Chapter 4. I'm not locked in here with You, We're locked in here with Us
That means I've been born before the third shinobi war, but presumably too late to stop it. I muse about all those fanfics that fret about not wanting anything to change. I admit it is tempting, but I know my presence alone already throws the proverbial wrench in the plans.
Well you know what they say-
'If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball?'
Well I was actually going to say, pick up the wrench and start buildin...
Wait who said that?
'I think you've been calling me body. Oh body's crying again, oh body's hungry again, oh body wants to feel the comfort of his mother again. troublesome.'
...
'If it wasn't clear I was mocking you.'
Yeah, I got that vibe. To be fair, I kind of thought I was alone in here.
'Yeah I know, I see our memories too. That's how i quoted that one movie, fascinating the world you came from'
Hmm, so you can read all my memories? Is this a split personality from trauma or are you the true Shikatsu and I'm just here from the Reincarnation? I wonder if it was due to accelerating growth of the brain with chakra or from creating the mindscape? So, on the one hand I can see massive advantage with 2 minds as it's better than one, but the logistics for control and purpose could get messy if our goals diverge. What do you think?
'I understand you're reincarnated and a lot older, but I'm 6 months old. If it wasn't for all the memories in our head I'd still be drooling on the carpet.'
...
'Ok, we currently are drooling on the carpet, but you know what I mean.'
'My point being that I've been mostly molded by your memories. If it's a nature vs nurture question, I guess there's the slight chance that my decisions might be molded more by Nara sentiments than you would. You have that quote in your memories that a motivated Nara is something to fear. I'd probably be a lot less motivated if you didn't exist. However based on your memories, even a Nara would prepare accordingly. What a drag.'
Yeah, I had a feeling you might say that. How about this, our name remains Shikatsu, your name in here will be Shika, and my name in here will be Tsu?
'That works, not sure how necessary it will be when it's just us two in here.'
Yeah, also the fact that we're not fighting over control of our limbs might mean we're not fully separate minds. It seems like we're sharing the part of our brain that sends messages to move the limbs. Fascinating case for exploring the blurred boundaries of individual consciousness.
'Well yeah, I agree it does seem like we're aligned for most of our actions, but those moments where you talk about body wanting something... I felt separate from you and in control in a different way.'
Huh, those moments felt identical to an unsuppressed emotional impulse in my past life, so I thought it was completely normal.
I understand our condition is atypical, but it points to the possibility that emotional impulses are the expression of an identity that would otherwise be locked in from external expression. Concerning and fascinating...
All that aside, I'm going to address us as me as I see you as part of me. If you've read my memories you know my view of sharing memories. I believe it's true communication that allows solidarity between thinking creatures. I of course did not choose to be here, but want to give you every option of autonomy possible.
'Yeah I know, I get it. Putting aside all your unresolved conflicting viewpoints, I'm on your side. Despite my prodigious nature and your decades of memories, I'm still very affected by the emotions of our body. I don't know if somehow you're a fully chakra, mental, or spiritual mind? That could explain you being less affected. Maybe it's simply that your more connected to those decades of memories than I am.'
'Either way, we'll work together, but I'll continue to embrace those emotional moments. Besides, those may be the only moments that we display an iota of normalcy to the others around us.'
Deal. Even if you're in control in those moments, I'll stop otherizing by saying it's my body and just say it's me and it's implied that it's us.
-o-
I find myself again laying on the living room floor, but this time with a bottle in my mouth.
I practically vacuum the milk out of my second bottle. Yoshino seamlessly trades it out with a full third one and goes back to refill the second bottle. Before I know it, I'm half way done with the third bottle. Shikaku studies me.
"Where does he put it all? If he keeps this up he's going to eat us out of a home." Shikaku drawls.
"Oh stop, he's a growing boy. Besides, he needs to make up for those 2 missed months!" Yoshino retorts.
"Troublesome."
"Oh by the way, did you hear that Shikafufu wants to meet him?" Yoshino inquires.
"Already?" Shikaku complains.
"What do you mean already, he's his grandpa. Of course he wants to meet him." Yoshino unconvincingly offers.
"That's not all it is and you know it." Shikaku toothlessly bites back.
"Well, there's no doubting how exceptional he is, even for a Nara. Might as well get it over with." Yoshino proudly declares.
"I just want to give him more time." Shikaku states with concern.
I couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled by the ominous undertones. If it's as simple as concerns about not having a childhood experience, then that's understandable. However Shikaku, a prominent Nara, openly showing concern does not bode well for things to come.
-o-
I find myself on the shoulders of Shikaku, my dad of this world. As we leave our home to travel through the village.
"Shikatsu, you're going to meet Grandpa Shikafufu today. Don't feel pressured to perform for him okay?" Shikaku urges me.
"Mmh" I mumble in agreement.
We made our way to a gated compound with the Nara symbol on it. I actually didn't know there was a compound. There's a few other Nara that live next to us, so it's not just our family that lives outside it, maybe the Compound is just for meetings?
As we made our way inside, I could get a feel for what some of the buildings were used for. Some buildings in front were administrative for handling visitors, filing requests or permissions. To the sides looked to be resident housing. So some Nara do live here. Other rooms were modeled after traditional Japanese style with thin sliding walls with wooden decks and curved peaked roofs. One room showed a couple of people sparring taijutsu. Another was empty with a large meeting table in it. Passed that we came upon a small room with a shogi board in the center with 2 pillows on the sides. One of the pillows had an old Nara man. The old man had spiked white hair with a receding hairline, a white haired goatee and a cheerful smirk on his face. This must be my grandpa Shikafufu.
I focus my chakra sense to get a feel for what kind of man my grandpa is... It's like positivity, but underhanded. There's a warmth, a version of the Will of Fire. One moment you see distorted air from the rippling heat waves, the next moment your bound to the shadows formed by those same distortions of light. All that and he'll be laughing while he does it.
"Well if I'm not mistaken, this must be Shikatsu. Looks like a small breeze could blow you away!" Shikafufu chuckles and pinches my cheek. In response I give him an indignant glare and he just chuckles louder in response.
"Old man, this better not be what I think it is." Demands Shikaku.
"Don't be nonsensical, I just wanted to see my new grandson and play a game of Shogi. That's not too much to ask for, is it not?"
Grandpa Shikafufu started to play shogi with Shikaku while they sat on the pillows. I crawled up to the side of the board and watched with rapt attention. I knew the rules for chess but not for Shogi and was interested to learn.
As I did both of the men glanced at me. A large smile growing on Grandpa's face while a frown was developing on Shikaku's face. I understood my father was hesitant for me to be around Grandpa, but wasn't exactly sure why. Dad's words were "Don't feel pressured" and I definitely don't feel pressured so it's fine right?
pa-chink
"Did you hear about Kiri?" Asks Shikafufu.
pa-chink
"I hear a lot about a lot of places. What specifically?" Asks Shikaku.
pa-chink
"Don't be nonsensical."
pa-chink
"Yeah. War. It was bound to happen."
pa-chink
"You're not wrong. Don't you think we shouldn't procrastinate?"
pa-chink
"It's too soon. You know how I feel about this."
pa-chink
"Delaying won't help."
I could hear their words, but I wasn't really listening, I was focused on the board. In my mental focus I unknowingly activated the manual Overclocked Cognition as I studied the board. The different pieces. The presumed valid moves. The strategies being initialized and executed. The mental model of both of the men mentally modeling the other in each step.
Grandpa Shikafufu turned to me to drop something into my hand...
I laid open my palm to receive his gift and furled my brow in confusion and curiosity...
A small piece of paper started to drop into my hand. My sped up perception contemplated what was happening. Is this a test? Does this have something to do with what Shikaku didn't want me to perform for Shikafufu? The paper tugs at some memories for Naruto... Is this chakra paper?
The paper seemed to float down in slow motion. As soon as it touched the skin of my palm, the paper crinkled.
I immediately stopped channeling Overclocked Cognition and guiltily looked at Dad.
As if amplifying everyone's moods. The already present smile on Shikafufu's face stretched to an even wider smug grin while Shikaku's frown turned to a defeated scowl.
"Not unexpected!" Shikafufu chuckled triumphantly.
pa-chink
-o-
Yoshino glares over at Shikaku stating "You've been moping around ever since you've got back from visiting Shikafufu. Get over it."
Yoshino picks me up and sits down on the couch and bounces me on her lap questioning "What do you think Shikatsu, is daddy being a grumpy pants?"
"Can you say daddy's a grumpy pants?"
I (mostly Shika) tries to respond with a big grin "dagraptpffsha".
Shikaku sighs saying "Troublesome."
I give another shot at speaking: "...tubbasum"
Yoshino's face lit up with glee shouting "My baby's first word!" and squeezing me in a warm hug.
Yoshino's joy is so infectious that I'm compelled to join in her happiness saying "tubbasum tubbasum tubbasum!"
A small smile forms on Shikaku's face saying "Of course that's his first word."
Shika was riding a high from that positive reinforcement. I (we) spent the rest of the day attempting to say whatever popped in our heads barely stopping to take a breath. At the end even I was annoyed with me (us).
-o-
The next day I was rolling around in the living room occasionally mumbling words. I see Yoshino bend down to unfurl a storage scroll in the living room. I watch with giddy excitement and unbridled curiosity.
"It's too soon for all that." Shikaku grumbles in exasperation.
"Nonsense he's already crawling and he needs something to occupy himself. Besides you know what Shikafufu said, Enchu wants to know as soon as possible." retorts Yoshino.
"You're all conspiring against me."
As the storage scroll is activated, there's a puff of smoke and a variety of toys appear on top of the scroll.
I crawled over to study the items as my mom hovered over the open scroll expectantly.
Identifying each item, there was:
-Colorful building blocks with ninja symbols.
-String.
-Wooden kunai with dull tips.
-Paper, brushes and colorful ink.
-Book with a large kanji on the left and a pictograph similar to the kanji on the right.
-Book of Katas for Taijutsu.
-and a Shogi board.
I grabbed the storage scroll itself and looked for the kanji inscribed on it. Around the center of the scroll is kanji arranged in a circle. I then grabbed the book with the kanji on it to identify the kanji on the scroll.
"Has that ever happened before?" Yoshino questions.
Shikaku's face showing a complicated mixture of pride and concern answered with the only thing that could sum up his feelings: "...Troublesome."
-o-
The book cover had the kanji 止 with the label "SHI" under it. To the right is a picture that is presented in a style that mimics the kanji. The scene is with a Shinobi Police holding his arm out in a stopping gesture with a person in the distance to the left. A clever children's book that shows pictures for what kanjis mean while doubling as a mnemonic device.
Opening up the book, I eventually was able to find some of the kanji with a scene describing their meaning.
-囲 meaning surround, which was a combination of 囗 meaning enclose and 井 meaning well.
-宙 meaning space.
-橋 meaning bridge.
-包 meaning package.
-梱 meaning packing or wrapping.
-材 meaning material.
-気 meaning energy, spirit, or life force.
-力 meaning power or energy.
-印 meaning mark or seal.
-物 meaning thing or object.
There were a few of the kanji on the storage scroll missing from the book. One kanji that was missing from the book showed up in multiple spots always preceding one of the kanji for energy. My guess with limited knowledge was that this kanji meant chakra. After figuring out almost all the kanji, I could mostly piece together what the scroll was trying to do:
1. Use chakra for power.
2. If mark exists, something is already stored in scroll so unwrap it using chakra. Otherwise do the rest of the steps.
3. Wrap object with chakra energy.
4. Enclose space to package object.
5. Bridge enclosed space to ?
The last step is unclear, but I think it's using the scroll as the entry and bridge to the enclosed space created by chakra.
I grabbed the paper, brushes, and ink to attempt to draw out a new storage scroll. Of course I'm not actually applying chakra to this new scroll, I'm just practicing my calligraphy. I don't know if all those fanfics with eldritch horrors from sealing failures are real, but I'd rather not test it.
After practicing the kanji from the storage scroll I went back to learning the other kanji from the book. I then practiced writing each kanji from the book. Good calligraphy should help with a variety things besides just sealing.
-o-
During the day I snuck some pieces of paper next to my bed and then at night I practiced sticking paper onto my forehead and hands. When I focus on my chakra sense I can vaguely feel where my chakra points are. Making it convenient to find where I might have the best luck getting paper to stick. I realize I'm kind of just venting my chakra out of all my chakra points.
At first I attempt to prevent the chakra from leaking out. I hold it for a small amount of time and once I released there was a sharp pain. I don't think it's a good idea to hold in my chakra. Either because my chakra system is undeveloped or the way I'm doing it is wrong. Instead of just trying to hold the chakra in I use it at the points I'm holding paper. If I push too hard the paper pushes off. If I don't push enough, the paper simply falls off. However if I'm pushing chakra out in the right amount it sticks.
I was able to stick the paper on my hands and feet, but still working on controlling the chakra points in other places like my head, torso, and limbs.
'Post-it no Jutsu!' Shika chimes in.
Very funny...