Author note: This story was bound to happen eventually. So many good, fun self-insert and time travel stories on FF, so I couldn't help to wright one! Enjoy!
Summary: Nothing already unseen: I died and got reborn into Narutoverse with the knowledge of the plot… my future. Whatever. And born into the Uchiha clan, as a civilian member. Add to that there is somethings seriously wrong with the actual present timeline and you have, well, my life…
CHAPTER 1 the second shorter life
I died.
I don't remember the details. It seemed, getting reborn meant losing some of my previous life's memories. With some I mean, what was my name, where I lived, who were my parents, why I died, what I did to be reborn…
At first I thought this was just some freak baby experience that one later forgets, so it was chill for the first few weeks though an unease crawled inside me. I blamed the confusing world and sounds around me. It wasn't really that bad. Sure it was totally embarrassing that I crapped myself and that I couldn't do literally anything except breathe, swallow, sleep, cry and, well, crap myself.
I didn't cry much. The sound was loudly ringing in my head, making it throb irritably, but there was always someone around, a woman and a man, probably my parents, that always seemed to know what it was that I needed. The woman's voice was soft and she often sung lovable songs I couldn't understand, cooed sweet sounding words I didn't understand while the man made ridiculous sounds that made both of us laugh. Soon I realized they spoke Japanese, which at first was more than fine! I remembered from my past life that I dreamed about going to Japan. And watching Naruto. Funny things to remember from some far off life.
It somewhat got better once my sight got much better.
Better because I got to "meet" the strangers I found myself getting imprinted on. My mother's soft and the father's rough, but lovable faces as they both took care of me. While I was in my mother's arms father watched us with fierce love and when it was my father's turn to cuddle me, mother would both watch us interact and do the house work simultaneously. Father helped with the work too, never failing to make silly sounds that would make me screaming in delight. Sometimes I just couldn't help myself.
They seemed to be average, normal looking people. Pretty figure, dark hair, black eyes. Nothing special to see really. As my sight got even better I started to look around my crib I was sleeping in.
That one particular memory cut deep into my memories and slapped me right into the feels.
It was night time judging from the darkness in the room. The house was silent and my new parents were either asleep, or kept their voices low so they wouldn't accidentally wake me up. A storm was raging outside with heavy rain, thunder and all. I couldn't care less about the loud rumble, even if the all cracking made me twitch. The smell and sound of the rain alone would have lulled my baby body to sleep if it weren't for the flashes. My room got flashed with bright short shots of light before the thunder roared. For a moment it looked like it was daylight in my room.
A figure caught my attention. At first I thought I saw a person with the still shitty eyesight and the flashing from outside. When the joy of seeing my parents passed, I realized it was just the wall. Disappointment made me yawn sleepily as the thunder flashed and flashed, illuminating the wall I was staring at, making my body and mind to go to sleep. I realized in irritation that I was now wide awake and continued to stare at the wall just above the bedroom door, as if an invincible force made me to. It was slight ajar and some light was making the room look grayish. I whimpered unwillingly, the feeling that gnawed my guts making me suddenly feel uncomfortable.
The thunder flashed for the last time, finally illuminating the print on the wall at the right time for my sight to register it. I didn't know what the symbol was called but I recognized its meaning.
The Uchiha clan symbol.
I understood the terrible feeling now. My second life seemed like an enthusiastically written FanFiction story summary. Nothing already unseen: I died and got reborn into Narutoverse with the knowledge of the plot… my future. Whatever. And born into the Uchiha clan, as a civilian member. Short life guaranteed!
My response? I started crying, of course.
Not that I was a wimp, but learning of your expire date was kind of disturbing. Add to that that I was an adult inside a newborn body, along with all embarrassing things that came with it, made me scream in terror and shock. I was hungry too. It didn't took long for someone to come into my room. It was my father this time.
"Now, now, what made you so upset?" I didn't understand at that point what they were telling me, I never learned Japanese, but his voice was soothing, but not soothing enough. He took me out from the crib, rocking my cries away, but soon realized it wouldn't help calm me down. I must have keep staring at the clan symbol while I cried my eyes out, because he then chuckled, apparently amused.
"The Uchiwa that scary huh? We blamed the weather for waking you sweaty." Uchiwa. That word rang distant bells, even I never actually bothered to actually find out the name of the Uchiha fan symbol. So it was true. My wales worsen while I shut my eyes, willing this nightmare to just end.
Why I cried? At that time it seemed pretty obvious. I liked my new parents and they seemed to like me too. I shrugged the fact that I DIED, no use in thinking if anyone missed me as I couldn't remember anyone from my past life. I had accepted that I would have to relearn everything from the beginning and accept a different culture I might not be used to. Only to learn that it might all come to a sudden and violent end. It might even happed tonight, I didn't know where I was in the plot. The will to live burned stubbornly inside of me.
My father kept rocking and rubbing my back, as he walked through the corridor, while murmuring soothing words that I didn't hear because of my own wails. Giant blobs of tears blurred my vision as he entered their bedroom, where my mother, woken up by my terrified wails, was already out from the bed, wide awake.
"I think she got scared of the Uchiwa." He chuckled with unease, not used to me wailing so much and him not able to stop me. "I can't stop her from crying." Father sounded defeated. The worry on my mother's face eased a bit.
"She must be hungry honey. She usually eats around this time." My mother opened her arms while father attempted to pass me to her, but my response was to grip tighter onto the fabric of his cloths, clutching onto it as if my life depended. I cried, not because I was scared of death. I died once already and this meaningless life of an infant meant little to me. I tried to warn my parents of the looming danger, explaining to them everything but all that came out was baby cry. The compelling urge to protect was… familiar. The feeling of being close to my family was a highly treasured feeling.
Alas, I was a mere infant. Even if Itachi came right now in order to kill my parents and me, the most I could do was barf onto him. Maybe crap on him, if I got a lucky shot. Eventually the infant body got tired and I feel asleep, troubled yet feeling safe in my father's arms while their loving voices engraved into my memory.
The coming days, along with the constant rains, my mood was as difficult as any fussing babies could be. My problem was that I couldn't cope with this situation and the fact of being a kid made me nervous, irritable even. The need to punch something was ridiculous, so I caved in and focused on destroying the stuffed toy that got trapped with me inside those caged, day time baby play things. My rage fit got interrupted by another sweet chuckle from my dear mother. I was about to bite the plush toys ear off. The irony it was a stuffed fox that starkly resembled the Kyubi.
"Am I going to have to sew the toy again, Mariko-chan?" she chuckled amused. While not knowing what she said, I knew the –chan was the suffix that went onto a name, so my given name must have been Mariko?
Lame.
I didn't knew what the name meant and currently I didn't want to know because something told me it was probably a bad, sick joke made by whoever put me here. I burned to know why was I "sent" here, what did I do to earn this punishment. I couldn't claim I knew everything about Narutoverse, but I knew enough to know there was no Uchiha Mariko within the main cast, nor the less important ones. For all I knew a Mariko Uchiha never existed.
The chewed Kyubi plushy hung pathetically from my mouth as I climbed onto the side of the baby nursey, reaching for my mother, while finally letting the poor thing go, my frustration spend for now.
Recently I got to know my parents' names were Aika and Tamotsu. From the looks of it, they, along with myself were civilians. Our house was plain, scarcely decorated and with no ninja gear in sight. They never mentioned words like Shinobi or any similar ninja related stuff. After a few months I was born my father was at home all the time, but recently he was going out for a while, but always coming home for dinner. He must have gone to work.
Humming to herself, Aika set me on the floor to roam free, while she went to the low table, patiently sewing up the chewed plush. Again. Even though her focus was on the toy, her eyes never failed to check on me. Every mother was a ninja in the sense of multitasking. Thunder cracked outside making me jump in fright, but didn't bother to cry anymore because of that. Happy to be able to crawl, I went to the nearby window, entertaining myself with the soaked, neatly kept garden.
Not for a second I believed I was some kind miracle solution for fixing the timeline that may or may not be like on the manga or tv show. I didn't even knew what period I was on, not did I got any ethereal visit from any magical entity that informed me of my duty to play a ninja god and determine who lives and who dies.
Oh yes, the plot was screwed badly and more people deserved to die than not, while those who truly cared ended dying anyway, so even if I did anything, given that I could do anything about it, someone will die eventually. Probably me too.
The front door opened and with a slobbery huff, I moved my baby butt and crawled toward the baby door secured door that separated the living room and the hall. Expecting to see my father I was quick to scramble to my feet using the baby gates to keep me upright. I hope to soon be able to walk. Delightful.
It wasn't father that my confused eyes caught instead it was that awkward moment you realize your mother had a twin sister. My mind did processed the difference almost instantly, but for the sake of appearance, because no one wanted to be disturbed by a 8 month knowing the difference immediately. If anything, my knowledge made me careful. My first meeting my aunt went as expected, with laugher and chuckles and lots of "kawai". Cute.
Prodigies in this world didn't fared very well. I wasn't planning on tasting that truth on my skin.
That has also been the first and last time I saw anyone from my closest family wearing a ninja outfit. And the last time I saw my aunts smiling, friendly face for a very long time.
I soon gave up stressing myself over my doomed fate. What would happen will eventually happen anyway, one knowing individual was unlikely to change anything. If I was fated to die young, I was determinate to at least try to learn Japanese and to figure where in the timeline I was. For all I knew this future could have nothing to do with the one I knew.
I spend the days with Aiko while dad went early and came back home late the same day or went missing for a few days. Mother seemed fine with it so I didn't fuss about it. Much.
"Today you are going to meet someone very special Mariko-chan, so be on your best behavior." My mother cooed while we walked through the Uchiha compound. People around us greeted with polite smiles, but Japanese people tended to be overly polite, I red once. Something told me we might not be very popular within the clan. No one stopped to chat with mother, everybody went about their business, going about quickly in hopes to get it done before the rains starts anew. I think it was sometime during early Sumer that I was born. It explained the annoying thunder storms we were having.
Every time it cracked I would flinch, but it long ended just at that. Holding my Kyubi hostage I was more than happy going along wherever mother was taking me. I may be an adult in mind but my body coerced me to act more or less like the kid I would never able to be. Just before the rain started pouring we climbed up the elegant porch. The petite wood looked elegant and finely polished. Someone wealthy lived here. Before my mother even raised her knuckles to knock, the front door opened, our, to be host greeted my mother with a smile. Smile.
"Good day Fugaku." Even if the shock froze my body I did noticed the laque of honorifics. Fugaku didn't looked that young to not be a clan head already, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact he was very, very pleased to see my mother. Well, both of us anyway.
"Aika. I see the special guest has finally decided to grace us with her presence." Oh what I would give to understand their talk. I would even give up my Kyubi, which said a lot, since I carried and bullied the poor thing constantly.
"Mariko-chan had a few fussy days, but it seemed to be nothing." My mother said lovingly, pecking me on my cheek. Whatever she said, made Fugaku smile and it somehow got me to smile too. It was both creepy and intriguing since my memory of the man was not that great even if he did care. In his own way.
"Come in, Mikoto will be delighted to see you two" he led us inside. Seeing the elegant interior made me realize just how poor we were, or at least how wealthy the clan head was. A high pitched squill made me grunt in discomfort.
"Oh how cute you are!" again with the kawai. Mikoto materialized from the corner looking delighted. I looked at my mother to see her expression. She shared the others woman delight. So they were friends. A sound of a baby cry came out the room Mikoto just left. The woman looked apologetic at us, but before she left, Fugaku stopped her.
"Go sit in the living room, I'll dealt with this" he said with a level tone as he went into the room the cry was coming from. Mikoto looked at Aika akin to amusement that made my mother's chest tremble even before the other spoke.
"He treats the diapers like a high class mission." Her eyes flashed with amusement. Mother chucked "I know, Tamotsu does the same! They have plenty time to learn though" the woman chuckled discreetly but I doubted their laugher got unheard. Not having a clue what was so amusing, all I could do was stare in confusion at the door Fugaku disappeared into. So… Sasuke was born?
Mikoto led my mother into the living room, where the two chatted friendly and fawned over me. I couldn't find the interest to keep up with the conversation I didn't understand while I pondered who the child was. If it was Sasuke than there was still 5 years until the massacre. If it was Itachi… I did not like neither unspoken possibilities.
Don't get me wrong. I know exactly why the massacre happened and all of the truth about it. I understood, really I did, but it unnerved me to no end that the clan killer would be at any close proximity to me. I sat in my mother's lap, clutching Kyubi with dear life. It didn't take long until Fugaku came with a baby in his hands. I couldn't tell who it was.
"Time for Itachi…" Oh dear lord.
Given our mothers were close friends it was expected the two of us will see each other many times. I didn't like it any more that knowing Itachi would eventually kill off everyone. Me included.
So I cried. For someone who came to terms about dying once I sure was terrified of dying again. My mother was there to soothe me right away, cooing cute sounding words, patiently waiting for me to calm down. I hopped my cries caused us to go home because I didn't want to stay here anymore. I did not want to have any bond with the person who might end my life.
As if understanding my reasons the baby known as the future prodigy started to cry. It sounded just like a baby crying and as if I expected him to shoot jutsus at me, I shut my mouth looking stunned at the little creature.
Itachi looked… well small. He seemed younger them me a few months and he looked and acted just like a baby his age. My frightened cry probably scared him so he started crying.
"Oh my baby boy, it's all right." At the sound of his mother's voice the young heir turned his head toward Mikoto, his cry coming to a stop. He didn't reach out for her as he seemed content in his father's hold. Fugaku came to sit with us, little Itachi being passed to Mikoto anyway who was sitting closer to my mother.
"Look Ita-kum, Mariko-chan and you will be great friends" I prayed to the heaven they didn't intended to marry us... Itachi didn't mind her much, choosing instead to eat his mother's long hair. The sight was actually cute, like very cute. I chuckled, pointing my hand at the little hair devouring creature. My hold on Kyubi loosened and the toy fell. That wasn't cute at all. I huffed in displeasure reaching for the toy with my short hands immediately. The two woman chatted joyfully, not noticing my great stress, yet a hand grabbed the stuffed animal and Kyubi appeared in front of my face. I looked up to see Fugakus amused face as he gave me my toy. The irony of what the toy represented was not lost and I couldn't help but to smile back at him, even if I really didn't want to.
There was something in his beautiful, young and above all smiling face that made me stop just as I was grabbing the toy. I glanced at Itachi, acting just as an ordinarily baby before looking back at the man. That smile still on, Fugaku shock Kyubi a bit getting a bubble of laughter from me before finally releasing the toy into my possession. The man then stud, confusing me with his sudden departure. Turning my head toward the direction he was going I spotted a man standing there, just looking us interact.
It took me a moment to recognize my father. Even as mother happily called him by his name, I still had some difficulty recognizing him with that overgrown beard. Despite his unkept look, that smile of his sealed the deal, making my hands reach out for him before I could even think what I did.
Just maybe… maybe this might, even if just slightly, turn differently.
It was a matter of moment before the adults placed the two of us on the floor to "interact". I watched the baby as if it was an alien, not sure how I felt about Itachi as he was now, making content baby sounds, making it his mission to find something he could put into his mouth, while drooling as we went. It was a matter of time before he stumbled toward me, half surprised to see me, his eyes telling me that Kyubi will end in his mouth even if I hid the toy behind my back, not feeling like sharing my toy with his. How stupid it must have looked. 2 Uchiha fighting over a Kyubi… such a sick, sick joke.
I couldn't help but see the irony of this moment. What would I have done to see these cute images on the show, while looking at it live filled me with terror yet astonishment?
But what could I possibly do to make a difference?
My parents seemed to be civilians and even if my aunt was a shinobi, it was highly unlikely I would become a strong enough shinobi to make a difference, if I'll ever be allowed to become one. It raised the always present question.
Why?