A/N: Looking for a BETA who don't mind irregularity. There are already three chapters have been rewritten.

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As one life born, another life meets death.

As the new of his sister's death arrived, time became a blur. The air he breathed in every single day suddenly seems so toxic, even inhaling it was so hard. Nathan Abel could only question himself as he looked at his sister's coffin with a blank emotionless face.

Why each one of his love ones has to separate from him?

Nathan had always viewed his sister as someone who has a strong heart. She would be brave when she has to. Despite her motiveless lifestyle, the only thing she treasured the most was the one she loves. She would become strong to protect them. When he found his own dad collapsed on the ground after he comes down the stair, he couldn't even speak. He cried while desperately still holding his cold body of his father. When his sister come back from her university, she stood still. Her back turned to see their only parent slept in the morgue. With his dad's cold body still fresh in his mind, Pamela hugged him close. Saying it's okay repeatedly without letting him go. At that moment, he grasps at his last family and cry. Hard.

HE WAS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR FATHER DEATH.

If he did not oversleep that morning, maybe he could save his father from slipping and saving his head from hitting the chair.

And now, his sister is dead...

The reason of her death makes him furious. Because his father has left a large amount of heritage when he passed away, his sister and he have been constantly surrounded by disgusting adults who shined their eyes at the sight of money. These greedy adults, due to their young age, have offered themselves to become their adoptive parent many times it became so annoying. When Pamela turn recently twenty years old, someone even threatens her to give that money to them, their greedy relatives, otherwise they would kidnap him. His sister did not yield and instead, hired someone to protect him. In this plan, unfortunately, didn't include herself.

And she died while protecting her friend.

Nathan gritted his teeth in anger.

Why can't Pamela be more selfish? If she didn't help her friend then she could have lived! She could still be alive!

He wraps his arms around his body to calm himself from trembling with anger.

Why didn't she think of him? How will he live without her?

Nathan finally broke down, letting out a sob. It's growing louder and louder and finally turned into wailing. He didn't care the look people gave him, he just wanted to cry until there was no drop of tear. He had lost his only family and now he is all alone.

"Nathan" Jessica in her black dress called him softly, almost like a whisper. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying so hard. The women bent down in front of him, putting both hands down on his shoulder to gain his attention. It worked. His watery eyes met hers as he continued to sniffle softly. Jessica closes her eyes for a moment and opened again, and this time with a glint of determination. "Let me help you and protect you in Pamela's place."

He widens his eye in shock after seeing her strong will eye, he could only nod numbly.

He knew instinctively that Pamela's friend could be trusted. He just knew it.

But NOBODY would replace Pamela.

NOBODY.

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GASP!

I was wide wake the moment I woke up. I wipe my face tiredly and found out that there are tears on the corner of my eyes.

Did I just...dream of Nathan?

"Ayumu, it's time for breakfast!"

"Ah, Okay!" I answered my mother's call and awkwardly stumbled down my bed. As I run past the mirror, my reflection made me stop.

My eyes were big and round, and honey-yellow iris were blinking back at myself. My face was round because there are still some baby fat left and some drool were on the corner of my mouth. I have a short black hair. It was usually combed and neat, but now it spread out like a lion's mane. I groaned at myself in the mirror and try to comb though my messy bed head while my other hand tried to wipe off my drool.

Two years passed only for me to stop be frighten of my own reflection.

I mused mentally.

"Are you sleeping Ayumu?"

My mother voice snapped me out of my muse.

"No, I am coming!" I quickly tidy myself and running down the stair.

The first thing greeting me in the morning was the sight of grandfather. He instantly spotted me and smiled.

"Hi there, Gaki-chan"

"Oji-chan!" I jumped to hug him, chuckling gleefully as grandfather caught me and now playfully whirled me around. When I was finally on the ground, I smiled at both my father and my mother who was starting to eat their breakfast, "Good morning Kaa-chan, Otou-san"

About two years an a half have passed since then. I was now turn almost 3 and even get my own room when my parent deem that I was mature enough. The first year was focusing on remodeling the upper floor of our store into our home. It consisted of three floors. The first floor was separated into two stores, one was my mother's hair salon, and another store was my father's blacksmith shop. The second floor contained living room, kitchen, restroom, mother and father's room, and grandfather. My room located on the roof. It was once a store room, but later turned into my room.

Due to my insistence of wanting to have my own room (because well, I don't really want to be the witness of what my father and mother have in mind at night. You know, that certain activity), my parents reluctantly turned it into my room. There are also a little garden outside. I plant a patch of flower with my grandfather and secretly named four of them each of team seven's names.

"Hi there little princess" Masao smile, then start muttering while he turn back to his breakfast. "Why did I felt like her treatment to me isn't like him?"

Hikari gently hit his head with an amuse smile and said, "Stop muttering and eat your breakfast, dear."

I laughed and gave both my mother and father a kiss on the cheek. While I was called an ice queen in the past, it doesn't mean I wasn't an affection person. It's just limited only to those I cared and called family. Even if I lived here in this world for only three years, I felt deep emotional attachment with them. I couldn't see my family as any background characters. Maybe it was because they have taken care of me, it made me wanted to return those favors to them.

I climbed to take my breakfast, while returning to think about this world.

So this was Narutoverse, the world which was full of dramas and actions. I first read this manga when I was, like, in grade school. At first, it was cool and stuff, but I felt like sometime the author didn't put much effort on female characters and showed more action in male characters (Well, it's a for boys so I sort of understand).When I finally finished my university, I didn't pick up that manga. That's why I didn't know the ending. I did see the children's generation though, so it should be happy ending.

For almost three years, I had been avoiding to go outside like it was a plague. There were a risk of me meeting these canon characters, and I didn't want to took those risks. Meeting them would be the beginning of my destruction. I have viewed them as just characters and whether they die or not, it wasn't my problem. However, if I started to view them as human being, I couldn't have ignore them, and end up changing the plot.

Really, changing the plot is bad idea.

So no, I won't change the plot.

I would only be an observer.

These three years, I have established my own rule.

1. No friendly interaction, unless you are sure they won't remember you.

2. Become a background characters, do as other do.

3. Don't fall in love.

Friendly interaction leaded to mutual commitment and behaving like background character would made me unnoticeable. The most important thing was falling in love. I didn't mean for it to sound so clinch, but in reality love could be the greatest wall of obstruction in my rule. I would have done everything I could to help that person. If that guy was a canon character, I would even change the plot for him.

...Luckily, I have never fall in love. It won't be too hard.

Grandfather finished his breakfast and asked with a smile, "So, up for a round of Shogi?"

Last year, I finally learned how to play Shogi ( in which my grandfather whole heartily help). The reason I could stay indoor so much that it look unhealthy was because of grandfather. He did love playing Shoji after all, and he never pass up an opportunity to teach me. So when my mother wanted to take me out of the house, I would simply say...

'I want to learn new shogi strategy from Oji-chan!'

I did earn a downhearted sigh from mother and knowing smirk from grandfather though.

"Yeah, I—" When I was about to answer, my mother cut in.

"A-yu-mu-chan" Hikari sing-song voice send a shiver down my back. Her hands gently touched my shoulder and whirled me around. I gulped when my mother did that smiling face. While Hikari did smile, the aura of darkness floating around my mother showed me differently of how she felt. She was towering me. I could even feel a sign of misfortune coming from my mother. Slowly, with a ever smiling face, she spoke, "Didn't you promised Kaa-chan that you are going with Kaa-chan to the park?"

"Err...I did?" I laughed nervously and senะ a signal of distress to father.

I blinked at my father, 'Please help this poor daughter of yours!'

My father replied instantly, 'No can do, dear daughter.'

Then, father suddenly found an urge in devouring his food, that traitor.

I turned my eyes upward, blinking cutely before my mother. "Atleast...Can I have a round of Shogi with Oji-chan first?"

Grandfather showed his amuse smile, "Hmm, well, she indeed say that..."

"And you said you want me to be the best Shogi player in the world, so practice make it perfect isn't it?" I supported his point happily.

"That was indeed right. I think you now understand my passion of Shogi aside from Shikaku. I know one day, my cute little granddaughter would have beat that men's kid—"

"It can wait." Hikari cut it short, making my grandfather froze. "Last time, Last time I have to wait from you two to finished your game and it was hours, and I am not going to do like that again, get me?"

"Cystal clear, ma'm!"

Both my father and grandpa only offered a pity glance when my mother forced me to change my cloth.

I gave them a dead-pan stare and mouthed the word silently.

'TRAITORS'

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"Kaa-chan, why yellow of all thing?"

"Why not? it matches with your eyes perfectly!"

"Kaa-chan, I was going to the park, not formal event" I whined, even though I knew I couldn't really changed her mind. "—and I hate yellow."

"Now hush, girl never stop being pretty."

Don't cry if this dress was dirty.

I couldn't help but sulked a little. My short leg followed in step with my mother as she hummed happily. We passed the market and my paranoid habit was be at it peak. The more dense the population, the higher the risk of encountering those canon characters. I tried to make myself smaller by hiding behind my mother and tried not to bump into other people. When I felt eyes on myself, I tried to hide my face. Although my yellow dress was pretty and such, and I didn't mind pretty things. However, it attracted enormous attention. I could hear the whisper of adoration and stare. I tried to think of something to avoid this uncomfortable feeling. Now that I remember, I forgot to mentioned something.

I have already met one of the rookie nine.

And it was none other than Aburame Shino.

Surprise?

Well, it was more like a one-side glare than other thing. I simply walked past him in the market while carrying my mom's groceries on the way home. I could tell just one look and recognized him immediately because of his hood and black sunglasses. I may say, he did look creepy. I mean, what kind three years old kid wore sunglasses like that? In the end, all I could do was stare at him like a love struck idiot (which I am not).

There were sometime that my curiosity for them was high. There would always be more questions when I saw them. Were they the same as a manga? What are the differences between them and other kids? What kind of hardship they would have to face before becoming who they are in manga? However, I have to held back my curiosity. These children were in such tender age. Any changes occurred to them would definitely changed them. At this time, children would experienced and built their future personality, goal, and their ambition. Just like how Naruto wanted to become a Hokage, there were also forging friendships between Shikamaru and Choji, and even Hinata's ambition to become braver.

I may acted like I knew everything, but the truth was the opposite. I couldn't predict how thing would turned out if I intervened. What will happened if rookie twelve weren't rookie seven anymore? The worst outcome was that Madara would have destroy everything!

Although I did think that Shino does look adorable as a kid.

The running gag in Naruto was that Shino had been occasionally forgotten. Well, with his quiet nature, he really could easily fade into the background. But since I'm here as a living person in the Naruto world, I did wanted to get to know him more than a reference in manga or anime. Could he have hidden personality? Mmm... never mind. I would just have to observed them from a distance. It would be both fun and heart aching to see them grow into what I used to know.

I mentally stopped myself from thinking too far. After all, the characters I liked the most was Shikamaru and Shino. Their abilities in my opinion were flexible.

"Here we are!" The sound of my mother tugged me out of my thought.

I rolled my eye as my mother dragged me toward the center of the park enthusiastically.

Well, at least she was the one being happy.

The park surrounded by green forest and located in the middle was a fountain. Because of the wide space, it had wind to reduced the heat even in a hot day. The park did have a nice scenery. I wouldn't mind to relax and read some books here. Children of various ages were squealing as they enjoyed skipping rope, playing with sand and joining in group to play hide and seek. Fortunately, the park was big enough for everyone to run around without not colliding with each other. I glanced at the side of the park and found parents (mostly the mother) were chatting with each other on the bench to kill time while they waited for their children to play. Obviously gossiping or boasting about their kids. It could be either.

I groaned in annoyance. I did know that I was once a child enjoying these kind of things, but because I was already grown mentally, it was hard to picture myself doing that again. My mother pushed me toward a group of kids who was playing with sand. Damn, my first visit to the park was to come home dirty with sand. I winced slightly at the thought, but moved forward obediently. I walked slowly, never so slow in my life to the playing ground as I started to lose confidence.

How could I play with them? Just go and say hi, maybe?

I don't think that's a good plan.

I glanced over other kids as they concentrated on their magnificent art of sand, and no one even acknowledged that I was here. Trying to find a tactic to approached other kids in my age, I found it so hard to approach someone. Well, physically we are in the same age, but please, I was not someone who can go and talk to other people so casually. At the moment, I felt like I was a shy kid or something, peeking here and there looking for friends. I spotted someone in the corner of my eye. When I looked at that person, I widen my eye slightly.

Apart from other kids, the indigo hair stood out in the middle or the park. The boy silently built his own sand castle while the other kids avoided him. Something about him made me think about Sakura.

Why? Is he someone bad?

I took a peek to his face to confirmed that he wassn't someone I know from manga. But because I didn't do it stealthily, the boy turned to look at me looking somewhat startled.

Red ruby eye stared at me and the first thought I have that moment was-

Ah, his eye is pretty.

Unlike the ruby-like eyes of Kurenai. His eye... they were ghostly red, bloody red. But there were an allure in there, the one that made me couldn't took my eyes of those pair of eyes. I made sure to smiled sweetly and opened my mouth to voiced a greeting. However, I was cut-off.

"No!" His shaken voice almost made me flinched in fear of making him cry. "D-Don't look...It is scary and...you will call m-me disgusting!"

"Wait, I didn't-"

"Stay away!" The boy creeped himself further away, "You will hate me"

He cowered himself and tried to distance me. The me who didn't even done anything for him. While I was not unreasonable person, I was not patient enough to encourage someone back from being on the verge of tear.

I grabbed both of his hand and peared it off his face even with his resistance. My eyes met his red one.

"I really don't know what you are talking about, and I won't call you disgusting. Rather than disgusting or hateful-" I gave him a deadpan look, "You are rude."

"...H-Huh?"

"While some people told you all sort of thing, it may not be what you are. You are quite rude toward person who think differently, and to yourself."

"I-I am sorry..." He said. His hand wiped his eyes to dried his tears.

I fondly patted on his head. He remind me of my own bother. "Good boy."

"Err, who...are you?"

I coughed awkwardly, and tried to put on a smile that seems too late. "My name is Nakashima Ayumu. You?"

He fumbles with his finger awkwardly, and finally found his voice, "Masaki...Shinku..."

"Scarlet, huh? It suited you. You got a beautiful eyes."

"You aren't scared?"

"Of what? Of you eye color? More than scared, I am confused of why it was scary in the first place..."

"Because...because it was like Uchiha."

Uchiha, the notorious clan that consisted of top ninja and their precious red eyes. I carefully looked at Shinku's eyes. But apart from typical red iris, I didn't see the signature black dote inside. In conclusion, he was definitely not an Uchiha. It couldn't be possible for a child to maintained those eye all the time, so Shinku couldn't have been Uchiha.

I understood that for civilian, Uchiha was actually a fearsome clan. The ability to control other people mind was dangerous. It got worse when there was Kyuubi's destruction as many people believed that Uchiha was the one who cause all of this. It put Uchiha clan under stress and unconsciously they started to think they were unwelcome. When I thought to this point, I furrowed my eyebrow.

Is it because of this reason that Uchiha start to revoke?

While I lost in thought, Shinku's nervous glance took me back from uncomfortable silence. I gave him a flat stare and pointing out the obvious, "You aren't Uchiha. It was so obvious. If someone can't tell the difference, they are stupid."

"But...But other kids say that-"

"Because they are stupid."

Silence.

The little boy's eyes were wide and stared at me with astonish eyes. I stared back and wiggled my eyebrow in a suggestive manner. A moment pass, his face twitched and a giggled follow in.

"T-They are stupid." He showed a wide smile while the giggling become louder. While I didn't get his weird children's humor, some warm feeling entered my heart.

This feeling made me felt like when I was still in my first life. When I was still with my little brother, Nathan.

"Do you feel better now?"

The boy stop giggling, then his face suddenly flushed crimson. "I- Um, yes, thank you...Ayumu-san."

He glanced shyly at me while his face furiously blushing red. I kept a small grin on my face. He sure sounded like Hinata, but in a boy version. His shyness made him look cute despite his weird eye's color. I could imagine who he would fall in love with, assuming he was like Hinata. Naruto in the middle while he and Hinata cling to him...

...OK, maybe it was not good idea. I shaken a little of how imaginative I become.

"Just Ayumu is fine, Shinku-kun," I gave him a small smile and shrugged. Now come the hard part, "So you want to play with me? We could build a sand castle or something, you know."

His face lighten as he quickly agreed, "If that's fine with you."

In the end, we decided that we would build a sand castle. I admitted that Shinku was very talented in art, especially for three years old. The major work came from the boy. And me? Nah, I'm not very good in art since my last life so I doubt I could do any help except for bringing water to make sand damp enough to mold. We were not in a hurry anyway, so we decided to take our time to make them. Shinku did look like he was enjoying himself and I was satisfied. When the castle was finished, we stared at it in awe .

"For three years old, you sure are awesome."

"T-thanks, but..." The boy fumbled with his finger nervously. It seemed like a habit when he became nervous and shy. "I am already 4 years old."

"Er, you are older than me?!"

Shinku seemed to have taken back by my surprise. He ducked his head shyly while mumbling in a soft voice, "I also thought you are older than me. You know lots of difficult words so I thought that..."

"I...Um..." I struggled to find an excuse or whatever that will get me out of this trouble I cause. I blamed it on my sissy instinct that I became so chatty. It couldn't be help because Shinku looked so damn much like Nathan, my bother from my last life. That's why I unconsciously allowed myself to be mature in front of him. Another thing I found out about Shinku was that his actually was very observant. Unlike other kids in his age (mentally), he noticed my odd behavior rather quickly.

Then, my mother actually save me.

"Time to get back, Ayumu-chan!" My mother called from a distance. As I turned my head, I saw her waving her hand in cheerily manner. A sense of relieve washed over me when Shinku's attention finally shifted to my mother.

I guessed she was done gossiping with other housewife and finally noticed how late it is. The best thing of a housewife was the women information network. In short, the gossip cycle. I was sured my mother knows almost all of the thing that happened in this hidden village with her daily gossiping. Maybe she knew even more than Hokage-sama himself and that's what scary about her.

I turned my head to Shinku who looked deject like a kicked puppy. He must have only a few friends from the look of his expression. I smiled, bumping my tiny fist to his arm gently to get his attention.

"See you tomorrow. Next time, let's build a bigger castle."

His face visibly brightened as we waved at each other as a goodbye.

I felt out a long sigh of relieve when we are out of the park.

Well, that's not so bad as I think.

It's seemed like the canon character didn't chose this day to come to the park.

Thank Kami! I'm not going to deal with any cannon character until it was the appropriate time, so I won't mess-up the plot. It would not be so soon.

"Isn't that boy you play with is cute, Ayumu-chan?" My mother questioned me with a grin on our way back home. A super suspicious grin that made me mentally twitch. She then asked again when I look up at her. "What's his name?"

As I said before, my mother was like an open book and I definitely knew what she was thinking about.

Nu-uh, no matchmaking, mother.

Not that I'm still twenty-two year old mentally.

"His name is Shinku-kun" I replied plainly and watched out for her reaction.

"What a beautiful name" Mother's smile widened, her eyes shined in the way that I could only stared in suspicious. "I think that boy will grow up handsome, don't you think so Ayumu-chan?"

I froze at her attempt to matchmaking three years old child. Please, this is not a laughing matter. I was only three, damn it!

Not going to fall into your trap, mother.

I acted like an innocent child, looking at her in confusion "You're cheating on Otou-san?"

"Wha-I not! I mean... Nah, forgot it. Kaa-chan just talk nonsense" She sighed, finally knowing that I not ready for this stuff, as I smiled in relief, taking mental note altogether.

I should be careful in the future, Hikari may find me a husband before I know it. I really couldn't pictured myself in that way.

"Wait" Hikari stopped, just realized something important, right at the front of our house. She then lowered herself to match with my height while her hands hold my shoulder in place. "Who teach you that word 'cheating', Kaa-chan didn't remember teaching that to you"

Oops, look like I'm still careless. I inwardly sweat-drop, but I force myself not to show it openly.

I was not good with excuses, but I did know one. The one that would make someone be in trouble.

Well, that's want I want anyway.

"Oh, that's, Hmm-" I gave her an innocent smile,and blinked my eyes cutely. "It's Oji-chan"

Her smile darken and it smell like trouble. She had her smile, but her eye didn't seem that way.

Grandfather will get into HUGE trouble.

I know you can survive this, Oji-chan.

After my meeting with Shinku, I begun to go out more.

It had been been native of me to think that I could be able to escape meeting someone from cannon forever. But now that I have Shinku-kun (as my shield), I could act more freely. I was one step closer in becoming a mob/background character. Some village girl they happened to see on the street!

Banzai! Mob characters!

More months passed and our relationship got even closer. When I was with him, I did't have to act like a child. Shinku was always good a keeping a secret. That's why I began to become more talkative.

My day passed slowly and I begun to secretly do thing. Fortunately, I didn't encounter any canon character other than Shino. A few months, I memorized all the basic Japanese words and Kanji. As for practicing my Japanese skill, I secretly 'borrowed' my mother's novel and used it to practice my reading and writing. However, while it have beautiful and creative word and vocab, I still didn't recommend it. That's because...well, I could only say I mentally rated it as 'M-rate' novel.

...let's not talk about that.

Back to the Topic, there was going to be a big event tomorrow.

It was my first birthday party.

Now hush, that was supposed to be a surprised. However, I kind of caught on when I heard my father and mother were whispering to each other about closing the shop tomorrow and discussing what to get me. When I asked them what's going on, they just stared at each other and laughed nervously.

I suggest if you didn't want me to hear it, don't whisper in the hall way will you?

In the end, I kind of going with the flow.

It might be strange for people from my pervious life that my first important birthday party to arrived so late. I assumed that it because of our household situation. Both of my parents worked to earn the money to repair the house for two whole years and one more years of saving up. So our account wasn't in red anymore. While I may not be as excited as a child supposed to be, but I would allow myself to be spoiled by their love- because they remind me of my old one.

I never ever thought that the thing I feared the most come knocking on my door that day.