Chapter Text
Ryuunosuke’s earliest memory was of pain and a soothing warmth. They sobbed into the surrounding warmth. The pain was in their head, but they were so small it seemed to go through their whole body. A Voice shushed them and the Warmth stroked their short curls. The Voice sighed and began to sing. It was low and rumbling, like the purring of a large cat. The Warmth and singing was soothing, and they fell asleep.
Yumi doesn’t remember this night specifically. It was one of many when her child would cry inconsolably until she sung them to sleep.
The headaches didn’t stop as they got older, but they became more infrequent. The headaches came with the memories. The memories were always there, but they didn’t hurt unless Ryuu focused on them. Still, they couldn’t go outside without a memory being yanked to the forefront of their mind. Their mother, tried everything to soothe them. She sung and shushed, and yelled until finally giving up.
Ryuu was speaking simple sentences by a year, and reading by two. Yumi, their mother, joked that Ryuu was a genius when she found out. Ryuunosuke objected to this.
“Not genius. Geniuses learn stuff good. Ryuu just knew already.” That was the truth too. They already knew much of hiragana, and their young brain combined with the knowledge they had made learning a quick task. Yumi got an explanation not long after during one of Ryuunosuke’s headaches.
“Mama?” they waddled over to her
“Yes Ryuu?” Yumi looked up from her koto.
“Head hurts.” They whimpered and lay their head on her lap.
She sighed and picked them up and held them close to her chest. “Oh baby…” Yumi trailed off. The few doctors she could afford had all assured there was nothing wrong with Ryuunosuke, and that he was as healthy as any baby their age.
“Don’t like remembering.” They muttered into her chest. She went still. Ryuu listened her heart beating, the steady rhythm drumming through their skull, throbbing with the pain in their head that, if it didn’t help, focused it into a pattern.
“Remembering what?” Yumi asked.
“Me. Other time?” Their furrowed their little eyebrows, trying to make sense of all the information floating around their tiny mind.
“It was a dream sweetie.” Yumi cooed, stroking their hair. “It’s just bad dreams.”
“I was older, and sad. I was very sad and scared a lot.” They felt tears prick at the corners of their eyes. “I was so sad! I wanted-” they stopped, unable to continue as a sob shook their body. Yumi sighed and held Ryuunosuke until they stopped crying, hushing and humming in equal parts until they calmed down.
“How about Mama plays the koto for you, and then when I go out for groceries later I’ll get you a book to write these memories down in? How does that sound?”
Ryuu looked up at their mother with wide eyes, already enchanted by the thought of music. “Koto! Koto!” they said, clapping their hands, a wide grin spreading across their tear stained face.
The apartment was small and cheaply furnished, everything second-hand and the newest of their possessions had seen better days. This excluded one corner of Yumi and Ryuunosuke’s shared room. This corner held musical instruments that, while scuffed and aged, were all well-crafted. The koto, which was Yumi’s second greatest treasure (when they asked the first she’d laughed and attacked them with tickles. “You of course!”), even had the image of cherry blossoms carved into the wood. She placed them on the floor as she put their hand over her’s and showed them how to create music.
“You know if you were a girl I would have named you Kotone.” She remarked off handedly.
“Ko… to… ne?” They pouted. They liked Kotone more than Ryuunosuke. It was pretty and musical.
“Mhm! Kotone! Can you guess why?” Ryuu pointed immediately to the koto.
“Exactly!” Yumi said with a laugh, then, pinched their cheek. “Why so grumpy?”
“Mama?” Ryuu asked, looking up at Yumi.
“Yes Ryuu?”
“Mama pretty. Will Ryuu be pretty too?” they looked up at their mother. Yumi was more than pretty. She was a fairly young mother, only twenty-two when Ryuunosuke was born. Her hair fell in long, soft curls a pinkish sunset orange. Her purple eyes always seemed to twinkle as if she knew something you didn’t, and her skin was a warm olive tone. Ryuunosuke on the other hand was pale as a ghost, with hair that couldn’t decide between red or purple, and could look either depending on the lighting. Their eyes were unlike their mother’s as well, as they were a soft gold color. Only time would tell if their features resembled Yumi’s, but already they had the same laughing look to their eyes. That made them happy.
“If you take after me. Who knows what your father looked like, he could be hideous!” She teased, her smile pulling stronger on her right side than left. Ryuu pouted. They never asked about their father. They didn’t really care.
“Mamaaa.” Ryuunosuke whined.
“Ryuunosuke, you are the most beautiful child I could have been given.” She said, and planted a kiss on Ryuunosuke’s head. “How about I teach you the biwa first?”
After that day Ryuunosuke could go outside. Rather than screaming they hummed to themself the tunes that their mother had begun teaching them. The memories still hurt, but having the music made it better.
And then they met Auntie.
Auntie was a lot like Mama, except not at all. Auntie was louder, her voice was smoother and lighter, and she was redder. Auntie always brought with her a nagging memory. Ryuunosuke didn’t know why until they heard their name. They screamed as it felt like someone took a cleaver to their skull, but even so they clung to Kushina’s leg and wept.
“Don’t die Auntie.” They repeated over and over until they fainted from exhaustion. Kushina laughed it off and put them to bed.
“It was scary Yumi.” She confessed once the other woman got home. “I thought he was going to die, and then he begged me not to die like he was already sure of it dattebane!” Yumi frowned.
“Ryuu says.. That he just knows things. He said something about another time where they were older. I’m sure he just has a very active imagination. You know he can read already right? I’m sure he just reads and confuses things.” Kushina laughed uncomfortably.
“Yeah you’re right dattebane.” She said. And that was the end of it for now.
“So my friend Mikoto has a son just around Ryuunosuke’s age, a few months older I think.” Kushina suggested to Yumi one day. “Apparently he’s a genius, but doesn’t have too many friends.” Ryuu looked up from their picture book, listening intently. They knew that name. Mikoto… Mikoto… Uchiha? The Uchiha’s were important, they knew that. Uchiha meant Sasuke and Itachi. Genius… Mikoto. Definitely Itachi then. Maybe. Itachi was important because Sasuke was important, but for some reason Itachi’s name made them feel sad.
“So… are you suggesting a playdate?” Yumi asked, taking a sip of her tea. For an Uzumaki she was always remarkably reserved in her energy and manners. Well, it seemed that way until you noticed her constantly tapping her foot or bouncing her leg.
“Yup! I think it’s a great idea dattebane! I’ve already told her all about Ryuu and how adorable he is and that it’d be great for him to go make some friend since he doesn’t get out much.” Kushina grinned like this was a genius plan. Somewhat sinisterly, Ryuu noted. They did not like that look.
And that’s how three-year-old Ryuunosuke came to be staring down a four-year-old Itachi.
“Ryuu, this is Itachi!”
Ryuunosuke looked him over, staring very silently. Itachi fidgeted under their gaze.
“Is something wrong?” Mikoto whispered to Kushina
“Shhhh! He’s making a decision ttebane. He does this with some people” She whispered back
Ryuunosuke was in fact making a decision. They were digging up every memory, every bit of information they had attached to that name as they stared at Itachi intently. Itachi was Sasuke’s brother… Where was Sasuke? No, Itachi was much older than Sasuke. Ryuu could feel their head beginning to throb, but they pushed it back. They stood there in silence for a full three minutes before Ryuunosuke threw their arms around the older boy with an exclamation of “Tachi-tan!” Kushina and Mikoto sighed with relief as Itachi struggled and panicked. He gave his mother a pleading look, but she just exchanged a look with Kushina and chuckles.
“Ryuunosuke is around your age, so play nice Itachi.”
“Hey, Tachi-kun! What do you like to do? Ryuu likes to play the koto with Mama, and the biwa, but reading is fun too! What does Tachi-kun like to read?” Ryuu asked, snuggling closer to their new friend. Who wasn’t reacting much. Was he in shock? They pulled back and looked at Itachi. Yup, definitely in shock.
“Tachi-tan.. Tachi… Itachi-kun!” They poked his nose. That seemed to snap him out of it.
“Well.. I mostly train with my father. And… I like history and poetry.” Itachi answered softly, rather unsure.
“We should read together! And you can help me with my ninja training! I don’t go outside much.” Ryuu released Itachi for a moment before grabbing his hand and pulling him to the playground. “Come on! We can play ninja!” They said. And so they played ninja for the rest of the afternoon.