The Uzumaki Clan, being descendants of Asura Ōtsutsuki, possessed a fascinating kekkei genkai, longevity, and vast chakra reserves that were passed down to a whole array of people. Including me.
The first year of my life was filled with shock and disbelief. Believing in reincarnation and rebirth is one thing; experiencing the full brunt of death and being born anew is quite another.
In my fifty-something years of life on Earth, I had seen a lot.
The death of my wife, my illness, the loss of my parents. I went through it all and survived. And there, on my deathbed, when the pain throughout my body had become familiar, I thought that was it. Peace and bliss. Finally.
I closed my eyes.
And how great was my surprise when I opened them again. Only, instead of the familiar hospital ward of recent years, I saw a wooden structure surrounding me like a cage, but with an open top, and a massive room, as if I had awakened in a house of giants. The transition was instantaneous.
All I could see was a wooden ceiling, and my eyes felt as though they were covered in a haze. My movements were restricted by something tight, and my body was weak. If I were younger, I would have panicked—knowing myself at twenty, I was very emotional. But now, having lived through more, I simply fell into a stupor. My thoughts flowed sluggishly.
Subjectively, after a few dozen minutes, I heard footsteps, and something red entered my field of vision. I had to focus my eyes.
And that's when I realized I was in deep trouble. The pain in my eyes and throughout my body played no small role in my loss of consciousness. The last thing I saw clearly was the panicked gaze of a young red-haired girl.
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Third-Person Perspective (One Month After the Transition)
Akihika Uzumaki, as always, was spending time with the child whose life was unique. The poor child evoked pity; knowing the fate of the clan's weapon, she felt sick at how he was treated and how he would be treated. Constant tests and experiments... The clan's scientists, of course, were as shocked as Akihika by the awakening of his chakra and kekkei genkai. Such a sudden awakening of chakra had damaged both the child's body and mind. That's what they concluded when the child showed no activity, paid no attention to people, and stopped crying, though before that, he had been very curious and cried constantly. Akihika's heart bled for him.
But the Clan Head's orders were as clear as day. For the first few years, she would raise the child, and then, at the age of five, training would begin, and he would be taken away. Of course, the chakra awakening had introduced some adjustments, but by the second year of his life, she thought she might be able to take the child outside. For now, this child was just a cute black-haired bundle, no different from any other. But in a few years, his life would change.
In these difficult times, the clan needed strength, no matter the cost. Akihika only regretted that the child was an orphan. Perhaps if the elder's son were alive, his fate would have been different.
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Third-Person Perspective (One Year After the Transition)
"Head, the child is fine and in good health." In the house where the Uzumaki Clan Head resided, an elderly voice rang out. At that moment, two gray-haired men sat at a low table, awaiting lunch, with only two cups of green tea adorning the wait. Ashina Uzumaki, an elderly man with long gray hair, a bushy mustache, and a small beard, usually didn't allow subordinates into his home, receiving them in his office where the clan's administrative apparatus was located. But the topic of conversation and the interlocutor were special.
Across from the Clan Head sat, legs tucked under, one of the clan's elders—a longtime friend and former rival for the leadership position, though that was in the past. The gray-haired man had a short haircut and a clean-shaven face. His voice was stern and low. He towered over Ashina by nearly a head. A warrior of the Uzumaki Clan, he was old but had not lost his strength.
"What's the verdict, Setsuna?" Ashina disliked long conversations with his inner circle and demanded only detailed answers to questions. He sipped his tea and prepared to listen.
"The child has awakened the clan's kekkei genkai. My workers couldn't determine why he was able to do so at such a young age or what the catalysts were, but the results are clear. The cursed eyes awakened and nearly destroyed his entire chakra pathway system. Being half-Uzumaki, his body healed, but medical intervention was required to artificially thicken his chakra pathways, as chakra typically awakens in our children at three or four years old. I had to personally observe and study this case. It took a year for all the procedures. I can say with certainty that by the time training begins, his chakra reserves will be comparable to those of fourteen- or fifteen-year-old children. This is due to the awakening of the Sharingan—it strains the child's chakra pathways even in a passive state. If he actively uses chakra, he'll simply destroy his chakra system. I've placed a seal on him, but it's only a temporary measure; it'll last for a year before his chakra and natural defenses wash it away. I'll assign one of my subordinates to him; she'll monitor his health and upbringing and prohibit him from using chakra."
Standing nearly two meters tall with the gaze of a killer, Setsuna Uzumaki, who had lived under the sky for a hundred and fifty years, oversaw the clan's scientific and medical department. And that wasn't the limit of an Uzumaki's lifespan. The greater the chakra reserves, the longer an Uzumaki could live. The Clan Head's grandfather had lived during a time when Asura, the son of the Sage and one of the clan's founders, still walked the Earth.
Hearing this assessment, Ashina gave a faint smile.
"Your grandson will be another pillar for the clan's prosperity, Setsuna. Isn't that a reason for pride?"
Setsuna only grimaced at these words and responded in his usual harsh tone.
"Cursed child." After a sip, he continued. "The child of a weak idiot who left behind only a few scrolls and a kid."
The grief had long passed, leaving only bitterness on his tongue and rage. Setsuna had lost too many to be compassionate toward the child of a cursed clan.
The Uchiha were never known for showing mercy to their enemies, especially if they had disgraced their main family. And the child of a rapist was yet another target for the assassins of the cursed clan.
---
The anime, based on the works of the Japanese author Kishimoto, I perceived as a more childish view of the world. Though it had its cruel moments, Naruto and his influence overshadowed them. Talking an opponent into surrendering might work in a fairy tale.
The real world was far harsher. Especially in a world of assassins and ninja.
Knowing the main points of this story, I tried to recall everything I knew in the first year of my life, using this method to cope with the shock of my reincarnation. Though I'm not sure if it can be called reincarnation when I was a month-old infant but with the knowledge of an old man. I didn't remember being born, though perhaps that's how it's supposed to be—babies don't remember their birth. But that's all sophistry.
What mattered was that, having been an ordinary human in my past life, I couldn't initially come to terms with the sensations coursing through my body, as something warm flowed within me. Chakra was something new and dangerous to me. Remembering how I lost consciousness and the pain, I tried not to touch this substance unnecessarily and simply lived like an ordinary infant. Well, as ordinary as it gets...
Different people visited me every day. Most often, it was one girl and one old man whose hair had already turned gray. This was an unusual old man who towered over others like a mountain. I wondered how old he was if the Uzumaki lived as long as they were said to in the original story. The rest of the time, people in white coats came and went. It's surprising how different worlds and their developments can be, yet white lab coats exist here too. They moved their hands over my body, emitting a green glow. I assume it was the Mystical Palm Technique or something similar. I don't know what they were doing, but my chakra responded to these manipulations. I tried not to move during those moments.
Of course, that wasn't all. Every three or four days, they drew my blood. The body I'd been given was remarkable—it managed to regenerate in such short intervals, considering I had just been born. Some devices and incomprehensible seals were drawn on me. After a few minutes, recording something, two lab coats would usually erase them, and so it went every day. Faces changed, but the experiments on my body didn't. Apparently, I had caused quite a stir, though I didn't know why. They didn't let me leave the room during this entire time. A year. It was strange treatment for a child, but I hoped it was because of that moment when I lost consciousness. Perhaps it was dangerous to let me out. They bathed me there, and different girls fed me—not just red-haired ones. There were those with black hair, blondes, and even some exotic ones with pink and green hair. But I couldn't glean any useful information, not understanding what the people around me were talking about.
I didn't know at what point in this world's history I was born, but I roughly knew that red-haired people weren't everywhere, and there weren't many of them, let alone of different genders, constantly visiting my room. I waited for the moment when I could do something to gather information. I couldn't recall anything worthwhile about the red-haired clan. The first jinchuriki, Mito, wife of Hashirama, princess of the clan; the second, Kushina Uzumaki, wife of Minato; and Naruto Uzumaki. And, of course, the art of sealing—Fuinjutsu. That's all I remembered about this clan. In the main story, they weren't prominent. Oh, and how could I forget the god—Nagato was an Uzumaki too.
An interesting time awaits me if I don't die. Literal magic flows through my body. All that's left is to learn how to use chakra.
---
Chakra is a remarkable thing. Though I was a complete novice and was strictly forbidden from touching it, even its passive effects brought a flood of emotions. I lifted weights that a child my age shouldn't have been able to lift. I ran like an athlete and ate enough for four. The Uzumaki appetite seems to be contagious.
The second year of an Uzumaki child's life was full of discoveries.
First, it turns out life doesn't revolve around four walls. The clan lived its own life, and when I was released from captivity, no one noticed me. Old, ancient houses in the Japanese style—it's unclear what era, as I never understood how people could live in wooden shacks. People of all ages and genders. I knew there were red-haired people here, but I was still surprised by their numbers. My lodging was a typical Japanese house. As for the clan's architecture, there's little to say—I wasn't taken beyond a few streets with ordinary houses. I saw a few playgrounds for children and a few training grounds for ninja. In the distance, I could see a massive palace. It seems the Clan Head lives there. Also, a few streets away, a river flowed, stretching across the island. It likely ran through the entire island.
Second, my caretaker or nanny... I'm not sure what to call her, but her name was Akihiko, as I understood. She was a fairly young girl who looked after me like a mother, though I immediately realized she wasn't my real mother. She fed, dressed, and bathed me. I wouldn't say I disliked being cared for like an old man, but I understood it was temporary while I was a child. She was a kind girl and always smiled. I don't know who assigned her to me, but I was genuinely glad for such company. Her red hair against her blue eyes looked wonderful.
Third, they began teaching me everything possible: language, history, writing. Physical exercises were disguised as games. All of this was handled by my nanny. So far, I only understood simple words like "food," "sleep," "play." I feel they considered me slow in this regard. But for me, Japanese was too complex, though a child's brain did its work. History from scrolls, calligraphy lessons—all of it gave a huge boost to learning the language.
The history, by the way, is very interesting. I don't know how it was in the anime, but here, the clan's history was clearly and precisely documented. Starting from Kaguya (surprisingly), to recent times. The origin of chakra and its creator—Ninshu of the Sage. The beginning of the Warring Clans Era—all of it was in the scrolls. I'm not sure if the locals believe all of this, but knowing the history of this world, I was able to learn a lot that I didn't know before.
My surroundings consisted solely of Akihiko. Everyone else seemed to have forgotten about me. I wondered where my parents were. It seems I ended up an orphan. But I didn't understand why I was treated this way. Of course, I could assume I was the son of someone influential, but where were the servants and the big house? Akihiko and I lived comfortably but in a small house, about seventy square meters. I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind—I could think about my relatives later. For now, I was only interested in information, any kind. This world is too dangerous, especially knowing the fate of the Uzumaki Clan—they were simply wiped off the face of the earth, and all the red-haired people were scattered to other villages.
My hunger for information was partially satisfied. I read everything I saw and everything I was given. I might not have understood half of it, but when I asked Akihiko to read to me with my big black eyes, she couldn't resist. Slowly but surely, I learned about the history of the Shinobi world. It took a few years.
Until I turned five. Then everything changed.
---
I'm already five years old, and time in this world flies by quickly, especially when you're engaged in something interesting. Learning opened up to me from a rather fascinating perspective. Much, though not everything, became easier to grasp. The local philosophy of death was alien to me, but I had to get used to it. I still have to live here.
As usual, we had lunch with my nanny, and I started clearing the table. Akihiko, as she thought, was starting to teach me to be independent. I'd argue about who's the messier one, but she wouldn't understand me. After clearing the dishes, I went to our room where I was taught. A plain room with tatami mats and a table in the middle. Sitting down, I began to think about everything while waiting for Akihiko. She said she'd be back soon; she needed new textbooks that someone was providing her.
Over the past three years, as I started receiving some information and limited freedom of movement, I roughly figured out at what point in time I ended up in this world.
Mito doesn't exist—that's the main reference point for me. Finding this out was fairly easy: I simply asked Akihiko to tell me about the Clan Head's family. I knew she was a princess of the clan, and I used that as my starting point. One of two things: either this isn't the world I know, or I was born before her by some amount of time. I hope it's the latter. It would be easier to live with knowledge of future events.
Ashina Uzumaki was the father of three children who held various positions. The eldest, Tokuma, was responsible for the clan's defense and had three children: Akita, Haruto, and Tatsuma. The middle child, Yakumo, was a master of barriers and had no children, or I wasn't told everything. The youngest, Minari, recently married; perhaps in a year or two, I'll learn the name of his child. He dealt with seals for sale and was a merchant. That's the Clan Head's entire family. All I have to do is keep an eye on the newlyweds and wait for news.
My language skills have become quite good. I could hold a conversation with Akihiko and understand the entire text of the scrolls without begging her to read to me. I think she breathed a sigh of relief when she no longer had to read everything aloud to me. Overall, nothing in my life has changed. I was still restricted to a few streets for walks. One playground for children, which had no children, and the river I watched. Interaction with anyone other than Akihiko wasn't worth mentioning. I wasn't forbidden from talking, of course, but my questions apparently annoyed everyone around me, and conversations with other clan members quickly ended. I genuinely didn't understand what was happening or why I lived like this. It was as if I were an animal confined within four walls, limited to a few streets. I wanted to scream and shout, but I understood there was no point.
Once, when I tried to escape, Akihiko simply restrained me and said only that I couldn't leave far from this damned house until I was five. When I asked "why?" she curtly replied, "The elder's orders."
Which elder and why such an order, I didn't understand. All I could do was wait.
And now, a few days after I turned five, it seems no one was planning to explain anything to me. I had to come up with something. I didn't want to live another few years like this.
Lost in thoughts about life, I didn't notice the creak of the sliding wooden doors. I realized it wasn't Akihiko when a massive shadow fell over my face.
The old man towered over me like a mountain, and he was a mountain, probably close to two meters tall. He silently stared at me, as if expecting something. I, meanwhile, was trying to recall where I'd seen him.
"Hm… You're that old man who was with Akihiko when I awakened my chakra, aren't you?"
Yes, it was rather rude to address a stranger like that, but I deliberately threw out those words to gauge his reaction.
"Rude," was the last thing I heard. It seems I was knocked out.
---
"Akihiko, you didn't mention you raised a rude kid," Setsuna, who had recently returned to the clan, was displeased as he looked at the black-haired boy. After a few seconds of silence, he turned to his subordinate.
She couldn't say anything and only quietly dropped to one knee, placing her fist on the floor.
"It's my fault, Elder. I await punishment," Setsuna gave her a measuring look and merely waved his hand.
"I've read the reports, girl, and I know this brat's behavior isn't entirely childish. Perhaps someone was trying to provoke me into giving answers. Heh, interesting."
Setsuna turned back to the boy and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"I'm taking him. Training starts today. Wait for him."
With that final word, he vanished from the room.
Akihiko, still on her knees, could only whisper:
"I'm sorry, Okami."
A lone tear fell to the floor.
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