“Kuchiyose no jutsu.” Uzu whispered, slamming her right hand onto the ground, a bit of blood flying through the air.

A small white slug appeared on the ground.

Though I normally can’t really stand insects, these slugs are cute, so they’re fine!

Uzu reached out to pet the fat white slug. As her hand finally connected with the creature, she could feel its soft and smooth skin.

Gently picking it up, she cradled it in her arms and turned towards her mother that nodded at her with a proud smile on her face.

“I know that you can already summon the bigger slugs as well, but for the first time, this much chakra is fine! She’ll be your partner whenever you need anything non-combat related, she’s still young so she can’t fight yet. Remember her chakra signature and make sure to think of her when you do the summon jutsu!” Tsunade said, smiling.

Patting the soft creature’s head, Uzu couldn’t help but smile.

After a while, she let the small slug dispel and returned to the apartment together with her mother.

…

“Mom?” Uzu asked, hugging Tsunade and feeling comfortable in her warm embrace.

They had sat down after dinner and decided to drink a bit of tea together.

“Yes?” Tsunade said, letting go of Uzu to look at her face.

Uzu remained quiet for a while, thinking about what she was about to do.

I’ve been ignoring it all this time … but … I think I might need to tell someone about the things I know. I’ve been focusing on practice and just … for once actually feeling happy. But … if I don’t work even harder, many people that Tsunade or Naruto care about will suffer or die. Also, who knows whether everything will end as it did in my memories if I stay still and just let things happen?

I couldn’t care less about the villagers, they voided their right for protection and lost their innocent status when they decided to shun Naruto. Their attacks and hatred towards him warrant death in return … but alas … he still, somehow, cares about them. And even if mom doesn’t say it often, she also cares about the village.

They deserve a chance at trying to save these worthless people.

And, I’ll probably be caught up in all of that too … especially with me knowing all that.

Perhaps it’d be best to just let the Yamanaka mind-walk it and be done with it? If mother trusts him, that is, and if it doesn’t have any great negative influence on Naruto and her.

Closing her eyes for a second, Uzu gathered her words before saying: “Mom. I told you how those Root scientists summoned a soul, me, to inhabit their weapon right?”

Tsunade nodded.

“Would you believe me if I told you that this isn’t my first life?” Uzu said, feeling slightly uncomfortable with opening up about that, even though she really likes being with Tsunade.

Uzu doesn’t know whether she is capable of feeling love … but she trusts Tsunade. She knows at least that much.

Uzu looked at Tsunade expecting to be laughed at, but Tsunade sighed instead: “Honestly, Uzu, I expected something along those lines all this time. While you do have implanted knowledge about fighting, you were supposed to be an empty slate without your own thoughts. That’s something we learned from the tests. I can see that most of the emotions that you do show are genuine, a weapon, or rather, a programmed puppet does not have any of that. A puppet also wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with strangers, even though I don’t think you fear them … though that could be due to your mostly forcibly dulled emotions.”

“Just know that I won’t treat you any differently just because of this.” Tsunade said, hugging her daughter again and gently rubbing her back.

I’m glad … I’m glad …

Relishing in her Mom’s embrace for a few minutes, Uzu sat back, again looking at her mother: “But that isn’t all. I remember my past life to some extent … though I’ve forgotten quite a bit. Mom. This world we live in, it existed as a book in my former world. It was fiction. And I know a lot of things that I shouldn’t know.”

Tsunade’s eyes widened.

“My memories of my old world have become a bit hazy lately … and I regret not saying anything sooner. I know that you care about the village and that Naruto cares about the village. Know that I do not care about the village. I care only about the people that are close to me and mean something to me. For once, in my two life’s, I am slightly happy. But I fear that you won’t be happy at all if I don’t tell you of what I know …” Uzu said, looking at her mother with a sad gaze.

Jiraiya doesn’t necessarily need to die … though I don’t know if he can be saved. Gosh … I don’t remember why he went to Amegakure … he did die there, right?

“Mom, ask me about something that I shouldn’t know.” Uzu said.

Tsunade seemed to think for a while before asking: “You … shouldn’t know who Naruto’s parents are yet, right? I don’t think I’ve told you yet …”

Right … well …

Uzu laughed softly: “His father is Namikaze Minato, the fourth Hokage. And he is also the one that sealed Kurama in him. Ah, Kurama is the Kyuubi’s real name.”

Tsunade sighed sadly: “Uzu, I do believe you … but you know …”

I know that I’ll need the Yamanaka to go over my memories again, even if that could damage my brain permanently. If this information gets to the council, especially Danzo, they won’t even think twice about getting everything they can out of me … and it won’t matter that I’m a valuable ‘chess piece’. Knowing the future is much more important than a failed experiment of Danzo’s.

For the good of the village … huh.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms embrace her and hold her tightly.

“Thank you for telling me about this … but you mustn’t tell anyone else. If anyone else other than me knows about it, they’ll never let you go. The knowledge of even only one possible future is too precious.” Tsunade whispered into Uzu’s ear, making her relax and calm down.

“M-Mom … you know … about your teammate Jiraiya …” Uzu mumbled, feeling a tear form in the corner of her eye as she imagined her Mom breaking down after losing her teammate.

“What about him?” Tsunade whispered.

“Don’t let him go to Amegakure … and if he really needs to go, then don’t let him go alone. Do you still remember the three children you met after the war in Ame? Yahiko, Nagato and Konan.” Uzu whispered, tears running down her face.

“Yeah, they’ve been taught by Jiraiya for a while.” Tsunade whispered.

Uzu felt a tear drop from her mother’s eyes onto her shoulder.

“They are the ones that created Akatsuki … but the Akatsuki they created was good, they fought for peace in Ame. It was only when Hanzo caused the death of Yahiko that that organization changed. What they truly want is peace … and their path does make sense, but that doesn’t mean it is right. They are coming for the tailed beasts … they are being manipulated by someone else … someone much, much stronger than them.” Uzu said softly.

She was glad that their whole apartment was covered in all kinds of seals that prevented spying.

“The one controlling them from the depths of the shadows is Madara Uchiha. Though even he is being fooled …” Uzu said as she felt Tsunade tense up in her arms.

After a few minutes of silence, Uzu took a piece of paper and wrote down all that she remembered.

Sadly, after all this time, she only remembered a few plot points and not the whole truth of what probably happened.

Words on the paper:

• Gaara is kidnapped by Akatsuki, they extract Shukaku
• Naruto’s team is sent to help, a shinobi named Chiyo later sacrifices herself to revive the dead Kazekage, Sasori dies during the fight against Sakura and Chiyo
• Asuma dies against Hidan, an Akatsuki member that follows the God Jashin, he has a strange power of immortality
• Shikamaru thinks of a plan to take revenge with his team, Kakashi is sent to assist, Naruto later also follows and kills Kakuzu, another member of Akatsuki
• Jiraiya dies in Amegakure, killed by his former student Nagato that used the abilities of the Rinnegan to control six separate bodies
• Naruto goes to learn the Sage Mode from the frogs
• Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, attacks Konoha and levels it to the ground, killing most of the population
• He is later stopped by Naruto who nearly lets the Kyuubi run free, his father’s remaining chakra inside of him stops the Kyuubi from escaping
• Naruto manages to convince Nagato/Pain to use a reanimation jutsu to exchange his own life for the lifes of all the civilians and ninja that died during the attack
• You get hurt during the attack and fall into a coma
• Danzo takes the Hokage hat and goes to the five kage summit
• Obito Uchiha, also known as Tobi, infiltrates the five kage summit and announces the begin of the fourth great ninja war
• Danzo is killed by Sasuke (great)
• At some point Tobi kills Konan, who survived the attack on Konoha, and takes away Nagato’s Rinnegan
• War begins
• Allied army fights against reanimated Madara Uchiha
• Madara kills most of the them with two huge floating stones that drop onto the ground
• Naruto and Killer B (another Jinchuuriki) fight against Tobi and other people
• The ten-tails gets awakened by combining the chakra of the other 9 tailed beasts
• At some point, Madara activates a genjutsu that will put everyone to sleep in infinite dreams (his idea of true peace)
• He is tricked by a creature known as black zetsu
• Kaguya Otsutsuki, mother of the Sage of Six Paths is unsealed
• Resealed by Naruto and Sasuke who are the reincarnations of the sons of the sage of six paths

She nodded, satisfied with her work and handed the paper over to Tsunade.

Taking the paper from Uzu’s hands, Tsunade nods and pats her head before reading the words written on the paper.

“Uzu, can you tell me about the different Akatsuki members? That’s something that will be important for the direct future. Don’t worry, leave it to me … Jiraiya and I will handle this.” Tsunade said, patting Uzu’s head, smiling, but looking slightly aged and exhausted.

I’m sorry … you probably also didn’t want to be burdened will all this. Sorry, Mom.

Uzu nodded, feeling a single, small tear run down her cheek: “Just let me know if you need me.”

“Uzu, thank you. Please know that I trust you with all my heart and I hope that you can trust me too, okay?” Tsunade said, stowing the piece of paper into her storage scroll before hugging Uzu.

Uzu nodded and buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.

I’m glad … now people that actually know what the hell they might be doing can work on creating a future that might not look as bleak …

However, Naruto is already a nearly completely different person, who knows what else is different. I don’t know any of the other characters well enough to know which things are different here.

After noting down important information regarding the Akatsuki’s members, Uzu retired to bed and fell asleep the moment her head hit her pillow.

In the middle of the night, her eyes shot open.

Hearing footsteps enter the room close to her own, she knew that Naruto had finally taken them up on their offer to sleep in their apartment.

He hadn’t come here again after that one night. Why? She didn’t know, but she hoped that this place could at least enable him to sleep somewhat securely.

She still met him at the same spot in the forest whenever he had time, which she really appreciated.

She liked spending time with him, even if he mostly used that time to sleep. She knew that he needed it and she was very willing to just lie down next to him to sleep for a bit too.

…

[The next morning]

Leaving the bathroom covered in a towel, she heard the door to Naruto’s room open.

Well … this is quite cliché, huh, she thought, looking at Naruto as his eyes roamed across her body. She noticed as his eyes lingered on her legs, hips and shoulders before finally moving onto her face.

“Morning.” She mumbled, smiling faintly before turning around and entering her own room to put on the clothes she had prepared before her shower.

Strangely I did not feel embarrassed. I’m sure I would have felt embarrassed in my old life? Though … I’m not entirely sure. Well, it doesn’t matter too much. It was kind of my fault to go out of the bathroom when he prepared to exit his room. Though I could swear that my chakra waves did not sense him close to his own door …

Well, either way … I am kind of curious about the other members of team 7.

I never really talked to Kakashi and I haven’t seen Sakura even once.

After successfully putting on her new set of clothes, she left her room and walked towards the kitchen where her mother was already preparing food.

Sitting down on a chair, she waited for her mother to finish cooking the three … no, four, sets of meals.

Are we getting a guest?

“Mom?” Uzu said quietly.

“Yes?” Tsunade answered.

“Who are you preparing breakfast for?” Uzu asked.

“Well … you, Naruto, me and Ji-“ Tsunade was just about to finish her sentence when the door to the apartment shot open, revealing a man with long white hair in his signature clothes.

Hmm. Well, it’s okay, he’s kind, right? At least he was in canon.

Jiraiya disappeared from the entrance and appeared behind Tsunade, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands: “Tsuna. Good morning~.”

Oh.

Tsunade sighed, facing her teammate: “Jiraiya … really? Please just sit down already. We need to talk about something later.”

Turning towards Uzu, Tsunade said: “I’ll be talking with Jiraiya while you and Naruto train with the rest of Team 7, alright? Just come back for dinner later, I’ll be waiting for you two.”

Uzu nodded, having gotten her message.

Sensing Naruto approach the table, she looked at him, wondering what took him so long.

“Morning …” He mumbled, a slight blush covering his ears.

Uzu laughed softly, looking at his blushing ears: “Slept well?”

“Yeah … surprisingly.” Naruto said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

When Tsunade looked at him with a questioning gaze, he added: “Ah. I’m still not quite used to the bed. Yeah.” He laughed sheepishly.

Tsunade’s gaze relaxed, nodding and setting the food onto the table.

Uzu looked at Jiraiya sitting opposite of her, just barely catching the concerned gaze he gave Naruto.

He knows more, huh. Well, figures, he was on a training trip with him for a few years. How couldn’t he know what bothers Naruto.

Though she was interested in getting to know Naruto’s past, she wouldn’t pry. She vowed to wait until he told her himself.

The breakfast continued in a merry manner. As always, Uzu mostly stayed quiet, observing the three people sitting with her at the table.

With Jiraiya here, it was much louder, but also much livelier. She would be lying if she said that she did not like the way that he influenced the atmosphere.

While Uzu did not like speaking most of the time and liked being alone or with only one more person next to her, she also enjoyed being with people she trusted.

She trusted anyone that showed her kindness and made her feel safe and wanted. And the three people sitting at this table made her feel exactly that.

Although she did wonder how Jiraiya made her feel that way after only just really meeting her. She hadn’t had much to do with the man before.

But he just fit right in, as if him not being here had been strange.

I can see why people liked his character in my old world. She smiled to herself, closing her eye and remembering the time she spent with the people that followed along the same path of life in her previous life before abandoning her again. Or was it actually her that abandoned them.

…

A/N: Another chapter, yay? ?