The wind was quiet on the rooftop of the Kara hideout.
High above the metallic dome of the facility, a single figure sat alone, perched on the edge, staring out into the dusk. The sky bled colors gold melting into indigo but he didn't seem to notice.
A 17-year-old boy, tall and elegant, with pure white hair that shimmered faintly in the breeze. His sky-blue eyes carried a detached calm, nearly translucent in the twilight. He wore a fitted black shirt beneath a long, flowing white kimono-style coat, the ends fluttering like mist. Slim black pants. Barefoot. Relaxed.
He leaned back, arms resting behind him as he stared at the clouds.
"...Haaah."
He let out a long yawn, blinking slowly.
Bored.
That was Kael's default state.
Not because the world lacked excitement — but because most things simply weren't worth reacting to.
Until—
SLAM!
The rooftop access door burst open.
"HEY, KAEL!"
Kael didn't flinch. Didn't turn.
He merely blinked once.
Behind him, a high-heeled boot stepped onto the roof, stomping hard. Delta Kara's raging bombshell stormed over with fury practically steaming from her skin.
She was livid.
"You hear what happened?! That little bastard Kawaki ran away!!" she shrieked, her voice echoing into the wind. "Can you believe that?! After all Jigen did to shape him?! That ungrateful worm!"
Kael's expression finally shifted from blank to mild surprise.
"Oh?" he said lazily, his voice smooth, calm — almost playful. "He ran?"
Delta stomped again.
"Don't act surprised!"
But Kael's face had already gone back to his usual gentle disinterest.
"Hm... Well. Honestly, Delta," he said with a light smile, still not looking at her, "Kawaki is… still immature. Especially when it comes to emotions. He's just a child pretending to be something more."
He tilted his head.
"It's not that serious."
Delta's eyes twitched.
"What…?"
BOOM!
She launched herself at Kael in a burst of rage, fist glowing.
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT'S NOT SERIOUS!"
Her fist came crashing down where Kael had been sitting—
But he was already gone.
FWIP!
Kael's figure flickered.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared six meters away, standing barefoot on the far edge of the roof.
BOOM!
The rooftop cracked and exploded where he had been sitting just seconds ago.
Dust and debris flew.
Delta snarled, fists clenched.
"DID YOU KNOW HE WAS GOING TO RUN?! IS THAT WHY YOU DID NOTHING?!"
Kael raised a hand lazily.
"Woah, woah, Delta, stop yelling…" he said smoothly. "You'll give yourself wrinkles."
Her face contorted with rage.
"ANSWER ME!!"
Kael sighed, turning to face her fully now, one hand in his coat pocket.
"If you want to blame someone…" he said softly, "blame Jigen."
Delta froze.
Kael's sky-blue eyes glowed faintly in the dimming light still calm, still unreadable.
"Kawaki couldn't have escaped without someone looking the other way. And in Kara," he added with a casual shrug, "nothing and I mean nothing happens without Jigen's permission."
His smile grew faintly sharper.
"Ask yourself why he'd allow it… not why I didn't stop it."
Delta's mouth opened… but no words came.
Kael's point cut deep and worse, it made sense.
The rooftop went quiet.
Only the wind spoke.
Kael yawned again, brushing back his white hair.
"Well then," he said with a stretch, "if you're done screaming, I'll be heading inside. It's almost dinner."
Delta growled but said nothing.
Kael began walking toward the roof access door graceful, slow, untouchable.
And behind him, Delta muttered under her breath:
"Tch… arrogant freak…"
Kael smiled faintly, having heard every word.
But he didn't stop.
---
The streets of Konoha were quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon. Orange light spilled across rooftops, bathing the village in soft warmth. For most residents, it was a peaceful evening. But for Kawaki, it was suffocating.
He followed Naruto in silence.
Each footstep felt like it echoed too loud. Every glance from a passerby felt like it dug into him.
The village looked nothing like the place he came from. The air was clean. People smiled at each other.
Naruto walked ahead with a casual gait, hands tucked behind his head. Every now and then he glanced back to make sure Kawaki was still following. He didn't say much. He didn't have to.
Eventually, they reached the Uzumaki home. A modest house nestled between trees, its wooden walls painted by time and weather.
"We're here," Naruto said, stopping at the gate.
Kawaki looked up at the place.
This was supposed to be a home?
Naruto stepped inside and opened the front door. He looked back at Kawaki, offering a slight nod.
"Come on in."
Kawaki hesitated. His hand clenched at his side. But after a moment, he stepped forward.
Inside, the house was warm. Not just in temperature, but in feeling. Wooden floors, modest furniture, the faint smell of food. It felt lived-in. Familiar.
Naruto kicked off his sandals at the door.
"You can leave your shoes there."
Kawaki glanced down, then slowly removed his boots. The moment his socks touched the wood floor, he felt exposed.
From the kitchen, a voice called out.
"Dad? You're home?"
A young girl peeked around the corner. Big round eyes, short blue hair tied in twin puffs. She stopped when she saw Kawaki.
Her expression lit up.
Naruto smiled.
"This is Kawaki. He'll be staying with us for a while."
Himawari stepped forward cheerfully.
"Hi! I'm Himawari Uzumaki. Welcome to our home."
Kawaki stared at her. Her smile was bright. Too bright. He didn't know how to respond.
"…Thanks," he said, almost grudgingly.
She didn't seem to notice the stiffness. Instead, she walked up closer, curious.
"You're around Boruto's age, right?"
Kawaki's eye twitched.
"Don't compare me to that bastard," he muttered under his breath.
Naruto raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
The tension in the air grew thicker when another pair of footsteps approached.
Boruto.
He stood in the hallway, arms crossed, staring directly at Kawaki.
"So, they're just letting you live here now?" he said coldly.
Kawaki returned the stare.
"You got a problem with that?"
Boruto scoffed.
"I have a problem with a psycho who trashed a flower shop acting like he belongs here."
Naruto sighed and stepped between them.
"Alright, enough. Both of you."
Boruto looked away and walked back to his room without another word.
Naruto turned to Kawaki.
"Don't mind him. He'll get used to it."
Kawaki didn't respond.
Naruto pointed toward a side room.
"Your room's over there. It used to be a storage room, but we cleaned it out."
Kawaki walked in slowly. The room was small, plain. A bed. A small table. A window.
He walked to the bed and sat down. His body stiffened. The mattress felt strange. Comfortable. Too comfortable.
Naruto leaned against the doorframe.
"You hungry?"
Kawaki didn't answer at first.
"…I don't know."
Naruto smiled gently.
"Well, we'll eat in a bit. You can rest for now. No pressure."
He turned and left.
The door clicked softly behind him.
Kawaki sat there, staring at his hands. His fingers trembled slightly. He clenched them tight.
He didn't trust this.
He lay back on the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Memories of Kara's hideout flashed behind his eyelids. Concrete walls. Cold meals. Constant surveillance.
This place was… different. And that scared him more than anything.
Hours passed.
Eventually, Naruto called him for dinner.
The table was full. Simple dishes, rice, miso soup, grilled fish.
Himawari smiled across the table.
"Want some juice?"
Kawaki blinked. Juice?
She poured him a glass like it was normal.
Naruto served food without a word, filling Kawaki's bowl without asking.
They all began eating.
Kawaki stared at the food.
Himawari tilted her head.
"Is something wrong?"
Kawaki picked up the chopsticks awkwardly. He didn't say anything. He took a bite.
The flavor was soft. Warm. Real.
He kept eating, slowly, silently.
Naruto glanced at him.
"You can take a bath later. It's next to the laundry room."
Kawaki nodded once.
After dinner, Himawari offered to help him find a towel.
He followed her to the hallway.
Later that night, he lay on the bed again, still awake.
The room was dark. The ceiling silent.
His hand moved to his chest.
He could still feel the pressure of Kara's seal. The emptiness that followed him everywhere.
But in this house, something felt different.
Like maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to be a weapon.
Maybe he could just be… Kawaki.
Sleep didn't come easily.
But it came.
And for the first time in years, he didn't dream of metal cages.