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Suraimu yawns and stretches his arms...Is what I'd like to say—But a small brown missile bursts into his room and tackles him before he can even wake up.
"COME ON, COME ON, WAKE UP, SURA-NII! YOU SAID WE COULD PLAY NINJA AFTER BREAKFAST!"
The energetic child shakes Suraimu violently until he groggily mutters,"H-huh… stop shaking me."
He lazily puts a hand on the child's head as she starts to pout."Okay, but hurry up and eat so we can play!"
She darts out of the room without another word, leaving Suraimu alone.
This time, Suraimu yawns for real and stretches his arms before dragging himself out of bed and into the bathroom without a thought.
After finishing his morning routine...Wait a second. How do I know my morning routine if I've never done it before...?I'll just chalk it up to muscle memory and move on.
Suraimu made his way to the large kitchen/dining room, pausing when he noticed the sheer amount of kids.Oh right. I'm in Naruto. And judging by the number of children, I'm probably in an orphanage…
How unlucky do I have to be to end up with no parents in both lives?
Shrugging it off—Since the Fourth Hokage's head isn't on the big rock yet, I'm going to assume I'm somewhere between the beginning of the Second and the end of the Third Shinobi World Wars… yay me—
Before he could think more, someone started talking to him.
"I heard Ishado was up late last night and has to do extra dishes today," the kid snickered."I'd hate to be him right now."
Suraimu looked a little guilty and replied,"Maybe it wasn't him this time?"
The kid raised an eyebrow."Did you hit your head or something, Sura? It's always Ishado."
He grabbed two plates of food and handed one to Suraimu.Suraimu accepted it. "Thanks… I don't know, I'm just saying it can't be him every time, you know… uh…"
He stared at the kid for a moment before realization dawned on the other boy's face, his eye twitching.
"Have you really forgotten my name again? Sigh… Sugawara. But you've got to stop doing this."
"Sorry," Suraimu said simply as they sat down together at a nearby table, the room buzzing with childish chatter.
"Besides that, what are your plans for today, Sura?"
Suraimu paused to think."I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to play ninja with another kid or something…"
Another pause.
"You forgot again, didn't you."
"Yep."
A dry look crossed Sugawara's face."Go ask Kuse. She'll tell you."
Assuming that Kuse is the child who launched herself into my ribcage this morning...
"Alright, I'll do that."
Finishing his breakfast, Suraimu handed his plate to a nearby adult before walking over to the energetic warhead of a child.
"Uhh… Hey—"
A bright expression lit up her face."SURA-NII!!"
She jumped up and down, grabbing his arms.
"COME ON, COME ON! THE MATRON IS TAKING US TO THE PARK, AND WE CAN PLAY NINJA WITH EVERYONE! HURRY, HURRY!"
He let himself be dragged to the front door, where a group of kids was already lined up. They stopped at the back of the line.
"Alright now, kids," the matron called, her voice firm but kind."Make sure you behave while we walk to the park… especially you, Ishado."
She gave a playful glare to one of the boys before opening the door.
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I'm actually kind of excited, you know?
I mean—I'm exploring the world of Naruto. Something that used to be trapped behind a screen is now real.
Before I knew it, we had arrived at a ridiculously vibrant park. The grass was lush and green, the trees sturdy and tall, the sound of animals created a peaceful atmosphere...
But before I could enjoy the scenery—
"Sura-NII!!"Kuse yanked me over to a group of kids.
"You're the enemy ninja! That means you're the seeker!"
And just like that, everyone scattered.
I sighed and laid down in the grass.'1… 2… Man, I really wanted a chance to test out my skill… 4… 5… I wonder if using [Devour] on bugs would give me skills… 10… 11… I hope so… 15… 16… Forget about it, I'm bored.'"Ready or not, here I come."
I wonder if that's even the phrase here…
I started hunting down the kids. It was… kind of pitiful.
I mean, they are kids, but—"I found you. Hiding behind a tree only works if you're not constantly giggling."
I sighed again as I easily tracked down one child after another.
How dumb do you have to be to close your eyes, cover your face, and think you're invisible?
Finally—
"Oh, there you are, Kuse. That's actually not a bad hiding spot. How'd you get up there, anyway?"
He looked up to find her perched on a branch.
"DID YOU LIKE MY SPOT?! IT WAS SUPER GOOD, RIGHT? Giggle... AHHHH HELP ME, SURA-NII! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET DOWN?!"
He sighed again."I'll go get the matron."
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A while later, we returned to the orphanage.
What a shame. Some dumb kid got hurt, and now I didn't get the chance to test my skill...
The matron's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Some of you," she said, looking directly at me and a few others,"are old enough to start the Academy during the next semester. Those of you who are, get ready and pack your things. The village will grant you an apartment and a stipend until you graduate."
Wait, what? Don't they usually start at five or something?
Seeing our confused expressions, she elaborated:
"Due to the Second Shinobi World War, the entrance age was lowered to four. If your birthday falls in the early part of the year, you may even start at three."
Oh… that kind of makes sense.Thank Kami. I don't think I could last much longer in this orphanage. These kids would drive me up the walls.
He glanced over and noticed Kuse's sad expression.
He placed a hand on her head and smiled."Don't be sad. I'm going to become a super ninja."
Her expression lightened a little, though she still looked upset.
"I'm going to miss you…"
She wrapped her small arms around him in the biggest hug her tiny body could offer.He hugged her back gently, then pulled away with a smile.
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Later, I sat quietly in my room, what little I owned already packed.The matron stepped in.
"Are you ready?"
I nodded silently.
She motioned for me to follow, then chuckled."You've always been a quiet kid, you know."
A pause.
"But when you're with Kuse… she lights up. She's going to miss you."
Another pause.
"You could at least say something, you know."
"What is there to say?"
She smiled softly."I guess that's right. Now go become a ninja—and make this orphanage proud."
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