Title:
Acorn
Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Couplings: Shodai
Hokage, Family of Shodai Hokage
Challenge: #1,
"Beginnings"
Rating: PG
Summary:
Everything starts somewhere.
He was so fragile, a tiny little bundle of life with a shock of dark hair and a pudgy little face that would some day turn strong and handsome, weathered by time and war. But for now, the Shodai Hokage was just a baby, a new life, cradled in his mother's arms. She cooed softly to him, her thick black hair that he inherited tickling his button nose lightly, causing the future ninja to sneeze and giggle. His father stood to the side, with the same roughly hewn features and narrow eyes that his sons would take on, a small smile creasing his thin lips. He looked more like his second son would, with hair like powder-snow, but that was neither here nor there. The Nidaime Hokage had yet to be born, and Konoha had yet to rise. The great tree of Konoha was still but an acorn.
"Let the boy sleep," the father finally said, stoking the fire gently to keep the warmth. It had been so long since they had rested.
"In a little while," the woman replied, still smiling down on her son. That pleasant smile belied the strain within. It had been too long since she'd had reason to laugh or be happy, so she took the chance now.
"We don't know how long we have." The sentence needn't be finished. Both adults knew what awaited them deep within the dark woods. They had been running for so many days, so many nights. They were hunted for their talents, and the child had made running harder. But they kept on.
Giving in to her husband, the woman kissed her son's forehead softly, pale pink lips still twisted in that angelic grin. Her words were soft and sweet, like the scent of roses.
"Grow strong, my son. And protect those that you love. Grow like the trees and use your branches to shield your loved ones."
The family slept, and the man who would become a hero dreamt of a future far away.
