Fiddling carefully the white dandelions in my hands, I was contemplating how to preserve them better. I wanted to keep them fresh until I could ask grandpa if there was a way to prevent them from wilting. After all, Obito had carefully picked them for me—judging by how not a single flower was bent awkwardly.
Dandelions already held a significance in my life.
They were not only the wildflowers that often grow in grandpa's desolate spacious garden, but they were also the flowers that bloom in my birth month.
Reflecting on it, they also bloomed on the one prior to this life where, unlike now, I was born in spring—a fact I would have been oblivious to, if he hadn't mentioned it in passing. He did give me the same flower on my 21th birthday. The only contrast from then than now was that his were bright yellow flowers while the ones in my hands were a fluffy white puffballs.
Dandelions bloom twice, don't they?
What are the odds of being born twice in the same season? Yellow in spring. White in autumn.
'It's strange to find a flower that ties both of my existence together.'
Right now, I'm uncertain about how I should feel about it—being gifted by the same flower during both of my birthdays. Isn't that something that strikes you odd?
Even so, no matter how coincidental these events were, I refuse to dwell on the past. I may have been someone else before, but that doesn't mean I am the same person now—just as you wouldn't say you are the same person you were yesterday.
I like being Noemi. I will always be Noemi.
Dandelions have become the connection to both of my lives, and it will always be a favorite of mine.
Noticing how fixated I was on the bouquet in my hands, Obito took it upon himself to pull me back to reality and ask a question he was curious about.
"Do you really like those dandelions that much?" he asked cautiously, with his hand resting on his nape.
Yup. Obito is still here.
I dangled my suspended legs at the edge of the bed, slowly leaning towards his general direction, an adult pillow resting on my lap. Now that we've been talking for a while, my nervousness died down and I can properly address him now. I wanted to address him as a person belonging of this world and as his friend.
How funny was it to be so incredibly flustered infront of someone so young? He doesn't look more than five in my eyes. His baby fats were still visible to see.
But as a child of the present, I haven't met anyone close to my age who are willing to talk to me without any motive. Having a conversation with someone who could become my friend—naturally I was nervous.
I beamed him a smile that blatantly conveyed my joy at meeting him and giggled heartily, without a second thought.
"Didn't I say they were my favorite? Great timing too—yesterday's my birthday, and I'm finally four!" I grinned, crescent-shaped eyes gleaming through the wildflowers which I used to cover my face, deliberately peeking at him.
"Don't you? Hehe" I lowered the flowers then revealing my happiest smile. As if relieved, Obito relaxed and made a little strange face as if processing what I said.
When it clicked on him. He stood up from his chair that was adjacent from my bed and strode towards me, which took me by surprise, all the while yelling loudly again making me unconsciously grimace.
"What?! It's your BIRTHDAY?!" His pitch going higher than usual.
"Well, yesterday was my birthday.." I chimed in.
As if he didn't heard me, he went on.
"And you're stuck here? Because of... ME?!"
He is already infront of me and made a lot of gesticulation, his face going sour by the second.
"It's not technically you're fault..." I got cut off.
'I was hospitalized before I met you'
...is what I wanted to say next.
"NO! If I didn't..." He breathed, "If I just walked normally... then... maybe you would..."
He clenched his hands like the realization hurt him, looking away he mumbled, "You wouldn't. be. HERE".
Ah.
I closed my eyes. Shaken.
If only he knew how grateful I am to be here.
His thoughtfulness made me smile and his innocence made me aware how young he is now. But he was still the Obito I came to know in the anime series. Without a conscious thought, I extend my chakra, seeking solace in his bright and warm nature, disregarding the med-nin's advice. I tried to read his color and as expected they were filled with bright yellow hue and a tinge of orange.
He may not have inherited the arrogance of an Uchiha, but he did possesses their heart that enabled him to love many—a double-edged sword that Madara wielded for his own machinations.
Looking back at him, and to the dandelions he gave to me. I hummed and thought of an idea, bringing a smile to my lips.
"Do you know, where I am from, there used to be a legend.." I started slowly, trying to ease his guilt.
"..if you could blow all the seeds off the dandelion, in a single breath.." I paused, staring at him intently while raising my index finger to make a point.
"..then the person you love the most will love you back." I finished, recalling a nearly forgotten tale.
He still had those furrowed brows and pouting lips, but that didn't deter me from trying to cheer him up. I picked a dandelion from the bouquet and offered it to him.
"What do you say? Aren't you curious? Don't you want to give it a try?" I pressed, smirking when seeing his eyes gleamed with interest. Got him.
Although relunctanly, he still held the flower.
"It's so childish," he huffed, as if the whole thing was ridiculous. But soon, his mouth formed a big 'O' on its own, his chest rapidly expanding.
Then, all at once, he blew the dandelion seeds away in one forceful breath—only to his dismay, they stubbornly clung to the stem.
I chuckled a little happily. Irritating him all the more.
My smile broadened as I watched his eyebrows twitched in annoyance whilst noting his eyes that were formulating mischief, to get back at me I assume.
Keeping the dandelions safely out of his reach, I uttered, "Nope! These are mine." I grinned, doing a preemptive defence against him.
"But can't you at least give me another one?!" he tried, abandoning subtlety.
"Why are you so disappointed? Do you have someone in mind?" I asked, feigning ignorance of the blush creeping up his cheeks. It stung a little.
'Wow, his feelings for Rin run this deep?'
Noting his awkward behavior, 'I can't help but feel sorry for myself,' I mumbled under my breath with a small wry smile.
He didn't seem to catch my slip-up as he continued to pout, crossing his arms like a total brat.
"Fine! If you're not sharing, then don't! It's yours anyway," he conceded, acting as if he were being magnanimous.
'You didn't even answer my question' I frowned.
I didn't actually wanted to hear it, anyway.
"Besides," looking at me seriously,
"..if I want someone to acknowledge me—whether it is their love or attention I will earn it with my own effort, not to rely on something as stupid as wishes" he spat.
He may not sound like it, but I know these were his values—his beliefs.
'Certainly. This is the Obito I remember,'
"That's a good response, Obito-kun" I beamed, opting for a more casual way of speaking.
"Promise me you'll stay the same until we meet again," I added, my tone a little vulnerable. A worry crept in—that my presence might have changed something. But hearing him remain the same as he was, I felt relieved.
'I honestly hope you remain the same' I prayed, ready to become whoever or whatever it took—if it meant he could remain unchanged.
I wonder—will he simply brush off people like me, whom he only met in passing? Would that be better for him? for the both of us?
Kami-sama.
Don't let this child suffer any more tragedies.
Seemingly picking up the gravity of my plea, though confused he remains steadfast and confident.
"Of course, it's my ninja way!" he smugly reassured.
Biting my lip, I brought up a question that had been weighing on my mind.
"When are you going to attend the academy?" I asked, unsure if the timelines still follows the original.
"Oh, you haven't enrolled yet? Why?! The academy started a few months ago!" His tone, laced with regret.
Obito was surprised to hear that I hadn't enrolled yet, especially since I appeared to be around the same age as him and his peers.
To him, it was only natural for every villager to join the academy—and he wasn't wrong to assume so. Nearly all the children in the orphanage were encouraged to enroll, likely as part of the village's unspoken strategy to expand its forces in case war became inevitable. It wasn't truly mandatory, but it was heavily pushed.
Grandpa, however, believed I should have a choice in the matter—whether or not I wanted to pursue the life of a shinobi.
Unfortunately, grandpa hadn't mention anything about my enrollment to the academy yet. But considering I just turned four yesterday, I wouldn't have been old enough to qualify for the exam, anyway.
Still. I can't help but lament. I was already planning to be a part of Obito's academy days but now, I can see that's no longer a viable option for me.
'Right, in the canon they all enrolled at age four to six.Then is Obito, at most, six-years-old? Are you telling me Obito is now a pre-genin? What was I thinking that he's still pre-academy?!'
Obito is actually my senior. I'm still older.
"You can enroll again next year, right?" he suggested, "I have lots of friends there that I'm sure you'd like to meet. I'm popular, you know!" he grinned, pointing at himself.
"Popular, huh" I sighed, seeing through his nonsense.
'Then why did you spend so much screen time with Rin?' face scrunching up, 'I'm sure you resented your so called 'friends' for taking Rin's time', scoffing inside.
"Forget it, I'll make a way somehow" resigning myself to reality, feeling incredibly disappointed.
'I'm sure there are other ways to override the rules of the academy system,' convincing myself, 'grandpa must know a way'. I stubbornly thought.
"Oh no." Obito suddenly paled as he shifted his gaze toward the window, the curtain casting a shadow over the both of us.
Ah. I quickly realized what he meant.
"I'm sorry, Obito-kun," I said, following his gaze to the window, where the sun was already setting—neither of us had even noticed.
"It's getting late. But I appreciate the flowers," I added with a smile, bracing myself to say my farewells.
'It will be some time before we meet again' I thought, a part of me wanting to be remembered forgotten.
'I'm probably just a filler in his life,'
I already knew how insignificant I was, since I had never heard of a character named Noemi Tsukiko.
"Yeah," he nodded, "We'll meet again, right?" he asked as he hastily prepared to leave, seemingly running late for something.
"If fate allows," I answered vaguely, smiling, concealing my own thoughts of the matter.
"Oh, yeah!" He said instead as if forgetting something.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAYYY! I'll be sure to make it up to you next time. I promise! I wouldn't be a hokage if I didn't!"
He kept talking loudly, even when he left the door.
"I'm telling you, it was yesterday..." I sighed.
Right.
If Gai couldn't remember faces. It's possible Obito couldn't remember occasions either. He'll probably be a day late if I ever decided to invite him for my next birthday.
As he left without any fanfare, I twirled the dandelions in my hands, slowly losing myself in my thoughts.
'I will find my strength, grandpa... just not with Obito. I'm not confident that I won't mess everything up, he has too much of a sway in me,'
I thought that not being enrolled in the same batch as him, might have been for the best.
'He doesn't need protection from me, he's already strong enough on his own. I just need to pave a path for him when it matters. By then I'm sure you'll find your own peace, right? Obito.'
Plucking a random dandelion, I blew on it directly, sending its seeds drifting into the air—though some still remain, stubbornly clinging to the stem, refusing to abide by my will.
I stared at it, already expecting such an outcome.
The next morning, I was discharged from the hospital confinement, a few days earlier than I had expected.
For some reason, I was recovering faster than before, and because of that, I managed to persuade Grandpa to bring me back home. I swear, the med-nin in charge of me would have driven me mad had I not left for even a second.
Sayonara, bitches! I hope you catch me never!
As I was cursing inside, grandpa continued to work on my discharge papers with a disapproving med-nin—they weren't really convinced that I was ready to go.
It still amazed me how Obito had shown up yesterday.
'If he was a day late, he wouldn't have been able to meet me.' I sighed.
He might not come here to visit me again, but just in case he did, I left a note with the receptionist.
It did took some effort to write them as I only knew basic nihonggo, and my chubby fingers made it even more difficult. But for now, they would do.
Leaving the hospital along with grandpa, I was relieved to no longer be wearing a hospital gown. Instead, I was back in my usual outfit—a black high-waisted hakama, a gray crop-top camisole with an extended turtleneck, and a plain haori that bore the distinct features of an Uchiha clothing: a high collar, dark-colored fabric and flowing sleeves.
Though it lacked the clan's crest, that couldn't be helped. I was not permitted to carry their name in the first place, such were the conditions given by the elders before grandpa was allowed to adopt me.
Besides that wasn't what I was aiming for.
It was the semi-traditional attire that I was after.
The past me would have definitely approved.
As we kept walking, we avoided moving to locations that were crowded, nor did we stopped by to buy food from the food stalls.
Heck! Grandpa even managed to steer me toward a less crowded area inside the village market—which was totally unbelievable, considering it was a market to begin with.
In all seriousness, it might have been because Grandpa knew about my little habit of avoiding the villagers' gazes that led him to act this way around me—an instinctual behavior I had developed as an orphan.
It seems my existence, whether here or there, is like a coin facing two sides. The only difference is that, in the past, I outgrew that habit. It never affected me before, and I'm certain it won't affect me now.
But Grandpa wouldn't know that part of me yet, would he?
I'll have to show him, little by little, that I've changed.
Holding a vase filled with dandelions, I continued to walk side by side with grandpa in harmonious silence.
"You've made a friend," he mentioned casually, glancing at the bouquet of flowers carefully cradled in my arms, just to make his point.
"Sort of," I smiled with a tinge of sadness.
Looking ahead, I continued, "His name is Obito Uchiha, have you met him?" I asked, genuinely curious if grandpa knew of him too.
"Hn.", was his brief reply.
He hadn't said anything to me after that.
Staring at the white dandelions that would one day wilt and wither—grandpa didn't seem to have a method to preserve them with chakra. I thought about my conversation with Obito and decided that now would be the best time to talk to grandpa about it.
"Jii-chan, why didn't you enroll me in the Academy?"
It was an obvious question, but enough to start the conversation. As if to confirm my thoughts, he responded just as I expected—not a beat late.
"You know why," he paused, "I intended to teach you myself if possible—but if you want to enroll now, I'll see what I can do", He offered, respecting my choices.
"No." I shook my head in refusal.
"I want to keep learning from you, Jii-chan!"
"Hn."
I mean it.
The Academy is a good option to consider if I want to get stronger. But first, I want to learn everything I can from grandpa—someone as skilled as him would be the key to my growth. Besides, it's far too early for me to be deployed to the front lines like Kakashi was.
Even though I'm not as strong as Kakashi, I know I'd still be sent out if I were ever deemed good enough.
Besides. I want to stay with grandpa, a little longer.
"Is there a way for me to fight alongside them?"
I insisted, brushing off my sentiments.
I need to know this, as this would be the crux of my mission. I have to be there first to change anything.
Grandpa was quick to understand what I mean. I guess it really was a blessing meeting with Obito.
"There is," he affirmed, not even denying it.
His expression closed off and unreadable.
"But it's too early for you to worry about that, Noemi."
"For now, take the time to rest. We will continue your training tomorrow," He gruffly said, steering me to the main road of the Uchiha compound, subtly matching my pace.
"We will proceed with the test in a month's time, or when I deemed otherwise. It's best if you don't think about others for now." He sighed.
I nodded in understanding.
Grandpa's right. I shouldn't get ahead of myself.
'I'll just ask again when I'm someone he acknowledge'
We soon reached grandpa's residence without delay, and for the first time, I wanted to train to get stronger.
'This time it'll be different.'
At grandpa's house, I spent the majority of my day reviewing all the things I wanted to correct in this timeline. I was glad to be given enough time to set things right, however, I don't know if I could mature enough to execute them all. There is only so much a child can do on a battlefield.
Grandpa wasn't home after escorting me back. He was required at his clan's meeting as a respected clan elder and for his invaluable expertise as a shinobi.
Observing the notes I had written in English, I decided to use this language after realizing that I couldn't leave records of the future no matter what. If I ever wanted to avoid the risk of detainment by the T&I—or worse, undergoing a mind walk with a Yamanaka, I better keep this notes hidden.
'What better way to do that than using another world's writing system, am I right?'
Feeling relieved for this layer of protection, I continued to do pointers that needed to be changed.
One event that closely aligns with the current timeline is the tragic mission of Sakumo Hatake, which ultimately led him taking his own life and commit seppuku, leaving a toddler Kakashi behind.
My pencil snapped in two.
Ah.
I frowned. 'I was upset more than I thought.'
Pieces of the broken pencil lay scattered across my notes with a few drops of tears staining away the paper.
Yeah. That must have been really shitty, Kakashi.
I huffed, angrily wiping away my tears.
'This isn't the time for this.'
I have to make sure Kakashi wouldn't end up like me.
"How on earth am I supposed to change that?" I muttered, already exhausted from wracking my brain.
"I'll need to meet him at the very least, but then what? Can I even pull off a Naruto's talk-no-jutsu?" I laughed brokenly at the absurdity, yet my eyes were never smiling. "I'll only know if I try, right? I got this!"
Despite how I really feel, I still convinced myself to take action and pumped myself up.
I scrunched the soaked paper up and got myself another one and wrote the whole thing again.
Jotting down next to Sakumo's name with a red marker that translates for 'need contact'.
Next is Obito's life at The Academy.
I stared at the text with disappointment, beside it was an 'X' to show that I wouldn't be interfering with it.
I want to see him again.
'I'm not going to be a part of that' I clarified.
I have to build my foundations first, something that is suited for me and at a pace that I decide, not others.
'I know what grandpa said about true strength but I need to prioritize myself first,' I drooped, 'How can I forge bonds if I lack the confidence to maintain them?'
I set that thought aside and proceeded directly to the task at hand, organizing the timeline based on what I have watched in the anime series.
'Kakashi enrolled at the age of 4, while Obito and Rin enrolled at 5,' This realization caused a grim expression to form on my face.
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. I'm almost the same age as Kakashi at least. So I'm not too young to keep up with their batch. I carried on to the notes.
'At the age of 5, Kakashi achieved Genin status, followed by becoming a Chunin at 6. After two years of apprenticeship under Minato Namikaze, he joined the dai-nana-han with Obito and Rin, who graduated at the age of 9.'
As I laid out the timeline for Kakashi Gaiden, I continued my speculation.
'A year after that, the Third Shinobi War broke out in full swing. Kakashi became a Jonin at 11, while Obito became a Chunin at 13 during the same period.'
'I'm not sure about Rin,' I duly noted.
"Then the Kannabi Bridge incident occurred,"
I bit my lip, refusing to let my emotions overtake me. Just the mere thought of that event sent my anxiety spiraling, cold sweat breaking out as my breathing grew heavy. I halted my thoughts and opted to take a break.
There was no use of my reincarnation if Obito died.
Since grandpa is out, it falls on me to prepare and cook my own food. But with a body as young as me, that would be too much effort on my part, so I chose the most practical option—grandpa's leftovers.
Don't get me wrong—I love cooking. In the past, I attended vocational cookery courses and worked as an assistant chef at a small restaurant.
Grandpa is quite meticulous person to live with, and I wonder if it's another Uchiha-centered trait. The way everything has their own place is already bordering on OCD. Even the way he store leftover food for me to reheat, were all labeled neatly on top of its packaging.
After eating a protein-rich, low-sodium meal, I proceeded to practice Grandpa's chakra control training. As I settled on the engawa, gazing out over the expansive clearing—I was reminded of Obito's dandelions that now adorned my room as a beautiful and calming centerpiece.
I took a slow and steady breath through my nose, wishing that someday, when everything is done, I could plant a field of dandelions in grandpa's clearing.
Emptying my mind, I proceeded to practice my meditation, a leaf already at hand.
'Time is of the essence'
Ahhhhh!
During my meditation, I noticed something unusual.
My chakra, which had always been larger than my peers', had grown again. I hadn't given it much thought before, as I spent most of my time suppressing it. But when I let it flow freely, it felt smoother, easier—even back when I used it around Obito.
What was truly astonishing, however, was that my reserves had already grown to four times their original size in just a week. It was enough to make me yelp.
"What the fuck is this?!",
'How the hell did this happen?!'
I exclaimed, accidentally switching my thought bubble from what I actually wanted to say.
It's weird, now that I can focus more on my chakra—it feels colder, sharper, purer and somewhat.. brighter?
"I don't have a bijuu inside me, do I?"
I quickly checked under my clothes for any marks or signs of any sealing that might hold a mass of chakra—only to found none, yet it still didn't ease the unsettling feeling creeping up my spine. It's unnatural.
'There is something wrong, I'm certain of it'
Not letting go of my suspicion. I continued to delve deeper into my body, examining my chakra for any anomalies. If I were still the four-year-old Noemi, I might have brushed it off as normal. However, with my current awareness and the knowledge I gained from the anime, I knew this was anything but normal.
Purely by instinct, my hand reached for the base of my nape, where a crest had appeared on its own, blossoming as my chakra surged against my will.
'Ah. Fuck.'
Before I could comprehend what was happening, my eyes glazed over as if I was trapped in a trance.
Time appeared to move independently.
The daylight that was present from moments ago had faded into night. The sun, once beaming down, had vanished, replaced by a lone, starless moon, its soft glow casting gentle light all over the world.
Warmth abruptly escaped my body, replaced with an unforgiving and biting cold—each breath I exhale formed a thicker, more visible fog than the last.
I remained seated, frozen in place, my pupils shrinking in fear as my mind teetered on the brink of collapse.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me, its presence exuding a heavy sense of nobility and regality.
I shifted my eyes to the moon, where the shadow emerged. Before it stood a figure, obstructing the moonlight and casting its cold darkness over me.
Its shape resembled that of a human, yet its features remained obscured—shrouded in an eerie, indiscernible haze.
I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding.
I wondered, is this how my life would come to an end?
I don't want to die.
The sudden realization astounded me. The last time I died, I was relieved to escape it all. But now, I haven't even started yet, haven't lived long enough yet.
Tears flowed freely beneath my eyes, I wanted this to stop, to escape this reality.
'Is this even reality?' I questioned.
When I tried to reach for my chakra, it was cut off.
"It's futile, you are already in my domain," the entity called out.
'Who are you?'
I thought, as if I myself got frozen in time.
"I am you, or more precisely, you are me," the entity answered cryptically, "You are a portion of my divinity, born as a human—an incarnation of my desire"
The revelation left me lightheaded and utterly confused.
'What the hell does that mean?!'
"You, who carry my fate, will be destined to wander this world and the next—never finding a place to belong, never knowing love, a lonely existence"
The entity remarked, dismissing my thoughts.
"That is why I pity you," it murmured, its tone soft and laced with regret.
"..and why I must ask for your forgiveness—for what became of you, and for what I am about to do." The entity paused, as if bracing itself for its final act.
"The order of this world will never let me be," The shadow shifted as if unsettled, "but you are different,"
Soon, a pair of eyes blinked into existence—both glowing with an ethereal light, as radiant and haunting as the moon itself. The entity continued, "..you are not bound by fate, not entirely, as you are part divinity and part human, the order cannot hastily judge you."
For some reason, my heart aches by hearing those words. The order aside, if what he says is the truth...
'Did I truly not belong anywhere? Is that why I lived the life I did before? But then why did Grandpa exist if I was born with such a fate? Why did he, short as it is, existed even when I was living in ruin'
'Was their feelings not love or even companionship?'
I want to deny, with every fiber of my being, the curse of a fate it describes, but was powerless to do so.
'And what does it mean, what does it think it's about to do?', alarmed by the foreboding words, he spoke.
As if acknowledging my thoughts, the entity continued,
"Of course, there are exceptions—if they embody my opposite, the sun, or if you possess the power that can shatter the chains of fate itself, it is possible. In your case, you are... in between," The entity speculated.
There was a pause, an odd sensation of being directly exposed in front of the entity, its eyes as if all-seeing.
"A person you knew had barely passed the first exception, yet his existence was weak. His will, however, carried over to you, granting you a miracle for your desperate wish to be fulfilled," it answered, purposefully evading my last thought.
'If it knew so much about me then it must know I have never wished to be born in naruto' I countered weakly.
I wished to see him again. A thought made her waver.
The entity smiled, or what seemed like a smile, slowly closing its unnatural eyes.
"Despite having a soul that resembles me, you are already your own person, Noemi Tsukiko of the Tsukiko Clan, a lineage born with the blessing of the seer", the entity continued, a little hopeful in its tone.
"However, unlike your predecessors, you will gain something they will never have—the ability to defy the order and fate itself. But don't be mistaken, it is never without a cause. As you grow stronger and alter fate, you will lose a part of yourself and acquire mine.
By then, it will be too late—you will already be bound just as I am. So do not let yourself be consumed by your ability, or my sacrifice will be in vain."
In the midst of the entity's vague declaration, it started to morph and take shape that resembles me of the present. It, She was now mere meters away from me, floating effortlessly in the air, diving head first towards me. Wide-eyed, I watched as she passed right through my body, or rather settled within me.
"I will be observing you, my most perfect self. I trust this ultimate deed will support you and become your source of strength—whether it brings blessing or curse will depend entirely on you. If you choose to defy fate, to defy the order," she said, her voice already fading with its light. "It will, in turn, lead to your demise."
Kazuma's POV
Kazuma's meetings with the clan elders were never pleasant.
Even though he was an elder himself, his status was no higher than any clan member—unless the meeting involved his expertise in war.
Besides his differing opinions, he was also condemned for his decision to take in a non-Uchiha under their roof, a part of Kazuma's history that he prefers not to remember.
With the elders arrogance and obnoxious behavior, acting as if the whole world owes them, made it hard for him to participate in the clan meetings any more than necessary.
"I'm surprised Fugaku can still tolerate them while keeping them in check. Their demands certainly grow more and more outrageous with their age—those prideful geezers."
He wasn't suited for politics, yet it was his duty to contribute to the clan, nonetheless.
"If my cousin were alive, they wouldn't dare speak so freely." he muttered, already weary from the meeting.
Returning to his residence, a few meters away from the house, he suddenly felt his blood run cold.
Although nothing seemed amiss in the surroundings, he would have noticed if there had been—but his instincts, honed by countless life-or-death situations, burned within him, urging him to turn around and flee.
Nevertheless, he moved forward, disregarding his instincts and the long-buried emotion within him.
Fear.
Right now, one person occupies his mind—Noemi.
"Please be safe," he prayed, performing consecutive shunshins towards the house with utmost haste.
The place was deathly still. Too still.
Kazuma's breath came slow and measured, but beneath his composed exterior, tension coiled inside him like a spring. There was nothing—no sign of forced entry, no disturbance in the air, no lingering chakra signatures that would raise suspicion.
And yet, something was wrong.
It wasn't the silence that unnerved him.
The complete and utter absence of her, did.
A cold dread crawled up his spine, sharper than any blade. Every instinct screamed at him to leave, to step back and reassess, but he crushed the thought as fast as it came. He was a shinobi, a jonin, and this was his home. He wouldn't back down—not without Noemi.
His hands twitched toward his kunai, but he refrained. If this was an enemy's doing, they were skilled—dangerously so. Reacting too quickly could expose him. Instead, he moved like a shadow, slipping from one vantage point to another, scanning every corner, every inch, every possible hiding place in a methodical rhythm. His mind worked just as fast, ruling out possibilities, considering countermeasures.
If this was a simple disappearance, there should still be something—anything—a trace of residual chakra, an unfamiliar scent, a shift in the atmosphere. Kazuma clenched his jaw. Noemi, of all people, wouldn't vanish without a fight. Wouldn't leave without reason.
The wind whispered against the paper walls of the engawa, carrying with it the scent of late autumn. There were visible signs of occupation, as the doors were slightly left ajar. He cautiously slid them open, kunai raised to counter any unexpected attacks.
Kazuma's gaze fell upon Noemi's pale form, bathed in cold moonlit light, making her appear almost ethereal—like something not quite of this world.
No. He pushed the thought aside.
He scanned every inch of her for abnormalities—chakra pathways, external wounds, anything to explain her eerie stillness. But what unsettled him more than the unnatural cold seeping through her skin was the complete void where her chakra should be.
Noemi's chakra was no where to be found. Not suppressed. Not concealed. Just—gone.
A shinobi's chakra was their very life force. To lose it completely would have killed them on the spot.
"Noemi," he called, his voice low but urgent.
He pressed two fingers against her pulse point.
Faint. Slow. Steady. Weak, but alive.
What the hell happened to you, Noemi?
Her breathing was shallow, her chest barely rising.
Kazuma's grip on her tightened. Damn it.
His mind raced through the possibilities.
Had she been targeted? A genjutsu? No—his sharingan would have seen through any illusions.
Was this a sealing technique?
Kazuma's breath hitched. His grip on Noemi tightened as her body arched violently in his arms, raw, guttural screams tearing through the stillness of the night. His sharingan spun wildly, but the energy surging around them was unlike anything he had ever seen—pure white, almost blinding, pulsating like a dying star before suddenly collapsing back into her.
Then—silence.
Noemi's body went slack. Her breathing, ragged and erratic just moments ago, steadied into something faint but stable. Her chakra—previously nonexistent—now flickered weakly, barely clinging to her.
Kazuma exhaled sharply, his mind scrambling to piece together what he had just witnessed.
'That mark..'
He shifted her in his arms, tilting her slightly so he could inspect the crescent moon symbol on her nape. The glow had faded, but the remnants of its power still tingled in the air. He had never seen anything like it before. This wasn't a normal seal—no conventional fūinjutsu left behind energy that felt like this.
It was... unnatural. Foreign.
The same energy that drove his instinct to flee.
He had to set aside his questions for later. Right now, Noemi needed to be saved. He needed to save her.
Kazuma's jaw clenched.'She might not make it'
Her body was far too cold, her pulse barely detectable. Even with her chakra returning, it was weak—unstable, like a dying flame.
If he delayed any longer, she would be in danger.
Without wasting another second, he hoisted Noemi securely in his arms and vanished from the engawa in a flicker of speed.
The Uchiha compound was silent at this hour, the only sounds heard were the distant rustling of leaves. But Kazuma had no time to appreciate the peace—his feet moved on instinct, carrying him toward a familiar path.
Towards Konoha's Medical Hospital.
Leaving her mere hours after being discharged was his mistake, especially knowing that this child can be influence by her clans curse—The Curse of the Seer.
A/N: Hello, dear reader! I'm a little hesitant to post this as it brought a different dynamic to what I first imagined. Things are moving without my knowledge but its what makes me feel like I'm a reader like you as well! So that's cool.
I'll try to update more often, rl work and writing isn't easy to balance, okay? But I'll do my best!
Thank you for the power stone and for those who actually read this, you rock!
*{line-height:1.19}