Her touch was as soft as a feather, not unlike her light voice. It was always a pleasure to hear her sing, or even just to talk to her. Her gaze, kind yet stern, spoke of years of experience that shaped her into the well refined woman and fighter that she was.
She would sing a lullaby to Tama and Itachi, no matter how old they got. To her, they would always be her little babies.
Tama looked around her parents' bedroom, shadows like a play of light danced around in the darkness.
By the bed, young Mikoto carried little Tama, who was wrapped in a fluffy, warm blanket as the winter was drawing in. On the bed, little Itachi swayed as he listened to the sweet tune that she sang. Next to him, Fugaku stared, in a daze, clearly infatuated all over again.
The scene shifted.
It was Spring, and the twins' third birthday was today. Kushina, Minato and Shisui were coming over to celebrate. Tama was nervous, she didn't like having too many people around. Itachi wasn't, attention never did bother him very much.
As people began to arrive, Tama got more and more uneasy, so she hid in her bedroom until Mikoto came to get her.
Minato and Kushina had come with Kakashi, Obito and Rin, all of whom Tama had come to adore over the months since Minato started training them. Shusui and Izuna were also there, much to Itachi's delight.
Emi-san, Tama's caretaker, and Mikoto had cooked up a fabulous meal, which excited Tama more than the thought of getting gifts, because she would break bread with all of her favourite people.
That day, Minato gifted her a novel by the Legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya. She had shown interest in the book many times, so he made sure to get her a copy. She would be pleased to see that it was a signed copy, with handwritten notes.
Kushina gifted her a set of three pronged kunai, which she clearly had become obsessed with when she saw them in Minato's weapon's pack.
Kashi nii-chan, Kakashi, saw Tama as an annoying, little baby that was nothing more than that, and he made it clear to her. When he handed her his gift, the aim was to remind her of that, but when she saw the white headband with a gold pendant and purple hanging pompoms she seemed rather pleased. It also didn't help that she would look like a little Onna-mushi(female samurai) when she wore it. Obito couldn't help but laugh at Kakashi, because no matter what he did, Tama wouldn't act like a child.
It was odd, really, how they knew each other from so long ago, yet it was only after the massacre that Kakashi learned her name, and only because he had no choice. He never stuck around when she was there, always saying he didn't need a younger version of Obito on his tail. To him, she was chibi Obito. Tama couldn't help but laugh at that memory. He must've been so annoyed when Hitsuji left her to him during her Black Ops evaluation, but as the best squad captain, it was inevitable.
Rin nee-chan, had given her a purple cloth with gold linings, and while it was a simple thing that seemed useless, she couldn't have given her anything better. Eventually, after the gathering, Tama begged Mikoto to add the cloth to one of her clothes. Mikoto did something even better. Tama had a tiny little doll that Fugaku had bought her when she was just a baby, she added the cloth to that, instead.
Obito, Obi nii-chan, she called him, was one awfully sweet boy. When he heard of Tama's birthday, it was through his grandmother, and he immediately set out to look for the perfect thing for the pedantic but appreciative child. He got her a thick book with empty, blank pages, where she could draw and paint all she pleased. This was the book that helped her to keep sane after the massacre, along with Jiraiya's novel. She had yet to completely fill it up, sge was too afraid to. She rather used it in more stressful situations. It was too precious.
The gifts were all very simple, but there couldn't have been anything better for her to get. Besides, she appreciated their presence more, even if she hid behind Mikoto the whole time.
Fugaku was awfully pleased with everyone. Even though Shisui and Izuna were little, themselves, they too had brought gifts for their friends. He would have to thank their parents.
Again, the scene shifted to something more serious.
On that same night, once everyone had left, Tama ran a terrible fever. Mikoto put her to bed, thinking that she was just overwhelmed by all the attention she got. Itachi, the sweet thing, refused to leave her side, and ended up sleeping next to her.
Deep in the night, she suddenly awoke, a sharp, stabbing, pain in her stomach. She couldn't stop the blood curdling scream that would escape her lips, and immediately, Itachi jolted awake.
He placed a hand on her forehead, and immediately fetched cold water. When Mikoto arrived, Itachi had just escaped an uncannily powerful choke hold, and was pouring water in Tama's face in hopes of waking her up. However, the person who was there was no sister of his. There was someone, something, that gazed at him with such a deep, longing gaze that he felt it would consume him alive.
"Ta- Tama-chan...", he trailed off, scared in a way that he never thought possible. Mikoto swept her up. And the last thing Tama could remember about that night, was her brother's soft sobbing as her mother frantically cried out for her father.
Another memory played out.
Mikoto, Tama, and Itachi ate Mitarashi dango with anko sauce, Itachi' favourite sweet, as the sun began to set outside. It was comfortably quiet in the house. Four year old Itachi looked at Tama mischievously, and whispered into her ear.
"Do you think it'll be a girl?", he asked, suppressing a giggled. Tama shook her head rather briskly, a beamush smile on her round little face.
"It'll definitely be a boy," she whispered, sneaking a glance at an amused Mikoto. "And he'll be just like you."
At this, Itachi paused and cast her a quick glance. He was flattered, Tama never said such things on a normal day. She was usually trying hard not to say much at all.
The scene changed. Now, they were six years old.
Tama would disappear for days on end, never once giving a warning or anything like that. Itachi had just passed his class with flying colours, and was excited to share the news with his sister, but she never stayed long enough for him to be able to. These days she barely even showed up to class. Every time she was around, it was because she needed rest before she would leave again.
Fugaku was beyond furious at this behaviour, but Mikoto seemed only a bit worried. However, it was odd that Emi reported that she never missed a session with Master Sora, or her lessons with Chiko-sama.
"Tama-chan is a growing child, don't be too harsh when you talk to her lest she learns to completely avoid you. She'll come around, you'll see.", she would say as Fugaku scolded the girl. "Besides, Chiko says that she's well versed in history and civil affairs. Sora say says that she's a strong fighter and might grow to weild a good Sharingan."
She sounded like someone who had hope for the girl, but as time went on, she stopped saying much altogether.
One day Fugaku and Mikoto were in the kitchen, having a conversation that had the place taught with tension, when Tama came home from wherever she used to go. Itachi was in the next room with baby Sasuke, listening.
"Where have you been? Why have you been skipping your classes at the academy?", Fugaku asked sternly. Tama paused, startled. She cast her gaze to the floor and said nothing.
"Look at me, Tamakiku, I'm talking to you. What have you been up to?", he asked again. Tama looked up at him, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Mikoto couldn't help but coo.
"I wanted to get better at fighting on my own, tou-san. So I made the time to do so. What would become of our clan if it were to be served by a fragile, spoilt brat?", she finally said, locking gazes with the man. Fugaku sighed. He had seen it coming, and he failed to do something about it when he had the chance. Tama wasn't satisfied with Sora, and Sora wasn't going to change the course of his task just because she asked nicely. She must've felt like she had no other choice but to take matters into her own hands.
"I see. I'm afraid I've been avoiding this day since you were born. You shall begin training with Itachi-kun from now on.", he said, but Tama's expression didn't shift. If anything, she looked a bit uneasy.
"Tou-san, I don't want to be limited to what you want for me. Tachi-kun has Shisui-kun, he doesn't need me, so I'd rather continue on my own.", she mumbled. Mikoto snuck a glance at Fugaku as a frown settled into his features. She decided not to say anything, this was an open opportunity for them to mend their relationship. She couldn't get in the way.
"You really are your mother's daughter; stubborn and proud.", Fugaku said with a sigh, a certain sadness flashing in his gaze. He cast Mikoto a glance, she smiled at him reassuringly. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to relax ever so slightly.
"Why don't you show us how you secretly became a Chūnin without partaking in the exam?", she said with a smile. Tama paused, surprised. She cast Fugaku a glance, and the man smiled knowingly at her. So she told him.
Out they went, and into the clan dōjō, where Fugaku readied himself to spar with her. Tama, startled, cast Mikoto an incredulous glance. She nodded reassuringly at her. Tama took in a deep breath and adopted a stance as well.
To show that this father and his daughter barely knew each other, Tama's stance was completely unfamiliar to Fugaku, and likewise with his.
"Hajime!", Mikoto called from the sidelines, almost too excitedly. Fugaku, being the protective father that he was, had planned to go easy on Tama, but he was in for a real surprise.
Mikoto watched, hand over her mouth in shock, as Tama leapt into the air right over him and came down with a downward kick. It was far more shocking to see Fugaku pause in shock when it landed on his head. He clearly felt something.
Tama nimbly navigated his body, climding down like a little monkey would on a tree. He grabbed her, making to throw her off, but she had his arm in a firm grip. She wrapped one leg around his arm and pulled it in at the elbow, and then pushed off from the ground using the other leg. Fugaku easily used his other hand to stop her, but she adapted quickly, planting a firm kick in his face. Perhaps too firm, as his nose immediately started bleeding.
At that, Tama immediately jumoed back onto the floor, hands over her mouth as she was utterly flustered.
"Tou-chan, does it hurt? I'll get some-"
"No! No... It's fine.", Fugaku laughed. He cast Mikoto a glance, he wasn't prepared at all. Mikoto was still stunned. Tama's methods were really something else, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise. The girl was observant, and thus able to adopt all that she saw as her own. Now Fugaku could see it for himself.
"Again.", he called, this time, he was surely prepared.
"Hajime!", Mikoto called, her heart racing in anticipation.
This time, Fugaku made the first move. He went in for a flying kick, but Tama dipped below him. By the time he landed, she was already flying at him. Her thrust a fist her way, but she just climbed on his forearm and easily got to his shoulder. He paused, appalled, at the glint of a senbon right below his chin, right in front of his throat.
"Tama-chan...", he breathed, shifting his gaze to meet her's. Tama smiled that mischievous little smile of her's, not moving away.
"A match isn't over until one of us yields. Do you yield, tou-chan?", she asked. Stunned, Fugaku cast Mikoto a glance. She was shocked, to say the least.
"And indeed you are your father's daughter.", Fugaku breathed.
Tama blinked the memory away. She couldn't help but wonder where everything went wrong. There was the memory of her first Anbu mission, when she was under Black Ops. It was the first time she killed people, and from the on, she could never face her parents again, but that wasn't it. She couldn't remember what it was, and shamefully, Tama couldn't remember a proper many things from her childhood. Like when exactly Rin and Obito died, and how she finally managed to get an active response from her chakra. She could remember, however, what Kakashi said on the fateful day that she was placed under him.
"I'm not going to to babysit you, understood?", Kakashi had said. Tama simply blinked, not sure of what exactly to say. Hitsuji cast Tama a glance, but was amused to find a mischievous smile on the girl's little face.
"Inu-taichō, I don't plan on staying with you for long, anyway. Savour my presence while it lasts.", she had said.
She then proceeded to surpass all the new recruits, and was moved to Tracking and Retrieval within a matter of weeks.
Kakashi was not pleased.