Something Epic

In the eyes of a five year old, the world is a small place. There isn't a realization of how big the world actually is, just one's small comfortable bubble protected from the outside dangers. A child that old is granted blissful ignorance of everything that one normally worries about. In the eyes of a five old, every color of the rainbow shines brightly. Every person that one comes in contact with can do no wrong. Mommy and Daddy are superheroes. Brother and sister are idols: perfect beings worth imitating or growing up to be better than.

Life is perfect. Complete.

The way it should always be.

Big brown eyes darted around wildly taking in new surroundings, almost ignoring a stern, yet soft and loving, command. "Kohana, darling, please pay attention to where you're going." She felt her mother's soft fingers enclose around her wrist and pull her closer to her side.

The words barely registered in Kohana's active mind. People were almost a blur to her as they rushed past her and her mother, Yukiko. She was fascinated that the world outside of her home was so...huge. Ever since the day she had been born, Kohana had been confined to her clan's neighborhood. For five years, all Kohana knew were the people she had been raised with. Her older brothers and sister were the center of her world. Her mother was her dearest friend, providing company when her siblings went out to train and comfort when she wanted to follow them outside of their home and could not follow. Her father would come home and pull Kohana into his lap, telling her about his day.

For five years...this was all little Kohana knew...

...until her mother thought it was time for her to venture out into their village and become aware that their four bedroom home nestled in the center of their neighborhood was only a pebble in the pond of life.

Yukiko approached a merchant set up along their way and stopped to purchase hair ribbons for her two daughters. "Hm...Emi would like red..."

Kohana wanted to obey her mother's command to stay at her side...but the sound of childish laughter reached her ears, sparking her curiosity. 'What is that?' She took one step closer and the sound became a bit clearer. Two more. Three more. Unwittingly, she abandoned her mother to find that sound.

She soon came to a chain link fence...and saw other children her size. The sight was new to her so she didn't quite understand it at first. Children playing on swing sets and see-saws. Children bouncing red rubber balls and chasing each other. Smiling. Laughing. Having fun.

Her little hands rose up slowly and grasped the fence. She wanted to join...

"Hi there!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin from the sudden salutation. In front of her stood a raven-haired boy with charcoal black eyes and spiky hair...he was a boy right? "H-hi."

"My name's Itachi. What's yours?" His voice was high-pitched, like one would expect of a child his age...yet his face made him seem a bit more...knowledgeable...than one would expect.

For a second her mind seemed to freeze. "Kohana."

"Kohana? That's a pretty name." The boy smiled brightly sticking his hand through the fence for her to take. She only stared at it. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

"But why are you doing it?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Well, this is how you greet people. You shake their hand. Take mine and I'll show you."

Curiosity had her. She took his hand and was awed at its warmth. Her mother's hand was warm...but not like his. Her brothers' hands were warm...but not like his. Her sister's hands were always cold so she didn't count. Her father's hand was somewhat warm like his...not quite like his. Itachi smiled as his moved their hands up and down in a one-two motion then let go. "See?"

She frowned. Her first interaction with someone outside of her household...She reached her hand out again. Itachi eyed her for a moment as if trying to ascertain just what the girl wanted then just as quickly understood. His hand filled hers and they shook hands again.

But this time Kohana didn't let go.

Itachi let out something that may have been an excited giggle. "Do you like holding my hand?"

Is that what it was? Kohana nodded and began to smile too. "I do."

"I like holding yours too. Your hand is warm. Why aren't you in school with us?"

This made Kohana pause. "I...I don't know...Itachi-san."

Itachi tilted his head to the side. "Almost all the kids go to the Academy. I just got in a few weeks ago. They say I'm really smart and that if I wanted to I could be this really good ninja and--"

Kohana blinked. "...Ninja? What's that?"

Itachi didn't seemed to be surprised that Kohana had no clue what a ninja was. "A protector of our village. One day, I want to be a great and famous ninja. I want to protect my clan and friends!"

And this alone was enough to make Kohana want the same. She had been introduced to a world apart of her own...and had already made a friend she wanted to keep. She had made a bond she thought was worth maintaining. "I want to be one too."

Itachi clasped his hands together. "Then ask your parents if you can attend!"

Kohana started to nod when she heard her mother scream her name.

"Kohana?!"

Kohana turned her head, mud brown pigtails swaying gently, in time to see her mother sprinting towards her. "Oniisan--"

Arms enveloped her and a kiss was planted on her forehead. "Don't do that! I thought someone...I thought I told you to--"

"Hello!" Itachi chirped, waving excitedly. "Are you Kohana-chan's mother?"

Yukiko looked down at the little boy...and smiled. "Why yes, Itachi, I am."

Itachi blinked in surprise. "You know my name?"

Yukiko nodded. "Your mother's name is Mikoto. She often shops at the same grocer that I do. We talk about you all the time."

Itachi's head would have expanded about twice its size if it could. "Really?"

Yukiko nodded. Kohana took advantage of her mother's happiness like she had seen her older brother, Katsuro, do on many occasions. She tugged on her mother's dress. "Mother, may I attend school with Itachi-san?"

Yukiko looked down at her daughter, whose face was still plump with baby fat, and pursed her lips. Yukiko was of average height, about five foot five inches. She looked like she had given birth to at least two children but not to the extent of being overweight. Her soft, loving brown eyes always held a twinkle in them. Her long, black hair was pinned up regally into a bun at the top of her head and decorated with a string of pearls, denoting her position in the Kurama clan--the head.

Their kekkei genkai, genjutsu enhancement, was very rare in their family. Few were born with it; even fewer were born with the gene that carried the trait. Because the gene itself was actually viewed as more important than having the trait (without the gene one cannot hope to be born with the trait), those born with the gene were appointed as head of the family and therefore expected to give birth to several children. As long as the carrier had at least four children, there was a guarantee that one child would be born with the kekkei genkai, one with the gene itself, and two normal children. A generation before Yukiko's birth, there was a corrupted elder of the clan who insisted that the only way to increase the number of carriers and persons who were born with the trait was by incestous means. There were some persons in the clan who supported this idea, but in the end, Yukiko declared it unlawful to force such things on anyone.

In short, she neither supported nor stood against it. She merely buried the idea and moved on.

'Masao will not approve of this. He allowed the others to go...but Kohana's case is special and more delicate...' She sighed, preparing her nerves for what was bound to come, despite her ultimate decision. "I will have to talk to your father first, Kohana."

'Don't be such a crybaby, nee-chan. You're not to always get what you want.'

Kohana closed her mouth upon hearing the words whispered in her mind. Her eldest brother, Kayane, often chastised her for whining about various things. Although outwardly he seemed nonchalant about the things that went on around him, there was always one thing that arrested his attention: his baby sister, Kohana. Kohana often regarded him as her prince, crawling into his lap after he came home and would tell him all that she had done...then announce in a tone much like her mother's during diplomatic meetings...that she missed him. Due to his cool personality, the most he would ever do is smirk and kiss her forehead, stating that he missed her more.

Kohana nodded. She would not argue with her mother there in front of Itachi...but when they got home she promised not to let it go without a good fight.