A/N: Again, thanks for reading! I give you all the gift of an extra-long chapter!

Shoutout to pianonerd and Brindani for being my betas!

Note: The words Hī obāsan and hiiobaasan both mean Great-grandma in Japanese. The double letters are just replaced with one letter with a macron over it. Also, the first one looks more uniform to me.

Trigger warning is at bottom of page for those who need it.

Happy Reading! \ (•◡•) /

To Change Fate

Chapter 6: Into the Woods of Innocence Lost

Humiya rubbed her eyes before looking around her room, feeling the strain from her crying.

I hate arguing. Especially, when my parents did and now they are too.

She turned over to her side, her trembling hand brushing something softly knitted. Humiya hastily grabbed for it and held it close.

"Chi," she whispered as she took a whiff of the cat doll before chewing on its ear.

Her small muscles relaxed and her hands stilled as the calming aroma of flowers with a lemony undertone filled her nose.

This smells wonderful! I wonder where it comes from.

She thought wearily, almost closing her eyes before a thought stopped her.

Did Mikoto make Itachi a comforting doll like this as well?

Humiya pulled Chi away from her and stared at its black yarn body and touched the cold metal button eyes.

Itachi needs this doll more than I do.

Humiya looked around her darkroom. The stars twinkled faintly outside her window as if to take pity on her, for there was no moon to guide her. With her cat doll still in hand, she struggled herself up into a sitting position before closing her eyes, feeling the continuous channels that drifted throughout the house. Two large flames pulsed harmoniously together while a smaller one, farther away, pulsed like crazy.

Good, no one is around. But Itachi's flame is concerning.

Her stomach fluttered with guilt as she grabbed the rail of her crib and used it as leverage to stand up. She looked down at Chi,the outline of its red button eyes staring back.

"Well Chi, time to put the plan, Comfort Itachi, into action," she whispered to her doll, making Chi nod in reply.

With this plan in mind, Humiya pulled her stubby legs over the ledge of her crib with as much uncoordinated grace as she could muster and flopped on the matted ground with Chi the doll landing next to her on its head.

She winced when she hit the floor, rubbing her behind with a hiss.

She quickly checked on the pulses to make sure she didn't catch anyone's attention. Itachi's flame was still erratic like it was on steroids while Mikoto's and Fugaku's molded into one. This made her do a double-take.

Did Mikoto's and Fugaku's flames just combine? Does this mean- you know what, I'll just leave that be. Focus on the task at hand. Task at hand!

Humiya shook her head while she crawled towards her giant bedroom door and huffed as she slowly stood up and grabbed the door. She felt thankful for the lightness of the material as she slid the door open, with relative ease, then crawling onto the cool dark wooden floors. Humiya scurried down the hallway and made it to Itachi's bedroom door which was only a few doors down. She paused at the door and let out a sigh, feeling the muscles in her arms and legs ache.

"Screw this weak body," Humiya lamented as she slid the door open.

A part of her regretted opening the door so quickly when she watched Itachi jump at the sound of the door opening. He turned hastily to the sound and his piercing black eyes softened when they made contact with her soft ones.

Humiya bit her lip when she saw the assortment of weapons that surrounded her brother's with a sharpening stone right in front of him.

You look like you are preparing for battle. Are you going on a long camping trip or something?

Humiya forced herself to etch a smile across her face, sensing that something was off ever since their parent's argument.

"Ita!" she cheered, crawling into the plain room towards her brother.

"Humiya, what are you doing here? Hungry? Bad dream?" Itachi asked slowly, putting his weapons and bag out of her reach at the speed of light.

Humiya tilted her head as she grasped at the Japanese words that she understood and morphed them into a sentence in her mind.

"Nah ah!" she voiced, shaking her head and put her hands up in the universal sign of wanting to be held, Chi dangling in one hand. "Big Ita!"

Itachi gave Humiya a sad smile before he walked over to pick her up.

"You were just lonely," he stated; his assumption not quite right.

Now in Itachi's arms, she pushed Chi into his face making sniffing noises. He gently pushed the doll away, shoulders relaxing after the fragrance from the doll came into contact with his nose.

"Yes, Humiya, your doll smells good. Did you know that its smell is from the wood of the hinoki trees and lotus flowers?" Itachi asked sweetly.

"Hin-hinoki and lotus?"

"Yes, hinoki and lotus! Good job! The green of the trees contrasts nicely with the pink flowers. They are grown at the Naka Shrine. There is even a massive flower field near it! I'll show you after I come back from— my adventure with Dad," he rambled to Humiya with strained optimism, slowly pacing around his room while doing a swaying motion like Fugaku did to put Humiya to sleep.

She whimpered at that, cursing her lack of understanding. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"No," she whispered, clutching his shirt and putting Chi under her nose. "No go,"

"Yes go. We never refuse Mom and Dad. Never," Itachi replied simply, now sitting on his bed with her tiny frame in his lap, his legs dangling off the edge.

Humiya continued her whine, letting a few tears fall from her puppy dog eyes.

"Shh, don't cry. Sorry, Humiya. This is just how things are. I am sure that we will understand why when we are older. At least, that is what Mom always says when grown-up things confuse me," he told Humiya before letting out a yawn and rubbing his eyes cutely.

"Can't later go?"

Itachi shook his head.

"If it makes you feel better, you can sleep with me tonight," he said, situating himself next to her and blowing out the dimly lit candle.

Humiya turned to her side and watched her brother lay under the covers, face looking up at the blank ceiling before closing his eyes. She held her doll out to Itachi.

"Chi keep,"

He looked down at the doll and nodded before scooting close to wrap his arms around her and the doll like a child to a teddy bear before going to sleep. She felt the pulse of fire in his stomach slow as he breathed in the fragrance Chi emitted into the air until lulled to sleep.

At least I successfully calmed him down.

Humiya felt a pit in her stomach. She wanted to stay up as long as possible and relish in the peaceful moment they would have together but succumbed to the serene ambiance.

When she awoke, she found herself back in her crib with Chi and Itachi gone. And in his absence, she wept.

Not even the birds sang that morning.

Weeks passed since that night with no sign of Itachi nor Fugaku. With every passing day, Humiya's worries increased. Humiya swung her legs over the ledge of the engawa that faced the tall fenced courtyard. With a sense of dread, Humiya noticed a few people pass by, their flames fearfully mourning with every step.

Her family's chickens clucked while picking at the ground below her.

Where did Fugaku and Itachi go for so long? They're not going to die, but are they in danger? Are they hurt?

She moved her hand over eyes as a cloud glided through the sky to reveal the sun.

Ugh! Just looking up at the clear blue sky annoying! Its light beaming down on everything is so jarring. Bad things shouldn't be happening on good days like this.

"There you are, Humiya! Do you like watching the chickens play?" Mikoto cooed, picking up Humiya from behind.

Humiya turned and looked at her guardian with a giggling smile, trying not to flinch at how the state of their family was taking a toll on her.

Mikoto's eyes were purplish, baggy, and sunken with her pale skin turned ash white. Her usual silky tresses were now scattered, oily strands webbed against her cheeks.

Where ever they are, they need to hurry back. To make Mikoto like this, it can be something as mundane as a camping trip. Please be okay, Itachi.

"Hm," Humiya replied, making Mikoto smile and kiss her on the cheek.

Humiya frowned at the sourness in Mikoto's breath.

"We are going to visit your great-grandparents at the Naka Shrine. Grandmother has been wanting to introduce you to your grandfather, " Mikoto hummed, swaying to the front door to put her sandals on.

"You no good. Can't go day?" Humiya asked as she was carried out the door and onto the mostly deserted compound, dust fluttering in the warm breeze.

Mikoto only hummed and looked ahead, heedless of her daughter's question and the dirt caking her sandals as she dragged her feet.

Humiya was about to ask again, but her head began to throb. She tried to cry out but her body went limp as her vision became disjointed. In her daze, her thoughts began to dwell on things other than what lay before her. Back, back her mind went, onto things she thought long forgotten, something from before emerged.

"Diana Sweet! The best part is about to start! Get out of that little world of yours and enjoy our Mother-Daughter Time!"

Mom?

Humiya called inside herself, her body going cold as she watched her form before her. She could see every freckle scattered across her pale skin with her light auburn curls puffed around her round face. She wore her usual floral dress that hung loosely against her slim frame. Humiya's heart ached as she tried to reach out to touch her but some force stopped her. She could only stare into her mom's hazelnut eyes.

"But I already know what happened in this play! Can't we watch a different one on the tv? I heard Cats is good. It's the one with the song, Memory, in it! You love that song," Humiya found herself arguing as if this was another of their conversations about the play she was made to watch over and over when she was a little girl, her light brown hair in fishtail pigtails with bright ribbons and all.

The trees swayed and the tv buzzed in her childhood home. Rays of sunshine shined in her eyes while the AC blared cool air from above. It was warm in Mikoto's arms. It was warm on her mom's couch.

"Hogwash!" her mom boomed with laughter, giving Diamiya her usual dimpled smile. "Cats is just a play about cats doing mystical cat stuff,"

"Better than watching fairytale fanfiction," Diana complained, not able to control herself, aching to hold her mom one last time.

Her mom chuckled, caressing Diana's freckled cheek.

"You cheeky brat. You have to look past that. It is a play about life's challenges. One day, you will get hit with an unexpected life-changing event with no guarantee of success. You will thank me when the time comes and understand the wisdom this play sneaks in,"

"But-"

"Ah, it's my favorite song! Stop your complaining and sing it with me! We can watch Cats next time,"

"But-"

There won't be the next time!

Diana's mom began to sing along to the prologue song as the characters dimly danced along on the screen, moving up and down on the couch while moving her head side to side. She wrapped her arms tightly around Humiya, beckoning for her to sing with her.

The birds chirped around Humiya as she heard her mom's voice flutter with the characters. She began to hum the tune, tears forming.

"That is a lovely song you are humming, Humiya. I must be the luckiest mom in the world," Mikoto cheered with a true smile, the skip in her step furthering Humiya out of her painful haze.

In the blazing light, her mom's voice quickly faded into her mind, her cool home leaving with her.

Leaving her eyes burning. She rubbed them as fresh tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"Mom!" Humiya gasped with her baby hands reaching out for the fading vision she wished more than anything to be with, frantically looking around.

Mikoto ruefully smiled at her daughter, rocking her gently.

"Shh. It's okay, Humiya. New places can be scary, but it's not always as it seems. This is the safest place for us," she told Humiya before continuing into the clearing.

Humiya took deep breaths, trying to calm her questionable state of mind, wanting nothing more than to sleep off the void that was forming in her stomach.

Mom, I still don't completely understand what you meant but thank you. I miss you so much, she mourned, eyes still burning relentlessly.

The dirt path quickly shifted to gray granite cobblestones as Humiya and Mikoto made their way closer to their destination; it soon came into view.

The Naka Shrine was a sight to behold. It reminded Humiya of one of the Shinto shrines she saw in a documentary about Japan in her past life. The red and silver torii gleamed proudly with its Uchiha symbol towering above them. Hinoki trees surrounded the shrine with a whole forest of them behind it. Mikoto walked up the stone steps to the gate and gave a customary bow to it, leaving Humiya slightly bewildered. She took off her shoes before entering.

In the distance, someone stood in front of the shrine's main building waiting for them, his flame seemingly nonexistent. As they got closer to the building, Humiya noticed that it was an elderly man in priestly deep red garb, embroidered with black lotuses, white hair combed up in his black hat. The weary man leaned heavily on his wooden cane and smiled kindly, his mouth contrasting against his deep frown lines on his saggy wrinkled face, making him look almost decrepit. Humiya's dark eyes widened when she looked into his eyes. The priest's eyes contrasted with each other, one was a foggy white while the other a piercing black.

"Grandfather," Mikoto greeted him with a bow.

The elderly man's eyes flashed wide before he covered it up by smiling wider before waving his hands in distinct looking signs.

Sign Language? Is my great-granddad deaf and blind in one eye? His life must be difficult, especially in this universe.

Humiya stared up at him which made the man rub her head and take her out of Mikoto's arms.

"It has been a while. Where is Grandmother? I need to talk to her," Mikoto told her grandfather as she handed Humiya to him.

Mikoto's grandfather seemed to understand because he simply motioned for her to follow him before walking into the shrine, his cane echoing with each step. Mikoto obeyed and entered the traditional-looking shrine.

Humiya couldn't help but gape at the architecture inside. The walls were adorned with detailed art of an elegantly clothed Naka with many other spirits and gods, each making different poses with hand signs.

On the ceiling, it depicted a story with a script she could not decipher, its writings familiar, but she couldn't figure out from where.

In the center of the shrine was a painted statue of the Naka, looking nothing like the enraged goddess she made a deal with. Naka's obsidian hair was done up in a golden crown that looked like a halo with gem lotus flower pins. She wore a two-piece dress that had the signature loose turtle neck, revealing a jeweled necklace. The outfit she wore revealed her belly that had the same lotus as Humiya's birthmark. Her serene face had make-up on similar to Hī obāsan, the red of her lips and eyeliners vibrant on her white face. She cradled a black flame lovingly in her ringed hands, situated where chakra was centered, pulsing eerily like a heartbeat. Looking at the stature, Humiya knew that the Naka she met was the shadow of her previous self.

A few people were kneeling before the flame, praying, and giving offerings. The black flame oddly didn't emit smoke when the fruits and flowers were thrown in, only disappeared within the flame with not even the scent remaining.

Humiya frowned as she was taken away from the altar and down a hallway with many closed doors on the sides.

So that is where I need to put her eyes once I find them.

Mikoto's grandfather slid one of the doors open and ushered Mikoto inside. An office greeted them filled with different knick-knacks and books in the wooden shelves behind a low desk cluttered with scrolls, the room smelling like old wood and ink with a hint of lotus.

Humiya marveled at the details of her great grandmother's priestess robes, wondering how long it took to though they were the same colors as Mikoto's grandfather, they were far more extravagant. The embroidery showcased a landscape even more mystical than the one Humiya was in now. Land of blood-red, lotuses bloomed from below and up into the shining sun while crows were in mid-flight with some in the hinoki trees. On Hī obāsan's head seated a golden crown with jewels that formed into different flowers and leaves with a large crystal orb on the top.

"Oh, I didn't notice you all enter. It is so good to see you. Come and have a seat. Thank you for bringing them in, Dear Husband," Hī obāsan said in a wearily sweet voice, signing elegantly as she talked. "I see that you brought Little Humiya with you. She has grown up so much since I saw her,"

She went behind her desk and gracefully kneeled on the cushion and gestured for the others to do the same on the other side of it.

Humiya whimpered as she stared up at her great grandfather, feeling the flames of Mikoto roar with intensity. She wondered how her great grandparents could look so calm when her guardian's flame was trying to engulf them.

Mikoto's grandfather only closed his eyes and began to rock Humiya gently.

"No need for such formalities. We are family, after all. Now, why has my granddaughter come to me now after all this time? " Hī obāsan asked, hands in her sleeves.

"Have you not read my letter? I want to start planning Humiya's initiation into the shrine hood. It is, umm, never too early to—"

"Do not try to mask it like usual. No avoiding it with me. Look at you, you're a mess. Have you been drinking,"

Hī obāsan leaned forward and tilted her head.

"It is about Itachi, isn't it?"

Humiya froze when she heard his name mentioned.

Itachi? Why are they talking about him? Is he alright?

"Grandmother, please. I am fine and understand what happened. So please,"

"I couldn't stop it, but the other elders agreed to Fugaku's request. I tried so hard to get him and the other children away from the battlefield but the army needed as many hands as they could get for this war. The other elders refused to listen to reason,"

"Please stop,"

"Ninjas are being sent out to fight younger and younger, some barely out of diapers. Not even clan children are safe. Look at the Hatake! The only one left and graduated at five years old, too smart for his own good, and too devout for his own protection. His self-preservation was beaten out of him, Dearie. Beaten out! We are killing off our future generations and for what? Another war? In all the wars I have lived through, the children were protected while their elders went out to fight. Not like this. Not dying on the front lines. So many able civilian men are loitering about here while we are losing babies, sending them out to the slaughter to fill the gaps. It's asinine, Dearie! Ludicrous!" Hī obāsan cried, her straight back morphing into a slouch, looking more her age. " I wish that we could finally have peace, at least for one generation. If only that prayer could be answered. If only—,"

"GRANDMOTHER!" Mikoto exploded, making everyone flinch. "Please,"

She trembled as her sharingan activated before sagging her shoulders in defeat.

"I know! I know but it is too late for me to do anything about it. I didn't come here to be reminded about what we can't control. I thought… I thought I knew of the sacrifices I had to make when I married Fugaku, but how could I have been so blind?!" Mikoto sobbed, putting her head into her hands "To think my children have to sacrifice themselves this young? All for the sake of what? Peace?"

Humiya reached out her shaking hand to her Mikoto and grabbed her shirt.

I should have known! Something did happen to Itachi!

Mikoto turned toward her and wearily smiled down at her. Her great grandfather put a hand on her shoulder after he handed Humiya to his granddaughter. Mikoto snuggled Humiya close.

Hī obāsan sat there in contemplative silence as she watched her granddaughter rock Humiya.

"Promise me one thing, Grandmother?"

Hī obāsan pursed her lips.

"Yes. Anything for my only surviving granddaughter,"

Mikoto smiled as she looked up at Hī obāsan, wiping a tear.

"That Humiya is the one who becomes a candidate to become a high priestess? Fugaku might force her to leave the shrine if she is to stay a shrine maiden and put her through a political marriage. At least with that stature, she can choose who she would be married to if she was to become a High Priestess. Please, I can't save my son, but you can save my daughter," she begged as she bowed to her grandmother.

"Raise your head, child. I will do as you ask and more. Why, I will even train her myself when she is initiated," Hī obāsan resolved, getting up from her seat to go and lift Mikoto up and caress her cheek. "You don't need to worry about Humiya. She is sick but not dying. Humiya will do well as a high priestess,"

"Thank you," Mikoto whispered.

Hī obāsan got up and went back to her desk.

"Now, I have to show you something," she told Mikoto as she looked around her desk.

"Our Great Mother has been giving me visions. Visions of a place where true peace for our clan resides." She told them, opening an empty scroll on a clearing on her desk and pointed to a specific spot.

Hī obāsan activated her Sharingan.

"It is the place where we originated. Our homeland. The place of the original eternal flame. After years of meditation, Naka showed me that the entrance is somewhere in this area,"

Mikoto gasped when she looked at it while her grandfather watched from afar with his arms crossed.

"Grandmother! It will take years to get to, even at ninja speed. How will you go there when you are so frail?"

"Frail? Hardly! Besides, I will reinstate the pilgrimages when this war ends. Uchiha were never meant to stay in one place for too long. Especially Uchiha of the shrine. Only we can spread Naka's blessings,"

"But what about Humiya. She is so weak and tiny! She would not last a day!" Mikoto cried.

"Calm yourself. She might be weak now but she will gain stamina with enough strength for travel. I am sure of it. She was blessed by the Mark of Naka. And if she is not, I will have to ask someone else," Hī obāsan mused.

While Hī obāsan was thinking, the doors to the office burst open. Everyone turned their heads to see a young shrine maiden jumping up and down before entering the room.

"Head Priestess Annaisha, Kannabi Bridge was successfully destroyed! The enemies are weakened! The war is now in our favor!" the young maiden shouted, her pink flowing everywhere as she signed her words.

There was a moment of silence. Humiya stared at the girl with her mouth agape.

"Oh!" the maiden gasps before bowing apologetically. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything! I'll just leave and tell others.

"Yua wait!" Hī obāsan called but Yua was already long gone, yelling as she went.

Mikoto's grandfather signed something to Hī obāsan.

"Yes and maybe we will find peace," Hī obāsan replied, looking down at Humiya. "But at what cost?"

Trigger Warning: Alcoholism