Crosspossted from AO3, with some notes missing.

Hope you enjoy.

Secrets of the Soul Spiral

Chapter III

Cheating on the Survival Exam

Uzumaki

I was playing with a single ryo coin, waiting.

I was just outside of the Yamanaka residence, sprawled on the grass right under a very important window.

Sun was slowly peeking from the horizon, lighting up the sky with reds and yellows. The shadows were long, but it wasn't cold. The occasional sprinkles of dew on the grass meant that it was slightly damp, but that didn't bother me. I could rely on my Transformation jutsu to get a new set of dry clothes, anyway.

I kept throwing the coin up, watching it glimmer in the sunlight and then trying to cushion it with chakra as it impacted my palm. I wasn't great at it. Maybe it was the nerves, or just bad luck, but the coin would constantly slip me and then shoot out in an unexpected direction as I misjudged the amount of chakra needed.

At least I didn't have to get up after each failure - most of the time I could snatch the scattered count while it was still in the air, usually with my left hand, so I didn't need to worry about the chakra build up in my right. Even when I was too slow, the coin would fall within reach most of the time.

I still had to get up and fetch the coin at least a handful of times by now, and that didn't help my simmering disappointment with the lack of visible progress. Still... It was a good way to get some training in, while I waited for Ino to wake up.

We hadn't exactly planned this meeting, but I knew she shouldn't have been too busy. I flipped the coin between my fingers. I hoped that Ino wouldn't sleep in too long.

This morning, I woke up when it was still dark outside, hours earlier than my alarm clock was set to. Instead of going back to sleep, I chose to spend the time cooking. First, I took care of my own stomach with ramen, and then I prepared a small treat for Ino.

I threw the coin upwards, pushed a bit too much chakra into my attempt and it bounced back up, even higher than before. I was buzzing with energy, probably because I was nervous.

Having energy was never an issue in Konoha, where I was positively buzzing with chakra. That was one of the reasons for my habit of waking up early. Unless I was bored out of my mind, I didn't actually want that much sleep. My energy here was nearly endless, especially when compared with the dream-word. Early mornings in Surrey were heavy, but here, I would spring to action sooner rather than later. Even on days where I missed out on sleep, I could rely on my chakra to freshen me up.

I prepared to catch the coin again, trying to get my agitated chakra to calm down enough for the exercise to work.

"Haruko?" a sleepy voice called out of the window, and I grabbed the coin out of the air instead of using chakra. I looked up and saw Ino. I took in her sleepy expression and slightly wild mess of morning hair, and grinned. She was leaning out of the window just above me, blinking and frowning. She must have sensed me, because I was reasonably quiet. "Did something happen?"

"Can-," I had figured a dozen different ways to approach this conversation, but when I was actually there, I was getting cold feet. "Hi. Would you like to have breakfast together? I've made some cherry pudding for you. It's fresh, still cold from the fridge."

I pointed to the bento box right next to me.

"How early did you get up today? Before sunrise? On our day off?" Ino wondered out loud and yawned, watching the bento box and slowly realizing what I brought her. "Do you want to come in, or...?"

"I thought we could train for a bit together after," I offered. "I wanted- I need to talk with you about- things."

"Give me a few minutes, Haruko-chan," Ino chirped cheerfully - I could see that the promise of pudding for breakfast was working wonders to help her though the early morning. "I'll tell my mom to not cook anything for me, and be right out."

"Thanks!" I shouted as she disappeared from the window and returned to my exercise.

I waited for a bit, perhaps two hundred more throws of the coin worth of time... Then, Ino appeared from out of the corner, perfectly presentable, her hair brushed up, and clothes without as much as a wrinkle. At that exact moment I was fishing the coin out of the grass after a spectacularly failed attempt to catch it.

Ino smiled and gave me a quick hug as I straightened up and hid the coin in the pocket of my outfit. "Where to?" she asked. "What's our plan?"

"I was hoping you'd know a private place nearby," I said hopefully. I slapped my palms together and gave her a quick bow. "Please, Ino-senpai."

"Sure, sure," she laughed it off. "We can use one of the family's training areas. It's very private, but on the smaller side, so you have to promise not to go too wild." She winked.

I agreed without any hesitation.

It was barely a five minute walk from her house.

I wouldn't have guessed it for a training ground, because it was just a small, secluded garden, with a high, thick hedge surrounding us from all sides. There was a middle circle with soft grass that showed signs of being used to spar, but no other damage stood out, nor were there any targets for throwing practice.

Instead, there were a couple of small wooden benches, all surrounded by all manner of flowers planted in close clusters, grouped by some mysterious logic - certainly not by their color or appearance. Perhaps by smell or some medicinal properties?

It still looked very pretty, if a bit wild and random.

Nearby, a dull thumping sound rang, and I noticed a bamboo sozu bouncing back up to begin slowly filling up with water. The echoes of the dull sound in the garden sounded... unusually strong.

On the far side of the garden, furthest from the narrow entrance pathway, there was a small stone shrine, standing surrounded by moss covered rocks.

The shrine was carved from a human-sized boulder, four pillars holding up a thin stone roof with a small metal bell hanging in the middle. On each of the pillars strange foreign letters were carved, in what seemed to be multiple different scripts and languages. None were ones I could read, even if some looked more familiar than others.

On the shrine's stone base, a small staircase of seven steps was carved out. On the bottom stair, two large candles were placed, but neither of them was lit. Each other step had multiple tiny wooden boxes placed throughout. Their sizes varied, but all of them had a slit to push a paper charm through. Some even very visibly full up to the brim, stuffed fully with prayer papers.

The shrine was very well kept, but looked quite old, too, overgrown by the flower bushes on both sides.

I raised my eyebrow at Ino. "Is this really a training ground?"

"It is," she said. "It's also a place of remembrance. A place to open the mind. A shrine for the forgotten memories."

Ino all but dragged me to one of the benches, and seated us so the small shrine was perfectly in view. The scent of flowers was overpowering, but at the same time it was soothing.

I took a deep breath, and the sozu thumped. Goosebumps ran through my skin as the thump resonated within me.

My memories suddenly felt... sharper. Not too strong, not distracting... but.. different.

Ino let me sit with my thoughts for a bit, instead focusing on the bento I brought her. She unwrapped the bento and opened it up.

I opened my mouth and closed it again.

"Did you- ?" I asked after another long breath. "Know?"

Ino found the disposable spoon I had included with the box and dug into the cherry pudding. "Know what?" she asked between quick bites, feigning innocence. "This is very good, thank you!"

I could barely smell the cherries, instead, my senses were focusing on something impossible. I could almost taste the hints of British air - which made absolutely no sense - the air there was always bad, and here, I was in a flower garden in the middle of Konoha.

I put my palms over my face. There was another thump of the bamboo fountain, but I was starting to get lulled into a strange trance, and it barely registered for me, fading completely into the background.

"I asked the Hokage for permission," I said finally.

I didn't see Ino, but I couldn't hear her chewing, so she must have stopped, waiting for me to continue.

"Jiji said this is an A-rank secret, but that I could tell you now," I pushed on. "And - he said that your father already knows, but maybe only the gist of it? I'm not supposed to tell anyone else, not until we graduate, even though I tried to get permission for Shikako and Sakura-chan, too. Same would go for you. I think you can tell your dad, maybe, but only the bits you really think you should?"

I pushed a couple of fingers open and peeked at Ino. She had the disposable bamboo spoon in her mouth, which clashed with her serious expression. Noticing my look she snached it out and placed it back into the bento box, blushing lightly.

"I won't tell," she promised. "I swear."

"I-" I took a deep breath, and remembered the uncomfortable feeling of the chakra-starved dream-world, and the recent rush of a few partially successful techniques. "I remember my past life. But not in a way that makes sense - if it ever does for anyone. You mentioned reincarnation this week during kunoichi classes, remember? I thought you'd know something, so I asked Jiji to let me talk to you about it."

Ino nodded, and her eyes sparkled with barely restrained curiosity. "Ooh, this is exciting," she said. "Tell me everything!"

I took another deep breath. "Where do I begin," I mumbled.

"Do you remember much?" Ino asked with untamed excitement, her eyes locked onto mine. "Is it a few random memories or something more? Do you use a specific anchor or do they surface naturally?"

I blinked, confused. "What's an anchor?"

"Sorry," she said. "It's not a topic I get to speak outside of the clan often - I'm just too excited to have a friend who remembers! You might have not even heard the term. That's how our clan calls it, but maybe the Hokage has a different name for it..."

I focused on Ino's words, letting my hands fall back onto my lap, but I still intertwined my fingers, and started fidgeting them anxiously.

"We believe that everyone with a strong connection to chakra carries their past lives very close, but the memories are very difficult to access. It's not exactly a technique, but some try to look for some sort of anchor to recall them. That's usually a sensory trigger, or a certain state of mind, and then - you anchor to your past memories and can remember."

"I've never done anything like it." I shook my head.

"Then you must have a natural connection - I'm slightly jealous." Ino smiled warmly. "That's rare, but happens with truly soul-deep memories. That's the naturally surfacing bits I mentioned - I've never had such myself. So - if you can tell me - do you remember much? I'm sorry for pushing - it's just all very interesting."

"It's alright," I said. "I wanted to have someone to talk to about it all."

"Anytime."

"The part that's A-rank..." I clenched my hands together. "I remember more every time I dream, and I don't forget it when I wake up. I don't think I've ever had a normal dream, whatever that is. And they don't feel like memories - it's more like I'm reliving every single day one by one."

"That's... different," Ino said, suddenly thoughtful.

"I know," I said. "The Hokage said that he's never heard of a case exactly like mine."

"Then you get to be even more unique," Ino said and flashed me a thumbs up. "That's a good thing, Haruko-chan," she added. "Why aren't you-"

"Happy?" I asked and shuffled closer to Ino.

"Or proud?" Ino wrapped one of her hands over my shoulders. "Aren't memories of a whole full life amazing? You're such a firecracker here, so you must have been awesome in your past life, right? And you get to remember it all! That's like a personal gift from the Sage of Six Paths!"

"I guess." I leaned my head on Ino's shoulder. "Life in Konoha is awesome, there's no question," I admitted. "I'd love to be the best kunoichi in the village, or maybe even the Hokage one day, and it's a very nice dream, you know?"

"Where's the but?" Ino patted my head. "Don't think you got what it takes to make Hokage?"

"Becoming a Hokage isn't likely for me," I sighed. "But it's not that."

"If you're saying that you can't be both a kunoichi and a kage at the same time, I'm going to have to kick your butt, Haruko," Ino joked softly. "What's wrong with having a good life in Konoha, exactly?"

"I didn't mean it like that, Ino," I mumbled. "The Kage must be very popular to be considered, and all the civilians hate Naruto... When people figure me out, they're not going to care how awesome of a kunoichi I could become."

"They don't hate-"

I gently nudged at Ino's side to stop her. "I've been on the streets enough times to know there's a world of difference between Haruko and Naruto. But that's a whole nother can of worms, I'm here to talk about my past life, not my future."

"There's something else you're worried about?"

"It's just - when I'm here, talking to you, it all feels very real, you know," I said. "Even the Hokage says that this is the reality and my dreams are only memories, and I want it to be true, but..."

Ino didn't say anything, but kept me in the half-hug.

"When I'm dreaming, it's not as clear cut anymore. Konoha becomes a wishful figment of my imagination, and I'm just stuck being a rowdy civilian kid. I'm weak, there's barely any chakra, and I'm on the run. When I'm in the dream-world of my memories, it feels so real... I feel like I made all of it up to escape my life, or something..." I trailed off.

Then, Ino poked me in my cheek, and I twitched. "Feels real, doesn't it?" she said confidently. "You sure didn't make me up, Haruko, I'm my own creation, thank you very much."

"I know you're real," I said and sighed. "Feeling is not a good check, I've been bruised and scraped many times in my dream-world, too, and it all felt real at the time."

"Hmm." Ino clicked with her tongue a couple of times, thoughtful. "I'll have to ask dad, maybe there's some trick he knows. For now, we can treat both lives as real in their own way, how about it?"

"But doesn't the reincarnation have to be one after the other, by the very definition?"

"Good question - probably," Ino chuckled. "Ask me again in a few years. I don't understand enough to answer one way or the other. I could give you the Three Classics to read when we make genin, but it's not going to be spelled out on the first page. The Sage of Six Paths was a bit cryptic."

"Books, what joy," I mumbled, defeated. "I'll think about it."

"So, let's assume both lives are real for now," Ino repeated. "What can you tell me about the dream-life-you? You mentioned being on the run?"

"Yes, that," I chucked. "They say I have a family there, an aunt and uncle. They have a child about my age, too... But- They never felt like my family to me, and all of them are just the worst! Before you ask, no, they're not really violent, I've only gotten in a few scrapes with my cousin. They just hate my guts for something I didn't do, and I can't work out what it is. I tried my best to fit in, but they hated me more for it, so I stopped trying a long while ago."

"And now... You ran away?"

I nodded. "I've been planning my escape for a while, nicked a bit of money from my uncle, got some food and spare clothes and hid everything under the loose bedroom floorboard. But then, a few strange people got to my house first, and I didn't want to risk it. They have dangerous techniques, and there were at least two of them patrolling, so I just turned away and ran. I've got a bit of a plan, and there's bound to be something to scavenge on the way."

"Their techniques - is that the memory jutsu you were asking around for?" Ino squeezed me closer. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I hope so," I said. "Jiji thinks that they couldn't remove my memories of Konoha, even if it wasn't a dream, but I want to tell you about it so you could remind me if I forget the dream-world or something."

"Good idea," Ino agreed. "You could also keep written notes in code. You speak a local language there? You could write notes in it here, so you keep your A-rank secret even if someone finds them."

"I'll get around to that too," I grumbled.

Ino's stomach growled and she blushed.

"I'm going to be fine, you can eat your pudding, that's why I made it," I pointed out. "You can listen and eat at the same time?"

"I'll manage." Ino giggled and after another quick squeeze she released the half hug, took out the disposable bamboo spoon again and licked her lips. "So... How's your great escape going?"

"To begin, I should say that Jiji calls my dream-world chakra-starved, and that's very close to the truth. So far, my best attempts at recreating Jutsu have only been partially successful, but I've managed a partial Transformation Jutsu. So - I've got half of a disguise."

Ino's eyes widened and she hurriedly swallowed the bite of cherry pudding she had just put into her mouth. "Did you actually use techniques you learned here in your dream-world? Is that even possible?"

"Not exactly," I complained. "It doesn't work properly, and I practice my techniques there daily with little results. Except sometimes, things just click and they work - but only ever for a short burst. I made the most progress with the Transformation jutsu, it's my best technique for a reason."

"This is going to be such a puzzle to work out," Ino mumbled. "Let's just carry on for now."

"As I was saying - the Transformation jutsu - I was hoping to get something close to this level of awesome." I pointed my thumb towards myself for a moment. "It worked a bit - my hair lengthened and changed color, and I did manage to shift my facial features a bit, but nowhere close enough to what I wanted. Haruko's Infinite Wardrobe part of the jutsu didn't work at all, so all I've got is a gray baggy shirt and an old pair of jeans that are too wide for me."

Ino looked properly upset by that bit of information about my limited wardrobe, which must have been difficult to pull off, because she was clearly enjoying her cherry pudding very much just a second before.

I launched in a detailed recollection of my scouting out of the Little Winging, and my subsequent escape.

The memories were right there, seemingly swimming to the surface by themselves, and soon I was telling story after story about my life in England...

Potter

While I had an outline of a plan, I hadn't anticipated such an early start. Also, while I felt near a breakthrough, I hoped for a much better control of my jutsu before I was on my own.

My emergency supplies proved a waste of time and effort, as they remained hidden under the loose floorboard in my former bedroom in Little Whinging, never to be recovered.

Nonetheless, I was almost a full ninja of Konoha (I was hoping for an early graduation, so it didn't matter that there were still years of academy ahead), and I had scrapped passing marks in Iruka-sensei introductory survival training classes. I was going to be fine. I hoped.

I spent most of my first free day quite literally on the run, traveling alongside eastern side of river Wey, heading towards the town of Guildford. I had no things to carry, and could afford a quicker pace, which was still way slower than I could have been as Haruko.

I had chosen Guildford beforehand, as it was one of the biggest towns I could reach on foot from Little Winging in less than a day. I could have gone to Woking, which was a bit closer, but that was a more obvious destination. I had no idea if anyone was going to actively look for me, but I didn't want to be predictable, just in case.

There were a few major issues with me having escaped with just the clothes on my back. The foremost of those was the lack of food and drink, and, of course, I had neither a bag to carry my things in, nor any of the tools for survival.

I knew that chakra could be used to counteract the lack of basic necessities, but I had basically no access to chakra, so that option was certainly out.

In addition to all that, when Iruka-sensei taught the salvaging lessons, he had never covered areas as extensively urbanized as Britain, but all I had to do was be aware and get creative.

I would have to rely on luck.

The luck came through when I stumbled upon some useful litter in my path. One man's trash, Haruko's treasure and all that. After a quick search for anything functional, I carried off a thick plastic back with a few bottles, glass and plastic. This was only the start of my new supplies.

I kept a decent pace, only occasionally stopping to choose a good throwing stone, which went into the jeans pockets, and once, for choosing a nice walking stick out of a pile of fallen branches.

I wasn't approaching the occasional homes that were in my way, but I knew that if things got desperate, I could resort to petty theft. I didn't like the idea of stealing from civilians without a mission, but personal survival seemed like an exception.

My first meal was rather poor. It was a medium sized bird that I managed to hit with a thrown stone, cooked in a temporary fire pit. Getting that fire going without chakra was hard, but it was very much covered in my lessons.

I built a smokeless fire pit for cooking, just like Iruka-sensei had taught us. Then, I used the heat of the fire to boil some water from the river, careful to not overheat the glass bottles. Quick temperature changes for glass would have been quite dangerous, but it worked out well. I ended up with two clean bottles of boiled water, more than enough to sate my thirst for a bit.

Other than preparing the bird meat, I fashioned a tiny knife from broken glass, and carved myself some basic wooden corks to keep the bottles sealed.

The meal wasn't very good, but I felt like I had proven to myself that I could handle things here. In that sense, the unknown bird tasted like sweet victory. Except it was bland, because I had no condiments.

I had another, shorter stop even closer to Guildford, where I cooked a small fish. I was very lucky to notice movement in the river, and speared it with a sharpened end of the walking stick. I once again used the heat of the fire pit to refill the bottles with boiled water.

It was already dark when I entered the outskirts of Guildford proper. The whole trip had taken me a lot longer than I hoped for. I didn't have chakra to assist me, and in this body, I was significantly weaker. As Haruko, I imagined the whole trip would have taken a couple of hours at most, where now reaching Guildford from Little Whinging meant a whole day of grueling effort.

Tired and grumbling, I went about to find myself a shelter for the night. I didn't have energy or time to do it properly, which meant an uncomfortable night was coming. There were a lot of brick houses around, but I didn't risk trying to break in.

Instead, I found a secluded corner where I was shielded from the winds, planting my back to someone's brick house, hidden from the streets by the cluster of bushes.

I woke up twice during that night, which messed up with my sense of passing time spectacularly, as in those few pathetic hours of rest I spent almost three full days in Konoha.

When I woke up for the final time, cold and miserable in the twilight hours before dawn, I decided it would have to be enough. I didn't feel well rested, but I would have to make do. Just before waking up, in Konoha, I had just finished spending almost a whole day together with Ino, catching her up on my life prior to the escape - we also had spared for a bit afterwards.

I gathered my bearings slowly, picked up the plastic bag with all of my possessions, and took a quick detour back to the river Wey. There, I splashed my face with water to better wake up a bit, and got to work on the hardest part of my escape plan.

I concentrated, ran through the seals, and tried to modify my Transformation Jutsu. I needed a good disguise, preferably one that could pass for a full adult, or at least a self-sufficient teenager.

It failed.

It wasn't that the technique didn't work at all, I even managed to find a decent focus point to get a grip of my shape for control, but the changes just didn't happen as they should have.

I glared at the barely visible reflection in the water. All I did with tremendous effort, was to lengthen my hair a bit more, and while still dark, it had some hints or redness shining through.

Worst of all, it didn't seem like I could affect my height at all. This was pathetic.

I grit my teeth and focused for a second attempt.

Once more, I saw my hair lengthening - but that seemed to be the extent of what I could do. My attempts to change the clothes were met with outright failure.

I concentrated harder, and focused on my eyes. I could just about make the green color of my irises when leaning close to my reflection. Then, they started shifting color.

Progress!

Something was wrong.

There was a dull ache in my body, one that I first attributed to a bad reaction to food, but now it seemed to be getting stronger the more I tried to change my shape.

I pushed against the resistance, and the pain spiked even more sharply. For a moment, I felt as if an invisible giant was trying to tear me to pieces, so I stopped fighting the jutsu.

The pain subsided, retreating to an annoying ache.

I tried to dismiss the technique completely.

Didn't work.

"This is bad," I muttered out loud.

My reflection glared at me.

I sighed.

I'd have to work with what I had.

At least, I wasn't immediately recognisable. My hair was a good few shades lighter, mostly brown, and the hints of red looked natural enough. It was also significantly longer. My eyes were Haruko-blue, and coupled with a few other minor changes I managed back in Little Whinging, only my scar would truly betray me.

I still could hide it with my hair - or some sort of headband, should I find any fabric for it.

I sighed and stood up, dusting myself off.

It would have to do.

I looked once more at the river. The water was dark and slightly muddy. I sniffed at my armpit. Grimaced.

Bad, but it could have been worse.

I had already washed my face in the river, mostly to wake myself up, but I still didn't feel clean. The river Wey wasn't ideal for swimming, too shallow, overgrown and muddy in most places, and I found myself longing for any of the crystal-clear ponds of Konoha.

I still considered jumping in for a quick swim. No, I was too hungry and too cold, and while the river wasn't terribly cold, I had no reliable way to quickly dry out afterwards. It would have saped too much of my already limited energy.

As if on cue, my stomach growled, demanding sustenance.

I uncorked the glass bottle, took a quick drink and thought about my options once more. The river water should have been clean enough to drink after boiling, but it still tasted a bit off...

I could spend days trying to recreate necessities from scratch in the wild (if there even was such a thing as true wilderness near Guildford anyway), or take a plunge into the life of crime and resort to thievery.

My stomach growled once more.

What else could I turn to? I didn't have chakra to keep me going. This body was used to store-bought and homemade food, and making a sudden shift into sustaining myself purely from the sparse local wildlife wasn't ideal.

I felt like there was no other option, but to resort to stealing. I would have to nab a bunch of necessities, to get a headstart on survival. A few meals, a better bag or even a backpack. What else did I need?

Some rope and bandages, the survival lessons whispered in an imagined voice of Iruka-sensei. A map of the area - because otherwise I'd be going blind. Also, I needed a change of clothes, because Haruko's Infinite Wardrobe Jutsu was out of my reach.

I sighed. It was a tall order.

I wasn't sure I could remain undetected with such a long shopping list. I needed to find a big enough shop to even have most of the things, and then risk everything in a single attempt to gather as much as possible all at once.

Yes, that was the way to go.

I'd never even considered stealing in Konoha, but here, I was fighting for my own survival, stuck behind enemy lines. I could steal from my enemies.

My rising hunger put a deadline on my planning, so I hid my current possessions up in a tree and went to find myself a supermarket. I had seen signs near the street, and I hoped it wasn't too far.

It wasn't long before I found what was possibly the largest supermarket in the suburbs of Guildford.

There was a huge and mostly empty parking lot, flanked by a small gas station on one end and a sprawling brown multi-part building of the supermarket on the other.

It was still an early morning, and they were in the process of opening up. Only the pharmacy inside the supermarket building and the gas station across it were accepting customers, but then I saw a staff member unlocking the true supermarket section.

That would work.

I considered my appearance once again. I still looked like a small child, and while I wasn't too dirty, my boots were muddy and my jeans were worn and thorn, marked with grass stains. I could easily be mistaken for a street urchin or a beggar, which was too close to the truth.

Would they let an unsupervised small child browse in the shop alone? I had no idea, but I doubted it. In Konoha, no shopkeeper would have batted an eye, provided I didn't look like Naruto, but here, the children were a lot... younger.

If only my jutsu were more reliable...

I shook my head and considered my approach again.

I didn't know how advanced their surveillance system was. I would have to operate on the assumption that there were cameras inside, meaning that it would be impossible to steal everything without getting noticed along the way. It was just a question of how much I could get away with before that happened.

It wasn't going to be a clean operation whatever I did, so I spent most of my preparation on figuring out the escape routes. Shoplifting at a large scale was sure to garner a lot of commotion, but I doubted the bored-looking shop guards would bother to chase me far beyond the parking lot, if that.

I still scouted around, to choose a few backup routes that would hinder any pursuers.

Satisfied with my preparation, I returned to look for an opportune moment for entry.

I had an idea. They would pay a lot of attention to a suspicious child, but if I found myself the right customer to shadow, I could keep them in the dark for that much longer.

I was almost a genin.

I could play a trick on a few civilians.

My opportunity came after almost half an hour of lurking. I saw a sleepy man disembarking his car, and with the way he seemed lost in thought he became a perfect target for me.

I dashed quietly between cars, reaching him just as he stepped off the parking lot, getting really close to match his steps, yet keeping just out of his sight.

Now, if I timed it well, for the onlookers I would look like his quiet child. I could be silent when I wanted to, and made extra certain to match the man's gait while remaining unnoticed. My goal wasn't to trick the man, instead I was trying to play the staff, without anyone being the wiser.

Silent like a shadow, I stuck close to the man. I was keeping my expression neutral, my gaze lowered, as if I was shy to be in public. Inside, I was giddy with excitement.

I was so going to pull it off!

When we were entering the supermarket, I even held onto the edge of the man's coat, careful not to tug it and betray my presence. At the same time, I tried to appear perfectly innocent to the security guard, who certainly noted my messy clothes, but didn't say anything.

Perfect.

I kept my pace with my target for a few more minutes, silently shuffling to always keep a bit behind him, right up until we entered the largest shop of the supermarket. Then, I turned the corner on the first aisle and ran off.

I was in.

How much time did I have until someone started asking questions? I didn't know, but I was about to find out.

I grinned at the challenge.

There were barely a handful of people in the store, including the staff, and I resolved to keep out of everyone's sight as much as possible. Before starting on collecting the essentials, I took a quick, quiet run to take measure of the store's layout. If I got spotted too early, I still had to ensure a decent haul and I needed to plot a route of retreat that would let me grab at least a few essentials.

My first real stop was at the school and office supply section. It was small, but there was a row of colorful backpacks on sale.

Exactly what I was looking for.

Yes!

I grabbed the first dark orange backpack I could reach, quickly removed the cardboard padding from the inside, and bit off the plastic cord to remove the dangling label with the price.

The backpack was advertising an animated show with a cheap-looking gold and silver logo which glittered in the light. There were a handful of cat-like people in various poses printed on it and a sword smack-dab in the middle, but I didn't pay it too much attention.

It was just a cheap backpack, but the material looked strong enough to last me at least a short while...

I zipped the backpack back up, leaving only a small opening on the left side, and put it on. I checked that I could reach the opening to put things in without removing it and nodded to myself, satisfied.

I proceed to loot the office supply section. A couple of rolls of see-through duct tape, a handful of pens, a tiny notebook and a pair of scissors disappeared in the backpack and I moved on.

No one had stopped me yet. No one seemed to be aware of my plans, as I evaded the members of the staff with an awareness of a ninja-in-training.

It was only a matter of time until I slipped up. I had to hurry.

I stopped by the cutlery section to grab a couple of civilian knives, and a spoon. I searched for a proper can opener, but quickly gave up, mostly because I heard footsteps approaching from a nearby aisle. Cans could be opened with a knife, and if I spent too much time looking for a better tool, I might not have time to steal enough canned food anyway.

Canned food was my number one priority after that. It would be protected from the elements, and even after eating the food, cans would serve as storage for water or makeshift cookware.

I spent a long time collecting various canned vegetables, and found a huge can of meat, a small bit of canned fish, too. To top it off, there was some canned bread, which was something I had never tasted in my life, but I felt that it would work out.

My bag was already getting heavy and stuffed, but I wasn't done.

I moved onto lesser priority items. I grabbed a few bars of soap, only one of them scented, and pocketed a small roll of dental floss, because it was more compact than a toothbrush.

I was almost cornered at the newspaper section, but before retreating, I still managed to find a folder map of the Surrey area, which I stuffed into the back pocket of my jeans.

I didn't think they were exactly onto me yet, but a store guard was definitely patrolling with more determination. Maybe they were beginning to be suspicious, but didn't want to start the chase without visual confirmation. I probably wouldn't have time to steal from a pharmacy - reaching that particular section of the supermarket would have taken me past the cash registers, and the pharmacy section didn't have a good escape route, with only a single exit.

Instead of proper medical supplies, I'd have to make do with a small bottle of alcohol to help keep things sterile if there was a need for it. The labels on the bottles were too small for me to decipher quickly, so I just grabbed whichever and hoped for the best.

I had just moved on when I noticed a security guard looming nearby. I retreated and double backed through the back aisle. My next destination was the clothing section. It was a bit barebones, because this wasn't a clothing shop, but still, I wanted to take a look. If nothing else, I needed more fabric, if only for makeshift bandages.

I didn't know how much clothes I would actually fit into my backpack, but I could also just carry a bundle in my arms, too - clothes were an important item, hard to come by in the wilderness.

It was in the clothing aisle where I was finally cornered. I was struggling to fit a pair of large shirts into my backpack, hindered by having wrapped a pair of sportswear paints over my arm beforehand.

I might have been a drop too greedy.

"What are you doing, kid?" a harsh voice demanded. "Where are your parents?"

The chase was on!

The security guard clearly didn't expect me to start running. Perhaps, he had hoped that I would stop and cry like a child or just let him grab onto me, but I was an academy student, and even though my body was weak, I was nimble enough to evade a large, slow man.

We danced in the clothing section - I threw some things at him, and grabbed a scarf for myself.

I dodged him, and grabbed a pair of baggy trousers. The guard was relentless and grabbed onto the trousers' leg, so I had to let go, throwing them right into his face - which he didn't expect. He slipped on a shirt I had thrown on the ground, and stumbled.

I was once again out of his reach.

There were a lot of curses thrown my way.

This was quite like dodging an angry ninja after a prank had gone awry, except at least twice as slow as it would have been in Konoha. Here, I actually had a fighting chance, even when both of us were in terrible physical shape.

The security guard looked angrier by the second, and I was on the verge of doubling down with laughter - which didn't help my escape, but whatever giggles had escaped me put the guard even more on the edge.

Still, he obviously had never been in a face-off with a kunoichi. I led him around the aisles, darting quickly around corners.

I almost ran into the second guard, but they weren't too uncoordinated about the chase, so I slid on the floor smoothly, and then leaped over the small plastic chain between two a closed cash register - a feat that was rather difficult with the heavy pack on my back, and then I was right at the main exit.

Luckily, they didn't have enough foresight to block it in time.

I was free!

"I'll pay you back one day," I shouted out as I was legging off eastward, trying to lay a false trail. "Believe it!"

I had judged the guard determination correctly - neither of the two pursued me further than the edge of the parking lot. As soon as I'd left them behind, I veered to the side and disappeared between the brick houses.

I was exhausted by the end of it, but the salvage mission was a resounding success.

Potter

There were two ideas that were fighting in my head. Neither was foolproof nor guaranteed any long term success, and yet...

One option was to stay in towns, or perhaps even head into London proper, to keep stealing food for survival, and search for an abandoned house to squat in. I had no urban survival classes to fall back on, but I knew I would learn quickly.

While it was a decent choice in general, I didn't want to rely on it for now. Maybe, if the weather got colder, I would have no recourse but to retreat into a bigger city, but while it was still summer outside, I had no wish to be staying in a dusty, stinking city of the so-called modern and civilized Britain. Especially if I had other options.

After all, I was a kunoichi of the leaf, and my place was between the trees, in the wild. Retreating to the wilderness would give me time to adjust to life alone. I could spend my time perfecting the local version of Transformation jutsu, which was a key to my success.

All of my long term plans required me to appear older than this body was, and that just wouldn't work out without a Transformation disguise. If I tried to find employment or shelter as I was, I would probably get thrown into an orphanage, and I had a healthy dislike of orphanages from my early childhood in Konoha. Never again.

While I pondered the choice, I took my time with Guildford.

For almost a full week I lived as a shadow in their streets.

I searched, salvaged and stole.

I surveyed the train station the first opportunity I got. I judged the station security lacking after an hour of observation. There were barely any guards, the few cameras they had didn't even cover the full perimeter, and I was reasonably certain I could easily sneak onto any train that stopped at the station.

There was a slight danger to be noticed while the train was leaving the station, but I figured taking an evening train would solve that problem handily with the added cover of darkness. From then on, I included freighthopping into my plans, which expanded my reach.

I spent a couple of days getting familiar with Guildford proper. It wasn't a big town, but there were occasional visiting tourists, and the city centre boasted enough shops to satisfy my needs. I saw the sights, scouted out the shops, and learned the layout of the streets. I also explored the grounds of the University of Surrey, but in the summer it lacked the student body presence, and felt a bit empty. I walked all the the parks and found them not measuring up to Konoha.

Most importantly, I managed not to draw any unwanted attention.

I pulled off a few lower stake heists, too. In none of these I was remotely close to danger, unlike during my first one. I was smart about it, never giving in to greed or hunger again. Only took an occasional item, used the cover of other shoppers, and spent a lot more time preparing for each shoplift.

Perhaps my most dangerous and self-indulgent theft was that of a lovely flowery summer dress. It was light orange, decorated with a bright and delicate flower pattern - I had fallen in love with it from the first sight. While the staff were serving a line of buyers and weren't paying attention I cut off a piece of the fabric that held the anti-theft tag, and sneaked out of the shop before I was even noticed. This meant that my pretty dress had quite a hideous hole on the side, but it still made me happy to have it.

Stealing something pretty that I didn't need was probably a sign of me coming to terms with my situation. Still I never fully shook the discomfort of stealing. I feared that I'd gone beyond my basic needs, and couldn't justify my actions as much as when I'd been more desperate. I kept a long list of all of the things I stole in my notebook, penned in Fire Country's katakana. I wanted to have that list, because I still held onto a small hope that I could return the money I owed, sometime in the future.

I even tried to steal from bigger stores, ones with a recognizable chain, so I wouldn't be damaging someone's livelihood by accident, but even then I didn't feel pride in it.

This, for me, felt like proof that living in a big town wasn't exactly for me, and each day, I felt the call of the wilderness more. Still, I had to make sure I was ready - both with supplies and in determination.

For my temporary stay in Guildford, I had claimed a half-decent hiding place in an abandoned building for a base of operations. There, I practiced the Transformation jutsu as much as possible, powering through the tearing pain.

I was getting better, but it wasn't even close to what I hoped. This body was not suited for the rough life on the streets, and that exhaustion was making my concentration terrible. It might have been why I was having so much trouble with it.

I felt constantly tired, had trouble falling asleep, and the permanent ache of the Transformation jutsu was wearing me down. Worst of all, the stolen food didn't taste as good, and I didn't have enough space to think about keeping a collection of condiments. I only stole a bit of salt, but I was saving it to use for preservation of meat and fish, for when I'd finally move into the wilderness.

I hoped that some fresh air would do me good.

Bit by bit, my preparations for a trip were progressing, and my supplies grew. A larger duffel bag joined my colorful backpack, and I completed my collection of bags by stealing a compact sleeping bag.

Backpack on my back, I could carry the duffel back in one hand, and sleeping bag in the other - and that was all I could manage with my meager strength, even with all of the training that I was doing.

When I found a shop that stocked well packed plastic raincoats, I stole a few. They were adult-sized, but folded to a little pocket-sized envelope. Very convenient. With their large size, I could wear them over everything, and they would serve to protect me from bad weather in a multitude of ways.

One day, I decided that enough was enough. I wasn't as ready as I wanted to be, but I would make do.

I had to leave Guildford behind.

Another reason for my departure were the locals and their rising suspicion. People had picked up on an unknown thief, and even though they didn't know who it was, they were taking more precautions and stepping up their game. I've even seen a few police officers on patrol during my last food supply mission in Guildford.

Everything worked out fine that time, but I didn't want to make myself into a bigger target.

Maybe I was being paranoid, but the increased police presence made me even more anxious. Was I being hunted, since running away? All the signs pointed to no - there were no missing posters, and I hadn't seen anything in the discarded newspapers that would even mention my escape.

At the same time...

I couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was looking for me. A few times, I felt like there were unseen observers shadowing me, and each time I felt cornered, I trusted my instincts and retreated to a new place, trying to shake them off.

I never found any proof of the pursuers, but that didn't mean they didn't exist.

After studying my map, I decided to try my luck in a southern part of Surrey - the very same river Wey was crossing a few nature commons, and while I wasn't enticed by the golf course that was proudly marked on my map, I knew I would find at least a few forested areas in the south.

I longed for life surrounded by a true forest, to live with nature breathing nearby. Of course, I imagined living in a proper wooden house, taking care of a herd of deer, but for now, a long-term hideout would have to suffice.

I was ready. I had painstakingly collected a large amount of essential survival equipment. I had trained. Everyone knew that Konoha shinobi were stronger with trees at their back, and I wanted to prove it true.

I needed it to be true.

Potter

One late evening, I made my escape from Guildford under the cover of heavy rain.

It was child's play to sneak onto a south-bound train, even with the heavy load I carried. I was covered with a plastic raincoat, all of my possessions either in the backpack or the duffel bag I clutched close to my chest, except for the sleeping bag, upon which I sat down.

It was not a pleasant trip, because the rain and wind had picked up - they hid me perfectly from any onlookers, but made the trip miserable and cold.

It was tough, but I endured, even without chakra to keep me warm.

I carefully watched for the lights, tracking the stations. In this weather, I couldn't keep checking my map, so I had to count on my memory. I would be freighthopping south, towards Whitley, which didn't take too long to reach.

I remembered a few ponds marked in the local commons, and even a large forested area. There, I would get myself a decent enough shelter. If all was good, I would be set to survive for at least a couple of months.

By then, I would have a decent plan and perfect control over my Transformation Jutsu. I grit my teeth. I had no wish to come back to Little Whinging. It was no longer my home.

Instead, I would find a new place to call home!

Believe it!

Uzumaki

The old man looked tired. At first, I didn't even notice it, focused on devouring bowl after bowl of Ichiraku Ramen. My hunger in Konoha was even greater than before, especially compared to the dream-world, where I had trouble fitting as much food as I needed into myself, even when I felt hungry.

"... and I made a long-term shelter just like Iruka-sensei taught us," I said, proudly regaling the only-slightly-embellished tales from my adventure in the dream-world. "It's quite close to the river, and I've got a few traps set up for small game - and I'm getting real good at plucking wild birds. I don't know their names, but I know which ones are the tastiest."

"That sounds nice, Naruto," the Hokage commented absent-mindednly, and I understood that he was only partially listening.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No," the old man shook his head. "Why would you think so, Naruto?"

"You've been very busy lately," I noted. "That's all."

"I'm sorry," the Hokage said and smiled warmly. "Indeed, my mind keeps dwelling on other issues, but they are nothing an academy student should be concerned about."

I pouted.

The old man smiled. "Tell me more about your studies, how are you keeping up with your reading?"

I groaned. "I'm getting better," I said, hopeful that it was close enough to the truth.

"Would you like me to get you a tutor for kanji?" he suggested. It was an offer he made often, one that I had refused many times before.

I crossed my hands. "There's no need, I got it under control. But I would love to learn some cool jutsu! Could I get a tutor for cool jutsu instead?"

The old man chuckled. "You have to get better at basics first, Naruto-kun" he admonished. "Then you can transition to other techniques. You can't build a good house on shaky foundations."

I inhaled another bowl of ramen. At least he didn't press the matter of kanji, which was a relief.

"Oh," I suddenly remembered a question I planned to ask, but one that I had forgotten when a bowl of ramen was put before me. "Is it bad to feel pain when using a Transformation Jutsu?"

"Does it happen often?" The old man sounded mildly concerned by it. "You're still running around in your Transformation almost all the time, aren't you?"

I rubbed at the back of my head. "It doesn't happen in Konoha," I pointed out and his expression softened a bit. "Only in the... dream."

There were no other customers, and Teuchi was deliberately busying himself with his back turned to us, but I didn't want the old man to think I was completely careless.

"Pain is often an indicator of a serious mistake in technique fundamentals." The Hokage rubbed at his short beard. "If the body were suffering from chakra exhaustion, you could be doing serious damage to it, especially with badly performed seals."

"But why does it keep working if I'm doing it wrong?" I complained. "I feel that I can do more each time, yet the pain keeps lingering, too... And I can't dismiss it the usual way, either. I need to revert the changes one by one, and that's slow and painful."

"You should stop experimenting, Naruto," Jiji cautioned. "This is not a place for an in depth discussion of the topic, but you should be very careful."

"But what if I need to...?"

"You shouldn't."

The words ran final, and I didn't dare protest.

The Hokage patted my shoulder. "If there's ever lingering pain when you wake up, you should head for the hospital without delay. I'll add your name to a special waiting list so they know what to look for."

"I- I will," I said and nodded my head. "I promise."

"Do you have enough space in you for another bowl?" The Hokage pointed at the pile of empty bowls stacked on the counter. It felt like a misdirection to change the topic of the conversation, but I could always talk about ramen!

"I want to," I admitted and rubbed my stomach. It felt really, really full. "Maybe in a few minutes? Which flavor should I choose," I pondered.

I had high hopes for my chances of finishing another full bowl.

Potter

I woke up groggy.

My body was heavy. My hands ached, my skin was itchy and my legs were still asleep.

It was one of the better days, and I still felt horrible.

The sun was already up.

I overslept.

Again.

I groaned and dragged myself out of the sleeping bag, and then started entangling myself from the hidden shelter.

Soon, I stood upright, swaying slightly and trying to focus. I couldn't let my exhaustion win.

Grumbling under my breath, I started on my morning exercises. I needed to get myself moving, else I would be useless for most of the day.

It wasn't easy, but the exercises always served well to wake me up.

My hideout was surrounded by thick hazel bushes, and was completely covered from any hikers exploring the forest by all kinds of overgrowth. I had shelter from wind and rain, and I had fashioned a roof over my head, by disguising the plastic raincoat as part of the bush cover, hiding it with a bunch of loose branches and leaves.

It wasn in no way perfect, but probably the best I could come up with with what I had. Such a shelter would last me anywhere from a few more weeks to a couple of months, especially if the weather remained decent.

I had already spent almost two full weeks here, and it felt more like home each day. However, my mood wasn't as hopeful as I wanted it to be.

Nothing was working out the way it was supposed to.

I was a victim of bad supply lines - in a sense that I had none to fall back on. Even on long term missions, even with the added benefit of having chakra, shinobi were very much reliant on the steady flow of supplies, either from outposts or from friendly settlements.

Theoretically, a shinobi could stay in enemy territory indefinitely, but that meant juggling highjacking enemy supplies and remaining undetected.

I knew I could survive on small game and fishing, supplemented with whatever berries and mushrooms I recognised to be safe, but that was just basic survival. I needed more.

More accurately, this body needed more.

I didn't want to think about what I would do when the weather turned colder. There were a couple days when it was raining cats and dogs and I spent the whole time cold and miserable, even the small fire I had was not enough to heat me up to be comfortable.

I shook my head.

No. I wasn't going to give in to despair. These were only intrusive thoughts that I'd best do without.

I had recruited Ino's help for my logistics conundrum, and together, we were working on a long term plan. In fact, three backup plans were already underway, and this shelter would be more than enough to last me until they had to be put into practice.

None of them were close to perfect, but there was still time to iron them out, or to find some better alternatives.

All the while my thoughts were in turmoil, I was running through a finger dexterity exercise, transitioning through the seals in different order. I was avoiding actual attempts to use chakra, as per last advice the Hokage gave me, but that didn't mean I couldn't train.

Next, I went on with a full set of physical exercises. I could never measure up to my usual morning routine in Konoha, but I gave it my best effort, pushing through the clenched teeth and pain.

I could do this.

My body protested.

I ignored it and pushed on.

After the exercises were done, I was certainly perfectly awake, but that did barely anything for my general sense of exhaustion.

I checked upon the drying clothes, which were hung haphazardly on the nearby branches. I had washed them a couple of days before, but then it rained for a few hours straight, and now they were drying for a second time.

The driest shirt was still slightly damp, but I didn't have too many options - my wardrobe was very limited, and I was saving my stolen dress for better days.

I rummaged through the duffel bag, and took out a small towel together with my washing supplies, which was a fancy way of thinking about a simple bar of fruit-scented soap.

I stuffed the soap and the towel into my backpack, which I kept mostly empty and used to carry the most important things everywhere with me. The colorful painting on the backpack was already coming off, its cheap paint no match for the English weather and constant outdoor use. Even the glimmering silver-gold lettering had faded, and I could barely read the name of the show.

Still, the backpack was serving me well, sturdy enough to be useful.

Not for the first time, I idly wondered if the show was any good, and would Petunia approve Dudley watching the adventures of cat-people, or would that fit under inappropriate entertainment. I imagined swords and monsters would be too much. I guffawed at the idea of Petunia trying to keep Dudley away from the telly.

I checked upon the cans with stored rainwater, and took a few sips. The drink was cold and refreshing. I had a decent supply of clean water, but for washing up I still went to one of the three nearby ponds.

My nearest neighbors were a small retirement home community, surrounded by forest from all sides, and the ponds were on their territory, but there were enough places where the forest would keep me hidden from prying eyes.

Most of their wooden houses were boring white, clustered together, with but a few exceptions. The whole community was a fair distance away from any large settlements, but an occasional car would still show up once in a while. All around us were the public commons, a preserved bit of nature, occasionally visited by hikers or tourists, or explored by the local retirees.

It was easy to stay beneath everyone's notice here.

The community was also my backup. There was a small medical post, where general care nurses held medical supplies, and even a tiny shop, where a small truck made occasional deliveries of food.

I hadn't stolen anything from them, at least for now. A community of older people didn't seem like an acceptable target anyway. Maybe, if my exhaustion continued, or some other emergency cropped up, I would have to consider it.

For now, I was going to be fine, I just needed to wash off the sweat and exhaustion, and change into slightly cleaner clothes. That's why I headed towards the biggest pond, soap and a towel in my backpack.

Potter

There was a distinct smell of smoke in the air.

Someone was cooking.

At the time, I had just finished dressing up after a quick wash. I was drying myself in the sun, but I had goosebumps since my short swim, and my teeth were so close to clattering I had to restrain myself from doing it.

My hair was still soaking wet - no surprises there - I never got around to cutting it since the last experiments with Transformation jutsu.

I focused on the smoke. It must have been an outdoors fire pit, probably a meat stew of some sort.

I could imagine the bubbling of the stew, how small droplets of the broth fell on the fire, sizzled, and filled the whole forest with the alluring smell.

My stomach growled instantly.

This was so unfair.

I didn't even realize what I was doing until I was halfway there, and the scents had turned out to be even more overpowering up close. The pillar of smoke was visible from afar, and I silently prayed for my luck to come through. I hoped that there weren't too many people around, but at the same time I wanted there to be heaps of food so I wouldn't feel bad stealing some for myself.

I was wearing the shorts I had fashioned my old pair of jeans, and a freshly washed, oversized shirt in light green. The backpack was mostly hidden by the long hair. I planned not to get noticed, but if I made a mistake, I would try to pass for a little girl that was staying at her grandparent's house. It should have been believable enough, I thought.

I didn't want or plan to show myself in any case, but it was better to have a backup plan and not need it.

It didn't take me long to find the culprit.

There was a firepit, a perfect circle of small identical rocks, barely containing a strong, wild flame. Upon it, a large pot with no lid bubbled away, perched on a metal tripod.

The smell of meat and vegetables was making my mouth water.

I missed proper food.

A small green tent was placed nearby, its fabric old and faded, the entrance tied up loosely with white string. Between the tent and the fireplace a couple of wooden chairs were placed, looking fairly out of place for such a wild campsite. Maybe they were taken and carried over from the retirement community?

The clearing was a fair bit out of the way, not on the most walked paths, so that seemed unlikely. A couple of fallen trees flanked the campsite, and sunlight shone through the gap in the tree canopy.

The single person in the clearing was an old, silver-haired man.

Somehow, I had noticed him last, as if my gaze had slid over when I was taking the first look. His hair and hair were long enough to be tucked into his belt, but he didn't wear one. Instead of usual clothes, he wore something unusual. It was some kind of draped green robe, decorated with a million exotic, colorful birds, every pair different from each other.

He was crouched at the fire, examining the boiling pot. There was a small smile hiding behind his silver beard, and his long and crooked nose carried a pair of half-moon spectacles.

Fire was reflected in them.

Something about this was off, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I slid my hand into the shorts' pocket and grasped a throwing stone, but then I changed my mind and didn't even take it out.

Instead, I quickly and quietly scampered up a tree, perching on one of the lower branches, where I would be hidden from his view by the trunk and the leaves.

I took a deep breath. There was a strange, almost unnatural curiosity that I felt, almost an unexplainable allure to step out in the open, but I couldn't understand why it was there in the first place.

Was I truly this curious, or was it the smell of the meal that called me, or something else entirely at play? Perhaps a genjutsu?

I couldn't help myself, and peeked from out of the trunk to take another look.

Inside, I was preparing to run, attack or hide.

All three.

Neither.

I watched silently and my heartbeat quickened.

The man demonstrated a quick sleight of hand trick, by making a spoon appear in his hand out of nowhere. Then, he calmly leaned closer and took a spoonful of his stew, put it into his mouth and tasted it.

He seemed content with the result.

A stray spark jumped from the fire into his silver beard, but the old man paid it no heed. There was a fizzle and it was gone, but the hairs didn't look burned in the slightest.

Then, the man rubbed at his beard, as if fighting and itching, and I didn't even notice when his spoon disappeared, but he wasn't holding it anymore. He stood up slowly and carefully - exactly like a really old man would, and he moved his shoulders about, stretching them a bit.

He was really tall. I couldn't tell how tall exactly, but he would have easily towered over me and even most of the people I knew.

His robe fluttered in the wind, and for a short second I could have sworn that some of the birds on it were preening, but that might have been the way sunlight made the robes glisten.

"Would you like to join me?" he asked out loud, looking vaguely in my direction, his arms spread wide, with both open palms facing towards me. "The stew is ready, and I could use some company."

My heartbeat hammered in a panicked rhythm, and I hid, pushing my back at the base of the tree, hiding from his sight.

He knew I was there?

How?

What to do now?

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," the old man said in a calm, pleasant voice. Judging by the lack of other sounds, he hadn't moved one bit. "I mean you no harm."

I peeked out of the tree again.

The old man's beard swayed in a weak wind, but he was still standing still. He didn't look dangerous, but that didn't exactly mean he was safe to approach...

I considered it.

My stomach growled, demanding.

I gave in.

I jumped down from my branch, landing in a slightly-off combat crouch. I was near drop-dead exhausted already, and it couldn't have been much past midday. I tried to pretend I was fine, and stood up straight and proud.

There wasn't a real reaction to my appearance, yet at the same time, something in the old man's expression puzzled me. Some emotion was threatening to escape, but it was well protected and I couldn't make sense of it.

It might have been called out by the way of my entrance or my wild appearance. Or maybe, by the dark circles under my eyes.

I noticed his gaze focusing on my brown-red hair, and he let out a soft breath. Then, even the smallest hits of the strange hidden emotion disappeared and his face softened. Could the emotion have been concern? Or maybe pity?

He reminded me of Jiji, in some strange echo that I couldn't exactly place, and that small similarity made me instantly feel safer, even if I had never before seen this man in my life.

"Come," the old man called softly, but didn't even move his hands, keeping the open palms still. "Sit down closer to the fire, your hair will dry out faster."

I shuffled awkwardly, standing less tense than before, but I didn't yet approach.

I had no plan for this.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," he introduced himself, but the name meant nothing to me.

"Are you here from the retirement park?" I asked the first thought in my mind that didn't seem like an insane question. Of course he wasn't, he didn't look one bit like the people there, and yet...

"No," Dumbledore said, and laughed merrily. It was a short, pleasant laughter. "I'm sure Holly Lodge is a lovely place, but I've got a few years in me still. Maybe one day." And he winked.

There was a short pause as I tried and failed to get my thoughts in order.

"Please, come closer," the old man called again, and this time he gestured to one of the chairs with his long fingers. His movements seemed deliberately slow, as if he was trying to tame a wild animal.

I was the wild animal in this, I realized with a pang of embarrassment. My ears felt warm and my cheeks were slowly heating up. I still took a few steps forward, to sit down on the chair. It was unnaturally comfortable. My eyes darted down and I tapped the chair with my knuckles. It rang like wood was supposed to, but it didn't feel like I was sitting on a hard wooden surface.

"What-" I couldn't help but gape at the result.

"Soft enough? I made them myself, if you'll allow me a small measure of satisfaction in my own creation." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles. "Would you like some stew, perhaps? More meat or more potatoes? Won't be as good as the chair, but it's warm and filling."

I nodded, still confused. "Whichever."

Seemingly from thin air he pulled out two bowls and a large ladle. I blinked in surprise, there weren't any around the fireplace, which meant he was very good at sleight of hand and had the items hidden in his robe.

Not a moment later, I was sitting with a warm bowl of meat, vegetable and potato stew in my hands.

"Would you like a soup spoon, a fork, or something else, like chopsticks?"

I narrowed my eyes for a bit. "Why would you ask?"

"Would you mind if I sat down too?" Dumbledore asked his own question instead of answering mine. "Only polite, correct?"

I chuckled nervously. This was such a surreal experience.

"I'll take the chopsticks," I said, and the man reached inside his robes and pulled out two metal ones for me to take. "Of course you're free to sit down," I added, watching his bowl. "It's your camp."

For himself, he took out a silver spoon and took a quick taste of the stew.

He was deliberately showing me it wasn't poisoned, I realized. Which might have been why he had tasted it straight from the pot when I started watching. Or maybe I was just being paranoid.

"Why-" I stopped myself and took a quick sip of the broth. It was good, but with my rather limited diet of mostly unseasoned fish and poultry, it tasted amazing. "Thank you," I said after a few big gulps.

"Would you mind if I asked for your name?" Dumbledore said after he'd eaten a mouthful of the soup himself. "It's not often that I get to cook," he remarked. "Been quite a few years since I shared a meal with someone, so I'd like to get to know my new friend better."

I thought about it.

"Uzumaki Haruko," I said. "We're not friends yet."

"I'm sorry for assuming. Meal-buddies, then," Dumbledore said casually. "Do you know what language your name is from? It sounds similar enough to Japanese..." he added something in a language that was very vaguely similar to Fire Country's, but not exactly right. "Dumbledore Albus," he finished. It was probably some sort of a formal introduction, I realized.

"If that was Japanese, I didn't understand it," I said, not offering any further explanation.

"Very well, Miss Uzumaki," Dumbledore said my name thoughtfully and paused for a moment to take another spoonful of the soup. "Now that we've introduced each other, and we got some warm food in us, would you allow me a small personal query?"

I shifted in the chair. It was still maddeningly too comfortable for a wooden chair. "What if I don't want to answer?"

"I'll have to leave without an answer," he said simply.

I slurped up the stew a few times, then used my chopsticks to fish out the solid ingredients quickly. "You knew about me being here," I said slowly. "How?"

"Question for a question?" Dumbledore asked, and his eyes twinkled in a challenge.

"No," I shook my head. "You obviously know more than I do, that's not a fair exchange."

"What if I sweetened my part of the deal?" the old man offered. "If you answer my questions, I will answer yours and leave you all of my camping supplies." He gestured at the tent. "It's not as spacious as the modern ones are, but it's still got enough space for a person or two. I used to go camping in the untamed parts of Schwarzwald when I was a youngster and it held up quite well to the elements, even in winter."

"What if I just ran away?" I asked, squinting at the man.

"That would be a disappointing turn of events..." Dumbledore sighed. "I only wish to be of service, but I won't force you to do anything. Should you decide to spend your years living on the road, I would strongly advise against it, but I wouldn't stop you."

"What's bad about living on the go?" I asked. It might have been a stronger point if I didn't feel so - tired.

"In general sense - nothing," Dumbledore said. "But there's a risk of attracting unwanted attention. I won't be able to shield you as well as I could in a permanent location."

"Shield me?" I asked, surprised by the implication.

The old man smiled and reclined in his seat. The wooden chair bent to accommodate his pose. That shouldn't have been possible.

"Are you using Wood Release?" I asked incredulously. I didn't know much about it, but I knew that was the origin of Hashirama tees, so maybe...

"Would you agree to answer my questions, if I promised to answer yours?"

I grumbled under my breath.

I considered running, but maybe this could be a way to understand what was going on with the old man, and I wouldn't say no to having a proper tent to sleep in, even if it would be cumbersome to carry around. As long as I didn't move it too far, I could carry over all of my things in a few trips. Of course, I'd need to find a new hiding place, but I had some ideas.

"Fine," I said. "Ask your personal question."

"Have you been experiencing strong bouts of pain recently?" the old man said and I stilled as a board. "Is it getting worse?"

His twinkling eyes seemed to pierce mine as he patiently waited on my answer.

"Sometimes," I said and looked away at the ground. As per the latest Hokage's instructions I wasn't trying to use chakra, but my aches were still present. It was probably because I couldn't cancel the technique. I couldn't say if it was getting better, but I didn't feel like it was getting worse. I didn't say all that out loud, instead just looked up.

Dumbledore was patiently looking at me, perhaps hoping I would offer something more, but he seemed satisfied even with my one-word response.

"What does that have to do with anything? And how do you know about it?" I asked instead.

"I'm a wizard, Haruko," he said as if it explained everything.

"You're a what?" I blinked rapidly. This was nowhere near what I expected to hear.

"An old codger of a wizard," Dumbledore repeated and suddenly, the colorful birds on his green robes started moving around of their own volition, wildly and unpredictably. The old man twitched his hand, and all of the motion stopped, birds frozen in entirely new poses. A small display to give weight to his claim. "For one to be a wizard, they do not need to be especially wise, it is merely a luck of our births that dictates our nature. We harness magic and perform feats that can seem improbable to those without it."

"Is it... like using chakra?" I asked without thinking.

"I do not know what chakra is, but we might be calling the same thing different names." The man rubbed at his silver beard and the motion reminded me once more of the Hokage, but for a massive size difference of the beards. Dumbledore's silver beard could be stuffed into his belt, and the Hokage kept his short ant pointed. "When a wizard or a witch is of a young age, their magic can behave erratically, or even dangerously. It is my belief that you've been using magic improperly and are in quite a bit of a danger to yourself. I seeked you out to be sure."

"But how would you know about me experiencing pain? Is it a spying technique?" I asked. "Were you watching me? Or having someone else watch me for you? Do you know how to make the pain go away?"

"I only wish to help," Dumbledore said solemnly. "Once, I feared you possessed, and took appropriate measures of oversight, but I do not have the means to directly observe you from a distance anymore. Of course, there are a few ways to check upon the health of others without direct observation. For example, I was the one to build the protections over your home in Privet Drive, so I had something of a backdoor to monitor your health, but that path is rapidly closing."

"What?" I opened my mouth and closed it, my thoughts racing. Was this actually happening? What was that about possession? Was that a reference to the Yamanaka techniques, or something else? I didn't ask any of these questions out loud, instead opting for a much simpler approach. "Why?"

"You no longer think of Little Whinging as your home," he said solemnly. "I do not know exactly when it happened, but the protections have been shattered beyond repair. Your blood relatives accepting you in, however begrudgingly they did so, was one of the strongest defenses I could give you, and now that venue is closed for us."

"I am not going back there," I protested quickly.

"I would not ask that of you. It saddens me that there is no love lost between you, but I didn't come here to mend bridges for estranged families..." Dumbledore sighed. "It is no longer an option, so there would be no point in convincing you to return."

"Why do I need protection, anyway?" I asked incredulously. "I just want to be left alone. I can take care of myself, believe it!"

"Our immediate priority should be helping you recover," Dumbledore said calmly. "I am not gifted in the arts of a healer, but would you object to me casting a few diagnostic charms on you?"

My first instinct was to just jump up and run - there was no way I was letting him use any techniques on me!

I didn't even get to start protesting, when the old man raised his hand. His eyes seemed to piece mine, and I felt even more uncomfortable. If he pushed, I was going to run, I decided.

"I see," Dumbledore said without waiting for my reply. Then, he adjusted his half-moon spectacles and gave me a short, sad look. "I'm sorry for overwhelming you with this. We'll continue some other time. I'll give you some space to think - consider what I said and think about the questions you could ask me. Your condition doesn't seem immediately life threatening, but you shouldn't ignore it. Good rest and regular meals should help mellow the effects."

Uneasy silence settled between us. I finished my serving of the broth. My stomach felt stuffed for the first time in days, and I exhaled a heavy, warm breath. It was exceedingly rare to feel this satisfied after a meal in the dream-world.

"Thank you... for the food and the advice," I said slowly. "How long will you stay around?"

"Not long," Dumbledore admitted. "I plan to return here in - let's say - two days' time, and I'd hope to have another conversation with you then. Do you have a preference for the food I could bring with me? I've stocked the tent the best I could, but maybe there's something specific you'd like?"

"Do you know about ramen?" I asked on a whim, letting the weird phrase about stocking the tent with food slide unchallenged. "I think I've seen some instant ramen in a shop when I was little, but I couldn't find any in Guildford." In fact, I vividly recalled the one time I asked Petunia to buy me some, on a rare occasion when I was taken on her shopping trip. It didn't work that time, but here was a chance to get a taste of my favorite food, and I wouldn't let it slip away.

"Instant ramen? Sounds like an exciting invention." Dumbledore chuckled. "I'll see what can be done."

There was another long pause. The old man was watching me intently, and I was wiggling nervously on the chair, which miraculously kept being soft and comfortable, leagues beyond what even the perfectly made wooden chair could be.

"Before you leave, would you tell me what the danger you're trying to protect me from is?" I asked. "You kept changing the subject."

"Not a pleasant note to end our meeting on," Dumbledore said solemnly. "Your disguise should serve well enough to keep you safe for a couple of days until my arrival, and I promise to tell you more then. For now, it should be enough to know that a few years back a dangerous war between wizards was fought. Even after their leader's defeat, some wizards still wish others harm, and should they learn of your hiding place, you could become a target."

"Fine," I grumbled, trying to make sense of what I'd heard. I wasn't wrong to hide - people were after me! "I expect you to keep your promise and come back with ramen in two days."

"Naturally." Dumbledore stood up slowly. "Do you want me to show you how the tent can be packed, before I leave? It gets very compact, and non-magicals tend to ignore it, unless you specifically bring their attention to it."

Magic is a bit bonkers.

My new tent was bigger on the inside.

It also had running water and a bath.

How?

Dumbledore didn't stay long enough to explain.

Thundercats came to Britain in 1987, and became fairly popular very quickly, so that was a random cartoon I chose to reference with a cheap children's backpack.

Notes:

I'm a bit overwhelmed with stress in life, and writing this story is one of the ways I remain sane. Somewhat.

Short version is I'm worried about the plague, the war and the hate, and I could pour out paragraphs of stress about each one and not run out... But I won't. At least not here.

How did you like my take on the pre-Hogwarts shopping trip trope?
XDD