5 Realization

My cries were ignored as I was wrapped up like a stuffed burrito and handed off to someone. I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to lessen the sensory overload. It barely helped. While I could block out the light, information overload in my mind continued.

The person holding me offered soothing sounds that reminded me of the beautiful singing I used to hear. When that didn't work, she started speaking in a language I didn't understand.

My torment lasted three days, three unimaginable long days.

My poor mother did the best she could. She tried feeding, singing, holding me, swaying me, nothing worked. When that didn't work, I was passed through multiple people, each trying to do their best to calm me down. Outside of a few blissful moments where I simply lost consciousness, I was awake the whole time.

More than once, I tried to shout and explain what was happening. But, even if I had a way around the language barrier, I had almost zero control over my body. My body was like a wet noodle. The only thing I could do was cry, scream and make ineligible baby sounds.

I had yet to open my eyes during the past three days because it only magnified my sensory overload. The few times someone tried, my only response was to wail at the top of my lungs. Eventually, everyone figured out something was wrong.

There was a lot of poking, prodding, and words I couldn't understand. I honestly had no idea what was going on. All I wanted was to make it stop. Even with my eyes shut, the uncountable sources of energy I could feel were like giant spotlights shining at me in the dark. It was too much. It never went away. All I wanted to do was sleep.

After the examination, it seemed as though something had been agreed to, although I couldn't see anything. I could tell we were going somewhere from the information being forced into my head.

Eventually, I heard a door shut, and I gasped in shock. The white noise in my brain had shut off. I could still feel a couple of energy sources, but nothing compared to what it was.

The relief was so sudden. I opened my eyes in surprise. The room was dimly lit, and all I could see were blurred, human-like shapes. The person holding me made a relieved sound, they turned me around, and I got my first clear look at my mother.

As she held me close, I noticed her green eyes were swimming with tears. Her platinum blond hair was messy, and there were deep shadows underneath her eyes. She had spent the last three days holding me, trying to figure out what was wrong.

A cheerful laugh escaped her when she saw my eyes were open and watching her. Without meaning to, I mirrored her smile.

Now that the white noise was mostly quiet, the urge to sleep was overwhelming. Finally, a yawn escaped me, and I was sleeping peacefully within moments.

3 Days Earlier.

Feeling the wave of pain crest deep in her stomach, Emiyo knew it was time. The contractions had begun a few hours ago, and they were getting closer and closer together. But, she hadn't told Nanako, her newly discovered mother-in-law, because she didn't want to make a fuss.

Nanako had welcomed her into her household without a moment's thought. It made the pain of losing Daichi a little more bearable. But, on the other hand, her father-in-law scared the shit out of her. It wasn't anything he had done, but it was the way he watched her. It was intense. Like he was expecting something from her, something only he knew about.

Daichi had never gone into much detail about his father, only hinted at certain things, and warned her never to let Danzo take their child. Thankfully, he had only come around a few times.

Emiyo feared Danza might react negatively when he learned what she would be naming her son. One of Daichi's few requests early in her pregnancy was that the child not take his last name. He was determined for his name to die with him. Since her last name would only mark their child as a target, he suggested their son take his mother's original last name.

When she told Nanako about Daichi's request, tears flowed out of the old sealing master's blue eyes. Nanako held her tight and laid out the family history concerning the Senju clan. She explained that she would need to get permission from the clan's head, Tsunade.

As Emiyo moved across the polished wood floors, she still found it a little difficult to believe that the Legendary Medical Shinobi would be delivering her child.

When they had first met, Tsunade intimidated her. She didn't dare speak more than a word or two. Tsunade was one of the three legendary Sannin of the Hidden Leaf. Not only did her chakra dwarf Emiyo's meager chakra reserves, but she also seemed annoyed about being summoned back to the village.

Tsunade's gruff manner softened when learning about Emiyo and what happened to her cousin, Daichi. Nevertheless, she all but demanded to be involved in the birth—claiming there was no one else she would trust with the birth.

But, when Nanako requested to formally bring Emiyo into the clan, Tsunade hesitated. For so long, she had been the last of the Senju. Everyone else was long dead.

Sensing that she was hesitating, Nanako used a different tactic and leveraged Tsunade's weakness, her love of gambling. After a night of lengthy drinking, Nanako made a bet with Tsunade, and if she won a coin flip, Emiyo would be welcomed into the clan.

With unwavering faith in her luck, Tsunade gleefully agreed to the bet.

Nanako's only condition was that Tsunade had to call the flip. No one who knew Tsunade would have been surprised when she lost the bet. Tsunade was renowned among gambling dens for having the worst luck.

Emiyo sometimes wondered if Tsunade lost on purpose. Even though she lost the bet, Tsunade appeared to be in high spirits when they casually informed Emiyo of her adoption into what was left of the Senju Clan. Although, part of that may have been the alcohol.

Emiyo found Nanako in her office, looming over a long scroll of indecipherable symbols.

Holding in a wince, Emiyo called out, "Nanako."

When she had her attention, Emiyo explained, "It's time."

Those two words caused a lot of commotion in the Senju compound. In no time at all, Emiyo was resting in a hospital bed. Twenty-four hours later, Emiyo was still in the same bed, completely exhausted, and people were becoming worried.

Finally, a loud voice declared. "That's it. I've had enough with the little brat being stubborn."

Tsunade stomped across the room and put her hand on Emiyo's belly. A brief flash of chakra entered her stomach, and Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.

"That oughta do it."

"Lady Tsunade," one of the other medical shinobi scolded. "You can't rush childbirth. The baby will come in due time."

Tsunade seemed to fill the whole room as she scoffed at the medical-nin. "Maybe you can't. But, I've forgotten more about medical ninjutsu than you've ever learned."

Before anyone could respond, a skinny black-haired kunoichi who looked to be 10 or 11 years old called out. "Master, it's happening. The baby will be here soon."

Tsunade unleashed a childish, petty sneer at the medical ninja who dared scold her. "Excellent work Shizune."

Too embarrassed to speak, the medical ninja fled the room.

While Tsunade prepared everything, Nanako asked in concern, "What did you do?"

Tsunade defended her actions. "Little brat was stubborn and didn't want to leave his mother's womb. So all I did was give his butt a little smack."

Sensing disapproval from Nanako, Tsunade defended, "It worked, didn't it."

Soon, the birth was over, and the newest member of the Senju clan was giving his lungs a workout. Finally, Tsunade wiped the baby down, wrapped him up, and gave him to his mother, who looked utterly exhausted.

"What's his name," Tsunade asked.

Looking down at her son in wonder, Emiyo replied, "Taiyo. Taiyo Senju."

Emiyo's joy over her son soon turned to worry and fear. Taiyo refused to eat, sleep, or even open his eyes for three days. The only thing he did was cry and wail as if he were in great pain.

Nothing they did seemed to help. Every once in a while, he would fall silent, seemingly asleep. But, within a few minutes, he would awaken and begin crying all over again.

At first, her concerns were dismissed. But, by the third day, everyone was becoming concerned. Taiyo had lost weight, and he was growing weaker by the minute.

Back at the hospital, Tsunade ran Taiyo through a battery of tests.

When she was finished, she grimly announced, "I know what's wrong with him."

Seeing everyone's expectant expression, she revealed, "He's suffering from ECS, Extreme Chakra Sensitivity."

Not knowing what that meant, Emiyo asked, fearing the answer. "What's that?"

Nanako reached over and placed her hand on top of Emiyo's. "It's the technical term for why some shinobi become sensors and can detect chakra from a distance."

Nanako turned to Tsuande. "But, I've never heard of a case of ECS appearing in a baby. Normally, shinobi who are sensors won't start sensing chakra until they are 5 to 7 years old."

Tsunade opened Emiyo's file and gently answered Nanako's unspoken question. "I suspect Tayio's condition developed due to an incident where you suffered from extreme chakra exhaustion."

Emiyo's green eyes widened in horror, and she pulled her son close. "I did this to him."

Nanako wrapped Emiyo in a hug and gently rebuked her. "You can't think of it like that; you did what you had to do to save your son's life."

Still consoling Emiyo, Nanako asked, "How do we fix it?"

Tsunade shook her head, "You can't. Sensors have to go through specialized training to learn how to control it, but the problem is that won't be an option for Taiyo for several years at best."

"I could seal his chakra," Nanako reluctantly said.

"No," A stern voice rang out. "You could damage his chakra coils and ruin his future.

Nanako turned to the shinobi she had married and had come to despise. Then, fearing for the life of her grandson, she snapped, "He won't have a future if we don't do something for him now."

Danzo chose to ignore his wife's outburst and rationally point out, "If you would control your emotions, you would already see the solution staring you in the face."

Without pause, he turned to leave the room. "Follow me,"

Emiyo paused for a brief moment considering the hateful look Nanako was giving Danzo's back. But, in the end, she would do whatever it took to save her son. She got up and hurriedly followed her son's grandfather.

Danzo led the group on a path that led to a remote part of Konoha, where people rarely ventured unless they had no other options.

The building he stopped at looked little more than a wooden shack in the middle of nowhere.

Inside the shack, two Konoha Shinobi with masks stood guard. After a conversation with Danzo, the guards returned to their duties, allowing the group to descend the stairs leading deep underground.

Emiyo shifted, trying to make Taiyo more comfortable in a fruitless attempt to make him quiet.

"Where are we?" She asked, not liking the vibes this place was giving her. It felt like a prison.

"This is Konoha's interrogation department," Danzo explained as he continued walking through the dimly lit hallway full of heavy doors.

A muffled scream came from one of the thick doors they passed. Disturbed, Emiyo moved closer to Nanako.

Danzo led them down the hallway, stopping at a steel door covered in seals.

"Of course," Nanako muttered upon seeing the seals.

One by one, they all entered the room that had countless seals on the walls, floors, and even the ceiling. Finally, Danzo shut the door, and for the first time, Taiyo fell silent.

Taiyo made a gasping sound as if he had just been exposed to cold water. His eyes opened, revealing his red pupils to the world. He looked around in wonder as a toothless smile appeared on his face.

Yawning, Taiyo closed his eyes and fell asleep in his mother's arms for the first time since being reborn.

"What is this place?" Emiyo asked in wonder.

"One of the most heavily guarded prison cells we have in Konoha," Danzo explained. "When those doors are shut, not an ounce of chakra from the outside world can be felt."

A thought occurred to Emiyo, "Taiyo isn't going to have to stay here, is he?"

Nanako patted her back, "Don't you worry about a thing. I will head back right now and prepare a similar room for Taiyo."

After Nanako left, Emiyo voiced another worry. "What about Taiyo's ECS. Surely he can't stay in one room for his entire life."

Tsunade tried to soothe Emiyo, "It won't be forever, just until he is old enough to control it."

Jutting into the conversation, Danzo said, "You should only keep him in the sealed room when absolutely necessary. Even if it causes him extreme discomfort, constant exposure to chakra will help him learn the control he needs."

Two pairs of green eyes glared daggers at Danzo. Neither Tsunade nor Emiyo seemed to think much of Danzo's suggestion.

A pleased look appeared in Danzo's eyes. "Look at this like it's a blessing. Shinobi sensors that can sense chakra are extremely rare and valuable. Being able to sense chakra from birth, can you imagine how strong a sensor Taiyo could be in the future? Whatever pain or discomfort it causes him now will be worth it in the future."

"Enough," Tsunade snapped, sending forth a surge of chakra. "Taiyo will have plenty of time in the future to learn how to be a shinobi. For now, all he needs is a safe and healthy environment to grow up in."

An expressionless look appeared on Danzo's face as he considered the Legendary Medical Saint. Then, after a moment, he nodded his head, "Of course, I only meant to suggest that being exposed would be beneficial."

Tsunade snorted in disbelief.

Danzo paused by Emiyo's side, looking down at Taiyo on his way out of the room. Leaning over, he whispered honeyed venom into Emiyo's ear, "Chakra sensors are extremely valuable to the village. They are rare enough that villages often prioritize their safety. Think of how much the Hidden Leaf would protect a sensor so strong he could detect chakra at birth.

Emiyo's green eyes widened with worry, and she bit her lip as she looked down at her son.

Seeing Emiyo comprehend his meaning, Danzo inwardly smiled and left the two behind. Now that he had planted the seed of worry, he was sure Emiyo would do the right thing. With Daichi's death so recent, Emiyo would undoubtedly be worried about her son's future and would be driven to make sure he had the best chance to live.

Danzo felt zero guilt about playing on the fears of a recently widowed mother. He only had his grandson's future in mind. It would be such a waste to leave Taiyo behind sealed doors. Pain was a part of being a shinobi. Best Taiyo learned that lesson early.

I awoke from my sleep to a beautiful voice singing what sounded like a lullaby. The fact I couldn't understand a word didn't matter to me one bit. The sensory overload in my brain was quiet. I could still feel a single energy source, but that was completely manageable.

I realized I couldn't move as I got used to my surroundings. I was completely wrapped up in a blanket. A slight noise of discontent came from my mouth. Then, the singing stopped, and a giant silhouette came into view.

I was scooped up from where I had been lying, and the woman brought me closer. Her features came into focus. She had long platinum blonde hair and green eyes the color of jade. Her skin was straw-like, tanned from being out under the sun.

She started whispering nonsensical sounds at me as if she were asking me questions. Not knowing how to reply, I opened my mouth, and drool poured down my chin.

She smiled at my response and brought me close to her chest. The next thing I knew, I was being fed. While intellectual, I protested what was happening. My body overruled my mind and went on auto-pilot.

After I was finished, it didn't take long to feel tired again. It seems as though eating is tiring work for a baby. Finally, against my will, my eyes closed, and I was asleep again. When I awoke next, I almost despaired when I realized I had soiled myself. I didn't even feel it happening. It just happened.

If I thought the feeding was embarrassing, it had nothing on getting cleaned by someone else. It was a humbling and humiliating experience. My only condolence was that no one knew I was aware. And that was how my new life went for the next few weeks.

Sometimes, I had other visitors. An older woman whose red hair had aging steaks of silver. She always seemed to have a few splotches of what I thought was ink on her face. She had a kind smile and seemed to love it when I gave her a toothless smile.

Then, there was the loud blonde-haired woman. She had a strange green diamond tattoo on her forehead. The energy I could feel coming from her reminded me of the energy that rudely forced me from my mother's womb. I swore once I had some control over my bowel movements, I would leave her a stinky surprise. But, it wasn't just her energy that was familiar. Something about her appearance tickled my memory. I had the strangest feeling I should know her.

The visitor who scared me the most was the man who sometimes came at night. When he arrived, I never seemed to be awake, but his mere presence would startle me awake. His energy made me imagine darkness strangling the light. Thankfully, I never saw his face. It was always too dark to see anything. But, as I pretended to be asleep, I could feel him watching me.

It wasn't until a month later until I realized how screwed I was in my new life. The loud blonde lady with the green diamond tattoo on her forehead came to visit. But, this time, she brought someone else along, a young girl wearing a dark robe with a red sash tied around the middle of her waist. The girl seemed to be showing off a headband of some sort, but the blonde woman didn't seem too impressed.

With an offended huff, the girl tied the headband around her head.

I blinked a few times when I saw the crest on the headband. If I had control over my hands, I would have rubbed my eyes in disbelief. That was.

No. No. No.

That's impossible.

Almost unwillingly, my eyes turned to the blonde woman, and with a sinking feeling, I realized why she felt so familiar. She was Tsunade, one of the 3 Legendary Sannin, the 5th Hokage.

I had somehow been reborn into the Naruto Universe.

Fuck.