Yukari Uchiha (English)

Chapter 8

The next morning, Shisui doesn't wake me up as usual. He quietly sneaks into my room and sits on my bed. He gently hums a birthday song, and I slowly wake up.

Sleepy but happy, I lay my head on his lap and listen to his humming. It feels so warm and safe, as if the world is perfect.

When he finishes, I get ready for the day. Just as I'm about to start making breakfast, my brother shoos me out of the kitchen.

"Not today, little sister. Today you can fully relax; it's your day." His smile is so bright and loving that I immediately head to the garden.

I put on my headphones and listen to music while I watch the clouds. Whether it's sunny or rainy, when I look at the clouds and listen to music, I always feel free and relaxed, as if I'm in another world. Time flies by.

Suddenly, I feel Shisui sitting next to me, and he hugs me. I take the headphones out of my ears.

"The food is ready," he says, but I want to enjoy the closeness of my brother for just a moment longer before getting up.

We sit down together at the table and begin to eat breakfast. My brother's cooking always tastes the best. In my eyes, nothing compares to it.

"I have two gifts for you today, and I'll give them to you both at the training ground. Afterward, we'll go to Itachi's; they all want to see you too," Shisui says with a smile.

My excitement rises so much that I start eating faster because I can't wait to see what my brother has for me.

After breakfast, I help him carry the dishes to the kitchen, even though he says I should rest. Then he tells me to go ahead to the training ground. So I put on my headphones and head out.

I enjoy walking through the village and listening to my music. In the past, Shisui would never have let me go alone.

It makes me so happy that he now trusts me and that I'm strong and old enough to walk through the village on my own.

When I arrive at the training ground, I start training right away. Of course, I'm listening to my music, which makes training even more enjoyable and helps me concentrate better.

While I'm practicing my taijutsu, I see Shisui watching me train. He waves me over, and without hesitation, I run to him.

"The first gift I have for you is a new jutsu. There's a jutsu called the Summoning Jutsu, which allows you to summon animals with whom you've made a contract. In rare cases, you might already have a familiar spirit from birth.

I never use this jutsu myself and haven't made a contract with any animal, but our mother had an eagle from the beginning. With such a familiar, the bond is even stronger," my brother explains, and I listen intently.

"You need to form the hand signs Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram, then spread some blood in your palm and press it to the ground. If you have a familiar spirit, you'll know after completing the hand signs."

I take a deep breath and focus. I make the hand signs as Shisui instructed, bite both my thumbs, and spread some blood in each palm. Then I press both hands to the ground.

I can't explain why, but I feel the need to do it with both hands.

Suddenly, two clouds of smoke appear in front of me, and I hear two voices in my head that I don't recognize.

"We've been waiting for you, Princess. I am Kitsune," says one voice. "I am Yako," says the other. As the smoke clears, I see two beautiful foxes before me.

One fox is light-colored, the other dark, and both have two tails.

I'm impressed by their appearance, and I can see from Shisui's expression that he's surprised as well. The foxes slowly approach me, and out of shock, I take a step back towards my brother.