I don't own Naruto but I own Shiki.

Everything was caught up in a net of confusion and hazy thoughts crowded her jumbled mind.

"...have you summoned me for mortal?"

She hurt all over, it was as if her very skin was spun from the essence of pain and she ached something dreadful inside.

"...terms are as such and will be met..."

She felt nothing yet everything.

Every fiber of her being was alight with flames but at the same time doused in water.

"...Vessels are accepted..."

Was she dead?

- there was the thrum of a heartbeat -

Was this death?

- and it echoed in her ears -

She remembered the shouting.

- the sound of her blood rushing through her veins was loud and obscene -

She remembered the red.

- and with every exhalation of breath, there was a piercing cry -

And she remembered her heart stopping.

"...terms have been reached, two souls have been..."

But she could feel.

She could feel everything and so this had to be real.

"...I will seal...two halves of the..."

But she was still confused.

Was it -

Life...

Or death?

"...Yin...Yang...Deal...completed..."

Heat bloomed across her stomach as wails sang in the air and as her lungs screamed bloody murder at the sky, she knew.

"...it is done..."

Yes, she was most definitely alive.

There was a guy with a spiral orange mask standing over her crib and she was terrified.

He was just chilling there with his arms crossed nonchalantly over his chest looking completely at ease with himself, while simultaneously managing to look tense and not at the same time.

What a smug bastard.

Now usually masked figures standing watch didn't bother her since ANBU - yes the ones from Naruto and yes it was still weird to say that - frequented her place of stay down here in her dungeon.

But...this one didn't fit in here.

This mask, this orange swirl mask, belonged to someone specific, someone who was hell bent on revenge and definitely was about to screw her over.

She had been reborn into this body just a few hours prior after dying in an extremely lonely way that she didn't want to ever rehash and had instantly figured out where she was the moment she was cognizant enough. Which was surprising in itself because she had never heard of an infant gaining such an insane level of awareness, reincarnation notwithstanding but she digressed.

If the headbands, ninja, and use of chakra before her very eyes didn't convince her then she would have been in a very unhealthy state of denial.

So yes she was in Naruto-verse, yes she was probably the child of someone important enough to attract a villain of Obito's caliber and yes like she said before he was going to fuck her over. So. Very. Hard.

(She may not seem very scared now but just wait until the giddy adrenaline she got from her reincarnation wore off, she'd be losing her marbles then. Oh rest assured she would.)

For the love of all things holy! She hadn't even been here long enough to meet the people who had birthed her before something just had to go wrong for her! The only information she had about them was that they (re)named her Shiki - as she could see written on the side of her little clear box crib - and that they were - obviously - her parents!

For all, she knew they could have already visited and she just didn't notice. Her eyesight was horrible and her hearing less than standard but hey! She was a newborn, anyone should be pleased she was even as cognizant as she was.

So watching Obito with unusually sharp eyes filled with intelligence that she was sure she would never be able to hide, she saw him pause in his regard.

"Aren't you going to cry?" He asked in his deep voice and Shiki very much wanted to but she doubted he would appreciate it. She liked her vocal cords functioning and right where they were, thank you very much.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were aware." He hummed, single Sharingan eye whirling lazily and Shiki froze. "Quite the specimen really."

No...No...No.

She did not want him to gain any further interest in her because that whole shebang might end up with her dead! Not even Danzo - motherfucking Danzo! - had anything on him when it came to using and abusing a person and that's saying something!

"Leave it to them to have such a strange child." He chuckled darkly, as he spared her a languid glance. "Abnormalities begets abnormalities, but I suppose this one will be useful."

And with a lazy stretch of his fingers, Obito reached forward and hefted her out of her resting place and Shiki immediately ceased as much movement as she could. With a skittish shift, her eyes snapped towards his and her mind whirled.

He was not going to -

He really can't be thinking of -

No, no surely he wasn't because that - that was absurd!

Uchiha Obito definitely didn't mean to take her with him right? An infant? Who needed tender love and care? Which he surely could never provide?!

But as she was brought closer to the man's chest, it became startlingly clear what was going to happen. It took a couple of minutes of processing for it to sink in but when it hit, it really hit and like an explosion her fear skyrocketed.

Oh dear god he did want to take her!

Shiki internally panicked as fake!Madara carted her off. She clasped her mental hands together and fell on her metaphorical knees and prayed to every deity she knew of.

Don't let this result in death! Please don't let this result in death! She had just gotten here for Christ's sake!

She needed an adult! Where the fuck were the ninja in this place?! He basically just strolled right in! Even with the Sharingan shouldn't there be some disturbance trigger? Or seals or something? At the very least a bigger, louder, attention grabbing fight?

Somewhere in the universe, someone snorted at her stupidity.

Oh who was she kidding? He probably just eternally trapped them all in a genjutsu so he wouldn't have to deal with any resulting trouble. Ugh! This just wasn't fair! She survived death only to most likely die again for a reason she couldn't even name!

If she ever meets her family she'll give 'em what for because this was probably all their fault! And speaking of her unknown relations, where the hell in the world were they?!

"Ah, I bet you're wondering where your parents are?" He asked as if he could read minds which - to be honest - he probably could.

"Everyone is a little busy cleaning up a - stray animal problem." He chuckled and Shiki puckered her baby brow in confusion before her lip began to tremble. Unwilling to waste precious time trying to figure out his words, she pushed them aside.

Surely if she made noise it would attract attention? There had to be someone out there who would hear her. Shiki didn't know how loud she could scream, but now was the best time to find out.

But as she opened her mouth, Obito's eye cut to hers and she froze.

"Ah, ah, ah!" He chimed out playfully, tapping her nose in time with the three sounds and Shiki responded with a horribly concealed cringe with each touch. "I can't have you drawing any wayward bodies from the activities."

There was a moment's pause and Shiki was sure he was smiling.

"Can't have anyone getting hurt can we?" He said and malevolence dripped from his tongue.

Whimpers hitched in her throat as her eyes teared up and she knew that whatever "high" that had kept her - relatively - calm had worn off and she could for sure say that now was not the time for an emotional breakdown.

"First things first," He said, reaching out one glowing finger towards her chest and she jerked in alarm. "let's get rid of this seal."

As soon as his chakra touched her body there was a coil and a snap as a comforting pressure that she hadn't noticed existed was removed. She now missed something she never knew she possessed and she wanted it back. Badly.

Seemingly satisfied he nodded and she sniffled.

"Now let's be on our way," He said more so aloud than to her. "we've been here for far too long."

Shiki was shifted in his arms and by chance, she caught sight of the various ANBU she had seen keeping watch over her littering the floor with puddles of blood gathered under them, and she resisted the urge to sob hysterically because it would only get her killed.

So that's where all the adults went.

Just as his outstretched hand reached for the window latch the feeling of two people flickering into existence halted him - and distracted her.

"Stop!" A panicked masculine voice shouted and Obito merely sent the person a glance as if they were no thought at all.

They got here fast, she thought with a slight hiss, maybe if they had been here earlier this wouldn't have happened!

Okay, so she sounded a bit bitter, but who the hell wouldn't be in this situation?!

"So you're still alive then?" There was a visible smirk in his words. "I'm guessing your wife did the dirty work?"

A kunai whistled dangerously close to his face in response and with a slight tilt of his head Obito, dodged it.

He clicked his tongue. "Touchy, touchy."

"Put her down!" A younger male voice growled out earning another smirk one couldn't see from the masked man, but it was easily broadcasted through his countenance.

"As you wish." Was all Obito said and without a second thought he sent her flying through the air and for a moment - a terrible, heart-stopping moment - Shiki couldn't breathe.

But soon the moment passed and a terrified wail was dragged kicking and screaming from her. She was really only lucky she was swaddled as tightly as she was, else she would have surely been flailing her delicate limbs. Dual curses lit up the air and she absolutely was sure that she was going to hit the ground so when she felt someone catch her, a feeling of pure relief coursed through her veins.

But only for a second, because in the next instance the feeling of Obito's presence was right behind to whoever was holding her and there was a kunai in her face.

"Now this can go one of three ways," Obito said conversationally as if he wasn't threatening to disembowel a newborn. "You can give me the child peacefully and she remains in one piece, you can attempt to escape with the child and I slit her throat, or we can fight and I kill you both."

A pause.

"It's your choice."

Another one.

"Give her to him." A voice gritted out and she felt the person carrying her tense.

"But sensei-"

"Do as I say!" The man snapped and in a single shift she was back in Obito's arms and in another, they were back near the window.

"Well this has been fun but I think it's time for me and my little passenger to be on our way." Tobi said before sounds of frustration leaked out into the room.

"Give me my child!" The man - her now confirmed father - screamed at the end of his patience, voice filled to the brim with desperation as an oppressive feeling coated the room, making it hard to move.

It was if something was worming its way into her lungs and digging at her heart. Shiki could feel her tiny chest constrict with pressure and soon she began to cough painfully.

Obito made a noise of disapproval.

"Now would you look at this. She's a little chakra sensitive." He mocked. "It seems I won't even have to kill her since you'll do it for me."

Almost immediately the feeling - chakra, holy shit she could sense chakra - dissipated and left her heaving softly.

"Good boy." The masked man said, condescension dripping from his words and another perfectly aimed projectile whipped past his face. It clanged against the wall and like a light show everything lit up. The walls were covered in glowing Kanji and for a moment she was blinded. It didn't take a genius to know that the sight of the seals unsettled Obito and sadly their appearance hastened his retreat.

"It seems I've overstayed my welcome." He said with mock contrition. "The little one and I will see ourselves out but don't worry, I'll find a nice loving family to take her in."

The sound of enraged shouts fell on deaf ears as the both of them warped out of existence.

And before the building wail that she could no longer suppress was able to even warble past her lips, she was cast into darkness.

The next time Shiki woke up it was to worried faces and hushed conversations. Shaking off the lethargic feeling of panic, she peered around to take note of the situation. She was now in the arms of a random woman who was arguing with a man and despite that not seeming like the worst situation she could have been put in, she decided to wait a bit before lowering her guard.

"-sitting there on the step?" The brown haired man asked, tone skeptical and brown haired danced in the corner of her eye.

"No, I found her just sitting there in a field, with hair that bright it was impossible not to spot her." The woman answered, tone pleading. " So I brought her here."

There was an exhalation of breath.

"So what, you want to keep her?" Like a pet was left unsaid.

"Well, what did you want me to do," The woman countered, sounding indignant. "Leave her there?"

The frustration in the air was palpable.

"I don't know Saki but I didn't think you'd bring a child home!" The man growled, running a hand through his hair. "We already have one mouth to feed we don't need another!"

Saki went quiet, expression tight and eyes hard and her jaw worked furiously.

"I couldn't leave her at an orphanage." She gritted out as her gaze spit fire. "I know what goes on there Kado."

Saki stepped forward.

"Or did you want me to look the other way while we send a child to suffer the same way I did." She hissed out and there was a dark silence.

The man - Kado - sighed harshly raking a second trembling hand over his scalp. Obviously, there was some tension over the home for unwanted kids, and just by witnessing the stigma it carried she didn't want to go there. But thankfully the conversation taking place through their expressions seemed to be in her favor, and like clockwork, she watched Kado cave.

"As long as she's not a burden and as soon as she becomes too much we take her back." He conceded uneasily casting his wife a weary look before trudging away. And though he hadn't spared her a single glance, Shiki was pleased that he deigned to tolerate her.

Saki smiled softly before hoisting Shiki up to eye level.

"You'll be staying with us little-" The woman paused before glancing down at the maternity blanket still wrapped around her frail newborn body. It was rather nice of Obito to abandon her in a random field with identification still on her, what an all around swell guy. "Shiki, I'm sure you and my son will hit it right off."

Moving farther into the house Saki rambled on and on and frankly, it was a bit comforting. She hadn't heard a steady non-threatening conversation yet so this was a novelty.

"I promise living with us will be better than living as an orphan!" Saki chirped and Shiki internally paled at her nonchalant tone.

"All orphans who arrive here live at the Home until they decide to leave but...it's not a...good life for one so young and impressionable." She said in a voice that carried first-hand experience. "You're lucky I got to you first."

Shiki had no doubt about that.

Settling in Saki's arms, Shiki could feel herself lull at the soft rocking motion the woman had taken up. The urge to fall asleep nagged at her and she found that she couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.

And so in a grateful flutter of lashes, Shiki fell asleep.

The third time she awoke it had been to a curious young male's - female's? - face and she had screamed at the sight of it. Very loudly - like wow she didn't know she had that much lung power and neither did the boy by the looks of his startled face.

Scrambling up from his fallen sprawl on the floor, the person of ambiguous gender moved closer and smiled hesitantly.

"Hi, sorry I scared you I just wanted to meet my new sister." They said shyly and Shiki's heart melted. "My name is Hasegawa Haku and you are?"

Just now getting a better look at the wild-haired child, Shiki's eyes nearly fell out of her head at the familiar face.

Haku?

As in Zabuza's Haku?

As in the fake Hunter-nin Haku?

Catching sight of friendly dark brown eyes, it confirmed her suspicions.

Well...shit.

Edit: 10/25/16