[Right][h3][color=darkgray] Minoru [/color][/h3]
[I] Morning // Land of Fire - Konohagakure[/I][/right] 
[hr]

The past year had been one of the best years of his life. His team had grown in skill, reaching, and sometimes exceeding, his expectations. Although it was the past six months in particular that were his favorite. His family had grown as well. His wife had welcomed their daughter near the end of winter, and they'd named her Kazuha, in honor of Kazuhiko. She'd inherited Minoru's dark hair but her mother's pale violet eyes and to her father, she was perfect. Having his team, his eldest children, around her was amazing. He'd never expected that Koharu would have taken to caring for a young child but he'd remembered the way she'd been with Hachiro the year before. It was never hard to leave the baby with the genin if they needed to. 

Kazuha played favorites though, and while he knew that she loved all of the genin, it seemed that she loved Kazuhiko just a little bit more. If her staring was any indication. He was home, currently, doting on his daughter while his wife was out running a few errands. The genin would be over in a few hours for a team meeting, more of a progress report now that they were finding tutors to help them where he could not. It wasn't unusual for their meetings to be at his house. He and Azumi wanted them to know that this was their second home and they were always welcomed. It was a little more lively with a house full of kids and he'd often joked with his wife about wanting more. 
The birth had been easy, despite the screaming. He remembered that she'd gone into labor while he was training the kids and so he'd toted them to the hospital with him. Minoru would never forget the looks on their faces when he'd finally emerged from the room once Kazuha was born. He was pretty sure that Koharu was trying to kill him with the power of her glare but the moment that she'd been allowed into the room to see Azumi and Kazuha, she'd cried. Minoru had cradled the small girl to him, letting her get snot and tear stains all over his shirt.

Right now his daughter was swaddled and placed on a blanket in their living room as she soaked in the sun's rays as they filtered through the large window. He smiled, still awestruck that he'd been allowed the opportunity to be a father. Of course he loved his genin, they were his first kids, but knowing that Kazuha was his daughter was something else entirely. He was a blessed man to have such a large family. Perhaps in a few years when his genin no longer needed him he could retire and take a simpler job at the academy. Minoru was well aware that his life wouldn't be very long due to his status as a shinobi, and he'd thought about it often, but he didn't think he could fully give it up. He wanted to see Kazuha grow up in a safe village. He wanted to see his genin grow up and one day have children of their own. 
Kazuha awoke with a loud cry, fussing for milk like every three month old baby did. He chuckled and grabbed her bottle before gently picking her up and cradling her in his arms. She was so small compared to him and he was still a little afraid that he'd drop her, or break her. His hands had taken many lives over the years; they were soiled and bloody but gentle when it came to his wife and daughter.

It'd only been six or seven months since they'd gone to Mumi village and helped the giant bear summon return home. He'd wondered if the genin would ever have summons of their own. They certainly had the potential to. He looked down at the feeding baby in his arms and smiled softly. Kazuha would grow up knowing some pretty incredible people and he was grateful that they would be in her life.

[hr]
[Right][color=8882be][h3]Koharu[/h3][/color]
[I]Morning // Land of Fire - Konohagakure [/I][/right]
[hr]

In the past six months Koharu had grown with her ice, and was now able to use it a little bit more in combat and was beginning to train with an ice sword. Her father had ensured that she was learning the proper techniques although they were really just going through the kata with a sword made of cold, but still fairly brittle ice, rather than her regular one. She remembered the moment that she'd first made her successful ice sword. Her father had been proud of her, even if he didn't outwardly show it. It couldn't be used in combat yet, but she'd get there one day.

At the moment she was enjoying breakfast with her father. The stern man was dressed in a loosely fitting robe although his massive biceps still threatened to rip the fine fabric. It was a quiet affair, as it usually was, but he was beginning to ask her more questions about her teammates. It wasn't that he hadn't before but he was now feeling comfortable in knowing that they would protect her. Osamu had made the decision to take Koharu from his sister following the death of her husband and subsequent mental breakdown. He'd needed a legitimate heir and his niece needed a parent who would care for her. It had been a win-win for both of them. Osamu loved her as his own, treating her the same as he'd treated his own sons. 

He'd been surprised to learn that his daughter had given her promises to both of her teammates that they would always find an ally within her and her clan. It was childish, yes, to believe that they'd even accept them as allies or that she could make such final decisions right now, but he knew that it was not something that she took lightly. He raised her to be serious about her duties as his heir. Their clan was important to them and using it was a cheap gimmick went against their beliefs.
Koharu had told him about the strength in Kazuhiko, about the liveliness in Natsuko, and the way that her sensei pushed them to get better. She'd also told him that she desired to grow stronger as a person in order to help them. It was a good quality, and one that had to grow rather than be forced into somebody.

"Koharu…" 

The sound of his voice caught her attention and she looked up at him curiously. [Color=8882be]"Yes, Otou-san?"[/color] She set aside her chopsticks and gave her father her full attention.

"If you are serious about being an ally in the future for your teammates, then you must also become a strong leader. Our clan needs a strong leader who will protect not only themselves but their allies as well." Osamu had no objections to an alliance with either clan, although he knew that the girl on Koharu's team, Natsuko, he believed, wasn't an heir and thus an alliance with her clan would be a longer process than one with Kazuhiko's family. "Now let us clean up and train." They had a small clan so servants were few and far between. It had been hard to adopt that type of lifestyle after having gone from a prestigious position within Yukigakure, but they'd adapted well. 
He looked at the small girl as she readied herself in the small courtyard of their home. She was smaller than his son's had been when they were her age. It was surreal, even three year later, to know that one of his son's was dead and the other was missing. Nori, his youngest, had been killed on a mission and within a month his eldest had been declared missing after he didn't report back to his superior. 

Koharu noticed the sad look on his face and she frowned. The girl knew more than she let on. He was thinking of his son's again. He always got that pained look when he thought about them. The girl knew that she'd been a convenient choice after it was decided that due to their illegitimate status, Nobuyuki and Nori weren't allowed to become the heirs so he'd taken her from her mother and named her as his heir. Koharu didn't know that her mother had ceased taking care of her and that his choice to take her away wasn't born solely out of needing someone to carry on their clan's legacy. 
But she missed her brothers too. They were older than her by a great deal but they'd never been mean to her. Nobuyuki used to let her ride on his shoulders when they walked around the village and Nori used to take her to the river so he could show her how he walked on water. She remembered that the last thing that Nobuyuki had told her before he'd left for his final mission was that he loved her and would always look out for her. 

The memories made her throat tight and tears pricked the corner of her eyes. A large hand planted itself on top of her head, smoothing over pale hair before she was gently pulled into her father's side. They were not an affectionate family, so these little moments were precious. He didn't need to ask what she was thinking about. "We will be training your ice today. Try to capture my feet." 

Training with Osamu was always a difficult task. He didn't go easy on his daughter, citing that an enemy wouldn't show leeway just because she was a child. That wasn't to say that he smeared her into the ground, quite the opposite actually. It forced her to use all of her skills to her fullest potential if she wanted to land a hit on him. She'd touched his feet with her ice before he jumped out of range and Koharu couldn't have been happier. She was improving.

[hr] 

[Right][h3][color=darkgray]Minoru[/color][/h3]
[I]Afternoon // Land of Fire - Konohagakure[/i][/right]

Minoru and his wife walked down a slightly bust side street close to the market. Kazuha was clutched in her mother's arms and was sleeping peacefully despite the noise of everyone bustling around. Around Minoru's forearm were a few burlap shopping bags weighed down with supplies that they needed. In one bag was food for their dinner, in another it was diapers for their daughter and in the last were a few articles of clothing. 

"Honey...look at that." Azumi pointed to a few things that lay in a shop window that they were passing. "The kids might enjoy a gift." They were working hard towards their goals and she was just as proud of them as her husband was. 

[Color=darkgray]"Let's go check out that shop."[/color] It was a ninja tool shop and he knew that two out of his three genin would appreciate a gift from there. Natsuko would probably enjoy something different. They could find something easily for her. Kazuhiko and Koharu were just a little bit harder to buy for because they were practical people who valued functionality over aesthetics. [Color=darkgray]"They're one and a half years away from taking the Chunin Exams but no harm in getting them a few early gifts."[/color]

"You like to spoil them." Azumi did too. 

Together they walked into the shop and looked around,although her interest was much more superficial than his. She was a civilian so needing to learn the fine points of what constituted a good kunai was far beyond her. Her husband explained a few details as he found some items for his genin. There was a new set of kunai for Kazuhiko along with a matching pouch. Azumi had the idea to embroider his clan symbol on the front. For Koharu they'd found a small stand for her swords. It was small and made of plain wood but Minoru commented on fixing it up with some paint for her. They left with their new purchases tucked into another bag. 

[Color=darkgray]"We can always just get her a voucher for a year's worth of mochi."[/color] The glare his wife gave him made Minoru shrink back a little bit. [Color=darkgray]"What? She loves mochi!"[/color] 

"I know but she needs something more than mochi."

In the end they'd caved and gotten her two things: a small bracelet made of pale pink and white beads and the gift certificate for mochi. They also got one more gift for the other two venom so it was fair. Natsuko was Minoru's favorite and sometimes Azumi had to remind him that Kazuhiko and Koharu were just as important.

[@Typical]