Chapter 3: Birthday

[Forest outside of Musutafu, Mc Pov]

I would be lying if i said I remembered much of the past 4 years. Really by the time my consciousness finally returned, i was already a small child. I cant say it was all bad, from the memories i got when waking up, it seemed like i was in a loving family for the most part.

My beautiful mother Mako was gentle and caring with me. Even if at times she could be the scariest being in the world. She washed me, read to me, fed me and showed me the love I needed.

While my father Kiro was a strong, serious type of man, he tried his hardest to be caring, while he usually just failed most of the time. I still understood, i was their one and only child. It would seem he didn't get along with kids well but it didn't matter, just from the way he would kiss my forehead when he thought i was sleeping showed me he cared.

"Come on dad! I'm tired!" Yelling out to the man infront of me. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, looking at him stand there with his arms crossed.

"You haven't landed a single hit yet, how can you be tired? When you haven't reached your goal." My father's deep voice said, walking towards me with a serious face.

"We have been training for 4 hours father.. I'm just not strong enough yet." I spoke going on guard as my father stood infront of me.

"I know you think I'm being hard on you, I know you just want to play with other kids but I'm only doing what's best for you.. you have to be strong. Me and your mother just want you to be ready to face the outside world." My father's voice became gentle for the first time in a while, reaching his hand down to pat my head, while rubbing his rough hand through my pitch black hair.

"I know father.." Feeling him pat my head, I understood something's but it always confused me. We would only ever train at night, all my schooling was done here, even how to make food and other things for survival were done in this forest. At our family home that I have never left, I get they wanted me to be ready but for what? I needed more answers.

While thinking for a moment my head moved back, seeing a kick pass over my head. Dodging back with my small body i back flipped, moving out of the way of a few kicks of my father.

'The old man.. wanted me to let my guard down. Not this time!' Thinking I rushed in to him, jumping up and spinning as I sent out kicks. My small kimono dancing while my father blocked all of my attacks.

"So you knew.. good. It seems you've gotten better, even if it's only a little." My father laughed a little moving his palm out slowly to my chest.

"I'm not that weak anymore." Seeing the palm coming I use my small foot to kick off his forearm and make distance.

"Are you sure?" I heard my fathers deep voice right in front of me, then felt a pressure that seemed to want to swallow me whole as I looked at the ground.

'How..' looking up, I knew I had moved a few meters away but all I saw was my father looking down at me. His black eyes covered in shadows as his palm was in front of my face.

'My old man is good, I didn't even hear him move. Still I'm only 4.. I don't need to be disappointed. I will beat this old man one day.' Thinking for a second i lowered my head a little, waiting to be hit.

"You've gotten better, truly. Remember do not give up unless you no for certain you can not win, even then you must.." my father spoke, flicking my forehead a little before he walked away.

"Fight to your last breath, thank you father." I spoke my fathers saying as I bowed a little. Only to straighten my back, feeling a sharpe pain go through my spine.

"Honey are you guys done?" Hearing a sweet voice, I look over to my mother who stepped out on the porch. She had on a pink kimono and a white haori, looking at me stand there frozen.

"Baby what is wrong? Why are you.." My mother Mako wanted to say, smiling at my cute face only to stop.

"Mother.. ahhhh!" Seeing her gentle smile I tried to walk to her, while I took my first step a pain shot through my whole body. While the veins in my arms, legs and face stressed. No matter how much pain I was use to in my past life, it felt like fire and knives shot through my body every time my heart beat. Trying to hold my mouth shut so I would make no sound, I couldn't help but let out a small yell.

"Baby! What's wrong!" My mother hearing this tried to rush to me, only to feel a hand wrap around her midsection.

"Stop Mako.." stepping in front of my mother and holding her back. My father spoke softly in my mothers ear.

"What are you doing! Let me go Kiro! Our baby!" Mako tried to struggle free from my fathers grip, no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get free. With no way out she could only beat on his chest.

"I'm sorry my love, you can't help right now. This is something our little one will have to go through on it's own." Kiro said softly looking back at me, watching a red aura leak off my body, from the skin of the back part of each of my body parts. Seeing the veins stress all over my body he gridded his teeth.

"It's happening.. isn't it.." Crying as she looked at me my mother spoke to my father. He didn't respond and only shook his head as he let her go.

"It's our babies 4th birthday, I thought just maybe we had more time.. but it would seem time has run out.. Kiro please.." my mothers voice was distant and full of worry as she turned her back to me, not wanting to see me like this as she walked to the door.

"I will do all that I can.. my love." Kiro said, while a pain shot through his chest. Looking at Mako's back walk inside the house.

Closing the slide door to the house, my mother dropped to her knees. Curling up into a ball as she cried, hearing the sounds outside she covered her ears. Holding herself as a woman walked over to her and sat close while they hugged, rubbing her fingers through my mother's hair, both sitting in silence as they waited. Only for my mother to hear a thud next to her, not opening her eyes my mother just sat there crying even more.