Chapter 2
The Sandaime Hokage peered down at her with sharp eyes that didn't fit his otherwise friendly face.
Charlie felt sweat pool at her nape. She was definitely under scrutiny, and it didn't help that stupid Naruto barged into his office screaming about "this weird girl he found naked in the forest", either. Said idiot was merely standing aside with a smug grin, probably figuring all the heat was off him for missing school.
Not so.
Sarutobi suddenly spun to glare at the young blond tightly. "And why were you out of class?"
Sheepishly, Naruto started to scratch his cheek. "Well, actually-"
"He said he was skipping 'cause he was tired of hearing Kuboyashi-sensei talk," Charlie piped up, grinning like a Cheshire cat as the boy floundered.
"Is that so," the Sandaime intoned, further narrowing his eyes if it were even possible.
When the boy's countenance turned properly fearful, the Hokage relented, straightening up to give both of them an even expression. Unbiddenly, Charlie found her spine straightening too; something about him rang an air of authority, even if he was pretty funny to watch on TV. She definitely felt it now, though.
"Naruto-kun, go back to class, and come here when your day is actually done. There is more I must discuss with your new friend," he said. The blond needed no further prompting- had he shunshined out of the office, he wouldn't have been any faster.
With the old man's critical gaze now on her, Charlie felt the embarrassment of her situation come back again. She had no reason to fear the man- she knew he was a good person, after all- but being found naked in a forest was plain humiliating. It was embarrassing with Naruto, and downright dreadful now that the Hokage knew.
'Charlie-chan. He's not going to want to let you close to Naruto if he thinks you've got bad intentions, you have to make your will known to him,' Minato's voice filtered urgently through her mind.
'Should I tell him the truth?'
'That's up to you. But Sarutobi-san is a good man, he will not banish you for telling the truth.'
Charlie felt his presence recede to the back of her mind, and knew he was content to sit back at watch the show. Easy for him, she thought sourly.
"Hi," she said to break the ice, because he was still awkwardly staring at her.
"Hello, Charlie-chan," the Hokage said with a cheerful smile. She noticed that he was going back to his desk to sit, and found it reassuring- he probably didn't want to loom over her while she told her tale. "You look concerned," he added offhandedly.
Charlie grimaced, choosing to drop the childish demeanor she'd held with Naruto. Her eyebrows pulled together sternly, eyes sharpening and jaw setting. It was a look unbefitting of a girl her size. Hell, it didn't fit her when she was her own age. It was what her few friends had called her 'RBF'- resting bitch face. "Because I am. You're going to think I'm crazy."
Noting the abrupt change, the Hokage shifted in his seat. "Why's that, Charlie-chan?"
Charlie scratched nervously at the back of her neck. "I'm sorry, I should've been straightforward in the beginning but I figure it is in Naruto's best interest to keep up the facade. I'm... actually 17," She grumbled.
The Hokage raised his eyebrows. "Is that all?" he asked, doubtful. Something about the way he held her gaze told her he would see right through her should she try to lie.
"I'm also not from this world," she added, doing her best to keep her voice steady.
His eyes nearly bulged before he frowned. "You what."
"I'm serious," Charlie said. "I woke up in front of Konoha, where Naruto found me. And I'm-" she scowled, "I guess I'm a kid now."
The Hokage got to his feet again to pace. "And why do you think you're in a different world?"
"Because where I'm from, all of this is a book."
And with that, she relayed the same story she had to Minato.
A few hours and a whole lot of questions later, the Hokage was leaning back in his chair, fingers steepled and brow furrowed thoughtfully. Charlie stood aside and let him think. She knew that he was a strategist, and he had a lot of years to perfect that. She wasn't sure there was a good way to respond to someone from another world, but if there was, he would find it.
She stood quietly by the windows, watching the sun dip lower on the horizon. Konoha was a sprawling village, but it looked quieter now with the pinks and purples of the sky hanging over it. Homier. That peace wouldn't last, she knew, but after spending the majority of her life in a big city, it was something to appreciate.
No matter how fleeting.
Maybe it was that she was coming to terms with her situation. Or maybe it was the village looking so much more real to her now. Or perhaps it was the knowledge that Naruto would be returning soon, with his too-bright eyes and his expectations, that caused her eyes to water. Perhaps all three.
Whatever the reason, her chin crumpled, lower lip jutting out just a bit as hot tears blurred her vision. 'What the hell?' she thought. It had been years since she'd last cried- though then again, it had been years since she'd had something to cry about. Still, she liked to think herself a strong person. Certainly not one to tremble in the face of peace.
'Why are you sad? I can feel you from all the way in here,' Minato said, smooth voice reverberating in her head with surprising gentleness.
'Maybe I'm scared. I'm not good at emotions,' she replied eventually, shaking her head. 'Konoha is beautiful and in just a few years it'll be- be-'
'But you're here now, right? Doesn't that count for something?' Minato sounded more sturdy then she felt at the moment, and so she hung onto his words like he was the cliff and she was the one who'd toppled off him. 'You and I both know you're not here as a penance. You're here to help. How will you do that if you wilt now?'
He was right. She knew he was right. It still didn't help her existential question of 'why me?' though.
'Of all the people in all the universes, what could I contribute? How could I?'
'There's a reason you're here. Don't you feel it? Don't you feel it wasn't an accident at all?'
Charlie pressed her lips together. She didn't know what to feel right now. But, she noted as she rubbed her eyes free of the tears, she would be hard pressed to let the Hokage see her cry.
'I can only do as much as I can,' she told him.
'That's all I expect.'
And so she pasted a smile on her lips and walked round to the Hokage's desk to ask him his thoughts. Maybe she didn't feel that smile now, but maybe she would later.
Naruto arrived about the same way a tornado would. You see them coming from miles away, yet all you can do is hold your head in your hands because there's nothing you can do to stop the chaos that was about to ensue.
Case in point, he nearly bowled Charlie over on his way to the Hokage to plead his case.
She swished once, twice, and was barely able to maintain her balance. She felt rather than saw Sarutobi's amusement.
"OLD MAN I SWEAR I WASN'T-"
The Hokage held up a hand, grimacing at the sudden noise in the otherwise peaceful room. "Naruto-kun it's fine. Charlie-chan and I were just discussing her living arrangements."
The blond paused in his tracks. "Oh! You're letting her live here, jii-san?" His eyes landed on her, and she gave him the most convincing grin she could.
"She's interested in staying, yes. We do have the problem of her only being ten, howeve-"
"But I'm on my own and I'm ten!" Naruto interrupted. The Sandaime sweatdropped. "She can come live with me!"
Charlie's eyes widened comically, and suddenly all she could think of was trash piled everywhere dried ramen noodles on the floor and his TOILET-
"You only have one room, Naruto-kun, that wouldn't work," the Hokage said, thank God. "But perhaps we can put her near you... would that be appealing to you, Charlie-chan?"
The girl nodded wordlessly. As long as she didn't have to room with Naruto, she'd be okay living in a cupboard under the stairs. "I'll do my best to pay you back as soon as I can, Hokage-sama," she said, and glared at the man when he opened his mouth to disagree.
"SO DOES THAT MEAN CHARLIE GETS TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH ME?!" Naruto cheered preemptively.
Again, Sarutobi's expression turned sheepish. "We haven't discussed whether Charlie-chan would want to be a ninja yet," he said gently.
Suddenly, the heat was on the girl again.
She flushed in embarrassment. "U-um, well, I assume that'd be most- appropriate," she managed haltingly, eyes flashing with the meaning behind it. She would do what it took to keep an eye on Naruto and everyone else he held dear.
Hell, she didn't even know if her body had chakra yet. But if Rock Lee could do it, so could she. And she couldn't use her brain to fight her enemies.
"SWEET! I MADE A FRIEND AND SHE'S GOING TO CLASS WITH ME!" And Charlie couldn't help the small smile on her lips when he said that.
The Hokage tried (in vain) to tamp the boy's enthusiasm, but eventually gave up and turned to the girl. "I'll have you stay at the hospital for tonight to be looked over. We don't know what has happened to you before you woke up, and your apartment won't be ready by tonight anyway. Okay?"
Charlie nodded, and with that, she was escorted to the hospital while Naruto was sent home with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist for playing hooky.
Left alone in his office, Sarutobi found himself watching the two children as they parted ways on the ground below him.
His eyes narrowed slightly in thought. That girl... if what she'd said was true, she would be in grave danger. She would be hailed as a seer, and then burned as a witch when things didn't go their way. He would need to keep a close eye on her, and everyone surrounding her, if he wanted to maintain the peace Konoha had fought so hard for.
There was something else, something that put him on edge. When she'd come in, when she'd looked up at him with her childishly round face... he had been surprised. He had been surprised that she was who she was. She... felt off. Her chakra felt off. Something wasn't right with the girl.
He wanted to protect her, wanted to keep that little secret of their future to himself, and yet... he was unsure. Something about her didn't make sense.
Well, regardless. He would keep her a secret for as long as he saw fit, and whatever happened, happened. So, with a deep sigh, he took out a scroll, and began to write.
The ANBU escorting her to the hospital gave her a tap on the shoulder.
Charlie, who had been staring after Naruto like an idiot, jolted at the surprise. Her friend, who had made her promise to see him tomorrow, was already yards away.
She found herself wanting to follow him rather than go with the ANBU, but it couldn't be helped.
"Sorry, ANBU-san," she mumbled, turning on her heel to stride further without another word.
The Konoha Hospital was disturbingly large in comparison to the amount of people in the village. Perhaps she was just seeing things from a new perspective, but as she craned her head to look it over fully, she couldn't help but be a bit intimidated. She hoped that her visiting here didn't become commonplace.
"Such a dangerous profession you people have," she noted to the silent ninja by her side. Because the only reason Konoha would have a hospital that big was because it needed to.
The man next to her (and she figured it was a man, from his bulky frame) said nothing, not that she'd expected him to.
The medic-nin who greeted them at the front desk seemed a little ill at ease as her plain brown eyes glanced over Charlie's company. Maybe Charlie should've been, too- or at least acted like it- but to be honest she was much too exhausted to think of such things.
"Er, hello. How can I help you today?" the woman asked, fixing a wobbly smile on her face. She had that warm, well-meaning sort of face, and Charlie couldn't help smiling a little back.
Before the girl could open her mouth to reply, however, the otherwise silent ANBU beside her spoke up. "She is to be given a physical and bed for the night, by order of the Hokage," he said, in a voice that was both stern and surprisingly young.
The medic nodded nervously and paged someone down to meet them.
Turning to the girl, the ANBU knelt to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're expected back at the Hokage's office at nine tomorrow morning. I will be back to collect you then."
Charlie nodded wordlessly, and the next she knew, he'd disappeared.
A half hour later, she was in an examination room. A medic (that was not as nice as the other one) was asking increasingly probing questions, and she had begun to get irritated.
"I'm ten," she said, with the correct amount of ice, "I haven't had my period yet."
The medic sent her a terse look. "Well, we don't have a file on you. I have to build this from scratch, so bear with me." He was an older man, past his prime with hooded, irritated eyes and a slight tremor in his hand. The pad of documents he wrote on had to be at least twenty pages thick, and they were only halfway through.
Charlie twitched at the order. "What are you going to ask me next, my sexual history?" she sassed.
The man gave her a searching look before scribbling something down with his pen. It looked suspiciously like 'none'. She twitched again.
"-And I don't have any STIs either."
Another scribble.
"I'm ten," she emphasized.
"It doesn't matter. I still need to know." But the man was sighing now, pinching the bridge of his nose repeatedly.
And so it went.
By the time her new file was complete, the moon was high in the sky and Charlie could feel herself swaying in exhaustion. Then again, maybe it was from having her blood drawn and getting her vaccines (5 of them).
"Alright," the medic grumbled, clicking his pen and standing up with a groan. "You're right as rain. I'll take you to a bed."
Charlie offered no smart comments as she followed him down two flights of stairs and down a hallway.
The room he led her to was communal, three beds along each wall, but empty and dark. Even the shades were drawn. "You may stay here," he said.
It was as good a place as any, so Charlie nodded and, as annoying as he had been, bade him goodnight. She dropped onto the first bed she saw and didn't bother shucking any of her borrowed clothing, instead simply passing out.
She'd had a long day, after all.
ALC. ALC. ALC.
The next morning, her eyes snapped open at precisely 7 AM.
Disoriented, she sat up, holding a hand to her head as she looked around. 'Where-'
'I was wondering when you'd wake up!' someone chirped in her head, and the girl gasped, jumping half off the bed.
Her present situation flooded back into her brain in that moment, and she groaned, falling back onto her pillow with her eyes squeezed shut. 'Shit. For a second I still thought I was...'
'I'm sorry, Charlie,' Minato mumbled, sounding a bit contrite.
'It's fine. Just- give me a second.'
Perhaps she'd had the latent hope that she was still in some kind of dream. That was crushed quickly enough.
Sighing, the girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She was surprisingly well rested, though she was sure she'd been sent to bed at around 2 the night before. Maybe that was the childlike tenacity of her new body?
'Oh, don't you worry,' she said to the little hands she now possessed, 'I'll break you in yet.' Her new body was just as unblemished and fragile as her last. She'd need to toughen it up by the time she joined the Konoha ranks.
Charlie hummed thoughtfully. Last night, she'd told the Hokage she'd become a ninja. It wasn't a lie, and she'd gladly do it to keep an eye on Naruto, but...
'I was the weakest person on Earth in my last life. How will I fit in now?' It was a relevant concern. She'd been able to garner respect with her brain back then, but physical prowess was important now- no, it was vital. Especially for the goals her ever-whirring brain was setting for itself.
Learning things about being a ninja through a book was the easy part. Training her body less so.
'I wouldn't worry too much, Charlie,' Minato said, 'and besides, if you can't figure something out or need a training regimen, you've a cheat sheet right in your head.'
'Would you really help me?' Charlie thought, with some degree of hope. 'I don't want you to feel used or anything...'
Minato's warm laughter filled her ears, and she flushed in embarrassment. 'I want to help you just as much as you want to help yourself. But...' he trailed off. 'Nevermind that for now. That operative is approaching, now.'
Charlie frowned, glancing around. She didn't see anyone... 'Can you sense him somehow?'
'Yes. You can't?'
Charlie shook her head.
'Well, if you didn't have the ability to sense chakra then I wouldn't either. So perhaps it's just latent in you. But, anyway... he's watching through the window.'
The girl decided to push chakra sensing to the back of her mind to ruminate later. Right now, the clock on the wall said 7:15- but the ANBU had said he'd return at 9. Why was he there early?
Charlie turned around to stare out the window. She didn't see anything, but that didn't mean nothing was there.
Frowning and impatient, she said, "You can come out now."
A moment later, the window opened, and the ANBU smoothly entered the room. He looked the same as he had yesterday, haystack brown hair and a mask that could've been a mole? Or perhaps an otter?
Either way, he wasn't saying anything and it was grating on her nerves. He just stood there, postured like he wasn't just trying to creep on her.
Her brow ticked. "Were you trying to watch me sleep?" she inquired callously.
The man made a motion similar to a shrug with more apathy. "I was told to arrive here at 7:15."
The redhead narrowed her eyes icily and strode forward. "You didn't finish your statement. You were told to arrive here at 7:15 because you and yours wanted to spy on me. Why?"
"I do not question my orders. If you're awake..." The ANBU knelt there, pulling a scroll out of his thigh holster and unrolling it.
She watched with trepidation as he unsealed...
"Clothes," she noted in surprise. Standard black pants, mesh top, black sleeveless shirt, and black sandals. How dull. Well, she couldn't wear Naruto's clothes forever.
She wordlessly took them and slipped over to the attached bathroom, sassily throwing a, "I won't peep here if I were you," over her shoulder as she went.
The hospital shower had a weak stream and smelled like antiseptic, but the water was warm and the soap they had individually packaged on the counter smelled like lilacs.
Charlie enjoyed the shower for an appropriate amount of time, but her mind was on more serious subjects. She refrained from thinking about the biggest elephant in the room- how to get back home, if it was even possible- and instead, thought about the ANBU right outside the door.
'He doesn't strike me as the perverted type,' she thought dryly. He didn't strike her as lying, either. Danzō had ordered him there, which meant she was on his radar already. Hell, he'd probably had someone watching her overnight too, and Minato hadn't been focusing enough to notice.
While it wasn't surprising Danzō would be interested in a random kid appearing in the village, it was a cause for concern. She didn't want to appear on any kind of radar, especially his.
Especially because if she did end up staying here, she damn well would be undoing the bullshit he'd put in place, at least to the best of her abilities.
But he didn't need to know that yet.
Resigning herself to (pretend to) take the ANBU at his word, she turned the water off, letting herself drip off as she rolled her shoulders. It would be a trying day, of that she was sure. But as long as she didn't do anything too suspicious, it would be an obstacle easily tackled.
As she stepped out, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. It had been the first time she'd glanced at herself fully since waking here- the other bathroom times had been strictly business- so she decided to take a moment. She did look remarkably similar to herself as a child- same uncooperative red curls, same freckles, same light brown eyes and petulant expression. Her cheeks were a bit puffier than she remembered though, to her distaste.
Well, all in all, she supposed she didn't look bad. For a supposed anime character. If she was on the outside looking in, perhaps she would've found herself charming. The girl in the mirror shrugged, turning away dismissively. As long as people took her seriously, she really didn't care what she looked like.
She dressed in her new clothes, which fit all too well (save for the size-too-big shoes), and tied her hair in a knot at the top of her head (the only hairstyle she could do without a hair tie). And then it was time to go.
The ANBU stood in the same spot she'd left him in. He was breathing evenly, and his head didn't move to acknowledge her presence. It was a bit unnerving.
"You should take me to breakfast," she said, striding up to him with all the confidence in the world.
His head tilted down to gaze silently at her.
"I'm hungry," she added, and her stomach growled to back her up. "I haven't eaten since arriving at the village."
The ANBU disappeared, and she scowled. Dickhead.
She had just settled on the bed again to await his return when wind ruffled behind her. She turned, surprised, to see the ANBU there with a plastic bag in hand.
Her eyebrows raised. "Breakfast?" she guessed. He nodded.
She took the bag from him, probably overly eager. Inside was a premade breakfast wrap and a pear. Not enough for two, she noted. "Thanks," she told him, unwrapping the sandwich and jamming it into her mouth.
It quelled the hunger that had been building in her tummy enough that she felt comfortable holding the pear in his general direction. "Here."
He made no move to grab it, and her eyebrow ticked. "Just take it already, I'm full," she grouched.
The ANBU took it from her, which pleased her, yet only pocketed it, which did not. The redhead pouted and swung her legs below her; she had hoped to catch a glimpse of his face that way...
Glancing up at the clock, Charlie blew out a breath and let it take her frustrations with it. "It's as good a time as any to start heading over," she mumbled, lurching to her feet and shoving her hands in her pockets.
"There is still an hour until your meeting with the Hokage, Charlie-san," the ANBU voices dutifully.
"Then you can take me on the scenic route. I've only ever seen a sliver of this village so far," Charlie shrugged.
Looking doubtful even with the mask on, the ninja nonetheless followed her out the room and down to the main desk. There was a different medic nin behind the counter, and he, too, seemed a bit nervous in the ANBU's presence. "Checking out," the redhead said. "Should be under Charlie."
The man blinked. "Last name, miss?"
"Just Charlie." And out she went.
It was a crisp sort of morning. The wind that blew through the streets bit at her cheeks, and she pulled her jacket closer around her. Still, she had to admit the village was... pretty, in the morning. The sky was still tinged with red and pink, and the dew that had accumulated overnight made everything smell fresher somehow.
Charlie took a big lungful of it. You didn't get scents like this in cities like Philadelphia- where she'd been before. Philadelphia smelled like taco trucks and mold, an attractive mix.
Konoha was more homely overall. The buildings were smaller and more prosaic, no cars in the streets- hell, no streets at all. And quiet, too. So peacefully quiet. If Charlie ended up staying here, at least she wouldn't be upset at her new digs- they were rather comfortable.
The ANBU wordlessly accompanied her as she set off down the street alone. She had no doubt the ninja would be able to direct her back to where she needed to be if she got lost, and had little fear either- perhaps it was bold of her, but she assumed the ANBU would not let danger come to her. At least not yet.
And so she walked quietly down the streets, turning down random alleyways and past random unmarked buildings. Her mind map of the place was remembering every bush, trash can, and flower, of course, but she herself was having a grand time.
"It's really pretty here," Charlie noted with a small smile. Her nose caught the scent of the takoyaki vendor just opening shop for the day, and she paused, hungrily breathing it in.
The ANBU paused as well. "Was it not pretty where you came from?" he inquired.
Charlie quirked an eyebrow, sending him a knowing smile. "Who knows?"
Around a half hour later, she had cut through perhaps a quarter of the village. The time was drawing nearer to her next meeting, and so she reluctantly allowed the ninja to lead her closer to the Hokage Tower. More people milled about now, and she could feel their eyes on her as she strolled past, the strange girl with her ANBU friend. She just met their gazes with a small, hopefully reassuring, smile. She didn't want them to hate her, at least not yet.
The Hokage Tower was a challenge. It was a winding staircase that ended up winding her by the time they reached the right floor. The ANBU was silent beside her, though she'd expected it- extra training and all.
The ANBU knocked twice on the door to the Sandaime's office. "Come in," the man called on the other side, remarkably cheerful for the early hour.
He was dressed the same as he'd always been, though his Hokage hat was in his hands as he looked down over the village. He turned when they entered, and with a single nod towards her companion, they were alone. Or at least he'd had the decency to conceil himself.
"Good morning," Charlie said politely, smiling. She truly did like Sarutobi. He'd always been a grandfather figure for Naruto in the anime, and though he perhaps hadn't been able to shield the kid completely from the villagers' unwarranted hatred, he'd done a lot more for him than anyone else had. She had to give him props for that, at least.
"Good morning, Charlie-chan. Did you sleep well?"
The redhead shrugged. "As well as I could have, given that interesting third degree I got from the medic who treated me." Well, perhaps she couldn't let him off that easy. A secret little smirk curled the corners of her lips.
Sarutobi winced. "Ah, unfortunately it can't be helped," he said with sincerity, "but I promise from here on out it will be smooth sailing."
Charlie raised her eyebrows. "One can hope," she mumbled in response. Nothing was ever smooth sailing in Naruto. Speaking of... "Has Naru-"
"Yes," the Hokage interrupted, and Charlie chuckled. "He is an impatient boy."
"I suppose there are worse things to be," the girl replied goodnaturedly. It warmed her slightly that the kid had taken an interest in her so quickly. Well, not only that, but it would make looking after him much easier if he liked her. She doubted Minato would want her to stray too far from him.
"You're quite right," Sarutobi said, smiling at her. "I've opened that apartment beside his, by the way. You're all ready to move in, though you will still have some shopping to do for food and clothes."
Charlie sweatdropped. "Ah, well, I don't really-"
"I'll have you on an allowance, just as I have Naruto-kun on. Don't worry," he added, sensing her hesitation.
"I'll pay you back as soon as I can," she said resolutely. She had always been rather independent, and being indebted to someone, even if it was the Hokage, left a bitter taste in her mouth. In fact, getting help from others at all didn't really sit well with her. Charlie had almost always been able to solve her own problems.
Sarutobi frowned a little at her. It almost looked like he could see right through her. He sat down at his chair, setting his hat to the side and steepling his fingers. "There's no rush. You are in a precarious position right now."
The redhead managed a wry smile. "They don't call you 'the professor' for nothing, huh?"
"It's my job to know things," he replied cheerfully. "And anyway, where would we be without our friends?" Charlie chuckled. It seemed to her like he was the type of person who could utter a few words that would leave everyone else thinking on them the rest of the day.
"Anyway, about the Academy," Charlie spoke up, deciding to not so subtly change the subject. "Have you spoken to them yet?"
"Of course. They are anticipating your arrival tomorrow. Which brings me to our next order of business," the Hokage hummed, and searched through one of his desk drawers a moment. He pulled out a sealed scroll and beckoned her closer.
He lowered his voice, though she was sure the entire room was soundproofed anyway. "This is your new identity. It is the one I gave to Danzou when he realized there had been a strange girl who entered the village yesterday, and it is the one I will now show to you." Charlie nodded, face turning stony. Danzou had obviously not believed the Hokage if he was snooping around her this morning, so she would have to make this new identity her own, and quickly.
The old man unsealed the scroll with deft fingers and rolled it out. There was a single picture of her, taken unawares when she was at the hospital, and all of her defining characteristics. He had written her a new background story, one of a harrowing escape from a dangerous family outside Fire country. Her new name was Charlie Shimizu. "Listen closely, Charlie-chan," Sarutobi said. "You gave me all of this information when you arrived here. You come from a dangerous family, though you were taken in as a foster. You have no living blood relatives, and you do not know which village or family you're truly from. I should stress that the main goal here is to remain under the radar. Your red hair will be of great interest to many, so please be sure to deny any rumors you hear, alright?"
The girl gave a jerky bob of the head. "And the name Shimizu? Where does it come from?"
"I told him I gave you that name. You don't remember having one. To Danzou, you should come across as just another wayward orphan with a sorrowful past. And," he gave her a critical look, "anything that makes you stand out is dangerous and needs to be tamped down."
I.e., don't come across as the smart aleck teenager she really was. Got it. Though it concerned her just a bit- she knew very well what Danzou did with wayward orphans.
"And how will I explain my affinity for Naruto? I won't push him aside like many others, surely he will notice."
"He will probably just consider it ignorance. To his knowledge, you're not aware of Naruto-kun's past, and it should stay that way. All Naruto-kun is to you, is your neighbor and friend."
"Understood." Charlie straightened and gave a cheeky salute. "Should I be expecting a tag along when I go clothes shopping today?"
Sarutobi chuckled as he handed her an envelope with her new house key and a wad of money. "Do you need one?"
"Not at all." She remembered where at least a few clothing stores were, after all. "Though I will need help finding Naruto's apartment building."
"Come back here when you're done. I've already told him to meet me here when he's out of class."
Charlie left the Hokage tower with a smile and a spring in her step. Hell, she felt as light as she looked. With tons of money in her pocket and a new direction to go in, however, who wouldn't?
It was about time for her to start on her new mission: become Charlie Shimizu, boredom extraordinaire!