AN: New story. I'm terrible and haven't updated my other two stories in a while. A New Life will be updated soon, until then enjoy my latest project: Honorable Granddaughter.

Disclaimer: I only own Shiori... And I guess Konohamaru's parents too since they never show up in the anime/manga (I really should give them names). Anything you recognize belongs to Kishimoto

Sometimes I think dying was the best thing that could have happened to me. For as long as I could remember I had frequent visits to the hospital for some disease that my dad had apparently died from. And for the last year of my life I lived in the hospital with tubes shoved down my throat so I could eat and breathe. I had tried to make friends while I was still in school but ALS is paralyzing so not only did I walk strangely but my tongue flopped in my mouth uselessly when I tried to talk.

The only time I felt alive was those Saturday nights when I watched Naruto. The characters felt so mystical with all of their dreams so pure. Each of them had their own struggles yet they still looked back to pull their friends along. I envied their companionship that I never had and found myself asking my mother to buy me the manga because I wanted more. I lost myself in their world because is was so much better than where I was, where nothing was important.

When I was fifteen ALS won out and I found myself struggling with the intense desire to breathe but my lungs refused to work. Even with a tube forcing oxygen into my lungs I suffocated. I floated peacefully a darkness for a time before I found myself - finally - headed toward a light.

Birth was… strange. I didn't understand at first that I was a baby. I was stuck in the immediacy of everything being too bright, too loud, and too cold. Not only that, but even after they washed me and wrapped me in a blanket my skin itched as if thousands of spiders were crawling underneath it. The only way I could respond to the new stimuli was to cry, and I continued to cry until my body gave out and I slept.

When I woke up it was quieter and darker, but the itch remained. I tried to scratch at it but the blanket on top of me seemed impossibly heavy. I shifted around, but I only managed to tangle myself so uncomfortably that I began to cry again. When my mother came to sooth me she misunderstood and assumed I was hungry. As she brought me too her breast some instinct caused me latch onto it and it was then that I realized that I was an infant.

For the first few weeks I wasn't aware of much other than my hunger and the itching under my skin, but I gradually opened up my surroundings. I took it slowly because the world around me was still blurry and overwhelming but I at least memorized papa's and mama's faces. It was strangely easy for me to accept my new family, partially because I never had a father in my past life and my mother was always working trying to pay for the hospital fees. While I couldn't understand the language they spoke in their voices were still soothing. By the end of my first month I had almost forgotten the tingling beneath my skin.

Japanese was frustrating. My parents spoke to me often, mama more than papa, but I couldn't understand a word they said. As I became increasingly frustrated my baby side began to show more and I cried almost constantly. The only thing that began to make sense was the repeated word Shiori that my parents said when speaking to me and I reasoned that it must have been my name. I was proud of that simple accomplishment for a very short time before my vision began clearing up at a month old and I recognized the hitai-ate on my parents' forehead.

I loved Naruto in my past life and there were definitely times that I wished to live in that world, but once I realized I was actually in it i wasn't sure what to feel. Part of me was excited for the chance to fight alongside my past life's heroes but I couldn't help but wonder if I might die all over again. Eventually I decided to leave the important decisions for later. While my father did look somewhat familiar he was definitely not one of the main characters so I figured I couldn't be that important.

I discovered I couldn't have been more wrong when Jii-chan came to visit. I recognized the word tou-san papa was saying from the little Japanese I understood, but I wasn't that worried about it. Imagine my surprise when in walked the third hokage and papa introduced him to me as jii-chan. I was unable to keep my mouth closed as mama passed me into his arms, nor was I able to stop myself from exploring his face with my hands (though that could have been my baby side). Sarutobi Hiruzen, better known as the third hokage and god of shinobi, was my grandfather.

I turned back to my parents, forced to reevaluate them. Suddenly I realized why I recognized papa. While I had never seen him in the anime he bore a resemblance to his father and brother. I knew that my parents had to be Konohamaru's parents but knowing and believing aren't the same thing - not really. I loved mama and papa and I didn't want to lose them. Somehow, my brain forced me to forget about Konohamaru and my parents not being around in the anime.

Two weeks after Jii-chan's visit came one of the most terrifying experiences of both my lives. Even as an infant I could feel the horrifying killing intent of the Kyuubi. Part of me wanted scream and wail so mama and papa would rush to protect me, but another part reasoned that if I was too loud the beast could find me. The two sides of me warred against each other until they reached a compromise and I left out a pitiful whimper. I curled myself into the smallest ball i could as I cowered into one corner of my crib. At the time I didn't know where mama and papa were but now I suppose they must have been off fighting.

It wasn't until the paralyzing chakra was gone that I released an ear-shattering wail. Mama had come back and quickly gathered me into her arms and whispered calm words as she rocked me and I continued to scream. The danger was gone but the fear remained, demanding to be vented in some way.

The Kyuubi attack had awakened something in me. I never wanted to be so helpless ever again so I decided to try and learn to at least crawl. It was more difficult than I expected. In my first life I had been growing paralyzed and in my new one I only had the strength of a baby. The combined forces of being used to staying still and the effort it took to try made crawling something that definitely didn't come easy. Rolling over was fairly simple but the hard part was using my chubby infant legs and arms to push and pull me to where I wanted to go. Plus, I was limited to the times mama or papa let me out of my crib.

I wasn't necessarily great at multitasking but I at least managed to listen as I struggled with movement. Japanese was still foreign to me but I did manage to understand the meaning of basic sentences.

When I was around two and a half months I was crawling around pretty easily. I can remember mama and papa getting frustrated when, in my curiosity, I began climbing up to places I shouldn't have been like the kitchen counter when mama was cooking. Soon they had baby-proofed all the dangerous places and I was confined to mostly the living room. I had to content myself with entertaining myself with the toys I was given.

When I was around six months old I was relieved that I was finally eating solid foods. Baby instincts or not breastfeeding was weird. A few weeks later mama took me to the park. She set me down in the grass while she talked with another woman her age. It was then that I decided to try to start walking as a way to entertain myself. It didn't work as well as I hoped and when I found the ground closing in on me too quickly I instinctively called out, "mama!" Her shock was obvious, but like any good ninja she swept me off the ground before I even noticed. She said her goodbyes to whoever she had been talking to before whisking me home. I giggled as she promptly bragged to papa that I had said mama before papa.

Papa pouted at that and turned to me, "you love your papa don't you?"

"Papa papa!" I cheered while clapping my hands like a seal.

It was comical how he immediately lifted me up and spun me in a circle making both mama and me laugh.

My first birthday was the first time I had ever been surrounded by more than three people. Jii-chan arrived early with Asuma. He couldn't have been older than seventeen and papa told me to call him Asuma-nii. He looked so uncomfortable as papa passed me into his arms that I couldn't help but giggle which I think must have made him feel somewhat better because he didn't look quite as stiff.

As more of a crowd shuffled in I preferred to stay attached to Asuma. He walked me over to some kids my age but I continued to clutch to him. He furrowed his eyebrows, "don't you want to play with them?"

I shook my head, "I want to be with Asuma-nii."

He seemed surprised but took my hand, "c'mon then. I'll find something for us to do." I'm not sure if he actually liked me at the time or just decided to humor me because it was my birthday. We wandered around the house for a while greeting guests until it was time to open presents. Most of it seemed like what you would usually give to a one year old like books and clothes, but if you bothered to look closer you'd notice some of the books were instructions on how to fold your own paper shrunken or a guides on how to hold your own in a fight.

I set those books aside at the time, though I won't deny that I was interested, and focused instead on a children's tale about Tsunade. It was titled "The Slug Princess" and I could remember pointing out to papa a while back when he took me into town. I picked it up and tottled over to Asuma-nii, "read?" I asked simply.

He was sitting on the couch so he pulled me into his lap and began to read my new book. Originally I had planned to trace the kanji as he read in hopes of learning something but Asuma-nii's soothing voice lulled me to sleep.

I didn't wake up until the party was over and Asuma-nii was attempting to hand me off to papa. In my half-awake state I couldn't help but snuggle into Asuma-nii. When papa tried to pull me away from him I only clenched onto his shirt harder.

I heard papa chuckle, "who knew my otouto would be so good with kids."

"Nii-San." came Asuma's disgruntled reply.

Papa chuckled again, "Alright Shiori. Your oji-san has to go home now."

Without letting go I asked, "Does Asuma-nii really have to go?"

Jii-chan, who had been standing off to the side during the exchange, spoke up, "Sorry Shiori-chan. Asuma has a mission in the morning he has to prepare for."

I planted a sloppy kiss on Asuma's cheek and said, "Be safe." Before letting papa take me as he laughed at Asuma's stiff expression.

After Jii-chan left with Asuma papa looked at me. "Ne, Shiori, doesn't your papa get a kiss?"

"No." I teased and stuck my tongue out at him."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Oh? Is that how it's gonna be?"

"Yes." I said.

"Alright then. Let's see how you like this!" He challenged and began to tickle me.

"N-no papa!" I squealed. "I-I'll give you a k-kiss!"

"It's too late now!" He teased and continued to tickle me until I managed to squirm out of his arms and hide behind mama.

Mama hoisted me into her arms. "What's wrong, Shiori?"

"Papa's being mean to meee!" I whined.

I noticed a dangerous glint in her eye, "Oh is he now? Well, let's get him back then shall we?"

We spent the rest of my birthday chasing papa until I was so exhausted I had to sleep.

AN: So, what did you guys think? Drop a review to let me know :)