•Curse•

As a kid, I wondered about how awesome it would be to have flashy powers like the rasengan or shadow clone jutsus. You'd often find me trying the balloon popping exercise or the Hyūga fighting stance.

Weaving handsigns like I was in Naruto, doing the Naruto run and also tying a headband on my forehead like the forehead protectors.

Well what do you know?

After I've grown out of that cringey phase, life decides to thrust me into the Narutoverse.

Truly something I did not expect to happen even after reading hundreds of Naruto fanfictions.

Afterall, it was fiction for a reason. There are some things—boundaries— that reality should not cross and that was the veil separating fiction and non-fiction.

To make matters worse or for the better, I woke up in the body of a Hyūga toddler fresh from the cursed seal sealing ceremony, the green seal that every branch family member had on their forehead.

The burning sensation lingered despite a day having past since the ceremony and the uncomfortable throbbing from it caused me to wince in pain as I began to aggresively rub the now itching spot, the centre where the symbol lies.

If it was this bad even after a day, how painful was it when they first sealed it?

I shuddered at the thought, at least there's something to be grateful about, which was not arriving during the sealing ceremony.

"Miko, are you okay?" a concerned voice spoke from behind the shōji door. The voice still had a hint of childishness despite the person obviously trying to sound older than she was.

Without much thought, I answered "Yes Nee-san*."

(Translation: Nee-san= sister)

The person slid the paper door, revealing a pre-teen sitting in seiza* on the zabuton* in what seemed to be the most uncomfortable yet elegant-looking position.

(seiza= traditional formal way of sitting in Japan.

Zabuton= pillow cushion for seiza style of sitting.)

I couldn't help but feel pity for the poor leg tendons that tightens (cramps) and the needle-like numb that came from sitting in that Japanese traditional style of sitting.

I remember trying it once while I was abroad in Japan, wearing a blue flowery kimono. I have to say, it really wasn't the best experience especially with the way the tight kimono tightens even more in seiza style of formal sitting.

"It's itchy at first, but it'll go away." Nee-san said to ease the action of me scratching it (though it wasn't working) with a dry smile.

Stretching my limbs, I got out of the futon and made my way to get dressed while my sister helped me with bandaging around my forehead, effectively covering the caged bird seal as my bangs were split from the centre.Her bangs were long enough to cover the cursed seal but short enough that it would not obstruct her view.

My brain or the Hyūga me seemed to remember where the wardrobe was as my body moved on its own.

"Is the seal permanent?" I asked with child-like curiosity, after I stop the action of rubbing the symbol on the centre.

"It is." my sister answered with a soft tone whilst she brush my long ebony hair. As there was no mirror in the room, I couldn't help but wonder about my appearance in the anime.

Ignoring the last bit of sentence aside, what nee-san said was odd. I was sure in Boruto, Hizashi-er Hiashi stop with the seals. Hinata didn't have the seal even after giving up her position as clan heiress nor did Himawari or Boruto.

Though I could never be entirely sure as they never showed the other Hyuuga members, but I remembered something along the lines of the Hyūga clan stopped using the cursed seal after the fourth shinobi war— after Neji's death.

* * *

Being thrusted in the body of a toddler despite being older? It was an odd experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an opportunity for me to act my age as I was self-aware of my immaturity despite my increasing age (back then).

There was no trauma that accompanied it, but neither was there a complicated internal turmoil of possessing an innocent child inside me. I remember being Hyūga Miko yet I couldn't shake off my identity as Marie Hoshimiya.

Before I could dwell much further into the eerie calmness despite experiencing an identity crisis, a worn-out ball rolled beside my leg.

"Ah excuse me, can you throw the ball back?" a voice of a child— a boy— shouted from behind the compound wall.

Using as much force as little old me could, I threw the ball over the tall compound wall— barely throwing it over the wall.

Another weird thing about the Narutoverse, kids had so much power and were much larger than reality. I'm 3 (maybe) and yet, I was able to throw the ball over the compound wall that resembled wall Maria (AOT reference).

Ah the wonders of anime.

I nodded at the thought.

"Miko, breakfast's ready!" Mother called out, her voice resonating through the empty small yard my family (the branch side) could own.

* * *

My mother and sister sat on the opposite side of the rectangular dining table, their hands clasp together before they started to eat; small bites and none of the large loud chewing noises, I noted.

"I'll be attending to Hanako-sama for the entire afternoon. Mayu, take care of Miko will you?" mother spoke, her voice stern yet gentle at the same time without leaving room for negotiation.

Hanako-sama? Sama is used for respect right? Who is this Lady Hanako person?

Kishimoto never showed or dived deeper into the side branch of the Hyūga clan, not even in the Naruto SD anime/manga. Only information I knew was that all the Hyūga had white eyes, hence the literal meaning of Hyūga, even though some might not trigger the byakugan and the side branch members have the green seal for absolute obedience and sealing away one's byakugan after the brush of death.

My sister grabbed the dishes and started cleaning them, she left me alone with my thoughts as I pondered over the events that occured.

I don't remember meeting Truck-kun, or dying. That's as recent I can remember from my life as Marie Hoshimiya.

Up till yesterday night where Hinata held a banquet for her birthday, I was still only Hyūga Miko.

"Miko, you can go play outside. I'm going to help around the compound." Nee-san said, her voice a perfect replica of mama.

* * *

Speaking of which, my sister's face was also an exact replica of my mother, minus the wrinkles and add on baby fats. What if-

What if I also looked like that?

There was a joke in Naruto SD where Neji showed a picture of the Hyūga family, but all of them looked identical except Hiashi and Hinata.

Oh well, at least the Hyuuga clan genes were all good.

Unlike the Senju, Uzumaki, Kaguya and Uchiha clans, all the Hyuuga looked pretty much similar and never a below average looking face. From the clans originating from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, only the Kaguya clan itself had the least appealing appearance— well, except Kimimaro.

Maybe Hamura took all the good genes and left Hagoromo with the less desirable ones.

I nodded whilst pinching my chin.

Toneri do look good. 

No, bad Miko! Alien guy tried to destroy the moon and that's also incest with extra steps!

* * *

Trudging the open path along the walls of the Hyuuga compound, I couldn't help but feel guilty for not feeling guilty about disappearing from my old life.

Did I even disappear? I'll never know. If I did, will my traces of existence in my world disappear as well?

I hope so. I may not be a religious person, but now I prayed to all the Gods I know, that no one would check my search history.

Or prayed that my fellow degenerate friends kept our promise; to destroy each other's search history, 'homework' folder, computer and phone if we died early.

Amen.

Sigh.

This is troublesome.

I sound like a Nara now. This out of the ordinary isekai really wrecks my brain as I try to come up with a reason for the isekai.

It's like trying to find the origin of life and the origin of God.

Something the human brain is incapable of answering even after millions of years.

* * *