I Have no rights to Naruto.
Enjoy.
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As many children did, especially little girls, Morino Kaida sometimes played dress up. But her dress up was the same as other little boys and girls. Her tea parties were never teddies and dolls around a table.
She dressed in black, tied her teddies to chairs and played interrogator. She was the ANBU saving the day, stopping the enemy in one fell swoop and saving the client or an important Lord. And as many children do in dress up and play time she riffled through her parents closets, she opened cupboards and presses. But not many children at eight years of age can use Chakra to walk on walls, which led Kaida to sit on the ground beside her parents'bed holding two black ANBU masks. They had been boxed away, wrapped in soft cloths and Kaida for some reason couldn't do anything but stare at them in awe.
"Woooooow."
"Angel, what have you got there?"
Looking over her shoulder Kaida lifted the masks to show her father, emerald eyes wide in question. "Are these yours?"
Taking a deep breath Ibiki went to the side of the bed and sat, pulling Kaida, masks and all in her hands onto his lap.
"Mine and your mom's Angel."
"They are amazing, what were your code names, signature mov…"
"Angel." Ibiki interrupted her with a gentle smile. "Things are not that simple. You Mom and I are proud of what we have achieved, we have no regrets, those masks are both the best and worst of us. We protected Konoha and our family but they were dark times. We also did terrible things."
"Dad-"
"No Angel listen." Ibiki waited until he had his little Angel's full attention, she would know what he was saying but true understanding would come later.
"We love you and are proud of you, so so proud. We would and have destroyed and killed to protect you, and we would do it in a heartbeat again, all of it. But there is no doubt that your mom and I are a little crazy, no Shinobi is hundred percent normal not the good ones. Depending on the side you are on we are soldiers, saviours, protectors or we are assassins, killers and monsters."
Kaida nodded, she knew this, even amongst the academy kids, and other Genin teams she was different, Seko and Juca were the same. What they found acceptable others thought too much or weird.
"You don't know yet Angel, but you will learn, experience is the greatest teacher, especially for us. At the moment, Sai is protecting you, as is the Hokage and all of us. We do our best to protect Genin, you've seen more than most but when you make your first kill it will stop you."
Ibiki weighed his words, his little Angel was eight, Chunin exam in a year or so if she did as expected but there was no doubt. For all that they had done, trained her, showed her and let her do, it had all been strictly controlled. Teaching her little by little, building up the experience her intelligence and abilities nurtured and guided the best they could hoping to raise her right and not have her go down the wrong path that so many Shinobi did.
"We justify it Angel, Kaida." Angel straightened, her Dad rarely calling her by her proper name getting her full attention and making her not only listen but think about is words.
"We justify what we do. But it must be for the right reasons. Your Mom and I did terrible things protecting Konoha, protecting our family and friends. Protecting you, we have no regrets but deal with the consequences that come with what we did.
When you interrogate, when you kill there must be a reason, to protect or save a life. If you do it just because then you are no better than the scum I deal with and send my ANBU to take care of.
Terrible things have to be done, but you must make sure it is for the right reason."
Angel was solemn hands tracing the outlines of black mask in her hand, her Dad's mask, Ibiki holding the other as he gently asked. "Do you know why we wear masks?"
"So the enemy doesn't know who you are, so they can't blame Konoha." Kaida bit her lip eyes darting between the two masks before lifting her head to meet her Dad's eyes. "The enemy doesn't know who you are and can't hurt you family or friends."
Gently Ibiki took his mask from her little hands and scooting her off his lap reached over and wrapped the masks up, placed them in the box and shut it with a soft click that seemed to echo in the room. Putting the box high up on the top wardrobe shelf Ibiki agreed. "We wear masks so the enemy can't hurt our family or friends, we work alone so no one else gets hurts, we protect Konoha and our loved ones so they can be safe and happy."
Wrapping a hand around her shoulder Ibiki steered her out of the room, knowing the true story about the masks would come in a few years but for now he wanted to enjoy the time he had with his little girls. "Hot chocolate time, and you can tell me about the escort mission you are going on next week.
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