Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Farewell to the Orphanage
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Sunlight lazily spread across the lawn, and the children of the Konoha Orphanage, under the watchful eyes of the caregivers, were laughing and playing on the grass in front of the orphanage.
Although Yakushi Kabuto had left just the day before yesterday, they were all just children after all, and they quickly regained their lively and active nature. Laughter and cheerful voices soon echoed through the orphanage once more.
Yakushi Nono leaned against the window of the dean's office, watching the children playing outside with a soft smile on her face.
How she wished this moment could last forever.
"Dean, are you really leaving?"
From behind her, an elderly female caregiver walked over, clutching the edge of her apron, her face full of worry.
That night when Danzo had shown up at the door, she had been there as the dean's assistant.
"Yunnai, after I leave, I'm entrusting the children to you all."
Yakushi Nono turned around with a perfectly timed smile.
The caregiver named Yunnai sighed.
"We've worked so hard to build the orphanage into what it is now."
Much of the orphanage's funding had been raised by Yakushi Nono herself, including rewards from her own missions as well as those from taking Aki and Kabuto to the front lines to provide medical aid to ninjas.
After all, for ninjas like them, besides doing missions to earn money, they couldn't think of many other ways to make a living.
Yakushi Nono smiled gently at Yunnai, reassuring her.
"Don't worry, it's just two or three years, and I'll be back."
"Also, for that child Kabuto, I'll find a way to bring him back."
Yakushi Nono was still thinking about that clever child.
After Yunnai left, Yakushi Nono turned back to the window, watching the children playing outside.
Sunlight shone on her face, warm like her smile.
Suddenly, Yakushi Nono spotted a lonely child under a large tree in the distance, leaning against the trunk, holding something in his hands.
"Menma?"
She had deep feelings for this special child too, and for some reason, as she was about to leave, she felt a faint unease.
She climbed out the window and slowly walked towards Menma.
Under the shade of the tree, Menma's solitary figure stood in stark contrast to the laughing and playing children in the distance.
"Menma, why don't you come play too!"
A caregiver stood with hands on hips, calling out to Menma.
"I don't want to play."
Menma replied flatly, then continued fiddling with the thing in his hands.
Seeing Menma refuse repeatedly, the caregiver sighed, helpless against this child.
She decided to let him play alone nearby, as long as he stayed in her sight.
Yakushi Nono slowly approached Menma and finally saw clearly: he was holding a dark red little fox, but its head was wrapped in some cloth, wearing a fox mask.
"Menma likes this kind of doll, huh! Have you named it?"
Yakushi Nono didn't ask about the doll's origin; the orphanage often received donations from villagers, and broken dolls were normal.
Most of the time, the caregivers repaired them.
"Mm."
Menma held up the little fox with both hands for his foster mother Yakushi Nono to see.
And said seriously,
"Nine-Faced Fox, Jade."
Yakushi Nono looked at the strange doll in astonishment: its four legs were black, the tip of its tail was black, the head was wrapped in cloth, and the white fox mask had a "Jade" character on it.
Yakushi Nono just thought it was two different dolls stitched together by the caregivers, so she didn't use chakra to sense it.
"Hey, hey."
Yakushi Nono squatted down and gently asked Menma,
"Does Menma have any dreams?"
At the moment of parting, she realized she knew the least about this youngest child, Menma, and had never heard him talk about any dreams.