Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed since Kabuto arrived in Konoha.
Over that year, Kabuto's life at the orphanage had been as still as stagnant water.
It had exceeded his expectations.
Konoha had never suspected him even once! Or rather, perhaps they had suspected him, but they had never cared!
He had perfectly played the role of a "smart, sensible, slightly precocious genius orphan."
He helped Nonō look after the younger children, tutored his classmates, and had even won a prize in a math competition.
Konoha's math competitions actually came with prize money!
Unbelievable!
Kabuto had completely lost any desire to return to the Land of Earth! Compared to the Land of Fire, that place was simply far, far worse!
One evening, in the orphanage's activity room.
The time after dinner was always what the children looked forward to most, because it was time for "Mama Nonō" to tell stories.
But today, Nonō did not bring out any fairy-tale books. Instead, she held that day's Konoha Daily.
This was also a regular activity.
And it was the activity Kabuto longed for most! It was his only channel for learning detailed information about Konoha.
The children sat in a circle on the carpet, their little faces tilted upward and their eyes sparkling. Kabuto sat at the outer edge, holding a book in his hands. He looked like he was reading, but his ears were perked up.
"Today, we're going to talk about the Hokage's new plan."
Nonō's voice was as gentle as a warm breeze. She pointed to the complicated "Chakra Base Station Construction Diagram" in the newspaper, but rather than reading out those obscure terms word for word, she explained it in her own way.
Smiling, she gestured to the children. "You