Azumi's POV
As I sat with my family enjoying some tea and sweets I couldn't fight the smile that kept trying to make its way to my face. The events which happened earlier in the day replaying themselves over and over in my head. From hanging out with Sasuke, getting into trouble with Mikoto and then running off to the docks with Sasuke, it had me silently praying that everyday would be like today.
"Azumi" My mother's voice brings me back to reality as I tilt my head slightly to the side in response.
"I heard you made quite the mess at the Uchiha Compound" she smirks ever so slightly, bringing her teacup to her lips, pure entertainment shining in her golden brown eyes.
I laugh sheepishly, setting my own cup back down to the table, my brother and father stopping their own conversation as they begin to listen into ours.
"Haha, so Mikoto-san told you did she?"
"Oh? And would you care to elaborate on this mess you've made young lady?" Father says, looking at me from across the table. He shares the same look as my mother, the glee clear as day on his face as he joins my mother in teasing me.
"Oh yes, what could our dear little Azumi have done?" My brother laughs chiming in, I glare at him with a sideways look not liking the fact that they have all now teamed up against me.
Traitors
"Oh no you don't, it is not of proper etiquette for you to glare at your elders dear sister" Brother says, a large grin plastered on his face.
You will pay for this one day Onii-san, I swear to this on all my dolls.
I continue to stare down at my cup in front of me, my mind reeling trying to think of a response, before I look up at my parents as innocently as possible.
"Mother, you had once taught me that one must never dwell on mistakes of the past, and to only reflect on it if a lesson has been learnt. I have chosen to not dwell on my mistakes from the past, and would no longer like to reflect on it" I say with a closed eye smile, quoting my mother - proud that even at my young age I was able to mimic her perfectly.
My father's burst of laughter causes me to open one of eyes and look at him before my Mother and Brother join in.
"That's my girl!" Father proclaims proudly as he continues to laugh, my Mother shaking her head at us although the smile still hasn't left her face. After this a comfortable silence envelopes us as we continue to eat the snacks in front of us.
"Father, Mother, if I may, I'd like to ask a question" I say finally, breaking the silence, my heart beginning to hammer anxiously in my chest.
"Go on my child" Mother says encouragingly a smile on her face. My brother and father have now stopped eating and are now looking at me as well. I have everybody's undivided attention.
"I want to know, why I can't join the academy like the other kids my age..." I trail off nervously, I catch my mother's smile slightly falter before I look down, my hands beginning to fidget anxiously.
"You said it's because I'm different but I still don't understand" I finish off quickly, still looking down at my hands, afraid of what they may say.
"You are a curious one indeed" Father says with a light chuckle.
" I don't know how you will take it, but I think it is better for you to know at this age, that way you won't question everything we do when you get older" he continues, I just nod my head silently in agreement.
"Your father is right, it is better for you to know now instead of later" Mother adds, her voice causing me to look up as she reaches across the small table and grabs one of my hands in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I smile at her slightly as I look over to my brother who grabs my free hand in his, holding it gently.
"When you were born there was something wrong with you, we didn't know what it was or what we could do to fix it. You were incredibly weak, we were afraid you wouldn't make it" Mother says, tears have begun to form in her eyes as she remembers the events that happened on the day of my birth. I can't help but just sit there silently - surprised that that had even taken place.
"Unlike every other child you were not born with a single drop of chakra in you. Chakra is a mixture of two energies: Your physical energy and spiritual energy and because of how weak you were that mixture was impossible. We tried everything Azumi.. but nothing had seemed to work-" my Mother stops what she was saying, grabbing her handkerchief as she begins to wipe the tears from her eyes letting go of my hand in the process. I move that hand under the table, it tightens into a fist.
"What your mother is trying to say is, even medical ninjutsu wasn't working on you. It was like your body was rejecting it everything the med-nins tried just made it worst" Father finishes off, resting a comforting hand on my mothers.
"Mother and Father then took you to the shrine where they prayed to our ancestor to save you - the first Kurokawa. She was able to, your small body seemed to welcome the chakra that she placed in you, she was able to do what we asked her to do" Brother continued.
"Yes, however she did give us a warning - that even though she has saved you, you are not to attempt to manipulate chakra. Your body can not take it, and we are afraid that if we do not head to Kaminari-samas warning, something terrible will happen to you.. So please dear, I'm asking that you understand why we have made this decision to not send you to the academy. We know it is your dream to become a ninja but at this moment in time we cannot allow you to do that. Your safety is what matters most to us, we just want to protect you" Father finishes off. I hadn't realized it but somewhere during this conversation I had begun to squeeze my brothers hand tightly. My eyes wide as I stare at the table in front of me, the food and tea sitting in front of me beginning to make me feel nauseous because of what I've just learnt. Unbeknownst to me at the time my family still kept one part of the story away from me.
So.. I can't become a ninja...
Tears are beginning to fight their way out my eyes and I feel a sob forming in my throat but I swallow. I fight the tears and I fight the sob, instead forcing a smile to my face.
"Thank you for being honest with me. And thank you, for always looking out for me. It hurts, I admit... but, I understand your choice to not send me to the academy now so I will get used to this" I manage to choke out, the fake smile painted on my face.
Yes, in time I will no longer remember I even dreamt of becoming a ninja, I just have to wait until it doesn't hurt anymore.
"Oh don't worry too much darling, there are so many other things you can do. I know with Sasuke joining the academy tomorrow you'll be lonely, I've arranged for you to have different tutors to come in teach you throughout the day, you'll start and end lessons at the same time as everyone at the academy, that way you won't be missing Sasuke as much" Mother says trying to comfort me, a sad smile on her face as she reaches over to pet me on the head.
"Thank you" I said with a smile, feeling a little better already.
"You're not missing out on anything at all! Missions are boring and the food we eat during them suck too! It's way more comfortable here at home" brother adds on, attempting and also failing to make me feel better. I nod my head as I make myself give him the biggest grin I can manage, allowing myself to believe his words.
~ * ~
After all my sessions I had with the various tutors mother had assigned to me I waited on the front porch of my house for Sasuke as he said he would stop by after the academy to tell me about his first day. Humming a small tune to myself I grabbed one of the pieces of papers the maids had handed to me and started to shape them into different things. I decided to make a crane out of the piece of paper in my hands, carefully folding it exactly like how my brother had taught me, a smile making its way to my face as I held it in front of me, admiring the finished product.
"Azumi!"
The sound of my name being called drew my attention away from my paper crane, a grin on my face as I caught sight of Sasuke running towards me.
"Sasuke" I responded with a happy laugh, my friend plopping himself besides me while he tried to catch his breath. I silently handed him a cup of water that had been left out for me which I hadn't touched yet, he happily accepted it and gulped it all down.
"Sasuke-kun, how was it? Was it as cool as I imagined?" I asked excitedly, placing my crane down, my eyes shining happily as I waited not so patiently for my friend to respond.
"How do you think it was? I am one of the best students there!" he proclaimed after he finished the cup of water, placing it back on the table and pointing a proud thumb at himself.
"Wow! I'm not surprised ! You train so hard everyday! You really are the best Sasuke!" I exclaimed amazed at my five year old friends words. I giggled slightly at the slight red that dusted his cheeks as he accepted my praise shyly.
"Did you make any new friends?" I pressed, worrying that now he was spending his days with others our age whether he would replace me with someone else.
"No way, everyone at the academy is annoying, you're way cooler than them" Sasuke muttered kicking the dirt under his feet. I couldn't fight the big smile on my face, his words making me happier than I would've thought.
"Thank you Sasuke-kun, you're cooler than anyone else I know too" I said with a smile, glad that I was still his best friend.
~2 Years Later~
"Sasuke-kun, what are the kids at the academy like?" I asked as I looked out to the small pond in front of me. Although it had been some time since Sasuke had joined the academy he rarely ever had anything to say about his classmates. Sasuke had just finished at the academy for the day and had come for a visit, so we decided to enjoy the afternoon sun at the garden in my home.
"They're all annoying, especially the girls, just a bunch of weaklings" He grumbles, pulling his knees up and resting his head on it as he continued to complain about the girls in his class and how they wouldn't leave him alone.
Sasuke doesn't like weak people?
The thought started off as a whisper in my mind however it made way to even more loud thoughts. I didn't want to dwell on it but that was the one thing in his sentence that stuck with me.
"Just a bunch of weaklings"
What does Sasuke think about me then?
I couldn't help the questions that continued to press at me, which causes me to steal a glance at my friend just to find him already looking at me. I quickly turn my face away from his and instead choose to focus on the small body of water in front of me instead.
Does he secretly find me annoying as well and just chooses to tolerate me because of our mums? I can't help the question that burns inside my head. I always thought we were special, that our friendship was one of a kind.
I'm scared that it was only me who thought that way.
"Azumi are you alright?" he pokes my shoulder, pulling me out of the mental battle I am having within. Ever since Sasuke started at the academy we didn't spend as much time together as we used to however when we did I like to think that we made the most of it. I've been having my own private lessons with all the tutors my parents have chosen for me and even begun to train physically to have at least some form of self defense. However, no attempt of chakra manipulation has been made during any of those sessions, a lot of them just theory and getting me to study up on it but never take action. I secretly tried once to put what I learnt into actions and use my chakra - it resulted in pain striking my entire body and me getting sick for a couple of weeks. I never attempted to use it again.
"Does that mean if I am weak, I am annoying too?" I asked quietly as I nervously began to pluck out some of the grass in front of me, my hair falling over my face. I used it as a shield to hide myself from him. My question was met with silence, I turned my head slightly and stole a glance at him through one of the gaps my curtain of hair had made. Sasuke had stopped staring out at the pond and was now looking at me and it was clear to me from the look on his face that he had not expected me to ask that question.
"No way Azumi-chan! Those kids are different!" I sat up straighter, allowing my long dark hair to fall over my shoulders as I waited for my friend to continue.
"Azumi-chan, I didn't mean it like that, so what if you can't become a ninja, or you may be weak? That's never bothered me once because I promise you, I will become strong enough for the both of us! You won't even have to worry about anything because I will protect you!" Sasuke said pointing at himself with a proud look on his face. Happy tears began to well up in my eyes. I was disappointed in myself for even having those thoughts in the first place. This was Sasuke, my best friend, he is the one person I can always count on.
"But Sasuke-kun, I don't need you to protect me, I have Okaa-san, Otou-san and even Onii-san" I giggled, wiping away my tears and teasing him. My joke must've annoyed him because before I know it my laughing is interrupted by him pushing me into the pond. I fall forward into the small body of water only enough for the front of me to get soaked. Turning back I glare at my friend who is now sitting behind me laughing before I jump onto him, thus soaking him as well.
"Agh! Get off of me!" He yells as he tries to pry me off him. After multiple failed attempts he finally manages to successfully get him off me. I sit next to him with the biggest smile on my face, proud that I was able to get my revenge so quickly as I take in his appearance. His clothes now damp, he playfully glares at me squeezing some of the excess water out of his shirt.
"Agh, Okaa-san is seriously going to kill me now!" He says looking down at his clothes before choosing to glare at me again.
"I shall attend your funeral then" I reply with a laugh.
"I take it back, you're the most annoying of them all" he replies, I roll my eyes knowing he doesn't mean it.
"Whatever"
"Hn, I've got to go now anyways, I've got training with brother. I'll see you tomorrow Azumi-chan" he replies as he gets up to collect his things. I help him get his things ready before I see him off. I stare at his retreating figure with a smile on my face, always so happy and grateful for the time I spend with him.
~ * ~
"How is your training going Azumi?" Father asks during dinner, I finish chewing the food in my mouth before I answer his question.
"It is alright, it's not too hard yet and my Senseis help me a lot"
"I am glad, you never know, there could be a time where you would have to defend yourself on your own and we won't be there to protect you, it's good for you to know at least know the basics, other than that just focus on your studies" Mother says back, to which I nod in agreement as I continue eating.
"But don't worry Azumi, you won't even have to defend yourself as I will always be there to protect you!" brother declared as he put some rice into his mouth, I nod my head happily in response.
I truly am so blessed to be surrounded by people who love me and wish to protect me. I think to myself as I remember Sasuke's similar proclamation from earlier.
"Thank you for the food" I say as I set my chopsticks down and excuse myself, making my way outside to sit on the porch and look out at the night sky.
"Azumi-chan!" someone's voice calls out, I turn my head to see Akira, a member of my clan and probably my only other friend my age other than Sasuke running towards me. I wave excitedly at her as I watch her run towards me, her short black hair is tied into two pigtails on her head. She looks a little tired and has several dirty marks on her face and legs and arms telling me she has just finished training.
"Akira-chan!" I called out happily when she finally made her way to me and took a seat next to me, lying on her back and letting out a relaxed sigh.
"How are you? I barely hang out with you ever since I've started the academy, and when I am free you're always with Sasuke" she whines turning her gaze away from the sky and towards me.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you are always welcome to join us though Akira! And I'm good, Okaa-san has been keeping me busy with my studies. What about you? How is the academy?"
"It's okay, I don't particularly enjoy Sasuke's company. And the academy is very fun! I wish you could join, I've even made new friends, their names are Shikamaru and Choji, I'm sure you would all get along very well"
"I'm glad that you enjoy it there" I said with a smile, which is true, I am glad but I am also envious that I can not experience the same things that her and Sasuke are. We sat there in comfortable silence, Akira would occasionally tell me stories of the other girls in the class which liked Sasuke and how they would always compete for his attention which would make me laugh as I knew that must annoy him. We spent the rest of the time with her telling me about pranks she and some of her friends have pulled, or things that people have told her, I listen to her intently - interested in all the stories she tells of her time in the academy. While Sasuke's explanations of the academy mostly consists of the words "boring" and "annoying" Akira's is much more detailed and entertaining, it makes me feel as if I were there too. Time flies and before I know it it is time for her to leave.
"Well, I better get going now before my parents get worried, it was nice to talk to you Azumi" Akira said as she got off the porch and started to make her way to the direction of her house.
"Bye Akira-chan!" I yelled out as she waved, continuing her way back. I smiled at the thought of one of my longest friends before I decided it was time to head back inside as well.