Reverse I: Reborn.
A/N: So, I've gotten some free time and began reading this Manga called the Saga of Tanya the Evil- about some pretty sociopathic dude being reborn into a little girl, and pretty much wreaking havoc in this world.
So I basically decided to make my own Naruto version of it, as I've recently re-read the series. Be ready for some pretty entertaining stuff.
Oh yeah, I'm writing shorter chapters- about 5-9k words, instead of the usual 10k stacks.
Wildfurion
"Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill"- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto series, I only own this fic.
Reverse I: Reborn.
Prologue
In darkness I have departed, and it is in darkness that I make my return.
An incomparable feeling of warmth and comfort envelops my cold and supine body, as if I were submerged in an ocean so dense and profound- that the water's consistence is close to solid, like gelatin.
Golden Eyes.
Watching me through the transparent glass of an incubator, they immediately find mine when I open them. Sinister and mysterious puddles of molten gold, shaped like a viper's and perfectly embedded in the pale, ophidian face of a very thin man. The man's eyes glow in surprise, before he backs away from my limited field of vision.
What
The
Fuck
I do not remember how I got here-nor do I remember my own name. Of one thing, however, I'm certain: I should not be here.
I should not even be alive to begin with.
The depressive effects of alcohol on the human brain are somewhat unpredictable, as they vary from person to person. In my case, a simple night of drinking with colleagues at work-a stressful job in a big metropolis-had an unfortunate ending: ignoring the warnings of a poor beggar, I crossed the highway at the red light ...
The last thing I remember is the truck's bumper crumpling my skull before death pulled me into its sweet, loving and eternal embrace.
'What is this place?' I observe my surroundings with curiosity and an abnormal calm. The first thing I notice are the multiple intravenous accesses in my arms and jugular, connected directly to the enigmatic machine that makes up the base of the tank; a good look beyond, and I can easily distinguish the murky silhouettes of a laboratory-half hidden by the turbid liquid and darkness. 'A laboratory, right...but whose?'
I try to reach out my arms, but it's in vain. 'Wait…what?! My arms ... my hands ... when did they get so small? '
To my horror, it was not only they who had shrunken. My legs too, were now nothing but tiny limbs-no trace of the powerful muscles and long, graceful lines I had before. Not only that but ... my body in general seemed to have sharply declined in size. 'The worst is this ... hot feeling, as if my nerves were on fire, but did not burn!'
My thoughts speed up to a thousand miles per second, as I search for logical answers to this situation: somehow, I have been able to return from a path with no possible return; something, somebody brought me back from death - I, an adult, was reincarnated in a child's body. A fucking child.
The impotence I felt at the moment cannot even be described in words. I could not speak, for I would drown in the gooey yellow liquid if I did; I could not move, because the accesses restricted my movements to very small slow gestures; I could not even breathe properly, as a small tube in my windpipe already did the job for me ...
The lights come on, and the pale man returns, this time accompanied by another silhouette. This time I can distinguish more of his face, like the high cheekbones, the long, dark hair and the purple markings beneath his eyes. 'He reminds me of someone. Someone I knew ... 'And then he smiles, and I see the snake-like fangs glisten against the white light. 'No, it can't be ...'
There, standing little more than a few centimeters from me, is the Viper that would come to haunt the Land of Fire for decades, a villain so perverse, homicidal and dangerous that his mere presence already brings distress. A being whose greed and thirst for power compare with those of Samael himself-a being who, sneakily, seeks to overcome the boundaries between life and death.
The most evil of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru. The man who, in an endless quest for power, became a serpent.
'That can mean one thing.' I was reborn as a child ... in the world of Naruto-a world where, in essence, ninjas endowed with supernatural abilities- aka, Chakra- killed one another in the name of a hidden village, for their own pleasure as Kisame did or aiming at complete world domination like the Akatsuki. 'Basically...'
A very fun place to be.
Though I'd watched what…little more than 30 isolated episodes in the anime, I'd read the manga because of an otome girlfriend I had back when I still lived. Making use of this previous knowledge, as well as basic logic and cold, calculating reasoning developed through many years working at a psychiatric clinic, it was quite easy for me to infer what this new body of mind truly is: an experiment created by Orochimaru, a tool to be used in his quest for perfect immortality.
In darkness I died, and in darkness I am reborn. Will I continue this journey in the dark?
Orochimaru taps a few buttons, and, slowly, the incubator begins to empty itself through the drains- when the process is over, I simply stay there, lying on the cold floor, unable to move properly because of the accesses and ... well, I'm a toddler
"Finally! Finally! The experiment is a great success, Kabuto." The serpent made man comments with a somewhat creepy grin. Scooping me in his thin arms, he brings me closer- eying my entire person like a child studies a new toy. "Write it: test subject 330126 has survived with no apparent sequels. Project Kannon has been concluded at last."
"Indeed." No one less than Kabuto Yakushi- who, besides the white lab coat he wears, looks mostly the same as the one from the Classic anime- replies with a smug grin. The white-haired shinobi marks some info in a technical file, before proceeding with some routine exams: weight, measurements, Moro's, Parachute and Heel-Stick tests, among others.
"What shall we call her, Master Orochimaru?"
"She'll be called Kannon!" Orochimaru announces with a maniac smirk- and, this time, a glimpse of madness can be seen in his eyes. "And she will be the key to our plans…"
Yes, that's it. I- a male- was not only reborn in a different world.
I was reborn as a little girl.
I really should have listened to my mother's opinions on drinking too much.
Some good four years have passed since then, and I find myself lying in bed- hours before sunrise- with my eyes closed in silent meditation.
Kannon.
Princess Kannon, to be precise. Meaning: in simple words, mercy. It can be written in two Kanji観 (Mi), as in view, and音 (Oto), as in sound.
A name chosen by my "father", Orochimaru- as according to him, I was supposed to be Otogakure's Mercy, the very Goddess of Death manifested in flesh and bones at the form of a kunoichi. I was his daughter, the only of his creations to be treated as such, and – in the future- would be his most powerful weapon against the Hidden Leaf- the surviving product of many experiments seeking the creation of an ideal ninja.
With the blood of a powerful shinobi clan of old running through my veins and a sharp intellect, I was considered a genius of the caliber of Orochimaru himself, a prodigy born one in a million people. While most children of my age were still entering the Academy, I, now at the sixth year of age - at least physically – already went with the Genin on C-rank missions outside the Village.
And I have to admit, that if it were not for my calculating mentality, I would probably be traumatized - for the first time, I could understand the point of view of beings such as Kaguya, Madara and Indra ...
Humans are evil, that is a fact. Humans with supernatural powers are even worse.
Not that I consider myself particularly benevolent in the first place. In my previous life as a brilliant and renowned Psychiatrist, I had spent a significant part of my time in prisons - dealing with the most serious cases of murderers and serial killers. 'The only difference between me and them is that they had no alternative but evil.' Now that I died, however, nothing prevented me from deviating into darker paths...
Especially when this dark path seemed just too fun to be missed, with all the fighting and jutsus.
'Enough of philosophy, for now ...' With a lazy yawn, I force myself out of the comfortable warmth of the bed, before beginning with the daily stretching routine that an older kunoichi had taught me: although it has less muscle than I am accustomed to, a girl's body is much more flexible and, if well trained - could do well…very interesting things. "It's training time!"
The silk nightgown is rapidly discarded into a basket in the corner of the room, and after a quick, cold shower, I- now fresh and perfumed- swiftly change into a red T-shirt with a swirling white print, draped over mesh armor and combined with loose, black cotton shorts that reach down to my mid thighs. Last but not least, the attire is completed by Otogakure's forehead protector, which I choose to tie around my neck.
"Everything's ready. Now, straight to the training room~!"
A last glance to the mirror, and I can't deny the fact that I look much better now, than I did in my previous life.
Slender, but already manifesting feminine traits, the young, pale girl that everyone knows as Kannon is- indeed- very beautiful for her age. With a heart-shaped face and high cheekbones, her most striking feature is, however, her long, smooth, silken red hair that reaches almost to the lumbar and is kept in place by a small, discreet tiara – of such intense color that it is described by some as a "river of crimson, soft as velvet". Her eyes are of an intense green tone, and very beautiful ... 'Or should I call them my eyes now?'
Honestly, I do not know the answer. All I know is that I am Evil, disguised in the form of a cute little angel. 'I guess little bit of makeup wouldn't hurt ...'
The members of the Shiin clan had been waiting for me for almost a full hour when I finally deigned to appear, and their irritation was palpable-to say the least. Easily recognizable for their special tattoo on the right arm - with the appearance of a purple band circling the humerus three times - those Genin from the small clan of natives to the Land of Sound will be training with me today.
Or better yet, today they will be my punching bags.
"You're late, Kannon-hime-sama." One of them, a teenage boy with light blonde hair and an aquiline nose, comments in a low growl. "We've been here for over forty minutes already."
"Sorry, sorry~" Is my sweet, melodious answer. Although no one in their right mind would suspect reincarnation, acting like a girl when you literally are one is the most obvious thing to do. Besides, it's not that difficult. "My hair was particularly rebellious today, so it took me a little longer than expected to tame it ~"
"Well, now that the princess's here…"A bespectacled girl remarks with a confident snicker, drawing on her kunai before defiantly pointing it at my direction. "Shall we begin?"
Not even waiting for a reply, the older kunoichi tosses the dagger at me- with her colleagues soon following with shuriken and other projectiles- hoping to use the element of surprise to strike me down before I could properly react. If it were two years before, when I was still learning the basics of controlling and wielding my chakra from father, then maybe it would have worked…
Now, though, there was no way something as basic as this would surprise me.
With a backwards somersault that would have made a professional gymnast fume in envy, I dodge from all the projectiles with the ease and grace only a natural talent could possibly display. None of the blades get even close to graze me, and- taking advantage of their opening- I toss some of my own shuriken towards the closest enemy signatures, not even needing to look at their directions to know they were there.
A muffled groan of pain is the signal that each target's been successfully hit. I grin predatorily. 'Three down, seven to go.'
"Should I wear a blindfold? Or maybe just close my eyes?" I tease with a voice as sweet as a turkish delicacy, yet as poisonous as a viper's venom. "Probably then, you guys can actually land a hit on me~"
Maybe even then, the Sound Genin wouldn't have a chance of actually beating me. Though physically they are older than me, my mind works a thousand times faster and, most importantly…
None of them had been trained by a Legendary Sannin.
"Don't underestimate us, Uzumaki-hime!" a green-haired girl rebukes in pure bravado, before coming for a dynamic kick- basic taijutsu, yet still quite powerful if it hits. I'm swift to dodge, however, and manage to elbow her at the back of the cervix- knocking her out almost instantly.
'Tch, I don't even need to use that against such weaklings'
"My tuuurn~" I playfully state after dodging a few more of their strikes- mostly Taijutsu and basic Ninjutsu, though some of them already show some skill. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"
Placing my right fingers- which form the tiger seal- to my mouth, I proceed to unleash a volley of fire balls onto the seven Genin. Varying from the size of an apple, to some as large as a car, the orbs of concentrated fire chakra are nearly impossible to dodge…
'Pathetic.' The result is devastating, to say the least: hit by the full power of my chakra, the seven Sound Genin are knocked out with a single blow. Their uniforms are charred, and some of them would probably be hairless a while…
Claps make themselves hear behind me, and I don't even need to turn to know it is my father that, as usual, observes my practice from the shadows. "Very good, Kannon. Outstanding!" Orochimaru compliments rather enthusiastically, with only his eyes visible in the dark. "You're performing the Katon exactly as I taught you."
Four years have passed since the incubation experiment, and yet Orochimaru has not changed a bit. Apparently, he still has not dissociated himself from the infamous Akatsuki- as his long dark cloak, with the bloody cloud print indicates. The slate blue ring with the "void" (空, kū) Kanji on his left pinky just confirms the facts ...
The serpent made man walks closer and closer, until he can land his cold hand upon my shoulder. I look up to meet his gaze- which, despite the sheer madness in it, does little to scare me. "Today, I'll be training you again." The Sannin states with a grin. "As usual, we'll be testing your limits."
"Alright." I reply with a nod, before following him through a secret passage- one of the many in his hideout, which is pretty much a huge maze.
After about ten minutes of silent walk, we entered a vast underground chamber - just below the great tree that covers the main base of Otogakure. The empty eyes of stone snakes watch us from the walls, lit by the dim light of torches.
No words are said. Orochimaru turns to face me, with an excited smile on his face - and I prepare my kunai. I knew better than to expect mercy from a man like my 'father'.
And then, in just one gesture, the command is given: 'Come.'
I dash towards him, tossing my explosive kunai before jumping to the side and sending my Katon balls directly at the Viper. Never stopping to run, I channel chakra into my feet and climb up the walls- covering myself in a genjutsu to hide my presence- and prepare my defense.
Orochimaru's training methods are harsh, to say the least.
Less than 5 months after my incubation, he began training me as his disciple- or more specifically, as his future weapon. I could barely walk, and spoke only basic words in the archaic form of Japanese they spoke in this world, yet he already forced the basics of Ninjutsu onto me. "I want you to be the strongest when the time comes." Was all he told me when I asked him the reasons why.
After teaching me three or four new techniques, father would usually require a spar- to see how further I progressed. In synthesis, said "spar" was a one-sided beating- prodigy or not, I had yet to have a true chance against him- and more often than not, I'd have to be carried back to bed by Kabuto, knocked out and full of bruises. 'That's usually the time when he does some…tests on me too.'
Those were gruesome, even for a former medic such as me.
'An unpleasing experience, to say the least.' I let out a sigh, knowing it is now Orochimaru's turn to attack. It doesn't take long, and two large, pale serpents jump out off the cloud of dust raised by the explosion. Jagei Jubaku is a very convenient technique, which father frequently uses to immobilize me during our spars- though he has yet to teach me how to use it. "Well…guess I have no choice. Ninpou - Mushou de Hitei!"
Not holding back on my chakra, I use the technique to form a large cloud of nails in the air bellow me, which I then proceed to rain down on the serpents- completely immobilizing them.
Quickly jumping back down, I try and focus my chakra onto my mouth while father does not come. My eyes never leave his silhouette, surrounded by thousands and thousands of nails- yet with not a scratch on him. 'Keep calm, Kannon.'
And then he comes. I barely see the hand seals he uses before the jutsu is launched at me "Fuuton: Daitoppa."
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Fire and Wind chakra clash in the gap between us, as my flamethrower collides with his typhoon. I can hear the stone crack and melt under the colossal heat, yet I don't stop pumping chakra into the jutsu. 'Now, father will be coming from…bellow!'
I swiftly leap backwards and- channeling chakra to my feet once more- manage to 'stand' on the wall (parallel to the floor) while maintaining the flames at the same time, redirecting them to where father emerged from the very spot I stood on milliseconds before. 'I'm not falling for the same trick twice!'
Orochimaru would be eating ice cream, before my intellect fails me like that one time again.
"Such power…such technique, amazing, Kannon! You're wonderful!" I hear him compliment, even though his body is being charred and burned by my flames. Knowing he wasn't going to actually die anyways, I pump even more chakra into the Goukakyuu- and thankfully, my reserves as a 'Uzumaki' allowed me to do so. "However, you have yet to use that- else you'd have noticed it..."
And it is then, that a familiar pressure makes itself known under my jugular…
The true Orochimaru stands behind me, holding the blade of his sword against my pale neck with a satisfied grin on his lips. "You fell for my Genjutsu, again." He remarks, retrieving his sword back to…wherever he took it from, before releasing me from his grip. "Had you used my gift, you would have lasted a bit longer. I'm disappointed."
Though struggling to suppress a scowl from forming on my face, I had to admit I felt a bit relieved at his…choice, not to go all out on me this time. I'd rather have my throat intact, thank you.
He jumps back to the floor, adjusting his Akatsuki robe as he lands- and I soon follow. "Another mission?" I inquire with cocked brows. None of the fellow members of the organization seem to know the true location of his hideout, besides Sasori of the Red Sand(and only because he allows it). "Kabu-chii will be in command then, I presume."
"Indeed. It seems like Kakuzu killed his partner again. We have been informed of a mysterious cult at the surroundings of Takigakure…"
'Seems like Hidan's joining the band soon.'
"I want you to practice with your Fire Style and train your Genjutsu resistance while I'm away." Konoha's viper orders, poking my forehead with his index and middle fingers. "Once I come back, we'll begin working on your Fuuton. Until then, you may read the theory from the books I have in my lab."
"Understood, father." I reply with a low, respectful bow.
"You're dismissed, Kannon.
With that, Orochimaru leaves, and I soon find myself making the way back to my room.
Built under a gigantic tree in the Land of Sound, the main base of Otogakure is an enormous military complex fortified with vast chambers, garrisons, weapon rooms and laboratories - though the largest of those were still located on separate bases, as father once told me. Orochimaru's private chambers were the largest, and it was where my bedroom is located.
It isn't especially luxurious, but quite comfortable for a criminal's secret base.
Close the large window, which gives me full view to the surrounding forest, there's a large and quite comfortable, puffy bed, with a canopy for some extra privacy; there is also a closet, where my clothes and armor are kept, two armchairs and a bedside table of decent quality; a bookcase full of books and scrolls about ninjutsu and even a small fireplace, probably for when things got cold. Everything is illuminated by chakra-powered torches, which I make sure to feed with my Fire Release, attached to the yellow stone wall by serpent-shaped, wooden supports.
Kabuto - or Harry Potter – is already waiting for me there, sitting in one of the armchairs while reading a book titled General Anatomy of the Tenketsu. Despite the big difference in physical ages, the older boy is a pleasant presence - and probably one of the few truly sane people in Otogakure.
In addition, he was also my constant supply of books-which for the last 3 years have helped me both to hone the mysterious powers of Chakra and to understand more about the general structure of this world. It took a while to adapt my Japanese to a more…Sengoku variant, but it was totally worth the effort.
"Lady Kannon." Kabuto greets with a polite nod. Though I knew he could be a cruel, sardonic bastard at times- the young Medical-nin treated me with politeness and respect, with only a bit of playfulness."I brought you the scrolls you requested earlier this morning."
"Thank you, Kabu-chi!" I reply in the cutest tone I can muster, and may all the gods bless my younger sister for being such a bother all the time- it has never been so helpful. A discreet frown on the forehead is all I get, Kabuto hates my nicknames-but he prefers not to say anything. "How considerate of you~"
If I were an animal, I would be a viper. Just like the original Orochimaru, the one from Japanese myths.
"Fuinjutsu huh? May I ask what has aroused such interest, brat? " He inquires with a playful snicker.
"Nothing special, old man."
"You lie, Princess." Kabuto then serves tea in two gcups and hands me one, extra-sweetened with lots of honey and mint. "Speak soon, or I will not bring you any more books for the week."
"Hmmm ... okay ..." Practically throwing myself into bed, I take the time to enjoy the divine taste of the herbs before continuing. "Father's been talking a lot about the Jinchūriki. It's always Jinchūriki that or Jinchūriki that, he talks about them almost as much as he talks about the Sharingan ... "
"I know that Master Orochimaru has developed an interest in the vessels. But what does this have to do with Fuinjutsu? Does the Princess plan to seal a Tailed Beast into her small body? "
"Since I'm one of the last Uzumaki alive, I think it would be wise to expect something like that, right? After all, my family has been the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails for quite a few decades now…"
With that said and already knowing the other reason why he came here in the first place, I swiftly proceed to take off my clothes- discarding them to the basket before laying, sweaty and supine, back on bed . Taking the hint, Kabuto gets up from his seat and walks to my side.
Kabuto is a Medical-nin of a caliber never seen since Tsunade. His skill is unrivaled at Otogakure- maybe with the exception of the own Orochimaru- and as such, he usually tests them on me while performing the daily examinations on my body. As a frequent test subject of Orochimaru- especially due to the fact none of his experiments seem to be able to kill me- my organism tends to have the most…varied reactions to his meddling with nature.
And most of those do not feel pleasant.
"As it's been three months since the last procedure, today, I'll be performing the surgery to make your body more…malleable. It is called Soft Physique Modification." Kabuto states while adjusting his round glasses- a nervous tic he seems to have. "I'll be injecting a high dose of anesthetics on you, so you may sleep during the procedure. As your body adapts to the modifications, I'll be keeping you asleep for a good part of…six or seven days."
"Do I have a say against it?"
"Sorry, Kannon-hime. Those were direct orders from Master Orochimaru." He then forms shapes his chakra into a small, sharp blade over the palms of his hands. Much unlike the regular scalpels from my world, the chakra scalpel can make cuts inside the body without actually creating an open wound, limiting the risks of an infection and allowing for a bloodless procedure. Reason why we often did it on my own bed. "It might feel strange for the first weeks, but you'll soon get used to it."
"Very well. Make this quick, Kabuto." I reply with a glare. Though the nudity and the bodily modifications do little to bother me- this body isn't even mine after all- Kabuto is quite…rough with his hands, especially when it comes to pressing the right tenketsu with the chakra scalp.
Think of it as someone pressing your nervous ganglia…with force.
"Very well, hime-sama."
And, as expected, it wasn't quick.
Nor painless.
Chapter End.
A/N: Well, that wraps up both the Prologue and the First Chapter of this fic. My plan is to make for a Chaotic Neutral character, who'll mostly just act on his/her own whims.
There were a few bugs with my Microsoft Word, so some of the parts were left in the WRONG LANGUAGE. Just fixed it, sorry guys.
Reviews are mostly appreciated, I guess.
Listening to: Let the flames begin-Paramore.
Doing: Reading Naruto, Gold Edition. The manga's damn good.
Status: Chilling out in this long break from Med School.
Wildfurion