Intro:
This story is heavily OC based. There is little to no changes of cannon storyline, and will mostly focus on interactions between characters of Konoha and the world I created. Think of it like the Naruto movies - but the Aburame Clan as the main focus.
The story will contain topics of the following (Warnings will be posted on the top of each chapter to what it will contain/mention):
Drug use, emotional/physical abuse, child abuse and neglect, mental health, unhealthy relationships, PTSD, hinto to intercourse (healthy and consensual), chronic illness, and some others.
This story goes between the perspective of two siblings. The brother who has a negative and dark outlook on life, and a sister that is conditioned and raised by propaganda to see everything in an absolute and positive light.
A brother who wants nothing more than to escape, and a sister who wants to do everything she can to do her part in the village and be loved.
'When careing for a baby that can control trees and grow flurries of flowers with a single tantrum, you learn to just give her the damn spoon.'
What happens when a boy is tasked with raising the heart of their clan - his infant sister, and thrown out into an unknown world to figure it out for himself? Slave labor and subjugation. But at least his sister was able to find something worth living for, he was still figuring it out..
Warnings: Mentions of male castration. Disability discrimination.
Updated 11/20
Glass earrings jingled as a father gazed down at the fresh pink face of his daughter. A half smile tugged at his check as his thumb caressed the side of her chubby face. He enjoyed the newborn fragrance she was enveloped in.
Lost in the universe in that moment with her, he almost forgot he called to meet his step son when the boy tapped the point of his elbow with two fingers. Straightening himself up to meet the tall gaze of his gangly son, as soon as their eyes had met the boy jerked his head away.
The boy began to observe the shrine before them. It was built with weathered porous bricks about knee height and encircled an ivory figure carved to portray a female figure clutching her babe protectively to her bosom. It had a clean shine to it, the etched markings deep and facial features softly rounded.
The father tapped his foot on the ground beside the boy, and corrected himself to look instead at the boy's right shoulder when they faced again. He brought up the hand not holding his baby, and spoke to himself as he signed,
"Eran, I cannot trust your mother to care for your sister properly.. I trust her to you. To love and teach her. Please protect her for me".
Eran frowned at his 'father', "Why? Where are you going?"
"It is not me who is leaving" he gave a knowing smirk to the boy. Eran's face flushed, his hand coming up to scratch at his jawline.
The father stood closer, his silk embroidered garments brushed against Eran and it made his nerves prickle uncomfortably.
"I want you to take her with you. I had a premonition the night of her birth.." The father stumbled with some of the signs while one-handed, but Eran understood him regardless.
Eran felt his gut curl, the last premonition the father had was back when his Mother returned to the clan with a little tan toddler of himself trailing behind her. The council was ready for them at the separation of the trees to meet her. He could still remember their smug wrinkled faces.
"MADAM wait!" the sudden call of a flustered maid rang out over the greenery.
The father quickly signed to the boy without speaking, "group square future night, I meet you", then signing the nickname 'witch' he pushed Eran's bare shoulder in the opposite direction of the voice. Eran was very quick to jump up and disappear, much like a startled baby faun.
"Tabunoki why do you bother with that thing" seathed a tall woman who forced her way through the tall oversized grasses that stood like a wall around the praying shrine. Her hair was short and fell around her face in auburn curls, shoulders exposed as her silk lazily covered her muscular yet feminine features.
"Do not let that disgrace near her, I don't need him mucking up the clan's jewel with his incompetence"
"Sudajii he-"
She flicked her wrist at him, "I did not come here to talk about that cripple. I have a request"
He bowed his head to his wife, a single brow rising.
"I want you to perform the pink spawn's baptism ritual" "is that what the council is bothering you about?" "Do you want to or not?" "I would love the honor of baptizing our daughter," he bowed from the waist, as much as he could while holding a swaddled baby.
In that moment Sudajii took a peek at the bundle he held so preciously. Her eyes clouded over briefly before she flipped her head away, "NIOI, hurry up I need the list. We got some ball chopping to do"
"Is it time to send the men down? I thought our resources were doing quite well.."
"I was informed of a runner two weeks prior. And the council approved my demands this morning to build additional warehouses down below".
Tabunoki shuffled his feet nervously, "Sudajii do you really plan to-" The women immediately glared down at him, her white features becoming mottled with red, "keep it to yourself Tabunoki" she chewed out.
He felt vines crawling up his slippers and ankles, squeezing a warning. The vines were quick to wither as a long haired woman came stumbling through the wall of grass.
"Finally. Hurry Nioi the council has my list"
The maid huffed and hawed before following her mistress, her skewed silk garments chaotically dragging behind her.
Tabunoki could hear a faint sobbing behind him as he turned to head home.
...
2 days later...
...
Eran turned his attention away from the men gaggling behind him. He attempted to put effort back into his work, but he couldn't feel bothered to as turmoil turned in his gut. His shoulders shivered despite the warm bodies around him.
Today was the baptism, his sister was going to receive her mark and awaken her aura.
A dormant jealousy wormed in his ribcage and he found himself touching the spot between his brow. His half lotus, a mark that would stay incomplete until he died. He never received his baptism, but despite that he still earned his mark when he almost died of an illness when he lived down below.
Would he even ascend to the canopies? His bangs fell back into place as his fist clenched his tool.
Suddenly a hand slapped his shoulder and he startled so badly be almost fell off his seat. He turned a glare at the man smiling above him. He had graying hair, and his mark showed on the back of his hand as he signed his apology.
"food go together?"
Eran exhaled long and hard, then he shook his head. The man rubbed a hand on his back before turning to follow the other men out to the banquet.
He slumped in his seat, swallowing the bile that kept coming up and giving him heart burn.
Tonight. He was finally going to leave. The weight of it kept growing on him.
Tabunoki's signing from a couple days ago flashed in his mind. He shook his head, and tried to settle his nerves by shaking out his hands. He left his unfinished work behind and left out the side door.
It was time to finish packing.
...
Eran was rummaging around his hut for his satchel.
His housing was placed far out and away from the collected residential area, he didn't mind it much besides it being so far out from where he worked every morning. When he was young he used to get the worst foot blisters from the commute.
The sun had already set, but the music could still be heard from way out, the clansmen lively with celebration of the newly blessed heir.
Not like Eran could hear any of it; but knowing his coworkers and their enjoyment of drinking games, he knew they'd be absolutely wasted tomorrow morning.
Anyways, he grounded himself from his wondering thoughts.
He wasn't entirely sure what he would need to pack. He read journal entries and asked some of the 'Below Finders' but they didn't say much. So he decided to pack a little bit of everything.
His limbs were shaking and weak, nervous about descending the mountain. But thinking about that woman relit his hatred and he ripped the satchel out from under his bed.
He packed his first aid, various pouches of seeds he collected from the center garden, some cotton swabs of spores stashed in little wood jars, vast amounts of bundled paper scraps, ink, a couple skins of water, his tool kits, charcoal pencils, the embroidery kit his 'father' gave him, dried fruits and herbs, and whatever else he could pack without everything getting too heavy.
He rolled up the only quilt he had and fastened it to the bottom of his bag. Strapping the bag on, he was quite content with himself. The pressure of the bag gave him some comfort, made things feel more real.
When he opened his front door he was assaulted by the smell of something foul, smoke and wind blasted his face and made his eyes burn.
How could a bunch of drunks manage to catch the whole village on fire?
His eyes strained to see far out to the huge flames that towered over the buildings, he saw figures jumping around the rooftops and sudden waves of vines flying about and curling every which way towards the fleeing black spots.
Dread filled his gut, the village had been breached.
Despite his choking fear at the sudden changes before him, he still felt himself moving forward, he remembered the lingering feel of the wooden hut on his fingertips as he pushed off and ran in the direction of the main house.
Where is his sister was waiting for him.