Chapter 1
I woke up to an unfamiliar place, feeling naked and vulnerable. I tried to speak, but only heard a wailing noise. Dimly, I registered that I was the one screaming, but most of my attention was focused on the blurry shapes in front of me. It almost looked like I’d need my glasses, but the shapes were far too close for that to be true.
Someone was holding me, I noticed, someone very large. Or maybe...
Oh for fuck’s sake! I was closer than Mom to the truth of the afterlife, but really? Who in the nine hells decided to let me be self-aware as soon as I was born!? And, uh, why the fuck do I remember anything?
One person’s voice asked something in...Japanese or Chinese, sounds closer to Japanese, great, not even a Romance language I can use English to learn.
The person who responded sounded upset, almost grieving. After a few minutes of conversation as I was cleaned and swaddled, the upset man spoke at me. “Shion. Takasu Shion.”
Yep, definitely Japanese. And was that my name? Huh.
The upset man picked me up and turned to look at what I was fairly sure was a person on a bed, maybe my “mother”? “Sayonara, Hanako.” Something wet hit my cheek. He was crying. So she’s dead, then. Shit. And this guy was my “father”, I was fairly sure. I did my best to babble at him.
“Shion…” He held me tighter and left the building.
I didn’t have much awareness the first two-ish years, thank whatever deity was out there, but I managed to pick up some of the language. I didn’t speak until I knew I could, then looked at the man who was my new father. “Otou-san!” I pointed at him.
He looked at me and tears rolled down his cheeks. I tilted my head. “Otou-san sad?”
“Otou-san is happy, Shion.” He picked me up. I got my first good look at the metal plate he wore around his neck when he worked.
God. Damn. It. Fucking Naruto? Really? I don’t even remember half the damn plot! I kept a straight face through my mental screaming.
A few years of total monotony later, Otou-san took me to a cave and knelt to reach eye level with me. “Shion. This is where the Takasu clan has always awakened their Kekkai Genkai. But we can only do this if you are going to be a shinobi. You’re seven now and you’re sharp. Do you want to be a shinobi or do you not?”
I was petrified. He was asking an autistic, depressed, ADD reincarnation to become a trained killer. I was a useless person before I died, couldn’t even do college right, and now he’s asking me to be a shinobi?
“Otou-san...there’s somethin’ wrong in my head. I don’ wanna do nothin’ and can’t make myself do things anyway.” My “speech impediment,” really just an American accent, wrapped itself around my confession. “I wanna be o’ use, but I dunno if I can.”
He put his arms around me and held me tight. “I know a Yamanaka who can help with that. But do you want to be a shinobi?”
“I...I do. I wanna help people like Otou-san does!”
“Then follow me.” He led me deep into the cave and made me sit in a stone depression. “Close your eyes and think of flying. Imagine soaring through the sky like a bird, over the village and in the clouds.” I felt something shift in me.
When my eyes opened, he was much bigger. I startled and felt all the hair on my body stand straight up.
POUF!
“Skree…” Escaped my mouth. “Skweh?”
“Shion, you’re amazing. It takes longer for older people to get this far, but you did it in one try!”
I felt my cheeks burn under the strange things covering me and looked away. “Tseee…”
“Let me now explain our Kekkai Genkai. The Takasu clan died out after the last Great War, my grandfather and mother the only survivors. My mother inherited the Kekkai Genkai, and passed it on to me, who passed it on to you. Most outside and heck, even inside Konoha don’t know we have one, and we like to keep it that way.
“Our Kekkai Genkai allows each member of the clan to become a bird of prey, a hawk or falcon normally. You’re still a juvenile, but I can see your form will be large and your wings wide and strong as you get older. If you want to return to normal, just focus on it.”
I shifted back and looked at him. “What bird d’you become, Otou-san?”
His form changed and a bird stared back at me. From forays on the Web in my old life, I recognized it. A Martial Eagle, a bird with an 8-foot wingspan and a diet including black mambas.
“Pretty…”
He turned back and led me home.
The next day, he brought me with him when he left to go to work. He and I went to a building and to a room inside it. A pale blond man with blue eyes greeted Otou-san and squatted to look at me. “So this is Shion-chan?”
“Shion, this is Yamanaka Inori. He’s going to look in your head and see what’s making you have a hard time.”
I nodded and felt both me and the Yamanaka go into my head.
We landed in a thick coating of black gunk. Everywhere in my head was coated in the stuff, almost a foot thick. It clung as I tried to move.
“This is serious.” Inori said gravely. “This level of disorder is rare among anyone below age 40.”
I looked at him. “Can ya fix me?”
“That’s why I’m here.” He made some hand signs and a fire surrounded him and me, starting to burn off the muck. He had us walk around the entirety of the mindscape, clearing it to reveal a library surrounded by clockwork, with a dead tree off to one side.
A gear among the clockwork was bent, not working properly. Inori examined it. “This is representing your attention span, it seems. Do you ever get distracted?”
I looked down. “Yeah.”
“Don’t be ashamed, Shion-chan. It’s just something I have to help you with.”
“‘S jus’...m’ not normal in the head.” I clenched my fists. “I get made fun of cause I fuckin' talk funny and don’ understand tone or social stuff. But I don’ wanna lose who I am.”
“I’m only fixing your attention span, and you’re not the only one I’ve seen who doesn’t get social cues. It’s not uncommon, especially among shinobi, for people to have their own quirks.” He started to straighten out the gear. "Also, language."
When he finished we left my mindscape and woke up. Four hours had passed.
“Well, Inori?”
“It’s done. Your daughter is fine now, Hayaji. She’ll need to see me every six months or so, just to keep her mind clear.”
I felt better than I ever had in my old life. Forget trying dozens of medications that don’t ever work, my old home needed a Yamanaka. I followed Otou-san to the shinobi academy, where he got me registered. “I’ll be back after school. Have fun!”
The seven-year-old class looked at me curiously as I walked in, a week later than the standard enrollment time. I fidgeted nervously. “Go on, say your name and something about yourself.”
“I’m Takasu Shion an’ I like ta read.”
“She talks funny.” I heard a kid whisper to his neighbor.
“Takasu, you’re next to Nohara. Rin, raise your hand.”
A brunette with purple markings on her cheeks raised her right hand. I sat between her and the wall and started to swear in my head. I was going to live through the Third Great War, as a nameless shinobi, and likely die. Again.
Fuck that!
I was not dying again, not so soon. I was going to learn and be a strong shinobi, not just cannon fodder!
That resolution carried me far. I made friends with Rin after just a few weeks, then became acquainted with another familiar face in the hours before the Academy started.
A few older Uchiha were gathered around someone, shoving them around. I could hear them crying out. The older kids were laughing. They thought it was funny.
I handed Rin my bag and ducked behind a tree. Using my Kekkai Genkai, I transformed into a juvenile bird of prey, then took off, flying at the bullies to make them back off. I flapped broad brown wings in their faces and brandished sharp talons.
The bullies stumbled away, swearing. I landed and returned to human form, taking my bag from Rin.
“Shion-chan, what was that?”
“Kekkai Genkai. Hey you, ya ok?” I found myself looking at a young Uchiha Obito, goggles and all.
“That was so cool! Can you teach me how to do that?!”
I shook my head. “No. Maybe introduce yerself first? I’m Takasu Shion.”
“Uchiha Obito!” The boy chirped, falling into step with Rin and I.
As the days went on, Obito and Rin became good friends of mine, with the three of us walking to school together. After years, I began to think of Obito as a little brother. He kind of reminded me of my twin, with his affectionate demeanor. God, I missed my brother desperately.
Thankfully, both Rin and Obito tolerated my weird need for physical affection. I was glad I could get hugs without it being a freaky thing that wasn’t done.
On the day of graduation, I worried at my lower lip. I didn’t want Rin to die, or for Obito to become Tobi. But they were going to be on a team together-
“Nohara Rin, Nakamura Chitaru, and Marumi Harika, team 3.” What?
WHAT?
I scribbled something and handed it to Rin. She read it and her face turned pensive, but she nodded at me. It was a note saying that the hospital was always looking for medic-nin if her team didn’t work out.
Inori-sensei had complained of a shortage of medics recently, I remembered, and Rin was always good at first aid.
“Takasu Shion, Uchiha Obito, Team Seven. You’ll be getting your third teammate later.”
Well fuck. I’m fucked over, thanks a lot universe! Gonna get the fucking Sanbi shoved in my gut, huh? Gonna fucking have to fucking die again so I don’t kill the village? Just fucking typical.
During my little mental rant, a blond man entered the room and beckoned for us. I followed, on autopilot, to the roof. A boy with silver hair was waiting there.
“I want each of you to go around and introduce yourself. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams. I’ll go first. I’m your sensei, Namikaze Minato. I like my wife Kushina, toads, and sparring. I dislike people who belittle others. My hobby is creating new jutsus and my dream is to bring peace to the village. Goggles, you next.”
“I’m Uchiha Obito.” He set his shoulders. “I like fire jutsus and bonsai trees, I dislike bullies, and my hobby is practicing jutsus. My dream for the future is to be Hokage!”
“Fat chance.” Probably-Kakashi snorted.
Minato raised a hand. “Kakashi. Be nice.”
“What? It’s true.”
I cut in. “It ain’t! He’d be a damn better Hokage ‘n ya’d be, whitey!”
Kakashi stopped and looked at my hair pointedly. “Your hair is whiter than mine.” He deadpanned.
“Don’t make yers fuckin' not! And ‘sides, I dunno yer name.”
“I’ll go next then...whitey.”
I growled at him. Like, full-on growled. It was the closest I could get as human to an angry shriek.
“Hatake Kakashi. Likes and dislikes are none of your business, same for hobbies. My dream is to become a respected ninja.”
I crossed my arms, hiding the talons and feathers on my hands. “Yanno respect goes two damn ways right?” I sniped.
“Enough. Both of you.” Minato said firmly. “You, stop winding Kakashi up. Kakashi, she’s right about respect.”
“That’s a girl?” Kakashi faked surprise.
Just because I like the men’s uniform better…This is gonna keep fucking biting me isn’t it?
“Yes, ya blind-” I caught myself and took a deep breath. What did Inori-sensei always say about getting calm? Count to ten.
I finished the count and glared at him. “Should I introduce m’self?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m Takasu Shion. My likes are my friend Rin, my brother Obito-” Obito’s eyes widened “-and books. I dislike those who judge people without knowin’ ‘em. Also snakes. I don’ like snakes either. My hobby’s readin’ an’ my dream for th’ future is t’ make it t’ 50.”
“How is he your brother? He’s an Uchiha!” Kakashi looked very confused.
“Oh, it ain’t by blood.”
Obito put his arm around me. “We’re just almost siblings.”
Minato cleared his throat. “Alright, if we’re done here, let’s get to a training ground for some evaluations on your combat skills.”
Shit.