Waking up this early was something Hyouketsu knew he'd never get used to—especially after such a restless night.
The nightmares had come in waves, dragging him back to the horrors he had barely escaped. Each time he woke, his breathing ragged, his body trembling, Kaiza was there. A quiet presence, steady and reassuring. If not for him, Hyouketsu was certain he would have spiraled into a panic attack.
He was grateful for the man's kindness. Kaiza had that rare, grounding presence—a father's warmth and stability. And yet, even as the sun painted the sky in shades of soft orange, his mind refused to rest.
Kaiza's wife… she had been a shinobi. That fact lingered in his thoughts, nagging at him. If she was a trained ninja, then maybe—just maybe—she had left something behind. Scrolls, notes, techniques. Anything that could help him learn.
If he wanted to survive, he needed to become stronger.
But how was he supposed to bring it up?
'Hey, can I use your dead wife's belongings to learn how to be a killer?'
Yeah. That sounded awful.
But this was the Naruto world. Maybe things worked differently here. Maybe Kaiza wouldn't be too against the idea.
So lost in thought, he barely noticed when Kaiza spoke.
"What's on your mind, Hyouketsu?"
The question pulled him back to reality. He hesitated, then steeled himself.
'Here goes nothing.'
"…Did your wife leave behind anything related to her shinobi days? Scrolls, maybe?" His voice was careful, uncertain. He wasn't sure if he was crossing a line.
Kaiza's hands tightened slightly on the reins. He was silent for a moment before finally answering.
"She left some scrolls behind… in case any of our kids ever wanted to follow in her footsteps." His tone was unreadable. "Why do you ask?"
Hyouketsu met his gaze, his own steady.
"I want to learn. To use chakra. To be a shinobi."
Kaiza sighed. "Why? The life of a shinobi is dangerous. And experimenting without a teacher could get you seriously hurt."
"I need to become strong," Hyouketsu said, voice laced with quiet determination. "I can't protect myself—or anyone else—as I am now. All I am is a liability. And I don't want to be that for you."
Kaiza's expression softened. "You're not a liability, Hyouketsu. And you don't need to protect anyone. If anything, we should be protecting you. You're just a child."
Hyouketsu clenched his fists.
"That didn't stop the Kiri-nin from slaughtering my clan and trying to kill me." His voice wavered, his body tensing as flashes of blood and screams clawed at his mind.
Kaiza sighed tiredly.
Without a word, he pulled the reins, bringing the cart to a sudden stop.
Souta, who had been sleeping peacefully, jolted awake with a groan.
"Wha—? Why'd we stop?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Renji, on the other hand, laughed. "Nice wake-up call, huh?"
But Kaiza wasn't paying attention to either of them.
His gaze was locked on Hyouketsu.
There was no anger there. No judgment. Just quiet contemplation.
And then, after a long moment, he spoke.
"I understand why you want to do this. And I know I can't stop you—nor do I want to. I knew the world was a dark place, but even I didn't expect something like that to happen." He exhaled, then continued, "I just want you to promise me one thing. Promise me you'll be careful. That goes for all three of you. No training unless I'm there to supervise."
"…Wait, all three of us?" Renji blinked in surprise. "You mean… you want us to learn how to be shinobi too?"
Kaiza gave his two now overly excited sons a moment to settle before speaking again. "Yes. I want you to learn as well. I'm too old to become one, and after what's happened… I don't think I'll be able to protect you from what's out there."
The three boys stared at him, dumbstruck.
Then, all at once, Renji and Souta crashed into him, wrapping him in a tight hug.
Hyouketsu hesitated.
Seeing them like this, their bond so strong, made his heart ache. It was a painful reminder of the family he had lost mere days ago. He turned away, intending to give them space.
But before he could take a step, Kaiza's hand reached out—pulling him into the embrace.
"You know, you're part of the family now," Kaiza said in a mock-chastising tone, a kind smile on his face. "No dodging family hugs, understood?"
Hyouketsu stiffened at first. The close proximity was… uncomfortable. Foreign.
"…Wait. That means you're our little brother now," Souta said slowly, realization dawning. Then, with a grin, "I'm not the youngest anymore!"
"You're still a dumbass." Renji's voice was dry.
"Oh, shut up."
Kaiza sighed in exasperation.
Hyouketsu, however, barely heard them.
His mind was still processing Kaiza's words. 'Part of the family.'
It wasn't a joke. They truly meant it.
And despite his best efforts, despite the walls he had built to keep the pain at bay, he felt his eyes sting.
He was failing miserably at holding back his tears.
They didn't say anything. Didn't pull away. They just let him have this moment.
Eventually, Kaiza gently broke the hug and stepped toward one of the crates in the cart, the three boys following closely behind.
The crate held various scrolls, each different in color and size. Kaiza rummaged through them, searching for something specific.
Finally, after a moment, he pulled out a worn, well-kept notebook.
"This is Shura's journal," he said, his voice thick with quiet melancholy. "She documented everything she learned as a shinobi."
His grip lingered on the book for a second before he extended it toward Hyouketsu.
"Please treat it with care."
Hyouketsu took it with shaky hands, cradling it as if it were the most precious thing in existence.
Renji and Souta, however, were far less patient.
"Well? What's in it?" Renji asked, practically bouncing on his feet.
Slowly, as if unveiling a treasure, Hyouketsu opened the notebook.
The first page greeted him with carefully written words.
'Page 1: Academy Lessons.'
Hyouketsu exhaled.
This… this was the first step.
The first step on his path forward.