Chapter 3 - Farewell

White large clouds paint the blue sky. From time to time, the wind would push them to cover the morning sun. The weather is pleasant albeit freezing. In the end, I didn't wear anything warmer, out of hast someone forced into me. I only had time to put on some shoes. They a blue with open toes; Shinobi shoes.

... it made me somewhat happy. I know I shouldn't but the part that knows things isn't the same as the part that feels things.

"Raise your head or you will get dizzy," The young woman walking beside me said. And I did as I was told, looking up from my blue shoe. And exactly as she said my head was starting to feel dizzy.

It's so childish.

I dismiss it at first as my inner child raising to the surface. The anime Naruto was my favorite since childhood. I always dreamed to be a Shinobi, and even acted as such when I was alone, which is always. I did play with my hand imitating the Seals while shouting the name of a technique in a language I don't understand.

So, the excitement is somewhat understandable, when you are in a situation you've dreamed of as a child.

But it seems it's not just that.

I am an adult inside the body of a kid. The brain is that of a five or six years old. And it's affecting me. It's not just the brain either, a body has many influences on a person's character as it's the other way. Puberty is a perfect example of such an influence. Another example would be the women's special day of the month.

Simply put this body is turning me into a kid.

Of course, it's not as bad as it sounds. I'm still an adult, and I have experienced everything once upon a time. It's not easy growing up once more, but I trust I can do it... and it's not like I have a choice either.

Regardless, it's alright to feel excitements, it will soon wear off anyway. Trust me I know. For some twenty-seven years old is young, and it's true. But those are twenty-seven of hard years, they were neither cheap nor comfortable. So I know when I say this excitement will soon wear off and when it will...

"It's here." The young woman stopped and pointed at a stone laying on the ground to our left. The stone is rectangular with a diameter of about eighty centimeters. It's raised from the base ground for about twenty centimeters on the front and forty on the rear. On its forward-tilted surface words and symbols were inscribed.

A gravestone.

"Listen, brat," the black-haired young woman said prompting me to look up at her "I need to go somewhere really quick, I will be back in five minutes, don't wander arround and wait for me here, alright?"

As soon as I nodded, she moved so quickly that the only thing I saw was a blurry shadow shifting upward, and then... nothing. Nobody in front of me. My eyes widened before I turned my head left and right.

This...

I saw this, I remember this from the anime. What the heck was its name? It's a technique for fast movement I think. It's... it's so, so fucking awesome.

I need to learn it.

I shook my head to get hold of myself. The influence this body has on me is more than I expected. Did I underestimate it?

The hard part is I don't know if they are my genuine emotion, or if it is the body's influence. It could also be my emotions amplified by the body's influence.

I looked around me. At the gravestones. One gravestone after another all lined perfectly and symmetrically. The word a lot isn't enough, but it's the word I will use; there are a lot of gravestones. No wonder they put the cemetery on the outskirt of the village, it makes an easy expansion.

That cooled my head, shutting the bubbling excitement down.

I turned my head to the gravestone I came here for. The symbol of Konohagakure No Sato is engraved on its surface and along with a name.

Uchiha Dai.

This body's biological father.

I squeezed the bouquet in my hands. They are pink and I liked their smell. Hence why I choose them. Though, if I haven't bought them from a flower shop, I would have never considered them to be flowers. But branches of a tree.

I slowly stooped and placed the bouquet of the Chery Blossom down on the gravestone. Standing up I wondered if me and the kid truly switched bodies. What will he do if he was still here? Will he cry? He probably would, he is a kid after all. What would he feel? Sadness? Grief?

I wonder what it feels like... to lose someone you hold dear.

I never fully understood them, or did I? Yes you'll feel sad after losing someone you love, it's natural. But at least you had someone you love... and someone who loved you back. Think of all those memories you had with them, won't that make you happy?

But no, after they die, the living always try to forget, they feel sad they say. Remembering happy memories of a loved one makes them sad?

Hypocrites.

It's them who don't understand... how lucky they are.

Huh?

I get it now. The answer. I know what the kid will do if he was here.

An ugly and stiff smile appeared on my face as I used my cold hand to wipe the sweat on my right cheek.

"It's alright," My voice sounded strange to my ears, "he died protecting the village, isn't that a great honor for him? You should be happy, after all he is now with the person he loves the most."

I talked to the air, and hoped he will hear wherever he is.

And he did. There was no more sweat after that. I wanted to make a promise to him but I doubt I can hold into it, so I closed my mouth and waited, my gaze on the tombstone.

Twenty-six days.

Almost a month since, Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked the village causing death and destruction. And the boy's father was one of many. I'm not aware of the death toll but I already spotted hundreds of fresh tombstones.

Twenty-six days is also the time spent in a coma. Was it the reason I'm here?

No. I shouldn't think about it. Lamenting for anything outside of control will only open door to depression. But quite frankly, whoever god, or omnipotent being that sent me here, choose the wrong guy.

They should've sent a therapist not an IT guy. Besides, wherever little I remember of the show is far from being enough to change anything pivotal in the timeline.

While Naruto is my favorite anime, I did watch it only once a long time ago. I do only remember some of the most prominent events. For instance, the one behind the Kyuubi attack was Uchiha Obito, or the Uchiha massacre, which will take place in the near future.

However, I don't have an eidetic memory. Add to that, the fact I wasn't fun of flashbacks and the fillers, and you will have a clueless idiot... a handsome clueless idiot.

What should I do?

No matter how I tried to push for more positive thoughts, my situation is in no way positive. And I don't even want to think of the butterfly effects, or my hair will turn white.

Don't stress. Don't stress.

Suddenly The sound of paper reached my ears. I turned my head back to find my cousin, Uchiha Kyouka appeared without notice with three paper bags in hand as she stood there behind me.

"You are back Kyo-Nee." I called her by her name for the first time since I arrived in this world, with the way my predecessor used to address her.

"Mmh," She nodded, "Don't worry about me, and take your time."

I shook my head, "No, I was waiting for you." I said, not waiting for her reply, I began walking back the way we had come.

I did what I had to do, now I just want to get the hell out of this place. I would have never come here if I hadn't thought it was necessary.

But I felt like giving my farewell was necessary.

To whom? I honestly don't know. The kid? His father?... or me?

The young woman looked at the gravestone of her uncle before she walked to my side "Let go to the tree, I want to eat my Dango in peace there."

The three?

That rang a bell, but I couldn't pinpoint what it is, so I focused on what was more important.

"Dango?"

"Oh?" The young woman looked at me for a moment before her eyes lit with a strange light "You want some?"

I grinned internally. She may be a Shinobi but I am a decade older than her... on the inside. Does she think I couldn't see her planning something? I can hear the gears in her head and see it right through her eyes. Scheming against me won't work little girl. She would be naive if she thought I would fall into her so obvious trap.

"Yes, please."

... fuck.

"What should I do," A regretful expression settled on her face while tapping her chin with her index finger "I only brought enough for me."

What the heck are you saying, woman? There are three damn bags in your hand.

Fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, while I did answer that question due to this body's influence, yes it's all this body's fault, I definitely didn't want to eat the tasty food giving off this mouthwatering smell. It's hard-wired in my character to never ask, so I didn't... which is somewhat regretful but it's alright, I am used to it.

So with great reluctance, I moved my eyes from the paper bags, to look ahead. The soil is even and not paved, just dirt, here in the cemetery. A bit away on our left, the sculpture of a red flame represents the will of fire.

I want to see it up close, but unfortunately, I won't and perhaps never will. The more time I spent in this graveyard the more repulsion I felt. This is probably the first and last time I will set foot here.

After all the only silence I hate is the silence of death.

After we got out of the cemetery, we didn't head in the direction of the village center. But walked at the edging of the cemetery in slope. Kyouka walked in front of me while I followed. It wasn't long before we got surrounded by trees all around.

We continued walking in a relaxing silence for about ten to fifteen minutes until we reached a clearing and what I assumed to be the tree she was talking about. The tree is not something special, it's just an old fallen tree at the center of the clearing.

"Say something." Kyouka who was walking in front of me stop abruptly and said in a strained voice.

I raised an eyebrow internally. Is something wrong? I looked around, and I see nothing but trees. I'm suddenly starting to feel nervous. Is this a test? A code? ... did she notice something.

Remember, remember, I need to fucking remember.

The young woman in front of me while she may appear cute and childish at a time, she is a deadly Kunoichi. One single gesture from her is enough for my blood to paint the ground red, and my head to fly high.

Besides Shinobis are innately paranoid creatures. Understandable. After all, Chakra doesn't just offer destructive power, there are also techniques for espionage. Changing your appearance and Impersonating someone else is all but common. It isn't improbable for another village to plant a spy on another village simply by replacing a person with a fake one.

And how would they counter such a plan?

The little knowledge I have from the anime isn't enough to give precise guesses on that part. But I had to give broad speculation, I would say they would use some sort of code.

Someone would say something and the other answer with a pre-agreed response.

I'm starting to freak out. Though my face is as blank as ever.

I don't know if I'm right but... this place is too quiet, too isolated, and too good to make someone disappear.