Elephants and Oxpeckers

Disclaimer- I don't own

No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

~ Harriet Ann Jacobs

We are not friends. She thinks we are, but as of today I know we will never be anything as innocent as friends. It's not her fault. She's six years old. A child. I'm a child too. Sort of. Half a child, maybe? I'm certainly no longer an adult. My body is three years old, small and tiny. Kushina's a full head and a half taller than me. She's holding my hand and chatting happily about her day. I'm lying on my futon. Too weak to sit up properly. Kushina thinks I was sick today. But I'm not the one that's sick. Everyone else is sick. I'm the symptom of a disease. They are the virus infecting me. And Kushina…Kushina is the worst of them all. A parasite that has latched on to me and will never let go. It's not her fault. She's a child, she doesn't understand. She's not the one who did this. But it is her fault. If she hadn't decided to be my friend, my sempai, my nee-chan, I would be free. You don't know that. The seal placed over my heart is heavy. My arms are heavy. My eyes are heavy. I close them and the blood red of Kushina's hair is replaced with darkness.

I don't know how I came to be in this strange place. This fictional world. Perhaps I died. I like to think I didn't. That my real body is asleep in my bed with my cat curled up next to me. That this is all just a dream triggered by too many fanfictions and a little bit of alcohol. But this new reality isn't a dream. I have always had some control over what happens in my dreams. If I don't like something I simply acknowledge it isn't real and change it. I don't have any control in this place. If I did, I would never have allowed them to do this to me.

When I open my eyes the woman who rebirthed me is leaning over me, stroking my hair and humming softly. An unknown emotion bubbles in my chest. I roll over onto my side, turned away from her. Go away. I don't want to see you ever again. She doesn't go away. Instead she gently, lovingly, annoyingly coaxes me into sitting up. A comb runs through my long plum colored strands, followed by my not-mother weaving two braids.

"You have a big day ahead of you with the hime, Emako-chan." Kushina is hardly a princess, but she's the closest Uzushio has to one. "It's a great honor to have been chosen for this responsibility. You're the first to receive the seal since the time of the Warring Clans." The time of the Warring Clans was really not that long ago. Only forty years since Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara made peace and ushered in the new era. I jerk away from not-mother's hands and rush into the small bathroom I share with my not-parents and the other servants. She is a dog, this woman who is not my mother. My not-father too. Happy little yapping dogs who cheerfully follow and obey their master. My real parents would never have allowed this to happen to me. They would have protected me. They wouldn't have been happy. A knock interrupts my thoughts.

"Hurry up, Emako-chan. Uzumaki-dono wants to see you before you go play with Kushina-hime."

I don't know the full name of the Uzumaki clan head. If I did I'd curse it in a million different ways. It is his fault, really. Not Kushina's. He is the one who put this horrid seal on me. I need to keep Kushina away from him. He isn't a good influence. He'll fill her head with horrible things and teach her to treat people like— I bit my lip hard. The brief flare of pain clears my thoughts.

Not-father is the one to present me to Uzumaki-dono. I hold his hand tightly despite my dislike of him. Together we bow, far lower than the man deserves. After a brief squeeze of my shoulders, not-father leaves the room to attend to his duties leaving me alone with this monster of a man. Uzumaki-dono is a giant, and not just because I am a small three year old. He is easily seven feet tall and large muscles are recognizable even under his heavy formal kimono. His blood red hair is tied neatly and his sharp eyes pierce through me as we observe each other.

"You've adapted well to the seal, Nanai-kun. Your strong constitution and will are a credit to you and your family." I was not entirely sure what constitution meant. Three years was not nearly enough time to become fluent in the language of the Elemental Countries.

"Thank you, Uzumaki-dono." The big man smiles at me. If I hadn't known what a monster he is I would have thought it was a nice smile. Warm and welcoming.

"You have been chosen for a great and honorable responsibility. Although you are barely out of infancy you have displayed the intelligence and maturity of a child thrice your age. I have no doubt you will grow well into your role as protector and companion for my niece. The seal I have placed upon you is merely to ensure that your strong will shall never fail. The seal will support you through difficult times to help you perform your duty. Although the burden I laid upon you yesterday is heavy the burden my niece will one day carry is even heavier. We must all do our part to ensure she is not crushed by the demon's weight. The Nanai have faithfully served the Uzumaki for five generations but never before has a Nanai received the Puppet Seal. Your sacrifice shall be honored by the clan. You, your children and your children's children shall be honorary kin to the Uzumaki. We shall protect you as if you were our kin. We shall train you as if you were our kin. And we shall die for you as if you were our kin for as of today you are our kin." With that said Uzumaki-dono gives a shallow bow. When he straightens a large grin is on his face that is quite like Kushina's when she is exceptionally cheerful. He lifts me onto his back and practically bounces into the hallway.

"Let's go find Kushina-chan! I'm sure you're quite eager to play and train together!" His voice boomed loudly. Kushina and Naruto, it seems, are not the only loud and boisterous Uzumaki. It must be a family trait.

I grasp his collar tightly as he picks up speed. The world around us blurs. With the wind in my face it almost feels like flying. A giggle escapes me. I don't want it to, but it does. I want to be angry. To shout and scream at this man. To throw a tantrum like the child I am. But I was rarely one to get overly emotional in my last life and it is a habit that has carried over into this new one. I learned long ago that sometimes it is better not to feel anything at all. Not numbness. Numbness is a mistake I wish to never repeat again. Neutral. Yes, a neutral state of being. There are a lot of negatives about my new circumstances. But there are some positives too. They don't quite balance out, but for now I can pretend they do. I can pretend to not feel strongly for or against the seal on my heart. It wouldn't be fair to Kushina to think any differently about it. She's a child. I need to protect her.

The world is no longer blurry. We have stopped. He has brought me to the Uzumaki private training grounds. There are five children of various ages, all older and bigger and stronger with red red hair. But I only have eyes for Kushina. Her knees are skinned and her left hand is wrapped in a bandage that was not there yesterday. Her face is red from the effort of throwing the shuriken lodged into the wooden post. Her smile is as bright as the sun when she sees us.

"Ojisan! 'mako-chan! You're here-ttebanne!" Uzumaki-dono lowers me to the ground and we rush to each other, arms reaching. Kushina envelopes me in a tight hug and I hug back because that is what she wants. When she lets go I turn back to the monster. I think about something good. My sister and I laughing as we play in the lake. I smile and bow in respect.

"Thank you for brining me to Kushina-neechan, Uzumaki-dono." He puts a hand to my head and ruffles my hair.

"None of that now, Emako-kun. We are kin. Shoto is fine."

"Thank you, Shoto-dono." The man sighs and slumps his shoulders.

"Well, we'll work on that. Now you two get training so you can be strong."

"We will, dattebane!" With a swirl of leaves Shoto is gone.

"Hey, Kushina-chan, who's the baby?" One of the boys ask. He looks to be about nine or ten. He is the only one with a Whirlpool headband.

"This is Emako-chan, my kohai! She's gonna train to be shinobi!" Except I don't want to be a shinobi. I don't mind fighting and dying for my country. For the people I love. But this isn't my country. These aren't my people. Going down this path, I will be forced to fight in at least two wars. The very thought of war sends terror filled shivers down my spine. But there's another thought that scares me more. Peace. What will they have me do during peacetime? It's one thing to kill during a war when adrenaline is pumping and it's kill or be killed, it's another thing entirely to sneak through the shadows and assassinate a human being for monetary gain. Thou shall not kill. Those words are seared into my brain. After three years of Ten Commandment pop quizzes, how could they not be? Murder is a mortal sin. I'll be damned to Hell if I go through with this. Paralyzing panic creeps up my throat. I don't want to do this. I don't want to be a shinobi. I feel a sharp pang in my chest and the image of Kushina and Minato impaled by Kyuubi's claw flutters through my head. I clutch and tug at Kushina's sleeve.

"Teach me, nee-chan."