Akane was never really an ideal person to choose to become a mother, well at least that's what most people who knew her thought, but then Akane apparently found some maternal instincts and decided to clean up her act, taking on her responsibilities as a mother.

Mostly at least. A castle can't be made in one day after all.

She didn't quit her job, but she did stop consuming too much liquor and smoking less. That was a feat in itself. And despite her job, she wasn't in the least neglecting. From morning till just after the sun sets she stays by Shirona's side, reading a book while looking over her well behaved baby. Then when she had to work, she would call in that boy who helped her reach Shirona in time, and he would babysit Shirona for her.

In fact, he practically lived with Akane and Shirona, seeing as he often stayed over at the mother-daughter duo's rundown apartment.

All in all, despite the shaky start on Akane's journey to motherhood, and the fatherless household, Shirona had a pretty normal babyhood.

Except Shirona wasn't a normal baby, something which an amateur mother like Akane was dense about.

It wasn't until a rare Sunday morning, when Akane was out grocery shopping alone that she bumped into someone that she hadn't seen for months.

Mikoto Uchiha.

"Akane-san, it's been a long time." Mikoto politely smiled.

Akane nodded, still surprised about the sudden encounter and feeling quite awkward without Kushina there, and took in Mikoto's appearance. It seemed like Mikoto hadn't slept for days, despite the smile the Uchiha matriarch had. The most eye catching detail about Mikoto would be that she was carrying a baby.

"Mikoto-san," Akane nodded politely, "How have you been?"

Akane could feel some people glancing at them, some casting suspicious looks at Mikoto. Everyone knew that the Uchiha clan was being suspected as the culprits for the incident that happened two years ago. Even Akane herself suspected that it was an Uchiha.

Not Mikoto though, because Akane couldn't believe that the woman in front of her would kill her own best friend.

If Mikoto was surprised that Akane chose to keep the conversation going, then she didn't show it. "I've been stressed lately." The woman admitted quietly.

"Oh?"

"Sasuke-chan's always crying. But I suppose you know how babies are, always crying."

Akane blinked. "Yes, yes they are." She quietly said, lying straight to Mikoto's face.

'Babies cry a lot?'

Yeah, Akane really didn't know much about babies. She did know however that her daughter, Shirona, has never ever cried before.

"Well, I feel bad about cutting our conversation so short, but I really need to get going now." Mikoto apologetically said.

"I'll see you around then."

Somehow the smile that Mikoto gave her seemed more genuine. "I'd like that."

.o0o.o0o.

Shirona knew she wasn't normal.

She had memories, which didn't belong to her, stuck inside her head. These memories were what made her not normal. These memories were what made her what she was today. They also made her feel sorry for the person the memories belonged to, after all the person had a sad life.

Shirona also knew her mother didn't want her at the start.

She wasn't sure exactly what changed, but her mother came back for her. Shirona still held on to the fear that one day her mother would wake up and abandon her all over again.

Shirona knew she lived in a world, which was considered fictional somewhere out there in the vast universe, or alternative realities, or such.

Her world was the same as the strange show the person in her memories would watch. A world revolving around a boy her age, Naruto Uzumaki, right?

Shirona didn't know why she was born.

Logically speaking, "Shirona" should be dead, shouldn't she? And the person was supposed to be in control of Shirona's body right?

Shirona wasn't sure about her role in life.

She was sure normal babies shouldn't be thinking complicated stuff like that.

"Shiro, you're staring at the wall again."

Shirona blinked, shifting her focus towards Hayate, a "character" from the fictional world the person used to watch, but to Shirona, this man was her godfather, as young as he was.

Shirona would freely admit she was very fond of Hayate. Perhaps she was more fond of Hayate than her own mother.

"Well, how about a story?" Hayate suggested.

Shirona nodded, her expression not even shifting.

.o0o.o0o.

Akane noticed it the day after her encounter with Mikoto.

It was subtle. But it was there. Shirona was wary of her, always glancing at the door when she was around, as if Shirona suspected that she would just walk out of her life.

Akane felt guilty for that.

"Shirona-chan…" Akane mumbled as Shirona glanced at the door for the tenth time, "I'm not leaving, okay?"

Shirona's eyes snapped towards her. Their similar sharp eyes staring at each other. Shirona searching for something, and after a moment it seemed like she found it, because she mutely nodded.

The simple action made Akane feel so relieved. "I love you." The words slipped past Akane's lips easily, even though it was the first time she's said them.

Shirona seemed taken aback, but then she opened her mouth to say her first words.

"Okaa-san, I love you."

Akane's eyes widened at the declaration. "Shirona…" She smiled taking her child in her arms, hugging her. "You said your first words."

Shirona nodded in Akane's arms, suddenly feeling tired for some reason.

It was odd.

Shirona was never out of energy.

"Shirona?"

Shirona wondered why everything suddenly seemed so dark. It was scary.

"Shirona!"

Shirona also wondered why her mother raised her voice, her mother never does that.

"Hayate, help!"

Shirona's eyes closed.

.o0o.o0o.

"She's going to be alright, right?" The geisha desperately asked the medic-nin in front of her.

"Yes, of course. It seemed like she just fainted."

Akane's shoulders relaxed. Relief overflowed her entire system.

"In fact, you can go in to see her right now. As soon as she wakes up, she's okay to go home."

Akane nodded, murmuring a thank you to the medic she entered the room her daughter was staying in.

Seeing Shirona sleeping so peacefully made Akane realize something.

'Children are fragile, aren't they? Physically and emotionally.'

Shirona's eyelids slowly opened, her wine red eyes apathetically staring at the ceiling. "I see…"

Akane didn't hear Shirona say that.

.o0o.o0o.

Shirona was dying.

Or rather, she was never real to begin with. Just a temporary personality before the main one kicked in.

Shirona didn't even have a role in life. Shirona didn't really feel anything to this fact. Everything felt real to her, even if she was a fake.

"Shirona, don't you dare scare me like that again."

Shirona felt two arms wrap around her, and it felt real.

"Okaa-san…" Shirona murmured returning her mother's embrace.

They didn't let go.

Shirona was a mature child. Or fake. She knew that now her role was over, and that her time was fading. Soon enough, "Shirona" would cease to exist. And nobody would notice. It made her relieved, because then nobody would have to grief for her.

But….before she went away forever, she had something to do.

"Okaa-san? Do you love me?"

"Of course, I love you, so, so much." Her mother assured her in a soft tone. "You're my precious daughter."

Shirona nodded, a serious look on her feature. "Okaa-san? Will you love Shiro-chan forever?"

Her mother nodded, "Forever and always."

For the first time in her life Shirona smiled, "I'm tired." She mumbled as her eyes began closing, her job was finished. Shirona was simply happy with the fact that the person could have a chance to live a happier life filled with love.

'Shiro-chan, be happy.'

She closed her eyes.

Unbeknownst to everyone around her, Shirona was gone.

Shiro opened her eyes.

.o0o.o0o.

Chapter End

.o0o.o0o.

Author's Note: That's it for today, I guess? I know it would have been better if I focused more into the whole "Shirona" fake personality thing, but it would have taken too much time. So I hope it wasn't hard to understand what happened in this chapter.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!

Question time~!

1. Did you expect Hayate to be the boy from the first chapter?

2. What do you think Shiro will specialize in as a shinobi?