Naruto: The Story of the Moth, Part I

by Shil.ancz.oh

What if we learned the story of one jinchuriki, from the very beginning? What if Indra and Ashura had a sister… a powerful Seer, who'd show humans their true Darkness, leading them towards the Light? What if her reincarnation lived the life of Izumi Nanusake? Her Shinengan, worthy of competing with Sharingan, slowly casing shadow on the ninja world, in the days of Naruto Uzumaki.

6. Chapter 6: Burnt woman

Chapter 5: Burnt woman

Drenched in sweat, Izumi ran to her mother's room with horror in her eyes.

"I saw it again, mother, the monster came to me again!"

Midori sighed and hugged her trembling daughter. A gentle breeze and the coolness of the early morning hours blew into the room. The smell of the sea soothed fear and brought calm. The windows were rarely closed, there was never any need.

From the age of three, Izumi seemed to have shown a bond with the Moth that seems to have only recently begun to manifest. Midori knew the Great Huranaishi only from stories, especially the story of old Hitomi, Moth's last reincarnation before Izumi. The Moth used to inhabit her heiresses as soon as they developed enough awareness and speech skills to be able to communicate with them. However, it never went smoothly. Moth's reincarnation stages were ghastly.

The Moth reincarnated gradually, like a phoenix from the ashes, piece by piece coming back to life, starting with charred bones, steaming flesh slowly returning to its place, clinging to the bone by bone, until eyes appeared, finally filling bottomless sockets. A bloody fleshy figure, slowly donning itself in the steaming skin covered with blisters, gradually begins to regain its healthy colour and smoothness. Her hair always comes back at the end. Eventually, the Moth, stands before the heiress in her full shamanic attire, proudly carrying her staff with crescent, white beautiful teeth and a charming smile. Deep black eyes and eyebrows turned into long antennae horns, like the head of a fluffy insect. Beautiful black hair, always undulating with her every move.

Each stage of reincarnation-regeneration lasted for years, so Izumi had to wait many more years to get used to the monstrous figure, perhaps to try to befriend it. After all, they are doomed to be together until the girl's last breath.

Midori knew that it was up to her to introduce her daughter, so she decided to start the training the very next day. In her embrace, the little girl found instant relief until another lonely night when she was back in the Abyss. The sizzling black bones crawling towards her on the ground, the twisted phalanges of what had been a beautiful hand hundreds of years ago pointing to the terrified girl's forehead.

You're my Borealis

You're the lines in my brow

You're the turning seasons

You're the breath in my mouth…*

Midori's soothing voice sent Izumi back to sleep.

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*The Huntress and Holder of Hands - Borealis