(I have too many stories I need to work on and finish- most being Transformers related. But, alas, I have been plagued by this particular plot bunny for the past half a year. It's… Well, not quite a self insert so much as just an Oc I suppose. Self insert later? Not quite sure how to classify this thing. Anyways, here's to my bunny. May it live as long as it will, and inspire other ideas hopefully. My luck, I'm going to post it, and have low desire to write. I hope it's not so. Lemme know what you think, yeah?)
"You ready for tonight, Mom?" Laura was positively giddy in her seat. In her hands, she had the newest box set of Naruto Shippuden, something that Laura had managed to get her mother into many years prior. Laura had watched most of the anime- but had missed something from the start of the forth war up until the end, as the website she had used crashed. Alas. But she figured she'd watch them eventually- likely in the English dub that Dina preferred. There were only a few different Anime that Dina had liked, Laura had learned, and Dina didn't touch anything that wasn't in English.
Subtitles were hard for her to read with her glasses though, so Laura didn't honestly mind catering to her Mom's health problem. Truthfully, Laura wasn't huge into reading the online manga either, so she was content to go slow with the episodes.
Dina laughed, carefully making the turn to leave town. She turned to offer her daughter a wide grin, glasses sliding down her nose. Laura was nearly a clone of Dina- though super sized. Dina was short- barely five foot one, bushy red hair and green eyes tucked in a freckled face. She was, as Laura lovingly teased, nearly a leprechaun. Laura was towering at six foot three, blue eyed and freckled. "Of course. When do we get to see that creepy Orochimaru copy bite the dust?"
"I dunno." Laura chimed. Truly, she didn't. The website had gone down just after Sasuke and Itachi had gone into the cave thing where Kabuto had made his lair. She'd heard via Fanfiction what had happened, but didn't really know firsthand what would happen. Fanfiction writers liked to make things different than canon. Not that Laura wouldn't do anything different- the Naruto world morbidly sucked. Anyone in their right mind would try and prevent such things from happening. "Probably soon. I think Itachi and Duckbutt kick his ass first."
Dina nodded, straightening as she moved through the intersection. She knew most of what her daughter knew- Laura loved to talk about it to her, tossing theories back and forth and informing Dina of back-stories of various characters. She'd heard about the Uchiha massacre, how prior Itachi had been Anbu and how her daughter was certain that Kakashi had been the one to be his captain. So many things she'd learned- sometimes Dina didn't think she'd remember it all.
Personally, Dina liked Kakashi. He was pretty hot, at least what little she could see. He was kind of an ass when he was younger, and she was glad when they had finished the ark where they got to see how he got his eye. He had been such a prick. Still, she felt so old when she thought about the fact she was forty five, going on forty six, and crushing on someone who was in his mid-twenties.
"Y'know, it really sucks about Itachi. He did all that stuff for his village, and they all thought him a criminal. It's just wrong."
A snort was Dina's answer. "Yeah, but plot wise, you've got to admit, that was pretty awesome. People suspected he might have been a good guy in a bad spot many times, but really, with some of the strange weirdos in the show…"
"Like that Hidan guy? Y'know, it so pisses me off that he kills the shadow kid's teacher."
"It makes you tear up every time we re-watch it, Mom. We have to keep so much tissue because you get all sobby on me- You're doing it now!" She accused with amusement. Lo and behold, her eyes were teary. "Even the mention of it makes you all sobby."
"Oh shush you," One hand on the wheel, Dina slid her hand up to rub her sleeve over her eyes. "He got what he deserved in the end, and you know it."
"I didn't say that he didn't- MOM! TRUCK!"
It was fast- a screech of tires, the loud sound of a log truck plowing into their little jeep. There was a sharp stab through the soft tissues of her middle, and the sensation of her lower half parting from her top as the windshield shattered against the pressure of the truck. Dina didn't even have time to see if her daughter was alright before she was a splattered smear. The darkness overtook her before she had the chance to cry out for her.
For a time, darkness was all she knew. She had time to reflect upon thoughts, memories, times she had with loved ones. Cliché, she knew, but she appreciated it all the same. Her thoughts kept straying to Laura and herself.
She'd raised Laura all on her own- a single mom who did what she could to make sure that Laura had everything that she needed. It ended with them being close, and she regretted that she wouldn't be able to see her little girl grow up now.
The darkness was consuming. Once she had no more memories to peruse, she simply floated, cold and numb. But eventually, she grew tired of the numbness. She wasn't sure what she was grasping for… but she grasped, and she pulled.
A voice murmured to her in the dark once she yanked, soothing and low. To Dina, it sounded like the creepy tentacle thing from Skyrim that Laura liked to muck with. "Mmmm, what are you doing? You needn't worry about your daughter- she mmmm, perished as well. You will miss nothing."
"But I still will miss it. If I'd have paid more attention… truckers don't pay enough attention to the little rigs sometimes…" She murmured.
The darkness drew in, blanketing a blackened form. It had a single blue eye, long curling horns that reminded her of a ram, and had long, long arms. The arms were tipped in fingers that seemed longer than her forearms- three long prongs, and a shorter thumb, that held glowing strands that zipped in and out of it's grasp. As she watched, it looked her up and down. She had a hold of what appeared to be a skirt or robe of some kind, obscuring whatever form of legs that held it up. Her hand was translucent, colorless and lacking all sense of feeling. "Mm… You are close with her."
"We are… I'm in no position to ask, but… whatever happens after death, can you please make sure I get to end up in heaven with her?"
"No, child." It seemed amused. "There is no heaven. There is no hell. There is only rebirth, and the multiple universes that make up everything. You have to go through many lifetimes until you will be back on this plane."
"I don't care," she rasped to him. Wicked green eyes glanced to the being, and she gave him a firm look. "Let me be with her. I brought her into this world- let me be with her in the next. She's my daughter- I love her. I would do anything to make sure I can protect her…"
"You have nothing to barter, nothing to trade. Your love is worth nothing in the grand scheme of things, but…" An amused warble left the thing, and she realized it didn't have a mouth. "But I like your spirit. Not many can grasp me amidst their transference to their next world. I will grant you a boon then. You will go many years without her first. Many, many. But she will be born to you again, should you manage to survive the perils and trials of the shinobi life. And I think… I think, you shall remember."
Relief fluttered through Dina, though confusion came next. "Shinobi…?"
The blankness of it's face suddenly split into a white grin, teeth jagged and horrifying as the skin split and parted. No lips formed- the skin simply pulled back over the teeth and gave a horrifying visage. "You didn't think your world was the only one, did you? Those few people who write of such worlds in your old one have been given compulsive glimpses of worlds for others to join. It is an endless cycle. Each soul is put into their own copy of a world in a language of their own- those few who are brave enough to reach out for the one who shunts them off are allowed to remember the before time. They are able to become more than a pawn. And you will remember, each and every world that you go through, as will your daughter. This will amuse me for some time, I think.
"Go now," he continued, dragging a string of light to a long fingered hand with only a motion. He took the string, and flung it onto her transparent hand. It burned, and her fingers seized. "be reborn. Learn. Love. Plot. Be at peace with the knowledge she will go with you, lifetime after lifetime. Be prepared for agony."
And then he took hold of her hand, his grip blazing hot, and tossed her from his person.
Dina fell, eyes closing in terror and mouth opening in a loud scream that no one would hear.
When she landed, she was suddenly in very large hands, her scream turning into a whimpering wail as her slick body was tugged into the outside world.
Dina fell, to land at her rebirth.
Her eyes wouldn't open, and her body wasn't in her control. Her ears picked up the sounds of someone drawing a rattling breath- a horrible noise that preludes death, before she was handed off to a dark haired man. Her wails faded, and her small, newborn body curled into him as he held her. Sound reached Dina, and she listened as best she could through guck clogged ears. It sounded… roughly like English, and if she was right about the last name… She was in one of the best villages she could be in.
"Nara, Susumu?" The one that had pulled Dina from fading female glanced to him. "You are the father, I presume? There is no hope for Uzumaki Ayane. Her child will go to the orphanage if you are not."
"Yes." He retorted sharply. "I am her father."
"Will you be claiming her as your bastard daughter?"
"Yes." His frown deepened at the healer, and a dark look was given in general.
As he cradled her, pulling his overcoat carefully over to cradle her damp frame, the man turned away from the ailing woman, and moved to the door of the hospital room.
Dina wasn't aware of the passage of time for a long while. The body of a baby wasn't built to handle a forty year old spirit settling into it- so she slept. When the body was awake, she wasn't much more than base instinct, for several months after. Her spirit needed to rest- she had died, only to be reborn seemingly moments later. She meditated, resting and getting a feel for the strange buzzing warmth that seemed too large to fit in her body. It was like her blood was alive with fire, in the weirdest of ways. Eventually, her resting self came to recognize it as chakra.
But one day months and months after her birth, amidst being lifted from her cradle, Dina snapped back into her mindset. She was lifted up to his face. The man that held her was young- couldn't be older than twenty. If he was even twenty. Dark, curly hair topped his head, worn in a frazzled braid. His hairline was surprisingly straight- his bangs were pulled back into the braid, but she could see the most vague hints of a cowlick along the front. His brows were blandly put, neither too bushy or too thin. Three scars curved over his cheek, tugging the left corner of his mouth into a permanently disappointed look, even as his mouth attempted to upturn into a smile at her. Brown eyes reflected the smile that his lips could not, as he brought her to his face and planted soft kisses on her cheeks.
A happy sound left her, unbidden, as she took control of her pudgy limbs to plant her hands on his cheeks. Her skin tone was much, much lighter than his. She was pale- almost ghostly white against the tanned skin that so contrasted it.
"My little Tokiko," he murmured. "So curious today, little one."
Tokiko. So Dina was now Tokiko. It wasn't the worst of names that she could have been given- she recalled there was a leader of a village named 'A'. Or something like that. Tokiko was a good name, and she showed it with a gummy smile.
Susumu settled her into his arm easily, cradling her against his chest. She fisted her pudgy fingers in the edge of his vest, and he took her to another room. He seated himself on a low couch, propping his feet onto the table as he rested her on his chest.
"Hige is coming to visit today. He should be here soon, in fact." He didn't baby-talk her, for which Tokiko was very thankful. She simply listened, eyes drifting to look around the room as he spoke. There wasn't much that was within her range of view. A shelf- some books, and a painting of a deer above it. On the shelf were a few photos, which she couldn't see clearly. "You haven't met Hige yet. He's my team mate- we're supposed to be meeting our new squad member in a few months. I think you'll like Hige. He's an Inuzuka."
She recognized the surname. Vaguely she recalled that there was one in Naruto's year, and he had a dog that was very small, but got massively large.
"Sachi is his canine companion. She's very smart- she might tag along today too. She had a litter of puppies, you see, so it depends on if she can get away from them for a couple hours. I think she'll like you. Her puppies are old enough that they don't need milk, but I've heard they're a wily bunch. She has to keep them in line."
Tokiko was sure she'd like Sachi. She'd always had a soft spot for animals- hence why she had always had hoards of cats. She fed all of the strays, along with her dogs. Lauren… Lauren was just like her with that. Dina had never been able to deny Lauren when the girl brought home strays.
Tokiko missed the next thing he said, but whatever it was, it made him laugh. She giggled in turn, trying to lift herself up with her pudgy arms. She didn't make it very far, but he seemed to sense her desire to move, and carefully moved her so she could sit on his lap.
Her neck felt stronger than it had when she had been born, and it only bobbled a little bit as she looked around. The room was very plain. There was another couch across from this one, the table in the middle containing a basic set for some weird board game. The wall across opened up into a secluded garden- brick walls raised tall above the grassy expanse outside. It was surprisingly well-groomed, and had a few plants of some kind growing near the wall.
"Toki," Susumu drew her attention again, and she glanced to him curiously. "You're so curious today. Usually you're fussing to go back to your room. Tired of being a hermit, my little Tokitoki?"
She wasn't sure what was amusing, but she giggled at him anyways. "Uwah." She bobbled her head in a general 'yes' meaning, before wiggling in his arms as she heard a bark from outside.
"That would be Sachi." He smiles lightly.
Toki's eyes go wide as she watches the shadows under his feet darken. That was positively fascinating! His shadow stretched, and it wrapped around what she assumed was a door knob. The sound of it clicking open was almost drowned out by the sounds of dog claws skittering on wooden flooring.
"I'm home!" Hige rapped his knuckles on the door to announce himself unnecessarily, before he closed the door.
Sachi was the first one in her line of sight- and Sachi took up most of it. The canine was massive- and reminded her greatly of a Great Dane sized husky. Mostly black and white, the massive ball of fur bore a set of still-shrinking milk-teats, and a curious nose that butted right into Toki's face.
Promptly, Toki wiggled her hands free, and sunk them into the soft fluff with a content burble.
"Pup smells happy," Sachi nearly startled Tokiko when she spoke, but the easy going woman rolled with it.
"With her fingers in your fur, I can't imagine why she wouldn't be." Susumu hummed.
Hige didn't bother taking the other couch- he sat himself next to Susumu as he always did. He leaned over, and stoke Tokiko away from the motherly fluff that was his companion. "Hello Toki-chan!" He beamed at her. Hige was a typical Inuzuka. Red cheek marks, tousled brown hair, murky eyes, average skin tone, and fanged smirk to complete the bundle. "Gods above, Susumu, she looks like my cousin. Look't that! She's getting her hair in too. Got your father's hair though, didn't you, you adorable little mutt?"
The peach fuzz astride her head was promptly rumpled, much to her burbling displeasure.
"She's not a mutt," Susumu sighed.
"I'm inclined to think so, friend of mine." He leaned forwards to nudge his nose with hers, and then run his fingers along her gums. "She's quite a fine mix. Ayane was half Inuzuka, if you remember. I think your little one might get some sharper teeth come teething time."
Susumu was less than thrilled, but he nodded. "Hard not to. I've got plenty of scars from her attempting to put me into my place with nips. Between me and you, we discovered that Uzumaki and Inuzuka shouldn't commingle bloodlines. Ever. The lot of you make a bullheaded and stubborn sort of woman."
"Ah, but you enjoyed her feisty nature outside of the battle field," A waggle of brows prompted Toki to accidentally smack Hige in the face. Baby of body she might be, but she didn't need to hear innuendos about the man who's loins helped create her body. He laughed. "She's going to be just like Ayane."
Sachi snorts. "I hope not. She was too untrained to bond with one of us. I don't know if your little one has enough of our clan blood to bond with a pup. If she does, I have one I mind."
"I would be honored if she could bond with her heritage. She deserves to know. But… I think we should keep her Uzumaki side quiet."
"They seem to go missing if they've got the blood, don't they?" Hige snorts. "We'll help keep it quiet. Other than having Ayane's eyes, she doesn't have the Uzumaki red hair. More of a reddish brown."
The canine moves to the second couch, content to relax and stretch out along the full length. "Like when Hige eats too many beets." She comments offhandedly. "I will bring by the pup once yours has started to walk. They are too rowdy to be around her until she can move for herself. She will bear scars like your face if she's around them too young. If they are compatible, the pup will remain with you. If not, I will gather my offspring and return."
Hige simply nods. He relaxes, letting Toki explore his vest while sprawling out. "So, how did the clan take you bringing her home?"
There was a displeased rumble from Susume. "As well as you can expect. They're less than pleased that I brought home a bastard. But, what can you expect? Ayane didn't let us know she was pregnant until she was in labor. She didn't really show, if you recall, and she was no moodier than normal. I didn't have the time to wed her good and prior, honestly. The clan council knows this."
The Inuzuka frowns, but nods. It was horrible when she'd gone into labor. He'd hoped Susume had gotten her back in time- but he'd received a letter during his mission to let him know that he'd lost a teammate due to complications. "Will the clan allow her to take your name?"
A relived nod leaves the other. "That is something they consented to, yes. It took some convincing, but she is indeed a Nara."
"I would have petitioned to get her into the Inuzuka otherwise." The surprisingly short brunet sighs. "You know as well as I that I can't train her in my clan's techniques, but once she comes into her chakra, let me know. She might be a mutt, but her nose is going to be more sensitive. She'd be good for tracking with it."
"I was thinking of pushing more for intelligence with her, or research and development. Safer work." Neither of them wanted to lose the last bit of Ayane that they had. "Ultimately, it will be up to her once she's of schooling age."
"Ultimately so, indeed." Hige nods. There was a rather gross noise from the baby in the Inuzuka's lap, and then the man was hastily shoving the little one back into her father's lap. "That is an emergency number two. I'm not on diaper duty."
Toki merely flushed. She hadn't been paying much mind to her bodily functions, until her body simply let go. She wished now that she could have skipped the entirety of her childhood development.
Diaper changes were one of the most traumatic things that could happen to an adult in a child's body. Tokiko resolved to potty train herself as soon as she could walk, so as to avoid any more unpleasant instances.
Days crawled by into weeks, weeks to months, months to years, as Tokiko grew and became more mobile and self-reliant. In the end, she wasn't a good match for a canine companion- but that didn't stop her from gallivanting and romping through the gardens with the exuberant pack of hounds that sometimes tagged along with Sachi.
For the most part of her childhood, she was kept in seclusion however. But once or twice when her father would take her to Hige or Dai, their newest team mate, she had gotten to see other villagers, and other children. Toki figured out her seclusion had more to do with her status than with Susumu being overprotective. She didn't mind, though. Susumu was gone often anymore- something about border problems happening at the edge of their country.
Her brief excursions were also how Toki figured out that she wasn't quite at the start of the show. She got to see glimpses of the Hokage mountain- and it was adorned with only three faces. Meaning, she was sometime before Minato took the office. It gave her time, and an idea to carry out. The stronger she could get, the more likely she would survive the coming events and the more likely it would be that Toki would survive to see Laura again.
He trained her rigorously once he caught her trying to stick to the wall so she could get something off of a high shelf. Katas and hand signals were the majority of her teachings- though minor chakra control happened as well. When he wasn't in the house, she was tasked with sticking things to herself at random times- and if it fell off before a certain amount of time Toki had to go through a set of katas, and then try again. She had to test her mind as well- reading books that weren't even remotely child oriented, playing shogi and go with whoever was babysitting her at the time.
Whatever new perks this ninja child body had, Toki felt herself absorbing everything like a particularly dry sponge in a rainstorm. Her muscles felt stronger than they had in her old body- her brain faster, retaining more and remembering more than it had used to. She came up with ideas and plots that she never could have imagined before. Learning kanji had come easy.
It all paid off. Her first day at the academy was coming soon. She was entering early- at the age of four instead of five- something she was exuberant about.