One year.
That's how long it took for my body to finally catch up to my mind.
Do you have any idea how frustrating that is? Wanting to talk, to walk, to do anything and being completely unable to? A fully developed mind trapped behind a body that could only manage one or two words before devolving into babbles and goo-goos.
I felt like Stephen Hawking.
But now… it was different.
Something had changed. Like a lock had finally been lifted.
I knew I could walk.
There was just one obstacle in my way.
This stupid crib.
I stood up, gripping the top rail with both hands. Left leg up. Then I shifted my weight, swung my body over the edge, brought the right leg up, and
Drop.
Just like an obstacle course back in boot camp. God, how I hated those.
I landed square on my butt.
That was fine. No one nails it on the first try, right?
I pushed myself up and headed for the door. I reached for the handle but it was too high. Figures.
I grabbed a nearby stool, dragged it over, climbed up, and finally managed to twist the handle open.
Freedom.
I stepped out of the room, or my prison depending on who you ask, but my ambitions were cut short immediately.
"How did you get out of your crib? Mikoto, get over here, this is amazing!"
I was scooped up off the floor by the man who had been raising me.
"What happened?" a woman's voice called out. "Shinji, how did you get out?"
"Mikoto," the man said, "look closely. That stool doesn't belong there."
She laughed.
"Hahahaha, Fugaku, you're right. Well, aren't you a clever one, Shinji."
I smiled and with great effort, managed to string together,
"Dada… I wan' walk."
Both of them froze.
Their one-year-old had just spoken a sentence. Broken, sure but a sentence nonetheless.
"I can't believe we missed his first steps," Mikoto said softly.
"If he wasn't so sneaky, we would've been there," Fugaku replied.
Then, with unmistakable pride, he added, "He'll make a fine shinobi."
"Fugaku," Mikoto scolded, "he's far too young for that."
"I'm not handing him a kunai," Fugaku said calmly. "But the child wants to walk. I'll take him around the compound."
She hesitated, then sighed.
"Fine. Just don't push him. I know how you get."
Fugaku grunted in response and lifted me onto his shoulders, carrying me outside.
After a while, he stopped.
"Alright," he said, setting me down. "You want to walk, Shinji?"
I nodded.
"Okay. I'll let you but promise me you won't climb out of your crib like that again. You could've been hurt."
I gathered everything I had and replied,
"Ok… dada."
He smiled faintly and we began walking through the compound together. He pointed out houses as we passed elders, notable Uchiha, accomplished shinobi. I listened carefully, committing everything to memory.
Then we passed an empty house.
Fugaku's expression darkened.
I noticed immediately. I could feel the sadness radiating off him but I didn't know why. And even if I did, I couldn't ask. My mouth still wouldn't cooperate that well.
My legs began to shake.
I tugged at his flak jacket.
He picked me up again.
"Tired already?" he said. "Not bad at all. Thirteen minutes at your age is impressive."
He turned back toward home.
"Let's get you back before your mother worries."