Picking Up My Younger Self

After accepting the job offered by Jiraiya, I immediately traveled to Hachou Village on the border of the Land of Fire; with a certain goal in mind.

It took a couple of days to reach the said village and the orphanage I have first been in before I was sent to Konoha to be a ninja. The scene I arrived at was too heartwarming and familiar.

My eyes instantly caught the frail form of my younger counterpart, staring wide-eyed and uncomprehending at some kids her age.

I could still remember the struggle I initially had when I first came here. I couldn't understand what everyone was saying. All I ever understood were how to say the most basic of things like single words, greetings and count the numbers up until ninety-nine. I didn't even know how to say "I'm tired" or "It wasn't me". It was the hardest 3 years of my life and I am eternally grateful that these matrons didn't give up on me.

The fond memories I had of this place will be forever treasured in my heart.

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"Yo" I greeted my younger self with a familiar two-fingered wave. The signature wave of Hatake Kakashi (without the closed eye-smile). In response, my younger counterpart is currently looking at me strangely; at a loss of what is happening and suspicious of who I am.

"She said that she's your sister" The Head Matron kindly says to the young girl and to be expected, my younger counterpart couldn't understand what she's saying; only picking up a familiar word.

"O-Onee-chan?" She frowns, confused and anxious.

Smiling despite the looks I've been receiving, (because you know, if we're really siblings, the little kid would and should've run to my arms while bawling her eyes out and this right now is nothing but suspicious), "I told them we're siblings" I said in a language I know she'll understand better. Good ol' English.

The confused and unsure look the Head Matron sent me was completely expected. As well as the surprised look my younger self is sending me.

"Who are you?" My younger counterpart finally asks. "How do you know this language?"

"I've learned it for the majority of my life" I shrugged. "But that's the least of your concern. Right now, I need you to go with my plan"

"Who are you?" She insists.

"My name is Zen" I answered.

"Liar" She glares at me. "That's my name!"

"Look" I sigh. "If your dumb brain still hasn't connected the dots, I'm willing to provide. I am you, okay? I'm from the future" I massaged my throbbing temple. Clearly feeling the oncoming headache. "Now, can we proceed?"

Gingerly and still wary, she inches closer to me and reaching for my outstretched hand. I could only sigh as I place a hand on her head, gently patting it. "I'll explain it later"

She nods, and that is enough to reassure me that she won't misbehave.

I turned my attention back to the Head Matron, who is currently confused and conflicted at the previous display of mistrust.

"I'm sorry for that" I apologized. "We were separated while traveling and she thinks I abandoned her"

The older woman frowns. "Why would she think that?"

"We..." I look down at my younger self in pity, a look I know for myself that I hate receiving. "We weren't cared for, you see... And then we were abandoned by our mother."

She gasps, and the look of pity that I hated so much was directed at both of me. At the look, my younger self turns away from the Head Matron and presses herself to my body.

"I am so sorry to hear that." The Head Matron sympathizes. "Is there anything we could do for both of you?"

I perked up at that, before bowing in gratitude. "Actually, there is one..."

The older woman smiles encouragingly.

"Uhmm... You see.." I scratched the back of my head. "We don't have any identifications and I was wondering if..."

"Consider it done" The Head Matron smiles at us.

I could only gape at her. We're getting identities just like that?

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[3 days later]

"Where are we going?" My younger self inquired while we were camping out in the forest.

"Dora's house" I replied curtly.

"Seriously" She frowns. "Where are we going?"

"Dora's house" I repeated and I couldn't wipe my grin off my face.

"Hey!" She threw a small pebble to my way.

"What?" I grinned wider, "I haven't done that in a lifetime (literally) and I missed it"

"You're so immature" She quips. If she still has any more doubts about the older woman's identity, it's now gone.

"I'll take that as a compliment"

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"Is it even legal to bring a kid in a pub?" She asks skeptically.

"Which kid?" I questioned back.

"I'm a kid" She emphasizes, pointing to herself.

"You look like a kid" I replied back

"I'm five" She grits.

"You only look five" I shrug before pushing her inside.

"Hey!" She protests.

"Stop whining" I glared at her "You're a grown-ass and an independent 35-year-old woman"

"No one will believe that!" She squirms from my grip.

"I will" I replied softly and she stops trying to get away.

"Only because you know the truth" She mumbles to herself, but I heard it.

"Exactly" I pat her head and gently guided her to a cleaner part of the bar. I smiled at the old man manning the bar and asked for their cheapest meal for two.

Momentarily, the old man studied us and as if reaching a conclusion, he nods to himself before going to the back kitchen.

"What was that?" My younger counterpart frowns.

"We don't look like we have money" I replied.

"But we do!" She exclaims. Then stops short. "right?"

"Hai~ Hai~"

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"Tell me about yourself"

I blinked, confused.

"It's just that you know everything about me but I don't know anything about you aside from that we're... you know" She replies, uncertain.

"What do you want to know?" I asked while adding twigs to our small campfire.

"Everything" She replies, eyes bright with wonder.

"That's quite broad" I grinned, nevertheless, ready to answer. "Ask me anything you want to know"

"Are we a shinobi?" She asks.

"Yes" I replied.

"What were we specializing in?" She asks next.

"Fuinjutsu" I grinned, proud of myself.

She stops momentarily before asking, slightly bothered. "Not Medical ninjutsu?"

I shrugged. "I do know a few techniques" Putting down my grilled fish, I asked whether she has any more questions.

"I'll think about it" She replied, brows furrowed.

I grinned as I know that she would storm up a lot of questions, "How about we learn some writing while you think of it?"

"Not again!" She groaned.

"You're doing great on your hearing and responses, but you suck on writing"

The resounding groan marked the younger counterpart's defeat.

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[a week later]

"You said we'll go to Konoha"

"I did and we will" Eventually but not now.

"This isn't Konoha"

The scenery before us wasn't the busy streets of Konoha or even the iconic stone mountain heads of the previous to present Hokage. It was obvious from the getgo that this isn't Konoha. The buildings of this village also did not resemble the old eastern-style Konoha used to be, but rather concrete buildings with a western touch to it. The building structures are superb unlike what I initially thought. And although this is my first time in this village, I feel somewhat at ease.

"We're not ready to come to Konoha yet" I sigh when my younger counterpart insists on her question.

"What do you mean we're not ready?" She frowns.

"I have a job to do," I replied. "Besides, you can barely speak a few sentences of the common language here" I deadpanned. "Besides, if I hadn't taken you from the orphanage, you wouldn't arrive in Konoha until three years later"

"Three years?" She asked, bewildered.

"Yes" I nodded.

"Admissions to the academy is 6, right?" She frowns in confusion.

"Yes" I repeated.

"And the Uchiha Massacre happened when Sasuke was 9, right?"

I didn't respond. By now, she isn't asking me anymore. She's planning on her own.

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"You don't need to become a ninja anymore," I said after dinner. "you're no longer bound to the duties in the orphanage"

"I..." She starts. "How will I survive then?"

"I promised that I'll teach you" I responded. "that doesn't mean that I'll put you in the academy if you don't want to"

"I..." She stares at the cup of water in her hands. "I don't want to be a ninja"

"I know," I replied, ruffling her hair. "I've been there before"

"How long are we going to stay here?" She asks.

"A few months" I replied as I took her hand and left the food stand.

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Life in Kusagakure wasn't hard as I initially thought. The first few days in this new Village, I realized that I needed a steady source of income; because I finally have an identity, rent to pay and another mouth to feed. I can't depend on the money Jiraiya would pay me. So I went up to a few food stands and asked if they were hiring and not all of them said "yes". I didn't pass the initial interviews of most, honestly. Because y'know, they're too conscious of outsiders and are afraid that they're helping a potential spy to live in their beloved village.

By the end of my job hunt and was about to give up, I stumbled upon a pub that was incidentally hiring. Blinking, I thought of how my experiences in handling alcoholic beverages had been in the past. Being apprenticed to the most alcoholic medic-shinobi in all elemental nations, I know my way around liquors.

I'll just have to wing it. I sighed to myself. Besides, where else to gather information other than from drunk, loose lips?