Haruka (春花)

It was a short five months later that Haruka found she was no longer welcome in the orphanage. All she had done was sneak out to visit Hinata at the playground but when she came back she found she couldn't get back in and when she went to the front the matron looked down at her and said they'd never met before. Haruka thought the matron must have lost her marbles and told her as much. All that accomplished was the door being slammed in her face. Well who was she to look a gift house in the mouth? She never understood that saying, why do people say gift houses have mouths? Is it the entrance? Why would she not want to look inside her new house? She failed to realize it's a horse and not a house.

She wonders what she'll do about a place to stay, it's not going to be another two months until her birthday when the man with the funny hat will visit again. She'd assume he'll look for her when he finds she's gone. For now she'll just look around for food and shelter.

It would be hours of wandering and failing to find a suitable place she looks further outside of the village proper, into more of the training grounds. She stumbles upon a fenced off forest, it has a sign. "Training ground four four? What a weird name. I wonder if there's any food inside." She speaks as she slowly climbs the fence. It's odd though, as she walks through she notices the animals nearby all retreating from her. They always seem to do so, even the weird kitty with a bow, or the dog people's dogs. She never could understand why animals seem to be more afraid of her than the people.

She tried to chase after one but they were too fast for her to catch. She decides that she won't be able to get any food from here, but maybe she can use it as shelter since the animals don't seem to want to bother her. Such a shame too, they're all so cute. Especially the giant striped kitties, they look especially fluffy. Making her way back into the village she tries to use the small amount of pocket change to buy some food only to be rebuffed at every turn. She goes to bed hungry that night. The next morning she repeats the same process only to be met with failure once more. She goes to bed hungry again. Maybe if she demands things like those people with black eyes and hair. She tried walking up to a man selling bread and bluntly said, "Hey, give me your bread." When he yelled at her she decided that probably only works for the black eyed people. She went to bed hungry once more. The next morning all she can do is think about how hungry she is. She barely even had the energy to search for food. She went to bed hungry, feeling for the first time the bitter sting of her own tears from hunger pains. She made it back into the village the next day, following the scent of something delicious, only to pass out just as she reached it.

She awoke in a bed, that hadn't happened since the old man last visited her, does that mean he came early? No this isn't the orphanage. Where is she? That delicious smell tickles her nose once more. She weakly begins to sit up only for an older girl she hadn't noticed before now helping her to sit up.

"Easy, you're still weak." The older girl couldn't bring herself to ask when this little girl ate last. The answer might break her own heart. The red headed girl's stomach growled loudly and brought a blush to the young girl's face. "Just wait a moment, I'll bring food real quick." She's not even gone for a minute before returning with a warm bowl of noodles? She'd never seen food like this before. She's mostly used to seeing stale bread or rotten fruit. That's what the matron always gave her. Still Haruka can't help as she digs her hand into the bowl only to wince as she gets burned. The older girl lets out a gasp and hands the other girl chopsticks.

Haruka looks up at her confused as to why she was given sticks. She voices her concerns. "Why did you give me sticks?" The older girl realized at this moment that the redhead had no idea how to use eating utensils.

"They're for eating, so you don't get burned. I'll teach you later for now I'll just feed you myself." She said as she took hold of the chopsticks and lifted up several of the noodles. Haruka nods and opens her mouth, only to practically melt as she eats the most delicious thing she's ever tasted. "Are you okay? You're crying, do you not like it?" The older girl asks with concern.

"I-I'm okay, this is just the best thing I've ever had, what is it?!" She said only now, noticing the tears that had been stinging her eyes. She quickly tries to rub them away, previous experience having taught her people are often meaner when she cries. "A-Anyways, what's your name, Nee-chan?"

"I'm Ichiraku Ayame, this is my family's miso ramen. Who are you little lady?" She asks as she gives the redhead another serving. The girl answers while slurping up the delicious noodles.

"Uzumaki Haruka." She said, more focused on eating eagerly. They fall into a comfortable silence interrupted only by Haruka's eating. After she finishes off the ramen she takes it into another room. When she returns she brings an older man with her. "This is my father Ichiraku Teuchi, and the man who made your ramen." 

Haruka practically had stars in her eyes when she heard that and gratefully said, "Thank you Oji-san." 

Teuchi can't help but see her mother in her, she looks just like her, only tiny. If he had known she was abandoned on the streets he would have helped her much earlier.

"No worries, you're welcome any time." He said with a smile on his face, knowing he'd do anything to help his friend's child. Once more the little girl started crying, it's the first time since she met Hinata-chan that anyone has shown her kindness. Sure the old man with the weird hat was kind of nice to her, but he never truly helped her, just tried to see if she's okay, which is still more than most people.