Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ On the Edge ❯ Chapter Two: The Toad, the Monkey and the Hound ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: The Toad, the Monkey and the Hound

Chapter Text

Arc One: The Orphanage

 Chapter Two: The Toad, the Monkey and the Hound

 

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Be not deceived by the first appearance of things, for show is not substance.

-Proverb

 

 

We were once again being guarded by our nanny assassins. My baby twin was slobbering all over Genma whilst I lazed around on the floor. Peaceful moments were rare since my brother learnt enough basic language to blabber and listen, so I enjoyed it while I could. Naruto also had the attention span of a goldfish, so usually, it was up to me to entertain him after he got bored of our masked babysitters.

It had been a few months since the Uchihas’ visited. Genma and Raido were the ANBU’s who looked after us, alternating every once in a while.

Being a baby was difficult. And ever so boring. In my past life, I never had much patience when it came to myself, so it was surprising that I didn’t burst out in impatience. The past few months I have been pondering upon the events since I was reincarnated.

Constantly meditating made me calmer, more focused and less hysteric. And frankly, I needed every ounce of my focus to survive in this world.

I was afraid for a while. Of meditating, that is. I was worried that I’d find myself as a human prisoner to a beast, an unknown entity. It was all too much! Someone kept caged in my body and I’d never know what they’d be able to see in my soul. And I was having hard enough time to even fathom that I had an actual proof for a living entity, that too it was stuck in my baby twin’s gut. I tried to repress those thoughts.

The chakra sensing I could do… I never could feel my own chakra in the way I could feel others. So my fears weren’t for nought.

I didn’t find anything.

 But the strangest thing, whenever I meditated, I think I found myself in a type of mindscape. That is the closest thing I could compare it to. Bits and parts of the places of my previous worlds, that were monumental in my life… The places I was excited, anxious, desperate, sad, hurt, at peace, the places I saw all over the world and held every other peculiar event I could think, were there… And so were the places I loved with the whole fibre of my being…

It was disturbing. The first time I ever saw it, was when I realized who I was, where I was. The next was the night when the Uchihas’ visited. That time I stayed there for awhile. After that, I regularly visited every time I couldn’t sleep. Be it dawn, noon or dusk.

 I don’t know why it was so. Maybe it depended on the state of my mind and soul. My belief…

I tried arranging it, changing it but to no avail. The only thing I could do was stay there and recall. The previous memories, the memories after my rebirth which were too blurred for me to understand. The new language which I was learning which was a definite mix of most of the prominent languages that existed before. It was staggering. It was like going through a crucial personality and reality test every time.

I noticed that I learnt the basics of the new language astonishingly quick. In the physical department, I was behind Naruto, but that was to be expected of the hyperactive little tyke with him being an actual kid and ‘Naruto’. But I wasn’t supposed to grasp a new language, especially such a complex one, that fast. Naruto was supposed to learn it before me. He did have an actual baby mind and his mind wasn’t wired to two languages that didn’t exist anymore.

I deduced that the events that occurred in the tale before, occurred immediately after my birth. One major difference is my birth. I remembered being shifted around and separated from my nudgy thing. I could recall scratchy memories of our seventh month where there was a Hound masked individual taking care of us for an entire month. Being watched over by blobs that upon closer inspection were dogs.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that the individual was Hatake Kakashi. And imagine how Naruto would react when I told him that his future sensei changed his soiled nappies?

To be honest I wasn’t really sure of what to expect of him. I knew that he wouldn’t have been an important part of Naruto’s life before becoming his genin instructor. Perhaps he must’ve been his ANBU shadow. But it was until after the visit of the Uchihas’ that I started thinking about the ‘canon characters’ current and future lives and their role in my twin’s own.

I had decided to not bother about Hatake Kakashi, as he was just a kid who had tragedies struck upon him one after the other. Socially retarded, mentally disturbed, perhaps suicidal teen nothing more, nothing less than an average ninja. And it wasn’t as if he was a wonderful guide to my brother. He was just one of the ninjas, who were pretty powerful and played a major role.

I remembered being angry at him for abandoning Naruto, for being who he was and sorry for the pitiful life story he had.

I had no right, then. Now everyone I will meet are real people. Flesh and blood. Tragic tales while reading seemed sad, are nothing but horror stories in reality. I couldn’t bring myself to judge anymore. Just like little Sasuke was an adorable toddler with no one’s blood in his hands and had never done anything to my brother. These people were real.

I felt hysterical. What’s real? Fake, story, imagination, life, death, everybody, family, Naruto… I am not supposed to be real…

It was common for me. Going into random fits of hysteria in the privacy of my own mind. Having a reoccurring existential crisis… It was like a never-ending exposure therapy. I have never stopped doing it.

That brings me back to my main point. According to the story of the before, the only people who were remotely capable of doing something like this; were the Yamanakas’. The clan of the mind readers.’This’ being the jumping into the mindscape thing. Unless you were a jinchuuriki. But even then, Naruto only saw the place where the Kyuubi was caged.

Like I said, the development of the babies in this world was not normal, rather, normal for me, the way I was used to.

 Naruto seemed to have ADHD. Uzumaki reserves plus the Kyuubi’s chakra. If I tried to correlate it would explain the concentrating problems and the nervous energy he had in the series. Did he have a type of dyslexia too? I wonder. That would explain everything along with sabotaging instructors. Being the son of two brilliant people, he should’ve developed more, even if he didn’t inherit Namikaze Minato’s genius, prodigal mind.

Talking about Minato’s genius, prodigal mind… Despite having the most prominent looks of Uzumaki Kushina I seemed to have inherited Minato’s mind.

I concluded it way too early. No, I am not Mary Sue-ing myself like in those stupid self-insert fanfictions I used to read, despite it being a reality now.

I know it because when you have nothing but your mind to focus upon, you make startling discoveries.

 I’d like to say I was pretty self-aware in my life. I knew my limits, my learning capacity. I was always quite sharp but not to ‘genius’ extents. I was smart. It was an irrefutable fact. But the emphasis was always on my deductive capabilities, my planning, my logical reasoning, analysing and the like.

 The way I was deciphering things now, it was phenomenal. I shouldn’t have been able to grasp a new language faster than a normal baby or take leaps of deductions the way I did now. It should not be possible to compartmentalize my mind, memories; past and new, recalling nearly forgotten things, making sense of almost indecipherable things that were lost the way I did.

 At first, I thought it was due to chakra. It might have been one of the reasons but not the main one.

Genetics played a weird role in this world. Chakra scrambled it up. Orochimaru’s experiments proved that. I was already an anomaly in the world of anomalies but my comprehension skills increasing up to this extent? It wasn’t normal in any sense.

Prodigies and Geniuses were the only two of the categories that could do that. Prodigies were beings of very high intellect and geniuses were scarily intelligent too.

 And despite the tale showing Kakashi and Itachi as prodigies and their minds working differently; Gai, Neji and most of the Rookie 9 were geniuses in their own rights.

 Sasuke and Naruto were both prodigal in their respective areas.

 Sasuke was a genius with prodigal tendencies. He worked hard and grasped things like a genius. But when it came to long term planning, he had a one track mind, which was a very dangerous weapon to both the enemy and himself. He analysed and picked out weaknesses in his enemies and manipulated people by just being himself. He had freakishly intuitive battle tactics and was methodical, precisely efficient in his techniques and weapons. He could compartmentalize when thinking about his one end goal.

Equally, Naruto was prodigal when thinking about pranks and trapping. He wasn’t exactly the type of genius Sasuke was, but rather brilliantly observant as well as street smart. He thought on his feet and was best at coming out with the last moment strategies. He was unintentionally manipulative and deeply empathetic, with the ability to make the allies and enemies alike, pause and listen, which was a fright in its own accord.

My habit of psychoanalyzing people was one of the things that stayed. And thankfully so. In this world most of the ninja’s and almost every person is either a psychologist/psychiatrist’s nightmare or wet dream; pardon my crudity. And thus being able to understand their motives and ways of thinking would prove to be very beneficial…

Regardless of that, I noticed that with my current intellect my usual levels were amplified and I got better at doing things which I couldn’t do… I don’t think one would be able to consider me a prodigy, or a genius; rather tethering between the edge, as always… Please, I wasn’t any of the above, with my adult way of thinking and mentality belonging to a different world. The normal problems prodigies faced that included social retardation and emotionally stunted growth wouldn’t apply to me…I had more than enough problems of my own…

Adapting would be difficult… This world’s way of thinking and their definition of the ordinary was completely out of whack. And I haven’t even seen it properly yet!

The arrival of a tightly leashed chakra, flickering into soothing familiarity, washed over me, causing my inner rambling to die down.

Perking up from my spot I watched the window. There was a masked individual entering through it. ANBU’s had a weird habit of entering and exiting through windows.

Naruto squealed and Genma let out a huff. I watched bemused as the individual’s mask was revealed… Speak of the devil or rather, think about the devil and he shall appear…

“Hound…” Genma greeted cautiously.

He didn’t respond and started slapping papers around the room with flickers of his chakra. It was fascinating to watch and feel. If I concentrated hard enough I could feel flashes of his light coloured chakra like sparks going off. Too absorbed in watching him I didn’t notice two very strong chakra signatures until the door was opened.

Turning wide eyed towards the door, I saw as two men enter. ‘The Professor’ and ‘The Toad Sage’ looked like two harmless old men but their chakra and the steel behind their eyes told a contradictory tale.

Narrowing my eyes, I shifted my head so that Naruto was in the direct line of my vision. This visit didn’t bode well. Genma’s reaction was enough to convey that this was an unexpected visit as he stiffened in respect. As was Raido’s grim countenance as he followed in after them. I couldn’t feel Raido coming due to the two powerful chakras’ masking his. Hatake Kakashi slapping seals in the entire room whereas he should’ve been in a mind numbing ANBU frenzy was yet another factor that made me squirm.

“Hokage sama, Jiraiya san?” Genma questioned as Kakashi and Raido stood beside him.

“At ease…” came Sarutobi Hiruzen’s calm voice.

Jiraiya sighed looking weary, “So these are my godchildren? Look at them, near replicas of their parents. It is a good thing that Minato and Kushina constructed, what they did…”

The Hokage elaborated, “Yes… Kakashi Hatake, Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raido, you three were personal guards to the previous Lord Hokage. Your position made you privy to, two of the S-Class secrets existing in our village. The first being that Uzumaki Naruto is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, the second that the children you are guarding are the legacies of ‘The Yellow Flash’ and the ‘Red Hot-Blooded Habanero’. The aforementioned were very high profile and thus have many enemies that’d wish to harm their children.”

The Hokage breathed, “What you aren’t aware is that you will be holding one more S-Class secret with you, today. Hatake Kakashi, that was the reason why you were asked to put Jiraiya’s most effective privacy seals all around. Though the villagers are aware that Uzumaki Naruto is a jinchuuriki, none of them is aware that the blood of the Uzumaki clan flows through him. They and most of the village, barring the most trusted elites think that it was a name given in honour of being a jinchuuriki.

 Similarly, none of them is aware that he has a sibling. Which brings me back to my point, Uzumaki Nagisa.

With them both looking replicas of their parents we would be hard tried to pass it off as coincidence and people will become aware of their heritage. We cannot have that.

And that is why no one, except the ones present in this room, the orphanage matron and Nagisa’s and Naruto’s godmothers’ know how she looks like.

Naruto’s godmother, Uchiha Mikoto has signed in blood, the sealed contract that doesn’t allow her to disclose Nagisa’s existence and thus keeping her safe. The exceptions are her children, which we couldn’t find any other way out, as they were the godbrothers of Nagisa’s twin brother and held their mother’s blood in them.

Likewise, the orphanage matron has been diagnosed with ‘Total colour blindness’ or ‘Colour vision deficiency’, a disease, which doesn’t let the chakra flow around the colour receptors and thus rendering her incapable of seeing colours the way a normal person does. She doesn’t have any idea what is the actual colouring of any of their features.

We cannot hide the presence of Uzumaki Nagisa. Her unique colouring makes her easily identifiable as an Uzumaki. And my successor and his wife were well aware of the trouble that it would cause. Thus they designed a seal.”

Jiaraiya continued, “When they became aware that they were having twins, they knew the probability of having a child with the distinctive Uzumaki hair colouring, would be high. So in order to save their children the grief and constant paranoia that Kushina felt; they made a seal, which would affect the appearance. It won’t be an illusion.  Nor would it alter the features for life.”

Jiraiya started pacing, “The seal is based on the principle that involves the gene characteristics of the body. Specifically the hair colour. From what they researched, they found that the Uzumaki hair colour is a dominant gene. It generally overshadows all other hair colours. That was how they knew that at least one of their children was going to be born with the same. So taking proper precautions they worked around it.”

Hiruzen explained, “To minimize the risk they heavily collaborated with a medic nin. Senju Tsunade was the medic nin who overlooked it. She couldn’t refuse the direct order of the Hokage. Being a distant relative of Kushina’s from her grandmother’s side and her help in fool-proofing the seal is what made her Nagisa’s godmother. Her only condition was that she would never step a foot in the village again; even for the birth of her goddaughter. All their discussions were held just after Kushina knew she would birth twins. They usually met in Jiraiya’s hideouts and various different locations nearby Konoha. I am afraid the demise of Minato and Kushina has driven Tsunade further into her grief…”

“It is not only her who was affected, sensei…” Jiraiya laughed bitterly.

The Hokage removed his hat looking worn and old. “I am well aware of that Jiraiya. We think that must be one of the reasons why instead of sealing the Yin half of the Kyuubi in Nagisa it was sealed in Minato itself. Though that we cannot be sure of. After all, it might be a price that one needs to pay for summoning the Shinigami. It is possible that the Yin half of the chakra was meant to pacify the being. After all whatever knowledge we gained about ‘The Reaper Death Seal’ and Naruto’s seal, was from the seal itself and Minato’s notes…”

Jiraiya mourned, “I know that sensei. But it is difficult! Minato and Kushina entrusted me to their legacies and I cannot even check up on them regularly; in person so as to not let wrong people get the wind of it.

My godson being used as village’s weapon. Caging the most fearsome beast that was the cause of his own parents’ deaths! And my goddaughter, the successor to one of the most ancient legacies of one of the most powerful clans! After all, the ‘kekkai genkai’ or the ‘special Uzumaki chakra chains’ that are said to have the power to cage even the tailed beasts, are maternally inherited! Kushina being the last ‘Whirpool Princess’ passed on a heavy legacy on her daughter's shoulder too! I cannot even protect them, from what they would have to face, what they are.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes shadowed, “We must do what we must. There’s no other way to it. You know that as well as I do, Jiraiya. The least you can do is hide Nagisa under the radar with that seal. And you would always have information about them from your spy-network and me. As for being an absentee godfather, you realize that you cannot put their existence in jeopardy. Moreover, enough. It is time to place the seal on her.”

Jiraiya’s face took on an unreadable look as I was picked up by Genma and spread over on a mat. Naruto watched silently in Kakashi’s arms. Raido was stiff as a board.

I could do nothing but comprehend the words spoken, even as Jiraiya took out a brush and began to paint, what seemed like artistic designs, all over my lower abdomen.

It continued for a long time. Naruto hadn’t made a sound. Perhaps he understood instinctively that whatever was being done was important to me, for me because he would never, ever put me in harm’s way.

I was blank even as after what seemed like forever Jiraiya stopped his work. There was a pulse of chakra as I gazed up into Jiraiya’s sorrowful eyes and everything faded into oblivion…