Author: I'm like...maybe a quarter of the way through the history?

Chapter 7: Midara's Story: Daylight, Part 6

"Oro-sensei~" Midara called out in a sing-song voice, excitedly greeting her mentor at the village gate.

"You're late." Orochimaru retorted with crossed arms.

"Sorry!" The young girl gave an apologetic bow but seemed unusually happy despite the sannin's disapproving glare.

"What's behind your back?" he motioned to her hands. Her smile widened.

"Remember how I couldn't find a present for your birthday last year?" He remembered all too well. Orochimaru never celebrated growing a year older—a year closer to death…a year of not enough accomplished. But the only person who had seemed even more depressed than him was Midara. She had broken down in tears, disappointed in herself for not being able to find a suitable offering. Not that he had ever asked her to. In fact, he had been all together annoyed that Jiraiya even told the girl when his birthday was. "Tada!" Midara whipped a wrapped sword out from behind her back, handing it to him.

"A sword?"

"Not just any sword! Unwrap it! Unwrap it!" Orochimaru slipped his fingers between the strings of the velvet cloth and loosened the covering just enough to pull the hilt out. His eyes widened. His words caught in his throat. "Do you like it?"

"How…how did you come by this?" He pulled the sword fully from its covering, unsheathing it and giving it a few practice swings.

"Remember those notices we left at all the armories for the Totsuka Blade? Well, one of the blacksmiths sent a notice that he thought he found it. I wanted to surprise you, so I asked papa to take me, but it wasn't the Totsuka Blade at all."

"It must have cost a fortune." Orochimaru sheathed the sword and placed it on his hip. Midara giggled mischievously. "What?"

"Well, he didn't realize it was the Kusunagi Blade, so when I told him it wasn't the sword we were looking for, he just put it up for sale as a regular blade, and papa bought it!" It was the first time Midara heard a genuine, full-throated laugh from Orochimaru. It made her feel amazing. He placed his hand on her head.

"We'll keep looking for the Totsuka Blade. Your sealing isn't getting any better. You'll need the extra help."

"Sorry," Midara cringed at the sudden realization that she might be letting him down, "but I've been working on something else!"
"O?" He motioned for her to follow him, and Midara grabbed his hand, continuing her story as they began to leave for their mission.

"Papa taught me the Uchiha's memory jutsu, and I was thinking…you said you wished you had the Sharingan so you could learn jutsu faster."

"That's right."

"I think…I can give you my Sharingan."

"What?" Orochimaru stopped in his tracks at the prospect.

"One memory jutsu lets the Sharingan user share their memories, and the person they share them with experiences those memories in their body." Midara explained. "So, if you show me a jutsu you want to learn, I can learn it with my Sharingan, and then I can share the memory with you, and you'll feel it in your chakra! It only takes a second to share a memory, and I can share it many times until you know the flow of chakra like you're the one doing the jutsu. It's the closest thing to having your very own Sharingan!" The girl took a deep breath after talking for so long, and Orochimaru just stared at her. He dropped to his knee, coming down to eye level with her.

"You came up with this all on your own?" She gave a quick nod. He smiled, suddenly flushed with pride in his student. "What a wonderful present."

"Well, aren't you a happy bunch?" a voice interrupted the loving moment.

"Jiraiya-sensei!" Midara jumped up into the sage's arms and he held her tight.

"O-ho! Midara! Your hair is getting awfully long. You know, boys love a girl with long hair. Are you growing it out for someone special?" Jiraiya teased.

"I'm growing it out so it looks like Oro-sensei' s hair! His is so long and pretty and soft!" Midara replied excitedly.

"Pretty and Oro-sensei don't really go together." Jiraiya joked, smirking at his comrade.

"What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be back until next week!" Orochimaru snapped.

"Give me a break, even I can finish a mission early from time to time."

"I wish you'd keep to a schedule. We have a mission planned." the snake-eyed man snarled in annoyance.

"Hey now, is that anyway to greet your old friend who came to wish you a happy birthday?" Jiraiya wrapped his free arm around Orochimaru's shoulders. His 'old friend' let out a huffy breath.

"It's fine." Orochimaru finally succumbed. "Midara, watch him. Keep him out of trouble. I'll be back in a few days."

"Safe travels!" Midara called out to her mentor.

"Now that he's gone, we can have some real fun!" Jiraiya said, setting Midara up on his shoulder.

"Sensei, you can't use me as an excuse to go into the women's bath anymore. I'm too old to need a chaperone in the bath now, and Papa says he'll arrest you the next time it happens." Midara chided with crossed arms.

"I can't catch a break from any of you, can I?" the sage grumbled under his breath. "Well, what will we do to pass the time?"

"O!" Midara jumped down from his shoulder and turned to face Jiraiya. "Sensei, are there other visual powers in the ninja world? Like the Sharingan or the Byakugan?"

"They're rare, but yes. Why?"

"Are there any that look like…like…" Midara scratched her head, trying to put her thoughts into words, "like a pebble in a pond?"

"A pebble in a pond?" Jiraiya asked, not quite following her analogy. Midara motioned for him to follow her. She led him to a fountain near the village gate and dropped in a small pebble.

"Like that!"

"O! Like a ripple!" he suddenly understood. "There is one, but…where did you hear about it?"

"I didn't." Midara said. "I dreamt about it."

"Hm…." Jiraiya lifted the girl and sat her down on the edge of the fountain. He sat on the ground in front of her and pulled out a notebook. "Tell me about this dream."

"Well, it was many dreams, but they were just bits and pieces of the same dream, I think." Midara paused until Jiraiya could finish his scribbling. He motioned for her to continue. "I was sitting on a rock…well, I think it was me. But I was older? Or maybe it wasn't me, but I was seeing it from a woman's eyes." She thought for a moment longer "…maybe it was me…." She shook her head. "Anyways, this girl, who I think was an older me, she was sitting on a rock above some overgrown grass. She was looking for something. There was a man behind her asking her questions, but she never turned around to look at him."

"What kind of questions?"

"He asked, 'are you looking for him again?'"

"And what you—she say?"

"She said, 'of course.' He said, 'It's been two days.'"

"And?"

"And she didn't say anything. She kept looking through the grass. Then she found some blood on one of the blades and started poking her hand around in that spot."

"Then what?"

"Then a small snake bit her hand!"

"A snake?"

"It was purple, and she was in pain, but she just smiled and said, 'there you are.' She pulled her hand up, and the snake kept biting, and wrapped his body around her arm. The snake had lots of cuts all over, like he had been fighting with an animal. And she had bandages and some kind of medicine next to her. She put medicine on the snake's wounds, and she wrapped it up. The man was worried about her bite, but she kept helping the snake. She eventually took him to an old, broken-down house. There was a space underneath porch, and another snake there."

"Another one?"

"Yea, yea! This one was white, and I think it was the purple snake's mother."
"What makes you think that?"

"Because when she released the purple snake, it crawled into the nest of broken eggs the white snake was sitting on. And then the girl smiled at the white snake and told her to be careful, and that there were more eagles now, and she would keep looking for the others. So, I think the other baby snakes were also lost or hunted by an eagle."

"What a thoughtful gesture." Jiraiya noted, continuing his scribbling. "Did the white snake reply?"

"Of course not, sensei! Snakes can't talk!" Midara dismissed. "Then the man that had been following her asked to look at her hand."

"What did this man look like?"

"I…I don't know. He was standing behind her, holding her while he looked at the bite. It must have hurt because she closed her eyes tight, and when she opened them, he was sucking the poison out. The sun was setting behind him, so she still couldn't see his face…but she could see his eyes." Midara jumped down from the fountain edge and picked up another pebble. "Sometimes they're milky white like the Byakugan…sometimes he has the Sharingan…and sometimes…" she dropped the pebble in the water "they're like a pebble in a pond."

"I think I know what we can do today." Jiraiya said, closing his notebook.

"What?"

"Remember when I told you about Mount Myōboku?"

"Of course!"

"Would you like to see it? We could go there."

"R-really?" Midara's eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together in front of her face. "Yes! Yes! Please, let's go!"

"We'll have to go somewhere I can summon Bunta, first." Jiraiya said, holding out his hand for the young girl to take. She eagerly grabbed it, running ahead of him, nearly dragging the sannin along with her.

"Yay! Bunta!" Midara cried happily. The pair made their way to a clearing outside of the Hidden Leaf Village, and Jiraiya performed his summoning jutsu, bringing forth a massive orange toad.

"This better be good, Jiraiya." Gamabunta grumbled, taking a puff of his pipe.

"Bunta, you remember Midara, don't you?"

"Hm?" The toad leaned down, squinting to see the small girl. "Is that the snake-loving Uchiha brat?"

"You're not still upset that she signed a contract with the Colossal Serpents, are you?" Jiraiya laughed. "You gotta learn to take rejection with a little more grace, Bunta."

"And I suppose you'd know all about that! Always harping on about that slug princess!"

"Sensei, you have a crush on Katsuyu?" Midara asked innocently.

"I wish." Jiraiya groaned, "she's a lot nicer than the lady I like…." The man shook his head, trying to stave away thoughts of his unrequited love. "I didn't call you for any of that, Bunta. I want to take Midara to Mount Myōboku."

"Pah!" Gamabunta turned his head away from the pair. "She should've thought about that before signing a contract with those belly-crawlers."

"Come one, Bunta! Just give us a hand!"

"You know I don't like people riding on my head."

"Please, Mr. Bunta?" Midara spoke up, giving the toad a respectful bow. "I'd really like to see your home and learn more about the great sage lands. Jiraiya-sensei told me so many stories about the mountain! He even wrote them in a book for me, and I read them to my baby brother every night! Please, sir? Pretty please?"

"Hmm…." Gamabunta slowly turned his head back to the girl, flattered but still unconvinced.

"I'll level with you, Bunta. Midara's been having some dreams that might have something to do with the the child of prophecy. I'd like to get the old man's thoughts on it."

"My dreams?" Midara suddenly asked, confused by how someone like her could possibly be embedded with prophecy.

"O, alright. Quit your griping and jump on. The sooner I get you there, the sooner I can shake you off my head." the toad finally succumbed.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The young girl quickly jumped onto the toad's head before he could change his mind.

"You better hold on!" Gamabunta warned, getting down low to the ground. Midara gasped and shut her eyes tight as he jumped. She concentrated her chakra to keep a hold of his skin as he began to descend. The giant toad landed with a thunderous shake of the ground, and when Midara opened her eyes, she was in a strange and wondrous land. It was scattered with mountains, waterfalls, and plants that Midara had never seen before. She was so entranced by this place that she completely forgot the precarious nature of her position.

"Are you going to sit up there forever?!" Gamabunta' s voice boomed through the valley, causing the Uchiha girl to jump and fall from toad's head. She landed on the soft grass below with a thump and groaned, holding her head in pain.

"I-I'm sorry…Mr. Bunta…."

"Master Jiraiya!" a tiny voice called out. Midara stood, dusting off her kimono. She walked over to Jiraiya, who was eagerly greeting two small toads.

"They're so cute!" Midara cooed, picking up the light-orange colored one in her hands.

"Do you have any snacks?" the small toad asked, flashing her an irresistible smile.

"Wait here, Midara." Jiaraya said. "I need to take care of something." The young girl nodded as Jiraya made his way through the landscape to the toad sage's hut.

"Jiraiya boy!" two elderly toads called out to him as he entered.

"Good to see you two again." the white-haired man greeted Fukasaku and Shima. He then turned his eyes to the largest toad in the room, towering over him atop a throne of stone. "Great Lord Elder, I need to ask you about my prophecy." The great toad's wrinkled eyes slowly moved to size up Jiraiya, a subtle hint that he was listening. "A student of mine has been having dreams of a man with the Rinnegan. I've never described the eyes to her, and she's been sheltered in the village for most of her life, so she couldn't have come across it on her own. She says she didn't hear about it from anyone, just saw it in a dream. I believe she is having a prophecy related to the child I'm supposed to guide."

"Hmm…." the toad sage hummed.

"Sensei! Do you have anymore treats? I ran out!" Midara called, running into the hut with Gamatatsu on her head. "Huh?" She looked up at the large toad in the room, and he stared back at her with a ghostly smile.

"O, it's you…." the toad sage said. The girl just tilted her head.

"How do you know Lord Gamamaru?" Jiraiya whispered to the young Uchiha.

"I-I…I…." Midara stuttered, worried she might offend the toad sage if she told him she had no recollection of ever meeting him. But Gamamaru just kept smiling at her.

"It's alright if you don't remember." He closed his eyes, leaning back into his massive throne. "It was a long time ago."

"What are you talking about, you old geezer?!" Shima finally yelled out. "You've been sitting on that throne like a lump on a log for the last three centuries, and this girl isn't even a decade old!"

"Ma! Don't call Great Lord Elder a geezer!" Fukasaku admonished his wife.

"He's senile!" Shima shot back at her husband.

"E-excuse me." Midara interrupted, stepping closer to Gamamaru. "But where do you know me from?"

"He loved you so much. I wonder where it is now…maybe Ryûchi Cave…." Gamamaru mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

"Who did?" Midara asked, receiving only the soft snores of the toad as a response.

"Boy, what a waste of time." Jiraiya bemoaned. "I know one other place we can try."

"H-huh?" Midara turned back to her teacher, unsettled by the previous conversation.

"Do you remember the monastery I took you to when we first started training together?"

"O, yes!" the girl replied, excited by the prospect of visiting the beautiful place again.

"One of the monks has training as a seer. Maybe he can shed some light on your dream."

Gamabunta teleported the ninja back to their village, and they began their journey to the monastery.

"Sensei?" Midara tugged on Jiraiya's hand as they walked.

"Hm? What is it?"

"What did he mean by 'where is it now, maybe Ryûchi Cave?'" she asked. "Isn't Ryûchi Cave where the Colossal Serpents live?"

"That's right. …to be honest, I have no idea what he was going on about." Jiraiya admitted with a sigh. "We'll ask Orochimaru more about the cave once he's back from his mission. But for now, let's try and focus on your dreams."

"Okay."

"Master Jiraiya, young Lady Uchiha, so nice to see you both again." a monk greeted the pair at the bottom of the monastery steps. "What brings you here?"

"With a place so beautiful, how could we stay away?" Jiraiya asked with a laugh.

"Can I see the garden overlooking the ocean again? Please? Please, please, please?" Midara put her hands together and lowered her head in a respectful bow. The monk laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course, dear. Follow me."

"Actually, we did have another purpose for coming today." Jiraiya admitted as they began the long climb up the stone steps. "Midara has been having some odd dreams. I believe they're prophecies. I was wondering if you could take us to see Monk Lhakpa to help us decipher them."

"Prophecies?" the monk asked, eyeing the young girl. "At such a young age? It usually takes years of spiritual training for a seer to receive prophecies. Are you sure?"

"It sounds crazy, I know. But I just have a feeling about this."

"Then let's not waste any time."

"Try not to move." Jiraiya whispered to the squirming Uchiha as monks paced around her, chanting and praying.

"I can't help it!" Midara whispered back. She jumped again as they sprinkled more water on her. "The water is so cold!" The complaint was overhead by Monk Lhakpa, who abruptly held up his hand to stop the ceremony. The young girl sunk into herself, worried she had offended the seer. But the middle-aged man just laughed.

"It is a bit cold. Perhaps we can try something else." He dismissed the other monks and motioned for the pair to follow him. "Midara, you said you liked the gardens in our monastery. Why is that?"

"They're so beautiful. I feel so at peace when I'm in them. There's no war, no missions, just nature and beauty and peace." she cooed. "I could spend a lifetime in them and not get sick of that feeling."

"That is good to hear. Perhaps your focus would be better off in the garden rather than a stuffy old room." The monk led them to Midara's favorite garden, and the girl immediately ran to the edge, looking down at the beach below.

"It's even prettier than I remember!" She took in the smell of the ocean. A noise caught her attention and the Uchiha looked around. Her eyes followed the winding staircase down the cliffside to the wooden pier below. A few monks were unloading small boats filled with food.

"Come sit by the pond, Midara." Monk Lhakpa called her over. The girl quickly followed his directions and sat down across from him. He handed her the other end of a white string he was holding.

"What's this?"

"This spiritual thread will help me understand your dreams by connecting our chakras.." the monk explained. "Now close your eyes and meditate."

The meditation lasted for several hours before Monk Lhakpa jerked out of his unmoving state.

"What is it?" Jiraiya asked. He looked over at Midara, who was still sitting perfectly still with closed eyes. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine." Monk Lhakpa stood and walked over to the girl, gently touching her forehead and releasing her from the trance-like state.

"S-sensei?" Midara asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm here, Midara." Jiraiya assured her, holding her hand. "What about her dreams?"

"They are not prophecies." the monk said. "They are memories."

"That's not possible. She's never met anyone with the Rinnegan."

"What do you know of reincarnations, Jiraiya?"

"Not much." Jiraiya admitted. "From what I learned in school, they're not well understood even by top spiritual leaders."

"They hold many mysteries." Monk Lhakpa agreed. "In our bodies exists physical and spiritual energy. Sometimes the spirit is so affected by something in one life that it leaves a kind of scar on the chakra."

"I-I've heard this." Midara suddenly chimed in. "The Uchiha say that chakra is memory. It's the basis of our visual jutsu."

"That's right." The monk patted the young girl's head. "Chakra lives on even after our physical bodies die. Normally, it would disperse, and new chakra would be born from its remnants. But scarred chakra is more resilient. It holds together in rebirth. It remembers."

"So…I was this girl in a past life?" Midara asked. "But then why does the man have different eyes?"

"It's difficult to know. The memory isn't a perfect recollection. It may be mixing with your current experiences." The monk thought for a moment. "Either way, you shouldn't let it hold too much weight in your life. Reincarnations aside, you are still Midara Uchiha." The girl nodded.

"But…" she thought about the girl from her dreams, "I'm also my previous lives…aren't I?"