Here it is. Let me know your thoughts. Really help improve a fanfic in it's early stages.
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Mmmmm...
I woke up to the sunlight streaming through the shoji screen.
Warm. Bright. And as always, annoying.
I rubbed my eyes and pushed my hair out of my face. The light blue strands fell back immediately.
Great.
I turned toward the window — or what passed for a window in this era. A small bird sat perched on the wooden frame, preening its feathers.
"Morning," I muttered.
The bird looked at me. Tilted its head.
Before it could respond — not that birds respond, but you never know in a new world — a storm arrived.
BANG.
My door slammed open like the Tokugawa shogunate was raiding the house. (Search it up)
"REI!"
A creature crashed into my room.
My older brother stood at the doorway. Nine years old. Huge dark blue eyes. Dark blue hair that somehow always looked perfect despite him never sitting still. The guy was pure concentrated energy in human form.
He ran towards me and scooped me up before I could say anything.
Here we go again.
"Good morning, little bro! Ready to conquer the day?"
This was Yuki Ryu. A creature made of pure enthusiasm and zero concept of personal space.
Every single day since I turned four, he'd burst into my room and drag me out to do something. Run around the estate. Practice with bokken like we were samurai. Chase butterflies. Whatever his hyperactive brain decided was essential that morning.
I would've preferred to stay in bed and think about philosophical questions in peace.
But there was a reason I chose rebirth.
To find out what life was.
And apparently, life involved being manhandled by a nine-year-old at dawn.
So I went with it.
"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Conquer. Sure."
Ryu was, despite the chaos, a good brother. Loving, and protective in his own loud way.
He'd bring me snacks when I looked bored. He'd challenge anyone who looked at me funny. He'd tell me stories about the clan with the kind of enthusiasm that made even boring history sound exciting.
As for me?
My name in this life is Yuki Reizan.
MC PIC(COMMENT)
Four years old.
Youngest son of the Yuki clan head.
Born with sky hair and weird crystal-blue eyes, and I am currently being held like a sack of rice by my overexcited brother.
Just then, Ryu shook me.
"Rei! Rei! I almost forgot, but we have something important to do today!" His grin was massive. "Otou-sama and Okaa-sama want to meet you. Today's the day!"
Oh.
That's all I could think.
The day.
Right.
I'd been in this world for four years, and I still hadn't officially met my father.
Not because he didn't care. It's some sort of weird rule, plus from what I'd gathered, he was just... busy. Clan head stuff. Important meetings. Politics I guess. The kind of things that kept nobles occupied in feudal Japan.
Or feudal wherever-this-was. The architecture and language screamed Heian or early Kamakura period, but some things felt off. Like the way people talked about curses in hushed tones. Or the occasional mention of cursed energy in hushed tones.
Yeah. That kind of world.
Ryu didn't wait for my response. He just adjusted his grip and took off running.
Really fast.
Way too fast for a nine-year-old.
We burst out of my room into the engawa, the wooden corridor that wrapped around the building. Then out into the massive open courtyard.
The Yuki clan's main estate opened up before us.
White stone pathways. Traditional wooden buildings with curved roofs. Perfectly maintained gardens with pine trees and stone lanterns. Training grounds where clan members practiced from dawn to dusk.
It looked like someone had taken a historical period drama and made it real.
As Ryu sprinted across the courtyard with me tucked under his arm, I saw rows of men and women training.
They paused as we passed.
"Young master Reizan is out!"
A woman in training robes pointed at me. "See? See? I told you he's the cutest! Look at his face! And that hair! Oh my gods!"
Several men bowed. "Good morning, young master Ryu! Good morning, young master Reizan!"
I waved.
And like always, they cheered.
This was my life now. Some kind of child celebrity for the clan members.
I didn't get it. I was just a four-year-old with light blue hair, and weird eyes.
But they seemed happy, so whatever. If waving made their day better, I could wave.
.
.
.
Ryu kept running. Past the training grounds. Past the koi pond. Past the ceremonial gardens where old clan elders sometimes meditated.
Finally, we reached the main building. The honke. The central structure where the clan head conducted official business.
Ryu kicked the door open.
"WE'RE HERE!"
Thwack!!
Out of nowhere, someone smacked him on the head.
"Oof!"
A pair of hands plucked me from Ryu's grip before he could say anything.
"How many times have I told you not to run while carrying Rei?"
The voice was sweet but edged with exasperation.
I looked up.
Yuki Fuyuka. Yuka for short.
Ryu's twin sister, and my older sister. Nine years old. Same age, completely opposite personality.
Sky-blue eyes. Long white hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Calm. Collected. The kind of person who radiated "I have my life together" energy.
She cradled me like I was made of glass, checking to make sure I wasn't injured from Ryu's sprint.
"You okay, Rei?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
She glared at Ryu. "You're going to drop him one of these days."
"I would never drop Rei!" Ryu protested, rubbing his head. "I'm super careful!"
"You literally tripped over a rock yesterday and almost launched him into the pond."
"That was the rock's fault."
"Really?"
"Yuka, can't you treat Ryu the way you treat little Rei?"
I turned toward the new voice.
A beautiful woman stood in the doorway to the inner chambers.
White hair that flowed down her back. Sky-blue eyes that seemed to see right through you. Elegant robes embroidered with snowflake patterns.
Yuki Fuyomi.
My mother.
She walked over and gently took me from Yuka's arms, booping my nose with a soft smile.
"Did you sleep well, snowflake?"
"Yeah. How about you, Okaa-sama?"
Her smile widened. "Nice to hear that, snowflake. And thank you for asking. I slept well."
From the beginning, I decided not to act like a typical baby.
I just acted the way I was. Talked normally. Responded like a person instead of babbling.
I figured they'd either think I was possessed or a genius.
Turns out, they went with genius.
"He's so mature for his age," they'd say. "Truly a prodigy of the Yuki bloodline."
Sure. Let's go with that.
It made my life easier, so I didn't question it.
My mother adjusted her hold on me, her expression turning slightly more serious.
"Are you ready to meet your father? Today's the day."
"Yeah."
Finally.
Four years, and I was about to meet the man who ran this entire clan.
I'd heard things about him. Whispers from servants. Respectful comments from clan members. Ryu's excited rambling.
Yuki Soran. The clan head. Powerful. Respected. And really fliping busy.
But also, apparently, someone who wanted to meet his youngest son.
"Let's go then and get it done," my mother said.
With that, we all made our way deeper into the honke.
The corridor felt longer than it should've been.
Polished wooden floors. Paper walls with painted landscapes. The faint sweet smell of incense.
Ryu walked beside me, vibrating with excitement. Yuka followed calmly, her hands folded in front of her.
We stopped in front of a large sliding door.
My mother glanced at me. "Ready, Rei?"
I nodded.
She slid the door open.
The room inside was... perfect.
A low table in the center. Scrolls lining the walls. Weapons displayed on stands — a katana, a naginata, a beautifully crafted yumi bow.
And at the far end of the room, seated in seiza, was a man.
Tall, even sitting down. Broad shoulders. Dark blue hair tied back in a topknot. The same dark blue that my brother had.
He wore formal clan robes, dark blue with white snowflake patterns embroidered along the edges.
Yuki Soran.
My father.
He looked up as we entered.
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
I didn't know what I expected. Maybe someone intimidating. Maybe someone distant and cold.
But when he saw me, his expression softened.
Just slightly.
"So," he said, his voice deep and calm. "You're Reizan."
"Yeah," I said. "That's me."
His lips twitched. Almost a smile.
"Come here."
My mother set me down gently, and I walked forward.
Four years old, with tiny legs. A long walk across a formal room to meet a man I'd never spoken to.
When I reached him, I stopped and looked up.
He studied me for a moment. Then, without warning, he reached out and ruffled my hair.
"You have your mother's eyes," he said. "But I hear you have your own mind."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just nodded.
He chuckled.
"Good. The Yuki clan needs people who think for themselves." He leaned back slightly. "I apologize for not meeting you sooner. I will tell you the reason soon. But I've heard much about you, Reizan. From your mother. From your siblings. From the clan members who can't stop talking about the 'young prodigy.'"
I scratched the back of my head. "I'm not that special."
"Modesty. Another good trait." He glanced at my mother, then back at me. "Tell me, Reizan. Do you know what it means to be part of the Yuki clan?"
I thought about it.
"Not really. I know we're... important? And something about ice?"
He smiled.
"Close enough for now. You'll learn in time." He stood, towering over me. "For now, just know this: you are my son. That means you carry the Yuki name. And with that name comes expectations. But also freedom. Do you understand?"
Not really.
But I nodded anyway.
"Good." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Welcome, Reizan. Officially."
And just like that, the meeting was over.
My mother scooped me up again. Ryu grinned like he'd just won a prize. Yuka gave me a small, approving nod.
As we left the room, I glanced back.
My father had returned to his seat, already looking at a scroll on the table.
Busy.
But for a moment, he'd been just a father meeting his son.
And that was enough.
For now.
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