Gripping the sweat-slicked kunai in one small hand, seven-year-old Tamanazi Akina, heir to the Tamanazi clan, glowers up at her mother. "But Mother! I can still train!" Her childish voice protests the end of their training session.
Her mother smiles down at her, settling down on the ground and pats the earth next to her. "Come here and sit, my little one." Tamanazi Kusako waits until her only child drops down with a pout on her face. "Let me tell you something, Akina. The greatest challenge for a person is not to carry on fighting but to know when one must step back and evaluate themselves. Foolishly dashing headlong into things will only cause you to die sooner then later. Yes, one must strive to improve themselves and become stronger but not at the risk of becoming something you are not. Stay true to yourself and work hard. Don't ever allow someone to convince you that shinobi must always be emotionless creatures. We are human, my little one, and thus have emotions. Emotions can not be surpressed forever without something giving. Holding them in while on missions and in public is important but when you are alone or with loved ones, it is alright to let them out. They have to be released somehow." Her musical voice comforting to the six year old curled against her side and she smiles, running a hand through her daughter's blondish red strands. "Never think that tears is a sign of weakness, my daughter. A truly strong person cries."
"Really? But Mother, everyone says that tears make you weak. Even Kikuchi-sensei says so." Brown eyes stare up at Kusako in a mixture of confusion, surprise and wariness. "But for you, Mother."
"That's because their parents never taught them tears have a place in life. We aren't invincible, Akina, nor are we machines. Despite our training, we are still human. Prone to bouts of those pesky things known as emotional outbursts. Holding them in when the situation calls for it is highly important but you should release them when you have the chance. Bottling up everything inside will make you unstable and eventually you will snap then where will you be? Dead or the cause of innocents' deaths. Do you want that on your conscious?" Kusako lifts her into her lap and cuddles Akina, stroking her short hair again. "Be the best you can be, reach for your dreams. Stay true to yourself, my little one, and you will live well. Grab hold of what makes you happy and never let go."
Soaking in her mother's words, she curls into her, tiny arms wrapping around her. "Mother?"
"Yes?"
"I want to be just like you when I grow up."
Kusako's laughter rings out across the garden then lifts Akina up to grin at her. "While I thank you for that, my little one, I would rather you be yourself when you grow up. The world doesn't need two Tamanazi Kusako, Akina. Be Tamanazi Akina." She places her on her feet, rising herself and takes her daughter's small hand in her own larger one. "Now it's time for dinner. If we're lucky, your father will be home tonight from his mission."
Followng her mother into their traditional style house, Akina smiles and lets out a cheer, acting like the child she is. "Really?" She races into the house, calling for her mother to hurry up. "Mother, can we prepare daifuku for him?" Excited over seeing her father for the first time in a month.
"Yes, Akina, we'll make him daifuku." As she passes by the child, she pats her on top of the head then laughs when Akina mutters, 'not a child.' "You'll always be my child, even when you have children of your own." Kusako begins to prepare their dinner, allowing Akina to help by cutting up the vegetables.
Placing the chicken on the grill, she turns to watch her young daughter work. Worry fills her eyes as she wonders what kind of life Akina will have, hoping with her entire being that her daughter isn't forced to take another's life for a long time. Shaking her head, Kusako firmly pushes those thoughts into the back of her mind, knowing that all shinobi will one day have to kill or be killed. She reaches out to turn the chicken over when a flare of chakra at the front of the house has her grabbing a knife and masking her own chakra even as she makes her way to the entranceway. A loud knock followed by a familiar voice has her lowering her weapon with a frown. Sliding the door open, Kusako gazes at her friend. "Etsu? What's wrong?"
The grave and utter heartbreaking sad expression on Etsu's usually cheerful face sends bolts of alarm racing through Kusako. "Kusako-chan...." She trails off then rallies and presses on to tell her best friend the bad news, tears pricking at her eyes. "It's Wakari-kun, Kusa-chan. He's...." She breaks off, unable to say anymore, her muted grief enough for Kusako to know what happened.
"....No. Impossible." The denial leaps from her lips, the kunoichi refusing to believe it. That her husband is dead. "Wakari is not dead, Etsu!"
"Kusa-chan, he's dead. I saw his body myself. What was left of it." Etsu lowers her voice, now worried about her friend's state of mind.
Shaking her head, Kusako protests then falls silent at the look on Etsu's face and swallows hard. "It's...true?"
"I'm sorry, Kusako. I wish I was wrong but he's dead. Only one member of his team survived and barely at that. She stumbled in not to long ago and a squad of ANBU was sent out to retrieve the bodies. I was on guard duty at the gates they came through. Sandaime sent me to personally tell you because he knows we're friends." Etsu steps closer, wrapping her arms around her friend's shoulders and nudges her into the house and forces her to sit down on the couch. Spotting Akina standing in the doorway of the kitchen, she crosses to the girl. "Akina-chan, your mother is very sad right now and needs you. Can you go stay by her while I make some tea?"
Large brown eyes stare up at the jounin then she nods once. "You didn't take your shoes off." Her voice quiet, leaving the woman staring after her. Akina pulls at her mother's arm then climbs into her lap, wrapping thin arms around her neck and clings tightly.
Etsu stares at mother and daughter, feeling a lump in her stomach and turning, she hurries into the kitchen to give them privacy. She pulls two mugs from the cabinet and works on fixing them tea. "It's just not fair.." She whispers that to the unanswering counter.
Two days later
Akina stays close to her mother, gripping her hand tightly and stares at the three coffins, a shiver running through her small body. Her hand clenchs tigher around her mother's, desperate to make sure that Kusako is at least still there. Slowly, she looks to the side, her eyes landing on the clearly injuried kunoichi being held up by a man with silver hair. Her eyes move to the boy her age standing next to them. He looks back at her and attempts to smile. Lips trembling, Akina returns Sakumo's wavering smile. Feeling her mother's hand slip free of her's, she panics for a second until she realizes her mother is moving to the coffins and hasn't vanished. Watching her, the girl feels torn; wanting and carving to be with her but understands that her parent needs to say goodbye. Sudden warmth surrounding her has Akina looking up to see her friends surrounding her. "Tsunade-chan..."
Arms envelope her and the slightly older blonde hugs her tightly. "Shhh, Akina-chan, we're here. You aren't alone." Tsunade rubs at her friend's back, meeting Sakumo and Jiraya's worried gazes then shakes her head.
Face buried into Tsunade's shoulder, she bursts into tears, clinging to her friend and not caring if she is showing a 'weakness' in front of so many ninja.
"Thank you." A soft and tired voice floats over the children and as one, Jiraya, Sakumo and Tsunade look up to see Kusako standing behind them. Her eyes red from crying and she smiles tiredly at them. "For being here for her. She is going to need all the friends she can to get through this." Her hand comes to rest on Sakumo's shoulder and she squeezes firmly. "Don't allow her to shut you out." Her hand moves to her daughter's hair, stroking lovingly. "Be there for each other. Never let anyone teach you that a ninja is always solitary. Without a support structure in place to catch us when we fall, we will crumble. Be each other's supports." Despite her grief, she quietly tries to impress the need of having loved ones on the children who aren't really children anymore but warriors in training. Cupping Jiraya's cheek, Kusako smiles again, this time for real, at the three of them. "Cherish, love and live. Even in the face of potential loss. One can't live without loving. To do so is to deny our most basic nature. A person who doesn't love anyone is not really human."
Her hand drops to her side and she leans forward to press a kiss to each of their foreheads then drops one to her daughter's golden red curls. "Would you please watch her for me? I would like some time alone." Turning to go, she pauses and says over her shoulder. "Grief can be overwhelming and while it's a part of life, one has to keep looking towards the future." Her voice drops even lower. "Life's greatest battle isn't about becoming strong or live to an old age. It's living." Kusako doesn't look back as she walks off leaving the four children standing alone in the middle of the cemetary.
Akina lifts her head, having stopped crying to listen to her mother's words. Her brown eyes lock onto her mother's retreating figure and unconsciously nods. She pulls away from Tsunade and eases around her to make her way up to the coffins. Looking down at the bent flower clutched in a hand, she reaches out and places it with the others. "I love you, Father. I'll make you proud. I'll make the entire clan proud. I'll live. For you. Mother. My friends. Konoha. And.....myself." Bowing her head, she whispers a prayer for her father's soul then turns her back on it and walks towards her waiting friends.
"Akina?" Sakumo's dark blue eyes never stray from her, a clear look of worry on his face.
Summoning up a smile for him, she loops her arms around him and hugs him tightly. "I'll be alright. I have people who love me."
Grinning, Jiraya drops an arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her along with him. "Of course, you do, idiot."
Ignoring that, Akina slides an arm around his waist and smiles up at him. Sadness still clinging to the edges but they all understand that it will take her time to stop mourning her father.
"Let's go get some dango."
"Again? I'm tired of them. What about ramen?" Speaking up, Jiraya gives Tsunade a look as she suggests her favorite snack. For the tenth time this week.
"Yuck. That's disgusting." Hazel eyes narrow at Jiraya for daring to mention ramen.
Sakumo cuts in before they can stare arguing over where to go. "Hey, cut it out both of you. Let Akina decide."
Three pairs of eyes land on her and she groans. "Why do I have to do it?"
"Because!" Three voices ring out on cue.
"That's not a reason." Resisting the urge to cry again, for now at least, she drags her thoughts away from how sad she still feels to focus on her friends, knowing they are trying to cheer her up. Mulling over the matter, she wraps her free arm around Sakumo's waist and huddles between the two boys. "There's a new ice cream place that opened up. We can go there?"
A chorus of agreement floats down the street as the four of them head up the street, away from the cemetary and into the actual village.
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Story notes: Since I enjoy fleshing out my original characters and making them more then background characters, I decided to write something I've been wanting to for awhile now. This is a story about Haya's parents. Their beginning and ending. I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm going to enjoy writing it.
Tamanazi Akina, her mother Kusako, the entire Tamanazi clan, Natsu and various others are mine and mine alone. While this is set within the Naruto universe, most of the characters will be originals or based on existing Naruto characters. There will likely be the parents of many current ones. Including Hatake Sakumo, Tsunade and Jiraya. Who most certainly is not mine. They and the Naruto manga belongs to Kishimoto.
Kusako and her husband, Wakari, are twenty-eight and twenty-five respectively. Wakari married into the Tamanazi clan and took his wife's name because in the Tamanazi clan, lineage runs from mother to daughter. Yes, there'll be exceptions and some women will marry into other families.
Unlike most of my stories, this one will most likely be pure het. If that changes, warnings will be posted.
This story takes place forty-odd years before Naruto starts.