Kirin was now invited in my training, not the first -it was always only for me, the heir of the clan Uchiha: The control of my emotions, the history of the village and the clan, politics and the economy. (I secretly envied my sister for not having to undergo this.) But it was my duty and I would respect it.

However, she was with me at every lesson of the Shinobi, either physical or theoretical. Again, with disturbing complementarity – while she was asking more questions on the physical side, I was all the reverse, invested in the theory.

Our mother didn't get up much, father told us that her pregnancy was taking a lot of energy. Thus, Kirin and I always took an hour of our time to come to her room and told her our days. Mother loved to hear about it and she always knew when Kirin needed to be comforted.

I was learning things faster – my sister needed exercise to master something that I could pass on the first try. I knew that in one way or another she envy me a little. But we shared a much stronger bond than this rivalry that our instructors had been pleased to install. Mentally, I understood it: a healthy rivalry would make us grow and evolve ten times faster. But I was always worried that it cost us everything we share, Kirin and me.

I did not have to worry, however, because when Kirin was absent for 10 minutes to seek tea, my mother gently stroked my cheek smiling " Suzaku-Kun, nothing can break your link." This simple sentence reassured me, because there was no one but mother who knew us as well, Kirin and me.

And if she said this, it was true.

This powerful domination that scared me once was turned into a gentle comfort. It was no longer strangers, it was the only person who knew me better than I knew myself.

It happened in the middle of the night.

I woke up with a start, hearing an atrocious cry that came from my mother. Before I knew it, I had left my room and joined the ground floor. Father wore mother in his arms, he was at the door when he felt me coming. Quickly he turned to me and said gravely: "Wake up your sister, find Tatsumi and go to the hospital." A nod and he vanished.

I didn't think I'd leave the Uchiha district for the first time in these conditions. Kirin and I followed quickly Tatsumi, who even though I had woken him rather brutally by knocking on his door, was not in a bad mood and seemed rather anxious.

It was true that my mother's pregnancy, especially her last month, had filled the clan with concern. Rumors said that our birth was already complicated. And now that Tsunade Senju, the best doctor in Konoha was gone, the hospital system had dropped slightly.

There was no agitation tonight – the night was quiet. Mother had fallen pregnant in the middle of spring, the three summer months had passed just like the autumn months. We were now in the middle of winter and that night was his representation – there was no cloud, the full moon shone and only the icy cold frozen the scenery as well.

The hallway where we were waiting was empty, there was not a soul in sight and we could have thought we were alone , if not for the scream of mother who troubled this silence : it made this scene much scarier.

I finally noticed that there was no more noise, no more breath. Kirin shook my hand more strongly. Our father opened the door – I did not manage to decipher his face.

In a sign, he invited us to come in.

Tatsumi didn't follow us.

Our mother was there, her long black hair was wet, her face contained so much joy with on her chest, breathing with all the happiness of the world, a little baby.

It was beautiful. I still remember that at that time I could not think anything else.

Then mother turned her eyes towards us and smiled a little more.

« Suzaku-Kun, Kirin-Chan, come and meet your little brother Fugaku. We approached timidly, like two wild beasts meeting for the very first time in their life's kindness. Our eyes were immense but our minimal actions, we dare neither speak nor breathe lest we disturb this almost divine atmosphere.

Mother laughed and father laid his hands on both our shoulders. Then the mother's eyes fill with tears. "Kirin-Chan, continue to make a lot of effort, okay? I have no doubt that you will become a huge Kunoichi." What? What was going on? Why did mother say that? Why was she crying? Why was she smiling? "and take care of your brothers, the boys will always be boys, they will need you to remind them to reason from time to time." Mother's tender eyes turned to me, Kirin and I have still not moved, our eyes wide-eyed.

"And you Suzaku-Kun, take care of the whole clan. In addition to be an exceptional Shinobi, become an exceptional man, I know you can do it, okay?" Her tears flowed, she tightened Fugaku against her then looked father with love and joy "Thank you for everything you brought me, Kite. I love you so much, you and our family. Take care of Fugaku for me."

Mother closed her eyes.

It was a hard time for our family. We all loved Fugaku But undeniably, he reminded us of what we had lost. Time would erase that, in the weeks to come, our little brother will be our little brother and the wound will be cicatrized. Never healed.

Father had less problem than us – he had lived more, he was already accustomed to the pain. Perhaps not losing the love of his life, but he was a strong and courageous man. He fought every day without ever showing any weakness and he carried us with him in healing. By training, by conversations, by time together: he became the father whom he had never been in the presence of mother.

And I think he was surprised himself. In this difficult time for him, the village had granted him an indefinite leave of absence. It was a kind of retreat, it did not really exist for the Shinobi but there were exceptions as in those moments or even with certain clan leader who could not afford to die on mission (except in cases of force majeure, like war) – that would be his case now. If he had died before, mother would have had the role until I became ready. But now... He could no longer afford to die, except If he wanted the roles in the clan to be turned upside down and someone would overthrow me before I even inherit. (It was rare, but it had already happened once. After the disappearance of Madara-Sama, it was a fierce struggle for power despite the established chain of command.)

In the end, we were still young. No matter how complicated some nights were, the days were always bright.

It was now four years since I was training to control my emotions, I was better – I was often of a disconcerting neutrality but that was what made it a strong point. I could see everything without eyebrow: I had not yet seen everything of course, I probably had not even seen much. But it will now be the experience that I will acquire alone as a Shinobi.

And it is in this first step that Kirin and I are going to start together at the age of 5: the Academy.

A short part that concludes the first chapter "Suzaku".

As it is so small, the next chapter will come Wednesday "What is being a Shinobi" ;)

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