Second Time's The Charm

Chapter 8

It occurred to Kanoko that her [second] life would be a lot easier if she was born into another family.

As a Senju, she would be surrounded by familiarity. Ideal.

As an Inuzuka, she would have to endure the smell and instinctual behavior (her least favorite type of action) of her clansmen, but she would be free to roam and explore as she saw fit. Doable.

As an Uzumaki, she would be able to focus on her fuinjustu abilities and even expand her knowledge – not mention access to a wealth of chakra. Perfect.

Even as a civilian, she would be able to adapt her surroundings to her own will. After all, no civilian parent would be able to keep up with her, both physically and intellectually. Like taking candy from a baby.

Sure, being born as a Yamanaka would be problematic and as an Uchiha... well they're all dead now, so that wouldn't have worked.

But still...

Life as a Nara was hard. Small chakra reserves were the first hurdle. Add in the ancient and idiotic sexism plaguing the Nara clansmen, and you had a recipe for disaster – at least if you a hundred year old master of the ninja arts, hiding out in the body of a small girl...

And if the complications of her clan weren't frustrating enough, she had to be born into THIS family: An extremely intelligent father, an overbearing and aggressive mother, and a clever shadow of a brother who had to know EVERYTHING.

Between her mother demanding her attention left and right, giving her as little alone time as possible, and the forever watchful eyes of her father, Kanoko never had time (or the ability) to research things important to her.

Like the current state of worldly affairs.

Where were the Senju? How come she never sees any of her former clansmen? Who were the current powers in the world – not the Kage (they learn about them in the Academy), but who were the ninjas that were feared across the great nations? What clans still existed and had new ones formed? Have any new bloodlines been discovered? Why was fuinjutsu such a foreign subject in Konoha? Why couldn't she find any of her research documents – which she was sure she left for the common ninja to review?

She wanted to know so much, but was it worth the risk of standing out?

She may be from a clan known for its intelligence and from the head family to boot, but asking for information that she discovered existed out of thin air? Or asking for something no child, even a really smart one, would want to know? Red flag. Red flag.

Kanoko had heard her father talk to another ninja one night, about an Uchiha prodigy, a few years ago. He had, at a young age, shown a wisdom, intelligence, dedication, and kindness only found in the oldest and wisest of souls. She had contemplated using him as an example to support her curiosity to her father. Kanoko ultimately decided to wait it out. He was still young and she had time, she would wait to see how it will play out.

And then one day, Kanoko woke up to her father running out of the house, in the dead of the night. She stayed up, waiting for her father to return, fearing the village was under attack.

When he returned, she heard him tell Yoshino that all the Uchiha were dead.

Murdered by one of their own.

Uchiha Itachi.

The prodigy.

Rumors on the street were Itachi went insane.

Kanoko knew better.

Ninjas don't go insane without prompting.

.