Chapter 6: Leaving the Orphanage
After reuniting with the other orphans, Kaito discovered that only 4 children from the orphanage had passed the exam.
Even Ryo hadn't passed. Only Kaito, Takeshi, Tatsuya, and Naomi had made it through.
Momoko comforted those who didn't pass, mentioning there were many other paths they could take when they grew up.
Then everyone returned to the orphanage together.
There were still three days until the Academy officially started, but these days were extremely busy for Kaito and the other orphans who'd passed.
Orphans who passed the entrance exam would no longer live in the orphanage.
Instead, they each received a small apartment in the residential district.
Rent would be waived until they became genin, and they would also receive a small monthly stipend to support themselves.
Kaito thought, Huh, I didn't remember this detail. I knew Naruto lived alone later, but I always assumed it was due to his unique circumstances as a jinchuriki—that he might have received special treatment. Turns out this is standard procedure for Academy students from the orphanage.
Kaito was also curious about the reasoning behind requiring them to live independently.
He figured the main benefit was that they'd be better adapted to solitary life if they needed to perform solo missions outside the village in the future.
After packing his meager belongings—just a few changes of clothes—he walked out of the orphanage and looked back one last time.
He saw Takeshi looking very sad, even crying, because he and Ryo could no longer live together.
Kaito felt a small pang in his chest.
I haven't formed too many close bonds with people here. And since Naruto isn't even in this orphanage, there's no reason to stay.
All four orphans traveled to their new apartments accompanied by Momoko.
After dropping off the other three at their respective places, Kaito was the last to arrive at his own apartment.
This will be my new home for the next several years.
The apartment was clean and well-maintained.
Although the space was small, it was sufficient for his needs.
It had a tiny living area, a bedroom, a compact kitchen, and a bathroom—simple but functional.
Besides a small refrigerator, stove, and basic cooking utensils, there weren't many amenities.
There was also a worn sofa in the living room, and a bed with an alarm clock in the bedroom.
He noticed a first aid kit mounted on the wall.
The bed was considerably better than the one at the orphanage, and having complete privacy made Kaito very satisfied.
He could dedicate much more time to training now.
Kaito was curious about what food arrangements would be provided.
He'd been told someone would come at noon to deliver today's supplies and his first stipend.
Having money would make both life and training far more convenient.
His water balloons had run out a month ago, so his Rasengan training had been on hold.
He needed money to buy more balloons.
Also, he really wanted to try Ichiraku Ramen.
Ah, that's something anyone who's watched Naruto has wanted to try!
Kaito also needed to stock his refrigerator.
From now on, breakfast wouldn't be provided anymore.
So he should at least buy some eggs, bread, and milk.
Kaito set his alarm clock for 11:30 AM and began practicing the Leaf Concentration Exercise.
At 12:15 PM, there was a knock on the door.
Kaito opened it and saw one of the Academy instructors who'd supervised yesterday's exam.
The man introduced himself as Adachi Genki and explained he would be Kaito's homeroom teacher this year.
He asked if Kaito was settling in comfortably and whether he had any problems.
After confirming everything was fine, Genki smiled. "Glad to hear it. I saw your performance yesterday during the exam, and you did exceptionally well. Keep up the good work."
Kaito replied respectfully, "Thank you, sensei."
Afterward, Genki handed Kaito a small pouch of coins and a package wrapped in plain paper.
Kaito looked at the wrapped package and asked curiously, "Sensei, what are these?"
Genki smiled warmly. "These are military ration pills and ration bars—standard shinobi provisions. Eat one bar for lunch and one for dinner. There's enough here for a week. But from now on, you'll need to come to the Academy every Sunday to collect your weekly rations."
Kaito stared at his teacher with barely concealed disappointment.
Really? Just these ration bars?
Seeing Kaito's expression, Genki chuckled and explained enthusiastically, "Don't underestimate them, young man! These are specially formulated shinobi rations! They were developed after extensive research, and even the legendary Sannin—Lady Tsunade and Orochimaru—contributed to their creation. They provide shinobi with optimal nutrition in a compact form. You should be proud to eat food specially made for ninja!"
Kaito could see his teacher was explaining this the way one would to an excited child.
To avoid arousing suspicion, he had to play the part.
Kaito's expression shifted from confusion to pride, as though honored to be eating food specially designed for shinobi.
Genki smiled approvingly and then departed.
As soon as the door closed, Kaito sighed heavily.
He complained internally, Who's the idiot in charge of providing food for orphan Academy students? Really? Just one ration bar per meal? No wonder Naruto ate nothing but ramen all the time.
However, he also understood that these rations provided necessary nutrients and could be preserved for extended periods—practical for shinobi missions.
Still, Kaito needed to learn some basic cooking skills. He absolutely couldn't survive on ration bars for the next several years!
He counted the money given to him and found it was 1,000 ryo.
Kaito knew that "ryo" was the currency in this world, but he had no idea whether 1,000 was a significant amount.
Since arriving here, he'd been so focused on training that he'd never visited the shopping district near the orphanage.
Now he really needed to explore and understand the local prices.
He also needed to find out the cost of essential ninja tools—shuriken, kunai, senbon, tanto, explosive tags, storage scrolls, and other important items.
However, those could wait.
The most urgent purchase was chakra paper!
He ate one of the ration bars. While it didn't taste terrible, it certainly wasn't delicious either.
The orphanage meals had definitely tasted better than this.
Afterward, he left his apartment, locked the door carefully, and headed out to explore.
After asking several people for directions, he found the main market district.
He spent time browsing various shops, checking prices on different items.
He discovered that a dozen eggs cost 24 ryo, a liter of milk cost 9 ryo, and a loaf of sliced bread cost 5 ryo. A kilogram of meat cost 60 ryo.
The prices of various vegetables and fruits averaged between 10-20 ryo per kilogram.
I see. If I only buy food staples, 1,000 ryo is more than adequate.
He continued exploring and found a ninja tools shop.
A set of 6 shuriken cost 2,000 ryo, while a set of kunai cost 1,000 ryo.
A set of 6 senbon cost 1,000 ryo, while tanto and other blades were considerably more expensive, with prices varying greatly based on quality.
These ninja tools are incredibly expensive! I'll have to save for months to afford even basic equipment!
Then he asked the shop owner if they sold chakra paper.
The owner nodded and produced a single sheet, which Kaito purchased for 100 ryo.
His shopping trip finally concluded.
He bought a dozen eggs, one loaf of sliced bread, a liter of milk, some fresh fruit, 12 water balloons, 3 rubber balls, and daily necessities like soap, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.
Excluding the chakra paper, he'd spent approximately 180 ryo on this trip.
For the next few days at least, he wouldn't have to worry about breakfast.
After returning home, Kaito carefully channeled his chakra through the chakra paper.
The paper split cleanly down the middle.
He sighed with slight disappointment. "So it's not Lightning Release."
However, Wind Release was also excellent!
And he'd already been training in that element for months.
The next day, his training routine continued as usual.
By evening, after asking several strangers for directions, he finally found Ichiraku Ramen.
Teuchi Ichiraku became the second character from the actual Naruto series that Kaito had encountered.
He ordered a bowl of miso ramen, which cost 45 ryo.
After eating, he thought with satisfaction, Wow, it really does taste amazing! However, 45 ryo is pretty expensive for me right now. I definitely can't come here often.
After finishing his meal completely satisfied, he returned to his apartment, already planning his training schedule for the coming days.
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