Reincarnation is not what you may think it's like.
Some like to think that it's a reward or punishment for what you've done. That one moment you're dying and the next you're being born, or something along those lines, but it's not exactly like that.
Sure you die, but then you're taken away to wait until you are reborn. That's right, people may say that Florida is 'God's Waiting Room' and it couldn't be farther from the truth. The real God's waiting room is much like a doctor's office, only you know you're dead and everyone else [Or perhaps I should say, everything?] is dead and it's hopelessly boring because there is no People or Us Weekly in the afterlife.
Some of the souls here wait longer than others, some show up and the next moment are sent out to their next destination. Some are given second chances to re-live the latest parts of their old lives, some are sent to Heaven or Hell and maybe even Valhalla or whatever. Others are sent to purgatory, and you know that they are since they have to walk through a set of doors, sometimes they are forcefully dragged or pushed through the doors.
The secretary is a kind soul, not human, though she may look it, she's not. She's just another one of Death's and God's employees, she takes on a form that would comfort you the most, to me she was a nice, brown haired blue eyed mid twenties human female with a bright smile and calm demeanor. Her name was apparently, 'The Secretary' and she was always willing to give souls candy or sudoku puzzles or some such nonsense to waste their time.
But like I said, magazines didn't exist in the waiting room since it was outside of time. It's sorta hard to explain but basically the jist of it is that years, months, weeks, didn't matter, and thus what would there be to report? You've already died, you left your world and don't need to know any more about it.
I swear that I waited there for like 5 years, never getting hungry or tired really, though I would sleep without realizing it, only waking when somebody shuffled close to me or someone's dramatics attracted my attention. During that time I saw people come and go before I did, but I wasn't too worried, after all there were people from all across time and space and realities who were there, some from the 1500's of my world, others even came from the far future.
Either way it was boring, but it also meant that when it was my time to be called through to whatever it is that happened I was beyond ready to just get this done and over with.
Turns out it is a lot like a doctor's appointment and job interview all rolled into one. Two figures, Death and God, made you sit on those odd doctor bed thingies, first with inane chatter as they took a 'check-up' on your soul. Some souls went through too much and couldn't be reincarnated, they would be sent on to Heaven or whatever after-life of their choosing, some souls were too tarnished and automatically sent to hell.
After that Death would ask you question in regards to your death, if you think you went before your time, if you needed extra counseling or if you thought you died in a 'proper way'.
God asked me questions about my life and went over events in my life explaining why some of things that had happened had, well, happened. And what I would like to have in my next life, seeing as I had already been approved of being reincarnated since my soul wasn't too damaged or frayed.
Then they told me briefly that my family and everyone and everything close to me was fine and how they had each reacted to my death, and I remembering crying and Death counseling while God just looked sadly at me. Then they began to prepare me for my new life.
They told me that they had plans for me, since my answers fit certain criteria for a certain type of living situation, warned me that I may or may not remember everything about my past life in my new one and that on the off-chance I did then it probably wouldn't take affect until I was 'old enough to remember'. They guided me to my set of doors, luckily not the set of purgatory doors, and then they slapped me on my forehead like in those V8 commercials and I was blissfully gone.
I was born on May 23rd, to a mother, a father, an elder sister and a grandfather. I don't remember my parents, but I've seen pictures and heard tales of them, they died when our home was attacked when I was almost 5 months old.
My grandfather ended up having to take care of us, not that he minded, he was a fairly 'young' grandpa, my parents having been only nine-teen when they died. He didn't even have any grey in his hair until I was around 7, and even then he was still youthful looking, handsome and I was so proud he was my Grandpapa. He was strong and kind, even tempered and just as stubborn as us two girls were, he made sure we were raised to be respectful and have manners. He worked as a baker in a bakery he had been running for the past 10 years, while my mother was still a child. He had to do most of the heavy lifting, but it was okay since he was pretty muscular. I loved the breads he made rather than the sweets, it always made him laugh at me when I would rather eat bread than cake or the other pastries and sweets he made.
My sister was very protective and adored me, often holding my hand anywhere we went. Whether it be just down the street or anywhere in the village, she always kept an eye out for me. It wasn't like she was that much older than I, about a year and a month maybe, still she loved being the elder sister.
We lived in a place I'm sure you'll know of called Konoha, well, that's the short title. And really, with just that I'm sure you can figure out how confusing this was for me when my memories came back, especially once I realized that my elder sister was none other than Konoha's future Weapons Mistress, TenTen.
And, no, our last names were not 'Higurashi' thank you very much, I have no idea where that came from but, it was something much better. It was Ueno.
As for me, well I was named Rui, Ueno Rui.
The first time I went to the Academy was when Grandpapa and I went to go drop TenTen off for her first day of schooling. I held hands with her all the way there, her sweaty palms in mine, not that I cared. I didn't really blame her for being nervous, she barely ate anything, not even the fresh youtiao(1) my grandfather had made that morning.
"I'm so excited for you TenTen! Your mother never wanted to become a kunoichi, it'll be nice to have a ninja in the family! You'll be the very first one!" here my grandfather paused and rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully, "At least I think so. It's hard to keep track of that kind of stuff all the way from back then!"
"Thank you, grandpapa. I hope the other kids like me!" she said, and tightened her hold on my hand. I furrowed my brow, anybody who didn't like TenTen was crazy and I would gladly beat their asses, even if I was only like 5, almost 6 years old.
"You'll be just great, Nee-chan! If anyone makes fun of you just tell us and we'll show 'em that you're awesome!" I said, fire showing in my eyes. Even before my reincarnation she was one of my favorites, alongside the rest of her team and Kakashi.
My sister giggled and poked my side making me squirm, "I'm sure you will! Just try not to start any fights when I'm not around! Especially with Keigo!" my sister scolded me as we made our way through the gates. I frowned, Keigo was pretty much our neighborhood's child bully, an 8 year old idiot who wouldn't know a kunai from a shuriken, he was that dumb. He seemed to think that just because he was related, albeit very very distantly, to the Daimyo that he was better than all of us. Too bad that I was so little or else I'd break his nose for sure...
"Don't worry, your big strong grandpapa is going to make sure our little Gem(2) here stays safe in the bakery until you come home!" My grandfather said patting my head with his gigantic paw of a hand.
Once Nee-chan was settled in we left, stopping to pick up a few things, mainly presents for my sister. I also got to pick out a book to read since it would be sorta boring at the shop, I would probably end up sitting behind the counter and occasionally making small talk with customers, and it made me curse the minutes until TenTen came home from the Academy.
Time passed, I ended up going to the academy with hopes of becoming a useful kunoichi the year after my sister did and I paled slightly at the class roster, that's right, TenTen was the year above the Konoha Nine, and I didn't really want to become one of them, thank you very much. My sister would already have her hands full, I would much rather just be a useful ninja to the village, not one of them.
Don't get me wrong, I had thought about going out of my way to change things to see if I could make things better for the people involved in the story, but then I realized that I was not a very lucky person, in the sense that when I reached out to do something it failed horribly, it was one of the things that seemed to transfer to this life from my past one. It seemed any time I tried to be heroic or dramatic it pretty much died and I almost always heard a "Wah-Wah" go off in the background when it happened so this time I just decided to go with, "Let's just be a useful background character that nobody knows."
Only thing being that while this was a real world, people still acted like anime characters, so I ended up coming off as kind of serious and an antisocial know-it-all. It wasn't my fault! I mean I was just taking my school work seriously, and if I was ahead in the 'civilian' studies department it wasn't my fault, blame fate. I didn't make many friends with the girls in my class since most of them were nothing more than fluff at the moment, Ino, Hinata, and Sakura were definitely included in that.
Sure, Hinata was a good girl and not as annoying, but she spent a lot of time being afraid of being right in her work, and it showed in her homework and it our class work and it drove me up the wall because I knew it wasn't her fault completely but still it was annoying. I tried to encourage her a lot before dropping back when I made her cry by accident and I really didn't want to push her too hard.
So, yeah, my academy years were pretty much spent with me studying and training in any spare moment I could, and at least it showed in my results. It helped that I had a slight edge to the competition because of my prior knowledge and of course TenTen was always available to help me if I needed it. The only people in my year who didn't care about my 'attitude' were Chouji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Naruto. Sasuke didn't care until it became clear that I knew my stuff, even when he didn't, which was not surprising seeing as he was an Uchiha with built-in mental issues.
My sister graduated and was placed on Gai's team, and for the first few weeks after school I would sneak up and watch them until Neji caught me and TenTen just looked slightly embarrassed when we were all introduced, either because her teammates were crazy or because I was the snooping little sister I didn't quite know. To be honest I was a little flustered meeting them all, it was completely bizarre but not because of Gai and Lee's 'Youthfulness' or Neji's...attitude. It was more like meeting a superhero in real life, I was completely taken in by Lee's determination, just as had in my other life, and Gai's passion for his students and teachings. I had actually teared up when one day I came to see Lee upset by his condition and because Neji had been an ass to him. I think I ended up scaring him more than anything as I broke down crying and holding him and whispering nonsense to him about how great he was and that he would grow to become even greater for like 45 minutes until Gai and TenTen came.
I still blush and duck my head in shame whenever I think about it.
It was also around that time that my sister was struggling with her dream and lack of ability to accomplish it. It was frustrating for everyone involved except for Neji since he couldn't give a rat's ass at the moment, even Gai appeared to be at a loss for a while until they stumbled on to the solution. I remember my sister coming home one day and being so happy at having found her new dream and her unique skills in sealing and weaponry and I was so proud of her. My Nee-chan was blossoming into a deadly flower and I shed tears of happiness to myself late at night for her. Seriously, she would become a legendary kunoichi, I already knew it, but still to live it with her, in a way, it was something else.
Myself on the other hand, well, I was still in the academy and studying more and more when Team Gai turned their missions less on D-ranks in Village to C-ranks and the like. I was lonely but I didn't care much, I always valued my family and those who I basically thought of as family above any sort of friendships, I had been hurt once to many in my past life over stupidity that I didn't want to stress myself out over something like that. If I wasn't home I was usually in the library or on an Academy level training ground, working myself to make sure that I wouldn't let anyone down.
Keigo was no longer my bully, having had beaten the snot out of him enough times for him to get the point, and instead he was replaced by most of my classmates, especially the girls who thought I was just showing them up so that I could my hands on 'Sasuke-kun'. Ami especially since I occasionally stood up for other victims of her bullying, Sakura mainly because I thought she was pretty, and honestly where was Ami and her two goons to talk about looks?! I mean have you seen Kasumi or Fuki?! Kasumi has an afro, AN AFRO. And Fuki always looked like she stuck her fingers into an electrical socket.
I mean, I was a cute little girl. I'm not being narcissistic but I was cute, dammit! I had the same dark brown hair my sister had, only I wore it in a side ponytail with a gold ribbon tied onto it, a gift from my sister, and large hazel eyes. I mean, c'mon! A few tweaks to how I held myself and I could make anyone into thinking that I was defenseless as a baby bunny! Ami looked like a samurai kid with no fashion sense, in fact pretty much all of the girls had no fashion sense, so I have no idea what planet's standards they were judging my outfit off of. It was a simple pair of brown pants that ended at the knee and a long sleeved green shirt with a black tank top underneath it for when it got too hot. Perhaps it wasn't flashy or revealing enough? I snorted when I thought of that, because obviously all of the girls in my class has slammin' bodies.
Today I was practicing my kunai and shuriken throwing mainly because it helped me calm down, graduation was coming upon us and I was wondering what was going to happen for team placements. I sincerely didn't want to be on Teams 7, 8, or 10, but only 33% or whatever actually passed from my memory. I was scared that even if I passed enough to get my headband if my teacher did some sort of teamwork test I might fail, not because I wasn't team player, but because pretty much everyone else was not. And it sucked! What would happen is we failed? Would we be sent to the Academy or would we be placed in reserve or something?! I brutally threw a kunai at the marked target letting the heavy 'thunk' soothe me a bit, and I paused to take a deep breath, I needed to stop making myself freak out so much. I stood still breathing in deeply letting my 'sense' reach out, it wouldn't do if someone in my class saw my acting other than the single minded know it all kunoichi, it would just bring me more dramatics than I needed or wanted.
As I was just taking in the area I sensed a powerful aura, yeah, aura. It was different than a person's chakra since it told me more than just where they were, how much chakra they had and nature, as I had read most chakra sensors felt. I could almost taste somebody's personality through their aura and I was empathetic as well, not that surprising for me at least. This weird sensing ability is something similar to the one in my past life, being able to sense spirits and stuff like that.
Go on ahead, laugh, but I'm not making it up. It sorta ran in the family on my mom's side. My uncle had always talked about 'the color people' when he was younger and as he got older he realized he was seeing spirits, or rather their emotions.
I didn't see color people, I saw people, and I saw shadows. I heard them too, and I once met a ghost when I was younger and had gotten lost in a store. I didn't realize he was dead until I went to thank him for helping me find my way out of the dead end I was in and he was gone, like poof type gone.
So yeah, it followed me in this life but just like in my past it wasn't something I focused too much on, it came to me whenever I needed it so why focus on it when say my combat skills didn't?
There was a rustle in the bushes behind me and I let my kunai loose in that general direction, hearing a yelp as it passed over whoever was there.
"C'mon out, otherwise I'll use you for target practice." I said bluntly turning to look at the bushes, which gave another rustle before someone leapt out of them like a wild hog.
"N-No, please don't do that!" The person said and I narrowed my eyes at them. Great, it just had to be Naruto didn't it.
"Well you came out so I won't." I replied sassily, roll of my eyes and turning on my heel included. Naruto seemed to relax slightly, and began patting the dirt off of him. Inwardly I cringed, I was completely happy to stay out of everyone's way, especially Naruto's since people always seemed to get dragged into adventure with him, ones that ended up escalating from simple to dangerous.
"So, why were you running around in the forest, Uzumaki-san?" I said as I went to retrieve my weaponry so that I could practice some more, lord knows it helped put me at ease.
Naruto seem to give his standard sheepish, "heh heh" while scratching the back of his neck before saying, "Well, I just sorta pulled a prank on someone and they were pretty mad so I ran! Why are you out here?"
I turned around and gave Naruto an amused look, "Just throwing tossing some kunai and throwing some shuriken." I replied smirking and shrugging my shoulders. Naruto gave me a look before saying, "But, isn't it kinda late, I mean it's dark already."
I looked up at the sky, sure enough it was, oh well, the targets were still visible to me, "So it is, feh, I'll leave in a bit, I can still see the targets. My grandfather won't mind and my Nee-chan is out on mission so~" I just sorta shrugged before tossing my kunai again and was calmed by the 'thunk' as it hit the center.
Naruto watched me throw a few more before he walked up besides me, "Um, you seem pretty good at that, so why do you keep out here so late? And at the academy too, you're like one of the best!" he asked and I looked over at him wondering if I really stood out in the class.
I sighed, "Well I do this because it helps to calm me. In fact, most of what I do calms me, makes me feel like I could be useful someday, that I'm not just doing all of this for show. That I'm prepared to be a ninja for this village, a lot of kids in our class aren't like that because they are mature enough to see what being a ninja really is all about it. The only reason I seem so good in comparison is because I'm one of the only ones taking it seriously, Uzumaki-san." I said truthfully and was surprised by how relaxing it felt to get it off of my chest for once.
Naruto was quiet for a bit until he seemed to brighten up, "Yeah, that makes sense! You're not like the other girls who go after that Sasuke bastard-" here I gave a quiet laugh, "and you're not mean or anything. Although there was that one time with Ami-"
"Well if she wasn't being such a brat I wouldn't have cut her clothes to shreds!" I said and blushed at my sudden outburst. I looked away hurriedly while Naruto laughed until he could only pant out, "Her face though!"
I looked down at my shoes twirling a kunai on it's ring while chewing my bottom lip nervously, how much was I altering by just this simple conversation? But I didn't want to stop because Naruto was actually nice, and his aura was golden and felt like a patch of ground that been left in the sunlight and it was comforting.
"Naruto," I said suddenly and the blond stopped laughing freezing at my tone, "I-I, just wanted to let you know that even though we've never talked or anything, you're really cool, and I wish you luck at the exams tomorrow." I said looking up at him bashfully, still chewing on on bottom lip nervously, kunai no longer spinning.
I didn't wait for him to reply before suddenly shouting, "And good night see you tomorrow!" and then running away like the coward I was.
I scolded myself on the way home, I wasn't going to be his friend, not one of his precious people because I wasn't made of the stuff all of them were. I was content just being in the background, at least that's what I kept telling myself, whenever I tried to be more than whatever life gave me I was knocked down and I was brutally afraid of that here because the risks were greater. What if I ended up being on Team 7 instead of Sakura? Well I would imagine that Sakura wouldn't become Tsunade's apprentice and the world sorta needed that. I sure as hell wasn't going to become that, I had no real interest in it. I doubt I would be able to face Orochimaru and take care of the boys like she had during the chunin exams, seriously she actually had more balls than people gave her credit for.
Would that mean that I would have to be the one to try and make Sasuke not leave the village and try to make Naruto and Sasuke see eye to eye? I hoped not, I prayed not because I couldn't imagine a future where the Konoha 9 and Team Gai didn't end up like how they did. I was not in the original plot and I was trying to keep it that way as much as I could. So TenTen had family and a last name? In the grand scheme of things it didn't matter much to the plot because TenTen's value to the plot was not her sister or her Grandfather but rather her skills.
Another part of me was so worried about how badly I'd embarrass myself if I ended up being in the spotlight, I mean look at what I did to poor Lee. And, ugh, I just couldn't imagine Kakashi as my sensei without laughing myself silly, or rather hysterically. Even know I felt the hysteria bubble up as I hurried my way home.
First things first, let's just pass the academy, yeah?
Okay so this is my new fic, it's been sitting on my google drive for a few months now and I have yet to stop doodling Rui on everything so yeah~!
Sorry if the pace seems rushed, I'm just super in love with Rui's character because I haven't yet really created any type of OC/SI who was such a serious little raincloud!
(1)Youtiao- Youtiao, also known as the Chinese cruller, Chinese oil stick, Chinese doughnut, and fried breadstick, is a long golden-brown deep-fried strip of dough eaten in China and (by a variety of other names) in other East and Southeast Asian Cuisines. Conventionally, youtiao are lightly salted and made so they can be torn lengthwise in two. Youtiao are normally eaten at breakfast as an accompaniment for rice congee or soy milk. (Via Wikipedia)
(2)Our little Gem- Rui means 'Gem life' in Japanese and 'Sharp intellect' in Chinese. I'm sort of playing off of TenTen's duel name meaning as well, and I've decided to make it a family trait that the Ueno's name their children oddly like this. The grandfather's name is Gen, which also has two different meanings in the two languages.
Ueno means 'Upper-field' by the way.