The morning sun shone on Kiseki's face, waking him up with excitement. He clearly remembered what had happened the day before: on his birthday, his parents had promised him that they would finally let him explore the village. Full of energy, Kiseki jumped out of bed and ran to his parents' room, where they were still asleep. With a big leap, he landed on their bed, shaking it so much that both woke up startled.
Mebuki, confused, mumbled:
"An earthquake?"
Then she saw her son's radiant smile and remembered her promise. Smiling warmly, she said:
"All right, Kiseki, today we'll go for a walk around the village. Wake your father while I prepare breakfast."
She got up and headed to the kitchen. Kiseki looked at his father, who was still snoring deeply. He tried shaking him gently, but when that didn't work, he came up with a bold idea: to slap him.
Kizashi woke up immediately, startled and wide-eyed. Before reacting, he saw it was his son and relaxed, though he couldn't help but playfully tap Kiseki on the forehead.
"How could you do this to me, Kiseki?" Kizashi grumbled, still a bit groggy. "How could you wake me up with a slap?"
"Sorry, Dad. You wouldn't wake up," Kiseki replied in an exaggeratedly innocent tone.
Kizashi looked at him with mock seriousness.
"Sure… Well, are you ready to see the village?"
Kiseki nodded excitedly. Before he could say anything else, he saw his father take something out of the drawer beside the bed: his necklace.
"Here you go, it's clean. Put it on, son," Kizashi said with a warm smile.
Kiseki took the necklace and put it on. The moment he did, a strange sensation washed over him, as if something had changed within or around him. It was an unsettling feeling.
This feeling… It's the same as the first time I saw this necklace, Kiseki thought, but now it's different. What's happening?
Before he could think more about it, Mebuki's voice echoed from the kitchen:
"Breakfast is ready!"
"Come on, Kiseki. Breakfast is waiting," said Kizashi, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Kiseki nodded, climbed off the bed, and walked to the kitchen, forcing himself to ignore the peculiar sensation.
It's probably just my imagination, he thought, relaxing his face.
Kizashi sighed in relief as he saw his son's serious, focused expression soften while he walked out of sight.
I didn't expect Kiseki to instinctively sense something wrong with his necklace, Kizashi reflected. It seems he inherited my mother's sensory abilities. God… This boy is incredibly sharp. I just hope he doesn't awaken that lineage. I don't want Danzo or other forces in the village targeting him.
"Kizashi, breakfast!" Mebuki called from the kitchen.
"Coming, love!"
While the family happily finished breakfast, Kiseki, of course, was the first to finish. Before he could say anything, he saw his father and mother bringing out a small cake with a number 2 on it. Both said in unison:
"Happy birthday, Kiseki!"
Surprised, Kiseki replied with excitement:
"Thank you!" and hugged them tightly.
They stayed like that for a while, until Kiseki said:
"Can we go now?" he asked in a puppy-like voice.
Both parents laughed and said:
"Of course, dear."
Kiseki happily exclaimed:
"Yay!"
The Haruno family walked through the village, with Kiseki in the middle and his parents on either side. Occasionally, his father or mother carried him since he was still very small.
Kiseki gazed in awe at all the places he had seen in the series. The Hokage Tower was as grand as it looked, the dango stand was bustling, and, most importantly, Ichiraku Ramen. Being a big Naruto fan, he knew he had to try the food there. As he walked toward the stall, he felt a strong gaze behind him. Turning around, he saw his mother giving him a serious, dark look.
"What did I say yesterday, young man?" Mebuki said sternly.
Remembering what had happened the day before, Kiseki nervously replied:
"Nothing, Mom…" and ignored the ramen stall, continuing on his way while internally sighing.
And here I was, hoping to try the ramen and see old man Teuchi…
As they continued exploring the village, Kiseki noticed it was strangely busy. There was a lot of activity from both civilians and ninjas. He also saw some Uchiha police officers handling a situation roughly: a man had pushed another civilian in a rush, and a fight was about to break out. The Uchiha officers quickly stepped in, throwing both civilians to the ground and taking them away.
While watching this, he overheard murmurs from the villagers:
"Those Uchiha couldn't be more delicate."
"We're not ninjas like them."
"They think they're better than us just because they come from a clan."
"So arrogant…"
Kiseki listened to all the murmurs and thought: It seems resentment against the Uchiha is already building up. With the Kyūbi attack in two years, this resentment will only grow worse. But, honestly, I don't like the Uchiha much either. From what I saw in the series and read in other fanfics, they were all so proud and disdainful.
Before he could think more, he felt his father lead him into a shop. They bought him some clothes, and Kiseki's attention was drawn to some masks.
Mebuki noticed and asked:
"Kiseki, do you want one?"
"Yes, Mom!" he said excitedly.
"Which one do you want, love?"
"Mmmh… I know! The peacock one."
Mebuki curiously asked:
"Why that one, dear?"
His father also looked interested, as they had never mentioned that animal to him. Realizing his mistake, Kiseki quickly answered:
"I saw it in an animal book at home. It's known for its beauty and presence."
Right, they've never told me the names of exotic animals… he thought.
Mebuki and Kizashi exchanged looks and said:
"We didn't know you could read."
Nervously, Kiseki changed the subject:
"Mom, Dad, look! Let's get some dango!"
Before they could respond, they saw their son running toward the dango stall.
"This boy keeps surprising me. How does he know how to read if we've never taught him?" Mebuki said.
Kizashi nodded.
"Well, that's not a bad thing. Our family has always been known for being walking libraries, after all," he joked.
They bought the mask and a blueberry dango for Kiseki, who happily ate it.
Out of nowhere, he felt someone lift him up and place him on their shoulders.
"Dad!" Kiseki said. "I can walk!"
"I know, son, but it's getting late," Kizashi replied.
"But I want to go to the Hokage Monument!" Kiseki protested.
Mebuki smiled and said:
"Why do you think your dad is carrying you? We're heading there now. It looks even better in the evening."
"Okay!" Kiseki replied, excited.
After an hour, they arrived at the Monument just as the sunset bathed the village. Kiseki was mesmerized by the view.
This truly doesn't do justice to how beautiful Konoha is in real life compared to the series, he thought. He could feel the fresh air on his face as he etched this memory in his mind.
His parents hugged him, and before falling asleep from exhaustion, he thought: I have to protect this happiness, even if it costs me my life.
He fell soundly asleep in his father's arms.
Kizashi looked at his son proudly and said:
"It's amazing he lasted the whole day without sleeping, considering he's only two years old."
"True," Mebuki replied with a smile. "It's time to go home. Let's go, dear."
"Okay, love," Kizashi said as he climbed down from the Hokage Monument and they headed back home.