The days of being a puppeteer in Konoha

Chapter 23 Successor of the Will of Fire

"I think we must have accidentally taken the wrong road."

"This is obviously just an ordinary orphanage."

"If this is really a workshop, then these children are apprentices of the workshop?"

Hong spread her hands and said in a joking tone.

Women's intuition is indeed terrifying. Although Hong didn't know that she had actually guessed the truth, she was about to pull Lin away to find the real workshop.

However, Lin, who is always observant, seems to have a different opinion.

"Hong, don't you think this orphanage is a little strange?"

"What's weird?"

"How should I put it... they seem to be more energetic than the ordinary children I usually see..."

Since Lin was born into a commoner family with average financial situation, she knew what a child from a poor family looked like.

But these children in front of me were clearly from an orphanage. Although many of them were thin, their faces were rosy and shiny, and it was obvious that they had been eating well recently.

Not to mention that everyone is in high spirits and seems full of hope for the future.

Then Lin whispered again.

"And Hong, look at the children under the tree over there. Every one of them has a book or a toy in their hands. A normal orphanage wouldn't have such luxury..."

Hong followed Lin's gaze and saw that under a big tree, there were many children reading books or playing with various toys.

Now she realized something was wrong.

You have to know that she has been spoiled by her parents since she was a child. Although she doesn't like playing with toys very much, there are almost all kinds of toys on the market at home.

But she had never even seen many of the toys those children were holding!
This scene happened in a remote orphanage, which was unusual no matter how you looked at it.

Just then, a little girl about three or four years old with a runny nose walked towards her.

Then she handed Hong a colorful wooden cube very naturally and said with a silly look on her face:

"Sister, help me restore the Rubik's Cube."

Perhaps in her eyes, all the children older than her were tools who could help her restore the Rubik's Cube.

Since the most common thing in the children's hands was the Rubik's Cube, Hong had roughly understood how to play it after observing it just now, and took it over very confidently:
"No problem, come and watch my performance, big sister!"

So Hong began her first experience with the Rubik's Cube.

"First, turn here... then here... it's not that difficult after all..."

"Look, I finished one side in no time... Isn't it amazing..."

"Wait, why did the color of the finished side change again? Damn it..."

"Oh my god, which idiot invented this toy? How can a child crack it!!!"

In just a few minutes, Hong's expression changed from being at ease, to thinking hard, and finally to being furious...

She never expected that this small Rubik's Cube might look simple, but in fact each rotation would produce a chain of changes, requiring comprehensive consideration before it could be cracked.

However, Hong did not give up. She has always been very competitive and has started to compete with the Rubik's Cube, completely forgetting her original goal.

Lin, who was standing by, tried to persuade him twice but got no response, so she could only shake her head and smile bitterly, waiting on the side.

Unfortunately, Hong fiddled with the Rubik's Cube for a while but still couldn't return it to its original state. Her cheeks began to puff up with anger.

Just then, a clear bell sounded suddenly from the orphanage.

Then Sister Kelly came out of the orphanage, shaking the bell with her hand and urging the children with a stern face:
"It's time for class, everyone hurry up and go to class."

"And remember not to leave your books and toys behind, and remember to wash your hands before class..."

Under her endless instructions, the children packed up their things very obediently and ran to the orphanage.

Hong and Lin felt ashamed when they saw this.

Because the students in the ninja school are not as enthusiastic about classes as these children.

"Give me back the Rubik's Cube. I need to go to class."

The little girl just now tugged at the hem of Yuhi Kurenai's dress, then spread out her hands and said.

I don't know if it's an illusion, but Hong can feel that there seems to be some contempt in the little girl's innocent eyes, as if she is saying:
This sister is so stupid that she can't even solve the Rubik's Cube...

Hong couldn't help but blush and returned the Rubik's Cube to the little girl embarrassedly.

In order to save her face a little, she turned her head and said to Lin beside her:

"What a pity! Give me another minute and I can restore it..." Lin could only give an awkward but polite smile.

After the last little girl ran into the orphanage holding the Rubik's Cube high, Kelly turned her gaze towards the two of them. Her originally stern face instantly became smiling.

"What lovely two little girls."

"You must be students who came to visit the workshop. You're here really early."

Hong then remembered the purpose of coming here and said in surprise:

"Nani, it turns out this is really the teacher's workshop. Why doesn't it look like one?"

Kelly covered her mouth and laughed, then pointed to the open space to the east of the orphanage and said:
"The workshop you are looking for is actually over there."

"But because it's not yet completed, your teacher has placed the temporary workshop in the orphanage."

What do you mean it hasn’t been built yet? It means it hasn’t even started to be built yet!
Hong looked at the still empty piece of land and couldn't help but complain in her heart.

But now the two of them were finally sure that this was where they should come.

"So can we go to the temporary workshop now?"

Hong asked carelessly.

"Of course, but you have to tell me your name first so I can confirm it."

Sister Kelly took out a list and said.

Hong and Lin naturally had no objection to this and both gave their names.

After confirming that both of them were on the invitation list, Kelly put the list away and led the two to the entrance of the orphanage.

As she walked, Kelly said:

"You must be curious about why your teacher built a workshop here in the orphanage, right?"

Actually there is not...

Hong and Lin were both muttering to themselves.

Hong came here today not for the workshop, but just wanted to spend more time with the handsome Mr. Kimura.

However, after the previous setback, Hong's mind was now filled with thoughts of where to get a Rubik's Cube to practice secretly, so that he could avenge himself in front of the little girl.

Lin had accepted the teacher's invitation before, so she came here to visit.

She even decided that after today, she would not be able to attend the puppetry class anymore.

Because if she continued to attend classes, she was worried that she would not be able to resist the temptation of puppetry and give up her dream of becoming a medical ninja...

Kelly naturally didn't know what the two were thinking, and she began to explain on her own:

"You probably don't know this yet, but your teacher Kimura actually grew up here."

"And the reason why he set up a workshop here is to help the orphanage raise funds so that it can continue to operate..."

As they were talking about this, the three of them happened to pass by a dilapidated wooden corridor.

In the room nearby, you can see many children sitting at their desks, practicing reading and writing under the guidance of an elderly person.

Every time Kelly saw this scene, her eyes would become wet.

She said with emotion, "Thanks to Hideki, the children have so many books, paper and pens to use freely."

"I couldn't even imagine this scene in my dreams before."

"Once everyone reads more books and can help the workshop, life in this orphanage will definitely get better and better..."

Once Kelly started talking, she couldn't stop and began to chatter to the two of them about the changes that Hideki had brought to the orphanage.

When they learned that the children would help in the workshop, neither of them felt anything was wrong.

After all, compared to sending children to the battlefield, being able to work in a workshop is a good job that many children dream of.

Moreover, the two believed that the gentle teacher Kimura would never let the children suffer, and they must have used this as an excuse to provide assistance to the orphanage.

So in the hearts of the two little girls, the image of Mr. Kimura suddenly became more majestic.

Because I was born in an orphanage, I try to help the children there whenever I am able.

Because he became a puppeteer, he trained more puppeteers for Konoha without reservation.

Isn’t everything Mr. Kimura has done the most perfect interpretation of the will of fire that has been passed down from generation to generation?

(End of this chapter)