Legacy [ Naruto Reader-Insert ]

You're about 5 when you asked your mother about your her-i-tage. All the other kids at the academy were being mean to you. Pulling at your hair and asking a lot of questions. Why isn't it yellow, they ask. Why don't you have blue eyes, they ask.

You didn't know why they were so bothered by that. Why did your hair need to be yellow and your eyes blue?

"It's pronounced heritage," Mother gives you a short, clipped smile. Her chopsticks were down and she looks at the middle of the dinner table with her eyes slightly unfocused. You notice that she had her hair up in a tight bun, hidden behind a white nurse's cap.

It was dinner time, which probably meant that she has a late night shift today. Again.

You look at her, waiting for an answer. She doesn't say any more than that. Brother then shoves a piece of broiled meat into his mouth.

A long silence passes by and she excuses herself from the dining table. You hear the shoji screen slide shut as her footsteps trailing off further and further away.

The back of her white Iryo-nin frock were one of the things that you associate with the word Mother, you think.

"We've always lived here, little mouse," Brother says, placing his palm on your head, "Don't listen to the brats in your class. They don't know what they're talking about."

The smile on his face does not reach his eyes.

You know he's not exactly telling you the truth. You smile back at him.

Brother then excuses himself from the table, "Duty calls."

He puts on a worn black cloak on his neck and a funny-looking animal shaped mask with weird markings. A sable, you later learnt. Brother ruffles your hair one last time before he shunshins out of the window with a flutter of black and you were left all alone in a dark dining-room.

"Gochisou-sama deshita," You say in your best impression of Mother.

You lower your voice to a baritone, a very bad imitation of Brother's, "Gochisou-sama."

Then in your own soft, voice, "Gochisou-sama deshita."

You clap your hands together, chopsticks in between the nook of your thumb and index finger before packing up the rest of your food in containers and washing the rest of the empty bowls and plates.

The light clink of plastic hitting against each other. The sound of the open faucet.

You try to ignore the fact that it's what you've become accustomed to when you're at home.

____

Another day ends at the academy, another day of hard questions. Questions of which you're unable to answer.

You were a Yamanaka through and through, you thought. Father definitely promised to teach you some of the E Rank Clan jutsu, which you were excited for. You felt a little impatient for Father to teach them to you.

On another note, maybe Father also knows why you were being teased. You'd need to ask him about it the next time you visit the Main House.

A small pebble rolls to the other side of the road as you kick it.

You had to take a very long detour from the entrance to reach your house and considering the distance between the compound and the academy; the walk back and forth was long. You came up with a list of the Good and the Bad.

Bad: It was far.

Good: It was far.

Bad: It made your legs burn.

Good: You liked the feeling.

Bad: You had to wake up extra early.

Good: The walk was probably the best hour you had to yourself. To think. To daydream.

Sometimes you even play guessing games. Like what's for dinner.

Dinner!

You pick up the pace at the thought of food and slowly jogged your way home, a small smile of glee on your face. The light breeze feels cool against your skin. And the dull ache in your legs served as a prompt that you needed even more training to catch up.

Your family lived in a small house located on the very edges of the Yamanaka compound. It was a fairly simple terrace house with a dining room/kitchen/living room combo, two bedrooms and a bathroom. The clan's training fields and greenhouses were just a short walk away, perfect for throwing practice. The training fields, not the greenhouses.

It sort of feels rustic but it's home.

"Tadaima," You say, kicking off your sandals and sliding the shoji door open with a bang but nobody responds. The lights were off and the whole house was silent.

A small scrap of paper catches your eye and you go over to pick it up.

"It's Mother's writing," You say out loud as you read the contents of the letter.

Cook dinner for yourself, little mouse. I'm at the hospital and you know your brother is away on official business.

You crumple the note and toss it to the side, not caring where it lands and made yourself some instant ramen.

____

A/N. Sorry for the really short introduction chapter but I really need to build up the setting of the story! Bonus points to whomever that can guess the whole family situation happening over there!!

Also, just a warning; This is a really slow burn so buckle up kiddos. No character bashing, every character is flawed and deeply human, and that means they have less than desirable qualities. Maybe a lot of 'em. I don't know whether to be happy about Kishimoto writing a lot of broken characters but I'll do my best to portray them as close to canon (the manga at least) as I can.

Constructive criticism is VERY welcome, I'd love to improve my writing skills so don't be shy in offering some advice too!

No unrealistic OPness here. You work for your power and your friendships/relationships. Only slow-burn romance(s) here (expect maybe 30 - 40 chapters or more before anything mutually romantic starts to happen).
Realistic relationship development?
Lore expansion.
Land of Iron and Samurais?
Why shinobi from Suna don't seem to have clan names? I got you covered. (well not yet, probably when my fic hits Shippuden)

If you want to be thrown in an epic adventure set in a gritty (realistic) Narutoverse and spend hours being lost in your imagination. <3

This might be for you.

Total words

First arc: 11,659

Second arc: 67,849

Third arc: 31,721

Fourth arc: 68, 227

179,456 Words.

Time taken to binge read the whole thing

170 WPM: 17 HRS 35 MINS 37 SECS
200 WPM: 14 HRS 57 MINS 16 SECS
230 WPM: 13 HRS

I've just realized I wrote an entire YA novel, and then some. Cheers.

PS Yes i'm aware that not all Yamanakas have blonde hair and blue eyes.

PSS English is not my first language so please tell me if anything needs to be corrected ><

Iryo-nin : Medic Ninjas

Shunshin: Body flicker. That jutsu where they just disappear because they move real quick.