Thousand Year Old Cherry Tree

Extra: Kana (1)

It was supposed to be a normal day. I was performing my duties as the Saniwa sage like usual when I stumbled upon an interesting page. I still had a hard time deciphering it though.

"Master, are you in here?" Lifting my gaze away from the scroll, I saw one of my swords peering at me from the door. "What's wrong, Houchou?"

"Are you sure you're not married to Kashuu-san?"

"No, Houchou." I focused my gaze over to Houchou to send a frown at him. I've heard this line way too many times, "How many times do I have to tell you Houchou? I'm not married to Kashuu."

"Really?" Yes. Kashuu and I aren't even in that kind of relationship in the first place. "Yes really. Now Houchou if that was all you needed to know then go back-"

"But Master...!" Oh boy. As I tried to shove the tantou out of the room, something started to gleam by my desk. The gleam started getting brighter and brighter. By the time I managed to make Houchou leave my room, I turned around to find myself enveloped in a giant light. A small shadow was standing by my desk. 'Is that a tantou?! But I didn't start the sword awakening ritual at all?!' In the process, I ended up falling down to the ground with a huge thud as the light knocked me down without hesitation.

"Ouch!" By the time the light disappeared, I soon found myself lying on the ground in pain. I could already hear some of my already awakened swords running up here in the process.

"Master?!" It was Kashuu and Yasusada by the door. "What's going on?"

They both said in sync as they both lent a hand to me.

"I'm fine you two. Just something went weird with the scroll I was reading." I explained as I got up using their offered hands. "Thank you."

"Now where was-" By the time I turned around to find the scroll, instead of a scroll there was the same person of what I assumed to be a tantou in human form. Except the person wasn't wearing a uniform for battle like the other swords, in fact this one was truly a little girl. Unless the tantou was like Midare.

The girl, for now, was dressed in a pink kimono with cherry blossom petals decorated on it. She wore wooden geta shoes and a pink cherry blossom hair ornament on the left side of her long dark brown hair. But what stood out the most was her beautiful red eyes and the beauty mark below her right lip.

She resembled a young female version of Kashuu.

As I signalled for Kashuu and Yasusada, who seemed ready to interrogate the child that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, to stand down. I slowly walked over to the child, wearing a small smile. "Hello there."

The little girl tilted her head, holding a confused expression.

"What's your name?"

"Ibusaki Kana." She mumbled off quietly.

"Oh, you have the same surname as I do." I then proceeded to introduce myself to the girl. "My name is Ibusaki Yuna."

The little girl's eyes widened upon hearing my full name. The next thing I knew, her eyes started to tear up.

'Oh no.' I faltered a bit. 'Did I say something wrong?'

"Are you ok-" Instead of getting an answer, I was soon thrown back to the ground as the little girl threw herself on me for a hug. She cried out loud saying, "Mama!"

Wait...MAMA?!

"WHAT?!" My screech could be heard from all over the Citadel.

.................

After taking Kana downstairs to meet the other swords, I tried to head over to Mitsutada to make something for her. But Kana kept following me, no matter where I go.

"Um, Kana?" I tried to talk to the little girl following behind me like a newly hatched duckling.

"Yes mama?" I cringed at my new title. I've already got used to being called Master or Saniwa...but Mama of all things.

Lowering myself to Kana's height, I soon tell her. "Could you stay with Akita for now? I need to talk someone, okay?"

"But mama..." Oh no. Not the puppy dog eyes. I eyed Akita, hoping he'd step in to talk to Kana. Akita, after taking in my silent plea for help, stepped in. "Kana-chan, Master Yuna needs to do something important. So let's wait for her to finish okay?"

After taking one look at Akita, Kana turned over to me and said. "Mama must pinky swear that she'll be back."

She soon held her pinky out to me. Surprising Akita out of nowhere. Oh thats right, I never taught any of these swords about the pinky swear. Well might as well get it over with before I explain what pinky swear is.

I hook my right pinky onto Kana's left pinky, and we both said the usual saying. "Finger cut-off, ten thousand fist-punchings, whoever lies has to swallow thousand needles."

Akita stared at the both of us with a horrified look. "Master, please do return." I think he took the meaning behind the saying too seriously. I could see Akita trying to keep a smiling face toward Kana as he escorted her back to the room where the tantous usually stay in while glancing back at me with a worried expression on his face.

When I turned around, Kashuu stared at me with a disturbed look. "Are you-"

"No, it's just a superstitious saying Kashuu." I need to remind myself to teach the swords about the pinky swear.

Kana's POV

"Um, Akita-kun." The boy with pink hair turned to face me with a smile. "Yes, Kana-chan?"

"Why doesn't mama call papa 'dear' anymore?"

"Huh?" Akita scratched the back of his head, "Kana-chan...what do you mean by papa?"

I stared at Akita, confused. "Do you not know what a papa is?"

"No...I kind of do thanks to Master Yuna, but who are you referring to?"

"Oh, Mama always called papa 'dear' but now Mama is calling him Kashuu."

"Eh?!"

To be continued...