It's been a few days now since I arrived in this world, and I can already say one thing.
This is hell.
There is nothing more humiliating than being fully conscious while trapped in the helpless body of a baby. I had all the thoughts and reasoning of an adult, but I was stuck in a form that couldn't even hold its own head up properly.
And let me tell you, it's worse than you think.
The first real problem hit me immediately, hunger.
I had no control over when I was fed, and let's just say that being hungry as a baby is a nightmare. You can't just get up and grab food. You can't even communicate properly. All I could do was cry like a pathetic little gremlin and pray that someone would come take care of me.
That someone? A, the brother one.
And let's just say he was not built for childcare.
The first time I started wailing, he panicked. He picked me up like I was some kind of unstable explosive tag, holding me at arm's length as if I might suddenly detonate.
"Tch. What do you want?"
I wanted to yell. "Food" but all that came out was more crying.
Eventually, one of the attendants, thank the gods for them, came in and rescued me. They took one look at A struggling and sighed like this was the most predictable thing in the world. "He's hungry" they muttered, before handling the feeding situation themselves.
A scowled. "This is too much work."
Buddy, I agree.
If I thought hunger was bad, diapers were worse.
I don't even want to talk about it.
Let's just say that realizing you actually need someone else to clean you up is the lowest point I have ever reached in my existence.
Even worse? A was the first one to notice.
He took one step into the room, sniffed the air, and immediately backed out.
"No. Absolutely not."
Then he went to find an attendant, leaving me to sit there in my own misery until someone finally came to my rescue.
Now, despite the soul-crushing humiliation of being a baby, there was one small silver lining, I was the son of the Third Raikage. That meant there was a very real possibility that I had inherited some of his monstrous strength.
So, in my infinite boredom, I started experimenting.
At first, it was just subtle movements, trying to move my fingers, wiggling my toes, seeing how much control I had. Then I tried something more intense gripping the side of the crib.
So yeah, being a baby sucks.
But…
I have time. Time to observe, to understand Kumogakure's power structure, and most importantly to train.
Oh, and if you're wondering who my mother is in all of this…
Well, she's gone.
From what I've gathered through overheard conversations, she passed away during my birth. It wasn't something anyone spoke about in detail, but the few scraps of information I've managed to piece together suggest she was a civilian, not a kunoichi, not a shinobi, just an ordinary woman who somehow ended up having a child with the most powerful man in the village.
From what I've seen so far, the Raikage doesn't seem particularly affected. He hasn't once mentioned her, and his focus is entirely on the fact that I exist, not on how I came to be. Maybe it's just how he copes, after all, the Third Raikage is a man of war, not emotion.
And A? He doesn't talk about her either. In fact, I don't even think he met her. If she was just a civilian, then it's likely she never played a significant role in the Raikage's public life. And given that A was already 18 when I was born, he probably never had any real connection to her.
Anyway, months passed...
At seven months old, I reached a huge milestone, I could walk.
And let me tell you, after months of being carried around like a helpless sack of potatoes, finally being able to move on my own was nothing short of revolutionary.
For me, it was just another step toward regaining control over my life. But for the nannies taking care of me?
I might as well have been some kind of prodigy.
One Afternoon in the Raikage's Residence…
A group of nannies had gathered in my room, chatting among themselves while watching over me. One of them, a woman in her thirties with her hair tied in a neat bun, knelt in front of me, clapping her hands.
"Come on, little Z! Let's see if you can take a step!" she encouraged with a bright smile.
I looked at her, then at the distance between us. A few feet. Easy.
I steadied myself, shifting my weight onto my legs.
Then, I took my first step.
Then another.
And another.
By the time I reached her, the room was dead silent.
The nanny in front of me blinked, completely stunned, before turning to the others. "Did you see that?!"
The other nannies, who had been watching absentmindedly, were now staring at me with wide eyes.
"That… That, He walked straight across the room!" one of them gasped.
Another one put a hand over her mouth. "At his age?"
The first nanny scooped me up in excitement, twirling me slightly. "You're a genius, little Z! Absolutely amazing!"
I let out a small sigh. This was a long day.
The news spread fast.
It wasn't long before the whispers of my early walking reached the ears of the Third Raikage himself.
And he actually came to see it for himself.
The room, which had been filled with excited chatter just moments ago, was now completely silent as the towering figure of the Third Raikage stepped inside.
His presence alone was enough to make the nannies straighten up instantly, their cheerful expressions shifting into nervous respect. After all, this was the strongest man in Kumogakure.
He crossed his arms, his sharp gaze locking onto me as I sat there on the tatami mat.
"So, it's true" he rumbled. "My son is already walking."
The nannies exchanged glances, unsure whether to speak. One of them finally found her voice. "Yes, Raikage. He...he just got up and walked across the room on his own."
The Raikage's intense eyes studied me for a moment. Then, without another word, he took a step forward and lowered himself into a crouch in front of me.
"Do it again."
His tone was neutral, not demanding, but filled with expectation.
I steadied myself and pushed up onto my feet. Then, started walking.
I walked across the room, just as I had before.
When I finally came to a stop, I turned to face the Raikage, who was still watching me with his usual unreadable expression.
He let out a low chuckle.
"Hmph. Not bad."