Hunger was gone, replaced by a second state where pain no longer existed. Wires protruded from her arms, connected to strange machines in a room white with anguish. It took Tsukinoko just a few seconds to regain her senses, rip out the wires and send the noisily beeping machines tumbling with her feet.

  A woman dressed in a green tunic burst into the room with a cart, followed by two men dressed in black with cloaks draped over their shoulders. Their faces were hidden by white porcelain masks, one painted with an abstract cat face and the other a quarter full of black. The three of them widened their eyes at Tsukinoko, standing up in bed, who pounced on them as soon as the door was open. Her chakra emanated around her and the men were electrocuted. With cautious steps, the nurse approached her.

  - I'm a nurse," she said calmly, "and you're in the hospital. Calm down, everything's fine.

  - Hospital? What is this?!

  - You're here for treatment. You mustn't remember what happened, you-

  - What have you done to me?! she panics, crouching on the windowsill like a wild kitten.

  - You were brought here over two weeks ago because-

  - Two weeks?!

  - You've been placed in a coma," she said softly.

  - What's a coma?!

  The woman was perplexed but continued to approach him gently.

  - You need to stay here in the hospital, and we'll look after you until you're better.

  - What the fuck is a hospital?! I don't know you, get lost!" shouted Tsukinoko, assuming a threatening stance.

  - It's a facility that takes care of the sick and cures them," she says, crouching down

  Tsukinoko remained on her guard, unsettled as the two masked agents marveled at her ignorance, or perhaps amnesia induced by her condition.

  At her wits' end, Tsukinoko leapt over the doctor, grabbed the file hanging at the end of her bed and fled down the corridor. The agents set off in pursuit, dodging the patients who were being jostled by Tsukinoko. Rounding a bend in the corridor, she locked herself in a room and concealed her presence by diminishing her chakra. The room was full of lockers and she opened them one by one in search of her belongings, only to find identical green clothes. At random, she slipped on a pair of pants and a large white T-shirt, then fled out of the window.

  Tsukinoko caught her breath, hiding on her camphor tree after surveying the rooftops at full speed. Her medical file wasn't any help, filled with unfamiliar scientific terms in a sustained language, and ended up hidden in the tree as well. At this time of year, the tree was covered in snow, and Tsukinoko curled up in a ball, deep in the roots, to think.

  The next day, Tsukinoko was in fine form and decided to stick to the same plan as last time. The intrusion into the Residence was a success. His footsteps had led him into a large library.

  Impressed, Tsukinoko had never seen so many books and meandered between the aisles. After a few hours, she had unearthed records of all the inhabitants who had left the Village since its creation. But once again, there were only documents with strange dates, seemingly five years ahead of their time. Night had fallen and Tsukinoko was searching by candlelight.

  From a draught, a presence appeared silently behind her. A man in a red kimono and long white haori stood behind her, facial features marked, brown hair and goatee. He blew the smoke from his pipe into the air, then exclaimed gravely.

  - Well, you made quite a mess.

  Tsukinoko didn't know what to say, caught off guard, and just stared at him. The man bore a strong resemblance to the third face carved into the mountain. In turn, the two masked men from the hospital appeared before her, the same nightmare repeating itself.

  - Just a moment," he ordered. What are you doing here?

  - I... Who are you?" she asks dryly.

  He was astonished and suddenly replied with a sneer.

  - I thought I had more notoriety than that. I'm the 3rd boss, Haruo Sato. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" he wonders, seeing her eyes widen.

  - Hein..." she murmured. So you know Anba Hashirama?

  - Well, that's my late student, with the second chef.

  - Student? But you're so old...

  - Not really. Of course, it's been a while now, over forty years," he muses.

  - Forty years old... How old are you?

  - What about you?" he asks, surprised by her questions.

  - Seven years," she said, hiding her panic. He...

  - Seven? You look twelve, don't lie," he orders.

  Everything mixed up in Tsukinoko's head and anxiety reddened her temples. She did a quick calculation and if the recent date was correct, Tsukinoko was indeed in Hanamaru as her mother wanted, but something was wrong, for Hashirama Anba, once the chief, lived at the same time as her.

  - What's the matter with you?" asks the current boss, faced with his condition. Can you explain what you're doing here? Why did you run away from the hospital?

  - I'm... I'm looking for my parents," she murmured, letting her guard down. They've been missing since G?me's attack and I... Maybe there was some information in the documents," she mumbles.

  The three men exchanged glances, and the chief suddenly observed him with sadness. There was nothing dangerous or suspicious about him.

  - Who are your parents?

  If Tsukinoko had traveled back in time and if this whole situation were true, they wouldn't be here. Or maybe they would.

  Don't be afraid, everything will be all right. Don't ever reveal who your father and I are, okay? Don't ever talk about us, about where you come from. Forget us, lie, invent a past and a new identity, but never reveal who we are to anyone...

  - Futoshi and Orie Sato," answers Tsukinoko at last.

  The chief takes a long look into her eyes, seeming to judge her sincerity before deciding what to do next. The chief nods to one of his agents, who immediately leaves, then slowly approaches Tsukinoko.

  - Tell me, how did you manage to get in?

  - Well, they were looking the other way at the entrance," she said haughtily.

  - I see," he sighs. In that case, we'll take you back to the orphanage.

  - I don't want to go there! Get lost!" she shouts, leaping backwards.

  She took another step backwards, but bumped into the masked man who had suddenly appeared behind her.

  - You've never been?" says the chief, taking a drag on his pipe. Do you have family here? It's snowing, you can't sleep outside in this weather.

  - Well, yes! I mean, I... I'm sleeping in my hiding place," she says suspiciously. I just want to find my parents and go home, that's all!

  The agent had returned with some papers in hand and addressed the Chief in a low voice.

  - We do have a Futoshi and an Orie Sato, but they left the village a few years ago, almost at the same time. They must have settled together somewhere in the country. I've searched here, and all I've found is a trace of Futoshi... in the morgue," he whispers. We couldn't find anything more about her, though. It seems they didn't register her birth in the Village.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  - And the mother?

  - Not a trace. We received a lot of unidentifiable bodies after the attack, so this must be one of them.

  Tsukinoko had heard everything and widened her eyes. This time, her instincts had not betrayed her. Her cover seemed valid in the eyes of the chief.

  - I'm sorry your parents didn't survive, Tsukinoko. The village owes them and you a debt of gratitude for the sacrifice they made. They have great courage and you can be proud of them," he recites like a prayer learned by heart.

  Tsukinoko listened wordlessly, her head bowed in despondency.

  - You're not going to continue living on the streets? It's almost cost you your life already.

  - Huh?" she said with a silly look on her face. No, but... I had a cold," she said, looking away.

  - A cold?

  - I mean... A coma. That's what the lady said. Hein Jījī , it's like a cold, isn't it? she hesitates.

  He looked at her sadly from head to toe as she stared at him.

  - It's not an illness. It's when your body is so tired that it can't function normally, so it goes into a deep sleep to save its strength. You'll spend the night in the infirmary after all, and we'll take you to the Academy tomorrow after registering you at the orphanage. You can't stay on the streets forever.

  - The Academy? What for?" she worries. And I don't want to go to the fucking orphanage! she insists. I can go now!" she says impatiently.

  - And where do you plan to go? Is someone waiting for you? Sweetheart, I won't let you go back if you're all alone.

  - Why?! We don't know each other, let go of me! she shouts at the exit.

  - That's true, but I don't leave children alone in the street. You're precious, and my job is to protect you," he says reassuringly.

  - Shut up, I'm not going to the fucking orphanage!" she snarls. You're deaf, Jījī! You're annoying me!

  One of the masked men pulled her briskly by the shoulder to push her head into the ground, kneeling forcibly at the chief's feet. The rug's coarse hairs scratched Tsukinoko's face.

  - You're talking to the Chief, watch your mouth!

  The agent received a stabbing blow in the shin in return, and Tsukinoko leapt to the side. The chief was watching her, like a frightened kitten hopping around the room looking for a way out. The masked man loses patience and throws a ball lasso that binds her ankles and she falls right in front of the chief. He smiles, then thinks for a moment as he watches her try to break the rope with her teeth like a savage.

  - Tell me, would you like to stay in the Village?

  - Yeah," she mumbles with a shrug. Mom told me to wait here.

  The chief didn't look bad. Tsukinoko's mother had asked her to stay in the Village to protect him, so she decided to do so, while waiting to find her. Convinced that her parents would return. The story of the leap in time comes back to her mind and she suddenly sighs and sobs, at the end of her rope.

  - I want Mommy and Daddy... she sobs like a baby on her knees. Why can't they come and get me? I want to go home!

  The Chief untied the lasso from her ankles without saying a word, then took her in his arms, and she drowned in his kimono. Hugging him as tightly as she would hug her parents. He sighs heavily, continuing to comfort her with a lump in his throat. The agents leave, but one of them slips.

  - She should be questioned before she is brought into the village, sir. She may be a threat, but we don't know where she's from. After the last few months, we'd better be on our guard.

  - I'll take care of it myself. Dismissed.

  The agents left for good, and Tsukinoko stepped back shyly, seeing that she had flooded the kimono with tears. The chief relights his pipe, looking pensive.

  - The Village will take care of you from now on, so you won't be alone. If you don't want to go to the orphanage, we'll see about finding you a place to sleep. It's true that you're old enough to live on your own," he smiles.

  - Big? And what am I going to do here in the meantime?

  - Waiting for what?

  - Mom and Dad to come back and get me," she insists. Will you help me?

  - Well, you seem to know how to defend yourself. What's your military level?

  - Huh? Well... I don't know," she shrugs. Dad's training me.

  - I can see that. Look, I'll make you a deal. Every month, you'll receive money to do your shopping, and you'll live at the Village's expense. In exchange, you agree to be trained as a soldier. Then you'll go on missions for the village. Part of your pay will be used to repay the loan that provides you with food and lodging, and the other part will be for you. In this way, you're helping the Village to carry out its missions, and then, when you come of age and have paid it all back, you'll be free to do what you want. You can choose to stay here or make a life for yourself elsewhere. What's it to be?

  Tsukinoko pondered her proposal, not knowing what else to do, there was nothing to lose by accepting. It would keep her off the streets for a while and out of trouble. Time would tell what happened next. The Chief promised that she would become a soldier, like her parents.

  Tsukinoko huddled against the chef's haori to keep from freezing. He said nothing, as she hid behind him until we reached a small street restaurant.

  Teuchi, the owner of the little restaurant, placed a steaming bowl in front of her. Starving, Tsukinoko dug into her noodles under the tender gaze of the chef, who kept talking while cooking. He briefly explained the workings of the village and its leaders. But when he broached the subject of the battle in the Cursed Canyon, she stopped dead in her tracks. With her gaze fixed on her bowl and a lump in her throat, she simply shrugged, unable to respond.

  He concluded with the attack that had shaken the village a few months earlier. Founded over forty years ago, he said. Tsukinoko couldn't believe it. In her memory, the village had only existed for a few years. Was she still dreaming, like in the hospital? Yet the faces carved in stone were there, and the chief was there in the flesh, still on his first bowl.

  He continued his tale, but she was no longer listening. Something more disturbing was occupying her mind: this strange future had become the present. Everyone had aged, the years had passed - except for her. She hadn't changed, as if she'd simply woken up in the middle of chaos. A shiver ran through her. She was frightened. Yet, despite this incomprehensible temporal rift, hope persisted.

  Slowed in their stroll through the town center by Tsukinoko, who was curiously observing every animation, every passer-by, they were suddenly startled by tiny explosions resounding next to her. Tsukinoko leaps to the side before standing guard in front of the Chief, as if by reflex. Further down the street, children giggled to themselves as they threw more explosives, slaloming between the inhabitants. The Chief laughed and gently placed his hand on his head.

  - Were you scared? It's nothing, they're just having fun.

  - Really? she trembles. What was that?

  - Firecrackers.

  - What's it for?

  - Not much... But there are bigger ones that fly up into the sky, and these make a very pretty sight. These are fireworks.

  - Huh?

  - You've never seen one?

  She nods, embarrassed, but he smiles and heads off again.

  - You're in luck, there's a New Year's Eve party tonight.

  Tsukinoko walked around, shivering from the cold and blowing on her hands for warmth. With her big, lively eyes, she curiously observed all the activity, game, trinket and food stalls erected especially for this festive day. Animal-like figures floating in the air, hanging from strings, caught her attention. The Chief stopped when he saw that she was no longer following him, and joined her.

  - They're like balloons," he explains.

  - Balloons of what?

  He grabs one and hands it to her, and she watches him curiously, grimacing. She gives him back the balloon, then goes to fiddle with all the other trinkets on the stand, amused. The Chef watches her for a moment, then hands her a panther-shaped balloon before setting off again.

  - It's a gift," he says, puffing on his pipe. Come on, let's go, or we'll miss the show.

  Tsukinoko, her eyes riveted on her ball, clutched her haori, beaming. The crowd greeted the Chief as he passed. Among them, a couple waved from afar, both wearing thick, festive kimonos. The woman, with her long blond hair tied in two ponytails, had a few strands framing her fine face and a strange purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead. Tsukinoko stared at her, intrigued, unnoticed.

  They exchanged a few words, then the woman slipped away. The man remained for a moment. Tall and massive, he wore his long white hair in a mess, red marks on his cheeks and a wart on his nose. He tilted his head, intrigued by a lump on the Chief's back, which he pointed to.

  Without warning, the Chef lifted his garment and a calf-shaped balloon flew into the air, caught in extremis by a small, dust-gray hand.

  - It's Tsukinoko, an orphan from the Attack," blows the chief.

  The latter panicked and cowered behind him, spying on the man, who was looking at her sideways. Her face was full of dirt, her hair was a mess and she was dressed like a thief.

  - Ah!" he laughs. You almost look like you!

  - Huh?" she grimaces, poking her head out. Who's this Jījī?

  - Jījī? exclaims the man. It's the Chief, speak properly!

  Tsukinoko didn't feel reassured and snuggled up to the chief, frowning.

  - Well, she seems to have adopted you already! Furoggu sneers. Are you going to keep her under your wing? You miss having disciples, don't you?

  He glances at Tsukinoko with a bewildered expression. Furoggu, his latest disciple, paired up with Sh?d?, a renowned doctor.

  - Go figure.

  The ride had resumed, but Tsukinoko, ball in hand, frowned. Why was the Chief being so nice to her, especially as she felt embarrassed at the idea of imposing herself and showing off too much. If this was a trap, she'd better slip away until she could find a way out on her own. She quickly thanked him for the noodles and padded boots he'd bought her, then left, but he wouldn't hear of it.

  - Where are you planning to go?

  - Ben... she's annoyed. My stash! What the fuck do you want from me?!

  - Just your safety Tsukinoko. I've already told you that I don't accept a child sleeping outside, especially in this weather. Until you have a godfather tomorrow, like the others, I'll look after you.

  - Well... I don't need any help, it's fine! she murmurs. I'll come tomorrow for the Soldier contract, to do the work of borrowing money with the mission of... What you said!" she scowls.

  - It sounds like this is all new to you," he laughs. You don't want to see the show then?

  - I'll see from my hiding place!" she grimaces impatiently.

  - You've got a nice little laugh, but quite a grimace!" he laughs.

  His laughter echoed down the street, creasing his marked facial features until his eyes were covered. No sooner had he opened them than Tsukinoko's silhouette had disappeared behind the roof of a nearby building.

  Eyes fixed on the sky in anticipation of the show, a rustle of paper disturbed the silence among the camphor branches. Tsukinoko was stunned to see the Chief reading the hospital file she'd been hiding, and stood up angrily. He finished reading, then looked at the huge tree, counted the notches on the trunk and sighed sadly before looking at his file again.

  - So you spent two months here? Alone, in the cold?

  - Yeah. The branches are big, so I wasn't afraid of falling!" she smiled proudly, hands on hips.

  He was amazed at how smiling and optimistic she was.

  - You're hiding your pain behind that big smile," he says gently. Why didn't you ask for help?

  - I... she hesitates. I was afraid... And I don't know anyone," she shrugs.

  After a stormy negotiation to convince Tsukinoko to sleep in the Residence infirmary, under threat that she would otherwise be sent to the orphanage, they finally settled down to enjoy the show. The chief sat cross-legged against the trunk, Tsukinoko nestled shyly in her haori. Safe and sound with him at last. Fireworks of every color lit up the sky, revealing the scars of the Attack that had gone unnoticed in broad daylight.

  Grandpa