"You can't turn your back on your family and responsibilites."

Panting heavily from his training Kirito sat down under the tree leaning against the trunk as he looked up at the branches sighing in relief from the rest. Laying his sword sheaths across his lap his hand would fall to the patch of dirt at his side near the roots of the tree resting there before he looked down at the dirt curiously. His fingers would dig into the dirt grasping a small handful before he lifted his hand he turned it over to watch the dirt and stray grass blades fall through his fingers. With a sigh he would watch the clumps of dirt hit the ground, “It’s just not the same, and I’ve been away for too long.” He would look up and smile laying his head back looking into the tree, “Mom is probably worried to death and dad is probably…” His words would trail off as he talked to himself his eyes fixating on the other set of eyes looking down at him. The tan under belly, the reddish brown spotted feathers, and beady black eyes followed his movements as the hawks head remained tilted looking down at him from its perch. A smile would creep over his lips as he looked up at the hawk, “You’re a long way from home aren’t you?” his question one of mere amusement to see the red tailed hawk so far from the drier climates he was used to seeing its kind in. “No I’m not, I’m looking for food.” The voice echoed through the area seeming to come from all around him. Wide eyed Kirito shot up to his feet and looked around scanning the area thinking to himself that he hadn’t heard any footsteps or where the voice came from.

As Kirito spun on his heels continuing to look for the source of the voice he heard it once more causing him to stop in his spin, “weird human”. Two words clear as the sunlit day but from no direction and then he remember the stories from talking with Satsume and he slowly turned to look at the hawk now even wider eyed than before. The hawk sat on the branch and fluttered its wings watching him without a care in the world. “What did you say?” Kirito’s voice slightly cracked as his curious and disbelieving tone carried through in his voice. The hawk fell still and looked back at Kirito as the two looked at one another with curiosity.  The hawk tilted its head, “weird human?” the voice echoed through his mind once more in as much of a questioning tone as his own as the two stared one another down trying to figure the other out.

“Oh no…” Kirito spoke to himself realizing what he just heard and what it meant to those inside of his clan, the hawk on the other hand flapped its wings excitedly as it realized that Kirito could hear and understand it, “You understand me?!”

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So another Feather Speaker, a holy figure and clan leader was awakened. The Arashi Clan’s loss of Satsume years before marked a dark time for the clan as the Clan Elders awaited another to carry the same gift as Satsume. Realizing that he too shared in the same ability to speak with the birds it was evident that Kirito had to hide his newly awakened trait or be paraded around and treated as Satsume had been before him. Though he would find that difficult in the coming days as the Red Tailed Hawk he met would continue to follow him around. The two will eventually bond over time causing Kirito to realize he had another responsibility to his village and clan. Kirito realized that at some point during his absence from Sunagakure and the birds his clan tended his latent ability had grown. No matter how much he wanted to shut out the responsibility now lying at his feet he knew he would eventually have to take up the place as the Feather Speaker within his clan and lead his family and their treasured bird companions.

"Satsume"
(Kirito's Hawk Companion, named after his late friend since the hawk's own name is unpronounceable by a human tongue.)

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