Hello and thank you to everyone who liked, reviewed and followed the story!
I'm oscilating between 7 and 8 in regards of Juno's age, so if some facts are contradictory, I'll just fix them when I make up my mind about it, along with any spelling errors.
I feel like I should have added an explanation about her name in the last chapter: midori means green in Japanese and ju is number ten. I hope the symbolism makes sense now.
After filling in all the citizenship forms, I was given a moderate allowance, with the instructions to come and collect it monthly, and a key to an apartment. I would have expected to be assigned to the orphanage, since I was still a little kid with no ninja training, but behind all the empty reassurances from the staff that I only deserved the best considering my lineage, I was able to discern their true reasons. They wanted to keep an eye on me. I was still a foreigner, and one with training nonetheless, and while it was dubious I could do any serious damage, it would be irresponsible to leave an unknown variable unattended.
So it made even more sense why my place was located in a shinobi complex apartment about twenty minutes away from the hospital, on the same floor with Genma and two floors away from Kakashi and Tenzo, who apparently were neighbours. The later two had dissmised themselves together with Itachi, explaining that they had another mission to prepare for, and Genma was instructed to get me settled in and do the same afterwards.
As I entered I noticed that, while it was a medium sized two-room apartment, I wasn't the first to live there. The walls could do with some new paint, and the sparse furniture, while in good condition, wasn't by any means new. There was a single bed stuffed in the corner, a worktable with chair near a window, a wardrobe and some bookshelves and a run-down carpet, fraying at the edges. I followed Genma in the adjacent kitchen to help him store the bag of groceries we'd got on the way there in the fridge. The kitchen also had seen better days, but everything was functional as far as i could tell.
Hesitantly, I asked him to teach me to use the stove, i needed that in order to learn how to cook. Surprise flashed on his face for a brief moment, but after a nonchalant 'sure, kid' he started explaining without further question. I was beginning to like his laid-back character, even though I wasn't sure how much was fabricated in order to put me at ease.
After he gave me a quick crash course on boiling the water and chopping vegetables, we moved back to the living room. Overall the apartment wasn't luxurious, but way above what a seven year old foreigner deserved, even one under surveillance, which set me further on edge. On my way to Konoha I had realised they hadn't been sent to retrieve me out of the goodness of their hearts, but rather for my abilities. But what did they plan to do with me in the long term -
'You're thinking too much, kid' Genma startled me out of my thoughts. He was giving me a calculating look from near the worktable, on top of which I saw now laid a small pile of books and scrolls. I bee-lined to the heap and started reading the titles. History, economy, culture, chakra theory, science and medicine, gastronomy, literature and a surprising amount of botany books, which okay, fair game. I gave him a quizzical glance.
'Consider it a welcoming gift from me and the others, you'll need them to prepare for the academy.' He extended me another scroll.' This one's from Tenzo, basic control exercises for Wood release. Nothing major, so you can work on it by yourself. Use the Training grounds 11 and 39, if you need to, they are allotted to this living complex. If you need anything, room 301 on the next floor is Raidou Namiashi. I'll check on you when I'm back.'
With that he made his way to the floor, leaving me to puzzle over the information.
'And kid, relax, no one is out for your blood yet' he gave me a lazy smile from the entrance, needle dangling dangerously from his mouth, before closing the door.
Yet, huh? Now the books made more sense.
For the reminder of the day I strolled through Konoha to buy some stuff for my room. Aside from my katana, I hadn't brought anything with me coming here. So I needed a few changes of clothes, dishes and cutlery, instant ramen, since let's face it, I didn't think my first attempts at cooking would be edible, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, and probably a blanket later, when the wetter would get cold.
When I arrived in the Fire country it was late July, smack in the middle of the summer and therefore I was sweating buckets, as I was making my way back to the apartment, shopping bags dangling from both of my arms and shoulders.
I must had been a sight for the natives, tumbling around with a bunch of stuff three times my size, red-faced and gritting my teeth every two steps. It wasn't even that heavy, my training had focused mainly on my arms and upper body strength, but the damn heat... The road was sizzling.
I resolved to buy a fan the next day, after tossing in my bead the entire night, unable to sleep in the hot, stifling room, even with all the windows open.
However, counting my leftover money after that, I was left with a worryingly small amount. Guess it's good instant noodles are so cheap.
In the afternoon I resolved to start training with Tenzo's scroll. I had cleaned the apartment and put all my possessions in order, and aside from reading there wasn't much to do there anymore.
Training ground 11 was the closest to my flat so that's where I went. It was a large, forested area, surrounded by a security fence. Inside, the trees were marked by burn marks, knifes, needles and those metal stars I've seen ninja use, shuriken. It looked like this place was used frequently.
I did some laps around the forest and went through warming katas in a clearing, then I started reading the instructions in the scroll. I had read up on chakra and the different nature manipulations in the previous evening and I was... reluctant to say the least about what I'd be able to do by myself. Even if my affinity to the wood elemental nature was strong, I just couldn't fanthom how I was going to control all those roots and spikes, that seemingly had a life of their own when they sprung from the ground.
Alas, I had to master this, and in short time. I couldn't afford to be a walking time bomb after being offered a second home. They had seemed welcoming enough, but I knew I'd need to prove myself soon, otherwise why would they waste resources on an outsider. Thats how it always was, the weak, the untalented ... they didn't last long in this world. After all, I had killed so many weaker than me.
No, I had to stop thinking about that, I thought, blocking away the flashbacks. Focus on the scroll.
Tenzo's instructions were clear and fluid. First he gave pointers on how to achieve a meditative state. That should help me get a feeling of my chakra, something I hadn't been allowed to do in seven years. Then I should focus on circulating it in my body, try to make it flow in different parts, especially my hands and feet if possible.
It was indeed a novel experience for me, I felt at the same time atunned to my senses and disconnected from my body, like my very essence was ebbing in the vegetation around me. It was peaceful, so very peaceful, I couldn't discern where I ended and where the grass begun.
I didn't know how much time I had spent just feeling my chakra and slowly pushing it through my body, but when I opened my eyes the next time, the sun had almost set.
Around me, the grass had covered my lower-half while I was sitting cross-legged, sticking to my pants and sandals, and gnarled dark roots had sprung from the nearby trees, criss-crossing through the clearing and tangling in the grassy mess around me. It all looked like a bird's nest.
I jumped up as if electrocuted, a shiver running down my spine. I had done that? It looked more controled and tame than my other outbursts, but it still made me uncomfortable how I hadn't even realised what I was doing. Clearly I'd have to read the entire scroll before attempting anything again.
I didn't know how to get rid of my creation so I made my way back home, swaying every few steps. Meditation wasn't supposed to expend any chakra according to tenzo's notes, and yet I was feeling burnt out, the serene feeling from earlier completely gone.
And all the way back I couldn't escape the feeling that somebody was watching me. I clenched my jaw and walked faster. Show no weakness.
That night, after falling asleep reading one of the biology books, I couldn't escape the nightmares. People I had killed, decisions I had made in the last months, my parents, coming to Konoha and the events of this afternoon, the memories took turns waking me up every couple of hours. And it always proved harder and harder to fall back asleep, even with the fan turned on near my bed, trying to alleviate the eternal heat that reigned over Konohagakure no Sato.
