AN: Well, here is the sequel to Human Nature. I suggest if you haven't read Human Nature that you do so now. 'Why?' you ask. Well, you probably won't understand this is if you don't.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I never will, but I don't particularly care.
Enjoy.
My first memory is of having an unthinkable amount of knowledge. I knew things I shouldn't have known or should have ever known.
I knew I was dead and that I was supposed to be suffering in the depths of Hell, the domain death god's. But, here I was, lying on my back, the cold, hard ground beneath me, in the human world; in the world of the living.
Yet, I was dead. The knowledge running through my head showed me so.
This knowledge, this seemingly infinite knowledge showed me that, as a baby, I was sacrificed to seal away the kyuubi, a lesser demon. This knowledge showed me that kyuubi is the strongest demon able to live on the human world without disrupting the balance of all worlds and throwing the infinite amount of universes and worlds of existence into utter chaos. It was strange how I knew this, but I knew it was true; just like I knew that I was somehow on the living plane of human existence yet I was dead.
And just as I knew that, I knew everything about this world. From its diversity of people to knowing all its people's strengths and abilities, I knew it all. It was as if I could pull up a file on anyone who lives or has ever lived in this world and know all of their knowledge and abilities. The only thing I was lacking was the strength to do them. But, even as I thought that, I knew with much practice, I could master them all.
I knew the geography, for it seemed like I had a map in my head telling me where I was and where I could go. I knew of places where only the inhabitants of said places knew the location. I knew of inactive volcanoes and underground caverns that had yet to be discovered by a mortal of this universe.
But, the few things I didn't know bothered me.
How, with all this sudden knowledge, did I not know how I arrived here or how I was able to exist here or how I acquired all my knowledge?
It puzzled me, my existence. Knowing that I was sacrificed to the death gods, yet also knowing that I was here, in the world of the living and not in the death god's realm of Hell.
So, I lay there on the cold, hard ground, puzzling over my existence. I never moved, never breathed, never did anything but think and think and think. I didn't even acknowledge the changing of days to nights and nights to days or the changing of the leaves color or the fact that the leaves fell upon me. I didn't notice the leaves begin to rot or the cold that numbed my growing body. I didn't notice the cold go away or the blistering heat that came after. I didn't notice the growth of my body or the years that passed as my body grew larger. I knew nothing.
And six years later, I still hadn't found the answer.
And then someone stumbled upon my dirty form, tripping over my undistinguishable body.
I immediately sat up, puzzled of who disturbed me from my pondering. My eyes immediately fell upon a fallen shape clothed in black. The sound of panting and sniffling reached my ears and I immediately wondered why this person was running and crying. I knew it was a person, because it could only be human. Its pale, exposed flesh appeared white in the bright moonlight and raven hair seemed to shine under the sun's reflected rays.
"Who are you?" I questioned in a voice and language I had never used before. The form turned to me, revealing a pale face with crimson, crying eyes that widened in surprise at my small, dirty form. Black pinwheels spun in those crimson eyes and my mind immediately supplied the name of those strange orbs; the mangekyou sharingan.
And along with the information on the eye, information on the man came to me. Uchiha Itachi was what he was known by and he had just been framed for the murder of his entire clan. In self defense he had murdered his best friend, gaining himself the rare, but powerful mangekyou sharingan.
And I knew who framed him, my father, the fourth Hokage of Konoha.
"My father, he framed you," I spoke bluntly. Itachi's eyes narrowed into a glare as he focused his attention on me; the pinwheels in his eyes spinning faster in his angry gaze. "My father, he framed you," I repeated, "He killed me, too."
Itachi blinked, confused, "What? That can't be true, you're still alive!" He exclaimed, emotions haywire from the night's events.
"That puzzles me as well. I've spent six years puzzling over the fact that I am in this world, but I am no closer to the answer than you are," I told him, not caring if he knew or not, it didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter.
"That's impossible!" He exclaimed again, "You don't even look like you're over seven years old!"
"I've been here since the day I was born. I have not moved since I was placed here since the day the kyuubi was sealed," I told him, my voice blunt and unemotional.
"That's not possible!" He shouted, eyes wide with confusion.
"Nothing I say seems possible, even to me, but it is true. I have not lied to you once," I stated, voice unwavering and uncaring of what I told him.
"So, you're dead, but you're not?" He questioned, still utterly and completely confused as his fine dark eyebrows scrunched together.
"I am dead, but for some reason, I still exist here, in this world of the living. It would probably be best if you don't think about it, for it will most likely get you no where." He nodded at my words, deciding that that was probably the best thing to do.
"So, um, who's your father?" I saw the anger return to his eyes, the pinwheels beginning to spin furiously once again.
"My father is the fourth Hokage of Konoha," I stated, no emotion clear in my voice for I felt nothing. Itachi's eyes swiveled to the direction of the hidden village, "Revenge is not wise. It kills your soul and leaves you empty," I said, wisely but still emotionlessly. He looked down, seeing the truth in my words.
"How did he kill you, I wonder?" He pondered aloud.
"He sacrificed my life to seal the kyuubi into your little brother Uchiha Sasuke. He killed the Uchiha clan so he could get his hands on Uchiha Sasuke," I spoke bluntly, letting him know the truth that would certainly sting.
"My…brother?" He made to get up, but I stopped him by placing a dirt covered hand upon his shoulder.
"You have been blamed for the massacre of your clan. Sasuke hates you, as does everyone in the village, except those that believe you are innocent, and that number is very low. I wouldn't recommend going back," I told him, stopping the Uchiha from doing something stupid.
"Why are you so wise?" He questioned, voice cracking as he tried to hold back the tears that continued to fall.
"Again, I don't know. I just have this knowledge, and I can do nothing about it, but accept that its there," I said to him solemnly. He stayed silent for a moment, thinking of all that he had learned. His eyebrows drew together as his mangekyou sharingan faded, leaving crimson eyes to silently cry.
"D-do you blame him? Your father, I mean," he finally spoke.
"No. I know he was a kind man before the kyuubi attacked. I know that he loved his village and would sacrifice even his life for it if need be," I spoke.
"But instead he sacrificed you, doesn't that make him evil?"
"Evil now; he is evil now," I replied.
"What do you think changed him?" Itachi ask, curiosity overcoming his need to grieve.
"I know that kyuubi's evil chakra twisted his thoughts, making him do what he did. He is only human, after all, and humans are greedy, pitiful creatures. They are willing to hurt each other to get what they want or survive. They are willing to kill each other if they want to.
"Then, there are people, like my father, who suppress their instinct or their basic nature. These are the few good people in the world.
"So, on the night of the kyuubi's attack, my father was fully willing to sacrifice himself to seal the kyuubi in me." He interrupted me.
"Why you?"
"Well, he could not ask another family to give up their child if he was unwilling to use his own child," I answered.
"So what happened, then?" He prodded.
"Kyuubi's evil chakra twisted his thoughts and brought out the suppressed human instincts. The longer he was exposed to it, the more twisted and corrupted his thoughts became," I continued solemnly.
"Why didn't he revert back to his earlier state when the kyuubi's chakra disappeared?"
"When he summoned the death god, the combination of their powers caused my fathers thoughts to be permanently corrupted. So, therefore, he never returned to his previous self," I finished.
"Oh," was all the dark-haired teen could say.
It was then I heard someone approaching and so did Itachi. His head shot to the noise and his eyes narrowed. Getting too his feet, he made to run, but stopped, turning to look at me.
"Do you want to come?" He questioned anxiously, shifting his eyes momentarily to the oncoming presence. It would do no harm, and it would be more interesting with him then lying around, fruitlessly puzzling over unanswered questions.
So, I shrugged nonchalantly and nodded. As if knowing I could not run fast, he crouched and motioned that I get on his back. I did. He gripped my legs while I grabbed onto his shoulders. And then he jumped off, just as the creeping shadow arrived to see the dark-haired teen sprinting away with me on his back.
This would be an interesting journey, after all.