Heroes [Naruto]

00: ONCE I WAS 5 YEARS OLD ☼

"Daddy?" a small girl called, walking down the stairs. Her short light red hair bounced with each step on her unsteady feet. She fell down and hurt her knees earlier that day, and they were now bandaged.

"Why is she awake so late?" an almost spitting image of the girl, older, questioned her husband quietly. Her green eyes brimmed with worry, the one difference from her daughter's wide hazel pair.

"She was asleep when I checked," he sighed. His eyes were surrounded with darkness that came from a long time of not sleeping, but they were still a bright hazel, twinkling. "What is it sweetheart?" Toya called to his daughter, who rounded up the corner and peeked her head into the kitchen. Once she came to his sight, he quickly caught the tears brimming in her own hazel eyes. "What is it, sweetheart?" he questioned once more, crouching next to her. She wiped away the tears, leveling her gaze with his concerned eyes.

"I had a bad dream," she said simply, hugging her father. He placed a big hand on her back, pulling her closer. "There was this chalk white man, and he killed this squirrel, saying it was for me. I don't want that. This squirrel was my friend."

"It's alright, it's just a dream baby girl," he soothed, picking her up and going to sit down on a chair. She didn't miss the glance the two adults exchanged, but didn't know how to take it. The girl looked up at her father with wide eyes, dismissing the looks and appreciating the hug and the love he never failed to give her. She held onto his shirt like an extension of her life-line.

Her shelter.

"Daddy, I'm scared," she told him. 

Toya could only stare; he was terrified as well.

"That's fine, baby," her mother interrupted. "Want to sleep with us tonight?"

"Yes!" she replied excitedly, squeezing her father's arm through the shirt. "I wanna sleep with you tonight!"

"Good, so why don't you go wait for us? We'll be there in just a few moments."

"Alright!" she smiled, jumping down to the floor, and quickly running upstairs. 

"Careful not to fall down again!" her father warned her. He sighed, managing a smile, before turning to look at Fuko. She was looking at him disapprovingly. "What?"

"I just don't like it, how you push her into being a ninja--"

"I am not pushing her," he said calmly, "I am telling her to pursue her dreams. She's always such a good girl, doing whatever she is told to do, but it might change if we keep doing it. We need to let her have some freedom. Besides... this guy..." His eyes grew distant and weary. Fuko knew the source of his fear, but that made no difference to her-- wasn't Ushio too  young? 

"But being a ninja?" Fuko asked, exasperated.

But really, was there any age in which being molded into a weapon isn't too young?

"Ninjas are heroes, they protect us. It's a very honorable profession." He spoke calmly, as he always did. "And the teacher, Iruka, he said that she's got a very large amount of chakra. She could do great, if we only let her."

"But Toya, darling," she sighed. "She's our daughter-- our only daughter. I am terrified of losing her again. It was..."

"Fuko," Toya stood up, resting his hands on his wife's arms. "Our daughter caught a teacher's attention enough for him to go out of his way for the civilian school while he teaches the ninja academy. You know, most people in her class- even those who are supposed to join the academy eventually- are barely able to let out chakra so others would sense them. Their chakra systems are still developing and Ushio... She releases a steady stream of a large enough chakra to get noticed by another teacher. No one in her class has his chakra sensed, and she has. We have to let her train sooner or later, why not sooner?"

"But..."

"You know I'm right." he said simply, "besides, she could always pursue your path once she is a ninja and become a medic ninja instead. You could work together, she could do what you've dreamt of doing."

"Alright," she sighed, giving up. Of course Toya was right; when was he not? "I love you," she kissed his lips quickly, just a peck, before walking upstairs.

Toya sat there for a moment, happy with how perfect his life were. Despite not having much money, and despite not speaking with his parents, or Fuko's, his little family made everything perfect.

Ushio and Fuko were everything good in this world.

Even if it would only last a while.

☼

"Class," Iruka spoke. "We have a new student, she's just transferred from the civilian school, and she's new at the Chakra's practicing subject, so please make an effort to help her. Ushio?"

Ushio stepped into the classroom, smiling. Her hair was freely resting on her shoulder, hazel eyes watching the older kids that she's never spoken to before, two ladybugs following her. They all noted she seemed smaller than them.

"Hello," she greeted, standing in front of them, arms behind her back which was as straight as her mother taught her. "My name is Ushio Adachi. Nice to meet all of you," the girl bowed politely.

Once she straightened up, she glanced at the classroom, looking for a free seat that Iruka would soon assign her to.

She could either sit next to a pink haired girl, a blond boy or a kid with funny haircut that seemed to be napping, while his neighbor happily munched on chips. Ah, she could do for a snack right about now.

Suddenly, a dog yelped and jumped up from seemingly out of nowhere, jumping at her. She picked him up with a grin, allowing him to lick her. He introduced himself as Akamaru.

"Sakura," Iruka spoke, "please raise your hand." The pink haired did so, hesitatingly, as Iruka turned to Ushio. "Ushio, please sit next to Sakura."

"Yes, sir," Ushio said politely with a smile, setting down the dog, who followed her until he arrived at the line in which his partner, a dark haired boy with funny markings on his cheeks, sat-and then parted ways with her.

"Sakura, please make an effort to explain whatever Ushio is struggling with, alright?" the brown haired teacher asked with a smile. Sakura gave half a smile.

"Of course," she replied quietly, as Ushio sat next to her. "I'm Sakura," she said even more quietly, directing the introduction to Ushio only. "Nice to meet you."

"Ushio," she smiled at the girl. "I hope we could be friends."

Sakura looked at her in nothing but pure shock, before a wide smile took over her lips. 

"Yeah!"

WORD COUNT: 1133. EDITED and RE-EDITED