—Kacchan, wait for me!— yelled a brat with bulging eyes and a scrawny appearance. He was trying to follow a small group of children, with a rather fiery blonde leading them.
In a corner of the classroom, a young boy with strange eyes and a girl with reddish-brown hair watched the scene with blank expressions.
—Tetsumaru, I think we're in hell— the girl commented to her other half through their unique communication.
—Perhaps. Let me know if you see any darkened, veiny penises. We'll offer your little puss—
A slap on the black-haired boy's head stopped their communication. Mei glared daggers at her other half.
She still struggled to accept that her luck was bad enough to be turned into a girl, and that was a sensitive topic for her.
The days in kindergarten were as unbearable as they had assumed they would be. Children running and screaming, snot, drool, toys they didn't need, and annoying adults who wanted them to sing and memorize nonsense.
Hours of playtime in which they were definitely not entertained in the slightest. When they were one person, their basis for entertainment was the internet, being lazy, playing games, watching anime, and reading manga.
Running, yelling, and sweating were not exactly their things.
—What's wrong, Tetsumaru, Mei? Don't you want to go play with the other children?— the teacher approached them, as she often did since they started coming to the kindergarten.
The woman seemed worried about how unsociable the pair was. She couldn't be blamed.
—Everything is fine, teacher. We like reading more than getting dirty and sweating— Tetsumaru reassured her in a monotonous voice. The inexpressiveness of the Third Kazekage's incarnation was much more natural than Mei's.
That was because he took the less active part of the original soul.
The teacher couldn't help but look suspiciously at the boy with black eyes and golden pupils. The dark sclera gave him an intimidating air that tended to scare off the other children, and his stone face didn't help either.
—Reading and learning are fine, children. But don't forget to have fun— she reminded them for the umpteenth time.
—This bitch won't be at peace until she sees us covered in snot and mud. Tetsumaru, sacrifice yourself for us— Mei urged her other half.
—Screw you. Go play with dolls or house. I think they have unwashed dishes over there— the black-haired boy retorted.
—You son of a—
Seeing the silence and the blank look of both children, the teacher sighed and withdrew, unaware of the intense argument her students were having.
One thing they couldn't complain about, despite the circumstances and Mei's condition, was that having oneself for company during these times was a great blessing.
They never ran out of conversation topics, and best of all, they shared the same humor, the same tastes, and the same dislikes.
In the afternoons, after school hours, two small figures would often sneak off to a small park, entering the least crowded areas to exercise their bodies.
Push-ups, jogging, squats. Basic exercises to maintain a strong body from an early age. Under normal circumstances, two four-year-olds shouldn't do these kinds of activities, but these were not normal children.
In the Ninja world, shinobi trained from a young age, conditioning their bodies and minds.
Although Mei and Tetsumaru had no techniques or any real guide on how to get stronger, they had watched so much Naruto that they had an idea of how things would work. At least on a basic level.
Aside from manipulating the Satetsu and a little water, neither dared to touch their chakra. Once, Mei had tried to move that enigmatic energy in her body, and it resulted in paralysis and a pain that felt like her insides were burning.
And for some reason, Tetsumaru also felt it. That day they discovered that if a sensation was very intense, or if they concentrated enough, they could feel what the other was feeling.
Getting back to chakra, their bodies were not ready, or they hadn't done things correctly. For that reason, they decided to improve the condition of their juvenile bodies first and then experiment with the leaf technique, tree climbing, water walking, and finally the mobilization and extraction of chakra during physical combat.
If they managed to boost themselves even a little with chakra, their reserves wouldn't be limited to manipulating and/or generating the elements they were blessed with.
—At some point, ugh, we need, ah, we need to learn martial arts— Tetsumaru panted through their unique communication. His legs were burning from the squats, and sweat bathed his forehead.
Mei nodded, her arms trembling from the push-ups she had forced herself into.
—D-definitely. Taekwondo, Kickboxing, Judo. Those should be our foundations for Taijutsu— the girl said.
After finishing their physical conditioning, the pair would take a quick rinse with the water stored in Mei's palms and change their clothes. They would return to the orphanage before dark, have dinner, and sleep, always with the intense brats bothering them about this and that.
And so, they had forged a routine. One they maintained almost uninterruptedly for months.
They made sure to fulfill their responsibilities, earning the appreciation of the staff at both the orphanage and the school, with the exception of their teacher, who kept insisting on a closer approach with the other students.
This neat, mature, and responsible behavior made them be regarded as a kind of young geniuses.
Mei's appearance also charmed those parents who were considering adoption, and there were a couple of instances where they took her to meet some interested adults.
But the duo absolutely refused to be separated. It wasn't that they were stupid.
They understood the opportunity to be adopted and get out of that hole the orphanage was. Although cruel, it was the truth. Staying there would limit them greatly.
But being separated carried one consequence: the one who stayed would be bored to death.
And given Tetsumaru's stoic appearance and strange eyes, he was the one who never received the approval of the interested adopting parents.
It was this refusal to be adopted on Mei's part that culminated in a serious discussion with the person in charge of the orphanage.