Woooooooooooow, I'm loving you guys so much right now. Internet cookies don't taste as good as the real thing, BUT HAVE ONE ANYWAYS! :)

I really suck at writing author's notes so... yeah... O_o

Enjoy! Review, if you want to... you know, no pressure...

*coughs awkwardly*

ONWARDS!

My back hurt.

Why does my back hurt?
Come to think of it, shouldn't everything hurt right now?

Why should anything hurt at all?
Oh… right. I was a lab rat for some sick weirdo. And I was lying down on a hard surface. Hopefully not the steel gurney again. I hated that thing. I hated the cold cell even more, but my fri- cellmate made it bearable.

Where am I? Who knows? I can't see a damn thing anyways. It's dark, I suppose.

My lips quirked before I slapped my hands onto my face, the sound of flesh on flesh reverberating through… wherever I was. It was a poor effort to try and wake myself up.

Was I sleeping?

I wasn't dead again was I?
"Kami, that sounds so weird," I said aloud, only to frown beneath my fingers. My voice sounded weird, like a mash up of my own and something else. Why was my voice weird? "What the hell is going on?"

I was pretty sure I was alone.

And talking to myself.

Wasn't that the first sign of insanity?

"Well, don't you look all chipper, Flipper," a familiar-yet-not voice answered with a hint of amusement. I was gearing up for a sassy retort – who the hell is 'Flipper?!' – when I felt a shift in my mind and my bravado left me. I was a bereft, scared, blind five year old once more with someone I didn't know – but somehow, I did know them – nearby. There was a hint of laughter and the familiarity of it made me want to cry. Not because I recognised it, but because I knew and couldn't pinpoint how I knew.

I sat up – why was I lying down? – and twisted my head left and right, my ears straining to hear the slight shift of clothing or the muffled footfalls of whoever this other person was. But there was nothing.

"Who are you?" I demanded, much to the amusement of my unfortunate company.

"I am you."
Okay. Wait, what? "Huh?"
The laughter was getting closer and that meant so was the person. I stiffened, my flight or fright response going haywire because I knew this stranger in some way but my kaa-chan had already told me to stay away from people I didn't know.

I was torn in two different directions. What the hell should I do? Make a run for it? Would this stranger let me go, or chase after me? I could tell they were an adult so catching me would be a piece of cake.

What were their intentions with a five year old blind girl, anyway?

I sure was popular all of a sudden…

"I. Am. You," repeated the voice, slower this time as if my mentality had sunk lower than my five years in the last thirty seconds.

I rolled my sightless eyes. "Heard you the first time and it still doesn't make sense."
That damned laugh again. I suppressed a growl of annoyance.

"I'm having a hard time remembering if I was that sassy when I was your age. You know, when I was five the first time around. Probably was. Probably ate glue, too. Hm, I should probably apologise to mom and dad for having to put up with me, actually."

I frowned. What the hell was this lunatic going on about? Five years old the first time around? That didn't make any sense.

"I don't understand," I mumbled. All this craziness was making my head hurt and where the hell am I?!

"No, I don't suppose you would just yet," the person replied, closer now and I could tell it was an older woman since the echoing stopped. "Can I ask you something?"

I grunted. I couldn't really stop this loon from talking anyways.

Wasn't I in a cell?
Did I get free somehow?

What was I thinking about, again?

"Ever had flashes of memories that aren't really yours?" the woman asked, sounding as if she knew the answer already. I nodded hesitantly. Where was this going? "Thought so. Well, to put it simply I wasn't lying when I said I was you. I'm just… not you. You with me so far?"

I rubbed my temples like my tou-san did whenever I annoyed him. "Kinda," I admitted. The words registered but the order didn't.

"You're a smart kid Akani," the woman said, making me stiffen. How did she know my name? There was a shuffle in front of me and suddenly there was a warm hand on top of my hand, ruffling my hair. Funnily enough I didn't shrink away from the touch.

"My name is Tia and I am, for all intents and purposes, you. But… not. I don't really understand it either but I dunno… Maybe I'm like, your conscience or something… If I am then I feel sorry for you, kid."

I blinked. This woman was Tia? The stranger who happened to be my past life, Tia? But… How was that possible?

"I have no clue," Tia replied. I must have voiced my question. Woops.

"Woops, indeed. Now, I have no idea how the hell I got here, kid, but-"

I slapped her hand away which was still ruffling my hair and glared up to where I hoped she was. "My name is Akani! A-kan-i!"

Tia snorted. "Right, my bad Akani-chan. Man, this feels so weird. Making fun of my chibi self. We don't look alike though which I guess makes sense. Different parents and whatever. Hmm…" She trailed off, obviously lost in thought and I began to think of how to rationalise the situation.

I may be young but being locked in a cell with an older boy who was far more mature than he should have been made me grow up fast. I'd always been analytical, what with the blindness and having to figure things out for myself. I assessed and gathered information differently to everyone else. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing I wasn't sure since I somehow had memories of both sight and non-sight. Sometimes I missed the colours from my dreams so much I would be crying when I woke up. What I could gather from my memories of – as – Tia, she worked with codes and technology where your thought process had to be lightning quick.

My body may have been small but my mind was sharp, even though I was a little naïve due to age. I pushed the memories of the horrible cell and week old bread away, emotionally detaching myself from the situation to observe it apathetically.

Being emotional was what got me get caught in the first place. I had run around screaming out for my mother in the aftermath of a bloody death battle and had been captured.

No. I'd learn control. Control and refinement, just like kaa-chan and tou-san taught me.

A part of me was scared of my reaction, screaming that a five year old shouldn't be acting like that but it was drowned out by my determination to act and be more adult than what I actually was.

"Maybe we have the same soul or whatever," Tia mused out loud.

I perked up. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Tia began, taking a seat opposite me. I could feel her knees brush against mine. "We don't look alike and we don't have the same parents. Hell, we don't even live in the same dimension. But here we are. My theory is that we have the same soul. I never believed in reincarnation but I guess I'm wiser in death, huh?" she chuckled dryly, making me shift awkwardly.

"So… we're different… but at the same time, we're the same?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the word 'reincarnation.'

"Yup," Tia said, popping the 'p.' "Say, what is it like having super awesome ninja powers? I was always too lazy to go outside when trying to hack into the state- never mind."

"I'm five," I deadpanned.

I didn't have much time to think about how I was talking maturely with a woman older than me. In this place I felt older and knew more than I should. I could think clearer.

That thought pattern bought me full circle. Where the hell am I?!

"Psh, as far as I know that hunk Hatake was five when he became a genin and a chunin a year later," Tia said airily.

I was confused for a moment on who exactly 'Hatake' was when a dull throb echoed in my skull, followed by a plethora of pictures and a voice of a man I didn't know but somehow I did. The knowledge seemed to flow more seamlessly, the pictures a little brighter than when I first came to realise exactly where I had been reborn. I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. The pounding wouldn't stop.

Tia leant forward to gently rub my back. It was soothing, if just a little awkward. She obviously wasn't used to comforting a child, regardless if we were the same-yet-not person.

"That memory kick-back is a bitc- I mean, a pain, huh?" Tia huffed out a laugh and I pouted. "No need to look like such a sullen Sally, little bit."
I opened my mouth to ask her if she was sane when something occurred to me. "How are you here?"
"… huh?"
"If you're… you know, dead, then how are you here? Am I still in the cell?"
"What are you talking about? We're in a blah place full of white. What are you? Blind or something?"
"Yes! I. Am. Blind!" I yelled, my voice echoing around. Honestly, did she not realise that when my eyes wouldn't focus on her or when I reacted strangely to her close presence?

"… Oh. My bad. Come to think of it, I was wondering why your eyes looked funny." I bit my tongue to stop myself from physically harming her… me. "Sorry, Akani-chan. I probably sound like a jerk but I'm just unsure of how to go about this weird… reunion thing, you know? I deal with awkward situations weirdly."
"I'll say," I mumbled quietly but I'm sure she heard me.

She ignored it. "So… about how and why I'm here, my guess is as good as yours. I think we're in limbo, the place where souls go between life and death before passing on. Maybe I'm supposed to be your guardian angel or voice of wisdom!" She giggled and clapped happily. I didn't share her enthusiasm.

"Goody."
"You're a rude little brat, you know that?" Tia said with no real heat in her words. If anything she sounded amused. "It's good to handle situations like this with an attitude like that as long as you realise when to tone down the sarcasm. Words of wisdom. I'm so smart. Now! My theory is we're both in limbo because you're so close to death, what with the messed up life-giving-energy-because-of-the-experiments thing and I'm in limbo because I haven't completed a certain task or whatever. It's usually how it's explained in the movies, anyway."
I frowned. "So… does this mean I'm…" I swallowed thickly. "Dying?" Again.

Tia laughed heartily and patted my head like I was something amusing. Then again, I probably was to her. "Heavens no. You're in a hospital in a coma right now. Come to think of it, how did I know that? Some weird juju right there. Moving on! Basically, because of your heritage you were caught up in the beginnings of the bloodline purges. From what I can guess, since Yugara the Sanbi jinchuriki was actually Mizukage and being controlled by Tobi, who by the way hasn't even become yet, my guess is that there was always a rebel faction that simply gained steam with the backing of the puppet leader. With me so far?"
"Yes." Surprisingly. Wait, Tobi was still Obito? That meant the timeline was either just before or at the start of the Third War. I was mildly surprised I wasn't hyperventilating at the thought.

My mind felt calmer, the throbbing having gone as soon as she started to talk. Maybe, somehow, Tia and I were connected on this plane, our memories and mindset merging yet remaining separate.

"Right. If I was to hazard a guess I'd say you have Uzumaki heritage, even though your hair is so dark red it looks almost black. It's actually a really pretty colour. Even more unbelievable is it's natural. My hair is just some lame mousy brown. Aw man, and I'll never be able to dye it again!"
"As fun as this conversation is can we get back on topic, please?" I asked. How was I, a five year old, so much more mature than this woman?

Tia coughed and laughed a little sheepishly. I could almost see her scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Right, right, my bad."
"Stop saying 'my bad'!"

"Sheesh, tough crowd. Right, well, as you know you're in a coma in a hospital but I don't know where exactly. Hopefully it's the Leaf village but if it's not then you need to get there as soon as possible. All this crap started well before the villages founding with the Leaf smack-dab centre but a few key players need to be noted."
"Like who?" This was getting interesting. I liked interesting things.

"Well, the Uchiha for starters. Obito, AKA Tobi, supposedly dies in the Third war and goes haywire under the tutelage of corpsey-Madara after seeing his teammate-slash-first love killed by his best friend, Hatake-hunk."
"So… you want me to save Obito somehow?"
"No." The utter seriousness in her voice startled me.

"Whaa? But… without Obito turning evil, won't all of the bad stuff stop?"
"Hardly. If it's not Obito then it will be someone else. If it's Obito, you have an advantage. If it's Obito, then the future you know of won't change. Things have to stay the same and for this to happen, sacrifices have to be made."

My bottom lip trembled and I felt my eyes dampen. The reality of the situation hit me like a tonne of bricks. This was all real. I knew things. Helpful and horrible and happy things and I had the ability to somehow put plans in motion to make the future better.

But if I got it wrong, or my knowledge was somehow found out by the wrong people then things could go from bad to worse very quickly.

"It's wrong," I heard myself say, voice wavering. "Playing with people's lives is just…"
Tia sighed. "I know but I can't think of anything else, Akani. All I can do is offer you some advice. Don't falter. At all. If you waver and break, spilling this information willy-nilly then things will be bad. You'd either be locked up in the loony-bin or mind-raped by that dick, Danzo and his little robot cronies. You need to be subtle. Be the person others look to for advice, or for comfort, or to simply vent to. You may not have all the answers but the fact that you sort of know these people is already a plus."
I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "But… I don't know how."
"It'll come with time. Be fair, but also firm. Don't treat this life lightly because I know I regret not doing much with my own. Make friends, fall in love and be weird. Confide in someone you trust absolutely but who also has the wisdom to give you advice. My knowledge is your knowledge, Akani-chan."

"I… I-"

"It's a lot of pressure, I know," Tia soothed, her hands gripping my shoulders tightly. "But I believe in you. I believe in us, because we are one smart kid."
I gave her a watery smile, nodding stiffly. Her advice made sense, even though I didn't like it but I was literally and figuratively flying blind. Events had already been put into place – some I couldn't stop – but I did have the ability to be the presence people turned to.

I could use that to my advantage.

I should feel sick for how I was planning ahead on how to emotionally manipulate people but I couldn't bring myself to regret what I had to do, even if it went against my morals. Sacrifice my mental and emotional well-being for the sake of saving thousands of people?
I could do that.

I had no other choice.

"Look, Akani, this is a lot of pressure. Too much pressure, especially for a little kid but you have to understand that as tempting it is to let things run its course as per canon, you and you alone have the ability to make a difference in someone's life no matter how small."

"I… I'll try," I whispered, not feeling at all confident. My voice seemed to have left me suddenly.

"Good," Tia murmured. I could hear the pride in her – my? – voice. "One last piece of advice though? Don't be the hero. Leave that to the big-wigs and chakra monsters like Killer B and Naruto. Oh, and do as much as you can about that stick up the Uchiha brother's asses, you know? It can't be comfortable. Just be smart about it, okay?"
Had the conversation not been so serious and frightening I would have quipped back something about her implying that I was stupid. Then again, I was only a kid. Stupidity came with the (lack of) age, unfortunately. I gave her a nod anyways, keeping quiet. She wasn't telling me anything I hadn't already thought about.

"Good. It's almost time for me to go. I can feel it in me bones!" Tia chuckled.

Panic seized me and I reached out, my hand punching her gut a little as I tried to grab her shirt. "Wait! I… I don't think I can do this! Not without you! You know so much more than me! Stay!" In the short time we'd been together I'd grown attached to her – myself.
Tia sighed long and hard. "I'll always be with you since I kinda am you, little bit. I trust you. Have a little faith in yourself, hey? It's time for me to go now but I guess I can give you a parting gift, to keep that fog back."
I frowned, not quite understanding. "Whaa?"

The gentle tingle of Tia's lips on my forehead smoothed out my frown and I felt the mental fog lift, the important memories of what I needed to know – and only what I needed to know – remained. My hand, which was previously clutching Tia's shirt, started to slip through the air, her form becoming intangible beneath my fingers.

"Good luck, little bit. Time to go to the other side. For both of us" Her voice seemed to echo and I was alone once more, left to my thoughts in this dark, white space.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, contemplating everything but soon enough my body felt weighty and the non-temperature of the blankness was replaced by a soft breeze.

I was back in the land of the living, where I was entrusted to make a difference and the burden was large and placed squarely on my shoulders.

And I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

Lemme know what you think! :)