Houka

"Hey, Houka, wake up! You only got kicked, but you're acting like you've lost all hope!"

"If you don't wake up soon, I'm leaving!"

"If I leave, no one will take care of you, you idiot."

"Damn it, I have to help an old lady cross the street. I'm not dealing with you anymore!"

The nagging voice finally faded away. On the Japanese-style tatami, a pale six-year-old boy slowly opened his eyes.

"I... am Uchiha Houka?"

An unfamiliar memory surged from the deepest part of his mind, violently stimulating some part of his brain. In an instant, his eyes grew painfully sore, as if countless ants were crawling around inside them. It was unbearable.

Houka writhed in pain on the tatami and knocked over a mirror.

He quickly grabbed the mirror and looked into it. He was stunned. Reflected in the glass was a pair of pupils filled with bloodlust and menace.

"Isn't this... the Sharingan?"

In the blood-red pupils, a black Tomoe slowly revolved, looking eerily alluring!

"I really became Uchiha Houka. Is this the world of Naruto?!"

Houka stared blankly, unable to believe what he was seeing. Naruto was just an anime, wasn't it? What on earth was going on?

It took a full five minutes before Houka reluctantly, yet gladly, accepted reality.

"In my previous life, I was just a kid from an ordinary family. I had no connections or backing. After graduation, I worked in a factory, putting in overtime until nine-thirty every night. I wasted several years and never amounted to anything... I just feel sorry for my parents."

Houka sighed. Without realizing it, his Sharingan slowly faded. He had only just awakened it, and at his age, he couldn't keep it active for very long.

At last, exhausted, Houka fell asleep again.

The next day, when he opened his eyes again, he had completely recovered.

Yesterday, the Ninja Academy had held its Graduation Exam. Five-year-old Kakashi had graduated with excellent results, breaking the record for the youngest graduate in the academy's history. He had become Konoha's super-genius, admired by countless people.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Houka was proud and arrogant, and of course he couldn't stand Kakashi showing off like that. He had boldly challenged him in public, only to get kicked flying and become the laughingstock of the entire school.

"Kakashi graduated from the Ninja Academy. At this point in time, we should be right between the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Shinobi World War. I remember the Third Shinobi World War was sparked by the disappearance of the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure..."

Houka wasn't concerned about his challenge to Kakashi. After all, he wasn't the one who'd done it. He was trying to recall the plot of Naruto, but so many years had passed that he couldn't remember a lot of the details.

"The Third Shinobi World War and the Fourth Shinobi World War were both meat grinders. Each one was more terrifying than the last. If you weren't strong enough, you were just cannon fodder—you wouldn't even know how you died!"

"Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Obito, and the Akatsuki—all those guys were inhuman!"

"Right, Kakashi's father was the White Fang of Konoha. Even the Konoha Sannin had to give way to him. If I could get his guidance... Uh, I'm from the Uchiha Clan, and the Hatake Clan seems to have a pretty strained relationship with ours."

With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Houka felt like his head was about to burst.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from outside.

"Houka, I'm coming in."

A little boy wearing goggles walked in. He was the one who'd looked after Houka yesterday.

"...U-Uchiha O-Obito?!" Houka almost leapt up and did a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree backflip to prostrate himself before the supervillain. It took him a moment to remember that this guy was his age, still studying at the Ninja Academy, and a total dead last—so bad that even Houka ranked above him.

"Huh? Houka, are you surprised to see me?" Uchiha Obito walked over as if they were old friends and knelt beside the tatami. He felt Houka's forehead and muttered, "You don't have a fever."

"Idiot, I'm fine!" Houka's face flushed a little. He was an adult in there, yet he'd been scared out of his wits by a little kid. He wanted to crawl into a hole.

"That's good. By the way, Houka, don't go out alone for a while." Uchiha Obito continued on his own. "Everyone in the clan's heard about you challenging Kakashi yesterday. They think you embarrassed the Uchiha Clan, and a lot of people are clamoring to beat you up."

"Could you at least sound serious when you say that?" Houka's mouth twitched.

"I'm happy for you!" Uchiha Obito laughed heartily. "You've always wanted to make a name for yourself in Konoha, haven't you? Well, now your dream's come true. I'm genuinely happy for you."

"You idiot!"

According to his memories, Houka and Uchiha Obito were neighbors. They'd grown up playing together and were close. Uchiha Obito was kind by nature, while Houka had inherited the Uchiha Clan's characteristic stubbornness and arrogance. But that didn't get in the way of their friendship.

"Oh, no! I made you breakfast, but I ran into an old lady on the way and helped her cross the street. I ended up giving her your breakfast too." Uchiha Obito smacked his forehead, looking thoroughly regretful.

Houka's eye twitched. "Bro, you live right next door. Do you need to cross a street to get from your house to mine?"

Uchiha Obito tilted his head and shamelessly replied, "I went to see Rin first, haha."

Houka was utterly speechless.

Rin was the girl Uchiha Obito had secretly loved for years. It was because of her that Uchiha Obito had eventually fallen into Uchiha Madara's trap and become his puppet.

But... Houka looked at Uchiha Obito. This guy was the same age as him, only six years old. Six years old, damn it!

A six-year-old brat had already learned to have a crush?

Just how precocious were you? Had you started developing while you were still in your mother's womb?

Houka sighed and covered his forehead.

"Houka, don't be disappointed. Kakashi's just got a genius dad to teach him. If we work hard, we can graduate next year too!" Uchiha Obito said excitedly. He seemed to picture himself graduating next year, getting his Ninja Headband, and appearing before his goddess, Rin. He chuckled, a little drool slipping from his mouth. It was an extremely awkward sight.

Grrr...

Houka hadn't eaten all day, and his stomach finally protested.

"Ah, Houka, let's go out and get something to eat. I'll treat you to ramen!" Uchiha Obito sprang up from the tatami, moving nimbly.

Houka moved a little and found his head didn't hurt as much anymore. He nodded and got dressed.

"Houka, you're so slow," Uchiha Obito complained beside him.

What could Houka do? He was helpless too. The clothes in his hands weren't like the ones he'd worn in his previous life. He couldn't exactly ask someone how to put them on, so he had to figure it out slowly.

At last, ten minutes later, Houka finished getting dressed and left the house with Uchiha Obito, looking a little tired. (To be continued)