A/N: Remember how I said this fic was a prototype-thingy? Yeah, well now since I wrote this a while ago you'll see stuff and ideas merge and mingle from my others fic with the finished personality of Jennie/Zaku. A million waffles to those who are actually reading this monstrosity.


I glared at the offending white walls. Why did everything have to be so damn white. The hospital gown was white. My sheets were white. My pillow was white. The door was white. I swear my insides were going to turn white after my stay in the hospital.

I turned my head to the door when I saw it open.

"Thank Kami." I said softly, watching Team Seven file inside. The three genin shot me confused looks. I didn't care at this point. "I never thought in a million years that I'd miss that orange jumpsuit of yours."

Naruto grinned brightly, "You got that right, lady. Orange is awesome, ttebayo!"

Sakura groaned. "Oh brother. Here we go again."

Kakashi held up his hand, stopping Naruto before he could ramble on about his favorite color and all its greatness.

"Yo, kuniochi-chan." I furrowed my brow at the honorific. I might not be educated in Japanese but even I've watched enough anime to know that '-chan' wasn't the proper honorific a man would give to someone he just met without asking them or said person telling them it was okay. I shrugged. Whatever, who cares?

"…Hello…?" I said, blinking owlishly. They still haven't introduced themselves and I was not going to dig myself a metaphorical grave by suddenly knowing their names. I don't fancy being thrown into T&I. Ibiki and Anko kinda freak me out. Plus, I'd probably start braiding Inoichi's fabulous hair.

Kakashi eye-smiled in my direction. "Hehe, sorry about that. My name is Hatake Kakashi, jounin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves which is where you're at."

Naruto struck a pose, leaping in front of my hospital bed. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha, dattebayo!" He yelled. My eyes widened in surprise. Wow, that was even better in real life. At least he didn't say, "Believe it!'. That would have killed me.

I giggled as Sakura and Sasuke shot Naruto identical looks of annoyance.

The only female on the team bowed politely.

"My name is Haruno Sakura." She slapped the smug look off the blonde boy's face with a fist. "Please excuse Naruto-baka." The pink-haired girl growled. I smiled in response. Sasuke glanced in my direction.

"Hn. Uchiha Sasuke." He all but grunted. I had to stop the grin from spreading across my face. It was almost hilarious seeing them in person than on my tiny laptop screen.

Surrealism in the flesh.

"It's very nice to meet you all." I said quietly.

Naruto bounded up to the bed side with my bunny backpack in his hands. "We've got your stuff that you left behind." I reached out and grabbed the backpack.

"Thank you, Naruto-nii." I said without thinking. The boy stilled completely. He stared at me with something akin to loneliness and surprise in his eyes.

I instantly reached inside the backpack, not noticing the effect that the honorific had on him. Where was my headband?

Feeling clothe under my fingertips I pulled out the object fully expecting my red forehead protector to come out. I had not guessed in a million years for Bunny-chan to pop out in all his monstrous glory.

Sakura's eyes widened in terror and she squeaked.

The toy hung limply from my hand. I could only stare at the pink bunny in shock. Naruto wrinkled his nose, having got over his the Bunny-chan's mind-breaking jutsu.

"What's up with the rabbit, anyways? It's kinda ugly."

"Don't say that, baka!" Sakura exclaimed in disbelief, averting her eyes from said toy. Sasuke grimaced.

"For once, the dobe is right." He said, leaning against the hospital wall cooly.

"Guys…" Sakura said at a loss for words. I giggled into my free hand and placed the stuffed animal beside me.

"Don't worry about it. Bunny-chan is the most hideous ball of lint in all of Fire Country."

"More like the whole world." Naruto muttered under his breath.

Kakashi quirked his head to side. "Then why do you carry it around?" I paused. Why did I carry it around. I guess in my head filled with incomplete memories of my body's life and my death this was the only thing I can relate to. The only thing that felt relatively normal in my new life. "I…I guess because it's familiar and reminds me of home." I said lastly. Kakashi's dark eye sharpened.

I stiffened. Uh oh.

I just had to open my big mouth and mention home, huh? Shoot me now.

He turned to his students and smiled at them.

"Okay, kiddos. I think that's enough pestering kunoichi-chan for one day." He herded the teens out of the room, hanging around the door frame. "Have the day off. I have to ask kunoichi-chan some questions."

"Kakashi-sensei! That's not fair-" Naruto's voice was cut off by the door sliding shut. Kakashi walked over calmly. I gulped.

The calm before the storm.

A bout of anxiety washed over me and a drop of sweat slid down the side of my face. Now what? After a week of traveling, getting lost, and attacked by baddies I was finally here. Albeit, in the hospital but still. I was here inside of Konoha just like I had planned a week ago. I gripped my bedsheets nervously as Kakashi came to a stop beside me. What was I going to do? I didn't even have a backstory or anything. Literally, all I knew was that I was some type of shinobi and I'm from the Uzumaki clan. I looked up at Kakashi. If I told the truth then my new life would be over and spent a funhouse. I licked my lips nervously, feeling dread creep into my chest. Guess I was going to have to wing it.

The silver-haired ninja's eye grew cold.

"Who are you?" The sharp edge in his voice had me trembling. Now this was Kakashi Hatake. Ex-Anbu Commander and student of the Fourth Hokage. Not the lazy, laid-back sensei I'd seen before.

I decided to be honest. "I don't know who I am anymore." Which was completely true. I was no longer Jennie Moore nor was I the original owner of my new body. He was dead. Jennie Moore was dead. Who did that leave me?

Who am I?

Kakashi and I both turned to the door as it opened. I believed Naruto was going to come stomping in and demand a solid reason fro being mooted out of the room. I never thought the freaking Third Hokage was going to step through that door, big hat, wrinkles, and all.

My life is full of surprises lately.

"Good afternoon." He greeted. The elderly shinobi nodded to Kakashi in acknowledgment. I shrank into my bed when his kind yet suspicious gaze landed on me.

He took a puff on his pipe. "You must be the woman Kakashi's team found on the roadside." I nodded, looking between Kakashi and Hiruzen for any clue. I found none. Damn those emotionless masks.

The third fixed me with a harder, more serious look. "When Kakashi found you in the forest you had multiple lacerations all over your body and were suffering from eternal bleeding."

I nodded in confirmation. Of course I knew that. I was the one going through all the pain, after all.

"When he brought you here the medical examiners did a standard check-up. It is there where I begin the questions." He said in a tone that left no room for objection. "You had signs of having a collapsed rib cage and lungs, but somehow were healed. The clothes you were brought in are more than two decades old yet they fit you perfectly which means they were tailored for you specifically. Your face is unknown in any of our records or that of any neighboring villages. So I ask you: who are you?"

My mind blanked and I could faintly feel my body moving out of the hospital bed. I stood up straight and looked the God of Shinobi in the eyes, all timidness forgotten. Images of a bloody battle scene and of war flashed through my eyes.

My mouth moved without my permission. "I am Zaku Uzumaki." I followed my instincts and kneeled down. "Last surviving member of platoon two of Uzu's shinobi forces." The memory of myself laughing and fighting alongside another group of familiar yet strange faces pulsed in front of me. My throat tightened with emotion. These feelings were real. These memories felt and looked so real. "I don't know why I survived when Uzu fell. Why I lived while all the others perished in front me." I bowed my head, my red bangs obscuring my falling tears.

"What are you doing in Konoha, Zaku." Hiruzen said at last. I lifted my head.

"I'm looking for a home, Hokage-sama. My home was destroyed long ago. That much I found out on my own when I awoke. However, my memories have faded and Konoha is, if I recall correctly, Uzu's ally and freind." I said, remembering whatever I could and trying to keep my story completely truthful. I'm a terrible liar.

"Stand up, Uzumaki-san." The wizened man said with authority. I quickly stood up, tripping over my own feet. I could feel my face blushing but I refused to look away from the third Hokage. The old man's eyes softened and he clasped my shoulder in his hand.

"Konoha failed to support Uzu in its time of great need. It is a burden I carry as well as the rest of Village. We were unable to help you then but I promise you, we will help you now. Konoha will be your home if you choose to accept it, Uzumaki-san." I can assure anybody who asks that Hiruzen and Kakashi were not expecting me to suddenly burst into sobs and cling to the third like a baby koala.

I was surprised myself. Sure, I'm a big crybaby most of the time but I don't throw myself onto people!

Hiruzen, like the grandfather I never had, patted my back in comforting yet awkward manner until my sobs subsided. I hiccuped and pulled away.

I sniffed. "I-I apologize, Hokage-sama." I said, blushing profusely and rubbing the back of my head. The white-haired man smiled and asked me to come to his office after I finished up at the hospital so I could get settled in. Kakashi watched the small but powerful man walk out the door. He turned to me.

"Zaku Uzumaki, huh?"

I nodded and smiled at him. This was so cool! Kakashi was, like, one of my favorite characters. It was a dream just looking at him but talking to him!? So awesome!

"Yes, Kakashi-chan?" I said, again not noticing the honorific I added, and watched as his eyes darted away.

"Here. Thought you would like this back." He said, pulling out a familiar red cloth from his vest. I grinned and quickly tied my forehead protector. I sighed and allowed myself to sink back into bed. Crying took a lot of effort and energy. I looked at Kakashi who was idly staring out the window.

"Arigatou, Kakashi-chan." I said in my soft voice, liking how the Japanese words felt on my tongue. The masked man coughed in his hand and glanced down at me, unsure of how to respond.

"Ah, I better get going." He waved, looking slightly hesitant as he spoke next, "See ya later, Zaku…-chan." The jounin left in a puff of smoke. I smiled and leaned against my pillows. I was no longer Jennie Moore, the timid girl from the ER that hid behind arches and underneath patient beds. Nor was I the same brave Uzumaki who had died long ago during the invasion of Whirlpool Country. I am Zaku Uzumaki, the girlish shinobi with a tendency for getting into troublesome situations.

Kami, somebody up there better be watching me because who knows what I'm getting myself into next. I held onto Bunny-chan's small paw and little by little my breaths evened out as I slipped into a peaceful