It wasn’t born into the world in any meaningful manner. There was no Boom, no screams of pain- no, nothing of the sort. It was born in the way It assumes most beings similar to It are; slowly.
At first It is nothing. Or, nothing of note, to be completely honest. How could It? It was not born from the left over chakra of the dead on battle fields. Nor was It born in a place where an inordinate amount of chakra was being used. For all intents and purposes, It was probably one of the weakest things on the island It was born onto.
That didn’t bother It though, It was still too young to be considered a worthfull meal by others like It.
Too young. Too weak. Not even a solid form.
Worthless.
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It spent It’s days wandering, shambling and gliding around in forms It found intriguing.
It spent Its days watching, waiting, and feeling.
There was little else for It to do.
It was a riveting existence for one so young, and yet….
And Yet.
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One day, while It was observing the things under the water in a small pool of water, it appeared. It was like nothing It had ever seen before, red hair, two legs, dark skin.
It was…Intrigued. It had never before seen this thing, only heard about it from the whispers of others like It.
What was the thing called again?…. Hooma? No, no…. Muan? Absolutely not.
Hmm…
Human?
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It followed the…Human…. All the way to a place filled with others like it, but It stopped on the edge. It may be curious, but It knows better than to go onto other’s territory without permission.
With a grumble that rippled It’s body, It turned and bounded into the underbrush. Maybe It’ll see another, someday.
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Many suns have passed, It is no longer as young as It once was-
And It still has no set form.
It doesn’t quite want one, there are so many different forms, all of them interesting in their own ways. Not to mention it makes others think It is much younger than It is.
It doesn’t mind being mistaken for young, the misconception has saved It’s life many times over.
But It is getting tired of the, ‘Don’t worry little one, you will find your form soon.’ It will Not, But its not like It’s about to tell others that.
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It has followed another Human to the village.
It does Not have a problem. Thank you very much.
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It’s talking to the chakra beast that encircles the island-it likes to be called Uzu, for some strange reason-When a human stumbles upon them. Uzu dips silently back into the water it came from while It stays where It was seated.
This is no normal human, it smells and feels like ’wind brushing over a raging river, a whole within a whole.’
This is a Human that It regularly follows back to the village.
The human takes a deep breath of air and asks, “Do you wish to join me in the village?”
It blinks and flicks Its tail. It isn’t used to human speak, hasn’t had enough time to practice making and forcing human vocal cords but, “Why.”
The human looks stunned for a moment and a barely visible red flush touches its ears, “Ah well, I’ve noticed that you follow me sometimes… I figured you’d like to come inside?”
It tilts Its head to one side, tilts it again, letting the thought roll around in Its mind. Finally, It stands and walks to the human. The human does not smell of anything that could be bad, and its chakra shows no sign of taint.
It tilts Its head one last time, “Hmm..Yes.” It ripples Its body to be something smaller and jumps onto the humans shoulder, ignoring the flinch and small gasp of, ‘Oh’ that the human lets out.
When the human starts walking It remembers that it forgot to ask it something very important, “Name?”
The human looks at its shoulder and smiles at It, “My name is Haruno Sakiko! What is yours?” It nods Its head, a good name for a good human.
It…. Doesn’t have one, and It doesn’t really know if it wants one either. When It tells this to the human (In fewer words) it makes a squeaking noise, “All things should have a name!… how about….. Misume?” At the face It makes the human laughs, “Okay then… how about…… Akira?”
It considers the name, if It agrees, It will be bound by this name, bound by this human that is not quite human.
“Ok”
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Its life doesn’t change much after the human- Sakiko, brings It into her village. All that really changes, is the information that It has access too.
Apparently, Sakiko is something called a child, and she shouldn’t have gone out looking for It.
The older ones said that she ’Should have let It come to you, what if It had hurt you?’ It agrees that the child should be more careful, but It wouldn’t have hurt her. Nor would It hurt any of her ‘Clan’. some of these humans don’t smell quite human, and It is Interested.
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One day, It sees a Shinobi and It is Awestruck.
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As the years went by, Sakiko grew and grew and grew until one day, It was looking at a tiny human being held within Sakiko’s arms.
They were all holding their breaths, the world was watching, waiting, Judging-
It watched as a small chakra spirit slinked closer, it was young, younger than It, but it had a solid shape and it treated It with the proper respect It deserved.
It flicked Its long tongue and loosened Its coils. This spirit would be a good fit for the young child.
The spirit impressed WarmShyThankYou- Onto It and then almost melted into the child.
The child breathed, and they all breathed with her.
Sakiko smiled, “Her name will be Mebuki.” It nodded its head, a good name for a good child.
A whole within a whole.
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As the child grows, It cannot help but be pleased, they have seamlessly become one being. It chose Mebuki’s partner wisely.
Its fondness for the child grows a tiny bit more when It ripples Its tail and pushes them into the water by the pier. It isn’t worried, Uzu wont let the child drown.
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Mebuki is older than a child, but not quite an older, and there is war.
She is sent to Konoha with a group of others to create seals for the village in the leaves. When she looks like she wants to stay, like she wants to cry. It ripples Its form into a large wolf, licks her face and says, “Please go, little one. We will be safe.”
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There is war and they Are Not Safe.
There are boats full of Shinobi surrounding their island. Uzu and the whirlpools did as much as they could, but there is only so much minor chakra spirits can do against an army of That Size.
Sakiko has never been a Shinobi a day in her life, has only ever lived in her village and the woods surrounding it, but she breathes and bathes and Lives in seals. She will not let her home fall without taking the one who felled it down with her.
There is a moment, before it all begins. A stillness. Her hands are shaking but her heart is solid, “Promise me that you’ll find her, Akira. Promise me that you will protect her.” She knows It has no choice. She is the NotQuiteHuman that gave It a name- but It knows that It would have even if she had not asked.
It makes sure to burn her image into Its head. She is a tall woman, her back is unyielding, her knees unbent.
She holds her clan symbol on her back like a shield that would protect her from even the sharpest of kunai.
In one hand she holds two explosion tags, in the other, a self inking brush.
Her hair shines in the light of the just setting sun, a shade off from just spilled wine.
Her eyes which are normally soft and light have become hard and dark.
The color of moss instead of the light emerald color they were before the war.
It does not want to leave her, It wants to be weak once again and stay by her side. It wants to fight and kill and be killed with her.
But it is Not Weak. It is not Young. Its form has not been set and It has been named by the very woman standing in front of It.
It does not answer her, but when the war drums play and the armies clash, It ripples and bristles and Runs.
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It is running and there is red all around.
Human and chakra bodies alike dead and dying on the walkways, It stops at the chakra beings, It’s form has not set, and It is not young so when a dying chakra being asks It to consume what’s left of them, It does.
Every time It does so, It looses a splinter of Itself, but It also gains a flower of another, so It does not stop. It will escape, It will be strong, and It will bring all of Uzushio that It can with It.
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It is standing at the shore and there is no where to go. For all that It has gained, It knows It will not make it past the boats by Itself.
A giant golden koi lifts its head above the waters, “Akira. I will take you.”
Uzu has never let any child of Uzushio drown, has been here sense the people have called this island home, and it is dying. The wounds on its side too deep to be anything else.
It wants to say no, wants to tell it to save themself- but.
But.
Uzu has never let a child drown, but they have always been fond of Mebuki. Mebuki who is in Konoha, and whose mother is fighting and killing and dying as they speak.
It lowers Its head and shivers and ripples and steps onto the back of Uzu.
It promised that It would find Mebuki.
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When it sees the gates of Konoha the four legged form it chose to run with nearly gives out.
There at the gates stand a small group of people, hair shades of yellows and reds and oranges and pinks.
Before it breaks the tree line it ripples and contorts and shakes until it the shape and size of a small dog. It limps forward on three legs and picks Mebuki out from the crowd.
As It gets closer, It can see the shine of her hair in the noon sun. one shade lighter than her mothers.
When she takes a step forward It stops and collapses, Its journey has been done. It found Mebuki.
As she runs and drops to her knees to pick It up, It wonders if she knew her mother was never going to leave Uzushio.
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The years pass by once again.
The war has been long over, Mebuki has found a mate, and It has still not settled into a shape. It doubts It ever will, too many differing touches of chakra for one not a major Chakra being.
It doesn’t mind. This way, it can protect Mebuki better.
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Mebuki has given birth.
Mebuki has given birth and none of the minor chakra beings in or around the village want to bond with the young Haruno. When asked they would only spit ”Jinchurriki.”
Mebuki looks terrified. It knows It should not. It has not settled and It wishes to stay with Mebuki, to take care of her daughter with her.
But It looks into her eyes and thinks of, ‘Promise me that you will protect her.’
It shifts and shivers and ripples and slithers to the babe on Mebuki’s chest, looks from Mebuki’s face to her daughters, “I promise you that she shall live.”
And It… Does not become Her. Not all the way, It has too many differing chakra touches within It, and It has never chosen a shape, but They mix together enough that it works.
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It does not see the look the look on Mebuki’s face. It does not have too.
It gives up the name Akira, and They cry.
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Mebuki names the child ‘Sakura’.
It nods It’s head in the space carved out for It. A good name for a good child.
A whole within a whole.
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It is not Her, and She is not It, But they will live and breathe and fight and kill and die together.
As They close Their eyes, It wonders if Sakiko would be proud of It.
(She is.)
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