Hinokami Kagura

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝟏𝟒 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨.....

It was (Y/N)'s 5th birthday, and they had celebrated earlier in the day with their brothers and the Dadan Bandits. However, as night fell, GARP decided to pay a visit. He came bearing a small box and an item concealed beneath a cloth.

Inside the dimly lit hut, (Y/N) and Garp were the only ones awake. They sat together on the rough wooden floor as Garp extended the items to the young child.

(Y/N) examined the items carefully. The box appeared weathered and aged, as if it had been forgotten in a dark corner of a basement for years. The wrapped item bore a resemblance to a long blade, its shape concealed beneath the cloth.

"Grandpa, what is this?" (Y/N) asked, their eyes wide with curiosity.

Garp gazed down at his grandchild, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. The truth was, aside from the sword, he wasn't entirely sure himself. His old friend had given him these mysterious items just before they departed on their journey, and their purpose remained a mystery.

"Garp, when (Y/N) reaches the age of five, I want you to give this to them. It will help them when they get older," were the words of (Y/N)'s father, spoken with a sense of foreboding.

Perplexed, Garp had questioned, "Why would (Y/N) need these?"

His friend had paused for a moment before responding, "Let's just say I have a gut feeling my kid will be as famous as their papa one day and might get into some trouble when they're older. These items might just help them in the future."

"These were gifts from your father," Garp explained to (Y/N), who wore a shocked expression upon hearing about their father.

"MY DAD!?!" (Y/N) exclaimed, not bothering to keep their voice down.

Quickly, Garp gave (Y/N) a light but reprimanding punch on the head and whispered harshly, "Be quiet, brat! Do you want the others to wake up?"

(Y/N), rubbing the small bruise on their head, swiftly apologised in a hushed tone, "Sorry."

Returning their attention to the mysterious box and cloth-wrapped item, these were gifts from their father, a figure who had always been shrouded in mystery to (Y/N).

Contemplating which to open first, (Y/N) decided to unwrap the cloth item, eager to uncover the secrets it held.

As (Y/N) unwrapped the cloth, they revealed a sword, more specifically, a Nichirin blade.

"Cool~" they exclaimed, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Garp, on the other hand, looked at the blade with a mixture of surprise and bemusement. He couldn't help but wonder, 'Did this brat really gift his child a sword?'

Setting the Nichirin blade gently on the floor, (Y/N) then turned their attention to the box. With careful anticipation, they lifted the lid to discover three intriguing items inside

A green and black checkered haori, neatly folded.

An antique-looking book.

And Earrings?

Each item held its own mystery, leaving (Y/N) with a sense of wonder and curiosity about their father's intentions behind these gifts.

(Y/N) carefully inspected the earrings and haori, their fingers gently tracing the details of each item.

Meanwhile, Garp couldn't help but be taken aback by the striking resemblance of the haori to his old friend's attire. The only noticeable difference was the colour, yet it bore an uncanny resemblance. The earrings, however, were unmistakably identical to those worn by his friend.