Used to her or not

XXXXXXXXXX

I stare, gobsmacked. "Death… fucking why?" Death, currently taking the form of a giant skelton head, just the fucking head, with long white hair the same color as his bones, booms a raspy laugh, teeth clattering sharply together, even as the ground trembles.

"Why not?" I facepalm as the deity continues to laugh, pointy teeth glinting. I turn to Magic, pale and whit haired and overall ghostly in a formal white kimono, pupiless white irises barely visible, a third red eye upon her brow, and mirth on red lips. For some reason both had horns, which was weird because they weren't usually into matching.

The deities often wore different forms when they came to visit, but admittedly, this was the most unique I've ever seen them look. I can't even count how many worlds I've been to at this point, and there were definitely ones with less classic "human" looks, but this was on a whole other level. Magic giggles behind her sleeve and I send her my flattest look.

I turn back to death, suddenly having a very strong desire to find out what the void in his mouth looks like. Is it just gonna be a tongue? Wailing tormented souls? A pocket dimension? I creep closer for a better look, plan forming.

"Dear soul, there is a world you might be interested in." I raise by brows, but don't turn away from Death's gleaming fangs, even as Magic continues in that low, husky voice. "I… made a slight miscalculation." Oh, that wasn't good. The primordials don't really think of the things they do as good or bad, and therefore, don't really regret or think of things as mistakes. Magic implying she made a mistake is scary shit.

"Honestly, the world should theoretically be fine on its own, admittedly with a rather high death toll, but saving lives and the world seems to be something you enjoy. Since I feel slightly responsible, I thought I'd offer you the adventure."

"What exactly happened?" I inquire wearily, even as I slink closer to Death's maw.

"I chose a champion, but she went insane, and instead of keeping balance she tried to steal all the magic of the entire world." I sputter, incredulous, even as Magic flips her hair casually, tucking it behind a horn.

"Wha- okay, but she didn't succeed?" I question, shaking myself out of my own disbelief.

"No, but she'll be trying again, and while my new champion and his children probably have it handled," Probably? "I thought it would be fun to see you battle a fellow champion. That's not something you're done yet. Plus there are some reincarnations there. Although they don't retain their memories like you, I believe you will enjoy the experience."

"I-" Death starts, and, despite still processing this new info, I take the opportunity and yeet myself head first into the deities mouth. I gotta know! I manage to get in, my feet just passing the rows of sharp teeth before I'm spit out like a stubborn toddler's pacifier, sending me flying into the air followed by the howls of my laughing friends and family. The fuckers were damn near re-dying, some of them choking on their popcorn, which they were eating while watching be interact with fucking gods. They're always talking shit about how nuts I am, but they put up with me and are definitely not the picture of sanity themselves.

I grunt, my body making a crater on impact. I climb back to my feet, only swaying a bit, and walk back to the waiting gods, both of which are openly snickering at me.

"Damn, I didn't think she'd actually do it." Sunya mutters sourly, handing over a stack of cash, because apparently, my loved ones already bet on this shit.

Andy laughs, counting money gleefully. Rhae and Derek pay up, too, both grumbling, and one saying, "I thought she'd climb the horns, not try to be swallowed. Fuck, how'd you even guess?"

Papa Darius laughs. "You shouldn't have banked on a sense of self preservation and shame. She's always going to do craziest things to sate her curiosity."

"-and that would be figuring out what's inside a god." Mai sighs, even as giggles escape her.

"Go, Mom, go!" Sebastian cheers. I snort, as I stomp past, brushing off dirt and grass as I go. I plop down on the ground in front of Magic and Death, my preferred way of speaking with them. Although I have never really been scared of them, and I'm secure enough in our odd "friendship" to occasionally pull some crazy shit. But, the presence of gods is a unique and immense thing that could easily make you weak kneed and giddy. Like drugs. Although, that's only if they aren't trying to crush your soul or torment you.

"Okay, before we get back to this discussion, I really need to know; Death why are their a whole bunch of old white guys in suits in there?" I ask, legs crossed underneath me

"Ah, politicians. Of course they aren't all old white guys, but I can't deny a strong majority. There are fascists, dictators, the corrupt, nepotists, the greedy, or just assholes. It's a special punishment I designed which torments them every time they lie or respond unreasonably to other people's arguments. I like feeling them try to crawl up and then despair when I swallow them back down." I cackle, brcause fuck, if that wasn't amazing. Now that I was paying attention I could hear faint screams every time Death parted his jaws.

"Now, as I was saying," Death shoots me a pointed look that I unapologetically shrug at,

"This world has a unique relationship with me, and both magic and I are able to slip between The Veils between realms far more liberally than most worlds. Because of that, there are many ways in which people can escape me, each more outrageous than the last. Additionally, there is a form of magic that summons souls back from the beyond." My brows shoot up, because what the fu- "Since this is only temporary, and not a bid at immortality, I do not forbid it entirely, although I would like you to stop its use before you die. However, I would request that you send me the souls of those who are trying to escape me eternally." I whistle low, bracing myself at the barest touch of divine rage in the air, nodding my understanding.

Primordials cared for balance above all. Temporarily summoning souls to speak with or do something is very different from chaining them to the realms of the living, and I guess, in this reality, he was accepting, if not happy of it. The line between what Death would and wouldn't allow is ultra convoluted, especially because he lets me and a chosen few get away with more than others, and what he will allow is always different depending on the rules of balance in each world. It was overly complicated and specific, so I won't be able to fully understand what was up until I was actually there.

"OK, so magic has one crazy ex-champion, and one sane one, and from what I'm guessing, Death has two in the form of these reincarnations?" They nod. "Right, okay. And what about Fate?"

Unlike the two forces of nature in front of me, Fate, the third that usually completed their triad is not particularly fond of me. Since I tended to wreck her plans for any world I end up in, and my inherent ability to see the future and alter it, we had a bit of a long running feud. She tries to make my existence hell and I try to do the same.

"Hmm, yes, this time there will be a harsh cost for your abilities, but it is because you will be granted a lot of power in return. This world is filled with astronomical amounts of magic for many people. It's quite amusing." I frown, but agree silently, knowing that Magic and Death would have tried to do well by me, even if I know I'm about to be very blind. Nothing I'm not used to, I guess. "This world will be familiar to you. I believe you will know it as Naruto?" My eyes go big, even as I hear the demons that pretend to be my family start cheering excitedly.

"Now, wait a damn minute-" I yelp, but even as I step forward, the ground crumbles beneath my feet and I'm flying through air again as darkness closes around me.

The last thing I see is Magic's red painted lips smiling, and Death's pointed fangs gleaming down on me. "Have fun, Dear One!"

XXXXXFUGAKUXXXXX

"I'm sorry, Uchiha-sama, there is nothing we can do for her. She will be blind for her entire life. Even if you were to somehow get Uchiha transplants for her, there is no guarantee she will ever see or be a ninja. Additionally, she will most likely not make it to the age of when a transplant will be possible. Simply put, we have no idea what's wrong with her."

I feel my wife, Mikoto, clench her hand around mine, and I grit my teeth to keep from shooting a fireball jutsu at the doctor in front of me. This was the third doctor, and no one knew why my daughter, my Akari, my beautiful star was as she was.

On demand of the elders, Mikoto and I were married early. We delayed as long as possible, but she was only 17, and I was 21, which was young, but not excessively for clan ninja, especially considering I was now clan head, and ninja die young. Akari was… not planned. Not a mistake, but based on how soon she was born, she would have been conceived in the first month of our marriage. With the tensions between nations climbing, we know war is around the corner, and we would not have wanted her born to it. But she was, and I couldn't find regret in my heart despite it.

Akari…was beautiful. But, she was also not what she should have been. Mikoto and I both have black hair and black eyes, as all Uchiha and yet, Akari was born with hair silver streaked and eyes that started black and faded to silver near the center, almost looking Huuga in nature at a distance. It's like the pigment was drained from everything but her skin, which was somehow darker than both of her parents by a few tints, a light olive. Her chakra system is so odd for a child her age that we don't even know if she'll survive, or if her body and mind will function properly. Not when after more than 2 years of life, she has not spoken a single word. All three doctors have stated that with such an excess of chakra, it could simply make her organs fail at any moment.

I hated it, but in the end we had to give in to the elders demands of a paternity test. I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of Mikoto crying that night, and I won't ever forgive them for it, even if she never blames me. In the end, it was proven we were her parents, genetic mutations and all. I told them I'd disown the next person from the clan who suggested I divorce Mikoto and remarry to produce an "undamaged" heir, because somehow, it must have been my wife's fault.

I nod sharply to the doctor, reaching out and carefully lifting the 2 year old, cradling her gently against my chest, before spinning on my heel and walking out without another word, Mikoto at my side. The whispers on the street are ignored, even the ignorant civilians who think we can't hear them when they wonder if Akari, my tiny child, will suddenly "disappear" to make room for a new heir. Barbaric.We enter our dark house, mercifully empty of miserable old bastards disguised as venerable wisemen.

Mikoto leaves to start dinner and I pretend not to see her shoulders shake. I won't push her when she wants to grieve on her own. Instead, I go to our sitting room, not bothering to turn the lights on to combat the setting of the sun. I sit on the floor, placing Akari to stand on the soft blankets in front of me, my hands holding her fragile arms, and I watch her.

If not for the doctors using chakra, and the way she didn't always look directly at things, we'd never have guessed there was anything wrong with her beautiful, starry speckled eyes. Today, her eyes somehow stared right into mine, calm and unperturbed,

I bow my head, pressing it to hers, and my heart breaks. My child might die, and there is no way for me to help her at all. For the first time since before I even became a genin, I feel my eyes water, my chest tightening in agony, and my eyes burn.

I clench my teeth, even as the breath in my lungs stutters, and I pull my daughter against me. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Akari. If I could give you these eyes, I would. If I could give you my voice, my heart, my life so that you could have one, I would. Forgive me, daughter. I-I love you, Starlight. So much."

I hunch over her, body shaking as I weep for the first time in as long as I can remember, my face pressed against silky wisps of hair, wavy and just shy of spiky. I love her, but I've never said it out loud. The training of shinobi is hard, that of Uchiha even harder. I was scared that saying the words would somehow make her more vulnerable, that showing how I felt would be shameful for some reason. In the end, my daughter is dying irregardless of unspoken sentiments, and I refuse to let her leave this world wondering about her father's love, regardless of if she can understand me at all. I'm so lost in despair I almost don't notice the minuscule palm press to my cheek. I nearly miss the high, unfamiliar voice that speaks softly into my chest.

"Papa, I kay. I not die." I freeze, wondering if I'm imagining it, but I can still feel the gentle patting of Akari's hand on my face. Slowly, disbelief warring with hope, I pulled back to look at her calm face.

"Akari?" I whisper, a thousand shuriken warring in my heart. She smiles, nodding, and I suck in a breath, choking on it. "MIKOTO!"

There is the sound of glass shattering even as leaves fall to the floor, my wife having shushined into the room before the noise even finished. She hurries forward, dropping to her knees next to me, her normal grace still present even in her terror. "Fugaku?" She pats frantically at Akari who simply smiles. She smiles. Mikoto gasps, because that's not something Akari does.

"Mama. Hello." Akari says this like she isn't setting off exploding tags in our minds. Mikoto starts to sob, cupping Akari's cheeks in her palms, too overwhelmed to keep any of her famed composure, but I'm not exactly doing any better as Akari wipes at my damp cheeks.

"How…how is this possible?" I ask my wife, bewildered even as my heart pounds in my chest. It isn't Mikoto that answers.

"I was watch-watching. Had to know." I whip towards my daughter, fingers trembling.

"Know what?" I feel the first stirrings of suspicion, my muscles stiffening. Ninja paranoia isn't something that can just be put away, even as self loathing rises up in me at the thought of mistrusting my own child. Has she-has she been hiding her ability to speak? Why? How would she-

"If Mama and Papa good." She says it simply, as though it would be expected for an infant to test her parent's morality. I set her down carefully, and then quickly do a Kai to check for genjutsu. Akari flinches, toppling onto her back, but nothing changes, and she rolls back into a string position. Is she… scowling at me? Gods, I've caught the famed Uchiha madness. I loved her so much that knowing I'll lose her has made me go insane.

She huffs, and presses her hand to her chest. "I Akari. Silly Papa. I just also someone before that. Gods send me."

We stare at her, uncomprehending. We're just supposed to believe that? Catching Mikoto's eye, we both turn our Sharingan on at the same time. Akari flinches again, but I can tell there isn't any henge or disguise that I can see. She isn't even using chakra. It can't be- I feel Mikoto's trembling hand make its way into mine. Akari is looking in between us, eyes trained on nothing, a pout on her lips.

"So, you're really Akari, and always have been?" She nods, frowning. "But, you were someone else before," she nods again, little arms crossing, "so the gods reincarnated you here?" She nods again. "We can't just believe that, you know."

She sighs, like somehow, we're the unreasonable party here. I feel Mikoto's displeasure at my distrust of our daughter as her fingernails bite into my skin, but I'm unsure how else I'm supposed to handle this. "Look," Akari presses her pointer fingers under each eye and tapping them, and, after a second, her eyes shift.

It's only for half a second, and without our Sharingan we might have missed it entirely as it vanishes and the girl slumps, tipping sideways. By reflex I'm able to cradle her head before it hits the floor, but my mind is far from focused, because instead of a red Sharingan, which would already be nearly impossible, she had some kind of silver version. It wasn't even a normal one, no, it was a fucking silver Mangekyō Sharingan. Of course it was. Both eyes had 7 little crescent moons back to back, with a 7 pointed star in the center and more arranged to be cradled by the crescents. My stomach drops. What has my child been through that caused her to gain such eyes. As powerful as it is, the cost-

Mikoto sobs. "My Baby, what has happened? What has caused you to gain such a thing." She carefully brushed Akari's hair away from her face, all the color gone from her own. Akari's brow furrows, and I note how expressive she can apparently be even as I wonder how I missed it. It takes a second before understanding lights up her glazed over eyes.

"Ah, nothing. Old pain, from before. I okay, I okay, Mama. Papa." She weekly pats our hands, seemingly exhausted, and the cause of her weak spells, fainting episodes, and chakra drain is abundantly clear. Chakra exhaustion from a dojutsu her body is too young to handle. That explains why she seemed to tip between having too much chakra and none at all.

I frown at my daughter. "The type of grief it takes to awaken that eye is immense; It's soul shattering. Even if it was not pain from this life, we are not pleased to hear you have experienced it. You are our daughter, we would not wish it on you," I scold her lightly, my calloused fingers brushing across her cheeks. And it's true. The evidence is undeniable. Even if it hadn't been for the blood tests, the Kai, our own Sharingan confirming it, her eyes are undeniable proof. How else could she get them? Even Mikoto and I don't have them. Despite their immense power, very few of our clan have them at all, and since we've been with her constantly since her birth, there's no way she would've acquired them. " I believe you now. Chakra has nearly endless possibilities when it comes to reforming reality, and I believe this is one of them." Mikoto nods, sadness on her beautiful face, even if she was relieved that no one hurt our child without our knowing.

"Akari…" she murmurs, rubbing our exhausted child's back, "while we are happy, why are you telling us now?"

Akari humm, and I find myself relishing the noise, any noise she makes. Sinceshe was born, she would barely cry or make noise at all, and even that has long since stopped. "Was time. Trust you. Love you." My heart swells, and I pick her up, pressing her between Mikoto and I, placing a kiss on her head. This day has probably been the worst of my entire life, and in the end I was granted my daughter's voice, her trust, and her love. Between that and my wife, it occurs to me that I need nothing else.

"We love you too, our beautiful Star. Did you need anything else from us right now?" With Sharingan still blazing, this would mark the first time we would ever see such a look on our child's face.

It took less than an hour to figure out it meant trouble.

XXXXXAKARIXXXXX

Papa and Mama were hesitant. It took some cajoling, but frankly, there was no way I wasn't going to be a shinobi. I can understand the hesitation, of course. Being completely blind, (Fate, you utter and complete bitch, I'll fucking get you-), does not sound like a good trait to have in a career where you're constantly fighting for your life. However, there are 2 reasons why this logIc doesn't apply to me; First, I'm a sensor. A very good sensor. A sensor who can sense natural chakra. Which, going off the shock from my parents, isn't common. Oh, well.

Considering I've been a sensor in nearly all of my lives as it's another ability tied to my soul, sensing isn't really new to me. It works a bit differently in every world, sure, but this world was so rich in magic that it was easy for me to feel everything in a specific radius. I didn't have to spend more than the faintest touch of my own chakra to "see" anything within 10 meters of my person, although it was harder in certain environments. This radius was one I'd been working on expanding since my literal birth, but it was enough for now.

The second reason why my ninjaing was imminent is more complicated. I was blind, true, but not when my dojutsu was active. The Sharingan gave its owner perfect copying vision and the ability to see chakra. I, fortunately, have one, meaning it was the same for me. The problem lies in the fact that I can barely use it without passing the fuck out.

Sharingans cost a lot of fucking chakra, and exponentially more for Mangekyō Sharingan. While I have a lot more chakra than the average child, my internal systems are too young to handle the strain my dojutsu puts on my body and chakra, causing chakra exhaustion and potential death. Just flashing my eyes to show my parents nearly put me to sleep, and that was after me deliberately saving all the chakra I could for the day, which coincidentally, is the reason I've been passing out and terrifying my parents all over the place since birth. At the moment, I only had the ability to use the Sharingan for like 20 seconds, and the Mangekyō for less than a fucking second, and because of mt Mangekyō's ability, I never know when it will trigger on its own, which is another major draw back. From the records my father pulled from the clan archives, it gets easier with age and use, but it would never be easy. Not to mention it would blind the user, and none of us knew what that would mean for me. Essentially, this was the cost I payed for my abilities and interfering with Fate; I could see with an active Sharingan and retain my abilities while disrupting Fate, but most of the time, I'd be blind. Thank god for sensing or I really would be fucked.

I bluntly told my parents that there was no reason I couldn't be a shinobi so long as I trained hard, and that, frankly, they wouldn't be able to stop me. I also told them they'd have to pry the title of heir out of my cold, dead fucking hands. They thought I had something to prove, but honestly I needed the political clout, and more importantly, no one was going to break my little brother and burden him with this shit. No, Itatchi was gonna be a happy ass baby. Believe it!

I snicker at myself, even as I dodge a kick from my dad. I could feel it coming towards me, like chakra echolocation or radar, allowing me to "see" it perfectly in my mental map. I dodge a punch to my torso, slipping sideways and dancing out of reach.

It'd been about a month since I outed myself to my parents. Like coming out, only you're a reincarnated baby who's friends with gods instead of gay. In that time, my father and mother have been training me in between Papa's shifts at the Konoha Police Department, the KPD. I already have a fighting style that I have extensive practice with, so, with their help, I've been adapting it and incorporating clan taijutsu when possible, but there was no way in hell I was gonna learn a whole new style when I was good at an awesome one already. One that no one in this world would recognize or be able to copy but other Uchiha, maybe. Therefore, we spent most of our time gently sparring, turning memory into muscle memory. It was the hardest and most time consuming part, and I couldn't rely on my Sharingan for it yet.

I dodge again, cycling my chakra through my body to make it stronger and faster as I leap high and away from my dad's reaching hands. I keep my Sharingan off, knowing that if I wanted to use it to memorize anything later when I was reading and studying with Mama, I would need to save my chakra. Even though this world's language sounded and was constructed similar to Japanese, it wasn't. There were also some bits that felt like other Asian languages. While I had a decent grasp on it, my grammar was shit, and baby tongues are generally uncooperative because of a lack of dexterity. My funky eyes were the ultimate study tool and I wouldn't waste them on sparring when I didn't really need to because they were very time limited. Mikoto used flash cards to cheat and rapidly teach me words I'd need to know how to read.

Sensing something odd just out of range, I pause holding out my hand in the seal of reconciliation to my father, tilting my head to focus on it. Focusing and deliberately expanding my senses, I realize why my instincts snagged on it. "Papa, two people are at the door. One small, both lightning natured and …dunno what that is."

My father straightens up and comes over, hand settling on my head. "You can sense nature affinities?"

"And emotions," I tell him honestly. I trust my parents. They proved themselves to me and I wouldn't hide my secrets from them. I could feel Father's awe in the curling smoke of burning incense and the controlled flickering of his fiery chakra. It was different from mother's dancing sparks that felt like they were started by lightning hitting a tree, a side effect of her dual nature. "Mama let them in."

We wait patiently, and after a few moments, my mother leads them out to the garden we were training in at the back of the house. Her voice, sweet and light, rings out. "Fugaku, Hatake-sama and his heir are here to see you."

Immediately, I feel my Mangekyō activate without my consent, feeling my chakra pouring out as my right eye shows me a terrible glimpse into the future. A silver haired man lies in a pool of his own blood, lifeless on the ground as a small boy with the same wild hair stands frozen in the doorway for hours and hours and- I yank myself out, my legs giving out. I plop on the ground, my hand fisted in my fathers pants on reflex, my face perfectly placid and unaffected, even as my heart hammers away in my chest.

My ability to see the future is one that is permanently imprinted on my soul, and therefore an ability that consistently follows me into every life. In this life, it manifests as an uncontrollable Mangekyō ability in my right eye. On the bright side, I was so used to seeing horrible things that I don't even flinch at the images in my head. On the not so bright side, it could self trigger and actually kill me by draining all the chakra from my body. It's damn lucky that time works differently in the Mangekyō, so that hours of visions could be seen in a fraction of a second. This time, it was only one.

"Oh, my, this must be your daughter, Uchiha-sama. She's beautiful." A deep rumbling voice says softly in front of me, and even though I've never heard of it, I know it's Sakumo Hateke…and that the man will likely commit suicide soon without my interference. He's kind, and gentle, I think, taking in that strange electric aura that reminds me of white light. There is also a hint of something like fur, soft and warm, but hiding fangs. His kid, fucking Kakashi Hatake, is much the a second's hesitation, I internally vow to keep the Hatake Lord alive as long as possible.

Climbing to my feet and using my dad to steady myself, I fight through the tiredness and trembling limbs, stepping forward, and giving a small bow in greeting, tugging off the blindfold I'd been wearing in training to keep my Sharingan from activating, and although it can't stop my Mangekyō, it at least hid it, and I resolve to add something like that to my everyday wear for future instances. I feel Sakumo's chakra let out a startled pulse showing he noticed my non standard Uchiha coloring. "Hello, I'm Akari," I'm proud of how articulate I've managed to get after a few study sessions with my mother, and now the words are mostly unslurred.

"Hello, Pup. You're a little angel aren't you?" My father snorts, likely remembering the traps I've been laying all over the house since last week's lesson. He gets paint splattered once, and now he can't let it go! There is genuine warmth and mirth in Sakumo's voice as he gently pats my head. "This is my son, Kakashi."

He gently nudges Kakashi, who shuffles forward, a little nervous and hopeful at the same time, as well as curious. "Hi," he murmurs softly, and I decide right then and there we're gonna be best fucking friends forever. He's just a shy awkward brat, that's amazing!

I know of Kakashi Hatake, partially from his portrayals in other worlds, and partially from my visions. The one undebatable thing I can say is that he's a good person, and a total badass. I'll be damned if I just let us be strangers.

I beam, wide and cheerful, reaching out my hand. "Play?" He freezes, seeming to look at his father for reassurance.

"Yeah, sure. Wanna play Ninja?" I've never played it before, but it sounds self explanatory. The only problem is that I'm running on empty because my fucking eye, and Kakashi, prodigy that he is will get bored of completely kicking my ass, and I refuse to let that be his first memory of me. This interaction will set the tone for our entire friendship, and I can't be the boring little baby if I want him to actually enjoy my presence.

I humm as I feel a slightly larger hand gently grab mine, and I pull him along. "Sorry, I'm tired. Just trained." He manages to hide his disappointment rather well, but I can feel it in his chakra. "You know tree climb? Tree climbing?" I correct myself leading him over to a tall solid tree with warm buzzing chakra radiating from strong branches, roots flowing deep into lush earth.

"With chakra?" He perks up, and it makes me giggle because it's just like a puppy when it's offered a treat. "I've been trying, but I can't quite get it yet. You?"

"I teach!" I tell him, ecstatic. "Okay?"

Kakashi nods eagerly, with enthusiastic force, and I nudge him to lie down, his feet at the base of the tree. From a few feet away, I hear Sakumo ask if I actually know how to do it, radiating surprise and slight disbelief. My father is feeling the same, but all he says is, "Probably."

"You don't know?" The Hatake Clan Head is understandably bewildered.

"Prodigies are strange like that. You never know what they'll pick up," my dad sounds vaguely bemused, but Sakumo hums and nods in agreement. He had his own weird prodigy after all. They disappear inside to talk, leaving us to our own business.

I grab Kakashi's foot and place it on the tree. "Okay. Chakra now." I tell him. He starts, and after a literal half second, I tap his shin. "No, too much. Slower." He releases the chakra, and I can feel it trailing back into the chakra core in his torso. The magic, the chakra of this world suffuses everything, every inch of this world from the air particles to the strands of hair on someone's head. It was life energy, so it took me some time to learn how to discern specific things in all the bright magic. It essentially comes down to the fact that the more deliberate, powerful, and active the chakra is, the easier it is to discern and when someone is actively trying to wield it, I can see the way it travels through their body.

Kakashi starts pushing chakra into his foot again. Outside of my own experimentations, and sparring with my dad who barely augmented his body with chakra at all to match me, I haven't really been able to closely study how chakra flows through a body. Huh, it seems like there are built in pathways. Cool.

Tree walking was a long time skill for me. As soon as I could crawl solidly, I was trying to crawl up the walls when my parents were sleeping, or thought I was. Sometimes, I would stick my hands and other various parts of my body to things right in front of them when it became clear they couldn't feel me using chakra like I could them. I was literally walking up walls before they even knew I could walk. The trick to tree walking is pretty simple, once you know what you're looking for. You just have to put enough chakra in to counteract your weight and other forces, like gravity, pulling on it, and have the intent to stick without putting in so much chakra that you break whatever surface you're on.

When I experimented discretely during bath time, I verified this idea is the same with water walking. The difference is that the surface tension of water was way easier to break, and you had to adjust your chakra dispersal to counteract that continuously.

"Little more, Kashi." He does so, seemingly not bothered by the impromptu nickname. "There, that much. No more, no less." I reach out and pull lightly on his leg to demonstrate its perfect stickiness. Kakashi gasps, before letting out a happy giggle that made me warm and fuzzy inside.

"Feel it?" I ask him. He nods, excitement flaring inside him and making his leg pop free, but he was too gleeful to be disappointed.

"Again," I tell him, and go on to explain my understanding of it as well as I could, correcting him here and there. His title of prodigy was no joke. Kakashi easily understood my somewhat messy speech and grammar, even when I didn't quite have the vocabulary for what I wanted to convey, and he quickly picked up the correct chakra amount needed to stick to the tree, eventually making his way shakily up after some time. He even managed to keep it consistent enough to stick to the side of the tree for a solid 30 seconds.

I cheered and clapped for him as he flopped down next me. His aura was bright and happy, despite the fatigue from using chakra and concentrating quite hard, creating the feeling like petrichor in the air, crisp and refreshing. "Thanks, Akari," he tells me, sweet and genuine.

I duck my head, feeling oddly shy even though I know I shouldn't. Reaching out, I fiddle with his sleeve. "Kashi?"

"Yeah?"

"Friends?"

He goes still, even his chakra seems to go quiet, and it briefly makes me regret opening my mouth at all. And then that little flicker of hope is back, and he breathes out. "Yeah, let's be friends."

XXXXXXXXXX

"My, my. I've never seen Kakashi so relaxed with other children," I blink blearily, registering Sakumo's low rumble near my head where it's resting across Kakashi's side, my hand fisted in his clothes, and his in mine. We fell asleep, both of us tired from using up a fair amount of chakra. I guess they're finished talking.

"I'm glad. It's not easy for prodigies like them. I…was worried about her," My father murmurs, his gentle hand settling on my head again.

"It's not easy for children like them," Sakumo agrees, "but it seems they've found a friend in each other." I huff, rolling over and accidentally elbowing Kakashi in the belly. He grunts, but just wiggles to make himself more comfortable.

Sakumo chuckles, and my chest aches because such a warm person must have been very sad and hurt to have committed suicide. I shut my eyes to push back my tears as my father lifts me up, tucking my face into his neck. Sakumo lifts up Kakashi now that I'm not sleeping on him, and it hurts because his chakra screams his love for my first friend in this world, all warm, staticky fur, and gentle light.

"Well, Fugaku-sama, I'm thankful I'll have your support when I bring the proposal before the council." My father nods, seriously, his calloused palm spanning nearly my entire back. "Kakashi, did you have fun?"

"Hmm, yes. I learned tree walking." Both our dads freeze, and I don't bother hiding my snickers.

"You-you learned it. In the 3 hours we've been discussing things, little Akari-hime taught you tree walking." Sakumo does a fantastic job of keeping his voice bland, strongly reminding me of an older Kakashi.

"We stopped to eat Mikoto-sama's snacks," Kakashi adds seriously.

The breathless awed laugh makes me grin. Sakumo shakes his head, disbelief mixing with amusement. "Fugaku-sama, how would you feel about letting them play and train together in the future? It seems like they work well with one another."

"Hn," my father says, which I've learned is, in this context, Uchiha speak for yes, that sounds good.

Sakumo is well versed in Uchiha speak, apparently, because he nods, and after some greetings, leaves with Kakashi, who sleepily waves goodbye at me over his dad's shoulder.

"Papa," I turn to my father when I feel them leave my range, "need to talk to Hokage-sama."

"…Why?" Caution bleeds strongly into his normally monotone and empty voice.

"Hatake-sama will die if not." He tenses, hands now gripping me tightly, but not painfully.

"How do you know that?" He asks, voice sharp in his worry, and it suddenly occurs to me I never quite told him what my Mangekyō actually does.

"Ah, so…"

XXXXXXXXXX

I learned that night that dad was a light weight and that mom could knock sake back like fucking water. Apparently, medical ninjutsu does that to a person.

XXXXXXXXXX