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She had started her life out normally, slowly but surely gaining her memories back from before. Before she knew it she had the feeling of something going on. Something wrong. Looking around her realising that yes, yes she was the one looking at her own feet, or rather her paws. She was now a furry baby (her panicky human-half said) or a cat. A young cat actually, but one that had kittens in her stomach, so an adult cat (wtf, wtf, wtf...). Her new body was pregnant. She remembers her life as a human but the Instinct of the cat-half dominated her thoughts for now.

Now, she was looking for a safe place, away from the noisy village. It was too much of everything and people could step on her! It was too dangerous. No, she needed a safe place where she could raise her soon-to-be-newborn kittens.

She went back to where she had been born herself, the compound was calmer now before people have been milling around. It was quiet. Too quiet for a large clan compound. She listened for some sound, suddenly her ears picked up something. It felt weird to the human part of her, to feel her ears move towards the sound rather than turning her headfirst.

She could hear someone sobbing. Crying their heart out quietly. She was still uncertain, vary of any movement towards her, she was carrying her future kittens after all. She went closer, trying to find the person making the sound.

A small boy was curled up, inside a big house. His sobs weren’t loud to human ears, but her feline ears picked it up easily. Maybe it was some motherly instinct she was building towards her own, but at that moment she needed to comfort this tiny human. Or kitten as her mind was telling her, a big kitten. Hurt.

She started scratching at the window, the big kitten startled and quickly looked her way. His eyes were big and teary, soon a relieved expression came over him. When he didn’t open the window immediately, she started meowing at him. When he still didn’t move she started yowling at him.

This little punk…

He soon realised his mistake and let her in. A smug feeling arose in her, but the big kitten was still sniffling, so that had to be fixed immediately. She elegantly (rather difficult with a big stomach) sat near him, looking at him to see if there were any outward injuries. Walking around him, she looked closely but couldn’t smell or see any blood on him.

An internal wound? Ah, no the right word was a mental injury. Whatever, her human side was slow and dull as her feline half had taken over for now.

The big kitten looked warily at her, trying to figure her motive out, she figured. When he didn’t launch out for her, she slowly started moving closer. He was the startled animal in this situation, not her.

It took a while, but soon she was in his lap, purring up a storm getting petted. Her newest kitten was smart! He knew when she showed him not to touch her somewhere, when to continue petting her and when to stop.
Yes, this was her new home. A big kitten, now hers, a nice warm home and safe from the mean villagers.

Now, if only her big kitten would stop trying to make her go away.

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Uchiha Sasuke had a hard life. He thought so himself at least. He didn’t know what had happened, how he ended up in this situation.

He stared back at the cat through the window, she (for her stomach was too big to be anything else but a pregnant feline) stared back at him. Her gaze turning icier and icier as time went on, he had had the same exact encounter each day. Since the damned cat had decided to call his home, her own. Soon she would start yowling.
It was like a siren, right by his eardrums, making him see stars and have a headache for ages afterwards!

But he wouldn’t let her in this time! This was his home!

Yes, it had been nice to pet her the first day, her purr rumbling deep in his chest at the time. He had fallen asleep with her curled up beside him on the living-room floor.

Sasuke had been alone for 8 weeks at that point, so the fact that a cat, had seen him cry made him relieved, said a lot about what he had been through.

At least it wasn’t an ANBU this time, he had thought.

The fact that it was a very pregnant cat, was surprising. It was seriously grumpy though, and very arrogant. It had the baring of a Daimyo, elegant despite its large belly… Walking around like it was her home and not his. Like it was an honour for him to pet her!

He didn't even know when she had come into his lap or when he had started petting her. She was beautiful, her fur a gloriously plush-white. Yellow eyes that had the tendency to make him comply with her wishes before he even knew what had happened.

He startled and sulked for a bit, when he realised he had let her in once again while he had been daydreaming, Kimi, the cat, was strutting victoriously through his hallway, towards the den she made herself in his hallway closet, at the end of the corridor. He made the mistake of trying to take a towel from the closet once. Once. The sheer hell she had caused afterwards made him vary of even going near the damn thing.

But it was right by his room...

Eyes now followed him wherever he might go in the clan compound, not that he went to many places… It felt a little comforting to know that it was physical eyes that watched him and not…

No, he didn’t want to think about it.

Before he could inventively think about it, Kimi, (named after an Elder Uchiha, she had looked motherly, but frightening at the same time. She had yowled just like the feline, hence the name) had hooked her tail around his leg, sitting and looking up at him.

It was at times like this he liked the damned thing. She made him stop thinking about useless things. He watched her, her small stature but huge belly made her look silly. It was amusing, and he let a small smirk come through. Her eyes narrowed, and he stopped smiling immediately. She to be a nin-cat, she had to be. Kimi was way too intelligent, she understood him easily and had even let herself in at some point when he had come home later than usual.

Which made it even more infuriating when she continued to stand outside the window and stare at him, waiting for him to open the damn thing for her. An Uchiha wasn’t some mere servant!

Kimi made a small urging chip at his feet, but when he looked down the only view he was greeted to was her butt, sashaying away towards the kitchen. A tick above his right eye could be felt.

This was his life now.

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Her big kitten was motherless. She had known that there weren’t people around, but after a week or so she realised that he was alone. Completely alone. It was good she had taken him under her wing, so to speak.

Sometimes there were some people in the shadows looking after him, but they never made themselves known to her biggest kitten. They left some food for him though, so she tolerated them. Offerings for her oldest were alright with her.

Still, the way some of them looked at him made her anxious. But most of them were neutral, just looking.

Intruders the lot of them...

Sasuke had started to hunt for himself, which pleased her a lot, especially with her almost bursting with his siblings. She couldn’t hunt herself, so he had taken care of her instead. Kimi was proud of him, but she still felt he needed to hone his reflexes and catch one of the animal-masks.

They were on their territory after all.

But the tuna was nice… He was still a kitten, in the end, so she would let him off for now. It wasn’t like she could hunt them down herself, yet. Sigh, she wished her kittens would be born soon.

Kimi, for that name had been given by her biggest kitten, allowed him to pass her in the hallway. He had disturbed her nest earlier, so she was more alert with him.

Such a punk, though he had given her one of his blankets afterwards.

She had hunted down some fluffy things to nest with, blankets and towels (Sasuke tried to find his missing towel, but when he finally found it, it was too late. He didn’t want it not, not after all that it had been through).

Her nest was ready, there was food and she only had to wait for her kittens to be born now.

It took another 3 days before she began to feel something off. Kimi went still immediately, trying to feel out of she was really starting her labour.
She continued her way to the kitchen where there was a bowl of water and some dry kibbles. She had the feeling she should eat if it really was about to start. Labour is exhausting after all, she needed all the energy she could get.

An hour later she felt it again, this time stronger than the last.

Yup, it was the start of the next 6 hours of gruelling work.

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Sasuke was panicking. He was being honest with himself, he didn't know what the hell he was doing.

He had just gone home after going to the Academy, Kimi would be grouchy if he didn’t. But he hadn’t really felt the need to stay away either, she was becoming too big, what if something happened while he was gone?

And so here he was, on the floor, besides the hallway closet. Clutching a rag in his hands, looking at Kimi having contractions. Her meows were more quiet than usual, making him worry even more. What was he supposed to do?!

He had sat there for quite some time already, just being by her side. His thoughts were all over the place. (Oh my dear Amaterasu, OMA OMA...)

Her hiss drew his mind back on the scene, but he regretted that the moment he saw the round pulp of something peep out of her. It suddenly burst and a kitten slowly slid out.

It was the grossest and most incredible thing he had ever seen.

Oh dear Amaterasu, it was so small. Kimi seemed to pant for a moment, before licking the kitten. Rough licks, or so it seemed to Sasuke, was she really supposed to move the kitten with her licks? Was she even supposed to like it when it was that gross???

Then he saw the red meat-thing. It was attached to the kitten, it looked like bloody guts. He would know. Urgh, not now, he looked to Kimi to get his mind of that, but...

Kimi was eating the red thing after having cleaned the kitten, it made him gag. Was it cannibalism when you ate some of yourself?!?

Her yowl made him stop gagging. Her icy glare made him straighten his back, she stopped when she started contracting again.

Oh dear gods above, why must he suffer through this?? (Kimi glared at him again, it was like she could read his thoughts...)

5 hours, he had been sitting there for 5 hours (His poor butt hurt). Trying to soothe Kimi as best as he could, bringing her water and some tuna. After hour 3 he had started to gently pet her, she seemed to tolerate it at least. (It calmed Sasuke, she didn’t need his stress as well). He tried not to look at the … nest. It was bloody and watery. It smelled.

But he really wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world right now, but here. Kimi had delivered 5 kittens! FIVE!!

They didn’t all look like her, some had splashes of brown and only one was completely white. There was one that was mostly brown, but its belly was white as well as its paws. After some time they had dried, their fur starting to fluff a little already…

Oh Amaterasu, the hair… It would be everywhere!

But… They were so tiny, and with the first tiny mew, he was like compelled. They were so weak and powerless. Kimi was radiating smugness, but also exhaustion.

He couldn’t stop his face from shining, Kimi had done so well!! Five little ones!!

They are perfect. Their tiny mews made something clench inside of him, a gooey feeling spreading. They were his. He would take good care of them.

Kimi also deserved a lot of treats, she had delivered 5 kittens! It was hard work, and she deserved all the best he could give.

He would even forgive her using his towel as her birthing ground… She could keep it…

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After that exhausting deal was over, Kimi looked over the result with pride. Her little ones all gathered together, her big kitten even helped her during labour!

She is very pleased with him.

One completely white, one mostly brown with white on his stomach and paws, the rest were a mix of white and brown… They were lovely. Perfect.

Her, now big, family were all gathered together. Sasuke, she knew because he had introduced himself to his siblings, cooed at them (he would later try to deny it with his very (angry) being, something about his image or something).

It seemed her biggest kitten was a bit overwhelmed, but she could excuse him for now. He was the pillow for 5 smol kittens, whose tiny mews melted him to gooey goo inside.
Kimi was tired after the ordeal, so she had Sasuke warm them for now. She would wake if he tried leaving, the kittens needed external heat from others to survive, so she had to be alert.

She shouldn’t have worried however, Sasuke wouldn’t move for all the tomatoes in the world. Maybe… He oozed contentment, happiness and the angsty tint of fear.

Not something her purrs couldn’t handle however. Kimi leaned up against her warmest kitten, purred and chirping a little to take away his fear. She is here, she will take on any pain she can for him.

For Sasuke was hers, and she was his.

They are family. It wasn’t just anyone she would let near her, especially when she was in labour nor with her newborn-kittens. It seemed he had realised she trusted him, or at least it seemed that way when he looked at her.

“Good job Kimi, they are beautiful…!” he exhaled. His eyes didn’t leave her other children while talking, “... Can I name them, Kimi?”

When she merely headbutted his thigh and purred, he teared up a little. He breathed in and slowly exhaled, his hands ever so gently when petting his new siblings.

“What about Daisy for the white one? For her fur and hopefully yellow eyes? A little mini-Kimi... “ Sasuke chuckled softly.

… Yeah, that did sound lovely for her eldest daughter. A mini-me…!

They both looked adoringly at the tiny mewls, but Kimi did get up so they could feed. They were feeding from her nipples soon, it felt weird. It was the first time having kittens, so many new sensations and emotions. (Her human side was alternating between cooing and panicking).

“How were they able to be inside your stomach, Kimi? I know you looked big, but I didn’t think you would have five kittens!” He laughed.

Her glare of doom stopped that quickly, she wasn’t big… She had been pregnant!! (Her human side was the reason for the glare, something deeply ingrained in her brain made her do it…)

“Hn, wh-what about Coco for the brown one? I like that one... “ he swallowed, but seeing Kimi lower her head to look at the kittens made him sigh happily, “Coco it is!”

Sasuke was starting to look like a normal 8-year-old kid, excitement and happiness making him smile brightly. She was very content at that moment, relaxing and purring deeply.

It was a special thing for him, she let him choose the names after all!

“These two look like twins…!”

Both white with stripes, though they differed in slightly around their faces. They each had light brown circles on a different eye, making them easier to recognize.

“What about Emi for the female, for it was a blessing she survived, as the last out? And since they are like twins the male should be called something like Blessing as well…”

He looked like he was deep in thought, or like he was pooping himself…

Kimi remembered smaller children with the same face as human… The lethal attack, always when it was most quiet…

“Kei! He should be Kei as in Blessing, so Emi and Kei! Yeah!” Sasuke beamed, but Kimi was rather startled by his sudden loudness.

“And Fuku for the male white with the brown tail! He is lucky, so Fuku it is!” He beamed once again, but still looked for her reaction. For her approval.

But she approved of the names, for they were her lucky little blessings after all.

Sasuke seemed to have settled when he saw no objection, it made him feel like pure sunshine. He felt like happy goo from the positive attention, hey, she never said she was a poet.

And frankly, her own emotions were still all over the place…

This was happiness, together with her family. All of them.

Snuggly, warm and happy. She would treasure this memory, it reminded her of the joy even when she had to lick her littlest children to get them to excrement...

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Sasuke still felt happy when he woke up the next morning, Kimi had taken the kittens into his bedroom when he didn’t want to leave them to rest himself.

(It went slightly against her instincts, but Sasuke needed her as well.)

Even if he regretted it slightly when he smelled something a moment later.

Kimi had let them excrement on a disposable towel (thank Amaterasu). But he still needed to throw it out. Urghhhh, how could something so small, create something so foul?!

He saw that there was even disposable gloves as well as a clothespin.

… How smart was Kimi again?

He grunted and made haste of the … towel. He needed to get to the Academy in an hour or so. He liked to run before going, to warm up a little.

When he came to the kitchen after disposing of it, he started on a light breakfast. Tomatoes, of course, some rice and miso soup. Hard-boiled eggs as well, he could snack on them later if he didn’t manage to eat them.

He wasn’t the best at cooking, but he had learned a bit before… before That.

Kimi mewled at him from the ground, shaking him from his thoughts.

That right there made everything worth it for Sasuke. Kimi was incredible like that, she always finds him when he spirals. He had gotten better after she came, or so his therapist said. At least he didn’t have to come as often anymore… He hated it there.

Sasuke smiled a little at Kimi, she continued to stare at him and rubs against his leg. She probably wants food, but she still waited till he was back in his own mind again.

“...Hn. Thank you Kimi,” he struggled to say it, but he felt oddly emotional inside when he thought of her bringing him along in her labour. He knew she really trusted him.

… It felt nice.

“Yes, yes. Food first though.” He said when she headbutted him harder.

They ate together in silence, just a calm morning for once…

Kimi disappeared out the hallway, his hand still up in the air holding his spoon when he looked silently at her after-image.

Right.

She could use chakra. Of course. This might as well happen…

His head made a dull sound when it hit the low dining table. With his legs in a seiza, hands on either side of his head, he wondered about his life. He continued to chew head-down the table.

Undignified of an Uchiha, but damn it, he was tired after yesterday.

Kimi was suddenly back at her spot on his right. He turned his head towards her, she was eating her fill faster than before, purring slightly at him. Right.

Ignore it.

When he slowly started eating properly again, straight back and all, she purred louder.

(Good kitten).

Sasuke really didn’t know what he did to be adopted by this weird cat, but this was his life.

It felt weirdly nice… A cold morning, bright skies and a purring cat seeking pets. Yeah, he felt quite alright for once.

Chapter Text

The kittens were growing quickly. By week two their eyes had opened, they were slowly moving around seeking heat and Kimi’s milk.
The “twins” as Sasuke called them were together most of the time, Kimi didn’t really care why, they were adorable.

Daisy was almost invisible when cuddling with her, Sasuke’s panicking about her missing made Kimi’s day. He had sulked when she lifted her head and showed him where Daisy was…

He looked so cute when red and pouting…

Sasuke had seemed reluctant to go to the Academy for the last two weeks. On the first day after the birth, he tried staying for a little too long. Kimi quickly disapproved of that, out he went. School is important…

But he still tried it a couple of tries after that, it was as if he forgot he needed to go… Suspicious. Kimi wasn’t about that, he had been gone long enough from school.

She hadn’t been out a lot since her kittens were born. Understandable, since their very lives depended on her. But she was still tired after all the noise and movement.

Her little ones were amazing, brilliant and overall perfect… But damn she really wanted to groom herself in peace for once!

Every day was a new adventure with them, all of them had started opening their eyes. Still baby blue, for now. She couldn’t wait to see whose eyes they would take after. Hers or their father. The brown fur hadn’t been from her after all…

Kimi hadn’t thought of her kitten’s father after she had remembered her human self. It seemed a bit too much, so she had just focused on the present. Her own state of pregnancy was more important at the time.

Their father was handsome (her human self just sighed, she felt he looked alright… For a cat). Pampered. Arrogant to a degree even.

She wasn’t so sure she would like him if he was human… But as a feline? She had chosen well enough.

While he was a half nin-cat compared to her full-blooded lineage, he still lived a better life than her. His pedigree was one of the best, it was why the Daimyo had chosen him for his wife after all.

Tora, “Tiger” it didn’t really fit him as such… But it was a noble name.

He had courted her well, making her choose him for her heat. She hadn’t thought she would become pregnant, her late Contractor had been kind to take her to the vet to stop her heats… After her death, the trips to the vet stopped and so her heats started again.
It was a ‘happy’ accident.

Tora probably didn’t even know she was pregnant, nor the fact he was the father.

… Should she tell him? Ehhh.

She didn’t really care for it. Kimi would tell him if they met, but she wasn’t going out of her way for it. Her kittens were more important, she wouldn’t go out just for that.

He could wait, it wasn’t like he couldn’t hunt her down to see her.

It’s been a couple of months since then, so whatever she may have felt had cooled down with him not showing up. It’s not like male cats tend to help parent new-borns often. It’s just not how they are as a species.

Still, she knew Tora was more intelligent than the toms from her human life. Kimi felt a little complicated around the issue, but in the end she decided not to think too much about it yet. Her babies weren't that old yet, she couldn’t leave them even if she wanted to (which she didn’t, she nearly bristled at the thought).

Ehh, if it happened it happened.

Chapter Text

Sasuke was doomed. It was official, this was the end of the dignity of the Last Uchiha.

The kittens had learnt how to move. It was adorable the first two days, all cute movements, trying it out for the first time… But then the running started. Oh how he hated his life.

Kimi was laughing at him, he knew it!!

She had the great idea to escape on the top of the cabinet in the living room (not on the tatami, he wasn’t a heathen! It would ruin the delicate straw mates). Just looking at him trying to limit the chaos that they were making…

It was like they were on a sugar high for a certain amount of time, then just… fell over each other and slept like the dead (they were so adorable he felt chest pains, he wondered if Kimi had cursed him…)

Sasuke felt like it had something to do with Kimi being a nin-cat. It had to be the reason why they were doing zoomies in his house. They weren’t quite to Kimi’s standard, but he thanked Amaterasu for that. He had the feeling it would be needed in the future…

Kimi did take over when they got too wild. One cuff and they were extremely well-behaved. He didn’t know what she had done, but he felt a great kin-ship with the kittens when he saw it.

Kimi was scary…

Sasuke had gotten some toys and kitten food at the local Inuzuka Animal Store. He had felt the eyes on him when he went there, but they weren’t hostile. They weren’t like the civilians either, keeping their distance. He liked that, he would be coming back in the future.

But now the toys were all over the place.

All over the place.

It deserved to be said twice. He didn’t even know where all the toys had come from? (The store had smuggled some extra for the boy, he wouldn’t realise until much later)

Kimi was even playing with them as well!

Okay, so it was only when he moved the stick with the tassel that she pranced. But still! He liked seeing her pupils expand so much, making the yellow almost disappear.

The kittens, however, they were all over the toys. Small bells, tassels, mouse toys, they had it all. Kimi’s tail was also prime real estate, first-serve and all that. It was their favourite toy when they had played enough they were close to her and could suckle at her and nap.

No really, Sasuke thought about going to the doctor because of his chest. It was ridiculous how often it happened with these chest pains…

But Kimi hadn’t done anything yet, and she was incredible at knowing when he was hurt.

The smallest cut or bruise, she knew. And she judged him if he didn’t take care of it, or take a bath in his private hot springs after training too much.

It made him slightly annoyed, but also a slight sweetness could be felt because of her actions.

Sasuke could finally admit that he was adopted by Kimi after five weeks, two of those being with the kittens. It felt like what happiness had felt Before, it was the reason he was so afraid to allow himself to feel happy.

Like he was betraying Their memories...

“Grrrr…”

Sasuke jumped at hearing Kimi so close to him, her hiss made him look at her in shock.

But she just looked at him. They stared at each other for a while in silence.

Then she lept onto his bed and came close to his side, and then laid down purring.

“Hn… I’ll stop and go to sleep.”

Sasuke relaxed with her at his side. Her purrs made him heavy and sleepy, it felt so nice… Having a warm being near him, comforting him even if he didn’t need it. (Yes he did, and both Kimi and Sasuke knew it)

His little terror… The thought made him grin, but quickly hid it when Kimi turned to look at him. How did she always know?

A crash could be heard from downstairs.

Both Sasuke and Kimi sighed…

Kimi headbutted him on his cheek, letting him pet her a little before she lept down and went to see what her children had done.

And with a little grin at her back, he turned around and went to sleep. Peacefully, knowing she would wake him if he had nightmares.

Chapter Text

Kimi was tired of sitting still. Her littlest ones were now at the age they could manage themselves for more than an hour. She made sure that Sasuke was home however, she didn’t want anything to happen after all.

She felt that Sasuke needed some encouragement recently. There had been more outsiders recently by the compound gates.

Which was why her biggest kitten was sulking and refusing to go out more than strictly necessarily needed. Kimi sighed, but as his new adult figure, she needed to help him out. (Nevermind that she was now a cat. Her human mind was in charge, for now, there were some more … detailed things that were going to happen).

Kimi disliked seeing him so annoyed and confused.

So she went there each day he came home from the Academy, observing who thought they could get close to her biggest kitten. He was hers!

It seemed like it was some people the same age as Sasuke… She didn’t know why he was so disgusted at first, but then the squeals and skrills hit her.

Oh, oh hell no.

She memorized the worst offenders, there were some that tried to touch Sasuke!! (She could see him recoil, confused and angry, just trying to get home to safety.)

The main offenders were girls, small and scrawny. Not that hard to deal with. There were some older looking ones in there as well, not chakra-trained. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t hurt Sasuke.

Words didn’t leave physical scars after all. Even supposedly kind words to a hurt young boy. How he couldn’t take care of himself, that he should come over and eat, that he should have someone closer to him.

Ha. She was already right there, healing each slight sting their words carried. He had a home, he wasn’t alone, he could provide for himself. She had made sure of it.

Kimi had found cooking books, dragged his little ass into the kitchen and made sure he ate each and every day. She wanted to teach him to hunt soon, stealth and recon. She knew his birthday was soon, the 23rd of July.

Kimi had dug a little calendar out from the storage room. It was where all the ‘extra’ stuff in the house had ended up. Sasuke couldn’t bear to look at it, or at least not without breaking down.

But she still brought it out.

She had sat her ass down on the calendar and yowled till he came to her. When he saw the calendar he had a weird facial expression, but when he saw how she had found his birthday month he understood.

So he moved her (!!! The disrespect!), afterwards, he immediately started petting her (... forgiven for now…). He told her about his birthday, and that he didn’t want a big fuss. He felt it was wrong after only a little year… So he didn’t want anything.

The fact he could even say that out loud surprised the ANBU, but Kimi was smug and sad at the same time. She was happy to know he was getting better at speaking about it, but also furious that he still didn’t have any human adults around to help more.

His therapist was okay, she would give her that at least, but all the other two-leggers should go down…

She hunted some of the younger intruders, she needed the exercise and they needed to be warned off the territory! Kimi had made her point, there were even rumours about another demon cat warding off anyone close to the Uchiha Compound.

(The older ANBU was amused as hell, guarding the young Uchiha was now considered stealth training for the newer recruits… Heh)

Sasuke snorted when he heard about it, his surrounding classmates stared in disbelief… What in the world?

But Sasuke just ignored them as usual. He did have a lighter mood thinking about a certain cat for the remainder of the day. Kimi the Warrior protecting her home… He knew how stealthy and cunning she was, so he knew the stories he heard wasn’t all she had done.

Though the story about a girl finding her love letters to him hung all over the school, that one made him really glad. She had snuck into the Compound and laid them there a lot, she continued even after he confronted her about it. She threw a branch after Kimi when the cat hissed at her, making Kimi jump on her face (a little scratch wasn’t punishment enough in his world) and making her fall into a mud puddle.
Even with the school incident, it took her being scared by the ANBU for trying to steal his clothes that finally stopped it.

(Sasuke didn’t know that Kimi had stared the ANBU down till they did something about it, Kimi made sure to continue to make her life hell for months afterwards. This led to further rumours about the female demon cat of the Uchiha Compound, not that Kimi cared.)

Sasuke could scare most away himself, but it was nice to know that someone had his back at home as well.

Even if his birthday present was a bloody mountain lion, with Kimi elegantly licking the blood of her paw on it. He had a feeling that he would be sore later when she stopped licking herself and slowly made her way towards him. Her gaze told him to run, a playful-sadist intent behind her eyes.

So he ran. And if the Village heard some weird high-pitched screams in the forest with some yowls, then that was just the normal daily life in the civil households in Konoha.

Chapter Text

Sasuke had moments where he truly felt he had done something horrendous in his last life to be this unlucky. He was now 9 years old, and had already experienced more than 90% of his current age group. That included being chased and attacked by his cat, Kimi. In a part of the forest he didn’t know. With little to no weapons or tools to help him dodge and attack back.

The worst of it was probably that he could hear Kimi chirping, which meant she was enjoying this a lot.

After around 4-5 hours of this, Sasuke was so tired he fell directly on the floor - in his home - as soon as he tried taking his shoes off. He once again thought about what he may have done in his last life…

The kittens had heard them as well, and had come running towards them sniffing and mewling them. Then curling up on his sweaty back (urgh the fur now stuck to him!!), Fuku had come up to his chin and curled up there. A little grunt could be heard from him when he finally found the perfect place.

… That sound lessened the murderous feeling he had towards Kimi by a lot, even if she sashayed by him and gave him a superior smug look. (he caught her proud look as well, which probably helped dampen any negative feeling he had towards her as well…)

Sasuke felt the chest pain again, but had figured out that it was only around Kimi and the kittens it happened. So it was probably fine.

Laying on the floor with 5 kittens on you tends to make you think about life. Or that was what Sasuke tended to do when it happened to him. It happened to him often. After training and not being mindful of how low his strength was or what his chakra resources were at .

He was becoming better though, Kimi was also monitoring him now. So it hadn’t happened in a while, so of course, it was Kimi’s fault it happened this time.

Later that day he found a scroll on his bed.

His breath caught and he whipped his head around to stare at Kimi…

“Is this…?” Sasuke breathed. Kimi just calmly looked at him. Then looked at the scroll and back at him.

'Get going', the look said. And so he swiped the scroll and unfolded it with the fastest speed Kimi had ever seen him do. She hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed…

His eyes were fast and his face the image of concentration. Soon he went still, and slowly lowered the scroll to look at her again. His face seemed to have a difficult time settling on an expression, but the hope and confusion shined through.

“Can I really…? Do you really want me?” His voice was quiet and thick, like he almost couldn’t utter them. Like it took all he had to say them out loud.

Kimi huffed and jumped into his arms. She looked unusually stern, taking her claws into his chest and headbutting him a bit more roughly than usual. Kimi was clearly scolding him, of course, she wanted him to sign the Cat Contract. He wouldn’t be able to summon the Big Boss for a while, but he would gain the ability to communicate with his siblings.

Uchiha Sasuke was already kin. This was just to make it official.

Kimi didn’t mind the few tears that wetted her fur, her purring overpowering his light hiccup.

He hugged her tightly, just trying to breathe. This cat had become his only safe place in this horrible world, her kittens a source of wonderment and rueful cleaning sessions. He couldn’t imagine his daily life without her nagging and purring at him.

So he just breathed and existed. Just emptying his mind and holding on to the feeling of hope and a new start. His start at a family.

After some moments to pick himself up again, he let Kimi back down on the bed and looked through the scroll again. Never sign something without reading it thoroughly. Sasuke looked at the section that warned against summoning too big Summons before you are ready. While he knew he had larger-than-average size chakra reserves, he still felt hesitant when reading the warnings.

Kimi headbutted him again, and her paw pointed to another section.

"'A Summon can request for a potential Summoner to be let in. If said potential Summoner is accepted, then said Summon becomes the Main Summon... Kimi, you- " He was interrupted by a huff and glare. Sasuke accepted that yes, she wanted this, and yes she will be his Main. His chest felt funny again, but he quickly read through it and looked at the bottom.

He could see the previous Summoners, their names, and their signatures. He recognized some of them, but his Mother's name still made him swallow hard. He hadn't known she had signed the Contract. But he also knew she was in ANBU briefly from his search in his father's now his study. It made it hard to breathe for a moment, but Kimi's purring and rubbing made him calm down.

Right, he needed to look at this another way. This was a new start, but it might just also be honouring his Mother as well. Bittersweet, but slowly moving again he found the ink stick. Grinding up the ink, trying to make this feel as traditional as possible. He wanted to honour Kimi as well, this was really important to him and her. Finding his favourite ink brush he tried writing a little on a spare paper. Just to feel the brush movements and make his hands remember again.

With a bated breath, he signed his name under his Mother's. Kimi's pawprint right beside his.

Chapter Text

When Sasuke woke up again he heard purring, he felt it by his right side. Strangely also by his throat, but the kittens usually didn’t lie there…

When he turned towards the cats at his side, he stopped when he realised all the kittens were by Kimi. That the purring didn’t stop even when he was upright… And there was no cat by his throat.

Eyes wide he felt the unnatural vibrations and realised it was him. He was purring!! Kimi looked smug as always, even when he was clutching at his throat and letting out small whines.

It was over. His life was over. No one could know!! What if he let out any purrs in class? What if the Dobe heard!!!

A slow chirrup interrupted his misery, Kimi really couldn’t let him stew in panic for moment? That didn’t mean that Sasuke stopped her approach, or stopped himself from petting her when she settled in his lap. The kittens sniffled a little, but stayed in the kitty pile where they originally were when he awakened.

Right, purrs. What the hell. Sasuke didn’t even know where to start.

“... Is this a normal thing for new Summoners? I’m not going to have a tail, right?”

If cats could show contempt this would be it, Kimi looked at him like he was dumb. Judging as always, but finally going over to the Contract, sitting right besides it and just looked at him.

Right, right he should look over the Contract again to see if there were any mentions of this phenomenon. Sasuke grumbled a little, but hurried to grab at the papers. He read it last night, but he was sure there weren’t any mentions…

Reading the Contracts twice, letting his eyes linger a little at his Mother’s name, he said: “There is only a small mention of potential changes when a Summoner fulfils the Contract… Kimi, please, is this normal? Will there be more surprises when I wake up tomorrow??”

And to the shock of his life, Kimi answered: “Perhaps.”

Turning his head with snap, wide eyes in surprise, “Wha- You- How did-, did you just talk!?”

Kimi, regal and superior, just sat there.

“KIMI?? I’m I going insane? It’s finally happening, I knew this would happen, this is the final straw-”

“Alright Kitten, calm down.”

Sasuke was completely still.

“You are fine, this is what happens when signing Summoner Contracts… Stop looking at me like that, I’m obviously cleverer and superior to the general cat out there. Obviously, I can talk. ”

Sasuke's worldview tilted and waved goodbye at him, he felt himself grasp at his hair and alternatively looking back at forth at Kimi, his ceiling, and the kittens.

What is happening?

“What is happening?”

“You are in shock I guess, stop grasping at your hair and pet me. Feel my fur, feel my heartbeat, listen to my kittens, and try and calm down before you wake them!”

Kimi’s words didn’t exactly stop his head from pounding, but he did as she said. Better to do so than have her glare at him again. Annoyingly, it did help calm him down a little, but if he clutched a little harder at her fur she didn’t say anything.

“Kimi… could you talk the whole time?

His voice was smaller than he would have liked. He cleared his throat and looked away for a moment, before sneaking a quick look at her.

What if she could speak Human? Was she making fun of him all this time? Silently judging him, just waiting for the right moment to-

“No, and stop that Kitten,” Kimi’s claws glinted ((shiny, dangerously)) and pricked at his thighs, “I know that face. You know that I would have said something before if I could. If only to sass you last week when you drank that expired milk. Seeing your disgusted face made my day…”

A small sigh of pleasure could be heard from Kimi, Sasuke’s pout and dark glare didn’t seem to affect her at all.

It was a Mother’s privilege to lightly embarrass their kids.

Pouty, but definitely still grasping her fur, he tried stopping her from telling more embarrassing stories. After two more she stopped, her purr and glee made him warm inside, not that he would show her after that!

Oh. Wait a minute, “Kimi, can the kittens also-?”

Her eyes turned into a fond gaze, her head turned towards them, and when she turned back her grin was ominous.

“Yes. And don’t worry, your newfound ability to understand will be tested shortly.”

And with those gleeful words, the kittens started stirring and awakening. Yes, if they were the same as Kimi’s temperament, then he was fucked.