Just a Child | Naruto OC

00 - Prologue

「KUMOGAKURE APARTMENT COMPLEX」

A small bundle of joy. That's what everyone keeps on calling Yuzuki, they'll come by and squeeze her cheeks or pat the stubs of her growing blonde hair- a small bundle of joy, a ray of light, the sun's blessing- that's what she's called.

"My sweet little sun shine," a voice that sounds like the rash of sand choos, Yuzuki's attention diverts from the grip she holds a bright red ribbon in and she glances upwards, her droopy eyes coming in contact with tired gray ones.

Yuzuki has heard this voice countless times, all throughout the day and night, her soft words carrying a tone of sweet melodies, but her voice of deep gaspy breath and ragged coughs.

The girl that has not yet reached a year old gazes up at the woman, her eyes showing nothing but innocence and ignorance. Said woman smiles tiredly- her eyes showcasing deep bags and her blonde hair and porcelain skin both much to pale.

"you've still haven't cried once..." the woman, Yuzuki's mother, who sits besides the baby brushes a limp finger against Yuzuki's cheek, the child giggling in response, having the mother's soft smile widen just a fraction.

The sound of the front door being opened catches Yuzuki's mother's attention, though it's obvious that she barely has strength to pull herself forward. Instead she turns her head just slightly behind her as a man with a dark shade of blonde hair and tanner skin steps through the door and into the entryway, slipping off a pair of blue sandals.

"I'm home!" He calls without turning around, his voice much more smoother than the woman's as he hangs a gray jacket along the rack.

He turns around and catches sight of both the woman and Yuzuki, sitting on the floor whilst the latter clutches the red ribbon and giggles. Immediately his face contorts into one of worry, walking over to the woman who smiles sheepishly as he places both of his gloved hands on her shoulders and cheeks her over.

"Kana! What are you doing out of bed?!" His voice is laced in worry and- fear.

The woman, already used to her worrying husband, still wears her sheepish smile as she replies, "Sorry honey... I was just worrying about Yuzu..." her voice is soft, but parts of her speech breaks off, her not having enough strong to hold it together.

"Don't worry Kana," the man sweeps his wife off her feet, letting her rest in his arms in a bridal carry. This results in a startled yelp from the pale blonde woman as she wraps her arms around her husband's neck, "go back to bed and rest."

Yuzuki watches both of them leave, the words to her are nonsensical sentences, incoherent to her developing senses.

She stays in the room, bunching up the red ribbon from her mother's hair in her hands as she sits on the floor, alone, for the rest of the day.

-----

"Cha-raw..."

"Chakara."

"Chacarra..."

Currently, the little over a year-old Yuzuki sits on the deep grayish-green coach next to her father, her mother sleeping in the bedroom across the hall.

"Here, Yuzuki," her father starts, opening his palm to reveal a leaf, "you have to manipulate your chakra streams to hold this left against your forehead-" he presses the leaf against his own head, it standing upright much to the amazement of Yuzuki. He takes it off after a few second, placing it into his daughter's open hands. "Now you try."

First try, the leaf falls.

Second try, the leaf falls.

Third try, the leaf falls.

Yuzuki watches the leaf fall for the fourth time with a frown, "Wu teach... me?" she asks, her farther nodding in response.

He's been teaching her more and more often, all the while her mother has gotten more absent, more pale. Yuzuki has overheard some of his conversations with her mother, or with other men-all of which were around her fathers age and wore matching white flak jackets-who has come by the house. The conversations usually were held in quiet tones,

"Why are you teaching your daughter about chakra at such a young age? She's not even years old-"

"She has to be prepared for the shinobi life style."

Shinobi.

Something her father would always tell her she'll be after she finishes a worksheet, a puzzle, a quiz- he'll always tell her 'you'll grow up to be a great shinobi.'

"I got it..." Yuzuki says, the leaf pressed firmly against her forehead at her fifth try. Her father doesn't smile or praise her, instead nodding and going on to explain more about it.

"Your daughter is a prodigy!"

"She better be, it'll be disappointing if she is not."

Yuzuki doesn't expect him to drown her in praises, he's never had in the past. He's just told her the lessons, brought her senbons or kunai to throw and manage accuracy with.

She doesn't smile at the completion of her lesson.

This is just what's expected.

I'm expected to become a shinobi.

It's expected.

"Tomorrow, Yuzuki, we're going to go over the basics of kenjutsu." Her father informs, handing her the daily worksheet that she quickly gets to work on as usual.

"Kenjutsu... oh, swordsmanship?"

Her father nods, though a disapproving look in his eyes. "You shouldn't hesitate, make sure to remember it immediately next time."

"Yes father."

Her father holds her gaze for the next few seconds, before going back to what he was saying before, "I want you to become a swordsman, then we'll go over how to incorporate your chakra into that."

"Yes father."

A little while later, after Yuzuki has completed the worksheet in minutes and her father bid her with another lecture on chakra systems, he leaves. And Yuzuki is once again left alone with a bright red ribbon tied in her hair.

A/N: I know the difference between shinobis and kunoichis but shinobi is easier to type