The morning it happened started off like any other normal day. But as I walked to school, I soon noticed that something was off. The air felt stale, the birds were oddly quiet, and the atmosphere just felt … wrong.

At the time, I assumed it was just nerves about the algebra test I had that day, and I tried to shake the thoughts by thinking about the plans I had for the weekend. Looking back, I should have paid more attention.

Because it definitely wasn't part of the plan to get run over by a speeding car …

When it happened, just like in every cliché movie with death, my life did flash before my eyes, and then all I knew was inky blackness.

When I awoke, I was crying and something really felt off. Definitely more off than simply waking up after a car accident.

I couldn't move, my body felt strangely small and distant, and I couldn't see anything around me. Had I died? Was I in heaven or hell, or some kind of purgatory? Or was I dreaming? And why couldn't I see? But there were no answers and all I could do was cry and cry until I grew tired and fell asleep.

When I woke again, I felt someone coddling me and rocking my tiny body back and forth. W-was I a baby? That had to explain why I felt like my hands and feet were so stubby and small. I had to be dreaming. This time I didn't try to cry and let the cooing just lull me to sleep.

But time went by and I soon realized I was in no dream.

Everything was too real. Had the accident somehow thrown me back in time? But that didn't make any sense either, because none of the people around me were the parents I had grown up with. If only I could see. . .

Years passed and slowly I became used to my new existence. The same strangers cared for me but I never recognized any of the voices from my life before the accident. They all called me Makoto, which hadn't been my name, but it somehow was now.

Then, when I hit three years old, my eyesight started coming back.

If things had been weird before that, it was nothing compared to the first thing I experienced when I could finally see again. Sitting beside me the day my eyesight returned was a kid with blonde hair and markings on his cheeks who looked just like a really young Naruto!

Hahaha. . .had the accident tossed me into an alternate universe? The thought was no crazier an explanation than anything else my mind had imagined over the past three years. Maybe I had been reborn into the world of Naruto!

Of course that couldn't really be what had happened. . .

But when I looked at my surroundings, and the insignia on the walls. . . And when the boy faced me, there was no denying it.

Oh fu—

The shock turned to dismay and I began to cry. You'd think I would have been excited. But all I could think was that this world was full of death, hard work, and more death. In another three years, I'd be expected to be in the ninja academy. It wasn't long until I cried myself to sleep.

Waking up the next day in the same place didn't hit me as hard as it had the day before, and strangely, I slowly began to accept my new life. I was somehow now a kid in Naruto's world. At least I knew the Naruto story and could prepare myself for what would happen.

But as the days passed, I realized that I hadn't just been born into the Narutoverse. As crazy and impossible as it sounded, I soon learned that I was actually Naruto's twin brother. In the story I knew, Naruto didn't have a brother.

Oh my god, was I also a jinchuriki of the nine-tailed fox? Had my existence in this world somehow altered the Naruto timeline I knew?

Okay… Just breathe… If that was the case, I had to get it back on track.

Life at the orphanage wasn't the best of things, as the orderlies treated me and Naruto like sh*t. I still couldn't believe he was my twin brother…

I knew I would need to find some way to keep myself alive in this place without becoming a shinobi if I was going to have any chance at keeping the timeline in order. Maybe I could be the village librarian. Or the assistant ramen guy.

As the Fourth's son though, I hoped it wasn't predetermined that I would follow the shinobi path. If I were to become a shinobi, how would I keep from altering the timeline I knew?

But if there was no choice, maybe I could alter it for the better. . . The more I thought about it that way, the more I thought it might be possible. Especially since there were a few people I wanted to save.

Take Rinji, for example, though I wouldn't be meeting him for a while. And that guy Jiraiya had turned into a frog. But what would happen if I tried to prevent Jiraiya from dying? Or the Third Hokage? No, I had to let things happen the way they were supposed to and stay out of the way, no matter what.

Another year passed and Naruto and I grew older. The other kids mostly avoided us so we played with each other, ranging from tag to hide and seek and also other games.

One thing that started to worry me was the kids going missing from the orphanage every so often. It sent shivers down my spine. The only answers I knew were that it was Oro and maybe Root getting more kids. It worried me, but Naruto and I remained safe. Although I knew it wouldn't be long before we were kicked into the streets . . .

I passed most of the time by thinking and plotting. How would I become strong enough to survive? I knew I would need to train first, that was obvious, but I would need to wait until Naruto and I got our apartment first.

I wondered what my nature affinity was. Or what I would be good at. If I wasn't good at ninjutsu, I could try taijutsu and be rivals with Lee, though that just scared me altogether. Maybe I could try the more graceful ones, like gentle fist? Wait… Right, I didn't have a Byakugan so that was out window. Maybe I'd invent my own jutsu and just use that?

With a quiet sigh, I gave up as it wouldn't do much good to worry about it yet. I would just survive my childhood and worry about how to fight when I got a little older.

It happened… We were finally kicked out onto the streets at age four. Naruto adjusted better than I did, even though I had been expecting it.

One day, Naruto and I were at a playground in the park just hanging out on the swings to pass the time and have fun until night time when we could scrounge up some food from the garbage-so we could eat, since we didn't have any money and the Hokage hadn't yet found us and given us an apartment.

I wondered when that would happen and hoped it would be soon—that part was always confusing and hazy in the story. What kind of guardians leave the jinchuriki and sons of the Fourth Hokage to fend for themselves anyway?

Sighing, I looked around the park. People were calmly walking past or having fun; the kids were playing happily with their friends, or alone, or with their parents.

What stood out to me was a particular Inuzuka kid that I had been planning on becoming friends with for a while. He was with a clan member though, so I refrained from chatting then. I could try but I didn't want to leave Naruto by himself, in fear of a mob or the older Inuzuka chasing or yelling me away.

Sigh…I guessed it would be better if I just stayed on the swings there with Naruto, I thought.

Soon, it got dark though, and Naruto and I decided to leave and find somewhere to rest for the night. Grumbling a bit, we kept on moving until we heard a rather disgruntling noise.

A mob had formed and were about to chase us and probably abuse either or both of us. Being Naruto's twin brother, I had to take action, and quickened our pace to hopefully outrun the mob.

Naruto noticed how I began to walk quicker while pulling him with me. "A-ano, Mako-kun what's wong?" Naruto asked as he kept up with me using our little legs. The mob was catching up with us and I could hear the voices getting louder and louder as we kept on going.

Naruto was starting to look worried when he saw my stony expression, but it was no time for me to explain so I had to use a simple answer. "Just trust me Naru-kun… We need to keep going faster…" I used an assuring calm tone and it worked effectively as he gave a curt nod in reply and ran faster with me through the streets.

My fear spiked as I heard them coming nearer, and I began to tear up as I hugged Naruto tightly. He looked worried too.

"M-Mako-kun what's wong?" He sounded concerned as he returned the hug and then turned to look at the small mob of men that had begun to circle us with rather malicious smiles. I didn't want to look but I didn't want to move either. I'd keep him safe from them with my body if need be.

"Well well, what do we have here? It's the demon brat and its twin… How 'bout we teach 'em a lesson boys?" It was one of the men (probably their leader or something) who spoke, but all of them began to grin menacingly as they cracked their hands. I gulped and prepared myself for the pain I was about to endure.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot but I had to endure for Naruto's sake. Halfway through the beating I tucked Naruto under me as I took more of the hits and kicks they were giving us. Tears were rolling freely down my face, and Naruto's too.

The pain kept on coming until suddenly some gasps and grunts were heard as the men were subdued by some Anbu who had shown up and helped, probably having been told to by the Hokage. At the time, I didn't know this and thought the relenting in the beating was just a ruse, and I didn't turn or let go of Naruto.

Someone tried to pull me away from Naruto but I nudged them away and yelled at them. "No! I won't let you hurt Naru-kun!" But when I saw the animal masks I relaxed slightly. And when I saw Kakashi's gravity defying hair, I finally calmed down and rolled over, battered and bruised. Naruto had fewer bruises though, which made me happy.

The Anbu helped us up but I refused to let go of Naruto's hand. Kakashi made a noise similar to a sigh and just picked us both up and carried us to the Hokage tower.

Kakashi placed us down in front of the Hokage's office and gave a knock to the door.

"Come in…" It was the grizzled and tired voice of Sarutobi and Kakashi opened the door and ushered us inside to talk with the Hokage.

Kakashi then knelt in front of him as did the other Anbu who accompanied us while Naruto and I gave a bow. Well, I did and made Naruto follow after me. Sarutobi only raised a brow, seeming slightly amused, before going right back to frowning at our bruises. The old man sighed as he waved a hand and the Anbu quickly moved away into the shadows while Naruto and I stood up straight.

The old man then smiled warmly at us, going into his grandfather mode. "Don't worry you two, I don't bite," he said calmly as I held Naruto close to me. He gave us another reassuring smile before he continued. "We'll give you two a nice apartment okay? Also you'll be given a stipend so you won't starve. But for now just rest okay?"

He spoke in a warm tone. It had had gotten late, the sun had set, and I was slowly starting to become drowsy with a yawn. Naruto followed after and we fell asleep right there with exhaustion. Arms caught us when we fell…

"Rest well boys… You have a long life ahead of you…" I heard the Hokage's voice slowly fade away as the two of us fell asleep…