ˢᵖʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵈʳᵃᵍᵒⁿ :|: 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘰

12: Memory

"...what are you doing here, Kaida? It is late," Lord Haruno Kaname asks, staring down at the three year old Kaida. She doesn't turn to acknowledge her grandfather or properly address him. She continues to stare up at the ancient mural hanging off of the private engawa.

"What was Kaida-ōoba like?" The four year old asks quietly. Kaname blinks at the question, staying silent. He slowly walks over and sits stiffly in the middle of the room.

"Imōto was fierce, despite being so young. She was protective of the clan, like every dragon is. I would say, Imōto would have taken this clan to new heights if she hadn't succumbed to the poison." Kaname stares up at the ancient mural. "She stared at this too. Her destiny, your destiny."

Kaida stares up at the mural with a blank expression. "My foretold death."

"...yes, if the prophecy truly exists." The old samurai nods in agreement. Kaida hums softly before slowly turning around.

The two stare at each other for a long moment, jade eyes glowing in the full moonlight. Kaida breaks the staring contest first to stare at the other mural on the engawa. The Uzumaki Clan family tree.

"Is that why I was almost kidnapped?" Kaida asks softly. Her and Sakura's names connected to her father's, connecting to her grandmother.

"Most likely. Unlike your predecessors, you have been blessed by the gods and have been granted two other destinies as well," Kaname states calmly, turning to stare at the family tree mural.

"The Haruno. The Uzumaki. The Hinomura."

Kaida clenches her fists and nods her head. "...what do I do if I don't want this?"

"As long as you come back home, as a Haruno, you can do what you like. As an Uzumaki, you can start a new life, a new home, as long as you remember your roots. As a Hinomura, you can run away to build yourself another life. You and Sakura are the best of us all." Kaida looks up at her grandfather with wide eyes.

"Born from Iron. Forged in Fire. Carried by a Maelstrom."

-----

Kaida opens her eyes, staring up at the still darkened sky. She takes in a deep, silent breath and slowly sits up. The fire was now just a pile of dying embers and Tazuna, Naruto, and Hinata slept peacefully around the fire pit.

"Again..." Kaida quietly stands up and packs up her bedroll. She doesn't look up when she senses Kakashi's spark flaring behind her.

"A quiet night, I assume?" The pink haired girl asks quietly, turning around to face her sensei. He shrugs noncommittally and stuffs his hands into his pockets.

"Boring, really." Kakashi stares down at his student. "Bad dreams?"

Kaida raises an eyebrow at the question before shaking her head. "No. A memory."

"You are going to the Clan Celebration, correct?" She asks curiously, changing the subject. Kakashi slouches and nods his head.

"Yep! You and your sister are civilian-born, so Kurenai and I have to attend to be your... chaperones," The silver haired Jōnin explains, making Kaida sigh slightly.

"Is it a formal occasion?" Kaida asks with a small glance towards her sensei. He tilts his head in thought, humming cheerfully.

"The Noble Clans will be showing off and all the other clans will be trying to upstage them. It'll be a pretentiously formal occasion," Kakashi states with a certain dryness that makes Kaida's mouth twitch. He's been to one before.