Five days had passed since the small allergy incident. The very next day I was able to resume my training. For some time, I also met again with Genma to resume my private training. I had visited him myself and asked him to train with me again, because I wanted to become stronger. My uncle - it still sounded strange when I called him that - seemed to be very enthusiastic about this will. In addition, it was a challenge for him, as well as for me, to fight against each other since we both carried this special Kekkei Genkai.

I personally was very happy not to be the only one with this ability. And the training with Genma actually helped me to become more self-confident. I became more secure, faster, and more confident. Also, the training with my team became better and better, despite the small quarrels with Kiba. But everyone seemed to have gotten used to that by now. But somehow these little arguments with Kiba - as strange as it sounded - also made me a little fun.

When I wasn't training or taking a break, I would often sneak into the forest and sit down in a small clearing to read. It was a nice feeling to sit in nature, the book on my lap and the bubbling stream next to it. But at the same time, another emotion was spreading through me more and more. It made me sad that I hadn't seen Naruto for a long time. He was still on this mission to the realm of the waves. I had heard nothing from him.

Even though the missions my team was doing distracted me for a short time, I never forgot that terrible feeling of missing him for a long time. This was something new for me, as I had never felt it before since I had never been as fond of anyone as I was of Naruto. I smiled at the thought of the blond Uzumaki with his rash way of approaching certain things.

He would certainly have a lot to talk about when he came back.

Voices approached the clearing and I immediately made myself invisible and suppressed my chakra. Yes, since a short time I was able to walk completely unseen through the forest, so that even experienced shinobi did not notice me. Genma had taught it to me recently. An extremely effective ability, especially in a fight. My opponent would never know where, at which spot I was.

I hurriedly packed my food and book back into my bag before climbing one of the trees to keep a better eye on my surroundings from up there. Quickly I had gathered chakra in my feet and had walked up one of the wide trunks. Holding my breath, I hid behind the trunk.

A few seconds later, four shadows darted into the clearing. As they stepped into the light, I resisted the urge to make myself known. Down there in the clearing stood Team 7, all looking somewhat exhausted, but well. Slowly I let my gaze glide over the faces that were so familiar to me. Something had changed, I could feel it. Naruto and Sasuke had never really gotten along before, but the looks they were giving each other now ... that was really strange.

Although I had already guessed that there would be some kind of competition between the two... Sakura stood between the two and seemed to be completely off her rocker. Naruto had broken away from the eye duel with Sasuke and stomped towards Kakashi, who was looking at the surroundings completely absentmindedly. I grinned. Typical of him.

„Sensei can't we go back to the village right now and get something to eat? I'm dying of hunger. Besides, I wanted to tell Tora about the mission."

It was kind of nice that he thought of me like that, it made me feel warm. Sasuke also joined in. "I also think we should go home."

„Anyway, what are we doing here? It's not that far to the village," Sakura now joined in. Kakashi turned to his students.

„Everything's fine, we can go on right away. I just sensed a familiar chakra that suddenly disappeared and wanted to check it out just now." Slightly, he tilted his head to the side. Directly in my direction. "You're a fast learner Tora."

I winced. So, he had sensed my chakra before. I had not been careful enough. That would definitely teach me a lesson.

Now in visible form, I stepped out from behind the tree trunk and looked down at Team 7. Hopefully Sasuke and Sakura didn't suspect a possible Kekkei Genkai on me.

„That may be so, sensei. But still, there are many things I have not yet learned," was my carefully chosen retort to my former sensei's words.

In the presence of others, he always called me by name, but in training I was simply the little one. Somehow, he had gotten used to this strange nickname with me. And I didn't really mind it either. There were much worse variations on what you could call a person. The best example was my father. Murderer was a name that no one wanted to wear. But fortunately, he wasn't my problem now. At least, that's what I hoped.

„Hi Tora," Naruto waved at me.„We had a super cool mission. It wasn't as easy as we thought at the beginning. To be honest, it was a A -Rang mission afterwards..."

„Okay Naruto. That's enough for now. You can tell Tora about our mission long enough later. But for now, we have to go see the Hokage. See you Tora," Kakashi interrupted the overzealous genin.

Then the Jonin was gone. Sakura and Sasuke hurried to follow their sensei. Naruto's mouth dropped open. Hectically, he looked back and forth between his hurrying teammates and me. Finally, he gave me an apologetic look and hurried to follow the others.

Leaning against the tree trunk, my gaze followed the four until they were out of sight. So it was a A-rank mission. That was reserved for experienced Jonin. Thousands of questions burned on my tongue. But I was sure that Naruto would answer all of them. The blond Uzumaki had just been almost unstoppable with the telling.

I smiled. So slowly I should make myself then again on the way back, I wanted to still wait for Naruto to ask him about the mission. And before that I had to do some shopping. This morning I had opened my refrigerator and in yawning emptiness looked. Time thus this again something to fill up. Money, I had gotten now again quite a bit by the mission. It was still a strange feeling when I bought my food, especially when it came to the fruit at Daichi's stand...

Somehow it had tasted better stolen. But well, in return for my life as a thief, I had now gotten what I had always wanted. My training as a ninja and good friends. Like Naruto and Shikamaru.

Determined, I pushed myself off the trunk with my hand and jumped down the tree. Time to go home.

In the evening, I met up with Naruto to eat ramen. The Uzumaki told me every single detail of his journey to the realm of the waves. Especially the story about the boy Haku touched me very much. His fate reminded me a little of my own.

My father was just as afraid of my Kekkei Genkai as Haku's foster father. No wonder the boy was always there for Zabuza. He gave him the feeling to belong somewhere. Even though I hadn't known him and knew that he was now no longer among the living, I knew that I definitely would have liked that boy. I would certainly have gotten along well with him. Possibly also because he had a similar past to mine.

„I think we would have become friends if I had met him in a different place at a different time," Naruto said, confirming, somewhat, what I had just been thinking.

„Yeah, I think the same thing."