Neither Naruto nor Sasuke could remember the first four years of their new lives. It took another four years for them to regain enough bits and pieces of their memories for it to be coherent. Being reborn as twins was a novel experience.
"I guess we are brothers in more than spirit now, eh Sasha?"
The raven-haired kid glared at him. "Shut up, Naruto."
Naruto grinned. Sasuke, now Sasha, was still sensitive about his new name.
It turned out, placing their souls into otherwise doomed embryos had influenced their mother. Naruto felt somewhat guilty that his blonde hair had caused suspicion of unfaithfulness to his new mother, but it turned out well. They were miracles. Their father lost hope having any children years ago. Having two sons was the greatest joy of his life.
Sasha crossed his arms and pouted.
Naruto laughed. Despite regaining their memories, their bodies were still that of children. Sasha had once explained to him that behaviors and attitudes weren't a case of experience and memories but also the physical state of the body.
"You!" Sasha leaped at Naruto and wrestled him to the ground.
Naruto didn't stop laughing.
Sasha soon joined him.
It felt nice being children again.
It sucked being children again. School was boring. Naruto would have preferred doing chores. He's sure Sasha agreed. Sasha insisted they needed to regardless. As much as Naruto wanted to disagree, it wasn't as if their ninja training was of any help in this world. They didn't even have chakra.
What would they need math for anyway?
Carpentry had a surprising amount of algebra. It shouldn't have been that surprising Sasha told him. He disagreed.
It was a job he fumbled his way into. He was good with his hands, and he liked to keep busy. Somewhere along the way, he became a carpenter. Although, he did a little bit of everything.
It wasn't as profitable as Sasha's military career, but it paid well enough for Naruto. He didn't need much for himself. More importantly, in this new world, he had an opportunity to help people with no need to spill a single drop of blood. He still enjoyed fighting, too much he realized, but he enjoyed building things up too.
He frowned, remembering his mother's words of worry for his health. There might be no war at the moment, but his brother's job was still
With a nod, he promised himself no more bar fights.
He met Tanya in a bar fight. It was love the moment she punched his face.
So here he was now, sweating through his best shirt as he introduced himself to her parents. He now felt bad for making fun of her own fears when she met his own.
But beneath the fear, there was also warmth. He had introduced her to his parents. It was something impossible for his old life.
He didn't simply feel happy. He was content.
And also, scared the fuck out of his mind.
It scared the fuck out his mind. Sasha had told him to calm down for the sixteenth time now, but he still paced back and forth in the hallway.
He was going to be a father.
He was going to be an uncle.
Sasha had somehow knocked a girl up overseas.
Their father was furious. Their mother more so.
Both gave him permission to knock sense into his brother.
His wife helped.
His wife laid beside him, asleep.
She didn't have as much energy as she used to. Neither did he. Old age did that.
He will die today. Somehow, he could just feel it. Or maybe it was the ghost of Sasuke standing right beside him that told him that. The apparition of the one-armed, teen with mismatched eyes smiled at him.
It was comforting to know his brother was still with him. It also caused his heart to ache in realization. He wouldn't be able to be with his wife in this world's afterlife. His now considerably large family will eventually die, and he will live.
"What have we become?"
Sasuke holds his hand. "Does it hurt?"
Naruto's eyes water and he nods.
"Then we're human."
Naruto laughs.
Next Chapter: Love