The akita dogs shooed her out of the den as they prepared to clean and freshen the main hall, her current most favoritest place to be. The fire was warm and the furs were soft and when she wasn’t in a lesson it was a great place to be. She wasn’t outside getting wet and she wasn’t under anyone’s feet making a mess. Now she was forced outside, and unsurprisingly it was snowing yet again. The tiny child huffed as she scrunched her neck and started pacing down the well worn path from the palace.

Thankfully the akitas weren’t dumb, they sent her off with a fluffy fur on her back so she wouldn’t get too much of a chill. Ike couldn’t complain too much. It didn’t take her too long to decide what she wanted to do. Shuriken wanted to go find uncle Plague, he told her that he would teach her to spar once she was bigger, and surely days later she was big enough right? Her pace quickened and Ike ran towards the first sand bridge towards the mainland to find her uncle.

Hattori was not a doting father who trailed after his children, intent on smothering them with his love. For the most part he trusted them enough to leave them to their own devices and it was a good thing too as even with Venom back on the throne there was still much for him to do. Some days it felt like too much. He had only just finished yet another patrol, his paws stinging from the icy bite of sea water but he paid little heed as he made his way back up the beach. For the most part the children were expected to remain closer to the mainland, frequent the tight cluster of islands but Hattori knew for a fact that Kuroki wandered off whenever he was able. The same could not be said for his youngest daughter, Kiyohime. In hindsight he felt as though her name was perhaps a little too fanciful but even with her lack of airs and grace she carried it well, she would grow into it in time.

Wrapped in a swarth of furs she lingered outside the palace, as though figuring out where she wanted to go before she turned on her heel and made a quick dash for the land bridge that connected to Nephilim Island. He followed in her tracks, her tiny paws a mere shadow of his own, as one step of his matched about five of hers. She was so tiny when looking at her parents she really had no reason to be, whether she would grow out of this was yet to be seen.

"Kiyohime." He rumbled in greeting, a few paces behind her.

The tiny speckled princess was mostly independent, minus the places she wasn’t allowed to go. Her parents gave her free reign during unstructured time. Giving the puppies the responsibility of keeping track of the time and when they were expected to return to the Palace for meals or lessons. The former was forgotten about much less often than the latter. Maybe that was why there were lessons after meals…

The girl couldn’t spend any time thinking of that, she was on a mission. Not that she knew her uncle was out on a mini vacation and she’d never find him here. However, all was forgotten as she heard her father call her name. The tiny princess was swift to turn on her heel and face the Shogun of the Empire. Her Poppa! He never used their nicknames, but he was always proper and regal. Everything the princess felt she was lacking.

”Otou-sama.” She replied somewhat formally, much preferring less rigid titles but she also enjoyed his praise. Shuriken really did want to please her father, even if she was a clumsy little mess most of the time.

His daughter was quick to turn and address him, unabashed affection rolling from her greeting as she looked up at him with her pretty mismatched eyes. Of all their children he saw Venom the most when he looked upon Kiyohime, the stubborn Klein genes shining through in her dappled, chimera-like pattern. But even then she was without a doubt a koi at heart, from her whiskers to his own talons he saw remnants of his homeland and he felt...pleased, almost. As close as he cared to manage right now anyway, over such a seemingly trivial thing. He was not his Father...sometimes he clung onto that fact like a mantra. His faults were not his own, beyond it all he was and would always be his own man.  

"Where are you going?" It was not posed as an accusation, she was free to roam as she pleased within reasons. Then his gaze roamed the whitened land, where there was one child there tended to be more waiting in the wings. Again he found no fault with that, it was an observation, and if anything it made them easier to keep an eye on. "And where are your siblings?"

Hattori did not shy away from only speaking his native tongue with the children, the only way they would learn was through lessons and application. If they were struggling now they would have to work and practice to gain full fluency, just as he'd done with learning the common tongue. Though even then some days his skills felt lacking, like the meaning he sought was just out of reach.

Kiyohime brightened as her father looked down at her approvingly as she turned to address him. The pretty little princess lifted her head and perked her ears as vibrant dual toned eyes sparkled. Ike adored her father, she wanted to be just like him. Tall, brave, and strong as he led the Empire with her mother. She wanted to make him proud of her and would do whatever she could to earn that praise. Even if she was a clumsy mess. Hattori asked her a quiet question, wondering where it was she was going so fast.

”Going to find Oji-San.” She answered simply, her tail wagging at her rear as she confessed easily. Plague was one of her favorite wolves in the pack and she adored training with the man. ”I wanna train together.” She further explained before he could ask about her siblings. Shuriken never really got in the habit of shrugging so she shook her head slightly instead. ”I don’t know.” She went on softly, wondering if she should have known where they were. Her bright eyes shifted, looking around carefully as she sought out one of their forms. ”Where are you going?” She asked in return, her features tilting curiously.

Hattori had suspected as much, he knew the children were fond of their uncle and rightly so. He treated the litter well, was gentle and doting in all the ways Hattori was not. It was good for them, important for their growth to be surrounded by people with all sorts of personalities. More than that, he approved of the fact that little Kiyohime was off to train on her own accord with no prompting. He nodded, pleased that she was taking the incentive and hoped his other children were following that important line of thought. He had much to teach them, both in language and fighting skills, but to simply foist them upon the pups would not do. They had to show interest and a drive to be and do better. They all showed promise, even if they weren't the most graceful or well behaved.

Hattori rumbled at that, he would seek them out if need be. It was not a responsiblity he would pin on Kiyohime, not when there were other things she ought to be doing. As for her question he stared at her, unblinking. He did not find the question rude or brazen, but there was something endearing about the way she tipped her little head, her whiskers swaying a little in the breeze. It was not a trait he'd seen before, especially not in his family, which got him wondering if it was a recessive gene, that it had made its way to the surface as though to make a show of her pure koi linage.

"I was patrolling." But he quite liked the idea of Kiyohime joining him as he made another passthrough.  "Train with your uncle later, come." He began to move again, striding down the beach in a pace little slower than his norm. Her legs were much smaller than his after all. "What island are we on now?" It was a simple lesson, one they'd had before, but he wanted to know if she remembered the layout and geography of the Empire.

The little princess loved to train, learning was one of her greatest activities. With her uncle, with the Warlord, with her father, all and any of them. Ike adored being taught by her elders but she had fun with her siblings as well. Identifying as the youngest sister the girl looked up to and learned from her brothers and sisters. There was something special about learning with her father though. When he answered her question in return there was only a moment before he called off her training with Plague.

Ike tilted her head in the opposite direction but did not hesitate to follow after Hattori on her tiny mismatched paws. He slowed down but she didn’t really notice, the young princess trotted along hastily beside him. Her expression brightened at being allowed to patrol alongside him. He went on to quiz her gently, asking about the island they were on right now. They still hadn’t quite made it far from the palace so Shuriken definitely knew where they were. ”We’re on Inu Island, the Palace Island.” She told him confidently as she skipped along beside him.

Hattori nodded in approval. It was an easy question but he enjoyed her enthusiasm all the same, not many wolves seemed to take pleasure in his company but he appreciated his children's candour, he supposed. He'd been happier when he was her age too, his eyes shone bright and he'd walked with a bounce in his step. Hattori wanted to protect her from the hardships he'd faced and yet he did not wish to coddle her either, it was a fine line to walk and he wasn't sure what technique would work best just yet. If ever. He exhaled sharply as he continued on, grappling with the issues of fatherhood like any man would.

He led on, till the lapping waves reached his toes. He did not like the idea of the children venturing into the water but he was here and thus she would be safe, it was a certainty in his eyes. An absolute.

"Be careful there is a slope here. If you need help tell me. "

He stepped out into the water till it reached about his chest, his paws still firmly on the sand. Now seemed a good enough time for her to learn how to paddle, just in case.