Maintaining a constant pace and allowing myself some – unfortunately short - stops to eat and to sleep, I reached the border of the Land of Rivers after just four days of travel.

The sun had just risen on the fifth day, when I prepared myself to march along the last stretch of road that would lead me to my destination.

I don't deny it, I felt anxious as I had never been in my life. In my chest my heart was all "thu-thump thu-thump, thu-thump thu-thump!" as if it wanted to jump out, while my head was all a buzz of thoughts overlapping one another.

I would have probably ended up going crazy if I hadn't made up my mind to make another stop.

"Enough! Be quiet, both of you!"

I slapped my hands on my cheeks so hard it hurt, but I got the desired effect.

Heart and mind fell silent, and my ears could finally hear nothing but the sounds of the forest all around me: the chirping of birds, the roar of the waters of a river in the distance, a pine cone fallen to the ground from a tree branch...

"Your name and the reason for your presence."

It wasn't a pine cone.

Someone had come up behind me and locked my head within their arms, but throwing him forward I was immediately able to get him off of me.

He was a tall, slender man, armed with a katana, and wore a cat mask.

"Oh, right! You must be one of the ANBUs from the stakeout team..."

"Your name and the reason for your presence," he repeated, pointing the katana to my throat.

"W-wait! I-I'm one of yours!" I replied pointing to my headband. "I'm from Konoha, see?"

"I see it, but you haven't answered my question yet."

I would have, if only the tip of the katana touching my Adam's apple hadn't put even more pressure on me! Fortunately, I was cool minded enough to remember the pass, signed by Danzo himself, which I had kept in my pocket for the whole trip. I handed the sealed sheet of paper to the ANBU, and waited for him to finish reading it.

"...Choji of the Akimichi clan, chunin rank... ah, then you are the infiltrator we have been waiting for."

"Did you already know of my arrival?"

"We received a previous message containing all the new provisions from a Konoha hawk. Very well, you can pass."

After incinerating the paper with a fireball, the ANBU stepped aside and raised an arm to point me a direction.

"The orphanage is a mile away from here. Remember to report to me or one of the other members of the stakeout team once a day."

"I will. ...er, may I know your name?"

"Call me Kon."

"So... wish me luck, Kon!"

I got no answer.

A little embarrassed and probably with an idiotic smile on my face, I said goodbye and left. I took only a few steps, before Kon called me back with a cough.

"Yes? Do you have to tell me something else?"

Kon didn't answer with words. Instead, he mimicked the gesture of repeatedly touching his forehead.

After a few seconds, I understood everything.

"Ah... Ah, that's right! I was almost forgetting about it! Eh eh eh..."

I took off Konoha's headband, stared at it for a moment and hid it in my pocket, wishing I could wear it again someday.

Then, I focused my chakra to put the finishing touches on my disguise.

"Henge No Jutsu!"

My head was enveloped in a puff of smoke. When it vanished, I walked over to the nearest puddle to look at myself.

My hair, which I had lovingly let grow down to my back to look like my father, was back as short as it was when I was still a genin, and the two spirals I've always had on my cheeks since I was born were gone.

So I look just like any ordinary guy... All right, this will do!

...

I could've recognized the orphanage even without having first hearing about it, since it was the only building for miles around, located at the center of a clearing in the middle of the forest.

Built from wood and stone, it was two stories high above the ground floor, and the long, rectangular shape vaguely reminded me of a school.

Two things immediately caught my eye. The first was the two strange turrets built on the roof and connected to each other by a suspended walkway.

The second was the windows on the left half of the orphanage. They were all closed, and boarded up with wooden tiles.

Calmly, I approached. I walked up a short staircase, stopped in front of the front door, and raised a fist.

There's no turning back. The mission officially begins...?

Before I could even knock, a woman opened the door from the inside.

She was an old lady, very tall and very thin, with a long, pointy face; she wore a long purple dress, wore her gray hair in a strange heart-shaped hairstyle, and held a walking stick in one hand.

If the description Danzo had given me was correct, then there was no doubt: this was one of the two women who had buried the body of the child murdered by the Masquerader.

"So, my sight didn't play tricks on me. I saw someone approaching from the window," she said, showing no emotion. "It is quite rare for this place to receive visitors."

"Good... Good morning, lady... Here, I was looking for...!"

Without a warning, the woman silenced me, shutting my lips with the tip of the walking stick; after which, she stared at me well from head to toe, front to back and to the side, for a full minute, before giving me a bit of breathing space again.

Then, without saying anything else, she turned around and motioned for me to follow her inside. I didn't feel completely comfortable, but I obeyed.

For a moment I feared that she had already understood who I really was, but I immediately dismissed the idea laughing to myself. It would've been outrageus if my cover had blown so soon!...

"You are from Konoha in the Land of Fire, am I right?"

Suddenly I started sweating like a fountain.

"How did you... I-I mean, no! You're wrong, I..."

"Those blue open shoes you're wearing," she explained, while smiling at me. "They are fashionable among the inhabitants of the Land of Fire and especially its capital. You definitely ran away from that place, admit it."

"Oh... yes yes yes, I'm really running away from Konoha!" I replied, instantly calming myself from the false alarm. "So, I guess you happen to know the place very well..."

"Actually, no. I've never been there in my life. But I've heard so many horrible stories and witnessed so many horrible wars in my youth, that I can candidly say I know the world like the back of my hand. You don't have to feel embarrassed to admit that you had escaped from Konoha, believe me. If I had found myself in your place, I too would have left that dreadful cradle of murderers without thinking twice. What's your name, boy?"

Cradle of murderers... Is this the opinion they have of Konoha abroad?

"Boy?"

"...Choji, lady! My name is Choji! It's true, I ran away and I have been traveling aimlessly for days. By chance I came across this place, and..."

"And you have found your new home. If you wish, you are welcome."

"R-really? Thank you, ma'am ..."

"You can call me Mistress Azumi. I am the founder and director of this orphanage. For most of my life I have traveled to the many areas of the world affected by wars, with the aim of saving all those boys and children who, like you, have lost everything, and prevent them from growing and eventually becoming heartless tools. Ah, how many more could I save, if only this back of mine had not decided to abandon me... But enough talking about the past. Follow me."

Mistress Azumi led me to a sort of hall, in which stood a grandfather clock, a square carpet and a large desk, upon which rested a closed large book and a box full of pens and markers.

That could be the register that all orphans have to sign in order to live here, or something like that... Of course! If the Masker came here less than a year ago, there will be no need to check all the orphans one by one! It will be enough for me to keep an eye on only those who registered from that time on!

I started to walk over and open it, but Mistress Azumi caught my attention by hitting her cane on the floor.

"Forget that thing, for now. I guess you will be exhausted and in need of recuperate your energies after so much walking. You're lucky, since you arrived right at lunchtime."

Lunch time?!

I looked at the grandfather clock: it was past noon.

Is it already so late? Man, time flied really fast...

Meanwhile, Mistress Azumi had pulled twice on a rope hanging from the ceiling, perhaps to send a signal to another room in the building. And indeed, a few seconds later, from the end of the corridor to our right, I saw two people arrive in a hurry.

The first was a girl, a little older than me: slender, brown eyes and brown hair, with a red handkerchief tied to her head and a floral apron around her waist.

The second was a woman... Who I could not identify right away, as she threw herself on me to hold me in a suffocating hug.

"Poor, poor little one! Don't be afraid, from now on we will take care of you! You will no longer suffer and you will receive all the love you need! Little, little dear!"

When she eventually released me so I could breathe again, I recognized her as the other woman who had buried the child: she was a plump lady, with even more rounded face and bulk than the largest of the Akimichi, and she wore an all-white cassock, complete with a veil on her head.

"Choji, this is my friend and assistant, Miss Hiromi," said Mistress Azumi. "Hiromi, this is Choji, our newest arrival. Accompany him to the canteen, please. And you, Yori," she added, turning to the girl in the apron. "Take his luggage to the dorm and get a new bed ready. Quickly!"

Without saying anything, Yori pulled the bag off my shoulder and carried it with her up the stairs.

I wanted to do it myself, but Miss Hiromi was already dragging me, arm in arm, down the corridor from which she had come.

"Come on, little one! You have to get something to eat! Here, this is where the canteen is! You can choose whatever you like!"

"Choose... whatever I like? In which sense?"

"In the sense that the food is at your complete disposal! Take a plate and fill it with anything you desire! In our orphanage we do our utmost best to..."

Upon hearing those words, hunger took over everything else in my mind and body.

My legs moved on their own towards the door from which came all those inviting smells of good food, and when I burst into the cafeteria I had only eyes for the self service counter which took up most of one side of the room.

Steaks, skewers, cutlets, but also salami and hams, emerald green salads and fire red barbecue sauces, mashed potatoes, fresh fruits... after all those days of travel and all those prepackaged sandwiches as my only sustenance, I felt like I had found the love of my life!

Without wasting any more time, I took a plastic tray and two plates and filled them with anything I could grab. I had just finished erecting a meat tower with a sloping roof made of salad when I heard Miss Hiromi timidly tap me on the shoulder.

"Forgive me, darling, but... Wouldn't you like to greet your new brothers and your new sisters first?"

...oops.

Blinded by my own appetite, I hadn't really realized there were other people in the cafeteria.

About fifty, to be precise. Little children and also boys and girls my age, all seated at five long tables, and all turned in my direction to stare at me in awkward silence.

Scratching the back of my neck, I closed my eyes and gave them the largest smile I could flash.

"H-hi everyone! My name is Choji, nice to meet you!"

"Hi, Choji!" they all answered in unison.

"Hungry, huh?" someone I couldn't see said, triggering a collective laugh.

It didn't bother me, quite the contrary. I was glad to know that my wild appropriation of food hadn't frightened them.

But at the same time, I couldn't smile spontaneously, knowing that a killer was hiding among them.

I searched the tables for an empty seat, finding it almost immediately.

"Can I sit h..."

"No you can't!"

Yori, the girl who had carried my bag upstairs, had just appeared beside me.

"Such speed... Er, why can't I?"

"This place is already occupied by someone who has gone to the bathroom and who should be back any moment now. If you want to sit here, ask permission first."

"Oh... Okay, then I'll wait..."

"Forget it and come here, Choji! I'll reserve a place for you!"

A couple of tables away, I saw a boy wave his hand in my direction and motion me to sit next to him.

Actually, the space I could sit in was very small, practically on the edge of the bench, but I was fine with it anyway.

I walked over, but I continued to let my gaze go a bit everywhere and trying to memorize as many faces as I could. Impossible task, given that the heads were so many and so close together...

But, in the midst of that confusion, I still noticed something strange.

I lost them right away, but I was sure I saw at least two children turn away as soon as I set my eyes on them.

"What are you waiting for, for cobwebs to grow?"

"...ah, yes, I'm coming!"

I put the tray on the table and sat on the edge of the bench, next to the one who had called me. He was a boy, more or less the same age as me, and at a first glance he was also the same size as me. He had a head the size and shape of a small smooth boulder, blue eyes, short brown hair, and wore a thick brown hooded sweatshirt.

"So, what do you think of your new home?" he asked me, giving me a powerful slap on the back. "Is it what you expected?"

"W-well, to be honest I just happened to be here by chance, I didn't even know that..."

"Ah, right! I didn't introduce myself! I'm Iwao, with a double u and no aitch!"

Iwao held out his left hand to me, and I shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Iw...!"

Or rather, it was him who squeezed my hand with such force that it turned all white.

"Did I hurt you?"

"...no, no, I had a cramp, that's all!"

That sudden pain had increased the need to feed myself even more to regain energy, and so I didn't waste time before stuffing the top floors of the tower of meat I had built into my mouth.

"What did you say before, Choji?" Iwao asked again. "What is it you didn't even know?"

"What... I had no idea this was an orphanage before I went in," I tried to reply, between mouthfuls. "I was just looking for a place where..."

"Don't talk with your mouth full!"

As she passed me, Yori had given me such a powerful blow that it made me spit everything back onto my plate.

"Are you OK?" Iwao asked me in a low voice. I drank a glass of water before answering him.

"Yes, more or less... Is she always so severe?"

"Yori? Oh, yes! Actually, lately it's even worse than usual. I think she wants to compete with Mistress Azumi to decide who enforces the rules the most."

"Is Yori a relative of hers?"

"Not at all! Yori is an orphan, like all of us!"

I was about to ask for some more clarification, but noticing that Yori was still around, I decided to postpone my curiosity for another occasion.

Lunch passed quickly but pleasantly and, although I was concentrated above all on gorging myself, I couldn't help but notice that there was a very cheerful and familiar atmosphere.

If I didn't already know, I wouldn't really say that all the children here are war orphans. Perhaps the credit goes to Mistress Azumi and Miss Hiromi, who always make sure that anyone who comes to live here has the best treatment... But then, if the explanation is so simple, why do I keep finding all this joy so suspicious?

I had just finished cleaning the first plate and was about to move on to the second, when I heard the sound of a bell echoing around the room.

"Mh? What's happening... !"

Iwao and all the other guys sitting on the same bench as me stood up in unison.

And I, who was already precariously balanced on the edge, fell tumbling to the ground right on my butt.

There was yet another collective laugh, but I wasn't quite sure it was as friendly as the first.

"Pffft ... You better eat faster next time!" After that sentence, said by a guy behind me, I had the confirmation.

"Are you implying something?!" I roared, getting to my feet, but before I could do anything else Iwao patted me on the shoulder again.

"Caaalm dooown, he was referring to the bell! Didn't you hear it?"

"Yes, I heard it... What's that for?"

"That signal indicates that anyone who has finished eating can get up and go out! Remember that, if you want to avoid another tumble in the future! See you next time!"

Iwao and the rest of his group left giggling.

He could at least stay with me, I thought, as I sat down again to finish lunch.

Because of that small mishap of mine, my appetite had waned a lot, and when I finally finished dusting the second dish, no one was left in the canteen except for me, Yori, and a child still sitting in front of his now empty plate.

He looked rather scruffy, his black hair untidy, and his eyes dull and devoid of emotion.

I wonder why I haven't noticed him before... Wait a minute, that's where I wanted to sit, so he must be the child who was in the bathroom when I arrived. I'll introduce myself to him, right away.

I walked over to his table, and greeted him with a raised hand.

"Hello!"

"...Hello."

"Er... We didn't meet before because you were outside, I'm ..."

"Choji, the new arrival. They told me. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you too... What's your name?"

"Isoka."

He was not very open to dialogue, that's for sure.

I could have greeted him again and left, but then, seeing him break a piece of bread and dip it into the sauce left in his plate, I thought I had just found a good topic for conversation.

"Hey, I like to do that too! A good lunch can never be fully enjoyed if you don't brush the plate well, don't you agree?"

Isoka didn't answer right away.

On the contrary, he did not answer at all: instead, after glaring at me, he threw the piece of bread away and ran away from the table.

As for me, standing there motionless like an idiot, I turned to Yori to ask for an explanation.

"Did I... Did I say something wrong?"

"Can't you get it by yourself? While Isoka was in the bathroom you stole all the remaining food, leaving him only the sauce at the bottom of the tubs!"

I felt my stomach go empty all of a sudden.

"I... I... I'm sorry..."

"Well, go tell him in person! But above all, get out of the way, I have to clear the tables! Get out!"

By the time I was thrown out of the cafeteria, Isoka had already disappeared.

I felt miserable, and an idiot. A miserable idiot, that's it!

I would have liked to find him and apologize in some way... but before that, sadly, there was another thing that I had made a mental note to do.

I went back to the hall. There, sitting at the desk with the register resting on it, I found Miss Hiromi busy with knitting.

"Excuse me, Miss Hiromi..."

"Sweetheart! Was the lunch to your liking?"

"Yes, it was all very good, but I was wondering when will I have to sign myself..."

"Even now! Here, you can sign, write down, draw anything you want!"

The woman pushed the register and a box of markers towards me.

"Thank you very much! ...wait, what did you just say about drawing... ?!"

I opened the notebook, and my jaw dropped to the ground in shock.

Forget the list of signatures and names and surnames sorted by date I was hoping for! From the first to the last page I saw nothing but scribbles, drawings, colors and shapes!

"Have you changed your mind, angel?" Miss Hiromi asked worriedly.

"N-no... It's just that... I thought I had to register somewhere, like all the other orphans..."

"Register? Oh no no no, we don't do those boring bureaucratic things here! Anyone who wants to live here is already welcome, without having to sign! Don't worry, little one!"

No records, no signatures, no references... Does this mean that to find the killer I'll have to check all the orphans one by one?!