9 Chapter 9 : A new beginning, part 4

I left the orphanage with Daichi. My sadness about leaving the orphanage where I lived during all my new life has almost disappeared. Truly, I think I underestimated my adaptability. It's even infuriate me lightly, it's like my emotional state regulating itself on its own, probably in order not to waste time on frills. I would have liked to think longer about that, but I don't think it would bring me anything useful.Besides, I must admit, it's rather useful to this new life of mine to have a mental state rather strong.

*Sigh*

Daichi walking beside me raised an eyebrow at my sigh. "Are you already tired Kuro or do you already regret quitting your orphanage?"

"None of that Daichi... Sensei, I just thought you live rather far away." Reluctantly adding his title, due to the light ash on the top of my head with the blow of the matron earlier.

"Aahaah Daichi sensei, that sounds good I think I could get used to this title." He said with a broad smile while stroking his nonexistent beard. It looked like he wanted to imitate the great masters, but it was more funny than anything else.

"What's that smile Kuro, you wouldn't be laughing at me, huh."

I was rather surprised; indeed, my lips were slightly raised, I was smiling, not a controlled smile, not a controlled reaction. But me, happy and having fun, the first time with someone I had lowered my barriers in this second life. Although I appreciate the feeling, it froze my blood too, in a world with killers and monsters in every corner, letting your guard down is signing your death warrant.

*Ouuuutch* A slight pain on the top of my head woke me up from my thoughts.

"It hurts why you hit me Daichi?" I said with a voice tinted of indignation.

"What do you mean Daichi, it's the great Daichi sensei for you." He said with a point of laughter in his voice and raising his hand as if to hit me on the head a 2nd time.

"Haaaa don't hit me you fool." Seeing his eye twist and his fist go down I panicked and said quickly "Daichi Sensei, great teacher Daichi don't hit me."

He stopped his fist already descending towards my skull a few centimeters before the inevitable pain that would have followed for me. "Ahahaha, she was right the matron, nothing better than a little punch on the head."

I sweatdropped at his word; she has unleashed a demon, I'm scared for the future of my skull now.

"And why else did you hit me Daichi ... Sensei?"

"- Dumbass

- Huh, I said with confusion and indignation.

- *sigh* I had forgotten but despite your talent and maturity you are still just a kid.

- Heeee, don't insult me ​​either. I say, with a growing indignation.

- It's probably due to your environment, being an orphan and growing up in an orphanage.

- To survive you had to create barriers around you, plus you were more mature than your peers it didn't help."

There was some truth in all that, I had created a lot of barriers around me, not because of the orphanage as he thought. But because of my dark secret, my reincarnation and all my knowledge that goes with it. A heavy burden, which little by little over the years has locked me in a cocoon impermeable to the outside world.

"Kuro" He called me in a soft, comforting voice, different from his usual jovial voice.

I lift my head to meet his gaze, and in his eyes, I can see reflecting different emotions, understanding, compassion, pity and more that I cannot begin to describe.

"I understand Kuro; it's a hard world, putting barriers around you, it's something that all ninja needs, but know that in the end you are only a human, even the best ninja must find people he can open up to and be himself."

"Who should I open up to? I remind you that I'm just an orphan alone in this world." I say, in a crisp and sad voice.

"Me of course!" He said while pointing his finger proudly to him. I couldn't help but laugh a little in front of this scene.

"This is no joke Kuro, from today I am your sensei, but not only that, I am your guardian, I am your family." He said once again with deep affection.

I could only answer with a small yes, my voice so disturbed by all the repressed emotions until now, which rose in me. Tears rose to my eyes, the only reason it didn't flow was due to the promise I made to myself earlier.

"Aahahahah what do I see Kuro, are those tears? The words of the great Daichi, end up moving you." He says, again in his usually prankster tone.

"No!" I said with a little indignation in my voice.

We looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Again, I say to myself, with someone like him I can finally be myself, let my guard down, and learn to trust again. Even though this world is scary, it's my world now, and I'm going to live in it with my head held high.

"Ah by the way Kuro, I was wondering, why your name is Kuro (Black) when your hair is… Er… what is this color?"

"No idea you should ask my late parents, probably a bad joke from them." It's true that even for Naruto's standards, my hair is still a bit strange. A mix between sky blue and gray, how my parents decided to call me Kuro with such a hair color is completely beyond me.

"Never mind, by the way I forgot to tell you but Daichi sensei thanks to your advice I managed to walk on water."

"Huh, what how, it's been only a week since I showed you how to do it." He said in a baffled and completely shocked tone. If he was a manga character, his eyes would surely pop out of their sockets.

I stepped forward leaving him behind in his shocked state, before turning around and telling him with as much satisfaction as possible. "It's simple it's because I'm a prodigy."

He laughs, and says, "of course how could I have forgotten."

"That's not all Daichi sensei but when we finally arrive at your place? We have just crossed almost all of Konoha."

"Here we are, he told me, pointing to a small Japanese house in front of us."

The little house that stood in front of us was nothing special only what you might expect from the dwellings of the Naruto world.

"Nothing of fancy, but it's mine et now it's your as well. It is rather out of the way, but the prices of the city center of konoha are too high I could only have afforded an apartment over there."

"I like the sound of it. So, you show me around?" A little excited to know where I was going to spend the next few years.

"Tsk, Kid these days, no patience." He said with a mock sigh, betrayed by a small smirk and opened the house before waving me in to enter.

"Here it is, the house of the great Daichi."

Still nothing extraordinary, but the cozy style of this Japanese house had already won me over.

"And yet you have not all seen" He walked towards the left wall of the living room, he knelt and started doing the traditional Naruto hand sign. A door appeared with a seal on it, I recognized the seal as being fuinjutsu. He took it off and opened the door. Then, he looked at me and seeing my bewildered look at the appearance of a door as if by magic, he said with a big smile." Kuro why this look so bewildered, you never saw a door appear by magic."

"Huh" It was the only answer my brain could produce at the time, knowing the manga and seeing it for yourself is two completely different things.

"It's fuinjutsu, one day, you too will be doing that. You surely wonder why hide the door, whereas we are at my house. It's simple, it's the entrance to my secret base, so of course the entry must be hidden. Where's the fun if not!" He tells me all this in a tone that is half serious and half joking.

Even when I think I know him, he always happens to surprise me.

"So, you come, the great Daichi sensei shows you his secret base, so be grateful and come here!"

"yeah, yeah, I'm coming, great Daichi sensei" I said in mock tone. I go through the door that leads to this so-called secret base. Beyond this door I see a dark staircase leading down to bottomless depths. I hesitate for a moment; this staircase is not very reassuring after all.

A hand lands on my shoulder making me jump "Isn't funny to be called Kuro and be afraid of the dark." He said jokingly to relax the atmosphere.

"Hey, who's afraid of the dark here." I say in mock confidence. Nevertheless, these words he spoke dispelled my doubts.

I started to go down the stairs without looking back before I exclaimed triumphantly. "I am waiting for you, hurry up, I hope that your secret base will not disappoint me too much Daichi Sensei."

"Humf this is the secret base of the great Daichi Sensei, once you get down you won't believe your eyes." He said with mock indignation.

"Like you said, like you said." I answer him by continuing to go down the stairs and thinking about my future which seems to smile on me again.

Unbeknownst to me, I could not see the hint of bitterness and genuine sadness appearing on Daichi's face.