Chapter 1

I locked eyes with her light blue ones, determined to win. Hers remained wide open, refusing to back down. I needed a trump card. Ever so slowly, I stuck out my tongue and touched my nose. My little sister lit up with laughter, eyes scrunching shut. I laughed in victory, ruffling her thin, but long mane of blonde hair.

"Kaa-chan," I called. "Ino-chan lost a battle with me. You have to give her back now."

"Inoue," Mama said, glaring at me over her shoulder as she put the finishing touches on her bun and shook out her blue and white yukata. "For the last time: Ino-chan is ours. We will not be giving her back to the hospital."

I pouted prettily, until Daddy came in the room, his long blond ponytail braided neatly for the occasion. He picked me up and threw me lightly into the air. I squealed, blushing prettily as he showered my face with kisses. Shifting me onto one arm, he drew Mama into free arm, pecking her on the cheek.

"Is Inoue-chan giving you trouble Tomoyo?"

"No she's not," Mama said with a chuckle, flicking me on my nose. "Just being a bit of brat. She still wants to take Ino back to the hospital."

"It'll be fine. It's just a phase she's going through. It's not like she doesn't adore her."

Mama sighed, and moved to pick up Ino from her crib. "I suppose you're right." She turned her attention to me. "Are you ready to go to Itachi-kun's birthday party?"

I clapped my hands. "Yes Kaa-chan!"

This was the first time Itachi had invited me to his home. I was hoping we'd get to compare our baby siblings and maybe play a prank on his multitude of older cousins. Before left out the house, Mama warned me not get my pretty grey yukata messed up. I promised I wouldn't and we were soon on our way to the Uchiha compounds.

It's amazing how easy it is for a six year old to disappear in a party of adults. An hour into the party, and I'd yet to see hide or tail of Itachi. The adults were hobnobbing, showing off their children and talking about politics and medicine and skirmishes with Kumogakure and Kirigakure. I was thoroughly bored. There weren't a lot of kids in our age group in the first place, and Hana was at her house since her mama and Itachi's father had an argument last month and had yet to make up with one another.

I eyed the attending clan members with a vague interest as I tried to find my missing friend. Uncle Shikaku and Uncle Chouza were both here, as was Lord Hiashi and his brother Lord Hizashi. They were talking with the Lord Hokage and Lord Uchiha. Lady Mikoto was gossiping with my mother and Aunt Momoko and Aunt Yoshino, who were all showing off their new children. Lady Biwako was gently speaking with the Lady Hyuugas, who looked vaguely uncomfortable outside of their clan compounds. Hinata was gumming the sleeve of her mama's yukata, while Neji looked vaguely sleepy. Perhaps it was a little past his nap time?

Considering that Itachi was no where to be found, I walked around the side of the house. There he was, sitting quietly on the veranda, feet idly kicking up dust. I rolled my eyes. I had walked over here twice already, and he hadn't been there either time. I plopped down next to him, nudging his shoulder with mine.

"What's wrong birthday boy?"

"Chichi-ue wants for me to attend the Academy next spring," He rested his head on my shoulder. Despite being almost six months older than me, I was already taller than him. I had a feeling I would take after Daddy in terms of height. "I'm not sure if I would like to be a shinobi."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to make blood fall like it did in the war," he said.

I gently rested my head atop his. Although we were allegedly in peacetime now, neither of us really knew what that meant. Our fathers had spent plenty of time out on the borders during the war, and even now we had shinobi on the borders. As the heirs of two major clans, we couldn't afford ignorance. Certainly we knew more than one would commonly expect of children our age.

"What if you became an iryou-nin?" I asked. "Senju Tsunade-sama is the greatest iryou-nin in the world, and one of the best ninja in the world. I'm sure an Uchiha could be even better."

"Maybe," he allowed. "Tell me another 'before' story? You promised to give me another one on my birthday, and you already told Hana-san one for her birthday."

"Alright," I said. "What kind of story?"

He was quiet. He opened his mouth, and then seemed to change his mind. "Tell me how Ana-san met her husband."

I smiled gently, and allowed myself to sink into those bittersweet memories. Telling Itachi of my rebirth had probably been one of my better ideas. I couldn't imagine being reincarnated the way I was without him and Hana at my side. Then, in as soft a voice as I could manage, I told him how Ana and Mark became friends years before they got married, on a large academy for grown ups. Itachi was good enough to ignore the tears that wet the top of his head.

[Edited: 11/3/2014]

Author's Notes: Hello readers. I've been taken with the recent trend of SI/OC reincarnation fictions out there. I decided to take a gander at it. I've been particularly influenced by "Dreaming of Sunshine" by Silver Queen, and "Deja vu no Jutsu" by Vixen Tail. Not sure where I'll be going with this, but it'll be more in vignettes than in proper chapters.

Chapters will be kept fairly short. 900 to 1500 words, as necessary to explain each event.