AN:
I don't claim ownership of Naruto, other than my own characters, nothing is my own.
The naruto-timeline is wonky at best, so I created my own. MC is born six years after Kisame for reference and will notice/partake in the second as well as third shinobi war.
Assume everything in this fic to be AU.
Enjoy your stay, have a virtual cookie and comment if you like.
Me out!
"It's a girl! The voice rang loud and clear. The greyish walls reflecting the sound at odd angles, making the outcry rather shrill.
Not bothered by sound nor content of the message, a tall and lean man, furrows his brows in contemplation. His skin pale, his hair neatly organised in two strands of hair, one on each side and his forehead marked by two red dots.
"So another failure, then," with a put on sigh the man turns towards the midwife, not sparing the newborn girl any glance. "at least we get to have more tries with that one, once she's the age."
his contemplation returned, he is about to leave.
"Oh my... Kaguya-sama, I think you need to see this. This one, she's got white eyes.. well I never.."
at the perplexed midwife's ramblings, the man turns once more. This time a mixture of curiosity and disgust edged into his features.
Within the midwife's arms, lies the newborn girl. The skin paler as the moon, her hair already coming in slightly longer than expected tufts of silvery white. But the most distinguishing feature yet, are the milky white eyes, opened to their full capacity.
"So not only a failure, but even a totally useless form as well? Is she blind then?" Kaguya-sama obviously asks no one, but the midwife still seemingly nods her head in affirmative "We can't use such a thing. Get rid of it! The risks to use her, even for further tries, I wont stand for that thing."
With those words of condemnation the man, the patriarch of the Kaguya-clan, leaves the premises.
Leaving only the midwife, the unconscious mother and the newborn babe.
The midwife, one who swore loyalty to the Kaguya-clan, wasn't new to such orders from her patriarch. And albeit she was very loyal, many a time has she questioned the morals behind those orders and her own actions, but never enough to change her ways.
With a mournful look she silently gazes at the unconscious form of the mother, barely escaped the clutches of girlhood and already used for such atrocious deeds. A beautiful woman to boot, her long blue and blackish hair a wild mess, her eyes closed, though in memory hinting at pale lavender. She's supposed to be from a prestigious clan, she heard, though which one, the midwife didn't get.
"Oh poor dear, to be kidnapped amidst the turmoil of war. A prized treasure for the Kaguya-clan, the patriarch says. Unfortunately it seems that not only your babe is to die today," The midwife's slow rambling, the only thing making noise in the room. The newborn uncommonly quiet. Though gone unnoticed by the midwife.
With a last glance at the mother, not making out any breathing, the midwife turns to the quiet bundle in her arms "your mother seems to have already passed away. Well, I'll be sure to make it quick. Your end, that is." With her last words, the midwife's whole demeanour changes. A mean and dark look crossing her face.
Seemingly realising that something was about to happen, something bad that is. The bundle, the newborn babe watches in fascinated horror as bare hands press firmly against it's throat.
Starting to choke desperately, if she could, the newborn girl would realise that the midwife didn't intend to make it quick at all.
What normally would only take one firm turn of her hands, the woman holding her obviously decided to make it as aggravating and slow as she could possibly manage.
Certainly the midwife takes pleasure in ending a life as helpless as a babe.
The light in the eyes of the girl diminish slowly, unwilling to part with the newfound life she is not to experience. Only to spark back to life with new kindled hope. The babes eyes, milky whites, which shouldn't see, spring open in sudden vigour.
A little perplexed the midwife stops her slow-choking and a baffled gurgling noise escapes her mouth. Without understanding what exactly happened to her, the midwife sinks to her knees, dropping the babe in the process, she desperately clutches at her throat.
The pointless struggle to keep her very lifeblood within her main carotid artery, only proceeds to show her futility. A downright flood of blood gushes down her neck, drenching her in her own red fluids. Without knowing what happened to her, she perishes. The look of astonished horror, forever etched into her paling face.
"leave... my baby alo...alone.." A heavy panting woman, standing right behind the midwife's body. One hand shining with greenish hue, stuck deeply into the midwife's neck, the other carefully holding the bundle containing her daughter, awkwardly loped around the dead woman's rump. As to catch her daughter, when she was dropped.
With deep rasping breaths the mother staggers away from the corpse. Cautiously she inspects her daughter, sighing a little in relief, when no permanent harm could be found.
-\T.T/-
POV Change ~A short while before~
AN: ('...' will only announce inner monologue)
Surrounded by darkness, I slowly gain consciousness again. Floating inside this pure darkness.
'Who am I...?' I get the feeling, that's not the right question. But my mind is hazy and my thoughts are slow.
'I think... I think, what am I?' The question sounds odd enough, though somehow also right.
My memories are kind of warped altogether, but I think I can recall something.
'A girl, no a woman. I am a woman.'
Pictures flash through my mind, a young woman in her twenties. She.. no, I, have a cat.
I come home one late evening, I shouldn't forget to feed my cat, I open my door, my keys not even turned half a frame.
'Oh... yeah...'
I remember, the bang, the loud noise. The flashes of light.
It didn't register on me then... but I was shot, wasn't I?
'But... but why?'
I guess I'll never get an answer to that now. My poor Khartus, who'll feed you now?...
A deep sorrow blankets my thoughts. Even more, until something dark and firm presses against me.
'What's this now?' In my confusion I try to wiggle my limbs, only to gather that I can't really control any movement.
'Oh yeah, I am dead, am I not?' A weird feeling suffuses my mind. Is this really what death is like?
Maybe I am in a coma... I must be.
Isn't death like... not being aware of anything or is this what comes after? Maybe this is hell?
'So many questions, but no real answer. It's frustrating really.' I try to wriggle again, wanting for just the tiniest feeling of any of my limbs, futilely.
Then, there it is again. The weird contraction, the darkness pressing firmly against me. The feeling of absolute immobilisation overtaking me.
I shudder in strange anticipation.
'Is...is that a light?' I can barely think to myself before I get pushed into something that feels suspiciously like a tube.
It takes multiple minutes of harsh contractions and I get pressed further into the light.
Now I can hear it. Screams echo through.. through wherever I am. Painful screams.
They make my head hurt, I want to cry. But somehow I stay quiet.
'I can see!' Well my vision is extremely blurry and I can only make out blobs of colour everywhere, but I guess it's a start.
The screaming subsides slowly, making way for heavy pants and rugged breaths. And even those still, after a short while.
I try to look around, unable to understand what goes on right now. Suddenly I feel something soft and warm enveloping me. 'Right, it's pretty cold.'
My thoughts get interrupted by a loud scream.
"It's a girl!"
I want to hold my ears, that was unnecessarily loud. But a sudden idea flashes in my mind and I pay no further mind to the loud noise. 'I just have been born again..'
startled by my own realisation, my eyes widen dramatically.
'It can't be, I shan't be!' a kind of desperation overcomes me, all I wanted was my old life... or even to just disappear..'there's no going back silly...' I clumsily berate myself.
"So another failure, then," I don't get any time to consider my situation any further, the strange blob of black and brown, there at my farthest periphery speaks and surprisingly I understand. "at least we get to have more tries with that one, once she's the age." Although I really don't like what's implied here.
'Am I a failure? Probably, after all I am not supposed to be here.. I died. I should go on to the next great adventure... surely this isn't the next adventure right?' wallowing in self pity, that is a skill I was very proficient at, in my old life as well.
"Oh my... Kaguya-sama, I think you need to see this. This one, she's got white eyes.. well I never.."
I hear the person holding me, she sounds outraged. 'I don't understand, is she talking about MY eye colour? ...Probably.'
The brown and black blob comes nearer, but my eyesight isn't good enough to make out any facial features.
"So not only a failure, but even a totally useless form as well? Is she blind then?" blind? I am not blind. Sure my eyesight right now is bad.. but aren't all newborns sights bad? "We can't use such a thing. Get rid of it! The risks to use her, even for further tries, I wont stand for that thing." I blink owlishly at his last sentence and widen my eyes just a bit more, I try to really capture every bit of colour I can. Useless though, everything stays quite unfocussed.
'He can't mean to kill me, right?' I shiver in fear. I was just born anew. 'I want to live!'
the man leaves, I see his outline disappearing behind something grey, probably a door.
But that is the least of my problems, the person holding me she's up to something. 'oh please god, please not again'
Flashes of pain and Gunfire re-emerge in a slow cinematic and screaming echoes in my mind. My screaming. As I turn the key, the gun, it explodes in my back.
Yet here I am, a baby girl, my body is as paralysed.
"Oh poor dear, to be kidnapped amidst the turmoil of war. A prized treasure for the Kaguya-clan, the patriarch says. Unfortunately it seems that not only your babe is to die today," I hear the midwife talking, she's rambling. What is she saying...
'Yes! My Mum, surely she's not dead. Please ohh please help me' I try to struggle, I try to move. Really anything at all. But it's impossible, my body feels like it's covered with lead.
"your mother seems to have already passed away. Well, I'll be sure to make it quick. Your end, that is." The midwife's words sink into me, each phrase shovelling heavy rocks on my already weighted heart.
'No! My new Mum is dead?' I am not sure if I should cry or laugh hysterical, so my whole body stays silent.
'but... but who's gonna save me?'
I feel more than see, two strong hands roping around my small and probably fragile neck.
My body locks up, my eyes widen in morbid realisation. 'this is it... again.'
My vision dims, I can't breath. This is exhausting, why am I tortured so.
As my vision fades even more, I slowly sink into deep oblivion. I tried to fight back, gasp for very well needed air, but that horrible person, her grip is just strong enough to very slowly suffocate me.
She enjoys it, I sure as hell could make out a pleased expression. That... th... bitch.
My thoughts sink into deep oblivion and my perception grows heavy. My heart rate slows. 'well maybe it is better like this, maybe it was all a dream to begin with'
My eyelids grow heavier every second, I am just about to give up. There's movement. I barely register it. But behind the midwife, a person suddenly goes unnoticed. She does something with her hand. I only see a green light and then lots of red, I feel wet all of the sudden.
'what's going on?' Nevertheless, I see a chance, I struggle and wriggle, with all my last energy I try as best I can to cling to what little life is left in me.
I feel like falling, but something catches me, then I hear it. The most beautiful voice in the whole world.
"Leave... my baby alo...alone.." her voice is more a rasp, than anything else. But still, I was never so glad before to hear someone call me a baby.
I get pulled away from the corpse. My eyes don't work so well still, a pity I really wanted to see that bitch dead. But I get not much time to think, trembling hands rove over my form. Looking and feeling, especially my throat. I feel my mother try to be as gentle as possible, but her hands tremble something fierce.
Yet I feel a cool breeze of something wash over me and I see a greenish hue again. It is emanating from my mothers hands. 'Curious, I wonder what that is.' Again I get pulled out of my thoughts, as I steadily feel more than see an improvement on my aching throat. The lingering pain alleviates and I can breath a little better already.
"It's alright, you're strong. But we need to get out of here, the sedatives just barely subsided." Gentle, but firm my mum presses me against her.
Carefully we start moving, my mother taking unbelievably silent steps, sneaking forwards.
"sedatives?" It's my first try to actually make use of my vocal cords. I know it'll result in just some newborn baby blabbering. But I really wanted to try.
As expected, my throat feels a little sore even, but yes, all that leaves me is a small gurgle of noises. 'this is so frustrating, to be caged in a body you have no control over... well not yet at least.'
"Shh now, dear. You need to be quiet, lest we get caught." My mums hand gently presses against my mouth, taking great care to leave my nose free of any obstruction, but her message is clear.
'I wonder if all newborns in truth understand their parents or if I seem rather strange, that I obey her so easily' the time to ponder never truly comes. Mum rushes in silent steps towards the grey blob I correctly assumed to be a door before.
With skilled, but still trembling movements we press harshly against the stone wall. Mum slowly opens the door and we rush into something of a hallway. It is still very hard to actually see where we are going. My eyes try to their best, but overall it all goes by in a very blurry streak.
Mum is fast, very so. Whatever sedatives dominated her system, seems to be leaving her body at an increasing pace.
We hear voices, they come from down the hall. Mum stops abruptly and I startle a little.
I want to ask what's going on, but her hand covering my mouth and my still available common sense makes it very clear to me to be as quiet as possible.
Waiting for something, or someone. Mum plays shadow and stuck us to the roof of this hallway.
Now my curiosity is peaked to the max. Were our situation not so dire, I am sure I would have made a whole lot of questioning noises.
But just as I contemplate how or what helps us to defy gravity like we do, someone actually appears a small distance away. I can't make out who, but it seems to be a man, maybe even the patriarch thingy of this place.
Whatever the case, the brown-grey blob moves slowly and seems to be at his leisure.
He soon passes our position and not even spares a glance upwards.
Mum is really awesome.
Shortly after, we unstuck from the roof and proceed to run on silent feet.
It is now that I realise, we must be in some kind of underground facility. While I can't see all too much as focussed as I want it to, I do make out some distinct features of the rooms we pass.
For a matter of fact, the lack of windows and the all around ground coloured scheme the walls are sporting.
The whole facility seems to be hewn from stone and into the ground.
I am affirmed even more as Mum presses forward and we reach a particular set of formations, that can only be stairs.
Mum rushes forward, but we stop harshly just before we slam into a stone trapdoor. This one seems to be locked.
"Damn, okay my dear this will make noise. I need you to hold me as tight as you can. I know it's a lot for your small body right now, but you are strong. I know you can do it," I am a little surprised to suddenly hear Mum whisper in my ear. But I do understand, even if it seems strange for a baby. Either she truly thinks I can understand her or she has some unbelievable faith in whatever deity.
But I try to follow her order as much as possible. My small pudgy hands, I have absolutely zero fine motor control over, try to bundle the piece of cloth that protrudes from my mothers hospital gown, into a tight grip.
Well at least what counts as a tight grip for someone like me.
It was not a moment to early, I feel like dropping and quickly notice that my mother has let go of me. I widen my eyes in shock, but still my pudgy hands succeed in at least gaining me some time to stop my fall.
"Palm heel strike!"
I hear mum cry out accompanied by a loud crash and feel like I've been spun around. It lasts for around a few seconds, before I am safely embraced by my mother again.
I see a lot of dust, but the stone trapdoor before us has been crushed into bits.
Dim moonlight showers our, from dust covered, silhouettes as we step out into the open night air.
Various trees surround us and we find ourselves somewhere in nowhere.
I want to gurgle some relieved noises, but any sound I want to make gets stopped by the resounding buzzing noise behind us. It sounds a lot like an alarm.
Mum has noticed this as well, as she mumbles something probably a swear. She rushes forwards and we end up behind a tree a short distance away. I briefly wonder why we won't make our way further away, as I take notice of my mum. She's breathing very heavy and I feel her chest raising an awful lot, pressing me infrequently tighter into her embrace.
'Ah she must be exhausted... of course. She just gave birth.' I feel stupid now. I really haven't thought how taxing this has to be on her at all.
As we stay here, semi hidden behind this tree. I hear some men shouting behind us, at the entrance.
I can't make out what exactly they're saying. But my mother has definitely noticed as well. With a slight groan and huff I hear her sigh in desperation. She squeezes me tighter and takes of into the trees.
Not a moment later a loud thumping sound accompanied by wooden splinters showering the spot where we stood before, reveals a slew of metal throwing stars that now litter the tree.
We've been found.
More yelling ensues and mother accelerates the pace anew. Her breathing gets even heavier and I feel she desperately gasps for air.
"I...its alright. Mummy won't let them harm you." Her voice is barely a whisper, we seem to be travelling by her jumping trees now. But my brain puts it aside for now, in my chest I feel a heavy knot of fear.
I feel mum staggering more often, her steps and jumps the same, losing more and more of their energy.
Finally after what were like five minutes of us constantly being assaulted by throwing stars and other metal weaponry, she cries out loud. I cling to her form as hard as I can. But I just know that somehow one of the weapons has hit her.
We tumble in an awkward fall from one of the trees we just jumped at. I expected pain, a lot of it. But my mother has cradled me deeply into her bosom and cushioned my fall with her own body.
We roll a short bit and stop right before a riverbank, the water rushing with roaring speed behind us.
"It's over girl. Accept your death!" A black haired man emerges out of the shadows from the treeline and looms over our fallen form menacingly.
Mother shifts her position, so she turns her stomach, including me towards the raging water.
She defiantly spits towards the man. "You monster! You can kill us, but Konoha will get it's revenge."
I see her bleeding profusely from just under where she holds me. A massively wide gash, I widen my eyes. So that's where she got hit... There's no way we will survive this. My heart feels heavy and my mind goes numb.
My hands dig deep into the cloth of my mother and I bury my face into her body.
"As if, you filthy failure. Your meagre village doesn't even know you are still alive." I can basically hear the grin the man must be sporting, but I just feel numb.
"...," I hear mum, she's crying a short sniffing and she tightly wraps me closer, "I am sorry little one, this is it." I want to cry as well, my eyes leaking tears as well now. "You won't get us though, you monstrous bastards!" With one final outcry, mum surprises probably not only me but our assailant as well. She gathers me tightly again and with one last effort launches us both into the raging water behind us.
The coldness overwhelms me and we sink under the small but very rapid waves the current is creating. I can't breath, the water drills into my nostrils and digs deeply into my lungs. It takes not long before I finally lose consciousness, unaware of what happened after.
-\T^T/-