"Are you sure?"
"No."
I watched the sunrise from the window of my mother's room, pretending to ignore the presence of ANBU in the nearest tree.
"This will change the way they see you," Midori warned me while brushing her hair.
"Because telling them I know part of the past and future didn't already?" I sighed and shook my head. "I'm tired of secrets. Yondaime-sama chose to trust me—"
"He has you constantly followed."
"He could have done much worse, and we both know it," I retorted while turning my back to the outside. "Kakashi, though… I'm not sure what he really thinks, but he already asked me to tell them everything and it's not like… I don't want to go through another revelation like this in a few months or years, making their opinion of me change again after I finally regained their trust."
"So you want to get everything off your chest."
"Yes. Will you help? Please."
"If that's your wish… It's your decision to make."
"It's your story as much as mine," I pointed out gently.
"I'm not going to pretend that relating this story to the Council fills me with joy, sweetheart, but for you, I would do anything."
I smiled softly before going for a hug.
"I'd have gone to see the Yondaime myself if your plan hadn't worked out."
"I don't want you in trouble because of me."
"Honey, trouble's the spice of life."
I groaned and mumbled under my breath: "Ninjas are crazy."
Used to our little philosophical disagreements, Midori laughed and finished preparing herself. I helped, but only when she truly needed it, or I'd have been hit in reproach.
I glanced outside at the ANBU operative who didn't bother to hide. It was a sign of respect, somehow, a way to say, "Yes, you're under watch, but at least we're honest about it." I wondered if I knew him.
After going to sleep early in the evening yesterday, I had slept six hours, but I had woken up with a start and been unable to calm down. No matter how old I was and how many lives I went through, a maternal figure was still the best remedy to my anxiety, especially considering the unwavering support Midori gave me.
"Let's go rock the world of a few people," she announced cheerfully.
"Mom, this isn't supposed to be fun."
"Not yet, but wait a little and watch carefully the faces they'll make, you'll see. You might not remember, but when you told us the truth, your father's reaction was just priceless, honey. I can't wait to see something similar again."
Oh, I remember that day…
… I was four.
There was a family dinner at home with my parents, my uncle, and my maternal grandmother. Everyone that mattered was there. I decided this was the ideal moment to blurted out the truth, between dessert and tea:
" I'm not from this world."
They glanced at me distractedly. I had spoken in a lull after a debate about which kind of taijutsu was best in which situation (seriously, shinobi were weird…).
" Oh, aren't you, sweetheart?" Dad said, clearly humoring me.
I huffed, stood up from seiza position and leaned forward with my hands on the table. They had to take me seriously! "Papa, je suis sérieuse, je ne suis pas de ce monde ! Et votre monde est bizarre et cette espèce d'énergie que je sens à l'intérieur est bizarre, et je n'aime pas ça, d'accord ?!"
Now, they stared at me wide-eyed.
" What… what did you just say?" Mom asked, looking a little pale.
" I said…" I breathed in before translating. "Dad, I'm serious, I'm not from this world. And your world is weird, and this strange energy I feel inside me is weird, and I don't like it, alright?!"
Apparently, not alright.
They were all staring at me, unmoving and silent.
Until Dad, sitting on my left, started and grabbed me for a hug. "Look at that! My daughter's already speaking two languages at four years old! Isn't she brilliant?!"
" Wha—"
Uncle Daiki, on my father's left, burst into laughter. Squished against dad's chest, I gawked at him. They were crazier than me!
" That's what you're focusing on?" mom drawled, recovering from the dizzy spell she was experiencing a minute before. "Really, Daichi?"
Dad adjusted his hold, holding me with an arm around my waist, legs on each side of him, and my head against his heart. "You know what I think of all this, Midori-chan. She's our daughter, no matter what." He stared at me as he said so, smiling and eyes full of sincerity.
I burst into tears.
For months — years even — I had been worried about their reaction. It had been for nothing.
I was so lucky to have such a great family.
oOo
Heads turned and eyes discreetly followed me as I pushed Midori's wheelchair inside the Hokage's tower. They were too well trained to whisper when I could see or hear them, but I didn't doubt that the rumor mill was overactive.
Stepping into my office felt natural until I caught sight of what used to be Haruka's desk and should now be mine; then, I had to take a few seconds to breathe deeply. Midori squeezed my hand. I went to work.
Half an hour later, I was starting to get the backlog of paperwork organized. Chatting with my mom while I did mindless work helped to calm my nerves and stop dreading what was waiting for me.
"Maiko!"
We looked up as Izumo and Kotetsu ran into the room, looking short of breath. Izumo braked suddenly when he saw Midori, causing his best friend to knock into him.
"Oba-san!"
"Well, look at that. If it isn't my long-lost nephew… I thought I wouldn't see you ever again, my boy!"
Izumo sweat-drop at my mother's melodrama before he fell into a deep bow. "I'm so sorry for not visiting lately, Midori-oba-san! I've been very busy since I became chunin."
"So you say. It's okay, I understand that a big boy like you would rather spend time with his boyfriend or girlfriend rather than with his old auntie…"
"Oba-san! That's not it and you know it," Izumo whined while Kotetsu snickered behind his back.
"Uhuh. So I suppose you barged in here to see me ?"
"Uh," Izumo glanced at me, "I was worried about Maiko-chan, actually. There are rumors…" He stared at the desk I was working on — Haruka's.
I wiggled my fingers and opened my arms. He came for a hug.
"Is it true? Haruka-san has been killed by a traitor, and you were under investigation?"
"It's true," I admitted with a sigh, "but it's over now. I've been cleared. Don't worry."
"Is it true that you were tortured by T&I?!" Kotetsu asked with morbid curiosity.
I rolled my eyes. "No."
They were going to unleash a new wave of questions when an ANBU popped up and announced: "The Council's waiting for you in the meeting room, Kamizuki-san." He disappeared just like he arrived.
Izumo stared at me, wide-eyed. "I thought it was over?"
I shrugged. "Well, there might be a few details left to discuss. Nothing to worry about." I pecked him on the cheek. "See you later!"
"Maiko-nee-san, you'll give me white hair!" Izumo said, exasperated.
I followed Midori as she rolled away. Away from prying eyes, she offered me a hand. I squeezed it tightly and focused on breathing.
The Go-Ikenban, the Council of Elders, had been reorganized a few years ago, after the infamous 10th of October. With the death of his wife and the messy birth of his son, the Yondaime had been in a difficult headspace. His patience had been at an all-time low, and the comments of the previous Elders had been badly received. I still remembered the day they had been fired. I wasn't anywhere near the meeting, and I was glad for it: I heard that the killing intent had been chilling.
Despite their outrage, the Elders hadn't received much sympathy, especially after the name of their successors had been announced: it was perfectly natural for the Sandaime, the Yondaime's sensei, and Senju Mito's pupil (who also happened to be Uzumaki Kushina's sensei) to be chosen. They were well-liked and respected.
Danzou had tried to undermine them via the Council of Clan Heads, in vain.
Senju Momoko and Sarutobi Hiruzen were sitting on Minato's left. Jiraiya and the Jounin Commander were on his right.
Facing them as I stood in the middle of the room didn't help my nerves. I bowed deeply.
"Kamizuki Midori, the Go-ikenban hasn't summoned you."
"I asked for her presence, Sandaime-sama," I explained, stepping forward. "She has knowledge regarding the subjects you wish to discuss and knows most of what we'll talk about."
"Very well…"
As the doors closed behind us, I noticed an ANBU taking position behind the Yondaime's chair, on his right. His hair was uncovered, silver strands sticking up and to the side. Kakashi wanted me to notice him. A reminder of my promise, I suppose.
"Let's skip the small talk. We all know why we are here," Jiraiya said, interrupting the Sandaime as he got ready to speak up. The Toad Sage leaned forward, staring at me. "You got information both confirmed and classified, as well as unverified and sensitive. While this knowledge will be discussed at some point, before anything, we should address the how—"
"And that's where I come in," Midori spoke up, straightening in her rolling chair. "I bet you already have your opinion, and the consensus would have you salivating at the prospect, I'm sure. Well, let me douse your enthusiasm: no, it's not a new kekkei genkai."
They shifted in their seat. It was indeed the explanation they had expected.
"Isn't it?" The Yondaime said, speaking for the first time since we came in. "We're listening, Kamizuki-san."
"It's a story which starts well before Maiko's birth. Sandaime-sama might remember that my father used to be a member of the Research and Development Department. He assisted the Nidaime with several projects, including the technique Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation. For those who might not have heard of it, since it was declared a kinjutsu soon after its successful creation, it binds the soul of a deceased person to a vessel, restoring them as they were when they were alive in order to do the summoner's bidding."
"Alright, I don't like the direction this is taking," Jiraiya mumbled as he leaned back in his chair.
"As years passed and those he loved died on the battlefield, my father… changed and became somewhat obsessed by the subjects of life, death, and reincarnation. It made me uncomfortable, but I wasn't aware of how far his obsession went. Despite the ban on this jutsu, he had been secretly working on a variant for years, his ultimate goal being a perfect reincarnation. His theory was that a soul needed to connect with a body — a living body, not a corpse — for the reincarnation to be long-lasting, but of course, a living body is already inhabited by a soul. " Midori paused, inhaled, and licked her lips.
It was proof of her strength and training that she was able to talk so clearly about such a difficult topic for her. My mom was awesome. Maybe if I was completely and exclusively her daughter, I would be less of a mess and more of a badass kunoichi, like her, like this world craved.
"When I became pregnant, he realized that a baby, at their earliest development, is effectively soulless."
A wave of unease went through the audience as they understood where this was going.
"Unbeknownst to me, at several points during my pregnancy, my father took advantage of my naps to experiment on me. This led to a deterioration of my health, and I went into early labor at eight months. My husband was on a mission at the time. My father and stepmother were with me. My stepmother was a medic-nin. She insisted we went to the hospital immediately, considering my poor health and the risks for me and the baby. My father disagreed and ultimately attacked my stepmother to get his way. That's when… I realized something was horribly wrong. He was raving about the reincarnation of my mother, dead for more than ten years by then…"
She stopped and lowered her head to hide her tense jaws and teary eyes. I squeezed her shoulder in support.
"I don't know what would have happened if he had gotten his way… but my stepmother stopped his ritual, killing him in the process, and saved my life and my baby." Her voice cracked on those last words and she stopped abruptly.
I couldn't ask her for more. I took over, stepping forward to draw their attention. "What we are trying to say here, is that my birth wasn't exactly normal, and I suppose… I am not either."
"So we gathered," Senju Momoko said as she leaned forward, "but are you suggesting that you are… a reincarnation?"
"I am. This is my second life," I admitted. "I am not, however, who my grandfather intended. I am not anyone from this world."
Jiraiya suddenly burst into laughter. "That's a good one! That's a really good storyline! Awesome! Do you mind if I use this for my next book? We can discuss credit and everything but oh, this is good…"
The rest of the Council didn't share his amusement, nor did I. Midori and I didn't share this story just to be laughed at.
" Bonjour. Mon nom est Harmonie, aussi connue comme Maiko. Autrefois, j'étais professeur des écoles en France, bien que je ne me rappelle pas exactement où. J'aimais les jeux vidéos et les pains au chocolat."
Jiraiya had stopped laughing and was staring at me intently, like everyone else. Even Midori. She rarely heard me talk more than a few words in French (mostly curses). To be honest, I lost most of my proficiency in what used to be my native language. A lot of vocabulary escaped me. I would probably be unable to spell most of it correctly. Nevertheless, I still could speak it fluently, even if it sat wrong on my tongue. I was fluent enough that it sounded right to them, like a language on its own, and not gibberish I invented.
"Should I translate?" I offered.
"Please," Minato replied calmly.
"Hello. My name is Harmonie, also known as Maiko. I used to be a primary school teacher in France, even if I don't remember exactly where in the country. I liked video games and… well… the last words don't translate. The lack of pastries in this world is one of its many flaws."
"Video games?" Momoko repeated quietly.
"France?" Shikaku asked.
"France was one of the hundred countries in my world," I explained. "Look, I know how crazy this sounds, I lived it. So, before you decide this is an elaborate joke, do me the favor of thinking about how I felt being thrown into your world — a violent, crazy, and feudal world so different from my own — before judging me. And if you can't, at least let me tell the rest of the story before you plagiarize it."
"We are listening," Minato said.
"Your world used to be a story, for me. A story that I read when I was young and that was called 'Naruto', from its hero, a young orphan ninja shunned by its village because he was the container of a powerful and dangerous beast, the Kyuubi. I read this story, from the age he was twelve years old and sent into a genin team, to the time where he saved your world. It's a story and you were its characters." I stared at them each.
Most of them looked carefully blank and emotionless, like good shinobi, but I noticed that Minato didn't appreciate my description of the manga's storyline.
"You were only two-dimensional characters, and chakra didn't exist, nor did super-powerful jutsus, or tailed beasts, or child soldiers… or any of this crazy world." I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes as I breathed in deeply to calm down. "I don't know by which mystery of physics or magic I ended up being reborn here, or why me, but somehow, one day, I felt chakra, saw people walking up walls like it was as easy as breathing, and it became a reality. But still, you were only characters from a story. You weren't real. You weren't supposed to matter. Never mind that I saw the Sandaime walk in the same town as me once in a while…"
I used to refuse to address the fact that I was living in a story. For my first years, I refused to deal with everything that implied. It couldn't last long, of course...
… I was seven when it struck me.
I wasn't a popular kid at the Academy — unless someone needed an explanation on a lesson, that is. I spent most of my time alone, although I had friendly acquaintances.
During the lunch break one day, I was distracted from the book I was reading by girls chattering excitedly nearby. They were pointing at something on the roof.
I followed their line of sight and noticed the two figures standing above us (and ignoring us). They looked like a sensei and his student from their height and clothes. I needed a few more seconds to identify them from their hair, respectively blond and grey. When I finally did, I stared, wide-eyed, at the famous characters from the manga.
It looked like Minato was scolding Kakashi, but the genin had his arms crossed and was looking away. He looked down at the noise coming from the schoolyard. Our eyes met, for a second, before he looked away with a disdainful sneer.
A minute later, they disappeared.
This was short and banal, but the realization struck me: yes, those characters were real. They were people. They were children. Naruto, a kid, would go through all the horrors I had read about. That would happen. Whether I chose to do something about it or not, I couldn't ignore this reality and all its consequences for me, for my new family, and for everyone else. I could bury my head in the sand all I wanted, but a eight years old genius had just snubbed me, and I knew more about him than he knew about himself.
That happened.
This was real. Too real.
I had a panic attack. I ran to a teacher who stared at me like I was an alien. I might as well be.
" Don't stare at me like that!" I shouted at him as I was shaking with anxiety. I wanted to ask him where he learned to take care of children, but the truth would be sad: nowhere. They didn't take care of children, they raised soldiers. I burst into tears.
A kunoichi stopped by and glared at her colleague. "What did you say to her?"
" Nothing!" the guy protested. "Girls cry for no reason all the time, that's just what they do!"
I went to the kunoichi and raised my arms, asking for a hug, just like I had done a minute before to the shinobi. She sighed, crouched, and gave me exactly what I asked for. "It's alright, kiddo. Cry all you want now. Soon, you'll learn that men aren't worth your tears."
I was crying for myself.
God, how unlucky I was to have ended up in this world!
It sucked.
It needed to be changed.
"So, you're telling us that you know vital information thanks to what you read in a book?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes, and I know how crazy it sounds," I sighed. "What I shared with you and what information I have come from a story I read, and that world sucked so much that I decided to change it. What those changes would bring, the future it will create, I don't know…"
"But you believe it will be better than what you read?" Minato asked.
"I know it is, at least in the short term."
"How short?"
"… Ten or so years?"
Minato hummed and glanced at the members of the Council. "We have a lot to discuss. Please, step outside. We'll call you back."
I bowed from the waist and Midori bowed her head before we complied.
In the anteroom, I realized for the first time that Raidou and Iwashi were the ones guarding the door. I glanced at them briefly before focusing on Midori. She looked pale.
I crouched to be at her eye-level and squeezed her hands gently. "Mom? Are you alright?"
She sighed and smiled weakly. "I will be. Bad memories. You know how it is."
I knew that her father's betrayal was one of her worst experiences. My birth had been the worst day of her life. She told me time and time again that she didn't regret me, but I was smart and mature enough to make the distinction.
"Yes. Thank you so much for coming. I don't know if I could have done it without you."
"You underestimate yourself far too much, Mai-chan. You came this far. You're strong. I don't doubt that. I never doubted that."
We hugged for a few seconds before I stepped back. "If you need to leave, go. I can go through the rest on my own."
She squinted at me. "Are you sure?"
"You just said I was strong, didn't you?"
"True. Alright then, I'll take you on that offer. Come tell me how it went as soon as you can."
"Promise."
She nodded slowly before holding my face between her hands and touching our foreheads. "You're the best daughter I could have hoped for. Don't you forget that, ever , got it?"
Conscious of our audience, I fought the tears threatening to flow and nodded. "And you're the best mother in this whole world," I murmured in answer. It was an old custom for us, those words of reassurance, but they were always true. It would have been so easy for us to resent the other for what we lost and what we could have had. It never happened.
I was lucky.
I watched her leave as I dried the corners of my eyes.
I ignored the chairs against the wall and walked back toward the door. "Hi, guys," I said to Raidou and Iwashi. "I want to apologize for giving you the cold shoulder lately. The Hokage told me you were following his… directives. Peace?"
Iwashi relaxed, and Raidou finally glanced at me.
"Does that mean we'll get coffee again?" Iwashi asked hopefully.
I tilted my head. "If that was your only problem, I think I spoiled you."
"No, no, no! Of course not! Maiko-san, we're grateful you took pity on us," Iwashi replied eagerly.
Raidou snorted but nodded. "It's good to have things go back on track."
Iwashi glanced at his friend and smirked at me. "We heard that Genma finally confessed?"
Raidou huffed. "Worst timing ever."
I smiled slightly and tried to divert the conversation. "If you're trying to talk about my romantic life, I hope you realize this goes both ways."
Unbothered, Raidou replied without batting an eyelash: "Rin and I are great, thanks."
"Uh…" Iwashi said hesitantly.
"Still not sure about having a baby, right?" I asked him.
He winced. "A baby is defenseless and fragile! Anything could go wrong! Anything!"
"I know."
He blinked at me in surprise, as if he was expecting some rebuttal. "You get it?"
"Of course I do. It's not an easy decision. It will change your life."
"Exactly! And what if I'm a terrible father? I barely remember mine. My older brother was an asshole. I've got no reference!"
"Of course you do. Yondaime-sama is a great father."
Iwashi blinked and thought it through. "That's true… and he doesn't remember his father either."
"Yes, and if you're worried you'll be a bad father, it's a sign that you won't be."
"How so?"
"Those who worry they aren't good enough have the drive to learn to be better. Being a good father can be learned, just like being a good shinobi."
"You think? That… makes sense." He stared into space for a few seconds before smiling at me. "Thanks, Maiko-san. You've given me food for thought."
"Anytime, Iwashi-san." I smiled and turned around to go sit down. Raidou caught my eye as I went and raised an eyebrow at me in a silent "I know what you did there", but he allowed me to leave without answering their inquiry regarding Genma.
Genma…
I didn't know what to think about him.
I sat, closed my eyes, and leaned back against the wall.
I liked Genma, a lot . I could imagine a relationship, a life, with him. There was one major problem: he wasn't part of the people who were in the know regarding every secret I carried. Could I be with him while keeping him in the dark? I felt like, somehow, someday, he would learn about it anyway, and I didn't want our relationship to change because of it… No, if we truly entered a serious relationship, I couldn't bear keeping the truth from him. I was so bad at keeping secrets from those I loved…
I sighed and crossed my legs, waving a foot around.
And what of Kakashi? I wondered how he took everything I said today. Would he see me differently? Would he ever trust me again? I liked him. I changed things for him. I would be extremely disappointed to lose him.
But to lose Genma in the same way? I didn't know if I could bear it.
I sighed.
I didn't remember my first life ever being so complicated.
oOo
It was some time around lunch when Kakashi appeared in front of me in full ANBU regalia and stated: "The Council will see you now."
I stood up, expecting him to disappear right away, but he stayed unmoving. We were so close I could clearly see his eyes — both of them — through the mask's holes. He was staring at me intently, as if he was waiting for something, expecting something.
The only thing I could think of to say was: "I keep my promises."
Somehow, it seemed to satisfy him. He went to open the door, closing it behind me as I stopped in the middle of the room.
"Where's Midori?" Jiraiya asked.
"She wasn't feeling well. She went back to the Senju Nursing Home. If you wish to speak to her, you'll be able to find her there. If you have questions, I can answer most of them."
"Very well. I'll speak to her later," Jiraiya agreed, leaning back in his chair and glancing at his student.
"The Go-ikenban chose to believe you, Maiko-san. However, we have several questions," the Yondaime explained.
I bowed my head. "I'll answer to the best of my abilities."
"Do you have records of your grandfather's experiments?"
"My mother did. She kept them hidden, and I never asked to see them. She'll be happy to get rid of it if you ask for them."
Jiraiya waved his hand, indicating he would handle it.
"Are there any other side effects of those experiments?"
"Not on me."
Minato frowned. "Explain."
"My maternal grandmother speculated that the degenerative disease affecting my mother is a consequence of her difficult childbirth and possibly the experiments done on her previously. Her spinal cord was affected. I don't know more than that. Any investigation done by my grandmother will be with the experiment's records."
"Why wasn't any of this reported to me?" the Sandaime asked with a hint of anger and frustration.
"With all due respect, Sandaime-sama, in my experience, your culture promotes the idea that any family trouble is private. My family might not have been a clan, but it nonetheless followed the same old principles," I replied calmly. "Furthermore, while my mother might have been shocked by her father's actions, she was extremely protective of me regardless and refused to see me experimented on any further. She never mentioned it to me before I told her of my own volition that I wasn't of this world."
"And what did you say to that?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
I tilted my head as I tried to remember. "I think it was something like: 'Ojii-san is the worst asshole ever, and your world sucks.'"
Jiraiya snickered.
I shrugged. "I was four, my grasp of your language was still basic."
"But colorful," he pointed out. "The mind of an adult in the body of a child. An interesting concept..."
"Let's stay on topic," Minato interrupted his sensei. "On the subject of this story you read, Maiko-san..."
"Yes, Yondaime-sama."
"How did it end?"
"I can't say, Yondaime-sama. I never read the end. The story was extremely long, dozens of books published over many years. However, I have been told it ended well… for the main characters at least."
"Why did you stop reading it?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
"I was tired of seeing my favorite characters die."
"Didn't you just say…"
"I'm referring to secondary characters… like you … Don't worry, it was a very heroic death."
Jiraiya straightened, puffed up his chest, and grinned. "I was one of your favorites?"
I cleared my throat. "That's not what I meant…"
"Haha! Too late! No take back!"
"Jiraiya-sensei, please," Minato sighed, "let's focus. Chronologically speaking, Maiko-san, until when did you read?"
I closed my eyes and tried to remember. "Mh… Naruto was… fifteen? sixteen, maybe?"
He nodded, staying unexpressive. "Very well. I believe this covered the most important questions," he said, glancing at the councilmen and waiting for them to approve before continuing. "Maiko-san, anything discussed today is classified as S-rank information. You will now be considered an S-level asset and as such required to follow the corresponding procedures. Do you understand?"
I nodded.
S-level assets were rare. The jinchuuriki was one. It felt strange to be compared to that. Among the restrictions that a S-level asset had to follow, the most important one was to ask for the Hokage's permission to leave Konoha. Considering that I never left Konoha for anything other than a mission, I wasn't too worried about it. Ultimately, it wouldn't change much.
"We'll have many more questions to ask you later," Minato said. "In the meantime, our priority is to come back to a regular activity. You'll take the first assistant position. I would appreciate it if you could think about someone to replace you as second assistant, someone whose discretion and competency you trust."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Dismissed."
oOo Bonus - Change of PoV oOo
From his perch on the window, Kakashi watched his sensei kiss Naruto's forehead as he slept. Minato tenderly brushed the kid's hair away from his face before leaving the bedroom.
Kakashi followed him to the garden, where they stared at the cliff bathed in moonlight, the Hokage's faces overlooking the house and all Konoha. Or Minato stared at them while Kakashi stared at him. Since the meeting this morning, the Yondaime had been quiet and distracted.
"Naruto's fine, sensei," Kakashi finally said. "You're here. He isn't an orphan, and he isn't shunned by the village."
"Yes… He's well and protected, isn't he? Thanks to Maiko."
"You really believe everything she said?"
"Don't you?" Minato shifted to glance at his student, smiling softly.
"It sounds crazy."
"I suppose it does." Minato crossed his arms, his white and red cloak dancing around his legs with the wind. "Did you know…? I thought the same thing when I received that scroll telling me that the village would be attacked the day of my son's birth. And yet, I planned in consequence, and if I hadn't… I wouldn't be here to talk to you today." Minato squeezed Kakashi's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "In my experience, crazy's quite relative, Kakashi."
"So you believe it? That another world exists, where our lives are part of a story?"
"Why not?" Minato asked him honestly, tilting his head as if he was waiting for his brilliant student to give him a good explanation on why it wasn't possible.
Of course, Kakashi couldn't — metaphysics weren't his specialty — but still, he wondered: "And of all the souls that could have been reincarnated… it was her? Someone who read that story?"
Minato hummed and smiled softly. "Fascinating, isn't he? I wouldn't be surprised if some kami had interfered in this. They have a tendency to play their own games when mortals try to outsmart them."
"Why her?" Kakashi insisted.
"Didn't I tell you, Kakashi? To not underestimate her?"
The jounin frowned and shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Is this about emotions again?"
"I always thought she had a very particular mindset. The idea that she comes from another world explains it actually."
"It does?"
"Of course. Another world, another culture, another education, other priorities… I can see traces of all of this in her. It's quite interesting… We have a lot to learn from her."
Kakashi stayed quiet.
Minato gently tapped the back of his head. "Don't be like that, Kakashi. You're being stubborn again. Be more open-minded."
Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, hiding a pout behind his mask, and grumbled: "I am."
"Are you? Good then, you'll be able to learn more about her previous world for me. And while you are at it, don't forget to get things straight with her!" Minato cheerfully ordered.
"Sensei," Kakashi whined despondently.
"Go on!"