Sakura sighed and mentally rolled her eyes as another sign passed informing her that Konoha was getting closer. She slumped, letting her head rest on the cool window. This trip was only the beginning of several torturous months away from her mother, stuck in her grandmother's smelly house. At least when she lived with her mother, her nose had never been abused despite the fact that Sakura's mother relocated her to new towns about once every six months.
Ms. Haruno, Sakura's mom, had to do a lot more traveling for the next few months. She was going to be moving around once every two to three weeks to train for a job that would pay three times as much as she was making now, and she wouldn't have to move ever again. She'd be able to stay in one place and work. The only problem was that Ms. Haruno didn't want to drag Sakura all over the place while she was still in school. The plan was to drop Sakura off at her grandmother's, enroll her in school and pick her up when the year was over. It wasn't exactly what Sakura had imagined for her first year as an Upperclassman…but oh well.
Sakura sighed again and reclined the passenger seat. Her eyes were drawn to watch the fluffy clouds drift by so peacefully. She allowed her mind to drift as well and it wasn't too long until she fell asleep.
**)(**
"Sakura…" Ms. Haruno called "Sakura, honey, wake up. It's time to wake up. Sakura…we're here."
Sakura blinked the sleep out of her eyes and glanced over at her mother who was sliding out of the driver's seat. She groaned mentally as she shivered out a yawn.
The old Mrs. Haruno was perched on her porch waiting eagerly for Sakura and her mother. An insane grin was pasted on her face. Sakura wished she had the power to drop dead right there. Let's end the misery before it started.
"C'mon ladies," the elderly lady called. "the sun is setting and it's too dangerous to be out at night."
Sakura cocked a brow, partially in confusion, but mostly in skepticism. Rolling her eyes, Sakura hauled her groggy limbs up the walk with a suitcase in each hand.
"Hey Gramma," Sakura greeted warmly, plastering a sweet smile on. She might as well make the best of it while she could. "it's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"It has," Mrs. Harutno agreed. "Now come inside and let's get some food in you two, shall we?" Her eyes peered wearily behind Sakura and her mother out to the dark street and beyond. Sakura chose not to acknowledge that little display of creepy as she continued on into the house.
As expected, the house smelled like strange flowery perfume, the all too familiar smell of old people and mold. Sakura tried her best to ignore her nose's disgust as she set her bags down in the cleanest patch of floor by the stairs. Ms. Haruno was right behind her, setting down the rest of Sakura's things.
"well, I believe that's all of it." Sakura's mother began. "Is there anything left in the car that you forgot, honey?" She asked
Sakura thought about it a moment before saying that she forgot her iPod on her seat. Old Mrs. Haruno's look of worry gave Sakura a weird feeling of unease, but she bound out of the door anyway.
Outside, the air was clean and fresh, and Sakura could smell the crisp smell of new rain. The air around her was just beginning to sprinkle with moisture, causing her finger tips to sparkle with energy. Tonight was definately a good night for a run. As soon as she convinced her grandmother and her mother that she was calling it a night, she'd jump off of her balcony leading off of her room. Roof top running was one of her personal favorites.
With a skip in her step, she practically trasported over to the car and then back to the house, with her Ipod tucked happily into her jeans pocket.
"It's good to see you again, mom." Sakura's mom was saying as Sakura strolled back into the house. Her mother and grandmother were embrassing another pointless hug as Sakura perched herself at the bottom of the staircase.
After the heart-wrenching hugging scene was over, Old Mrs. Haruno pulled away with what looked like and inexstinguishable smile on her face. "You two must be exhausted from your journey." she said. "Why don't we get Sakura settled in before we sit down for a late supper." She smiled so kindly that Sakura could help but feel guily about being impatient to 'go to bed'.
Sakura ended up with the room that she always used when she was much younger, before her father died. When she entered the dormaint space, it was like she was stepping back into the past. Everything was the same. Time had completely left this room untouched, and it was almost scary how well Sakura remembered everything. Life before her father died was blurry. LIke a memory thats been shrouded by fog.
There was a purple comforter for the queen sized bed centered on the far wall of the room. A canopy of soft lavender and silk graced the posts of the bed. There was a pretty vanity and matching dresser and side tables. Just as she had it when she was a child - back when purple was her favorite color. Sakura had figured that since her father like purple, that she should like it to, and that's what she did. Her favorite color since had always been maroon. red, scarlet, or any shade related to those colors made her heart melt.
As for the condition of everything, a thick layer of dust coated everything, save for the bed, whose covers had just recently been through the wash and the windows, whose glass sparkled happily under the star light.
Sakura's blood began to race through her veins as she set the rest of her things at the foot of her bed and made her way to the balcolney. She strapped on her butt pack and was in the air before she had time for a second thought. A cool breeze tickled the hair around Sakura's ears and she giggled involuntarily as she soared out between her balcony and the neighbors roof top. The entire city of Konoha lay before her as her playground. She may have lived her before, but she was too young to go jumping from roof to roof and run around like a heathen child.
Her strong, highly trained muscles carried her far across town and she found her self at the north end, starring into the seemingly depth-less forest that boardered that side of the town. She could feel something calling herself from inside those pitless black spots between each of the massive, hundred-year-old trees. A red glint caught her attention in her periphereals, and she went instantly into defense move. With the ease and grace of a cat, she pulled out a kunai and lept into the high branches of the nearest tree in one smooth motion.
"Sakura..."
A grip of fear pooled in her stomach. That voice, where was it coming from? It felt like it was everywhere. And whats more, she couldn't sense where the aura of whoever was out there. She was virtually blind.
"Ha hahahaha..." The voice was obviously male. And seductive. Almost as though he were trying to catch her in an illusion.
She formed the proper hand signs and sheilded herself against genjutsu. One thing that Sakura most formidibly despised was being fooled by illusions and lies. She refused to be fooled today. Or any other day for that matter.
Squinting in the darkness caused her vision to scope and peirce far into the forest. She could definately sense that someone, or something, was in there, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She couldn't sense any chakra at all. Not even a life force. Just this... this intent. This strong, overwhelming intent. Sakura couldn't put her finger on what that was either, but it was so strong. It was so strong, that Sakura's stomach began to churn, and everything in her body screamed for her to turn and run away. And that's just what she did, not even looking back to see her stalker step out of the shadows to watch her run off into the night.