„Give that back," I demanded in a shaky voice.

But Akio didn't even think about it. He kept holding the piece of bread away from me while his two companions prevented me from taking it back. But it didn't help. They were too strong. And they were also three years older than me. At eight years old, I found it difficult to compete with them. Even though I was quite tall for my age. I lacked strength all the more. I was scrawny and bony. The other children were too, but not nearly as much as me.

Akio and his gang. Every child in this home in Sunagakure was afraid of them. The few women who looked after us couldn't have their eyes everywhere either. What's more, after the war that all the major shinobi kingdoms were waging against each other, the number of children didn't decrease. On the contrary.

The place was full of orphans whose parents had died in battle. I couldn't remember mine. I had been here since the beginning of the war. At least that's what they told me. But no one could explain where I actually came from. I could hear the adults talking. Better than all the other children. One evening, someone had put me outside the door of the home.

I had never told anyone about my good ears before. It was a secret that I kept to myself. One that I could use. No one here was my friend. There was no such thing as friendship. Akio and his comrades weren't friends either. But they were stronger together than alone. And so they looked for their victims.

Someone like me was easy to corner. I didn't have enough strength to defend myself against them. Haru could have done it. But he was gone. They had simply taken him with them. With him to the front. He had been thirteen years old and had been a genin until his parents had died in the war. Then no one had been able to pay for his education and he had been sent to the orphanage.

Akio had been afraid of him because Haru had been bigger and stronger. Always trying to protect the weaker ones from him. And therefore me too. The jonin who searched the home for genin who had lost their parents had also noticed this. There had been no goodbyes, nothing. He had been gone from one day to the next.

Since then, loneliness had been my companion.

And that hadn't changed since the end of the war. Haru had not returned. Only the memory of him remained. And that was becoming increasingly blurred. There was no grave, nothing. He was dead. For sure. I wonder if he was better then? I would like to know.

My hands clenched into fists. I hated him. Yes, I really did. What did he think he was doing? By robbing other kids and taking everything they had, he was still thin but better fed than someone like me. He was doing well.

„Is there anything you want to say, blindworm?" he sneered. The other boys laughed. While I stood there and felt the chakra stirring inside me. Yes... I could feel it, but I couldn't use it. No one had ever taught me. This wasn't the first time I wished I could use it.

„Now you really can't see your bread. Is it all in there. Or can you only see half-and-half? I'm really interested in that now."

Blindworm...

That was almost a nice swear word compared to the ones they had already thrown at me. A birth defect, the adults called it. The fact that I was completely blind in one eye and could only see out of the other frightened many children. Others took it as an opportunity to tease me.

Impaired. Unable to ever become a ninja. Handicapped.

Adults use these words. And they didn't hurt any less. They only hurt more. I had almost got used to the children's words. They didn't come up with anything new. No. That didn't bother me as much.

I hated my weakness. I hated when I had to cry when Akio stole my food again. I hated that I couldn't defend myself. I hated that I was alone. I hated that many people feared me. And I hated Akio and this orphanage. I wanted to leave and yet I couldn't.

Sunagakure was in the desert. It was too hot during the day and I could freeze to death at night. Escape would be pointless.

Had that been me? Had I managed to push Akio back? I had strength after all. My fist hurt a little. But I quickly forgot about it. Not least because Ren and Ikuto were rushing towards me. I turned on my heel and ran.

They were fast. But I also knew these corridors quite well. I kept making hooks. Linste behind me. No one to be seen. I slowed down abruptly, went back and stopped in the middle. I waited for them to come from both sides. But nothing moved.

I held my breath, closed my eyes and listened. At first, I heard nothing but my own heartbeat. But then... footsteps... from the right. My legs trembled, ready to run at any moment. But they were heavy footsteps. And fast. I didn't have time to disappear around the corner. So I stayed put.

It was Kairi. She had only been working at the home for a few weeks. Even though her husband was a wealthy all the adults, I still liked her the was neither pity nor disgust in her eyes as soon as we crossed of the few moments when I felt normal.

„They're gone Asna. I've taken them to the principal so she can discipline them," her voice sounded soft and enticing. I stayed where I was. So she came to me. I still couldn't move. When she touched my arm, I pulled it away.

„I'd better treat that," Kairi continued, ignoring my resistance. I reluctantly examined my arm. I hadn't even noticed the long scratch. It had probably been made earlier when I had fought back. And the bruises on my elbow too.

In the end, I went with Kairi. Who knew how long Akio and his cronies had been with the principal. At least I didn't want to run into them again today.

„The Kazekage gave a speech today and promised to give us a decent sum of money so that..."

„...I have no parents, no sister, no brother. I am alone. Who would want someone like me. I'm a hindrance to any family," I interrupted her. Kairi looked at me. She looked sad and silently devoted herself to treating my arm.

„Sometimes you remind me of my youngest daughter. She's quite a bit younger than you, but there is a certain resemblance."

Kairi smiled slightly as she spoke. Her thoughts were far away.

„Sometimes she doesn't know what to do with herself either. She's always alone in kindergarten. She keeps herself busy. She gets on well with her older sister. Maybe one day you'll find someone like that... a sister in your heart. Someone you can rely on."

I didn't say anything. But Kairi's words kept circling around in my head a little longer. A sister in my heart. That sounded too good to be true. Even though I had gotten used to the loneliness, I hated it.

„A home, I'd like that," I finally said. Kairi nodded slightly before standing up and brushing the dust off her knees.

„I wish that for you too."

That was all she said. I hadn't expected her to offer to let me stay with her. She already had two children. Even if they had money, resources were still scarce after the war and therefore very expensive. Part of the village was still destroyed and had to be rebuilt. A village that lay in the desert.

There was almost no outside help. The large shinobi kingdoms had recently been at war. Everyone had their own problems. And yet they all forgot that our country, surrounded by desert, had it almost the hardest. Everyone here had to fight for their survival.

I clenched my fist. The hand I had used to fight Akio. Fighting... that's what I would do. To get stronger and survive.