A/N: First I'd like to thank you all for all the favorites and follows; it's nice to see this get such a nice reception. And I'd like to thank chloemika for the lovely review. I hope this next chapter meets everyone's expectations as well.

Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.

Please enjoy.

Chapter 2: Of Riceballs and Long Talks

{in which things don't get any better}

Chakra was simply an amazing thing; it was basically magic. Anyone could use it if they had the patience to learn, disregarding any biological problems. It had the power to create and manipulate, made it possible to pull people from the brink of death through healing, and gave mankind the ability to utterly destroy each other and become tools of death itself.

Watching the placing of the Caged Bird Curse Seal on those children had been horrifying. Terrible. The older children, whose parents had probably warned them of this, had taken it with grave acceptance, looking as though they had a weight thrown onto their shoulders. The younger children had been so sacred, looking fruitlessly for their parents who had remained in the other room. The foreign chakra being forced into their small bodies caused a few to vomit and others to collapse and fall into unconsciousness. Sometimes both.

And I had watched it all. I was sure that my face had been stuck in an expression of horror as I watched each child get branded as fodder for the Main Family, one by one, branded as a slave for the rest of their lives. I had to. It was all my fault. Father had been the one to pull me from my terror.

I looked at him with stinging eyes, blinking as tears began to form.

"Junko." His voice came to me softly and my blurry vision focused on his forehead where a similar seal rested beneath his hitai-ate.

"I don't want this," I gasped, voice no louder than a whisper. "I don't want this!"

I didn't know if I could be heard over the dry heaving and tears of one of the six year olds, but his pale eyes stared into my own. He seemed to understand that I understood. That I understood my burden and his, and he didn't question it. They softened with a look I could only describe as solemn pride.

"I know."

I didn't stop the tears as they began to fall. My young body couldn't keep in all the emotions I felt. Disgust. Anger. Regret. But mostly fear. Fear of myself and fear for them. But I was obedient; it was the least I could do.

"B-but it is an h-honor," I hiccupped and he caught my tears with his calloused fingers.

"Yes," he said quietly and I buried my face into his shoulder as he lifted me into his arms. "It is an honor."

I don't remember much after that. Hideyoshi came to speak with my father, but I had been too emotionally devastated to care about how else he would ruin my life. In the time between my breakdown and the end of their conversation, the other children had been cleaned up and whisked away back to their parents. My mother had entered the room at some point as well, her strong hands stroking my back as Father cradled me in his arms, slowly and slowly until I fell asleep, my exhaustion catching up with me.

When I awoke, I was tucked into bed accompanied by a headache. I hated crying. Crying always gave me a headache, a trait that seemed to have carried over. In my life Before, I had been the type that would cry when I was angry as well, so I had always tried to have solid control over my emotions. There's a certain amount of embarrassment that comes when you're trying to confront someone while also trying to hold back tears.

It probably didn't amount to the pain those other children were in though. No doubt about that.

I sat up, rubbing the crust from my eyes before taking a look around. The curtains in my room had been pulled closed but the light of an evening sun peeked its way through the fabric, casting the room in an orange glow. My presents had been sorted and put away; I could tell from the additional scrolls and books on my desk, as well as the packs of training kunai and shuriken placed neatly beside them.

I didn't know what to do. What should I do? What could I do? I don't know how happy I would've been living as a member of the Branch Family, but surely it wouldn't be as terrible as being treated as an heiress? With all those expectations and everyone constantly watching you; to see if you made a mistake, to make you into their version of the perfect leader. Hinata definitely hadn't had it easy in the series, Hiashi always looking down at her, Neji being an asshole, and having to be pit against her sister. I didn't have the same disposition as Hinata, but I had been shy in my past life. I preferred working behind the scenes. I couldn't be the head of a clan. What was I going to do?

I shook my head and took a breath to clear my thoughts. It wasn't as though I was actually the clan head. That would be a long time coming. From what I could understand, since the Third Shinobi War was going on, the Hyūga were just taking precautionary measures to insure the continued leadership of the clan, in case something happened to either of the twins, Hiashi and Hizashi. I could only assume I was being 'promoted' due to my pedigree on Kimiko's, Mother's, side. But what if my birth causes something bad to happen? What if one of the twins actually did die? Or both? Then neither Hinata, Hanabi, or Neji would be born!

What was I going to do?

My breath hitched as a knock came from my door. I took another deep breath to calm myself before my mother entered the room, carrying a tray with a plate filled with onigiri and a steaming cup of something sweet smelling.

"How are you feeling Junko-chan?" she asked and I scooted back to let her set the tray on my lap. The words 'I'm fine' sat on the tip of my tongue as I went to respond, but I closed my mouth instead and reached for the cup.

When I woke up in this world after my realization, I had made a vow to be more honest to myself. It had been a problem in my past life; I had let too many things pass without saying a word and it was something I regretted. I probably would've been much happier back then if I had. Not very easy to do in a ninja clan like the Hyūga, but as long as I was true to myself and my volitions I would at least try. Not everyone got second chances.

I looked up at my mother before staring into the cup clasped in my hands. Warm milk with honey. One of my favorites.

"My head hurts," I murmured as I swished the liquid around. Good enough for a start.

"It was a lot to take in, huh?" I blinked up at her before looking back down with a nod. That was an understatement.

She shifted so she could sit next to me in bed and wrapped an arm around my too small shoulders. I leaned into her embrace and took a sip of my drink.

"It was brutal, wasn't it?" I couldn't help the unhappy snort that leaves me when I reply.

"More like inhumane."

Mother gives me the look she and Father usually give when I've said something they've deemed interesting or worrying; I can never tell which. It reminds me that I'm technically three and a member of the Hyūga clan. I shouldn't have these opinions but I do. I couldn't help that I was still the person I was Before, even if I could barely remember her name at times. Renée. I was a mishmash of the three-year-old Hyūga child who had been instilled with values of duty and honor and the twenty-one-year-old African American who had been instilled with Christian based values, which had been mixed together with personal experiences to form this mess that was me.

Maybe it would've been easier if I had never remembered.

"Why must the family be divided?" I asked frowning, thinking about the spiel Hideyoshi had given me. Something about it being the duty of the Branch family to protect the Main House. How it was their sovereign duty to protect the Main House, and in turn it was the duty of the Main family to see to the continued existence of the clan.

"The Branch family can't be happy like this, can they?"

Mother was quiet as she ran her fingers through my hair and I enjoyed her presence as I finished off the plate of rice balls. I hadn't eaten much during the party.

"I've been married to your father for five years, and known him for much longer," she began with a light voice. "And I've never once heard him complain about his duty."

When I looked up at her, she had a pensive smile on her face. "I can already tell that you've started to develop this quality from him."

She pinched my cheek lightly. "But you also question and scrutinize everything you're given, seeing the underneath. Very mature for one so young. Exceptionally so."

I ducked my head at her observation. I was the worst three year old ever.

"But is he happy?" I asked trying to get her back on track. "Like truly happy?"

"Are you happy Junko-chan?" she asked instead, cupping my cheek and lifting my head so our eyes could meet.

I frowned, my brows scrunched up. I hadn't been unhappy before, but today had definitely soured any feelings of joy. The worst birthday ever.

"I mean generally," she chuckled, running a thumb across my scrunched brow. "Before today. Were you happy?"

I had certainly enjoyed learning things with Mother and Father; day by day I found myself loving them more and more. It had been hard accepting Kimiko as my mother at first. Of course, she had fed me, changed me, and taught me so many things about this world. Always loving me and nurturing me. Sometimes she would burst into song, and we would dance around the living room with me swinging from her arms, twirling in circles and spirals to an impassioned rhythm. And although she would need another few decades to compare to my mom from Before, I undeniably loved her.

Having a father was a totally new experience. Daichi was a silent man who was strict in his teaching and parenting, but was also kind. If Kimiko was warmth and sunshine in the spring, Daichi was the shade of a tree on a hot summer day. While I didn't see him as much daily, he made sure to greet me in the morning and bid me goodnight every day. Sometimes, we would just sit on the porch together and read when he wasn't busy. Sometimes, I could con him into tickle fights which he would inevitably win, leaving me in giggles trapped in his arms. He was the least Hyūga out of all the clansmen I've met. His small but genuine smiles that would warm his pale eyes as he praised me whenever I got something right was a thing I cherished. And I undeniably loved him.

I had been happy.

"I like being with kaa-chan and tou-chan," I nodded firmly. It was the only thing I was certain of in this world. "I'm happy that I get to be with you."

She smiled.

"Well then, your father is happy. I'm sure of it," she said. "We only care about your happiness and wellbeing."

And who was I to question that?

The weeks and months after my birthday were busy on all fronts. I saw my parents less and less as time went on and I tried to mask my worry by delving into my new books and scrolls. Both members of the Branch and the Main family came to watch me whenever my parents were out but I had taken to ignoring them. They only cared about my wellbeing because it was their duty. But I remained obedient, if only not to give my parents anything else to worry about. And it wasn't as if they treated me unkindly, far from it. But they weren't my parents.

Getting ready for war was far more important than any temper tantrum I could make.

I didn't know any of the details but apparently the conflict along the border had intensified to the point that they had to send out more shinobi to the front lines. Neither Mother or Father had mentioned they were being drafted, but it was inevitable.

It did make me feel a little better that I had begun to get a sense of my chakra. Chakra coils were a very strange thing, or at least mine were. Probably due to my reincarnation, my balance of spiritual energy overpowered my physical. It made sense as spiritual energy was derived from the mind's consciousness. I had an additional twenty-one years, while my pitiful three-year-old body struggled to keep up. I had also been an introvert in my old life; I was pretty much always in my head, an aspect that hadn't changed much. I couldn't do much about my lack of physical prowess now since neither my parent or I wanted to cause any developmental issues in my growth from going too fast. As if I wasn't going fast already.

When I concentrated, I could feel how the chakra flowed through my pathways; it was a strange yet pleasant feeling. Especially when I meditated; I would focus on my core and mentally trace the flows from my head to my toes. Sometimes I would spend hours in meditation, only to be disturbed by whoever had been chosen to be my keeper of the day. In some of my internal exploration, I found a weird concentration of chakra in my head, though more specifically behind my eyes. I could only presume that it had something to do with the byakugan. I had been tempted to mess with it, but the possibility of exploding, or imploding, my eyes from my skull was a risk I wasn't willing to take even with how ridiculous it sounded.

It had been at the end of the fourth month of rarely seeing my parents when the announcement came. The Sandaime had declared another line of skirmishes had broken out along the border and that even more shinobi were being sent out.

And of course, a platoon of Hyūga were being sent off, just as the elder had said. A platoon that included my father, and in a twist I didn't expect, my mother as well. I had believed that she would be exempt from fighting on the front lines given her lineage, being one of the last Senju. I guess it would be idiotic to let a kunoichi of her caliber stay on the back burner when your other shinobi were dying out on the frontlines. She wasn't as skilled as her cousin Tsunade in the healing arts, though was better than most with her chakra control. She excelled in barrier-type seals, and was an overall saboteur and espionage expert.

But that didn't make it any easier.

It was morning; I sat at our dinner table as my parents moved back and forth amongst the rooms of our house to grab last minute scrolls or ration packs. My breakfast laid uneaten as I watched them.

"Junko-chan," my mother chirped as she slid a skinny scroll into the pocket in her vest. "You have to eat if you want to keep up with your training."

I picked up my chopsticks and began to slowly shovel food into my mouth, lips still in a frown.

"Kimi," my father's voice came from behind me as he entered the kitchen. His large and heavy hand settled on my head as I swallowed. "Have you prepared all the seals for our departure?"

My mother sighed, her happy façade falling. Her honey colored eyes were sad as she looked at us.

"Yes, Daichi. Everything is accounted for. I've also packed several spares for the others as well."

"Thank you." His voice was soft and earnest. Mother sighed and walked over, wrapping her arms around us both. No one said a word as we enjoyed what could be our last moments together. The thought made my throat close and my eyes sting. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. They were the ones going off to war, not me. I couldn't make it any harder for them.

Mother pulled away to pick me up and hugged me firmly to her chest, my father joining in from behind.

"Oh, our precious daughter. So strong," she whispered as I clung to her vest.

Our moment was cut short by a knocking on the door.

Posted/Edited: August 16th, 2016

Secondary Edit: January 23rd, 2017

-Minor Edits and Grammar fixes.

-Changed Junko's name from her previous life to Renée.

Next time on For a Chance at Happiness:

Chapter 3: Of Routines and Realizations

{in which life sucks and fate has a way of making it worse}