55Edo Tensei: My Resurrection chap 1
Okay, this will replace my first attempt at a Naruto fic, as that one was not well thought out. I've also hit a bit of a rough patch in my Pokemon fic and need a bit of a break to think things through. This will be semi-SI and OC centric. Not a Gary-Stue (or whatever the male equivalent of a Mary-sue is.)
Warning: My chapter will all be in the 5000-8000 word range, so if you have a problem with it, don't read. This is my first story to contain any decent amount of swearing. If the occasional bad work doesn't appeal to you, please hit that back button before scrolling down. Thank you.
Disclaimer: Yeah, there's this guy named Kishimoto. He owns Naruto. I am not this guy. Get the picture?
Enjoy.
You're a Zombie, Connor
Chapter 1
My death was rather unexpected. I lived in a place where most animals would either be hibernating or already have migrated to some warmer location at the time I bit it.
Despite it normally being much warmer than up north, the southern United States does actually get very cold in the winter. So, whenever an albino snake bit through my pants leg as I walked past, I was understandably shocked. Because I was a good distance out in the woods next to my house, I did not make it back to a phone to be able to call for help.
Whatever kind of snake it was, it's venom worked quickly. I died before ever reaching the edge of the forest. Why I had not brought my own phone out there with me, I will always question.
Dying was simple and, mostly, painless. I felt my soul-or whatever it may have been-drift loose from my cooling corpse into a blank abyss. By that point, I had come to accept my premature death and was waiting for judgement. (My metaphorical fingers were crossed for something along the lines of Heaven.)
I felt my soul begin to enter… somewhere, when a painful yank pulled me away from the place. At first, I rejoiced, thinking that someone had somehow found my body and I was being revived with that life-giving tool that shocked the heart into pumping again. This soon proved to be a foolish thought when a deep chill formed on my being.
"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Resurrection): complete." A low, slightly haughty sounding, voice spoke and I opened my eyes.
I took a look at the figure before me and said, "I take it that you are not God, The Shinigami, or the Grim Reaper, correct?"
The pale figure frowned and said, "I am not. Do you know who I am?"
I scanned his face and felt a jolt of realization. His clothes were different than what I was used to, but there was no mistaking his face and voice.
"You're Orochimaru. I assume you've just reincarnated my soul in one of your laboratories." It really wasn't a question. No, really, it wasn't. This couldn't be happening. I was obviously in some sort of coma in a hospital, living out a Otaku's dream while in a state between life and death. There was no way any of this could be real. That's why I saw no harm in letting it play out. I was a big Otaku in my last life, and I could see this being interesting.
His eyebrow raised and a grin formed.
"And how do you know about Edo Tensei? And what do you know of myself as well?"
I snorted. His tone and everything was just so perfect. So Orochimaru.
"Well, for one, you smell like a snake. You also have very distinct facial features, way of speaking, and, oh yeah, I'm in a freaking laboratory! If that doesn't scream 'Snake Sage!' I'm not sure what does. As for the Edo Tensei, that's even more obvious. I was dead, and now I'm not. That's one of the only ways you can bring someone back to life-sort of-in this universe."
I felt his gaze get even sharper at that last comment and suddenly regretted saying it.
"One of? I would very much like you to elaborate."
I reminded myself that this was just a dream, and gave a cocky smile as I ticked off my fingers each method.
"Let's see. There's the guy's weird death god path who's with the Akatsuki. There's the life-for-a-life reincarnation technique developed by that sand lady. There's your own freaky body-swapping technique and curse marks, though those only work for-"
"My what?"
I blinked and looked at him and said, "Oh yeah. Haven't gotten to that part yet. Still wearing those clothes." He wore the green vest that you would see most Chuunin in Konoha wearing along with some bland pants and his headband. I suppose that he changed his style after leaving Konoha.
His mouth changed into a frown and he said, "You speak as though you know of what's to happen."
I grinned and held a finger to my mouth. "Can't give stuff away. Spoilers."
Orochimaru began making shapes with his hands that I recognized as hand seals while he said, "I am unsure as to whether you are simply bluffing, or telling the truth. I suppose it does not matter as I do not want someone to ruin the surprises the future brings. Kai!"
I felt my body slump slightly and ash began to slough off. My soul lifted from the body for a few feet before becoming rigid and slamming back into the body below me. I opened the body's eyes and felt myself become whole again with a slight tingling sensation.
I looked back up at the snake sage before saying, "I'm pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen. Did you do it right?"
He scowled and said, "I've made modifications to technique. However, I did not foresee this problem occurring." He ran through the hand signs again and shouted, "Kai!" This time, I only got a few inches out of the body before being snatched back.
I opened my eyes again and said, "So. Having trouble?"
He glared at me on equal parts frustration, irritation, and curiosity.
"Hold still," he commanded and I didn't get to question why before a blade embedded itself in my throat, knocking me out of the circle of odd letters and lines that I had been sitting in.
I felt the pain of the kunai and blood began flowing out of my compromised air pipe. That's when I decided that, even if this was a dream, I would treat it as though it was real. Though it looked like I made that decision a bit too late. Judging by the amount of blood pouring out of me, I only had- huh?
I felt the kunai fall out of my throat and my hand moved away from my slowly healing throat. It was slower than when the other reincarnated people healed in the anime. It took almost a full minute for it to heal until I didn't even feel a scratch left behind.
I found that my breath was heaving and forced myself to say, "I'm not supposed to bleed. I'm dead! I'm- the ash! It- what did you do!?" I admit it, I was scared nearly witless. Only the fact that I knew I couldn't die kept me from breaking down into a quivering mass.
He grinned and said, "Oh, I've improved it. The old version left behind cracks in the skin and other imperfections, such as the lack of blood and sclera color. With this new method, supposedly, no one can tell the difference unless they watch your wound regenerate. I need to figure out how to delay that so the killer will lower their guard. This current version heals too quickly."
"You're trying to make the perfect spy. One who can blend in and even pretend die." I gave a wry grin while extending my arms to the left and right. "So do I meet your expectations, Orochimaru-sama?" I put as much sarcasm into the -sama as I could manage.
"No. I expected an empty shell with about as much emotion as the person I used for the sacrifice. There wasn't much use for a broken mind in a still-living body, but I made due."
At those words, I remembered that the technique used a sacrificial victim. The thought that a person had died to bring me back was unsettling, but I found myself really not disturbed by it. Call me cold and uncaring, but my survival was a little more important than my morals in that case.
"That reminds me. How did you summon my soul? You shouldn't have been able to get any of my DNA." Unless he had a trans-dimensional jutsu and happened to tear a bit of my flesh off when I wasn't paying attention, I didn't know how he had pulled me in.
His analytical eyes bored into me and I looked down at the floor. It was impossible to hold the gaze with the insane genius.
"I didn't use any DNA. That was one of the changes I made to the technique. It is obvious that this approach failed. I will have to reevaluate Edo Tensei before attempting this method again."
I scowled and quipped, "Aww, you think of me as a failure. That hurts my feelings."
There was deadly silence for a moment before his arm rose and I was surrounded in a rope made of scales that restricted my breathing and arm movement.
"Yo, little less reptile, please- Hurk!" The black snake of massive proportions, easily the thickness of my waist, tightened somewhat at my words and I had the distinct expression that the animal was annoyed. The look the snake gave me resembled a glare a great deal.
As I had no way of holding myself up, I was laying on the ground when I felt his hand grab around my ankle and he began to drag me. He wasn't gentle about it.
I kept the complaints that rose up from the rude treatment in my head and instead looked around at the area he dragged me through. The hallways were hardly lit and the air was damp and cool. If he didn't somehow keep it so sanitary, moss and other plant life would not have been surprising to see. Because of the lack of light, I couldn't tell much about the area aside from what I felt as my back was dragged over it.
"Have they announced who the fourth Hokage is going to be?"
Judging by the tighter-more painful-grip on my ankle, the answer was yes.
"So Minato-sama won out- Shit!" I hissed when his tightened grip elicited a cracking sound from my ankle. I recognized the sound of bone breaking. I had broken my arm once and the sound wasn't easily forgotten.
I cursed under my breath profusely, straining at my scaly bindings to try to rip my slowly healing ankle out of the psycho's grip. He would wait until it healed to crush it again. The snake latched its fangs into my shoulder, tearing a scream from my throat.
I felt Orochimaru stop, but didn't see anything thing with my eyes and jaw screwed shut to try from letting out any more sounds or tears. The snake bastard didn't deserve to get any pleasure from the pain he caused me.
He dragged me a little ways more before the snake unwound itself from around me and slithered back to his master.
"We will talk later. I have some business to attend to." He then closed the door and presumably left. I couldn't hear any steps, but he was a ninja, that meant nothing. There was no light aside from what miniscule amount leaked beneath the door, so I could see literally nothing.
I sat up and felt my ankle. I found that there was no lingering pain and gave a grim smile at the discovery. At least being a constantly regenerating zombie had its perks.
Speaking of zombie, I felt my clothes, wondering if I had been brought back while wearing the clothes I had worn when I died. I felt the slightly rough texture of the jeans I had worn. I felt the shirt I had been wearing, but the jacket was not to be found. Neither were my shoes and socks. My boxers, thankfully, were still on me. No going commando for this guy.
To my eternal shock, I found that my glasses were still on my head. With all that had been going on, I hadn't even noticed their presence. I was equally glad, and bummed, that I apparently still needed something to correct my vision. At least I still had them, I was grateful for that one thing. I searched my pockets and found them woefully empty.
Once I assured myself that I had all my clothes, I got to my feet unsteadily. I took a few steps in the direction the thin line of light laid and felt my hands come in contact with the door. I tested the door extensively before giving it up as a lost cause. That door was locked and I would not be exiting out of it until someone else let me out.
"Stupid pedophile. Couldn't he have stuck with Sasuke and left a freaking seventeen year old from another dimension out of the picture?" I grumbled lowly as I lowered myself to the ground and tried to get comfortable.
I heard the faintest sound of rumbling and woke up. When I listened closely, I thought I heard the sound of metal on metal and yells. That must have been the team Hiruzen Sarutobi led against Orochimaru. At least, I prayed it was. There was a good chance it was simply some of his test subjects fighting against him in the attempt to escape, but I could hope.
"Hey! In here! Help!" I began yelling out, hoping that someone would hear and come to my aid.
The sound of the door unlocking sounded like music to my ears, that is, until the door swung open to reveal a scowling Orochimaru.
I smiled and said, "Sarutobi-sama will be here soon. I suggest you start slithering away."
The killing intent he emitted had me stumble to the back of the cell and I regretted my smart mouth.
"The original me will be leaving the area as I speak. I am here to make sure you are not an issue in the future." I didn't know what he meant, but I did understand that the snake sage that I spoke to was some form of clone. This became even more obvious when he pulled out a long stream of what I recognized as explosive tags and began to line the doorway and outside hall with the paper.
If I could have moved, I would have been sprinting away. His KI kept me pinned in place.
Once he was done, he turned to me with a malicious look and said, "Goodbye, failed experiment." He made a hand seal and the explosions went off. The hallway, and my room, became destabilized and caved in. I saw the clone turn into mud when a heavy rock hit it. I only wish I could have been so lucky. The stones from the ceiling fell on my form even as I stumbled forward to the only exit.
"No no no nononononononononono!" I screamed as the rocks first pinned my legs, ripping them off at the knees with a spurt of blood. Then they fell on my extended arms, immobilising me. By the time they crushed my ribcage and everything below my neck, I was in acute agony. I didn't exactly black out, no. No, I wasn't lucky enough for a mercy like that. By some divine action, my head was the only thing not crushed. Everything from the bottom of my neck down was gone. Simply gone. I existed in a cavity in the earth that was kept unfilled by the forces of nature and luck.
After awhile, I stopped even feeling the ache. My entire self was a freaking head, staring into the darkness. Unable to move. Unable to even take a breath. For how can one take a breath without lungs?
The only things I could move were my jaw, my tongue, and my eyes. Fat load any of them did.
When I could think of nothing I could possibly do, I waited. I waited. And waited.
Eventually, the darkness became a nice thing. An eternal fixture to my existence. I believe I went mad once or twice. Maybe I slipped into a coma at some point?
In the darkness, I waited. I remembered and I forgot. Reality became uncertain for my mind.
And you want to know the worst thing? It had to do with my glasses. THEY WERE ASKEW AND I HAD NO WAY OF STRAIGHTENING THEM!
It wasn't that obvious, the subtle tremors. The only reason I noticed them is because I had gone with years without any stimulus aside from whatever I created myself.
My eyes opened for the first time in awhile. I think I had been sleeping. Not like I could do much else.
But the tremors got slightly rougher and I felt my head roll slightly.
Shitshitshit! I moved my jaw to prevent my head from falling on its side and only just managed it. I wondered what had caused- scratch that, what was causing all the tremors I felt.
Without warning, the area around me shifted and I felt everything around me just disappear.
Yes. Just vanish.
Myself included.
I couldn't see until my eyes regenerated and I found myself-or at least my single eye-high above the ground and facing somewhat in a downward direction. If my eyelids hadn't been vaporized and yet to reform, I would have blinked in surprise. This much stimulus was rather much. Combined with the sight of a village burning and a giant fox demon thrashing about with chains covering it, I was beginning to miss the blank existence being buried had provided me. Alas, the area I had been in seemed to be but a giant furrow due to some violent attack.
I saw everything happening below me, but couldn't hear anything as my ears had yet to reform. My eyes-the other had reformed-began to drop as gravity finally took hold. I dropped slowly enough that I saw the giant fox seem to shrink to half its size before disappearing entirely.
My head and torso reformed when I was still a few hundred meters above the giant trees that covered the ground everywhere below me. For the first time in years, I smiled. And it wasn't one born of temporary insanity, it was sincere. My arms were beginning to come back, along with my legs, when I hit the tree.
Well, I actually became impaled through my back on the top of one of the trees and slid several meters down it before stopping. My smile had been replaced with a grimace as I felt the sting from having a giant tree, or the top of it anyways, shoved through my middle. No one has any right to complain of splinters in my presence.
My arms reformed and I pushed up on some branches to see the damage.
Honestly, I was beginning to really miss being buried by that point. The tree stuck perfectly through my stomach and blood dribbled from the edges while ash moved in and did its best to fix it. I looked up and saw that the tree rose almost five or six meters above where I had stopped, courtesy of a branch.
I considered my options and decided on the easiest path.
"Screw this." I fixed my glasses, which had reformed along with my head, and let myself relax. My arms laid on the branches nearby while my legs hung due to no support being nearby. A pity, I would have propped them up and been a bit more comfortable.
I looked up at the night sky and smiled when I saw clouds above. Hours later, it began to rain and I got to parch my thirst for the first time in years. Of course, my mouth constantly produced spit in my mouth like a well hydrated person, despite having no moisture where I was underground. That, however, did not compare to the rainwater that I collected while it rained. It was cool and refreshing.
A month or so passed before I saw signs of human life. I had seen several birds, and had to scare off countless vultures, but had yet to detect any human life. Despite being only a few miles from the village I saw, no one really came out there. It probably had something to do with everyone being needed in-village to rebuild after the fox demon's attack. They would probably be too busy watching their borders to keep a closer eye near home.
The sound of a nearby branch being disturbed woke me from the nap I was taking.
"-hurry up! Let's inspect this area so we can get back and get some real training in!"
A boyish voice, young by the sound of it, yelled out from a little ways away.
"Yeah yeah. Relax! It's not like anything is going to change. Do another scan, would ya?" This came from another young boy and seemed to be directed away from the first, if my hearing was telling me right.
"Tch. It's like I'm doing all the work. Let's stop here so I can focus."
They fell quiet and I opened my eyes, actually feeling some interest at whether they would find me or not. Truthfully, I could care less either way. If they found me, okay. If they didn't, okay. Didn't matter. (I didn't know it at the time, but I was feeling really Nihilistic.)
"I can feel somebody over there, in the tree!" Her voice became a little high pitched in surprise and I smiled a little at her reaction.
Branches even closer were disturbed and I heard the sound of one of them gasping.
"Is he dead?"
"I could sense his chakra, he's alive, somehow."
"Should I poke him?"
"No, you idiot!"
I decided to end this and moved for the first time by twisting my head in the direction I heard the three of them talking from.
"Yo," is all I managed before getting a kunai in my shoulder.
"Idiot! Don't hurt the guy!" the girl shrieked and I winced from the shrillness of it. Seriously kid, be quiet.
"Sorry! I- how are you even alive!?" The one asking was shaking and had acquired wide eyes while the other male looked like he was about to puke. The girl, shockingly enough, looked to be the calmest of the three. Maybe she had experience with blood?
"Good genetics. I suggest you go find your sensei or some superior and have them take me into custody." I pulled the kunai out and dropped it. Let the kid get it if he wanted it.
The surprise showed on all of them. They were probably new Genin with little experience in the field if they were just inspecting the outskirts of Konoha. I didn't recognize any of them, so I wasn't certain.
"Are you a criminal?"
"No. Well, maybe. I don't know. I'm not from Konoha and I have no passports to come into your village. There are procedures, correct?"
"Er-yeah. Let's go! You stay right there!" I gave the kid who looked like he wanted to blow chunks a droll look and he shivered.
They sped away a moment later and I let my head lay on the branch again and slept.
"Wake up." I opened my eyes to see a masked face looking down on me. I recognized the mask of an Anbu member when I saw it. The shock of white hair that rose above the red and black colored dog mask nearly had me grin when recognition hit. There were very few people who had such white hair at such a young age and I didn't see any toad sages around.
"Why are you alive? Explain." His voice was clipped, professional, and permitting no argument.
"Do you mean how am I still alive despite having this giant splinter through my middle, or about how I was born?"
"Do not play games. You are severely injured and in possible hostile territory. You do not have that option."
I rolled my eyes and said, "I fell from high up and there was a tree in the right spot. That enough of an explanation for you or do you want me to draw you a picture?"
I could see nothing beyond his mask, but got the impression that he was annoyed.
"Now are you going to get me off of here, or are we going to play twenty questions?"
"Will you survive going the opposite direction?" He gestured at the tree.
I grimaced and said, "I'll survive no matter what you do. What's the plan?"
"Don't resist." He put his hands under my back and walked up the tree, pushing my cursing self along until I was removed from the top and he dropped me on a lower branch.
I groaned and popped several joints with my newfound freedom. Meanwhile, the ash reconstructed my middle with a little bit of blood flowing alongside the ash.
"Is that a- never mind. Hold still." I looked up as he flickered and I soon saw black.
I woke up to the sensation of weightlessness, then a thud before it repeated.
"You are not very polite, are you?"
"You shouldn't be awake."
"I shouldn't be alive. I think regaining consciousness is a bit less odd." Frankly, what I wondered about was how my glasses managed to stay on my face with all the jostling I went through.
"Be silent and I won't knock you out again."
"Fine." I closed my mouth and stayed quiet as he carried me over his shoulder. I found that my hands and legs had been tied hard enough that I had lost feeling in both. I soon got bored.
"Going to T&I?"
"I told you to be quiet."
"I haven't had a good conversation in years. Cut me some slack!" Kakashi was not a good conversationalist.
"Do not make me knock you out again."
"Ugh. Fine." This time I stayed silent. When I saw the walls of Konoha, by bending my head in a painful manner, I saw blackness once again.
My eyes opened and I muttered, "Lying bastard."
I found my hands clamped to a table and my legs were tied to the chair I sat in.
I was in T&I.
Upon inspecting the room, I saw that I was attached to the only decorations in the room, aside from the door and the chair across from me. I didn't see any one-way windows or anything else in the room.
Once I saw all that I could in the room, I laid my head back on the table and fell asleep.
Seconds after I did so, the door opened and I shifted my head so I was looking at the new occupant of the room while resting on my head.
Judging by the odd eyes he had, and his blond hair, I assumed that he was a Yamanaka. Not Inoichi, he was a bit too broad shouldered to be Inoichi, but some other Yamanaka. It made sense that a few would be in T&I, when you considered their jutsu that could sift around in a person's head.
"Do you know where you are?" Yamanaka man asked after sitting down across from me with a blank face. I decided to sit up, as it would have been uncomfortable to speak in that position.
"Konoha Torture and Interrogation, I presume?"
"Correct. Who are you?"
"The name is Connor. Might I know the name of my interrogator?"
I suppose not, as he said, "What are you doing in Konoha?"
"I was brought here by that Anbu guy."
"Why were you near Konoha?"
"I was impaled on a tree and found that it would have been too much work to find a way off of it." My inner Nara was showing itself.
That elicited a twitch from his near perfect poker face.
"How are you alive after taking that injury?"
"I'm actually dead, so it wouldn't kill me."
He blinked and I saw him looking into my bored eyes. Apparently what he saw convinced him, or something along those lines.
"And how are you dead?"
I gave him a 'did you really ask me that' look and said, "I died. Got resurrected. Not much else to it."
He nodded and stood.
"I will be back later." Then he left. I went back to sleep.
Hours later, by my guess, the door opened and I lifted my head again. I straightened up.
It was Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was wearing his Hokage robes and sat his hat on the table before taking the seat. To the left and right of the door stood two Anbu.
"Do you know who I am?"
"The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi-sama. Nice to meet you."
His face gave no indication of his 'old grandfather' persona that he held in the show. It was a battle-hardened commander's face.
"You say you died and was brought back. By who and why?"
I grimaced and said, "By your former student. And he was trying to create the perfect spy."
His face took on a darker tone and he said, "Then Orochimaru brought you back." It wasn't a question.
"Yes. He brought me back in his old hideout that you led the raid on. The one he fled from after you found it. He collapsed the area he locked me in."
His eyebrow rose slightly. "And where did you go after it collapsed?"
"Go? I didn't 'go' anywhere. I was trapped underground until that fox demon obliterated the spot I was at. I started to reform high above the ground and was impaled on a tree on my way down. At that point, I chose to enjoy the world around me and relax."
"With a tree through your middle?"
I shrugged and said, "After existing with my body crushed and only my head able to move, I got used to pain. Years without end of that will get you used to it."
"I thought that those who are resurrected cannot feel pain."
"Orochimaru changed it somehow. He didn't try to summon any spirit in particular, mine just got dragged in by luck. He also changed it so that the eyes aren't as odd and I can bleed. He also couldn't release me. He tried several times and my spirit got dragged back each attempt. What are my eyes like? I never got to see myself in a mirror."
The Hokage did not speak for a full minute.
"Did you attempt to go against his wishes?"
"I didn't exactly want to go along with the bastard, if that's what you are asking."
"Did you resist in any form? Despite a direct command?"
I thought back and said, "He dragged me to my cell without trying to give me a command. I don't know if that means anything. He also used a snake to restrain me as he dragged me by my ankle to my cell."
Hiruzen stood and said, "My final question is this. Why shouldn't I have one of my other students, a Fuinjutsu master, seal you away so you can never become a threat to this village?"
I thought for a moment and finally shrugged.
"Frankly, I have nothing to convince you. I was only with Orochimaru for about twenty minutes, tops, so I am useless, information-wise. I do not even know if I can do any of the things I've seen you do as I am not originally from this world, so becoming one of your soldiers is only a small option."
"You would consider becoming a Shinobi of Konoha? Why?" I was more surprised he didn't ask what I meant by being from another world.
"I only want one thing. If I'm given that promise, I'll do whatever Konoha asks of me."
His eyes narrowed. "And that is?"
"After Orochimaru is dead, whether by my hand or by someone else's, I want an effort made to release my soul from this body. Not the typical sealing, as that will simply immobilize my body, but an actual release."
"You wish to die?"
I nodded. "I died in my other world and was about to enter the next life, whatever that may have been. That snake bastard took my afterlife from me, wasted many years of this one, and made it so I cannot die but I can still suffer. Several times, when I was buried, I went insane. Orochimaru put me through that torture and I want him to pay. Once that is done, I want my release."
Hiruzen nodded slowly after a moment, giving a nod of understanding.
"I will have an expert at mind Ninjutsu inspect your mind before I make any decisions. After that, we will talk some more."
I nodded and asked, "Is the expert about to come in? Or can I sleep for a little while?"
I received the first hint off amusement from the old man at that and he answered. "He will be in shortly."
Without any sort of signal, the Yamanaka from before walked in and positioned himself behind me.
"Do not resist," he ordered and I rolled my eyes.
"You are the second person to tell me that today, you know that?"
He didn't give any response, but did place his hand on the top of my head. He then grunted and my surroundings changed.
I found myself sitting in a comfortable armchair in the living room of my house. Honest to God, I thought I had woken up from a horrible dream and was safe, for a moment at least.
"Where is this?" And the illusion was broken when the Yamanaka spoke up from the couch to the right of my comfy armchair.
I scowled and said, "My house. Now how do we proceed?"
He stopped his scanning of the room and looked back to me.
"It can go one of two ways. I will ask you a question or about something and I will see everything pertaining to that question as you think of it. I will know if you hold anything back or create false images. The other-"
"Lets just go with the first. Ask away." I relaxed into the armchair and had to resist dozing off. I wonder what the ramifications of falling asleep in your own mind are?
"Tell me what you know of Konoha."
The television that we faced flicked on and it showed an animated version of an overhead view of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Several images flickered by, faster than I could pick them up, yet I still saw them in my memories. I remembered about all the characters I had seen in Konoha in the show. About the character's lives. Their deaths, if they came.
It was when Pain was beginning to destroy Konoha that the Yamanaka said, "Stop!"
"All of this I am seeing. I know you are being truthful and that none of this is fake. But why is it all in that language? And why is all of it shown in such an unlifelike way?"
I turned from the tv and said, "When I was buried, I thought of things that would come to be. In the end, it's worth it. But several decisions could have been altered to create a brighter future. As for the language, that is my native language. English is what it is called. Whatever the snake did with the resurrection jutsu, it must allow me to understand your language. How useful. Next question, or will I continue the scheduled program?" A remote formed in my hand with my finger poised over the Play button. I had been speaking the truth before. I had thought about the show often while underground, so I wasn't lying, per say.
"We will save that for another time. Were you speaking the truth to Hokage-sama when you told him what your conditions were? Would you become a loyal Shinobi of Konoha if we agree to your terms?"
"I will. Just give me the training and I will perform to the best of my ability. I have one other request, and you will have my loyalty."
"Say it."
"My knowledge of the future doesn't include every detail. And thus, I can't be relied on for trivial things. My request is this. You keep the knowledge of my foresight tightly controlled between you, Hokage-sama, and only those who need to know. I do not want some civilian coming up to me, asking if their crop will sell nicely this year. Or anything worse. I do promise to speak up when anything of high importance rises. That is all."
Yamanaka-san, as I decided to call him, nodded after a minute of consideration.
"I am exiting your mind now."
I was back in the T&I room and his hand came off of my head.
"He is loyal to Konoha, provided that a certain detail stays an S Ranked secret. And the other condition he has stated."
Hiruzen nodded his head and lifted his hand to the Anbu in the room. They exited without a word.
Yamanaka-san told Hiruzen about my foresight, and that everything he saw had been truthful.
"Those are your only conditions to becoming a Shinobi of Konoha?"
"Yes," I answered Hiruzen .
He nodded after a minute and said, "You will be given an apartment to live in and a monthly stipend until you are considered competent enough to take on Shinobi duties. You will have an Anbu guard on you at all times, so consider all of your actions wisely. If I believe that you are a threat to this village, I will seal you away and make sure that you are not found unless someone searches a few miles below the surface of the ocean."
"Understood. Can I go now?"
"In a moment. Understand that I will have people train you. You will be pushed extremely hard, harder than most so you can catch up to those of your age. How old are you?"
I thought about it and said, "When I died, sixteen. I'm not sure how many years have gone by but I really haven't aged much mentally. So I would go with seventeen."
"Very well. I will have someone escort you to your new apartment after a suitable one is found."
The Hokage stood and left the room, leaving a parting comment. "Best of luck to you, Connor-kun and welcome to Konoha."
After Hiruzen had left, I was released from my restraints and taken out of T&I. Another masked individual appeared next to me and said, "This way."
She, for the blank tone seemed just a bit too high to be a male, led me at a brisk pace and in total silence. It took about twenty full minutes at a near jog, but she stopped in front of a building and held out a pair of keys that I accepted.
"Second floor. Room J17. Call out if you need anything." With that, she disappeared with a fluttering of leaves left behind.
I walked into the apartment building, passing a few people as I went up the stairs and finally arrived at my door. I entered my apartment and found the bedroom first. The bed was a little more low than what I had in my past life, but I could get used to it. There was a single dresser and a short nightstand next to the bed with a lamp on it. The room looked spartan in how everything had a purpose and there was nothing extra. I liked it.
I searched the kitchen and found some old tea packets, but nothing more. The living room comprised of a futon and a table with tatami mats folded under it. It probably seconded at a dining room, as there was no other tables to be found.
I considered going out and eating, but remembered that I had no money. And I wasn't about to ask one of the Anbu for a loan, even if they would have obliged. I never liked owing anybody anything in my last life and that hadn't changed. Owing Hiruzen and Konoha my loyalty was as far as I was willing to go in the debt department.
Seeing as it was beginning to get dark, I retrieved the tea packets and located a kettle to boil some water in. I really didn't need to eat or drink, as evidenced by the years I spent underground with no nourishment. (I did it to enjoy the taste.) I didn't need to sleep or even breath. Frankly, it wasn't all of that that freaked me out the most. It was the fact that I did not feel the urge to use the bathroom. Ever.
Coming out of the daze, I finished making the tea and poured the result in a cup. After blowing on the steaming liquid, I took a sip.
I then sat the cup down gently, poured what was left in the kettle down the sink, and then followed it with the tea in the cup. After throwing away the remaining packets, I made a mental note to pick up fresh tea packets.
Finding nothing else to do, I thought for a moment and said, "Anbu?"
One of the masked figures, with a tiger pattern on its face, appeared. I was surprised that it worked.
"Is the library still open? And does it have books that provide basic instructions for controlling chakra available?"
"It is closed at this time, but does have what you are asking for."
I nodded. "I will be wanting to go there tomorrow and get a few of those books. That is all. Thank you, Anbu-san."
He nodded and was gone a moment later. With my only idea gone, I shrugged and went to my bedroom. I undressed, keeping only my boxers on. I needed to get some sleeping clothes when I went shopping for essentials.
I found an alarm clock on the nightstand and set it before turning the lamp off and falling asleep. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
And there it is. The first chapter. Any and all suggestions are helpful and welcome. I already have most of the 2nd chapter written, so I'll make a deal. The day this chapter hits 5 reviews, that's the day I post the 2nd chapter. (I don't think I've ever prayed for less reviews before, but hey, I like a challenge.)