A few days later, I was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. I didn't witness how they healed me so quickly. It was done during my coma, but I was still amazed by it. My modern worldview was challenged on a daily basis, and soon enough a less pleasant aspect of this world revealed itself. I was transferred to an orphanage.
The orphanage was packed with miserable children of all kinds. It was overcrowded due to the Nine-Tails incident. I was sent there because I had no memories of who I was, nor did any family recognize me.
My first few days there felt like hell. I had to sleep on the floor multiple times due to the lack of space. The village was still addressing its most urgent matters and hadn't yet turned its attention to the orphanage. Those days served as a harsh reminder that this world was vastly different from my previous one. Hunger, loneliness, and cold became my constant companions.
Several days passed in this state of misery, but things gradually improved. The village began relocating orphans to newly established shelters, and I finally had a bed to myself. The first thing I did was sleep in it for more than twelve hours. I was utterly exhausted and desperately needed the rest. When I woke up, I felt extremely hungry, but unfortunately, the limited food available had no meat. Meat was something I sorely needed if I intended to strengthen this frail body. Although I was still just a child, I wanted to start training as early as possible. In a world filled with shinobi, every advantage mattered.
After finally getting enough rest and an acceptable meal, my mind felt clear. Sitting cross-legged on my bed in a meditative pose, I reflected on my past life and the new reality I now faced. I reminded myself of my resolve, closed my eyes, and let go of all distractions. Breathing gently, I reached inward. For hours, I sat silently from early morning until sunset. Eventually, I felt it. a warm sensation deep within me. Chakra. Every creature in the shinobi world possessed it, but the ability to wield it was what truly mattered. I tried grasping it, but it was elusive, slipping through my mental grasp like water through open fingers.
I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes. I realized my body was still too weak. First, I needed to find meat and then begin exercising lightly. My physical level needed to catch up to my spiritual capability if I hoped to harness chakra properly.
Fortunately, I lived in the Leaf Village. Several areas around the village had small forests suitable for hunting. The issue was that the orphanage did not allow us to leave freely. However, it wasn't exactly a high-security prison. I knew because I had experienced one in my past life. The fence had small openings that could be widened enough for me to sneak through. After breakfast, the supervisors usually left us to our own devices. They were overworked, understaffed, and lacked sufficient funding due to overcrowding. This provided me a window from breakfast until sunset each day to leave unnoticed.
I didn't interact much with the other children in the orphanage. They were just kids with nothing particularly interesting to say. Unfortunately, they reminded me how mean children could be. After a few days of digging and several broken fingernails, I finally managed to sneak out at sunrise. I headed quickly toward the nearest small forest, approximately an hour away. People gave me strange looks when they saw a child, barely five years old, walking alone. To avoid suspicion, I carried a grocery bag I have found, hoping it appeared like I was running an errand. Children in this world were typically smarter than those in my old world because of chakra, so while my behavior wasn't exactly common, it didn't attract much attention. Just in case someone questioned me, I prepared a believable story: my sick mother had sent me for groceries, and I memorized directions to a house near my orphanage.
When I finally reached the forest outside the village, I saw it was more like a small wooded area than a true forest. Most of the animals there would be small, but it was better than nothing. I was only a small child myself, after all, and didn't need large portions of meat yet.
Holding a rock tightly in my hand, I entered the small forest, alert and ready to strike as soon as I spotted a bird or small animal. Hunting humans had been part of my previous life, but hunting animals was an entirely different matter.
I soon saw a bird perched on a tree branch ahead. As I stepped forward, I wasn't careful enough, and my foot snapped a small twig beneath me. The bird panicked and quickly flew away. Frustrated, I reminded myself that this was a shinobi world, and if I didn't start acting like one, I would soon die of malnutrition.
After wandering for a short while longer, I spotted another bird. This time, I carefully lowered my small body, moved slowly, watched each step, and breathed quietly. Once close enough, I threw the rock with a swift, fluid motion, striking the bird in the chest. It let out a pained cry as it fell to the ground. Worried another animal might steal my prize, I ran to it immediately. Thankfully, no animal seemed interested in my tiny catch. I picked up the bird, which was still alive but suffering. Looking at it, I felt a pang of guilt.
"Sorry, bird," I whispered softly, "but survival of the fittest and all."
Then, with a sharp twist, there was a quiet crack.