Sumire's POV
It was already the first day of March and it meant my sixth birthday is approaching in a few days. Spring has come again in Konoha, and the weather was becoming more inviting. My birthday is still on the 7th of March and there is still a week left before that day finally arrives. I am already excited because I never had friends celebrating it with me before and my birthday had already passed when we went to Konoha last year.
My father knocked on my bedroom door with a smile on his face. "Good morning, my daughter." Then he took a deep breath and sat on the bed with me, "I have news from the capital, I don't know how you'll take it but it's better for you to know sooner than later."
I nodded in response as I waited for my father to continue.
"Your grandfather had requested for us to come for your birthday. He wants for you to celebrate there since he rarely sees you anymore" He said softly, waiting for my response.
I scrunch my eyebrows slightly, "But how about Kakashi, father? Or Kurenai? I wanted go see grandfather too, but I was expecting to celebrate with my friends." I said in a disappointed voice.
"I already thought you'd say that. I am sad to say that I cannot fulfill all your requests." My dad said truthfully.
I sighed before speaking, "I understand father. When do we leave?"
"Two days from now, we'll stay there for maybe a week or two. Let's see how things go." He said then tried to cheer me up, "Lighten up, princess. I am sure you'd somehow enjoy it even if we celebrate there."
I nodded in response and thought of what to pack for the trip. I would need to tell Kurenai about it , she would be sad but I will make sure to get her something nice from the capital as a souvenir.
And Kakashi, I sighed deeply as I thought of him. I could already imagine his gray eyes filled with disappointment. It makes me unhappy whenever he is sad.
I just want this trip to be over soon.
School went by quickly that day. I haven't paid much attention to the first two periods since I already knew most of the topics by heart, I am a bookworm after all. But I tried my best in practical training, I know it is the area where I am lacking. I am good with taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu but it could be better. My physical strength definitely needs to catch up with my mental capacity. If I could improve my practical training and physical strength, I am sure I could be considered for an early promotion to genin.
After the academy dismissal, I asked Kurenai to go to the park and hang out for a bit before we went home, which she agreed to. I decided to tell her about my family's plan to celebrate outside Konoha.
"Nai-chan", I called her nickname affectionately. "I will be leaving with my father the next day. My mother's relatives requested that I celebrate with them this year." I explained to her.
"Your mother? You've never mentioned her before." She questioned me then added, "And I've never really asked either."
"Yeah, well she died after my birth. She is not from Konoha and lived in the capital city of Hi no Kuni. She isn't from a shinobi family." I truthfully replied but made sure to be vague about the important details
She looked solemn while tapping my shoulders to comfort me, "I am sorry to hear that, I am sure your birthday will be nice since you'd get to spend time with your relatives."
"I know. I am just disappointed because I thought I'd get to celebrate it here in Konoha this year." I replied as I gazed at the setting sun in the sky with a longing expression.
"Cheer up, Sumi-chan", she said while giving me a big smile. "You'll get many more birthdays to celebrate here in Konoha!"
I smiled at her cheerfulness, "I'd get you something from the capital. Father already talked with the academy director about my absence for a couple of weeks." I said in a casual tone.
"Don't worry, I'll catch you up with what you'll miss when you leave, and give you your gift when you return." She said warmly as we stood up and made our way back to our homes.
We said our goodbyes at the crossroads, she headed towards the district where the newer clan compounds were built while I headed towards the outskirts heading to the old clan grounds.
I knew the ANBU were following me, I could feel their familiar presence hiding among the shadows of the trees lining up the dirt road. I've started feeling other people's chakra a few weeks ago. I think I unlocked this ability after doing a lot of chakra control exercises with Kakashi. I haven't told anyone about it yet though.
After quite a while, I reached the clan boundary and stood in front of the gate. Father mentioned that he had activated all the barriers and protection seals around the property grounds, so people couldn't pass through if they aren't permitted or registered on the seals. Kakashi got lucky the day we met since the invisible barriers weren't up during that time yet, of course dad already registered the Hatake family since they are our most frequent guest and Kakashi practically lives here half of the time. He even has his own room with half of his belongings permanently stored there.
Tsunade onee-san had been lax with security because she only had herself to look out for before we moved back, and people were scared of her monstrous strength and fiery temper so they wouldn't dare cross her.
I touched the middle part of the gate and pushed a little bit of my chakra onto the barely visible ink mark to unlock it and went in. However, before the gate closed, another figure entered and held me from behind. I yelped in surprise and turned around to confront the intruder, but relaxed when I saw Kakashi with his face mask down and looking very smug, "How did you sneak up on me? I didn't feel you at all." I asked him while poking his cheeks.
"Well my Sumi-chan, I used the Chameleon Jutsu that Minato-sensei recently taught me", the silver-haired boy said proudly before hugging me like he always did these days. He added after a while, "And I suppressed my chakra. But what did you mean when you said you didn't feel me at all?"
I linked my arms to his as we walked towards the house, "I'll tell you a secret, Kashi. I've already learned how to feel chakra signatures. Yours feel very contradicting. It feels cool and gives me a tingling sensation. It feels the same when you feel static electricity on the skin, but instead I feel it within me, I guess that's how chakra sensory works. But the longer I feel you, it gets calmer then it would feel warmer.", I said excitedly to him.
"That's nice, but can you do this?" He halted his steps then glanced my way, he was observing my reaction on what he's about to do. I felt him slowly pouring out his chakra in the air towards me and then enclosing my whole body in his very familiar essence. It felt very nice and comforting. I hugged his arm as I felt it and closed my eyes, savoring his invading presence within me.
The chakra he willingly sent through me settled on my insides. Like my core accepted it and let it stay there. I felt all of my chakra flaring and buzzing after it happened, then it slowly calmed down and I felt peace within me. It felt comfortable and warm like a cuddle.
"It felt like I was on a cloud", I said while slightly dazed. "I feel recharged, that's an amazing cuddle, or a power hug." I did not know what to call it but I think the power hug is a fitting term for it.
Kakashi just chuckled and put an arm around my shoulder, "I would give you that everyday, and more. As long as I'm around."
I replied, "I know your chakra signature by heart already. Once I improve this ability you'll never be able to suppress your chakra from me. I would find you anywhere you hide!" I exclaimed at him while tugging his arm happily.
I heard him laugh at my animated words as we continued to walk. We entered the house and sat by the living room couch.
"You know Minato-sensei is also a sensor. He also said the same thing, but he never said anything about it being contradicting." The silver-haired boy then held my hand, "It's the same as what you said but only your first description, he explained that it's cold and electrifying because I have a lightning affinity."
I scrunch my eyebrows a bit then looked at him, "Your affinity does explain why it feels very cool and electrifying. But I felt it change, Kashi. The longer I feel your chakra the warmer and calmer it gets." I said as I tried to convince him.
He touched the tip of my nose fondly while saying, "I believe you. We could ask sensei about it, and he could explain."
"Yeah, but can you teach me how you directed it to me? It's like an invisible embrace." I asked the boy beside me.
"Have you heard about killer intent?", Kakashi asked.
I nodded in response and waited for him to continue.
"When you face an enemy shinobi, they would make you feel their killer intent by overloading their chakra presence and directing it to you. But they would do it with bloodlust, pouring all their negative emotions into it. The strongest shinobi can inflict fear onto others by just doing that, making their opponents unable to move, paralyzed by fear." He began his explanation slowly for me, his voice sounded so cool and calm. I put my feet up on the couch, getting myself comfortable as he continued. "It's the opposite of what I did earlier when I suppressed my chakra presence from you. So among a team, a sensor like you would feel it the strongest if you face an enemy giving the killer intent." He explained, then gave me a reassuring smile.
"Do you understand?" He asked me, I nodded in response before he continued his explanation.
"You don't need to worry though, you can counter that by also doing the same thing. You just need to channel your chakra to your opponent and make sure you put all your negative emotions into it. The more you can channel and display the presence and power of your chakra, the more you can intimidate them and eventually overpower their killer intent" He said in a gentle smile.
I didn't interrupt him so he continued, "The chakra embrace I gave you, or power hug as we call it," he paused then looked at me adoringly while he remembered our earlier encounter. "It was done with the same principle used in giving the killer intent. But instead of your negative emotions, you think of the positive ones. Like this." Then he did the chakra embrace again as he invaded my space with his very familiar presence.
I sighed deeply in contentment and closed my eyes for a long time. His chakra lingered around me for a bit before I turned to him to ask how he does it.
He looked very happy, his eyes gazing softly at me and a gentle smile set on his lips. I asked him, "How did you collect all your emotions that quickly, wouldn't you need more time to kind of gather it together before you could channel it? And wouldn't it be hard to let it stay for a longer span of time like how you did a while ago?" I asked him with curiosity in my eyes.
He gave me a wider smile before saying "I don't know all the specific answers to your questions. I don't have a complex way of doing it and gathering all my happy thoughts isn't that too complicated. I just have one method."
"And that method is?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.
He held my hand and looked directly in my eyes as he said, "I think of you." Then a burst of chakra was channeled directly into me. He let me experience and savor all its warmth, coolness, calmness and the electrifying unrest. It overflowed through me, the dominating presence surrounded me. I did not fight, I received it openly instead because I felt like it belonged within me.
I processed what he said as I felt his familiar chakra slowly recede and was gone in a couple more seconds. I followed his one-step method and I thought of him. All the passing moments, happy memories, warm sensations, sweet words, and everything else about him. I put him at the center of my mind then slowly moved my chakra towards him.
As soon as I let it flow in the air and touched him, he gasped and trembled slightly before making himself sit still as he felt the new sensations. I guess he never felt chakra from others that strongly before since he isn't a sensor. I gave him a chakra power hug and let it stay on him for a moment. I slowly receded my presence from him and asked him, "So how did it feel?"
"It felt complete." Kakashi whispered softly, "Like something moved inside, and then was placed correctly."
"I kind of get your feeling, like it belongs with you right?" I said
"Yeah, it does." He stared at me in wonder before adding, "Your chakra feels very light almost like air but not quite, since there's something that weighs it down like water. It also felt cool, and very still. It's refreshing, and calming. Maybe I could compare it to the morning dew? It felt very familiar too, like I've known it even before the first time you let me feel it."
"Ohhh, I probably have water affinity if you describe it like that. My dad and grandfather Tobirama had strong water affinity, maybe I've got it too? I haven't checked my affinity yet so I am not sure."
Kakashi just glanced at me for a long time like he was still processing what had just happened. I also tried to think why it felt like I am now kind of different, but somehow still the same. It's really confusing and I see that he was also trying to figure out something based on his facial expression.
I tried to stop ourselves from overthinking the situation by starting a different conversation.
"We'll be going to the capital city the next day, father said we'll stay there maybe for a week or two and celebrate my birthday there." I told him casually, trying to sound that I am fine with the arrangement.
He looked at me with a calm face but I can see the sadness in his eyes. "I see, better to give you my gift today then." He tried to sound cheerful but I know he feels unhappy about it. "I brought this gift when I went on a mission with sensei a month ago. We had an escort mission to guard a jeweler to travel back to his home in the Land of Iron. I bought it from him." He explained while he reached out for his pouch and took out a storage scroll. He unsealed a small box from it.
He handed me the item and I opened it carefully. I saw a round pendant with a stone having a dark gray hue. There is one letter marked at the middle, it turned out to be a letter K as I looked at it closely. The letter is barely visible since it is written in black and the gray hue of the outer part of the stone made it hard to read. I looked at it closely and realized the color turns lighter as I move it in a different angle, making the K more visible. I flipped it over and saw that a metal design was intricately placed all over the back part to hold the stone in place. I can see an outline of a figure, and then realized that the metal was shaped like a sumire flower.
Kakashi then explained, "This is a chakra conductive metal", he explained as he pointed to the metal design at the back and around the stone. "Inside this is an amethyst stone with a very durable protective glass placed on top, that's the gray hue you're seeing and where the letter K is marked onto", he added while pointing to the stone set in the middle.
Then he reached around his neck and he showed me a similar necklace before he explained, "This is the same material as yours, but I've put your initial on it. I decided to put some lightning patterns on the metal design at the back since its my affinity." I inspected his pendant closely and noticed that an S is indeed marked in front, then I checked the back design and saw multiple jagged lines that resembled a very beautiful lightning strike.
"Wow." I whispered softly as I looked between our matching necklaces.
"The jeweler who made that is a very popular craftsman but his items are very rare to obtain, he just doesn't sell to anyone since he picks his clients and the number is very limited." He explained quickly then instructed me to activate the object. "Touch my necklace and push a little bit of your chakra onto it. It would register in the pendant and somehow activate it." He said as he gazed at me.
I did what he asked and saw the metal frame and design turned light blue. The chakra made the stone glow, revealing its real amethyst color and the lightning pattern design with the same light blue shade can be seen through the stone without flipping it over. The amethyst looked see-through, somewhat like a crystal. The letter S written at the front became more visible ,as the gray hue of the glass vanished with the chakra glowing within and illuminating the stone.
It looked like a purple sky with a light blue lightning strike, and my initial in black marking can be clearly seen now.
"That shade of blue is your chakra, Sumire. Now, I'll carry a part of you everywhere I go." He whispered softly, as we both looked at the beautiful necklace he was wearing.
He then touched my necklace and pushed his chakra on it, it glowed a dazzling white. I can clearly see the outline of the flower glowing with the white chakra, the see-through stone revealed its purple color and the letter K became more visible as the outer gray hue of the glass vanished with the glowing chakra within. It is the same thing that had happened with his necklace.
It looked like a drawing of a white sumire flower on a purple background. The letter K looks more defined since the black marking became more visible with his chakra illuminating the stone.
"And now I have you with me too, Kashi. Thank you for the best gift." I gratefully said to him then hugged him, my mind and heart in total bliss. The smile on my face is probably as wide as the hokage mountain.
We noticed the chakra necklaces grew brighter when we moved closer and embraced each other. "So it reacts with distance too, I wonder what else it can do", Kakashi said while looking in awe. "Well, this is great. Now I know how far or near you are from me wherever you go." He said with a satisfied look on his face.
"Yeah, it's amazing. How did you even get these two necklaces if it's rare?" I asked curiously to him.
"I saved the jeweler's life a few times from multiple bandit attacks during the mission. He made me choose among his products. He gave me a good price for saving his life. He insisted that I only paid for the cost of the raw materials, his craftsmanship is free since I saved him." He truthfully explained. "I saw the amethyst stone and I thought of how it reminded me of your eyes. So I chose that, then he said he does custom designs for the metal framings at the back. I even paid extra for the chakra conductive metal, I'm glad I did though." He said feeling very satisfied with his decision.
"But it must have cost you a lot." I said looking and feeling guilty for receiving a very amazing and probably expensive gift.
"It's fine, it might have cost me 12 C-rank pays, 3 B-ranks and an A-rank. But I would still get it for you even if it costs an arm and a leg." He said playfully, "Don't worry, with Minato as my sensei, I get all the worst luck with low rank missions always getting upgraded to higher ranks. But I do get paid well, so no complaints."
"What?! You're already going to A and B-ranks? And this is that expensive?" I was quite scandalized by the revelation.
"Relax, it's fine. Don't get too surprised with the price, I will get you a lot more of that in the future." He said in a very happy tone. "Just wait until I get promoted to jonin." He then laughed loudly, probably remembering our previous conversation with father.
I listened as he laughed warmly, never realizing it would be the last time I would hear that sound for a very long time.
My father and I were already prepared to go. The carriage had been hauled from the stables, and the team of ANBU escorts were already lined up. Kakashi was here to see us off. He was standing outside the clan gate with his dad, waiting beside the carriage.
"Take care, Sumire. Happy Birthday in advance. Don't remove the necklace so you'll have me with you." He said in a cheerful tone, but his eyes looked sad.
"You too, Kashi. Take me with you everywhere. Even when you go on your missions." I smiled at him happily, trying to brighten the mood.
Then he gave me a hug as he whispered softly in my ear, "Come back to me soon, okay?" I felt the familiar presence of chakra wrapped around me and it settled within me like last time.
"I will, just wait for me." I whispered back while I returned the hug and enveloped him in my chakra as well.
I noticed both of our necklaces brightened in very bright blue and white as we embraced each other.
My dad then hurried me in the carriage so we could arrive on time at the capital. I waved at Kakashi from the open window, and gave Sakumo oji-san a big smile and a wave as well.
Dad said his goodbyes to the Hatake family as well and came inside the carriage with me. He closed the door with a lock and slid down the window to shut it as well. The glass window worked like a one-way mirror; you could see from the inside, but people wouldn't be able to see you from the outside.
I watched as our carriage passed through the dirt grounds along the outskirts and into the town center. People were looking at the passing horse-drawn carriage with a team of ANBU following it with interest, since such a sight could rarely be seen inside Konoha.
I saw several familiar faces around town as we approached the gate heading out of the village. The faces of the three hokages sculpted on the mountain became smaller as we moved farther from the village.