Julia looked in the mirror and couldn't hold back her sad sigh. It has been almost half a year and she and Itachi were both finally 6, the youngest one could begin the first official step of their shinobi career. It was finally the first day of the Academy, but rather than looking cute as the elementary schooler she should've been, she looked more masculine than most boys.

Girls tended to grow taller faster than more boys, but because of her extreme physical regime, she was over a head taller than Itachi, and lost most of her baby fat, making her look as if a teenage boy. It didn't help that her clothes were always matted and smudged with dirt and she had cut her hair short to avoid it getting in the way of her training. She looked like a hobo and probably smelled like it too... Hard to worry about your looks when you're training with your life on the line after all. It was still depressing to think about.

She can't wait to graduate early and get her own place and buy her own things rather than all these old hands me downs.

Julia shoved her hands in her blue trousers and waited on the steps of the Orphanage. Luckily it only took a few minutes before Gai showed up in a swirl of leaves.

Shunshin, or the body flicker technique, a method to supercharge your body with Chakra for a brief but extreme burst of speed, and a rather common method to travel in the Elemental countries. The novelty and amazement she had for seeing it quickly wore out. Somehow even ninja physics-defying shenanigans got dull when you're used to seeing people seemingly teleport or jumping from rooftops every day.

Somehow the scene of a man wearing a full-body green spandex suit materializing out of the air didn't surprise her anymore, and for a brief moment, she had to stop and question the way her life had gone and wonder when did it all go snafu?

"Good morning Gai-sensei."

"Good morning, my dear apprentice! Are you excited about your first day at the Academy? It shall be the start of your Springtime of Youth! Yosh, let us run to the academy and fan our flames today too! The early bird gets the worm as it goes!"

It was weird, watching him be so excited for her first day at school and getting ready to drop her off. She was older than him before her premature death, being 24 compared to his 17, but he somehow became something of a father or brother figure to her.

Or rather, that weird but caring uncle that your family avoided talking about in public.

There was just something endearing about his passionate approach to life even if she did find him far too loud and energetic for her tastes. Still, she knew without a doubt he had somehow wormed, or rather bulldozed really, his way into her heart. No feeble walls could ever hope to stop the green beast.

She didn't bother explaining that classes wouldn't start for another hour.

The black-haired duo raced down the dirt road, ignoring all the pointed looks about the large dust cloud they were kicking up. Such was a day in the life of Julia Rose, Reincarnated Ninja Extraordinaire!

... She needed a better name for herself, she refused to be called The Green Beast of Konoha like her Sensei, no offense. Spandex just wasn't her thing, no matter how good it made her ass look.

As expected, even though the academy was practically on the other side of the village they had made it in record time. Even the teacher wasn't there yet, still, at least she wasn't left all alone since Itachi was also very big on being punctual. He was reading a book, and a quick peek at the title showed her that it was a History one. She gave him a brief greeting before sliding in the seat next to him and slumping dead on the table.

"Wake me up when the teacher gets here."

"Very well."

"Tanks"

And also just as she expected, classes were utterly boring. They did some introductions, she and Itachi got some shit for being the youngest there, and they went over some basic math and science before practicing Kunai throwing. Which ended up with most kids chucking the damn things like they were rocks and one particularly stupid kid almost poking their eyes out.

Maybe she had been spoilt by Itachi and Shisui, because goddamn she had forgotten how idiotic and obnoxious kids were. They weren't even cute or charming like Ayame! They scratched their asses, picked their noses, ate whatever they excavated, and called it a day. She couldn't be bothered to even remember her new classmates' names. Why bother? She'd be out of here in a couple of months, even sooner if she could get away with it. She'd pick a fight with her teacher and beat him up to prove she could if she had too!

It was terrible and she couldn't wait to get out of this new hell.

Julia was still fuming when Mikoto came to pick her and Itachi up. At least poking Sasuke and watching his face scrunch up elevated her mood some.

Ha, take that Mr. BadassAvenger, not so tough now are ya?

There was just something about being able to hold such power over a would-be world destroyer and one of the strongest shinobi in history. I am Julia Rose, fear me and my Almighty Push wriggling fingers of Doom and Tickles!

She was so distracted messing with the Ninja Demi-God that she didn't even notice they had arrived at Ichiraku Ramens. Teuchi's loud welcome shook her out of it just in time for her to avoid crashing into the counter. A quick glance around revealed she was safe from anyone noticing her klutzy moment, or so she thought before Itachi's head poked out from behind his mother's back to stare at her, quirking a single eyebrow.

Darn him and his newfound sassiness. Just wherever could he be learning all these bad habits from? Oh, wait...

"My boi is growing up so fast! I'm so proud. What's this? A tear? Is.. Is this what being a mother feels lik-"

"Oww! What was that for?!"

"You had that look on your face again. The one where you were thinking of something undoubtedly stupid. I was merely rectifying it and preemptively nipping the problem in the bud."

And so with all the dignity and grace a person of her considerable stature could manage, she gracefully- Blew a silent raspberry at him before ducking inside the stall and placing her usual order.

"Heya Teuchi-san!"

"Why, hello there Julie, how was your first day at school?"

"It was alright I guess. I didn't like the other kids, but then again I don't like kids in general."

And like clockwork, she didn't even need to say anything as she watched the chef prepare her meal with grace and ease from years of experience. Soon enough an extra-large bowl of chicken ramen with extra noodles, naruto, menma, and fried onions bits, and four eggs was sitting pretty in front of her. It was beautiful, like a work of art, almost too pretty to eat... Key word being almost. She went at it like a starving wolf on a fresh steak.

"Oh my, speaking as if you aren't one yourself now, Julie-chan?"

"Not mentally," she shot back at Mikoto without pause "beside it's not as if I dislike all kids. Just the rude, obnoxious, annoying, and or germ coated ones. So basically only 85%."

"Come now, how do you expect to make more friends if you keep up that attitude?"

The deadpan stare she sent the Uchiha matriarch was so strong that even Teuchi felt sweatdrops forming. Julia raised her chopsticks in the direction of the woman's oldest son sitting not even five feet away. The point was clear and even Mikoto couldn't find anything to say in her child's defense. The only sound was the slurping of noodles for the next few minutes before Julia decided to restart it in a new direction.

"Say, Mikoto, I've been wonder something, why do you come here so often?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, I think the food here is great- phenomenal even, and Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan make for good company, but as the wife of the head of the prominent Uchiha clan wouldn't you prefer something a bit more... Higher-end than ramen?"

It was a sight that had taken some getting used too, watching the elegant and ever graceful woman coming every other week. Clans were basically the ninja equivalent to nobles or aristocracy, so she was pretty curious, although she had a hunch. Still, it'd be too suspicious to just bring it up so she needed to lay some bait.

"Yes... Normally you'd be right. No offense meant Teuchi-san, but before Kushina-chan I wasn't much of a fan. She absolutely loved ramen, obsessed really. Heck, if she wasn't pregnant I'd bet she would've spent everyday eating here if she could've gotten away with it. It was to the point that our other friends and I were certain that there was more broth running through her veins than blood!"

The woman gave a small laugh and smiled at a certain seat two stools over on our right and Teuchi followed her gaze as if the two of them were watching something play out unseen by the rest of the world. The aging chef was content to allow the woman to continue the story.

"She was the embodiment of silliness. Kushina was clumsy, and bossy, violent, and ill tempted too. In fact, I could list more of her vices than virtues, but was my best friend, ya know?" Here she gave off a soft laugh at saying her friend's infamous catchphrase, yet her eyes were filled with sorrow.

"A really great woman, one of the strongest I ever knew, but sadly she didn't make it through the Kyuubi's rampage. We had made so many plans too, about how we would name our children, the playdates we would set up for my Sasuke-chan and her Naruto-chan... I suppose I come here now partly as a way to honor her memory and so I could feel closer to her. She might be dead, but not gone."

Even after half a year since the Uzumaki's death Mikoto was clearly still mourning her. Julia felt like a complete ass, but she knew she had to continue.

"What happened to her child?" She did her best to hold back a wince from causing the kind woman more pain and the sharp look Itachi sent her way. She'd apologize later after she finds out where the fuck the main character of the entire shebang is and how she could help him save the world faster.

"Naruto... He's currently staying the Third."

Damn, it made sense that someone as important as the Jinchuriki would stay close to the leader of the village, especially considering his relations to the previous, but she was still holding onto the slight hope that he'd enter the orphanage system so that she could meet him without raising suspicion... And wow as if she wasn't a big enough asshole, here she was actually hoping someone was in an orphanage. Great, some hero you are Julia.

"Guess I'll just have to wait a few years for when he entered the Academy."

The reincarnated girl placed her palm on the woman's arm and slowly rubbed it in an attempt to comfort her, and it seemed to work as she blinked the tears building up in her eyes to smile at the younger girl.

"Thank you, I'm alright now, dear. Come, let's finish our ramen before they get cold!"

Julia had a lot to think about now that she could cross out finding Naruto to her list. What could she do now to influence the plot? She had spent weeks looking for Kabuto to no avail, the Uchiha Massacre was currently a slow work in process, and the Hyuga incident was still a couple of years off. She was a year too late to prevent Danzo's fuck up with the Akatsuki...

The only thing she could think of was the bloody mist's civil war. She could help them find out that someone, cough fucking Obito cough, was controlling their 4th Mizukage...

Yeah right, that sounded like a fast pass to getting locked up or killed.

Who would believe a random child, especially one from a foreign village, on matters of national security? And even if they did believe her how would she explain where she learned that? Nevermind the issues of some hidden village on the other side of the world, she couldn't even deal with the damn snakes living in her backyard! Danzo would probably kill her the moment she even sneezed funny in his direction and Orochimaru had already packed his bags- Snakes...

Orochimaru...

Sudden a grin grew on Julia's face. A plan was forming in her mind, and it was time to start laying some traps for a certain treacherous Snake and Warhawk.