Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ On the Edge ❯ Arc 1- Chapter 1 - The Weasel ( Chapter 1 )

Arc One: The Orphanage

Chapter One- The Weasel

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's ending."

-Seneca

It took me some time to digest the fact that I was reborn in a world that was supposed to be fictional.

Figuring out who I was? It didn't take a person with extraordinary brilliance to do that.

I mean how hard could it be to distinguish sunny blond hair, sky blue eyes, whisker marks and cheerful laughter?

With our caretakers repeated murmuring of 'Konoha' and village whilst symbolizing the leaf on their rather iconic headbands it surely didn't take long... At all...

After all, there was only 'the main protagonist' of a certain show who fit the description of my baby twin brother startlingly... Who had the entire series named after him?!

Like I said it didn't take a rocket scientist to connect the dots.

Why Naruto, of course!

I was reincarnated as the twin sister to the main protagonist of the goddamn Naruto-verse!

Duh, captain obvious!

My thoughts might've slipped onto being a tad hysterical there.

I mean, I just had to absorb the fact that, I had ANBU assassins acting as my nannies; who helped me eat and shit on a daily basis.

A baby twin brother who had a hammer space, which could contain a few mountains tall, fox demon in his gut.

On top of it, I was in a village full of highly trained psychos who could kill me within the blink of an eye in a thousand different ways by a toothpick. My apologies, I mean senbon... Like the one our current caretaker carters in his mouth everywhere he goes.

That's the strangest addiction I've heard up to this day. But who am I to complain? I was loonier than these nutcases, for sure...

The only person seeming to have a semblance of normalcy was the old lady visiting us in the mornings. I concluded her to be the matron of the orphanage I was currently residing in.

My scrambled brain recalled the fact that Naruto lived in the 'Konoha Orphanage' up to the age of five whereupon he was moved into an apartment.

It must've been overflowing with the orphans left after the fatalities that occurred during the nine-tails attack. That explained why the matron visited merely once in the morning and that too with a disturbing amount of caution.

As for the ANBU caretakers, the village must've been on high alert. I suppose Konoha was severely weakened and the 'Third Hokage' didn't want to take any risks with the legacies of his successor and the village's strongest weapon, the Jinchuuriki.

It certainly explained why one of our caretakers was, from what I remember, a member of 'The Hiraishin Squad' and the late Hokage's personal guard. The senbon was a dead ringer.

I know I am being very cynical, but I can't see any other reason, the Hokage would assign one of his elites to guard two infants, whilst the village was in dire need of manpower.

Naruto thrived under their attention; the caretakers', the old matron (who warmed up to him in no time) and mine. It soon became obvious that it was in his nature to be gregarious. He babbled along making me laugh, as rare I do nowadays.

I came to accept him. It was difficult at first, so very difficult. That the happy baby wasn't as unknown as I thought, that he was someone my baby brother used to adore! Why was I referring to him using the past tense? No no!

I just wanted to stay away then... Why was he, my twin? Why was I here? Why me, why me? No nono... Please...

I wanted to sure... I tried, I tried... Perhaps I didn't try enough... He made it impossible. He'd whine and cry when I kept my distance. He wailed and sobbed when I gave him the cold shoulder. He would sulk entire days. Sometimes he would even refuse to eat. I never felt as horrible of myself as I ever felt. He was just a baby. I couldn't do it anymore. So I gave in. He accepted me back with a teary, bubbly laugh and I finally felt anchored back.

I think I was glad for that. I am not ashamed to admit it, anymore.

Imagine a girl in her late teens relying on an infant as her lifeline. How absurd...

In the end, I decided to be selfish and love him. Love him like I used to love him. Care for him as he would've liked to do so for the character he admired... But he was no longer a character, was he?

I came to a decision. I decided on loving Naruto with everything I had, with all my heart, since he wouldn't have accepted any less...

Yes, my reason was as selfish as it could get. But I couldn't honestly offer anymore... I was too wrung out. It was a lifetime too many.

That was it then. My days started and ended in an everyday routine.

And of course just as I was adjusting myself and thinking nothing could get stranger, I was proven wrong.

The day started as normally as my days could. We woke up, were fed and bathed by our Assassin nannies, awaiting the old matron who'd look after us for an hour with a weary smile and stories.

Naruto and I had started forming broken words. Perhaps it was my influence, I didn't know. Were we speaking too early? Or was it the norm in ninja children?

All I could affirm with complete confidence, that Naruto being the hyperactive little tyke he was, was to be held responsible for us being to crawl-walk around.

We were babbling to each other and crawling in circles when the door to our room was pushed open by the old matron lady whose minuscule warmth, which I deduced as chakra started shifting differently and then there was more. I knew hers felt like spindly fibres woven in thin, stretched thread; weary and bone-tired. These were new. Somebody else was there; more than one person?

Naruto the lovely child went to greet her with a gummy smile. I began to roll up, alerted.

After all, I mused; it was too much to ask for a completely normal day; well as normal it could be for me, here and now.

I was proven correct when Naruto's childish squeal was echoed by another one.

From what I could make out from the distance I was, there stood a lady, a blob squealing in her arms and another presence shadowing her.

The matron spoke softly to her to whom she replied in a pleasantly gentle voice. The matron vanished soon after.

I was almost halfway there next to Naruto when she came closer and bent down next to him. My blond idiot was staring at her with childish fascination.

I felt wary. It was not uncalled for.

She knelt down and placed her kid down. There wasn't anything odd about it but then he started crawling to me at an astonishing speed; for a baby that is.

I stopped, shocked when Naruto let out a cry and moved towards me too.

The lady and the shadow behind her let out fond laughs.

I could make out their features now. The lady was pretty with pale, elegant features with dark eyes and hair. The boy was similar in looks and colour. He had weird lines on his face though. He might've been five or six from my approximation. The kid who Naruto was in a race with, to get to me ignored them stubbornly.

The kid was cute; cuter than he had any right to be. He too had large dark eyes and a messy mop of dark hair with fair chubby cheeks and a determined little frown. And currently, those eyes were fixed on my hair with a clear focus.

I had frozen halfway and rightly so. Those three rang warning bells in my head.

I was too small for me to distinguish my features properly, but I had dark crimson hair; the Uzumaki's signature hair and clear violet eyes; the likes which Uzumaki Kushina had. And that brat had zoned on my hair.

He was mere inches from my face when Naruto barreled into him and they both went sprawling sideways. The elder boy let out an alarmed cry of, "Sasuke." That quickly brought me to reality.

Naruto was on top of the newly dubbed Sasuke and they looked disoriented. I made my way quickly to Naruto when Sasuke shifted towards me. But my baby twin wasn't having any of it and clutched my hand.

The pretty lady came towards us with worried eyes and the elder boy mirrored Naruto and grasped Sasuke’s pudgy hand.

Uchiha Itachi hefted his foolish little brother up in his arms as Uchiha Mikoto fussed over Naruto and me after reassuring herself that her youngest was alright.

Sasuke squirmed in Itachi's hold as Mikoto lifted us up in each of her arms, cradling us tenderly.

Despite my initial wariness, it felt nice. To be held in such a loving manner was a sensation I had not experienced since my rebirth. It smelt sweet and felt safe. I gave into my instincts and burrowed closer and I could see my brother do the same.

Mikoto adjusted herself so that she was sitting in a seiza position. It was then I felt something patting my head. It felt uncoordinated but gentle. As if somebody was trying to stroke my hair.

I furrowed my brows and turned; only to feel pudgy fingers poking my forehead. Wide eyed I blinked as Naruto made an angry little grunt.

I could hear Itachi laughing and Mikoto giggling. But my eyes were on the brat in front of me who eyed me with such wonder that it unsettled me.

I removed my eyes from him and looked beside me and saw a pouting Naruto. Ignoring Sasuke I cuddled Naruto. I could literally feel Naruto's childish triumph.

Sasuke in all his impatience, made his annoyance clear, by giving my hair a sharp tug. To which Naruto smacked his hand on his opponent's forehead.

And it escalated to a full blown baby squabble war with me being the object of attention.

I paused, blinking owlishly at the scene before me, as Naruto and Sasuke started wrestling as soon as they were laid down on the mattress. From my perch in Mikoto's embrace, I could do nothing but watch, my poor brain still unable to comprehend.

That was the brat who'd cause my brother immeasurable pain. The boy who my brother would never give up on; whose recognition my baby twin would yearn for. Who'd tear an arm and blow a hole through my little anchor's body.

It was difficult not to resent him at first sight. I had to remind myself to breathe, to remember that this was still a kid who hadn't brought any harm to my brother.

I started as I was tugged by smaller arms. Itachi hugged me to his chest with a soft croon. 

This was the kid that'd murder his entire family for a village which would declare him a traitor and drive the brat squabbling with my brother, so insane with hatred that he'd try to destroy my anchor.

He rubbed my back trying to calm me. I realised I had gone still again. When I finally relaxed enough, Itachi murmured something and poked my forehead. Then he set me down gently. I saw Naruto sitting victoriously atop Sasuke who was panting with his efforts to get the blond off.

Seeing me coming closer Naruto flailed and jumped off Sasuke and rushed to me. He brought a fist up proudly and I finally giggled.

I could feel the atmosphere get less tense. Mikoto was trying to soothe a grumpy Sasuke. 

This was the woman that would stand by and watch as her eldest son gets overwhelmed with pressure and ignore all the signs, being completely submissive to her husband. This was the woman who'll remain pathetically passive and refuse to act despite realising that her own flesh and blood was being torn between two different sides; of family and duty, of love and responsibility

I discarded that line of thought immediately. It wouldn't do me any good, thinking like this, now...

Sitting close to Naruto, I watched as Sasuke slowly made his way towards us in a childish attempt of truce.

Naruto tried to stare him down but the brat just jutted his chin standoffishly and made a noteworthy glare. I couldn't take it any longer and dragged myself between them.

I put each of my palms flat on their foreheads in a smack. Both of them let out baby cries and clasped their own hands over it, now staring accusingly at me. I gave the most deadpan expression a toddler could give and tried to stand up on my feet and walk away.

Keyword tried. I would've fallen flat on my forehead if Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't have pulled each of my arms. Like that was any better. I fell back on my butt.

I could hear Mikoto sigh and Itachi huff in amusement.

We huddled together inspecting each other in ways that only babies could.

Mikoto and Itachi closed on us and drew us into a hug. It was so abrupt that I didn't even try to wriggle my way out.

I didn't understand what Mikoto was talking about in broken whispers but I could hear and what little I could get was, "Sorry- Kushina..."

It made me pause. Come to think of it, wasn't Mikoto supposed to be Kushina's best friend and Naruto's Godmother? Was she mine too? But she didn't seem to have any influence or interest in Naruto's life according to the knowledge I had a lifetime ago. Knowledge? Don't make me laugh.

I didn't know how long we stayed like that. I could feel something drip over me. She was crying. I don't think I could sympathize. She never made an effort to make Naruto's life better in the before. But she is here now! So what? It conveys her final goodbye.

It was a little while after when she got up and lifted Sasuke up. Giving us each a little kiss on the top of our hair, all the while mumbling what I deemed as apologies, she stood up and headed towards the door. Itachi echoed her and poked our foreheads' and made way towards his mother.

So mature, even as a child… You never got to be a kid, did you? That little shoulders shouldn’t feel the need to bear the weight of this cruel world.

Naruto seemed baffled with what was going on. Sasuke looked equally bewildered as he gazed in our direction and started to cry. In tandem, Naruto sniffled.

I could see Mikoto hesitating on the doorstep ushering Sasuke into silence as Itachi paused just a few feet ahead of us.

I didn't see whether he glanced back or not. I was busy trying to smother my brother with affection so that he'd stop the waterworks. It worked fantastically and he let out a high pitched giggle.

When I looked back at Itachi I could make out the small sad smile on his face and Sasuke's last longing snuffle.

Naruto's whine drew my attention and I patted his hair in what I hoped was a calming gesture.

They were gone before I could acknowledge them with a last look.

I spent the rest of the day soothing Naruto. I cuddled and nuzzled him affectionately so as to stop making him think of the events that occurred. It was exhausting but I think it worked. He was a little imbalanced with the interactions today. We generally never met new people.

As I lay beside a fast asleep Naruto, all I could ponder upon was today's meeting.

Trying to distract myself I tried to sense my brother's warmth, his chakra. There it was, a massive amount surrounding him in a coil like a huge ball of sunshine; my little sun. It seemed happy and content; I pictured it as bright gold; reassuring and cheerful.

So we met the Uchihas. Their arrival and departure were so abrupt that it's still reeling me. Were they even allowed to visit us? With the Uchiha's relations being strained with the village and Fugaku's constricting orders... Mikoto must've defied him for one last and first moment with us. To bid the last of Uzumaki Kushina adieu.

Today's day was productive in that way. I had hashed out a few things...

There was no mention of this in the before. But then again, Naruto won't be able to remember any of this afterwards. So I couldn't confirm whether this happened or not. My presence must've already started the ripples.

The Butterfly Effect commenced.

Chakra.

Mikoto's seemed powerful. But then again hadn't she been a jonin? It felt like faded embers. Like she herself, her flame was being smothered down to nothing but ashes.

Itachi's was an average amount, surprising considering his age. It felt tranquil and collected. Like the 'Eye of the Storm' ready to burst, but contained. I wonder, in the future; if his storm will wither away to mere gushes of winds too?

Sasuke's was surprisingly pleasing. It was small now as compared to others. Justified since he was a baby but I could envision it growing. It seemed like sparks and flames intertwined. I wonder if it will feel like a thundering lightning bolt or fearsome raging lava or perhaps a mixture of both...

Shiranui Genma, our most frequent ANBU caretaker was near our windowsill. I could feel his chakra close despite being muted to a very low level. He seemed confident and calm. Even tempered, but like the sharpened blade of steel.

Fascinating what you could tell with people's chakra itself. I couldn't imagine their colours as they weren't familiar to me. Nor I could decipher the other aspects of their personalities. All I could sense was the way they projected themselves and their chakra. It took me such a long time to be even able to decipher Genma's chakra, it was always toned down to the lowest possible levels.

I let my thoughts wander away in hopes of dozing off.

Come to think of it, didn't Naruto beat Sasuke in their baby squabble? That was the last random remark floating in my mind as I gave away into the drift of slumber.