Chapter Five: Those Who Don't Understand...
History lessons from Obaachan are just as frustrating as they were the first time around. So I just sit back and watch as Obito-chan rages over them. Pulling more and more unique furious expressions than I've ever seen before. It's adorable and amusing and while my history homework lays off to the side half done and forgotten they keep trying to find something anything that's even remotely linear and understandable.
Shinobi... are really not the best historians.
Too many people tend to brag, or write down the basics of what happened. Or just forget to write it completely. And that's not even getting into the contradictory reports like the ones where both sides go away believing that they won the battle. And of course the reports that were shoved in out of order, which include the missing ones mentioning when they found particular members of the clan still alive when previously thought dead. Obito's frowning at one such case right now in fact and I can't help it if I continue to grin.
Also they keep muttering about pride always getting in the way of things. Which is very likely honestly. Especially remembering what lead to the Massacre even being possible.
The clan scheming to actually get some respect. Considering that police don't get any. The butt of every joke, and the ones called useless and bumbling. Incompetent or more likely obstructive... it's just the way civilians react to cops. Probably because the Uchiha Military Police can't keep up. It's a stupid cycle that leads to frustration on both sides and the Uchiha feeling alienated.
"Ne... Tomoko-nii." I blink and then look over to Obito as they raise their head. "Why is this all so bland?" that's... not a complaint that I was expecting them to make. Not really, but actually reading it over, it is fairly bland. Aside from the few bragging rights pieces it's just battle after battle with the results.
And even the bragging is pretty basic, like I was the best in this fight, better than Uchiha blah blah or, I managed to take on twenty Senju all by myself. Nothing that's really that entertaining to spend hours reading.
"It's so bore-ing! Tomoko-nii why are we learning this way? What happened to the fun kind of learning?" I blink and stare at Obito as they whine. Is there such a thing as a fun way to learn history? Well okay, when the image of humanized countries arguing in a conference room springs to mind I can imagine that there might be... But that would be weird...
Would it be a humanized form of the Clan... like a single person representing the whole clan?
Weird...
Obito abruptly springs to their feet, a huge grin crossing their face and internally I freak out. That's not a good look but before I can stop them, they're already at the cupboards and pulling out the calligraphy supplies. What in the world do they think they're doing? This isn't calligraphy class, this is the boring history class where we try to make sense of out of order reports that were pulled out of the archives...
"I might as well make my own fun way!" Obito cheerfully says pulling one of the sheets in front of them. As they dip a brush in the ink I move swiftly to settle right beside them. Catching their wrist I frown as they look at me with wide innocent eyes. Damn it, why do they have to be innocent even with a previous life... that's not fucking fair. "Tomoko-nii it'll be fine. I'm just timelining!"
"If you say so..." I really don't trust that though. Considering it'll likely only take a couple of minutes for them to get caught up in their imagination and then they'll be off in the clouds painting some completely random pattern of words and crafting a whole new form of storytelling and possibly sealing.
Not that I can blame them.
I mean it's kind of hard when there's just so much that goes on in our heads. So much that bounces around and distracts us and... Even I get caught up sometimes, and just sort of meander in another direction because I'm more interested in understanding how and why something works than staying focused.
Kirigakure was a mess, also the Kekkei Genkai purges were some civilian thing... I probably should have done something about them... but Kiri killed Rin.
Eventually Obito pulls up their shirt and silently screams into it. I snicker and cover my mouth with my hands as they narrow a half glare at me before returning to their futile attempt to learn something, anything from the papers spread out around them.
There's a reason that I didn't really recognise Madara beyond the fact that he was my ancestor upon initially meeting him... Shinobi really aren't good historians. So much is lost, or just forgotten and there's also the fact that we don't really keep records... Oh they're there somewhere but as this 'lesson' proves we don't really care to really teach it.
Unlike Obito's previous world... with history books and lessons, an entire channel just for history on the television.
Shinobi trade in secrets...
Obito-chan tosses their hands into the air and frustrated just scribbles onto their sheet before pushing it away and crossing their arms. I grin and they narrow their eyes just that little bit further at me before huffing and glaring at the paper instead.
"Ne... Tomoko-nii... It's all so con-tra-dic-tory." I snort slowly putting down the scroll that I had absently been fiddling with.
"Yeah, probably why I didn't even bother with it. Just wait until we're actually in the Academy, it'll be even worse!" It really will, why is history so bad? I mean there's actually a saying that Obito brought with him, that rings so painfully true in the face of all this.
Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.
I mean seriously, nobody figured out that Naruto was Minato-sensei's son, and I was able to masquerade as Uchiha Madara with little trouble... Well except regards to people from the older generations... but still.
Shinobi don't do history, I don't know how much better our civilian counterparts are either... since so much history would be from the shinobi side of things anyway. Obito's grimace tells me that they must have realized the same thing. I'm amused by it, they're not...
"It's all supposed to be at least linear!" They wave their arms as they whine before glaring at a particular sheet. "And nobody should be able to die twice in that way!" I roll my eyes after a quick glance and remind them of my own status.
"I did"
"Yeah, but that was years into the future. Also you were kidnapped and brain-washed... Along with the fact you kept your continued existence a secret. It doesn't count"
"Yes it does!" I growl my hands fisting just ever so slightly as I argue.
"No Tomoko-nii. It doesn't." I open my mouth to respond as Obito hums before adding "And neither do our rebirths." My mouth snaps back shut with a click and I grit my teeth. "So it doesn't count at all" It's with that air of finality. End of conversation, end of argument and I loathe it. "And anything that the old man told you is suspect by default anyway... Memory fails if left long enough after all."
Okay that's true enough, I stiffly nod my head before flopping onto the tatami floor.
"I know... It can also be tampered with..." my voice is quiet. I just had to remember those things and the mind games. The subtle weaving to the point that I'm not always able to remember. Sure it could have been blamed on head trauma but at the same time.
Can you remember going to a beach, or a place that apparently never existed?
Or even being someone else completely... so many stories and to the point where sometimes I just forgot... Obito who's he?
"Hate those a-bom-i-na-tions." Obito growls, his hands clenching and unclenching as they try to pretend that they've got control. And, I shiver remembering the plant beings, the Zetsu creations of Kaguya's will and the Infinite Tsykuyomi. Victims, spies scattered around the world.
But mostly Kuro is the one that scares me, who I really hate.
Yeah, well...That's something that we can agree on. They're weird and creepy and..."
"Fertilizer. Eldrich Horrors." I can only rapidly blink in response and futilely try to formulate some kind of response to that. "They're kind of stupid as well. How far back do you think the rabbit hole runs?"
I don't answer, instead letting us lapse into silence. It's not something that comes naturally to either of us really. Being silent that is, we're both loud and proud, filled with energy when alone with people that we trust and know respect our boundaries.
It's a good thing Obaachan isn't home currently to get worried about our sudden silence.
"Do you think that maybe they're connected to the Slender Man Mythos of my old world?" The question makes me suck in a startled breath, because I know the myths and legends that Obito is referencing. The faceless being in the shadows, and imagining Kaguya and Kuro related to that...
"I don't even know! It might be interesting to see..." might be interesting to imagine and I can't quite keep my voice normal. Abruptly I raise back up onto my feet and pull Obito up with me. They grin and follow as I practically drag them out into the quiet yard. "Trees right... And tall..." I say looking back at them as they peer at the tree in the center of our yard.
Honestly it's kind of ominous really, with it's empty branches and the complete absence of any sort of movement.
"Slenderman, Slenderman! All the children try to run! Slenderman, Slenderman! To him it's part of the fun!" I can't help but shiver as Obito opens their mouth somewhat automatically and sings that haunting tune. Icy chill the wind whips up, a cold snap that makes the branches over head tremble.
I can see Obito opening their mouth to continue and quickly hold my hand over their mouth. Eyes wide I turn to them almost desperately hoping that they would concede the point and stop.
"That's creepy Obito..." Especially when I'm staring into such wide, and innocent eyes. As if they don't know exactly what connotations that the song carries.
"I know... But also cool right" I have to smile, bemused but in a bit of agreement. I suppose that it is also pretty cool, mainly that they remember it. Also the fact that we share this language, the one from their past life.
The one that seems to help our connection grow. To bleed through into shared dreams, mere glimpses into who we are and were. Even if in those dreams we share our physical real forms.
Makes me wonder how accurate the description of being reborn really is. Are we adults, or merely children with extra memories? Either way these dreams show us as we are, the childish forms, our current diminished bodies.
"Yeah... I guess that it is." My smile strains and Obito's eyes crinkle before they look away. Taking a deep breath and... I don't know what they feel or see but their side of the connection just bleeds wonder and awe, some strange sense of peace and safety as they find something in the yard that I just can't see. That I can't feel. And their smile softens, eyes slipping just slightly shut and...
This is what I have to protect, from Kuro, from Madara and all the others. Because Obito sees the world different and they get absorbed in these feelings. These sensations that make the bond that we share just sing and hum with comfort and safety and...
I don't think that they even realize how these calm moments feel to me.
How their synchronization with some otherworldly feeling in the air feels. How their harmony with nature feels. How much I want, need to protect that.
"You feel it as well don't you? History, life, death, rebirth... The world watches and it waits... Until it all resets once more!" And they laugh, light and free and just so abrupt.
There might be a touch of insanity in their laughter as well but I can't help it. I join in, throwing my head back and laughing because it's these moments that we both can enjoy. That we can both find peace in and calm and...
Eventually the laughter patters away and we both rest on the ground facing the sky. Watching the clouds through the branches and I can almost understand why the Nara would always enjoy their cloudgazing. It's... it's really peaceful to just watch the clouds as they go back, lazily rotating in the sky.
Eventually I roll back over and poke Obito.
They blink and smile at me and I sigh before speaking my line. "Hey... We should get back to studying the Clan history. Obaachan will be home anytime now."
They blink again and minutely nod their head before returning their gaze skywards. I merely sigh and allow myself to roll my eyes. They're probably caught up in all that they can feel. All that they can understand and know in a different way.
Maybe it's because they're from another world, another time and place. Maybe it's because they're not from here and they have the out of context viewpoint that would allow them to just...
"Is this ninshu?" The whispered question makes me pause before I dramatically sigh.
But... it makes me wonder because...
I never really thought about it before... and what my toshishita kyoudai feels, the way they experience the world... Could it be ninshu? Could that naturally be using ninshu? Could I have been doing that as a small child the first time around...
I actually have to wonder because in many ways even now that I know... I still regularly refer to them as my younger self... Possibly they were me already, it's just now they retained the memories...
Ninshu huh... I wonder...
Does that have merit?
