A/N: Updated as of 2020-08-16
'Good morning, Kit! I officially welcome you to the bloody world of Ninja. Enjoy.' My response is to continue giving my bedcovers a deadpan, unamused stare. The first new discovery I made that morning was the Kyuubi's newfound desire to chat with me at any time! Yay! I swing my head back to hit it on the bed frame.
'Shut up, Kurama-sama,' I sarcastically think, trying to clear my mind of foreign thoughts of revenge and murder. 'Keep your thoughts to yourself, you annoying fox! I'm trying to think, thank you!'
With a sigh, I adjust my position so I can easily look down beside my bed and see into the cradle containing a sleeping baby. Little Naruto has long blond eyelashes and a rather thick head of blond hair. He has white whisker marks on his cheeks, three on each side. My small, childish hands come up to rest on my own cheeks, where I have found that identical marks exist. They mark us as children of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. I have wild, chin-length blond hair, and bright blue eyes. I look like a young, feminine version of my dad. Minato, the Yondaime Hokage. This body I'm in is genuinely the offspring of Kushina and Minato, through some power of the Kyuubi's that took some of the both of them and put it into me. Even though I was only with Konohagakure's heroes for mere moments, they acknowledged me as their own and entrusted their newborn to my care. I am honoured to call them my parents. They are all I could have wanted and more, and they are what I didn't have 'Before'.
Naruto stirs, making soft mewling noises. I focus on him with a smile and will my powers to activate. That was the second thing I discovered this morning; a new, significantly increased amount of control over my shadows. Like moving a limb, I stretch my will in to the newly-living shadows in the room. They all come together before swirling around Naruto like a cocoon. His face is left uncovered, and the shadows aren't at all constricting, merely tight enough to support him. Naruto is lifted into the air, before being moved gently onto the bed beside me. He opens his beautiful blue eyes and looks at me. My shadows absently move around us, gently becoming a warm blanket.
"Hey there, little man," Naruto's eyes sparkle, and his tiny arms flail as he tries to touch my face. His hands land on my cheeks, and I just watch as he explores my face bit by bit. Eventually he starts squirming and whimpering slightly while opening and closing his mouth. "Hungry, huh? Yeah, I am too." I notice that my own stomach is clenching uncomfortably and move into a sitting position while settling Naruto in between my legs. He keeps fussing and starts squawking. Out of instinct, a loud and rumbling purr resonates through my body and Naruto calms instantly. Huh, well that's useful!
I send a silent command to the shadows that are randomly climbing the walls, roof and furniture that causes a large portion of them to jump into motion. They swirl together into a large tether, almost like a snake. The shadow snake... Shnake? The Shnake slinks over to the hospital room's door and disappears under it. I mentally track its progress through the halls outside. I'm surprised when, through the shadows, I can feel a strange pulsing, swirling sort of power. When I hear a feminine scream, I realize that I must be feeling someone else's chakra. After clearly gaining a Medic-ninja's attention, my shadows slowly retreat back to our room. I jolt in shock as the shadow slithers up onto my bed, looking just like a large black snake. There are wispy shadows curling all around it, but it seems almost solid.
"Wow - that's never happened before either. Cool!" I grin, and can't help the beaming smile that comes to my face as the snake moves closer, clearly looking for approval. "You're such a good boy! Thank you for fetching a food-getter for us!" The snake, who I can definitely feel is still a part of me, slithers down and wraps around my right leg and rests his head on Naruto's stomach. The baby giggles, distracted momentarily, and starts putting his hands all over the docile snake.
'Ah, here comes the peasant.' Something flickers on in my mind, and I like a proximity alarm I can suddenly feel the Lady who screamed before about to burst into the room. I inwardly snicker at the Fox's commentary but quickly put on an innocent, sad face.
The lady who swings open the door looks fairly normal, with a normal amount of concern that a person ought to have upon seeing a snake go into a room with two small children. Unfortunately, when she sees how the snake is cuddling with us, her concerned look morphs into one of fear and horror.
"By the Sage, the snake! How – You really are Demons! The Hokage should have just killed you to begin with!" Her voice is shrill, and the way she contorts her face makes her quite ugly. I inwardly scoff at her shallow attitude.
'Time to put it on thick.' I shake my bottom lip convincingly, and my eyes fill with tears. I clutch to Naruto and widen my damp eyes in mock-fear.
"Where's Mommy? I'm scared! Baby Brother is hungry! I sent shadowy-snakey to get food!" My bottom lip quivers seemingly uncontrollably, and I notice with satisfaction that the Medic seems stunned. Her voice shakes as she backs away. She still seems convinced we are Demons, even if we are children.
"I will go get Hokage-sama… and send some food." She disappears out the door, not giving a glance back at us. I was expecting it, of course, but it still shocked me how close-minded and cruel she was.
'It really shouldn't have surprised you, Kit. We both know humans are trash.'
I look down at the cheerful, sunny baby that is now my life.
"It's not fair for him, though. He's just a baby… I need to keep him safe. I can't let them hurt him, or dim his glow…" This time, the tears that come are genuine. "You are gonna be so, so happy! I promise otouto, dattebayo!" (And that is number three. Apparently this verbal tick is genetic.) I cradle him in my arms, and my snake wraps around us and generates warmth.
Minutes pass, with no sign of the Sandaime. Fantastic, that lady must have a sadistic streak. I plaster a beaming smile on my face, and carefully slip out of the bed with Naruto in my arms after letting the Shnake drape itself over my shoulders. I fall a good two feet to the floor, and I would have fallen over if my shadows hadn't wrapped around my legs steadying me.
"Note to self – work on agility." Stupid little person legs. Stupid little person arms. Ugh. I try to adjust Naruto to lean against my chest, but my shadows take over the task. Acting as one of those children-backpacks, the shadows wrap around Naruto's legs, back and neck before solidifying and wrapping around my own torso. The Shnake around my shoulders blends in seamlessly with the wrap. I look down at the wispy but solid contraption before laughing.
"Awesome! This is so sick! Did you see that, 'To? Your Nee-chan is super powerful! She has shadows from Kurama-chan!" With a skip in my step, I prance to the door. Basically cloaked in shadows, I merely reach my hand out for the door and the tendrils turn the doorknob and open the door themselves.
"Lalala, let's find some food, lalala, and maybe the Hokage, lalala!" I sing without a specific tune, skipping down the empty hallway. My chakra-radar picks up a flash of chakra, and I am unsurprised when a masked shinobi appears in front of me. I merely give a wide smile and examine them. There is a shocking bundle of white hair spiking out over his animal mask. As for the mask – It's… a dog? Inu? But that means – OHMYGOSHIT'SKAKASHI
"PUPPY! Oh, can I please touch your mask? It's so cool Shinobi-sama! Oh! Do you know where there is some food for me and Otouto? The lady who came to us yelled and said Demon and left without giving us food! It's been foreeeever! Can you help me find some? Pleeaaase?"
I hop up and down on the balls of my feet, my arms wrapped around the baby hanging on my front, wondering if I look terrifying or adorable. I mean, a child, draped in shadows, super cheerful and yet her parents were just murdered? Yeah, I don't know. Either way, Kakashi doesn't respond. Ohhhh, haha. I have an idea. I suddenly gasp, clapping my hands over my mouth.
"Kushi-mama said I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," I start tearing up. "Are you a stranger?" Kakashi still doesn't respond, but he looks noticeably stiffer. I look down, scuffing the floor with my sock feet.
"Kushi-mama was hurt real bad… so was Nato-daddy… I don't know any people but them…" The tears fall down my face, but it isn't just an act anymore. I try to wipe my face dry, and look back up at the ANBU-Kakashi with a wet smile. "Let's not be strangers. I'm Mishina, and this is Naruto! He is my baby brother! Who are you, Shinobi-sama?" After a few silent seconds, Kakashi responds.
"Inu." I feel a flare in his chakra, and send him a puzzled look. "Hokage-sama will be here shortly." I can feel him observing me, and let him do so. I merely snuggle with Naruto, nuzzling his soft, blond head.
The Hokage does indeed arrive fairly quickly, and he greets me with a kind smile. Soon after he dismisses Kakashi, I'm eating some soup and feeding Naruto a bottle of formula.
"How are you feeling, Mishina-chan?" He doesn't comment on my shadows, but I can see him eyeing them with a speculative squint from time to time. I finish my mouthful of soup before answering.
"I'm hurting pretty bad, Hokage-sama. But that's okay! I'll be better soon." The man, currently hat-less, sends me a concerned look.
"Where are you hurting, child? The medic said you were healed, but if that's not the case–" I cut him off with a smile.
"Not that kind of hurt, silly," I giggle sadly and look down at Naruto who is now strapped by his side to my chest so I can feed him his bottle. "My heart and my head hurt. I miss my precious people, and that makes me sad. I have baby brother, though. So, I'll get better!" The Hokage goes off on a spiel about how I'm very wise, strong and blah blah blah. Yeah, I know.
"Hokage-sama? Can I go to the Academy?" The best way to get the answer I want is to startle him. So, I ask this question out of the blue. As a five-year-old. Needless to say, he splutters slightly while trying to register my question.
"You – you want – but after what just happened, don't you want to rest for a while, at least?" I shake my head confidently before moving Naruto in a position to be burped.
"What I want is to go and start learning to be a ninja as soon as I can! I want to finish the Academy as fast as I can, so I can protect Naruto. Then, I want to train to be a medic so I can keep learning until Naruto graduates! Then, I can be in the same group as him! I want to be as strong as I can, and I don't care if I have to wait for a long time! I want to be with Naruto! Oh, oh, oh, and, I want to bring Naruto to class with me! I can do this thing, and he will calm down! I promise I can keep him quiet, and take care of him! Once I start Ninja school, I can live in my own house, right? Then, I can live with Naruto and take him to school every day with me!" The Hokage looks like he has been caught in the train wreck known as ME.
"Mishina-chan, even if you do attend the Academy, you cannot bring a baby with you! I think it would be best that you allowed Naruto to stay back in the place you are staying with a caretaker; perhaps the orphanage. If you wish to go to the Academy you should focus on your studies, and not babysitting. You yourself are only a child." I look the Hokage dead in the eye. The thought of being without Naruto, or – heck – Naruto without me...
"Unfortunately, Hokage-sama, that is not. An. Option." His eyes widen at my calm statement. "I know what I am, Hokage-sama. My mother taught me about the abilities of a Jinchuuriki."
False.
"I know how powerful I can be. I know how valuable we are. I also know that this makes us targets. We are in danger."
True.
The image of Naruto being tormented by civilians, children and adult alike, causes my gut to clench.
"Not just from bad Ninja, but from the villagers too. Even the Medic-nin from earlier, she called us Demons." I know that Naruto will be hurt if left alone. "Who knows what could happen to a baby Jinchuuriki if left by himself? I just – I can't leave him alone. I can't be without him, either." I look up from where my gaze had wandered to Naruto, and meet the Hokage's eyes. He is looking at me very critically, trying to figure out something big.
"There is more to you than meets the eye, is there not?" I simply give him a grim smile that must look very out of place on a five-year-old. "Very well, Uzumaki-chan. You will begin your attendance at the Academy at the start of the new year. We have a lot to sort out and rebuilt in light of the attack. Until then, you may maintain your residency here while I locate a place for you to stay in. I would advise you to keep your parentage a secret, and go by Uzumaki rather than Namikaze." I nod with a smile, chuckling slightly internally. Might as well let him think he has some measure of control, after all.