(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 38)
Ever since the Second Great Ninja War had started, the village had fallen into total paranoia; compared to when there was no war, you could barely see anyone outside.
Toru and I still met up, but less frequently, as the Akimichi clan tightened their security.
Other than that, life was pretty normal, except for one Tuesday morning, 4 months into the war, news reached Konoha that shook the villagers and clans.
Nawaki Senju, Grandson of the First Hokage, student of Orochimaru, died in action.
It made my chest tighten, just a little.
When I heard the news, I felt a slight sense of guilt. Maybe if I had told someone, anyone, at all, to be careful, his fate could have been avoided, but then again, I was only two.
(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 38 - Streets of Konoha)
Life went on after the announcement. The war was still being fought, and more and more Shinobi were getting sent to the front lines in Amegakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure every day.
I, meanwhile, was shopping with Dad at the few booths still open in Konoha after the war started. I then saw one of my neighbors, Umeko Mitarashi, holding a baby bundle.
I blink in surprise and smile as I approach the woman.
Umeko had dark purple hair and a lean and slender form, with a sizable bust and a beautiful smile. She was wearing a beige form-fitting coat.
"Umeko-San, you gave birth already?" My dad said with a smile, "What's her name?"
I looked at the baby in recognition, seeing Umeko in the cloak, which immediately brought back memories.
"Ren..I named her Anko, Anko Mitarashi," Umeko said with a tired smile.
"Anko is a lovely name," My dad said, but I didn't hear him. I was zoned out.
Anko Mitarashi would get the attention of Orochimaru in the future.
She would be betrayed by him to the point of wanting to kill him, even if she had to take herself out to do it.
But…I was here, I was an anomaly in the grand scheme of things, I could protect her…I didn't know Umeko a lot, she was just a neighbor who sometimes gave me cookies…but her child was innocent, savable.
I made a promise right then and there to save Anko from a deadly fate.
(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 38 - Tokitō Residence)
The war went on, more and more blood being spilled with each day. I spent my time babysitting Anko for a few Ryō a day.
It was another ordinary day; it should have been an ordinary day. But then a Ninja stopped by the house.
The letter they carried filled the family with dread.
"Dear Mr Tokitō
you are ordered to go to the front lines in Amegakure to fight for Konohagakure in the Second Great Ninja War. You are supposed to report under Commander Orochimaru in 2 days' time.
Yours sincerely, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure."
(That night)
That night, going to sleep, I had a strange dream, which started with pure green energy.
Not like chakra, but older, ancient. The green energy led me to a scene of a battlefield, I could see countless shinobi fighting, countless gore that made my insides churn, if I could throw up, I would have. Then, it showed me my father, fighting against a shinobi with a kunai, a single kunai.
The shinobi was dressed in a blue yukata and wielded a katana; he had a strange machine on his mouth and an Amegakure head protector on his forehead.
Dad tried to swing the kunai at the man, who parried the kunai away and stabbed my dad, right in the neck.
It didn't drag out; it didn't even last more than 10 seconds. My dad fell to the ground, dead, before he could even hit it.
This was real, I didn't know how, but I knew it, it was going to happen as if it was set in stone. The cut in my dad's throat wasn't a clean one; it was messy, half-assed, as if he weren't a person, and the shinobi was not paying any mind, as if he weren't a person.
This was reality.
It hit me right then, and there, this was real. I had always known the threat of this world, but I'd never seen it, and the guy who had killed my father, I didn't even recognize from canon.
I woke up startled, immediately sitting up as I held my burning eyes, and I try to rub them and I pull away seeing blood on my hands.
I rushed downstairs, wiping the blood away when I saw my dad packing with my mom, before I clung to his leg in a desperate attempt. He fed me, he clothed me, he told me bedtime stories. I will not let this man die; he is my father in every sense of the word.
"D-dad, please! D-don't go, if you do you'll die!" I stammered out through tears. I would have been embarrassed, but there was no care for embarrassment when you are about to lose a person you care for.
I didn't know how, but I just felt like that moment would happen, as if it was set in stone, it would come to pass, and I needed to prevent it. My dad leaned down with a soft smile and patted my head. "Hey there, Kai, relax. I'll be fine." My mom looked at me with sad eyes from the side.
I looked at him in despair; he wasn't listening; he probably thought I had a nightmare, and sure I did, but I can tell this went beyond nightmare, beyond a dream. "Please! Be safe dad, I am begging you!"
My dad gave a wide grin, like when he made an unfunny joke, "Hey kid, no worries, I'll be fine, ok? Maybe I'll come back famous."
"Just..please be safe," I felt exhausted for some reason, and I collapsed into deep sleep.
(Ken Tokitō POV - Konoha Year 38 - Tokitō Residence)
I looked in contemplation as my son, my baby boy, fell asleep in my arms. My life as a Jonin has always been dangerous; I always knew I would probably die young.
Most ninja die young; my wife was lucky to retire after she gave birth. Watching as the tears fell from my son's face filled me with pure determination.
I had always been a little careless, always thinking 'I would die anyway, might as well live a little' never realizing that this family, my loved ones, were my life.
'Fine, I'll be serious for once..for him.' I look at my wife, the love of my life, the other half of my soul, who looked at me in worry, 'And for her.'
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First chapter of the day! This was probably like 1000 words, which I didn't expect to write that much, next chapter is the start of a mini arc that will last like 5 - 10 chapters.
Please how was the chapter? Good? Bad? Meh?
The goal is 200 powerstones for a bonus chapter, I am thinking of posting like 2-3 chapters per day anyway, I am genuinely enjoying writing this.