Chapter 2: Meeting an Old Friend

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything here except Tomoko. And for those who know me, if you can guess the song mentioned here in this chapter, woo hoo! Here's a hug from me. :) Enjoy!

...Oh, one last thing! Near the end of the chapter, play HypochondriacPiano's rendition of Ventus's Theme from Kingdom Hearts! I assure you — it'll fit the mood!

Chapter 2: Meeting an Old Friend

The Hokage Monument. Not really the best image for an infant to see, considering said infant was a reincarnated, emotional teenager still dealing with the loss of her previous life.

Kinda made worse when seeing who exactly was carved there. And as of that moment, there were only three faces.

Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Respectively, the First, Second, and Third Hokages.

Immediately, the logical part of me was attempting to rationalize what the hell exactly happened that landed me here in the first place. To me, I was just panicking inside, trying to figure out how in all fucking hells I ended up in the Naruto-verse of all places.

I'm not even ninja material and yet I'm reborn in a world full of goddamn ninjas who are completely willing to kill anybody without a single thought. Oh joy.

To everyone else, my new parents included, it was another bawling session. And with my baby fists shaking in the air added in.

…and just when I had gotten over the first phase of crying too…

My new Dad kinda started to panic a little, and immediately passed me to my new Mom. Despite the immense worry in her blue eyes, she took charge by rocking me gently in her arms, humming a small tune.

Strangely, I recognized the song, despite my infant hearing not being the best yet. If anything, it sounded eerily familiar to another song I used to sing in my past life.

"Red…fills my dreams…" I couldn't really piece together any more words before it lulled me to a deep sleep.

Time passed somewhat quickly after that. Being a toddler with a teenager's mindset, I didn't really grasp how much had happened since that realization. If anything, after seeing those stone faces, I started to adjust being a new baby in the Narutoverse, babbling and playing with my new parents, celebrating one or two birthday parties.

My first words were apparently 'Papa' and 'Mama,' in that order respectively. Apparently even in this new life, I still was a Daddy's girl. Dad seemed to puff out his chest with pride when it happened while Mom just squealed a bit before hugging me.

...I guess hugging runs in the family too, since I know I'll be hugging people in the future, genetics or not.

During those days, the parties weren't much. If anything, I could only remember smudges of black, white, and brown hair. From what I could tell, my parents were well-known, but not to the point of attracting unnecessary attention. I could've sworn I saw the Third Hokage or Sakumo Hatake, but the logical part of me threw that idea out the window.

Why would the Professor OR the White Fang come to the birthday party of a baby girl they barely knew in the first place?

…Ninja politics. Woo hoo!

Ahem.

…Anyways.

I was around 3 when I first saw the grand piano.

At this time, I was at the age where I could finally start to take in my surroundings and start interacting with them like a growing person rather than the bawling baby I started out as.

Turns out my new Mom's name was Hikari and Dad's was Judai, and they both worked (and owned!) a family cafe that had recently opened in Konoha. I'm not sure how long it had been running, but considering it was there all of my wailing baby years, my new parents probably started it long before having me.

It was when Mom and Dad were cleaning up the cafe one morning that I took the time out of my toddler-wandering to walk over to it.

Even at that age, I could tell it was a good piano, with finely-tuned keys that shined in the sunlight, a stand that barely showed any fingerprints made specifically for music sheets, and strings that could easily cut someone's finger if pricked the wrong way.

It was a shiny, new piano — and even though I was sure I wasn't allowed to touch it - I crawled my way up onto the black bench and pressed a white key.

From my past memories, it was the middle C key — the beginning of the right hand of the beginner piano level.

Honestly, I can't really recall a lot of my past experience with the piano. Back in my previous life, where Naruto was just an anime and not my life, I had played piano for a few years. Thing is, I sucked at reading notes, and by the time I entered middle school, I had just lost inspiration for playing it again. Even so, the piano acted as my friend, to where my old family still kept the electronic one I used in those days. I still remember pulling up YouTube during study sessions just to play a piano cover of some anime/manga/game song.

Kingdom Hearts and RWBY were some of my favorites when searching for piano covers.

That's why it shocked me when my hands — my tiny, three year old hands ��� started to move from my own unconscious will, naturally playing the song of a boy fighting for his friends before being forced to sleep.

Ven…

The piano crooned softly, much like an old friend while the soft notes gently hit my ears, bringing to mind the image of that boy, decked in Keyblade Armor and trying to fight the enemy with his two best friends.

By the time the song had finished, I had captured the attention of my parents, and Mom basically summed up my reaction in a few words.

"Tomoko-chan…did you just play that all by yourself?"

"…Eh?"

Well, this was a game-changer.