After everything, the orphans who signed up, and passed were gathered up. This was because we were finally allowed to see where we'll be living for the next few years, and even afterwards. These apartments would be ours until we moved out after we became Shinobi.
If we didn't, we'd be kicked out. Which meant expulsion means getting sent back to the Orphanage we are from.
I, and Shiina weren't worried. After all, we knew we were too prepared for this. Naruto already had an apartment, courtesy of the Hokage, because he was kicked out of his own Orphanage.
But it was mostly because of his Jinchuriki status.
I sighed, holding Shiina's hand as we walked behind our teacher.
"Do you think we'll learn anything new?" She asked.
"Probably not. The teachers will start from step 1, which means we'd be focused on lessons like Maths, Science, and Japanese."
Yeah, the language was still called Japanese. No need to question it.
"Probably History too and then we'd cover Chakra Theory, before finally stepping into Chakra Control territory, although, it'll only be the most basic exercise to get us used to the bare bones of controlling Chakra."
With my own experiences in my mind, I now knew why Chakra Control was so important. I plan to train Naruto, Shiina, and Hinata at some point. With Tree Walking added on.
"So, nothing we haven't studied… great this is going to be boring for a long time. Oh well, at least I have you."
I smiled back.
"Yep."
We finally managed to see the building itself.
The entrance to the building was simple, but not shabby. A wide sliding door made of reinforced wood and framed by dark, polished trim opened into a tidy little lobby area. Everything here was just… clean. Not fancy, not expensive, but chosen with intent. The kind of effort you put into a place that had to be both livable and low-maintenance. Practical, not lavish.
Inside the lobby, the floors were made of smooth, gray stone tiles that clicked softly under our sandals. A couple of framed scrolls hung on the walls—each one bearing the symbol of the Hidden Leaf and a different quote from a previous Hokage.
Shiina slowed down beside me, staring up at the one from the Third: "The will of fire burns brightest in those with the most to lose."
I looked away, sighing. I could understand that…
After all… if I ever lost Shiiina… What would happen to me? Well it would be clear that her death would be the cause of that awakening. But that isn't the only way of obtaining it…
I shook my head. I couldn't bother to think about that right now.
We moved toward the central hallway, which split into two wings—each one with stairwells at the far end, and a slightly older elevator that looked like it hadn't been used much. Probably because most would use the stairs.
Each floor was mirrored: 150 rooms on each side of the hallway, for a total of three hundred per floor. 1050 apartments total. If every single room was filled, that would be the whole next generation of potential Shinobi—orphans, anyway. A full cohort of kids who had nothing to fall back on if they failed.
Each door had a number carved into a little metal plate, and a discreet mailbox slot beneath it. The locks were simple. Each student had their own dorm Key to use.
Shiina leaned in, her hand still in mine.
"It's better than I expected. It's like a hotel. If the hotel was run by Shinobi who think emotions are a weakness."
I smirked. "I mean that is the case. It happens to be that emotions can impair our ability to think critically… it's why…" I paused… she squeezed my hand tighter, already knowing what I was thinking about.
"It's alright, Akari."
I had already calmed down.
"Thanks, Shiina."
Shiina and I followed the teacher down the hallway, the soft thuds of sandals the only sound for a while. I caught sight of a few other orphans being guided down the opposite wing—some looked excited, others like they were trying not to show how anxious they were. Everyone was carrying a tiny packet: their key, a folded paper map of the building, and a warm welcome letter from the Academy.
The idea there was simple. Since Konoha was a family, as per the Hokage's words, the children must be given somewhat of a warm welcome.
We turned a corner, and the man finally stopped.
"Akari, your Room 401," he said, handing me the key. "Shiina, you're in 402. Keys are tagged. There's a party at 5PM tonight to welcome the new students. I recommend going."
After that, he simply left us alone.
Shiina turned her key in her hand, inspecting the tag like it might bite her. "Well, at least we're neighbours," she murmured, casting a quick glance at my face.
I nodded and looked at my own key. "They're really trying with this whole 'family' thing, huh?"
"Yeah," she said, dryly. "Nothing says 'family' like institutional housing."
I snorted, and that made her grin. It wasn't a bitter one though—it was soft, the kind of smile she saved just for me. We both knew what this was. A consolation prize for kids who'd never been picked.
Still, it wasn't awful. When I opened the door, I was pleasantly greeted by a nice room.
The room was bigger than most would consider. A single-bedroom apartment, but not some cramped little shoebox. The front door opened directly into a living area with polished wooden floors and a large window that faced a courtyard garden between the buildings. A soft breeze filtered through the slightly open window, carrying the faint scent of clean grass and leaves.
The living room had a low table with floor cushions around it, a bookshelf already stocked with a few general-interest reads already selected—History of the Five Nations, Beginner's Guide to Chakra, Understanding Loss, Coping with Duty–wow, that one was subtle–and even a scroll of poetry by the Second Hokage.
A short hallway led into the bedroom. It had a decently sized bed, with soft neutral colours of greys, soft lighting, and a window that caught the late afternoon light just right. There was a sliding closet door and a full-length mirror.
Shiina peeked into my place before I even had time to process it all.
"Huh," she said, hands on her hips. "Your view is better. I'm staring at a wall."
"Eh, you can come here at any time you like. Especially when we're so close room wise."
Okay, maybe because we were girlfriends, but also, it made logical sense to let her in when we live so close together.
Shiina stepped inside like it was half a joke, half a dare—eyes sweeping over everything with that quietly sceptical look she got when she didn't want to be impressed but kind of was.
"Damn," she said, flopping onto the floor cushion like it owed her something. "Not bad. You could actually live in this. Like, live. Not just… exist."
I locked the door behind us and kicked my sandals off, stretching my arms overhead. "Mm. Give it six weeks. Someone's gonna figure out how to weaponize the plumbing. Maybe booby-trap the showers."
"That better happen, or I'll be disappointed."
She looked over at the bookshelf again and let out a dry chuckle. "'Understanding Loss.' How generous. Can't wait to curl up with that one and a cup of trauma."
I made a face. "It's probably mandatory reading before they let us throw kunai."
Shiina snorted, then leaned back on her elbows. "Still, it's weird, right? Having a space that's ours. Even if it's just one room. Even if they're giving it to us so we don't complain."
"It's ours until it isn't," I said, sitting beside her. "So yeah. I'll take it."
We fell into a small, comfortable silence. The sun outside had shifted just enough to light up the tips of Shiina's hair like embers. She glanced at me, then at the window.
"…You gonna decorate?" she asked.
"Decorate?" I raised an eyebrow. "Like, put up a poster of the First Hokage and some chakra-themed motivational quotes?"
"Gods, no." She smirked. "Just, I dunno. Make it feel like you. Or like… not a waiting room."
"So I should paint it white?" I joked.
I got a playful smack on the shoulder as my reward, and a pouting Shiina that was utterly adorable. "Don't joke about your past life like that."
"Okay, okay. Still, I think some white could help." I sighed, "It's not like I enjoy it, but that place will always be a part of me. And it shaped me into who I was, and a part of who I still am. Plus, I do like white on the covers."
She sighed, wrapping her arms around my waist, and I wrapped my arms around her, my hands near her upper spinal area.
I could tell she didn't like it, but accepted it because it was the truth.
The coldness of the White Room will always be a part of me.
"I could help. If you want." She spoke softly, looking up at me.
I gave her back a gentle squeeze, "I don't need it, but I would appreciate it. You already make this place better just by being in it."
Shiina's ears flushed pink. "God, you're so cheesy."
"You love it."
"Unfortunately."
She looked up at me, and I smiled.
We kissed. That was pretty simple, she leaned up, I leaned down, and our lips met halfway.
It was short, but sweet.
Nothing complicated about it.
We pulled away.
Shiina stayed curled up against me for a while, head resting on my shoulder, arms lazily draped around my waist like she didn't intend to move for the next few hours. And honestly? I didn't mind. If anything, the stillness made the moment feel real. Tangible. Like the universe had paused and decided to just… let us have this.
Eventually, though, her stomach growled.
We both looked down at it.
Shiina muttered, "Betrayal."
I snorted. "So much for emotional intimacy. You've been replaced by your need for carbs."
She flopped backwards onto the cushion, one arm over her eyes. "Tragic. All my feelings, ruined by one traitorous organ. Guess we should check out that 'party' they mentioned."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want to go to a party held by institutionalized shinobi teachers trying to play camp counselor?"
She sat up slowly. "No. But I want free food."
That was a fair point. I didn't have time to buy supplies for food after all.
The so-called "party" turned out to be more of a "mandatory social orientation" than anything fun. The apartment building's shared community hall—a wide, open room on the second floor with sliding doors that overlooked the courtyard—had been hastily decorated with some low-effort banners.
There were folding tables set up with food—simple fare. Rice balls, miso soup, vegetable tempura, some grilled fish, a couple trays of dango that were already half gone.
A few of the other orphans were milling around awkwardly, clearly unsure how to do the whole "mingling" thing.
Shiina tugged me by the hand toward the food like she was on a mission. "No hesitation. We eat, we bounce."
"But what if there's a bonding activity?"
"Then we fake a stomach ache and sprint."
We loaded up our plates and found a spot in the corner—floor seating only, because chairs were apparently a luxury item. A small group of boys from another orphanage were loudly arguing about which Hokage was the strongest (they were wrong), and two girls across from us were whispering while sneaking glances our way.
Shiina noticed. She leaned in and whispered, "Do I have something on my face?"
"Only your unbearable charm."
She kicked my shin under the table and bit into a rice ball like it insulted her family.
"Think they recognize us from the entrance exam?" she asked quietly, mouth half-full.
"Maybe. Or they're wondering why we're sitting so close."
"To be fair, we're basically cuddling. You're like, halfway in my lap."
I blinked. Looked down. Realized I'd definitely gravitated closer to her over the course of the last five minutes. I shrugged.
"Eh. It's tactical positioning. For warmth."
She gave me the driest look possible.
"You're lucky you're hot," she said.
"I know."
I then took some Inarizushi. For some reason, It was in fact my second favourite food.
The rest of the "party" went about as expected. A few teachers gave brief speeches—Iruka's was the only one that wasn't deeply depressing. He actually managed to sound like he cared, ending with:
"This may not feel like home yet. But give it time. You're not alone here."
It was the kind of thing Naruto would've cried at.
Shiina just muttered, "Iruka-sensei deserves a vacation."
Eventually, the crowd started thinning. A few orphans already bolted halfway through. The food trays were almost empty. Someone had started cleaning up, and a kid in the back was loudly asking if anyone wanted to spar in the courtyard, which was answered by a groan and a hard no.
We stood and tossed our paper plates in the bins. Shiina glanced at me.
"Alright. We showed face. Got fed. Didn't punch anyone."
I held up my hand. "Mission success."
She high-fived me. It was the quietest, most satisfying slap of skin-on-skin approval I'd ever heard.
Back in my apartment, the air felt cooler now, windows still open. The sun had mostly gone down, casting the garden outside into shadows, firefly flickers starting to peek from the tall grass.
Shiina flopped back onto the cushion with a tired sigh.
"So this is what being a future killing machine feels like," she muttered, "Exhaustion, carbs, and bad social interaction."
I dropped beside her and leaned back on my hands. "We're off to a great start."
A beat passed.
Then, quietly: "You gonna sleep here tonight?"
Shiina looked at me. Thought for a second.
"Can I?"
"Always."
She smiled. Not a grin. Not a smirk. A quiet, relieved smile. And then she leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder.
And so, we stayed like this.