Is This a New Start?

Morning came and the dreaded moment when I have to explain to Karin why I whisked her away from her new "family" was drawing near.

How exactly are you supposed that your new supposedly "father" is an evil wanted criminal? I could only sigh and pray that the kid would understand that this is for her sake.

The two kids are now up and about. I decided to hold off the "talk" for a few more minutes... or hours. Or maybe days.

Just... I'm not ready for that conversation yet. So I escaped to pack-up. We didn't have much on us so packing up, didn't take even a minute to complete.

I've let them enjoy the luxury of taking a long bath after the grueling hours in the forest and then keeping their dirtied clothes on a separate scroll. I was lucky that Karin had a pack of her own with her, but is concerned with how little clothes she has; not that any of them has that many.

And now came the matter of breakfast.

I was browsing through food stalls when I noticed my charges looking at one particular stand. A ramen stand, to be exact. Admittedly, the aroma coming from there was stronger than most of the stalls that it overlaps the rest of them. But as a medic-nin, I would not recommend such a choice in the morning.

My younger self turned to me expectantly, her eyes telling me what she wanted to say without words. The refusal was already at the tip of my tongue when little Karin also turned towards me. Her eyes pleading and I couldn't possibly deny a kid that probably had never tasted such delicacy.

Just this once. I sigh to myself before nodding at them. They both grinned and raced through the crowd. I followed leisurely, keeping my other senses as sharp as a well-cared kunai. I may not be a sensor shinobi like a certain jinchuuriki, but I am good enough for a stealth and reconnaissance mission.

Among the rest of the customers, one chakra signature caught my attention as it was above a civilian but not larger than a high Genin was already in the stall. Deciding to just keep tabs on it, I finally entered the stall. As I had expected, the two kids were already on top of stools, looking at the cook in amazement. I could only shake my head at them. Wait till they saw Teuchi-san do his magic.

Scanning the other customers, I noticed that the kid with genin-level chakra coils was wearing a Takigakure hitai-ate.

That's interesting.

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"Three beef ramen please" I called to the assistant taking orders. And then I added. "Less salt for the other two"

The two kids loudly protested at that and even the other customers stifled their amusement. The cook raised his attention from the noodles to glance at us, an amused smile playing at his aged face.

"Then choose: less salt or more vegetables?" I raised my eyebrows at them. I knew how Karin hates her greens but this just might do the trick.

"Green?" She asks and even my younger self smirks.

"Green" My younger self nods. "I'd choose the green if I were you. You can't miss the true flavor of the ramen with less salt"

"What sage words" I deadpanned at the midget. "Goodluck on the sodium then"

"Green!" Karin finally decides as she beams up at the assistant despite not liking vegetables.

"More vegetables on all three instead of less salt," I told them.

"Coming right up!" The cook replied cheerily.

As our meals were served, the cook personally went to stand by us. Watching the two kids in amusement as they enjoy every drop of the soup.

"Lucky for you that I only use natural ingredients," He says. "Other ramen stalls might just be using packets for the soup"

"Have you tried Ichiraku from Konoha?" I found myself asking. "Like yours, their ramen is purely organic."

"So you've been from Konoha?" He asks and I didn't detect anything other than curiosity.

"I've been there before" I replied. "Ichiraku has been in business since the Third Shinobi War. You should meet Teuchi-san, I think you two will be great friends"

"I'll make sure to see this ramen stall you talk so highly of when I come to visit Konoha" He grins.

"I hope soon then" I replied. "You might forget if you take too long" I joked and he let out a booming laugh that slightly startled me. For a thin old man, he sure has one hell of a lung.

"I'll keep that in mind then!" He grins cheekily and all I could do was chuckle in response.

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"So you're from Konoha?" The Genin from the stall appears before our little group as we stroll through the town. He was shorter than I initially thought. Probably 12 to 13 years old. No physical evidence that he's specializing in any area. Ninjutsu perhaps?

"Hey!" He shouts. "I'm talking to you!"

I realize slowly that he was referring to me. And I raise a brow in response.

"What is it to you?" I finally replied. The kids hid behind me but where Karin is cowering, my younger self is glaring in annoyance.

"You're within the borders of the Land of Waterfalls," He said with a glare. "What are you up to here?"

"We're just passing by" I replied. He didn't look convinced.

"May I see your identifications?" He hisses. Probably trying to be polite.

That is when I realize that I didn't have Karin's identification papers.

I have to think fast.

"Are you even authorized to demand our identifications?" I asked, trying to stall. "As far as I know identifications are only required to be presented when the party is entering a hidden village" Think, Zen. Think! "And as far as I know only Chunin and higher-ranked shinobi could demand to inspect such important document"

"If you're not showing me your identifications, then I'm taking you in to be investigated" He demands.

"You can't do that" I replied, glaring down at him. "We're tourists"

"Might as well be spies if you can't present your papers" He scoffs.

"Konoha and Takigakure are allied villages, what rights do you have to take us in as if we did something outrageous?" I demand and I belatedly realize that we're gathering spectators. Scanning them by a small chakra burst, I felt 20 civilians, 1 Jounin and two other Genin. So he's with a team. "I told you, we're tourists and we're just passing by"

"What could be the problem here?" The Jounin finally cuts in. He steps forward followed by his other students.

"Sensei!" The kid pipes up. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough" He replies and then asks again. "What's wrong here?"

Before the kid could reply, I spoke first. "The brat heard that I ate a bowl of ramen in Konoha and demands to see my papers"

The kid winces when his sensei looks down at him. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else" I replied. Then I added. "If we don't include being accused of being a spy, then there's nothing else to speak of"

Another wince and the kid's shoulder drooped.

"I see..." The Jounin slowly mutters, then squares his shoulder to give a polite bow. "As his Jounin sensei, I deeply apologize for the inconvenience he has caused you."

The way the guy looks at the kid, I could only surmise that he'll have his training doubled. I suddenly felt bad.

"I also apologize" I replied, giving a short bow. "If only I showed him my identifications earlier then this wouldn't have turned out the way it did."

Even when he didn't ask for it, I took out my papers from my pocket and presented it to him. "We came from Kusagakure and are traveling from town to town"

"Any destination in mind, Rae-san?" The Jounin asked after he scanned my papers, then handing them back. "Kusagakure is quite a ways to have come from"

"No destination, really" I replied as honestly as I can. "We're just traveling"

"Like an adventure!" Karin mumbles from behind me and my younger self was quick to agree.

"An adventure, huh?" The Jounin chuckles. Then he outstretches a hand, "My name is Suien, Jounin of Takigakure"

The name rang a bell in my mind, but I couldn't place where I heard it from.

"And these are my students: Shibuki, Mizuki and Hara" He introduced each of his students. Each name rang a bell in my mind but I still couldn't place a finger where I heard them from.

"My name is Rae" I introduced myself and pushed my charges forward so they could be better seen. "And these are Karin and Zen"

Karin let out a timid "Hello" while my younger self glared at them.

She's grumpy. I internally deadpanned.

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In an incredible turn of events when we were invited to see the Village Hidden by a Waterfall as an apology of sorts, Karin tugged at my arm and handed me two folded papers from her pack. And to my utter joy and disbelief, it was her identification papers. It seemed that Orochimaru let her keep it in her person in case of whatever. It was just dumb luck, I swear. I couldn't help myself and carried her in my arms and peppered her face with kisses. She let out a loud squeal that took the group's attention to us but most of them just rolled their eyes and continued on. Suien, on the other hand, was studying us.

But I didn't care. All I cared about was not getting into trouble just because of the lack of some papers.

"You two are noisy" Zen grumbles but I could see that she's just amused.

"Whatever, midget" I stuck my tongue at her.

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Not every story starts off in the main plot.

Some of them start at the filler.

And this is how Zen's - now known as Rae - third life started.