Etsu thought.
'Do children normally learn to speak this quickly?'
She couldn't be certain. Etsu wasn't a linguist. Although memories from her previous life were emerging despite being awkward for a baby, she was still just a twenty-year-old youth back then. An adult-child.
'Well, there was that theory that humans have a specialized organ for language acquisition.'
Wasn't a child's ability to learn language well-known? The way they figure out grammar without being taught, and how children from the same culture make identical mistakes with irregular grammar rules—it's truly fascinating.
Unlike her worry that language acquisition might be delayed due to an adult's reasoning ability and thought process, plus the biases from her previous life, Etsu came to understand most language in less than half a year.
Not being able to speak properly was likely due to muscle development. So Etsu began babbling like a perfectly normal child.
'I'm really quite impressive...'
For a child to start speaking quickly, they needed someone to talk to them often, take them to places like the market, and respond to their babbling, but this household was completely hopeless.
Her father, who turned out to be doting, was rarely home due to his busy schedule. Her mother seemed to be a housewife but was busy with various things. And "Etsu" had...
"Etsu!"
An older brother with quite an age difference.
'How old is he?'
He would leave in the morning and return covered in dust, coming straight to Etsu's room. Since she was bored, Etsu smiled brightly. Etsu, who rarely cried or fussed, was a beloved child in many ways.
But Etsu was dissatisfied. The perception of being a good child who didn't need much attention seemed to create the impression that she would be fine even if left alone. Well, she didn't cry for attention because her reasoning was too clear for such mindless crying.
'Perhaps family attachment is impossible when a child has all their memories from birth...'
Etsu was starting to feel neglected by family members who often left the infant alone.
In that sense, this "big brother" was acceptable.
The awareness of being reincarnated was quite vivid, and Etsu, who had no siblings before, found it refreshing. Of course, in terms of mental age, her brother was much younger, but still.
She had heard that older siblings often bully their younger ones, but what she saw in her "brother's" eyes was curiosity and affection. Well, the age gap was too big for mindless bullying anyway.
"Obito! You shouldn't go near the baby without washing up!"
"Eek!"
'Yeah, I agree with that.'
As someone who had lived a clean life in the modern world, Etsu found many disturbing hygiene habits, but she was just a baby. She couldn't tell him to go wash up.
While her brother was gone, Etsu turned her gaze back to the ceiling and soon pouted.
"Mobile!"
No mobile on the baby room ceiling!
This isn't good for a child's development! She wasn't asking for hyper-zealous parents who stick alphabets in a room of a child under one year old, but where were the mobiles, MOBILES, MOBILES, or toys that could enhance a child's physical abilities?
She didn't think she was much of a comedy character in her previous life, but she was bored playing alone. As a baby, she could understand most things but couldn't converse. Her family was satisfied with her occasional babbling and the few words that sometimes slipped out, but...
'I wonder if I'm not speaking quickly enough after all?'
Not knowing the general standard, she could only guess. Since no one seemed surprised by her speech development, Etsu concluded she must be at a normal level.
"Etsu-chan, did you miss your big brother?"
"Awu- Obi-"
Etsu called out his name as if bestowing a reward to her brother, who had quickly washed up and returned so she wouldn't be bored. Then, as expected, her young brother's ultimate cheek-rubbing technique was activated.
Although she was aware of being reincarnated, whether due to mental regression or her limited memories, she felt no aversion to physical contact. It felt natural to think of Obito as her brother. And affectionate touches really felt good.
'But Etsu, Obito. So this is Japan? Yet it somehow doesn't feel quite like Japan...'
A child's field of vision is narrow. So despite Etsu's great interest in the outside world, she couldn't see as much as she wanted. She had been taken out to the village once, but the general scenery wasn't enough to guess where she was living.
'Why aren't there any phones or computers?'
Yet they had refrigerators and washing machines... A household with a strange balance. Honestly, it felt affluent to her.
Etsu tilted her head. It was also puzzling that the village seemed somewhat underdeveloped. Her mother almost always wore a kimono at home. Countryside? Were they traditionalists?
Soon her questions were answered. And in a completely unwanted direction.
"I heard a son was born in the Fukaku household this time."
"Oh my... That means he'll be a candidate for the clan head."
"Well, they are the main family. Even though there's hardly any distinction between main and branch families these days."
"He's one year older than Etsu."
Her father, who had come home after a long time, seemed leisurely even in the middle of the day. Etsu lay on her father's crossed legs, whining "kyaauu-" and reaching out her hands, but her parents merely stroked her fingers while continuing their conversation.
Etsu cared more about her parents' attention than their conversation, but the content was clearly entering her open ears.
"Once the first seven days pass, we should go pay our respects. After all, he's the current clan head's first son."
"Did you hear what name they gave him?"
"They say it's 'Itachi'."
Etsu's hand play stopped.
'Itachi? Itachi? Hmm... weasel? Is that why it sounds familiar...?'
"So he's 'Uchiha Itachi'."
What?
What did you say? What did you just say?
"I think they originally wanted to name him 'Ichi' (meaning first)."
"What should we prepare as a gift?"
Wait! Say that name one more time! That name!!!
"I wonder if a shuriken would be too early for a newborn..."
"Oh dear, listen to yourself."
"Honestly, they sent something like that to Etsu too! Etsu is a girl! A girl!"
Her parents' conversations were usually as entertaining as a comedy routine, but Etsu had something specific she wanted to hear. Despite being much more articulate than other children her age—even if just at the word-level—she couldn't find her voice, perhaps due to shock.
That's when her mother delivered the final blow.
"Anyway, since she was born into the Uchiha clan, Etsu will become a ninja too—"
…..
...…
Ninja! She said ninja! And Uchiha! I didn't mishear. Waaah.
Etsu's face turned pale.
Her parents, who hadn't paid attention when Etsu was struggling, finally noticed something was wrong when she suddenly stopped moving and picked her up. And then Etsu...
"Etsu-chan?"
"....WAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
She expressed her emotions to the fullest extent possible.