Chapter 1: Hell once again
As I opened my eyes to take in my surroundings, I saw a wooden ceiling with low hanging lights. When I looked to the right I saw a black haired and black eyed male baby. I looked to the left and saw a purple haired baby and black eyed female baby. We locked eyes together and she… spoke?!
"Ayla?" she whispered, a hint of baby voice still there.
My heart practically stopped in my chest.
"Aurelia?" I responded, feeling panic wash over me. This was not how it was supposed to go! How did she even die? No no no no no…
Without thinking, I turned my back to her and snuggled up to the other baby. This would make her suspicious but at least I didn't have to speak to her.
Surprisingly, I fell asleep quickly. One of the many plus sides of being a baby. When I awoke, a woman was standing over us. I instantly recognized her. Was I… Sasuke's sister?!
I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she called me Moriko. I guess that's my name now. She called Aurelia the name Hikari.
After 2 months of just sitting around doing nothing, I was getting pretty bored. Sometimes Itachi would come visit, and I always watched him with interest. He returned my gaze most of the time, and I felt bad that he had to die at the hands of his own brother because he was protecting the village.
I wasn't a healthy baby either. I slept ALL the time, and never played with the toys. I barely ate and was malnutritioned. My parents were worried and oftentimes took me to the doctor every Tuesday.
Aurelia was also worried, and she tried to talk to me about it. I didn't know how to say give me space- I lacked the confidence- so I just tried to bond with Sasuke. I cuddled with him, I handed him toys, and I always made sure he didn't get hurt. Nevertheless, I did feel bad about ignoring Aurelia. She looked lonely. The rest of the Uchiha family favored her, so she was constantly showered with praise and gifts, which I'm sure kept her mind off things.
Before I knew it, our birthday had come around. What day was it again? July 15th? But wasn't Sasuke's birthday on the 23rd in the anime? Whatever. All I care about is sleep.
Thankfully we weren't dressed in poofy unicorn dresses like in America. Instead we wore yukata's, and Sasuke was dressed in a hakama. They took us to a room I had never seen before, and sat us down on comfortable green cushions.
Served before us was Gyoza, Takoyaki balls, Nabe, Sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, okonomiyaki, and sushi.
Although I only recognized sushi as a food I'd eaten before, I made it a point to try everything. I did not regret it. Aurelia got the most presents, but she would probably never use them after a year. Sasuke and I both sat together for a while before he was taken away by the men of the Uchiha family, probably so they could fawn over him. To my surprise, Itachi came and picked me up. He brought me to the tsuboniwa, the tiny garden in the middle of the mansion. It was nice. The clear water flowing through the bamboo. The wind rushing through the hole in the roof. When I looked over at Itachi it seemed like he was… smiling.
"You're different from your brother and sister, Moriko. I hope you know that being different is not always bad. I'm proud to be your big brother." he said this in almost a whisper, looking up to the sky in a daze.
What a mature 7 year old…
As night began to fall, Itachi brought me back to the party room. They started to play music with their kotos and shakuhachis, and I was lulled to sleep in Itachi's arms. I saw Aurelia trying to fall asleep and reaching for Sasuke, but Sasuke just cried, wanting me. I felt bad, but I needed to learn how to be selfish. Maybe this hellish reincarnation would turn out to be a blessing of some kind. I hope…