After I found out that I'd been reincarnated in the Naruto world, I spent the next few weeks thinking about a lot of things. I wouldn't have had to do any planning as a careless baby in what was a presumably random Japanese village, sure, but I would definitely have to weigh my options now. Konoha is going to go through a lot of trouble in not much time at all, any ignoring the danger of future events could easily kill me.
I was a pretty big fan of Naruto, so I had a decent idea of the plot. To guess the rough time period, the Hokage monument was a good hint. It only showed the first, second and third Hokages, meaning that this was before Minato Namikaze would become the Hokage, which meant that the 3rd Great Shinobi war was either yet to start, or maybe it just ended. It wouldn't take long for Minato's head to be sculpted, in that case.
While I was very concerned about the 3rd Great Shinobi war, I was more concerned with what would happen in the aftermath of the war. The two most pressing upcoming incidents relating to my and my parents' safety are Naruto's birth, or Obito's attack on Konoha, and the Uchiha Massacre. Though I clearly didn't live in the Uchiha's compound, I would probably be killed too. Sasuke was the "last Uchiha", so Itachi or Obito would probably kill all Uchiha outside of the compound, too.
And even before the massacre, the Nine-Tails' attack resulted in many casualties, so it was a real possibility that we could get caught in the crosshairs. Tou-san and Kaa-san weren't even characters, so I had no idea if they were meant to die or not, or how strong they were.
The only consolation about this whole scenario was the fact that I would have a few years' time before either catastrophe would happen, considering the general estimate I have of the world's timeline right now. I would have to find a way to stop or survive these events, and I don't fancy my chances of stopping either.
For now, the best bet would be getting stronger. If I were strong, then I could evade danger, or even contribute to stopping both tragedies. I also need to gather more information about my family's circumstances and gain allies and friends, though that seems like more of a long-term goal.
I am still only 1 years old, after all.
So far, the thought of chakra didn't cross, seeing as I didn't even know I was in the Naruto world, but after I realized that, it was like a switch was flipped. I chalked up the feeling to me being a baby, but now I knew it was chakra. It was a constant, like the ringing sounds we all hear in our ears when everything is silent. It's a warmth that constantly drips and flows its way around your body. The presence of chakra was reassuring and empowering.
I began trying to meditate at bedtime secretly in an attempt to get a better feel for my chakra shortly after figuring out where I was. Needless to say, with my age, inexperience and lack of guidance, I was making very little progress. The only improvement I felt was that I was more conscious of it. The dripping sensations from before felt more and more like a steady flow, branching off to each extremity. Rather than a constant, slow flow, I could pinpoint the source of my chakra, my stomach, and feel its distribution through my tenketsu and coils. My slow progress was a bit discouraging, so I was thinking about asking Kaa-san or Tou-san for help. I wasn't completely sure if they were actually shinobi, but as a member of the Uchiha clan, Kaa-san should know something.
About two weeks after the Hokage monument incident, I was sitting at home, absentmindedly smashing two toys together and secretly observing my chakra flow, when tou-san picked me up with a shit-eating grin.
"Hey kiddo. Your Kaa-chan's ordered me to pick up some things from the store and you're coming with!" he said amusedly, throwing my legs around his shoulders to give me a ride on his back.
Is this gonna be a thing? People just grabbing me and taking me places? If you wanna take me somewhere, you can say something before picking me up! I can walk too, you know.
"Kay, Tou-chan" I huffed. At least it was fun being this high up.
Tou-san and I walked through the streets of Konoha, tou-san rocking my back and forth, much to my amusement and glee. What can I say, it was like a rollercoaster for me! The warm breeze tickled my face as I giggled while my dad was humming in a slow rhythm. I'm the tallest one on these streets! Bow before me, little shrimps!
It was a great time. When was the last time I was light enough or small enough to be carried on someone's shoulders?
After a while, I decided to ask tou-san a question that had been plaguing me for a while.
"Tou-chan, you also Uchiha?" I asked seriously, probably looking adorable with a serious look and broken grammar. He glanced up at me and smiled softly at me. "No, Daisuke. I'm not an Uchiha. I don't come from any clan. My family's name is Toyama. " he responded casually, an amused smile on his face.
He then shifted his gaze back at me "Kaa-chan told you about that already? He mused, looking curious.
I shook my head, "Nas-suki-san call Kaa-chan Uchiha-san." I supplied, my sluggish tongue betraying me. A flicker of recognition flashed in Tou-san's eyes. "You've met Natsuki-san, huh. She's a nice lady." he said nostalgically before pausing and looking at me again. "Your Kaa-chan and I fell in love while we were in the same genin team. Her family didn't like that very much, so we get to live together like this." he explained, grimacing at the mention of Kaa-san's family.
They really were shinobi, then. I guess I could ask for help with chakra later. Kaa-san must've been kicked out of the compound after falling in love with tou-san, breaking some sort of Uchiha rule or custom. It really speaks of the heartlessness of clan politics. Speaking of which, since they evidently still both have separate last names, they might not be married. A clan law? Maybe they just haven't gotten around to it. They could still be a new couple.
After we left the store, tou-san's hands full with bags, we decided to take a walk around the village.
"Do you want something sweet, kiddo?" tou-san asked, eyeing me kindly. Oohh, something sweet? I always liked Japanese sweets back on Earth, but there was one I never tried.
"Dango!" I nearly screeched in excitement, eyes glowing. If dango was anything I'd imagined, then I was in for something delicious. I loved Daifuku and Mochi even back then. "Okay, okay, jeez! Don't get too excited. Off we go!" tou-san replied, clearly entertained, before racing to a nearby dango stand, rocking me back and forth.
The rest of the outing was very enjoyable. Tou-san got me a whole stick of dango, which was probably too much for a 19 month old baby, but who cares. Dango itself was actually much better than I thought it would be, bordering on too sweet, it was absolutely delectable for a baby with my kind of sweet tooth. Tou-san and I laughed ourselves home with the groceries that kaa-san needed for dinner.
"Welcome back, Kichiro! Daisuke-chan! How was the shopping?" kaa-san asked, shooting the two of us an expectant look. Tou-san grinned at her. Guilty.
"Very fun! I eat dango!" I answered excitedly, giving her the widest grin I could manage. "Tou-chan carried me!" I added, leaning against tou-san.
"After shopping, we went for a walk and he wanted dango. I made sure to not make him too full for dinner." tou-san lied. I was most definitely full. "Did you miss us, Hazuki?" tou-san asked.
"Of course I missed you two!" teased kaa-san. "... But I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves!" she explained, snatching me from tou-san. Again. It's like I'm a toy to these people… "Why hello there, my sweet little boy! Don't you feel bad that you left me waiting for Dango?" she cooed at me, squeezing me tight, yet carefully. I averted my gaze.
She scoffed good naturedly. She really was similar to Mom…
After that, we had dinner together as a family (I didn't touch any food. I was too full), and after being breastfed, I was put to sleep. As per usual, I got to my pseudo-meditating and trying to feel around in my chakra system.
While I do value sleep and make sure I sleep enough, today I got lost in meditation, feeling my chakra more intimately than before. After the lack of progress for months, this was a great step in the right direction. I felt the flow of my chakra more clearly, not just in my hands and feet, but also in my fingers and toes. Chakra works it's way through the tenketsu and chakra coils, but there are also smaller vein-like structures that transfer chakra to every cell. Thousands of these pathways branch off from tenketsu to ensure the body has proper chakra flow, and with my development as a baby, I could actually feel their growth nearly day-by-day.
I decided that I should maybe try to direct my chakra. Where? I didn't know. Didn't really cross my mind. I made my best (and probably cutest) concentration face and worked at trying to direct it anywhere specific. After maybe 30 minutes, it finally happened. For just an instant, the flow of my chakra, specifically from a tenketsu in my left arm, directed itself towards my hand.
I squealed with excitement before I realized how tired I was and promptly fell asleep. I must've been at it for a while. Luckily, Tou-san and Kaa-san let me sleep as long as I wanted the next day. I decided that before going further, I would tell my parents about what I'd been doing.
—-
Waking up the next morning, I was spent. Probably because of the experimentation I did with my chakra. In the manga, I'm pretty sure they said that chakra was like our life force. It was created when stamina and mental energy mixed. To me, it's easier to imagine it as a second blood flow. Whenever I was meditating, that was how it felt to me, at least. Very warm, like blood, and moving around like a thick liquid. That being said, it probably wasn't exactly the safest thing to experiment with your life force in such an early stage of life, so my fatigue made sense to me.
Opening my eyes, I saw Kaa-san looking down at me with a loving and gentle gaze. Maybe she was worried about me, seeing as I'd slept for longer than usual. As I saw her, I squeaked in greeting, "Kaa-chan!"
"Oh, are you finally awake, my sweet-tooth? Sleep well?" she asked, looking vaguely worried. I nodded and gave a mhm noise while holding out my hands to be carried. "Ne, wha's the warm feelingin 'm tummy?" I asked, trying to sound like I had no idea what I was talking about.
I didn't want to be manipulative or anything like that, but it was probably not a good idea to be obvious about my foreknowledge and reincarnation. It could cause problems down the road if I were too obvious, I mean, who knows what people like the Hokage or Orochimaru might do if they knew if I was some crazy store of future knowledge.
If possible, I didn't want my parents to know I was reincarnated. Not yet, at least. If they knew that I wasn't originally their child, that I was a stranger inhabiting their son's body, things could change between us. I don't even want to think of the worst case scenario. My Japanese was still very shoddy, anyway, so I couldn't explain my perception of chakra very well. In terms of language, I didn't actually have to play dumb.
Kaa-san's expression turned to one of shock as her eyes widened. "Warm feeling? What do you mean, Daisuke-chan?" she quizzed me, looking a bit more worried than before. Damn, I didn't want to worry her.
"The warm thingy, it's in m' belly and everywhere else, too!" I added, still trying to act somewhat naive while making use of my still-developing vocabulary. Maybe carelessness would defuse some of her worries. It can't be that rare for a 19 month old baby to have accidentally moved their chakra, right?
"Daisuke-chan, does your warm thingy feel like this?" she asked, concentrating for a bit as a sweat broke out on her forehead before a small, blue glow pressed itself from her hand against my skin. Her chakra didn't feel exactly the same as mine, it felt more hot and fierce, less like a liquid and more like hot air. It didn't burn.
"Mhm! Just like Kaa-chan's blue powers!" I said, confirming her thoughts. "Amazing! Me, too! Show how!" I excitedly pleaded, without even having to exaggerate my enthusiasm. I knew a fair amount about chakra from watching Naruto, but I never used it on Earth. It was an alien concept, like sorcery or superpowers. I wanted to know how to wield it properly. Besides, I'm going to need to get a head start to be strong enough to change anything.
Kaa-san said nothing, smiling nervously at me before bringing me to the living room, where tou-san was sitting on the couch, reading some book. Was it that serious? Did Tou-san need to be informed right away? Kaa-san carefully sat with me on the couch, setting me on her lap.
"Kichiro. Honey. Daisuke-chan just told me that he was able to move his chakra." she said, lacking as much cheerfulness as usual, yet still managing to sound gentle.
Tou-san peered up from his book with widened eyes. This can't be that rare, can it? "Are you sure?" he asked, a bit bewildered.
She nodded, "He said it felt like my chakra when I pressed it on him." she replied quickly.
"Whas' catra?" I asked, trying to lessen the tension with a shamelessly stolen gag from the show.
Kaa-san and Tou-san looked at each other for a few seconds before they both chuckling softly at each other. It worked? They turned to me, "No, kiddo. It's cha-ku-ra. Chakra is your life force. It's what shinobi use to fight with. Your mom and I used to be shinobi, too, so we can use chakra to some degree," tou-san's gaze grew a tad more stern, "but it's not a toy. You could hurt yourself using it." he warned seriously.
"That's why Tou-chan and Kaa-chan were scared. It can make shinobi very strong, but it can get you into big trouble when you're still such a small and cute little boy." she said, with a slight smile on her face. "If you use it too much, it can make you very tired and sick. Promise me, honey, that you won't try to use it again." she added, looking at me seriously.
I understood their concern, I would make the same call if I were them, too but I needed to stand my ground. Learning to manipulate chakra this early would give me a great advantage, so I needed to convince them to let me at least try.
"But Kaa-chan, it wus fun! If's danger-uss, Tou-chan or Kaa-chan watch me?" I said, putting on my best puppy-dog-eyes. I looked up at them expectantly.
After a tense couple of seconds, kaa-san replied. "Daisuke-chan, I don't want to force you to give up something that's fun, but tou-chan and I are worried about you, too." she explained, pausing midway to think.
"Pretty please?" I muttered, with my best begging-but-cute-toddler pleading look I could muster. This was my trump card. Kaa-san widened her eyes in shock before smiling to herself. Tou-san looked to be deep in thought.
As Kaa-san's expression faltered to my undeniably unbreakable persuasive prowess, Tou-san regarded me with a compromising look in his eyes. He finally sighed, "Look, kiddo, since you're willing to resort to that that, I won't prevent you from playing around with your chakra," he started, to which I beamed. He held up his index finger, "But, only after you turn two. And with direct guidance and supervision from me or Kaa-chan, okay?" He allowed it firmly.
This was great! Even though I would be barred from using chakra for 5 more months, I would be able to return to it with a more developed body and guidance from two former shinobi. I smiled up at my parents with stars in my eyes. "Tank you Tou-chan, Kaa-chan!" I cheered, enjoying the relieved look from both of my parents who were smiling at me.
They won't regret doing this for me, I'll make sure of that much. The first step to saving the three of us has been taken.
Their lack of opposition was something I didn't expect, yet I appreciated it. That day, my resolve to protect them grew stronger
—-
That's the end of chapter 2! I didn't read any feedback or anything since I'm working on this the day after chapter 1. I hope it didn't feel rushed or too bullshitty, but the main reason why the parents agreed so easily will be explored later. This chapter took about 3 or 4 hours while I was doing stuff in between, but it was fun to write. It's definitely difficult to write a character with this age… As always, if you have any feedback, please write a comment or review!
Speaking of which, I was surprised to have received my first favorite and follow shortly after publishing the first chapter. Thank you for reading, Sen Tobi!