Sumire's POV
Ever since I could read, I have been fascinated by the books my tutors would recommend to me. My favorite ones are about Konohagakure no Sato since I enjoy reading about its rich history and the clans that make up most of the shinobi population in the village.
Therefore, I always look forward to the days when my family stays in Konoha. Our visits are very limited and always scheduled during the entirety of the spring season. So I was over the moon when I learned one day that we would take up permanent residence in the village. It was because of clan politics, it made father decide to move back to our clan grounds for good.
I was born in the capital city of Hi no Kuni, and spent my early childhood there. So I truly enjoy my stay in Konoha whenever we could visit, there is a very serene aura that the village exuded. It gave off a certain vibe that made me feel at ease despite the place being full of shinobi. There was something calming about the natural ambiance in the village that I preferred over the high walls and polished floors of the capital.
My father married my mother after the second great war. She was the youngest among three children and the only daughter of the daimyo of Hi no Kuni, the Land of Fire. Father admitted that their marriage was arranged and that it was done in secret to avoid enemies knowing of a politically powerful unification. But they grew to love each other over time, so he was very devastated when my mother passed away. She suffered from severe medical complications after giving birth to me and succumbed to it.
I have no memory of my mom, and I only know her through pictures displayed on the walls and stories told by my father and her relatives. Others would say that she had a very ethereal beauty that was befitting of her title as a princess. I am sad that I never got to see her alive and healthy.
I get reminded all the time about how I look like my mother. People say we have a very striking resemblance, and the only attribute I did not inherit from her was my coloring. Her most prominent facial features can be seen in me. The purple eyes that resemble that of an amethyst crystal, but slightly paler than hers had been. The perky cheeks and defined jawline, and the quirky heart-shaped lips. I didn't inherit her tan complexion or dark brown hair though. Instead, I got a light skin tone and my hair is pale blonde with silver hues, similar to what my father has.
Nonetheless, grandfather had always adored me because I reminded him so much of his deceased daughter. I remember people being wary of him all the time, probably because of his position as the Fire Daimyo. But to me, he's just my sofu, my dear grandfather, who would always fuss over me and read me bedtime stories whenever my father wasn't around. Sometimes, my older cousins would tease him about being unfair since they never got the same treatment from grandfather as I did, but I knew they understood the situation since I was the youngest and the only female among his grandchildren.
I was primarily raised by my father because of my mother's untimely death. Before settling down in Konoha, we were living at the daimyo's castle, as grandfather had insisted on providing for me and making sure I had all my needs taken care of. Even so, my father made sure that I do not get hung up with luxuries and affluence like the rest of my mother's family though. Since he was from a shinobi clan, he always stayed true to his roots and ensured that I would also live by our shinobi clan's customs.
My father also has enough savings and assets due to his own family inheritance, which I can say is more than enough for us. But being part of the feudal lord's family has its advantages and I admit that I do enjoy the perks that come along with belonging to it.
Like being able to access a library that has tens of thousands of books that I could only dream of, if I weren't a part of the family, or the best tutors provided for me for my calligraphy and painting lessons. I am truly grateful for the family I have been blessed with.
On the other hand, my father is named Hideo, a shinobi hailing from the prominent Senju clan. He is the son of Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage, who I never got to meet because he died during the first great shinobi war when my dad was still a child.
People say dad looks every bit like grandfather Tobirama, except for the shade of his silver hair, which has a pale blonde hue mixed into it, a trait he inherited from his mother. He would wear clothes in shades of dark blue and a happuri-style forehead protector similar to what his father had to honor his memory.
Father is one of the two remaining Senju shinobi alive, alongside Tsunade of the Sannin, who is technically my cousin despite her age being the same age as my dad. Both of them had been active as a shinobi of Konoha until the end of the second great war.
His retirement was unexpected, but a critical injury during the war and his marriage to my mother afterwards forced him to let go of his beloved ninja life. He is still able to fight and return to serve as a shinobi if needed, but it's not the same as it was when he was in his prime. Even so, he accepted his fate wholeheartedly. He knew that a broken Senju was still better off than a dead one.
The war had already taken a toll on the number of our clansmen, and being alive to continue the clan's legacy was a great honor for him. Because of that, he made sure to instill his shinobi ways and beliefs in me, as young as I was able to comprehend them. He would say, "A shinobi endures, no matter the sacrifice. For the village. For our comrades."
Father does not like to adhere to the expectations of the noble family that he married into. If you were to question him about it, he would simply say that he is first and foremost a shinobi of Konohagakure before he became a part of the feudal lord's family in the Land of Fire. Aside from that, nobody can fault him since his heritage belonging to the famed Senju clan precedes people's opinion of him.
Although my father is highly respected within the castle walls, his methods of teaching me the shinobi way never failed to raise eyebrows among the people there, especially those old ladies at the court who thinks it is not appropriate for a girl with my status to be be delving into a dangerous lifestyle, ignoring the fact that my father is from a shinobi clan. I know they have a valid reason for this though, because the life of a shinobi is unkind and death is imminent.
Father would always advise me to ignore the nay-sayers and remind me, "No matter your social status, you are a child of the Senju clan. It is your birthright to be a ninja, just as all your ancestors before you."
I have always remembered it by heart.
When I met Kakashi, I did not think that we would cross paths more than once in the same day; I was clearly wrong.
It was barely even midday when I saw him again. His familiar tuft of silver hair standing out among the crowd, a lighter shade than my silver-blonde ones. He looked out of place, just like I was, since the people around us were all adults.
I am unsure if he belongs to an important clan in the village, since I never got to ask his family name, but I am assuming that he does since most of the adults invited seemed to be high-profile individuals or from clans that belong to Konoha. It was surprising to say the least, since I never realized how small our world truly was.
As soon as we entered the courtyard where the guests were waiting for us, my father greeted them eagerly and thanked them for coming. Father truly seemed happy and at ease here at the village. It was his origin after all, and these people were his comrades whom he had fought and bled with during the war.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when my father announced gleefully about our move back to the village. Everyone looked happy with the news and excitedly chatted with one another, I noticed several shinobi in the group who were well-known across the elemental nations such as Tsunade onee-san, Jiraiya the Toad Sage, Sakumo Hatake, and even the Sandaime Hokage. There were others that I did not recognize, however.
Father decided to introduce me to the group. I've never really interacted with anyone from his social circle except for Tsunade onee-san. He called me over and introduced me to these people whom he considered his friends. "Everybody allow me to introduce my daughter to you. The lovely princess of Hi no Kuni, Sumire Senju," he said while beaming and quite proud.
The group of people seemed trustworthy because father would never reveal my heritage to them if they were not.
I was never really a shy person, but I still felt embarrassed when I noticed the masked boy looking at me while standing beside his father. I looked down at my feet with a very bright blush on my cheeks, which my father noticed. Even so, I still managed to bow to the adults to show my respect to them.
"Sakumo," my dad said in a teasing tone. "Who did you bring with you that caught the attention of my daughter?" He probably knew the masked boy already, but he took delight in making fun of me. I could hear the adults chuckling, and they seemed to enjoy the situation better than Kakashi and I since his face was just as red as mine.
The silver-haired boy was able to answer and surprisingly impressed everyone despite being teased, "My name is Kakashi Hatake, Senju-sama. I already met Sumire earlier today." Kakashi said in a very polite way while respectfully tilting his head in a bow.
My father was amused by the scene and he was smiling genuinely at the masked boy. It seemed as though he liked Kakashi and his attitude. I was glad to know since he is good at judging people's character. "Do not be so formal Kakashi-kun. I consider your father a brother in all ways but blood. You can call me your uncle." Dad says fondly to him while ruffling his hair.
"If you insist, Hideo oji-san." He muttered shyly to my dad and then looked in my direction.
Father seemed to realize that Kakashi and I were not comfortable mingling with the adults so he told us to run along and enjoy ourselves. Once again, we bowed respectfully to everyone before we made our way to a corner while we waited to be called for lunch.
"I did not expect to meet you here." I said breaking the awkward silence. I was still unable to directly look at him so I focused my gaze on the ground instead. Our encounter early in the morning is still playing on my mind.
I can feel his stare scrutinizing me before he finally replied, "I did not know about a party happening today, my dad just dragged me along with him. Anyway, you never mentioned you were a Senju princess, Sumire-hime." He playfully replied.
"Oh please. Don't even start with that. I am just Sumire who's trying to learn how to be a great shinobi like my dad was." I said proudly while waving my hands and rolling my eyes, trying to discredit his statement. I am curious about how he will respond to my words.
He gently tapped my shoulder and looked at me fondly, "I believe you can be." I was surprised to see that he did not consider my proclamation as some sort of joke like most people do. Others, except for my dad, never took me seriously when I declared things like this. They thought it was just a phase that I would probably outgrow once I started acting like a proper lady, ignoring the fact that I actually came from a shinobi clan despite my relations with the daimyo.
I was glad to know that Kakashi is unlike most people.
I could not help but smile at him. I felt like he knew what I wanted because he was in the same situation as me. He was born into the Hatake clan, an old clan similar to the Senju, and is bound to give honor and prestige to Konoha. It was probably some sort of duty that most clan children feel like they should fulfill, even though we are not expected to, since we always have a choice to live a civilian life instead.
Maybe he feels the same way I do when it comes to following both of our family's shinobi ways. After all, he was the son of Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha, who had a legendary reputation and was feared by enemies on the battlefield.
"How about you? Are you planning on being a shinobi as well?" I curiously asked him.
"Of course! Actually, I am already attending the academy this term." Kakashi noticed the slight change in my expression. "Why the frown? Aren't you going to register in the academy? I am sure you can pass the requirements." He added to somewhat brighten up the mood.
Truthfully, I replied, "I am already studying under a private instructor, but I would like to attend the academy, if given the opportunity."
He seemed to be in deep thought before asking me, "How about you join me to train every morning? Let's ask your dad first so you won't get in trouble." He seemed to understand that there are unspoken rules I need to follow, I can't just leave the compound every morning without letting anyone know.
I liked his suggestion, so I agreed with a nod. He is very considerate about my situation, and I appreciate it; so I thought of something to do for him to show my gratitude. "In exchange for inviting me to train with you, you are welcome anytime at our house. I am sure my family won't mind. I could show you the library if you like literature. We have tons of good books that are very interesting." I offered.
"Reading is my hobby besides training, so I would gladly accept your offer," he said happily. I was not surprised that he did, since he is very well-spoken and has a good vocabulary like me. It was nice to know we had something in common, as most kids our age weren't that interested in literature.
"Do you want to go and check it out now? This party is pretty boring, just adults talking about grown up stuff." I spoke in a lively tone, hoping he would agree.
He answered while giving me a playful smile, "Lead the way, Sumire-hime." I returned his smile with a pout and a disapproving glance for addressing me like that. Then I reached for his arm and pulled him along with me, walking at a quick pace to avoid the adults in the area.
Our clan's library is an expansive, rectangular-shaped space. A wide sliding panel brightens the space with natural light and opens up to an engawa, an outdoor corridor that encloses the sides of the house.
The walls are lined with tall shelves made of old cedar wood, each having a deep medium brown shade, which are all stocked full from decades worth of reading.
A writing desk is situated in the middle of the room, and several wooden chairs are placed randomly around the space. A cream-colored couch has been added to one corner, which looks out of place among the elegant wooden furniture. It is very comfortable though, so no one is complaining about it.
I showed the masked boy all the titles I liked, and he looked impressed by the number of books the Senju library housed.
The scrolls containing jutsus and other important family items were hidden away in the restricted area where visitors could not access them. It was behind the moveable shelf that actually works as a door, and is opened by some sort of seal engraved on the wood behind the thick book with a Senju emblem on its spine. I cannot go in there since only shinobi members of the family know how to activate the seal.
We decided to sit on the couch as it is very comfortable, each of us holding a book in hand and our noses buried in the pages. We spent our time in comfortable silence, enjoying the good literature and glancing shyly at each other from time to time.
Our shared bubble was broken by a voice calling out from the doorway. It was my father with a wide grin plastered on his face, "Ah kids, we've been looking for you. Come along now, the food is ready." We unhappily stood up from our spots and left the books on the table. Father noticed, so he added, "You can continue after lunch. I will allow you to hang out the rest of the day, if Kakashi-kun is not busy."
Our faces lit up from his words as we walked out of the library and followed him. I remembered to ask father for permission regarding our plans to train. "Otou-san, Kakashi offered to let me train with him in the mornings. In exchange, I told him we could hang out around here in the clan grounds. Will you allow it?"
The man stopped walking and smiled at us before he replied in a serious tone. "I will allow it, I trust that Kakashi-kun would be a good company for you." Then he added, "But your joint training will be done within our property grounds. You know the dangers of going out in public, I expect to know your whereabouts all the time."
"We will remember to do so, Hideo oji-san." Kakashi politely replied. I look at them both with a contented smile on my face, satisfied with my father's reply.
Father continued his paces and we followed along with him. "I know how you think I am too strict sometimes but your grandfather will not forgive me if anything bad happens to you. You cannot defend yourself from any harm yet." He said seriously before his eyes darted at me with a softened gaze, "I remember your grandfather always reminding everybody in the castle that he has a lot of pesky grandsons, but only one precious granddaughter." He said with a soft tone.
"Why do people want to harm me father?" I asked innocently, a bit fearful for my safety.
He patted my head gently then added, "You have to understand that life will not be easy for you, child. Your heritage will endanger you wherever you go."
I nodded solemnly to father as we walked to the dining room. For now, I would remember his words and reflect on it later on. It has been a good day so far, and I do not want to ruin it by overthinking and worrying about something I cannot control at the moment.
After lunch, the adults decided to lounge around the gardens for a bit. We would take a group photo there since my dad likes to collect memories and add it to his photo album. He will probably give copies to people in attendance since he is always so considerate of others.
After taking a few group shots, father asked me to stand beside Kakashi under the Sakura tree so we could have a picture of us taken together. The adults all thought it was a good idea, so we both agreed to shut them up.
I noticed our attire for the day was almost coordinated. He was wearing a plain dark blue shirt and black shorts that reached to his knees, as well as his blue shinobi sandals, and the ever present fabric covering his face.
On the other hand, mine was a dark blue yukata kimono that reached to my ankles, and a light blue obi wrapped around my waist, paired with simple black open-toed sandals.
Our silver hair, a stark contrast to the dark clothes we were wearing. Our looks stood out against the bright colors of spring surrounding us.
We were standing next to each other when I realized that Kakashi was a bit taller than me, since my head only reached just below his nose. He moved a bit closer and placed his arm on my shoulder, which made me lean a bit towards him while his cheek touched the side of my head. He looked at the camera with an eye smile, his eyes crinkled on the sides, while I smiled shyly before I heard the camera click.
Father stated that it was a great shot and would make sure Kakashi-kun received a copy of the picture. The people around us cooed at how cute we looked. I even heard Jiraiya-san tease that the silver-haired boy was being too forward with the touches. I couldn't help but feel my cheeks redden from their comments.
I don't know if Kakashi still kept his copy, but mine is framed and displayed in my room.