Chapter One: And So We Begin...
"I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other." ― Jojo Moyes
Izami was just six years old when she came to The Village Hidden in the Leaves. The reason was apparently by a mixture of her own strange request, and her father wanting his child to become stronger. Her family was filled with people with great skill, but she had somehow missed out on that part.
The six year old didn't really mind the move. SHe would still be allowed to see her family on occasion. She mostly knew that by having her ninja life in the Leaf, she would have dual citizenship, and she rather liked the thought of having something nobody else had in the family. Her two brothers, her twin Tachi, and her older brother, Hikaru, had chosen to stay behind in the Village Hidden in the Clouds, their home village.
It was just Izami, and her parents escorting the young child to the village since both had school to attend. Somehow, Izami felt better knowing that it was just her parents, and herself for once.
As they neared the gates, Izami's eyes flickered to her parents. The stoic, handsome face with dark green eyes that matched her own, and dark brown hair belonged to that of her father. The one who always treated her like a task he'd rather not have, but she knew, on some level, that he cared about her. Or at least, that's what her mother always told her when Izami complained.
At the thought of her mother, Izami's green eyes flickered to the soft, pale, beautiful face with light blue eyes, eyes like her two brothers eyes, light brown hair with a slight spikiness, like the young child's hair, that belonged to her mother. The same mother that while she tried to show a happy face, and treat her children the same, was emotionally distant.
At that time, she wished either one of them would just say something, anything. Anything was better than the silence she had endured for the last few hours. Izami hated silence. Just something was better than this utter silence that just screamed about the situation at hand.
Izami sighed heavily when neither said anything. SHe looked at the ground with a bit of a sad expression. Of course, that is when someone said something to break the awkward silence.
"Izami, raise your head, and wipe that look from your face. You're a Sato. Start acting like one." Her father spoke sternly, as he often did, and cut Izami a sharp look.
The tone didn't totally bother Izami. She had heard it alot, wether it be directed at her or someone else, she had heard the stern tone enough times to no longer be bothered by it. However, she did do as she was told, as always. She simply nodded as she adopted the confident, open smile that she was used to painting on her face.
Her father seemed content with his usually head strong daughter's unusual compliance, and looked foreward. Nothing else was said as they went through security, and into the village.
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Izami wasn't sure what to think of the small glimpses she caught of Kohona. People bustled every which way. A mixture of ninja and civilian,old, young, groups, singles, every type of person seemed to be going somewhere. Some talked, while others seemed blissfully happy ignoring the young Sato child would catch glimpses of children her age, about five years old, loitering around in groups either with what Izami assumed to be their families, or a group of friends.
Smells came from every which way that ranged from the sweet smells of roses, to the spicy smell of orange chicken to the sweet smells of nature. Her eyes flickered back to her parents, and then to the shinobi leading them to the Hokage Tower, before looking at her feet again.
It was another ten minutes of walking before they reached the tower. Izami was glad to have reached the building. Not because she was tired, though that was part of the reason, but because she just wanted the day to be over. The two shinobi lead the small family into the tower without saying much, like the trip there had been.
Izami's eyes took in everything she saw. The hallways were rounded, like some sort of maze. A pale tan carpet beneath their feet, red lining, and then dark green walls followed by an of-white ceiling. Each door was wooden, and left their original light brown color. The only door that was different was one that was painted red. One of the shinobi knocked, stepping back as they waited for a reply.
"Come in, please!" Came the sound of an older, but kind voice just a few moments later.
Izami sucked in a breath, tensing up, though she couldn't be sure why she was suddenly so tense. perhaps it was due to the fact that now that they stood in front of the Hokage's office, it was suddenly real. She was really going through with this whole ordeal. It suddenly hit her that she would be separated from her family, and would be placed in the care of a stranger, someone she didn't even know. That scared her more than the thought of being separated from her family, and she couldn't even explain to herself why it was that way.
However, the shinobi that had led them there to the Hokage office had opened the door, and was waiting for the family to enter. Izami's father had entered, but Izami, in her distress, had stayed frozen, looking inside the room with a look of fright. Her mother looked at her daughter, worried because her child looked so frightened. Not that she could blame her child. This whole thing was taxing on the family as well. Wether Izami knew that, or understood it, was another story in itself. However, her mother seemingly put away her own fears and doubts, and patted her daughter's back. SHe was both comforting her distressed child, and gently moving Izami further into the room so she wouldn't be holding anyone up.
As they entered the room, Izami took in what she saw. The room was circular, pale walls with pale floors with a pale ceiling. Windows lined everywhere around the room, letting in alot of light. Izami's eyes eventually settled on a rather large desk in the center of the room where an old man with a red kimono on that was under a white haori. His dark eyes took in the appearance of the family that had just stepped into the room. His eyes seemed to focus on Izami, making her feel uncomfortable, but she held her composure.
"Hokage-sama, thank you for welcoming my family and I into your village." Izami's father and mother bowed, leaving Izami shocked. She had never seen her father bow to anyone before, but she took that as her cue, and quickly bowed before straightening out her posture. The hokage smiled slightly, and nodded.
"I have to say, I am surprised by the request. Are you sure this is the best arrangement?"
It was an obvious statement made by the older man. It was very rare that a shinobi from another village, another land, had agreed, and made arrangements for their child to live, and be taught shinobi ways of that village, without any family ties, or political if the Cloud and Leaf were relatively peaceful with one another, it was still a strange request.
Izami could only imagine what would be said next. It would be nothing more than the adults making arrangements for her. Living, school, medical, and other such things. Things, she would rather not hear. Not pay attention to because she knew it would only bore her to death. Her mind quickly tuned out what the adults were saying, and began to focus more on her surroundings.
The windows the room let her see some of the outside world around her. Some windows allowed her to see people entering or leaving or passing by the building. Some were obviously shinobi while others were civilians. Another window she'd be staring at the green leaves of the trees around the tower. Another window, and she saw the red, rounded roofs of the Hokage Tower.
Izami's eyes took in the appearance of the shinobi in the room. One a tall man with pale skin, dark hair, and pale, pupiless eyes. He wore a robe, and a stern expression. The one beside him was a handsome man who looked no older than twenty. He had dark colored eyes that were the color of charcoal with pale skin, and dark brown hair. He had a care-free grin on his face, and had on a dark blue shirt with matching pants. His hands were in his pocket. He looked at Izami, and winked playfully. Izami blushed, and rested her head against her mother's chest, still ignoring what they were talking about.
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"I may be giving my child up to you guys for the moment being, but I want reassurance that you aren't going to stick her with someone incompetent of raising her." Her father's tone was harsh, accusatory in a way as he spoke to the Hokage. His arms crossed over his chest. Izami glanced at him, slightly red from embarrassment. Did her father have to be rude to the leader of the village that his daughter was going to live in? Couldn't he be just a little respectful?
The Hokage gave a slightly exhausted sigh, but nodded. This was one of the many reason they so rarely accepted transfer requests. Often, families got this way, and tended to be a bit overprotective of their child. His dark eyes flickered to the child for a moment, and then at her parents.
"Trust me when I say I have thought of the perfect person to raise her, and over see her training." The Hokage said simply, hoping to pacify Izami's father.
"This person better be the best. I want proof." Her father, stubborn as ever, crossed his arms over his chest. The Hokage gave a slightly strained smile as he gave a slight nod of the head.
"You'll have all the proof you need in just a moment, Sato-san." It was less than ten seconds after those words were uttered that a cloud of smoke appeared in the room.
What came out of the smoke was a tall man with spiky sliver hair, his face concealed by what looked like a dog mask. He wore a white flak jacket with no sleeves, just straps going over the shoulders. He wore a black shirt under that that was also sleeveless, black pants, and arm guards that covered most of what would have been unprotected other wise. He bowed on one knee the Hokage, only raising when the Hoakge had asked him.
"Is this the person?" Izami's father questioned, his green eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to decode who the person was that stood beside the Hokage.
"Yes. Why don't you remove your mask Kakashi-san." Izami looked out of the corner of her eyes as her parents both seemed to tense up slightly.
She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. She had never seen her parents intimidated before. Izami then looked back at the obviously important person that stood beside the Hokage, the mask now removed, but half his face was still obscured, one of his eyes were even covered. Izami eyed him doubtfully, and then looked at her parents, who at that point had relaxed.
Izami then looked back at the person again. Kakashi,she suddenly remembered. This was Kakashi. A name so familiar, and yet so foreign to her at the same time.
"Who are you?" She found herself questioning doubtfully. The person, Kakashi, smiled slightly.
"My name's Kakashi Hatake, and I will be the person taking care of you." He said bluntly, though a slightly bright tone to his words. Izami just looked at him doubtfully, some form of doubt was starting to take place in her gut.
"Well, you out did yourself. I have to say, this is a surprise." Izami glanced at her father, who geninually looked surprised, and pleased at the same time.
Izami looked back at Kakashi doubtfully as he continued to smile beneath his hidden features. He didn't look all that impressive. He looked like some werido to her. Espically with that hair of his.
"I've heard of the many things you've done. You're really something else." Her mother said in a very happy tone, almost like a reporter getting to interview her idol.
Kakashi looked over from Izami to her parents.
"Well, thank you. " And with that stated, her parents each took turns asking him questions, which he answered without faltering.
Izami had to give him credit for not being intimidated, like most people seemed to be when it came to her father. In fact, Kakashi was acting like he was talking to an old friend.
When everything was said, and done, Izami left the room with Kakashi, and her parents. They were going to get her settled into her new home. Izami hated the way it sounded in her mind. What was the point in trying to make her comfortable when she knew it was only temporary?
She glanced up at Kakashi, who then looked at her with a small smile. Even though his face was hidden, Izami could still tell that he was smiling at her. Izami scowled, and looked away. This was all too awkward.