Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Spring's Shadow- The Tale of Izumi Kumori ❯ Chapter 1:: Childhood Story ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Izumi looked at the scene bellow. A boy with a black head covering with his village (The Village Hidden in the Sand) headband on it. His face pale, with painted red markings around it. A girl with four blonde pigtails stood near, a giant fan similar to Izumi's strapped to her back. And in the center, a boy with red hair, captivating teal eyes, with black liner over the edges of his eyes. Izumi gasped, and was sent into a world of memories...

Five year old Izumi Kumori sat between her two parents, in the old tree that overlooked their backyard. They sat in the upper branches of the tree. Away from the cruel world, where nothing mattered except the three of them, and the stories they told each other: about their day, stories from fairy-tale books, and stories of the past. Izumi's favorite stories were always the ones of the past, stories of great shinobi, their path to greatness, and the things that they did.
Her daifu (father), Tazu Kashiwa, looked down on her. "What story would you like to hear tonight, my shoujo (little girl)?”
“Hmmm...” Izumi thought. She knew the one she wanted to ask for, but didn’t know whether she should. She could tell, it made her parents a little uneasy.
“Ask for any of them, my otome (daughter),” said her reidou (mother), Kimiko Kashiwa.
Yes, her parent’s surnames were different from her own. She always liked the sound of theirs. Kashiwa. It meant oak. It was a strong name, and a good name.
“I’m not supposed to be thinking about our names!” Izumi scolded herself. “I’m supposed to be asking for a story. I’ll just ask them.”
“Um, do you think you could tell me that one?”
“Which one, Izumi?” asked her mother.
“We tell you so many stories, you have to clarify for us!” laughed her father.
The three of them chuckled. Izumi always asked for a story before bed. It helped to drone out the disappointment of the day, and let her focus on trying to sleep.
“I mean, the one about...when you got me?”
Her parents looked at each other. Izumi freaked.
“I mean, if you don’t want to, we can just forget about it, and I’ll ask for another! I could tell you a story, if you want...!”
Her parents chuckled.
“No, Izumi,” her mother said, “We’ll tell you that one.”
“We can tell it’s your favorite!” said her father.
Izumi laughed. “Well, it is about me, isn’t it? Plus, you both tell it so well!”
“Alright, if you say so, I’ll tell it tonight,” her father answered.

“About five years ago, a woman was tending her garden. It was very late, but she had to at least water her precious plants. She was a medicine woman, after all!” Tazu chuckled.
“Anyway, she heard a cry out in the woods, that sounded like a very young child. So, thinking that someone was in need, she gathered her pouch of shuriken and ran off into the woods. Finally, she heard a voice! She hid in a bush, because she didn’t want to be found, and possible hurt!”
Izumi imagined that woman. Probably in her mid twenties by then, with a shinobi husband at home, waiting for her. She wanted to get back to her safe garden and home, but wanted to see what the voice was doing with the child.
“She peered out through the leaves, and saw a woman there. She had no visible village headband, so the woman didn’t know where she was from! She woman was tenderly rocking the child and shushing it, trying to get it to fall asleep. It did after a few minutes, and was sound asleep.”
“The woman then was calmer. It was just a mother with her child, and she could go back to her house. She shifted, trying to collect her bag so she could go home, when the mother yelled out ‘Who’s there?!’”
“The woman cringed, and came out with shuriken in hand, behind her back. ‘It is only me, a simple medicine woman,’ said the woman. The mother seemed to calm down. ‘Oh, alright. I thought it was those...’
“The woman was about to ask the mother who the “those” were, when she heard it, too. A group of people coming closer, with hatred in their hearts. The mother looked panicked. ‘They come for me!’ the mother whispered urgently. ‘Please, take her! Her name is Izumi Kumori...’ The woman waited for more. It sounded like the mother wasn’t finished with the girl’s name. ‘Tell her I love her!’ “
“And off the mother ran, as quick as the best shinobi! The medicine woman looked at the bundle that was placed in her hands. A content baby girl, nestled into the blankets, waved her little fist in the air, as if trying to wave something. The woman smiled, then started running. She ran carefully the whole way, all the way back to her house. She explained quickly what had happened to her, about the woman and the child, to her husband, and then the two of them ran off to tell the Hokage.”
“As soon as they got there, the Hokage came running out of his room, with his most trusted shinobi, your mother and I included, in tow. ‘I sensed both of your presences, and another.’ The woman showed the Hokage the child, and explained the situation. The Hokage looked at the child, and said, ‘This child contains a powerful spirit, the Infinite Tailed Half-Shadow Cat.’ ‘So, what should we do with her?’ asked the medicine woman’s husband. ‘We can, unfortunately, not keep the child. Is there another who would take the child?’”
Izumi’s father smiled, proudly. “That’s when your mother and I stepped forward, and told the Hokage that we’d take the child. We asked the medicine woman the girl’s name. She explained the conversation with the mother. ‘She only said that she had to go, for me to take the girl, and then said that her name was Izumi Kumori...and then was cut off at the girl’s name. It sounded like there was more to her name.’ “Was there anything else?’ the Hokage asked. ‘Only that the mother loved the infant.’ We all looked at you. You were probably only one day or less old, Izumi!”
Izumi giggled. She thought of herself as a baby in her new shinobi parent’s arms.
“So, that’s how I came here!”
“Yes,” said her mother, “and that’s how we were blessed with a wonderful baby girl!” Kimiko started tickling Izumi. Izumi laughed.
“Now, we must all go to bed,” said her father. “We have a big day tomorrow! Your mother and I have a meeting with the Hokage, and Izumi, you start school tomorrow!”
Izumi thought about that. She was excited about the thought that she was that much closer to her goal, but not so excited about seeing the other kids her age. They all ignored her: they were afraid of her. Whenever she asked to join their games, they ran away, yelling nasty names over their shoulders. But, she didn’t want to worry her parents.
“Yeah, I can’t wait!” Izumi said, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
“Yes, you don’t want to be late for your first day of ninja school training! Then, that’ll become a habit!” her father said, playfully.
Izumi smiled fiercely. “I will become a great shinobi! I’ll defeat as many foes as I can. I’ll be a great shinobi, like you guys!”
Her parents chuckled. “Now, lets all go to bed,” said her mother. The three of them jumped down the tree, and landed silently on the ground. Izumi watched her parents walk in front of her.
“I promise you, I will be strong! Just like you, I will have no fear! I’ll be the best shinobi ever!”