Crouched down, I sat diagonally behind the wardrobe in Kairi's bedroom. There was only limited light coming in. After Kairi had sent me away, I had already taken a look out of the window to see if I could escape. But I had no chance. What's more, the streets were too busy for me to just jump out of the window and run down the path.

I was still confused by what had happened earlier. Had what I had seen been reality? Or was it all just my imagination? When I had seen Kairi's death, it had been through my blind eye. So clearly that it couldn't possibly have been a mere imagination. But what was it then? A kekkei genkai? Was my disability also my strength? Was there a hidden power lurking in my eyes, like in those of the Uchiha clan or the Hyūga from Konohagakure? I had never heard of people who could see the future and the past. But I didn't know where I came from either. I had simply been dropped off in front of the orphanage as a baby. Without a message.

„Your daughter was sent home a little early from the academy today because she got into a fight," the voice of Baki, one of Sunagakure's jonin, rang through the house.

Kairi knew him well. And I should actually have become part of his family if it hadn't been for the mix-up with Akio. But I wouldn't have wished Akio to have someone like Raidon as his adoptive father. Akio had also changed in recent years. He was now a chunin, but still lived with his family. He knew, just like Baki and Kairi, that I was still alive. And sometimes I had the feeling that when I stole something, he wasn't quite as quick to chase me as other Asshubōn. But I couldn't rely on that. Maybe he changed his mind one day, or maybe it was just a strategy to catch me out. So that I would trust him.

„Yuki bad-mouthed Mom's work. She said that it was better to let the orphans die and then put the money into the economy. That's why I punched her in the face. Maybe that will put a few things right in her head," came the voice of Kairi's eldest daughter, Rai.

I suppressed an amused snort.

„And I've told you often enough that violence is not the answer. I already know who Yuki's mother is, and believe me, her parents are no better. But there will always be people like that. Unfortunately, you can't get around them in life. You can annoy them the most if you don't show that their words affect you. That's when you're at your strongest," Kairi replied and Ibiki's approving hum echoed through the hallway.

My thoughts wandered to Akio. I had tried to stand up to him at some point. But I hadn't always managed to get out of the situation unscathed. Especially when his friends had been there. My strength had increased in the meantime. After all, a few years had passed. And I wanted to become even better and stronger. Since Yugure's death, their hideout had always been a place of conflict. Because other gangs had tried to take it. Now that the twins lived there too, they hadn't succeeded yet. Nevertheless, I had to remain vigilant. All of us. The other gangs seemed to have a certain respect for Kaito, but he wasn't always there. And I wasn't allowed to feel the security that his mere presence gave me. I alone was supposed to create a feeling of security.

Security. Yun had often offered me that. That I could live with him and he would look after me. I had turned him down several times. He still didn't seem to understand, nor did I understand his stubbornness. There were many things that had not yet made sense to me. These included my strange abilities. The things I saw...that I had seen in Kairi's past. They had really happened. And about her death...my hands began to shake. I felt like it was getting colder in the room and a shadow fell over me. I looked up and gazed into a pair of bright eyes.

„Ahh, so she's hiding you here... I wondered who the strange flickering chakra belonged to," Kairi's daughter looked at me curiously as I sat there frozen. A sandy trail ran through the bedroom. Apparently the girl had been unable to contain her curiosity and had come up here as quickly as she could.
I fell silent and averted my eyes.

„Your eye is blind, isn't it? And yet you can survive on the street. That's really strong," the girl said and I looked at her in surprise. I hadn't expected such a statement. On the other hand, she was Kairi's daughter. My tension eased a little.

„Mom always says we should use our weaknesses to our advantage. It irritates the opponent," she giggled slightly. „When I fought with Yuki today, she didn't think I could hit like that either."

A snort of laughter escaped me.

„A good right hook isn't bad. But you shouldn't let it provoke you too much. Your mother does a lot for people who aren't doing so well here. A lot of people don't like that."

I was surprised at myself. Maybe it was because she was Kairi's daughter and fought for her opinion in her own way. And for what was important to her.
Just like me. Only I lived on the street and had to find other ways and means. Often those that were already considered violence among the ninjas. But if the other gangs didn't fear me, they would always try to make Yugure's hideout their own.

The hideout... I had stayed here too long again. Even though I was still a little weak from the fight, I couldn't leave the twins alone. Sure... they knew how to defend themselves. And I had to find out more about Yun. It was strange that he had known Yugure. He who was in charge of the city guard. Especially because she had asked for him.

I recalled the image of Yugure again. It slowly began to blur in my mind's eye. But I still remembered her long, dark hair and unusually fair skin. She had had a problem with the sun in Sunagakure. My skin was a darker shade, but that of Gaara, the Kazekagen's son, was very light.

Gaara had no problems with the sun. Yugure had spent most of her time in the shed, working on new inventions. Inventions of which I had only found a fraction so far. Among them were small folding knives, a rope that never broke and other useful things. She often went out into the desert at night with Kaito. But why? I didn't know the plants he had collected. Plants and roots that she had bought from him. But with what? After all, her money had been limited. And that had only been stolen.
Besides... if Kaito was as independent as he claimed to be... why was he making common cause with Yugure? He'd never helped me either. He only ever said that I should manage everything on my own. His mere presence had given me the support I needed in some situations. Who was he to exude such power and aura? There had to be more to him than what he had pretended to be. Far more.

My thoughts broke off when Rai waved her hand up and down in front of my face. I blinked. Such trains of thought were dangerous. Especially in situations like this one. Rai wouldn't rat me out, though. She was far too curious about me for that. But still. After all, Baki and Akio were standing in front of the house. The two of them weren't allowed to find out that I was here, otherwise Kairi would get into trouble.

The common people of Sunagakure saw us outcasts more and more as a threat. Yun had doubled the patrols. They were now penetrating further and further into the alleyways. Just last week, the guard had beaten up a couple of street kids who had tried to steal from them. Blows were not the solution to the problem. Sunagakure had to change from the ground up and give people like us a place to live.

But because of the war, the country lacked so many resources to pick itself up again. The money we still had was pumped into the economy and not the social institutions. Those who didn't have enough had to share it all. And more and more parents abandoned their children in front of the orphanage because they could no longer feed them. But even there...

„I think mom is asking Baki in...this is your chance to escape," Rai hissed in my ear. I listened and moved towards the window.

„He's seen you," Rai says. „But he still won't go for help."

„I know Akio from before. When I was still in the home," I explained. „He owes me one."

That wasn't quite true. But I was sure that he felt that it was. And I had to rely on that now.

„Can you gather your chakra in your feet?" Rai asked quietly. I nodded and she stood up. „My room is at the back of the house. You can get down there without being seen."

I looked at her in surprise. I hadn't expected her to help me escape. Of course she had been curious. But she knew I was being searched for and was in enough trouble as it was. But when I looked into her eyes, I recognized the same expression Kairi had. A smile crept onto my lips.

„Take care of your mom. She's a very precious person," I said a few moments later. Then I climbed down the sandy wall of the house. Bit by bit, on all fours and as quietly as possible. When my bare feet touched the ground, I dared to take another look up. But Rai was no longer standing at the window.

Akio is waiting for me in the shade of an adjacent wall. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest. And now that I was face to face with him, I realized how much he had grown. But despite the fact that he was older, I towered over him.

„You'll have to catch me first," I remarked lightly, even though I was tense inside. The casual tone had already got me out of many a situation.

„The city guard is tightening the controls," he replied without responding to my statement. „The Kazekage has ordered surveillance of your neighborhood. Allegedly, there have been repeated riots there in recent weeks."

I let out a snort.

„Riots? Among themselves, yes... but not towards the chunin and jonin. Besides, no one dares to go that far into the destroyed district to get to the really bad characters."

„So, are you one of them?"

„I've always been one of them, you said so yourself. Someone who doesn't belong. I'm disabled, weak, an outcast... I could go on with this list forever," I enumerated and noticed how he winced.

„We were kids," he countered.

„It was also a certain character thing. And you were all about survival. If I had been stronger, I would never have beaten you up."

„You don't know that," Akio replied. „You'll only realize how power and strength change you, what they make of you, when you're in the situation."

Maybe he was right.

„Well... I'll have to find out then. And...before I forget...weren't you Yun's student?"

Akio nodded. Another reason to keep an eye on him. Even if he might have revealed a few things to me now.

„There must be some honor in that, right? The pupil of the leader of the city guard, what more could you want?" I whispered and leaned my body against the wall.

„Yun is a strict teacher. The training was never pleasant. And the missions were always tricky. But it also made me stronger. He knows an incredible amount. Not only about Sunagakure, but also beyond. The individual countries, how they function, compete with each other and unfortunately also take advantage of others. The war has taught him a lot."

Akio admired Yun. His every word spoke for it. But too much admiration was never good.

„But what do you have to do with him?" he asked.

I paused.

„He once wanted to take me in, do you know anything about that? Or, more importantly, why?" I asked and Akio flinched slightly. He would have to practise his emotions a bit more if he really wanted to be a ninja. I, on the other hand, could act however I wanted. Such freedom was truly pleasant.

„Why should he?"

Yes...why?

But I would have to wait forever for Akio's answer, because something else drew everyone's attention. A small sandstorm that came straight from the main market. Gaara. Akio was incredibly quick to see to his duty. He didn't pay me a single glance as he rushed past me.

He was hiding something. Just like Yun, Kaito or even me from Kairi. There were so many things I had to find out. Because something was brewing. And then the little upsets that Gaara caused from time to time would be the least of our problems.