Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. Simple, no?
Sea Child
Kakashi made his way along the rocky coast. He had been sent to Water to kill a politician and now wanted nothing more than to return home to Konoha.
His gaze ran across the beach, debris scattered heavily due to the storm that had ended only hours earlier. The same storm which had made his escape much easier.
He blinked as a faint sound pierced the air. Kakashi listened carefully as it rang out. It was a thin, shrill cry. Kakashi made his way towards the source.
There was a wall of rock. From behind it, he could hear a quick rush of water, followed by a slithering, the mewling cry and a splash. The sounds were repeated in the same order. Again and again.
The copy-nin climbed up the slippery rocks and peered over the top.
There was a large deep pool, formed by the main rock splitting apart and being blocked seaward by a large slab of rock. As he watched, the seaward end of the pool convulsed and something shot upwards in a burst of foam
He saw a dark head, something dark blue and a silvery tail that drove the creature up the steep slope of the slab that held the pool in. A small, slim arm reach up and clutched, uselessly, falling short of the rim and the thing slithered back into the water with a distressed wail.
Kakashi stared. A small child thrashed in the water. Her tan body was enclosed a flowing robe-like garment that ended at her hip. Her dark hair floated around her head, held out of her face by a comb. Below her waist however, was a long tail covered in silver-green scales.
Kakashi watched as she once again tried to escape her prison. He had heard of these. But didn't stories say they could alter their shape so they could roam on land if they chose? He looked at her. If she were human, he would say she was about three or four. Maybe she was too young. Or maybe the shape changing was nothing more but stories.
Kakashi frowned. He couldn't leave her here. She'd die. He shook his head and made his way to the pool and clambered over rocks towards the stone slab. The next time she tried to grasp the rim he caught her as she slid back down.
The child instantly started to struggle, screaming. Kakashi tightened his grip and tried to soothe her. He carried the writhing, shrieking girl to where the upward climb would be easier. It was still awkward due to her squirms but he held her firmly with one arm as he made his way upwards and then down the other side. There he made his way towards the ocean.
The sea-girl stopped screaming as she realized where he was going and instead clung to him, struggling to breathe out of water.
Kakashi waded into the waves until he was hip-deep and crouched down to lower her into the water. She slipped out of his arms and swam off a few feet and popping back up before she returned to him.
She gazed up at him with large dark eyes, smiling happily as she babbled at him. Kakashi smiled. She was a cute kid he decided as he patted her on the head. She giggled happily.
As he straightened up, he felt something being pressed into his hand. He looked down to see that the girl had removed her comb and was pressing it into his palm whiling trying to bend his fingers to curl around it. Kakashi smiled as he accepted the gift.
The child chirped at him and started to swim off, waving. As she did so she started to sing, a strange wordless song that was incredibly beautiful. He had never heard anything like it.
Kakashi waved back and watched as she dove under and vanished. Then he turned to continue his way home.
Kakashi walked into the mission, his report in hand (two days late, naturally). It was empty, excluding whoever was on desk duty and himself. Then he heard it.
Humming. Someone was humming a song. The same song the sea-child had sang as she swam off. He looked at the desk.
There Umino Iruka was looking over reports, humming to himself. Kakashi walk up to the desk. The chuunin looked up as he handed over his report and smiled.
"Thank you Hatake-san" he said politely before he turned back to his work and resumed his humming.
"Where'd you hear that song?" Kakashi asked, curiously. Iruka stopped humming and gazed at him with dark eyes.
"It's something my parents used to sing" he answered, slightly confused as to why Kakashi was interested. Kakashi mulled over his answer.
"It's nice" he said before he left. Iruka stared after him before shrugging it off and returning to him work.
Kakashi sat in a tree, drumming his fingers absently. He had left out his report the sea-child. No one would ever know of his encounter unless he told them of it.
He held the little sea-girls comb in his hand and examined it. It was a pretty little trinket, made of seashell and coral with pearls decorating it.
He though of the little girl with her tanned skin. Iruka was the only person he had with such dark skin. He hadn't ever even caught a glimpse of someone else with that dark honey skin.
He thought of the girl and her dark, smiling eyes. He though of Iruka and his dark, caring gaze.
He thought of the girl and her song. He thought of Iruka humming that same song.
He thought of the stories that spoke of the sea folk making lives on land for themselves.
He thought of Iruka's name. Umino Iruka. Creature of the Sea.
Was it all simply a coincidence? Or was there a connection?
Kakashi wasn't sure.