Kairi

It was dawn when I left the orphanage with Akio. The boy didn't look back, only forward. After all, a new future was now waiting for him. Outside these cold walls. From now on, he would live with a family that gave him enough to eat, safety, a roof over his head and hopefully some love.

I had last seen Asna this morning. Her face had once again been an impenetrable mask. Nevertheless, I had the feeling that she had wanted to be close to me. At least more than the other caregivers. Especially since I had caught her in the orphanage's small library a few weeks ago and hadn't ratted her out. That had probably been a small incentive for her to trust me a little.

Akio and his friends had underestimated Asna. She wasn't the strongest, but she had a lot going for her. She was extremely attentive for her young age, understood many situations quickly and showed unusually good analytical thinking.

If she was now placed with a decent family, she could one day become a good shinobi warrior. I was more than sure of that. I wished it very much for her. I would love to take her in too. But I already had two daughters. And they demanded a lot from me at a young age. Fraternal twins, but with characters as different as night and day.

Akio was calm. Unusual for his otherwise so hyper character. But he also knew what to expect. And so that he could hold on to what was so tangible for him, he pulled himself together. Deep down, every single one of the children in the orphanage longed for a home. Something Asna had also confessed to me.

It made me sad to see the conditions in the orphanage. And that was exactly why I had wanted to work there. To help. To be at least a little support for the children. Even though there weren't enough of us. Many people didn't want to do the work because it was underpaid. I was lucky that my husband was able to make ends meet with his salary, but others didn't have that.

Even if I was sometimes looked at askance from the side because someone like me got involved with those who had less. Having money was no reason not to want to help. My husband had already invested a lot in this orphanage and other projects. I would love to know if all of the investment was going where it was supposed to.

Sometimes I feared that the opposite was the case. Because while the economy was being boosted again, the people were suffering. The Kazekage had promised that the money from the economic upturn would be invested in social projects. In the academy, the home and support for families who had been left with nothing by the war.

Out of desperation, many parents dropped their children off at the gates of the home in the hope that we would take them in. Because they had no money to look after them. But we couldn't do any more. The building's furnishings alone, the thin, perforated walls... All this was enough to suggest that we needed help. If not from outside.

But the Kazekage had already turned down Konohagakure's helping hand for the sake of pride. In addition to the supporting resources, they had also offered us one of their bijuu. But since we already had one, the Kazekage had also rejected this offer.

Yes... a Bijuu, sealed in his youngest son Gaara. Shortly after his birth and the subsequent death of his wife. The boy was just four years old. Whenever I saw him outside his home, he was alone. His brother seemed to be afraid of him and his sister... I didn't see much of her. After all, she was only six.

Many in the village were afraid of the power that lay dormant in Gaara. This made the boy very lonely. The thought of it sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't afraid of him, but of what people's dislike might do to him. His own father didn't seem to want to help him and his mother had died. I wondered how long it would be before his spirit broke. He was a child. It was so cruel.

I noticed Akio tense up as I knocked gently on the wood of a brightly painted door. But he pulled himself together and didn't move towards me when someone opened the door for us. I smiled kindly at the man opposite me. He was tall and broad. The scarf on his head covered one of his eyes.

It was strange to see Baki in civilian clothes. But there had to be a first time someday. The tall man turned his usually serious face into a smile and waved us in. I found myself thinking that I would much rather have accompanied Asna to her new family. I almost wished it had been this one. Baki was strict, but incredibly fair and tolerant.

I was sure he would deal with Asna in the same way. But well, the head of the home had decided otherwise.

„What's your name, my friend?" he asked Akio. Akio flinched briefly, but then said his name in a firm voice. Baki nodded with satisfaction as a woman with long, dark hair and soft green eyes appeared behind him. Misaki pushed past her husband and took a step towards Akio to greet him.

„What do you say I show you around the house?" she suggested. Akio nodded silently before following her with one last look at me. Maybe the boy would change. Now that he had a family. One that would certainly take good care of him. Baki gave me a clear look and I complied.

We sat down in the adjoining living room and closed the door. He offered me something to drink, but I declined with thanks. The visit wouldn't take long. There were just a few small things to discuss. But Baki took the floor before I could make a sound.

„According to my information, we were supposed to get a girl. The one who is blind in one eye. But I wonder why you're standing outside my door with a boy, Kairi," he looked at me questioningly.

I blinked in surprise.

„I was told that Akio was supposed to be with you," I said, caught off guard. „Even though I would rather have given Asna to this family."

If he was surprised by my honesty, he didn't show it.

„Who else would have been an option?" he asked, but before I could answer, someone knocked on the door. And it wasn't exactly gentle. My bad feeling only intensified.

I was really grateful to Misaki for staying upstairs with Akio. Because I had feared that Raidon, of all people, would be at the door. And he didn't seem to be in the best of moods. His blue eyes glared angrily at us.

„As far as I can remember, I was supposed to have a boy and not a weak girl which is visually impaired in one eye," he said indignantly.

Baki straightened his shoulders and took a step forward so that he towered directly over Raidon. Although he was also quite tall, almost no one in the village could match Baki's stature.

„You almost seem to have a problem with people like that," he said dangerously quietly. Raidon's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

„At least there seems to be a mistake. The headmistress had promised me an eleven-year-old boy. Besides, I'm not much good with girls," he defended his request.

„So where's the girl then? Did you leave her alone at home?" Baki asked, crossing his arms. Now I was starting to get angry too. I slowly came out from behind the jonin and looked at Raidon.

He was the deputy leader of the city guard. But Baki was a close confidant of the Kazekage and had dealings with the elders. He had more prestige than Raidon. Something that stood him in good stead in the event of a dispute. Raidon seemed to sense that too.

„Let me see the girl," I demanded. My counterpart's eyes narrowed before darting back to Baki. Baki put his hand on my shoulder. Grateful for this support, I noticed how Raidon caved in.

„We'll look at the girl and then decide what to do with the children. That's my last word," Baki said to Raidon, who wanted to say something back. Anger flashed in his eyes, but he remained silent.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. When we entered Raidon's house, one of the doors was wide open. There was a big hole in the other. Whatever had happened here had caused Asna to fly into a rage or other strong emotions.

„Weak girl, huh?" Baki commented as he looked at the smoking door. I could clearly feel her chakra. She had probably put all her anger into that punch. Definitely remarkable for that age. I had already noticed earlier that she had strong chakra. It was just that she didn't know how to use it. And the result was such chaos when a child who couldn't control her powers gave them free rein.

It wasn't just the door that had a big hole in it. All the glass jars in the room were shattered or cracked. I silently followed the escape route further back. As far as the second open door. It hadn't been opened by her chakra, but by a small silver hairpin that lay right next to it.

Baki got down on his knees to pick it up and looked at the little tool.

„And she's not stupid either. Not in the least," he said. Was I mistaken or was there a hint of recognition in his voice?

„I will discuss this with the Kazekage. The girl must be found. And then I will take her in. Just like the boy. It seems that you, Master Raidon, are not in a position to look after a child. Take care of your little son and give him all the love that is left in you."

With these words, he left the house. I hurriedly followed him. Raidon stayed where he was. But I didn't care. I stared silently down the street until it was lost in the darkness. In Asna's place, I would probably have run blindly. The trail of her chakra was lost further back.

„We have to go after her," I said to Baki in a trembling voice. „Right now."

But he shook his head.

„The trail of her chakra is lost back there. I know you felt it too. She's been gone for a while. The wind has long since blown away her footprints in the sand. We'll need a special unit to track her down. But first I have to talk to the Kazekage."

I stood silently and continued to stare into the darkness. If she had really fled further in that direction, she would end up in the Quarter of Ashes. The part of the city that had been hit the hardest during the war. A labyrinth of ruins and collapsed buildings. This was where those who had nothing left lived.

But Asna still had the chance to find a home. A family who cared for her and that's exactly why we had to find her.

ooooooooo

Asna

oooooooo

Hot tears streamed down my face as I ran, stumbled, picked myself up and kept running. Not paying attention to the pain in my knees. Not to the fire that was igniting in my lungs. Not to the breath that was about to run out. I just wanted to get away from here. From this place and this man they'd wanted to send me to.

I would never go back there again. How could they have thought that he could offer me a good home? No... not a person like him. Just the way he had looked at me when Himiko had left me on his doorstep.

Earlier, he had pretended to be happy about it. But I had noticed that the smile didn't reach his eyes. As well as the trembling of his fists. The look that kept lingering on my blind eye. None of this had escaped me. Disgust was written all over it. Disgust and contempt.

Himiko hadn't noticed any of this. He had bid her a friendly farewell and accompanied her to the door. But as soon as it had fallen into the lock, it had started. I could still hear his words in my head. Words as cold as ice and sharper than any sword.

What is that? Blind on one eye? Doesn't look like an accident. You're a freak. The Kazekage's son has made something up again. Someone like you can never defend himself against two eleven-year-olds. Just look at you. Scrawny as a scarecrow, no strength in those little arms and half blind. I've already got a hungry mouth to feed here. And someone like you isn't worth feeding.

He left after that. Left me sobbing in the hallway. Told me not to move and that he would sort things out soon. My emotions had got the better of me. I had just wanted to get out. Away from this place.

It had been easy to break down the door in the hallway and the front door...I didn't remember that. I was free, that was all that mattered. And I just wanted to get away. Far away, away from all these people. It had always been just me. Nothing would change that now. I had to come to terms with that now. Because at least I could still rely on that.

Exhausted, I leaned against the wall of a collapsed house. Black dots danced before my eyes while the fire in my lungs blazed ever higher. And then, then I surrendered to unconsciousness.

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Hello :)

It's nice to see that a few are interested in the story. I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter. Criticism is always welcome, of course.

Here is the soundtrack to the chapter:

Zack Hemsey - The Way

Soleira ;)