Mito POV
So yeah, it's been five years since I popped into this world, and the orphanage? Five-star hellhole with a complimentary serving of neglect and psychological trauma. Naruto's always crying for attention, and me? I mostly sit in my corner, contemplating the cosmic joke that is my new life. Yay, reincarnation.
At least this time, I've got a brother. In my last life, I lost my family in an accident. That kind of grief doesn't leave you—it festers. So naturally, I've become a hyper-protective big sister. Naruto is mine now. Anyone messes with him? They get yeeted. No exceptions.
Anyway, I discovered how to slip into my mindscape—or seal space, for all you lore nerds—when I was about a year old. That's when I met him.
FLASHBACK
Same sad day at the orphanage: caretakers ignoring us, Naruto sniffling, and me trying not to fantasize about uppercutting someone through a wall. Then—bam—I found myself in a sewer-looking corridor that screamed "trauma storage."
And there he was.
Kurama.
Big. Red. Fluffy. And pissed off at existence.
He was seventy-five meters of "screw humanity," with fur like blood and eyes like murder incarnate. The moment I entered his cage-room, he cracked one eye open and glared like I'd just insulted his mother, his ancestors, and his favorite ramen.
No killing intent. Just pure, simmering contempt.
Still, I walked up—okay, crawled, but let's not split hairs—and when I was about halfway there, I imagined myself older. Mental avatar upgrade: still toddler-sized, but at least upright.
"Whistle. Damn, you're a big fluffy fox. So, who are you, and what the hell is this place?"
His eye twitched. "Why stop so far? Come closer so I can rip you to shreds."
Oh good. Murder fox has jokes.
The moment he saw my hair, something in him paused. His eyes narrowed like I'd triggered an ancient trauma.
"Hmph. You've got that woman's hair... Are you her brat? That damned Uzumaki bitch who chained me up?"
Yikes. Mommy issues, unlocked.
"Eh, kinda? Name's Mito Uzumaki. Fun fact—I was a dude in my last life. So yeah, life's gotten... weird."
"...?"
"..."
"ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME?!"
"Oi, tone it down, fuzzball. My ears are sensitive."
"You expect me to believe a brat like you is the reincarnation of some other-world man? What kind of nonsense—no human child could look at me and not piss themselves!"
"Well, I'm not exactly normal, am I? No chakra signature, reincarnated soul, chatting with the Nine-Tailed Menace. The usual Tuesday. Look, I can't prove it, but unless you've got a chakra-based memory reader hiding behind one of those tails, you're stuck with my word."
He grumbled. I might've seen one tail twitch.
"Oh, and if you don't have a name, I'm calling you Fluffy. No take-backs."
"I WILL EAT YOU."
"Cute. You can try."
FLASHBACK ENDS
So yeah, that's how our little conversations began. More like me poking a nuclear bomb with a stick and him growling in Fox.
Meanwhile, I was itching to use my self-creation ability. I had dreams—cool powers, badass gear, maybe a harem (don't judge me). But nope. ROB decided to play hard mode. He dropped a mental note like, "Powers and chat system unlock on your fifth birthday. Full system? That's for graduation, kid. Until then—suffer."
So I did what any reincarnated toddler with big plans would do: walked, talked, and blended in. Well... as much as someone like me can blend in. All the while, I was mapping out every Naruto arc I could remember, because one day, it might be the only thing keeping me and Naruto alive.
Around year two, Kurama finally stopped opening every conversation with a death threat. Progress, baby.
I gave him the rundown—previous life, ROB's twisted reincarnation game, the genderbend lottery. He laughed so hard the walls shook.
Jerk.
But I saw it—that glint in his eye. He was curious. He didn't trust me yet, but at least he stopped wishing me dead every five seconds. Baby steps.
Now? I'm five. Playing the part of a sweet, harmless orphan girl.
Behind the smile?
A storm's brewing.
Kurama knows it too.
But all that can wait, because I'm currently trying to drown out Kurama's howling laughter. And the reason for said laughter?
"Big sis, let's play!"
Yep. That right there. Uzumaki Naruto—my brother, sunshine incarnate, chaos gremlin, and source of all things adorable. I still don't get how canon villagers ever hated this kid. Look at those puppy-dog eyes. Criminally cute.
"Okay~ I'm coming!"
[Oi. What happened to being a grown-ass man? Don't you feel shame playing tag with toddlers?]
"What's shameful about playing with little kids? They don't judge you like the rest of the world. And honestly? Why should I care about anyone's opinion if they don't matter?"
[Tch. Whatever.]
"Hey Kurama, is it just me, or are the gazes getting weirder?"
[Oh, that. Yeah, I noticed. Wonder what's going on?]
"Well, considering the other kids have been avoiding us for the last two years and the orphanage staff has been replaced with people suspiciously hostile… I have a few guesses."
[Really? Do enlighten me.]
"You really don't get humans, do you? Classic manipulation play. Keep us isolated, deprive us of affection, and wait until we're starving for attention. Then some 'savior' swoops in, adopts us, earns our loyalty like some twisted messiah."
[All this just to control you and that brat? Humans are truly disgusting.]
"Well, you're not wrong. But this plan? It only works till tonight."
[Why? What's so special about tonight?]
"You forgot? Tonight's my birthday. The day my ability unlocks."
[...Oh.]
"Yep. The game's about to change, Fluffy. Hope you're ready."