In Another Life

I'd died young once and let me tell you I have no intentions of doing it . I just wanted a nice uninteresting life. However it seems fate has different plans. It's rather hard keeping my head on my shoulders when there are ninja's ready to rip mine off. Pre-Kohonaha.

I was born into a relatively small yet well off family.

Two girls.

One boy.

Both parents.

I never quite realized how I fortunate I was until years many in those times were so fortunate as to have their whole family survive the war for so long. My brother, Akane, was the oldest yet by some horrible twist of fate was also the was born sickly and my father had (unfairly) blamed on superstition and by extension our Mother had forgotten to pray to the Goddesses of fertility or she drank the wrong tea at the wrong time. Who knew? People had crazy beliefs back then but ,of course, I knew had little to do with science.

As a result, Akane was very sheltered and was rarely allowed to go outside for very long. Something he loudly complained about when Megumi, and I were sent out to market. He rarely missed a chance to guilt trip either of us whenever he could.

"It's still not fair", he sighed loudly in frustration as both Megumi and I tried to prepare for the trip. It was way too early for this but our brother was determined to get his tantrum in before we left.

Akane tried his best to get a rise out of either of us by falling all over the mats like the big baby he was as we tried to put up our futons. Megumi giggled while I blew air from my mouth in frustration.

"Quit complaining. You're not the one that has to walk freaking miles just to get into town, Akane," I huffed as I shoved my brother with my shoulder sending us both rolling on the futon. Of course I was careful not to actually hurt him or sit on him. Despite him being three years older than me he was still under weight and he bruised quite easily if we weren't careful. Akane gasped as the wind was knocked out of him despite how gentle I tried to still wrestled me down as his breath became a bit more ragged than usual.

"Says the fat need a bit of excercise!"

My ears went hot as I struggled to throw him off at his teasing and I felt pressure on my back as his hands pushed me down.I flailed.
"Really, Akane. I thought Natsumi was suppose to be the baby of the family", Megumi,the middle child, scoffed at our antics as Akane grabbed a hold of my hair and was always the voice of reason between us and usually acted as she didn't seem to care too much. I growled in response, gripped his his bony little arm with my free hand, pulled it closer to my mouth, and stuck my tongue out.I made sure to make the lick extra proceeded was a loud 'ew' and a light smack upside the back of my head.

"You're so disgusting, Natusmi!I thought you were a girl?!"

"Yeah, I could say the same for yo-Ow!"

Another smack came before my brother finally got off of me. His cheeks were rosy from just that little bit of roughhousing but his grin was coughed a bit but seemed happy . Akane hated to be treated like he was some type of fragile glass instead of the boy he was. I was the only one who tended to oblige him in his play. So it seemed mission 'get Akane to shut up' was a success. I rubbed the back of my head and glared back in jest.

"What kind of brother abuses their sister,"I hissed.

"The kind with annoying ones."

"Hey! You don't abuse, Gumi,"I countered as I brought our sister into the argument.

"Are you trying to say I'm annoying?"

I couldn't see her face but practically hear her bristling. There was an under lying threat to her words.

I feigned innocence as I quickly tried to exit out of her range of to be safe than sorry.

"Of course not dear sister.I would never say something like that," I was already inching towards the door and for good reason too. Megumi's lungs actually worked and she could be pretty her being tall and all...

"But", I continued slowly as I mosied towards the door, pausing for dramatic effect to I look over my shoulder.

"I will definitely imply i- ack !"

Megumi's hand was already on the pillow before I even had time to leave the wasn't fooled by my antics. I squawked as I felt the pillow hit the back of my head.

...Did I mention she had pretty good aim too?

As I nursed the back of my head, Mother came into our bedroom looking a bit worst for wear. It seemed she hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. I wasn't had been gone for quite a while eyes were tired as she looked at the mess we made of our bedroom. I smiled up at her nervously.

"Morning Mama,"I yipped brightly, pouring every ounce of seven year old charm into my adorable little face.

Mother tousled her dark red hair, the same color as Akane's, and yawned.

"It's too early for your antics children,"she said simply as she bent over to smooth my hair down. Her gentle fingers were cool against my skin as she held my face between her hands to steady me as she placed a kiss on my forehead. As shepulled away, I could see her peering over my head, probably in Akane's direction. She noted his disheveled appearance and tutted. Quickly she flicked me around the ears. Not enough to hurt, mind you, but enough to let me know that she knew. Her expression was a mixture of annoyance and 'd been telling us this for years.

"And how many times do I have to tell you not to fight your brother?You are a young lady, not a boy. And you too ,Akane. She's your little sister and should be treated as such!"

I grinned sheepishly at being scolded, and rubbed the ear she had flicked. I didn't mention that it wasn't much of a fight and instead apologized.

"Sorry Mama," my brother and I chorused together as Mother went to work, picking up the pillow that Megumi had thrown at me. I imagined Megumi doing something smug like sticking her tongue out at us as if to say 'I told ya so' when ,in fact ,she had told us nothing. I knew I was right when I saw Akane flick our sister on her shoulder when Mother wasn't looking. Mother sighed as if she had seen the act anyway even though she was clearly engrossed in folding our sheets.

"Come now, if you want breakfast ou better have your room cleaned," Mother commanded," it should be finished by the time you're finished washing means you too, Akane."

Mother gave our brother a stern look before she exited our small bedroom, leaving us to finish up.

Akane made a face and pouted.

I stuck my tongue out.

"Ha!"

Victory!

Another pillow hit me in the face.

Genetics plays a very weird part in this world, I thought not for the first time as I twirled a piece of my hair around my finger as I stared into the reflection of the water. We were by the river, preparing for our bath. Something that still made me long for indoor the fact that it hadnt been invented yet.

Akane was a bit farther than either of us, sitting under one of the trees while he waited for us to finish up before he would take his bath. Such a gentleman.
Megumi sighed as she sank into the water. Her pink hair floating around her like a weird sort of cloud. Unlike my hair color, her's was softer shade of pink that complimented her eyes very well.

Her familiar blue eyes gazed at me as I stared curiously at my refection and tugged thoughtfully on my strawberry pink hair. My eyes darted from my reflection to her face as the cogs in my brain wheeled. Memories of long forgotten lectures about biology and Punnet's square surfaced. It was all bullshit here. How my sister and I ended up with pink hair was beyond me?

Megumi hummed gently, as she usually did, sending a soothing vibe in the morning air. In another world,I could have recorded her voice and posted it online. We'd make millions within days with the right amount of marketing.

I smiled at the thought as I slipped into the water, cringing at the cool temperature and started to shiver.I quickly tried to warm up by doing a backstroke but that failed as soon as i started. Megumi quickly caught me as I nearly drowned.I never could do the backstroke in my other life either.

"Idiot,"she huffed as she thumped my back hard enough that the water I'd swallowed came up.

I winced at the impact.

"Kay, .Stop!"

Megumi did as I asked bfore gripping me by the shoulders, forcing me still.

"I'll wash your back. Alright?"

I nodded as my sister proceeded to wash me of grime. I glanced around our surroundings, taking in the silence and heat of the was summer after all. It was a perfect day for washing. The house we resided in was relatively isolated . We had a few neigbors but they were a good ways away on foot. Megumi's humming turned into low key singing as I stared up at the sky. The blue reminded me of Father's eyes and for a time I thought of him.

Stern and tall.

Dark and mysterious.

Yet on occasion when he did smile, like really smile,it could light up a room. Almost seven years and I still wasn't sure what to think of my own father. From him there was a sense of security, of sometimes he could be my mixed feelings of him, I did miss my had been gone for almost a month now.I wasn't exactly sure what he did that took so much time away from us but I was sure it was not good.

I sighed as Megumi tapped my shoulder, handing me her rag so it was my turn to wash her back. I was a good few inches shorter than my sister so I could only stare at her mid back as I scrubbed between her shoulder blades. The question popped out of my mouth before I really had time to think about it.

"What exactly does Father do?"

A/N: Go figure that I'd start doing fan-fiction again just as the manga is about to well. Viva La Vi NARUTO! Lol.

So yeah, I've had this idea(as well as a few others for a while) but I was so indecisive about what to with this one.

At first I wanted it to be Dimension Jumping, mixed with time travel, Itachi and self inset which would then lead up to an AU BUT I thought that would be too I'll still do it but meh. It seemed like a good idea when I was at work .lol.

I'll have another that will be GaaraxOC. That will be up...eventually.

Another that will be another that will be (girl gets thrown into Naruto, yada yada all that jazz)

So this one is my reincarnated fic set in the the first few chapters it will be more character driven, instead of plot driven. It may turn into rated M later on