〇二 | lily (innocence)

The first word that my parents heard me speak was, naturally, in a horrifically adorable and high-pitched squeal, "Kaa-chan!"

Hinoiri gasped and gushed, "Yes, Kurenai, I'm your Kaa-chan, you got it right!" and rushed over to wrap her arms around me in a snuggly embrace. She shot Yoruo a smug look and loudly declared, "She loves me more than you," before tickling me incessantly, "Don't you, Kure-chan? You do, don't you?"

I giggled uncontrollably at my nerves firing off like crazy while my father crossed his arms sulkily. He looked so pathetic in that moment that I took pity on the guy and squirmed in my mother's arms, trying to disentangle myself while holding my tiny little hands out.

"Tou-chan?" I put on my cutest pouty face which would have melted the hearts of even the most unfeeling of men.

Yoruo's expression instantly split into a wide beam and he scooped me up, hugging me to his chest and softly nuzzled me with his cheek. My older conscience was evilly laughing its ass off at the sheer manipulation that my toddler self could successfully inflict upon others even without genjutsu. With my puppy dog eyes and to-die-for pout, I was invincible.

"That's my girl," he said softly into my hair, kissing the top of my head. "Kurenai the little genius."

My heart swelled with pride at my father's words of praise but my rational mind was screaming, "THEY'RE ONTO YOU."

My first words were actually not my parents' titles. I had merely staged that perfect little act just to indulge them because they certainly deserved it with all of the effort they put into raising me. Before that, I had been desperately trying to speak coherently on my own, in English. I was babbling to myself constantly and testing my own speech ability, taking note of the progression of my vocal folds' development. In the early stages, I simply had no motor control over my mouth, tongue and lips and it was frustrating as fuck. Imagine not being able to vocalise yourself when your thoughts were completely intact. I felt like an aphasic brain-damaged patient who could think perfectly well and it almost made me lose my freakin' mind.

Over time, I had gradually gained some amount of control and could manipulate a few sounds successfully which eventually came out as proper words. My speech was slow and incredibly strained at first but I began to speak fluently soon enough, much to my joy and relief that I could finally talk. Hinoiri had caught me speaking perfect English once and had simply dismissed it as gibberish.

I was only seven months old and had already said my first words according to my parents, when in reality, I had started talking at six months, having deliberately delayed revealing my newfound ability. I had no idea when developmental milestones were for infants so I was basically stumbling my way through a deception of trying not to appear as too ridiculously intelligent. It was a dangerous game to play but it was necessary for my own benefit. My life actually depended on it because I really didn't want to be recognised as a prodigy and be forced to enrol into the force early.

"Oh my god, the time!" my mother exclaimed before taking me from Yoruo. "I'm going to show you something wonderful, Kurenai."

Hinoiri hurriedly strode out of the backdoor of the house and into the evening air of the lush garden where her greenhouse sat outside. I had learned early on that she was not a housewife after all but was a botanist who cultivated some of her specimens in our amazing backyard which was practically a miniature botanical garden. It was extensive enough to be divided into separate sections for different flora. Multicoloured beds of flowers adorned the floor in various appropriate areas around the greenhouse and there was even a small pond to one side.

Red waterlilies protruded from their stems upon the water's surface amongst floating lily pads. They were largely in full bloom and stood out brilliantly even in the dark. Hinoiri walked towards the pond and crouched down next to the water's edge, holding me in her lap.

"See those flowers in the water over there?" she pointed to the waterlilies. "That's a nymphaea but most people call them waterlilies. Now, this kind is commonly called a red flare water lily."

There was another thing that I was grateful for about my parents; they only occasionally used baby talk when addressing me and spoke normally most of the time. They thought that it would encourage my supposedly gifted intelligence and hell, I wasn't complaining. The fact that I could comprehend almost everything they said was something that they definitely didn't need to know about. More advanced words still escaped my comprehension and weren't in my known vocabulary such as the technical jargon that my mother was spouting at the moment but I could still get the gist of what she was saying.

"Red flares don't appear in the wild. They're cultivars, which mean that they were specifically bred to produce certain qualities. They only bloom at night, like it is right now. Aren't they beautiful?" Hinoiri oozed with enthusiasm at her botany lesson.

Absentmindedly, I nodded in agreement. They certainly were.

"You don't understand anything that I'm saying right now," she said, as I inwardly snorted. "But these flowers are very special to me…"

"Kaa-chan?" I squeaked for good measure.

Hinoiri smiled radiantly and stood back up again. "You were named after those flowers, Kure-chan. A deep red… 'crimson', just like red flare water lilies. Having your father's eyes only made the name more appropriate."

I would remember that moment throughout the rest of my life as the faint, sweet scent of the red flares punctuated the night air while my mother held me. She pecked my forehead and we went back towards the house where my father was waiting at the door for us.

Yoruo took me into his arms and said, referring to both his wife and daughter, "I love you."

My parents shared a loving kiss while I buried my face in his shirt, grinning like Christmas morning had arrived. I was too happy to even be embarrassed at the sight of their intimate moment.

Playing house with the Yuuhi family was a simple distraction for the many pressing issues swarming around not only in my head but many of which were grounded in the reality that was thrust upon me. Nothing like the looming presence of war shattered such an illusion of domestic bliss and innocence.

Yaruo tucked me into bed and shut the door behind him but I heard his words as clear as day.

"I'm being drafted back to Suna."

I sat up in my cot clutching my blanket with my heart battering my ribcage. No… this can't be what was I thought it was.

"They can't do this!" my mother cried. "I had to go through that pregnancy alone, Yoruo! How can you leave us now? What about Kurenai? What would happen if—?"

"We both knew that this would happen sooner or later," he cut her off bluntly. "We're being slaughtered over there. My comrades, my friends are out there, risking their lives for Konohagakure while I'm sitting here idly, doing nothing to contribute! They have their own families too, Hinoiri. I have to go back…"

I shut my eyes tightly and pulled the covers over my head, having heard enough. The Second Shinobi World War… how could I forget such a significant event?! Shit… shit, shit, shit! Suffocating underneath the sheets, I threw the covers off and gasped for air. I had to calm myself down and focus on… logic. Ah, good old logic, my reliable buddy.

It was time for some rational thinking. First of all, I knew that Yoruo was not going to die during the war, since he was alive and well during the Kyuubi attack. Now, I had put my faith in the belief that all the events in canon would most certainly occur without any intervention. This was a semi-safe assumption and only time would tell if my mere presence had altered anything in the timeline. Secondly, the war. The Sannin would rise up after being the only ones to survive Hanzo and Hatake Sakumo will kill Sasori's parents and become even more renowned as the White Fang… what about the Ame orphans and the establishment of the Akatsuki? Nothing much would come of them if Obito and Rin survive, hopefully. It would be a cold day in hell before I allow for Rin to die and fuck up all of my plans, therefore practically dooming everyone.

Okay, so no major loss there from what we know of in the manga, aside from possible thousands in war casualties… man, I was such an asshole to pick and choose who to save but I was only one person and could only do so much from what little knowledge I had. Que sera sera and I was so going to hell, wasn't I?

"What to do now…" I muttered to myself in English, staring up at the bedroom ceiling. "I have to get close to Asuma early, just for the sake of having some connection to the Sandaime… yeah, that's right. I'll have to get my parents to arrange some play dates with the little brat in the future. And Kakashi—"

The door creaked open and I immediately shut up. Yoruo wearily approached the crib and I started to inconspicuously gurgle like any ordinary baby.

"Tou-chan!" I cooed, reaching out my arms.

"Kurenai," he sighed, picking me up. "Your Otousan has to go away for a while… but I'll be back very soon, okay?"

Stroking my hair, Yoruo kissed the side of my head. "I promise you, Kurenai. We will end this war and I will return to both you and your mother."

Clutching his shirt tightly, I made a mental vow. I won't let anything happen to you, Yoruo. Not on my second goddamn life.

My father left at dawn the very next day while I was still asleep. Hinoiri, still distraught at her husband's leave, saw this as an opportunity to throw herself back into her work at Konoha's herbarium. Meanwhile, I was left in the care of a genin team in the form of a D-rank mission.

"You've met Inoichi-kun, Shikaku-kun and Chouza-kun before, haven't you? Well, these nice shinobi are going to take care of you while I go to work, Kure-chan," she explained. "Be good for them, okay?"

Hinoiri turned to the Inoichi and said, "Your geraniums are ready for cutting. Say hello to your mother for me, will you?"

The blond grinned in response. "Okaasan will be pleased. Thank you again, Yuuhi-san!"

Handing me to the Akimichi, my mother smiled and waved, "Bye-bye, Kure-chan! Kaa-chan will be back later today!"

Hinoiri disappeared out of the front door and I was left with a rather unimpressed team of genin.

"Aww man, I hate babysitting!" whined Inoichi. "I'm sick of these D-ranks. When can we get a real mission, huh?"

Shikaku grumbled, "I know, right? Brats are so troublesome… especially ones which tug on your hair," he glared at me and I smiled back sweetly.

"I dunno, I think she's kind of cute," said Chouza, examining my tiny hand with his large fingers.

I grabbed hold of his thumb and giggled. You shall be rewarded for your kindness, my good sir.

"You're such a sap, Chouza," said Inoichi.

"Shut up."

Inoichi moved into the garden while Shikaku lounged on the living room couch, reading a book on deer. Chouza, however, fulfilled the role of babysitter perfectly and read to me while devouring a packet of barbeque chips.
"And the Silent Hurricane defeated all of the bad Amegakure ninjas with his wind jutsu," Munch, munch… gulp. "He was then hailed as a hero for his determination and dedication to the village. The end!"

He shut the horrid book and smiled. "Wasn't that a good story?"

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. If blatant indoctrination started this early in Konoha, it was no wonder that no one lifted eyebrows at the ethical violations the Council committed. Nobody cared to even investigate the most suspicious of individuals in this village. Sick fucks like Danzo and Orochimaru who got away with their underground schemes for so long served as perfect examples of this village's failings. Were there no ethical review boards in this universe at all?!

Chouza sighed. "You're fun to play with, Kurenai-chan but I really wish that I were out there fighting in the war."
Okay, that was so it. I could no longer stand the nauseating nationalism and open disregard for one's own welfare. These were children, for reason's sake, who were willing to throw away their lives for some corrupt regime. Fuck this shit, this was not on.

"You're a stupid dumbass!" I spat out in English. "You're all brainwashed, every single one of you. Don't you realise what they've done to you? They've turned you into child soldiers who are incapable of independent thought! Do you have no sense of self-preservation? Fucking hell, this universe makes me sick."

The Akimichi looked stunned. "Are you trying to talk to me in baby language?"

"Fuck your face, I'm speaking English, you twat! You know, a legitimate language? But no, you wouldn't know, would you? Nobody fucking knows that I'm not from this godforsaken world and that I'm an eighteen year old…" I furrowed my brow, retracting the thought. "No, wait, a nineteen year old stuck in a pathetic little baby's body. Yeah."

Shikaku had finally torn his attention away from his book and looked at me curiously.

"You're a special little one, aren't you?"

I growled at him, "Define 'special'."

The Nara boy narrowed his eyes. "I know that you can completely understand me, brat. Dumbing down is unbecoming of you."

Pfft, as if anyone would believe him.

"Quit it, Shikaku," chided Chouza. "You shouldn't speak to her like that. She's just a baby! Of course she can't understand you!"

"Chouza," he said flatly. "Trust me on this when I say that she is not who she appears to be," Shikaku directed his gaze back towards me. "Why don't you speak our language, you imposter?"

"Shikaku!" Chouza gasped.

"C'mon, why don't you show yourself for who you really are?" my own personal interrogator snarled in my face while I made an interesting observation of his young, unscarred face. "Whose agent are you? Ame? Suna? Tell me—"

And with that, I burst out crying, screaming hysterically, "Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan!"

Chouza quickly swept me up in his arms, patting my back and frantically trying to placate my distress.

"What were you thinking?" he hissed to his teammate. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"She was clearly talking in a foreign language! Some sort of secret code, most likely," Shikaku protested.

Inoichi burst onto the scene in a state of panic, still wearing dirt-covered gloves while holding onto a pair of pruning shears.

"I heard screaming. What the hell happened?"

I observed the disastrous fallout with absolute glee. Now this was entertainment. The pair were ganging up on poor Shikaku who was still standing his ground.

"Do you want us to fail a freaking D-rank mission?" snarled Inoichi, looking mightily threatening while wielding the sharp gardening implement in one hand.

"I am not an idiot," he said slowly. "Quite the opposite, actually, I'm a fucking ge—"

"Not in front of the kid!" Chouza covered my delicate little ears with his hands.

Oh, god. My insides were in stitches. This was priceless. I was shaking in Chouza's arms, trying to contain myself before failing and breaking out into raucous laughter.

The three genin stopped arguing to stare at me incredulously.

I clapped my hands in amusement. "More, more, more!"

Shikaku groused, "I told you she was evil."

"You're freaking crazy, Nara," Inoichi rolled his eyes.

Things settled down by the end of the day with Shikaku shooting me suspicious glares every so often. Hinoiri came home from work just before dinnertime to which I cried out, "Kaa-chan!" upon her arrival.
Chouza handed me to back to my rightful place in my mother's arms and I snuggled into her blouse, burbling softly.

"Thank you for taking care of Kure-chan, boys," Hinoiri smiled gratefully. "I'm sure everything was fine?"

"Yep," Inoichi piped up, lying through his teeth. "Nothing happened at all."
"It was completely uneventful," Chouza quickly agreed. "Kurenai-chan was very enjoyable and agreeable to look after."

"That's good to hear," my mother said. "I'm looking forward to seeing you all again very soon."

The Yamanaka held up a bucket full of freshly cut germaniums as he exited the house. "Thanks again for the flowers!"

I stuck my tongue out at Shikaku as he left through the front door and he eyed me with a look that said, "I'll be watching you."

It seemed as if I still had some time left for fun in this universe.

A/N: Yuuhi means "evening sun", so I decided to follow on from that theme. Yoru is "evening" or "night" and I added the male suffix of "-o" to make it more of a legitimate name. Hinoiri means "sunset". Hinoiri as a botanist seemed to make sense as a lot of Kurenai's genjutsu incorporated floral elements and I figured that it could have been from her mother's influence.

To the anon who brought up Asuma's older brother: The Naruto wikia doesn't say anything about it but from fan consensus, apparently, there is evidence of Asuma mentioning that he had an older brother in some obscure manga page… so I've corrected that in the first chapter. Thanks for pointing that out!

Thank you all for your reviews, faves and alerts. You guys have no idea how encouraging it is for me to know that others want to read my writing!