Title: Shi No Hana 死の花
Summary: Death is just hopping out of one car and getting into another. My name is Haruno Sakiko, and I shouldn't exist. Rock Lee/OC, AU, Self-Insert.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto, not me.
Chapter One
She knew she wasn't real.
At five years old, Haruno Sakiko was cold, sad, and bored of her entire existence. From the moment she was born, she knew she was an anomaly. A divine aberration of the highest sort. She had died. She wasn't sure how she knew that, or why she remembered, but she did. Sakiko remembered all too vividly the feeling of water invading her lungs. Drowning herself had been a stupid way to go, obviously. She remembered the cold grip of Death himself pulling her up and out of her flesh. And then...she remembered slipping through the cracks.
Do you know what it feels like to have your spirit literally ripped out of your chest and pushed into the wrong side of reality? Because she does.
Sakiko can't ever forget it. And that's why she'd been so quiet, and that's why she never cried when she was born, and that's why she obeyed her parents as blindly as she did. A serene and obedient child. She had to become strong. The world of ninja is a harsh one. She had to, if not for herself, than for her little sister. Sakura would eventually be placed on the same genin team as a Renegade Uchiha and Konoha's Jinchuriki.
The sibling in question blinked innocently up at her, stretching out like a kitten, having awakened from her afternoon nap. Fucking adorable, Sakiko grunted, not wanting to look at her, abruptly leaving the room with quickly coming up with something better to do. Thinking about the future number of run ins Sakura would have with Orochimaru made her feel sick.
"Kaa-Chan?" She quietly called, walking down the hall that led into the kitchen.
Haruno Mebuki knew her daughter was different but she loved her with her whole being nonetheless. Sakiko was her first born and the minute she so slowly opened those beautiful mint green eyes without making so much as a peep, her and Kizashi were lost to any judgement they may have had. If they saw anyone else give birth to a completely silent baby, they would have found it odd. The nurses sure did.
"Mm, my girl, Kiko" Mebuki smiled fondly, her eyes turning up "what can I do for you?"
Nothing, she knew.
By the time Sakiko reached age four, it seemed her daughter had the whole world figured out. Sometimes Sakiko got out of bed and climbed on top of the counter to make herself and Kizashi coffee before they woke up in the morning. She also noticed her toddler had made an effort to ask 'how was your day?' every day from the moment she figured out how to form sentences. It was just strange little things like that but it made all the difference between her daughter and most girls her own age.
The pink haired genius herself blinked a couple times under speculation, before shrugging a little, and returning the smile bashfully. Sakiko tucked some of her cotton candy curls behind her ear, biting her lip, and rocking back and forth on her heels.
"I knoooow you said I need to cut back but…" cue the puppy dog eyes "can I pretty please with sugar on top get ramen?"
Ichiraku's was only a couple of houses down from where the Haruno household resided, and so it was one of the few places she was allowed to visit on her own. However if her parents had any sense to check on her, they would discover that she was not in fact chowing down on ramen, and instead paying weekly visits to Konoha's many training grounds. Afterwards Sakiko did stop by and treat herself to a couple bowls usually. As long as Naruto wasn't there.
Mebuki didn't falter, reaching into her purse for money to give her sweet daughter.
The blonde whirlwind of trouble just wasn't worth it. Sure her heart really felt for him, it did. Naruto was an orphan with a demon sealed inside of him, and no idea what it was that repulsed everyone into fleeing from him. The kid was as sad as sad got. However, Sakiko had her own problems. She promptly opted to worry about herself, Sakura, her parents, and maybe her genin team.
She knew her previous self would disapprove, but this new version just couldn't be bothered to go out of her way to spend time with someone as LOUD, childish, and simple minded as Naruto. Sure, they could be friends when he got older and educated himself, but...considering the last time Sakiko saw him, that wouldn't be for some while. He'd been screaming about becoming Hokage for literally an entire hour, running up a ginormous bill that he flat out didn't have the money for the entire time.
Main character or not, his insolence kept her a good twenty feet away at all times. It just wasn't cute when it was happening in real life, and Sakiko could see the weight of debt so obviously resting on the owner's shoulders.
What was he going to do? Tell an orphan with no friends, family, or other resources for food, no? Naruto should've been more frugal with his meals. Ten bowls was unforgivable.
She settled for no longer thinking of such trivial things, closing her eyes and gathering her insane mass of hair. Sakiko's pink locks were cherished by her mother and herself. She'd grown it out to her butt in a way she never could have in her previous life, and here she had massive curls, like, anime worthy. Her usual sturdy hair tie, which she was pretty sure had ninja wire in it, did the job well, a training-worthy ponytail keeping the baby hairs from her face, and the curls safely up.
"Thank you, Kaa-Chan. Be back soon" She spoke so softly, the opposite of her hard insides. Sakiko leaned forward, pushing on her tippy-toes, and gently pressing a kiss to Mebuki's temple.
Today's the day I conquer my Senbon problem.
Sakiko would not be conquering anything, it seemed.
She sighed, her lips pulling into a grimace, when she arrived to find her usual training grounds were already in use. That almost never happened. Most people preferred the less battle-worn fields that Konoha held. The one by Sakiko's house had craters and scorch marks and broken tree's. It was probably the least aesthetically pleasing of them all. That was one of the reason's she'd liked it so much…shoot.
Still the turn of events was rather interesting.
One Rock Lee happened to be beating the holy-hell out of Fred (her usual training dummy) using impressive force for his age. He didn't rock the green jumpsuit Sakiko knew he'd eventually inherit from his future sensei, instead wearing an orange scarf, and a tattered and dirty white shirt tucked into a pair of ninja leggings that seemed to be one size too big.
He looked like Naruto. He looked like an orphan.
Huh, would explain why his parents never made an appearance...Unless they had and she'd missed it. There was always a chance she was wrong about canon, and it was one of the reasons Sakiko usually just blindly followed her gut. It had yet to steer her wrong. The pink haired wannabe-kunoichi watched from the shadows for a good thirty minutes.
Eventually, feeling a little too much like a certain white-haired Jounin (coughkakashicough,) and realizing that Lee wasn't going to be finished any time soon, Sakiko revealed herself, walking into the sunlight. Her thick ponytail bounced with her steps as she strolled up to Lee.
His taijutsu was lackluster. But for kids their age, clanless kids, the fact that he was hitting the training grounds at all said something. Sakiko had yet to meet someone her own age interested in that kind of thing. She didn't notice it, but a little glimmer appeared behind her pretty green eyes at the aspect of someone being like her.
Sakiko hadn't meant to sneak up on him, but as soon as she so gently tapped his shoulder, he whirled around way too fast. He'd raised his fists as if going to punch an enemy, only to realize it was a girl his own age, and threw his body back in shock. His head hit Fred the Training Dumby's wooden chest with a hard thunk.
She blinked, staring down at him with her head cocked and eyes wide.
For her, Sakiko was staring down at a scrawny kid with a bowl-cut and big dreams sprawled in the grass, a massive bleeding bump protruding from the top of his shiny head. While she busied herself wondering if she should reveal some of her own skills for the better of others, Rock Lee was busy falling in love.
The girl leaning over him smelled like peaches and honey, a strange but enticing combination that made his nostrils flare. Her hair was like beautiful coral ribbons splaying out around her shoulders, the shadow of the sunset giving her an ethereal glow. Ninja wire held it up in an amazingly high and long ponytail, showing just how lengthy her curls really were.
Her knuckles were bruised and her eyes were like emeralds.
"You are an Angel!" He barely realized he said it out loud.
Sakiko's entire face filled with red the color of Kurama she was so embarrassed and shocked by the compliment. It only took her a minute to dismiss it, bending down and getting on her knees to inspect the wound.
"Wow, you must have hit your head a lot harder than I thought if you think I'm an angel" she snorted, wishing she could joke out loud about how she'd somehow cheated Death and may as well have been a literal hellspawn. "I'm not from a clan and I'm self taught" Sakiko began "I also don't aspire to be of a medic, however...I did read about a few healing tricks."
Technically, she never actually tried any, but the eldest Haruno sister was quite good at translating book work to reality.
"I haven't actually given it a whirl in person but…." Sakiko dragged out the end of the sentence, biting her lip and beginning to focus on pushing the flow of her chakra to her hand. It took two hard minutes ( not that Rock Lee minded the extra time staring at the beauty with his head in her lap) but eventually, her palms began to feel warmer than normal. That was chakra. Using it gave her an adrenaline rush like no other. After she first made a leaf stick to her forehead about a month before her fourth birthday, she'd been addicted to working on her control, spending hours meditating.
Now she had to separate the physical chakra, from the spiritual chakra. But how did one do that? Her brow furrowed and for a second she was glad that she wasn't going to become a medic in the future. Still, it was important to be able to heal. Her future teammates would appreciate the basic support, she was sure of it.
"I am Rock Lee, it is so nice to meet you, stranger-san!" he said cheerily, ignoring the way his eyes watered from the pain radiating in his head. Introductions were important, especially since such a young blossoming flower was attempting to heal his injury. That was more than he could say for Gaku, the head of the orphanage, and his current guardian. He only cared if one of the kids was missing a limb or dead. Anything short of that and you may as well have broken a nail.
Sakiko snorted. Everyone was so formal in Naruto. Honorifics were annoying to her and she could never be bothered with them. The young, Death-defying, anime fan didn't give a single shit most of the time. The only people she used those for were her parents and they deserved them for feeding, clothing, and loving her.
"Sorry I made you hit your head, Lee" A single drop of sweat formed on her brow, despite her casual tone, as she began to feel the strange swirling cold separation beginning to form in her waves of energy that meant she was doing something right "Haruno Sakiko at your service. But you can just call me Kiko, everyone does."
FInally, as soon as she finished talking, like a light switch flipping, her calloused little hands began to glow that pretty green color she'd been going for.
Rock Lee made a small squeak, seeing chakra for the first time ever, eyes wide with awe. Beautiful, smart, strong. His heart began beating faster as she so gently massaged that pain on the top of his head away. Thump, thump, th-thump. He wished she'd done it for longer, it was nice to experience physical affection like that, but after what felt like only a minute, his head was free of her warmth and touch. On the bright side, the pain was entirely gone.
Sakiko beamed brighter than the rays cascading down her back.
"Oh, I did a good job!" she applauded herself out loud at the sight of the now soothed skin, grabbing Rock Lee's wrists, unaware of all personal boundaries she probably should have had, and helping him to sit up. "The bump is entirely gone, Lee" Sakiko declared, genuinely happy.
Technically, other than the leaf exercise she tried that once, all she had been working on was building up her reserves for when she joined the Academy. So this was her first real success.
"How fondly you refer to me!" Lee stood up, mistaking her lack of honorifics for endearment, quick on his feet. He unknowingly somewhat impressed her with his reflexes as she was tugged upward along with him. "Thank you, Haruno Sakiko! Your beauty alone has healed me of all ailments. I want to forever cherish your company and bask in your glow!"
Blink, blink, blink.
Huh? I got a glow? Questionable...
"Um...right.." Sakiko trailed off with a bashful smile "I'm really not all that great." She could remember plenty of things she'd done one time or another that very much defined her as an all around terrible person. Things done on whims for no reason with nothing but chaos and consequences to amuse her. Farthest thing from an angel you could find.
"You have impressed me with your caring charm and obvious talent with Chakra" Lee declared, looking her into her eyes as if he didn't care what was behind that old soul, if only he knew... such a sweet kid. Finally, an interaction with someone that wasn't forced and she didn't actually hate. Who would have thought Rock Lee would be her first friend in the Naruto world? She'd have thought Kiba more likely or maybe even the peaceful yet hilarious Shino.
She returned his intensity with an equally as energetic smile she didn't now she had in her, dedicated to making a real friend. A once-a-year kind of genuine smile that had only ever made appearances around her father or mother. Rock Lee's mouth fell open into a little 'o,' his eyes glazing over, his own cheeks reddening and a foreign feeling fluttering around his stomach
"Let's be friends, okay, Lee?" Sakiko innocently offered, taking his hands in hers, unsuspectingly changing the world around her for the first time.
Omake
Somewhere in Hell
Death is a sixteen year old ginger with freckles who inherited the job out of coincidence. He sits in his castle of bones and fire beneath the ground, watching Sakiko in amusement, his own laughter echoing down empty halls. Pop, pop, pop. He swallowed down the poprocks he'd taken off her previous dead body. Such a good steal, honestly. The modern snack didn't exist in any other timeline and Death enjoyed it immensely.
Before him, an unearthly plasma television set he had stolen from Elizabeth The Third played a 24 hour feed of the soul he'd plopped into that one Anime world.
He was sure if God knew he'd been borrowing her toy's for his own amusement and throwing them into blackhole's leading to alternate universes, he'd be canned. Death could only hope he would be caught. Maa, such a shitty job he had been stuck with. There was no retirement for the damn Grim Reaper.
"Yep, no regrets" Death popped open a fizzy can of orange soda enjoying watching the two interact "I totally ship her with Lee."
Maybe if he convinced Fate to come by and give it a watch with him one of these nights, she'd agree to sway the relationship into existence. Pfft, no way. That chick was too stuffy, she never left her palace in the stars.
"Let's be friends, okay, Lee?"
Damn it was if she'd heard his thoughts and summoned it into being. Death just nodded his head appreciatively and slurped his soda loudly. He may have to spend an eternity alone in a castle of corpses ushering spirits into the pits of tartarus, but at least he'd managed to save one terrible person and amuse himself in one false swipe. Hmm...maybe if God found out and asked, he'd play it off like this Sakiko chick was his next successor. She'd seemed pretty well adjusted for a suicide victim in the wrong universe.