Stumble [Rewrite]

Omake II: The Happy Child

Her name was Sachiko and she was fourteen years old.

She could happily say that she was content with her life on Fire Country's border. The small town she lived in was full of the kindest people she'd come to know, and she was thoroughly satisfied with helping her grandmother at the inn.

But...

There was something that nagged the back of her head. Who were her parents? What were their names? How come her grandmother never spoke about them?

Sachiko unconsciously gripped at the key pendant hanging beneath her shirt. She was told that this was a memento from her late mother, and yet she still knew nothing about her. She tucked a few strands of black-bobbed hair behind her ear as she quietly made her way to her grandmother. Yuka was in the kitchen of the inn, preparing breakfast for the guests.

"Sachiko-chan," she greeted. "What are you doing in here? Didn't you say that you were going to take your herbal remedies down to the clinic?"

Oh, her remedies. For as long as she could remember, she had always been interested in medicines, herbs, and healing. Things of the like. She was far from being a shinobi even if she carefully worked from night to night on how to collect special chakra to her hands.

"Sensei wasn't there yet so I came back," Sachiko replied. "Um, baa-chan? Can I ask you something?"

Yuka looked over curiously. "What is it, dear?"

"My... kaa-san. Can you tell me about her? Please, baa-chan? I-It's been bothering me for so long and I want to know more about her. I have to."

The elderly woman saw the small fire in those bright green eyes and sighed as she turned the stove flame off. Sachiko followed as Yuka walked over to their storage closet. It was filled with things like winter blankets, towels, thick jackets...

The teen watched in wonder as a small box was pulled off the top shelf. Gray spotted the brown wood as well as the odd paper slips that were plastered on the seams. Yuka placed it in Sachiko's hands, tapping it lightly and sighing once more—wistfully.

"Your mother told me to give this to you when you were old enough. Just before she disappeared, she said that everything you wanted to know was here. And that key I gave you on your third birthday?"

Sachiko touched the chain.

"It was hers. And it's the only thing that can open this."

She ran her hands over the film of dust, quietly thanking her grandmother. Yuka patted her head and returned to the kitchen, throwing a sad look over her shoulder as she watched the teen hurry to her room.

As soon as Sachiko reached her room, she closed her door and leapt onto her bed. She pulled the key off her neck, staring at it's odd shape and worn look before placing it in the lock and twisting. There were plenty of things to expect when she opened it, like it just popping open, but an expansive spiderweb of blue shot over the box. It stayed as such for a few seconds as the slips of paper burned off, taking the glowing lights with it.

Her mother... was a shinobi?

She slowly pried open the box and peered inside.

Photos. So many photos. Photos of people around her age, of kids, of teenagers, of adults... The first one she picked up was of a married couple, the note on the frame reading:

Haruno Kizashi & Haruno Mebuki

Your grandparents on their wedding day

Wasn't Yuka her grandmother? Maybe on father's side. She sifted through more photos and saw many different people. Blonde hair blue eyed ones, pale eyed ones, even one with one eye always covered! Though in every picture, she always saw the pretty pink-haired one.