The first four years of my life, I did everything a regular child did. I crawled, walked, and talked, a lot faster than a normal baby, but that was expected in the world of Naruto, where people were far stronger due to chakra. Even so I was considered a prodigy compared to others.
When I was able to see clearly, I realized I had been born in Kumo. In addition, I figured out that Kumo was embroiled in conflict, one of the shinobi world wars, I presumed. The adults were tense, and the number of men compared to women was unbelievably low.
That was also when I saw myself for the first time. My skin was pale, and my hair was a dark red, rare in most of the world, but Kumo had a few redheads, so I wasn't a spectacle. By asking some of the caretakers at the orphanage, I learned that my eyes were dark purple. Everyone was enchanted by them; people said it was like they were being pulled in.
Life in the orphanage was boring, Everyone was minding their business and the only interactions I had were with the caretakers and the matron every once in a while. My favorite caretaker was a dark skinned woman named Santi unlike the rest, she had taken a liking to me and always made sure I had to eat despite the food reserves dwindling. She taught me how to read and write in Japanese and kanji. So I was really thankful to her.
Furthermore, I eventually realized I could sense chakra. My range was enormous,it felt like I could sense the entirety of Kumogakure. The sensation was overwhelming, tens of thousands of people moving at once. If I kept my range that wide, I'd go insane, so I restricted it to 30 meters and gradually expanded it to get used to the feeling.
One day, out of nowhere, I sensed an immense chakra presence approaching the orphanage. Instinctively, I tensed up. The door opened, and in walked a tall blonde man I couldn't recognize him but he looked a lot like C so maybe a father or an uncle of his. He spoke to the matron, and though I couldn't overhear their conversation, afterward, she lined us up in front of him.
He inspected each child one by one, looking us up and down. When he reached me, a strange sensation washed over me. Unknowingly, I instinctively reacted, unlocking my chakra and flaring it out.
He staggered back, dazed, but quickly regained his composure and moved to the next child. After evaluating the rest, he pointed at five of us, including me, and said, "You, you, you, you, and you come with me." I wasn't sure what he wanted from us but my only option at the time was to follow him.
Our walk was brief. We were brought to a three-story building built into the side of the mountain. Inside, it resembled standard military barracks,a plain residential structure filled with other children, none of whom paid us any attention. The blond man strode to the center of the room and addressed us.
"As you may know, the Second Great War has begun. Our army is among the strongest, but we still need more capable shinobi if we are to fight every nation. In this facility, you will be trained in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu detection, strategy, and physical conditioning. In return, you'll receive shelter, proper nutrition, and the chance to earn promotions. Your training will last one year."
He gestured toward five waiting jonin. "These will be your instructors. You'll be evaluated on your progress throughout the year. Slack off, and you're out of here. Your daily schedule begins at 7 AM: breakfast, followed by physical training until 11. After lunch, you'll study ninjutsu and taijutsu until evening. Weekends replace afternoon drills with genjutsu recognition and countermeasures. Additionally, you'll receive periodic lessons in strategy, politics, and battlefield tactics. That's all for now. I'll see you in a year."
He turned around and made his exit. We were escorted to our rooms. Each room had two bankbeds one desk, one bookself filled with scrolls about history. In my room there where 3 more children. I senced their chakra, they were the first chakra users I had actively searched. Their chakra capacity was tiny compared to mine, still bigger than a civilian but It was like comparing a bathtub to a small Ocean. I greeted them, took one of beds and fell asleep for the night.