Nervously, I stood next to Kakashi in front of the Hokage's office and tugged at my dirty shirt. Also my body stared only so before dirt and mud. I could really use a bath again. I didn't even want to know how I smelled. That was all thanks to the fight in the alley. But actually that was a minor matter. Instead, I should concentrate on what was coming up now.

„Great birthday," I growled silently.

But Kakashi had heard, of course, and looked at me. "Birthday? Your thirteenth, right?"

I nodded slightly, expecting that the topic was now over for the gray-haired one.

„Well, in that case ... happy birthday." Friendly, he looked at me. „Um ... thank you," I said, surprised.

„Yeah, that's a really messy time your dad picked. But now he won't be a problem for you, will he?" I remained silent again and just nodded. At the moment I was just too confused to give halfway reasonable answers. Of course, I was relieved that he wouldn't hurt me now, but still, I would need time to process what had happened.

„You don't talk very much, do you?"

Again, I felt Kakashi's gaze on me.

„Depends on the situation. Right now, it's just too much for me all at once." My eyes pinned to the tips of my toes.

„I see."

A clang was heard, followed by a loud curse, and I abruptly took a step back from the office door. What had that been all about? Kakashi tensed as well.

„Why should I apologize to him when it's the truth? I do not understand that," sounded the excited voice of a boy. I knew that voice, but from where? "Now be reasonable. Really the Hokage has other things to do than deal with your brawl. Now apologize to him," a voice familiar to me sounded.

Was that Sensei Iruka? But why was he here? Because of a small fight of two children? No, if he went to the Hokage with it, there had to be much more behind it. „Now get over yourself. It was an accident, all right? I didn't mean to get on your stupid dog's tail. Honest." Naruto? Dog? Wait a minute... Then the other one was...

„What did you just call Akamaru? I'll show you." Akamaru... Dog. Who was he the constant companion of him, after all?

„Kiba... Now pull yourself together. I'm not in a nursery here. If this goes on, I'll transfer you two back there for a while, too."

Silence.

That had apparently helped. Kakashi shook his head next to me almost in despair. „Not again." Confused, I looked up at him. "That is now already, the second time that the two clashed. But this time, it seems to have escalated."

„But over what?", I asked. „Well, the first time was because of you." Because of me? I was about to open my mouth to ask him when he continued. „That's all I know, sorry to say. It's best to let Naruto explain it to you." Thank you very much. First, he made me curious and then he didn't really know himself.

All at once the door was torn open and an angry boy with short brown hair, two red stripes on his cheeks and small black eyes sparkling with aggression, stormed out. I spotted a small white dog running beside him and knew immediately that it must be none other than Kiba Inuzuka.

He really hadn't changed a bit, except for his voice. But when he spotted me and Kakashi, he stood still. The anger faded and gave way to a strange triumph. Then he turned to the tall brown-haired ninja who had followed him through the door. „That's the boy I saw with Naruto in the village." Boy? Did he think I was a boy? Somehow, I was pleased about that. A grin formed on my lips.

„Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a boy." Kiba looked at me, perplexed, and I enjoyed the confused look on his face. Especially since you really didn't get to see that often on him.

„What are you doing here? Did they get you? What do you look like? What are those marks on your neck?" Naruto had appeared in front of me so suddenly that I hadn't even seen him coming. I took a step back. This was clearly a situation I was very afraid of. „Can I explain it to you later," I asked him quietly. „Why not do it right here? Because I'd like to hear what she has to say too," Kiba said, giving me a grin that I didn't like at all.

My eyes fell on Sensei Iruka, who had stopped still behind Naruto. He was deathly pale in the face. „Tora?" he asked, confused. Oh no.

Kiba seemed to have caught on now, too, and looked at me thoroughly again. Then he sniffed and wrinkled his nose a little. „You stink quite a bit, but I know your smell. Though I don't know from where..." He looked at me thoughtfully. I didn't know what to say, or even how to act. This situation completely overwhelmed me. Here stood my former sensei, a classmate and Naruto in front of me. The first two had not seen me for three years and thought I was dead. And to the third, whom I called friend, I had not confided my greatest secret out of my own cowardice. A slight tremor ran through my body.

A hand came to rest on my shoulder and squeezed it a little. Kakashi. At that moment, I was really grateful to the Kopierninja for sensing my despair and giving me the essential support. I didn't know what I would have done otherwise. It felt good to know that there was someone who gave me the strength I needed.

„Any other questions, you can ask after the weekend." A deep, raspy voice broke the prevailing silence, and everyone turned to a gray-haired man with a red and white coat. The Yondaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Examining he looked into the round. When no one dared to say a word, he cleared his throat.

„Iruka. Please escort Kiba and Naruto home after all." When my former sensei tried to object, the Hokage waved it off. „I'll explain it to you later. Come back to the office afterwards." Addressed nodded and pulled Kiba and Naruto along with him. The brown-haired Inuzuka protested loudly, but it didn't seem to bother the chunin in the least. Naruto, on the other hand, remained unusually silent and looked at me seriously from his deep blue eyes. Did he suspect something? Regardless, I had to tell him as soon as possible. My stomach inevitably clenched at this thought.

When the two were around the corner, the Hokage breathed an audible sigh of relief. „Good, that's settled then." His brown eyes were on me with an almost meek expression. „So, Tora. Finally, I get to meet the intangible for once." I winced as he pronounced my "title." "I admit that until two months ago, I would not have expected that a young girl of the tender age of thirteen was hiding behind that name. I also admit that I hired Kakashi to shadow you."

So, there you go.

„But not with any malicious intent. No. The sight of you reminded me of a girl who had disappeared without a trace from our village three years ago. And her father claimed he didn't know why she had run away. Actually, it should have made me wonder even then." He allowed himself a brief pause before continuing. „But all right now. That has passed. For some time now, I've been keeping an eye on Naruto Uzumaki, since, as you know, he tends to get into mischief."

I nodded. But there was a reason for that. And I was sure that the Hokage, knew it too. Only that he couldn't really do anything about it.

„That's how I found out about you, too," he finished.

I remained silent. Countless thoughts populated my head. Buzzed around in it like pesky flies. But most of all, I was preoccupied with a single question.

„You must be wondering what will happen to you now, since you've stolen quite a bit in the past few years." Silently, I nodded. Now it was coming. The situation I never wanted to have.

„Well, my child. How would you feel about becoming a ninja and using your skills for the good of Konoha?"

I froze.

„What?"