Chapter Text
Kakashi couldn't tell you how he died. He may have passed away peacefully in his sleep, so there was nothing to remember. He may have been killed at the hands of an enemy, and it had been so traumatic that his mind deleted it so he could maintain what little sanity he had left. But knowing his luck, he died of something stupid. Maybe he choked to death on a bar of soap, and his mind forced him to forget for his sake. He wasn't sure why he would be eating soap, to begin with, but stranger things have happened.
One thing he was thrilled to have no memory of was being reborn. He had no desire to remember that experience. In fact, he remembered nothing of being a baby. Looking at the chubby-faced baby his mother was currently cooing over made him glad for that. He had struggled when at 4 years old, he began to remember himself. It wasn't like he suddenly woke up from sleep in a body that wasn't his. Instead, it was a remembering of who he had been joining with who he was now.
"I remember when my Shoudeki was this small. I couldn't get enough of the fresh baby smell and his cute tuff of hair. I miss those days," his mother, Emi Fukukado the Smile Hero: Ms. Joke, gushed over her friend's baby.
Kakashi, now called Shoudeki, thought the baby was ugly. His face was pudgy and red, with no neck to speak of. He was slouched forward and looked angry about existing. Shoudeki could sympathize there. Existence was the greatest cruelty cast upon all of them. No one asked if they wanted to be born. It just happened. For Shoudeki, it happened twice. He really was an unlucky soul.
Emi suddenly burst into laughter, causing Shoudeki to look up. He had tuned out the joke but watched as Emi bowled over with her friend in laughter. Shoudeki felt her quirk leaking out and causing a happy, bubbly feeling inside him; he grinned in response. Even the angry baby started to giggle.
"Bye Megumi-san, bye bye Kiki-chan!" Emi waved and grabbed Shoudeki's arm to force him to wave goodbye too. He didn't fight her. It was better to go along with her antics.
His mom let out a wistful sigh as the woman walked away, pushing the ugly baby in the carriage. "I miss you being that age."
Shoudeki screwed his face up at the thought. No, thank you. Emi suddenly lifted him into a crushing hug. "Awww, don't worry, Sho-Sho, you'll always be my super cute baby, even with that grumpy face."
"Ack! Let me go!" He tried to shove his mom away. Instead, she gave him an exaggerated kiss on the cheek before setting him down on his feet again. Shoudeki tugged his back t-shirt back into place.
She took his hand in hers again. "How about we pick up an eggplant for dinner, Sho-sho?"
Shoudeki shrugged his bony shoulders, but secretly he was pleased with the idea. His Mom quickly read through him and swung their arms as she marched them along to the supermarket.
Maybe Shoudeki wasn't as unlucky this go around. He did have a pretty great Mom.
"Can we spar before dinner?" he asked.
"Yeah! Sure thing! Do you want to go to the school or-"
"The backyard is fine." It was a tiny yard since they lived in the city. So the challenge was to stay in the circle.
Shoudeki frowned as he noticed the people around them had stopped walking. They were staring up at a giant billboard screen with a news anchor on it. The picture changed to Endeavor, the number one hero, supported by Hawk's the number two. They both looked worn out. Endeavor, in particular, looked bloody and barely standing. Nervous energy flittered through the crowd, and Emi squeezed Shoudeki's hand tightly. Her eyes were locked on the screen and her mouth pressed into a thin line.
Shoudeki wished he knew how to ease her concerns, but social anything wasn't his strong suit even in this life. She tugged on his hand, and they started walking at a much quicker pace. A few noticed her and called out to her.
"Ms. Joke, do you know anything about this?"
"Ms. Joke, the villains are getting stronger. Will we be okay?"
"Ms. Joke, what can we do to protect ourselves?"
The questions were not unfounded, and as a pro hero, she should stop and field them the best she can. "Mom, they're trying to talk to you."
"Not now. We need to get you home," she said firmly.
Shoudeki frowned and looked back at the video playing above. They flashed a picture of Endeavor doing the All Might pose. One fist in the air in victory. He imagined it was supposed to inspire confidence, and maybe for some, it did. Others would see that pose and think of the end of All Might and the beginning of the tumultuous era they now lived in.
They arrived home, and Shoudeki pulled off his shoes while his Mom locked the door behind them. She moved past him, turned on the tv, and was making a phone call. Shoudeki watched her for a moment, worry etched across her face as she spoke quietly to the hero agency. A quiet Emi Fukukado was never good.
Emi was always loud, always laughing, and always smiling. She was tense, her hand hiding her mouth as she spoke on the phone. Fear.
Shoudeki looked at the TV again as they panned through the cheering crowds. Nothing like the civilians in Konoha, who hid during battles to keep themselves safe. Hero watching has become a spectacular sport. It added to the stress of fighting. He wasn't sure why heros tolerated it.
"Sho-sho, don't look so serious. Everything is fine," his Mom lied to him. The way her smile didn't reach her eyes proved it.
"You don't have to lie to me. I can figure out what's happening," Shoudeki said firmly.
Emi beckoned him to join her on the couch. He did so, and she pulled him into a hug, stroking his dark hair out of his face. "Always too smart for your own good. But let me lie to you, okay? This isn't something I want you to worry about. You have other things to focus on, like school. I expect you to turn in your homework this week, mister. You're too smart to be getting Cs."
Shoudeki grunted but didn't promise. School was stupid, and he didn't understand why he was still in it and would be for so many more years. Not turning in his homework was his way of protesting. His test scores were the only thing keeping him afloat.
"Are you being called in?" he closed his eyes, enjoying her fingers running through his dark wavy hair and the floral scent she preferred.
"Not right now," she assured him.
Having a mom was really nice. Having a non-depressed parent who smiled every time they saw you were even better. Emi was the best thing that had ever happened to him. It was just the two of them, and Shoudeki was fine with that.