I slowly open my eyes and see my familiar, bland ceiling. It takes me a moment to realize I'm in my room. How did I get here? I was training, then I fainted. If I fainted, then how did I end up back home?
Kawaki. He must have carried me.
Always so kind to me, always looking out.
I slowly peel back the covers and sit up, a bit dizzy from the sudden movement. I walk toward the door, but when I lift my hand to open it, I notice how swollen and scratched my right hand is. I pause for a moment, trying to piece together what happened. Oh, right—my Chidori. I probably overdid it again. No wonder I fainted.
I roll my eyes, thinking about how reckless I've been. At least I know my Chidori is powerful. I chuckle inwardly, but it's a bittersweet sound. There's this part of me that's always teetering on the edge—bipolar, sadistic, unpredictable. And then there's the other part, the one that just wants to be cared for, to be seen.
I don't want to seem weak by asking for help, even though I know I need it. What do I do? I keep going back and forth, trying to decide whether I should reach out to someone, maybe Kawaki. It's hard to admit you need help, especially when you've always been expected to be strong.
I walk down the stairs to the dining table and sit in my usual chair. Mum is in the kitchen, cooking something, but Sarada isn't there. That's unusual—Sarada is usually around. I start my healing Jutsu on my injured hand, watching the green glow flow into my palm, feeling the warmth of the chakra as it starts to mend the bruises and scratches.
"Oh, Y/n!" Mum says, jumping slightly in surprise. I look up from my hand to see her looking over with a smile.
"Hn?" I reply, not really in the mood to talk about last night. I'm still trying to sort through my thoughts, wondering what I should do next.
"You almost gave me a heart attack, sweetie," she says with a light chuckle, her voice warm.
It takes me a moment to process what she just called me—"sweetie." She's never used that term with me before, at least not that I can remember. I wonder if Sarada is secretly in the room and Mum's referring to her. It wouldn't be the first time I misread a situation. I glance around, but there's no sign of Sarada. It's just Mum and me.
"What did you just say?" I ask quietly, my head tilted down toward my lap.
"That you almost gave me a heart attack?" Mum says, sounding slightly confused.
"No, I mean after that," I reply, my voice still soft but with a bit more edge.
"Ohhh, sweetie," Mum says, realizing what I meant.
So she did call me "sweetie." It's the first time she's used that word with me, and it feels like a tentative step in my direction. Has Mum finally started paying more attention to me? I can't help but feel a flicker of happiness at the thought, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. Because I've learned that people can change—sometimes they drift away, from someone you know to someone you don't.
"Y/n," Mum calls out to me with a hint of worry on her face, "Do you want something to eat?"
"No, thank you, I'll pass," I reply blandly, my words tinged with a slight cringe at the thought of eating breakfast. Food has never been my favorite topic, especially when I'm not in the mood.
"Hm, okay," Mum responds, a little hesitant. "Tell me if you need anything, and... are you okay?" Her concern is genuine, but I don't want to delve into all the emotions swirling inside me.
"Just stop with the food thing. I'm fine," I say monotonously, my tone flat and uninterested. I hear Mum groan softly at my response, probably frustrated with my attitude.
"You talk exactly like Sasuke when he was your age," Mum says with a smile. "You know, he would always speak like that to me too."
Her mention of Dad and their past piques my interest. What did Mum see in Dad? What did Dad see in Mum? How did they know they were right for each other? I can't help but wonder if I might find someone like that someday, someone who understands me even when I barely understand myself.
"Hey Mum, can I ask you something?" I say, hesitant but curious.
"Of course, sweetie," she replies, her voice warm and encouraging.
"How did you and Dad, you know, meet?" I ask, trying to sound casual but feeling a tinge of embarrassment. I see a faint blush dust her cheeks, and I realize that the love she has for him is genuine. It's the kind of love that endures through all the challenges they've faced.
"Well, where do I start, that's the question," she says, her smile softening into something more reflective.
"Start from the Academy, if that's where it began," I suggest, hoping to learn more about their journey. It feels strange to ask these questions, but I'm curious about how they found each other and how their bond grew over time.
"Hah. Sasuke was always the star pupil in our class, top of everything. It drove Naruto crazy because Naruto failed the Academy three times. Can you believe that? Naruto—the same guy who couldn't even pass the Academy—ended up becoming the Hokage." My mom's smile grows as she remembers.
I encourage her to continue with a nod.
"All the girls in our class had a crush on Sasuke. Except for Hinata, who had eyes only for Naruto. The rest of us, though, we were head over heels for Sasuke. He was smart, strong, and—let's be honest—really good-looking.
But here's the thing: I didn't just like him because he was talented and handsome. It was more than that. Whenever he got hurt, everyone would say, 'Don't worry, Sasuke. You'll get better.' But I couldn't just brush it off like that. I was genuinely worried about him. Even now, when I hear about what he's up to, I can't help but get a little anxious.
So when we got assigned to Team 7—Naruto, Sasuke, and me—I was thrilled. It was like a dream come true. But during the Chunin Exams, things took a turn. Orochimaru gave Sasuke that curse mark, and everything changed. I did my best to help him through it, but it broke my heart to see him in pain."
"After that, things changed," my mom said, her voice carrying the weight of those turbulent years. "Sasuke was distant, obsessed with revenge, but at the same time, he helped us during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Sure, he tried to kill me—what, three times? But I still cared about him. When the war ended, he disappeared again, off on his own journey, seeking redemption or something. I couldn't just let him wander off alone, so I joined him three years later."
"Wow, that's quite the story," I replied, intrigued. "But did you feel like there was something more, some connection between the two of you?"
My mom paused, glancing at me with a knowing look. "Yeah. I think it's time you understood what really happened," she said, settling into the chair across from me. "In our world, when a person turns fifteen, they get a red string that attaches them to their soulmate. It's invisible to everyone else, but to the two people it's meant for, it's like a lifeline.
"When I saw Sasuke again after those three years, I noticed that our strings were connected. But here's the thing: if someone actively ignores that string, it disappears. Sasuke didn't have a string when I saw him again, which meant he'd chosen to turn his back on it. He was so consumed by his quest for revenge, he didn't want anything to do with that kind of connection."
I was intrigued by the concept of the red string. "Do you think he knew about the string when he turned fifteen?" I asked.
"I'd bet he did," Mom replied. "Orochimaru must have explained it to him. Knowing Sasuke, he would have seen it as a distraction, something that could hinder his goal. But during the last hours of the Fourth Great Ninja War, something changed. I saved him from being sucked into one of Kaguya's dimension portals. Maybe it was then he realized that this string was more than just some mystical nonsense—it was real. And it meant something."
I still remember the way he held me in that moment and the realization in his eyes when he found out that I was the person attached to at the end of his string. But remember this, if one of the soulmates are older they can physically not say to the person attached to the end of the string that they are soulmates.
And last but not least you can feel every emotion through the sting."
"Oh, that makes a lot more sense now," I said without realizing it. It suddenly clicked—Kawaki told me he could feel all my emotions, but he never explained why. Now I knew: I must be connected to him by the red string. But why didn't he say anything?
"What makes a lot of sense?" my mom asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, nothing, nothing. Don't worry about it," I replied, waving her off casually. But I could see that didn't quite satisfy her curiosity.
"Hmm, okay," she said, still watching me closely. "I can't help but worry when it comes to you." Her voice softened on the last part, almost like she was admitting something she wasn't comfortable with.
I rolled my eyes internally. Since when has she really cared about what happens to me? I shrugged it off. "I have to get to training," I said, grabbing my bag and heading for the door. "See you later."
As I stepped outside, I barely had a moment to think when an Anbu agent appeared right in front of me. He wore a cat mask with red stripes—Akiro. What did he want now?
"Y/n Uchiha, Sarada Uchiha, Boruto Uzumaki, Kawaki Uzumaki, and Mitsuki are required to meet at the Hokage's office immediately for a mission," he announced.
Great. A mission right when I was trying to avoid... everything. But I knew better than to argue with an Anbu. I gave him a nod and headed in the direction of the Hokage's office. The others would probably already be on their way. Whatever this mission was, it would have to be important if it required all of us.
"Yeah yeah," I say to Akiro walking past him and waving my hand not really interested, "Tell the Station I said 'Hi'."
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"The mission is a C-rank, but it could escalate to a B-rank," Lord Hokage said, his hands folded under his chin.
"What's the mission?" I asked, unable to mask my annoyance. All I wanted was to get some sleep, but of course, that wasn't happening.
"You're going to retrieve a time-travel scroll from one of the outlying villages," Lord Hokage explained. "It's a four-day journey, round trip. I've informed the village chief that you're coming, so all you have to do is get the scroll and bring it back to me."
"Who's leading the team, Lord Hokage?" Sarada asked, trying to hide her excitement. She'd always wanted to lead a mission, especially one with time-travel involved.
"It'll be Y/n," Lord Hokage replied. "She's the highest-ranking ninja among you. Y/n, your job is to ensure none of you open the scroll, because if you do, you'll be transported back 20 to 21 years in the past. And you could end up in a random location, which could be... problematic."
Boruto sighed, clearly disappointed he wasn't chosen to lead. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. It was good to see him put in his place every once in a while. Kawaki, on the other hand, seemed disinterested, staring out the window. I wanted to go over and talk to him, maybe ask if he could sense any connection between us. But after what Mom told me about the red strings, I felt a bit hesitant.
What if Kawaki is just lying about the 'connection' we have?
These thoughts have been eating away at me, gnawing at my sense of trust. Could he really feel my emotions, or was it all just some elaborate act? I heard about the denial stage of this so-called 'connection,' and I couldn't help but wonder how painful it must be. Was it enough to make someone second-guess their feelings?
But no. I had to stop. If I started doubting him, I'd hurt both myself and Kawaki. That's the last thing I wanted to do.
The thoughts kept swirling in my mind, two sides clashing against each other like waves on a stormy sea. I just wanted it to stop.
I felt a cool hand rest on my shoulder. It was a light touch, but it brought me back to reality. I looked to my side and saw Kawaki standing next to me. "Come on. Everyone's already gone," he said, his voice tinged with concern.
"Oh, right," I replied, a bit dumbfounded. How long had I been lost in my thoughts? I couldn't afford to let anyone see me like this—vulnerable, uncertain. It made me feel weak.
As Kawaki and I walked out of the Hokage's office, I felt the burning gaze of Lord Hokage searing into my back. I couldn't help but sense his concern, and just before the door closed, I heard a faint whisper.
"I'm worried about her; she needs help. Serious help," Naruto said.
So I've got problems now, huh? Just because I have dreams about killing Haruka every night doesn't mean I'm unstable. And the intrusive thoughts? Those were normal, right? And what about when I feel so alone that I... well, they didn't need to know about that.
I didn't realize I had my Mangekyo Sharingan activated until Kawaki's voice cut through my spiralling thoughts. "Y/n, what's wrong with your eyes?" he asked, his gaze fixed on me. But I wasn't looking at him—I was staring at everything but him, my eyes glazed over as my mind drifted to those dark places.
"Y/n, I'm going to slap you if you don't look at me," Kawaki said, his voice edged with concern.
"Excuse me?" I snapped, the tone more reflex than anything else. My Mangekyo Sharingan flickered, then deactivated as I forced myself to focus on Kawaki. I couldn't afford to draw attention to myself right now, especially with Lord Hokage already suspecting that something was off.
"If you slap me I'll punch you so hard you'll go through the Hokages Office and have a one way ticket to Sunagakure," I say dividing my attention all to him now.
"There you are. Now I don't have to slap you," He says to me with a slight smile on his face.
Time to go on this mission.
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edited; 03/may/2024