The Hero Problem.
Her second year of life passed among her parents, grandfather, uncle Kaito, Mirio, and...a nanny. Apparently, the year of parental leave her parents applied for in their respective jobs had finished, and they needed to go back to work. She wasn't surprised because of that but because of their jobs. Her mother is a prison teacher and her father is a psychologist on the same jail. They were clearly really badass if they worked in a place like that. That means they are courageous civilians, and that scares her. What if something happened to them? Criminals are dangerous and unpredictable. And why did they even need to reform criminals? Unless they were war prisoners there wasn't even a reason to keep them alive. She needs to remind herself that this is a different culture from where she comes from, and swallow her fear and disgust with the situation.
Anyway, the nanny. She is...nice? The girl is a teenager that takes her job very seriously, but Chieko never realized how blessed she was with her parents until she knew Ichika. The teenager talks to her as a baby and doesn't recognize her intelligence like her parents do. It's stressful, but she doesn't ask for a change because she doesn't want to cause problems for her parents. She decided to be a better daughter, and that's what she will do.
When her parents are home, they let her use a technology called 'cell phone' and 'computer', in which she reads almost anything she wants to. At first she couldn't decide if it was safe to look even more intelligent 'learning' to read almost immediately, but she was getting bored doing nothing at all. She could blame everything in her 'quirk' if questions aroused. The only problem of her decision was that people here had only one power, so if she all of a sudden used chakra or her sharingan, there would be questions. Yet, she doesn't want to show all her abilities. The more cards she has hidden, the more advantage she will have if the time to use then comes, but there is still the problem of her unbalanced chakra...
Right. Concentrate. Technology.
Technology is amazing. Everything you want to know is in the internet, and there's nothing you can't read. The shinobi part of her says that to leave information be so freely shared could be dangerous-there's even instructions to make simple bombs-, but this is a different society, and everything is monitored by the government-democracy was an interesting idea, nothing that could have ever come around in the Elemental Nations-, so it should be okay.
After the wonders of technology, came her parents birthdays-the only thing she could give them was her love-, Mirio's 5th birthday-again, she was there, which counts for something-. Actually, there's kind of a funny anecdote including Mirio and her diction ability. So there they were, celebrating Mirio's birthday and singing 'Happy Birthday' in that weird English language-this world was so big and old that there were different languages! She will try to learn as much languages she can-, and she made a mistake, ate the r in Mirio's name and called him Miio. It wasn't that funny, but they laughed at her like if it was hilarious. Chieko accepted their laughs with the dignity of an Uchiha, and was glad her skin didn't show her emotions as easily as in her other life-where she was pale as any other Uchiha-. She wanted to stay mad, but they were having so much fun. Everyone thought she was cute, and Mirio made an adorable face when she started calling him Miio on purpose, thus the nickname stuck. Mirio's revenge was calling her 'Chi-chan', which really didn't bothered her.
Her birthday came next, and then a holiday called 'Christmas'-she really didn't understand why were they celebrating that boys birthday, but oh well, good food, her family, and presents quickly made her stop searching reasons-.
Her 3rd year of life arrived sooner than she thought. Time goes by quickly when you are enjoying life.
Chieko likes uncle Kaito. He is a good father, and an excellent role model. Yet, she doesn't think it's safe to let the hyperactive, sometimes crazy Togata Mirio walk in front of them, alone.
Father and mother had work today, but Kaito-oji had the day free, so Yua decided to let her with her uncle instead of with the nanny-Hiroyuki knows everything she feels, it was obvious they knew she didn't like the baby-sitter-. They spent the majority of the morning playing games on Mirio's bedroom, but since the boy is incredibly restless, he got bored quickly and ended begging his father to take them outside.
Let's just say that Kaito needs to improve his kid control skills.
They went to the park, ate ice cream-Mirio ate too fast and got a brain freeze-, and Kaito even buyed them pinwheels.
Right now they are walking through a bridge. She is holding hands with her uncle while Mirio is walking ahead moving his pinwheel trying to find where the wind goes faster. When they get to the middle of the bridge, he does an amazed sound, and points towards the river going below them.
The river is crystal blue, the sky is clear, and there is a nice reflection of the bridge on the water. Mirio is right, it is a nice view.
And then...
"...Be careful... Mirio...!"
There's a little scared scream and a splash.
He fell!
How can she help him?
She hasn't used chakra until now and...
Miio!
What can she do?!
He is going to drown!
Mirio!
He is going to drown!
Mirio!
He is going to drown!
"* **** *** ***, *****"
S̶h̶i̶s̶u̶i̶!̶
S̶h̶i̶s̶u̶i̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶r̶o̶w̶n̶!̶
"...He is alright..."
Shisui isn't alright...
"A hero saved him..."
No one saved him...
"...Chieko-chan..."
Chieko? She's Hatsu...She's...
"Mirio is alright..."
Mirio? Mirio?
"Mirio is here, he is fine"
Right. Miio. Her cousin, her friend. He is alright. Mirio is alive.
And Shisui...Shisui has been dead some time now.
"Chieko-chan, you need to breath"
She is/was Uchiha Hatsu...
There's a wet hand on her shoulder, and a wavery, childish voice speaks to her.
"I'm fine Chi-chan. You need to breath"
...but she is also Watanabe Chieko, and she needs to live in the present.
She needs to live for the living.
She needs to breath.
"Are you mad?" Mirio's voice sounds throughout the room, and she can't help but feel a little bad. After the horrible incident during their walk, Chieko practically hid on Mirio's room. Luckily, no one had went to see her for the last two hours, but it seems Miio couldn't wait any longer.
The truth is she's ashamed of her reaction, she's a soldier, a shinobi, she's supposed to know how to deal with her problems, and yet, she broke down when she saw Mirio fall into the river. It would have been better if she had broke down after Miio was saved, but she didn't. She would have been useless anyway, but the point stood...Even if she had had the skill, she wouldn't have been able to help him.
Which leads to another problem. She is weak. She grew complacent knowing this was a more peaceful place than the Elemental Nations. Chieko thought she had time to work on her new/unbalanced/maybe damaged chakra network, but the fact is that killers, enemy soldiers, and wars aren't the only dangers in the world.
"Chi-chan?...I know you told me to be careful many times before. I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry you, but I'm fine now..."
"I'm not mad" she's just trying to reorganize her future plans, and find a way to control her emotions so her father doesn't freak out when she feels them. "I was just really worried about you, so be more careful, and don't..." a strong hug shuts her up and throws her on the floor with a crying blonde boy on top of her.
She answers his hug with the same strength, and does her best to comfort him. Mirio tells her how scared he was when he fell, how awesome was the hero who saved him, how afraid he was when he saw struggling with breathing. He also admits he wanted to come and see her right away, but his father wouldn't let him, saying that she needed a little of space-Keita's decision would be odd if she was a normal child, but she isn't, and she's grateful her uncle understands that-.
Chieko hears him out patiently and cleans his tears with a little smile on her face.
She's glad he is alive...
"...and I decided I want to be a hero. I want to help people too!"
...but he doesn't seem to want to keep himself that way.
Her displeasure must be clear on her face because now she has two puppy eyes looking at her confusedly.
"You don't want me to?" she knows her opinion matters a lot to him, not only because they are friends but because he knows she's very smart-compared to a real child. Experience gives her an unfair advantage-.
She chooses her words carefully and focuses them on trying to dissuade him.
"Hero work is very dangerous, you could get hurt..."
"Then I will train a lot, so no one can hurt me!"
"It's impossible to prepare to every situation..."
"I will study lots too, so I will be prepared!"
"Your quirk..."
"Right! With my quirk they won't even be able to hurt me"
"Mirio..."
"Chi-chan...Don't you want me to help others?"
"There are plenty of heroes out there who can do that"
Chieko tried to counter each of his arguments in a logical and easy way to understand. She didn't raise her voice and tried to maintain the peace throughout the talk, but Mirio is a child, he grew frustrated and his words became shouts.
"Why can't you just agree with me?! You are so mean, Chieko!" his face was a little red and his cheeks were puffed up in an angry gesture. "I hate you!"
This little...!
"Is something wrong?" her father's concerned face showed up on the door, and she could see her mother and Keita behind him.
Chieko was growing frustrated too, and the thought that maybe the adults could beat some sense into Mirio made Chieko's mouth speak exactly what she was thinking.
"Mirio is being stupid! He is going to get himself killed!" she realized her mistake when her words had already leaved her mouth. Those weren't the words of a child.
She had been so careful, saying only things she considered safe for a child to know, avoiding bad words-people around her didn't use them, so she shouldn't know them- and themes that would be odd for even a genius child to understand-like death-. Chieko had feigned perfect innocence and childishness, and now, when she was really being childish-with her outburst of little thought words-, she had ruined it.
"Now. Why don't we all talk about what happened earlier?" says Hiroyuki with his most soft voice. We are all sitting in the living room floor. Chieko is between her father and mother, and Mirio is between his father and her mother. "Mirio-kun, if you could tell us why were you fighting"
"Chieko was being mean!" Mirio shouts immediately "I told her I want to be a hero and she started saying that I shouldn't do it" Hiroyuki hums thoughtfully, and then asks Keita if something happened before they arrived. Keita gives a summary of the events, and of course, tells them she had a panic attack-Chieko sees her parents tense, and she knows this will require another talk-.
"Why do you think Chieko-chan was scared when you fell son?" Keita's words seem to confuse Mirio, but he answers anyway.
"Because she thought I got hurt" the finality of his words make Keita smile, but he and every adult on the room know that's only partially true. Her uncle looks a little insecure, but when he decides to speak, he does it with confidence.
"Do you remember your kaachan?" Mirio doesn't seem to understand where the theme comes from, but Keita's sad tone makes him forget his anger.
"Yeah, you told me she was really sick and couldn't continue living with us, so she went to the sky and takes care of us from there"
"Do you remember how were you feeling when I told you she wouldn't come home?" Her uncle's voice breaks through half the sentence, but then continues as if nothing happened.
"I was really sad...but it's okay, right? 'Cause kaachan is looking out for us from the sky!" This boy couldn't be more cute even if he tried, but he's not getting the point. Hiroyuki feels her frustration and picks her up and puts her on her mother's arms-everyone knows Yua gives the best hugs-.
"But you were still sad. And we miss her, right?"
"Yes..."
"That's how Chieko felt earlier. She thought she wouldn't see you again..."
"But I'm not sick!" Mirio's stubbornness shows up once more.
"People don't always leave us because of sickness. If someone hurts physically another person really really bad that person could die too...just like your kaasan" the boy stood there, thinking about what his father told him.
"So...Chi-chan...you thought I was going to leave you forever. That's why you were afraid..." she nods. "...but why don't you want me to be a hero?"
She already blew up her cover, may as well be as direct as possible.
"Heroes die all the time, and I don't want you to die" she looks at him with the most serious and stern face her infant body can do.
"And that's where you are wrong Chieko" Yua's voice surprises everyone.
"I'm not wrong. In fact, why are all of you supporting him?! He would leave you too if he..."
"Chieko" Yua doesn't raise her voice, but her tone makes her shut up immediately. The woman turns her around and looks straight at her. Black and blue collide, then her gaze softens, and she speaks. "You are very intelligent and mature, Chieko. We don't know how, but you already know how dangerous the world is. Yet, you don't seem to realize that no matter what, we all could..." she looks at Mirio, then at Keita as if asking for permission "...we all could die at any moment. The world is that unpredictable, and taking that into account, we can't retain our loved ones just because we are afraid for their safety"
"He can choose a safer job" it's annoying to know that she's just being silly now, but she can, they can convince Mirio to change his choice, and it should be easier now that he's a child.
"I think she understands, " Hiroyuki gets her out of her thoughts, and gives her a knowing, amused look "but she's so bullheaded that she won't accept it, and that's okay. The point stands though, you can't force others to do what you want them to. Okay?" Chieko releases a totally strained "Okay".
Well...she has a lot of time until Miio turns 15, which means she has a lot of time to stray him away from the hero path.
When a wave of determination fills her, her father chuckles.