Out of nowhere, a hand shot out, tugged at my arm, and I jerked open my eyes. I looked around in panic. The gloomy hallway and my father were gone. Instead, I was sitting on a sofa in a small apartment. Another wave of pain overcame me, and I clawed my fingers into the leather of the couch. My back, it burned like fire. The scars, which bore witness to my father's cruel deeds, had never really healed. "Tora! Tora what's wrong?" Blurry, I could make out Naruto's face in front of me. I pressed my lips together to suppress another cry of pain. Firmly, I bit my lip so that it began to bleed. It was going to stop.

„M-my back," I brought out.

Naruto reacted in a flash. He pushed up my sweater and exposed my back up to my shoulders. Through all the pain, I could hear him draw in a sharp breath. „Tora. What did your father do to you? I ... I have to get help." Jerkily, he stood up and hurried out of the room. It seemed like an eternity when he returned. I couldn't see directly what he was carrying because my vision was too veiled. Something cool settled on my back, dulling the pain. Gratefully, I heaved a sigh of relief. „I'll be right back Tora. Don't move." I growled softly. As if.

Naruto POV:

Hastily, I ran through the alleys of the village. I had no idea where I was supposed to go or to whom. Who all knew about Tora? The Hokage, the weird gray-haired guy, and Sensei Iruka... Right. I had to go to my sensei. He also knew Tora from before. Maybe he knew what to do. I turned on my heel and ran back the way I came.

Breathing heavily, I knocked on my sensei's door. It was about Tora. I didn't care what kind of work he would give me on Monday, but I couldn't let anything happen to her. My only friend. "Damn it, Sensei. It's urgent," I shouted impatiently. Every second counted. I didn't know exactly what it had been on her back, but it had looked really dangerous.

„What are you yelling about Naruto? It's the middle of the night?" I couldn't help but sigh in relief when he finally, after what felt like an eternity, opened the door for me. Slightly annoyed was an understatement, the way he looked at me. But when he noticed my look, the expression on his face changed. „Did something happen Naruto?" Stupid question. Of course. Or did he think I would just snatch my sensei from his sleep in the middle of the night? I could theoretically but then again, I wasn't that tired of life. „Naruto?" he eyed me anxiously, reminding my brain why I was actually standing at his front door. „It's about Tora." Immediately, he was on alert. „Something's wrong with her back. It's all red and covered with lots and lots of sores. And she's in pain without end ..." My sensei interrupted. „I'll be right there immediately Naruto." Crash. The door had flown shut and again I stood alone. What the understood under immediately, I would find out IMMEDIATELY. But immediately had to be quick.

Tora POV:

My hands tightened around the blanket. Too much pain. What the heck was this? The wounds had never really healed, but I had never felt such pain before. Was that ...

„There she lies!" I heard the squeak of a door and frantic footsteps. Someone gently lifted my head. „Tora. It's sensei Iruka. We're taking you to the hospital right away. You need treatment." With a jolt, I was awake. No! Just not to the hospital. Just don't. What if the doctors knew who I was? Would they even want to help me then? Instinctively, I fought off my hands and tried to get to my feet. „Tora! Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?", I heard Naruto's angry voice through the fog of pain and panic. I had to get out of here. „Jutsu of ..." But a voice interrupted me. „I'm really sorry about that now, but it has to be done." Then I felt a short pain on my neck, and everything went dark.

Soft clattering reached my ears. „Go ... to sleep ... take ... care." Gently, a door was closed. Slowly, my senses sharpened. I felt a cool wind brushing my skin. Muffled voices reached my ears. The smell of soup wafted past my nose. I inhaled it with relish. How good it smelled.

„Awake?" asked a soft voice to my right and I winced. Cautiously, I opened my eyelids. At first blurred, but then quite clearly, I could recognize my surroundings. I was in a hospital. No question about it. The room and bed smelled of all these drugs whose names I didn't know. And next to me on a chair sat none other than Kakashi. His nose was buried in a book. Curious, I moved a little closer to be able to recognize the title. But before I could read the first letter, he had put it aside and was looking at me intently.

„You gave us all quite a scare, little one," he said. „Hmm," was all I did, having no idea what to say in response. Little one. Was that my nickname with him now? Very motivating, considering my height. I was again much too negative. Carefully I felt under the hospital shirt and felt a bandage, which stretched around my entire upper body. My hand jerked back.

The memories of the previous night burst upon me all at once. This terrible pain on my back. As if it had been set on fire. My body began to tremble. „Are you in pain?" Attentive and at the same time a little worried, I was patterned by Kakashi. I shook my head. „Memories of the night," I said quiet. The gray-haired one nodded in understanding. „I understand. This kind of thing is certainly not easy. We're not sure what it is on your back yet ourselves." He fell silent.

„But I am," it burst out of me, and startled, I put my hand over my mouth. Surprised, he looked at me. "A-at least I think so," I added uncertainly. "It doesn't matter. Say what you suspect," he encouraged me.

„I've been carrying these injuries on my back for a very long time. Ever since I escaped from home. I think you can guess for yourself what they're from," I said quietly and Kakashi nodded in confirmation. I was relieved when he looked at me with understanding rather than pity. Because I hated the latter like the plague. No one wanted, or needed, pity.

„In all that time, those wounds never really healed, but they also only burst open that night when I ran away. And even then, it wasn't that bad. I think my father might have had something to do with it."

„What do you mean?"

„He used to like to experiment around. With the jutsus. Tried to combine them and create new ones," I replied shakily. The memory brought up things I had wanted to forget.

„You think this is one of his jutsus?" asked Kakashi with a grim face.

„Exactly."