Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. However, the OCs do belong to me.

Beta: Angel Wolf

Chapter 1 - The Lazarus Curse

"It is quite true, as some poets said; that the God who created man must have had a sinister sense of humor. He makes him a reasonable being, yet forces him to take this ridiculous posture, driving him with blind craving for this ridiculous performance."

D. H. Lawrence

I felt warm in this lonely, dark abyss, floating between the state of consciousness and unconsciousness. It was a bit uncomfortable – and very, very strange. I knew not if I was breathing, I could not see anything, but I did hear my own heartbeat: a reminder that I was alive.

Huh . . . ? How odd.

I was sure that I had died. Quiet sure.

. . .

Time passed, I did not know how long – months, even years perhaps – and I became used to this . . . 'residency' of mine.

I tried to move my limbs, it was a difficult feat to achieve when one was in my position. I only managed to slightly move my feet, they bumped into something solid.

I heard sounds at the action, of a man and a woman. The sounds were muffled, akin to sounding like faint vibration rather than distinct words. I felt like . . . No, I knew that they were talking to me. Although I could not understand what they were saying, their voice felt strangely soothing for my ears – warm, familiar, and gentle – like how I imagined parents would.

I began to conjure a theory about what had happened. I thought about various possibilities and impossibilities, ranging from something mild to something completely outrageous.

Time slipped away from me altogether, I had no idea how much had passed.

How many ideas had I entertained by now? Thousands, probably.

However, my mind settled on one thing only.

Reincarnation.

At first I felt a bit shocked and disturbed. The skeptical part of me was unwilling to accept an illogical notion. However, the intuitive side, the part which felt curious about the possibilities and the adventures that would await me, was excited with the prospect of a clean slate.

Perhaps this time I could pursue my dream without the pressure and expectations that I had to previously endure. Perhaps this time, I could be whoever I wanted to be.

My lips curled into a grin.

Unlike other times when I'd slept with weariness bearing down upon me, this time I slept in anticipation.

More time had passed, and before I knew it, the walls around me were contracting – once every five to thirty minutes if I counted correctly – and it continued for another five grueling hours.

The contraction then gradually increased in frequency, before it became very intense. These walls were closing in on me. I heard sounds then, not quite muffled anymore. They came from outside this bubble I was engulfed in, it was of a woman screaming in pain.

Every time the walls contracted, the woman would wail, crying out.

After that, I felt squeezed, pushed to an unknown destination.

I knew what was about to transpire and I felt giddy.

It was my birth.

My second birth, actually.

The labor went on for about an hour before I was finally free from my 'containment'. I felt cold air brush against my body. However, I did not breathe – could not, actually – something was obscuring my mouth and nose.

It was a mixture of ammonia and mucus, I believe. It was suctioned not a second later, wiped away by someone.

I took a big gulp of air, as big as I could. It was strange that such a simple action as breathing could feel so heavy.

It was almost like the air I inhaled was not enough.

Was there a complication?

I opened my eyes to observe my surroundings, trying to find any indication of a birth defect. My vision was blurry, the farthest that I could see was only twelve inches ahead of me, but I could still perceive lights, motions, and shapes. This is normal for a newborn, thus I was not unnecessarily worried.

I saw the midwife talk to someone, to a voice that I recognized as my male progenitor, in a language that I understood as Japanese. Her words were a bit jumbled for my ears, but I could still understand the general context – it was about me, I believe.

Among the gibberish they sprouted, I could only understand one word: Uchiha.

Wait, what . . . ? Uchiha – as in Sasuke Uchiha? The Naruto character.

The series had gotten huge back a while ago, I knew enough of it.

That was mostly thanks to this little boy, an old patient of mine. He was a big fan. I remembered how he brought his comic books with him to the hospital, toddling around with his small feet. I'd promised him I would bring the newest volume, even read it to him, if he promised me just one thing. I needed him to get better. He needed to recover.

He did not.

My throat swelled as my eyes watered, blurring further, but when I focused up, I saw a faint outline of the Uchiha fan. It was stitched to the man's shirt.

He must've been a very dedicated otaku, I believe that's what they were called. I thought, proven by the great length he was willing to go to imitate a man-made concept, he was certainly obsessed. Unfortunately, as impressed as I was, even I had to admit that the man's behavior was a tad bit zealous.

Did the man love the manga so much that he was willing to change his own name?

Dedicate his life to live as an imaginary character?

I inwardly wondered if my female progenitor was as . . . eccentric. Was she an otaku too? Perhaps a J-Pop enthusiast?

Sweet Sabbath, I know too much about Japanese culture.

My musing was halted when I registered a peculiar feeling. Something was crawling beneath my skin. Something warm. It wasn't quite alive – something ambient. It almost felt like an itch, especially thanks to the prickly sensation it caused. It flowed in a steady current, entwining with my veins. It circulated through my body just like blood.

Was this that energy they used?

What was it called . . .

Chakra?

I immediately scoffed at my own ridiculous train of thought. There was just no way that I could end up in an imaginary world of all places.

But you're here, aren't you? What was once a grown man is now a helpless babe. You're not in the position to determine what is possible or not. My voice of reason kept me grounded in a realm without floors.

I gnawed my bottom lip with my now toothless gum, feeling a bit anxious. Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Perhaps this was the World War II era, and the otaku was not actually an otaku, but a genuine and real person who simply happened to bear the name Uchiha. Perhaps my carrier was exposed to atomic radiation during her pregnancy, thus I came out a bit peculiar.

Yes, yes, yes, that must be it.

I groaned at my ridiculous line of thought.

Now I simply jumped to a baseless conclusion.

I closed my eyes to calm myself to try to make some sense to my unfunny predicament. It had always worked splendidly in the past. Imagine my surprise when, by doing so, it was as if a veil had been lifted from my mind, and I saw a completely different world.

It was pitch black, only enlightened by dim, floating energies that were steadily going out brighter. The people in the room became these lights, I fleetingly realized. The nurse that held me was a warm ball of fire, so did the two other people in the room.

However, they lost compared to the otaku-man and his partner.

Their fires were blazing, two powerful torrents that were kept under tight leashes.

These bindings were two human bodies.

Those were definitely auras all right.

I felt my heart skip a beat as a sense of dread settled at the pit of my stomach.

No.

Just . . . No!

There was something incredibly wrong with this scenario. I was supposed to live an ordinary, safe life within a normal world. This one was definitely not normal – Lord knew it wasn't even real, let alone safe. Sure, my friends and I used to pretend to be a ninja when we were children. Ninja were in. We ran around and cackled madly as we threw folded papers, made-up as metal stars. It was a fond memory of my childhood.

However, this . . . This was neither funny, nor particularly fun.

As if the idea of existing in a world full of killers wasn't frightening enough, I somehow had ended up in the Uchiha Clan – where someday, in the future, a-scumbag-named-Itachi would massacre. I would be helpless, unable to defend myself against him. It would be the ultimate end, no potential resurrection next time. Well, unless I suddenly woke up as Vegeta or something, but let's not tempt fate here. This is worse enough.

I should've just ordered my coffin now, considering the fact that my survival-chance was nihilistic.

They shouldn't have bothered to conceive me at all, I was already doomed to die from the very start.

Not that they knew that anyway . . . Morons . . .

.

.

.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I-don't-want-to-die, Idon'twanttodi–!

Breathe, I told myself. Breathe.

I will not die.

In and out, in and out. Breathe.

I will not die.

Everything was closing in on me. I could feel my breath begin to shake before it grew rapid. Oh god, was I hyperventilating? This was ludicrous.

Blood rushed through my vein, pumping straight into my head, making me feel lightheaded. My chest was burning, and breathing became harsh.

Too caught up inside my head, I could barely make out that I was handed to another person who cut my umbilical cord and cleaned my body. I squirmed in the nurse's grip, trying to escape – to break free from this cursed existence, but my weak and helpless prison would not comply.

"Let me go! Let Me GO! LET ME GO!" I croaked. My screams were incoherent as I thrashed in the nurse's arms.

With bitter, fear-induced rage, I tried harder to free myself. I moved my shoulders and legs wildly. I moved the weak muscles in my neck and pushed them to lift my heavy head. Just as the nurse was about to hand me to my parents, I rolled out of her grip in a sudden bout of stupidity, and leapt into the awaiting embrace of the cold tiled floor.

I heard people scream in the midst of my own terrified fall.

I'm going to die, I realized.

It was then that I felt the foreign energy surge through from my stomach into my eyes, burning and swarming. Time seemed to slow down, as if it was telling me to savor the last second of my life. I plummeted into the floor, nearing a splatter of blood and brain.

However, I never reached that white tile.

My male donor – or dare I say, father – caught me in his arms. His body was set at an odd angle. He was half-kneeling and half-lying on the floor to accommodate my landing. One of his hands supported my neck whilst the other one hooked itself behind my knees. I tilted my head and came face to face with spinning crimson eyes. The man looked horrified, surprised, angry and . . . proud? For some bizarre reason . . .

What? Never seen a suicidal infant before?

As I blinked my eyes, I realized that everything seemed . . . Clearer. When did my baby eyes gain an instant boost of clarity? I could see color: absolutely beautiful energies around me. How strange, even my savior seemed to glow blue, especially his eyes.

…

...

. . .

Oh.

Oh.

Oh no, no, no, no, no, no

My blood ran cold with the realization.

No, it couldn't be. I refused to acknowledge it!

I could just imagine my future, my maimed body lying on the ground with empty eye sockets, suffering; bleeding to death–

Okay, perhaps I was getting overdramatic here, wasn't there an afterlife in this stupid series? There had to be a place reserved for the- oh what were they called? Hogie's? Hokaga? Hokage? Yep, that one. Except I wasn't destined to be one. I had to run as soon as I grew able.

I frantically roamed my eyes around the room, trying to find any other possible escape even though I knew that I literally could not run away. As if I wasn't already on the verge of shock-induced cardiac arrest, I then heard the woman cry her husband's name: Fugaku, she said.

I barely stifled my manic laugh.

It was just my luck that of all people in this ruined clan, I had to end up with this particular family. I was now officially one part of the most messed up pair of brothers that ever existed. It wasn't like I had dealt with enough psychopaths; headaches to last me for a lifetime. Why not? After all, the crazier – the merrier.

In the midst of my own horror, the only thought that was left on my mind was that I did not want to be a shinobi, or any profession which might require involvement with the former.

I loved my life, thank-you-very-much, I did not need to have it jeopardized simply because of my relationship with that bunch.

I would run. I swore I would escape this place, even if it was the last thing I do.

I would not let myself be confined here like a slaughter lamb.

One time was enough, I told myself.

One time is enough.

Thank you for reading this chapter. Thank you for favoriting and following my story. Your reviews, especially, really make my day.

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