"Grrr."
While chakra was well and good, it was after all connected to my physical and mental energies, hence the extreme feeling of hunger that washed over me the moment my chakra settled.
Going to the kitchen would be futile since we weren't allowed to eat in-between meals.
It was already past noon and the other kids were still out and about doing exactly what they were good at…Playing.
It's not that I couldn't play with them, but rather, I don't wanna.
They were kids and no matter how much I'd love to bring my mentality down to their level, it was impossible. However, I also know that being different would also draw a lot of attention to me.
Danzo is probably still a Chunin or worse, a Jonin which means there weren't any boogeyman scouting for potential human puppets, but still, Tobirama wasn't any less of a threat.
Who knows how many anbus he has stationed around monitoring us for any signs of us being spies.
Not that I didn't have faith in him as a Senju, but this world is far more treacherous than most would like to imagine and I definitely won't place my faith in some self righteous racist who just so happens to be a genius.
Hashirama is cool, but Tobi? Hell Nah.
"Grrr."
Tch. Stupid stomach. Can't you see I'm trying to think here? I grimaced and clutched my stomach as the pain of hunger was immense.
"Guess I'd have to go find something to eat." Saying that, I got up and immediately made my way out of the building only to be met with the harsh rays of the sun.
Looking down to my shadow, I could tell the time was probably 2 or 3 in the afternoon, which meant there was still 4 to 5 hours before we ate dinner. There was no way I was gonna survive till then.
Just then, I heard the giggling sounds of children and traced it to the stream where a couple of kid I recognised were playing in the shallow areas.
Weren't we warned not to play around here? I wondered as I approached them with my own thoughts in mind. Since there was a stream here, there should be fishes to be caught…right?
Naruto survived on them during the period he was cast out of the orphanage after all.
"Mura-chan! You're here, come join us." One snot nosed kid whom I couldn't be bothered to remember his name called out causing the others to look towards me.
"Eh? Renji, Mura-chan is no fun. Don't bother with me." Another kid immediately chimed in, dissuading the snot nosed kid…Renji.
Renji shook his head frenziedly and said. "Hoshino-oba-san said all of us are family. We can't leave Mura-chan out. That's no good."
"But…Mura-chan is no fun. Look at his face." Another kid chimed in and the group of seven kids, 4 boys and 3 girls began chattering amongst themselves as to why I could or could not join.
I could swear I could feel a migraine growing, not to mention the hunger biting at me at the moment.
And so, to protect the health of my mind and stomach, I walked to the bank of the stream and stopped, causing the kids to stop their discussion and turn to me.
"Hoshino-san said we shouldn't play in the stream." Was the only thing I said and despite my best effort to make my voice sound deep, what came out was the cute sound of a kid's voice.
"Humph, what do you know?" The brat who had initially dissuaded the snot…Renji harrumphed and looked at me with…is that disdain? and continued. "We're allowed to play in the area that doesn't reach this high." He said while placing his hand on his neck.
Ah. I see. Hoshino-san was probably just giving me a general rule about the place. "Is that so?"
"Mh-hmm." The boy, as well as Renji and the others nodded with happy smiles.
"I see."
I don't see nothing. This only means that I can't get any fish from this area.
I looked at the water, watching how it rippled in waves around the kids' legs as they splashed and laughed. The surface was disturbed, sending tiny waves outward, and I frowned.
If there were any fish in this section of the stream, they were long gone, scared off by all the commotion.
Tch. Should've figured. No way fish would be hanging around a bunch of noisy brats.
I crouched down, picking up a small pebble and rolling it between my fingers as I thought. If the fish weren't here, where would they be?
Naruto survived on stream fish, and he didn't have the luxury of fancy tools or bait. That meant catching them wasn't impossible. I just had to think like a hungry orphan instead of a pampered village kid.
If I were a fish, would I be here?
No. The shallows were too dangerous. Even without the kids splashing around, the water here was too open, too exposed. Birds, foxes, and even stray dogs could snap up anything unlucky enough to linger.
That meant…
I turned my gaze further downstream, where the water deepened and curved out of sight. The current there looked stronger, and trees lined the bank, their roots stretching into the water.
If there were fish in this stream, that's where they'd be, hidden beneath the roots, away from prying eyes.
That was my target.
"Mura-chan? What are you looking at?"
Renji's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see him staring up at me with innocent curiosity, his wide eyes blinking.
"Nothing," I muttered, standing up and brushing the dust off my clothes. "Just remembered something."
Before he could ask any more annoying questions, I walked off, following the stream toward deeper waters—toward food.
If I was lucky, I'd be eating in an hour. If I wasn't…well, I wasn't even going to entertain that possibility.
…
By Hagoromo's beard!
Why did no one ever tell me fishing could be this hard!?
I had pushed the limit of concentration a child like me should have and stayed focused with the makeshift spear I fashioned from tree branches. I watched and waited for the right moment…each and every time before striking, yet, these blasted schools of fishes just swarm around it.
I swear I could feel the disdain they all held in their eyes as they observed my petit figure trying to hunt them.
The gall! I took a deep breath, forcing my frustration down as I squatted at the bank of the stream, my little hands gripping the now slightly dampened wooden spear.
These blasted fish had no respect. No fear. Just because they had the home-field advantage, they thought they could mock me?
Fine. If traditional spear fishing wouldn't work, then I needed a different approach.
Let's go over my options.
Hand Fishing(Noodling)
I could try sticking my hand under the rocks and tree roots to grab them. But that was risky.
I didn't know if any of these fish were the biting kind, and worse, there could be something else lurking under there—like leeches or even small water snakes.
Yeah, no thanks.
Spearfishing.
Already tried and failed spectacularly.
My coordination as a kid was terrible, and my makeshift spear wasn't exactly sharp or aerodynamic.
Even when I did land a hit, the water resistance slowed it down too much. Conclusion? Not feasible unless I upgraded my weapon.
Net Fishing
Nets would be ideal for catching a whole bunch at once, but where the hell was I supposed to get a net?
I could try weaving one with vines, but that would take time—time I didn't have. My stomach was already protesting, and I wasn't about to pass out from hunger just because of some stubborn fish.
Trapping.
Now this…this had potential. If I couldn't out-speed the fish, I could outsmart them.
There's Rock Pools where I could use stones to create a small enclosed area where the fish could swim in but not easily escape. Once inside, I could scoop them up with my hands or a container.
Or if I had a woven basket or could make one, I could set it in the water with bait and wait for the fish to swim in. Again, time-consuming, but not impossible.
Then there's Dam & Drain. I could try partially blocking a section of the stream with mud and leaves, then drain the water out to trap the fish in a shallow area.
Baiting & Luring?
If I had anything edible that fish liked—bugs, worms, or even breadcrumbs—I could toss some in to lure them closer. Once they were distracted, I'd have a better shot at scooping one out.
Unfortunately…I had them not.
"Sigh."
Okay, so out of all these options, which were actually feasible right now?
Spearfishing? Failed.
Noodling? Too risky.
Net fishing? No tools.
Baiting? Possible, if I could find worms or insects.
Trapping? Doable, if I worked fast.
That settled it. I was going to trap them.
I grabbed a handful of small stones and waded carefully into the stream, my mind already mapping out the perfect choke point. If the fish wanted to play games, then so be it.
I was about to introduce them to the brilliant mind of a 21st-century science student.
Let's see who laughs last.
…
Not to far from where Murakami was having his showdown with the fishes, the kids who were initially playing in the shallow water had grown bored and we're all seated under the shadow of a massive tree while gazing at Murakami with varying expressions.
Renji sat cross-legged, his chubby cheeks puffed out in thought as he watched Murakami wade through the water like some kind of tiny warrior preparing for battle. His grip tightened on the blade of grass he'd been playing with.
"Mura-chan is weird," muttered Hiro, the boy who had been the most vocal about not including Murakami in their games. His arms were folded as he leaned against the tree trunk, his brows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and, perhaps, a little bit of jealousy.
Renji frowned. "Hoshino-oba-san says we're all family, so we shouldn't call him weird."
"But he is!" Aiko, one of the girls, chimed in, pulling her knees to her chest. "Look at him! He's been chasing fish for ages, and they're all just swimming away from him." She giggled. "It's kinda funny."
"It's sad," said Kana, the quietest of the group. Her big brown eyes stayed focused on Murakami, watching as he stacked small stones in the water with meticulous concentration. "He looks really hungry."
That made the group fall silent for a moment.
"Then why doesn't he just come eat with us when it's time?" Hiro asked, clearly irritated. "Why's he always by himself? We all live together, but it's like he doesn't even want to be here."
Renji plucked a leaf off the ground and rolled it between his fingers. "Maybe he just… doesn't know how to play like us."
Aiko scoffed. "That's dumb. Playing isn't something you have to learn. You just do it."
Kana disagreed. "Maybe for us. But… doesn't he always look like he's thinking about something else? Like he's not really here?"
Silence again. That was true.
Even now, Murakami's little face was scrunched in concentration, his tiny hands carefully setting up whatever weird plan he had. The other boys would've given up by now, but not him.
"…He's kinda scary," muttered one of the younger boys, shifting uncomfortably.
Renji shook his head. "He's not scary. He's just different."
Aiko sighed dramatically and lay back against the tree roots, closing her eyes. "Well, different or not, I bet he's still not gonna catch anything. Those fish are way too fast for him."
Kana, still watching Murakami, didn't say anything.
Because, somehow, she wasn't so sure about that.