Urotsuki Souta's Interlude
~*~*~
Once upon a time, there was an unwanted boy.
...
Okaa-san was cold but she was not cruel. This, Souta could attest to even when he had long shedded off every curtain of delusions he once covered his psyche with to keep his young self from breaking.
Brown hair, black eyes, pale skin-- okaa-san was a generic beauty in the Land of Water, but he inherited none of her features, other than her messy hair texture that he can't quite seem to tame no matter what he does. He wouldn't have guessed that the ex-kunoichi was his mother, if only she didn't unfailingly remind him that he was just an accident more often than not, but...
He could tell she still somewhat cared-- cared in a way how a human cared to be a decent person.
Her distant kindness was enough to satisfy Souta.
He could still remember her serving roasted fish and lukewarm miso soup on the table every breakfast, patching holes on his hand-me-down rags that he once called clothing, and training him with ninja basics to even think of surviving in their country that's swarming with both Kiri and missing-nins.
(But sometimes, when he has his back turned to her, he could feel okaa-san stare at him. Back then and even now, he couldn't tell whether she looked at him with distaste or longing. All he knew was that she looked at him like he was someone else.)
To okaa-san, he was just a charity case, and despite the detached treatment of his own mother, he couldn't find it in himself to care. In fact, not once had he even bothered to ask who otou-san was.
He never particularly felt the need or want to be loved.
Living near Kirigakure, he thought surviving was enough.
And for a while, it was, but then...
~*~*~
One day, someone important wanted him.
...
A Kiri shinobi happened to be nearby to witness seven-year-old Souta tear a group of amateur civilian bandits to shreds when they attempted to steal what little money he had on his person. It was embarrassing, really, when they tried bullying the boy only to end up dead by the scrawny little thing.
Fingernails clawed, teeth bit, feet kicked, and fists punched every skin the child could reach, and he did it with such ferocity that's no different from a wild animal.
The Kiri shinobi was intrigued, if not impressed.
Yes, the boy had no refined shinobi stances, no signs of formal training, no special skills, and didn't even come out unscathed; however, his battle instincts, sharp reflexes, and raw potential made up for it. With training, the child could grow up to be a wonderful asset for Kirigakure.
It was as if it's fate for Souta to be a Kiri shinobi; for, he was ruthless in a way only people could describe a Kiri shinobi to be. And if Souta happened to look awfully like the village leader, well... Truly, it must be a sign.
The unnamed Kiri shinobi brought back a black-blue-red child to his Kage.
With drying blood on his mouth and hands, Souta met the Sandaime Mizukage on a foggy afternoon.
YOU ARE READING
Kishi Kaisei (Various!Naruto x Reader)
Fanfiction[Self-Insert] "You're an Uzumaki through and through." Your new life plan was simple: go to school, graduate, get a high-paying job, and earn enough to give your dad the life he deserves. But then, you realized you were reincarnated in the Narutove...
