"My name's Koushiro. You're the princess"
Like a tiny owl, Oboro no Iga stared up at the boy who had thus introduced himself. She had been picking flowers in the garden; he was looking down from the roof of the Iga clan mansion.
"Ooo, you'll fall down!"
"Shinobi don't fall down, silly. Climb up yourself–no, I'll come down." Koushiro flipped off the roof, landing with a slight wobble in front of Oboro, who oo'ed again in delight. He looked about eight, older than Oboro, with messy hair, and an appealing permanent scowl, "Your eyes are funny, princess."
"H...how so?"
"Dunno. They're really big. And all shiny. Want to play something?"
"I was just picking some flowers for the lunch table…."
"Hmph." Peeking sidelong at the trainee Shinobi, Oboro realised he had no solid objections, and smoothed her thick silk yukata to peer under a hedge. Koushiro ambled after her in his miniature black fatigues, idly grappling thin air as if practising a dance. The garden had been laid out on austere lines, with a wide lawn, and ink-dark Japanese pines. Oboro's smile seemed like sunshine among clouds, as she knelt to breath in the scent of violets.
"What're the flowers for, anyway? Poisons, right?"
"No, they're meant to be pretty. Do you…um, think about ninjitsu all the time?"
"Yeah. We're Shinobi, aren't we? I'm the best in my class at breath control, acrobatics, and thrown weapons; Tenzen-Sama's even trained me some himself. I think working hard to get the strongest ninjitsu we can is the best thing–" A sniff cut Koushiro off dead, "You're crying. What is it?"
"I…can't do any ninjitsu, not throwing knives, or even climbing a tree. I've tried lots of things…but I can't be good like Koushiro-kun, and I'm so afraid of shaming the Iga Shinobi clan..." Turning red, Koushiro stared at the base of a wall. As Oboro began to sob out, Koushirou tore a strip from his leggings and held it out to her for a handkerchief. "Thank you, Koushiro-kun."
"It's nothing. Honor to serve." Oboro's laughter was bright with her sadness; Koushiro smiled awkwardly but fully.
"If you can come tomorrow, I'll show you a family of rabbits in the woods."
"If it's next week, we'll have learnt how to cook small animals by then."
"Eat them…? You're mean!"
Oboro dashed away; Koushiro darted ahead and touched her shoulder.
"What was it that time? You cry too much!" From pure shock, Oboro shrieked out.
A red flash darted from the doors of the mansion straight at Koushiro, who only escaped by leaping into the air. The flash became a teenage girl wielding a tanto. Her lips opened as Koushiro tumbled above her, smiling without thought or restraint.
"Whoa." Koushiro landed on the grass, "You surprised me, nee-san–"
A bo-staff hit Koushiro like a javelin; he fell, curled into his stomach. A big man with forests of hair growing from his face and nostrils stomped up and grabbed him by the neck.
"Laying hands on the clan heir! Addressing her like some commoner! Prepare yourself!" The staff came up, and Oboro shrieked, "Ah…your punishment will be later in the training dojang–!"
"No, Nenki-Dono, don't punish him at all! He didn't do anything wrong, I just let him talk wrongly to me, so…so, you can beat me if you want! But if you hurt him, I'll hate you for a long time!" Nenki started back from Oboro's streaming eyes, as if facing armed foes. He rounded on Oboro's attendant, who knelt to confess all fault as her own, and beg permission to receive any punishment due. Koushirou watched them with wide eyes, choking gently.
"Some serious affair in the wind?" Tenzen, the Jonin commander of the Iga Shinobi, strolled out of the mansion. Everyone present but Oboro straightened up. Nenki blustered through a terse explanation.
"As clan heir, Oboro-Sama cannot be informally addressed, or even approached, by a trainee Genin. Will you admit your fault, Koushiro?"
"Yes, I acted shamefully, Tenzen-Sama, I'm sorry, Tenzen-Sama. Please don't send me away."
"I think a simple beating will suffice. Take him away, Nenki."
"No! Koushiro-kun obviously never learnt about etiquette, but I should have told him! I told you, you should punish me!" Oboro's attendant silently moved in front of her.
"Oboro-Sama, you've never seen a trainee punishment. I cannot allow you to do this."
"Akeginu!"
Tenzen's lip curled as he turned to Koushiro.
"It seems these noble ladies wish to spare you from pain, Koushiro. A Shinobi who escapes at another's expense need feel no shame." The child felt his soul vanish into the cold of Tenzen's eyes, "Or would you rather…show pity?"
Oboro's moonstone eyes begged Koushirou to let her show that she was princess of the Iga Shinobi. But she was shaking with fear, and Koushiro cast his eyes from her.
"A Shinobi must suffer everything and survive, Tenzen-Sama. I'll take it."
"Be grateful that it will make you stronger." Tenzen hid a sour look.
Oboro wept into Akeginu's side. Koushiro shut his eyes, and smiled proudly in the darkness.