I woke up again. Still alive. Still a baby.
Great.
The first thing I noticed was the warmth again—that slow, simmering heat building behind my eyes and threading its way through my tiny limbs. Stronger than before. Heavier, almost.
It clicked.
That's chakra.
I mean, what else could it be? I'm in the world of Naruto. People manipulate energy inside their bodies like it's second nature. The last time I felt this warm build-up, it triggered the Byakugan automatically and nearly turned my brain into soup.
So... chakra. Definitely chakra.
Now that I'd named it, I could feel it better. Not just warmth, but flow. Movement. Like faint streams of heat winding through muscle and bone. The strongest current pooled near my eyes, and I got the creeping suspicion that was part of the problem. Or the solution, depending on how you look at it.
Okay. So the Byakugan activates automatically once a certain chakra threshold is hit.
I needed a goal. A project.
So I made one: manually reach for the chakra.
No more surprise activations. No more brain-splitting pain. I was going to learn control. Even if I had the motor skills of a damp sock.
I focused.
Which, in baby terms, meant going cross-eyed and scrunching my entire face like I was trying to turn into a raisin. My mouth opened without permission and some truly undignified sounds escaped.
"Ghh... ahhh... neh..."
Excellent. I sounded constipated. Tremble before my mighty chakra mastery.
From the corner of the room, there was a soft creak.
Oh no.
Hikari.
Before I could do anything—besides flail in futility—she was there, gliding across the room like a mom-shaped ninja. Her arms scooped me up with practiced grace, gentle but firm, and her face hovered above mine. That same bright, maternal smile—warm enough to melt steel.
"What are you trying so hard for, little one?" she asked softly, amusement dancing in her voice.
I froze.
Abort mission. Abort everything.
I was mid-baby-squirm, chakra experiment in full effect, and now I had an audience. I tried to look innocent. Not easy when your whole face is locked in the effort of not sneezing out your soul.
I blinked up at her, desperately trying to appear serene.
And then—
Disaster.
A horrible warmth spread through my lower half.
In the wrong place.
No.
Oh god, please no.
I knew that feeling. I knew it.
I had... peed. Right in her arms. Mid-chakra test. Like some deranged infant trying to unlock sage mode and wetting themselves in the process.
The shame hit instantly. Like a kunai to the dignity.
Hikari blinked, paused, and then smiled even wider. No judgment, no horror. Just a knowing, amused expression.
"Well, someone's been busy," she murmured.
She laid me down on a soft cloth mat, humming a quiet tune as she prepped a clean linen diaper. My mind screamed. My soul wept.
She began the process—deft hands, calm movements, cooing all the while as if this were just a happy bonding moment. She hummed a sweet little tune, wiping and wrapping with precision, as if she were tucking a prized scroll into storage. My legs kicked weakly, not out of resistance but pure existential dread. I could feel every step of the process—the soft cloth, the cool air, the ridiculous smile on her face.
It was humiliation incarnate. This was my lowest point.
She didn't even pause as she pulled out a second clean diaper, adjusted the corners like a fūinjutsu array, and sealed my shame with a final, satisfied tuck.
"There we go, all fresh now," she said brightly, her voice like sunshine stabbing through the clouds of my disgrace.
She tickled my stomach.
I glared at her with the fury of a thousand corporate IT departments, but all that came out was a soft giggle I didn't even mean to make.
Betrayal.
My body betrayed me at every turn.
She redressed me, wrapped me snug in fresh cloth, and hoisted me back into her arms. Smiling. Rocking me slightly.
And then she made funny faces.
Stop. I have trauma to process. Let me sulk in peace.
I turned my head away in protest, but she just chuckled. And then my stomach growled.
Again?!
Fine. Fine. This time, I would not be cute. This time, I would not hint. I would demand.
I opened my mouth and unleashed baby vengeance.
"WAAHHHHHH—"
Feeding commenced immediately.
And like every other time, it worked. My primal instincts kicked in, and all thoughts of rebellion vanished behind the sweet relief of being fed.
Afterward, I was lifted again, patted rhythmically.
Buuuuurp.
Dignity: zero.
Again.
Sleep clawed at me almost immediately, as if fueled by every meal. My body was already winding down.
Nothing helps, I thought bitterly. Baby bodies really do need a ridiculous amount of sleep. But... I guess I should go with it. Can't train chakra if I'm dead from exhaustion.
I drifted off, already planning my next attempt.