[Aki]
Screams filled up the room but their warm and happy heart wasn't penetrated. The man whom will become a father soon couldn't hide his joy in front of his struggling wife. With his mouth twitching in pain due to his wife harshest grasp on his hands, his attention was more focused in wiping his wife's tears.
"Just one more push." Said the doctor named Tsunade. A lucky day indeed for the couple to have the only female member of the Sannin to assist them and help the woman give birth to their first child. "You can do this Mikoto-sama"
With a last loud scream of the woman, a boy was finally out of her mother's womb. His baby cries filled up the room, lighting every corner of it as if he was some ray of sunshine but for Mikoto and Fugaku - he is their joy, pride and hope.
Tsunade knew this already but kept her silence as she wasn't really that meddlesome to intrude in some kind of internal problems even though she has power to do so. She is Tsunade Senju from the founding clan and these couple in front of her were from the Uchiha and was from the main branch. Back in the warring era, Senju and Uchiha were once enemies but time changes everything even hatred.
Tsunade knew the burden of this child in the future. The Uchiha clan head had produced an heir - was already a hard job for the baby. Still, she remained in silence and didn't dare to utter a word.
"What are you going to name him?" Fugaku asked to his wife - Mikoto. His arms were busy holding their child. Treating as if his child is some kind of a gem. A rare one so he was being careful.
"I have seen a weasel, and it was beautiful." Mikoto answered in her low voice. "Itachi... Uchiha Itachi." Tears started to run down her eyes. making Fugaku's gaze soften. "Our child... Itachi."
"Itachi... it's a wonderful name, my love. We'll stick on to that." He said proudly. "You, my child, awakened the hope for our clan." He beamed with pride and honor, making Tsunade roll her eyes in shadows. "Do not fail me."
( - _ - )
A loud bang interrupted the couple, making the baby that was in her sleeping figure cries out of shock. The mother, a former ANBU sensed a lot of figure outside their house, making the fear for her daughter enveloped her. She held her husband's hands tightly while placing a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"We have to bring her to the Lord. This place isn't safe anymore." Her husband commended while preparing himself for a plausible ambush or straight attack. "Honey we have to decide. Either we kill or we get killed."
"But this is our child!" The woman tried to argued, tears falling down her eyes. "If we get killed who will be left on her? This world is already cruel on us.. we can't let her experience it as she was our daughter!"
"... we wouldn't make it here." He said, eyes were shouting pain and sorrow. "But we can at least sure to leave our child to the Hokage. She'll be safe with the Sarutobi... love, you already know that we wouldn't make it. We're surrounded and your reverse summon can only snag one..."
"But to leave her alone in this cruel world...."
"Have faith in our daughter. After all, she's our kid." Despite of growing sorrow inside him, he said that with pride. Not long after that, he placed a loving kiss on his daughter's forehead. Casting a Jutsu that would hide his daughter's presence and placing a hopes inside the kiss that their love would reach their child. That even after their death, their love would stay in the land of the living, providing a guidance even if it that guidance is from a ghost
"Uchiha Aki..." The wife uttered her child's name. "I am hoping that you would never experience pain so you wouldn't activate your eyes. Even without your clan backing us up, remember that your clan were great and almighty. And even after everything... I, together with your father are proud to possess the Uchiha blood." She said in difficulty. "But I'm sorry... this will be the last day of you, being an Uchiha. We will have the Sarutobi to adopt you so would escape their wrath." She cried. "Mommy's sorry for leaving you alone this early... I'm sorry my child but like what your naughty father said earlier... you are my child. I know you will survive... and remember that even after death, your mother loves you."
"Don't forget about me!" The man hissed jokingly, eyes were contradicting to his joyful voice. "I love you too, my child. We will be waiting inside the void. But don't enter too early. Find your happiness here in this land. Swim in a vast ocean of happiness and be free. That's all we could wish for you."
With the woman's free arm, she weave her seal to summon her crows.
"You called?" A rasp and rough voice from the crow that just got out the puff. "You are choosing death?" The crow asked upon realizing what was happening in front of it. "Then you must be going to use the Reverse to save this pup."
"It's our child, and yes." The man responded, readying himself as they finally sensed their opponent to move closer. "Bring her to the Hokage. Never tell about her lineage - it must be kept in secret... forever."
"What if she awakened it? You know how cruel our world. Reality could hit her hard and then help activate her eyes." The crow reminded them, making them cry another batch of tears. "Lord Fugaku's term is up, they just got their heir. With her blood, wasn't it safe to give her back to your clan's care?"
"No" The woman sternly said. "They banished us, and you know how we messed up."
"But it isn't your fault to possess a blood of that clan. You didn't choose this path. You didn't know that Orochimaru will use your body as a blood container, making you an Uchiha Lite and then imprinting you with a pure Uchiha in your path." The crow reminded. "It wasn't a destiny so stop making yourself believe. It was a byproduct of that madman's psychopathy."
"We know." The man defended his wife. "But our love justifies everything so it's enough. She's still an Uchiha. She bears a pure blood Uchiha, making her an Uchiha but.. the clan isn't for her. You could say that this is an intuition of a father."
"Then you're all okay leaving her with the Sarutobi?" The crow questioned.
"Yes and no." They gulped. "That's why, Kaizer... please look after my child. I know.. crows sometimes signifies death but you know already that you, crows, are responsible for rebirth of humans."
( - _ - )
Life is born and life is death.
"Aki." A voice interrupted my peaceful slumber. Forcing myself to stand up from my comforting bed, I heed the call. I opened the door and was greeted by my foster father - the Hokage of the leaf. "Asuma's coming to get you later so wait him outside your school, m'kay?" He reminded. He always have someone to look after me, afraid that I might get lost again since I'm just 7.
A rare phenomena. To enroll a kid whom just turned 7, but the Lord told me that I am different so he decided to put me inside his shelter. Pulling me out of the orphanage, fed me, lectured me with everything I have to know and... cared for me.
"Asuma-niisan?" I asked innocently. I rarely seen him these days but even though I'm his adoptive sister, he still treating me like I am his real one. He doesn't discriminate, maybe he's just as tired as me, accepting whatever fate might throw in our path. "Juhi-sensei asked me to tell you that my graduation is up." With that, his eyes went up and then proceeded on lowering himself so he could level his eyesight on mine.
"You're already graduating? I just enrolled you months ago." He beamed with proud and happiness. Eyes twinkling with greatness. "As expected from my child. Very well, then I'll have Asuma to come home so we could go out with your mother."
"Ramen?" I asked with a smile.
"Ramen it is."
::
Noise of my fellow children filled up my ears as I entered the school grounds. Lord Third got an ANBU agent to accompany me in shadows. Despite of him, concealing his presence seems not enough for me because I can still sense him. As if I was born a sensor or not doesn't really matter because I am trained by the Hokage itself.
Lower grades students are outside playing, adding to the noise to my surroundings. Higher grades - my grade, is as usual acting mature while sitting below the shade of the huge tree. I don't understand their ideals but still, I am trying. They're age ahead us but that doesn't actually merit them to become cocky like what they're doing everyday. They often criticize me as well, maybe because a seven year old child like me managed to advance. But those recognition were backed up by my hard-works that only my family could see. Not them - so, I didn't harbor any ill feelings.
Every achievements I had obtained at this early were all thanks to my double works. I didn't cheat to get this kind of recognition nor I have used the card of being the Hokage's adoptive daughter. I didn't even used that surname.
'Shimitzuya Aki' - my codename is all that they needed to know about me.
"Aki!" A familiar voice, it's the annoying voice again. "Yo Aki! Come on, I know you're excited to meet me again! How's vacation!?"
"You're hallucinating. I never once mentioned I wanted to meet you." I stoically uttered, making him place his palms above his chest to act hurt. I remained calm. "In the first place, why are you here? You are already genin." I noted.
"Harsh." He spouted. "But I came here to congratulate you bro. The great Uchiha Shisui of Uchiha clan is coming here, see Aki.. Coming here just to congratulate you." I deadpanned on his statement. I sometimes think how did Kagami-sama tolerate this.. man. "Anyways, congratulations again. Why'd the management didn't release your graduation the same day as Itachi? Both of you were 7."
I rose a brow upon hearing his words. I already heard about a kid about my age, proclaimed as a prodigy while I am named as a hard worker. A different level of persons inside the same space. I only knew that he's someone from prestigious clan, justifying the claims that he was indeed a prodigy.
Does it not occur to anybody that naming a child as a 'prodigy' was a curse? It wasn't a gift but a burden. A rain of expectation is to be expected and failure isn't always an option because prodigies were all said to be perfect. A perfect definition of the word 'magnificent'.
"Ah, Itachi is my cousin. My baby cousin. We're from the same clan." He cleared up my curiosity. Indeed, Itachi is truly a child of whoever his Uchiha parents. Skills and intelligence were running through his blood. "By the looks of it..."
"I know him but I haven't yet to see him. He's from the star section while I am from a section below his." I uttered.
"I see. That section was composed of heirs." He mumbled enough for me to hear.
"Even if they patched it up to conceal, the discrimination was obvious." I told him with a venom. Something inside me doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that there are corrupts near my space. It was uncomfortable and something my integrity wouldn't accept. "I have no compassion for those kind of person. If somehow they got into an accident, I will be the one to back up and retreat, decline if not, if ever they seek help."
"Harsh. But they are still our citizen. And we oath to heed their calls."
I gritted my teeth in anger. That kind of mindset would set his pacifism, I can already see Shisui's fate. And it wouldn't do good for him, and him alone. "We are ninja, not some sort of a slave. We obey our law, not people. My morality wouldn't let me sleep at night if ever I saved them." I uttered in all honesty. Even if I have to sacrifice one's life just to make sure that the order of peace will remain, I will. But this application will only apply in some cases.
Corrupt, power driven and murderer persons are what I despised the most in this world. I can't even stand being in the same room with them without even unleashing my KI just to suffocate them to death. I would rather step outside the room than to breathe the same oxygen they're breathing. I thought of it as disgusting.
"Aki, where are your loyalties then?" Shisui asked. And I understand where this loyalties are coming from. My father, foster father - the Hokage is also a corrupt but what can I do? He has reasons and those reasons were almost valid but that doesn't merit him nor I acknowledge it as good work. I just leave that matter, I didn't pry neither I have the right to pry. Those matters were out of my grasp making my opinion invalid. I only am just a seven year old kid, adults wouldn't mind my words but soon.
"I do not possess the will of fire my father was spoken off." I uttered, making his eyes widened in disbelief. "But my loyalties... I still don't know where do my loyalty lies. What it takes to become loyal? Why possess the will of fire? What is village? Why ninjas were tasked to defend it? and what is peace?" I uttered all the questions that has been running inside my head ever since I started to face reality. "You see, Shisui-san.. it wasn't an easy question. If I do not possess the will of fire then what it makes me? A traitor? Just nobody? Then what?"
"You are to become a ninja of the leaf Aki. Your graduation is up, and do not let your father knew about this. There's always a time for everything. Wait - is all I can advice to you, Aki." He said making me sigh. So even Shisui, a prodigy also, couldn't answer my questions. I feel like I'm losing my mind by thinking.
As if my neurons, cells and every fiber of me have already grown tired.
"Even so... I still care for my home. And this is where I belong, Shisui-san. Whether I like it or not, I still have to protect them.. those corrupt people"
"But you'll hurt them?" He asked with a rising brow.
I flashed a grin, "Definitely."
::
"It wasn't surprising." Asuma noted with pride. "I often caught her walk inside your library, late at night."
With my eyes widened and mouth forming an 'o', I chuckled. I didn't know that my brother knew that I sometimes sneak outside my room just to read few books inside the Sarutobi library.
"That's expected to our little girl here." Biwako - Lord Third's wife stated making me widen my smile. "But do not over exhaust yourself. I assume you're now under impression of being a prodigy but you don't have to always heed their claims."
With my heart melting at her statement, I nodded. I am thankful that I, an orphan, at least have them. Their lending hands and warmth was enough to ease up the feeling of agony that I sometimes feeling.
"Then you're going to become a genin next week?" Lord Third ask, munching his noodles.
"If I'd pass the survival test. If I'm not wrong, my teammates would most likely be the Hyuuga and Aburame." I answered.
"A sensory group?" Asuma asked, looking at his father. The Hokage is the only one who can assign groups so he looked at him with hopes of answering his questions.
The old Sarutobi laugh along with Biwako. "Seems like our little Aki here just justified the claims of her being a witty head. But yes, I placed her with a Hyuuga and Aburame. For she have possesses a crucial sensory skills." He hid his grin by lifting his tea cup to take a sip. "I always have an ANBU alongside her in shadows but according to their report, she always, whatever they do to conceal their presence, they can't hide. As if she had develop an internal tracking system to track each ANBU I've sent."
"Heh? Then you should place her under Minato-san's care. For he was a good sensor. He could help her improve her sensory if she wanted of course." Biwako said, catching my attention.
"I have thought of that but you see, Minato is already busy. The war is almost ending and he's almost needed in the front lines." The Hokage seconded making Biwako and Asuma sigh upon remembering the situation of the Third Great War.
"Now that you mentioned it my Lord, am I going to participate in war?" I asked, shocking everyone.
With confusion streaming inside my head, I thought of something. They shouldn't be surprised that I know, at this age that they're using us, children to fight along with them. Even with the Lord First wishes to not have any children to fight and meddle with adult things, he's already dead. No one can stop whatever is happening now. Either we surrender or they surrender, we kill or they kill - nothing will really change.
"No, you, brand-new genins will remain inside our village. Let alone the higher ranks to deal outside." He sternly said. "But do not expect any simple mission. You may not be going to participate in that dreadful war, your mission as a genin wouldn't be easy. We're still at war, your skills are needed to be utilize."
"I understand"
But, what it takes to possess a loyalty?