The sunlight filtered in through the paper-panelled windows of the orphanage, casting soft, golden patterns on the wooden floor. Within one of the quieter rooms of the Konoha orphanage, the mood was far more subdued.
Satoru sat cross-legged on a well-worn tatami mat, his eyes fixed on the floor ahead, a mixture of anticipation and wariness swirling behind his otherwise calm expression.
Opposite him stood Nono Yakushi, and besides him sat two other children, Ayano and Ito, each spaced out evenly on their own mats. Ayano, seven years old, had long, raven-black hair pulled into a functional ponytail. Her eyes were sharp and observant, but she carried herself with a calm maturity that made her seem older than her years.
Ito, on the other hand, was six and a year older than Satoru, with wild brown hair that stuck out in all directions and a small, perpetually furrowed brow that gave him an air of serious contemplation.
"Satoru," she began, "do you know how your chakra was unlocked?"
Satoru blinked slowly and tilted his head. "Chakra... being unlocked?" he asked, feigning confusion.
"I'm sorry, Nono-san. I don't really understand what that means."
Nono's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than was comfortable, her amber eyes narrowing ever so slightly. She stepped forward, kneeling on one knee so that her face was level with his.
"Unlocking chakra," she explained, "means that your body and mind have become capable of using chakra for jutsu, healing, and other shinobi arts."
She paused, waiting for his reaction. Satoru nodded slowly, his expression still blank.
"You're saying you didn't try to unlock it?" she asked.
"I didn't even know it was something that could be unlocked," Satoru replied with practised innocence.
Nono's eyes studied him again. "And your eyes," she added casually, "do you remember when they started… changing?"
Satoru hesitated, as if thinking hard. "Sometimes they feel different. Like, sometimes things get really clear. Like I can focus very well... and other times not. It started... um, I think it was when Jun-kun came to visit me."
"Jun Yamanaka?" Nono echoed.
"Yes," Satoru said, giving a slight nod.
Nono's lips pressed into a thin line, her mind clearly racing behind those watchful eyes. After a moment, she stood and turned away, her posture composed.
"I see."
Satoru suppressed a sigh of relief.
'I hope she bought it,' he thought, hands folded neatly in his lap. This little charade was critical. He couldn't afford to let Nono suspect the truth, at least not yet.
Despite Nono's connections to the shadowy Root faction and her former affiliation with Danzo, Satoru had decided to approach her for medical ninjutsu lessons.
The logic was simple: if he could get close to her under the guise of learning, he might not only gain vital skills but also keep her from seeing him as a potential tool. Especially now that he'd exposed his Sharingan in public.
'I made the gamble already,' Satoru thought, eyes briefly flicking to the soft glow of sunlight playing on the wall.
'The Uchiha clan knows I exist. Jun's visit marked me as Yamanaka too. There's no way Root can just "disappear" me now without raising questions.'
He grinned inwardly. 'Besides, this gives me an excuse to train freely.'
What surprised him most, however, was that he wasn't alone. There were other kids here, Ayano and Ito, who'd also asked to learn medical ninjutsu. He had expected to be the only one, but instead, he'd found unlikely kindred spirits.
Nono turned back to them and addressed Ayano and Ito. "Unlike Satoru, whose chakra seems to have been unlocked already," she said, "I'll need to assist both of you in accessing yours before we begin any training."
Ayano nodded calmly, not the least bit fazed, while Ito shifted in place, eyes wide with curiosity.
Nono knelt in front of Ayano and took a deep breath. "This may hurt a little. Just try to relax."
She placed her hands gently along Ayano's spine and abdomen, applying calculated pressure to specific points, one of her chakra tenketsu.
A faint hum filled the air, almost imperceptible, as Nono channelled her own chakra through Ayano's body.
There was a sharp intake of breath—
"Ah!" Ayano cried softly, her body tensing as her chakra network was forcefully activated.
Satoru flinched at the sound. Ayano had always struck him as the stoic type, so to hear even a small cry meant it hurt more than she let on.
'Was it more painful than when I got my Sharingan?' he wondered.
Nono gently rubbed Ayano's back, soothing her.
"It's alright. The pain will pass quickly. You did well."
'If I didn't know better,' Satoru thought, 'I'd say she's a quiet, caring person. You'd never think she's tied to someone like Danzo.'
Next came Ito.
"Your turn," Nono said with a kind smile.
Ito crawled forward without hesitation and sat cross-legged. Nono repeated the same process, fingers moving precisely along his chakra points, her chakra subtly resonating with his.
But unlike Ayano, Ito didn't make a sound. Not a whimper. His jaw was clenched, but his face betrayed no pain.
"Huh," Satoru muttered under his breath.
Nono gave Ito a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You're strong, Ito. Not many could've handled that so well."
Satoru barely managed to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
He tried to feel for their chakra now; Ayano's, Ito's, but came up with nothing.
No warmth, no signature sensation, nothing.
'I really need to work on my chakra sensing… or control. Or both,' he admitted, a little bit annoyed.
Nono rose and walked to the far side of the room, where a small shelf lined with scrolls and containers sat tucked against the wall. She picked up a small rectangular box and returned to the group.
"Now that your chakra's unlocked," she said, placing the box down and opening it, "it's time to learn your chakra affinities."
Satoru perked up.
"Chakra… affinities?" he echoed, feigning ignorance but internally intrigued.
'Is this the chakra paper test?'
Nono nodded, pulling out three slips of fine white paper and handing one to each child.
"Chakra affinity determines what nature your chakra aligns with most naturally," she explained. "There are five basic elemental affinities: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. Every ninja has a primary affinity—sometimes two, in rare cases. Knowing your affinity helps you learn techniques faster and use chakra more efficiently."
Satoru glanced down at his slip of paper. It looked unassuming at first glance, but he could feel a strange pull from it, as though it were waiting, eager to react.
"This is called chakra paper," Nono continued, anticipating their questions. "It reacts to chakra in different ways, depending on your affinity. Channel your chakra into it and observe what happens."
Ito raised a hand. "How do we channel chakra?"
Nono smiled patiently and crouched beside him. "Close your eyes and focus on the energy in your stomach, your centre. Try to feel it swirl and pool there. Then, picture it flowing into your hand, like warm water from a faucet."
She demonstrated with her own fingers.
"Imagine the chakra moving into the paper. Don't force it. Let it move naturally."
Ito nodded and closed his eyes, breathing slowly as he tried to concentrate.
Satoru stared at his own chakra paper, thoughts swirling. 'Okay… this is it. My test. I know I should have Fire affinity—that's standard for most Uchiha. But let's see for sure.'
Satoru was not sure if he should hope for a specific affinity, but he couldn't wait to know his chakra affinity.
Taking a deep breath, he held the paper between both hands and began to focus.
The paper trembled.
A faint sizzling sound crackled through the air.
"Ssssss…"
In the next second, the edge of the paper blackened and curled. A thin wisp of smoke rose as it crumbled into ash.
It was burnt.
Satoru's eyes widened slightly.
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