AN: Yes I re-uploaded this chapter. I did this because I honestly didn't like it so I did some editing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
I've got to say, death can be extremely abrupt. I mean seriously, even as I drift lazily through this never-ending nothingness I've found my consciousness floating in, I still find myself jarred by the suddenness, although I guess that's to be expected after being shot point blank.
Back on the topic of drifting through nothingness, its going really irritate my disembodied consciousness if this what I can expect the rest of my death to look like.
I mean I didn't necessarily expect anything after death. Despite growing up in fairly Christian household I don't invest much stock into the whole heaven and hell trope. Growing up on fiction books and reading up on a variety of different cultures and mythologies has however made me curious as to the possibilities that lay beyond death.
The answer is a bunch of muted grays.
At least I think its grey, I don't think I have eyeballs anymore.
If you asked me how much time passed I honestly couldn't answer you for shit, I don't even know if time followed the same rules here, wherever this is. So I was content to simply drift idly, eventually I felt my consciousness 'tiring' and what followed was a sensation not dissimilar to falling asleep, I didn't resist.
When I 'awoke' next I was barely coherent, my world consisted of a red tinged darkness and pressure, lots of pressure. I found I did not like this pressure and did my very best to escape its hold on me. The further away I seemed to go the stronger the pressure became. Finally however I found release, and was suddenly met with bright light and muffled and confusing voices. I felt a sharp pain and cried out.
"...my baby..."
What was that?
"...so beautiful, he's...your eyes..."
Huh? I suddenly found myself in what felt like a warm embrace
I started to make out vague silhouettes, first of the person holding me. Their form vaguely female, a second form intruded itself into my frame of view soon after. This one seemed to be looming over the first silhouette and myself. I found myself rapidly losing consciousness yet again.
"...Fumio"
When I next awoke it was in a cradle, an extremely lavish one at that, and under the curious brown gaze of a child. He looked to be about six or seven at most, his black hair in a top knot. His features held a hint of asian heritage, but he was for the most part dark-skinned. He swiftly noticed I was awake.
"Hi!" he chirped, with a bubbly disposition only a child was capable of, "You don't know me but I'm your big brother, that means we're going to be best friends you know." He stated, like it was a universal absolute. I gave him a queer look, which made him giggle. My look wasn't because of his declaration, I vaguely remember I once said something similar when my younger sister was brought home. No what got my attention was the fact that I was pretty sure this young boy was speaking Japanese, yet English seemed to overlay it in my ears.
"Kazuo what are you giggling about?" said a voice I vaguely recognized as the female voice from earlier.
My eyes instantly began roaming the room trying to locate where my the woman was. It was odd but I found myself yearning for it. I didn't know why I was so attached to this woman, but I desperately wanted to be near her. I just couldn't help it, the woman radiated a gentle warmth that made me want to never leave her embrace.
"Fumio is making funny faces at me Mommy, does that mean he likes me?" No that means I think you're weird strange asian/black boy, then again that's pot and kettle, as that was my old ethnicity anyway. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. My mother giggled, I could now see her leaning over my brother's shoulder.
"Maybe he thinks you are a funny big brother" My mother supplied, Kazuo's chest seemed to swell with pride at this, I shot him another look and he grinned. My mother, as I soon realized that is who she was scooped me up and out of my cradle and gently began rocking and cooing at me.
Damn it woman! I just woke up I don't want to go back to sleep just yet! I needed to figure this crazy situation out! Why was I a baby? I took the moment to observe my (new) mother. She was beautiful, or perhaps I was biased, her skin was dark and smooth, her face heart-shaped. Her long ebony tresses were done were braided into dreadlocks, she stared down at me with mercury colored eyes lovingly.
Damn if it wasn't hard to stay irritated and focused under those sparkling pools.
My irritation obviously still showed however, but was misinterpreted.
"Is little Fumio hungry?" she inquired.
Damn it woman! No I'm no- wait I am actually really hungry, my stomach let out the tiniest of growls. My mother cooed about how adorable the sound was. She then moved to a chair in the corner and began shifting her kimono. My brother seemed to catch on and quickly vacated the nursery.
Now as a baby I didn't have the hormonal capabilities to get aroused, but there was still the soul of a twenty year old young man in this body and he could appreciate the sight what I estimated to be thirty-four Cs. Until I remembered that this woman, was for all intents and purposes still my mother.
"Oh so exuberant, you must have been really hungry." Said my mother.
They were still a nice pair however.
"Oh I heard our new addition is awake." said a deep cultured voice. I shifted my attention from the bosom I was feeding on the new person in the room.
He was tall. I would guess 188cm. He had long purple hair that fell between his shoulder blades, dressed in vaguely Asian inspired robes he cut quite the handsome figure, broad shoulders, and a barrel chest. His eyes were caramel brown, like the boy's, Kazuo. On his face was a confident smirk,I could tell it was a regular fixture. Was this man my father?
"Kazuhiro, please don't distract Mio, he needs to eat." my mother reprimanded. The man, Kazuhiro, shot her a raised brow.
"Distract him?" he leered playfully, "Gina, the boy looks like he loves those things more than I do!" He began to guffaw, laughing at his own joke.
So these were my new parents? The chuckling Kazuhiro and the elegant Gina? Interesting. I soon found my stomach full, my eyes became heavy again, and I drifted slowly asleep.
After another impromptu nap, I awoke to another a face I did not know.
She was dark skinned like the rest of my apparent family, the same Asian features as well, mostly around the eyes. Her wispy purple hair had obviously faded from its former glory. I'd imagine it would have been as rich a purple as my father's. Her face was filled with laugh lines, and her eyes shone with a wisdom only seen in the elderly. She was also decked out in some opulent robes that had bits of pale yellow, dark blues and some grey. She was also wearing lots of expensive jewelry.
I assumed this was my grandmother.
She noticed I had woken up but hadn't said a word, we just locked gazes, her teal eyes examining mine and vice versa.
"Aren't you a bright little one" she stated a smirk settling on her weathered face. Kazuhiro's, my father's, own smirk was a mirror of her own. This only further emphasized their resemblance.
"Woman don't creep the kid out." a gruff, yet somehow cultured, voice stated. My alleged grandmother rolled her eyes at the comment I assumed was made by either a granduncle or my grandfather.
"Can you blame my curiosity husband." she said, grandfather it was then, "My grandson is obviously going to be a genius, I have an eye for these things. Who was it that spotted Gina's natural affinity for economics? A bright girl like that would be a perfect wife for my son, not only has she brought us great revenue and two beautiful grandchildren, but our second grandson is already showing levels of attentiveness seen in children at least five years his senior." She announced smugly.
I was affronted. Just five years? Woman I'm 20…at least mentally that is.
But I learned a couple valuable pieces of information. First my family was obviously rich and maybe owned some sort of business. Also my grandmother was a matchmaker.
I will not be caught unawares by any romantic schemes in the future.
I became aware of a second presence over me, an old dark skinned man that bore a passing resemblance to my father, but shared more of a resemblance to Kazuo. Is that why he felt so familiar to me? Because I could swear I've seen him before. He reached down and picked me up.
"Hm, yes I can see it, he might make good Daimyō one day." He stated confidently.
That gave my thoughts pause. Was I somehow born into some alternate dimension feudal Japan? Because that's all kinds of awesome, I idly wondered if I'd be able to read Kanji. Seeing as I somehow was able to understand the language instinctively.
Wait, hold up. Daimyō! I was royalty?!
That was both amazing and troubling. Royalty meant heavy responsibility. Responsibility I don't think I want. Damn it all, I was having a panic attack and I was barely a day old!
While I had my mini breakdown my grandparents started to leave the nursery. My grandfather carrying me. My grandmother paused at the door, and let out an exasperated sigh.
"You always forget to put this back on whenever you put it down." she noted, I'm assuming she was referring to some form of head-dress, as I assumed my grandfather was a Daimyō. As my grandmother placed the head-dress back on my Grandfather's unwilling head my suspicions were confirmed.
Then I got a proper look at the head-dress and my eyes threatened to jump out of my skull.
Firstly, it looked ridiculous. Like a giant white fan with yellow tassels. But that wasn't what caught my attention. For decorated on the fan-like portion were three lightning bolts.
I now knew why this man was so familiar to me.
"Fufufu, little Mio must think it looks silly, he's staring at it so intently" my grandmother mused, giggling. My grandfather scoffed.
"Or maybe my grandson recognizes that one day he will have to bear this burden, and is in awe of its splendor." Granpa rebutted.
Oh I recognized it alright, and I knew exactly what it meant. This had to be a dream, because somehow, through some bullshit way, I've been born into the Elemental Nations. On top of that I was the grandson of one the most powerful men on the continent.
Damn you RNG!
I call hax!
Author's Notes:
Hello my new and hopefully enthusiastic readers. I'm fairly new to fanfic writing, although I've been on this site for years. I know this chapter is depressingly short, but it's more of me testing the waters so to speak. If I didn't post something I would have lost my nerve and chickened out.
Hit me up with some feedback. Criticize my writing, the whole shebang. I'm using fics as my outlet to practice my skills. Tell me if you wanna see more.
EDIT: For the reviewer who asked. RNG means random number generator. It is used in video games that are based of randomly getting items or characters based on luck.