Chapter Text
I.
The children in the orphanage ran around gregariously kicking a ball between themselves. The small child - four years of age - sat alone surveying the rowdy children with an indulgent smile. He had a pale complexion with curly dark locks that adorned his soft features and warm golden eyes. The child hopped off the bench where he sat skimming an old book and he stopped the straying ball with a sandalled foot. He kicked it lightly towards the children and made his way back to the bench, waving off their gratitude with a soft smile.
Naoki Yue was an orphan - a well-liked orphan - with soft manners and a patient demeanour. He had been born to an impoverished, unhappy household - a sickly mother and absent father - His mother perished from her illness and his father took off, disappearing without a backward glance. Yue lost his home at the age of three. The small toddler did not despair long over his tragic plight much to the shock of the orphanage matrons.
He did not cry over his loss.
Yue was mature for his age - intelligent beyond his years - and had a positive outlook on life. He enjoyed reading. His life was normal and mediocre. He had clothes on his small body, a roof over his head and warm food in his stomach. He was grateful. It could have been worse.
The village he lived in was hidden in the depths of large sand dunes -Sunagakure- It was hot and sweltering. Yue was to be drafted in the shinobi academy in a year’s time -an early enlistment- the consequences of being an orphan and ward of the village. The small four year old spent his time walking around the village, exploring the streets and vendors. His first two years at the orphanage passed by uneventfully.
It was on his fifth birthday that things became strange.
The change happened in his sleep.
In the recesses of his unconscious, memories began surfacing slowly.
Incoherent, fragmented glimpses.
There was a name - Tanjirou - distant and unclear memories. An echo of a forgotten past. He was Yue Naoki and yet he wasn’t. There were memories in his mind of another boy.
Another life.
A sister.
The small orphaned child with soft golden eyes sat in his bed quietly reflecting and pondering. The memories made no sense. They were too sparse and fragmented for him to understand the whole picture. He kept the memories to himself and went through the monotonous motions, day by day.
Yue was enrolled in the academy. He found that he was more inclined to use swords and he didn’t understand his extreme adeptness in the craft. The katana blades felt right in his palms. Swinging the blade up and down felt like coming home. His body knew how to move with the blade. It was an extension of himself.
His soft skin felt wrong. He felt a sense of displacement looking at the smooth texture of his hands. For reasons unknown to him, he had expected callused hands and heavily scarred skin.
Yue heard the rumours as the years passed. Soft and angry whispers were traded among the villagers. People spoke uncaringly when a seemingly innocent child was in their midst.
Demon.
There was a demon in the village of Suna.
The word instilled a strong visceral reaction in him. Demon. It meant something to him. He couldn’t remember the exact details. Yue breathed deeply - in and out - He didn’t understand his reaction. The need to move, to seek out the creature and cut down the demon was strong. Yue grounded his feet solidly to the ground and suppressed the violent urge. He shook his head, dispelling the unwelcome thoughts.
The small five year old grabbed his long blade and made his way to the academy. The academy was not as challenging as he expected. He weaved through the content easily and learning to fight did not create a discomfort in him as it did with the other orphans. Fighting and training felt like coming home. It felt normal for him. Yue frowned at the thought as he took down another academy student in a spar, flipping the older child and locking his joints in a strong hold. The older student tapped his hand on the gravel, signalling his withdrawal from the match. Yue helped him up gently with a soft smile. The kid scowled and moved away from him with an ashamed face.
They moved him up to another class of older students. They granted him the prodigy status. It was too early for him to learn jutsu so they taught him about chakra manipulation. It was different. It was new. He welcomed it. He pulled the chakra centred in his core and trained hard. He was driven to learn but he had no path. No goal.
It felt wrong.
He didn’t want to kill on orders.
Yue wanted strength, the strength to protect.
There was a voice in his head telling him that killing on orders was wrong. Killing was wrong. Yue winced as the urge to seek out the demon resurfaced. He ignored the whispers in his mind and moved through his katas. The child trained alone in the open sandy fields. The heat surrounded him and he moved through his forms. He held the blade in his hand, weaving it around expertly. He was a natural.
There was an incessant urge in him to breathe.
Yue suppressed the strange urge and waited till nightfall. He listened to the sounds around him, ensuring that he was alone. He listened to the whispers in his consciousness - the fragmented images of his past - and breathed. He felt a faint rippling in his veins -the sound of rushing water- and he tightened his hold on his blade.
Yue opened his golden eyes and swung his sword in a wide arch. He breathed deeply and he watched with wide, alarmed eyes as water rushed forward in massive torrents, rippling around his sword and thin strings struck the tall, palm trees. The trees were entirely uprooted from their spot and the training ground was desecrated. Yue blinked with wide eyes and he heard a command in his mind.
Mizu no kokyū.
Yue drew significant attention as the months passed. He was moved up again. He was a six year old in a class of eight year olds. He entered the room and introduced himself to his older peers with a low, soothing voice. The class had the daughter of the Kazekage. She was a girl with sandy blond locks and wide brown eyes. She was two years his senior. She watched him curiously and blushed when he glanced her way. Yue smiled gently at the shy student and took a seat a few rows down.
Yue continued to build a reputable reputation as he took down students twice his size in spars. He extended a hand each time with a soft smile and offered a grateful bow to each opponent. His swordsmanship skills grew. His abilities were labelled as a rare genetic anomaly -a kekkei genkai.
The small six year old weaved through the crowds in the village, humming softly under his breath. He paused in his steps as he watched a harried mother, carrying a child on her back. She was surrounded with a number of small children and they were bickering amongst each other as they moved through the marketplace. Yue rubbed a hand against his heart uncomfortably and continued walking with a deep frown.
The familial sight filled him with deep grief.
Nii-san!
Yue paused in his steps and his small form shook in alarm as a distorted memory played before him. A warm home. Firewood. A village. A demon. Blood. Yue swallowed the bile rising in his throat and made his way hurriedly through the crowds. He closed his eyes tightly as his eyes prickled with tears and he picked up his pace, running on his small feet desperately.
The small orphan weaved through the crowds and fell to his knees in an empty clearing. He ducked behind the large palms trees and tucked his knees to his chest. Nii-san. He had been a brother. He had a family. They were killed. A demon. Yue winced as the pain thrummed through his mind. He couldn’t remember the details. The dark haired child bit harshly on his lower-lip and took long, centring breaths. His trembling ceased and he stared blankly ahead at the setting sun.
Who am I?
The sound of quiet crying filtered through the tall trees. Yue tilted his head to the side in concern. The six year old stood up hurriedly, his kind heart reaching out to the heartbreaking sound. It was in his nature to help. He could never turn away from someone hurting. He wondered if it was because of who he was. There was an innate kindness in him. There was a rare genuine love for all of humanity deeply ingrained in his core. Yue stepped towards the sound and he frowned at the sad deprecating sight.
A small child sat on the ground with his knees drawn to his chest. His head was ducked in his thin arms and his small shoulders were trembling. Quiet sobs wracked his little form. He had dark red locks and he was wearing a pale shirt with dark shorts. He couldn’t be older than four. Yue stepped forward and the child’s head shot up. His eyes were wide and alarmed. Glittering, glistening jade met soft golden hues. They were a beautiful colour. Yue smiled softly and knelt down in front of the boy.
“Why’re you crying?” He asked softly.
The child wiped his wet eyes and he blinked up at him in confusion and bewilderment. Yue frowned. He reached a gentle hand forward and wiped the child’s cheeks with his sleeves. The boy flinched at the touch and he retreated back into the trees. Yue’s heart clenched at the sight. He smiled sadly and walked forward with slow steps. He took a seat next to the tiny child, raising his hands imploringly.
“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” He smiled softly at the kid and returned his gaze to the setting sun.
“Sometimes I want to hide away too.” Yue confessed softly. “When things get too tough and hard, I like hiding away where no one can see me.”
The boy shuffled closer hesitantly and Yue turned to him with a reassuring smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”
The child gazed at him uncertainly. “Aren’t you scared of me?” He whispered softly.
Yue frowned and shook his head. “No.”
The boy gazed down. His eyes welled up with new tears. “Everyone is scared of me. I…” His small voice cracked. “I have no friends.” He confessed sadly.
“I can be your friend.” The six year old spoke honestly.
The boy’s head snapped upwards in shock. He stared at him with wide hopeful eyes. Yue felt his heart clench at the sight. He was always weak to children.
“Really?” The boy whispered hopefully.
Yue smiled and extended a hand. “Really. I’m Yue. What’s your name?”
The kid stared at his outstretched hand with blatant disbelief. He reached forward with wide eyes. He kept pausing and peering up at Yue like he was expecting him to snatch his hand away. Yue waited patiently and the boy moved slowly. He clasped his fingers hesitantly with tiny toddler hands. The academy student felt the desire to protect flare inside him. It was strong and powerful. The boy smiled shyly up at him and Yue smiled back helplessly. He was adorable.
“I’m Gaara.”