Thrice Underneath

∞══╕PROLOGUE╒══∞

Twas' Neath A Fractured Mind

You would think I thought of a more rational thing to say, while being reborn – try to unravel the secrets behind my existence in the brief period in which I could. The tugging sensation after death was the only thing that registered in my mind, sans confusion.

Ha! Even now I really can't believe it, with what I was raised to believe, but there's not much else, is there? It's rather saddening, even though I know life will go on without me, there's an entire universe of secrets out of my reach. I will never learn to master the laws of physics in my old world, I've come to terms with that. The only thing that placates me is to think, I'm already so close to doing so in this new one.

I was completely clueless, for one reason or another. Even now, I still don't understand what exactly happened to me – a wasted opportunity in my opinion. Still, it's worth a shot to try and understand now, anyway. It's not just any day when you wake up a fresh babe' in a universe yet discovered.

Yeah, "discovered". As insensitive as it is, maybe if I phrase it that way, I leave open the possibility of going back, leaving open the possibility of escape. Detachment, I think that's called. Distancing yourself from the problem to make it solvable, and uncomfortable solution to uncomfortable situations, which I'm fairly certain this counts as.

So back to missed opportunities:

As it turns out, my first thought in this brave new world was 'so this is what it feels like to be reborn', closely followed by 'wait, if I'm a baby, do I have to be conscious through circumcision?'.

Not my proudest string of thoughts, but at least it was a somewhat rational deduction – if a bit vague, and, as it turns out, completely and utterly wrong. There were other extenuating circumstances on the day, most of which were probably more painful and traumatizing.

I find it hilarious, if somewhat disconcerting, that of all the places that I could happen to be reborn in it would be here. Where death is business, and rationality takes second place to the will to survive – see, when I heard the name "Naruto" uttered mere moments after my birth, I didn't think I was the Naruto. There was no reason to believe that I was Naruto, as much as there was no reason to believe I had even be reborn. I honestly should have seen the curve ball coming. Even though it isn't strictly academic material, fan fiction was free, and I've seen this plot enough times to exhaust almost every possible choice.

Well, almost, of everything I'd read, even things self proclaimed "Smart", there was a lack of a rational element. Even at home I would see people quantify intelligence as a value or attribute to be gained, understanding as a skill to improve. I still wanted to understand, so why not try.

My attempts at rationalizing the situation fell fairly short, for example:

At first, I figured I had landed in the household of some obsessive fan, or that someone was watching the television program, or maybe I was in a hospital bed hearing things. My mind just didn't make the logical connection that logic doesn't work after being reborn. Science gets thrown out the window, because there's no way to test your hypothesis. Does this happen every time you die? How would you know, and would you really want to?

So, I thought that I might just be some random anonymous Japanese baby, reborn to a family that maybe liked the popular series "Naruto" from the early two-thousands a bit too much.

The best part was, these sane rationalizations were before I felt the presence of intense malice, and realized something was out of the ordinary. After the presence appeared, my mind worked over time to try and understand, not that it was capable of doing so.

Things in real life couldn't produce a series of emotions like that – create fear. There was something wrong, but it clouded my judgment like a heavy fog - they say fear makes man do many strange things, think strange thoughts. I tried to put a name to the feeling -

Killing Intent.

That was the only way to put it. It felt like death incarnate, harnessed and wielded by a god - a judgment that was actually somewhat accurate. Surprising, given the state of things. That was one of my few coherent observations through the fog of fear, the feeling of death resonating through my body. I could only imagine what it would be like for someone who hadn't actually died themselves beforehand.

Speaking of dying, I was beginning to curse that damned air plane for exploding about now.

There was shouting, lots of it. First screams of fear, then screams of pain, then the sound of death, like some horrifying melody. There were calm strides over to where I was, all the while a glib laughter, the laughter of success or a well wrought plan - I would know it, for I have delivered the very same laugh on many occasions, whether it be executing a complex business procedure, or handling the latest moral panic.

This man knew the feeling of success, which was really, really bad. It meant planning, and it meant I was already caught up in a plot beyond my comprehension as a baby. And there was the presence, continuing to silence my thoughts as they came.

Then there was a flash of yellow light so bright it blinded me through my eyelids.

Suddenly, I was grabbed by something, but I really couldn't react, couldn't open my eyes to understand what was happening. After a few moments the Killing Intent doubled, then tripled, as if it were all directed at me. There were words muttered, very fast - then a clapping resonated through everything. I felt a tugging sensation on my chest, followed by burning, then...

… nothing.