Butterfly Child

Chapter 3: Metabolism

The first word to come out of my mouth was, "Eat!"

Not mom...not dad...but EAT.

I know, I know...how original. But fuck it—I count it as progress! Although if you want to get into the specifics, since this is pretty much my first step into learning Japanese, the actual word I babbled out was taberu...and hoo boy, did my pronunciation need a lot of work!

I still said something, so that has to fucking count for something!

Hunger does a lot to a person and I was one hungry little baby that felt the need to let that be known. At the very least I wasn't like a certain singing plant named after a blonde needed to be fed. Of course, the way I yelled it out to Ageha and Chōza made them burst into laughter, because I caught them off guard (and again, my shitty pronunciation of a Japanese word). They weren't expecting that—I wasn't expecting that, but I was freaking hungry!

Sometimes, I surprise myself...then Chōji's first word turned out to be "Food!" and I wasn't that surprised anymore. Though, I AM surprised his first word wasn't, "Eat!" like me, since that's all I ever said and I did NOT shut up until I was fed. Though, considering how much I said that word...I ate a lot. Chōji ate a lot. We both ate a lot...and we were happy about it.

Then I began teething and everything went downhill after that because it was the worst experience ever. It aches...it freaking itches—and it HURTS. The annoying growth of my wisdom teeth was nothing compared to the fact that I have a bunch of teeth emerging from my gums.

I chewed on everything I could get my hands on, effectively ruining a small number of toys that belonged to me. I was glad when it was all over, or at least, the pain and the freaking itch. However, if there was one thing I'd like to say about the entire experience, it's that Chōji sucks...because he went through teething without too much trouble.

What happened to suffering together?!

...

By the time Chōji and I turned one, we were already walking and talking a whole lot more. I didn't have many notable memories as a one-year-old that DIDN'T consist of me getting into everything and walking up to everyone for the sake of food. As I've said before, I was one hungry baby and if there was one thing I didn't like sharing, it was food. Though, I sometimes made exceptions if it was Chōji who wanted some of my food. Anyone else who asked could go take a hike.

Since I'm on the subject of Chōji, as fraternal twins, he and I appeared identical at first, but as the year went by, differences began to set the two of us apart from one another. It was subtle at first, since my hair was allowed to grow out while Chōji received periodic haircuts, but by our second birthday, there was no way to mistake Chōji and me for each other.

Here's the main reason why for this. While Chōji gained weight, I...remained relatively the same, despite the fact that I ate a lot. This was something that puzzled the whole Akimichi clan. I wasn't exactly aware of this as I never paid much attention to my appearance, but mostly at food because hunger. It was only as I was eating the food that my father had given me after I had all but demanded it that I overheard someone talking about my body that I took a moment to look at myself.

I was quite thin—at least, in comparison to Chōji. He was big, while I was small...and there was something wrong with that. I ate more than Chōji ever did and I was somehow smaller than he was... Of course, I was more active than Chōji, so there's that explanation. I didn't really think too much about it after that.