to live your life in solitude
is to never truly live.

- - -

Children were easily distractable, mad as Tsunade had been not even a few minutes before she was right excited when Orochimaru had given the idea of having a contest regarding who could make the best sandcastle.

The blonde had agreed with a haughty smile that screamed I'm going to win. It was almost hilarious to watch her gawk at Orochimaru's intricate looking sand castle that, unlike hers, was standing upright with finger patterns traced in as well as a small moat around it. Mine made her pout furiously while Orochimaru had laughed, declaring me the winner of our sandcastle contest. (The sand castle I had made was four pillars with walls interconnecting them, if you were to focus on them then you'd realize they were held together not just by water but by chakra; it wasn't cheating, just innovative thinking.)

Orochimaru went left for home a few hours after our sandcastle contest, a woman I presumed was his mother had approached us with a smile that was undeniably proud; "Hello Orochimaru-kun, I see you made friends."

Orochimaru had nodded his head, a shy smile on his face as he waved Tsunade and I goodbye. Tsunade had left soon after, though the Senju brothers had long departed another member of the Senju clan had been ever-present in the park watching the Senju heiress. She'd taken his hand without much preamble, giving me a sunny smile as she left telling stories to the Senju shinobi who was smiling at the blonde; indulging her childishness.

 With the other two toddlers gone Niko and Kure were quick to finish their own game of 'Merchants, Bandits, and Shinobi,' wary to leave me to my own devices for too long especially when it was getting dark. Child stealing wasn't an incredibly common thing that happened in Konoha anymore but children knew better than to stay out too late past the setting sun. Plus, by the time we would arrive home it would most likely be time for dinner.

Our sandals clicked against the worn dirt road as the sun's light began to fade from the village, Niko was chattering happily about their time in the park. General nonsense about how no one had allowed her to play the bandit; being the merchant was surprisingly boring the only plus being you were allowed to boss the other children around. Kure squeezed my hand gently causing me to look up at her in question, she was smiling with that familiar mischievous light dancing in her eyes,  "You made friends today Aoi, I'm happy for you."

Niko laughed, "I'm surprised actually, Aoi is such an introvert I thought she'd only make friends with her textbooks."

I hummed, a small smile gracing my lips as I swung my sister's hands, "Well, my books are my best friends you know, they'd be oh so jealous if they found out I had replaced them." 

Both of the older girls laughed at that, our arms swinging higher and our feet skipping off the ground as we chattered on the way back to the house. Our words were all nonsense, unimportant topics such as how we'd spent our time in the park and jovial jibes at one another. It was nice, talking nonsense and not worrying about having to be wary when talking to other people.

It was nice to be a child.

The smell of stew was strong when the three of us entered the house. Stew was an incredibly common meal within this household, it was easier to freeze and unthaw it because while electricity was common in Konohagakure only the richest of people had gas stoves and other electric appliances such as fridges, freezers, and other such things.

The only electric appliance our family owned was a medium-sized freezer.  We did own a stove though it runs off wood, the gas stove was too expensive for our clan to afford one for every household. Despite us being literally related to the current clan-head, our family was often stiffed in terms of upgrades, as seen with our too-small house and over-worked parents. Thankfully Hashirama had, when making the village, made it mandatory that every house no matter civilian or shinobi had clean running water; an essential to life that shouldn't be hoarded away.

"We're home," The three of us echoed as we took our shoes off and entered the house, headed to the kitchen to wash up and check if Okaa-san needed any sort of help.

"Hello girls," Otou-san called from the living area where he was undoubtedly leant over his many, many different architectural schemes. Any building that was built had to go through the Hokage first and currently Otou-san was working on the schematics for a new T&I building that was deeper underground than ever before, it was a money grab too and while twenty-five percent of any pay our family made went to the clan it would still allow our family to have a bit more luxury in our lives. "Did you have a good day at the park?"

"Yeah," Niko replied cheerily, darting out of the kitchen to talk to him more while Kure moved to help Okaa-san with the stew, portioning it all into the different containers we had around the house while five bowls sat to the side cooling.

We didn't lead an expensive lifestyle, we couldn't afford to really but we were a mostly happy family. Amusedly I wondered what Tsunade would think if she entered the slanted wooden house I lived in, it would probably be something akin to Draco Malfoy if he ever entered the Weasley's Burrow. 

I paused from where I'd started setting the table, wondering balefully why I was even thinking of the blonde who I would probably never see again; she was always moving parks, not wanting to bring attention to just one so she could at least enjoy herself. It was probably a security thing two, if enemy ninja were around and knew the Senju princess went to one park in particular it would make her an easy grab. Though I imagined Tsunade would never go quietly, she seemed like one of those kids people would've had to leash at the mall.

I quietly began to set the table, a smile on my face as I tried to decide exactly what kind of leash Tsunade would have been forced to wear back in my world.

Sometimes the memories of my old world weren't terrible things, I supposed.

- - -

My previous thoughts about the Senju clan wanting to keep Tsunade from frequenting one place for too long were dashed in the head. You may ask; Aoi, what makes you think that? Well, that would be because from that fateful Wednesday afternoon Orochimaru, Tsunade and I could be found playing in that same old park.

Becoming friends with them was something I was wary about; knowing the things I did and the people they would become siked me out. I tried my best though, careful not to mention anything too life-altering in our conversations, poking out as much as I could without seeming like I was fishing for information.

Orochimaru was actually afraid of snakes, much to my surprise. When I had asked why he had shrugged and said that he'd never seen one but from what he was told he had deemed them as scary. I promised to show him a snake and that they weren't too scary, they just had a bad reputation. He had laughed and said he could relate to that. It was the first time I heard Orochimaru truly laugh, I like when he laughed. Funnily enough, I found that I wanted him to do it more often. 

Tsunade was lonely. I had learned that the third time I visited the sandbox. No one wanted to be friends with her. They wanted to be friends with the Hokage's granddaughter, the Senju heiress, the girl with a status. This meant that after our first fight, Tsunade had taken a liking to me and deemed me her friend along with Orochimaru. We were friends with her for her, because I was different from the people that bent to her every whim, I was different and Tsunade loved it.

It was, I think, the ninth time I had come to the sandbox when Tsunade shyly invited the two of us to supper. I had trotted off to Kure and Niko to ask them and Niko had shrieked happily, cooing and spinning me around as she talked about how close I was getting to the two other children. Kure had said yes in a calmer fashion, showing off that she was in fact the oldest with her maturity, warning me to be home before sunset.

Orochimaru's mother had agreed without preamble when she had appeared to pick him up, bowing in respect to the Senju brothers who, while leaving after dropping Tsunade off, had come back to pick us up. I had little doubt they had, if only Hashirama, something to do with Tsunade inviting us to this little dinner party thing. 

So, that's how I found myself standing hand in hand with Orochimaru and Tsunade. Hashirama was behind us and talking animatedly about his son and his granddaughter. Tobirama was there, probably to keep Hashirama in line and us children alive while under his care.

I knew my family was poor. It wasn't something I often thought of but with Tsunade beside me in her clothes that were undeniably new and freshly washed I felt self-conscious. She spoke grandly of the dinner being held at the Senju compound, naming dishes I hadn't had in the years of my rebirth because of the prices. A lot of meat like pork and beef was expensive because of how far the animal farms were from Konoha, the most common meals shared among the civilian and minor clan populace were made up of deer, river fish, or chicken.

"Wait," I said, trying hard to hide the slight look of longing, "Did you say barbeque?"

"What?" Tsunade asked, her face scrunching in confusion before she brightened, "Oh! Yeah, the barbeque, it's pretty bland compared to the Akimichi's recipes but I'm sure you won't be able to tell the difference."

"I'm sure it's great," I assured her, a barbeque was something I would kill for and while I imagined it was nothing like hamburgers and hotdogs being cooked by some middle-aged dad, anything was better than nothing. "I don't think I've ever actually had barbeque, I mean I've smelt the stuff being made and I've had smoked deer before but other than that," I gave Tsunade a shrug, "My families just too poor to afford it." 

"Poor?" Tsunade questioned, nose scrunching at the word in confusion, "But you're from a clan? I mean, I thought the Haruno clan was well off."

"It is." The reply was short, maybe a bit too much so for a two-year-old but it was a tough subject. I knew my family was treated differently from the rest of the clan. My mother had been the rightful clan head and for a reason unknown to me she'd been stripped of the position by Rei-Obaa-sama. Our family was only tolerated by the rest of the clan now, only allowed to stay because the current clan-head, my mother's younger sister, couldn't bear the thought of tossing our family aside like that. 

She was the sentimental one of the family. 

Too lost in my thoughts I didn't notice the look the Senju brothers shared at my words, if I had maybe I'd have put more of an effort into acting like a child. 

When Tsunade dropped the subject and moved on, easily forgetting about what I had said I didn't know if it was anger, grief, or envy that sat heavy in my chest. I was so used to them being smart, being intuitive to my emotions that oftentimes I forgot that they were toddlers; real ones not fakes like me. 

 It was humbling, the fact that even with years of knowledge putting me ahead of them both I was still only a step ahead of them. It was terrifying too, knowing just how smart these two children were; just how smart that made some of the adults of this time. At least it made it easier to understand why no one looked twice at my expanded knowledge. 

Prodigies weren't things of wonder, just more fodder for the future battles.

Orochimaru's hand threading through mine pulled me from my thoughts and when I turned to face him I found a thousand questions lurking in his serpentine eyes but he only voiced one; "You okay?"

"Just thinking," I said, "I'm excited to try barbeque."

He squeezed my hand before letting go, "I'm excited too, Tsunade was just talking about a shinobi Hokage-sama fought before he even managed to create Konoha, the man said he was from beyond the waters."

"Beyond the waters," I echoed, mind running a mile a minute as I tried to understand what that meant. I knew something about it, it was right there at the tip of my brain but I just couldn't pinpoint what was so important about his wording, "No ones ever been able to go beyond the waters though, no ship can withstand the waters."

"Beyond the seas," Hashirama cut in, smiling down at us, "And you're right, none of our ships have ever managed to get past the waves but he was a strange man with a strange ship. He was unfamiliar with the concept of chakra, wielding a power of a different kind with knowledge on technology far beyond our time."

Warily I glanced up at the man, "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Don't worry about a thing," Hashirama said easily, waving a hand dismissively, "He was hiding the stone away from the rest of his family; something about it being too dangerous for them to ever take hold of. Therefore his family has no idea about our Nations and if his family ships were to ever come back to the Elemental Nations I would be able to recognize them."

"Aren't you worried someone will find it though?" Orochimaru asked with a frown, "I mean, from the way Tsunade told the story you struggled to beat him."

"That's true but this was also years ago, before the very founding of Konoha, the stone hasn't been found yet and I don't think it ever will."

"Was it just called the stone?" I asked before I could think better of it, "I mean, surely something like what you're talking about had a name."

Hashirama's eyed glinted with something, his mouth opening to answer the question until the sound of laughing children and heavy footfalls interrupted us. The hoard of Uchiha children that flew past us was loud, apologies flying from their mouths as the ever-looming figure of Madara Uchiha stormed from the Uchiha compound we were walking past and onto the path radiating fury.

Hashirama's laughter cut Madara off and said male whipped his head to Hashirama with an irk mark clear on his head; "Think it's funny do you, Senju?"

Hashirama's laughter grew louder and Tsunade was giggling as well, a hand over her mouth to hide her wide smile. Tobirama had tilted his head, eyes glinting with mirth; "I find it quite amusing myself, Uchiha. I thought you were clan head?" 

Madara, whose face was a pink from residual hair-dye that had been used in his hair, which was varying shades of pink from where the hair-dye the children had used either took or didn't, scowled dangerously at Tobirama with a silent threat in his eyes, "You'll find that scentless shampoo and scentless hair-dye are hard to tell apart."

Hashirama was still doubled over with laughter, his face bright red as he gasped over his own breaths; "Your hair pink! I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Ah yes pink hair," I said, twisting a strand of the cotton-candy coloured hair around my fingers, "Quite the shocking colour."

Hashirama shook his head, his mirth still palpable as he tried to straighten up, "You can pull off pink hair Aoi, Madara though..." Hashirama's grin was something contagious, his chuckles shaking his shoulders as he tried to keep himself under control.

"That," Madara grimaced as he gave a motion towards me, "Is your natural hair colour?"

Amused I said, "Yeah, no one understands either, I think their's only been like two other people in my family with pink hair and they're pretty far removed cousins." I gave him a cheeky grin, "Maybe Okaa-san had an affair, who knows."

Madara rose his eyebrows, which were also dyed pink, "And you are?"

"Haruno Aoi, it's an honour to meet you Uchiha-sama."

"She's one of my granddaughter's friends! They're coming over to the compound for tonights dinner, it's so exciting!" 

Madara rolled his eyes, assumedly at Hashirama's antics, and appraised me with a condescending look in his eye that made me know he was about to say something fueled by the shinobi clan superiorty complex most major clan-members had; "Should a civilian such as yourself truly be seen around a future kunoichi and heiress of the Senju clan? Surely she has better things to do then give your, undoubtedly insignificant, clan attention. To hang around a civilian such as yourself is undoubtedly a hindrance to her future performances, you understand that much, correct?" 

"And that's the honour gone," I deadpanned. "You'll find, Uchiha-sama, that judging a person based on their clan relations, or their background in general, is incredibly detrimental. While Tsunade is undoubtedly the child of a truly inspiring legacy I'm not friends with her for some shinobi inspired attention grab for my clan. They're mostly merchants, by the way, with an incredible hatred of shinobi. Now before you allow your superiority complex to rear its head to a two year old child maybe think that the child isn't using a friendship for some ulterior motive."

Madara blinked, something I decided was akin to a person's jaw-dropping for Uchiha, before his gaze darkened, "Hashirama?"

The single word sent chills down my spine but the First Hokage merely snickered, "Sorry Madara but she speaks the truth, there's no ulterior motives here!"

 Amusedly I thought about how technically that wasn't true, while my ulterior motives had nothing to do with my clan or personal gain I did have some. My eyes drifted to Tsunade and Orochimaru, the former was tugging on Hashirama's arm complaining about being late for the dinner. I had ulterior motives, and they were to make sure Tsunade and Orochimaru made it out of this happy.

We waved goodbye to Madara Uchiha whose eyes lingered on me, searching for something as we continued on our way. It was unnerving, being watched by a person who would one day become a mad-man. 

"He'll be fine." Hashirama said suddenly as we turned a corner and were out of view of the Uchiha clan head, "Not sure about this kids though."

"Hopefully he won't be—"

"Shut up, Tobirama!"

- - -

AN: from 2000~ words to 3000~ words all from an edit, wow!!

also I'm currently taking Earth and Space Science, which is physics, chemistry, and math all twisted into one big pile; the only problem? I've never taken physics, I almost failed chemistry, and the last math class I took was cut short because of Covid last year. Thank god it's online because if not I'd fail with a capital F, lol. Just a little vent dump abt one of my two current classes lol.

On the subject of this story, Madara getting pranked with hair-dye gives me Howl vibes; "Now I'm repulsive." [slumps in chair]

If you understood that, you're an elite :)