"Satoru?"
Satoru's heart thudded—fast, staccato beats of panic echoing in his skull. He forced himself to reply in a near-whisper, "Y-yes?"
The door swung open, and in stepped Nono Yakushi. She was a woman in her late thirties, but her presence felt far older: years of hidden missions and covert assignments under Danzo's eye had etched lines around her eyes and hardened her jaw.
Her hair was neatly tied into a bun, loose wisps framing a face whose eyes were sharp and measuring. She wore the muted green and grey of a Konoha medic-nin, though even under that official façade, there was something dangerous in her stillness, an undercurrent like hidden steel.
"How are you feeling, Satoru?" she asked, voice calm but not unkind.
He cleared his throat, sitting up straighter, "I…I'm fine, oba-san." He stifled a cough.
Nono nodded, stepping forward. She crouched to be level with him. "That's good." Her posture was relaxed, but there was an undercurrent of authority in the way she held herself as if any attempt at deception would slide right off her. "But I've come to tell you that you have a visitor."
A surge of panic slammed into Satoru. His stomach twisted, and he swallowed hard.
'Visitor?' Could this be a ploy by Danzo? Like Kabuto, he'd been taken from here once already. It had already happened to the grey-haired boy a couple of days before Satoru even made it to the Orphanage. He could remember hearing about it from Satoru's memories. As much as he wanted warmth, at this point, every visitor was a threat.
He fidgeted under Nono's intense gaze, trying to swallow the dread rising in his throat.
'What if this is the start of another recruitment? Another extraction?' His chest tightened.
"So," Nono continued, brow furrowed, eyeing him carefully, "you seem…tense, Satoru."
He froze.
'Damn.'
Despite his outward composure, the prickling unease around his neck and sweating palms gave him away.
'She knows'.
He swallowed again, mouth dry.
'Do I have to fake faint? To force a delay?'
Nono's expression softened. "Are you well enough to meet your visitor? Maybe you should sit up…"
He realized her concern was genuine, and that made him even more on edge. Was she trying to reassure him? Or disarm him?
'This is exactly how they get you.'
His mind whirled. 'I need to stall. But I can't collapse here. Plus she is a medical-nin, so it will be counter-productive.'
He forced his voice to remain calm. "Visitor? Uh… is it someone from the clans? My cousin, maybe?"
Nono straightened, surprised. "Your cousin?" she echoed gently. "Yes. It seems you have–"
He cut her off before she could speak further. "A cousin," he repeated, his voice steady but his heart racing. "I…don't remember him. But… that's interesting." He exhaled shakily.
'A ticket out, maybe?'
Nono regarded him with a cautious lift of her brow. She rubbed the back of her neck as though making a silent calculation. "Come on, then. I'll take you to the garden."
She offered her hand, and though Satoru's fingers trembled, he took it. Together they walked down the halls, silent except for the soft click-clack of their footsteps. The orphanage felt cold and watchful as if the walls themselves cared about what happened inside.
As they walked through the doorway into the courtyard, the bright morning sunlight hit Satoru like a slap. The air smelled of wet earth and new leaves. In the centre was a meticulously maintained garden—stone paths, potted bonsai, and a small pond where koi swam lazily beneath a simple wooden bridge.
Satoru glanced around, heart racing.
'Which side of the family is this cousin from? I hope it's an Uchiha—but that clan is a nest of vipers right now. If he's Yamanaka, though…maybe a chance?' He swallowed.
At the edge of the pond, leaning casually against a low stone wall, waited a tall boy with salt and pepper hair and sharp, intelligent eyes. He looked fourteen at most, clad in the Yamanaka clan's labelled gear and Konohagakure shinobi-standard forehead protector. He had a green flak jacket on, so he was at least a chunin.
Nono beckoned, smiling softly. "Satoru, I am sure you don't remember his but this is Yamanaka Jun."
The boy straightened and raised a hand in greeting. "Hello. Satoru."
Satoru blinked. He swallowed nervously. "Hi," he echoed, still feigning confusion.
'Good.' It worked.
Nono lingered a moment longer, her eyes flicking between them. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit. Let me know when you need anything." She turned and walked back towards the orphanage, merging into the doorway like a quiet shadow.
As the door shut behind her, an unspoken tension settled.
Jun let out a breath. "It's really good to meet you, cousin."
Satoru's brow creased. "Cousin? I…still don't remember anyone." Clenching his fists, he reminded himself: neutral tone, no suspicion. 'Yamanaka. Father's side. This could be his ticket out of here.'
Jun nodded, glancing down at his hands. He was quiet for a moment. "I…know this must be confusing. When I heard you were here… I thought… maybe I should meet you."
Satoru studied him. Tall, lean cheekbones, thoughtful eyes. Not overly muscular, but there was an alertness in his posture, evidence of his shinobi rank. That alone impressed Satoru. Even if this was starting to feel like an audition.
"Why…?" Satoru began, keeping his voice gentle. "Why now?"
Jun nodded slowly. "I'm sorry. This… this is awkward. I wasn't told you'd… wake up so soon. I didn't know. And I didn't know you'd forgotten everything. I just wanted to say I'm…glad you're alive."
Satoru's heart skipped. Was it genuine? Or performance?
He nodded stiffly. "Thank you."
Jun swallowed, running his fingers over his hair. "My dad, your uncle I guess, died in the war. I…I didn't understand everything then. He was always distant, busy with missions. The clan needed him."
He paused, exhaling through his nose. "We all thought it'd get better when the war ended. But…there was just a lot to pick up. My mom—Mahina—she's been asking about you, asking if there was any chance you were still…here. We all thought maybe you went to live with your aunt. But then we heard you were here."
Satoru felt a twinge behind his chest. An aunt? Nothing in his fragmented memories hinted at that.
He sat back on the stone wall, trying to hide the flinch. Another branch he didn't know. Was he about to be invited into something family-based? Or just slotted into clan structure because they liked a shinobi orphan?
'That may be the reason why he is here.'
Jun looked away, voice quiet. "Sorry—that was…long."
He exhaled.
Then, softly, he pivoted to Satoru. "I'm really sorry about what happened after your parents died. And with everything else going on—they could've done more. I know we weren't perfect."
Satoru caught himself from scoffing. Their technical mindset might annoy him, but they were human. He nodded, biting back a sharper response.
'Jun's being sincere. But sincerity doesn't mean safety.'
He took a breath. "It's fine,"
Jun nodded, the tension evident. The sun glinted on his forehead protector as he shifted in place.
He paused, searching Satoru's face.
"How'd you feel, if… you could… leave the orphanage?"
=====
Your Reviews, Comments and Powerstones about my work are welcomed
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/P4lindrome
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon.