4 Age 4/Year 4
"Big brother... how's school?" An Eight and a half-year-old Itachi turns around, carefully grabbing the small cat.
"It's just like anything else, Sasuke." He smiles and jumps down from the tree.
That's not very helpful, but Itachi's always been one to avoid overly long descriptions.
"Do you have lots of friends?"
He stiffens and gives me an odd, undecided look. It's as if he's not sure what to categorize the people he's thinking of as.
"There's Shisui." He pauses, taking a second to measure his next few words. "I don't think you'd remember him."
Really? Well, he's right. Maybe I saw him as a little kid, but didn't recognize him? To be fair I rarely get to leave the house, so it's kind of expected...
"There's also my team..." A sad look grips his features. "Perhaps I should have brought them over before-"
He sighs and shakes his head. Kneeling down, he smiles and grabs my shoulder.
"Are you scared of school, Sasuke?"
Scared? why would I-
...
Oh, right, I'm starting that next year. I can see why my question might make him think that.
"No. I just want to learn more about you, big brother." Thinking about it, I really only know the face he shows me at home. Itachi already graduated school and early at that. Maybe it's because I've grown so close to him over the past four years, but I want to be part of his other life as well.
Chuckling, Itachi pulls my ear.
"You're pretty brave, crybaby Sasuke." God, he's never going to forget that!
Finding my pout amusing, he laughs and starts guiding me away from the tree, cat in hand.
"Let's turn in this mission, ok?"
I nod and look at 'Tora' the cat. He was surprisingly easy to catch, at least for my brother.
-------------
"Here, Sasuke." my eyes widen as he hands me a small portion of his money.
"But that's your reward."
Itachi smiles and then shakes his head.
"What's mine is yours, little brother." I really have the best brother in the world, don't I?
"T-Thanks." Carefully, I count each coin and put it in my pocket. The numbers on them add up to 25.
As I start walking back, Itachi asks me what I'd like to do next.
=======
"Oh, so this is your little brother?" The young Uchiha greeted me with a wide grin. With a free hand, he reached out and rubbed my head. Incredibly, the 12-year-old was probably more dangerous than any military man back in my old world. This was Shisui, Itachi's best friend.
"Sasuke, meet Shisui." With a sigh, my brother introduced me to the energetic ninja. I exchanged pleasantries and began talking as I walked through the Uchiha compound.
"Does big brother have a girlfriend?" It's my first question. I think he had one in the original timeline. What was her name again? Aya? Maya? Mizumi? God, Japanese-like names are so hard to remember!
"I do not," Itachi answers perfectly. If it was just the two of us, I'd have been fooled. However, the restrained grin on Shisui's face gives it away.
"No way! Who is she?!" Itachi's perfect facade cracks.
"Wow! You're little brothers a bonafide sleuth." Shisui says with a laugh. "If he can see through you, then he'll definitely make a great ninja!"
My brother grumbles and sends an annoyed look towards his best friend.
"So you do have a girlfriend?!" I was just shouting nonsense to bait him out! Did the two of them actually hook up this early? Though, the love life of 9-year-olds is probably more along hand holding and playing games together.
Itachi sighs and nods.
"Please do not let mother or father know." Seriously? They're ninja. If anything, they've probably known for ages! It just goes to show that Itachi is as gullible as any other 9-year-old.
"But yes, Sasuke, I have a friend that I'm decently close to."
Shisui snickers and walks forward, wrapping an arm around my brother in the process.
"Yeah, wish I had a friend like that."
A silent tension rises around the two brothers in arms. Maybe coming here was a mistake.
"Let's forget about that." Itachi hums and turns to me. He reaches into his pouch and pulls out a kunai. "Shisui, are you willing to help little Sasuke practice?"
A small bead of sweat rolls down the Uchiha's face.
"Not as target practice, right?"
Itachi says nothing, choosing to look at him instead. His stern, determined gaze eventually breaks down Shisui's own determination.
"Fine." He huffs and starts leading me to a nice training spot. "If it's for crybaby Sasuke, then I'll do it."
Oh god... it's spreading!
I give Itachi a betrayed look, but he shakes his head in surprise.
If not him, then who?!
Noticing my confusion, Shisui laughs out loud and pats my head.
"I'll tell you if you can hit me~"
That stupid name!!
=====
I tried my best to hit Shisui with one of the training Kunai, but sadly, he's way too quick for me. Besides, my throwing technique isn't the best. Itachi tries his best to teach me, but being honest, I'm not an actual prodigy when it comes to combat. The only reason my parents call me one is because I already have a lot of knowledge to call on from my past life. New things are just as hard to learn for me as they are for anyone else.
"U-Umm, I think I can feel something." It was Yue's voice that pulled me out of my trance mid-session.
"I-If you wish to hit him, I bet I could have it work." Well, that'd definitely surprise him.
"B-But I think granting his wish m-might give me more power."
That was another option.
Hmm.
Hitting Shisui is most definitely an incredible challenge that I'll fail. Even if he were to hold back, my chances of success would be miniscule! Still, when am I ever going to get an opportunity like this again?
"I'll hit you!" A bold declaration, but one I want to try and do. It'll be incredibly hard, but that doesn't mean I'll just back down. One step at a time, I'll climb the stairway of power. I only hope that I'm ready when the time comes. I'm but one person, and alone I probably won't be able to change much, but that doesn't mean I'll sit on my laurels.
"That's the spirit!" Shisui says with a laugh. Giving me the training kunai, he moves back a bit and waves boisterously.
"Come on! Hit me!"
With keen eyes, I gripped the weapon and throw.
The kunai's trajectory swerves to the right and misses him. He didn't even move! I felt so embarrassed that tears start building in the corner of my eyes.
Stupid kid brain! Why the hell would something like this make me cry?! Even with my Sharingan, I'd need the best of luck to hit him! Of course, I'd miss!
"Sasuke... it's ok." A soft, comforting voice whispers into my ear. I felt Itachi's warm hand hold my shoulder tenderly.
"Raise your hand and try again." There's no pity in his tone; Only a desire to help me improve reached my ears.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my head and lock eyes with Shisui. He smiles and gives me a cheeky wink.
"Come on! you can do it!"
Closing my eyes, I contemplate using my Sharingan. It only takes a second for me to realize how stupid that is. I've kept it hidden so far, so why reveal it on something so insignificant?
"I-I believe in you!" Yue's tiny form flutters beside me; she speaks with a sincerity that warms my heart.
"Y-You can do it, master!" The sweet, kind little fairy does her absolute best to try and cheer me on. If she knew any dancing, I wouldn't be surprised to see her doing just that. She's my very own cheerleader.
The tears pricking my eyes evaporate. That's right, why am I getting so worked up over this? Above all else, this is a learning experience! I won't let my little brain make me cry!
"I'll get you!" A mighty shout leaves my lips. Bringing up the training kunai, I hurled them at Shisui with new confidence in myself.
The first two kunai go wide, but the last manages to hit Shisui's right leg.
"Oh no! You got me!" He shouts loudly enough for me to hear. Even though I knew he was going beyond easy on me, it still fills me with pride. It seems you can't escape these childish feelings of mine.
"Y-You did it! G-Good job, master!" Yue flies to my side and grabs my cheek.
"Congratulations, Sasuke." Nevertheless, Itachi's praises fill me with even more joy.
It might have been a cheapened victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.
"Now, we should probably head home before mother gets worried."
I nod and quickly grabbed my practice kunai. With a small goodbye to Shisui, I head on home.
From now on, I'll try and practice my throwing more.
[Reward: 1 Skill Point!]
=======
"U-Umm, it's time to wake up!" Yue says, shaking me awake. Her little hands barely carry any strength, but she's doing it the way I taught her. I sneeze myself awake and Yue pulls her hands back from the sides of my nose.
"S-Sorry!" She instantly apologizes and flies away into the 'shame' corner as I've started to call it. It's the top right corner of my room, and whenever she does something she thinks is wrong, she goes up there and faces away from me. Honestly, it's really cute.
I chuckle and tell her that everything's alright.
"I'm not angry, so come on down." Slowly, Yue turns around and meekly nods. As she flies onto my shoulder, I hear my mother giggle and step into the room.
"Speaking to your imaginary friend again?" A crimson blush streaks across my face. Yeah, she somehow overheard me talking with Yue one time, thankfully, she quickly came to the 'imaginary friend' conclusion all by herself. Still, it's embarrassing! I'm a grown-
...
No, I suppose I'm not. Every day that goes by is a day I get further and further away from my old self. It scares me, knowing that I'm becoming more and more immature. There's still that paranoia of mine, but the childish brain in my head has had a massive effect on my personality. I found fart jokes hilarious now and sweats things are like gold to me. Worst of all, thinking of naked women seems kinda gross! I hate to think this, but I hope puberty comes soon!
"Y-Yeah." Smiling, I gently pick up Yue and place her on my lap.
"She was feeling sad for waking me up." Yue moans in my lap, still ashamed from that.
Mikoto giggles and steps forward, gently running her hand through my hair.
"Well, are you ready to get your hair cut?"
...
Oh, right, that was today.
"Yes."
Mikoto smiles and picks me up. Quickly moving through the halls, she heads for the baths.
Suffice to say, I get to see her naked, but rather than blush, I feel a bit disgusted? This was definitely a lot more awkward when I was a baby, and so was the breastfeeding!
"T-The water's nice..." Yue mumbles as she floats nakedly in the bath. Unlike what I expected, she really doesn't care for modesty all that much. Her shy and bunny like demeanour only extended to speaking and such. In other words, she's perfectly fine getting naked in front of me, which is pretty funny in its own way.
Anyways, after a quick wash, my mom gets me dressed and ready to go out on the town.
"Oh! Is there anywhere you'd like to stop on the way back, sweaty?"
======
Haircuts are surprisingly comfortable affairs. Maybe it's because of my new life, but I really enjoy sitting and having others groom me. It's relaxing, soothing, and just plain nice.
"Such a handsome little man!" The kissing, cheek pinching, and suffocating hugs weren't nearly as fun, though. My mother was usually calm and collected around others, kind of like those traditional Japanese women, but around me, she might as well have been a little girl with a new puppy. She kissed my cheek and paraded me around town as if I was the biggest diamond in the world.
Honestly, even though the constant attention kind of annoyed me... it felt nice. She loved me unconditionally, and that was more than many people in this world or the last could say.
"So, the park?" I gave a small nod and looked to my right. Beyond the busy streets and people, the park was waiting.
"Then let's go." Giving my hand a little squeeze, she started walking. Truthfully, I didn't want to go to play, but rather explore. Sure, I've been around the village a few times, but the places I actually know of were very limited in numbers. My world's basically made up of my house. By exploring more, I hoped to grow my horizon.
--------------
Compared to most cities, Konoha's park wasn't all that different. There was a jungle gym, a slide, and a few seesaws. Kids of all ages and backgrounds were running around and playing with one another.
"Go on, sweety. Go enjoy yourself." Surprisingly, Mikoto let go of my reins and urged me to explore. I was expecting her to be like a helicopter, but this was a pleasant surprise. Still, I could see how worried she was that something might go wrong. Being a parent was tough,
Anyways, with a smile on my face, I went up to a group of kids and introduced yourself. there wasn't much trouble, and soon enough, I was playing with them. Of course, being quite a bit more mature than them, even with my mind being messed with, I found their games to be a bit boring.
Thus, I introduced a new game and Freeze tag was born! No one had heard of it before, so almost all the kids joined in to play. Among their lot was a small, blond child with blue eyes. His face was soft, almost feminine in nature, but the whiskers gave him away. This was Naruto.
"Can I play?"
None of the kids seemed to mind, but already, I saw some of the parents stand up and start walking closer.
I did not expect to meet Naruto of all people here and now. He was obviously around somewhere, but I didn't think I'd actually have a run in with him until school started up. Now that he's standing in front of me, I'm frozen stiff!
Should I ignore him? If there wasn't attention on me before, there definitely will after I start playing with the Kyuubi Jinkuriki. Seriously, unless this is one of those retarded realities where they have no one trailing her from the shadows, I'm sure this whole place is being watched. Anything I do or say will no doubt be reported to the Hokage.
Speaking of realities, I sure as shit hope this isn't one of those where he gets bullied so much that he dies, release the fox, or gets a murder boner for the entirety of the village. Oh god... I didn't even think of that. How likely is it that I'd end up in a timeline close enough to the canon one to not get myself killed?
"U-Umm, i-it's ok if you don't want to..." Naruto pales under my absent glance. He shrinks away and starts turning around.
Damn! My bad habit of overthinking things is making me look like a rude ass.
"No! It's ok!" I say with a smile and grab his hand. He stiffens at the contact but doesn't run away.
"R-Really?" The hopeful look on his face seems to lake any sort of desperation. Instead of an ostracized child that's hated by everyone, I see a small boy that is confused and not quite sure why others don't play with him. In other words, things haven't gotten so bad for him yet.
"Yep! Everyone's fine playing with him, right?"
Most of the kids nod at my question, but a few looks towards their parents with nervous expressions. Only a small amount of them actually leave.
"Thanks!" Naruto says meekly and squeezes my hand. "S-So, what sort of game are you playing? It looks f-fun."
I grin and start explaining the rules. A few minutes after, everyone's having fun and running around. Of course, good things don't last long. Perhaps finally seeing Naruto, the children's parents start slowly taking them away. The once huge crowd thins, and shortly after, only me and Naruto are left.
Naruto, contrary to what the show taught me, is very perceptive. He slowly realizes what's happening and gets disheartened. All of it makes me furious, especially since I perfectly understand why they took their children away.
Mothers and fathers would do anything to protect their kids. To them, Naruto is like a giant, cute tiger. Sure, everyone says it's trained and won't hurt their kids, but no parent is ever going to take the risk. It's a cruel reality, but one Naruto lives with every day.
Anyways, my determined refusal to let the other's disappearances ruin my fun pays off. Naruto eventually starts enjoying himself, even if it's just the two of us.
Off on the sidelines, my mother watches. I can tell that there's a conflicting whirlwind of emotion's on her face, yet she's remained silent.
"T-Thanks! That was a lot of fun!" Cute, whiskered cheeks stare back at me with a bright smile.
"I'm Naruko! It's nice to meet you!"
"Sasuke." Wait... did you mishear?
...
Yeah, that's probably it. I'm not trying to be rude, but Naruto's never been known for his vocabulary.
"D-Do you want to be friends?"
At this point, I see Mikoto stand up and start to making her way towards me.
"Sasuke, It's time to go home sweety." She grabs my hand and slowly starts to pull me away.
"Say goodbye to your... acquaintance."
I grit my teeth and bite my tongue. Even after how rude she's being, I can't fault her.
The Uchiha are already under a lot of scrutiny from the village. If I, clan leader's son makes friend with the village's Jinchuriki, then even more pressure will be put on the clan.
Naruto stares at me, his eyes dropping low to the ground. This isn't anything new for him. Thing's will be fine. I can wait till school starts.
...
But, is that really ok?
It would be so simple to just ignore a lonely child's wish for companionship. Naruto's wish is minuscule in the grand scheme of things. I know he's strong, stronger than me or anyone else. He's small and weak now, but it's because of all the hardships he faced that he grew into the iron-willed ninja that never backed down. All I had to do to keep the future steady is to leave and not look back. I'll be joining school soon and there will be more chances to become friends then.
"Is that your wish?" I stopped midstep and almost tumble forward. Thankfully, Mikoto catches me in time and lifts me back up. Her face is a mix of conflicting emotions.
To think that one small little boy could hold so much sway over the actions of adults. I wouldn't be surprised if some people piss themselves at the thought of accidentally scratching a hair on his head.
"Sasuke-"
"Please, mom!" I turn around and look deep into her eyes. They were filled with surprise at my sudden bout of rebelliousness. "I want to hear his answer!"
For once in my new, short life, I stood up to my parents. Her stance was understandable, but something in me found it wrong. Perhaps it was the countless hours I spent watching his journey, his battles, and all the pain he endured. Either way, something within me was stretching out a helping hand to the lonely boy. It was a selfish move, foolish even; if I became friends with Naruto, the clan would be in trouble. I was essentially putting him above everyone else, including my family. It was dumb and I was already hesitating.
"I-" His words stole any chance I had at taking back what I said. Small, blue, teary eyes looked up at me. The sky was reflected in those azure mirrors, and for a second, I found myself in a trance. Childish innocence and hope pierced my very soul.
"I wish we could be friends!"
Soft-spoken, yet powerful words. To most, it might have been low and whispered, but to me, it was louder than the mightiest of roars.
"That's..." Mikoto mumbled with a bitter, frustrated look on her face. She wasn't angry at Naruto, but the situation.
"Yue, there's a wish for you. Please make the consequences as light as possible." I whisper, closing my eyes in resignation. There's no turning back now. The wheel of fate has been flipped on its side and I'm basically pissing on its smouldering form. Whatever happens now, I have no one to blame but myself. In the end, my greatest weakness was being unable to let a little boy suffer alone. Yet... it's not that bad of a weakness, I think.
With a confirming nod, Yue floats between me and Naruto. She raises her hand, and in the blink of an eye, covers the area in bright, brilliant light.
"I-It's done, Master."
"From now on, we're friends," I say proudly, letting go of Mikoto's hand and gently grabbing Naruto's.
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha and the two of us are now friends."
His eyes widen and the whiskered cheeks on his face rise into a dazzling smile.
"T-Thanks! I'm Naruko! Naruko Uzumaki!"
The two of us just stare at one another, large smiles on our faces.
"Do you mean Naruto?"
He blinks and then shakes his head.
"Um, no?"
I suppose this is one of those timelines where he has his name changed?
"Sasuke." Soft, loving arms wrap around me. Naruko lets go of my hand and moves away nervously; a small hint of fear flashes onto her face.
"You're such a kind child, but this won't end well." She turns me around gently caresses my cheeks. "Do you really want this?"
Determination blazes onto my face and I nod. The choice is made and I won't turn tail now.
"My little crybaby looks so grown up." She says as she leans in and gives my forehead a quick peck. "I think I can be a little bit selfish."
I blink in confusion.
"What do you mean, mom?"
She doesn't reply and instead stands back up.
"Say goodbye to your little friend. You can see her later."
Confused, I nod and wave goodbye to Naruko. The small boy seems extremely happy that my mom accepted our friendship.
"B-Bye! L-Let's play again!"
And so, giving her a goodbye hug, I followed my mother home. As we walked, a sudden, perplexing thought slips into my mind.
Wait, she?
All it takes is a single question to destroy any preconceptions I had about this being the canon timeline.
"A boy? Sweety, your friend is a girl."
"Oh..."
Things were doomed from the start. I have no idea how this would change things. Honestly, befriending her might have been the best decision.
----------------
To say my father was livid once he heard the news was an understatement. Away from prying eyes and ears, and believing me asleep, he had a rather loud shouting match with my mother. Both of them were incredibly angry, but one thing became apperantly clear. Things wouldn't be the same again. Surprisingly, no one ever stopped me from playing with 'Naruko,' but for a long time, there was a tense aura in my house. Thankfully, as the months rolled by, it began to lessen. But then, just like that, it was time to start school.
[Reward: Naruko Friend Get! | History irrevocably changed! | Avoided ??? | +1 WP From Naruko! | +1 WP for the new year!]
===========
After all my troubles, I had managed to nab myself two skill points. It was a hard year, but my constant training paid off! Even better, I also managed to get another wish point. All I had to do now was spend those skill points!
In the end, I wanted to train up my Taijutsu and my Sharingan. By making my body a weapon, I'd always be ready in case of an attack. The Sharingan as basically an overpowered ability only my clan had, so it was a no brainer if I wanted to live longer. Ninja's weren't about honour and fighting in the open, even though the 'ninjas' of this world were more like wizards.
Reflected in the mirror, I saw my Sharingan blazing with three tiny little marks. Aside from that, there was also a fountain of knowledge that sprung up in my mind. I knew how to use the Hakkyokuken; or, at least, I knew the basics.
Everything would be used to propel me to even greater heights!
[Reward: Sharingan LVL Up! | Gained the Hakkyokuken| Gained The Taijutsu Skill!]
================
Year Four End
================
[Name: Sasuke Uchiha
Age 4 Years~
Stats
(2) Strength
(1) Dexterity
(4) Agility
(8) Charisma
(6) Cunning
(4) Luck
(8) Soul
Skill Points: 1
Wish Points: 2
Money: 123 Ryo
Abilities:
Yue (Obsidian Crystal Gift): Supposedly, the fairy was born from your crystal?
Skills:
Taijutsu (1/10): The basic art of fighting with one's body.
+Hakkyokuken (1/10): A particular fighting style that focuses on striking power.
Traits:
Enduring Soul: Soul +2!
Sharingan(2 Tomoe): Slowly, but surely, you're getting better at using your Sharingan.
+Tomoe (3/6)
+Dex/Agi
Important People:
Yue: Your wish-granting fairy. She seems... odd, but nice.
Itachi: Your 'big' brother. He's prety cool.
Fugaku: Your stern, but kind father.
Mikoto: Your mom. Love with a face.
Naruko: Your friend? Why is she a girl?]
