Flower in the Mirror [Hatake Kakashi] [1]

❄️ Chapter 3 ❄️

Before even Yumetsuki had realised it, a year had passed since she had joined the Ninja Academy in the village of Konohagakure. It was about a year and a half since Grandma Chi had brought her to this part of the world. Yumetsuki still found herself missing Kirigakure, strangely, but mostly because her mother's grave was located there. She wasn't sure where her father was.

Yumetsuki had already turned five about three months ago, and Spring was coming to Konoha now. She could see the lush green leaves swaying on the tree outside her classroom's window – she sat by herself in her usual seat right next to it, her chin resting on the palm of her left hand.

Everything was so content and slow in Konohagakure, or at least for the children. Yumetsuki was not very well-liked but she wasn't on the risk of losing her life as she did in Kirigakure.

When Kirigakure had heard about Yumetsuki, a member of their society, in Konohagakure, they had demanded the Third Hokage to hand her over but Hiruzen had refused, citing her to be a victim and orphan of the war, living in Konoha as a refugee on her own accord.

Hiruzen had asked Yumetsuki about it as well – if there was any family that she wanted to go and live with in Kirigakure but she knew absolutely no one there.

"My maternal family was murdered," Yumetsuki told Hiruzen the same thing that her father had told her about her mother's family. "And I have never met my father's family..."

The Yuki Clan's main family had been slaughtered and only her mother, Yuki Yukimi, had survived from them. But Yumetsuki's father had told her that there might be some branch members still alive somewhere, scattered around the world like the Kaen Clan was.

Kaen Kazuya, her father, had left Yugakure with his parents as their clan had dwindled and separated but he had hoped to take Yumetsuki there with her to be safe. But now he was gone. Yumetsuki had often wondered if she had relatives looking for her.

It can't be so – my parents' union was a secret.
I'm supposed to be a secret.

By now, however, Yumetsuki had come to a conclusion that she would consider Konohagakure as her home. She wasn't sure what to make of this place still but she hadn't been hurt so far, and that was much more than anything else that she could say for Kirigakure.

Currently, however, the white-haired girl was far away from all of this, sitting in her classroom, waiting with the rest of her female classmates for Machiko Sensei to arrive.

It was time for their Kunoichi class, and so, all the boys in the class had already left and went off to their homes. The girls had to stay back an additional half an hour for this class.

This was something that Yumetsuki personally did not enjoy very much. It wasn't that she found it a useless class but because she always had to work by herself.

Although a year had passed by in this classroom, there was not a single person who Yumetsuki could call as her friend. The only female student had ever interacted with Yumetsuki was Kurenai, but she was older than Yumetsuki and did not attend the same class as her.

Girls from other section of their year would also join them during this lesson, and that brought a girl named Nohara Rin into the room during every Kunoichi class.

Rin was very popular but Yumetsuki had not yet figured out why exactly – maybe because her facial features were very soft, and she always smiled without a concern. Yumetsuki wished to be like that.

Even now, several girls were surrounding Rin's desk as they talked and laughed amongst each other. Other girls were paired or grouped with their friends.