Yuuto

by Dinner

Couple of One shots. SI. Not every SI is destined for greatness.

3. Yuuto : Gentle Person

I really like the character Yuuto. This is another way his story starts. In four episodes.

Yuuto -優 (Yuu) Gentleness, 人 (To) person

"Sorry?" I asked, sipping my green tea.

"When did you realize… I mean, when'd you know you were here?"

I put my cup on the table. "I realized quite late I guess. I mean, the signs were there. I just didn't seem to see it for what it was. I even had times I wasn't sure my previous life was real."

"It's a lot to process, isn't it." My friend nodded.

"It is, I guess. Though once I realized… When I finally put all the puzzle pieces together there was no denying it." A yawn escaped me as I stretched my arms to their full length. It was getting dark, and the day had been long. "We should sleep."

"Already?" She teased me. "What happened to mister 'I-don't-need-sleep'."

"He got tired."

Episode 1: Just a little bit North

I was born in the North. A small village at the feet of a Hido, a giant cliff. A coastal town, most people lived from the fish they caught, or the seaweed they grew.

My mom and dad had sold fishhooks, knotted nets and other such things in the shop on the first floor of our house. They weren't rich, but I don't think we ever had money problems. I helped out in the store too. Mom and dad were training me to take over one day. I had no intentions of doing that at all.

I wanted to see the world. Explore the mountains and travel the seas. I wanted to climb a volcano and experience its searing heat. I wanted to see the rain forests, pet a chameleon while it changed its colors. Ride an elephant, or swim with dolphins.

I wanted everything but to be stuck in this seashore village.

I didn't even like fish.

"Yuuto, come inside. Time for dinner." I put the metal scraps I'd collected from my father's shed in my pocket.

"Coming."

Mum was waiting at the door, her hair was up in a bun, every strand of hair meticulously combed into place. "Oh, Yuuto. Look at you. You're a mess. Go wash up before you come in."

"It's not that bad." I shrugged.

But mom had none of it, so she pointed to the tub and ten minutes later I was all cleaned up and ready to join mom and dad at the dining table. Mom was like that, she didn't need words to make someone do anything.

So when dad was about to take one of the fish from the platter before mom had finished setting the table, one look was all she needed to make dad rethink his action.

"It smells fantastic." He complimented instead.

I nodded along. I hated fish. But mom seasoned it well enough, and the smell was that of fresh herbs and salt. I licked my lips, and looked to see if mom or dad had poured me something to drink already. Water, 'to make the fish swim' dad was sure to joke later.

When mom joined us, her hand rested on dads. She squeezed his softly.

Mom and dad were nice. Dad was five years younger than mom, and mom was only thirty. Doctors had told her when I had been born she wouldn't survive another birth. And so I never got any siblings.

"And Yuuto. How was school today?"

I swallowed the rice before answering. In a previous life I had been a special needs teacher. And now, reborn, I was a student. "Ok, I guess. Tsumi and Nya were being annoying again. They keep chasing me."

"That's my boy." Dad bellowed out.

"I don't even like girls." I protested. But to my dad that didn't seem to mean much.

He laughed heartily raised his cup and warmly smiled at mom. "Our own little heartbreaker."

Mom shook her heart but smiled too. "Tsumi is the Mayor's daughter. She should show more modesty."

And here came the rant mom seemed to love the most. The roles of men and women. It always started the same, it always ended the same.

"My mother would have never let me chase a boy like that." And then the tears would come. Because moms mom had died to the cough last winter. Pneumonia the doctors would've called it. Mom and grandmother weren't close. But mom still cries whenever she is mentioned.

I wasn't sure if it was because she missed her, or if it was because mom never got to tell her just how much she disliked her.

Dad stood up to comfort mom, and I just sat there. Moments like these weren't my strong suit. So I downed my cup of water, finished my rice and fish, while mom calmed down.

"I'm sorry." Mom wiped the last tears away.

I ended up hugging her. My hands almost capable of touching each other.

By the time mom and dad had finished dinner, the sun had set and dad called for me. I put down my book, which had more pictures than words.

"Yuuto. Come help me with these crates here." Dad was in the shop downstairs. The door was open, even though the sign on it clearly read 'closed'. For some reason that made me giggle.

"Ah Yuuto, so good of you to come help your dad." I looked away from my father, who was trying to open a crate with a crowbar, to the left where Mrs. Yuhiï stood, pencil in hand, hunching over a scroll. Her beady eyes focused on me they matched the red necklace she had chosen to strangle herself with this time. I reminded myself to call it beautiful later, she was sure to like that.

I bowed respectfully. Mrs. Yuhiï was a very important business partner, she was dad's main supplier. "Father raised me well." I didn't like the bowing. My previous western upbringing had granted me a healthy dose of 'everyone-is-equal-so-don't-act-like-you're-better-than-anyone-else'. But mom and dad were big on being polite. And here? Here we bowed to people who were higher in the hierarchy than you were. So yes, I bowed, but I firmly believed it was not out of respect, it was a way to get something.

A small payment to keep mom and dad happy.

"Yuuto, you empty the crates, and put the merchandise on the counter." Dad was red faced with effort. The crates were big, and nailed shut so tightly dad hardly managed to wiggle the crowbar in the small gaps.

I did as I was told and started to empty out the crates dad had opened. There were fish hooks, and shimmers in all shapes and sizes.

I took a liking to a blue colored salmon, the way it caught light reminded me of christmas, with decorated trees lights shimmering in splendour.

"You like that one?" Mrs. Yuhiï had managed to stand behind me without my notice.

I nodded.

"Then it's yours. Keep it."

I looked at dad, and shook my head. "I can't."

"Nonsense boy. Consider it a reward for the hard work you do for your father." And with that she turned, her perfume lingered for a little longer than she did, and considering its heavy sweet tone - how had I missed her standing behind me earlier?

After a while mom walked in too and helped me with the unpacking.

A yawn escaped me after the third crate, even though we were only half-way.

"Oh look at the time! Yuuto, go prepare for bed. I'll finish this."

"Of course mother." I was ready to leave the room when mom coughed. I stopped in my hurry to escape the chore and turned to say goodnight to dad and Mrs. Yuhiï.

"Thank you for the shimmer Mrs. Yuhiï. Though its beauty pales in the light of your necklace, I shall treasure it."

"What a way with words, sure to charm the girls, I bet." Mrs. Yuhiï laughed.

I bowed one more time and deftly ran to my bedroom. I could hear dad respond, and moms laughter followed soon after. But before long I was sleeping. And I dreamed of wizards sprouting wispy salmon from their wands around a christmas tree.

Did I know then that the next day would change my life forever?

Of course not.

The next day was not a school day. Instead mom dad and I had breakfast before sunrise.

"What's that around your neck?" Dad asked between swallowing a rice ball and taking a bite out of the juiciest peach I had ever seen.

I carefully loosened the knot and held the pendant up so dad could see it better. It was still fragile, held together by a circle of iron string wires. I had been working on it for a few days now. My very own Deathly Hallows pendant.

Dad held up his hand and I carefully dropped it. The wand was made from a needle, the triangle from three fishhooks I had managed to bend. It was a small ugly thing. Dad told me as much.

"Not meant to be pretty." I shot back. Dad handed it over to mom, who seemed to appreciate it a bit more.

"You've been practicing your knots I see." She held the pendant up by the string, making it swirl around.

"I have." I took the pendant back, but I wasn't careful and the needle came loose at the pointy end and pricked me. "Ouch!"

I put the pendant in my trousers, the needle being only half loose would stay in place, I'd fix it later when my finger wasn't hurting. Mom instantly fussed over me.

"We should disinfect that. You can never be too careful. Remember your great aunt Moshiku, gangrene took her whole arm before she passed."

"Well done Yuuto." Dad mumbled under his breath in annoyance when mom grabbed the one bottle of Sake we had in the cabin under the sink...

Mom practically dragged me to the bathroom and poured half the bottle over my finger. I wasn't even bleeding I complained.

"No buts or ifs." She chastised me sternly.

I understood her though. I was her only child. And mom had a lot of love to give, I was just unlucky she unloaded it all on me in smothering heaps.

So I hugged her, it was the least I could do, after she gave it a kiss for good measure.

"What're gonna do today?" I asked when we got back at the dining table.

"Well, three ships are going to leave the harbor tonight, so they'll probably stock up somewhere today. I need you to do the register while mom and I take care of the rest."

I did like managing the register. I'd always had enjoyed maths. "Are we going to be open all day?"

Mom gave me a look. The one that said 'stop whining'.

"I mean, I kind of wanted to visit the cliffs today."

Dad and mom exchanged glances. And that was never a good thing.

"Your mom and I talked about this Yuuto. We don't think it's safe for you to leave the village on your own anymore." Dad was trying to sound all understanding and patient.

But this hit me like a sledgehammer.

Life was constricting in the village. I didn't want to be constrained to the shop.

The cliffs reminded me of home. I visited them as often as I could. To see the sea, the gulls. To not feel like the walls were closing in on me.

To not see the stares of the other kids, who knew there was something off about me.

"But, I'm really carefull." I managed to protest.

Moms hand suddenly rested on my shoulder. "It's not about how careful you are, Yuuto."

"Then what is it about?" I snapped back uncommonly sharp.

I instantly knew I had gone too far. Moms hand retreated and instead of a calming soft touch I received a pointed finger wagging in my face. I hated being treated like a child. Even if I was acting like one.

"Mind your tone child." Mom said calmly, nostrils turning white.

I nodded guiltily. "Sorry." I offered.

"Now, if you can listen to reason we will explain this restriction. But if you're going to throw a temper tantrum like a two year old you'll find yourself in your locked bedroom quicker than you can snap your fingers."

I didn't dare look at mom. She was all kinds of fierce when she was like this. I'd rather look at dad, who silently supported mom but didn't stare daggers at me. "I can listen."

"Good." Mom exhaled slowly and waited.

"Yes. Euhm." Dad started when the pause extended uncomfortably. "Mrs. Yuhiï was robbed late last night when she went back to the big city. And she's not the first one."

'Oh'. I felt heat rise to my face. 'Solid reasons'

"So, until these bandits are caught, I'd rather keep you safe and near." Dad gave me one of nods that asked if I got what he meant.

"I understand Dad." I got up and hugged them. It was the least I could do considering the fuss I had caused. "Sorry."

Manning the cash register involved three tasks. One, Greet and welcome every customer that entered the store.

"Good morning sir." The second job was knowing all prices. "That would be three thousand six hundred and thirty two yen, sir."

And third, counting the money quickly, because no one liked waiting around. "Here's twenty, that makes twenty two, twenty three, twenty eight back. Anything else I can help you with?"

Mom and dad had been right in expecting a busy day. The cash register was filled to the brim. "Mom?" I asked from behind the counter. "Could you bring this to the safe?" I had counted two million yen in paper bills, and put them in a wooden locked box.

Dad was always very clear on one thing. The cash register should never hold more than five million yen. And even with the two million out of it, it was barely less than four million.

"Already?" Mom took the box and eyed the register.

I nodded. "Dad sold this one guy five of the large nets."

Dad was really good at his job. Selling people exactly what they needed, and then a little bit more.

A smile spread on my mom's face. And her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "Good, we needed that. Next month is going to be expensive."

She tucked the wooden box under her arm and went downstairs to the basement, a few minutes later she returned, the box empty again. I placed it on the shelf behind me, next to the expensive shimmers we'd gotten yesterday.

"Hello miss." I plastered a smile on my face as I stood on the tips of my toes to see into her basket. Two grade b fishing nets, three sets of fishing hooks and a spool of thread. "That's going to be five thousand two hundred yen please."

The woman coughed in surprise. "Five thousand? That's ridiculous for just this." She waved at the bundle in her basket.

I kept my smile, though it turned it down a few notches. "The netting is handmade mam, they're two thousand a piece. If you'd go with the C or D grade instead, it'd be considerably cheaper."

"But those aren't fine enough." The woman whipped her hair out of her face, only for it to fall back in place again. "Fine, I'll buy these. How much was it again?"

The day went on like that. At one point I had three people at the counter at once. And mom walked to the safe at least five more times before we reached the end of the afternoon.

"Yuuto, go take a break. I've made you and your father some Onigiri. It's in the kitchen. Your dad is outside, make sure he gets his." Mom shooed me off with a kiss on my cheek.

I found the Onigiri in the kitchen. Mom had made the sticky rice balls look like panda bears. "Cute." I ate the first Onigiri before I took the plate outside so dad could eat too.

Dad had once won an eating contest, eating more than thirty seven Dango sticks in ten minutes. I honestly don't know how he manages it though. He's as thin as the fishhooks he sells. I take after him, my arms and legs like little twigs. But just like him I am plenty strong.

"Hi dad. Mom made these."

Outside the heat was like a wall, and I immediately felt my shirt sticking to my skin. "Want to eat together in the back? It should be nice and cool in the shadow."

I nodded. "That'd be nice. How do you survive being outside, working in this heat?"

Dad took one of the Onigiri and raised his shoulders. "I was raised on a farm Yuuto. Different life than you're having. We worked long days in the burning sun."

I didn't get to hear about life before dad met mom. I'm not sure why, it's not like dad had anything tragic happen to him. He just was the kind of man that lived in the present I guessed. "You know, Yuuto. With all the things happening lately. It might be time for me to teach you how to defend yourself."

My eyebrows shot up at that. "Defend myself?"

I hadn't considered that. Life in The North was a quiet affair. And sure some kids tried to bully me, but I had always been good at using words to get out of a bind. Words could cut deeper than any knife.

Dad didn't even really chew his Onigiri before he swallowed them whole. I had to resist the urge to imagine him as a panda eating martial artist. 'Kung-fu-Panda'.

"Yes. I can teach you how to grapple, and how to fall without breaking your bones." There was a glint to my father's' eyes I didn't see often.

Last I saw it, was when he took me to the triple sail ship earlier this summer.

I balled my hands into fists, and shadowboxed goofily. "Do I look like I need training? Hu ha ha"

"You could use a few pointers." He chuckled.

"You know dad… I 'd actually kind of like that."

We returned to the shop after finishing the Onigiri. I took over from mom, it was quieter now. Less people in the streets and even less people in the shop.

The bell chimed and I welcomed the new customer. A man, long and clothed in a thick fur coat, despite the hellishly hot weather. On his face he had the strangest tattoo I had ever seen. Twin red stripes from his jawline to his cheeks.

"Good afternoon sir." I welcomed him. And then I noticed his dog.

I wasn't sure on the breed but I was sure the dog towered over me, easily. And that was standing on its four legs.

"Wow." I openly gaped at the dog. "Uhm, pets aren't allowed inside sir."

The man lazily waved his hand. "Kojimaru here is no one's pet."

There was something off about his tone. "Still sir. No dogs allowed inside. We have a nice spot of shade just around the corner, you could leash him there."

"No one has put a leash on me, ever." The dog growled lowly, as if I had just insulted him.

The dog talked? That was new. And then I felt a lightness rush through my head. This was wrong. Dogs didn't talk. People didn't have symmetrical facial tattoos. Dogs didn't grow to be 5"2. And I knew what kind of person this was. Even though I'd never talked about it before, even though I had never met the man.

An Inuzuka.

A shinobi.

"I'll ask my mother." I stammered out.

I called out for mom. She came quickly. Her hands were red from knotting a new net I guessed. "Euhm, mom, Shinobi-sama here would like Kojimaru-sama to stay inside too."

Mom looked from me to the dog, to the man, and back to me. She paled. "Ah, yes. That should be no problem. Not at all."

Mom was nervous. And that made me nervous.

The North didn't have shinobi. We didn't even talk about shinobi. We had fishermen roaming the streets, we had business people and samurai coming through. Not Inuzuka and their talking dogs.

I tried to swallow, as if that could make the feeling of rising panic go down. "Yuuto, finish the netting please."

I nodded, and made my way to the back of the store. The man and his dog stayed for a little while longer, but left without buying anything. The hairs on my arms had tingled.

The man had filled the entire store with his presence. Like a static electricity that hang in the air.

Was that chakra? Or was that knowing that you stood eye in eye with the apex predator? I threw myself into tying the knots with a fervor unmatched with any of my previous attempts. I couldn't wrap my head around it. I had accepted being reborn, it was almost impossible not to. But how could I be living in someone's imagination? Or maybe the collective imagination of millions of people.

Naruto had been a story. It had been fun, exciting and heartbreaking. But it hadn't been real. Just as Harry Potter and Narnia and Bleach weren't real. There was no such thing as wizards. No such thing as magic.

So how could chakra be real?

How could I come face to face with something as reality defying as a talking dog!

It was dad who sat down next to me, a warm sweaty arm wrapped around my shoulders. "I was scared."

Dad hummed, deep tones I was familiar with. I let the net drop to the ground and buried myself into him. "That was a ninja, Yuuto. Lady Juuhuurai hired the Inuzuka clan to keep her lands safe. They're more capable than the samurai we usually see around here. But they're also more dangerous, their presence alone can make you freeze or choke. So stay clear from them, and don't cause any trouble, understood?"

I heard the bell chime again. I looked back and saw mom had closed the shop. "That's enough for today."

"Dad… Can you tell me more about ninja's?"

Dad shook his head. "It's best to stay away from the Yuuto. That's what I've learned. When I was a little younger than you were, I lived on the farm with your grandma, grandpa and my two younger brothers."

I felt his muscles tense. Dad had never told me he had siblings.

"We lived near this well. And one day a young boy stopped there to drink from it. My younger brothers saw him and they talked. The stranger told them he was on the run from a group of adults. So my brothers decided to bring him to our house. We took him in for one night. But it cost us dearly." Dad paused and let out a shaky breath.

"That night three Uchiha shinobi set our farm ablaze, with fire that seemed alive. The boy ran, leaving us to die. My father managed to save my mother and I… But Kenji and Jianu slept upstairs, we couldn't save them."

Mom sat beside dad, her hand drawing circles on his back. "We had hoped to shelter you from these things for a little while longer Yuuto. And that man was an absolute brute, leaking chakra near a child."

It was all a bit much. And I wasn't sure what to say or feel right now. "Who was the boy? The stranger that you took in?"

Dad ground his teeth and almost spat out the name as if it was poison. "Senju. Batsuma Senju."

That night I couldn't sleep. My bed was too warm. My feet too cold. The creaking wooden panes of the roof alarmed me. I kept hearing footsteps, and mom and dad were talking in the kitchen.

Senju, Uchiha, Inuzuka… Names I had last heard a lifetime ago.

I got up out of bed and took out the pendant I had stashed in my pocket at breakfast. The needle was still loose.

I held it in my hands and for one reason or the other wondered if, somewhere far away, in a different time or world, Harry Potter had truly lived. Had been born and cursed. Lived under the stairs for most of his childhood… Learned of magic and his fate.

That had once upon a time been fiction. But if this was real then so was that?

Or maybe I had never been reincarnated at all. Maybe this is all just part of some extremely vivid dream. Perhaps I had bumped my head, fallen into a coma and been dreaming this all up.

My finger found the needle, and I pressed it. Hard.

But it felt real. I could bleed. And weren't you supposed to jolt awake if you pinched yourself?

So I did, my skin was purple. But I didn't wake up. I didn't suddenly sit upright in a hospital bed. I had to face it. This was real. I was real. Shinobi were real.

'Oh god' I felt my heart in my throat. 'Demons were real. Death gods and monstrous tailed beasts that could wipe out entire cities in one fell sweep.'

How was I supposed to fit in a world like that? I couldn't even feel chakra, let alone wield it to protect myself from the future.

I put my finger in my mouth. The blood tasted like copper. Just the way blood had always tasted.

With the pendant in my hand I went down to the kitchen. Dad had gone to bed but mom was still sitting there. Her hair was untangled, no longer in the braid she always wore it in. "Can't sleep?"

Her voice was warm and soft. And already I felt better. "Not really."

Mom poured a cup of warm milk out of the pan on the fire, and placed it in my hands. "Want to talk about it?"

"I." I took a deep breath. "I just need to think."

"Dad shouldn't have told you that… Worrying you with tales of the past. Ninja aren't all bad. They're different, sure. And dangerous, don't be mistaken. But they don't just go around setting houses on fire Yuuto." Mom ruffled my hair. "I'm going to check on the shop and head into bed, don't stay up too long ok?"

"Ok, mom." I heard her going down the stairs. Thunk thunk thunk. The same sound as always. The same as before. It had to be real. I just had to admit to myself that it was absurd, but not impossible.

Episode two : The needle points North

I hadn't slept well. But when I woke up, for the sixth time, I wasn't tired. I was happy to get out of bed.

As usual I wasn't the first person downstairs in the kitchen. Dad was already reading the morning newspaper. A deep frown etched between his eyebrows. "G'morn'ng" I whispered, my voice felt hoarse, even though I hadn't screamed yesterday.

Mom set me up with a plate of two boiled eggs and chopped carrot slices. "Thanks." I dug into my breakfast as if my life depended on it. The first egg was peeled before dad even asked me if I was going to school today.

"I am. We have a biology test on flowers." I carefully laid the peeled egg on some toast, slicing it with a knife, so it covered the entire surface. "Can you pass the salt?"

Dad looked up from his newspaper, picked up the saltshaker and shoved it towards me. I stopped it just in time. "Thanks."

"So you have a test on flowers?" Mom asked as she sat down too. A big mug of tea steaming between her hands. "Did you study?"

I nodded. "I did, though Kukou-sensei covered the subject quite extensively. Biology tests are usually quite simple."

"I expect another good grade then."

I'd been a good student so far. Never got anything below a B+. The only thing I really struggled with was with writing. All those kanji, katakana and other scripts we needed to know… Kukou-sensei had been our teacher ever since we started school, six years ago. He'd taught us everything we knew of the world.

Which in hindsight seemed rather limited.

After cleaning up and putting in my school uniform- blue dress-shirt, with a dark blue collar, and black pants. And looking by how close the seam got to my ankles, I was going to need a longer pair pretty soon. School uniforms were nice. No one could differentiate between the rich and poor kids. Even though everyone knew who the rich kids were.

I wasn't one of the rich kids. The rich kids was a small group of seven children. Most of them related, either by marriage or blood. And they were bullies. In the purest sense of the word. The acted like they owned the school, even though it was a public school and no one in particular could claim it as their families' possession.

Tsumi was one of them. Tsumi Kihuyari. Also known as screecher, because whenever she doesn't get her way she screeches like a pig before slaughter.

I'd once caused such a screech, when I told her I wanted to sit alone during lunch time. She looked at me with eyes that couldn't believe she got rejected. Her face turned red and then she screeched her lungs out. She only stopped when the red turned to blue, and she got wobbly on her legs.

It hadn't been the first time I had seen her do that party trick, so I had simply stood up and walked past her to the poor kids table. Tsumi would never show her face there. The table next to the trash bin.

It smelled there. Horribly so, especially on summer days like today.

"Yuuto, I asked you something." Mom snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Huh, sorry. What?" I put my toast down again. I had only taken three bites so far.

"Can you drop this package off by your aunt Ginko on your way to school?" Mom held up a neatly wrapped rectangular cube. "It's a gift she ordered through us, for your cousin Sato."

Aunt Ginko was a little out of my way. But she had this really awesome pond next to her house, filled with Koi Fish. She'd let me name one of them once. I called it Carrot, because it was orange. It was one of the few fishes she'd actually remembered the name of. Aunt Ginko was a forgetful person, in a very not-annoying way, cousin Sato's birthday was four days ago. I'd know because he was exactly two years and one month older than I was, to the day. "Sure thing mom."

If I left early enough Sato and I could walk to school together. "Could you put it next to my shoes, so I don't forget it on my way out later?"

Mom gave me a look, put the gift on the table and started doing the dishes. In other words. 'you can do that yourself.'

I left twenty minutes later. I ran, hard as I could. If this was a world of ninja, then perhaps I could gain that power too. I ran outside, through our backyard, jumped over the fence and almost got stuck on a nail that got caught in my shoelace. Instead it simply untied the shoe on my left foot.

I didn't bother tying them neatly again, and tucked them inside my shoe.

After running around my third corner I stopped. I was terribly out of shape it seemed. Thin, frail, not at all in balance with my spiritual side. Wasn't that how your body made chakra? The balancing act between mental and physical energy, and like sweat from exercise, chakra was the byproduct of that.

Oh who was I kidding? I didn't have a clue about chakra, or how jutsu worked. I was a casual fan of the Naruto world at best. And though I had imagined living the life of a clan shinobi, I had never thought about being a civilian. Powerless, clueless.

What was I going to do when the Zetsu-clone army started marching down my streets? Thinking about that, while catching my breath I ended up with the conclusion that I'd most likely hide in the basement.

Aunt Ginko's house was made from red wooden planks. It was ugly, big and it stood out. The North is a fishersman's town. all houses are blue with white accents. The mayor's house was a deep blue. Our shop was white, with a blue sign. But Aunt Ginko never did really like to fit in.

Mom had complained about Aunt Ginko's oddities plenty. What kind of woman wore pants instead of kimono? What kind of woman bathed in a pond, in their front yard, naked.

Oh mom had seen red, and by that I didn't mean aunt Ginko's house. It had taken dad the entire night to talk mom out of storming up to aunt Ginko and give her a piece of her mind.

I thought aunt Ginko was fun though, a bit crazy, eccentric, not all-there, perhaps. But she was kind, and loving, and there wasn't a problem she couldn't solve, or talk her way out of.

Though when she greeted me, hanging out of her window, upside-down, even I had to take a moment. "Good morning aunt Ginko?"

"Splendid morning right back at you Yuuto."

It took me a second to recognize the smile on her face.

"Euhm, why… Why are you upside down aunt Ginko?" I walked up towards the house, and stood a few feet away from the wall so she could still see me. "Are you stuck?"

"Oh, no , not stuck at all. I'm trying to see the world from a different perspective today. Come join me." she tapped the open space next to her. "There's plenty of room here."

"Actually, aunt Ginko. I came to deliver this gift, and I have to go to school after that. So, no time to 'hang' around." I waved the little wrapped gift in the air so aunt Ginko could see it.

"Too bad, it really is a refreshing experience. Just leave it on the doorstep then Yuu. "

"Did Sato go to school already?" I asked, walking to the other side of the house, to where I could leave his present.

"Oh, by the heavens, no. He's sick, and locked himself in the smallest room of the house, so he doesn't have to run to empty his bowels. A shame really, he could use the exercise." Aunt Ginko sounded as if the idea of Sato being sick, was a happy thought.

Sato was sick often. I didn't always believe him though. Sometimes I thought he was just too lazy to walk up the mountain pass to go to school. Cousin Sato was a heavy boy, easily five or six times as wide as I was, and the road to school was steep and up-hill. "Aha. too bad. Wish him well from me, ok?"

"Oh I doubt wishing will do him any good. But i'll pass the message along."

I waved my aunt goodbye. It was too bad Sato was sick. He had a nice sense of humor, and could crack a joke about anything and everyone.

I could use some laughter right now. Ever since that talking dog, I haven't quite felt right. How did one go about adjusting their worldview? When everything was turned upside down and inside out? Maybe aunt Ginko had a point, maybe a drastic different point of view could help me. Though I doubted hanging upside down from a window would be the viewpoint I needed.

School was a forty minute walk. Not because it was far away from the village. I could literally see the building from where i lived.

No walking to school took so long because it was a long winding up-hill road. School was build on the mountains surrounding our village. The north was basicly a valley with a wide river flowing through the heart of it. The river allowed in-land travel by boat, and because it was connected to the sea, lots of trade went through our village.

The only thing keeping The North from becoming one of the big cities were the mountains surrounding us, mountains so high and steep, that levelling them would take decades. Stone so tough that carving them out was nigh impossible. Or so our teacher told us.

When I was but a few yards away from reaching school Bõ caught up with me.

Bõ was the son of no-one. He lived in the orphanage at the very edge of of The North. I pitied Bõ, never knowing his parents. Not knowing where he was from. Living in a place where people took care of you, not because they loved you, but because they got paid to do so.

I had asked mom and dad if Bõ could live with us instead.

But Bõ had become known as a troublemaker. And we lived a quiet life, there was no room for trouble in it.
So there was no room for Bõ.

I held up my hand for a high five. "Morning B!"

"Mor'in', Yuu'o." Bõ also had a speech impediment, crooked teeth, and an overbite that could fit his entire fist.

"Did you see the ninja?"

Bõ shook his head. "Din't see. No. But heard f'om Kin."

"One came by the shop yesterday, with this really big dog. And it could talk!" Talking about it to another child, made it real somehow. Or perhaps less weird.

"Dinnit kno' dogs cou'do tha."

"Me neither. I couldn't believe it. But it really happened. And there was this Inuzuka-clan ninja there too. He said his dog was no pet, I almost wet my pants when he scolded me for calling his dog that."

Bõ punched my shoulder."That'woul'a been funny."

I punched him back. I didn't like to be punched, and he damn well knew that. "Would've been a good story, thats for sure."

We talked about ninja the entire way to school. Bõ had never heard about real ninja either. We ended up deciding to ask our teacher about it. And when we did, it turned out we weren't the only one with questions.

"But sensei, if they're not supposed to be around 'here', then why are they here?" The question came from behind me, Hura's face had all scrunched up as she asked it.

Sensei 'hmm'ed. "Well. Lately, as you all might have heard, there have been thugs stealing from the traveling merchants visiting The North. So our Lady Juuhuurai, in her infinite-"

And I lost interest. The indoctrination at school about the titles and titles people was heavy and often. Sensei was sure to go on at least a two minute spiel about how great, smart and merciful our leader was. But I cared little for such things.

"- hired the Inuzuka clan from the Forest of South, to defend our village and find those who defy her justice."

"The forest of south?" I asked, while raising my finger.

"Yes, the Forest of South." Sensei went through the stash of geographic maps he had behind the blackboard, and hang on up of the world.

I'd never seen the world map before.

I had always assumed I was born in some backwards japanese village, sometime way before I died.

But one look at this world map made it clear that, yes, indeed. This was not my earth.

"Our village lies here, in the sacred lands of Juuhuurai."

I swallowed. The sacred lands of Juuhuurai, was in the far north. "This kind of material is usually only taught in the upper classes. But for context- This here is earth Country, and that there is the land of Fire. The Forest of South is right here, on the border between those two lands. And the Inuzuka clan are the shinobi who rule over that border. A valiant clan, and a much trusted friend of our Lord and Lady."

"What about Konoha, sir?" I asked, afraid I already knew the answer.

Sensei looked confused for a second, then evaded answering me. "Yuuto, wait your turn and raise your finger. This behaviour is unbecoming, young man."

I nodded absentmindedly.

What did I know about the world of Naruto? A lot. I knew a lot about the plot, about the big players in the story. About Kaguya, and Zetsu, and Madara.

But what did I know about the days before Konoha?

Before the creation of the ninja-villages?

Before Hashirama handed out the Bijuu as if they were birthdays gifts?

I knew nothing.

No timeline. Nothing.

And then the strangest feeling came over me. I blinked, tried to breathe, and felt myself falling.

"Yuuto!" someone was shaking my shoulders.

"Stop that." I said.

Then I opened my eyes and- when had I fallen asleep? And why was I on the ground?

"Oh good, you're conscious again." It had been sensei who'd shaken my shoulders. "Go visit the the school nurse."

"But I'm fine." I lied.

"fainting is not a sign of being fine young man."

Sensei was right, but I knew why I had fainted, or at the very least I could make a good guess. "Can Bõ take me there?"

"Bõ, you know where the nurse's office is, right?"

That was a dumb question. Bõ was a regular there. Sometimes because he had gotten into a fight and lost. But most times because he had gotten into a fight and won. "Sure do Sensei."

Bõ extended his hand, and while a bit weak in the knees I managed to stand up and walk with him. "Thanks."

"What made you faint, anyway?" And that was also Bõ, no tact at all.

So I simply shrugged. "I forgot to eat breakfast." I lied, and by the look in his eyes, I guessed Bõ saw right through it.

"Ok."

The nurse's' office was not so much an office as it was a closet with just enough space to put two chairs in. The nurse was nice though, we usually called him Doc, and he didn't seem to mind that at all. Actually, Doc was one of the very few adults who didn't seem all that occupied with how other people perceived him. Which was not to say he looked like a slob, no, not at all. Doc was always dressed impeccably. His hair was combed to the left, his glasses always clean - I suspected he got new ones every hour, because there were never any finger smudges on them.

and from experience I could tell, that glasses and smudges were made for eachother.

"Ah Bõ, back already?" Doc welcomed us into his office.

The walls were filled with lists and pictures of the human body. And behind the door hang Doc's coat, long and white.

"Not here for me, Doc." Bõ pushed me forward.

I nearly stumbled but caught the doorframe just in time. "I fainted."

"Fainted?" Doc repeated as if I gave him a puzzle. "Now, what could make a healthy young man like yourself do that?"

I shrugged. "I didn't eat breakfast this morning." The lie came easily. Maybe if I repeated it often enough I would start believing it myself.

"Hmm, hmm." Doc took my chin in his hand and turned my head sideways, first left then right, then up. "You're a little pale. Dark circles under your eyes. No fever."

"I didn't sleep well last night." I offered as an explanation.

"yes, I can see." Doc 'hmm'd' a few more times, wrote something on a yellow piece of paper and asked Bõ to step outside and to close the door.

"How are you doing Yuuto." He asked, so sincerely I almost choked up.

"I'm fine."

He pulled up two chairs for us to sit in. "No, you're not fine, Yuuto. You haven't slept well. You've fainted. And your heart is beating like you've run a marathon."

I took a second, to calm myself down. Breath in slowly, exhale a little bit quicker. "I'm scared."

It was true, I realized it the moment I said it. I was scared, am scared. Yesterday had shaken me to my core. I had thought my life, reïncarnated or not, was unassuming, not important, not even a blip on the radar of history.

And I was. I was a no-one. I wasn't part of an important family. I wasn't even in the land of fire. I wasn't even anywhere near Naruto.

Yet I was scared.

Scared that the whole world would know.

"I'm scared." I said it again, more forcefully, owning it. I was scared, but not of one thing, I was scared of not knowing. Not understanding what my life would be like.

I had planned on finishing school, and travelling the world.

But now the world had gotten scary, big, dangerous! What was out there for me other than death? "I'm scared." I said again, it felt like such a relief to say it. "I'm scared." If I said it enough, perhaps it would lose meaning.

I felt two hands wrapping around my own. "That's allright." Doc said. I had to focus gain, i'd forgotten about him during my little mantra. "Everyone get's scared at times."

"Yeah, people get scared. I'm fine now Doc. Can I go back to class?" I could go back. I'd calmed down.

"Might be best not to." Doc turned around in his chair, and from a cannister filled a small glass. "Here, drink some water."

"Oh, thank you." I took the glass of water and started sipping on it. My hands were steady, the water warm. And I could feel the water warming me up.

That was when I realized I felt drained. Tired and cold. "I'm cold."

"Its common. your body uses up a lot of energy when you faint, and when you regain conscience afterwards." The way he said it made sense to me, it was all matter of factly. "So, what are you scared of?"

I took another sip. I had no obligation to him, I could keep this secret all to myself. I could lie, or better yet, tell a half-truth and he'd be none the wiser. "I'm scared about the shinobi in our town."

"Oh, you've met one?"

I nodded before I could help myself. "Yes. One was in our store. And They're supposed to be here to keep us safe." I looked at Doc, knowing I was selling a half-truth. But to tell the truth, that'd be impossible. I had kept my secret for ten full years. I had no intention of letting my guard down now. "But I've never felt less safe in my life, than when he walked into our store."

Doc didn't have an answer for me. I liked that. just letting me tell what I felt was just what I needed. "I've finished." I pushed the glass back into his hands. "I'm going to go back to class now."

I stood up defiantly. "Thank you." I added hastily because being impolite wouldn't do. Opening the door I found that Bõ had decided to sit on the floor opposite of the nurse's office.

"Done?" He asked standing up.

"Yes. I'm fine, just needed to drink something."

When we got back to class it was already time to eat. I followed Bõ to the eating hall.

The eating hall was quite small, then again, so was the school. There were twelve tables, one for each class.

But most students, on first sight, seemed to intermingle.

But if you knew any of the kids, and their families. The cliques were obvious. I had never cared for it. My plans of the future had never included The North.

The world had seemed so much more interesting. What could a little fisherstown give me the world couldn't me times tenfold?

I realized the lure of The North now. It was save. It was far away from any and all things shinobi.

I could probably grow old in this village. Get married, get a kid of my own.

But that had never been my goal in life. And The North was small. I lived my first life in a big city, I was used to falling asleep to the sound of traffic outside of my window. And here I could walk entire streets without ever seeing another person.

"Are you alright Yuuto?" I was torn away from my thoughts when Tsumi decided to push my food aside and sit on my table. "when you fell, I nearly fainted myself."

"I'm sorry Tsumi." I pulled my hands away from the table and instead put them in my pockets.

I played with the pendant of the deathly hallows, which I had fixed while staying up late last night, while Tsumi and I talked. Tracing the lines, I found that listening to Tsumi was a lot easier If I didn't actually listen.

Episode Three: The smallest details need(le) attention

The days soon returned to the slow pace of normality again. In the morning we ate as a family. Dad and mom would man the shop, I'd go to school. There I would quietly sit in my bench, just listening. Practicing my writing and reading.

The thrill of being in the world of Naruto soon wore off. The shinobi were nowhere in sight. I didn't feel any chakra inside of me, or in the world around me.

It was like a dream that I'd woken up from, remembering vague ideas from it, but all specific memories seemed to blur.

Perhaps that was all it had been.

And today was just another day. I had woken up before sunrise, mom had made breakfast. I fetched dad the newspaper while he set up shop. Dad ruffled my hair and mom gave me a kiss as I left for school.

I walked the streets alone, my backpack hanging off my left shoulder.

The North was basically four intersecting streets, and in the middle of these four streets was the village square. Everyday to school I would cross it, I'd say hello old Mr. Satoshi and his wife.

I'd walk towards towards the new well, which dad had helped dig, I usually ended up drinking from it, the water was nice and cold, and as clear as water had ever been.

Then from the well I'd walk an unpaved road that lead up to the mountain. More often than not, because I walked quite slowly, some of the kids caught up with me. I remember from before that my friends always asked me to walk faster. I never did. I liked to keep my own pace.

From halfway up the mountain you could see the entire village. It wasn't much. But now more than ever, I realized it was home. It didn't seem so suffocating now that I knew it was the one thing keeping me safe from…

Everything.

The day went by in a daze. Just like the other days had. But when I left school something in the air felt different. Like a storm was coming.

Which wasn't uncommon in the summer this close to the great ocean. I raced home, and surely, before I even reached the water well the clouds had rolled in. The darkened sky rumbled with threatening roars, the wind howled and whistled as it rushed through the streets.

I was soaked through and through by the time I reached home. Mom and dad had already closed up shop. I didn't have a key to the front door, so I ran around the house, the backdoor was open. "Mom, Dad?"

"In the living room." Dad returned.

I swiftly switched my shoes for the much more comfortable white slippers. They were newly bought too.

"Ah, how do you like them?" Mom looked at the slippers, her head tilted to the right. She was wearing the same ones, just a few sizes bigger. And hers had embroidered blue flowers going along the side.

Our living room was one of the smallest rooms in the house. only half the size of the kitchen. In the middle of the room stood a low table, on it three books neatly in a small tower going from large to small. Under the table was a rug Mom's Grandmother had made her when she moved in with dad.

"They're soft."

Dad was sitting in the corner of the couch, which was the best place in the room, far away from the window so the draft didn't bother you. He had his feet on the table and was writing in his notebook. Probably doing inventory. "Good. Good." He said absentmindedly.

"Mom, is the laundry dry? I'm so soaked I'm afraid I'll leave puddles on the floor."

Mom turned around, walked toward the closet in the hallway and came back with a large fluffy towel and a set of dry clothing. "This should do." She helped me undress and rubbed me dry with the still warm towel.

"You're the best mom."

Around dinner time the storm had picked up even more. The lightning and thunder seemed to set an almost unnatural rhythm. The pace almost predictable. Our house, made from wood, creaked and whined as the wind tried it's hardest to push it over.

Dad had taken out his Guzheng from the attic, which was basicly a key-less piano that looked like a flat harp. Dad pulled on the strings, tightened them, or loosened them up a bit. All the while picking the strings till he heard the right sound.

And then he started playing and it was filling the room with sound. It wasn't loud, but it did deafen out the thunderstorm outside.

I sat close to mom, and she in return pulled me into a hug.. The Guzheng on the table, dad sat behind it. Dad didn't often play it. Saying he was too tired or, didn't feel like it. But when he did it was a joy to witness.

Dads fingers plucked the strings, first slow and then picking up the pace.

I knew this song. It was a song about a young Samurai warrior. Far from home, fighting in a war that he didn't understand. Fighting for principals he didn't believe in. But he fought as honorable as he could.

And just when the pace dads fingers kept seemed to reach its speed limit, Mom started singing, and Dads fingers slowed down.

Moms voice wasn't beautiful, but it was strong and clear.

I was close enough to mom to feel the vibrations in her chest.

I don't know when, but before the song had ended I had fallen asleep.

I woke up to the loudest bang. The very air shook and trembled. I ran to my window and looked outside.

A huge fire plume reached into the sky from Mayor's home.

Lightning must have struck true.

I ran downstairs, and found dad and mom plastered to the window too. "We should help." Dad said firmly. I nodded, even though he was talking to mom. "You're staying here Yuuto."

I shook my head. "Dad, I can help too!"

And I could. I was small, yes. But I knew first aid, I was stronger than I looked. Smarter too.

"Mom. I can help." I turned to her as Dad seemed sure not to allow me.

"We'll all go." She said, giving dad a look that he couldn't deny.

Dad grabbed his coat and put on his shoes. "Go dress properly and put grab all the buckets you can find in the garden."

I ran back upstairs, put on my trousers. I tried to undo the knot on my pendant. but in my hurry I couldn't get it undone. I would just have to ignore it then.

Dad was already outside, halfway across the street, towards the fire. Mom still inside waiting on me.

I went to the garden and grabbed the three buckets from the porch. They were big, so I wrapped my arms around as if to hug them.

The buckets were made from metal, and heavy and I couldn't run in them without losing balance.

Mom took two of them as I walked back inside. Leaving me with one. "Make sure to leave the door open Yuuto, we might need to get back to get more."

We made our way to the Mayor's house, and we weren't the only ones. Dozens of people walked the streets, in the pouring rain. Lightning still flashing around, illuminating the darkest clouds I had ever bare witness to.

Other people seemed to have the same idea as us, running around with buckets, and big bowls to fill with water.

It must've happened before, the adults seemed to know what to do, and soon formed a line from the New well to the Mayor's house. I stood somewhere at the end of it, next to mom. behind me a man I had seen in the store a few times, in front of me my mother. Both larger than me. The buckets were heavy, and my arms started to shake by the seventh bucket.

But many more followed.

Ash and thick smoke buffeted us, the wind whipped up, and I felt my lungs burn from the heated air.

I had never felt like I was burning and freezing at the same time before. My eyes were wet, not only from the rain.

There were sometimes long waits between buckets, and sometimes they followed eachother almost too quick to keep up with.

But despite the rain and the water that was thrown on it. The fire seemed to only get more and more intense. Spreading from the Mayor's house to the large humongous cherry blossom tree next to it.

The pink petals now floated in the air, spreading the fire around.

I was sweating. My clothes sticking to me, slowing my movements. There were tiny holes in my coat as specs of fire burned through it.

Mom hugged me in one of the longer breaks. "Are you doing alright Yuuto?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. Even to myself I sounded tired. Mom seemed to agree with me on that front.

She looked around, and nodded as if to confirm something to herself. "Go take a rest Yuuto. There's enough adults to do the heavy lifting from here on. You did good."

I wanted to protest and say I could go on, But I couldn't. Mom suddenly hunched over me. And the air felt like it was punched out of me.

I was picked off of my feet, thrown through the air and crashed into a door, which gave in and slammed open. My ears were ringing. I couldn't hear anything. Standing up I felt my knees give out from under me.

My head spun but I managed to walk outside from the hall I was thrown into. I pulled something out of my flesh. A needle? I threw it to the ground.

Intense white light met me as I looked at the fire that had overtaken the street I was standing in seconds ago.

"Mom?" I screamed out.

And then water fell from the sky. And a voice pierced through the soundless buble I had been in until then.

"Suiton: Waterfall no jutsu."

The fire disappeared quenched its thirst and seemed sputtered out. there was still heat. But no more flames.

Smoke blew through the streets.

And on the ground, I saw people.

I saw mom.

It was just a black corpse, but I knew who it was a sure as I knew who I was.

I looked away.

Mom was dead momwasdead- mom is dead.

And again the air felt like it was punched out of me. But this time I couldn't draw on it. I felt like I was choking. My hands tried to clear whatever it was that was wrapped around my neck.

But there was nothing there.

I sat down next to mom. And that seemed to help. She was warm.

My hands found what remained of hers. And delicately, without shaking I wrapped mine around hers. She wasn't moving. She didn't softly squeeze my hand in return.

I looked towards the Mayor's house. There wasn't much left of it. The entire second floor was gone as the roof had collapsed. And on the edge, through the billowing smoke and dwarreling ash I saw a man.

And next to that man I saw a dog.

For some reason, despite the distance and the things that filled the air between us. I saw his face clear as day.

The red markings. His eyes narrowing as he looked around. His nostrils flaring as he tried to smell something.

And then he turned around, a giant shuriken suddenly in his hands.

"You'll need something bigger than that to get rid of me Bushi." He joked.

he joked. as if dozens of people hadn't just died.

I balled my hands into fists. Crumbling whatever I held.

For a moment I saw red. But then I realized what I had done. I looked down and my hands were blackened. And moms hands were gone.

I swallowed. I had done that.

"Then why don't you try and stop this."

It was a female voice, it seemed to come from all sides. and then from where the Inuzuka shinobi was staring; something like a human doll expanded to the size of a small mountain. On its face a wide grin and two preening eyes.

The Inuzuka growled, and so did his dog. And then things all happened at once. Smoke erupted from where they stood, and in place of a man and his dog now stood a two headed dog the size of a three story building.

"Getsuga!" It barked, the ground shaking when it moved.

The Doll expanded even more and with a too familiar sound exploded. I felt the pressure pushing me backwards. I slid across the street, and rolled.

For a moment I was airborne. And then I met solid ground again.

Wetness slid down my face and I tasted blood in my mouth. I wiped it away.

I tried to sit. My back finding support against a tree.

How was I still alive?

Everyone around me was dead.

The two headed dog didn't seem to be inconvenienced at all by the explosion. The whirlwind of its attack cutting through the explosion.

The expanded doll like creature was now smaller again. And fast. I saw it run down the street, up one of the remaining buildings, and jumped on the back of the two headed dog.

The two headed dog was prepared though, and it's hair spiked dangerously.

That was Jiraiya's jutsu, I found myself thinking.

The doll exploded into thin air and water vapor.

Was the battle over now? I stood up. My hands wet from my own blood. I looked down, I was a mess. My coat torn. my pendant half broken- Ah that was the needle from earlier. My pants were shredded and dirty, And at one point I must have lost my shoe, for I could see my toes.

"Yuuto!" A deep voice.

I looked up and saw dad run towards me. He passed mom without realizing it was her. "Dad." I managed to croak out, my hand pointing at the charred remains of the woman he had loved.

Dad followed the line of sight my hand pointed. His face contorted, then he shook his head and rushed in to hug me.

He was more bloody than I was, there was a large cut going from his nose to his chin, and for some reason he was shirtless.

It looked like the wound was made with a precision knife. It bled a lot, all down. Onto me. My entire chest and coat was covered in the warm sticky fluid. "Oh god… " the words escaped me when it fully hit me mom was gone for good. Dad pressed me even tighter to himself, it felt good, like there was a physical connection between us. A bond that couldn't be severed. Even with all the blood telling me just how easily life was extinguished..

Dad took a step back and cupped my face into his hands. Looking me over to see if I was ok. "I'm fine" I said like a reflex. "Hurt, but fine. Mom…"

"It's going to be ok." He said it as warmly as he could. But to me it sounded bitter. He hugged me again. And then I saw it. A whirring blade, Fuuma shuriken. The Inuzuka had thrown it. The other shinobi deflected it. It came toward us.

Too fast for words.

I pushed dad away, he looked at me, questioning.

He was going to say something but the sound of metal meeting flesh cut him off.

The fuuma shuriken embedded itself in me, from my belly button all the way to my heart. I felt it going in. Fast as it was I felt every quarter of an inch it dug into me. I felt it push the flesh in my back outwards.

My heart skipped a beat.

My stomach exploded.

For a second it didn't hurt. And then pain rushed in, like thunder after the lightning. I lost my voice before I stopped screaming.

And dad screamed too.

For some reason that distracted me. I looked at him. Knowing he was going to be the last person I saw.

I took him in. Perhaps I could grant him solace, some kind last words on the night he lost his wife and son. But none came.

To my horror I saw that I hadn't saved him. From his belly button all the way up to his shoulder skin ripped open. As if invisible hands clawed their way in. Dad fell to his knees, his hands grabbing his chest. The wound was white at the edges, but not for long. Entrails fell out, his stomach popped like a balloon. The wound was wide, long and deep.

I don't know why, but despite the horror, it looked a lot like when I cut chicken meat. His ribs cracked, and it was terrible, because it happened to someone I loved. But my eyes were captivated by the sight of it. It was horrendous, and I wanted to look away. But it was mesmerizing too.

The smell was horrible, even from the distance that had grown between us. Dad screamed again as he doubled over.

I could see his back, it was bulging unnaturally. The skin bulging as if something was trying to push itself out of it. His skin stretched thin, and as if in slow motion it reached its limit and with a sickening crunch it ripped open, blood erupted from the wound. And dad convulsed, shaking.

And then he stopped.

I pulled the fuuma shuriken out of my torso. It was so sharp I could feel it cut my flesh even with the little strength I could muster. I let the piece of metal fall to the ground. And then I fell too.

Episode four - Home is where the heart is

To be a shinobi means to endure. To hold firm against tremendous opposition.

I woke up to light. My eyes were open and I blinked at how bright the world seemed.

I knew what happened before I had fallen asleep. Though I hoped that it was just a nightmare.

But the light was tinted red, and I was lying on cobblestones. And I was very aware if I looked to my left I'd see my father. And If I looked to my right I'd see mom.

So I did what anyone in my situation would do. I got up and stared at my feet. I ignored the fact that I should be dead, and that I felt sore but otherwise fine. I walked the street, I looked at my feet, a calming rhythm. If I only looked at my feet I wouldn't see the charred remains. I wouldn't see the bodies or burned down houses. I wouldn't see the weaponry the two shinobi had so casually thrown around.

I definitely wouldn't see Bõ and the other orphaned children as I passed them by. I wouldn't hear them either.

I wouldn't feel their hands trying to slow me down.

I was just walking home staring at my two feet.

I opened the door we had left unlocked. The entrance hall was filled with ash. It looked like a mess. So I got the broom and started to sweep the floor. Ash clouds made my eyes tear. With every sweep, stripes left behind. The ash and dust refusing to simply be swept away.

At some point I must've stopped because the broom was now resting against the wall and I was mopping the floor, a bucket of scalding hot water reminded me of the one mom had held before. The mop fell silently to the ground.

I looked at my hands. And at the bucket. And back at my hands again. My hands were still covered in dark red crusts. I got down on my knees next to the bucket and slowly put my hand in it.

It was hot, hotter than I had ever felt on my skin. It burned. It hurt. I looked as my hand reddened, the blood was washed off. So I dunked my other hand in it too.

Then something, someone yanked my hands out of the bucket.

"Foolish boy."

I felt a rage deep down in my stomach. A beast roaring and baring its teeth. Ready to devour anyone and anything in its path. "Don't touch me!" I shrieked.

I yanked my hands back, and stared most dangerously at my aunt. She was dressed in layers upon layers of blues to purples and reds to yellows.

Her face tamed the beast of my anger. She looked worried, aghast, shocked, and so much like my mother that for a second I thought it was her.

I rushed forward, my arms wrapping around her form. My face hiding in the blues of her dress. I wanted to disappear in the folds of her clothing, let the colours drain all the emotions that were crashing the shores of my sanity. Aunt Ginko pulled me in, and I sobbed, broke down.

Aunt Ginko hushed sweet nothings, she ruffled my hair then dried my tears when my sobbing started to quiet down. "Yuuto?"

Had I ever noticed how much her voice mirrored moms? Her face was older, fuller. Aunt Ginko's life had been easier, married into money. I took her face in, remembering every line, dimple and blemish.

That was the face mom might have grown into too.

"Aunt…" there was was so much I had to say, wanted to say, couldn't say. Wanted explained, had to explain. But words got stuck in my throat, my tongue tied in knots. And I found myself mute.

I wanted to talk. I wanted to, I really did. But my body wouldn't let me speak.

"Yuuto. Where are your parents?" Aunt Ginko didn't mean to be cruel, I was sure. But those words cut deeper than the shuriken had.

I tried to tell her. I truly, honestly did. But the words just wouldn't come. I just started shaking, first my head then everything else. My silence said enough. And aunt Ginko sharply inhaled, and held her breath.

She blew it out, "Oh no."

I stopped shaking.

Mom and dad were still lying there. On the street, like the garbage bags we set outside each week for Old Mr. Satoshi to pick up. An urgency took over me, I grabbed Aunt Ginko's hand and pulled her with me.

I passed a window and saw my reflection in it. I looked a mess. Looked like I shouldn't be walking right now.

But I was fine. didn't so much as have a scare where hours ago I… It wasn't important. I had to get Aunt Ginko to mom and dad. They needed to be taken care off, properly. Mom and dad would want that. To be treated with respect.

Aunt Ginko didn't struggle, she followed me willingly. I wasn't sure if she knew what she was about to see. But if she had gotten from her home to ours… she must've passed them already. Had she ignored them too? Had she only looked at her feet? Did she feel guilty over that too?

We reached mom first. I looked at aunt Ginko expectantly but she didn't show much of a reaction. Only her face contorted as if she swallowed something particularly sour, but seemed to accept whatever had happened.

She pulled on the red scarf around her neck and draped it over moms body. I didn't have the heart to say mom hated the colour red. She liked blues and greens.

Then we walked to dads… And aunt Ginko turned around and vomited. when she got a good look at him. I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn't help myself from staring at him. Someone had turned him over, he was lying on his back, eyes closed.

With my hand I trailed the line of his wound which mirror the lines in my clothing perfectly. I let my fingers touch my skin, it was soft, and cold. If it wasn't for my clothes being torn I wouldn't have known from where to where I had been cut open. From the very bottom to the very top of the wound my fingers tried to find something, anything to confirm that what had happened was real. But the only thing they found was the cold metal of my pendant. The broken Deathly Hallows pendant. Just a circle enclosing a triangle.

I almost tore it off but my arms lacking the strength. I kneeled down next to dad. He was cold and stiff. His lips blue and parts of him were no longer inside.

Bits and pieces were thrown around, each cobblestone a shrine for whatever demented God governed us.

Aunt Ginko eventually sat beside me. "Yuuto, there are no words to make either of us feel better right now. But I'm here for you. It's the least I can do. Considering."