Hello

My name is Yoshizawa Raito, just your average boy in the ninja academy, at Konohagakure, the home to the strongest shinobis, and as for me, my unique feature… perhaps, it would be my green eyes. There are not many I have seen with green eyes in the village, at least.

Then, another would be… ‘I am an orphan.’

When I said this, it would sound sad to some, but the truth is; it is just… the life of a shinobi. When I got the news, I took it quite hard at first, but I was somewhat prepared. My parents never sugarcoated things like missions and death. They knew it would happen, and so, they prepared me for it. They would always tell me about these things, about the life of a shinobi and the true harsh world outside. How anyone could die in the line of duty at any next moment.

‘If you are not ready to die, then you shouldn’t try to be one.’ That is what my mother said, every single day before I joined the academy.

Sigh

It has been about three years now.

Um, the first year was horrible. I did minimum… to live. At first, it was fine, I went to the academy then to school, but that stopped after some time, after I felt like it did not matter anymore. I had no interest in studies or sharpening my skills. Therefore, I simply stopped.

After stopping, I bought bread to eat and there was water from the tap for me to survive. Thankfully, some people paid my house and service bills.

Time passed, and I stopped going out.

I hated people.

People who are walking happily on the streets, sitting comfortably in their seats, and enjoying life. In short, I started rejecting peoples, who I see every day.

I hated them. I hated how they looked at me. Even when someone tried approaching me, I lashed out at them.

I was behaving stupidly, recklessly, and emotionally.

Some people knocked for hours on the door, on the window, from morning to night. I later found out they were my parent’s friends and students, who wanted to help me in these tough times. However, I kept them away for whatever reason I thought I had.

Later I found out that many tried breaking in using force and Ninjutsu but they did not even leave a scratch behind.

This fortress like home my parents left behind had many seals inscribed on every corner with varieties of seals that it is practically indestructible or so they say. Even Hokage-sama could do nothing about it.

After the death of my parents, the only one other than me who had permission to enter was Mitarashi Anko. Hokage-sama recalled Anko-nee from her long-term mission. I don’t know what happened to that mission, and I never dared to ask.

She came directly to the house with Hokage-sama and a team of medic-nin.

The medic-nin told me I was lucky to survive without food and water in my body. If Anko-nee were a few days later, then I would have been a corpse instead.

I was forced to stay in the hospital for about three months, eating bland nutritive drinks and power block food. At first, the medic-nin had to use chakra to condition my body into a physiological state.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I was slapped, lectured, hugged, and cried upon at the hospital. Of course, that is when I became better.

As the day passed, everything was becoming routine.

Wake up, get cleaned.

Eat the nutrition meal pack then get checked.

People came to visit and say something and I just had to nod and eventually, they would go.

Eat more and exercise then… sleep.

Last day of October, chilly winds of the lands, laughter, and bustling in the village. The day the sun was hidden by the clouds. The sunlight was struggling to pierce the clouds and come forth.

This was the day when I met Yamanaka Inoichi, my first of many mentors.

Things changed… slowly, at a turtle’s pace.

Anko-nee took a break from being a ninja and spent most of her time with me from November at the hospital.

I listened… a lot about anything and everything.

She would tell, and I would listen. Her small summon was always with me, coiled around my body and it felt cold and at the same time warm.

Other than her, I would spend most of my time with Yamanaka Inoichi. His voice was soothing and somewhat interesting. I could remember his voice like a curse, forcing me to contemplate his words, forcing me to think, imagine, and create.

Days passed as I ate, exercised, listened to Anko-nee’s gossip about people, and took part in Inoichi’s lessons.

I met with other people. They were happy to see me. I didn’t know that there were this many people who knew me.

I should smile back and thank them for visiting me and someone had even paid for the house, service charge, and hospital fees. It should be Hokage-sama, shouldn’t it?

I should be grateful, and so I did.

I made a small smile and bowed my head.

I contemplated,

I thought I had no one, but in reality, I had so many looking after me.

Iruka-sensei came to visit me along with a bunch of other teachers. They had a lot of papers for me to finish.

I could take the semester exams if I wanted to but without the practical test, my score would be on the lower side.

Before I could, Anko-nee agreed, and I started learning frenzy.

Books after books, quiz after quiz. I went through them like a prairie fire with the help of Anko-nee.

Although it wasn’t that grand, I got a full score on my theoretical portion or so the nurses say. I wish Iruka-sensei or someone from the academy had come and inform me but it was fine since Anko-nee was there to celebrate with me.

Although we did get lecture from the hospital staff.

Anko-nee brought a bunch of books and I finished them.

When I finished one, she would bring another then another.

One day, she came empty-handed with a silly smile on her face and said that we went overboard and finished all the theoretical portions of the academy; I laughed… I laughed freely for the first time in a year.

I don’t know if was because of the silliness or if it was because I felt free… from those books. I don’t really know but I think I laughed because Anko-nee had that silly smile on her face.

New year, new semester. I started going to the academy and Anko-nee started her job in the T&I department. I continued my visitation with Inoichi sensei from time to time as a patient and a student.

Iruka-sensei was not my homeroom teacher anymore, it was instead Mari sensei or Mari-nee for me. I remember her from the hospital. She is quite good at teaching but I have already finished learning the syllabus at the academy. So, I mainly focus on practical lessons most of my time.

Inoichi sensei took me to meet the traveling merchants, who had a variety of things, things never seen in Konoha, like those electronic games.

First extravagant purchase of my life, electronic games, cost, 21,000 Ryo.

It just attracted me like a banana for a monkey, like fish to water. I chose one, then another, and somehow it became two enormous bags.

Connected to TV, I played, completed, and started another. A day went by and I continued playing.

Handheld took time, but I played. I sneaked into the academy, sat on the last seat, and played, only to be discovered by Mari sensei. She confiscated my game box and lectured me but in the end; she returned it to me.

Could I be cheating? Like using connection?

Such addiction was the first for me. I skipped my Taijutsu lessons, blitzed through Ninjutsu and theory portion.

I nearly failed my practical portion of the exams, and I even stopped visiting my parents’ memorial. I was that addicted to the game at a point.

One day, I found I was near completion of the last game in my game collection and I knew it would just take me just a few more hours.

Unhesitatingly, I dropped my kunai pouch on the table. I sat on the couch and tossed my shoes away then continued playing the game.

I didn’t know but my absence at the academy alarmed some people.

Just as I had finished my game, the door banged open and Anko-nee rushed in with a worried face.

Seeing me on the couch, she dashed towards me and hugged me tightly.

Along with her, Mari-nee and Inoichi-sensei also rushed in and looked at me and the game box in my hand.

In just six months, I had finished about 250 games.

I had to promise them to focus on my studies.

Inoichi sensei and Mari sensei started giving me more things to learn. I was with one or another if I wasn’t in the academy. Inoichi sensei started giving me books to read and Mari sensei showed secrets in my house.

I am sure that you aren’t supposed to give kids the summary version of ANBU mission log, are you?

Mari-nee sat for a long, long time with me with a small book in front.

It was a small book with doodles on the first page.

It was also the thing that my parents wanted me to learn or so she says.

With time, I started getting more involved with the academy and other miscellaneous things in life. I had many things that I wanted to do; ordinary ones and extraordinary ones.

I took a step back and looked at people around me. They all had their stories and had lost things that were precious to them, just like me but mine was far smaller compared to theirs.

This life is just so difficult. To gain something, we lose something. Balance is just so hard.

I just wish for a happy life?