(Pov Haruki Sakamoto)
"Why do you want to be strong?" I asked the small child standing before me. He had short black hair and a determined look in his eyes.
"I want to be strong so I can protect my home," he answered without hesitation.
"I see. The village depends on you children now. Take care of it, just like we once did. You can go."
"Yes," he replied softly, then turned and walked out of the room.
"What do you think of that one?" the orphanage head asked from behind me.
"Hmm. He's… okay."
"I understand. I'll bring in the next one." With that, she left the room.
I sighed. I never thought adopting a child would be this difficult. That boy had been the forty-first I'd interviewed. To protect the children's feelings, the orphanage head told them this was a survey conducted by the Leaf Village to better understand the next generation of shinobi. The children eagerly answered every question, unaware of the truth.
Finding a child with real potential was harder than I expected. Talent rarely appears outside of shinobi clans—only once in a generation does someone like the Fourth Hokage come along.
As I sat lost in thought, the door creaked open again. The orphanage head stepped inside, followed by another child. He had black hair and calm, brown eyes. Instantly, I sensed something different. As a seasoned shinobi, I could see what most civilians couldn't. In this boy's eyes, I saw it—maturity. Not genius, not raw talent, but something just as rare: understanding.
He might be the one I was looking for.
The orphanage head stood behind me as the boy walked up and bowed politely.
"Nice to meet you, Shinobi-san. My name is Yuji Takemura. I turned four last month. My dream is to become a strong shinobi," he said with surprising clarity.
"And why do you want to be strong, Yuji?" I asked.
"So I can be free from fear. So I can protect what I care about. So I can live my life the way I want—without being afraid of anyone."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what do you think is the most important thing to become strong?"
He didn't hesitate. "Doing the things you hate like you love them—every single day. Because the magic is in the work you're avoiding."
A moment of silence passed before I nodded. "Good. You can go."
"Have a nice day," he said quietly before walking out.
"What do you think?" the orphanage head asked.
I didn't hesitate this time. "He's good. Tell me more about him."
As she spoke about Yuji's behavior, habits, and history, everything clicked into place.
I'd found him.
"I'm adopting him."
(POV – Yuji)
I lay on the grass, sweat clinging to my skin after another round of training. That old man… he's terrifying. His face is hard, sharp—like a blade that's seen too many battles. But whatever, let's not dwell on him right now.
Talking to myself—it's the only thing that's followed me into this world. A habit born from the silence of my old life, where abusive parents and constant beatings made it easier to close myself off from everyone. I lived in my own head because that's the only place I felt safe.
Life back there wasn't much to miss. My parents were monsters, people mocked me, looked down on me, called me weird. The only bright spot was my girlfriend—if six months can count as something real. But I loved talking to her. Her smile was kind, her voice gentle. She helped me fight my way out of depression, even if I ended up falling right back in after she was gone.
Tch… shut up, Yuji. You can't change the past, and this isn't the time to sulk.
Still, I hated being looked down on. But… I guess I can't blame them. I was weird. Still am, probably.
Now here I am, in a totally new and messed-up world where people can die any day, any moment. Great upgrade, huh?
But enough of that. There is something good today.
For the first time, I made a leaf stick to my hand using chakra. It sounds small, but to me—it was everything. Maybe I'm used to being the loser who never achieves anything. But today, I did it. I actually did it.
Suck it, universe. I stuck a damn leaf to my hand.
They could never have done it.
As I laid there basking in my small victory, a voice called out to me.
"Yuji, come with me. There's something important," one of the orphanage workers said.
I jumped to my feet and followed her, brushing dirt off my shirt.
"What's going on, big sister?" I asked.
"I don't know, Yuji. I was just told to bring you to the head office immediately," she said, then glanced at me with a teasing smile. "You didn't cause trouble, did you?"
I shook my head. "No. I'm not the type."
"Yeah, that's what I said. Maybe it's something about your parents…?"
I fell silent.
As we approached the door to the head's office, the receptionist smiled at me and opened it. Inside, the orphanage head sat at her desk. Beside her was that same scary-faced man from earlier—the one who asked me all those questions.
"I'm here, Mother," I said. It still felt weird calling her that. I've never really considered anyone my mother—not really.
She nodded, then spoke with her usual calm voice. "Yuji, the man sitting here is Haruki Sakamoto. He's a retired jōnin. Remember the survey I mentioned? That was a lie."
I blinked.
"It wasn't a survey," she continued. "Haruki-san has been looking to adopt a child. But to avoid hurting the other children's feelings, we told everyone it was research being done by the Leaf Village. From today onward, Haruki Sakamoto will be your family."
…What?
Since coming to this world, it's been nothing but surprises. First, I had parents—then they died. Then I became an orphan. Now I'm being adopted. What's next? Assassinated by a rogue ninja?
Still, I kept my voice steady. "I understand."
I turned to look at Haruki. This man with a face like stone was now going to be… family? I really hope he doesn't beat me.
"It's nice to meet you," he said simply. "It's already late. Let's head to your new home."
"Yuji, take care of yourself," the orphanage head said gently.
I nodded, exhausted.
This day had been a lot.
I followed Haruki quietly. Part of me still wondered—what kind of life is waiting for me now?
…Am I going to be eaten for dinner or something?