4 A Reality Check I Never Asked For
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
- Author Note Start-
Here's another chapter! Did I say 3 days till the next chapter? Well, Get used to it. Because I lie! A lot! The next chapter comes out in 4 days :D.
It's a short chapter by the way.
The next one's longer of course.
Anyways, I'm interested in how you guys are interpreting the MC according to my writing. I'm curious if you guys are getting the interpretation I'm trying to convey here. And whether or not you like him as of now. This feedback is important so I'll know whether I'm writing him correctly/incorrectly and I can adjust accordingly.
Thanks for reading and hope you have a fantastic day! And... Enjoy!
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-Author note end-
-Story Start-
-6 Months And 1 Day Post Birth-
It's currently evening, about to transition to nighttime. Or so my internal clock estimates. I am a bit far from the window, if I stand up I might be able to look at it. However! I'm currently laying down rather comfortably I should say, and I sure as hell ain't going through the endeavor of trying to stand up to take a look at the window!
As you can tell, I'm currently located in my home base. The Baby Pen.
Onto The Akira Baby Status Report!
So, it's been exactly half a year since my rebirth. April 9th is my birthday if you were curious!
We were just done celebrating my half-year birthday.
Why is the celebration a day late? Well, Dad was busy taking care of a few fawns that were rescued from the outskirts of the Land Of Fire. Or far away in dumber terms. Yes, my Dad works at the Nara Deer Nursery. That's where my parents met by the way. They like to babble about it on and on to each other. It gets annoying sometimes I admit.
By the by, A recognizable face did appear! Shikaku arrived to congratulate me on a happy birthday! He looks considerably younger than I remembered him. So that gives me some hope! But what really cemented it and confirmed my timeline officially was the fact that his wife was missing from the celebration because her son was recently born. Translation... Shikamaru's a little younger than me. Other than that, Shikaku's a pretty chill dude, gave me a deer plushie, and left me to play with it alone. He is known to be lazy, isn't he? In retaliation, I took out the deer's eyes in front of him just to spite him. The bewildered look he had was worth the trouble! He didn't stay for long though, said something about having to stand in for the Hokage as he was busy with something. None of my business anyways.
All in all, Terribly convenient for me to have been born in the exact same generation as the Naruto gang. But that might be a bad thing as well... I'll get to contemplating that information later.
On the topic of half-year birthday celebration.
It's an odd custom to be sure, back on Earth once a year was sufficient. Or is it something you exclusively have when you're a baby here? Weird thoughts aside, I've been doing much much better! My crawling has improved, for one.
The month following what I'd consider a turning point in both my and my mother's relationship took place. Genuinely improved the atmosphere at home! Even my aloof Dad seemed to notice it as well!
Mother's loving smiles are much more genuine these days! More than usual! It's impressive how immaculate her act was. Makes me feel inferior in regards to my own failed acting.
Truthfully, back then I couldn't find myself to blame her, not one bit. She was right. I am an anomaly. What astounds me, is that she managed to accept that fact and still decide to try and treat me with love. And that right there, is what made me see her as a genuine person and accept her as my mother.
I have a confession to make. As you may have noticed. It's been hard for me to see my parents as literal people, besides the whole parenting thing.
I know this world as a fictional story. I promised myself back on Earth when I watched all those Isekai anime or fanfiction, that were I to find myself in the position of "Reincarnated". I'd treat the people in that fictional world as genuine individuals. With their own thoughts, emotions, dreams, and so on.
Easier said than done, I repeat this in my head over and over. But I, in what appears to be arrogance, see myself as ABOVE them. For the sole reason of being Reincarnated in an allegedly fictional world.
It's this sort of annoying bias, it seems almost automatic, instinctual. not in a selfish way. but in a genuine unbridled arrogance kind of way. As if I'm a different species entirely. A superior one. One that controls their fate due to my... Outside knowledge, which isn't even complete knowledge in itself.
And that... Disgusts me. I know it's wrong, and I'm working on it. My mother is the first step.
With that inner crisis out of the way
It's rather unfortunate I can't walk! It's one of the extremely rare cases that my parents aren't home at night. I could have explored around! Fucked around! Some fun shit! Laying down with my thoughts is something I'm used to, but even I have my limits!
Where did they go?
To Drink. Apparently.
Look, I don't judge.
But, there's this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something. It's been happening time and time again ever since I was reincarnated and it's beyond frustrating. I try to ignore that feeling, as that is the wiser decision. If I actually attempt to remember, it's just a pointless waste of time, effort, and nerves.
This time though, this nagging feeling has reached a record high.
For good reason...
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" A titanic roar, one which has no equal to anything I've ever heard or experienced in any of my lives echoed from afar. A pure sense of dread and malevolence enveloped my body.
A crushing force, choking me as my mind goes into overdrive in an attempt to decipher what is going on. And how I can save myself
'W-What in the world? Is this K-Killing Intent...Hard T-To Breath... Nine T-Tails...'
"A-Akira!" A muffled voice of concern is heard. As it picks up Akira's suffocating figure.
'Who's - C-Calling - Me?' My own voice in my thoughts becomes muffled, as I feel my consciousness slipping. As my brain shuts down to defend itself from further damage caused by... The Nine Tails.
-Time Skip-
I begin to awaken, as I blink my eyes open in exhaustion, as a result of involuntarily being put to sleep.
Urgh, god where am I?
I look up and see a bright light and ceiling.
Unfamiliar ceiling. Okay.
I turn my toddler head to the sides and see...
Of course, I'm in a baby pen... Besides that, I seem to be in a hospital.
Why?
I begin to speculate as to my reasons for being there. Then recalling what happened before I lost consciousness.
Oh no... The Nine Tails... How could I have forgotten? October 10th... Is Naruto's birthday and also the date when the Nine Tails is released.
How could I have not foreseen this? Knowing, Shikamaru was only just born, it should have been easy to piece together that the Nine Tails attack was a future event and not a past event. Why was I so certain I'd be younger than Naruto? Baseless conclusions really...
Grgh... Idiot!
*Smack* I smack myself at the idiocy.
Ouch. Damn it.
But... Even if I knew what was about to happen. Would I have even been able to do anything about it.
No. I wouldn't have been able to do anything.
Then what's the point of agonizing over it?!
I'm just going around in circles now... I want to tear my nonexistent hair out...
I-I just hope my parents came out of it alive.
It'd be too cliche if they didn't. Too cruel. I don't need any character development. I'm completely fine as I am. They don't deserve it. Even if they are side characters. They live, breathe, dream, work, and affect the world.
Don't die.
Please...
-Time Skip-
After an hour of agonizing and worrying about my parent's safety.
Hoping they'll arrive to get me out of here, telling me about how they were lucky to not have been caught in the Nine-Tails attack.
A sound emanates from across the room
*CREAK* I hear the hospital room door open
At that, I jump to a sitting position at record speed so I can take a look at the new arrivals. Hoping it's my parents.
However, my expectation is shattered once again by reality.
As my eyes are met with a rather familiar-looking woman, who is walking beside who I suspect is my doctor, an individual with the usual white coat.
She has long, dark brown hair, fair skin, and dark eyes that are met with mine.
"Hey Akira, I'll be taking you home now. Okay?" She says with a gentle and pained smile, as she moves over to pick me up from my pen. And that was all I needed to hear to confirm my worst fears.
No...
That's...That's wrong. There's no way, right?
*GRAB* She lifts me up and walks towards the doctor.
"You sure he's fine doctor?" She repeats the doctor's conclusion at Akira's test results with skepticism.
It's too cruel, isn't it? I beg of you to tell me I'm wrong. That this is all a bad dream. They are just busy with the aftermath of the attack, they couldn't make it to check on their baby son in the hospital. Right?
"He is completely fine Lady Nara. But I'll admit he surprised us, his mental recovery at the Kyuubi's killing intent is comparable to an adult civilian. It's astounding, to be honest." The doctor repeated with wonder as he nodded.
What's the point of me being reborn? If you were to take my guardians and new parents so early? What did I do to deserve this? WHAT DID THEY DO?!
"Even my Shika nearly died... Hikari and Aren... It's just too much" She whispers with a lowered head, proceeding to shake her head to compose herself flashing the doctor a weak and yet resolved smile.
J-Just when I started to love them... To accept them as my parents.
Could I have saved them if I knew about the Nine-Tails attack? Isn't it better that I was ignorant? Better weak and ignorant than knowledgable and helpless. Pathetic excuses...
Oh god... Why did this happen? Why tragedy? If it is inevitable, why so soon After I lost my first family? Why take my 2nd away instantly?
Is this... how it feels when your close ones die?
I hate this feeling... I want to tear my heart out of my chest. It hurts...
"Thanks for taking care of him, I'll be taking him now-"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAH" "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" I burst out crying.
And I continued to do so on the way to the home of the lady who took me.
My weeping never truly ended that day. Not even when my tear glands were dry.
A cruel reality check, that I never asked for. No one asked for it. The cruelty of reality managed to tear me a new one. Not even a year into my reincarnation.
To be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
How'd I do? Leave some feedback! I respond promise! I apologize if things are slow and there's no action. It'll be a little while before that happens. Reincarnation and all, he cant be fighting as a baby. Kakashi is an exception lol. But any form of actual action will appear at the start of the Academy arc. So don't worry!
So... Yeah. Akira's parents are dead. In a 6 month period after his first death, they've managed to leave quite an impression on him, so his reaction makes sense. Quite generic I know. But there is a purpose behind this for Akira's character overall. As he suggested beforehand this truly does function as character development. Cruel of me, I know! The Kyuubi attack was a future event, while Akira was almost certain it already happened. So yup. Just when things were going Akira's way, reality gives him a big slap to the face.
We'll be having a big time skip here!
It'll be Akira as a 4-Year-old for a chapter or 2.
Then we'll be getting to the Academy Arc!
Though I am aware I have a problem juggling and working with pacing.
My major problem is how I can develop character relationships, bonds, and arcs and for you readers to care/show interest in those characters.
I'm almost certain none of you are interested in there being a needlessly long Childhood arc.
As such I'll try to compact the stuff into 2 chapters before the Academy arc.
Academy arc though... I wonder how'll I do a rather important 6-year period in a short time.
I'd honestly rather take my time with the Academy Arc. All things considered, I see it as important.
But you readers decide! I listen to all your suggestions! No promises on implementing but I do listen!
Any questions, reviews, suggestions, or feedback would be appreciated! (They make me a better writer for your enjoyment. *Wink* *Wink*)
I enjoy responding to you all!
Have a good day/week.
Also, watch both sides before crossing the road. It's important. Practice safety!
-Author Note End-
