Hey there, all you wonderful people who are reading this! I redid the first chapter because I realized my first attempt was, quite frankly, a mega-fail. This is very short, so it's actually kind of like a prologue. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own some stuff, but sadly, Naruto isn't one of them. *sob*

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Once upon a time-

Ok, I know. I know you're probably clicking the exit button right now. You're probably thinking, I don't want to read a crappy once-upon-a-time story. But please bear with me, for a while.

Once upon a time, there was a midwife. Now you're probably thinking, Ew. I don't want to read a story about a midwife. But this isn't a story about a midwife. Heck, she's only in the first chapter. No, this is a story about the girl the midwife raised. This is the story about me. And my story begins now.

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"So this is the girl?" The dark-haired man sniffed distastefully at the little bundle cradled in the midwife's arms. There was a dark aura in the air, complementing the stuffy hospital smell.

Something was wrong.

"She's not making any sound," the midwife whispered, gazing anxiously at the baby. Usually, when they were born, they were born crying, screaming, and the like. This one was silent. That was usually a bad thing because it meant…well, it meant that the baby was dead.

The man lit a cigarette and took a long drag on it. The hospital didn't allow smoking, but that was the least of their troubles right now.

"I don't want it. It is not useful if it is dead," he spat.

"Sir, I understand," the midwife consoled, mistaking his indifference for sorrow. "You just need to wait for your wife to-"

"She's not my wife," he interrupted. "And since there is nothing for me to do now, I will be leaving."

The midwife gazed at the frail woman lying on the bed, still knocked out by the drugs. The man was starting to leave.

"Sir, then are you the father?" she questioned, turning back to the man.

"I think so."

"Then who is this woman?"

"...I…don't know."

-/-

Once the man left, the midwife didn't know what to do. Still carrying the baby in her arms, she sunk down to the floor. It had been a rough day on her. So overwhelming was her self-pity that she hardly felt it when the baby in her arms kicked her in the stomach.

There was no mistaking it the second time. Slowly, she looked at her, trying not to get too excited. She could have been hallucinating, after all…

When the baby kicked the third time, the midwife knew she didn't imagine it. Partly because the kick was accompanied by loud wailing. And partly because it kind of hurt.

Sobbing with relief, the midwife clutched the baby closer to her. The mother hadn't woken up yet, so the midwife happily waited for her. But sadly, she was going to have to wait for a long time because the mother had been losing a lot of blood. She had lost so much blood, that slowly, she died.

-/-

When the midwife found out, she was aghast. Wringing her hands while the professionals took care of the woman, she wished she could find the father and tell him that the baby was alright. She couldn't figure out who he was. She checked the records and files countless times, but there was no trace of him. It was very strange.

The midwife was not heartless enough to leave the baby at an orphanage to fend for herself, so she decided to take her in.

"I've always wanted a child," she murmured, for she had recently lost her husband to disease before she could bear any children.

She kept the baby. She named her Mikomi.

Hope.

-/-

Soo...How was that? Any better than my first attempt? Please review and tell me what you think!

Her Royal Majesty,

The Chocolate Queen xoxo