flinched slightly at the realization. I knew things weren’t good there with the overcrowding and the recent subsidy cuts, but knowing that three-year-olds would rather eat from the trash and live on the streets than stay there... really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

If Minato and Kushina could see Naruto now, they would rise from their graves just to drag me to mine. How poetic.

“Tell me, Shisui-kun, what do you think about joining the Anbu?” I asked.

The Uchiha usually didn’t work outside the police force after their genin years, but with the village’s relationship with the clan deteriorating, would having an Uchiha around help improve things? Hopefully, this would show my trust in them and be enough to keep their loyalty.

Hopefully, all of Danzo’s conspiracy theories would prove wrong.

Shisui’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected offer. Fair enough, considering no Uchiha really considered working anywhere but the police force.

Shisui looked at Fugaku for instructions on what to do, but the clan head simply nodded silently, letting him decide on his own. A privilege the boy only had while the Uchiha elders didn’t know about it. Elders were all the same, I knew that from experience.

He looked at me and knelt on the ground. “It would be an honor, Hokage-sama, to serve Konoha as you see fit.”

“Very well,” I said, standing up and feeling my knees complain again. “I need some agents who are free from prejudice for certain tasks.”

I left the office without saying anything else but stopped outside when I saw the two children waiting for the adults to dismiss them and, it seemed, return to the streets. What kind of Hokage am I if I don’t even realize that my village’s Jinchuuriki is living off trash to survive...

“What do you think of ninjas?” I asked, an idea beginning to form in my head.

I vaguely remember reading the girl’s name — Naruto had called her Haru-chan — in one of the Anbu guards’ reports on Naruto. She had been his friend for a while now, but I confess I didn’t expect her to stay this long. I never thought she would stick around once she realized the treatment she would receive for being associated with the boy. What a pleasant surprise, as is her sharp mind. Though her temper is far from ideal, and I really hope she doesn’t infect Naruto with her anger.

Both children looked at me, but they were so different: Naruto had a spark of excitement and joy, eager to talk, while Haru narrowed her eyes as if judging even the air I breathed. It was actually a little cute, her angry pout.

“Ninjas are awesome, Jiji! Shisui-nii beat those bad guys so easily, dattebayo!” Naruto immediately started praising the virtues of the only ninja he had ever seen in action. Then he paused for a second, thinking, before looking at me intently. “Jiji, Jiji. If you’re the Hokage, does that mean you’re stronger than Shisui-nii?”

Well, since Hashirama, people believed that being “the strongest” was a requirement to be Hokage, which Konoha’s history didn’t help to disprove. That’s not exactly the case, but explaining all the nuances of my position to a three-year-old seemed like a useless effort, so I just laughed: “The Hokage must be strong enough to protect the entire village, Naruto!”

“Wahhhh, so you’re the strongest in the whole village?!” Naruto’s eyes sparkled as he spoke, and I could see how Haru got more and more annoyed with every second Naruto praised me. “One day, I’ll be Hokage too, Jiji!”

I couldn’t help but see the ghost of Nawaki and Minato when those words left his mouth. The ghost of little Orochimaru when he was still a child full of ambitions and not the criminal who fled Konoha just a year ago.

I sighed, trying to push away the ghosts of the past.

“Would you like to be ninjas?” I asked, forcing myself to return to the subject.

I decided to include the girl in the invitation because, despite my reservations, she was still the only friend who stood by Naruto even when everything was against them. When I think about it, maybe it was precisely because of her abrasive personality that she didn’t back down.

“Yes, Jiji! If I want to be Hokage, I need to be the strongest ninja first,” Naruto said, as if it were obvious.

I looked at Haru, waiting for her to answer too. Feeling my attention, she looked at me, irritated at having to respond, and I couldn’t help but think she looked like a kitten hissing at someone trying to pet her. “Fine,” she said, and I couldn’t stop the smile from forming at having gotten a response.

Well, they were still a little young, but I know Naruto will turn four in a few months, and that will give me time to find a place for the children to live outside the orphanage. It will be hard to find a place that will accept Naruto, but I’ll work on it.

They’ll enter the Academy a year early, but that will only give them an advantage over the other students, I believe. Unfortunately, this is the only thing I can do to make sure they’re okay.

Chapter Text

We’re back at the orphanage.

The old man promised it would be just for a short time, but I still want to kick his shin, Hokage or not. Naruto was disappointed too, but he hid it better than I did. I couldn’t help stomping my feet the whole way back.

That old man makes me angry.

If he’s the strongest person in Konoha and his job is to take care of everyone, then why isn’t he taking care of us? Why does he let people treat Naruto like trash? I know he knows how we’re treated because he’s been to the orphanage before and saw Naruto’s prison room. So why is he taking us back here?

I listen while he argues with the Matron: “You know you must care for the children without prejudice,” the old man says.

“Do you have any idea how many people I lost to that monster?” the Matron snaps back.

They go back and forth like that for a while before the Hokage promises it will only be for a short time but insists we need to be fed until he returns for us.

Naruto still smiled at the Hokage as he said goodbye, but I just stuck my tongue out. Naruto’s smile faded the moment the door closed behind the old man, leaving us alone with the Matron while Ami tried to comfort the younger kids.

None of the other kids dared come near us, and I couldn’t blame them. I’m not sure I would’ve if I were in their place.

“I hope you know you’ll be staying in the room until Hokage-sama comes back,” the Matron said, and she sounded so calm. A shiver of fear crawled down my spine.

She walked over to a desk in the corner of the sunlit room — toys scattered all over the floor — and picked up a long wooden ruler. I felt the blood drain from my face.

I knew exactly what punishment awaited us.

“Hands,” she ordered.

Naruto spent most of his time locked in the room — which wasn’t better than being downstairs — so he hadn’t been subjected to many of the Matron’s punishments yet. He looked confused, glancing at me for guidance, and the idea of explaining made my stomach clench. I just held out my hands first.

“How many?” I asked, not daring to look at her. My eyes stayed fixed on the floor, on her shoes, anywhere but the ruler.

“Until I’m satisfied,” she answered. I flinched. That meant a lot. I was so scared I nearly wet myself, and tears started rolling down my cheeks even before the first blow.

The first time I remember getting this punishment was when I shoved Yuna into a mud puddle while we were playing. The Matron hit me with the ruler, then made me wash Yuna’s clothes by hand with my burning, swollen fingers. I also remember how she slapped me when I muttered about “annoying old women” and how the other kids avoided me after that. Once the Matron labeled you a “troublesome child,” you got punished more often.

Naruto whimpered when the first crack of wood against my skin echoed through the room, mixing with my pained cry. My skin is pale, so every hit leaves a vivid mark, and the second blow came right after the first. I already knew my hands would bruise badly when it was over — hopefully, no broken fingers like some of the others. I’d learned not to move my fingers or try to pull back.

My whole body shook as I sobbed. I bit my lip to keep from screaming out loud. My muffled cries filled the room, and Naruto kept pleading through his tears: “Please stop...”

I felt a spark of anger at him for begging. The Matron never hesitated to lock him in the dark, never hesitated to take our food away or hit us. Did he really think begging would make her stop? Plenty of other kids had tried before him, and none of them were hated as much as Naruto was.

Her stopping because Naruto asked? Impossible.

I lost track of time. My hands throbbed with each strike, and I was sure the skin was red, swollen, and hot to the touch. By the time she lowered the ruler and ordered me to stand in the corner, I cradled my hands against my chest, crying silently.

I didn’t look up, but I knew exactly when Naruto was hit the first time: he screamed. The same startled, agonized cry I had made when I didn’t know what to expect. Once you start screaming, it’s hard to stop. Naruto had watched me get punished, but knowing it and feeling it are different.

I flinched more with each blow and every sob of pain Naruto made.

Just finish already. End it.

It took forever. Maybe I lost track of time, but I swear Naruto’s punishment lasted longer than mine — or anyone else’s I’d seen. Through his cries and my own sniffles, I heard the Matron’s low murmur of “monsters” and “abominations.” It was easy to ignore compared to Naruto’s broken sobs every time wood struck skin, flesh, and bone.

The sky was dark by the time she was done. I risked a glance at Naruto’s hands and felt sick when I saw the angry purple bruises, the spots where the ruler had broken the skin and drawn blood. My stomach twisted when she dragged us outside.

“Take off those filthy clothes.”

Naruto’s hands didn’t work properly anymore, so I helped him get his shirt off as the Matron dropped a bar of soap and a bucket of water at our feet.

“Clean yourselves up,” she ordered, leaving two worn, mismatched shirts and shorts on the ground before locking the door behind her.

“We need to hurry or she’ll lock us in the room like this,” Naruto said softly. His voice was dull with pain, but he didn’t sound surprised. I guess this was normal for him. The difference now was that he wasn’t alone.

A part of me wanted to blame Naruto for everything. My life hadn’t been great before him, but I wasn’t anyone’s target. Back then, the Matron only punished me when I really misbehaved. Now? I was punished just for being Naruto’s friend. The Matron didn’t just hate him — she wanted to make sure no one else cared about him either.

Naruto’s right here. Small. An easy target. I could hit him, and I bet the Matron would let me back inside to eat with the others. I could pretend none of this ever happened.

Shikamaru’s words from a few days ago haunted me. I knew life would be easier if I turned my back on Naruto. But I hate the people who treat him like this.
Hate hate hate hate. I won’t become one of them.

Naruto tried to hold the soap, but his swollen fingers wouldn’t close around it. I helped him wash while tears slid down my cheeks. The soap burned my hands, but I didn’t stop. Neither of us spoke. When we were done, we dipped our heads into the bucket to rinse the soap away.

The clothes were like all the orphanage clothes — donations from dead people or rich folks who bought new things just because they could. Even so, these were worse than usual, full of old stains that no amount of scrubbing could remove. The shirts were too big and the shorts threadbare, but we managed to get dressed and slip back into our shoes.

That’s when I noticed the faint glint in our pile of dirty clothes. I froze, then remembered the metal flower-shaped shuriken. My tears had stopped by then, replaced by exhaustion. But the sound of footsteps inside the house jolted me into action. I snatched the shuriken and shoved it into the pocket of my new shorts.

Naruto opened his mouth to ask something, but he shut it fast when the Matron stormed outside. She grabbed our arms and dragged us back to the familiar, hated room.

The weight of the hidden shuriken felt like a small, comforting secret in my pocket.

We were still wet from our bucket bath when we were dragged upstairs, and I saw plates of food inside before we were thrown to the floor. The door slammed shut, taking away any light we could use to see. I can still hear Harumi's low whimpers beside me, and I'm secretly relieved she doesn't start crying again like the first time because I'm starving, and my hands hurt so much.

I wish Jiji had taken us with him somewhere else...

I pushed the thought away, along with the feeling of being abandoned, and forced myself to move closer to Harumi. Jiji promised he'd be back soon to get us, after all. It's not hard to find her with the sound—even if it's low—and the salty smell of her tears. The smell of food distracts me, but not enough to stop me from figuring out the general direction where the Matron threw it. I don't hear footsteps, so she must still be there.

It must be scary for her to be locked in here. It's scary for me too, and I don't like this room, but I'm kind of used to it. I can guide myself by the smells: the metallic scent of the pee and poop bucket, the food, the clean water in a separate bucket near the door, the folded blankets waiting in the corner for a cold day, the sweat-soaked mattress, extra clothes, and even a pair of shoes. I've learned how to find my way here, and I know Haru will too if she tries.

I move toward her slowly because even though I have a rough idea of where she is, without eyes, I might step on her foot or, worse, her already hurt hand. When the smell grows stronger—soap, tears, and that distinct scent I've started associating specifically with Harumi—I stretch my neck until my forehead touches what I guess is her shoulder.

"H-Haru-chan, there's food," I call.

"W-where?"

"Try to smell it," I say because it's better if she learns to find her way here rather than relying on me. What if she needs the bathroom while I'm asleep? I hear her sniff, but her nose sounds clogged from crying, and I just sigh. "Try later. Follow my voice."

Haru's hands are hurt too, so I don't expect her to grab my shirt like she did before. I follow the smell of food, calling out "here" every now and then until I'm really close. Then, I circle the plates protectively and keep talking while listening to Harumi's shuffling footsteps move toward me. When she finally crawls over and touches me, I guide her to the plates with my voice and leave my protective position over the food, now that I know she won't knock it over by accident.

There are no utensils, and my hands hurt. I really don't want to use them to grab the food, so I lower myself and imitate the dogs I saw in the city when I went out with Haru. I don't know if she's doing the same or using her hands, but it doesn't matter. We have food, and that's all that counts. I hear her plate shift as she eats, and we fall into that kind of silence that only happens when our mouths are busy with something else.

Afterward, we settle on the bed without saying much. We were both still sore from the punishment and exhausted from crying so much. Our bellies, finally full, made us sleepy, and I feel my body growing heavy, but I don't sleep just yet.

Everyone seemed to respect Jiji so much. Even that older Uchiha man—Fugaku? He looked grumpy. Even Shisui, who's super strong, spoke to the old man with respect because he was the Hokage.

If I become Hokage, will people treat me like that too? Will they respect me? Want me around? It must feel nice to be wanted somewhere. Like going to a shop, for example, and being greeted with smiles. I remember how it felt at Ichiraku and smile to myself. Yeah, it would be really nice if that happened everywhere.

The Hokage has to be the strongest ninja in the village, so I'm going to become the strongest ninja ever. It won't be easy, but I can do it, dattebayo!

I smiled as my eyes closed and dreamed of all the friends I would make when I became Hokage and people recognized me for who I am. I can't wait to become a ninja.

I can feel people moving around me, and since I have nothing better to do, I focus on that. I follow the little ants — the tiny sparks of energy I can sense throughout the orphanage.
Naruto stands out, both because he’s close and because he’s so much larger than everyone else. But I can still feel the others, and unlike Naruto, they’re moving and doing things. I can distract myself by imagining what they might be up to while we’re stuck in here.

Naruto never stops talking, and all I can think is that he’s probably just happy to have company for a change. I feel guilty that part of me wishes I were out there, even if it meant leaving him behind. I won’t do that, but it’s still tempting. Part of me wants to go, but most of me just wants to scream, hit, and break things because this is so unfair.

Naruto never stops talking, but he doesn’t expect me to say much, which helps. Talking to him would mean paying attention, and paying attention would mean recognizing that I’m trapped again. Every time I focus on that thought, my breathing gets heavier, so I push it away and focus on the little ants.

From Naruto’s endless chatter, I’ve gathered that he wants to be Hokage now. That’s his new big dream, his grand plan to fix all our problems. I’m not convinced it’ll be that simple, though — not with how people seem to hate him just for existing. Still, I tell him it’s a good goal. Strength is always good. It means we can protect ourselves, survive on our own, even if people don’t like us.
If Naruto can become the strongest person in Konoha, even if they never let him be Hokage, it’ll still make life easier.

Sometimes the door opens, letting in a sliver of light, and Ami comes in to take the bucket of pee and poop. She leaves behind a plate of food. A few minutes later, she returns to drop off the empty bucket and a bucket of water, then takes the empty plates with her. I’ve tried counting how many times she’s come, tried to figure out how many days we’ve been here. But I’m pretty sure they sometimes forget to feed us. It’s hard to tell how much time has passed.

It took me — days? weeks? — to have a thought that should’ve been obvious: If everyone has this 'thing' I can sense, does that mean I have it too?

For the first time since the Matron locked us in here, I feel a spark of excitement. I try to sense if I have an ant, too. If I have that thing. What does it feel like? Is it big? Small? How does it work?

But I can’t feel anything. What if I don’t have it?

Every ninja I’ve sensed has it, stronger than regular people. The Uchiha felt warm, like campfires, big and crackling. The Hokage felt like fire too, but not as hot… though bigger than most of the Uchiha. He didn’t feel like the strongest person in the village, though. Naruto’s sun burns bigger and heavier than all of them. But compared to regular people, the Hokage still feels huge.

I sigh. Whatever this thing is, it seems important for being a ninja. With Naruto’s sun burning so brightly, maybe he really can become Hokage. But I’m worried I can’t feel mine at all.

Naruto’s asleep now. There isn’t much to do here except talk or sleep. I try talking to him sometimes, but I can only keep it up for so long before I start crying at the realization of where we are. Naruto must’ve noticed because he doesn’t ask me to join in as much anymore.

With him sleeping, I focus on his sun. I try to figure out how it works. Maybe mine is just really small? Everyone has one, so I must too. I need to have one.

I can feel it where our arms touch — the way it spreads through his whole body, into every limb, all the way to his fingers. But it’s strongest in his stomach. Actually, I can feel his sun blending with something else deep inside him, something hotter. Naruto feels cool overall, but the warmth comes from his core.

Is the stomach the center? Is that where everyone’s power is strongest?

I frown and force myself not to think about the room I can’t leave. I focus on my own stomach and try to feel something.

There’s a faint pulse there, like my heartbeat or my breathing. But I can’t find the thing. Still, I keep trying. It’s like I’m reaching for something just out of grasp.

Days pass — Ami comes to empty the bucket and leave food and water at least three times — and I keep feeling the little ants around the orphanage, Naruto’s swirling energy, and that invisible current inside him. When he’s excited, it spins fast. When he’s asleep, it slows to a crawl. And still, I can’t find mine.

Until one day, I do.

It happens by accident. I’m distracted, thinking Naruto’s asleep because he’s been so quiet. I’m focused on my stomach when he suddenly touches my arm. I gasp and flinch, and for a split second, I feel something inside me jump.

I realize then why I couldn’t feel it before: It’s always been there. I just never noticed.

It reminds me of how Ami once said kids grow up so fast, outgrowing their clothes overnight. I’ve never felt myself grow either — only seen the difference afterward. Is that how this works too?

After that, I can feel it more easily. I get so excited when I realize it responds to me, like it’s alive. I spend days trying to make it move the way I want. No success yet, but that’s okay. I didn’t know how to find it at first either.

“What do you mean there’s a thing inside you?” Naruto asks, confusion crinkling his forehead. I can hear it in his voice. “Do you have worms or something?”

“No, Naruto!” I wrinkle my nose. “It’s not that. Everyone has it, so it can’t be bad.”

Naruto groans doubtfully. “If you say so… but what’s it for?”

“I don’t know. But ninjas have it.”

“You said everyone has it,” he points out.

“Yes, but it’s bigger in ninjas,” I huff, losing patience.

He goes quiet, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. When the realization hits, I roll my eyes at his delayed excitement. “Wait, so I have one too, right? I’ve got one of those things?”

“Yeah, you feel like the sun, Naruto,” I explain, my excitement returning. “Big and hot, just like the sun.”

“Really?” Naruto bounces on his feet, and I know because I can hear the thud-thud of each landing. “That means I really can be Hokage!”

I’m not so sure it works like that. I don’t know if his sun matters that much to ninjas. I only know they all have it. But why? What do they use it for?

“Why don’t you try to feel it? It took me ages to find mine, but it worked,” I tell him. “It’s actually pretty cool. I’m trying to see if I can move mine now.”

“How do I find it?” His voice is bright with curiosity, and it’s easier to ignore the fact that I can’t see the grin I know is on his face.

“Well… I found mine by accident when you scared me, because it jumped. But I was looking for it at the time, so I recognized it.” I hesitate. “But I know it’s strongest in your stomach. You can try there.”

“My stomach? There’s nothing in my stomach. I’d know if there was, dattebayo.” He sounds offended.

“Inside your stomach, Naruto,” I say, jabbing a finger at him. He squeals with laughter at the unexpected tickle. I press against the spot where the hot, swirling energy burns the brightest. “Right here.”

“Okay! I’ll find it and become an even stronger ninja than Hokage-jiji!”

“It’s hard to find, so don’t give up just because you don’t get it right away,” I warn. He gives up on things when they don’t come easily, but I had nothing else to do here. That was the only reason I kept at it.

“Hai, I got it.”

I snort. I give it a day before he starts whining. But for now, I return my focus to the swirling thing inside me, trying to make it move.

The silence bothers me, but I don't complain about it. I keep talking to myself even though I'm starting to repeat topics: I talked about Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Ichiraku, Teuchi-jisan, Ayame-neesan, ramen, I talked about Jiji, about Shisui, about ninjas in general, and about wanting to be Hokage. I don’t know what else to say, but the silence bothers me.

I want to demand attention, but the few times I managed to get Harumi to join the conversation, it didn’t take long before she started breathing in that way that sounds like it hurts, and then she spoke with a choked voice, on the verge of crying. I felt so guilty about it that I stopped waiting for her to join my ramblings and settled for her curling up against me as a reminder that I’m not alone here. I felt so selfish for expecting more from her when Haru was the only person who stayed with me and was now paying the price for it.

I drum my fingers against the floor or my leg when I have nothing left to say, just to hear something.

I’m starting to hate this room, when before I was only afraid of it. I push this feeling to the back of my mind until I no longer think about it because I don’t want Harumi to feel any sadder. I don’t want to give anyone a reason to hate me, even though so many people already do anyway.

“That energy, or whatever it is, is inside you, Naruto,” she explained to me the other day, the first time she took the initiative to talk to me since we were locked up here. “You need to try looking inside yourself with your mind.”

I didn’t really understand the explanation, but at least I finally have something to do while we’re here, something that doesn’t require me to see or even speak. Even so, ever since I learned that this thing inside me also exists inside other ninjas—and that mine is stronger—I can’t stop wanting to know what it is and what it’s for. Will it give me magic eyes like Shisui’s? That would be so cool, dattebayo!

My fingers tap against my leg in a nervous gesture.

I spent the next few days trying to look inside myself with my mind, but I admit that I ended up falling asleep during most attempts because it was really boring, but I had nothing better to do and not much left to talk about. This is the first time I’ve run out of things to say to someone, but maybe that’s because no one stays near me long enough for it to happen.

I’m almost asleep again, my hands resting on my stomach as I feel Harumi’s cheek against my shoulder, her soft breathing making only a slight sound. My mind drifts while I think about something warm in my stomach since that’s how she described my “energy” or whatever it is.

I can almost feel an intense heat radiating from my stomach, pulsing as if it’s alive, but every time I try to chase the sensation, it seems to disappear. This isn’t even the first time I’ve felt it, but it always happens when I’m about to fall asleep, so I think it must be a dream.

I wake up in some kind of… river? It looks more like a sewer since it’s so dark. If it were a river, I’d be able to see the sky, right? There’s mist around me and a burning sensation on my skin that’s just uncomfortable enough not to be ignored rather than painful. The air is warm, and I smell something burnt and trees, but it doesn’t feel very real—more like a memory.

“Wow, do ninjas have a weird river inside them too?” I wonder aloud as I turn to look around. I never thought my stomach would be this big. I can hear—no, I feel it in the air around me—something that sounds like a heartbeat and heavy breathing, but I can’t actually see anything because it’s too dark. “Hellooo?”

I shrug at the silence and start walking, wondering how big this river is. The dark water is a little scary because I can’t even see my feet submerged in it, which makes it feel like I don’t have feet anymore. Creepy.

Now that I think about it, even as I walk, I can’t hear any sound coming from this strange water. It’s like it isn’t real. Am I dreaming? The sensation of the air pressing against my skin feels so real, though.

“Haru-chan?” I call out hesitantly.

It’s weird. This place feels just as dark as the room, yet I don’t feel completely blind—I can see myself. How? In the room, I can’t even see my hand in front of my face. It’s almost like I can’t see anything simply because there’s nothing to be seen.

Again, creepy! I don’t like that this is inside me, so I try not to think about it.

I don’t know how long I walk without seeing anything around me. It doesn’t even feel like I’ve moved, even though I can feel my feet pushing against the ground. It’s the strangest sensation—walking and not going anywhere. The first—the only—thing I see seems to appear suddenly in front of me, and I don’t know how it happened or why it’s here. Somehow, that makes it even worse than if the emptiness had just continued.

Why do I have a gate—a cell? I’m not sure since I can only see part of it—inside the sewer inside me? A giant gate stretching beyond where I can see, both upward and to the sides.

The very air here feels heavy, pressing against my skin, pulsing around me as the sound of heavy breathing echoes. Is there something inside the cell? Is this the thing Harumi was talking about? Is this what makes ninjas so amazing? She was right—whatever is behind this gate is big and warm and somehow feels alive.

“Hello? Is someone here?” I call out curiously, peeking through the bars of the cell. It’s so big that I could easily fit between them. Whatever is locked in there must be really huge.

I can feel the air around me shift and the sound of a deep growl reverberating against the bars, making the hairs on my body stand on end with an instinctive urge to hide. I open my mouth to speak again, but I feel a pressure pushing me...

I open my eyes and know I’m no longer in the sewer because I can’t see anything again. The cell disappeared, as did that heavy feeling in the air, though I could swear I can still sense a faint trace of that growl—something I would’ve ignored as my stomach growling from hunger if I hadn’t felt it up close just a moment ago. If I hadn’t felt something alive inside me.

“Haru-chan?” I whisper hesitantly, unable to believe that I actually found the thing she talked about after all this time. Still unable to believe it was real and not just some crazy dream.

“Hm?” I can hear the sleepiness in her voice, but she still shifts beside me, listening.

“I think I found the thing,” I confess, trying to contain my excitement. What if it was just a dream? “It really is warm and feels alive. It’s so big.”

I feel Harumi stir against me, and her smile spreads against my shoulder. “Yeah, I told you,” she says, and I feel warmed by the confidence and pride in her voice. “Big and warm like the sun, Naru.”

“Ninjas have this too, seriously?” I ask, excited but keeping my voice low, afraid of breaking the spell and finding out it isn’t real.

“Yeah, but yours seems stronger, that’s why I call it the sun,” Haru explains, snuggling against me again, and I don’t even try to pull her into a conversation because I’m too busy thinking about how amazing this is and how I’ll be a super powerful ninja.

At least, I wasn’t going to start a conversation until a thought occurred to me: “Wait, you can feel this thing in other people too?”

“Hm? Yeah, I can,” she yawns. “You’re easy to sense since you’re so big and close, but I can feel others too, though most are way smaller than you. They’re like little ants compared to your sun,” her voice drifts with sleep, and I stare into the darkness, even though I can’t actually see anything.

Ants against the sun. What a crazy thought, comparing me to the sun.

Could it be… could this be related to why people hate me? I shake my head to push away the unsettling thought. Whatever is inside me, Haru-chan can feel it, and she doesn’t hate me or fear me because of it, so that can't be the only reason. It just can't.

I’m going to try to get there again, to that eerie sewer, and see if I can control this thing to become a ninja. But not today, I think as my eyes drift shut, exhausted.

Chapter Text

When the (prison) room door was opened and we were called outside, I felt my eyes burn from the daylight. I had never spent so much time in the dark before and had grown used to the door only opening for a few moments to leave food and do basic cleaning. Being able to step outside and feel the sun on my skin, to see the bright light even through my closed eyelids, was unexpectedly painful.

The only good thing that came from our punishment in the room was that the sunburns on my skin had time to heal. Naruto doesn’t have a problem with that, at least not as badly, because his skin is tanned and harder to burn. Lucky bastard.

Ami is the one who comes to get us, and she hands the pair a backpack with some used clothes. They were mostly t-shirts and shorts, some underwear, two pairs of socks, and two toothbrushes. It wasn’t even enough to fill the bag.

In her hands, she held a better-looking set of clothes, which she extended until I took both, since Naruto knew better than to willingly approach a potentially hostile adult. Not that Ami would hit us. No, she never actually hit any of us, but she certainly never lifted a finger to stop it from happening either. She had her favorites, whom she openly favored, and everyone else knew it very well. Ami was always surrounded by children because all the orphans wanted to be her favorite.

This place is a jungle.

"You need to take a bath and put on these clothes," she was saying, and I forced myself to pay attention. "Be quick, I'll fix your hair before we go downstairs."

Her words made me frown, especially as we stopped in front of the bathroom door in the hallway that I used to use before I started hanging out with Naruto. Since when did she care about our appearance? Before locking us in that room, we had to wash ourselves in a bucket in the garden, so why the sudden concern?

I narrowed my eyes when I saw Ami stepping back to stand in the doorway, where she could keep watch over us during the bath. What had changed?

A touch on my hand made me look forward again. "Come on, Haru-chan," Naruto called softly. He was also wary of the woman’s sudden attentiveness. We entered the bathroom and began undressing, our bodies tense, waiting to find out that this was all too good to be true.

We washed quickly because neither of us wanted to test the limits of Ami’s generosity, but my caution made me try something: I tried to sense what was around me. It was like what I did in the room, but here, with so many things to see, it seemed harder to feel the little ants.

Even so, I had spent the last few days sensing and sensing, and I had become familiar enough with it to be able to do it again. I just needed to focus…

"Are you sleeping, Haru-chan?" Naruto whispered to me, peeking at Ami over his shoulder. I opened my eyes.

“I’m trying to see if I can figure out what’s going on,” I explained, also glancing at Ami, who seemed distracted enough as she folded a pile of clothes on one of the children’s beds. “They’re acting weird.”

As bad as our treatment was, at least I kind of knew what to expect. I knew what would get me punished and what would let me off the hook. Not that it influenced my decisions much, but the point was that I knew what I was getting into every time I did something. The change in Ami’s behavior scared me more than if she had been treating us the way the Matron would.

“All right, but be quick,” Naruto whispered back, and I wanted to growl at him for giving me orders. Especially when his order was the same as Ami’s.

I elbowed Naruto’s side purely out of spite.

“Hey, what was that for?” he whisper-shouted at me.

“Shh! I need to concentrate,” I growled at him and ignored his annoyed expression.

I closed my eyes again and thought of the darkness of the room, the complete absence of everything, and tried to sense. Naruto’s ever-present warmth beside me was my anchor, keeping me from going crazy because he was so big and there, impossible to ignore or lose. The water falling over my head also reminded me that even if I was trying to mimic the conditions of the room, I wasn’t really there.

Trying to sense beyond Naruto’s presence, I began tracking the small signatures I identified as the other children in the orphanage. I couldn’t recognize any of them individually because their presences were too small, and I wasn’t familiar enough with them. The Matron and Ami were easy—they were bigger than the children and had a different feel, less restless.

The warm, heavy presence that was slightly familiar caught my attention. It felt like lying on a sun-warmed rock on a summer day. It could be too much if you didn’t know how to avoid getting burned.

Where had I felt this before? I had never really tried sensing things outside the room before since it was too difficult, and it was easier to just look for what I wanted with my eyes. In the city, during our previous escape, I had been able to vaguely sense people’s presence and the size of their energy, but I wouldn’t have been able to identify them with just that.

This person—hot rock—was someone I had met before? Whoever they were, they were strong. At least if my idea that the thing inside ninjas was related to their strength was correct. The person downstairs wasn’t nearly as big as Naruto, but they were much larger than the Matron.

Every time I compared someone to Naruto, I remembered why I called his thing the sun. Everyone always seemed so small next to him.

I opened my eyes.

“Did you find anything?” Naruto whispered to me.

“Hurry up, your time is almost up!” Ami called from where she was still busy folding the other children’s clothes.

I shot a wary glance at the woman before turning my attention back to Naruto. “There’s someone else downstairs.”

Naruto blinked at me, unreactive for a second, but then a big grin spread across his face, and he straightened his shoulders with sudden confidence. “It must be Jiji!”

I blinked too, processing that information. I remembered the old man saying something...

“He said he would come back to get us, remember? And the Matron also said we’d stay in the room until he came, so it has to be that,” Naruto reminded me.

I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of the old man coming to get us. I knew he was taking us out of the dark room, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved, but I didn’t like him, Hokage or not. He knew what would happen to us here, and he still left us.

I heard Ami’s footsteps approaching and quickly rinsed my body one last time before she shut off the shower. She tossed a towel to each of us, and Naruto and I hurried to put on the clothes she had given us earlier.

It reminded me of the times I had seen some of the children getting ready to be adopted. Those were rare occasions, since people were still rebuilding their lives after the Kyuubi attack, and that, according to Ami, made it hard to start a family. Some families had even abandoned their children when they realized they no longer had the means to feed them.

But I was sure Naruto and I weren’t being adopted. For that, we’d have to go through an interview with our potential new parents, and even if someone wanted to adopt, what were the chances of them choosing two kids?

Besides, no one would want me. I'm albino, and apparently, that means I'll have a lot of health problems as I grow older, even though I'm perfectly healthy now. I grew up hearing things like, "She’s pretty and smart, but it’s a shame she’s sick," and it always made me angry. Interview after interview, I was always rejected for the same reasons.

"Maybe her parents aren’t even dead. They probably just abandoned her because they couldn’t take care of someone with so many special needs," I once overheard Ami saying a long time ago. It was around that time that I started acting out more.

But none of that matters. I know we’re not being adopted, so the way they make us wear nicer clothes just to meet the old man irritates me. Naruto is smiling, looking so happy, and I want to push him, to hit him for it. We are not being adopted!

Our clothes aren’t special, just clean. They’re still a bit loose, but not too much. After I’m dressed, Ami brushes my hair and ties it up with a flower ornament. She doesn’t touch Naruto, though, and I want to yell at her for that too. Everything is making me angry right now. Even so, I force myself to stay quiet, desperate not to be thrown back into that room.

I hate myself for hoping so much that the old man will take us away for good.

Naruto is too excited to care about being ignored by Ami, and as soon as my hair is done, he grabs my hand and practically drags me down the stairs. He’s clearly more excited than I am about the visit.

Downstairs, I see the old Hokage and force myself to remember how he feels—like warm stone—so I can identify him in the future. He’s wearing the same clothes as last time: a white robe with a weird hat and that same gentle yet sad smile.

I don’t trust that smile. It’s too much like the ones from all the parents who rejected me just to pick a better child. I hate it, hate him, hate that I need him. I try to stop thinking about it because I don’t want him to hate me and leave me behind.

I can’t lose Naruto. He’s mine.

"It's good to see you again. I hope you're both well?" he asks, and I want to kick his shin and stain his white robes with mud. I stay still, fists clenched at the hem of my shirt, eyes carefully focused on his mouth as he speaks instead of looking into his eyes.

"We're fine, Jiji!" Naruto answers quickly, excited about the visit. "I knew you'd come, dattebayo!"

The old man chuckles. "Well, of course, I did. I promised, didn’t I?"

I roll my eyes and cross my arms, refusing to talk to the Hokage. I can’t be sure I won’t say something that will get me scolded by the Matron, so it’s safer to stay silent. I can feel the urge to shout accusations, so I look down at the floor and grit my teeth.

"What are we doing today, Jiji?" Naruto asks curiously, and a quick glance lets me know that he has jumped into the old man’s lap like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

I can’t help feeling a little jealous. It’s not fair, I know, but no one has ever spent enough time near me to pick me up like that. Maybe it’s partly my fault for holding grudges and getting angry while Naruto forgives so easily. But still, even if it's unfair, I can’t help but feel jealous because Naruto is mine — I found him, I defended him, I claimed him when no one else wanted him.

Naruto is mine, but he gets so happy when someone else gives him attention that I hate him a little for it.

It’s not fair. (To whom?)

I shouldn’t think like this. Naruto is my brother (mine, mine, mine), no matter who his friends are or who he spends time with. We’re friends, so he won’t just leave me behind… right?

I shake my head and wait for the Hokage’s answer.

"Do you remember when I talked about being a ninja?" the old man asks. Even though the question seems directed at Naruto, he looks at me as he speaks, and I tense under his gaze. "You see, there’s an academy to train ninjas, and I enrolled both of you to start there next school year, in two months."

"Wow, Jiji, I’m gonna be a real ninja?!" Naruto beams, and for a second, I fear he might talk about his inner sun, about how he can feel it. But he doesn’t. Maybe because he’s afraid that would make people fear him?

That thing inside him—the sun—is what stands out about him the most, and if I had to guess, I’d say it’s related to why he’s so hated. There’s nothing else that makes him different from any other kid I’ve seen.

I feel myself relax when I realize Naruto isn’t going to say anything more.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, you will," the Hokage says with a smile. "You both will."

This time, when I feel the tension leave my shoulders, it's noticeable, and I see how the old man’s expression softens toward me. I hate him. I look away again.

"Hokage-sama, Harumi is... well, she’s albino..." the Matron says hesitantly, and I immediately tense at her words.

"Yes, I noticed," the old man scoffs sarcastically, and I hate him just a little less for that—but only a little. "My sensei, the Nidaime, was too, in case you didn’t know."

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. We didn’t mean any disrespect to Nidaime-sama," the Matron bows, and it irritates me how much power the old man has over her. If he has this much power, why didn’t he protect us better?

"What’s a-alubin?" Naruto frowns.

"It’s albino, Naruto," the old man corrects him, and I wish he’d shut up and not tell my brother how defective I am. "It means Harumi-chan is extremely sensitive to light and heat, and that will make her body weaker over time."

I clench my fists at my sides, hating this old man with every fiber of my being. How dare he? Naruto never questioned my appearance. He never cared. It wasn’t important.

"Will she get sick?" Naruto asks, sounding genuinely worried, and I barely stop myself from growling at him. I am perfectly fine! Why are they talking like I’m not here?!

I squeeze my arms, still crossed in front of me, wanting to run away but also needing to stay and make sure the Hokage doesn’t leave me here with the Matron. I can’t go back to that room. Not now that I know Naruto won’t be with me.

"We’ll visit a doctor to make sure, but I think she’ll be fine," the Hokage reassures Naruto about my health, and I resent him again. Shouldn’t I be the one getting reassurance, since it’s my health they’re talking about? "Do you have your things? Let’s go—I have to show you where you’ll be living from now on."

I don’t look at Ami as I walk over to grab the bag with my things and Naruto’s. I don’t look at anyone, really, keeping my eyes on the floor. I sling the bag over my shoulders and walk toward the Hokage in silence. After a moment, he starts moving, and I follow behind.

(Thank you for getting me out of this place.)

I was relieved that Jiji actually came back. I won’t tell Haru-chan, but I wasn’t sure he would. I know he’s always nice to me and has never lied, but you never know.

I’m bouncing beside Jiji while Haru follows behind us, close enough to touch if she decides to reach out. She doesn’t like Jiji, and I don’t understand why, so I’ll just keep talking to both of them. I hope she doesn’t get upset about it. I don’t want to have to choose.

“Hey, Jiji, where are we going?” I asked excitedly between jumps as I walked beside him. He smiled at me, and his face wrinkled because he’s really old. Like, really, really old.

“We’re going to your new home,” Jiji explained. “Since you’re both starting at the Academy soon, you can live on your own now.”

I hesitated mid-jump, a little bit of fear creeping into my excitement, and I forced my smile to stay on my face so Jiji wouldn’t notice and think I was ungrateful. “On our own…? Haru-chan is going to live alone too?” I asked uncertainly. Harumi doesn’t like being alone. I might not know much about her, but I know that for sure.

“I was thinking of having you two live together in the same house. Why? Would you rather live separately?” Jiji asked, giving me a searching look.

“NO!” I shouted, waving my hands in front of Jiji, hoping he’d forget this conversation, but when he looked at me in concern, I scratched the back of my head and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed by my outburst. “I mean… I’d rather live with Haru-chan, Jiji. She’s kind of like my sister.”

“Your sister?” Jiji looked back at Harumi, and I saw that she had hesitated in her steps, but she seemed less tense than she had been a few minutes ago. She looked at me and gave me a small, quick smile before turning to Jiji and sticking her tongue out at him. I sighed at her stubbornness.

“I suppose I can see that,” Jiji said.

I blinked in surprise at the Hokage. “Really?”

“Yes, you two seem very close,” the old man confirmed, smiling at Haru-chan’s scowl. I didn’t have to force my smile after that. Jiji liked Haru-chan, even though she was being difficult, and Harumi seemed to tolerate the old man’s presence in short bursts.

(That’s fine. It’s not like the Hokage cares enough to stay with me all the time anyway.)

We kept walking after that, and I told Jiji about our adventures at the playground and how we met Shika-kun, Chouji-kun, and Ino-chan. They’re our friends, even though Ino-chan spends more time with the other girls playing dolls and princesses. Haru tried to play with her during that week we spent on the streets, but the other girls didn’t want to play with her because we both smelled bad.

Well, we didn’t have anywhere to bathe and were sleeping outside, so it made sense, but they still didn’t have to talk to Harumi like that. Anyway, Haru-chan just shrugged and went to play with the boys, who cared less about that sort of thing.

Of course, I didn’t tell that part to Jiji. I just told him about the games, my new friends, and how cool they were. Not once did they call me a monster or a demon.

“...I tried to climb the tree before Chouji could catch me, but I’m too short and couldn’t reach the branch to pull myself up. I ended up getting caught, but before I could tag anyone else, it was already late, and Shikamaru’s and Chouji’s moms called them home. So, it was just me and Haru-chan, and playing tag with only two people isn’t as fun.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re happy, Naruto-kun,” Hokage-jiji said softly.

I’m happy too. My list of friends is growing slowly, but it is growing, and that makes me so happy I don’t even know what to do.

I hadn’t been paying attention to the path, but when I looked around, we were on a street full of small buildings with signs outside with words I couldn’t read. There were lots of women around the houses and men walking in the streets, empty liquor bottles scattered about, and here and there, I could see someone lying in an alley, smelling strongly of alcohol.

“Oh, we’re here!” Hokage-jiji said, and I followed his gaze to a four-story building with dirty walls, green-painted wooden planks on the outside, and a roof with mismatched tiles. “You two will live here. What do you think?”

I looked at Harumi to see what she thought, but she stared at the building with an unreadable expression. “It’s amazing, Jiji!” I cheered.

It wasn’t a pretty or fancy house like the ones I’d seen when walking around with Haru, but it was cool because it was a gift from Jiji. Besides, if there were no adults, then we wouldn’t be punished or beaten, right? Only good things.

(I didn’t want there to be no adults… I wanted someone to hug me and take care of me like a mom or a dad. Why can’t I have that?)

“Let’s go up, shall we?”

Jiji led the way up the stairs, but I was too excited to see my new home. I looked at Haru-chan and grinned. “I bet I can get to the top before you!”

I didn’t wait for her answer before dashing up the steps, but I could hear another pair of feet chasing after me, and I laughed excitedly. It’s so nice to call someone to play with me and have them actually come without needing to be flattered or convinced. Haru just accepted, and I think I love her for that.

“It’s on the top floor, kids,” Jiji warned. Haru and I exchanged a glance, our breathing slightly heavy after so many days locked in a room without any physical activity, before racing up the stairs again. I could hear Jiji below saying something about “youth,” but I was too focused on getting there first.

“Careful not to trip!”

I managed to overtake Harumi on the last flight of stairs and jumped, landing sprawled on the floor in victory. My friend staggered the last few steps before collapsing to sit, panting, beside me.

“Cheater! You got a head start!”

I was about to defend my honor when I remembered what Harumi always says when I accuse her of the same thing and grinned at her. “Ninja!”

She huffed but didn’t argue, too tired to keep talking.

Jiji climbed the stairs slowly, but we stayed sitting until he reached the top, and then we stood up. I practically bounced with excitement at the idea of seeing my new home, while Harumi groaned at the effort. Was she still that tired? We had plenty of time—like two whole minutes—to rest.

I started hopping in place with anticipation. What would it be like? Would there be a playground? Toys?

(Lights? Maybe even a window? I hope there’s a bathroom…)

Hokage-jiji was moving so slowly! Why did he have to take so long finding the right key? And then he couldn’t even get it into the lock quickly!

The door creaked open, and I practically trampled Jiji to see inside. And… it was amazing! It had everything!

Two beds with a dresser to store our clothes, two beds with a small table between them, a kitchen—stove and fridge—with a low table in the center, and a door near the fridge. I don’t know what was in there. What caught my attention the most was the window between the beds—it was big and let in so much light from outside…

(I don’t care about the mold stains on the walls or the peeling paint. Nothing here looks new.)

Something touches my hand, and I almost jump in surprise, only to see Harumi looking just as mesmerized by the sight as I am. I squeeze her hand.

“We’re going to live here,” she whispers, reverently, and I just nod. I don’t want to cry—brave boys don’t cry. Haru can, though, because she’s a girl!

A throat clears behind me, making Haru let go of my hand as if it burned her, and I see how she blushes, staring at the floor intensely, ignoring the Hokage’s presence. I turn to Jiji and beam at him. “It’s perfect, Jiji!”

“I’m glad you like it, Naruto-kun, Harumi-chan.” He extends a pair of keys in one hand and a small fabric pouch in the other. “Here are the keys—one for each of you—and an allowance for food and anything else you might need.”

“Wow, Jiji, you think of everything!” I laugh at the old man as I take the items, since Harumi is still being stubborn. I clutch them to my chest.

They’re mine. This is the key to my home. My home.

“Well then, I suppose I should get going. I still have a lot of work to do…” Jiji waves in farewell, but before he can leave, Harumi turns to him and says, “Thanks, old man.”

Hokage-jiji blinks once, surprised that Haru spoke to him, given that she has been avoiding even looking at him since they met. She still doesn’t look at him, but speaking to him is already progress in my opinion.

“You’re welcome, kids.” Jiji gives a teary-eyed smile, and I find myself grinning again. Things are going well!

When the door closes behind the Hokage, I turn to Harumi and see that she has gone back to looking around their apartment, not bothering to acknowledge Jiji until he was gone. A little rude, but if Haru wanted to be polite, she would have talked to him when he came to get us.

A wide smile spreads across her face, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Harumi this happy. “We have a home!” she exclaims, running and jumping onto one of the beds. I waste no time jumping onto the other.

“Yes!” I shout back, already bouncing on the mattress. “No punishments and no Matron!”

“We even have a window!” she says, laughing as she jumps.

“And money!” I add, because that’s an important detail.

“We can buy ramen!” she yells, and we both pause, stopping mid-jump, looking at each other as the realization dawns on us.

“We can buy ramen,” I repeat.

Immediately, we dash outside to celebrate with lunch.

Five months on a mission and not even two days of rest before returning to the ANBU bodyguard rotations—not that I'm complaining. I don't have much else to do anyway. But a lot has changed in that time.

I see Naruto and his new friend—I investigated, and her name is Harumi, no surname—in an apartment. Their apartment. Last time I was here, Naruto still spent most of his time locked up alone in the orphanage attic. There were prisons more comfortable than that place—I’ve been in more than one, so I can attest to that.

In the first two years after the Kyuubi attack, I was frequently assigned to guard the Jinchuuriki. Since he was just a small baby staying in the orphanage, only one agent was needed to watch over him—unlike now, when I monitor him with a partner at my side.

My partner is an Uchiha—another thing that has changed, considering there were no Uchihas in the ANBU before I left. He looks young, but so was I when I started, so I won’t comment on that.

During those two years, when Naruto was still just a tiny baby, I would always sneak into that horrible room to "kidnap" him and take him for a walk under a Sharingan genjutsu for my entire shift. Maybe it was a misuse of such a renowned dojutsu, but I’m sure Obito would have approved.

I fed Naruto, took care of his rashes, let him play in isolated areas of rarely used training grounds so he could get a healthy tan. I was there for his first steps and his first words—which took longer since I’m not much of a talker, and the only things Naruto ever heard from his caretakers were words like "demon" and "monster" on the rare occasions they bothered to speak to him. I had to make an effort to help the boy with that part.

It was also around that time that Danzou approached me. I was so angry at the Sandaime for allowing the sensei’s legacy to be treated like that. Danzou arranged for me to be assigned to the Jinchuuriki’s guard quite frequently in exchange for taking on a few... questionable tasks, and that was fine with me, because it’s not like the Hokage didn’t also give me jobs like that—just in a more official capacity.

What do I care if the paperwork is in order? At the end of the day, my hands are covered in blood either way. It doesn’t matter who’s holding the pen.

Doesn’t matter.

But then I realized what Danzou was doing with the children. Of course, I only found out because I started investigating after seeing some suspiciously young Root agents in the field. After that, I really couldn’t trust the elder. He wasn’t exactly discreet about his opinions on how the Jinchuuriki should be trained, but I hadn’t considered the implications of that until I learned how he trained his own agents.

Switching sides was easy. It’s not like I was personally loyal to any of them. But at least Hiruzen saw Naruto as a human being… most of the time. I think. Of two evils, the lesser.

The only good thing that came out of all that was Tenzou—the annoying kouhai who won’t stop following me around with "senpai this" and "senpai that" all the time. It’s fun to tease him because he’s so straight-laced and misses so many social cues that it’s hard not to find him endearing in his efforts. I’ll never admit it to anyone, but it’s nice to know I actually managed to save someone for a change.

Keeping Danzou away from Tenzou wasn’t even that hard. I just had to remind him that I had some rather incriminating information—cough kidnapped-clan-children cough—that he really wouldn’t want getting out. And yes, I’m petty enough to let the whole village find out and start a civil war if he pushes me. I could hide out with Naruto somewhere and let the metaphorical circus burn in the meantime—then come back later and help rebuild.

Well, Danzou hasn’t tested me yet, so hopefully, it’ll never come to that.

Unfortunately, this whole fiasco meant I lost certain privileges. The Sandaime no longer trusted me to spend as much time around Naruto unsupervised, so my shifts with the boy were reduced, and I had to return to routine ANBU missions. Some missions were quick, lasting a few weeks, while others stretched on for months.

Since then, I haven’t been able to take Naruto out of that room. It’s some comfort knowing that at least I taught him enough to survive in that place.

It’s good to see that he’s no longer trapped there and that he’s found someone to call a friend. An unexpectedly good surprise.

I can finally stop entertaining the urge to abandon this village and take the boy with me. As tempting as it is, I know the ghosts of my past wouldn’t let me get away with it. They all died defending this village, after all.

(Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, Kushina-nee... Dad. Are you proud of me?)

As far as I can tell, the two kids have only been living in that apartment for a few days and I can see through the window that everything inside is a mess. No adults come to check on them and I hold back the growl that wants to escape me. They are four years old, not old enough to live on their own, much less in an apartment in the middle of the Red Light District. What is the Sandaime thinking? Even I, the acclaimed genius, could barely do that at six and I had a sensei who actually cared about me and was around most of the time even during a war after my father's death.

I watch as the children play with two others—a Nara and an Akimichi—at the playground. They seem happy despite everything. The beauty of childhood is the ability to enjoy the moment, even when the future doesn’t look too bright.

Naruto, I notice, has good stamina, though his speed and agility are nothing special. If anything, he could always win fights by exhausting his opponents—he has Kushina-nee’s energy and personality.

I keep my nose sharp, cataloging scents and noticing patterns. The sour smell of milk, urine, feces, sugar, dirt, sweat, and grass dominates the playground. Kids crawling on the ground, jumping non-stop in games that make no sense to me. Some have a sugary scent, meaning they ate sweets before coming to play. The parents, to their dismay, share their children’s scent from constant close contact.

All this is to say—I can tell when someone who doesn’t belong approaches.

I turn my head in the direction of the distinct scent of earth mixed with the characteristic mustiness of underground spaces. It’s faint, but it’s there, and I spent too much time surrounded by that scent when I met Tenzou not to recognize what it means.

My partner—the Uchiha, he wears a cat mask, this clan has a weird thing with cats I don’t get—tilts his head toward me and signals: "Problem?"

I consider lying, but I don’t need to give anyone more reasons to distrust me (Friend Killer).

"Some agents approaching suspiciously. I’ll check it out."

Cat nods discreetly, and I shunshin to the Root agents watching Naruto.

They don’t react to my appearance, but I know that means nothing—they’re trained not to react to anything. I could have shown up naked and juggling, and they wouldn’t blink. Disturbing.

Three agents. All wearing those same blank white masks and black outfits that cover most of their bodies, making it nearly impossible to tell them apart. Maybe by skin tone, but they all tend to be deathly pale from lack of sun exposure.

We’re in a more wooded part of the park—close enough to watch the children, but far enough that civilians won’t hear us unless we start shouting. Thanks to the shrubs isolating the playground, there shouldn’t be any lost children wandering this way.

I don’t say anything, just tilt my head slightly, waiting for them to back off or attack.

"You have no business here, Hound." The agent's voice is neutral, without any inflection indicating either threat or conciliation—it was the one on the left who spoke, his voice as indistinct as mine due to the masks.

"Is that so? And here I thought this was a public park." My voice comes out nonchalant, but my eyes, including the Sharingan, analyze every slight adjustment in their posture. The smallest deviation might be the only clue I have about their intentions.

Normally, I don’t speak this way when wearing the ANBU uniform, but these Root operatives struggle with handling unconventional social interactions. If I go off script, it should destabilize them just enough for something to slip. Or, at the very least, give me an advantage in the ensuing fight with the element of surprise.

I hope it doesn’t come to that—not with Naruto unaware of the danger behind me.

No reaction. They’re too well-trained for that.

"Step away," the one on the right orders. His tone is stiffer than it should be. A new recruit. Maybe he hasn’t fully rid himself of emotions.

I don’t move. Not because I doubt their ability to carry out their orders, but because I have my own. "Your eyes are on the wrong target," I say, unhurried. "You’d better turn back before this becomes a problem."

The agent in the center, probably the leader of the group, tilts his head ever so slightly. He assesses. Calculates.

"Our objective does not interfere with yours."

Ah. So they’re not denying they have one. That’s all I need to hear.

I cross my arms, relaxed. "Your objectives always interfere."

This time, the pause lasts just a fraction too long.

"If you stay in our way, Hound, there will be consequences."

I smile beneath the mask. "Funny. That’s exactly what I was going to say."

I let a flicker of killing intent slip—just enough for them to feel it, but controlled enough not to affect the playground.

They don’t move. They can’t react openly, but the weight of the moment is there. A minuscule fracture in their armor of absolute obedience.

Then, without a word, they vanish in a shunshin.

I felt them at the park’s exit, up in the trees, before they quickly retreated—probably heading back to Root headquarters.

I remain there for another second, pondering what had just happened, before deciding it wasn’t my problem as long as it didn’t touch the sensei’s son. Then, I returned to my post beside Cat. He signed: "Resolved?"

"Yes, they backed off," I signed back.

They resumed their vigil in silence.

Chapter Text

The hospital was a large place, with many hallways full of doors, and everything was either white, beige, or metallic. The smell of disinfectant made my nose itch. People walked or limped back and forth; the injured wore some kind of strange gown, while others, mostly dressed in white, also wore masks and caps.

The old Hokage brought Naruto and me here to check on our health. We had already gone through a blood test and received vaccinations, but now I was going to see a doctor about my albinism. The old man mentioned that his sensei was also like me and that it affected his vision. By the end of his life, he was nearly blind, but that never stopped him from being a great shinobi.

"Harumi?" A tired-looking woman called from a partially open door, her body leaning into the hallway as she waited for me to step forward. I sighed, already feeling defeated, before getting up and walking toward her, leaving the Hokage and Naruto behind on the waiting room benches.

"Oh, dear… Hokage-sama? Are you coming in as well…?"

"No, no, I'll leave you to it," the old man said behind me.

"But jiji…" I could practically hear Naruto's frown.

"Let's give your friend some privacy, alright, Naruto?" the Hokage insisted. I turned in time to catch Naruto's conflicted expression at being separated from me. We weren’t used to being far from each other. "Why don’t we go to the hospital cafeteria and grab a snack?"

I gave him a single nod, and Naruto relaxed before grinning at the old man. "Alright, let's go, jiji!" They walked off down the hallway, and I finally turned back to the doctor who would be examining me.

The woman had a tired but gentle smile. "Shall we begin, Harumi-chan?"

I stepped into the office and sat in the chair the doctor gestured toward with a nod.

"My name is Watanabe Yumi, and I'll be your doctor today. Pleased to meet you!" Watanabe-sensei spoke in a soft voice.

I nodded once, unsure of what I was supposed to say. It felt strange to interact with an adult who wasn’t hostile for more than a few seconds—just long enough to ask for directions. The silence stretched a second too long, and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment for not knowing what to say.

"Alright then, I’ll be using a chakra technique to examine you, is that okay?" Watanabe-sensei asked.

"What’s chakra?" I frowned.

Watanabe-sensei blinked, surprised for a second, before smiling somewhat sheepishly. "Oh, I forget that not everyone knows," she scratched her cheek. "Chakra is the energy that exists inside all of us."

That sounded… No way, could it be?

"Is that the thing ninjas have?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, exactly!" Watanabe-sensei seemed relieved that I knew about it. "Chakra can be used for many things, and I, as a doctor, use it to help people," she explained.

She didn’t ask how I knew about it, but she probably assumed I had seen it in use before. Maybe I had? Shisui’s magic eyes used this chakra thing, right?

"Is it okay if I use it on you, Harumi-chan?" Watanabe-sensei asked again, her tone patient rather than annoyed, which made me like her.

"Go ahead!" I decided.

I didn’t expect her hand to start glowing. I almost jumped in shock, unable to hold back a startled squeak. It was glowing! A soft green light. I instinctively tried to feel the energy in her hand, wanting to know if this chakra was the same thing I had been sensing all this time.

Watanabe-sensei smiled in amusement at my reaction but didn’t comment on it. We stayed silent for a few minutes, and I focused on feeling the chakra.

It was like putting my hands in a bucket of water—not very deep, but the water felt clean and fresh. I could sense the center of it in Watanabe-sensei’s belly, but I also felt how this energy—chakra—flowed through her arm like a river until it reached her hand, where it accumulated, spinning and spinning. Even when chakra stayed in one place, it was still moving.

I could feel her chakra entering me. It felt different. Not too different. The chakra at Watanabe-sensei’s core felt like water, but when it reached her hand, it changed into something dull—there was no real sensation to it, just a faint pressure. No warmth, no coolness, no weight, no breeze, none of the tingling I sometimes felt. It was like eating something tasteless; you knew it was there, but you couldn’t enjoy it.

Her chakra traveled through my body but gathered mostly in my eyes. It stayed there for a while, and I felt the pressure ease until it disappeared entirely. I hadn’t even realized I had a slight headache from my eyes. It was normal for me. Her chakra kept moving through my body, lingering on the places where I burned most easily under the sun.

When her chakra finally withdrew, I kind of missed it—even if it was a bit dull. I opened my eyes and could no longer feel it as well, only knowing she was there rather than sensing the fresh water or the vague pressure.

"Alright, I think we’re done," Watanabe-sensei said as her hand pulled away, no longer glowing. "What do you know about your albinism, Harumi-chan?"

"I know it means I’ll be very sick and weak when I grow up," I answered obediently because I liked this doctor. She spoke calmly and was patient.

Watanabe-sensei sighed at my response, looking a bit sad. "You won’t be weak, Harumi-chan. It just means your body is more sensitive to light and heat," she explained. "Your vision, especially, will need care, but it’s not too bad. You’re actually quite a healthy child."

"Really?" I couldn’t believe it. I was too used to people considering me sick—not the kind that needed medicine, but the kind that would kill me, making any time or money spent on me a waste.

"Yes, dear. You had some burns on your skin and scalp from the sun, and your eyes were starting to get overstrained, but no permanent damage has been done yet," Watanabe-sensei reassured me with a comforting smile, reinforcing my positive opinion of her. "I healed the exhaustion in your eyes and the burns, but if you keep this up, you will end up with permanent damage. So you need to make sure not to strain your eyes too much or leave your skin overly exposed."

I blinked at the gentle reprimand, but Watanabe-sensei still didn’t seem angry, even though she was correcting me. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Well, maybe wear clothes that cover your skin? Use creams to protect yourself from the sun? That last one is a bit expensive, but long-sleeved clothing should be enough," she suggested, tapping a finger against her lips, thoughtful. "The hardest part is your eyes. I can’t heal them if something happens. I’ll talk to Hokage-sama about finding a solution for that."

Ugh. The old man had to get involved? Well, it was either that or risk going blind, so I’d deal with it.

As we walked through the hospital halls, I could sense Naruto’s bright chakra getting closer. When we reached a larger hall with tables and a food counter, I heard Naruto before I even saw him.

"...And then we fell from the tree, and it was suuuuper high, Jiji!" Naruto was in the middle of a story. "But we didn’t hit the ground because someone caught us, but I didn’t see who it was—they disappeared in an instant! It was so fast, Jiji, so I think it was a ninja, dattebayo! Only ninjas can be that fast and strong enough to catch both me and Haru-chan at the same time, Jiji!"

Oh, so Naruto was talking about our escape from the orphanage. That loose-tongued idiot!

I stomped toward them, Watanabe-sensei following behind me with much softer steps.

Naruto noticed my presence, giving me a nervous grin as a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek.

"Then, loose lips, what exactly were you telling the old man?" I narrowed my eyes, stepping closer.

Naruto ducked behind a chair, throwing me a wary glance. "Uh… When you put it like that…"

Oh, he was dead.

Naruto was looking around, searching for escape routes. “You know what it is? Hokage-jiji asked, and… well, one thing led to another and…”

I feel one of my eyes twitch at his pathetic excuses. “I’m going to shave your eyebrows while you sleep,” I decided and turned back toward the adults, ignoring Naruto’s desperate scream and his frantic attempt to cover his eyebrows for protection.

“Haru-chan, that’s a low blow, even for a ninja!” he ran after me, pouting.

“I can’t land a high blow, Naruto. Look at my height!” I glared at him, barely holding myself back from punching him. Who did he think he was to talk about my height when he wasn’t even that tall himself?!

“What? No, Haru-chan, that’s not what I—” he started waving his hands frantically.

“You’re a shorty too!” I declared, pointing a finger at his face. “All your blows are low!”

“Haru-chan!” Naruto whined.

“What’s the problem, kids?” the Hokage asked, and I immediately tensed up, crossing my arms and turning my face away. That old man wasn’t getting anything out of me!

“Haru said she’d shave my eyebrows!” Naruto cried.

My jaw dropped, and I stared at Naruto, betrayal written all over my face. “You traitor! Snitch!”

“WAAAAHHHHHH!” Naruto took off running for his life while I chased him through the hospital cafeteria, the sound of the old man and Watanabe-sensei laughing in the background.

Haru is now wearing a blue kitten jumpsuit with pants, long sleeves, and a hood with little ears. And a tail. Yes, a tail. She’s wearing sneakers—the same old, worn-out ones as before—and an orange knee-high sock that only shows when she lifts her arms to grab something. She also has a pair of thin fingerless gloves.  

But the weirdest thing was the glasses. They were practically a mask that covered the entire upper half of her face, with only two round, dark lenses. All of this because the doctor said she needed to cover everything, and the jumpsuit did the job.  

That doesn’t change the fact that Haru looks way more like an alien than a cat.  

I was much more sensible in my choice of clothes when Jiji let me pick some things: a shirt with a frog design that, according to Jiji, said, “When in doubt, look smart!” as if the frog was giving advice. I thought it was hilarious. I also got a frog wallet to match, a pair of frog socks, shorts, and a frog beanie with little eyes sticking up.  

It’s way more stylish than what Harumi chose, but I’m a smart guy, so I didn’t say that to her face. Just in case she follows through on that threat about my eyebrows...  

“Well, I need to head back to the Tower now. I have a lot of work to do.” Jiji was saying goodbye, and I pushed down the little pang of disappointment in my chest. I already knew he wouldn’t stay long. Jiji is a busy guy with all this Hokage business and stuff. He never stays for long anyway... “And the money, do you still have enough? Remember, it’s supposed to last the whole month, okay?”  

Hmm, I don’t really get this money thing. I’ve never had any before and don’t know how it works, so I just hand over some to the adult I’m buying from and let them give me some back. Neither Haru nor I can read, so I don’t know what those things written on the bills and coins are, but they can’t be that important, right? I just know we still have some at home, so it should be fine.  

“Of course, Jiji! We still have some left!” I declare with a big grin.  

“That’s good. Well, kids, see you next month then!” Jiji ruffles my hair and waves at Haru, who is still being stubborn about ignoring the old man or pouting when she has no choice but to interact with him. It’s kind of funny now that I’ve gotten used to it.  

It feels weird having new clothes. It’s my first time!  

“What should we do now?” Haru asked, tilting her head. I spent a second just processing her bizarre appearance before managing to think of an answer.  

“How about Ichiraku, and then we go to the park to see if we can find Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino to show off our new outfits?” I’m so excited to see their reaction when they see mine!  

Haru seems to think for a moment, but I tense up a little because I can’t tell what she’s thinking with those glasses on! I can’t see her eyes, and without them, I only have her mouth to figure things out. Ahhh, this is so hard!  

“Alright, that sounds good!” Haru grins, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. So weird!  

As we walked to Ichiraku, I noticed for the first time that people were staring more at Harumi than at me, with shock and surprisingly little hostility. I guess they were too surprised to be mad at us now.  

Maybe next time Jiji takes us shopping, I’ll pick something even more colorful...  

“Teuchi-san! Ayame-san!” Haru shouts as we reach Ichiraku. The divine smell of ramen fills the air. “Gooood morning!”  

“Oh, kids... By Kami, what is that?!” Teuchi-san looks startled at Haru’s outfit while she puts her hands on her hips, clearly pleased with herself for getting such a reaction out of him.  

“Harumi-chan, is that you in there?” he asks uncertainly.  

“Yes! What do you think of my new outfit?” Haru has a big grin, and her stance is downright smug. I snicker, but she completely ignores me.  

“Oh, umm... I think it’s... unique?” Teuchi-san manages to say with some effort.  

I can’t hold back the loud laugh that escapes me. “SHE LOOKS LIKE AN ALIEN!”  

“Shut up, Naruto! At least I don’t look like a frog!” Haru points an accusing finger at me. I shield my head in case she tries to hit me, but I can’t stop laughing even if my life depended on it.  

“Dad?” Ayame-san’s voice comes from the back as she approaches. “The kids are here to—AH! WHAT IS THAT?!” she yells in shock at Harumi’s appearance.  

“Ayame-san, do you like my new outfit? I picked it out all by my-self,” she enunciates the last word with great pride.  

Ayame-san and Teuchi-san exchange a meaningful look, and I slap my hands over my mouth because this is just too funny. The older woman hesitates before offering a nervous smile. “It’s very... authentic, Harumi-chan.”  

“Thanks!” She’s still smiling as we climb onto the stools to order our food for the day. I’ve been eating ramen every day since we moved into the new apartment, and I still haven’t gotten tired of it. It’s simply the best food in the world!  

“So, kids, what’ll it be today?” Teuchi-san asks, moving the conversation along.  

“Pork belly ramen with extra naruto!” I order excitedly.  

“Surprise me, Jiji,” Haru says. She’s determined to try every single item on Teuchi-san’s menu, so she orders something different every day.  

“Oh, if that’s not a challenge, you little brat!” Teuchi-san jokes before immediately getting to work on the noodles.  

As we wait for our food, I decide to tell them about our day so far:  

“Teuchi-san, Teuchi-san! We had to wake up so early today because Hokage-jiji came to take us to the doctor, you know?” I start, and the man hums, “Oh, really, Naruto-kun?”  

“Yes, we had to go because I’m albino, Jiji,” Haru chimes in, and I suddenly realize how she’s addressing Teuchi-san. I think she likes him even though she doesn’t like Hokage-jiji. “I have to wear these clothes and glasses because my skin and eyes are very sen... sen-si-tive.”  

“It’s ‘sensitive,’ Harumi-chan,” Teuchi-san corrects her without pausing his work. “I see, so that’s why you’re all covered up. Makes sense. I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself, Harumi-chan.”  

“Yeah, your skin is really pale. Staying too long in the sun without protection could hurt,” Ayame-san adds.  

“I didn’t know it was such a big deal,” I say, frowning. “I’ve seen people around with white hair too, and they don’t have to wear special glasses.”  

“Well, there are people of all colors, Naruto-kun,” Ayame-san chuckles, but it doesn’t sound mean, so I don’t get upset.  

“Yeah, there are clans like the Hatake who usually have gray or nearly white hair, but there are also other people without a clan who have paler coloring. But it’s different when someone is albino,” Teuchi-san explains.  

“Albinos have white hair because they lack pigment, not because that’s their natural hair color. Makes sense?”  

“Uh... not really?” I admit. I don’t get it.  

“Well, some people have white hair because their parents did. Albinos have it because they were born without any color,” he says. “Their red eyes are that way because it’s the color of the blood inside them. Got it now?”  

“I think?” Maybe. I shrug—it’s not like it’s important.  

“Now eat, you little brats, before it gets cold!”

Chapter Text

I’m starting to question my superiors’ common sense. It’s not like four-year-old children can take care of a house on their own. Ordinary civilians hesitate to leave their kids alone for a few hours—let alone let them live without full supervision.

The Jinchuuriki and his friend’s new apartment is a mess. They go out to eat every day because they don’t know how to cook. They never had parents to teach them, and until now, their meals were either delivered to the cafeteria or brought to their rooms. They also can’t read well enough or recognize numbers enough to understand the value of money. The girl seems to have a slightly better grasp, thanks to her longer social exposure at the orphanage, but it’s still shallow.

I stood there, powerless, as merchants shamelessly scammed the children. Trustingly, they handed over their money to pay for snacks or toys, unaware they were being robbed. Saving? That concept was never taught to them. The only shopkeeper who didn’t take advantage of them was the owner of Ichiraku. To my surprise, not only did he charge them less than he was owed, but he also returned part of the money they gave him. Since that was where they ate most often, it was the only reason their funds lasted as long as they did.

But nothing lasts forever.

Word spread that the Jinchuuriki had a “pile of money.” So he watched—like a damned spectator—as he and his friend returned from the park only to find their home ransacked. Things broken or stolen. The walls, inside and out, covered in graffiti: monster, demon, freak, die!…

My stomach turned. So much hatred poured onto a boy who can’t even read the insults.

I let out a sigh. There’s not much I can do to fix this, but I can make sure it doesn’t happen again. Honestly, I don’t think anyone really expected people to be this hostile toward the Yondaime’s son.

I watch, helpless, as the two silently cry and start cleaning up the mess. They haven’t even realized the money is gone yet. They’ll probably only notice when they need to buy food. So innocent…

When my shift ended, I headed to the Anbu HQ and followed a familiar path to Team Ro’s room. Inside, Konoha’s best tracker and assassin was passing the time by sharpening his blades, as always. Didn’t he have anything better to do? Well, considering the alternative would be spending hours in front of a gravestone, maybe this was actually healthy.

“Captain,” I greeted, nodding while still wearing my mask.

Hound inclined his head in response, his silver hair exposed since he wasn’t on a mission. It was far too distinctive to be left uncovered during real work. “Heron.”

“I think a tracker might be needed to deal with a problem involving the Jinchuuriki.”

He tensed. He always did when someone mentioned the boy. It wasn’t anger. It was something more complex—a mix of concern, fear, and guilt. Seeing someone like Hound react this way only reinforced how reckless it was to mess with that kid.

“What happened?” he asked, voice controlled.

“His apartment was broken into. They stole his money, broke things, left a mess. I’m worried about what might come next.”

I didn’t need to explain in detail. He immediately understood the danger of the situation. If people realized they could invade the boy’s home, destroy everything, and walk away unpunished… who’s to say they wouldn’t leave an explosive tag next time? Or poisoned food? This needed to be shut down. Now.

If they’re going to hate him, they better do it from a distance.

“I’ll handle it,” Hound said, his voice taking on the cold edge of a mission.

I almost felt sorry for the idiots who thought they could get away with this.

“Let me know if you need anything, Captain,” I said. If I were a tracker, I would have handled it myself, but Hound would do it better and more discreetly. It was best to leave it to him.

He gave a single nod and returned to sharpening his blades—but this time, there was a clear purpose in his movements.

A chill ran down my spine as I closed the door behind me.

It wasn’t hard to find a trail. Whoever did this wasn’t an expert in infiltration or tracking—two skills that go hand in hand. Maybe they weren’t even ninjas.

Naruto’s apartment is in the Red-Light District, a place where violence is constant, and drugs and alcohol circulate without restriction. It’s nowhere near an appropriate environment for a child, but the village doesn’t seem to care. There are plenty of street kids who make the dark alleys their home.

I can tell the children tried to clean the apartment, but they couldn’t remove the graffiti on the walls. They probably couldn’t reach it and didn’t have the right materials.

I take a deep breath before silently entering through the bathroom window. Naruto’s scent reminds me of Kushina-nee, a trace of ramen always lingering in his clothes. He and the girl sleep together, curled up against each other like a small pile of puppies. Neither of them notices my presence.

The Anbu outside don’t notice either. I want to go out and reprimand them for their negligence, but I recognize that I’m an expert at this. They’re watching the apartment through the bedroom window, and I entered from the other side.

It takes a few hours, but I finish my preparations. I spread seals around the apartment, enough to keep civilians away and make it difficult for ninjas to enter without drawing attention. I could reinforce the barriers even more, but that would require explaining to the children how to get through them—something I can’t do.

Well, fuck it.

The seals will feed on Naruto’s chakra and the girl’s—but mostly Naruto’s—to stay active. I register their signatures so they can pass through without issue. This should be enough to keep them safe within these walls.

If a ninja attacks a Jinchuuriki, the consequences will be severe. It’s different from common civilians committing violence. Shinobi are restricted in their use of force within the village. Abuse of power is never well received—or at least, they pretend it isn’t.

Before leaving, I put some food in the fridge and a bit of money on the table. I think about writing a note, but then I remember they can’t read. Better not leave proof that I was here.

Now, my other objective. I sniff the air carefully, distinguishing the different scents mixed in. Paint chemicals. And beneath that, another scent—a fresh trail.

I have something to follow.

I leave through the same window and begin my hunt.

Ever since Garça told me what happened, I’ve been thinking about how to send a clear message. Something that ensures this won’t happen again. I want to beat these idiots to a pulp. I want them to feel pain. I want Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee to see them arriving on the other side and know that I’m taking care of Naruto. I want Obito and Rin to know that I’m trying not to make the same mistakes. I want my father to see that, this time, I chose people over rules.

I want so many things I will never have.

But I refuse to give in to the satisfaction of punishing them the way they truly deserve. More important than revenge is making sure they never feel encouraged to do this again.

I find the three civilians who broke into the apartment. They’re drunk, reeking of sex and opium smoke. Their fingers have colorful stains that match the graffiti in Naruto’s home.

Got you.

I have a kunai in my hand before I even think about it, stepping toward them before I hesitate and realize what I was about to do. I want to—but I mustn’t.

I force myself to put the kunai back in its holster and grab ninja wire instead. I tie up all three, and they don’t even wake up. It’s ridiculously easy.

I bite my finger and make the necessary hand seals: “Summoning Jutsu!”

Pakkun, Bull, and Uhei appear before me. Pakkun glances around, not even blinking at the three snoring men tied up on the ground as if they had no worries in the world. Soon, they would have plenty.

“What do you need, boss?” Pakkun asks, sounding bored. Sometimes I wonder if he has Nara blood because this constant laziness isn’t normal.

“Well, well, I just need you guys to help me take my friends here to T&I.” I gesture dramatically at the three idiots, and Bull and Uhei immediately step forward to carry two of them. Bull manages to hoist one onto his back, but Uhei, being smaller, has to bite the man’s clothes and drag him along the ground. That’s going to hurt when the hangover hits.

Actually, that’s a great idea! I grab the last one and make sure to carry him carelessly so it’ll hurt too.

Pakkun jumps onto my shoulder and settles in, where I know he’ll stay until after I go to sleep tonight. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if my summons are just a pack of emotional support dogs instead of combat summons. Not that I’m complaining—it’s more of a curiosity—but I’m not about to say that to Pakkun. I have some self-preservation instincts, thank you very much.

We don’t talk on the way to T&I, which I’m grateful for.

My choice to bring them here was calculated. The people in this department don’t usually let themselves be influenced by the prejudices of the rest of society. Guardians of Konoha’s dirtiest secrets, they know everyone’s skeletons, and for all their gossiping, they aren’t particularly judgmental. They’d be terrible at sorting information and conducting interrogations if they couldn’t see past their biases.

At least, that’s how things are under Morino Ibiki’s command. Scary guy, but with high standards that I fully approve of.

T&I is one of the few places where people don’t see Naruto as a monster, but as a savior. They know that boy is the only thing standing between them and the Fox. You don’t attack the shield that protects you—that’s just stupid. And they’re not stupid, so they’ll treat threats to the boy with the caution he deserves.

They’ll put the fear of the Kami into these idiots, and I want to see if any of them ever dare go near Naruto again.

Getting past reception unnoticed was, once again, easy. Man, I could wreak havoc in this village if I ever went rogue.

“Hound.” A deep voice greeted me, and I was glad that not everyone failed to notice me. There’s a reason this guy managed to become the head of such an important sector at such a young age.

“Morino,” I return the greeting. I throw my package onto the floor, and Bull and Uhei follow my example. The two summons disappear in a puff of smoke, but Pakkun remains comfortably on my shoulder. One of the tied-up men groans but doesn’t wake up. “My friends here need to learn about boundaries and consequences.”

The man with scars across his face raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “I see. And what did they do to deserve this?”

“They threatened the Jinchuuriki’s safety,” I reveal, a growl in my voice I couldn’t suppress even if I tried. Ibiki’s expression darkens, and he casts a measuring glance at the three packages on the ground. “Say whatever you need to the superiors. Maybe something like ‘they could have provoked another Fox attack’ or something like that,” I say with a shrug.

A genuinely sadistic smile curls Morino’s lips, and I pity the drunk idiots.

Yeah—no, I don’t.

“Well, I have some new recruits who need to learn the basics, and it’s always good to have fresh test subjects,” Ibiki says with a dark grin. “I should thank you for solving this little inconvenience for me, Hound.”

I give a mocking salute with my fingers over my mask. “I live to serve.”

I leave with Pakkun in a poof, leaving nothing behind but a few scattered leaves. I’ll spend the night in my apartment, staring at the ceiling until it’s time to go back to work.

His head throbbed. There was no right answer to this dilemma.

Who should I be angry at?

Kakashi? If I punish him for defending Naruto, it might be the last straw for him. Out of everyone in the village, Kakashi has the greatest potential to become Hokage. He’s still a bit green, but if I give him time… Besides, he wasn’t wrong. What those men did could very well have triggered the Jinchuuriki’s wrath. Minato used a seal that allows chakra transfer, meaning Naruto’s emotional state affects its efficiency.

The civilians? Three men who met in a cemetery while visiting the graves of their sons, killed in the Kyuubi’s attack? I don’t have the heart to fight them. That’s why Danzo is here now, trying to convince me to hand Naruto over for his special training.

The scent of tobacco lingered in the air, mixing with the office’s woody aroma. I exhaled a puff of smoke from my pipe, my eyes fixed on the dark silhouette of Danzo Shimura. Impassive, he stared back at me from across the desk. My Anbu guards had withdrawn so we could speak alone.

“You’ve always enjoyed testing my patience, Hiruzen,” Danzo said, his voice firm and filled with reproach. “But this has gone too far.”

I didn’t respond immediately. I know how Danzo operates. A direct attack would be counterproductive; I need to control the narrative.

“I imagine you’re referring to the incident from a few days ago,” I murmured, blowing out another cloud of smoke. If the situation weren’t so delicate, I would have to admit: it was impressive that Kakashi and Ibiki managed to keep this under wraps for days without breaking any laws or direct orders. “The civilians were punished as they should be.”

Danzo frowned.

“I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about the Jinchuuriki and your inability to protect him properly.”

“Inability?” I raised an eyebrow. Considering who spread the rumors about the Jinchuuriki’s identity… well, it’s not like I have any proof. “It seems to me that the threat was neutralized without a single drop of innocent blood being spilled. That’s not a problem, Danzo. That’s efficiency.”

The one-eyed man clenched his jaw.

“You refuse to see the obvious. The boy is a weapon. Too powerful to be left to his own devices amidst the filth of this village. He needs discipline, proper training.”

“He needs a childhood.”

Silence stretched between us, heavy with tension.

“Childhood?” Danzo let out a short, humorless laugh. “You speak like a sentimental fool, Hiruzen. Konoha cannot afford to treat a Jinchuuriki like an ordinary child. Every day he spends without control is another day the Fox could turn against us!”

I leaned forward, studying the man before me. The one whom, despite everything, I still call a friend. A friend I’ve spent years trying to guide down a better path, but who refuses to see it.

“Control…” I murmured. “You mean blind obedience, like the one you imposed on your tools in the depths of this village?”

Danzo remained expressionless.

“You act as if my approach is cruel, but we both know it’s necessary. The boy can be taught to serve Konoha without hesitation, without unnecessary emotional attachments. You allow him to grow up like any other civilian, surrounded by weakness, when he should be shaped from an early age.”

“Like you did with your own soldiers?” I countered, my voice slightly sharper. “How many survived, Danzo? How many didn’t break in the process?”

“What is a handful of lives compared to Konoha’s survival?”

I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned back, the weight of the years etched into my features.

I know I’m not the best Hokage of all time. Looking back, I see so many mistakes, and I can’t help but think that sensei would have done much better than I if he had lived. Every time I look back, I think I should have been the one left behind, and it’s hard to accept that it was sensei’s decision. In the end, the Nidaime’s priorities were clear: to save the next generations. That’s what I try to do, even if it feels like I’m failing a little more each year, and I can’t find someone else to take my place.

“That’s your problem, Danzo. You see Konoha only as a battlefield. I see a village. A home. And Naruto is part of it, not a disposable tool to be used until he breaks.”

Danzo placed his hands on his cane, his knuckles turning white.

“You really believe you can protect him like this?” he challenged. “Sooner or later, Konoha’s enemies will come for him. He’ll be unprepared.”

I’m so tired...

“Preparation doesn’t mean slavery. Power without heart is nothing but destruction,” I countered. “Tell me, Danzo… would a heartless tool defend this village to the end? Or would it just follow orders until it broke?”

Danzo narrowed his remaining eye, his expression hardening.

“You’re making a fatal mistake, Hiruzen. Konoha will pay the price for your weakness.”

I smiled, tired of the same old arguments.

“And you underestimate the strength of a child who knows the meaning of compassion.”

Danzo remained silent for a few moments, considering my words. But deep down, we both knew nothing would be resolved here.

Finally, he turned on his heel.

“Don’t think this discussion is over.”

And, with firm steps, he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

I stayed there, unmoving, watching the pipe smoke rise slowly.

“I wouldn’t dare, old friend.”

Chapter Text

I should have known it wouldn't last. It was too good to be true.

Seeing the door to our apartment broken down, with everything inside destroyed, made me feel like I was back at the orphanage. There were scribbles on the wall that I knew were words, but their meaning was beyond my understanding. Haru stood still and silent when she saw everything, and I just knew she must have been crying.

I felt angry. I wanted to scream and break things, but what good would that do? Everything was already ruined. I really didn’t want to finish the job for whoever did this to our home.

I couldn’t see Harumi’s eyes because of her glasses, but I was getting really good at reading her expressions through the movements of her mouth. I saw how her lips pressed together, her chin trembled, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides, hidden by the long sleeves of her jumpsuit.

(I hate the people who did this. I hate Konoha a little bit. What did we do so wrong to deserve this?)

That day, I cried like I hadn’t since the day the Matron hit us. I held in my anger in silence because I didn’t want Haru to think I was a monster too, even though part of me was sure she wouldn’t. I think she gets even angrier than I do sometimes, but the fear never goes away.

We cried ourselves to sleep, and Haru slept in my bed, clinging to me. She wanted to sleep outside again because she was scared.

"What if they come back while we’re sleeping, Naru?" she whispered at night, her voice heavy with fear. I could hear the tears even if I couldn’t see them.

"Outside is even less safe than here," I said. Out there, there were no walls, nothing. At least here, we had a door with a lock. Sure, someone could still break in, but outside, there would be no barrier at all between us and a random attacker. I forced a smile—I don’t know how I managed—but I didn’t want to make Haru’s fear even worse. "Don’t worry, everything will be fine, Haru-chan!"

Haru tightened her arms around me but didn’t say anything in response.

We slept with the window closed for the first time since we moved in. Haru can never relax when the window is closed, just like when we were locked in the orphanage room. Maybe that’s why she’s sleeping in my bed this time? But we don’t feel safe enough to leave it open now that our sanctuary has been violated.

The sound of the rain outside doesn’t help, either, since the clouds block the moonlight, plunging us into darkness. It’s almost like being back in that place.

The next morning, there’s money on the table and some food in the fridge.

Haru tenses up and doesn’t even dare go near either, as if expecting them to explode in our faces. I hesitate a little too, but then I step forward, pocket the money, and sniff the food before taking a bite.

"It’s fine, Haru," I call out, gesturing to the bitten snack, showing her it's safe to eat. "Come eat, it’s good!"

It was a slightly stale karaage, not fresh anymore, but still tasty. It even came with a sauce!

"It could be poisoned," Haru said uncertainly.

"Poisoned?" I frowned.

"The Matron complained about rats once and put poison all over the house to kill them, but one of the little kids ate some and had to be taken to the hospital," she explained. I didn’t miss the fact that Haru hadn’t moved even a step closer to the food.

"But if they wanted to hurt us, they wouldn’t have left money, right?" If there was one thing I had learned in the past few days living alone, it was that money was really important. You could get a lot of food—especially ramen—with money.

"Naruto, someone came in while we were sleeping!" Haru snapped. This time, she sounded more angry than scared, and strangely, I felt a bit relieved that she wasn’t cowering in fear anymore. "They could have killed us!"

"But they didn’t!" And that was a good thing. I had been so angry and scared yesterday, but this proved that not everyone hated me that much. There was still hope.

Maybe if I just tried a little harder, then someone would…

Haru stomped her foot stubbornly. "Eat all of it then!"

"But you should eat too..."

"I’m not eating that!" she declared, and I could hear the pout in her voice.

"But..."

"No!"

"Haru, this—"

"Ah!"

"This—"

"AH!"

"You don’t—"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

"Argh! Fine!" I threw my hands up in frustration and stuffed the food into my mouth. "Happy now?!" I asked, my mouth full.

She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Yes, I am!"

"And what if it really is poisoned?" I shot back petulantly.

"Then at least I’ll be fine to take you to the hospital and say 'I told you so' when you get better," she replied with a smug smile.

"How reassuring," I deadpanned.

"You’re feeling fine, aren’t you?" This time, even though she still sounded playful, I could feel the worry radiating from her, just waiting for me to show any signs of illness so she could panic.

"Yeah, I think I’m fine," I shrugged, really not feeling anything strange. "Wanna go to the park and play?"

"Sure," Haru shrugged too, and we headed outside. I didn’t miss how her shoulders seemed to relax once we left the apartment.

Haru, with her hood pulled over her head and her glasses in place, still looked like some sort of alien, completely out of place. Whether on purpose or not, she always drew the attention of every adult in sight. It was undeniably funny to see the double takes people did whenever they saw Harumi for the first time. I decided for sure that I was going to get something even more outrageous next time Jiji took us shopping for clothes.

I could feel people's attention shift toward me, and I could hear the beginning of some whispers here and there, but most of them ended up focusing on Haru’s clothes. It made it a little easier to ignore everything.

That didn’t mean there were no consequences, though, because none of the kids came near us. I let out a disappointed sigh, but Haru looked around, and I could see a small, mischievous smile start to curl her lips.

"What are you thinking?" I asked her, and Haru’s smile grew even wider.

"Oh, let’s just play," she answered with false innocence, and I could only wonder if anyone had ever believed that act.

"Okaaay..." I said slowly, skeptical but deciding that whatever it was, it wasn’t my problem. "What do you want to play, then?" We might as well play on our own.

Haru raised a finger in front of her face, and I wasn’t sure if she was telling me to be quiet or pointing at something. Then, she crouched down and scooped up some wet sand in her hands. The ground was still damp from the nighttime rain.

I widened my eyes as I stared at the silent threat. I had a bad feeling about this.

Without a word, Haru turned and threw the mud ball at the first person she saw—luckily (thank all the Kami for this!)—another kid. Haru immediately took off running, and I froze for a second before bolting after her like my pants were on fire when I heard the kid start chasing us.

Haru ran around the playground, and I arrived just in time to see her throw another mud ball at another kid. She hit him squarely on his clean, well-fitted clothes.

Right. In. Front. Of. His. Mother.

Oh, crap.

I grabbed Haru’s hand as I saw the mother turn to us with a stormy expression, fury quickly overtaking her features as she stood up. I could hear commotion from the other side of the playground, and I was sure she wasn’t the only angry mom. The first victim’s mom was looking for blood too.

“Ihk! We’re screwed!” I choke out, grabbing Haru’s hand as I start moving away from the playground. “RUN!” I yell when I see both women rushing toward us with their fists clenched.

I’m in such a hurry to get away from the playground and the mess Haru caused that I don’t even pay attention to my surroundings. My heart is pounding, and I feel a rush of joy—the kind I only feel when I’m with our friends—as I grin.

I guess I should be more scared, but it’s easy to ignore the whispers and stares when I’m running to the sound of mine and Harumi’s laughter. We weave between the legs of passing adults, hearing things crash behind us and indignant shouts, but all I can feel is my racing heartbeat and the smile on my face.

We only stop running when we’re surrounded by trees and no one else is in sight.

I let out a loud laugh, still lying on the ground next to Naruto. “Your face when you saw what I was doing! Buahahahaha!”

“Are you crazy?!” Naruto shouted back, still a little breathless but quickly recovering from the exhaustion, pointing an accusing finger at me. But I haven't forgotten how he was laughing just a second ago. “Those adults looked so mad!”

“Boooo! Where’s your courage, Naru?” I retorted smugly.

“At least I had the courage to eat this morning!” he shot back and stuck out his tongue at me.

“I didn’t eat because I have common sense,” I declared without a care.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m smarter, that’s what it means!” I stuck my tongue out at him.

I can still feel the texture of the grass and damp earth through my clothes, but I don’t want to get up. I like this. I wasn’t allowed to play outside before—I had to watch the other kids play in the garden while I stayed inside drawing. All because I’m albino.

I like being outdoors. I like looking around and not seeing walls, looking up and seeing nothing but the endless sky. It’s easier to breathe here, and I love it. Even if the sky is still a little cloudy, I don’t mind because Naruto is like a warm summer day. He’s like a sun that will never hurt me the way the real one does.

“If you’re so smart, then why did you throw mud at those kids?!” Naruto accused, a breathless laugh slipping from him. “That wasn’t very smart, you know.”

‘Of course it was,’ I thought. ‘It made you smile, didn’t it? A real smile, not that fake one I hate.’

“You could never understand my genius,” I teased with a grin.

Naruto huffed but didn’t argue further, simply looking up at the sky, his head resting beside mine. I can feel his chakra without even trying—always so big, so present, almost like a physical pressure.

We stayed there for a few minutes, just staring at the sky.

My stomach growled from hunger, but I stayed quiet because I knew we didn’t have any food at home and the little money we had left wouldn’t last long. I may not fully understand how much everything costs, but I know we can only afford about four more bowls of ramen, and I have no idea when we’ll get more money. I should have thought about that sooner.

The night I saw our apartment wrecked, it took me a while to remember the money, but when I realized it was all gone, I understood what that meant—even if Naruto took a little longer to figure it out. No money meant no food.

That night, before I fell asleep, all I could think about was how it would run out sooner or later and that I had no idea what would happen when it did. Then, suddenly, the next morning, we had money again. It was less than before, but it was something.

Still, the fear from the night before hadn’t disappeared.

The money would run out—then what?

Four bowls of ramen. Two meals for me and Naruto.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to jump to my feet, hands on my hips, inhaling deeply to gather courage. I can do this. We survived on the streets for a whole week before Shisui-nii saved us and the Hokage brought us back to the orphanage.

I can do it again. Easy, easy. Piece of cake. I got this!

“Get up, Naru!” I commanded as if I actually had that kind of authority. Naruto groaned lightly but sat up, looking at me curiously. “We have a mission!”

“What are you talking about?” Naruto had the funniest expression when he was confused, and I smiled at the sight of it. Maybe I should do more crazy things just to see that face again.

“We’re gonna find a tree with fruit for us to eat!” I declared, marching deeper into the forest, vaguely wondering if it had an end or if it was an endless sea of trees.

“Ah, wait up, Haru-chan!” I could hear Naruto scrambling to his feet awkwardly before chasing after me with loud footsteps. “We’re looking for that again?”

“Yep!”

“But we didn’t find anything last time,” he reminded me, hesitant, before shaking his head and putting on a determined expression. He clapped a fist into his other palm with a small smack. “Yosh! Let’s do it!”

I grinned, satisfied. “That’s the spirit, future Hokage!”

We spent the rest of the day wandering among the trees, and I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. I feel more at ease here than in Konoha, more at home than in our apartment.

We found a small lake, and Naruto was watching the tadpoles and frogs swim around. He has this thing about frogs that I honestly don’t understand. Nothing against frogs, but why frogs of all things?

“Why do you like frogs so much, anyway?” I asked, a little curious. It’s not even a pet you can cuddle.

“Why not frogs?” Naruto shot back, narrowing his eyes like he was daring me to insult amphibians. I raised my hands in surrender. “Frogs are cool!” he said with absolute certainty. “Dogs too. Sometimes a dog shows up and lets me pet it, so I like them too, dattebayo!”

“Whatever,” I grumbled. Still seems random, though.

Naruto lay down at the edge of the lake, dipping a finger in the water, watching the weirdly shaped fish swim away from his hand—even though he wasn’t actually trying to catch them. He was just lying there, on the damp ground, and I knew there would be a big brown stain on him when he finally got up.

The lake itself was small, almost like a large puddle, so the trees didn’t have to clear much space for it, and we were still almost completely covered by their shade.

I sat on the ground, bored, looking around for something to distract me. The bugs flying around were annoying, and I was grateful my clothes protected me from them. There had to be some advantage to wearing long sleeves in the middle of summer!

I was just looking around when I saw one of the frogs shoot out its tongue impossibly far and fast. In an instant, there was an insect in its mouth, swallowed in a blink. I stared, shocked, but also with an unexpected realization.

I looked around and saw something I could use to test my theory.

I stood up, making Naruto look at me. “Haru-chan? Where are you going?”

“I’m gonna try something,” I answered without turning back.

Would it work? Well, it couldn’t hurt… right? I took a deep breath and grabbed a white grub crawling along a tree trunk, surrounded by a bunch of other strange-looking bugs.

“Haru?” Naruto asked, watching me with growing suspicion as his eyes flicked between me and the insect. “What are you—”

I popped the grub into my mouth and chewed. A weird, gooey texture burst across my tongue, releasing a grainy, slightly sweet flavor. The texture wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the worst thing I’d ever eaten.

“UUUGGHHHH!” Naruto made the weirdest face, his whole body shuddering in disgust as he watched me reach for another.

“Want a snack, Naruto-sama?” I teased with a grin, holding the grub out to him.

“HARU! That’s not food!” he whined, staring at the squirming bug between my fingers like it might attack him at any moment.

“But, Naruto-sama, frogs eat these. I thought you liked frogs?” I shot back, stretching my arm even closer so the grub was right in front of his face.

Naruto went cross-eyed trying to keep his gaze on the ‘threat.’ It got to the point where he lost his balance and fell backward, making me burst into laughter. He scrambled back up in an awkward tumble, blushing furiously. “I did that on purpose! And don’t call me ‘sama,’ that’s weird!”

“But Naruto-sama has such refined tastes,” I joked, tossing the grub into my mouth like Chouji does with his chips. I swallowed quickly, making sure I didn’t eat anything still moving. “Lucky for you, my restaurant has a wide menu!” I gestured to the tree trunk, crawling with all sorts of bugs drawn by the sap.

Naruto immediately recoiled, making the funniest disgusted face yet, and I laughed before grabbing a beetle. This one was crunchier and more bitter. Not bad, but the grubs tasted better.

Well, at least I won’t starve.

Haru eats insects. I'll never be able to look at her the same way again!

Yeah... actually, nothing has changed between us. We're both kind of weird, so what's one more thing on the list?

Days passed, and we managed to survive on the fruits we found on the trees in the forest we've been exploring since the day of the frogs. Haru eats the fruits and insects, which always makes me wrinkle my nose because it's just disgusting, but I'm getting used to it. Then, with a few days in between, we both buy ramen from Ichiraku. We share a bowl to make the money last longer.

I wonder if Hokage-jiji would give us more money if I asked, but I don't know if I want to risk being rejected. As long as I don’t try, I can always tell myself that all I have to do is ask, and it will be mine. But it's okay because Haru and I are doing just fine on our own!

It takes several days before Hokage-jiji shows up again, and our money has been gone for a while. We've been surviving on the fruits we find and anything we can scavenge from the trash.

Haru seems to hate Jiji more every time they see each other, and I'm not going to force her to stay in the room with me while I talk to him, sitting on the Hokage's lap and telling him about our adventures and my day-to-day life. I talk about the invasion, and the Hokage says the culprits have been punished for it.
(I wonder why he didn't come to see us when he found out.)

Jiji enters the apartment, looking around, pausing for a second longer at the scribbles on the wall that I don't know how to clean. He doesn’t say anything about it, and I don’t care about the scribbles, so they can stay.

“Naruto-kun, I brought your monthly allowance, and I have something important to talk about as well,” he said, looking at me with expectation. “Can you call your friend to join this conversation?”

I’d rather not do that, honestly, but it’s not like I’m going to say that to him! I put on a big grin and try first: “What do you want to talk about, Jiji?”

He smiles at me, and he really seems to like me, so I push aside my less nice thoughts because Jiji is a good guy. “Oh, we need to talk about your enrollment in the academy.”

The ninja academy!
The... ninja academy. Me.

“I’M GOING TO BECOME A NINJA!” I shout in excitement. I had forgotten about it with everything that happened! How could I forget? I’m going to be super strong like Shisui-nii and Hokage-jiji!

No, even better than that, I’ll be the next Hokage, dattebayo!

“HARU!” I run to the door and yell toward a tree where I know she’s hiding because she recently learned how to climb and has become obsessed with it. She finds the weirdest excuses to climb a tree and stay there for hours doing nothing. Though I think she’s actually sensing the cha… cha-kra of people passing by. “GET UP HERE!”

I don’t wait for a response or to see if she’s actually climbing down from the tree and up the stairs. I just rush back inside and start interrogating the Hokage.

“Are we going to the academy now? Can I really become a ninja? What does a ninja do? Can I save a princess? Am I going to be even stronger than you, Jiji? When will my first mission be? What do I have to do to become Hokage? I’ll...”

“Naruto, Naruto! Calm down, child!” Jiji said, his eyes slightly wide in surprise, but a cheerful smile on his lips.

“What is it?” I hear Haru’s grumpy voice behind me, and I can easily imagine her pout at having to interact with the Hokage.

“We’re going to join the academy!” I said excitedly.

“Yes, yes, normally children your age stay in the orphanage until they reach civil adulthood, but since you’re training to be ninjas, some degree of independence is encouraged,” Jiji explained calmly, his eyes shifting between me and Haru. “That’s why, if you want to continue receiving the stipend and keeping this apartment, you need to enroll in the academy.”

I didn’t understand any of that, and Haru crossed her arms over her chest, looking more irritated by the second. At least she didn’t say anything.

Oh well, whatever.

“The academy will resume classes the day after tomorrow, and you two are expected to be there,” Jiji continued explaining since neither of us spoke. Haru was silently protesting, and I just didn’t understand enough to have any questions. “You’ll probably be the youngest in the class for at least a year, but it’s nothing to worry about,” he ruffled my hair, and I kind of wish he’d do it again. It feels nice.

“No problem, Jiji, I’ll kick everyone’s butt anyway, dattebayo!” I smack my fist into my palm in determination.

“I don’t think you’ll have sparring in the first year, Naruto-kun,” Jiji hid a smile behind his hand at the sound of my disappointment.

“Oh...” I just want to go and prove that I’m good and earn people’s respect! Why does it have to take so long?

“It doesn’t matter!” I decide, determined to stick to my goal even if it takes a little longer than planned to get there. “I’ll still be Hokage, Jiji, just wait and see—I’LL WEAR THAT UGLY HAT!”

Haru stifles a laugh behind me, but the fact that I notice it proves she wasn’t very successful. Jiji looks at the brim of the hat on his head, startled, before gripping its edge somewhat possessively, giving me a slightly insulted look.

“This hat was designed by the Nidaime himself!” the older man defended, seeming to take the criticism personally. How sensitive!

“It’s ugly, Jiji, no matter who made it,” I declare sympathetically, starting to question Jiji’s intelligence if he really thinks that thing looks good.

“BUAHAHAHA!” Haru bursts into laughter behind me. “Y-you actually... Naruto... that ugly thing... imagine... think! BUAHAHA!” she tried to speak, gasping for air from laughing so hard. It makes no sense.

Jiji, however, had a conflicted expression. He looked at the hat with a pout, and I kind of felt bad for him. If Jiji really likes the hat that much, then I guess I can stop making fun of it.

“Don’t worry, Jiji, I love you even if your taste in hats is a bit bad,” I reassured him with a smile. Personally, I like my frog-eyed beanie better.

Jiji smiled at me, but for some reason, it seemed a little forced—I could swear I saw his eye twitch.

“How lucky I am, Naruto.”

“Yes, Jiji, you have nothing to worry about!”

“BUAHAHAHA!” Haru, for some reason, found that funny enough to burst into another fit of laughter, and I roll my eyes at her. Honestly, she has no sensitivity!

Jiji took a deep breath before speaking over Haru’s laughter: “Come on, I’ll show you the way to the academy.”

My excitement returned in full force as I remembered that the day after tomorrow, my path as a ninja and future Hokage would begin!

I jumped and ran ahead, too eager to wait.

Naruto when Harumi throws mud at the other kids

Naruto watching Harumi eating bugs

Haru eating the bugs

Chapter Text

I woke up early, even before the sun was fully in the sky. Today was my first day at the Ninja Academy! I jumped out of bed in one leap and got dressed as fast as I could. My clothes weren’t new, but they were clean, and I made sure to tie an orange headband around my forehead—because ninjas always have something on their foreheads, that’s kind of a rule!

Haru was getting dressed too, her eyes still closed from sleep. She doesn’t wear her glasses to bed, so I can see her eyes at night and now in the morning, and it’s much easier to read her expressions when I can see her whole face instead of just half of it. She mumbled something unintelligible as she shuffled through the house like a zombie, nearly walking straight into a wall on her way to the bathroom.

We ran all the way to the Academy, and I ignored the slight hunger tightening my stomach because we were a little late and couldn’t stop to buy any food. I had to hold myself back from shouting in excitement when we arrived. The building was huge, full of windows, with kids running back and forth. Some were accompanied by their parents, while others, like me, were alone.

Haru—now wearing her glasses again and dressed in her jumpsuit with the hood pulled over her head—had her mouth slightly open, impressed by everything around her. I could practically feel her excitement. "This is where we're going to learn to be ninjas, dattebayo!"

"Wow, there are so many people who want to be ninjas too!" Haru whispered, amazed.

I ignored, with little effort, how some parents whispered things to their children while pointing in our direction. Today was a great day—the first step toward becoming Hokage—and no one was going to ruin it!

We followed the flow of children toward an open door. Haru looked around, her mouth still open in curiosity, while I marched forward with confident steps and my chin held high.

The classroom was big, with rows of desks and a blackboard at the front. Most of the kids were already there, chatting among themselves, and I walked in with a bright smile. But as soon as I stepped into the room, the noise quieted slightly. It was abrupt—hard not to notice. Some kids looked at me strangely, whispered to each other, and then quickly averted their eyes. My smile faltered for a moment, but I didn’t let it get to me. It was just because I didn’t know anyone yet. Soon enough, everyone would see how awesome I was!

I kept marching forward and confidently plopped down into an empty seat. Haru, still distracted, sat beside me without even noticing the way people were acting around us. She stood out in her outfit like a sore thumb, and the funniest part was that she didn’t even seem to notice the looks some of the other girls were giving her.

"Is this a classroom?!" Haru whisper-shouted at me, completely thrilled by everything.

"Yeah… Are we supposed to fight on top of the desks?" I whispered back, frowning, unsure of how we were supposed to learn to be ninjas in here.

A tall man with short black hair and a green vest walked into the room, his face twisted in disgust, and I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. It looked like he had smelled something awful! He introduced himself as Sakamoto-sensei. Beside him, a woman with brown hair tied in a tight bun followed him into the room. Her name was Yoshino-sensei, and she would be the assistant teacher. They both seemed serious, which only made me more excited. Ninjas have to be serious, after all!

They started calling names from a list, and the kids shouted “Present!” enthusiastically when their names were called. When they said "Uzumaki Naruto," I raised my hand high and said "Present!" with all my energy. Some kids giggled quietly, but not in a friendly way. Sakamoto-sensei looked at me for a moment and simply continued the roll call, showing no reaction. That’s fine—he hasn’t reacted to anyone else either.

Just like that, the lesson began. No games, no jokes. Boring!

But that was okay—it just meant I would become Hokage even faster!

The first lesson was about ninja rules. Super interesting! … Sort of. I think? I mean…

Rule #01 — A shinobi of Konoha must always act in the village’s best interest.
Rule #02 — The Hokage’s orders take precedence over all others.
Rule #03 — A shinobi must never directly question an order but should always interpret its intent.
Rule #04 — A shinobi must always put the mission first.
Rule #05 — A shinobi must see the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings.
Rule #06 — A shinobi must follow their commander’s instructions.
Rule #07 — A shinobi must prepare before it’s too late.
Rule #08 — A shinobi must never show any weakness.
Rule #09 — A shinobi must never reveal their surname.
Rule #10 — A shinobi must complete their missions stealthily.
Rule #11 — A shinobi never runs from a battle that must be fought, but a shinobi never engages in an unnecessary fight.
Rule #12 — Every search begins by analyzing all traces left behind.
Rule #13 — Beware of a search that seems too easy.
Rule #14 — Always be alert for an attack from behind.
Rule #15 — Always watch out for your opponent’s bluffs.
Rule #16 — A shinobi must know their allies and enemies well.
Rule #17 — Information is more valuable than brute strength.
Rule #18 — Disguise is the best defense to avoid unnecessary combat.
Rule #19 — A shinobi must always have an escape plan.
Rule #20 — Avoid unnecessary attachments, as they can be exploited by your enemies.
Rule #21 — If you are captured, ensure that no valuable information can be extracted from you.
Rule #22 — Never underestimate an opponent, no matter how weak they may seem.
Rule #23 — Even the simplest mission may hide great dangers.
Rule #24 — Sacrificing yourself for an ally is a noble act, but surviving to protect them is even better.
Rule #25 — A shinobi must never show their tears.

The professor recited the rules, and I watched in mild shock as some kids pulled out paper and pencils, quickly scribbling notes. Did anyone actually understand what he was saying? Was this a joke?

Haru had been leaning further and further back with each new rule, as if they were physical blows. "What the hell is this?" she muttered quietly to me, using one of those adult words we always heard people in our neighborhood say.

I raised my hand, but Sakamoto-sensei looked away and called on someone else. After the third time this happened, some kids started laughing. My chest tightened, but I pretended not to care. I just had to wait for my turn.

I slowly lowered my hand, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment.

"What an idiot," Haru muttered beside me, making a face at the teacher. He must have heard because he shot a nasty look in our direction, but continued talking as if we didn’t exist. And just like that, Haru managed to land herself on the sensei’s blacklist on the very first day of class. As if being my friend wasn’t bad enough.

During recess, I skipped over to a group of kids who were excitedly talking about the training kunai we would get to use later. Just as I was about to speak, a girl with braids shot me a dirty look and grabbed the arm of the boy next to her. "Let's go over there!" she said, and the whole group left together, as if I had some kind of contagious disease.

Haru, following behind me, didn’t even pause. She just grabbed my hand and dragged me toward a rope swing under the shade of a tree. "Come on, Naru!" The area was crowded with kids, and hope sparked inside me. Maybe…

"Who wants to play?" she called out confidently, letting go of my hand and placing hers on her hips in a stance that I wasn’t sure was entirely genuine.

Everyone turned to look at us. The older kids were the first to walk away with disgusted expressions. Some of the kids whose parents had whispered earlier followed right after. In the end, the few remaining ones hesitated, unsure of why they were even leaving, but they did anyway.

Instead of being upset by the now-empty swing, Haru’s grin widened, and she rubbed her hands together, laughing quietly like a villain. "My plan worked perfectly!"

"Huh? Plan? What plan?" I asked, confused.

"I wanted the swing and the shade under the tree," Haru shrugged. "But it was too crowded! I guess it’s because this is the best spot."

I blinked once. Twice. Then, outraged, I pointed an accusing finger at her. "Hey!"

"What?"

"You used me to scare them away!" I pouted.

"Uh, duh."

"That wasn’t nice, Haru-chan," I sighed. I really needed to start teaching Harumi how to be nicer to people…

"I didn’t force anyone to leave!" she shot back, indignantly pointing a finger at my nose, making me go cross-eyed trying to keep it in sight. "I even invited them to play!"

"But you knew they would leave if I was here…"

"Maybe, but I didn’t know for sure," she shrugged, completely unrepentant, and happily skipped over to the now-empty swing, struggling to climb onto it. I sighed in defeat before following her. "Leaving was totally their choice."

I sighed again. She was right, but I still felt guilty.

"That sounds like a villain’s plan," I muttered a second later.

Instead of answering, Haru swung her foot forward and kicked me off balance. I landed flat on the ground and looked up to see her smirking as she used the momentum of the swing.

"HEY!"

"What? I’m the villain, remember?" she shot back, pouting as she kept swinging.

Ah… Maybe I wasn’t very nice just now, huh? "I didn’t mean you were actually a villain, Haru-chan! Though kicking me is exactly what a villain would do…"

"I should fill your bed with bugs," she muttered darkly.

I widened my eyes. She was sinking into darkness! What do I do?!

"Haru-chan, you don’t have to be a villain. Just forgive and move on!" I declare happily. I just hope she doesn’t actually put any bugs in my bed…

She huffs in irritation and turns her face away while continuing to swing, ignoring me. It hurts to be ignored by Harumi too, like I’ve lost something important inside me. But at the same time, it feels different. Even though she’s "ignoring" me, she doesn’t leave.

Realizing that makes all the difference.

The practical lesson finally arrived in the afternoon after Naruto and I spent our break in the courtyard, watching people eat their bentos. At least I managed to get myself a snack by picking up ants under the shade of a tree, ignoring the disgusted sounds and scrunched noses of the other kids who saw me. Naruto, already used to it, didn’t even care anymore.

The idiot who called me a villain. I should put beetles in his bed AND shave his eyebrows off. Who does he think he is? It’s not my fault I know how to take advantage of other people’s stupidity.

The bell rings, and Sakamoto-sensei—The Idiot—leads all the first-year kids, which are many, to a training field beside the building. There are a few posts with deep marks on the other side, and I imagine this is when we finally start real ninja training.

He quickly explains how to throw shuriken and then tells each of us to try. Just like that! As if it were that simple. I don’t even know how to hold a kitchen knife without cutting myself, and at least knives have a handle that isn’t sharp! How does he expect me to throw a shuriken without slicing my hand open?

Naruto and I are at the end of the line so I can watch the other kids and try to mimic them. Some of them hit the target perfectly, others miss, but Sakamoto-sensei always corrects and gives tips. It’s easy to tell, in this exercise, who comes from a ninja family and who comes from a civilian family—those from ninja families, at the very least, are more used to handling weapons without hurting themselves.

When it’s Naruto’s turn, he grips the shuriken tightly and throws it with all his strength. I knew right away that something was wrong because he practically fell forward from the momentum of his own throw—something no one else had done, so he must have done it incorrectly. The shuriken flew... and missed the target entirely, landing just a few meters away on the ground.

Some kids laughed, but Naruto looked at Sakamoto-sensei, expecting him to correct him like he did with the others. But all the man said was:
“Try again.”

No tips. No corrections. No help.

I feel a twitch in my eye, my temper slipping again. This guy...

Naruto, looking nervous and his face red with embarrassment, grabbed another shuriken and threw it with force—but missed again. The giggling around us grew louder. He refused to look at the people laughing, just clenched his fists at his sides, swallowed hard, and tried again. Nothing.

Naruto lowered his head, his body slightly hunched under the weight of his classmates' laughter. Who do they think they are? They’re not that much better at this to be laughing at someone else. A bunch of idiots.

In the end, Sakamoto-sensei simply called the next student, as if Naruto wasn’t even there.

I’m up next.

With steady steps, I walk forward and grab the three shuriken I’m supposed to throw. I look at the target, then at The Idiot, waiting to see if he’ll give me any suggestions.

“Hurry up, we don’t have all day,” The Idiot rushes me.

“All right, sensei.” IDIOT!

I grip the shuriken tightly in my hand, feeling the sting of the sharp edges, but I need a firm hold for this. Throwing three at once can’t be easy. I take a deep breath before mimicking Naruto’s movement... more or less.

I threw myself forward, but not to add strength to my throw. Instead, I just threw the shuriken as if they were regular balls. They didn’t spin beautifully through the air like I saw some Uchiha kids do with ease, but they did head toward a target.

The target? The Idiot.

Who told him to mess with my brother?

I hit the ground before I could see if I was successful or not, but the first thing I do when I lift my head is check. Unfortunately, The Idiot managed to dodge all of them and was crouched in a ridiculous position—and I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

“Buahahaha, you look like you’re taking a dump, sensei!”

The Idiot’s face turned red before he pointed a furious finger at me.

“You’re a disgrace! What kind of ninja could someone like you ever be?! Go run laps around the field until you learn some manners!”

Some kids laughed, but not all. A few glanced at me with tight expressions, but no one said anything. Naruto kept his eyes fixed on me—they looked a little watery, but he also had a small smile on his face from my joke at The Idiot’s expense.

The Idiot didn’t even correct my form! How does he expect me to hit the target instead of his abnormally large head? He’s a much easier and more tempting target.

“Hey, you!” I hear The Idiot shout, and I look over to see him pointing at Naruto, who has wide eyes, waiting to be scolded.

“You go run laps too!”

“Hai, sensei,” Naruto mutters, looking somewhat discouraged. A stark contrast to how excited he was this morning when we got ready for our first day. Maybe this whole ninja academy thing wasn’t as fun as we thought…

Naruto jogs to my side. “You’re even worse than me at throwing shuriken!” he says with a wide grin.

I huff and think about telling him I did it on purpose, but that might make his smile disappear. It’s the least I can do for my sun, who stayed by my side even before I knew he had a name.

“At least I almost hit something, even if it wasn’t the target. You threw yours straight into the ground,” I remind him, chin held high with pride. That was actually a decent throw for my first time, even if all the stars kind of flew in random directions, missing the sensei completely. Still, it was close enough to make him duck.

“Yeah, but you almost hit the sensei,” he points out, then breaks into a mischievous grin. “The face he made! Hahahaha…”

A small rock suddenly hits the back of Naruto’s head, and he clutches the spot with a startled “Hey!”

We turn around to see The Idiot shouting at us, “RUN, YOU USELESS BRATS!”

“Tsk, what an idiot,” I mutter, and Naruto scratches his head, still looking at the sensei.

“Yeah, I don’t think he likes me very much…”

“Really?” I ask, unimpressed, raising an eyebrow. He can’t see it, so I make sure my voice drips with sarcasm.

“Just a hunch,” he replies seriously.

“Wow, I never would’ve guessed,” I say, my voice as dry as the desert.

Another rock hits me this time, and I stick my tongue out at The Idiot.

“YOU’LL RUN UNTIL NIGHTFALL!” he roars from a distance. I guess he didn’t like my response to the rock?

Naruto and I sigh and start running around the training field.

I run.

I run some more.

I start skipping because I’m tired of running.

I trip and fall, my knees shaking, but I get up and keep going.

I run some more.

Naruto is running too. He looks exhausted but also a little distracted—he’s thinking about something. He hasn’t said anything since we started running.

I fall again, and it’s harder to get up this time.

We keep running.

I could try talking to Naruto, but I barely have the breath for a single word, let alone an entire conversation. No, this can wait until we get home.

We keep running.

I hear voices and briefly see people passing by, but no one lingers.

I run. I run. I run.

When I fall again, I can’t get up. My legs shake, my feet ache, and I gasp for breath, letting myself collapse onto the packed dirt. The sky is turning orange with the setting sun.

“Haru-chan?” Naruto’s voice reaches me before I hear his footsteps. His head appears in my vision, framed by the sky. He really does look like the sun this way—with the blue sky behind him, his golden hair, and that warm chakra. My own sun.

“Are you okay?”

Is he joking? What kind of question is that? Is Naruto blind?

“Naruto?” I wheeze.

“Yes, Haru-chan?” he asks eagerly.

“Shut up.”

"Huh?"

"Quiet."

He looks at me for a moment before grabbing my arms and pulling me up, and I whimper. Moving hurts, and having my weight on my feet again is so bad that I fall once more—this time, right on top of Naruto. Luckily, he catches me, and I wrap my arms around him to keep from hitting the ground.

"How about we head home?" he asks.

"We haven’t been dismissed," I say, trying to sense if The Idiot is still around. If he isn’t, he won’t know we ditched the punishment. But I can’t sense anyone inside the school. Everyone is already gone, even the teachers. The Idiot really lives up to his title.

"You know what? Let’s just go!"

Naruto has to carry me all the way home, and as soon as we arrive, I lie down and fall asleep—even though my stomach is growling with hunger.

Chapter Text

The following months followed the same pattern as the first day. In fact, our lives became somewhat boring.

At the beginning of each month, the old Hokage would show up with our allowance, check if we were still alive, and listen to Naruto ramble a little before leaving: “A boy at the academy talked about his birthday party, but I wasn’t invited. When’s my birthday, Jiji?” Or: “Why don’t I have parents?”

I had to give Naruto credit because he managed to make the Hokage want to run away, and that was quite an achievement for a ninja of his caliber. I just couldn’t resist pushing a little further: “You know who his parents are, or he wouldn’t have a last name. You know, but you don’t want to tell him,” I insisted. “If you really didn’t want anyone to know, you would’ve left him without a surname, like me.”

The old man always looked like a deer in front of a predator whenever I managed to push the right buttons, though I wasn’t entirely sure why Naruto’s parents were such a delicate subject. If it bothered the old man, though, I was going to make sure to use it!

I admit my anger toward the old man is festering, but I just can’t like him. I can’t reconcile the idea that he cares about Naruto and yet leaves him here every time, as if he doesn’t have the power to do something about it. As if he isn’t the damn Hokage. Every time he shows up, I kind of want to set that ridiculous robe of his on fire.

I can’t say I’m the old man’s favorite person, but he doesn’t hate me, surprisingly! I don’t know why. I’ve done nothing to make him like me, yet he still smiles at me and even brings me some used clothes from time to time when it looks like the weather’s getting cold.

After the old man’s monthly visit, we have money and can eat something more substantial, so we go to Ichiraku. Then we buy food at the market—something easy to prepare. But it never lasts; it spoils too quickly. We learned the hard way that when bread starts turning green and milk forms clumps, it means it’s no longer good to eat. Let’s just say the bathroom was a close friend to both me and Naruto for a few days.

Many vendors refuse to sell to us. Those who do try to push food that is already spoiled or close to it. So I stop buying from those places and, at the very least, manage to save some money. Naruto ends up living off instant ramen, which we found out is cheaper than Ichiraku’s because they give us more change. But I’m pretty sure there was still some trick involved because I could swear the vendor scowled at us.

The academy remained pretty much the same. The sensei ignored us most of the time and only remembered we existed when there was a reason to punish us. Running, jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, squats—I became very familiar with these exercises. At least I could feel them getting a little easier. I could run faster and for longer than I could at the beginning, so that was something... I guess?

Theoretical classes were a bit more complicated. The other kids took notes, but I just watched. At first, I thought it was normal. Until one day, the sensei handed out a written test, and that’s when I realized: I had no idea what was written on it.

We needed to learn how to read.

How? Who could teach us?

I took a deep breath and went to the only decent adult I knew, with Naruto trailing behind me.

“Teuchi-jiji!” I called, entering Ichiraku as I always did, and Teuchi-san lifted his head from the counter. The other customers were quick to move to a table farther from the bar. I would’ve felt bad about it, but if the owner of the place didn’t care, then I wasn’t going to be bothered by it!

“Hey, Teuchi-san!” Naruto greeted excitedly, already hopping onto a seat at the bar. “Give me a pork ramen with extra naruto!”

“The usual for me, Jiji,” I ordered. My usual, which was always different.

“Coming right up!” the man said, humming calmly as he started working.

“Where’s Ayame-nee?” Naruto asked, leaning over the counter as if trying to see if she was hiding behind the sink.

“She’s downtown shopping today. We’re running low on some ingredients, so we need to restock,” he explained.

“Oh yeah, food spoils so fast, doesn’t it?!” Naruto said, a little indignant.

“Hmm, yes, but I’m lucky that business here is good enough that things don’t spoil in storage,” he replied. His hands never stopped moving as he prepared our orders.

I rested my head on the table, somewhat mesmerized watching the cook’s movements. I had no idea how he did any of it, but the final result was so delicious... I wished I could eat here every day.

Okay, this wasn’t helping! I lifted my head and looked at Teuchi-jiji through my glasses with determination.

“Jiji, I need help with a problem,” I said, crossing my arms and raising my chin.

Teuchi-jiji’s hands hesitated for a moment as he cut the bamboo shoot. “Oh? Sure, if I can help...”

“How do I learn to read?” I asked. Actually, since I was already asking... “And I want to learn how to cook too!”

This time, Teuchi-jiji’s hesitation was visible. He seemed a little sad, but I didn’t know why—I was literally just asking him to teach me a few things. Why would anyone be sad about that? Maybe annoyed or lazy, but sad?

“Who’s taking care of you kids?” he asked, and I just shrugged in response, making Teuchi-jiji frown.

“No one,” Naruto answered loudly. “Jiji comes to give us money every now and then so we can buy food and stuff!” he said with a smile. But that only made Teuchi-jiji’s frown deepen. Then he let out a sigh before shaking his head and smiling in our direction, making me release the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.

“Of course, I can help with that. It’s not a problem,” he said with a forced smile. I had become an expert at spotting fake smiles after spending so much time around Naruto—he was an expert at them, much better than Teuchi-jiji.

He placed the bowls of ramen in front of us. “Today, yours is shoyu ramen, Harumi-chan,” he declared with a flourish of his hands toward the culinary masterpiece that was my dish.

“Itadakimasu!” Naruto and I shouted at the same time before eagerly slurping our noodles.

“As for learning to read, I think you could visit the library and pick up some basic books,” Teuchi-jiji said thoughtfully. “The librarian should help you with that.”

“Why do we have to learn to read? That sounds so boring!” Naruto pouted. “I want to learn how to fight!”

“We need to learn to read to pass the academy tests, Naru,” I rolled my eyes. “Or did you already forget the result of the last test?”

That shut him up, but what really worried me was something the Hokage had said—that attending the academy was a condition for receiving our allowance. What if we stopped getting money if we failed at the academy? No, that couldn’t happen.

“You can bring the books here and practice your kanji. If you have questions, Ayame or I can help. What do you think?” he suggested, ignoring Naruto’s pout about having to learn something boring. “As for cooking... well, I’ll think of something.”

“Thanks, Teuchi-jiji!” I was about to bow like I had seen so many adults do when thanking someone, but I forgot where I was and hit my forehead on the table. “OUCH!” I grabbed my forehead as Naruto burst into loud laughter beside me—the traitor!

I pouted from the pain, but seeing Teuchi-jiji looking worried about me from behind the counter made me a little happy.

Teuchi-san showed us the way to the library, and we managed to find the place, but the librarian was a grumpy old lady who wouldn't let me in. She said I would ruin the books. How could she know that? I’ve never even held a book in my life!

“Who cares? I didn’t want a book anyway!” I stuck my tongue out at her and stomped away.

How am I supposed to learn to read like this? I need to learn if I want to be a ninja. This isn’t going to work! But it’s not fair...

“Naru, wait!” Haru ran up to me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me into a side street. We ran through a few more alleys before stopping. “I have an idea, but we need to stop by home first.”

“What are you going to do, Haru-chan?” I asked, a hesitant hope rising in my chest.

“You’ll see!” She had a mischievous smile as she started dragging me toward our apartment.

Once we got home, she started changing clothes, rummaging through my pile of clothes that Jiji had given me. Short sleeves and shorts. It had been a long time since I’d seen her wear anything like that. It felt strange—normally, she only took off her glasses to put on pajamas, and then we’d go straight to sleep. I wasn’t used to seeing her face uncovered anymore. Now, the only thing she was wearing was a hat. She even put on that white cream Jiji said was for when she needed to go outside in the sun. It was expensive, so she was only supposed to use it when absolutely necessary.

Did she think the old lady didn’t let us in because of her clothes? But it was obviously because of me...

“Alright, I think this will work, so I’m going!” she said, a slightly manic grin on her face as she headed for the door. I moved to follow her.

“No, Naru, I’m going alone.”

“But…” Ever since we met, we’d always been together. I mean, always. “And me?”

“We’ll get back at the old hag later, but first, we need those books,” she said with a firm nod and determined eyes. She was much easier to read without that mask. “Why don’t you start thinking about how we can prank her?”

“But she saw you with me, Haru-chan. What if someone’s mean to you because of that and you’re alone?” I asked, worried.

“She won’t recognize me, Naru.” Haru spread her arms and spun around so I could see. She did look really different. But what if someone recognized her from before she started wearing those glasses and...

“I can do this, Naru. Trust me.”

I let out a sigh and looked away. “Fine… just come back soon,” I managed to say despite the tight knot in my throat.

“I’ll be quick!” Haru called with a smile before leaving. The door closed behind her, and I was alone. Again.

“Bye...”

I couldn’t shake the feeling of being left behind. I knew that wasn’t the case—she was coming back. But how many times had I believed that before, only to be wrong?

Haru wasn’t the first kid to talk to me at the orphanage, but no one ever came back after the Matron took them away.

Haru always came back, so I would wait.

Everything will be fine… right?

But what if it’s not? What if someone tries to hurt her? What if she realizes she’d have a better life without me?

Nah, that won’t happen! Harumi wouldn’t do that. She even argued with Sensei because he was mean to me, so she’s not going to abandon me now. (But what if she realizes how much better life is without me?)

It’ll be fine! Besides, it’s not like anyone has a reason to go after her if I’m not around.

But what if…

No, I trust Haru, and she said she could do this. Alone. Without me.

“Ugh, this is killing me!” I gripped my hair, staring at the door and waiting for Haru to come through it at any moment. If I went after her, would that mean I didn’t trust her? Would she be mad at me? Mad enough to stop being my friend?

“But what if she gets hurt and no one helps her?”

You know what? I can do this. I’ll follow her and watch from a distance. She won’t even know I’m there!

Determined, I ran into the street.

The streets were still busy, with vendors packing up their stalls and residents chatting with one another. The sky was painted in orange hues as the sun began its slow descent. I ran through the streets, trying to be as discreet as possible. I was somewhat successful—bumped into a few things here and there, earning myself some insults and even one or two attempts to hit me. Not that I stuck around long enough for anyone to actually land a hit. I had already learned my lesson.

The library wasn’t too far, and if I was fast, I could reach it before she noticed me. I took a shortcut, sneaking through an alley littered with trash and broken glass, jumping over a low fence, and landing in the abandoned backlot of a fancy clothing store. I kept going, hiding behind barrels and posts whenever I spotted someone.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and an excited grin spread across my face. I was being so stealthy! Like a real ninja, dattebayo!

When I finally reached the library’s street, I saw her.

Harumi walked forward with confident steps, no hesitation, as if this were normal. I might’ve believed it more if I hadn’t noticed the way she kept looking around, her eyes hidden under the hat, waiting to be attacked at any moment. Old habits die hard, and Haru had always been more aware of her surroundings than most.

But unlike when she was with me, people just passed by her without giving her nasty looks. No whispers, no suspicious glances. In fact, no one paid much attention to her at all. Some even cooed at her like she was just another normal kid from Konoha.

A strange weight settled in my chest. Uncomfortable. Heavy.

Harumi wasn’t treated the same way I was. Not when she was alone. When we were together, it was like the anger people had toward me overflowed onto her. But now… now no one seemed to care about her presence.

Harumi entered the library, and I stayed outside, leaning against a nearby wall. I waited. My feet tapped impatiently against the ground, and I stared at the door as if I could will it to open faster. Time dragged on, and without anything to distract me, I couldn’t stop thinking.

I couldn’t stop thinking that Haru’s life was only this way because of me. It didn’t have to be. If she stopped hanging around me, she could be just like every other kid…

I shook my head and tried really hard not to think about it.

Finally, Harumi came out, a satisfied smile on her face and a small stack of books clutched tightly to her chest. I let out a relieved sigh but didn’t move right away. Instead, I started following her home at a safe distance.

On the way, I couldn’t help but notice how… easy everything seemed for her. People didn’t recoil in fear or anger. No one muttered under their breath or gave her dirty looks. Harumi was just there, existing like any other child. Like any normal person.

I clenched my fists, something bitter rising in my throat. I always knew people didn’t like me, but I had never really stopped to think about what that truly meant. The full extent of it. It just was.

Now, seeing Harumi go unnoticed, seeing how easily the world accepted her, I couldn’t help but wonder why.

Why me? Am I really a monster? But how could people know that? Is there some kind of mark on me or something? What makes me different from any other kid?

The knot in my throat tightened, and for a second, I wanted to stop walking, curl up somewhere, and pretend the world didn’t exist.

But Harumi was almost home, and I had to smile. I had to pretend everything was fine.

I ran ahead and made it inside before she did, putting on my best grin. Because everything was fine. It had to be.

I took a deep breath, wiped the sweat and tears from my face with the back of my hand, and straightened my clothes, patting my knees to remove the dirt, as if nothing had happened. I forced a smile that felt a little stiff on my face, but that was fine—I could do this.

Actually, I should start making our instant ramen for dinner! Yes, that was a good idea. I rushed to put the water on to boil.

"Hey, Haru-chan!" he called out cheerfully, carefully keeping his eyes on the pot. "Did you get the books? Are we planning our revenge now?"

I could hear her skipping over to the table where we usually ate, followed by the sound of something being placed down. Probably the books.

"I found some cool books. They’re full of pictures, so you might like learning from them, Naru!" she said. Behind me, I heard the rustling of paper. "We'll need to spend a bit of money to buy a notebook for each of us..."

Part of me wanted to complain. We needed money for food, but I also knew learning to read was important. Still, did I really have to pay for it? That didn’t seem very fair.

"Notebooks? What for?" I couldn't help but frown. Weren’t we just copying a few symbols?

"We need to practice writing these kanji," she explained, the rustling of paper continuing. A moment of silence followed, my mind still stuck on what I had realized during my little clandestine adventure...

"Hey, Naru-chan... why won’t you look at me?"

I tensed, my chin trembling.

"Naruto, did something happen?"

"I... a-am I ruining your life?" The words spilled out of me on their own, even though part of me wished she would never know. What if she decided to leave now, and I ended up alone again? "Is it because of me that people hate us? That you're suffering because of this?"

"Naruto..." she said slowly, the silence between us heavy. "You're such a baka."

What? Oh, come on...

"Hey!" I turned to her for the first time since she had arrived, and she was looking at me with an unimpressed expression. "I’m not a baka!"

"You’re the Prince of Baka. The Supreme Baka," she stated with the same deadpan look. "It’s actually impressive, in a way..."

"Look, what I’m trying to say is that your life would be better if you stayed away from me!" I burst out, frustrated, immediately clamping my hands over my mouth. Oops.

"Maybe." She shrugged. "The water's boiling."

"AH!" I spun around to turn off the stove while Haru grabbed two cups of instant ramen for us. "When you went to the library... people weren’t mean to you," I pointed out, feeling defeated.

Haru let out a long, exasperated sigh before turning to me, arms crossed, looking annoyed. "Tell me, Naruto, what did you do to make everyone hate you?"

"What? I... I don’t know." I shrank at the question, though I wished I knew the answer myself. At least then, I could figure out how to fix it. "I-I don’t know."

"People just decided to hate you, Naruto. So how could I ever feel safe with them? How do I know that tomorrow, I won’t be the one they suddenly decide to hate for no reason?" she asked, poking my chest with each question, clearly irritated. "I'd rather be hated for something I actually chose. And I chose you, Naruto."

My eyes widened, and I didn’t know what to say. She chose me. She knew exactly what she was sacrificing by staying with me. Haru was my friend, my sister. She chose me!

"Let’s eat the ramen before it gets cold, Haru-chan!" I huffed as if she were the one wasting our time.

"Hey, you were the one complaining about—"

"If you don’t want it, I can eat yours too," I added.

"You greedy little traitor! I’ll—" I reached for her ramen, and Haru immediately lunged over it, shielding it with her arms and glaring at me with narrowed eyes.

"It’s mine, baka!"

"I’m not a baka!"

"Prince Baka."

"I’m not—"

"Baka-samaaa!" she sang.

"ARGHHHH!" I started pulling at my hair. "You're driving me crazy!"

"Eat before it gets cold, Naru-chan," she replied with an innocent smile.

"I’m not a 'chan'! I’m a 'kun'! I’m a boy!" I exclaimed, utterly offended.

"Sure... Baka-kun," she said, before happily digging into her ramen with the most innocent expression in the world.

"I... you... I don’t..." I let out a sigh and gave in to my hunger. "You know what? I give up."

I ignored the triumphant look on Haru’s face as she stuffed her cheeks like a squirrel.

Despite everything, I felt something warm settle in my chest after that conversation.

Teaching the children to read while they spend time at the restaurant isn’t that difficult, even if Naruto struggles to stay still for long. The boy is so much like Kushina-san in personality, yet he’s the spitting image of Minato-san. Honestly, I’m surprised no one has put the pieces together yet. His surname alone is a major clue, and he doesn’t hesitate to shout it for everyone to hear.

Anyone who saw Minato in the war would recognize that Naruto has some connection to the Yondaime, and the Uzumaki name would hint at him being a Jinchuuriki. How could anyone truly believe he’s safe like this? How could the Sandaime think that hiding the boy’s parents would actually fool anyone when there aren’t exactly many Uzumaki around who could have been his father or mother?

The only one who didn’t know was Naruto himself. Any foreign spy could figure it out easily. A visit to the memorial stone and a quick check of the names of the fallen would show only one Uzumaki. Clear as day.

But who am I to tell the Sandaime how to do his job? I just sell ramen.

I wish I could tell the boy how much his mother loved my food, how he’s sat on the same stool she did years ago. That his parents used to come to my shop for dates or to meet with their students. I could even tell him what their favorite dishes were. I wish I could… but I’m not allowed to.

If the only thing I can do to honor the memory of the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero is keep their son well-fed, then that’s what I’ll do. At least I’ll be able to meet them on the other side with my head held high. I’ll even tell them how adorable Naruto is!

Naruto even made a friend! I admit, when the rumors about him being the Kyuubi started spreading, I worried he’d end up completely alone. But Harumi is a stubborn child, and before I knew it, I’d grown fond of her.

"How do I learn to read? And I want to learn how to cook too!" I remember her asking—no, demanding.

Despite his struggle to sit still, Naruto was practicing his kanji with determination, his tongue sticking out slightly from the effort. Harumi was hunched over her own notebook, so engrossed in copying kanji from the book she managed to borrow from the library that she seemed to forget the rest of the world existed.

Ayame was too young to properly remember Minato and Kushina. She has a vague memory of a red-haired woman who was loud but funny and kind. And honestly, I’m secretly glad. If she remembered them better, I think the loss would hurt more. Still, I made sure to tell her a few things so she wouldn’t absorb the prejudices I know other kids her age have against Naruto.

Ayame is only ten, after all—which makes Harumi’s misunderstanding when they first met all the more absurd. It was so unexpected! And also a little dark, considering how easy it is to forget that child marriages aren’t as uncommon as some people like to believe.

I lost some customers because of Naruto’s frequent visits—not that I ever let the kids notice. I also received a few threatening messages just for daring to feed the boy. It got to the point where I was genuinely worried about my safety and my daughter’s, so I sent a message to the Hokage, requesting action to ensure our protection.

Of course, I still have plenty of ninja customers, especially the more experienced ones who aren’t so easily swayed by rumors. That means no one would actually dare do anything to my shop—not when it would practically guarantee retaliation from my clientele. Even so, with my young daughter helping out at the restaurant, I chose to take necessary precautions.

"Ahhhhh, Teuchi-san, this is so boring!" Naruto whined, dropping his head onto the table and letting go of his pencil.

I leaned over the counter to check on his work. Picking up the pencil, I showed him, "Look, Naruto, this is the head, then you go down to make the body in a straight line, and then back up to make the arms. This is the kanji for you!"

"The kanji for me? What do you mean?" Naruto eyed the paper with suspicion, frowning.

"It means ‘child,’" I explained.

"Teuchi-san, I’m not a child anymore! I’m a ninja!" the boy objected, and I smiled, remembering how Obito had been just as eager to be a ninja.

"You’re still in the Academy, so you’re not a ninja yet," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but I will be soon."

"If you don’t learn your kanji, you won’t," Harumi chimed in before kicking Naruto under the table, starting a kicking war as both children struggled to reach the other side with their far-too-short legs. I hid my smile behind my hand.

"I’ll be Hokage, dattebayo!" Naruto declared, sticking out his tongue at Harumi.

"Only if you learn your kanji, Baka," she shot back, doing the same.

I sighed. If I didn’t step in, this could go on forever. They really do bicker like siblings. "Alright, kids, keep practicing."

Now, how am I going to teach these two how to cook for themselves? I’ll start with the basics—how to prepare rice, grill meat, cook eggs, and so on. I also need to make sure they know how to tell if food is safe to eat. Learning to read will help with that too; they’ll be able to check expiration dates.

Well, it’ll have to be at night, after the restaurant closes.

Maybe I can also teach them how to manage money? Yes, that sounds like a good idea. And how to do laundry? Clean the house? What to do if they get sick or injured? There are so many things they need to learn…

Maybe they could save some money by growing their own vegetables at home? Yes, that sounds like a solid plan to help them in the long run. I’m almost certain the other vendors are overcharging them, so any help is welcome.

Well, this is going to take some time.

"Naruto... you're a baka."

"Hey! I'm not a baka!"

Chapter Text

SURPRISE: We failed the first year of the academy! Yayyy...

…I'm starting to hate school.

I mean, I kinda saw it coming. Finding out we got zero on several tests just because we couldn’t read wasn’t exactly shocking. But it still pissed me off. That awful teacher was just as useless as on the first day, and I was starting to lose my patience. Not that I ever had any, but the feeling counts, right?

We were officially five years old when we started the first year... again. Could be worse, I guess. BUT now I could read! Not super well, but enough to understand things with a little effort. Teuchi-jiji spent a lot of time teaching me numbers and basic math, like addition and subtraction, so I could use money without getting ripped off. Too bad that came too late. Naruto and I had already been getting scammed for over a year, and I didn’t have the luxury of just not buying things from rude sellers — because almost all of them were — and I needed those things!

Naruto wasn’t stupid. Even if he was still slower than me at reading and math, he was trying. He was getting better. So of course we did what any unsupervised children would do — we chose the most mature and reasonable path: revenge. Obviously.

Our first target was the librarian. We “accidentally” dumped a bucket of water on her head before her shift. She got soaked. Her expression... priceless. We got caught, of course, but the ten-minute scolding from some random adult was totally worth it. I almost exploded trying not to laugh — every time I looked at her, all I could see was a wet cat. Thanks to my glasses, no one could tell I was staring. Genius.

Naruto, poor guy, wasn’t so lucky. He was straight-up holding back laughter and got yelled at harder. In our defense, even the passersby were laughing. We made a lot of people’s day better. Shouldn’t we be rewarded?

Our second “prank” was on those weird masked people who kept watching us. Naruto noticed them first. To this day, I don’t know how — he’s worse than me at sensing chakra. But somehow, he felt it. I’m sure it wasn’t chakra.

After that, I forced myself to try too. I managed to sense it, but only because I knew something was there. Otherwise, I’d have missed it completely.

Once we had a general idea of where they were, we snuck into a big building, slipped out through a blind spot, and hid in the forest. We created our own secret hideout. Our treasure: a small box with savings, buried between the roots of a tree with a hollow big enough for the two of us to fit. I dug and hid everything under a disgusting rug I found in the trash behind a rich house. It was filthy, but it covered things well. I also left my favorite toys and some old clothes in there, in a garbage bag.

I like the hideout more than our apartment, but I don’t say that to Naruto. He doesn’t seem to enjoy the place. Only goes there sometimes. I don’t bring it up because I know he wouldn’t take it well.

Ever since we found out about the masked people, I stay alert all the time. I hate the feeling of being watched and not knowing by who. Even when I don’t sense them, I get paranoid. They’re really good at hiding. And it gets on my nerves.

Naruto doesn’t mind as much. Actually, he thinks some of them are “nice,” especially after realizing they were the ones leaving fresh food in our fridge. It took me months to work up the courage to eat anything they left. I didn’t die. Victory?

We kept up our little revenge streak: we poured detergent on the floor of a store that scammed us and spent the whole afternoon giggling at people slipping. We put bugs — and one rat — among the goods of a vendor who sold us rotten food. Result: hours hugging the toilet. We smeared paint on a store’s doorknob and watched people unknowingly mess up their faces. We found ways to pass the time.

The old Hokage clearly didn’t approve, which only made me more motivated.

In the new school year, there’s a kid from one of those clans with magic eyes — not the Uchihas — who’s the best in the class. He’s kind of a snob. There are two Uchihas too, doing well, but not at the top. I don’t know all the clans in Konoha, but I quickly noticed who the teachers’ favorites were. That made me start paying more attention.

Imagine my shock when I found out Shika-kun was from the Nara clan — and an heir, no less! Chouji’s an Akimichi. Ino? Princess of the Yamanaka clan. I accidentally surrounded myself with ninja royalty. Lucky? Unlucky? Maybe hanging around them could give me some kind of advantage? Unlikely. People still treated me and Naruto like trash, even though we were friends with the trio.

I feel like a horrible person just thinking about “benefits.” It bothers me so much I never bring it up with Naruto. He jokes that I act like a villain sometimes... but I don’t want him to mean it. I try to push those thoughts away, but they linger, waiting for a chance.

Still, there are people without big clans too. Rock Lee is one of them. I thought he seemed fun and decided to get closer. He’s not amazing, but he’s not terrible either. Theory grades a bit below average, taijutsu slightly above. That puts him in the middle of the rankings.

He’s got shiny black hair, parted in the middle, with a low braid.

“Hey, wanna train together?” I asked during taijutsu practice. Normally I train with Naruto, but he went off to challenge Hyuuga Neji (questionable decision), so I looked for another partner.

“Huh? But you’re a girl…” Lee said, like that was a problem.

I frowned. “Do you fight with your dick?”

“UH? N-no! W-why are you asking that?!”

Naruto and I take a shower together to save on hot water, so I know the only difference between our bodies is where we pee. Why is that important?

“Well, you’re the one who said me being a girl was a problem. Unless you fight using your pee-pee, I don’t see the issue.”

He looked thoughtful for a second, but the teacher cut us off with a yell: “Quit stalling and get started!”

Everyone else had already paired up, so we were the only ones left. I shrugged. So did he.

We bowed to each other and got ready.

“Let’s see if you’re right,” Lee said with a challenging grin.

I grinned back.

I dashed in with a flurry of punches from the class katas. Lee blocked with his forearms and dodged my last strike, making me lose balance. He went for a kick — almost hit my face.

“Ah!” I yelped, flinching. The wind brushed my face. I stumbled out of his reach. “Wow, you’re good, Lee-kun… B-been training?”

Oh no. He’s totally gonna hit me for real! Can I surrender now?

“I train every day,” he declared proudly.

I wanted to scream. This time, I hesitated. But I couldn’t let him beat me again without a fight. If I was gonna lose, I’d go out in style!

I took a deep breath and charged in again.

The next second, I was on the ground. Staring at the sky.

Fight over. I lost.

I stayed there, watching the clouds like Shikamaru does. Wondering if this whole ninja thing was really for me.

Lee’s head appeared above me, blocking my sky.

“You okay, Haru-chan?” he asked, a little worried.

“Just thinking about life,” I mumbled, not in the mood to get up. The next sparring match would start soon. Another beating awaited.

“Haru?” Naruto’s voice came with his quick footsteps. His head popped up beside Lee’s. “Why are you lying down? Get up!”

I looked at Naru-chan’s face and seriously considered filling his next ramen bowl with hot chili paste. He wouldn’t waste it — he’d eat it anyway. Perfect revenge.

I sighed.

Got up.

Braced for the next beating.

At least after this, we’d have kunoichi class, where we pick flowers in a field. Maybe I could beat someone to death with a bouquet?

You never know. Ninjas are mysterious creatures.

Theoretical classes are the worst of all! I mean, at least in practical classes I can get up and keep trying until I eventually land a hit, but in theoretical ones, no amount of determination makes the answers pop into my head.

Ever since Teuchi-jiji taught us how to read, I can understand what the teacher writes on the board and even read the books Haru brings from the library—but I still don’t like it. It’s like the letters start dancing on the page, and I get a headache trying to follow along.

Repeating the year wasn’t fun, but it’s not like I had friends in that class when no one would talk to us. This year, Haru-chan started talking to Lee-kun, and he didn’t drift away from us because he doesn’t have parents to tell him to. He’s so focused on training that he doesn’t pay attention to the nasty gossip, so he’s kind of unaware of the mean nicknames people give us. That’s a good thing.

Neji is a baka. A very, very smart and strong baka. It could be worse—he could be a bully—but no, he’s just a snob.

Haru-chan’s favorite classes are the kunoichi classes because they’re easy, and she can nap under a tree after finishing the day’s activity while I have to stay and train in the yard with the other boys. Sometimes I partner with Lee-kun, and he’s way better than me—but not that much better. I can always get back up and keep fighting, which makes him happy because it means he doesn’t have to stop.

After class, Haru helps me with my homework and studying, and I help her with sparring in a quiet part of the woods near the playground where we sometimes meet up with Shikamaru and Chouji. Their friends haven’t started at the academy yet, and I can’t wait for them to join so we can all have lunch together. It must be amazing to have friends to play with at school!

But I’m not complaining! It’s really fun playing with Haru-chan—it would just be even better if we had more people to make up different games.

Shika-kun, Chou-kun, and Ino-chan are busy with that heir training they said they have to do when Haru asked about their clans. They made it sound boring, but I think it must be cool to have parents and a whole family to teach you the stuff you need to know.

Sure, I’m still terrible at theory, but at least now I can actually try to take the tests instead of completely failing them. So I guess I should thank Teuchi-jiji for that.

Another advantage of knowing how to read is that now I can understand what’s written on store signs and know how much stuff costs. Finding out that the vendors were overcharging us left a bitter taste in my mouth—worse still when they refused to sell to me after I called them out. I needed more things than Haru-chan, who seemed fine living in a hole in the ground under a tree. I tried sleeping there with her once, but the dark and the sounds of the nighttime animals were scary. So I needed the money to last long enough to buy supplies for the whole month.

I know Haru’s been hiding away a little money each month, but she said it’s for emergencies. I know she stashed it in “The Den” because she doesn’t trust our apartment anymore after it was broken into. I’d be lying if I said I felt completely safe there now, even though knowing the masked people are watching over us brings some comfort.

I vaguely remember a white-and-red mask and the smell of wet dog. I feel like those are good memories, so I give them the benefit of the doubt.

A lot has happened since I met Harumi.

Today, Teuchi-jiji is going to teach us how to cook.

“But why do I have to learn how to cook rice, jiji?” I whined. I don’t want to learn to cook rice—I want ramen! Unfortunately, Teuchi-san said that’s a trade secret, but he could teach us how to make other things.

“Quit whining, baka,” Haru stuck her tongue out at me. I stuck mine back.

“Don’t fight,” Teuchi-jiji sighed before continuing. “You can’t eat only ramen, Naruto. Even if it’s your favorite, it’s important to eat different kinds of food.”

“But why?” I pouted.

“So you don’t get sick, Naruto,” he explained. It was nighttime, and Ichiraku was already closed—that’s the only reason jiji had time to teach us. “If you don’t eat properly, you’ll get sick.”

I remember times when I ate old food or stuff I didn’t prepare right and ended up spending a long time in the bathroom—sometimes with diarrhea, sometimes throwing up. That wasn’t fun, so maybe Teuchi-jiji’s right. I guess.

“What else are you going to teach us, jiji?” Haru asked, impatiently leaning over the counter. Teuchi-san had to gently correct her posture with his hand.

“Today? Curry, I think. But that depends on you two,” he said.

“Why?” Haru frowned.

“If you learn the rice quickly, there should be time to teach curry too. Otherwise, it’ll have to wait until another day,” Jiji placed his hand on both our heads before he began explaining. “First, you need to make sure you have all the ingredients…”

I let out a sigh but paid attention—because if it were up to Haru-chan, I’d end up eating bugs. So I can’t let her learn this stuff alone.

Fine… I’ll learn to make rice. But only because I don’t want to get sick before I get to learn how to make ramen.

The metallic taste of blood still lingers in my mouth as I roll to the side, barely dodging a burst of katon that chars the tree behind me. My chakra is at its limit. The coils protest with every second I keep pushing, and each hand seal feels heavier than the last.

"Yuji— fall back! He's trying to flank you!"

My voice came out rough, scratched raw after nearly drowning from an overly aggressive suiton. The rain isn’t helping. Against a water user, it's a nightmare. Even with the ringing in my ears, I heard Yuji’s firm reply.

“No way, captain! I'm almost there! Just one mo—”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence.

The ground beneath his feet exploded in a sudden crack. Explosive tags, hidden under the mud, masked by suiton. A trap. He was thrown backwards, his left leg bending at an impossible angle before he slammed against a rock. The sound was dull. Sickening.

Yuji didn’t scream. That terrified me more than if he had.

The enemy advanced. Fast. A sensor-nin, probably Jounin level. Sharp reflexes. Confidence. He wasn’t famous — just a shinobi from Kusagakure — but fame means nothing. The most dangerous ones are, more often than not, the ones no one remembers.

The dead don’t tell stories.

The Sharingan keeps draining my chakra, but I don’t dare deactivate it. Not even when I see Yuji’s chest unmoving, his neck twisted at a wrong angle, his head opened in a way it shouldn’t be. Maybe he was still alive? Unlikely. But I had to be sure.

For a moment, the world slows down. The tomoe spin in Obito’s eye, but my mind can’t keep up like it used to. I’m tired. Exhausted. Yuji is far enough away to try something reckless, and it’s not like I have much to lose, do I?

“Fuuton: Shinkūgyoku.”

Three wind bullets tear through the air. The enemy is forced to retreat, backing away from Yuji. Immediately I form the seals for “Doton: Doryūheki” and raise a wall of earth between him and the fight.

A barrier. It won’t last long in this rain, but it’s something.

The enemy lands at a safe distance. The moment his feet touch the ground, I’m already moving. The Sharingan stops me from stumbling, even though my body wants to collapse with every step.

I gather all the chakra I can without blacking out and murmur, “Raikiri.”

I burned his face into the Sharingan — his final expression — before I drove my electrified hand into the wet ground. The charge spread in a two-meter radius. A roar. The stench of burning flesh filled the air. Might be mine. Lightning hit everything around. That’s why I couldn’t use it before. Yuji was still there.

I’m used to the backlash. My body has built-in resistance. The scars on my hands, from so many executions of Chidori and Raikiri, are proof of that.

I scan the area. No enemies in sight. I finally hide the Sharingan behind the headband. Yuji might need urgent help, and I can’t pass out now. I have to stay awake. I have to get him back to Konoha.

Dragging my feet, I approach. The earth wall had already crumbled. Better this way — saves chakra.

I crouch beside him and remove the Anbu mask, expecting… anything.

But his eyes are open. Empty. Blind.

I wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t hallucination. It wasn’t the rain or the fatigue.

Yuji is dead.

I failed. Again.

I screamed, but the rain swallowed the sound.

He died with his eyes wide open, surprised. Like he forgot losing was possible. So confident. So young. Two months in Anbu.

The cracked Lamb mask, bloodstained, lay to the side. I held his face, cold, wet. His skin already pale. Blood trailing from his mouth. The impact with the rock.

Silence devoured me.

My chakra was gone. Rain washed over my face, mixing everything — sweat, blood, tears I refused to admit were there.

“I’m sorry.” I cried and pretended it was just the rain.

Minato. Obito. Rin.

I failed again.

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

Sorry I wasn’t fast enough. That I didn’t see the trap. That I led… and didn’t save.

Sorry for being a bad son.

For being a bad student.

For being such a terrible teammate.

***

I keep staring at the Memorial Stone like it holds the universe’s secrets carved into those names. If it does, it hasn’t told me yet. But I know every single kanji on it.

It’s sunny today. A beautiful day, they say.

Nothing like the day Yuji died.

On the way here, I heard children laughing. And I wondered how many of them will live long enough to marry. Have children. Grow old. Retire.

How many will have what Yuji never got.

Another name etched in. Another weight on my memory. Another who won’t return because I wasn’t good enough.

But I came back. I did — and not the boy with so much future ahead. Me.

Because I always come back, no matter how broken I am.

The world really isn’t fair.

The librarian after the prank

Harumi: "Wow, you're good, huh, Lee-kun... Have you been practicing?"

Chapter Text

My feet pound against the dirt floor of the playground as I yell, “Wooohooo!” at the top of my lungs, arms stretched out like wings. “I’m the fastest ninja in Konoha!” The swings sway as I run past, my arms brushing lightly against the chains, and the slide gleams under the sun, but I don’t stop. Not now—I’m on a mission.

“Come on, Shikamaru! You’re the enemy!” I shout, spinning in place and pointing a dust-covered finger at him.

Shikamaru is lying on the grass with his hands behind his head, spiky hair casting a shadow over his face. He just lets out a sigh. “This is so troublesome…”

That’s been happening a lot lately. Everything suddenly became a drag for Shikamaru, and I wonder why. I mean, not that long ago, he used to play with me without complaining—not exactly excited, but not fighting it either. That’s okay, I can just keep calling him and he’ll come eventually.

“The real trouble is you’re going to lose!” I say, laughing. Chouji is sitting at the top of the slide with a bag of chips. He chews slowly, watching everything.

It’s a quiet day—only a few kids are here. Ino is under a tree with her little entourage of civilian girls. I heard a commotion earlier and when I looked, they were arguing, and Ino was defending a girl with pink hair. It all seemed under control, so Naruto didn’t need to go play the hero.

Too bad—it would’ve been cool to save a princess.

Haru is at home trying to learn her kanji because Techi-jiji doesn’t have time to teach us everything. Now that we’ve learned the basics, we need to practice on our own.

“Chouji, you’re on my side, right?” I ask, running over to him. “We’ve got to defeat the lazy ninja over there!”

Chouji blinks, then takes another bite and says with his mouth half full, “Okay, I can be the final boss.”

“Alright!” I say. “You’re going to attack Konoha, and Shikamaru and I have to stop you!”

“Ugh…” Shikamaru sits up and rubs his face. There’s a slight pout on his lips. “Now I have to play too?”

For a moment I wonder if Shikamaru is tired of me and doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. He’s not like Haru, who even when she argues with me and calls me a “baka” never acts like my presence is annoying.

I push that thought away—it’s just in my head. Shikamaru is my friend. Yeah, he is.

“Of course!” I say, grabbing his sleeve. “You’re my partner! Let’s save the village!”

Shikamaru gets up in that slow way of his, stretches his arms over his head, and turns to me and Chouji with that slouchy posture I’ve seen his mom scold him for so many times. His eyes are a little brighter now, and I can even see a hint of a smile.

I knew it! He really is my friend! I’m not annoying—Shika’s just not good at showing stuff, dattebayo. I was worrying for nothing. Again.

Chouji slides down the slide roaring, “ROOAAAR!” and lands in the sand with his arms raised. He starts walking like a giant, stomping side to side and pretending to crush toy houses.

I leap and pretend to throw invisible kunai. “Super Strength Jutsu!” I yell—the first useful jutsu that comes to mind. We haven’t gotten to the jutsu lessons at the Academy yet, but no one needs to know that.

Shikamaru forms some hand signs and mutters, “Kagemane no Jutsu…” then points his shadow at Chouji. “There. Got you.”

“Oh no!” Chouji says in a deep voice, moving in slow motion. “My legs won’t move! The Konoha ninja trapped me!”

I roll in the sand and jump on Chouji’s back, shouting, “Victoooory!”

I fall sideways laughing and get sand in my mouth. “Blegh!”

“You’re such a klutz, Naruto,” Shikamaru comments.

“Yeah,” Chouji agrees. “But next time, you’re the villain and I’m the hero, alright?”

“It’s a deal, dattebayo!” I raise my arm and show a thumbs-up to my friends. Shikamaru lies back down next to me in the sandbox.

“Shikamaru! Chouji!” I hear a distant call, and my friends look toward their moms, waiting for them to come home for lunch.

Shikamaru sits up, and I follow the movement easily. “Are we done?” he asks, sounding tired.

“Only if you promise to play again tomorrow,” I bargain with a grin.

He closes his eyes and gives a half-smile. “If it doesn’t rain…”

The kids’ parents—mostly moms—stay at the edge of the playground, eyes always on them. I don’t miss how many of the kids avoid using the same play equipment where I’m hanging out with Shikamaru and Chouji. I’m sure, based on past experiences, that if the heirs of two prominent clans weren’t with me, someone would’ve already told me to leave so the others could play.

Not that it matters, because I can play anywhere! Besides, ninjas don’t need a playground to have fun—I just come here to spend time with my friends. The world is my playground! My last prank was epic!

We spilled soap all over the floor of a store and watched the shopkeeper—who was mean to me the other day and sold me spoiled food on purpose—slip and fall. Hilarious.

I head back home, looking forward to enjoying the rest of my day off from the Academy with Haru-chan.

When I get home, I see her… cleaning? She has a sponge in her hand and is scrubbing one of those scribbles that were spray-painted on the wall of the room when the apartment got broken into. She looks tired.

Whatever’s written there, it’s not kanji I know yet.

“Hey, Haru-chan! You should’ve come to the playground with me!” She turns toward me when she hears my voice, but I can’t see her expression under her dark sunglasses. She’s tense, but I ignore it. “I got Shikamaru to stop being lazy for a second and play…”

“…he insists on using that shadow jutsu for everything! Bam, shadow jutsu and the fight’s over because the enemy can’t move! That’s no fun, but I guess it makes sense it’s his family’s jutsu, since laziness seems to run in the family. I saw his dad the other day and they’re exactly the same! A jutsu that freezes the opponent is perfect for two lazybones!”

Naruto kept talking and I didn’t know how to react. The mark on my back feels like it’s radiating its own heat, and I don’t want him to notice it, but I also can’t just leave it there. I hoped sending him off to play at the park while I pretended to study would buy me more time.

Monster. Die. Freak.

Teuchi-jiji never taught us insults, so it makes sense it took me so long to figure out what was written on our wall over a year ago. Lucky for me, Naruto doesn’t have the patience or motivation to study, or he might’ve figured it out before I did.

My eyes burn behind my glasses, and I’m secretly grateful they hide my expression from my brother. He doesn’t need to know about this. It’s not that the insults don’t bother me, but I know they weren’t directed at me, so it’s easier to deal with.

Unfortunately, ink is hard to clean, and even after scrubbing all afternoon, I still haven’t gotten it all off. I guess I’ll have to repaint the wall.

But for now, I need to put my acting skills to the test:

“Seriously, a lazy ninja? Can you imagine?” I huffed and tried to twist my mouth into a sarcastic smile. As long as he can’t see my eyes, he’ll have to go off my mouth to tell how I’m feeling. It’s fine, I can do this. “I mean, just look at the Academy—we have to run forever and then we still have sparring! There’s no way you can be lazy and do all that.”

“Yeah, but his dad’s a ninja,” Naruto reminded me.

Not just a ninja, but the head of a whole clan full of ninjas, I thought. Are they all as lazy as Shikamaru? Or do they get lazier the higher up they are in the clan hierarchy? Shikamaru, as the heir, would be one of the top ones then.

Eh, maybe not...

“His dad’s a ninja,” I said, “so he’s probably pretending to be lazy to fool enemies.”

“Oh, that makes sense!” Naruto pointed at me. “Do you think I should try acting lazy too?”

“Most ninjas don’t do that, so I don’t think it’s important,” I shrugged.

Alright, he’s been successfully distracted from what’s on the wall. But the writing won’t just disappear, and sometimes the best way to hide something is to make it obvious.

“Naruto, stop being lazy and help me clean this up,” I called, hoping he wouldn’t care about what was written there.

“Hai, hai!” he ran to the cupboard and grabbed another cloth to help me. “Why are you cleaning this now?”

“Do you ever pay attention to what Teuchi-jiji teaches us?” I asked with a dry tone Naruto couldn’t see, but I was sure he could hear in my voice. “He said we shouldn’t touch the walls with dirty hands—they should stay clean.”

“He said that? I don’t remember,” Naruto scratched the back of his neck with an embarrassed laugh.

“Baka,” I sighed.

After a while more of scrubbing, Naruto let out a sigh. “I don’t think this is gonna come off, Haru.”

“Then we’ll have to paint the wall,” I concluded.

There’s a weight in my chest from lying, mixed with the relief that Naruto didn’t ask questions. Should I tell him? No. What would it change if he knew? Naruto already knows he’s hated, and the people who broke into our house and stole our things probably weren’t going to leave compliments on the walls.

Well, it’s obvious if you stop to think about it, but did Naruto do that? I hope he never asks me—I don’t want to answer. And if he does, I’ll have to lie again.

“What color do you want to paint it?” I decided to change the subject.

“Orange!” he said, excited.

“Orange?” I made a face.

“Orange,” he nodded with total certainty.

“Why?” yeah, my grimace was still there.

“It’s my favorite color,” Naruto revealed, giving me a huge smile. “Hey, Haru, what’s your favorite color?”

“Hmmm, I think yellow?” I never really thought about it.

“Oh, because of my hair?!” Naruto lit up, practically bouncing in place.

I blinked. Once. Twice. “What?”

“My hair is yellow and you like yellow. You like yellow because of me?” Naruto was buzzing with anticipation, waiting for my answer.

“No, baka,” I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see it. “There’s a flower called chrysanthemum that I learned about in kunoichi classes. I saw some yellow ones and they’re really pretty.”

“Oh,” Naruto deflated.

I sighed.

“It’s an autumn flower,” I explained, trying to cheer him up. “It means that when all the other flowers are wilting and dying, this one stands tall. It’s a flower that blooms through hardship and represents friendship and joy.”

Naruto’s eyes were shining as he listened to the explanation. He smiled at the meaning. “That must be a really cool flower.”

I smiled a little wryly, because despite what I said, I couldn’t help but think Naruto is like a yellow chrysanthemum. He thrives where others would wilt.

Not that I’ll ever tell him that. Naruto’s already full of himself enough!

It took me a few days to figure it out. I wish I hadn’t.

The paint is already drying in the apartment, and I pretend not to know what it’s covering. Ever since I saw Haru trying to clean it, and the way she’s avoided the topic since, I’ve been curious. The first thing that made me notice something was wrong was that she started cleaning everything when I wasn’t home.

Haru doesn’t do that.

She drags me out of bed to help set the table for breakfast. She hides all the instant ramen cups until I finish cleaning the house on cleaning day. She absolutely would not clean things on her own if she had nothing to gain from it.

The only time I managed to get out of the infamous cleaning day was when I promised to get her some kunai and shuriken if she let me off the hook that once. I had to spend the whole afternoon searching for lost weapons in the ninja training fields. It was so much work it wasn’t even worth it.

I looked up those kanji in the dictionary in secret. Haru was trying hard not to bring it up, and I know she knows. I could tell by the way she avoided looking at that specific wall until everything was covered with a fresh layer of paint. By the way she always tenses up a little when the topic is mentioned.

When I finally figured out what it said, everything made more sense.

Haru is studying again. Reading a children’s storybook to improve her kanji. She even reads them with me at night after we play in the park. We lie down together on one of the beds, looking at the drawings of a turtle and a hare racing each other, our feet swinging up and down.

I took advantage of her being distracted to hide in a deserted area where I knew no one would be—out in the training fields. I was on my way there when the presence of the masked ones started to annoy me. They’re always there, just watching. Like I’m some kind of circus animal.

I hate it.

I decided to lose the shadows before going anywhere.

Running through the crowd is easy when I’m so small, even if I have to push a few people aside. Maybe I’d feel a little guilty about that another time, but not today. Not when I found out about the words written on the walls of my home for the past year. They must have laughed at me for still living there with all that around me without even knowing.

After running a bit through the people, I entered one of those big buildings. An inn. The owner was already shouting at me to get out, but I kept running, making him chase after me. I’m faster than he’ll ever be!

After turning a corner, I hid behind a curtain and listened as the innkeeper continued chasing through the hallway ahead. I could feel anger, discomfort, sadness, guilt—a strange feeling coming from the masks. They were on the other side of the building, following the sounds of the innkeeper since they couldn’t see me.

Haru says my chakra is so big that it takes up a lot of space, and it’s hard to tell exactly where I am unless she’s paying a lot of really close attention.

The masked ones aren’t paying that kind of attention.

I jump out the window onto the trash dumpster, my fall cushioned by the full bags. I don’t waste time jumping to the ground and running farther away from the masked watchers.

When I finally reach my hiding spot under the tree where Haru set up her Den, I crawl inside, and finally, I start crying.

It starts slow, with my shoulders shaking, a tremor that slowly spreads until I’m a big mess with tears silently streaming down my face as I try to stop them. Ninjas don’t cry. Who cares if no one likes me?

Well, Haru does. Not that it’s good for her. She had to live in that apartment too, with those ugly words on the walls, and it was all my fault. I’m a burden.

Sometimes, I wish we had an adult living with us. Not someone like the Matron, but someone like Teuchi-jiji, or even Hokage-jiji. Someone who likes us, who takes care of us. Someone who scolds me like Shikamaru’s mom scolds him.

Why am I not worthy of being loved?

“Monster.”

“Freak.”

“Die!”

The words of others suddenly carry a new weight. It was always a kind of abstract hatred, something I knew was there but never really understood.

People hate me enough to want me dead. No one wants me. If they could get away with it, they’d kill me themselves.

What did I do that was so wrong to deserve this? What’s so different about me that no other kid is the target of this same hatred? Why is it always me?

I don’t know how long I stay there crying, but it’s dark by the time I stop. I wipe my face to clear the tears and sniff.

I can’t let this bring me down. Haru cares, that’s why she was trying to clean it all before I got there. I have to get stronger and become Hokage so I can give Haru a good life. I don’t want her to regret being my friend. My sister.

I go back home under the moonlight. Alone.

"Orange?"

Chrysanthemum

“Monster.”

“Freak.”

“Die!”

Chapter Text

I open my eyes to a white ceiling and bright lights. This isn’t our house.

My body aches when I try to move. It hurts so much I start crying quietly, but I don’t stop. There’s a sense of urgency inside me that pushes me forward, and I don’t even know why—I can’t remember. My mind is a mess.

Naruto?

Where is he? Where am I?

"Hey, hold on a second, sweetheart!" a woman’s voice gently scolds me, and I see a nurse in uniform rushing over, placing her hands on me to make me lie down again. "You need to stay still a little longer until you recover."

"Where am I? What happened?" I look around, ignoring her hands trying to keep me still. "Where’s Naruto?"

Her expression shifts slightly at the mention of his name.

"Hey, look! It’s the monster!" a man’s voice mocks.

I shake my head to push the voice away. There’s no one else in the room—definitely no men. Who said that? Is it a memory?

"The boy is fine," the nurse says dismissively. "You took a nasty blow to the head, so we need to keep you under observation. You’re at Konoha Hospital."

What? A blow to the head? What happened?

Well, at least now I know why this place smells weird. A hospital, huh? The only time I’ve been in one was when the Hokage brought me and Naruto in for my albinism tests. That was very different from now.

"I want to see Naruto," I demand.

She said he’s fine, but honestly, I don’t trust her. Wearing a nurse’s uniform and speaking gently to me isn’t enough to earn my trust—especially after the way she reacted to Naruto’s name and how little she seemed to care about his safety.

She’s one of those adults. The kind you can’t trust.

"This one’s pretty—look at those colors! We could get good money for her in the Red-Light District," another man’s voice echoes in my memory. I tense up at the feeling of danger, the urge to run making my body’s refusal to cooperate even more terrifying. "Such soft hair, too..."

I don’t want to stay here. I don’t like the smell of this place or the sensation of being watched. I hate that they took my glasses and left my face exposed to these people. I don’t have a problem with my appearance, but I’ve been hiding it for a while now, and having it revealed against my will to strangers makes me feel violated.

"...such a pretty face," the voice murmurs near my ear.

Finally, I look down at my body, trying to assess the damage and how long I’ll be stuck in this place. I hate this. Being trapped because I can’t move.

I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

There are bandages everywhere—on my hands, shins, and knees. I can see colorful bruises on my arms and legs between the wrappings.

The nurse keeps talking:
"You’ll need to stay here two more days just so we can make sure everything’s okay. Head injuries are always a delicate matter..."

"That damn freak scratched me!"

"Hey, monster, do you know how many people I lost because of you? It’s time you felt the same!"

"Ha! She’s wild!"

"NARUTO! No! Stop hitting him!"

"Haru... get out of here," the whisper echoes in my mind.

"Please... please don’t do this..."

"HARU!"

"Naruto..."

When I look around again, there’s no one here, and the sky outside the window is empty. I clutch the blankets around me, trying not to make a sound as I cry. I’m going to have to sleep alone in this strange place. Anyone could come in and do whatever they want, and the only people I can ask for help are strangers who are happy to abandon Naruto.

Where is Naruto? I want him with me.

We were having fun as usual after ditching the masked guys. The Shadows, as I started calling them, because they follow me like my own shadows.

I don’t know when everything went so wrong. Or why.

We took a shortcut home. It wasn’t a new path—we’d used it many times before, and I even recognized a few of the ladies who worked in those bars that sold drinks. They’d wave at me and Haru sometimes when the street wasn’t too busy. One of them even gave us candy once.

When there were a lot of people around, especially men, they ignored us. And that was fine, because they were kind to us when they could be. I liked that route home.

But then those men reeking of booze and smoke surrounded us, and I got a really bad feeling. Haru was scared, of course she was. I was absolutely terrified.

It started with the usual insults, but they didn’t back off when we tried to walk past like most people do. Normally, people are more afraid of me than they are interested in hurting me, but sometimes someone shows up who isn’t. That always means bruises.

Never this bad, though.

When they moved toward us, Haru tried to fight first since they were targeting me. My arms were too short to reach them without getting hit, and I took a few blows that knocked me to the ground. These guys were way stronger than the kids at the Academy.

Haru fought back, but her attacks were too weak against adults.

One punch and her glasses flew off her face, and the hood of her jumpsuit slipped down. I’m used to seeing her face at home, but having it exposed like that to others felt wrong.

Haru is very expressive without her cover. Eyes wide with fear, darting around, looking for a way to save us. Looking at the men like the threats they were. Looking at the buildings nearby where people conveniently stayed hidden.

No help.

Then things got really bad because the men liked how Haru looked. I hated the way they stared at her, but every time I tried to help, they just hit me harder, and Haru still tried to reach me.

"Haru... get out of here."

They didn’t want her. They wanted me. It’s always me.

I can take it. I have to.

They hit me over and over, and my vision started going dark.

"Please... please don’t do this..." Haru begged, crying.

One of the men grabbed Haru by the hair when she tried to get past him, using her smaller size to his advantage. She scratched his arm until it bled, which made him furious. He started beating her. I heard a thud when she hit the ground and stopped moving, but they kept kicking her.

"HARU!"

My stomach burned and I was so, so... angry.

Everything after that was a blur, but I remember scratching the neck of one of the guys hitting Haru. And then, there was blood. I don’t remember what happened after.

"Naruto..."

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

They wouldn’t let me into the hospital. Said I’d disturb the patients. That’s where Haru is, and I’m not allowed in.

"Naruto-kun," a familiar raspy voice calls to me, but it’s not as comforting as it used to be. "My boy, come with me for a while? How about we have lunch together?"

Part of me wants to refuse and keep trying to sneak in. If I can ditch the Shadows, I can sneak into a hospital, dattebayo!

I want to blame Jiji, but he can’t be held responsible for other people’s actions. He’s busy, being the Hokage and all, so he can’t always be with me. But a part of me still wishes he could—that he would adopt me like he’s seen other kids from the orphanage get adopted.

"Okay, but it has to be quick because I have to get back to Haru before she wakes up," I say, agreeing to go.

"Of course," he says easily.

We go to a barbecue place. I’ve never been inside one before—they usually don’t let me—but no one tells the Hokage to leave. We sit down, and I find myself wishing Haru were here. I wonder if she’d like the food.

A stupid question. Haru eats absolutely anything.

It’s weird being surrounded by people and no one saying anything rude. Just a few glances here and there, but nothing I’m not used to. I can’t even remember the last time that happened.

"So, Naruto-kun, what happened?" Jiji asks with that raspy voice and expectant look.

"We didn’t do anything, I swear! We were just walking, and these guys came out of nowhere and started hitting us!" I defend myself. I’m way too used to people blaming me for everything. "They beat us up bad, and Haru’s in the hospital because one of the Shadows found us and saved us."

Somehow, I ended up okay in the end—even if it hurt a lot. Haru wasn’t as lucky, and the Shadow had to do that ninja thing and rush her to the hospital while the others stayed with me. Even though I couldn’t see them, I knew they were there.

"When the... Shadows got there, one of the attackers had already been... dealt with," Jiji says, hesitantly, watching me closely. I’ve seen many adults look at me like that, searching for lies on my face. It hurts to see Jiji do the same—even if he doesn’t seem angry like the others, so it’s not as bad. "Do you know what happened?"

"Um, I think I hit one of them, but I don’t really remember. I just wanted them to let Haru go," I tell the truth. It’s not like I did anything wrong.

"I see... Has this happened before?" the Hokage asks.

"You mean the attack? It’s never been this bad, Jiji. Usually, they just hit a little or throw rocks, but never like this. We never needed the hospital before," I say sadly. Haru was the only one who ended up there.

"I’m sorry. I’ll see what I can do about it. But it would help if you two stopped running from the Shadows, Naruto-kun," Jiji says. "They’re there to protect you."

"But they never do anything except watch while people are mean to us," I pout, crossing my arms. What am I, a circus animal for them to laugh at while I suffer?

"I see... Do you always know when the Shadows are nearby?" Jiji asks, with a strange expression.

"Yeah, most of the time," I roll my eyes. It’s not that hard. I can always feel their eyes on me. It makes the hair on my neck stand up.

The food arrives: meat. A lot of meat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much meat on one plate—all for me! Yeah, Haru would love this... I should probably not tell her I came here with Jiji without her. I don’t want her to feel bad for missing it.

"Well, Naruto-kun, I know it can be annoying, but try not to make the Shadows’ job harder than it already is, okay? It’s for your own good—and for Harumi-chan’s too," Jiji says as I stuff my mouth with food.

I almost say that Haru is the one who wants to get rid of the Shadows the most, that their presence unsettles her, but I hold back. Her sister never really liked Jiji, and I’m not sure she’d want me telling him that. Besides, I feel guilty—indirectly, I’m the reason she’s like this. If it weren’t for me, everything would be fine. But Haru is in the hospital, and me? I don’t even have a scratch.

If putting up with the Shadows is the price I have to pay to make sure this never happens again, then I’ll pay it. I’ll have to convince Haru to accept it too, but I’ll deal with that when the time comes.

Jiji walks with me to the hospital and helps me find Haru’s room. No one stops us, but I feel those eyes on me again and force myself to ignore them.

We walk down pale-colored corridors, and I miss my apartment with its orange and yellow walls. My home—where it’s safe.

Haru is lying on the bed when we enter the room, and I see the bruises painting her skin, her face. Bandages on her hands and knees from when she tried to catch herself during the fall.

Her white hair stands out horribly. Usually, her colors are all soft, and they blend into one another, but the bruises have darkened her skin—and her hair, still as white as ever, looks like a mockery of how she’s supposed to be.

“Naruto,” Haru says, relieved, and tries to sit up.

She’s propped up on pillows. She looks like she’s about to cry and winces with every movement, but she keeps trying to reach me.

Any doubt I had about coming here disappears—Haru wants me here. She wants me.

I rush forward and pull her into a hug.

“Ah!” she gasps in pain, and I let go instinctively.

“Sorry!” I say as tears well up in my eyes too. I hurt her.

“Naruto,” Haru doesn’t let me pull away, clutching my shirt with her bandaged hand and holding me close. “What happened? Are you okay?”

She’s the one covered in bruises and I’m barely scratched, but she’s worried about me? She cares about me.

Jiji stands behind me, but he’ll have to forgive me—because I think the most important person to me isn’t him anymore. I feel guilty, because Jiji was the first person who cared about me. But I can’t lie to myself anymore.

I start crying, overwhelmed by the relief of still having Haru, and the release of that invisible weight that had been crushing my chest.

Is Naruto a sensor? It seems so. A rather good one, if he can detect the ANBU assigned to protect him. I shouldn’t be surprised, considering who his father was.

That alone wouldn’t be a problem. No—the problem is the Kyuubi.

Naruto doesn’t seem to have realized it, thankfully, but he used the Fox’s chakra to kill that man. He probably didn’t even notice the man had died—too caught up in adrenaline, drunk on chakra. Any injuries he sustained were healed instantly.

I ordered the ANBU present to keep it quiet. Both to prevent Naruto from learning what he’d done in his attempt to protect his friend… and to keep Danzo from finding out. The ANBU would take responsibility for the death, in the name of protecting the Jinchuuriki.

No one would question it. Just another routine mission.

If anyone sensed the Kyuubi’s spike in chakra, I’ll claim it was triggered because Naruto nearly died—his body instinctively drawing on the Fox to survive. That would explain both the ANBU’s presence and the complete lack of injuries.

The fear of what happened that night still haunts me. That night—exactly six years ago today.

I wonder if Naruto even knows it’s his birthday.

I’m worried this isn’t an isolated incident, but the beginning of something. What if the seal is weakening? Minato’s sacrifice can’t have been in vain. It can’t.

Too many lives were lost that day, and I cannot bear to see it happen again. Not if this time, the destruction truly does come through Naruto—as so many already believe it will.

I let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of my years settle into my bones. I don’t have the strength I once did.

I send a message to Jiraiya, summoning him to check the seal as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

They were sitting in the Hokage’s office. My seals are making sure no busybody — or an overstepping jōnin like Kakashi — sneaks in through the window to interrupt the conversation. There are also seals in place to prevent the ANBU watching Sensei from hearing or even lip-reading to understand what we’re saying.

Yes, ninjas are paranoid, but in my opinion, that’s just common sense.

“So you think the seal is weakening?” I asked, resisting the urge to scoff at Sensei. He’s still the Hokage, after all. “The seal isn’t weaker, although that doesn’t rule out the possibility that the Fox’s chakra is leaking more easily into Naruto’s coils.”

Sensei frowned at me. It’s a bit insulting that he’d think Minato’s seal would fail so easily. The very seal the Fourth Hokage gave his life for — and risked his son’s in the process.
Minato would never have placed a faulty seal on Naruto. If he’d thought it wasn’t strong enough, he would have taken all of the Kyūbi’s chakra into the Shinigami’s stomach along with his own soul.

The office is mostly made of wood — a gift from the Shodaime. Everything in it carries that earthy, living scent typical of Hashirama’s mokuton creations, as if they still vibrate with life and chakra. The furniture is all solid, heavy, and as old as Konoha itself.

“How can the Fox’s chakra be leaking more easily if the seal hasn’t weakened?” Sensei rubbed his forehead between his thumb and index finger, pulling the wrinkled skin tight. He looked very tired.

“Minato designed the seal to allow for transfer. It was never meant to completely isolate the two chakras,” I explained. The fuinjutsu theory that made it possible is too complex even for The Professor to fully grasp, since Minato built it from ancient Uzushiogakure sealing techniques. “I’ve explained this before — the transfer has always happened, just in very small amounts that increase slightly each year as Naruto grows. That gradual transfer allows Naruto’s body and chakra to adapt to the corrosive chakra of the Fox.”

“Yes, yes, I remember. It was supposed to let Naruto eventually control that power,” Sensei said, bitterly. The topic of the Fox always made him like this.

“What happened?” I decided to get straight to the point and ask.

The message had only asked me to return to Konoha — no details. That could only mean the information was too sensitive to risk writing it in a letter. Now that I know it concerns Naruto, I understand why.

“One of Naruto’s friends was attacked by some drunk men, and he ended up accidentally using the Fox’s chakra to save her,” Sensei explained. “He killed one of the attackers — though I don’t think he even realized it.”

I hope not. The boy is too young to have that kind of memory haunting his dreams. This whole scheme of hiding his identity and heritage was so Naruto could have a normal childhood, after all.

“Extreme emotions tend to open the tenketsu more easily. It’s the same reason the Sharingan awakens through strong emotions,” I explained, trying to push aside the unease in my gut. “Since the seal was built to allow transfer, it makes sense that the Kyūbi’s chakra leaked out when the tenketsu opened.”

These reassurances that the seal was fine and functioning exactly as Minato intended visibly eased Sensei’s nerves. That hat had aged him prematurely — one only had to look at the other Elders to see how worn-down Hiruzen appeared, much older than them, despite having no debilitating injuries.

“Still, I’d like you to check the seal, Jiraiya-kun,” Sensei asked.

“Of course. I also want to see how Naruto’s coils are handling the strain.”

Even though the increase in the Fox’s chakra had been gradual over the years, this sudden spike could have caused damage.

Tsunade would be better for that part... if she’d ever come back to Konoha.

The secret room they were in looked like a hospital in everything except its location. And, of course, the heavy locks on the doors. It was more like a prison. I knew, for example, that there were countless chakra suppression seals on the walls in case anything unexpected happened. Sensei could trigger them and bring everyone inside down: me and Naruto.

Sensei was on the other side of that one-way glass window, watching me.

Naruto, unconscious on the cot in front of me, was a copy of Minato. The resemblance wasn’t even funny — it made the ache in my chest tighten. The biggest difference were those whisker marks on his cheeks, and I clung to that.

It was the first time I had seen him.

I didn’t have the courage to come back to Konoha after Minato died. And in the rare instances I had to return to deliver reports to Sensei, I made a point to avoid the boy.

I didn’t want to know what he’d turned out like — whether he looked more like his mother or his father. I didn’t want to look at him and see nothing but the ghost of my student.

There was a small ANBU team nearby, watching over the boy. Security had probably been tightened after the incident. They were the ones who brought Naruto to me while he slept so I could examine the seal without dealing with the questions he’d ask if he were awake.

They must’ve given him some kind of toxin or put him under a genjutsu so he wouldn’t wake up during the process.

I felt somewhat guilty for being relieved about that.

I didn’t want to be stared at by Minato’s or Kushina’s eyes full of judgment. My guilt for abandoning him was already heavy enough without that.

I’ll teach him when he becomes a ninja and is ready to learn how to control the Kyūbi’s chakra — not before.

If I could, I’d give the task to someone else, but no one knows that seal like I do.

Naruto was already shirtless when Sensei and I arrived. One pulse of chakra and I could see the seal come alive on his belly, right over his core.

The spiral at the center marked the direction of the Kyūbi’s chakra flow. The seal itself was fine — exactly as Minato predicted it would be. The key held at Mount Myōboku fit perfectly.

A pulse of chakra into the boy allowed me to create a sort of sonar, sensing what lay beneath where the eye couldn’t reach.

Tsunade had refined this to such a degree that she could detect the smallest details for diagnostic purposes.

But in this case, it didn’t need to be that precise. I just wanted a general idea of how the boy’s coils were doing.

Everything seemed fine. He had strong flow and large reserves...

Wait. Is this right?

Naruto’s chakra was rotating in the opposite direction of the Fox’s chakra, as indicated by the central spiral of the seal.

With opposing flows, control would be a mess.

It’s amazing he hadn’t died, but I suppose that was one of the advantages of sealing the Kyūbi in him so young — his body could adapt more easily.

It was fascinating how both chakras managed to coexist. Normally, they’d cancel each other out, leaving Naruto unable to use chakra — or worse, it could kill him.

Maybe it was sheer luck that Minato wasn’t a Hyūga and hadn’t managed to align the seal exactly over Naruto’s chakra core. It didn’t affect the seal’s function, but it would have been disastrous for such a young core.

Another possibility: the creation of a turbulence where both chakras fought for dominance, neither winning. That seemed to be the case here. Naruto would have difficulty controlling this for more delicate jutsus.

At least the cores weren’t repelling each other. That would have definitely killed the boy.

Ideally, both cores would begin to orbit each other, creating a sort of harmonic resonance.

Could I tweak the seal a bit to allow that?

Would it even be safe to try?

I explained the situation to Sensei when we met in the adjacent room to discuss it. It was a small room with concrete walls and floor and no windows to the outside. Nothing but a table and the glass window allowing a view of the unconscious Jinchūriki in the next room.

Hiruzen frowned.

“How risky is the procedure?”

“In theory, it’s not a big deal. But it’s never been done, so unexpected things could happen,” I explained.

It was a risk — but if we wanted a Jinchūriki capable of using his Bijū’s chakra like Kumo’s Killer B, then we had to solve this issue.

As much as none of us wanted to see Naruto turned into a weapon, we also couldn’t ignore the advantages. Many lives could be saved if we managed to control the Kyūbi’s power for Konoha’s benefit.

“We’ll do this in secret,” Hiruzen said. “If the Elders find out, they might try to take custody of Naruto, and I fear what would happen to him if they did.”

“Let’s prepare a place for the procedure.”

The special room where I would be working was “special” because it had to be far from Konoha and full of protective measures in case the Kyuubi managed to escape. The same precautions were taken when Kushina gave birth. This time, we went to a hideout even farther from Konoha, since there was no woman in labor needing immediate assistance in the equation.

I personally placed the various seals scattered across the walls to ensure that nothing would go wrong. I also set up a perimeter using my seals to alert me if anyone tried to break in. It wouldn’t stop someone truly determined, but it would give me enough time to prepare.

There are some ANBU accompanying us. They're all part of Naruto’s guard—the ones Hiruzen truly trusts. I couldn’t help but notice that most of them used to be Minato’s guards.

Sensei, as a precaution, isn’t present. If something goes wrong, he must ensure Konoha’s safety. Currently, Hiruzen is ready to trigger the emergency alarm if things don’t go as planned.

Naruto is once again unconscious on a stretcher. Chakra suppression cuffs hold him to the bed.

It wasn’t hard to get him out of his room. It might’ve been more difficult if the other child, his friend, had already been discharged from the hospital, but Hiruzen had the doctors keep her there so it would be easier for them to access the boy.

The room is underground—a leftover from the many wars, when they needed a secure place to store supplies or somewhere ninjas could retreat to in an emergency. Of course, very few people knew where those places were, to avoid leaking strategic locations, but for highly important missions involving valuable agents, Konoha usually shared those locations to maximize the chances of success.

Now, I need to realign the seal with Naruto’s core, placing it in a position where both chakras can orbit each other. It has to be precise. One misstep, and things could get even worse. Fortunately, he’s still young enough that his body can handle such a change. If he had already started training in ninjutsu, this wouldn’t be possible.

He had already gone to Mount Myouboku to retrieve the key to the seal from Gerotora, the scroll-toad. Spreading the opened seal before me, I can see Minato’s familiar calligraphy and the parts where Kushina and I helped with the design. This was the result of the three greatest Fuinjutsu minds alive at the time.

Now only I remain.

I shake my head and focus on my task.

I infuse chakra into the seal and loosen it slightly. The various seals on Naruto will prevent the Kyuubi from escaping, but I still need to open the seal temporarily to move it.

I can’t allow the seal to vanish completely. Minato gave his life to anchor it there, and I won’t let that be in vain. But maybe if I add an external layer connected to the seal’s center, I can force the seal itself to keep both cores in balance.

I’ll have to anchor Naruto’s core to the outer part of the seal, which means he’ll die if the Kyuubi is extracted. Not that he wouldn’t have died anyway, but Kushina survived for a while after extraction, according to sensei. Maybe Bijuu removal doesn’t mean instant death—but in this case, it will.

Both cores will be so closely linked that it’ll be almost as if they’re one. Like two stars orbiting each other.

One day, they’ll become one, and then no one will know what will happen: the creation of a supreme single star… or mutual destruction.

With a steady hand, I added the outer crown to the seal, which now extends to Naruto’s chest.

Minato probably realized that Naruto’s core flowed in the opposite direction from the Fox’s—unlike Kushina’s—but I think he didn’t have time to do anything about it. I wasn’t there, so all I can do is speculate.

Once I finish, I reseal it using the key before doing a final check. Everything seems to be in order. Again, Tsunade would be better at this than me, but we work with what we have.

I signal, and one of the ANBU with medical training approaches. His hand glows with the familiar green light as he checks Naruto. A nod confirms the boy is okay. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

The agents pick up Naruto and we return to Konoha as silently as we left.

"Before you leave, I have a favor to ask," sensei said after I finished my report on adjusting the Jinchuuriki’s seal.

"Hm? What is it?" I ask, more curious than anything.

I just hope it’s not another request to take on the Hokage hat. I’m just not cut out for that role. I couldn’t even save my teammate or my student. I abandoned Naruto even though I’m his godfather.

The list of things I’ve failed at just keeps growing.

"Naruto’s friend, Harumi-chan," sensei began to explain, and I was intrigued as to why some random child would need someone like me. "She’s albino, and I think you could do for her what the Nidaime did for you when you were young."

I blink, surprised. It’s been a long time since I thought about that.

Albinos aren’t common, but they’re not that rare either. Orochimaru once theorized there was something about chakra that made certain recessive traits more likely to manifest.

I myself am a little albino, but not fully. My eyes were never affected, for instance. Senju Tobirama, a genius in Fuinjutsu and an albino, created a seal that could protect his skin and eyes from the damage people with this condition usually suffer. When I was little, living in the Konoha orphanage, he placed a seal under my eyes to protect my health too.

The design was different because he feared that using the same one would make other villages think I was his son and turn me into a target, but the final purpose was the same. It was my first contact with Fuinjutsu—and what sparked my curiosity about it.

I met Tsunade shortly after that at the Academy, and through her, gained access to books that helped me get to where I am today.

"Of course," I agreed, smiling at the change of topic. "The Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya of the Sannin, can spare some time to help a little damsel in need."

Part of me is curious to know more about Naruto’s friend. Someone he cared about enough to kill for, even if he didn’t realize it.

Besides, Nidaime-sama created this seal and never restricted who could receive it. It would be an insult to his kindness to refuse to help another child.

We go to the hospital where the girl is still staying. Visiting hours haven’t started yet, so Naruto won’t come by. The genjutsu used to keep him asleep during the trip from the village to the chamber should still be active. He probably won’t wake before noon.

I’ll already be on my way out of Konoha by then.

Since I’m a Sannin and still accompanied by the Hokage, no one interrupts us as we enter the child’s room—only to find her eyes already fixed on us.

In the dim morning light, they seemed red like Tobirama’s, but the lamp's glow made one appear a soft pink. White hair was expected given I was here because of her albinism.

The dark room must be to protect her sensitive eyes.

It wasn’t the most eccentric appearance I’ve seen, but I know that if someone like her had been born outside of Konoha, she might’ve been kidnapped and taken to some Daimyo’s court as a concubine or something like that.

There were still colorful bruises on her skin, but they were healing.

"Good morning, Harumi-chan. I didn’t know you were an early riser," sensei greeted her with his usual warmth.

"A very energetic little lady," I said with a smile as I entered and ruffled her hair.

Harumi narrowed her eyes at me, clearly offended by the hair-ruffling. She looked at sensei and crossed her arms. Not the cheerful and warm reception most children give Hiruzen.

Normally, sensei is great with kids.

"Harumi-chan, this is Jiraiya, my student. He’s in Konoha for a short time on some business, but he agreed to do me a favor," the Sandaime explained to the child. Harumi only seemed to grow more annoyed the more he talked, and I had to fight the smile tugging at my lips. She looked like a wary little kitten. "I asked him to place on you a seal created by the Nidaime Hokage himself to help with your albinism. What do you think of that?"

Harumi frowned.

"Help how?"

"See these red marks under my eyes?" I pointed to my facial marks. She looked at the red lines and nodded, no less confused than five seconds earlier. "They’re very special marks called Fuinjutsu. I’m also a little albino, so the Nidaime gave me these marks."

"So I’ll also have red stripes on my face?" she made a face.

"Hey, my marks are super cool!" I said, indignant. "I’m the Great Toad Sage!"

"I don’t want to be a toad," she said, unimpressed.

"Toads are awesome!" I defended.

"You’re pitching that to the wrong person, old man."

"Kids these days have no respect!" Why is no one ever impressed by me?

... they’re always impressed by Orochimaru.

I shook my head and kept up my forced smile:

"Your tattoo won’t look like mine. We’ll make something unique, but it has to go on your face. That part can’t be changed," I explained.

Just like Nidaime couldn’t give me marks identical to his, I can’t do the same. I’m too well known to risk turning the girl into a target of the many people who might try to use her to get at me. The more distinct, the better.

"I don’t know, man. Just put it around my eyes," she shrugged.

"Hmm, I think it’ll look beautiful. Like a geisha’s makeup!" I said excitedly.

"Where’d you get the idea, Harumi-chan?" sensei asked.

"I’ve seen some women near my house wearing colorful makeup around their eyes," she said after a second of hesitation, during which she narrowed her eyes at the Hokage as if considering ignoring the question.

What a fun little girl!

Following the theme she proposed, I made the seal. It wasn’t a complicated task, and I could do it quickly. I drew a red outline around her eyes that brought out their natural color.

The seal fed on her chakra, strengthening her skin and eyes. This is something many shinobi do during fights to gain more power or better withstand a direct hit, reinforcing bones and muscles. The seal, however, would only reinforce the surface, compensating for the lack of natural melanin. It required such a minuscule amount of chakra that even a civilian could handle the light pull on their underdeveloped core. That’s the only reason the Nidaime thought it was safe enough to put on a small child like I was back then.

Harumi looked like a kid who’d stolen her mother’s makeup, and it made me want to burst out laughing when I finished—but it was an excellent idea. It would be very easy to hide that she was a ninja with markings so similar to makeup. She could easily pass for a civilian like that.

“Does this mean I don’t need all those creams or my glasses anymore?” she asked after a quick glance at a handheld mirror sensei gave her to check the result.

She didn’t seem to care. Kids! They never appreciate my effort!

“Yes, Harumi-chan, I don’t think you’ll be needing them anymore,” Hiruzen said with a smile, but Harumi just pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Thanks, old man,” she waved in my direction.

“Tch, these brats!”

Can you believe she thanked the great and mighty Jiraiya like that? Where’s the eternal gratitude?!

I let out a huff anyway.

My work in Konoha is done.

Chapter Text

When I'm finally cleared to go home, I do so with my head down.

"Hey, what's that thing around your eyes? Did you put on makeup?" Naruto keeps asking, trying to get me to talk to him.

"Hm," I reply simply.

I don't want to stop wearing my clothes. I know I only started using them because of my special needs, but it feels good not being recognized. Most of the time, when we need something and can’t get it because people are stupid when it comes to Naruto, all I need to do is take off my glasses and change my clothes so no one recognizes me. Then I can shop without anyone knowing it’s for Naruto too.

It was perfect.

But I don’t need those clothes anymore. I don’t need the glasses anymore.

Is it strange that I’ve grown to like them? That I feel bad when people stare at me in the street? That I remember how that man called me...

“We could get a good price for her in the Red Light District,” they said.

I ignore the familiar sounds of the busy street and sidestep out of habit the adults too preoccupied to look where they’re going. It’s a comforting routine, in a way. I missed that in the hospital.

“Such soft hair too…”

I march into the apartment almost in tears. I know what the women in our neighborhood do. I can hear their screams and moans at night, even if Naruto sleeps too heavily to wake up from it. I once peeked through the window to see what was making that noise.

I know exactly what happens in the Red Light District. I know what they wanted to do to me.

“Haru, wait!” Naruto runs after me. I let him in before closing and locking the apartment door behind us.

“What happened? What’s wrong?”

I never thought this would happen to me. The women I see walking around the neighborhood are either older or street kids who deal drugs or do dirty jobs for the gambling houses. Sometimes they’re pickpockets, but that’s a dangerous job in a ninja village, so I never tried it.

“Harumi, what’s going on?” Naruto asks, looking genuinely worried.

I can always trust Naruto. He’s the one who saved me from those men—not the ninjas, not the masked ones, not the Hokage. Just Naruto.

“Do we still have a kunai somewhere?” I asked, already knowing exactly what I needed to do.

“Huh? I think so?” I look at him for a second, waiting, and then he startles. “Ah! Okay, I’ll look!”

He bolts toward the only dresser where we keep our shared clothes. We’re about the same size, so we usually wear the same stuff—except my jumpsuit, which... well, used to protect me from the sun.

“Got it!” he holds up an old kunai, its blade full of nicks. “Why do you want this now?”

Am I really going to do this? Yes, without a doubt. I never want what happened to happen again.

“Naruto, from now on, I’m a boy,” I declare firmly.

Naruto blinks at me, stunned. “Uh?”

“I. Am. A. Boy.”

“W-what? What do you mean?” He looks more confused with every second. “But you’ve always been a girl!”

“Not anymore.”

He tilts his head, eyeing me critically. I narrow my eyes when the silence stretches.

“But you still look like a girl,” he points out.

“That’s what the kunai is for, baka! I want you to cut my hair,” I say, pointing to one of my locks.

“But your hair is already short, you know.”

“Shorter! I want it shorter. Cut it shorter than yours, Naru!”

Naruto grimaces and reaches up to his own hair, tugging at a strand and trying to look at it—pointlessly, because no matter how much he twists around, that’s not going to work. Not that it stops him from trying.

“Are you going to do it or not?”

“I will, I will, no need to snap at me,” Naruto gives up trying to see his own hair and walks over with a grimace. “If you don’t like it later, don’t yell at me!”

“Whatever, just do it already.”

So my hair ended up short, close-cropped, spiky like Naruto’s. I really did look more like a boy now, even with the red marks around my eyes. I probably should’ve thought about becoming a boy before telling that weird old man to put the marks there—but too late.

Not that it matters, because I’m still going to wear my glasses and my jumpsuit. Well, I might have to buy a new one since the last one got destroyed in the "fight." That can’t even be called a fight since I didn’t land a single hit, but whatever.

Now that my clothes aren’t a health requirement anymore, I know the Hokage won’t bother paying for them again, and I’m really glad I saved enough money in my hiding spot under the tree in the woods. My den has always been a safe place for me and my most precious things. The only place that’s never been violated—maybe because it’s too small for an adult?

I go shopping without Naruto, wearing one of his winter hats to hide my hair. If he comes with me, I don’t think the money I have will be enough.

This time I buy a high-collared jumpsuit, a hat that hides all my hair, and goggles that hide my eyes well enough. The high collar would cover my mouth. The clothes were long enough to last a few years before I’d need a new set; I’d just have to roll up the hems so I don’t trip over myself.

The colors were boring, though. I would’ve liked something more colorful, but this time I chose based on how much skin it covered and how tough the fabric was. Teuchi-jiji said that was important, so I paid attention when he explained it. I think I chose well.

I just don’t want anything like that to ever happen again.

In the middle of our second year at the Academy, the teachers started talking about chakra and how we could reach it. I’d never been so excited to learn something. It was finally about something I cared about, something I’d already experienced.

Of course, then the teacher had to go and ruin my day by being a complete jerk.

He sent Naruto away because his chakra was "rotten" or bad or something—I didn’t stay to hear the rest and went with Naru, because if that teacher thinks my brother’s chakra is bad, then he clearly knows nothing.

Naruto’s chakra is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

At this point, the teacher didn’t even bother yelling at me for my behavior. He was already used to the fact that if Naruto wasn’t staying for class, then I wasn’t either. Simple as that. It’s just not fair.

As soon as we were out of sight, I ran ahead and grabbed Naruto’s hand, making him stop his sad shuffle toward the swing under the tree.

“Wah!” he yelped in surprise when I pulled him back. “What was that for?!”

“SHH!” I put a finger to my lips. “We’re going to watch the class from afar!”

Naruto’s eyes widened in realization, and he nodded once. “We’re gonna learn about that thing... chakra?”

“Yes. Finally. I thought we’d never get there,” I rolled my eyes.

We crawled through the bushes until we were close enough for me to hear the teacher if I really focused. I signaled Naruto to stop so the teacher wouldn’t hear us approaching.

“You’ll start with meditation. Try to feel that pressure inside you, try to move it outward, closer to your skin,” he said, pausing when murmurs began to rise. “Hey, focus! This isn’t a joke! You need to learn to control your chakra if you want to be real ninjas—unless you want to be failures like Naruto and Harumi!”

I opened my eyes, barely restraining myself from jumping up and yelling some truths at that teacher. I’m not a failure! And neither is Naruto, by the way!

I felt Naru squeeze my hand and looked down at his eyes, silently begging me not to do anything. As much as I hate it, I can’t fight every person who’s an idiot to Naruto. I usually save my energy and luck for dealing with the really nasty ones.

“Now concentrate. If you can make your chakra circulate inside you, even better. I’m what’s called a sensor—I can feel other people’s chakra, so I’ll be able to tell if any of you succeed. Now begin!”

A sensor. Someone who can feel other people’s chakra, like me.

I’m a sensor!

But does that mean the teacher knows we’re here? I can feel his chakra, flowing slowly through his body, and I don’t think he knows.

But why? How can he not know we’re here? Maybe he’s not paying attention in this direction? But Naruto’s chakra is so big and intense it’s impossible to ignore.

Then again... Naruto’s chakra is so huge that maybe it’s hard to tell when he’s close? Sometimes I also have trouble figuring out exactly where he is if I don’t focus really hard. That’s because Naru is the easiest person to sense I’ve ever met—I don’t even know if I’d have realized that the itching I feel sometimes is another person’s chakra if I hadn’t figured out the chakra I feel around Naruto comes from him.

Another funny thing I discovered by accident is that when someone else is really close to Naruto, I can’t sense them either. It’s like Naru’s chakra hides the weaker ones. I remember finding that out when Shikamaru hid near him once during hide-and-seek, and I just couldn’t find him no matter what.

Maybe that’s why the teacher can’t sense me here either?

I signal for Naruto to go back the way we came, and we settle in a nearby clearing. Close enough for me to sneak up on the teacher if needed, but far enough that we won’t be overheard.

“Do you remember that time in the orphanage’s dark room? The time you managed to feel your chakra? You said it was warm and alive. Do you remember that?” I ask Naruto.

I know the masked ones don’t stay this close during Academy hours, so I don’t mind talking about this here. I don’t like saying anything too personal where they might be listening. No matter how much Naruto insists we don’t need to avoid them anymore, I don’t trust them.

“That really happened?” Naruto frowns, trying to remember.

“Yes, it did!” I throw my hands in the air, nearly giving up on this.

“So I’ve felt my chakra before, dattebayo!” Naruto perks up.

“Yes, you just need to do it again,” I explain to him. “That means we’re ahead of the others, because we’ve already done it once!”

I think about telling him I might be a sensor-type, but I’ll save that for later. “Now we have to find our chakra and see if we can get it to move.”

“Alright, I got this! Piece of cake, dattebayo!”

Yeah... right. Naruto couldn’t meditate to save his life.

Meditation is officially the worst thing ever invented by humankind. Who was the sadist who thought this would be a good idea?

It’s been a week since I started meditating, and still no sign of the warm, alive chakra Haru said I felt once. But that was years ago! I don’t remember it anymore. Well, if Haru says I did it, then I’ll believe it—because I’m awesome enough to have really done it.

Besides, Haru wouldn’t lie to me.

Stopping calling Haru Harumi was easy, since I already called her him that most of the time anyway. But the teachers are harder. They don’t care that Haru decided to be a boy now. I’m not sure I understand why, but if that’s what sh- hum, he wants, then so be it. It’s not like it makes any difference to me.

Rock Lee, the boy Haru and I usually pair up with during sparring, doesn’t have chakra. I’m not sure if he doesn’t have it or just can’t control it, but the other students started being mean to him the way they usually are with me and Haru. I don’t know how they found out he can’t use chakra, but Haru said the teacher probably felt it during meditation—yeah, sensors are a thing.

I tried to get close to Lee-kun, but he was kind of grumpy and walked off to train alone. I don’t get why he’s so upset about it—it’s not like he’ll have to repeat the year because of it yet. They’re only going to teach us chakra control next year.

I wish I could say I was surprised when I got my grades and found out I had to repeat the year again. I wouldn’t say I made a lot of friends this year. I thought Lee was one of them, but he’s been so focused on his taijutsu training since he found out about his condition that he hasn’t had time for me or Haru anymore. He hasn’t had time for anyone except Neji-baka, actually, because he wants to surpass him.

That was the first time I heard about rivals: when Lee talked about beating Neji.

The year ended and nothing changed for me or Haru. She… I mean, he also failed the year. His theory grades are, at best, average, but his physical test scores are awful. He’s far from being the best fighter in class, even if he’s about average among the girls, only losing to a girl named Tenten. But kunoichi usually make up for that with better theory grades.

Maybe the fact that Haru is my friend affected the teachers’ decision to fail him, but I’m not sure about that, and he didn’t seem to care either way. He just shrugged and kept trying to push his chakra out through his skin. He said he was almost there.

I’m not there yet, but I will be. Soon.

Chapter Text

Haru

This is Haru before the attack that sent her to the hospital. This is the weird outfit she bought in chapter 7

Before the attack

After the attack, with the marks

Chapter Text

The mission is simple. With my experience, most of them are, these days.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. That’s the kind of mistake I’ve learned— the hard way —not to make.

Getting into the Grass Daimyo’s mansion was simple, as was figuring out the patterns of the guard patrols. Hiding my chakra and slipping onto the property was, too—mostly thanks to the Sharingan.

Killing the man wasn’t a problem.

The problem was killing the son, since the client wanted no heir left to inherit the assets of his rival, whose monopoly he was after. It was just business—nothing personal, not for me and not for the client. The wife was also pregnant, so either I killed her too or found a way to make her miscarry.

My only limitation, given to me by the Hokage—not the client—was that none of this could be traced back to Konoha. Bad for business.

The man died quickly. I’m used to killing grown men; they’re the routine targets. Sometimes a woman, but I’ve grown used to that too.

The boy was six. Younger than Naruto, who just turned seven.

It makes my stomach twist, but I’ve been in this too long for it to matter. He’s already doomed—what does it matter whose hand holds the blade?

Weasel, thirteen years old, stands guard at the bedroom door while I do the work. I think this is his last mission as my subordinate—soon he’ll be captain of his own squad. The youngest captain in history.

As if that’s some great achievement. I was the first at so many things, and it’s not like any of it matters beyond looking nice on paper.

I could order Weasel to kill the boy. Why bother doing it myself? He’s obedient, wouldn’t hesitate to do the job.

But it’s not like I’ve ever avoided the dirty work. I’ve never run from an unpleasant mission, and I’m not about to start now by dumping it onto a child’s shoulders.

I know very well that if I don’t do it, someone else will. And what if it’s someone who can’t compartmentalize and ends up broken? Or worse—someone who enjoys it? Someone who’d make the child suffer?

I already carry enough guilt on my own; I don’t need others burdened with it too.

I use a kunai to cut the boy’s throat while putting him under a genjutsu so he can’t scream—also to keep him from feeling pain, but that doesn’t need to go in the report. Blood spills from his neck, soaking the sheets and mattress without making a sound beyond choked gurgles.

The tomoe spin in Obito’s eye, and I find myself wondering if he regrets giving me his Sharingan. I think he does. I think he’d despise the person I’ve become. Obito would never have accepted spilling innocent blood—he was the kind of person who’d sacrifice himself to save even the worst trash like me.

I wipe the blood on a patch of sheet that isn’t fully soaked yet and tuck the kunai back into the pouch at my waist.

I signal Weasel, his mask staring back at me in the dim light, and we move silently toward the wife’s room. Like so many nobles, they had a marriage of convenience and only shared a bed when strictly necessary. She’s pregnant, so there’s no need for that now.

The woman is asleep, just as her husband and son were minutes ago. The property’s guards are patrolling for outside threats; they even have a few shinobi among them, but none high-ranking enough to pose a real threat to the plan. They’re good enough to handle civilian bandits and maybe a fresh genin, but still amateurs.

We are not.

Not that I’d let anyone on my team get careless because of it. I’ve taught them better than to underestimate an opponent.

I step carefully and silently curse when one of the floorboards creaks under my weight. I hold my breath and watch the woman. She stirs.

She gets up, still groggy, and looks around. It’s dark, but the window is open and the moonlight is enough for her to see she’s not alone.

I move before I can really think about it. In a quick shunshin, I’m behind her, one hand clamped over her mouth to stop her from calling for help, the other slicing her throat with the kunai. Too fast for a civilian to react. She’s already bleeding by the time she brings her hands to her neck, trying to keep the blood inside her body.

I hold her until she stops moving. Until her hands go limp and she stops trying to stem the bleeding. I stay a moment longer, just as with the boy, to make sure she’s truly dead—so there’s nothing even a skilled medic could do.

With everything done, Weasel and I retrace our steps, avoiding the patrols, with him using his Sharingan to keep us unnoticed by anyone who comes too close. It’s not the kind of genjutsu just anyone could break—or even notice. The boy had earned his reputation as a genius, after all.

We leave the place silently, signaling only when necessary to coordinate pauses. Otherwise, it’s silent—the silence of people who simply have nothing to say.

The mission went well. No surprises, no casualties. Very good.

I hope the medics don’t insist on keeping me for another check-up. I hope I get another mission soon—preferably something that keeps me away for a long time. Something that makes it all feel worth it.

Missions like this—assassinating politicians and wealthy merchants—are delicate, yes, but low-risk compared to some of the nukenin hunts I’ve done. On jobs like today’s, the chances of losing a comrade are smaller, but they take a greater toll on me in other ways, even when successful. With the hunts, at least I feel like I’m doing some good, though they have the drawback of risking my teammates’ lives.

I hope the Third lets me take solo missions again.

Things are easier when mine is the only life I’m risking.

There were ANBU following me.

I didn’t recognize the masks. In fact, none of them resembled any animal. For a moment, I wondered if they might be a team of spies from some foreign village—but if that were the case, why would they let me see them? They had to have done it on purpose, because no one else seemed to notice they were there, and it takes serious skill to be visible only to the person you want.

And the way they moved… typical Konoha. Every village has its signature: in Suna, people walk over loose sand the way I walk over a river; in Iwa, shinobi are solid, stubborn, hard to knock down. Konoha? We’re creatures of the forest, moving through branches or rooftops like it’s solid ground. And these masked ones moved just like that.

These ANBU moved like Konoha shinobi.

That prickling at the back of my neck—that unique sensation of being watched—made me want to attack just to find out what they wanted with me. Why were they following me? Were they hostile? Who were they?

It was hard to tell how many there were with all the masks identical. I’m not a natural sensor, so I couldn’t say for sure, but they were suppressing their chakra signatures until they were almost gone. I could only faintly sense those closest to me, but I was sure there were more.

They hadn’t attacked yet, and they’d probably been tailing me long before I even realized it.
Maybe they just wanted to talk.

Either way, I needed to deal with this quickly. I couldn’t go home with these guys shadowing me. I couldn’t risk the clan’s children.

As a precaution, I grabbed a few senbon and kept them hidden from the “ANBU’s” view in the hollow of my hand. At least I wouldn’t be completely unarmed if they struck.

I stopped in an alley and waited, tense, not knowing what would happen. Were they finally going to attack? Or just leave?

Three figures landed silently in front of me, in formation. Jonin level, then. They looked ready to react if I struck, their defensive stance mirroring mine. So, they weren’t going to make the first move. Good.

“What do you want? Why are you following me?” I decided to get straight to the point. I’d just come back from a mission, and I was too exhausted for games.

“Karasu,” the one in the middle called, using the name of my ANBU mask. Who the hell were these guys? “Come with us.”

“Does anyone actually fall for that line? You need to work on your seduction techniques, friend.” I did my best to sense if there were more of them nearby, maybe setting up an ambush. Could I get out of this if I activated my Sharingan? “You didn’t answer my questions.”

“Danzō-sama summons you for a conversation,” the same agent—the one in the middle—said, unfazed. “Come with us.”

“What does Councilor Shimura want with me?” I frowned. This man wasn’t exactly on good terms with my clan.

“Come with us.”

I rolled my eyes. Could this guy say anything else? Well, no way in hell I was following a bunch of strangers around. My aunt would gut me if I did something that stupid.

“Answer my question,” I said as I activated my Sharingan. I caught the way they instantly tensed, ready for a fight, though they still didn’t move.
Disciplined.

“Danzō-sama has a proposal for you, Karasu,” the middle ninja said, tense. “You are to accompany us to a more… private location.”

“What could Shimura-san possibly want with me? Why me?” Yeah, this was shady as hell.

“Let’s talk, Shisui.”

The voice came from the alley’s entrance, and my eyes shifted instinctively toward the bandaged man who was so often seen at the Hokage’s side, flooding the Council with tirades about the Uchiha.

Shit.

“Shimura-san,” I gave a short bow—nowhere near the full one owed to the Hokage. “How can I be of service?”

What could this man want with me?

Danzō gave me a measuring look before signaling the non-ANBU masked men with a discreet gesture. They dispersed, leaving me alone with the elder.

Was it insane that I felt safer before, when there had at least been witnesses? Probably. I’d bet those men would have held me down while he tortured me.

Ah, the day had started so well…

“I have a proposal for you—if you’re willing, of course,” Danzō said in that rough voice of his.

“Sorry, I serve the Hokage, Shimura-san,” I replied cautiously.

That prickling sensation at the back of my neck returned, sharper.

“I’m offering you a place in a special division within the ANBU. Known as ROOT,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I am the commander of this division, but the orders come directly from the Hokage, of course.”

A special division, even more secretive than the ANBU? Commanded by Danzō, of all people?

“And what is ROOT for?” I tried to buy time, my mind racing to find the best way out.

“ROOT handles the most delicate tasks for Konoha’s safety and prosperity. The ANBU’s elite are gathered there,” he said, that one creepy eye of his looking at me as if it could see my soul.

Why did it have to be the man who so openly despises everything about my clan? Why did I have such a bad feeling about this?

What was that saying again? Oh, right: “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

I didn’t want to do this. Every instinct screamed at me to run.
But if I walked away, who would protect my clan? Who would know about the danger creeping in from the shadows? Who would stop it?

“Does the Hokage sanction this organization?” I asked again, just to be sure.

“Yes. Even I couldn’t create an organization of this caliber without him noticing,” Danzō said—and I didn’t imagine the note of disdain in his voice. “I assure you, it was created with his permission.”

Indeed, it wouldn’t be hard to notice a discrepancy in the village’s supply count—things like weapons or medical gear. All of that would be essential for something like ANBU. The Hokage must know, right?

“Very well, Shimura-san,” I agreed, unable to deactivate my Sharingan while the threat was still so close.

“Good. I’ll send one of my agents to you when I have a mission that requires your skills.”

He looked satisfied, even though he wasn’t smiling. Well, that terrifying expression might be considered a smile by some people. Crazy people, obviously.

He vanished in a shunshin, but I kept my Sharingan active for a few more minutes, still unable to believe it was really over and that I was alive. My hands were tense, and I opened and closed my fists to loosen the joints.

Should I tell Fugaku about this? Would it make any difference? Or would I just be stoking the flames of the clan elders’ discontent?

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Chapter Text

A new year, a fresh start! At least in theory, because in practice things don’t feel all that different—most of the students still ignore us or openly leave us out. If I hadn’t expected it, I might have felt hurt.

Our new class is finally our age group, which means our old playground friends are here:

Nara Shikamaru — the lazy one.
Yamanaka Ino — the queen bee.
Akimichi Chouji — the glutton.

Of course, there are also some kids from clans we’ve never talked to before, like:

Aburame Shino — the cool one.
Uchiha Sasuke — the snob.
Uchiha Masato — the polite one.
Hyuuga Hinata — the shy one.
Inuzuka Kiba — the dog boy.
Kurama Airi — the stuck-up one.

And naturally, plenty of children from civilian families we don’t really know either:

Haruno Sakura — basically Ino 2.0.
Tanaka Himari — the bully (looks like she and Sakura have history).
Watanabe Uta — the bully’s sidekick.
Sato Tatsuya — the chameleon (your typical forgettable background character).
Suzuki Ren — the suck-up.
Naoki — the coward (I remember seeing him from afar back at the orphanage).
Kobayashi Yuichi — daddy’s boy.
Murakami Saori — the scaredy-cat (I mean, she cried just from seeing Shino’s bugs!).
Hiroto — the smelly one.
Yoshida Koji — the rich kid.

And then, of course, there’s me and Naruto:

Haru — the weirdo.
Uzumaki Naruto — the loudmouth.

This time we don’t have the excuse of being younger than everyone else. If we fail again, next year we’ll be stuck with babies. Not happening.

Classes started a few days ago, and I’m already realizing one thing: if I want to make it through this year—and the next ones—I need to take action. Naruto and I need someone to actually teach us some ninja tricks.

It can’t be Teuchi-jiji. As heavenly as his ramen is, he doesn’t know a thing about being a shinobi. How could he possibly teach me the best way to throw a shuriken?

Besides, learning how to fight would be useful outside of missions too. I want to be able to defend myself if someone decides to hurt me or Naruto again, like that time… Yeah, I definitely need to find someone.

A light drizzle starts, but the trees keep us covered, so I don’t mind staying out a little longer. If it gets worse, though… Better keep positive thoughts.

My train of thought is interrupted by the sound of sniffles, and I frown, annoyed by the noise.

“What is it, Naruto?”

Nothing has happened recently that would be worth crying over.

“Huh? It’s not me!” Naruto protests, mouth full of a plum he picked off a tree. The Senju Park trees always bear the juiciest fruit this season.

We exchange a look before glancing down at the source of the sound: a boy curled up against the roots of a tree, bawling like a baby. Brown hair, some kind of cap on his head. Not that I can judge his questionable fashion choices.

We stare at him for a few seconds, unsure if we should even do anything. Wouldn’t his parents—if he has any—be upset that the ones “helping” their precious child are the Weird Girl and the Monster of Konoha? Sounds like more trouble than it’s worth.

And I don’t want snot on my clothes.

“Hey, kid, are you okay?” Naruto asks, ignoring all my very sensible concerns.

We really need to work on our telepathic skills.

Instead of answering like a normal person, the boy just cries harder. I feel a strange chakra pulse of the boy, but I think this should be normal. The rain also starts to pour heavier, and I’m thinking it’s about time to find better shelter. Looks like this is turning into a storm.

Naruto hops down from the tree and approaches the crybaby, while I let out a sigh.

“What happened? Why are you crying?” Naruto asks, worried.

“Naruto, let’s go home. It’s raining.”

“Hey, kid, stop crying!” Naruto insists. “Look, I don’t know why you’re upset, but it’s gonna be fine, dattebayo! C’mon, tell me your name.”

The boy finally lifts his head, and I catch a glimpse of his eyes—green, but the whites are a strange gray. Compared to him, I look normal! Maybe I need to get some weirder clothes to really live up to my title of classroom oddball.

“M-my name is Y-Yota,” he stammers between sobs, and I wrinkle my nose.

If it were Naruto crying, I’d be more patient, but this kid? I don’t even know him! From my experience, the only children who cry like that are the ones with parents, because they know mom and dad will buy them something to shut them up. Seriously, you don’t see orphans crying on other people’s shoulders—we do it alone when no one’s around to hear.

Which means this kid has parents somewhere, and when they come looking for their perfect little darling, guess who’s going to get blamed for him bawling his eyes out? Exactly. Frankly, Naruto should know better.

“Why are you crying, Yota?” Naruto asks, still all concern and determination.

“Naruto, I’m heading home before I’m soaked.”

He shoots me a frown.

“Go ahead, I’ll catch up!”

I hesitate for a moment. I thought… I thought that after what happened that time, after the attack, Naruto wouldn’t—

Doesn’t matter. I’m overthinking. “Fine, I’m going.”

I leave the two of them behind and make it to the edge of the trees. Strangely, the rain gets lighter with each step, until I’m standing in full sunlight once I reach the street.

I look up at the sky: clear.

It's weird ... I could swear I can feel chakra in this rain. It must be just my imagination.

With a shrug, I decide it’s time to start searching for a teacher for Naruto and me.

But… where should I begin?

Hmm, maybe I should make a list of every adult who’s ever been nice to us, then check how many of them are actual shinobi. Yes, that’s the plan.

Where’s Yota? He was supposed to be at the fort I, Ino, Chouji, Kiba, and Sakura had built.

How troublesome.

I, however, can feel the humidity in the air, the wind on my skin, that sense of rain about to fall. Somehow, I just know—wherever the rain is, that’s where we’ll find Yota.

“Let’s head that way,” I point toward the cluster of storm clouds hanging over the forest near the academy. “Yota must be there.”

“You think Yota’s the one causing the rain?” Ino asked doubtfully.

“I didn’t even know there were jutsu for that,” Sakura muttered.

“Me neither,” Chouji added.

“Well, who cares! Let’s just find him before he gets hurt!” Kiba shouted, rushing ahead and forcing the rest of us to follow.

Kiba was the fastest, so of course he got there first. By the time the rest of us caught up, we were panting and soaked from the downpour.

“Hey, what did you do?!” Kiba yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the blond boy standing near Yota.

That was… Naruto?

Where was Haru? In my mind, those two are always together. They even get into trouble at the academy together and then get punished together. Like a two-for-one combo.

Yota, right beside Naruto, was crying… again. The violent tremors shaking his body coincided with the thunder cracking around us. How he was doing this, I had no idea.

“What?” Naruto frowned, first in confusion, then in anger. “Hey, I didn’t do anything! I was just asking if he was okay!”

“Oh, like we’re supposed to believe that?! You played a prank on him, didn’t you?!” Sakura snapped.

I’m not sure how I feel about that. It’s true Naruto pulls pranks on people, but they’re not usually the kind that hurt anyone. Even if he’s loud and annoying, Naruto’s not that bad. We even used to play together at the playground once.

“Uh, Naruto-kun, what happened?” Chouji tried a calmer approach, which made Naruto back off from his anger a little.

“He showed up crying and I just asked what was wrong!” Naruto pointed at Yota, frustrated. “I was trying to help!”

“Y-Yota is s-s-sad!” the strange boy whimpered. “Yota’s sad b-because y-you’re fighting.”

He was a small child, younger than any of us. I don’t know why, but seeing him cry made me want to help. I think everyone feels like that when they see a little kid crying.

“See what you’ve done!” Ino snapped, hands on her hips.

This is ridiculous. We all looked like drenched cats. All I wanted was to take a nap—is that really so much to ask?

Suddenly, a net dropped down and trapped Yota inside. I could see masked men standing on the branches above. ANBU. Why were they capturing a child? Sure, Yota was a little strange, but still—he was just a kid!

“YOTA!” Kiba, Ino, and Sakura screamed in shock.

Yota thrashed helplessly inside the net. His fear made the weather around him grow even more violent in its attempt to set him free.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Let him go!” Ino demanded.

One of the ANBU landed in front of us. The mask looked like some kind of bird? It had three red stripes across the top, but I couldn’t tell which animal it was supposed to be.

“Y-you can’t just take him!” Sakura added, though less confidently than Ino.

As if to prove Sakura wrong, the two ANBU in the trees vanished, taking Yota—still trapped in the net—away with them.

“Actually, they can,” I felt obliged to say, which was clearly not well received by my friends. Even Naruto looked betrayed that I’d said that.

How annoying. People have the awful habit of forgetting we live in a dictatorship, where the Hokage’s word is law.

But one thing really didn’t make sense: why would they be interested in a child? Was it because of that weather-controlling jutsu?

“He’s right. You kids should leave and forget all about this,” the ANBU said before disappearing with some kind of jutsu. Was it shunshin? I’d seen some clan shinobi use it, but I had no idea how it worked.

“Shikamaru, you think that’s okay?!” Ino asked indignantly.

“Yeah, Shika, Yota looked really scared,” Chouji said, his voice wobbly.

“We have to do something!” Naruto, who barely even knew Yota, spoke with determination. That boy has some kind of hero complex.

“I know,” I answered calmly. Why does everyone always assume I won’t help? “We’re going to rescue Yota.”

Ino and Chouji, who had been his playmates since before they were out of diapers, both nodded.

“We need a plan!” Ino said, looking straight at me—because people always look at a Nara when they talk about plans. How troublesome.

I know I don’t really know Yota. I just saw the kid crying, but… But if I’m going to be Hokage, I have to save everyone. Because that’s what Hokage do!

Yota needs help, and I can help him. I know I can, dattebayo!

“Even so, tricking the ANBU into releasing Yota won’t be easy,” Shikamaru said, thoughtful.

“I can distract the ANBU,” I blurt out without thinking.

I don’t have a plan, but I do this all the time. It can’t be that hard, right?

“And how would you, of all people, do that?” Ino asked, looking down on me.

I may not be a genius like Shikamaru, but I’m not stupid. I’m not.

“I just prank them and run off with Yota,” I said.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Shikamaru defended me, and no one argued with him. “Especially because Naruto’s done it before and knows how to do it again.”

Why can’t they just trust me? If the idea comes from me, it’s terrible, but if it comes from Shikamaru, suddenly it’s brilliant?

I clench my fists at my sides and try—really try—not to resent Shika. It’s not his fault he’s smart. It’s not his fault how people treat me and underestimate me.

I just need to show them how amazing I can be.

“All right then, what’s the plan, Naruto?” Kiba asked me.

“Naruto and Kiba plan the distraction, and we’ll get Yota out,” Shikamaru said.

“Wait, wait.” Sakura shook her head. “Where exactly is this ‘out’ where Yota even is?”

I look at Shikamaru. Shikamaru looks at me. We both look at Ino. Ino looks back at us.

The silence stretches.

“We’ll follow the weird weather,” Shikamaru decided. “Rain, snow, or any strange phenomenon. That’s where Yota will be.”

“Then we should go somewhere high up so we can see the whole village,” Sakura suggested.

“That’s a good idea,” Ino agreed.

“But what if we get caught?” Chouji asked uncertainly.

“Run like your life depends on it,” Kiba answered with the confidence of someone who’s gotten into trouble plenty of times. I nodded along.

“So… where are we going?” Chouji asked.

“Uh, how about the Hokage Monument?” I suggested. I like it there. I like thinking that one day my own face will be carved into the cliff too.

“Yeah, that’s a good place,” Shikamaru agreed. “Let’s go, then.”

“Yeah, let’s save Yota!” Kiba jumped up, ready for action.

“Let’s do this!”

Now it’s my time to shine!

The idea is good: find a decent adult to teach us. The problem is who to call.

I can’t think of a single person who could actually teach us. Other than Teu-ji, isn’t every adult basically hating us by default? My head hurts from thinking so much.

Alright, how about I make a list of every adult I know?

The Hokage? With how much he cares, we might as well start working at the building next to ours and he wouldn’t even notice.

The academy teachers? Hmph, their job is already to teach us — they get paid for it! — and they still don’t care. I doubt having something like private lessons would make any difference.

Are these really the only adults I know? In the whole village? Well, it’s not my fault all the others are jerks who like to take out their anger on us!

“I hate this,” I mumble.

It must be nice, I think, to have parents who’d teach me everything I want to know just because. Who’d cook for me, wash my clothes, and take care of me when I’m sick.

Whatever. With my luck, my parents would be just as much assholes as the ones who like hurting Naruto. I’m sure it would be awful.

I sit at the entrance of my apartment, my feet dangling outside the bars of the third floor, from where I can see the whole street below. It’s daytime, so it’s a lot less busy than at night, though there are still men walking back and forth with sake bottles in their hands and, sometimes, a woman hanging off their arm.

I spot Yumi-san in the distance, working at the building next door. It’s been a while since I talked to her, and I wonder if she still has some candy to give me if I help her clean the building. Sometimes she even gives me a few coins for the work, and she’s always really kind.

Her help filled my belly — and Naruto’s too — more than once. But she never lets us stay in the building she works at for very long, never when there are clients there, because she says it’s no place for kids.

Too bad Yumi-san isn’t a ninja. I’m sure she would’ve been an amazing teacher.

The sound of glass breaking and angry voices pulls my attention. I’m kind of used to just sitting here and watching what people do down below. Not exactly a fun hobby, but still more interesting than just staring at clouds — like certain people do.

It’s just another fight, and soon the police will show up and…

The police.

Uchiha.

Shisui! Uchiha Shisui!

A strong and cool adult ninja!

That’s it, I figured it out! I already know who’ll be our new teacher of ninja tricks.

Now I just need to find out where he lives.

Finding someone from the police in the least suspicious part of Konoha isn’t hard. They’re everywhere.

I put on my best clothes, a beanie, and sunglasses before finally approaching one of them. Do all the Uchihas — except Shisui — have that “I just ate something I didn’t like” face? Now that I think about it, people at the station also had that stern look.

Poor Shisui, having so many grumpy, annoying relatives. Maybe I’m doing him a favor by letting him be my friend. I think he’ll be even happier when I bring Naruto, since he’s way more energetic.

“Um, excuse me, Uchiha-san?” I ask, doing my best impression of Hinata or Sakura: the two most delicate girls at the academy whom no one dares to mess with. “Can you help me?”
I look at the Uchiha with the most innocent expression I can muster. Although I think the sunglasses kind of ruin the “puppy eyes” effect.

“Hi, kid, is something wrong?” the officer asks, his expression flat but evaluative. “Are you hurt?”

I hesitate for a second. I’d forgotten I’m a boy. Maybe I shouldn’t be imitating Hinata and Sakura here? On the other hand, if the officer thinks I’m a girl, he might just assume I’m another one of Sasuke’s fans and won’t help me.

“No, Uchiha-san,” I keep up the act. Even if I chose the wrong person to imitate, it’s a bit too late to change my mind. “I’m a classmate of Uchiha Sasuke, and he told me to come to his house today to teach me how to throw shuriken. But I don’t know where his house is.”

He’d better believe me. It’s hard to say, though — with that serious face, he could be thinking about absolutely anything. Maybe he’s just appreciating how beautiful the birdsong is today.

“And your parents?” the officer asks.

“I-I don’t have any parents,” I pout. At least I can do that even with my sunglasses. “Well, it’s my first time going to a friend’s house, so I didn’t think to ask Sasuke where he lived…”

This part is true. Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji never invited me — or Naruto — to their homes. Is that normal? Ino invites Sakura over all the time. Are we really friends?

The thought that maybe those three just tolerate us is bitter. I hope it’s not true, that it’s just in my head. Should I ask about having a sleepover someday?

No, what if they say no? What if they don’t even want to talk to us anymore?

“All right, don’t start crying,” the Uchiha says with a slightly alarmed expression, and I have to hold back a smile. How desperate would he be if I actually started crying right here? “Come on, I’ll find someone from the clan to accompany you.”

And that’s a victory. Once I find out where the Uchihas live, I can find Shisui and convince him to be our teacher — which will be easy because he’s nice. He wouldn’t say no; he even saved us that one time and was very kind afterward.

The only problem is I’ll have to deal with Sasuke. Blerg.

I don’t know much about him beyond that he’s the son of the Uchiha Clan Head. I also know he has an older brother who comes to pick him up at the academy sometimes. The only time he seems excited is when his brother shows up, but the rest of the time he’s a pain. He’s also a little shy, but always full of himself during taijutsu training.

I could have said I was there to meet Uchiha Masato, the other Uchiha in my class, but he’s very quiet and distant. I think I’ve never exchanged more than a few words with him beyond “good morning” or “how are you?” That’s because he sits right in front of me in class.

In short: it would be super awkward to spend hours in a room with Masato in tense silence. No, I don’t think so.

I follow the Uchiha officer through the market until he waves to one of the shops, and I see a beautiful woman with black hair and pale skin coming out carrying a bag. Are all Uchihas like this? At least she seems friendlier, smiling and all.

“Mikoto-sama!” the officer greets with a quick bow.

“Toboe-san, good afternoon,” Mikoto returns the greeting before looking at me curiously. Wow, she’s really pretty. “How can I help you?”

“Ah, um, the child…” the officer — Toboe — hesitates and glances at me.

What… oh! “Haru, my name is Haru!”

“Yes, he and young Sasuke-san arranged to train together today, but Haru-kun doesn’t know where the complex is.”

“Oh, you’re going to train with Sasuke?” Mikoto suddenly seems very interested in me. Now that I think about it… the officer called her –sama? That must mean she’s important among the Uchihas.

This is Sasuke’s mother? He must take after his father.

“Um, yes,” I nod. “He promised to teach me how to throw shuriken.”

Then, for a final touch, I add something I heard Sasuke say a few times during training when someone commented on his skills: “Sasuke-kun says his nii-san is the best and that he’s going to be just as good.”

Maybe Naruto is right, and I’m an evil genius. Not that I care much about that right now, since I’m about to succeed in my plan.

Mikoto-sama melts right before my eyes, and I know the “Shisui Mission” was a success. I can’t wait to see his expression when I meet him.

“Well, why don’t you come back home with me, Haru-kun?” Mikoto-sama asks me.

“Please, Mikoto-sama!” I bend in a deep bow because I’m not a complete savage. “Please, take care of me!”

Mikoto-sama laughs a little and places her hand on my head, and I know she’d be ruffling my hair if I weren’t wearing a beanie. “What a polite boy.”

Smiling proudly. I think no one but Teu-ji has ever complimented me. Mikoto-sama seems really nice too.

“Want help carrying your groceries, Mikoto-ba?” I offer with a smile.

Mikoto-ba blinks, hesitating for a second, then smiles and hands me one of the bags. It’s the tomato bag.

Mikoto-ba says goodbye to Toboe-san and begins to guide me. I hurry to keep up with her steps. Besides the Hokage-baka, I’m not used to following adults’ bigger strides, and he’s old so it’s easy to keep up. I don’t really walk around much with Teu-ji.

Mikoto-ba slows down after a second when she sees it’s hard for me to keep up, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“Are you and Sasuke friends at the academy?” Mikoto-ba asks. Is she suspicious of me, or do all mothers ask this?

“More or less,” I say, not wanting her to get mad when she finds out Sasuke never actually invited me to his house. “It was kind of a challenge.”

This “challenge” thing is a boy thing, right? I hope she doesn’t ask more questions, because I have no idea what kind of challenge could justify me going to his house without being invited.

“I see,” Mikoto-ba says, a smile in her voice. “It’s good to know Sasuke-kun has a few friends.”

He doesn’t, but that’s because he doesn’t want to. Lots of girls, and even some boys, have tried talking to him, but the idiot just responds with grunts. Like “Hn” counts as an answer!

“What’s the most fun thing you’re learning at the academy?” Mikoto-ba asks.

I have to think a bit because I never thought the academy was fun in the first place. I wouldn’t even be a ninja if I thought I could get a civilian job. I guess I’m not cut out for this ninja thing.

“I like…” I stop myself before saying “kunoichi lessons.” Again, I’m a boy! “I like chakra control classes.”

“Oh, you have good control?” Mikoto-ba seems very interested in me. Why?

“I think so.”

“Good chakra control is always useful, no matter what area you specialize in,” Mikoto-ba explains.

“I, uh, don’t know what area I want yet,” I say hesitantly. Is it bad that I don’t know yet? The teachers send me out of class more often than not, so Naruto and I may have missed that part.

“That’s fine, you’re young — save it for when you become a genin,” Mikoto-ba dismisses my worries. “It doesn’t hurt to know now, but it’s okay to think about it later too. After all, you’re still growing.”

“Right!” I nod and almost trip over myself as I look ahead and see the red and white Uchiha symbol, huge, on the open wooden doors in front of me.

Wow, suddenly my plan doesn’t seem so brilliant. Why is my heart racing, and why do I feel like I’m walking into a trap? Am I going to get in a lot of trouble for lying?

A bit late to think about that now.

I take a deep breath and follow a step behind Mikoto-ba, hoping I can keep Sasuke’s mouth shut.

The smoke is already visible above the trees. That’s good.

The smell of paint in my hair, the makeup covering the marks on my cheeks, and the glasses hiding the color of my eyes are all super annoying. My nose itches and wearing sunglasses feels weird. Everything looks so… dark.

Of course, I’m not going to complain to Ino about it since she’s the one who got this ninja disguise for me. Even Sakura-chan helped with my hair — which now looks brown — even if she didn’t really know what she was doing.

All of this because my hair is too distinctive, according to Shikamaru. The ANBU would immediately know we were the culprits if I didn’t hide better.

Whatever, now I can see the smoke rising and there’s enough for me to start:

“FIRE!” I yell at the top of my lungs. I’ve always wanted to do that. “A FIRE!”

Kiba comes running toward me after ditching the old grill Chouji had brought from his family’s storage. We stuffed it full of smoke bombs to make it look like a real fire. Kiba is the fastest of us, so he’s the one who lit it before running over to meet me.

But the plan is all mine.

“HELP!” Kiba yells while running. We pass by the place where we know Yota is being kept — if the storm super-focused right above us means anything. “FIRE!”

“A LIGHTNING STRIKE STARTED A FIRE!” I screamed with all my strength.

We pass by the entrance of the super suspicious building and hide behind some bushes. We couldn’t see the ninjas, but I can feel them. I don’t really know how. I just know they’re there.

I can feel a twinge of irritation and resignation that’s so different from what I’m feeling that it can’t be mine. I usually feel this when the masked ones — the ANBU — who follow me around the village are nearby. I don’t know how it works, but it doesn’t matter, as long as it does.

“Did it work?” Kiba whispers next to me, crouching down. He’s just waiting to give the signal for Shika’s group to storm in.

I can feel two of them moving away, but there are still two inside the building.

I take a deep breath. Time for Plan B.

I remember that time a few years ago, when Haru shouted about enemy ninjas and it drew help almost immediately. We got in trouble for it back then and I didn’t want to do it again, but Yota needs help.

“There are still two in there. I’ll lure them out and you go to Shika and save Yota!” I say.

“Wait, you’re going to get in trouble!” Kiba frowns at me.

“Don’t worry, dattebayo! I’ll handle it!” I grin with a thumbs-up.

I shed the disguise and let my colors show again. Not hard, since the rain is helping wash the paint out of my hair.

I know a lot of people hate me and maybe the masked ones do too, but I also know Jiji told me their job is to protect me. That’s why I shouldn’t ditch them anymore after what happened with Haru a few days ago. I really do let them follow me most of the time, only every now and then, when I want to be alone, I shake them off.

So if they know it’s me…

“HELP!” I shout. “They’re chasing me! Enemy ninjas want to hurt me!”

I run, right in front of the building, then past it, toward the city, with the crowd and the buildings. I’ve got a lot of practice losing the ANBU.

I think Jiji will be really disappointed in me, but I need to do something to save Yota. Besides, Jiji should be thankful I’m helping him with the evil ninjas who kidnap kids inside the village. I’m already doing the Hokage’s job tricking the bad guys!

Actually, I think Jiji will be super proud of me. I’m on my way to becoming a real hero!

I run into the city, weaving through people and vanishing into the crowd. Kiba might be faster than me on flat ground, but I’m the fastest when it comes to an obstacle course like this! I duck and dodge and leap and squeeze through, but I never stop.

I sneak inside a building and keep running. I find a side window, far enough from the door I came in through that the ANBU won’t be waiting outside — with so many people around, it’s hard to pinpoint them with my weird sense — so I jump out like a super ninja.

I don’t stop yet. I can’t. They’re too close.

I run to the meeting point with Shika: the Naka River.

I just need to reach them and help Yota and the others cross.

Just a little more, and Yota would be free!

The Uchiha house is traditional. I only know what a traditional house looks like because there are some tea houses in the city that are similar, and Teu-ji said that some older or noble families usually have houses like this. He even mentioned that the Hyuugas and Uchihas have houses like this.

But I had never been inside a traditional house before.

It doesn’t seem very practical. I mean, the walls are made of paper! What happens if I trip and try to lean on one? The whole wall would tear! And how do you clean that up if something falls? Do they have to replace all the walls in the house whenever something happens? Maybe a strong windstorm could tear all that paper.

I guess I’ll just be happy my house has solid walls. I don’t think Naruto or I could take care of a place like this, especially since we already have trouble with a more “modern” house.

Other than being “traditional,” there’s not much else for me to judge. There’s almost no decoration in the room where she’s waiting for Mikoto-ba. Nothing except one of those low tables where people have to sit on cushions on the floor. I don’t know what it’s called; I’ll have to ask Teu-ji next time I go to Ichiraku.

Mikoto-ba took off her shoes at the entrance, and I did the same.

I don’t see anyone around and feel some of the tension in my shoulders ease. Okay, I can do this.

“Mikoto-ba?” I call in my best timid voice.

“Yes, Haru-kun?” she replies from the kitchen.

“Um, by any chance, does Shisui-niisan live nearby?” I make a face at the direct question.

“You know Shisui-kun?” Mikoto-ba appears at the doorway of the room where I’m standing. She looks more curious and interested than annoyed, so it must be okay.

“Yes, he’s the most amazing adult,” I say, nodding, then stop and look at Mikoto-ba worriedly. “But don’t worry, Mikoto-ba, you’re very nice too!”

“Oh, am I? Thank you,” Mikoto-ba chuckles softly. “Shisui lives a few houses down, but I think he’s out of the village on a mission right now.”

“Ah…”

I should have thought of that. Of course, he could be out! He’s a real ninja! Still, I can’t help feeling disappointed that I didn’t get to find him.

“Don’t be so disappointed, Haru-kun,” Mikoto-ba says, quietly approaching and patting my head again. “He should be back in a few days.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m not worried,” I cross my arms. “He’s super strong, of course he’ll be back soon.”

The mission must be easy for someone like him.

For some reason, Mikoto-ba seems to find my statement very amusing. Better not let her think Shisui won’t make it! But I don’t think that’s it, because Shisui is an Uchiha, so that must mean they’re family. I don’t know much about family, but I guess people don’t like it when their family gets hurt.

Whatever, maybe Mikoto-ba just likes to laugh at everything like Naruto.

“Sasuke-kun should be at one of the training fields outside the clan,” Mikoto-ba says, pointing in a direction. “It’s very close from here, so you won’t have to walk far.”

Wow, what luck! I’ll be able to talk to Dokesuke alone and convince him to stay quiet about my lie.

I still have no idea how I’ll do that, but just being able to talk to him is a great first step!

Finding the training field isn’t hard. Once I get close enough, I can already hear the sound of metal hitting wood and heavy breathing.

I move in slowly because, despite what the academy sensei might claim, I’m not crazy. In fact, I think I’m one of the most sensible people to ever set foot in Konoha—and that’s saying something.

Dokesuke is panting in the middle of the training ground, surrounded by targets and shuriken. Some of the throwing stars are stuck in the targets—not always dead center, but close enough—while others are lodged in random trees or lying on the ground.

Good to know that the so-called “genius of our generation”—the sensei’s words, not mine—isn’t perfect. It’s almost surreal realizing that he trains just like a normal person!

Hmm… I wonder if Neji-baka does the same thing, secretly training just so he can act all smug in class. Now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t get the image out of my head and I stifle a laugh.

Apparently I don’t stifle it well enough, because Sasuke turns toward me and narrows his eyes.

Alright, showtime.

I step out from behind the tree, and for some reason, seeing me doesn’t make Dokesuke any less tense.

“Uh, hi?” I wave.

“What are you doing here?” Sasuke doesn’t even bother to greet me before starting the interrogation. Rude. He recognized me almost immediately. Must be the glasses—they’re pretty unique. “Are you following me?”

What a stuck-up brat!

“Why would I want to follow you?” I jab a finger at him to make it crystal clear how little I care about him and his fancy surname.

I decide to completely ignore the fact that I am following an Uchiha… just not him. In my defense, Shisui is way cooler than Dokesuke.

“Then why are you here?” He seems a little less tense now, but still on guard.

Wow, now that I think about it, the academy girls really traumatized him with this whole stalker thing, huh? Creepy.

“This is a training ground, genius. I came to train.”

“I’m already using this one. Find another.”

“Nope.”

“...”

“...”

“Why?” Sasuke finally gives in.

“I want you to teach me how to throw shuriken,” I declare. Can’t let Mikoto-ba find out I was lying from the start.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m already busy with my own training!”

“They say helping someone else is training too. That you learn better by teaching others,” I parrot something Teu-ji once told me to convince me to help Naruto with his reading assignments since I learned faster.

“That’s nonsense, you just made that up!” Sasuke stomps his foot in a near-tantrum.

“Then why don’t we ask your brother?” I’m fairly confident his brother will agree with me—Teu-ji’s never taught me anything wrong.

I just wasn’t expecting Sasuke’s face to twist into a pout at the mention of his brother. Did they fight? They’re rich, what could they possibly fight about? In my experience, money fixes almost every problem a person could have.

Whatever, not my problem.

“And what about Mikoto-ba? We could ask her.” Though I’d really rather not, since I still don’t want her finding out about my lie.

“Even if you’re right, why should I bother teaching a failure like you?” Dokesuke looks around. “And where’s that other loser?”

“Fine then, don’t teach me. I guess I’ll just go tell Mikoto-ba that you don’t have any friends because you’re rude to everyone!” I stick out my tongue before turning away.

Who does he think he is, calling me a ‘failure’ and Naruto a ‘loser’? Big idiot with duck-butt hair! Bet his head’s full of bird poop too!

I start marching back toward the Uchiha compound.

“Hey, wait! You can’t say that to my mom!” Sasuke jumps in front of me, face red, feet set apart like in taijutsu practice. “And how do you even know my mom in the first place?!”

“Mikoto-ba and I are really good friends!”

“Liar!”

“It’s true!”

“No, it’s not! Why would my mom be friends with a failure?!”

Ugh, how I wish I could punch him right now—but then I’d be the one getting beaten. Times like these, I really wish I were as strong as Lee.

“Because, unlike you, I’m a nice person. People likes me,” I lie.

“Who? You don’t have any friends besides Usuratonkachi,” Sasuke shoots back.

“Mikoto-ba likes me because I don’t abandon my friends, unlike you! At least I have one friend—you don’t even have that!”

“Shut up!”

“No!”

Dokesuke, irritated, throws a punch and I barely dodge out of pure reflex after taking so many hits from Lee last year and constant training with Naruto. I may not be good at throwing punches, but I’m getting pretty good at dodging them.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I do it gracefully, since I still end up landing flat on my butt after dodging. Sasuke blinks at me, just as surprised as I am that he actually swung.

“If you hit me, I’m telling Mikoto-ba!” I gasp, praying she’s the type who’d actually care. Just my luck if she’s one of those ‘pain makes you stronger’ types.

“Argh!” Sasuke grabs his hair, frustrated. “What do you want so you’ll shut up?”

Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. Almost worth the near-punch.

“I want your help getting close to Shisui,” I say with a grin, knowing full well I just caught my fish.

“Cousin Shisui?” Sasuke frowns, more confused than hostile—and that’s already a huge improvement. “Why him?”

“Why?! Because he’s amazing!” I blurt out. Honestly, who does Sasuke think he is, questioning Shisui’s superior awesomeness?

“Nii-san is better,” Sasuke declares like it’s an unshakable law of nature. Wasn’t he mad at his brother two seconds ago? Bipolar kid.

“No, Shisui-nii is better than your nii-san with his arms tied behind his back!”

“Nii-san beats Shisui with his arms and legs tied!”

“Shisui wins with his arms and legs tied and gagged!”

“Nii-san wins with his arms and legs tied, gagged, and blindfolded!”

“I… think that would be quite the challenge,” says a somewhat amused voice from the edge of the clearing. Both Sasuke and I turn at once, eyes wide, to the boy—obviously an Uchiha—standing there with a restrained smile.

No way.

“Nii-san!” Dokesuke abandons me immediately to run into his brother’s arms, hugging him like they’d been separated for years.

I just stand there awkwardly, not sure what to do with myself. Normally, at times like this, I’d have Naruto with me to trade jabs.

Sasuke’s nii-san looks at me, tilting his head curiously.

“Hello, I’m Uchiha Itachi. Are you Sasuke’s friend?” Itachi asks in a calm, low voice.

“Yes!” “No!” Sasuke and I answer at the same time.

We glare at each other like we’re saying “shut up” with just our eyes.

“Yes, we’re friends. That’s why we were training together,” I declare, not breaking eye contact with Dokesuke. “Sasuke would never hit a classmate outside of training.”

Itachi looks a little confused, glancing between us, but Doke gets the message and shoots me one last angry glare before turning back to his brother.

“Yes, we were training together, but we’re not—”

“Mikoto-ba was so happy to meet one of Sasuke’s friends from the academy,” I add with an innocent smile, which only earns me another death glare from Sasuke. “Me, Sasuke, and another friend of ours agreed to train together sometimes since Sasuke’s so good at this ninja stuff.”

“Hn? That’s good,” Itachi says with a small smile, resting his hand on Sasuke’s head—who looks about ready to leap at me and strangle me. “It’ll be good for you to learn teamwork. That’s an important skill for a shinobi.”

And just like that, any protest Sasuke might’ve had dies on his lips. I have to bite back a smile at my victory.

“Yes, Mikoto-ba thinks the same and said we could use the training field here, and that you and Shisui-niisan could teach us when you have time,” I finish with my most innocent expression.

“Well…” Itachi seems a little uncertain now, but when he glances at a sulking Sasuke, his expression softens. “I’ll do my best to find some time.”

“Really?!” I bounce in excitement. One teacher down, but I still need my main target. “And Shisui-niisan? Do you think he could teach us too?”

“Shisui and I go on many missions, so we might not have much time… Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Haru.”

“Haru-kun. When Shisui returns from his mission, he’ll be able to say if he can help with your training.”

Not perfect, but better than what I had before. No doubt Itachi’s good enough to teach me and Naruto the basics at least, right? Well, if he and Shisui-nii are always out on missions, it must mean they’re really skilled.

“It’s getting a little late. How about we say goodbye for now?” Itachi suggests, Sasuke clinging to his leg while still glaring at me like he wished he’d landed that punch earlier.

“Of course, you’re right. Good night!” I wave at them both, giving Dokesuke a particularly sweet smile.

“Good night, Haru-kun.”

Sasuke wasn’t going to answer, but Itachi nudged his little brother until he grumbled a sulky “Hn.”

Oh, I can’t wait to tell Naruto who our teachers are going to be!

Though… Naruto probably won’t be thrilled about having Sasuke as a training partner. Well, everyone has to make sacrifices, and this might be a good chance for Naruto to train his patience.

Yes, this will work.

The Naka wanted to drag us down in the current. The water is freezing, but the day is hot so it’s not that bad.

Yota, clinging to my back, looks bad. Really bad. What had the ANBU done to him?

After crossing the Naka, we’d be close enough to Konoha’s borders to help Yota escape. He could go far away. Maybe, if he managed to hide nearby, we could bring him food and clothes and everything would be fine.

But his increasingly ragged breathing against my ear is making it really hard to keep thinking positive. He’s not even strong enough to hold onto me anymore. Instead, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji are all helping to keep him there. Everyone helping me move forward without being dragged away by the river.

Lucky this part of the river isn’t too deep, because I can’t swim. I really should learn soon.

When we finally reach the other side, we’re all gasping for breath, throwing ourselves onto the ground to recover. But the wheezing coming from Yota draws us to him.

What’s wrong? What did they do to him? Why would they do this? What could Yota possibly have done to deserve this?

“He needs a doctor,” Chouji said, worried. “He doesn’t look good.”

“But we can’t... the ANBU are getting closer!” Kiba says, looking back at the river as if the agents might appear any second.

“What do we do? Why did they hurt him like this?” Sakura asked out loud the question I didn’t dare to.

Jiji didn’t know about this, right? He wouldn’t allow it, right?! Those ANBU must be traitors! They have to be.

“Hey, why are you all so sad?” Yota asked, through the rasp in his breath.

I hadn’t even realized my vision was blurred. That my eyes, just like my friends’, were filled with tears.

“Y-you’re dying, Y-Yota,” Ino sobbed.

“Ah... what a shame...” he murmured, staring up at the sky. “I was having so much fun... with friends.”

Why was this happening? This isn’t right!

Yota finally found friends, finally felt happy and not lonely anymore. So why, when things were finally coming together, when I’d made some friends who don’t hate me, why does he have to die? Why can’t Yota have this?

Are some people just not allowed to have friends?

I have Haru, but if I didn’t... then I’d be completely alone. Would anyone even want to be my friend then? Why can’t I be the one saving someone else from being lonely, the way Haru saved me?

This isn’t fair!

“It’s okay, Yota, we’re going to save you, d-dattebayo,” I say, not really believing my own words.

I don’t know how to save him. I’m not enough.

“It’s okay... I had fun,” Yota says, his voice weak. “You’re my friends... I-I’m happy.”

“Yota!” Sakura cries.

“But I think you need to forget...” Yota whispered, and I only heard because I was so close. “Yes. You have to forget, otherwise... it will be painful...”

“Yota, what do you mean...” my vision starts fading out. “Yota?”

I should help get him out of here...

(It's getting dark.)

I should...

...get him out?

...

Who?

It’s easy to follow Naruto’s chakra when you’re used to it.

His chakra is so big that I can feel it from practically anywhere in the village. Over the years, I’ve learned a trick thanks to my chakra control practices. Hide-and-seek games helped too.

I look for where Naruto’s chakra is thickest, densest, heaviest. I think most people who can sense Naruto try not to feel him directly—they try to feel through his chakra instead. I don’t really understand that stuff, but I guess that’s why so many ninjas manage to lose Naruto. I mean… they should be good at tracking, right?

I also have trouble feeling other people nearby when Naruto is around. Most of the time, it’s like only his chakra exists, covering everything and everyone. But I’ve gotten used to it.

Naruto is near the Uchiha complex — I don’t know why; he was closer to the academy when we parted ways — and I follow his chakra easily through the trees. I keep walking until I reach the Naka River.

The river… was it really this close?

I move down along the riverbank. I keep going until… are those… bodies?

On the other side of the river, I can see Naruto’s characteristic blond hair, but I also make out Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Sakura, and Kiba. And that crying boy from before.

I can still feel their chakra, at least. Well, I can feel everyone’s except the crying boy’s. Does he even have chakra? I could’ve sworn he did.

Is he… dead?

But…

He’s a child. Younger than me.

I feel a different chakra approaching. I only notice it because I’m straining so hard trying to find the boy’s chakra.

My body tenses, and I choke on my own breath. I look at Naruto on the other side… how can I get there? I don’t know how to swim. How did Naruto get there?

The unknown chakra is getting closer.

I need to hide… but my feet won’t move. I need to do something. Anything.

The first step is the hardest… my feet drag through the soft earth, but after that, it gets easier. I run to the bushes by the river and throw myself behind them.

I breathe fast, but it feels like no air is coming in. A sudden urge to vomit hits me and I need to cover my mouth with both hands.

He’s deadeadeadead.

The unknown chakra has reached the river.

It’s one of those masked ones. A mask with a beak, some green scribbles, and holes for round eyes. I’m too far away to hear anything he might be saying.

He’s not making hand signs, though. Whenever I see ninjas doing those jutsus, they always move their hands in some weird way. If he’s going to kill Naruto and the others, will he need one of those jutsus? If he starts making a hand sign… what do I do?

What do I do?

But… these masked ones aren’t Konoha ninjas, right? They’re the good guys? So I don’t need to hide?

He’s going to help Naruto, right? Maybe he’ll even save the crying boy, even if I can’t feel his chakra anymore.

But… he doesn’t do any of that.

He picks up the dead boy like he’s a bag of dirty clothes and… disappears. He vanishes into thin air.

I curl up more on the ground, pressing the dirt into my hands.

They took the boy. Deadeadead.

Why?

A masked one took the boy away. The masked ones watch Naruto. They enter our apartment and leave food for us. They’re always following us.

The boy… was dead.

“Naruto,” I gasp, face against the ground, smelling the wet dirt and trying not to think.

I didn’t see the ninja make any hand signs before disappearing. What if I’m wrong and they don’t need that? What if they killed Naruto…

No. I can still feel his chakra and the others’. It was just the boy.

I look around and see no one. I don’t sense anyone nearby either.

I stare at the river for a while, wondering how to get across, but judging by how wet the others are, I think I could walk through. My hands shake as I take off my shoes.

I cross the river. Slowly… each step harder than the last. The water tries to drag me away, but the stones on the riverbed help me keep my feet planted. The stones are smooth, but I just have to lean against the current a little to balance and not get swept away.

When I finally reach the other side, I run to Naruto.

I feel his chakra, but… what if I’m sensing it wrong? What if he’s dead too?

Nononono. He can’t be!

I shake him and end up splashing a lot of cold water on him, making Naruto squint before opening his eyes and waking up. He looks at me, confused.

“Haru?” he asks sleepily.

“Naruto, what happened to that boy? The one who was crying?” I ask, desperate. Please, please, there has to be an explanation.

“What boy?” Naruto frowns.

I look at him, stunned. How could he…

“There was a boy crying, and then it started to rain,” I say, and no recognition crosses Naruto’s face. “I went out, but you stayed to help him.”

“Haru, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Naruto looks even more confused, but then gets distracted, looking around, surprised. “Hey… what are we doing here? Why are you all wet? Did you go into the river?!”

He doesn’t remember.

How…

“Haru, are you okay? You look pale…” Naruto’s voice grows more distant, muffled. “Hey… what’s wrong? Haru…”

My vision is darkening. I can’t breathe.

They erased Naruto’s memory. They killed a boy.

Why?

What stops them from doing the same to me?

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How Mikoto and Itachi see Haru // How Sasuke sees Haru

Sasuke's expression (but only when Itachi isn't looking)

Otenki Yota