I only remembered that the second before, I'd been in the ICU, coughing up bile. The greenish stuff had sprayed out of my mouth along with tissue fluid, and I couldn't stop it.
The doctor had gotten splattered too. He patted my shoulder and said, "Xiao Yue, there's no getting better from this illness of yours."
I was furious. I opened my mouth to swear at him, but before I could get a single curse out, I choked on my vomit. I couldn't catch my breath, and then I kicked the bucket.
Holy crap!
When I opened my eyes again, I was already in the Uchiha Clan.
I knew I was in the Uchiha Clan because I saw that unmistakable symbol—the red-and-white Gunbai symbol that was practically etched into my heart.
I'd also become a baby, peacefully nursing in a woman's arms.
So good!
"Xiao Yue, eat up and grow big and strong. One day, you'll be a boy who can hold up the sky—"
The woman was speaking Japanese, but as a shut-in and anime fan in my previous life, I could understand the gist. I babbled a reply, then fell asleep in her arms once I'd had my fill.
Wait. A boy?!
I snapped my eyes open and froze.
I'd been a woman in my previous life!
When they changed my diaper the next day, I confirmed my sex once more. I really had become a boy!
Seeing that little bean sprout left me feeling a little conflicted, but I soon accepted reality.
Being male or female didn't make much difference to me. It just meant having those two ounces of flesh up top or down below.
I had a strong personality, so I could take it in stride! Heh heh heh heh—
Babyhood was long and dull. I had an adult's soul trapped in a weak, helpless little body, and most of the time, all I could do was sleep.
There were no phones here, so whenever I happened to be awake, I would instinctively lie on books and scrolls, trying to make sense of those obscure Japanese characters that looked like wild cursive.
Since I'd been born into the Uchiha Clan, I needed to figure out what time it was. I didn't want to doze off and wake up with Uchiha Itachi chopping me to bits. Wouldn't that make my reincarnation pointless?
At last, after learning a few characters, I finally figured out the current year and could breathe easy.
It was the fortieth year of Konoha. I was less than a year old, Uchiha Itachi hadn't been born yet, Hatake Kakashi was still a child, and Namikaze Minato hadn't yet made a name for himself in the Shinobi World. As for me, I still had more than ten peaceful years ahead of me.
That was wonderful! (Clenching my fist, tears in my eyes!)
I gave a little whimper and fell asleep to my mother's song: "Xiao Yue, be a good boy and go to sleep."
I had to say, even though I was a boy in this life, my mother had given me an awfully girly name—Uchiha Yue!
Since it was the same as my name in my previous life, I let it slide!
As I ate and slept, I slowly grew.
With my mother looking after me, I learned to roll over and started trying to crawl. My lower gums itched every day, and my first baby tooth began to emerge. Through gestures, I started expressing what I wanted in baby talk. I could reach for anything I wanted, crawl slowly toward the warm arms open to me, and gradually settle into my baby body. I began to naturally cling, beg for food, and laugh.
When I said "Mama" for the first time, it took almost no effort. The incredibly childish sound slipped from my throat, wet and slurred with drool. It was so ridiculous, and yet it brought an indescribable joy and tears.
The woman weaving beneath the lamplight froze for a long moment, then rushed over and hugged me tightly.
She smiled, but drops of warm tears fell one by one onto my forehead. They tickled as they slid down. I breathed in the woman's distinctive soapy scent and grabbed her sleeve, lost in the warmth.
I could feel that this woman loved me deeply.
Such fierce, burning affection—so new, so raw, and so moving. It was something I'd longed for but never received in my previous life. In this world, it had wrapped around me from the moment I was born—
Was I lucky or unlucky?
After that, I quickly learned to express my wishes clearly with words, bringing one surprise after another to our little household. Our neighbors soon noticed how unusually clever, well-behaved, and adorable I was. Some of the elderly folks would often come over to hold me, play with me, and chat with my mother. My Japanese grew more and more fluent, and I picked up plenty of information from their conversations.
For example, my father had been a hero who died in battle. The great nations were in turmoil, the village had gone on high alert, and a major battle might break out. There was also talk about whose children had advanced in that year's Chunin Ninja Exams. At one point, I even heard a few familiar names, including Hatake Kakashi and Genma Shiranui...
The Shinobi World changed dramatically every day, while I remained like stagnant water, living a quiet, monotonous life in this little corner, enjoying the last of my tender days in my mother's arms—
Two years later.
"Xiao Yue, get up and move around a little."
I answered her, but kept sitting beneath the veranda, swinging my legs as I read a light book. I ate one rice ball after another, took sips of milk, and let my mother fan me at my side. This was the life! I wouldn't trade it for anything, not even if the Emperor himself came to ask!
"Huh? What's that?"
Just then, I saw the grass at my feet rustle. I jumped up in fright and yelled that there was a bug, Mama!
I hated bugs more than anything!
My mother was startled too. She carefully parted the grass and spotted something bright green darting into the earth. It vanished so quickly that I thought I'd imagined it.
My fear turned to curiosity. I hopped down in one quick stride and went over to the still-quivering lawn. I pushed the grass aside, but found nothing.
I felt around, crawling and searching, until a pair of shoes suddenly appeared before me. They were black ninja shoes.
The owner of the shoes seemed to have been standing there for quite a while. His shadow had already fallen over me, yet I hadn't noticed him at all.
I was about to stand when my mother's cry—"Clan Head!"—left me rooted to the spot.
I looked up at the man, my mouth forming an O.
It was Sasuke and Itachi's dad! I was seeing a living person!
Uchiha Fugaku's face drew closer and closer, until I could see it clearly. His stern, cold expression made me take a step back, instinctively afraid.
"Is he Uchiha Yue?" Fugaku looked me over, his eyes full of scrutiny—and a barely perceptible hint of disgust. Yes, disgust.
If I'd been just a child, I wouldn't have noticed that tiny expression. But my adult sharpness let me catch it.
For some reason, Uchiha Fugaku didn't like me.
Hmph! Plenty of people don't like me. Who does he think he is? I pretended not to care and drew circles in the grass, forcing myself to ignore him.
Fortunately, Fugaku only glanced at me before walking past and greeting my mother instead.
Only then did I let out a breath, though I still had a bad feeling.
A clan head seeking out a war widow seemed strange no matter how I looked at it!
Sure enough—after Uchiha Fugaku had a private conversation with my mother, two clan members took me away that very afternoon!
"What are you doing?" I struggled from side to side, calling out for Mama again and again.
"Xiao Yue, the clan head wants you to take part in the clan's special training..." My mother came over and stroked my head, clearly reluctant to let me go. Her eyes even glistened with tears, but she still nodded to the two clan members. With a pleading look, she pressed some money into their hands. "He's been spoiled since he was little. Please take good care of him."
I was stunned.
Most of Konoha's major clans had some form of early training, so many children from prominent families looked down on the Academy's lessons. The Uchiha Clan was no exception.
But I was only three!
I didn't want to go! Aaaah! QAQ
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