I have two other Naruto SI stories. Good God, what am I even doing anymore…? I don't even know.
Anyways, I suppose this is my take on a more traditional SI-OC story…As well as stuff about Whirlpool/the Uzumaki.
Chapter 1: Crimson Birth
. 1-I .
Mako was born with blood-red hair to match the blood that he was covered in. Mako was born without making a sound. Mako was born kicking his legs furiously.
Mako was born a coward, bathed in the blood of another, and yet still wanting to run forwards.
(And that would be the start of his fate.)
. 1-II .
Mako was born, and taken in by the venerable Head Uzumaki Family. Kazuki Uzumaki had deemed this so, for Mako was the son of Sumiko Samsara, a very fine, loyal servant.
Mako was born to a lowly servant, and would become the next one in a new chain.
Mako was born to Sumiko Samsara, who died in childbirth, and who never married. Mako was born a child out of wedlock.
Mako was born because the Head of the Uzumaki, Kazuki, took his mother as a mistress. Kazuki Uzumaki wanted both a new, loyal servant, and his bastard half-son to stay within the compound, to look after the boy in his own way.
. 1-III .
Uzumakis were rather free with their love.
They loved many, with large hearts and larger smiles. They simply had a habit of having too much love, and letting that spill over to a few other secret partners, is all.
Uzumakis loved hard, fast, and strong. They used all their energy, fell headfirst into whirlwind romances, full of secrets and kisses and bare skin.
Their loves were like fireworks—beautiful and loud and wonderful and lively—until they fizzled out into nothingness, disappearing into the blackness of the night once more.
Uzumakis were rather free-spirited, loud, rambunctious. They were the first to defend another— but also the first to jump forwards and judge another. Especially if it was hypocritical, because Uzumakis were a proud people.
Kazuki staid quiet, while Sumiko Samsara was slandered for having an Uzumaki child out of wedlock, called a whore and slut, and a thousand other names.
(Mako simply staid quiet.)
. 1-IV .
Mako was born, and sometimes, he wished he was rather not born at all.
(He had already done so once, after all.)
. 1-V .
Mako was all but raised by his fellow servants.
He grows rather quickly.
By the time he's three, he already knows how to act his part, how to serve the Uzumaki Head family.
(He finds it all to be hilariously ironic.)
. 1-VI .
Mako was curious. Smart. Perceptive. He read books as quickly as some Uzumaki devoured food.
He always had his servant duties. But when he had the free time, he would sneak in a book or a few pages to look over.
Uzushio was a fascinating society, rich with a ripe history.
Uzumakis were descended from the Senju. Centuries back, one of the Senju Clan Heads had three sons. The first son was a Senju boy with bark-brown hair. The third son was a meek boy with green hair and greener eyes.
The second son was a boy with hair as red as blood, eyes as violet as the early night sky. This son was fantastic with calligraphy, full of sweeping, elegant strokes. He imbued his writings with his very own chakra. And with these writings, was the base of fuinjutsu. The specialty of Uzumakis and Uzushio as a whole.
The basis for everything.
. 1-VII .
Every inch of the island was rife with life and seal-work. From the lighthouse, to the shore, to the market, to the library, to the main bridge that crosses the river that cuts through Uzushiogakure. To the books, to the tea cups, to the stoves, to the refrigerators.
Every single thing was powered by fuinjutsu—a collection of decades worth of work from Uzumaki clan members.
…Black ink and red hair. That was the legacy of this island….
. 1-VIII .
Whirlpool was the home of the Uzumaki Clan. However, they integrated smaller clans as their second families, in order to help protect and serve the Uzumakis.
They did so even before Hashirama Senju created Konohagakure. It was only after this fact, that Uzushio was formally created.
The clan of Samsara was one that had been adopted by the Uzumakis. Those of sea-green hair and eyes as vivacious as iryo-ninjutsu, this clan dealt with techniques over life and longevity. Medic jutsu, seals to summon the Shinigami, ways to imbue sprits to objects and the land.
The Samsara and the Uzumaki were brother clans, just like the Uzumaki and the Senju—for in the legends, the third Senju son was the creator of the Samsara Clan. They had always been a small, nomadic clan—almost on the brink of destruction— before the Uzumakis spirited them away with them, into the Land of Whirlpools.
Another Clan—the clan of Genso—were adopted into the Uzumaki's lands as well. They are a rather odd bunch. Eyes as dark as the voids of night, hair in varying shades of white. Like ghosts. Like illusions—their namesakes. Their specialty: genjutsu.
As the Genso began to mix with the Samsara and the Uzumaki, they have produced varying hair colors, other than white. Mint greens and pinks and even sky blues.
Uzushio is not simply the Uzumaki. No, they are an interconnected web of various people. Just like how Konohagakure is not simply made of Senju and Uchiha, but has other minor clans within its walls.
It is simply that the Land of Whirlpool is a small one. Uzushiogakure is only the size of the main island. Really, only three clans could fit in such a space. And only three clans are needed, in order to keep the village going, in order to protect it.
(At least, that is the theory.
It is not a very sound theory. Uzushio will still be destroyed.)
. 1-IX .
Uzushiogakure is a beautiful place.
It was a bit like a beach resort. Like Hawaii and picturesque beaches and Sootopolis City from the Pokémon games.
Clear-white sands, a long stretch of shore. White buildings of clay and marble, tall and pristine. Verandas attached to bustling shops, built half of glass. Tall palm trees lining roads, clustered near the edge of the lands, providing shade for beach-goers.
The coasts and markets where lively. People laughed and danced and cheered. Children ran two and fro, playing and pranking and living.
It was never dull or quiet. It was always lively. Loud. People knew each other, trusted one other, explicitly.
It was like its own little paradise. A utopia.
. 1-X .
(He found Uzushiogakure the most chillingly beautiful—the utter pinnacle of a true visage—when the sun set upon the village.
It turned everything a glowing shade of red.)
. 1-XI .
When Kushina wanted to play, Mako played with her.
He was the closest person her age, that worked around her home. Despite him being there to serve her, she always dragged him off to be her play-date.
She was particularly fond of running around the markets. Despite the fact that most servants tried to keep her inside the Head family compound, she always managed to find a way to slip out to the lively streets.
"I wanna see the world!" she'd exclaim.
And, really, it was a lost cause to keep someone like Kushina Uzumaki cooped up for her protection.
(She went down fighting, out in the open, after all.)
. 1-XII .
The waters surrounding Uzushio were a shining, clear blue. Breathtaking. Stretching out for miles.
They were also dangerous. Tumultuous. Churning and swirling, forming powerful whirlpools that could suck in any ship or person that neared.
(At least, they would… before the War comes up to their doorstep, and three Great Villages manage to get through those dangerous tides, into the village.)
All Uzushio natives learned how to traverse the beach, the waters, the lighthouse. How to find the best seashells, the best palm trees, the best places to practice sealing.
One of the first lessons an Uzushio child learns, is how to survive in the water. How to survive the whirlpools that surround their home. How to escape from them. How to live with them.
(Mako takes these lessons to heart. Because despite how little he will actually be able to live in this place, he does not want to die prematurely, by being caught in the unforgiving seas.
He was never a fan of the ocean. Not even in his first life.)
. 1-XIII .
Uzushiogakure was its own little world. It was a large main island, with a few smaller, all clustered together. Rolling hills and high cliffs created a boundary, of sorts, to the village's back. Like an extra defense, after one manages to survive going through the insanely dangerous whirlpools.
It was so completely distant from the other lands, the other nations and ninja villages, that very few truly knew about the Uzushio. Few knew how they lived, knew how their village looked like.
(It's also one of the reasons why the other nations became to fear this place. Equal parts envy and wariness.)
To the rest of the Elemental Nations, Whirlpool was an unknown.
Even with it's small size, they were self-sufficient. They were at peace, could work together, held a piece of paradise within their islands.
(They were also strong. They were shrouded in death and mystery, and could call upon the Shinigami itself with just a bit of paper and ink.
Is it no wonder that there is a war fought, to wipe Whirlpool off the map?)
. 1-XIV .
Mako knows that he is genetically more Uzumaki than Samsara. His hair is bright blood-red, like those with strong Uzumaki genes. Brilliant red, like a full-blood Uzumaki.
Red, like Mako's half-sister. Red, like Mako's biological father.
Mako knows that he is a bastard child. He also knows that he is specifically a bastard son of Kazuki Uzumaki, Head of the Uzumaki Clan, and Uzukage.
Nothing else would make sense. Why the man is just so…fond of Mako. Why, despite Mako being a servant, he is given privileges the other servants do not get. Why he is given full access to the Uzumaki library. Why he is sent to the shinobi academy of Uzushiogakure, without having to pay a dime.
Mako knows that Uzushio look after their own. That Uzumaki are as loving, as they can be scathing. Uzumakis care about blood.
Mako knows that despite these things, he can never say Kazuki is his father, or Kushina is his sister.
. 1-XV .
He's the first contact Kushina has to a child around her age. He is her first play-date.
Mako is her first friend. At least, that's what she tells him.
(Maybe she's his first, as well…?)
. 1-XVI .
"I wanna be a ninja! I wanna be strong! I wanna see the world!" The girl spread her arms to the clear-blue sky.
"But don't you like it here, at home?" He gestures out to the space—the people, the markets, and sea.
He knows he can't convince her to stay. Kushina loves adventure. She is a person that can't be contained, like a blazing flame.
(And staying here would be a death wish, anyways. He's just making a token effort.)
"Everythin's the same, dattebane! Nothin's new or different 'bout this place! When I'm a ninja, I can go out and see everything!"
"Being a ninja is dangerous…Are you sure you can handle it, Kushina-hime?"
An indignant splutter. "Of course I can! Are you doubtin' me, dattebane?! 'Cuz I'll show you…!"
He waves his hands frantically, trying to placate her and her temper. "Of course not! You are very capable, Kushina-hime. I'm just worried. Ninjas have to go through a lot of trials."
A huff. She crosses her arms. "I still wanna be one, dattebane! Uzushio's great, but it's too small! And everyone only knows me as the Uzukage's daughter, the princess of the Uzumaki…Not as who I really am."
Silence. Kushina droops gloomily.
"Don't you worry, Kushina-hime. You'll be a great ninja."
"R-Really…? Ya think so?" Her gaze brightens, voice full of hope.
He smiles at her, soft and fond. "I know so. Don't give up. You'll get to see other places and be a splendid kunoichi."
The girl ducks her head, face flushed. She wears a shy smile on her face. "Th-Thanks, Mako-nii."
. 1-XVII .
Mako knows that he will forever be Kushina's servant. Her protector.
He was the older of the two, conceived a bit before the Clan Head was tied down in marriage. He knows this, because he's done the math, and he's pretty damn good at math.
(He's a year older than Kushina. And isn't that a twist?)
Mako knows that he was all but raised with Kushina-hime. They lived in rooms in the same corridor. They had lessons together. Every single event, Mako was there, by the little girl's elbow, hovering.
Even when Mako breezes through the lessons into much more advanced things, he is still kept with the same teacher, in the same room as Kushina's lessons.
(Though, it is definitely not any fault of her own. Little Kushina has to work with the same intelligence as any child.
She did not have his advantage of knowledge through reincarnation.)
. 1-XVIII .
"Mako-nii!" the little girl chimed, tugging at the sleeve of his simple servant's yukata.
"Yes? What do you need, Kushina-hime?"
The nearly five-year-old girl pouted up at him. "I keep tellin' ya, to just call me Kushina, dattebane!"
The boy gently detaches her hand from his sleeve, looking at her apologetically. "It's something I have to do. Forgive me, Kushina-hime."
The girl puffed her chubby cheeks, peeved. But then she heaved a great sigh. "Okay, okay…But, um, can ya help me with my Kanji, dattebane? Pleaaaaase?"
The slightly older boy gave a chuckle, at the sight of the princess of Uzushiogakure giving him puppy-dog eyes, hands clasped in front of her. She looked like an angel, completely at odds with her real nature of a mischievous troublemaker.
"Of course."
. 1-XIX .
Mako knows that despite his coloring, he is utterly his mother's son. He is a Samsara, through and through.
He is not about dancing or yelling or passion or mischievousness or raw power. He is more about knowledge, experimentation, plans, life, living.
(Mako knows, deep within himself, that the only reason he was reborn at all was because the Samsara have always had a close relationship with life and death.
It's why he's gotten such a high self-preservation.)
(It's why he's a coward.)
Mako knows he is a Samsara through and through, because he has high intelligence and high self-preservation. He finds fascination in high-level techniques and Yin chakra and the Shinigami.
(He'd rather avoid meeting the Shinigami again.)
Mako takes in all techniques and writing and seals, because (he is a coward and) needs everything he can, in order to survive the world beyond the village. It's not a pretty life, out there. It isn't safe.
(Mako knows he's a coward. He's always known.
He also knows that Uzushio will fall.)
. 1-XX .
Mako knows he's a genius. With a predisposition of high intellect from the Samsara blood rushing through his veins, from his mother.
…Well, once people got past his blood-red hair, it makes sense.
(Mako knows that he's only a 'genius', because he already has more than twenty years of knowledge of a past life crammed into his brain. This knowledge and higher comprehension skills helped him speed along childhood, and made him seem like a true prodigy.)
Mako knows that he is first in his class. Mako knows that he will not have trouble going onto the next class. And the next.
Kazuki Uzumaki gives him permission to advance through the shinobi academy, because the man seems to know that Mako is a genius.
(Mako knows that the man regrets not having him as his 'proper' son, after this is revealed.)
. 1-XXI .
"Why are you in such high classes, Mako-nii?" Kushina asks him one day.
The servant boy pauses. He's not sure what to tell her.
(Except, he's fairly sure he will never speak of being a reincarnation.)
"Because the classes are too easy for me, Kushina-hime," he says honestly, voice careful. Hoping to not get a negative reaction from her.
Because if there's one thing he knows about Kushina Uzumaki, is that her reactions are always grand. And her temper is one to be wary of.
"Do you get to be a ninja faster, dattebane?" the girl asks, head tilted to the side, blood-red hair spilling down her shoulders.
"Yes. I can be a ninja, so that I can protect you, and the rest of the village," he responds.
(It's half lies, though.
He isn't going to try and go through the trouble of protecting a doomed village. Not when an entire village is too much to protect, with the looming war.)
"Oh. Okay," the little red-haired princess says. Thankfully, no negative emotions in sight. "You're gonna make a great ninja, aren't ya, Mako-nii?"
"I'll try," the boy states.
(After all, that's all he can really do. Try.
And probably fail.)
. 1-XXII .
The realization comes soon after.
He was, in fact, being made a ninja early to protect Kushina. It's the only thing that makes logical sense.
He still went wherever Kushina went, following her. Still staid with her during her lessons. Still played with her. Still tried to keep her out of trouble.
'Kazuki Uzumaki, you're quite the sneaky bastard,' he admits to himself.
. 1-XXIII .
Mako knows, when he graduates at seven years old, that he will be known as Uzushio's prodigy. He is their youngest graduate.
(Mako also knows that Kakashi Hatake will break his record in about a decade, in being the youngest person to become a ninja in the Hidden Villages.)
. 1-XXIV .
Mako knows he graduated early because he was a prodigy. He also knows it was a dual purpose, so that he could protect Kushina as a ninja.
But he wonders if they also let him, because of the looming threat of the Second Shinobi World War.
(Probably. There was never a concrete timeline, but it lines up startlingly well.)
. 1-XXV .
Mako knows that he is now a ninja, when given a shiny hitai-ate, a whirlpool swirl engraved into the metal plate. Mako knows and understands that he is now technically an adult, with this headband—someone ready to be a killer.
However, he became a killer a long time ago. When he was born, he killed Sumiko Samsara, his mother.
(At least, the mother of this second life of his.)
(Mako was born with blood-red hair to match the blood that he was covered in.)
Mako knows that being a ninja is an honor. He bears the congratulations with polite bows and silence.
(Mako was born without making a sound.)
Mako knows what Genin ninja do. Run low-ranked missions around the village. Errands. Messenger duty.
Mako knows and accepts this, unlike the other newly minted Genin. He doesn't complain, and he does everything quickly and efficiently.
(Having future knowledge helps. So does having patience of someone at least three times his physical age.)
He's fast. The fastest. The quickest messenger runner Uzushio probably has.
(Mako was born kicking his legs furiously.)
. 1-XXVI .
The Elemental Nations are at war. Konohagakure has declared war against Sunagakure and Amegakure.
Subsequently, Suna has declared war on Konoha. Ame has declared war on Konoha. And then Iwa has declared war on Konoha, as well.
(It's like a game of Risk.
Or perhaps, this is how people felt, when World War I and World War II started?)
. 1-XXVII .
Nothing much changes in Uzushio. Nothing concrete or visible, at least.
People are a bit more nervous. Ninjas do more patrols. They buzz and whisper to one another.
There's an accelerated program at the shinobi academy. There's whispers of more children being advanced and graduating early, like him.
There is no outwards indication of something being wrong, though. Whirlpool is still untouched by the other Elemental Nations. Nothing's really managed to phase it.
(At least, not yet.)
. 1-XXVIII .
If he didn't live in a village like Whirlpool, then he'd have been doing D-Ranks like digging trenches and graves, or checking stockpiles.
So far, he's only had to do things like sharpening weapons, helping the blacksmiths, helping replenish explosive tags and storage seals, running messages across the village, and the like.
(These are the breadcrumbs, however, that hint at what the war is doing to the Elemental Nations.)
. 1-XXIX .
"So…How's bein' a ninja, dattebane?" Kushina asks him excitedly, pretending that she's studying, book propped up to hide her face.
It's a rather childish maneuver, and not very inconspicuous. It makes Mako smile.
(There aren't many things to smile about, as of recently.)
"Eh," he makes a 'so-so' gesture. "It's mostly training, and doing easy missions. Things won't start picking up, until the Chunin Exams, I think."
Honestly, having Kushina watch-duty has probably been the most exciting thing in his Genin career, so far. The girl can pull some genuinely baffling pranks.
The girl pouts at him, disappointed. "That sounds boring, dattebane!"
(At least he knew what he was getting himself into.
It's only fair he warns his naïve half-sister.)
He shrugs. "I'm sorry, Kushina-hime, but that's how things are. I've only just graduated, and Genin is the lowest rank. These things take time."
The six-year-old sighs gustily, causing her bangs to flutter. "I guess."
"If something interesting happens, though…I'll tell you," he says.
"Promise?" she asks, visibly perking up, a glimmer in her eye.
"Promise."
. 1-XXX .
(He hopes he won't have to keep that promise, even though it seems like an easy one to keep.
Why?
Because 'interesting' things in a ninja's life usually deal with death.)