Chapter 2 - New Mother and Other Trivialities
He woke up to a cold floor, darkness and confusion. He also had a splitting headache. It was dark with low light and an unfamiliar environment that felt familiar. He moved with instinct and was able to sit with his back on the cold bed.
He tried to remember what happened then the memories slowly started coming in. His miserable life, his attempted suicide and desperation before dying, but before able to process these memories fully, with a new headache, memories to another much shorter life came into forefront.
It was the memories of a five year old boy named Rasa. He was born in a village named Sunagakure (Village hidden in the sand) at the tail end of the first Shinobi War. He has no memories of his father, he died in war. His father was a special Jonin. His mother was a Chunin. It is said that she had a difficult labour while having him, which damaged her health and ended her career as a ninja.
Unlike in his previous life which was smooth, the life of little Rasa was a literal struggle. There is no pension for retired ninjas and his mother had to look after him, a newborn baby. The compensation for the lost war was very meager. It ran out when Rasa started to become aware. A special Jonin has some status but a dead Jonin has none. They had to sell their home and move into a one bedroom house at the edge of the village.
The children born in this world mature early and Rasa understood early that life is not fair. His mother started going to work early after he turned two. There were some specific jobs only retired ninjas could do. His mother was a poison expert so she started making some low level poisons and anti-dotes for the village. Her workshop was near the village hospital. Although she had shown me the place of work, she had never let me enter it.
She was the strongest person he had ever seen, not in the physical sense but her conviction is what made her strong, she was a woman on a mission. She raised him with full effort even with her weak body.
Food is expensive and scarce in Suna but he was never hungry. She covertly trained him with games from a young age. Deception, sleight of hand, reading expressions were all included in his regiment. When she is free she would take him with her to the public place where merchants gathered. In the public bench by the road side they used to play a game of deduce the profession. You have to deduce a person's job, age, etc from the way people walked,talked and looked. As he got older this description also started to include their life stories. He had to judge their past, present and future with the little information he gained. His mother would correct the errors and also point out where the miss-match happened.
He heavily doubted that she was in the intelligence wing. After turning 3 his training picked up pace. They became more physical. Instead of mental and meeting his mother's expectations little Rasa also began to take them seriously.
She also taught him basic katas of Taijutsu and began his physical conditioning. Rasa was actually a smart child; he picked up everything like a sponge.
The problems started last year when his mother started to become weaker and weaker. There were signs early on but the winter last year was too harsh. She didn't prioritize her health. She worked throughout the winter and was not willing to look after herself or reduce the food portions for him. The consequence was she became bedridden many times this winter. He was very frustrated that the smartest people can also become sooo shorsighted sometimes.
It felt kind of like she accepted her fate. She didn't seek for much treatment and he was powerless to do anything.
As the days passed she became weaker and weaker, her cheeks became sunken, her arms became thinner but the light in her eyes never diminished. She always looked at him with warmth.
She became unconscious yesterday and he had to call a local doctor to look at her. He said the things are not looking optimistic.
Yesterday night she woke up again, he had a premonition. She talked a lot that night. She talked about her childhood, how it was to grow up in a newly established village, how there was hope of peace, how there was optimism for the future. She talked about her academy life and how she had met his father.
According to her his father was an idiot who always charged in first. If she wasn't there to cover his sorry ass he would have been long dead during his genin days. She laughed loudly while sharing their stories, her eyes also glistened in the candle light . I also laughed along with her.
She continued to talk and i continued to listen.
Finally she talked about what to do when she is gone. She talked about how to register as an orphan and how to join the Academy next year. She also gave him a book with detailed plans and instructions in case he forgot something.
Her final words started to ring in his ears. "Rasa, you are very talented, you have more potential than your father. I have seen many so-called prodigies of Sand, many have died in overconfidence, arrogance and stupidity. Don't be a hero. Just survive okey…? Sorry… Mother can't accompany you any longer. You have to walk your own path. You are a kind child but never be kind to your enemies, this is a cruel world. Take care of yourself."
His mother closed her eyes while holding his arms. He could feel the warmth in her hand disappearing in the cold desert night. He sat there for some time. Then he started moving.
He first removed her arms from his. He knew from mother that when a person dies they will become rigid soon. He had to arrange her in a perfect posture before she became cold. He didn't want her to feel awkward on her way to the underworld.
After arranging his mother to the best of his abilities he turned around and walked towards the door. But after taking his first few steps he fainted.
After receiving his memories he was shocked. He didn't know whether it was transmigration or reincarnation. All he knew was he was Rasa of the Sand now, the future 4th Kazekage. A man who also failed his own kin.
He got up and looked at the bed. On it lay his mother. He bowed to the cold corpse. The old rasa didn't cry but he now shed tears, for Rasa, for this incredible woman who is now a cold corpse and for his past indifferent self. The tears streamed down but he kept bowing. He promised himself that he will live up to this woman's expectations, not for her but for himself. For he is the Rasa of the Sand from now on. But what was his mother's name? He is always terrible with names. huh…. She was Hikari! meaning the light and he made a promise to himself that he will never forget the warmth of this light.