"Koyu, time for breakfast."
"Okay."
In the orphanage, Nono Yakushi followed her roommate, Yu, down to the first-floor cafeteria.
The cafeteria was already filled with people, the vast majority of whom were children, but they all sat upright and proper, as quiet as if they were in a classroom.
Granny Rong, the "head teacher," stood at the entrance, smiling at each child who came in, occasionally speaking a few soft words. When it was Nono and Yu's turn, her smile widened. "Koyu, did you sleep well last night?"
"Yes, I slept very soundly," Nono replied with a smile and a slight nod.
"That's good." Granny Rong sighed in relief, then looked at Yu. "Koyu is new here. Yu, please take good care of her."
"Yes, I know, Granny Rong!" Yu said in a clear, bright voice.
"Good, good. You're a good girl. You two go find a seat."
"Okay~"
Yu took Nono's small hand and found two empty seats next to each other. She then raised a finger to her lips in a "shush" gesture. Nono nodded in understanding and made the same gesture, earning a thumbs-up from Yu.
She smiled silently and turned to observe the children around her, not hiding her curiosity. As a newcomer, she was also the subject of many curious glances. However, their curiosity was innocent. Nono, on the other hand, needed to silently commit each person's face and mannerisms to memory, just in case.
As time passed, more and more people filled the cafeteria, and the number of latecomers dwindled. Fresh bread and steaming hot congee were placed in front of Nono and the others.
At the cafeteria entrance, Granny Rong's smile had vanished, her brow furrowed. She crossed her arms, her fingers tapping impatiently against her arm as her eyes darted to the large clock hanging on the wall opposite the door.
A few minutes later, the minute hand of the clock finally pointed to the "12," and it let out a series of crisp "dings."
Granny Rong's face fell completely. She waved to the two caretakers beside her. "Time's up. Close the doors."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Just then, two small figures appeared at the end of the hallway. The boy in front shouted toward the cafeteria, "Hey, wait for us!"
"Granny Rong, should we..." one of the caretakers asked.
"Ignore them. Close the doors!" Granny Rong said angrily. Without another glance at the two latecomers, she turned and walked into the cafeteria.
The two caretakers looked at each other, shrugged, and, following Granny Rong's orders, continued to close the heavy doors.
"It's over. Granny Rong is really mad. Nagato!"
"Right. I'm ready." Nagato's hands flew, forming a seal in the blink of an eye. He opened his mouth and spat out two mud pellets, which accurately hit the gap between the doors, preventing them from closing completely for a moment.
"Nice!"
Seizing the opportunity, Yahiko also formed a hand seal and used a ninjutsu, spitting out a jet of water that rushed forward. The two used the momentum of the water to slide forward, successfully dashing into the cafeteria just before the doors slammed shut.
"Hahaha, we made it!" Yahiko lay on the floor, laughing heartily. Nagato, beside him, couldn't help but smile as well.
"Made what?"
Granny Rong's large face suddenly loomed over them. She pointed at the messy floor and said angrily, "Look at what you two have done!"
"It's fine, Granny Rong," Yahiko said, getting up and wagging a finger. "This was all made with chakra. It will disappear soon."
"Hah! Ever since you two learned ninjutsu, you've gotten more and more arrogant. Especially you, Yahiko! Always fooling around, you're a bad influence on Nagato." Granny Rong glared at them fiercely. "Even if you become Light Chasers in the future, you will still follow the rules here and listen to me and the caretakers. You two were late today. Get outside and stand in the corner as punishment! You can eat after everyone else has finished!"
The two future great ninja, faced with the wrathful Granny Rong, could only shrink back and obediently walk out the door with their heads lowered.
"Haha, sorry about that, Nagato. I got you into trouble. If I hadn't woken up so late and made you wait for me, you wouldn't have missed out on the hot congee," Yahiko said, scratching his head.
"It's okay. I share the responsibility for not waking you up in time," Nagato said, shaking his head. "Yahiko, I actually think waking up early is a good thing."
"I can't help it! I accidentally trained too late last night." Yahiko said seriously, "Alright, I'll try to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier from now on!"
"Mm. Me too."
Inside the cafeteria, Yahiko and Nagato's little stunt had inevitably caused some whispers. Yu leaned close to Nono's ear and said softly, "They're the two biggest troublemakers in the orphanage. Granny Rong is always worrying about them. But we all quite like them, especially Yahiko. He's so cute."
"He is very cute," Nono agreed, then asked, as if casually, "I heard someone say they are 'Light Chasers'? What does that mean?"
"Oh, a Light Chaser is like a ninja on the outside. They're not official yet; they have to graduate from the school first. Speaking of which, those two are the top geniuses in the school. It's pretty much guaranteed they'll become Light Chasers."
"Can the school teach us ninjutsu?"
"It can, but you have to have a talent for it. I'm one of those without talent. Sigh, sometimes I really envy them."
"Then..." Nono wanted to ask more, but Granny Rong was already standing on the stage, reciting the pre-meal grace. Nono had no choice but to close her mouth.
After reciting the words of thanks with the others and quickly finishing her breakfast, Nono glanced at Yu, who was still eating, then suddenly got up and walked over to Granny Rong.
"Granny Rong."
"Oh, it's Koyu. Do you need something? Was there not enough breakfast? I have extra if you're still hungry." When facing Nono, Granny Rong was a benevolent old grandmother. No, to be precise, it was only when facing Yahiko and Nagato that she became a grumpy old woman.
"No, I'm full," Nono said, shaking her head. "I wanted to ask, can I go to school?"
"Oh, so that's what you were worried about," Granny Rong said apologetically. "It's my fault for being so forgetful. I forgot to tell you earlier. Of course, you can go to school. I've already spoken with the school's head. You just need to find a Mr. Yamagui when you get there. Yu will take you to him."
"Okay, thank you!" Nono bowed gratefully.
"Silly child, it's what I should do. Oh, that's right." Suddenly remembering something, Granny Rong rummaged through a bag behind her seat and pulled out a backpack embroidered with a colorful butterfly, handing it to Nono.
"This is a small gift from our orphanage to you. Congratulations on starting school."
"Thank you. I love it."
Nono took the backpack, a sweet smile blooming on her face.