"That kid over there. She has the same red eyes and whiskers like it."
A group of parents was visiting the orphanage.
Haruto sat quietly in the playroom while the other children played with each other. She listened in on the adults' conversation.
"She's like that other kid. The blond kid has the same whiskers on his cheeks."
Haruto froze.
Wait. Naruto still existed?
Then why the hell was she even here?!
The fact that she was some cheap Naruto rip-off while the real Naruto was still around instead of actually being his replacement was-was…insulting!
But then again…that wasn't too bad. Naruto could just handle all the main protagonist stuff while she happily stayed hidden in the background.
One of the fathers whispered, "But the blond kid…he's actually the-"
"Shh! We're not supposed to talk about that!" one of the mothers hissed.
So Naruto was still the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki…
The parents shot quick glances at Haruto before turning away. "Even so…That black-haired kid and the blond one…we can't trust either of them."
Much to Haruto's utter surprise, not a single pair of parents wanted to adopt her.
Haruto walked away, returning to her bedroom so the caretakers wouldn't have to usher her out of sight themselves.
Can't have the supposed demon fox girl ruining the happy mood of a child's adoption.
The other kids picked up on the caretakers' aversion to Haruto, ignoring her and leaving her alone as they always did.
Haruto lay on her bed in thought, hugging Mr. Tortimer close to her chest.
With no sign of Naruto in her vicinity, she and Naruto must've been kept in separate orphanages.
If Naruto was still the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki, what did that make her? A collateral jinchuuriki?
Those adults said that Haruto had red eyes and whiskers like the Kyuubi.
But her red eyes were inherited from her father, not the Kyuubi.
Did she get her whiskers from being born the night the Kyuubi attacked? Did she actually have some of the Kyuubi's chakra inside of her?
That man who attacked her on the street a while ago. He'd said that his child had died while she didn't. Did he think that she had a possible link to the Kyuubi and was responsible for the death of his child?
Ugh! There were just so many new questions! So much that she didn't know!
But no doubt, thanks to her appearance and circumstances, there was no chance of adoption for her.
Haruto looked into the stitched cartoon eyes of her turtle plushie. "Well, Mr. Tortimer, looks like I'll have to fend for myself."
"Why was I named 'Haruto'? Isn't that a boy's name?" Haruto asked Gotaro, the caretaker who monitored her the most.
Gotaro yawned. "What? You want a name change or somethin'?"
"...No." Even if Haruto's name closely resembled Naruto's, she couldn't let go of it.
Her name was one of the last things left by her parents. She couldn't bring herself to cast it aside.
Even if Haruto never really knew Kuzumaki Kenji and Takada Momoko, they had sacrificed themselves to save her life.
She'd liked to think that her parents said fuck gender norms and bestowed upon her what was traditionally a boy's name.
"Haruto" - "sun".
Perhaps they thought of her as their precious shining sun…
"Children! We have a special guest here today!"
Haruto looked up from her corner of the playroom.
Another Konoha shinobi?
Ah. Probably here to further promote enrollment into the Ninja Academy. Of course.
Haruto and the other children were instructed to sit down in front of the Konoha shinobi in an orderly fashion.
The shinobi cleared his throat. "Greetings children. I am Shimura Danzo."
Haruto's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.
D-Danzo?!
What was Danzo doing at her orphanage?
But this couldn't be Danzo! The man standing here didn't have bandages wrapped around his right eye. No bandages around his right arm either!
If Haruto didn't know any better, this shinobi was just any regular shinobi in Konoha!
But…Danzo was presenting himself to a bunch of toddlers. He must be hiding his bandaged face with a genjutsu or Transformation Jutsu so he didn't freak out the kids.
Danzo continued speaking, "You have chosen the path to walk upon to support Konoha to the best of your abilities. Some of you will enter the Civilian School. Others shall be entering the Ninja Academy." He spread his arms open. "Whatever choices you make, however you choose to grow, remember to carry on the Will of Fire and protect Konoha no matter the cost! The duty of a shinobi is self-sacrifice!"
The children, following the proper manners the caretakers taught them, answered, "Yes, sir!"
Haruto sat deep in thought.
Just what was Danzo doing at an orphanage in Konoha? Wouldn't he be in a meeting with the Third Hokage or meeting with his subordinates from Root right now?
Wait…Root.
Haruto looked back up at Danzo again.
Danzo was staring directly at her.
Haruto kept her expression as one of childish obliviousness, even as her heart thundered in her chest.
Shit. What did Danzo want with her? She wasn't even the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki!
No. - Was he planning to recruit her into Root? - No! No! No!
"Are you going to show us more cool tricks like Aki-sensei did?" The child's question broke Danzo's stare off of Haruto.
Danzo frowned. "They're not mere magic tricks, child. They're jutsu." He made a hand sign. A gust of wind slashed through a nearby chair, cutting it in half. "Your tools and weapons."
Everyone gasped.
Sweat dripped down the side of Haruto's face. - That gust of wind could definitely slice a person's body into ribbons.
Danzo turned away. "That is all, children. I must return to my duties."
Before entering the Ninja Academy or the Civilian School, the children had to receive mandatory medical checkups.
On the scheduled day, medic-nins came to the orphanage. "To make sure that you're in good health and that your chakra coils are functioning well," they explained.
The children got into orderly lines to enter medical tents set up outside the orphanage.
Each child was called up to enter individually.
"Kuzumaki Haruto!"
Haruto entered the medic-nin's tent. The inside of the tent was like a doctor's office, except inside a tent rather than a building.
The medic-nin checked Haruto's heartbeat with a stethoscope. She shined a light to check Haruto's ears, nostrils, eyes, and tongue. She used a rubber reflex hammer to check her joints. The usual doctor stuff Haruto remembered from her past life.
Then the medic-nin placed two fingers on Haruto's wrist. "Now I'm going to be looking into your chakra coils, ok? I'll be checking your heartbeat again to make sure nothing's wrong."
The stethoscope felt cold as it brushed against Haruto's skin.
Haruto glanced at the clock. Her checkup with the medic-nin was taking a lot longer than the other kids she'd observed earlier…
"Oh! Your heart rate's accelerating a little!" the medic-nin exclaimed. "Take slow, deep breaths…"
"S-sorry. I've never had a check-up like this before." Haruto remained still and quiet, hiding her uneasiness. This medic-nin seemed to be focusing on her pretty intensely.
Then the medic-nin took an x-ray and stuck wired electrodes throughout Haruto's body.
As the medic-nin proceeded through the medical procedures, she made notes on her clipboard. Finished, she gave Haruto a cheerful smile. "Yup! Everything seems fine!"
"Good job!" The medic-nin handed Haruto a lollipop.
Haruto looked at the wrapper from all sides. It was cherry-flavored, one of her favorites. There seemed to be nothing suspicious on the surface of the wrapper.
But what if the lollipop had some kind of tracking ingredient or drug?
Haruto hated wasting a good lollipop, but she couldn't take the risk.
Out of sight from the medic-nins and the other children, Haruto tossed the lollipop into the trash.
Haruto couldn't sleep.
Uneasiness plagued her mind.
First, there was Danzo paying a visit to her orphanage.
Then came that medic-nin who gave her an extensive medical checkup. Only her.
Was it really such a coincidence?
She wouldn't put it past that damn mummy Danzo to have his agents from Root snatch her up one night.
And no one would even notice…
She wasn't the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. Naruto was. Why would the Third Hokage care about some random civilian kid being taken captive and brainwashed by Danzo?
She didn't belong to any ninja clans or prominent families. What did she matter to the workings of the village?
No one at the orphanage had even noticed she snuck off to the library either. She had to get a towel and ice from the freezer to tend to her injured cheek herself.
If she mysteriously disappeared from the orphanage, no one would care…
She wasn't considered a loss to anyone…
She couldn't just go to the Civilian School now. Danzo could easily nullify her enrollment and force her into Root.
Haruto gripped her blanket.
No…No! She didn't want to be taken by Root! She didn't want to become an emotionless killing machine!
If refuge couldn't be found within the Civilian School, then her only option was-!
The Ninja Academy…
But was that any better? She was still going to have to fight for her life and…murder people.
Whatever happens…Better the Ninja Academy than Root!
Either way, she was as good as dead.
Haruto pulled the blanket over her head and quietly cried to herself.
I'm scared…
I'm scared…