Hi guys!
Welcome to my newest story.
This idear has been floating around in my noggin for awhile now and I just needed to get it out on paper! Its been distracting.
Don't worry. Tides of Change still is and will always be my number one priority. This is just a little side project for when I need a break from writing Percy.
Welcome to the Pilot Episode. Depending on how well its received, we'll see about chapter 2!
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Death and Rebirth
He laughed as his best friend, Rudy, handed him yet another shot.
"Here's to the dirty thirty!" Rudy shouted over the thumping house music base. "Even if you're as ugly as a donkey's backside, I'll love ya no matter what! Happy birthday, bud!"
He laughed at his friend's joke and downed the shot without flinching.
After six…? Ten…? However many drinks he'd already consumed, the cheap tequila didn't even faze him at this point.
The hours passed by in a blur.
Shot.
Dance with a pretty girl.
Shot.
Dance with a handsome guy.
It didn't matter to him. Beauty was beauty.
He was single for a reason. Not because, as Rudy so graciously described him, as being as ugly as a donkey's backside. It was because the vast majority of people just didn't understand him.
How can you be physically attracted to someone, yet have no romantic feelings for them? That was the question all of his flings always ended up asking him after he broke yet another heart.
He didn't hide who he was with anyone. He was always upfront. But every single one of them always thought that somehow they would be different from all the others. That they would somehow make him feel something.
And that just wasn't the case.
Aromanticism is just simply the lesser known little brother of Asexual. People often thought he was just making up excuses to get out of commitment.
Trust. He didn't need any excuses.
He had no problems being an asshole if necessary.
As the night wore on, he continued to dance and drink. Dance and drink. Dance and drink.
Whoever said turning thirty was the end of their life was a damn drama queen!
He was having the time of his life.
His tune might change once he wakes up, but that's a problem for tomorrow.
Hours later, the DJ made the announcement for last call, and before he knew it, the lights were turning on and people were shuffling out the door.
He bid goodbye to the pretty girl he had been dancing with the last hour, promising her he'd call her tomorrow.
He'll see once his drunk goggles come off if he'd actually call her.
He followed the crowd out of the club, his tall frame allowing him to scan over the heads of the throng of people for his friends. He found them eventually and caught up with them once they were all outside.
They chatted for a few more minutes before his phone chimed. He looked down and saw the alert.
"Uber is here. Gotta go. Thanks again for an awesome party, you guys. I'll see you later!"
He checked the location, then set off at a drunken trot. Teetering and swaying all the way.
In his drunken haze, he never heard the screams of his friends. He never heard the blare of the car horn.
The only thing his drunken mind could process was the pain before darkness claimed him.
"What are we looking at?!"
"Three broken ribs, a punctured lung, severe spinal damage-"
He blacked out once more, the pain too much to bear.
"We did everything we could. He's stable for now. There's severe brain swelling. I want to prepare you for the worst. He may never wake up."
'What's he talking about? I AM awake! Come on, mouth. Move! Tell them!'
"Thank you, doctor." He heard his mother say in a small voice.
Darkness claimed him once again. The sobs of his mother hurt worse than the pain.
"It's been a year. He isn't waking up, love. We need to let him go." His father said.
'What?! NO! I'm awake! I can hear you! Please! Mom! Dad!'
"Just another week. Please?" His mother choked out.
Darkness.
"I love you. We'll see you again someday, my beautiful boy."
He felt the fingers brush his hair. He heard the wracking sobs of his mother as she gave him one last hug. His skin tingled where she gave him one final kiss on his forehead, the same as she did when he was a child.
So why could he not open his eyes?! Why can't he open his mouth and TELL THEM?!
An unfamiliar voice began to speak.
He wanted to scream. Wanted to cry.
But he couldn't.
"God, thank you for being with us right now. We confess that we don't understand why things happen the way they do. We don't understand why tragedies come into our lives, but we do know that you walk every path of life with us. Remind Zane that you are walking with him right now. Remind Zane that you love him, no matter what he is going through. I also pray for Zane's family. Give them your strength as they say goodbye to their son. God, we thank you that you never leave us. That you never forsake us, but you love us. We trust you, and pray this in your name. Amen."
He heard something hit the ground, then his mother wailed. Her voice so raw, so full of pain, it tore his soul to pieces.
He heard his father's voice. "It's been ten years, my love. He's gone. He's been gone. We have to say goodbye and let him pass."
His mother's sobs.
His father's quiet reassurances.
He wanted it to end. He couldn't take it anymore!
The steady beeping that had been his only companion for as long as he could remember began to slow.
The beeping silenced.
Blackness claimed him once more.
He opened his eyes and blinked.
Well, that's what it felt like he did.
Blackness, all-consuming blackness, surrounded him in all directions.
He attempted to stretch his limbs.
He wasn't sure if he had any to stretch, but it felt good either way.
Light, blinding light, flared into existence.
A voice sounded. Terrible, yet beautiful. Loud, yet soft. Masculine, yet feminine. It sounded all around him, yet seemed to reverberate inside his very soul at the same time.
It spoke.
"Welcome, traveler, to the end of time. The beginning. The Everything."
"Um. What?"
"I said-"
"I know what you said. I just don't get it. You said this is the end of time, yet the beginning. The beginning of what? Who are you? God?"
"… Yes/No" Two separate voices spoke.
Now he was beyond confused.
"Right."
"This is where all things come when they end to begin their new. Stars, planets, moons, plants, animals, humans, everything. This is The Everything."
He nodded, or at least attempted to. He looked around and could see nothing except the blackness of the void threatening to consume the sphere of light surrounding him.
"So, uh. What now?" He wanted to laugh. This is what his mind came up with for his coma dream? Must be some weird conglomeration of all his beliefs.
"The end of one existence gives way to the beginning of a new. You will be weighed and judged."
"Huh wh-"
A heavy presence filled his very essence. It was inside him. It was him. It was going to destroy him. It was going to tear him to nonexistence.
It was gone as fast as it came.
"Your new existence begins."
"Seriously?! What the hell is going o-"
Blackness.
He opened his eyes once more and gasped.
Billions of stars danced around him like fairy lights. Planets and moons zoomed past in the distance. He wanted to smile. Wanted to laugh. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was as though he had been plopped down in the middle of the Milky Way and was observing the universe as it sped around him.
The lights faded, a coldness creeped into his bones.
The very last light winked out of existence.
An explosion.
The lights popped back into existence one by one.
The cycle repeated.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
He whipped around and nearly wept. His best friend stood before him. Looking just as he had the night of his accident.
"Rudy? What… What are you doing here?"
Rudy laughed. "I'm not this… Rudy person you think I am. Simply a form you would find most appealing."
He nodded hesitantly. "Then… who are you?"
Rudy titled his head to the side and studied him for several long moments. By the time he answered, the universe had died and been reborn one again. "God."
He gaped. "God? Like the God?"
Rudy laughed. "Yup!"
"But… If you're God, then am I in heaven?"
Rudy shook his head. "Heaven and Hell. Good and Evil. Black and White. These are arbitrary terms you humans made up. The Everything doesn't judge a person on their past actions, but by their collective unconscious."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You, Zane, have died and been reborn thousands of times. Each time you die, you are judged and reborn. Each time you die after that, you are judged based on the past experiences of all your lives. Depending on Their judgement, you are sent to one of us lesser deities to create your new existence. For those being reborn as a human, you get me! The one humans refer to as 'God.' Though if you were Muslim, I would be Allah. If you were Hindu, I would be a representative of which sect you were devout to."
He nodded slowly. "But… I was an atheist in my last life. So shouldn't you just be… Like… The Universe?"
Rudy laughed and gestured vaguely around him. "What do you think this is? Why do you think I'm in this form? If you were a devout Christian, then I would have appeared to you in a form that represents what you would think 'God' would look like. It's just easier to say "I'm God" and be done with it. You should see how many nonbelievers break down, thinking I'm sending them to hell or something."
Rudy laughed loudly at that.
He was… unnerved by the display. This lackadaisical being was who was in charge of creating his new life?
He was boned.
Rudy sobered up and clapped his hands. "Let's get down to business. I have billions of others to see to."
He nodded. "Right. What do I have to do?"
Rudy studied him. "Just answer my questions with open honesty."
"Right. I can do that."
Rudy snapped his fingers. A square tablet eerily reminiscent of an iPad appeared in his hands. "Alright, let's see. In your last moments of life, what do you remember most?"
He thought long and hard about that. The pain of his accident. The pain of hearing his mother's broken sobbing, his father's resigned voice. The frustration of not being able to do anything about it.
But… This was all just a coma dream, right?
He hoped so! Otherwise this afterlife was nothing like what he was always told.
"The pain," he said in a slow voice. "Both the physical, and the emotional pain of hearing my parents and not being able to do anything to ease their minds. That I could hear them, feel them."
Rudy nodded and wrote what he said down on his tablet with a stylus. A ball of deep crimson suddenly appeared and began to float around his head in a lazy pattern.
"Next question. What do you want out of your next life?"
He smiled at that one. "Something fun. Something exciting. Something with some danger. Oh, and if I could be like a wizard or ninja, that would be dope."
Rudy laughed as he wrote down his answer. A ball of emerald joined the crimson seconds later. "Next question. Would you sacrifice yourself to save another?"
He frowned at that question. After a minute of thought, he answered. "Truthfully? I have no idea. If it was someone I cared for, I want to say I absolutely would. But a complete stranger? Probably not, to be honest. I mean my body might move on its own for all I know. But consciously, I don't think I'd care enough to sacrifice my life for a complete stranger. Maybe a kid or a pregnant lady."
Rudy smiled at that. "You get a special reward for such an honest answer. Most people tell me what I want to hear. 'Of course I would! No questions asked!' Such a load of bullshit." A blue and purple orb soon joined the green and red.
"Last question. Who would you consider your hero?"
A soft smile fell into place. "My mother. She was the strongest person I knew. When I was three, she divorced my abusive and alcoholic biological father. She raised me on her own. Worked three jobs and went to school full-time to give me a good life. She made something of herself. Her strength to do all that and raise a child always got me through my hardest times."
Rudy cooed at that. A pink orb floated lazy next to the others. "Okay, I like you! Bonus question! In your next life, would you prefer to remember your previous life, or start with a clean slate?"
He paused before answering. "I… I don't know? There was so much I wanted to do in my last life. But, the pain of remembering everyone I left behind, that I'll never see again, might be too hard."
Rudy nodded and began to scribble furiously. A sixth orb joined the rest, this one a swirling mixture of white and black. "You'll remember everything in your next life, but the memories that might cause pain will be like distant memories. You'll remember who you are, but when you think of your mom, it will just be like a faint buzz. It may hurt a bit, but it won't be crippling. Fair?"
He nodded. "Fair."
Rudy smiled and waved. "Okay! Bye-Bye! Have fun!"
"Wait, what?"
The six orbs of light shot forward and slammed into his chest. Every single cell in his body felt as though it were being doused in acid. He wanted to scream, but no sound escaped his throat.
Blackness overtook him once more.
Congratulations! For impressing God with your truthful answer, you've been given a bonus skill!
You've unlocked a new skill: Gamer
Gamer: As a human in possession of The Gamer Skill, you've been given a host of useful abilities! Actions will be treated as separate skills. Objects will be treated as items. Your attributes will be visible and be given a numeric value.
The possibilities are endless!
'Gamer? Hell yeah! Thanks, God!'
Congratulations! During your questionnaire, God asked questions that you answered as truthfully as you could. You impressed Him so much, that your answers have been translated to extra, unique skills that only you possess!
You've unlocked a new skill: Pain Immunity
You will no longer feel any pain when damage to your body occurs. Make sure to keep an eye on that HP bar though! Just because you can't feel it, doesn't mean you won't die!
You've unlocked a new skill: Boon of Lady Luck
You crave excitement and adventure, your daring nature has drawn attention. Lady Luck has taken a shining to you. Exploration experience increased by 100%. Currency earned from all activities increased by 100%. Luck increased by 50%.
You've unlocked a new skill: Protect My Friends
While you may not care about the average person, you hold strong bonds with your friends to an almost unhealthy level. Any allies who you have a 'Trusted' or higher relationship with will receive bonuses to their stats when in a party with you. If you take a fatal blow for someone who you have 'Exalted' with, your stats will be temporarily doubled and your HP cannot fall below one for as long as your ally still breathes. Ability will not activate if friendship threshold is not met.
You've unlocked a new skill: Mama's Boy
Whether in this life or another, you've always been a Mama's Boy. Relationship with your mother starts at max level and cannot fall below 'Trusted.' Skill and experience gain doubled when studying or training under your mother. Bonus to all stats if in a party with your mother.
He scowled at the last skill. That was just patronizing, God!
Hopefully whoever his mom ends up being in this new life is a total badass. Otherwise, what a wasted skill!
He swallowed his irritation and tried to look around, only to realize that he was, once again, in a place of pure darkness.
However, unlike the previous times, this place felt warm. Warm and inviting. He tried to stretch his arms and legs, as he realized he was in an incredibly uncomfortable position, only to realize his limbs weren't obeying his thoughts.
How annoying.
He sighed. Or attempted to. His mouth wasn't working quite right either.
He scowled again.
His scowl vanished as something pressed in on him in an uncomfortable way.
Like a big bear hug from your friend that goes to the gym seven days a week and doesn't realize he breaks ribs with each hug.
The pressure eased, only to come back a second time with a vengeance.
Over and over, the pressure would increase to uncomfortable levels, only to dissipate seconds later.
On and on this went for what felt like hours.
Suddenly, something changed.
The pressure was unbearable.
Skill activated: Pain Immunity
He ignored the words that appeared in his mind, wondering just what the hell was going on.
As the pressure increased to astronomical levels, something happened.
He felt like a cork top being launched from a champagne bottle!
The darkness and warmth vanished. Cool air and bright lights assaulted his incredibly frayed senses.
Skill activated: Pain Immunity
He blinked blearily trying to get his bearings, when what sounded like an entire auditorium of excited teenagers started speaking at once.
He tried to cover his ears, but his damn arms still didn't quite do what he wanted them to do!
He closed his eyes and waited for whatever would happen next. That was all he really could do it seemed like.
He heard the voices once again. His brow pinched in frustration.
He couldn't understand a damn word!
Congratulations! God realized he made a small mistake during your rebirth! He has given you a second bonus skill because he feels bad!
You've unlocked a new skill: Auto-Translation
Even God makes a mistake now and again. With The Gamer ability comes two skills – Gamer Mind and Gamer Body. Unfortunately, God forgot about those, and since you've been born he can't change that. So, you've been given a consolation prize! How exciting! Any audible words spoken or written will be auto-translated to English just for you (Within reason. Some words just don't translate)! On the flip side, speaking English will auto-translate your words for whomever you're talking to.
How neat!
He scowled at that. His scowl grew bigger as the voices around him increased in volume. He was being passed around like a sack of potatoes and roughly cleaned and manhandled.
'Well, if I can speak, time to tell them to shut the hell up! My ears are ringing!'
He opened his mouth, took a breath, and told them just that.
Well attempted to. Only gurgles and babbling came out.
You're a baby! You can't speak! -1 to intelligence for such an unintelligent decision.
What the hell?!
'What the fuck, dude?!'
Minus one to wisdom!
'For what?!'
For being an ungrateful and annoying brat!
That did it. He was so confused. So frustrated by everything going on. He was sick of the voices, sick of the manhandling, sick of being completely unable to do anything.
It was just like when he was laying in that hospital bed. Hearing those around him, unable to reassure them.
He did the only thing he could do.
He opened his mouth and cried. He cried and he cried and he cried.
A collective sigh of relief rang throughout the room.
"Congratulations Lady Tsunade, Lord Dan! In all my years I've never heard a baby not make a fuss as soon as they were born. I can safely say though that he is a completely healthy and beautiful baby boy!"
"Yes, congratulations, Tsunade. Seems you've given birth to a dunce."
"Orochimaru! You're lucky I'm too damn tired to get out of this bed or I'd break every bone in your body, heal you, break them again, then let you heal naturally! Now give me my child!"
'Wait a minute… Tsunade? Dan? Orochimaru?! FUCK! Am… Am I in Naruto's world?!'
Congratulations! For sound, yet completely ineloquent deduction skills, you've been awarded +1 to intelligence!
'You know, you're really snarky for a voice in my head.'
I live to serve.
'Can you go away now?'
Nope!
'… Oh no. That tone. Please don't tell me… God?'
Congratulations! For sound deduction skills, you've been awarded +1 to intelligence and +2 to wisdom!
'But I thought… You said you have billions of others to get to! Are you going to be following me around for the rest of my life?'
But you're so interesting! I wanted to see how this new life played out! Don't worry, I'm not shirking my duties. I just put a little piece of me inside of you.
'… phrasing, dude. Come on!'
He was so engrossed in his argument with God that he never noticed the gentle hands he had been placed in. Tsunade smiled down at him, Dan right beside her.
"He's… He's perfect." Dan said quietly.
"He is." Tsunade agreed, wiping away the fresh tears that fell.
"Congratulations, Princess! Damn! Did you give birth to your great-uncle?!"
Tsunade scowled up at the large man while Dan chuckled. "He does already look a bit like Tobirama, wouldn't you say, Tsunade?"
Tsunade shook her head. "I don't care if he is a carbon copy of Uncle. He's mine… ours. He'll be his own person."
Dan nodded and gazed back down at his son.
Finally, his argument with God ceased and he glanced up. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the bleary images above him.
'Damn rods and cones, develop already! I alrady spent years not being able to see!'
The big man chuckled. "Definitely Tobirama with that scowl."
He turned his squint into a glare and aimed it at the man who could only be Jiraiya.
Jiraiya let out a bellowing laugh, loud enough to make him wince.
"Shut up, moron! If you make my child go deaf I'm castrating you!" Tsunade hissed.
Jiraiya's laughter cut off abruptly. He turned to Orochimaru. "I don't think the kids a dunce. He's actually pretty sharp already."
Orochimaru suddenly came into his view. Rather than feeling fear, he felt excitement. If Dan was alive, that meant it was long before he went crazy.
He's totally becoming Orochimaru's apprentice. He won't settle for second best.
Orochimaru studied him with sharp, golden eyes. "Yes… He is incredibly aware for a newborn. Allow me to study him, Tsunade. I will have answers within the week."
"No!" She roared. "Come anywhere near my kid with a syringe and I'll make myself a snakeskin wallet."
Orochimaru pouted but reluctantly nodded. "Maybe in a few years then."
Tsunade growled, but was cut off by the door opening. She smiled at the newcomer. "Hello, Sensei. Come to meet the newest Senju?"
He let out a tiny baby gasp. This was the Hiruzen Sarutobi. The God of Shinobi. His absolute favorite Hokage of the entire series.
He was always shat on in his last life simply because he was nerfed once all the shenanigans happened at the end of the Naruto series. But before Hashirama appeared – who, he guessed was now his great-grandfather – Hiruzen was known as the strongest of the Hokage.
He would keep that image in his head.
He would also become Hiruzen's apprentice.
He won't settle for second best!
If he was going to be thrown into this dangerous ninja world (though he kind of specifically asked for it) he was going to make sure he damn well survived!
He suddenly remembered something.
Tsunade was his mother.
Thanks to his 'Mama's Boy' skill… he was going to get training from Tsunade freaking Senju!
Oh God, he was going to be so OP in no time.
You're welcome!
He ignored God for now, still cursing his weak baby eyes.
"I certainly did. It isn't every day a Noble Clan Heir is born. And to one of my students no less! Congratulations to the both of you!"
"Thanks, Sensei."
"Thank you, Lord Third!" Dan said with a bow.
Hiruzen chuckled and meandered over. He glanced down at the bundle in Tsunade's arms.
'Oh God. I just know he's giving me the customary grandfatherly smile. I wish I could see it!'
"Have you decided on a name?"
Tsunade glanced at Dan who nodded.
'Please don't be lame. Please don't be lame!'
Dan answered. "We've decided to name him Toshiro. Toshiro Senju."
'Nice!'
Hiruzen chuckled once again. "A fine name." He bent over and tickled Toshiro's cheek.
Toshiro couldn't help it. He giggled.
He was so embarrassed, but it happened.
But it was obviously a freaking cute giggle as everyone in the room let out a dreamy sigh at the sound.
"Welcome to the family, little Toshiro. You'll make a fine warrior one day, I can already tell. The world will remember the Senju name for generations to come."
That's where we end for today, kiddies!
To answer your question... NO I did not include the bit about Zane being Aro to try and be like "Woah bro. I'm so woke-eth. Look how PC and inclusive I am!"
It was literally a completely unsubtle hint that there will be NO PAIRINGS for our little Toshiro.
Don't ask about other characters. You'll find out when you find out!
Let me know your thoughts!
Reviews equal Love!