(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 39 - Konoha)
It was a bright day in Konoha, the birds were chirping, and in the Tokitō household, the sound of shaky breath could be heard.
I was standing in stance three, trying to perfect it before my body gave out.
In the scroll Mom gave me, there were 4 stances. Stance 1 was the easiest, while stance two was a little difficult, but I could hold it for 30 minutes.
Stance three, however, was just tiring; my arms were in a weird direction, one over my head and one as low as it could be. My legs were spread apart on the tatami mat, shaking as I tried to stand straight; my left leg was slightly raised.
Other than the exhaustion and stress on my muscles, these days were filled with joy.
It had been about 5 months since my birthday. During which, when I was not training, I was either babysitting Anko or at the park with Obito.
It was strangely peaceful despite the war.
I switched my stance back to one with two palms in front of me, my left arm out more than my right, and my legs the same.
Stance one was mostly for defence; the opponent would lunge, and I would grab them with my palm and throw them over me.
My chin was tilted up, my back as straight as it could be.
I held stance one for 10 minutes before switching to stance two. I was low, in a crouch with my hands at my sides, ready to grab.
Stance two was mainly to go on the offensive and trap your enemy, locking them in place with your arms.
I held the stance for 20 minutes. Then, finally, I go to stance three, trying to keep still in the position for 30 minutes.
It was unfamiliar, unlike stances one and two, awkward to my body. When I hit the 15-minute mark, I started to shake but controlled myself.
Finally, I hit 30 minutes, and I breathed out a sigh of relief and let go of the stance.
Unlike stances one and two, stance three was purely for offence, designed to attack with not only both hands but also legs.
Until I am used to it, I have to focus on stance three for at least another two days, then I move on to stance four.
But instead of dread, I felt determination, determined to get this over with, even if these stances won't really be anything big in the future, it would be a big step for now.
Because it was not a want, but a need, I need to get stronger, I need to fight to keep the happiness I felt every day.
I need to protect my mom, I need to protect my dad, I need to protect my friends.
Because if I don't have loved ones, I'm still that 13-year-old kid who got hit by a truck, that lonely boy who stayed up late at night reading webnovels.
I'd still be Aiden, not Kai.
(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 39 - Konoha) (December)
It was snowing outside, snowflakes falling from the sky, painting Konoha's streets pure white. Kids were playing outside, building snowmen and throwing snowballs.
I was one of those kids, Obito and Anko had convinced me to not train and come play for once.
I can admit I was probably overdoing it with the training; Mom had also gotten worried, I could tell. She started to watch over me now because of all the time I spent in the backyard.
So I agreed…for their sake.
A snowball hit me right in the face, interrupting my thoughts. I wipe the snow off and see Anko laughing with Obito behind her, grinning. I smile.
"Oh? You think you can do that and get away with it?" I grin and pick up some snow and form it into a ball.
Anko started to run with me, chasing after her. She giggled when I threw the snowball at her back. I feel a small weight on my back and turn around.
I see Obito throwing a snowball up and down in the air, catching it as he throws it up. "You didn't forget about me, did you, Kai?" He threw the snowball he was holding, and I ducked into the snow.
The snowball hit Anko right in the face.
I look at Anko and try to hold in a laugh. We both look at each other and nod, slowly turning to Obito.
He paled and started to put his hands up, "Uh…we don't have to do this anymore, do we?" He spoke nervously before getting barraged by snowballs.
It was…fun
(Masuyo's POV - Konoha Year 39 - Konoha)
As I watched my son play with his friends, a warm feeling rose in my chest, something so overwhelming I was surprised.
I still remember the birth, the pregnancy and the anticipation. I remembered how the first time I held him, I didn't want to let go.
I remembered wanting to protect him.
I remembered wanting to protect my family.
And now? I wanted that even more. Kai was not a normal kid; he had barely any friends for someone his age. That Akimichi boy, Obito, and Anko, that was it, three friends in total.
He was only ever happy with them or me and Ken, when I caught him sitting alone…it was different.
He was not all smiles, but serious, no expression a 3-year-old boy should have.
Seeing him like this, genuinely smiling and laughing like a normal child, made me feel both happy and sad.
Happy he was finally acting like a normal child.
Sad because Ken…Ken is not here to see it, either.
(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 40 - Konoha) (February)
I had mastered stance 4. After months of working on the stance, I had finally mastered it.
For stance four, it was a mix between offence and defence, keep yourself straight, both arms in front of your face, and your right leg raised, use your arms to block and legs to attack.
It was relatively easy, a bit underwhelming. I was expecting something grand, not simple.
I've also been keeping up with the recent news and any rumours of the war to see how Dad is doing.
And this morning in particular, Konoha had received devastating news.
Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure had all set up an ambush, invading Uzushigakure in the Land of Whirlpools, annihilating the Uzumaki clan.
That was the only recent major news.
Other than that, I hadn't been getting any more strange dreams.
Seven more years…now that would be five more, right? I would be eight or nine as I'm turning 4 this March.
What's going to happen when I'm 9?
And who was the voice? Was I going to die? Was my family going to die? So many questions are going through my head, and I have no answers.
I clench my fist in frustration, then try to calm down. Just a few more months, then I'll get training…if the war ends, that is.
I remember reading about the butterfly effect, and I'm pretty sure my existence is way more severe than a butterfly just changing their trajectory.
What difference did I make? Was Naruto even going to be born? Am I making a big difference or a bad one?
Is someone going to die or live because of me?
Was my family going to die…because of me?
I took a shaky breath and shook my head to get rid of the anxious thoughts, 'I'm only three, it's ok to be helpless right now, I'm ok for my age.'
I took a deep breath and got back into stance four.
But suddenly, I hear footsteps running towards the backyard, I hear some cries from outside the house, and even some cheering.
Mom comes out of the house with a huge grin, holding a paper with tears in her eyes.
"Mom-?" I was interrupted when she suddenly encased me in a hug, and she whispered.
"Dad's coming home, honey…the war is over."
I blink in surprise. It was so sudden, so surprising. I felt my eyes burn, and I remember the vivid image I had of my father falling to the ground with no life in his eyes.
I felt a wetness slide down my cheek, and I hugged back.
Because my dream was wrong, it was truly wrong. I pressed my face against her as I smiled.
My dream was just that, a dream.
(3rd Person POV - Konoha Year 40)
The war was officially over, at least, for Konoha, that is. The arrival and new moniker of the White Fang had convinced Kumo and Iwa to pull out of this war.
Too many legends had popped up for them to win, not only the Legendary Sannin and the Bane of Sunagakure, but also the White Fang?
Any nation would pull out of the war.
Kirigakure had tried to fight back, but after Ken Tokitō and Sakumo Hatake were both sent out to the Kirigakure front lines, they quickly withdrew.
(Kai Tokito POV - Konoha Year 40)
There was a big crowd at the front of the Konoha Gates; of course, there was also a parting in the crowd, a space blocked to civilians so that the returning ninja could have a path to walk in.
I was holding on to my mom's hand because of just how huge the crowd was, and then the gates opened.
Hundreds of ninja walked through, and the crowd gave a deafening cheer. Multiple ninjas broke the line when they spotted their family.
My dad...was one of them.
I could see his blonde hair getting blown in the wind as he rushed to us with a bright grin. I could see my mom's eyes lighting up with tears as he reached us and took us into a big hug.
I smile brightly and hug him back. I could hear him gasp for air, and I looked up to see him getting hugged by Mom in a death grip.
Mom was sobbing into his chest as she clutched his flak jacket, pulling him close as he patted her back with soft eyes.
"Hey, hey, it's ok," he said softly, holding her close. After Mom calmed down a little, he looked at me and put on a grin.
"Kai!" he picked me up, and I let out a yelp, forgetting how short I am compared to when I was Aiden.
"You look stronger! Has Masuyo been training you without me?" He grinned.
I giggle and shake my head. "Mom gave me a stance scroll."
He blinked and looked at Mom with a faux-betrayed look, "Masuyo! How could you!? I was supposed to train him! Oh, the horror!"
Mom gave a small smile, and I just snorted. "You were at war, Ken," Mom chuckled.
"My own wife! Conspiring against me! Oh, the betrayal!"
I couldn't help but laugh at his theatrics.
"Laughing at my pain too!? For shame! For Shame I say!"
(Kai's POV - Konoha Year 40 - Tokitō Residence)
When Dad had gotten settled back in, Mom had cooked a huge dinner to celebrate his return, and surprisingly, she cooked something that looked moderately good this time.
Dad and I were pleasantly surprised to see the Yakitori with steamed rice on our plates, surprised because they were not burnt to a crisp.
We ate and chatted, laughed as we exchanged stories, some silly, some action-packed, just catching up with each other.
It was nice.
After the dinner, Mom had collected the dishes to wash, refusing help from Dad.
Her reasoning? "You've been at war for almost two years, Ken. I can do the dishes."
Dad had tried to argue, but Mom gave him…the look.
And so, with nothing to do, he took me out to the back yard.
"So, Kai, what were you up to while I was gone?" He asked softly.
I looked up at him with a smile, "Well, I made a new friend."
"Oh? Who?"
"His name is Obito, Obito Uchiha! He's my age and wants to be a ninja…like me."
"Really? That's amazing, you need more friends."
I frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Kai, most kids your age, they already have tons of friends, you only have, what? 3? Frankly, you need to meet more people."
"But-"
"It's ok, you don't need to right now, but try ok?"
"..Ok"
"Now, tell me about your training."
I grinned and immediately went into explaining, "Well, I've been doing stances mostly! And I mastered all of them, the third one gave me trouble for months, but I got the hang of it!"
Dad smiled, "Calm down, calm down, ok? How about you show me?"
I brightened up and nodded. We rolled out a tatami mat on the grass, and I started showing the stances.
I started with stance one, with two palms in front of me. Ken looked at it in recognition.
"Ah, Masuyo gave you that scroll?"
"You know it?"
"I wrote it, of course, I soon abandoned the fighting style for something more suited to me."
"Why write it if you didn't want to use it?" I question
"Well, the fighting style makes you tense. I prefer to be loose while fighting, not controlled, I'm reckless like that. But who knows, maybe you'd be able to use it."
Suddenly, he grinned, "Have you practiced it on anything yet? Like a training dummy?"
"Uh, no? I just practiced the stances."
"Great, more to teach you when we begin your training! Trust me, kid, when you get to the academy, you'll be more mighty than the First Hokage!"
I sweatdropped, 'I seriously doubt that.'
Suddenly, dad in a rare moment of Seriousness asked, "But first…why do you want to be a ninja so much, Kai?"
I blinked and answered immediately, "I…need to be a ninja."
"Why? For strength? Money? Or cause your friends want to?"
"No…to protect you, and Mom! And my friends…cause if I don't have the strength to protect you all, then how could I protect you in the first place?"
"Kai, I can protect them, you know I can-"
"And when you're gone!?" I burst out, "S-sorry but…what if you die? What if you're not here? What if someone dies and I can't stop it?"
"Kai, you should not be worrying about that at your age…" He put his hand on my head and ruffled my hair.
Dad put on a smile, "But…if it means so much to you, then we begin training tomorrow."
And so, that night when I was ready to sleep, I found myself not being able to. I was excited to finally start training seriously. I could finally start my journey to get strong enough to protect my family.
I knew tomorrow was going to be a turning point for my life.
And so, while I felt myself falling into the deep grasp of sleep, I found myself in a misty green space, and I panicked, only to hear a voice.
"3 more years, just 3 more than I can finally-"
When I woke up…light shone on my face.