The Fuyuhana
By: Wounded angel
A young girl with bright pink hair and emerald green eyes was walking through the dark forests of Konohagakure alone. Clad in but a pair of torn pants and a shirt, numbness was spreading quickly through her limbs due to the bitter cold.
An icy wind swept by with biting force. She hugged herself closer in an attempt to preserve some of the little warmth that was still left in her frail body, while forcing herself to continue onwards. Her bare feet hurt with every step she took from the cuts littering the soles of her feet made by the crust on the snow's untouched surface, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't turn back—she had to continue.
Her eyes stared down on the snow, glimmering with unshed tears and loneliness while her lower lip trembled slightly together with the rest of her body. She didn't know where she was heading; she had just taken off into the forest, trying to get away from it all. She knew she could and should have gone to ojiisan, but she hadn't been able to think clearly earlier. Everything had just suddenly come down upon her with the force of a brick wall, leaving her confused, hurt, and scared, and she had done the first thing that seemed the most rational.
She ran.
She ran and ran and ran; as if, if she was fast enough, she could outrun everything her otousan had said, forget what he had done, and reach some sort of state of blissful unawareness. After a while, her run had turned into a jog, her jog to a rapid walk until, finally, she could only find the strength for a slow trudge.
She knew her otousan had never liked her. She knew he hated her; but, still, she hadn't been able to see this coming. She had so desperately clung to that speck of hope that maybe he did care, maybe he would stop, maybe he would one day take her into his arms and give her the acceptance and love she so desperately yearned for. She had never found it in herself to let that hope go, because if she did, everything would be final, everything would be lost, and every hit, every kick would hurt all the more.
She was brought back to the present when she tripped over a stone hidden under the white snow, and she used her hands to try to cushion her fall. A sharp cry ripped through her throat from the pressure on her ribcage when she made impact with the ground in a whirl of snow. The pain brought more tears to her eyes as she bit her lip to somehow try to ignore the pain. During her mindless rush through the trees and snow-covered landscape, she had managed to forget her injuries and just focus on getting as far away as soon as possible; but, now, since she had both slowed and calmed down, the injuries were making themselves known again. This time, she had enough awareness to register it.
Editor Note: Be careful with the length of your sentences; some of your sentences are extremely long. They will become much like run-on sentences if you keep using them because they are compound (your sentences).
Pushing herself into a sitting position with one arm wrapped across her chest, she raised the fabric of her shirt slightly. With the help of the full moon's light, she could make out the nasty black bruise that was taking shape.
'Broken,' she thought, recognizing the injury due to having had numerous fractured ribs before. Pulling her shirt back down, she forced her tired legs to move and resume their mindless wandering.
Her eyes clouded over once more as she stared at the darkness ahead while hearing, in the dark and most hidden corners of her mind, the same questions echo over and over again. 'Why? Why do they hate me? Why am I the way I am? Why is everything I do wrong? Why can't he love me?' Her mind was icing over with despair colder than the snow that was crunching beneath her feet, and she yearned for answers to her fruitless questions.
Feeling the moonlight suddenly shine down on her with more intensity than before, she turned her attention to her surroundings.
An ice-covered lake lay just a few steps ahead of her, a thin layer of snow resting on its surface that made it glimmer like a thousand diamonds. She couldn't fight the small rise of her lips at nature's beauty. Letting her eyes slowly take in the serene sight, the questions in her mind quieted down, and she was inwardly thankful for the silence joining the slight howling of the wind.
When her gaze came to the centre of the lake, a shape caught her eye. Squinting, she tried to see past the falling snow in order to determine what it was.
'It looks like…a dog,' she thought. It took her tired brain a moment to piece two and two together.
A dog.
In a forest.
Her eye widened a fraction, and fear began to seep into her, making her breath become slightly ragged.
A wolf.
Instinctively, she began to back away. Images of sharp claws, razor-like teeth and piercing predatory hungry eyes were flashing before her own and increasing the already dormant fear. She was just about to try to make her way out of there when logic finally managed to push past her fear-clouded mind.
'Why hasn't it attacked me yet? Shouldn't it be able to smell my blood?' she wondered, as her nose scrunched up in thought, trying to recall the contents of the animal books she'd read in ojiisan's office.
Her eyes scanned over her surroundings for the possible presence of other wolves, but the sight of the darkened foliage of the forest was all she saw. She slowly returned her gaze to the wolf on the ice and noted that it hadn't moved at all, making the possibility of it doing her any harm decrease with every second, and therefore also her fear.
'Maybe it's dead?' she thought, and the image of a hazelnut brown canine flashed before her eyes. Shaking her head slightly, she swallowed the lump in her throat. There was only one way she could find an answer to her question, and she decided she would answer it. Fisting her one hand while the other still resting over her chest, she slowly approached the animal.
Reaching the edge of the water, she now saw the blood staining its white fur and the snow around it. Pity entered her dark green eyes, and she found herself hoping more and more that she wasn't too late. Carefully placing her foot onto the glass-like surface, she tried to see whether it would give in and make her take a chilly dip or not. To her relief, the ice didn't even make a sound in response to her added weight, and she dared to place her other foot on it. Deeming it safe, she slowly crossed the distance to the wolf and kneeled down beside it. She tried to ignore the fact that the canine was significantly bigger than the average height of its kind. Compared to her late dog, Suki, this wolf's size rivalled that of a tiger.
Allowing her eyes to rove over its body, she picked up the faint movement of its ribcage, telling of the life still present. Shifting her gaze to the bleeding wound, she tried to evaluate the danger to the wolf's life. With her nimble fingers, she gently prodded around the wound while making sure that the animal was still unconscious. 'It doesn't seem life threatening, but it must be very uncomfortable,' she thought, after finishing her inspection. 'Maybe I could use my jutsu to help it?' Sharp canines and claws flashed past her mind, and she swallowed anew. 'Or at least stop the bleeding.'
With her mind made up, she slowly did the oh-so-familiar hand seals, watching as her hands became engulfed within her chakra. Its soothing lull soon accompanied that of the blowing wind. She lowered both her hands to the wound, her eyes closed and the corners of her mouth pulled downwards. Soon, beads of sweat formed on her slightly over-sized forehead, as she concentrated on getting the wound to heal, 'Come on, please work.'
Opening one eye, she noticed to her relief and joy that the skin around the wound slowly knit together, shrinking and closing, almost as if heeding her silent request. Despite the joy at her success, a bittersweet sensation filled her. 'Tousan, do you see what good came out of all the hurt you caused me?'
When the wound had finally closed, the little girl sat back up while breathing a small sigh of relief.
'There.' She wiped her forehead with her sleeve, satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment flowing through her as she inspected the barely visible pink line that crossed the wolf's skin as a reminder of the wound. Reaching out, she gently ran her hand over the warm fur that covered the wolf's side. "See, all better," she said quietly with a smile, as she felt the rise and fall its chest.
The slight shifting of the huge body beneath her hand made the girl tense. She was already starting to believe she had imagined it when it happened again. She retrieved her hand, holding it protectively to her chest as she slowly rose from her seated position, eyes fixed on the canine's face. Then, that which shouldn't have happened did.
The wolf woke up.
At the sight of the alert blue eyes staring back at her, the girl's fear skyrocketed, and she ran as fast as she could—which in her worn state only turned into a slight jog—towards the cover of the trees. Running behind a tree, she peeked out from behind it and watched with growing fear as the big wolf slowly rose to its feet. Gracefulness and wisdom hung in the air surrounding it. A slight awe filled the small girl at the sight of the beautiful animal as it surveyed the blood on the snow. Suddenly, it raised its nose into the air, seemingly searching for something before bringing its gaze to the tree she was hiding behind.
Quickly ducking behind her cover, she felt her heart hammer against her ribs as she gulped in fear. There was no way she would be able to outrun it, and she couldn't climb a tree with her broken ribs. This was bad.
A sudden bright light from the lake interrupted her thoughts.
'What's happening over there?' Gathering her courage, she peeked in the direction of the wolf only to find a man standing in its place.
Long silver hair that put the moonlight to shame was tied on the top on his head, and he wore a haori and a pair of hakamas made out of the finest silk. Accompanying the clothing was armour resembling that of the samurais of ancient times, and it effectively covered his chest and abdomen while a katana (sword) rested on his hip, adding to the warrior appearance. But despite all this, the thing that really caught her attention was his eyes, partially hidden behind a curtain of silver bangs. They bore the mesmerizing combination of marine blue and grey, which made them resemble the calm depths of the ocean on a cloudy day.
'Who is that?' she wondered in both fear and fascination. 'And where'd the wolf go?'
"Child, do not fear me." The man's calm and rich voice abruptly brought the girl's attention back to the warrior that now stood on the lakeshore.
"Child, were you the one who healed me?" the man asked, taking a few steps towards her. Alarmed by his sudden approach, she instinctively started backing away, although knowing that if he decided to catch her, there wasn't much she could do to stop him.
Noticing the fear in her eyes increase, he slowly raised his hands and slowed his pace. "Don't be afraid. I won't harm you."
"W-who are you?" she asked in a timid voice, eyeing him suspiciously.
"My name is Shiro (from 'Shiroi' which means white), and I am the God of Eternity." He kneeled down a mere foot or two in front of her.
Her eyes widened. "A God?" she repeated in slight disbelief as the fear slowly lessened. He nodded. "I am the one who brings winter to the lands."
At his statement, the awe increased in her eyes. 'Sugoi (cool).'
Shiro smiled fondly towards the girl. "Who are you, young lady?" he asked, his smile warm and gentle. Said girl eyed him for a moment, as if trying to make out whether he was a threat or not, before a concerned look then entered her features. "Promise not to hate me if I do?"
A confused look crossed Shiro's face at her unexpected question. "Why would I hate you?" he asked. Her gaze lowered to her feet and she seemed slightly reluctant to answer, but did so nonetheless. "Everyone has so far, why not you?"
He felt an unpleasant feeling gather in the pit of his stomach. "Who're these 'everyone'?"
A pause. "My village. They don't like me, they think I'm weird because of my chakra," she explained, clearly uncomfortable by the subject.
"What is wrong with your chakra?"
Hesitantly, the girl held out her hand; and, a moment later, it glowed and swished from her chakra. Shiro was taken slightly aback by the sight that greeted him.
Her chakra was black.
As if noticing him tense, she abruptly stopped the flow of chakra to her hand and hid it slightly behind her back. "They think I'm evil," she whispered sadly.
Disbelief entered Shiro's pale features at her words. He had seen many evils during his long years, and she didn't resemble any of them by a long shot. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on her head, effectively gaining her attention. "No name you may bear could make me hate you, I promise," he assured with a smile. A moment of silence followed his words as she mulled them over.
"Haruno Sakura."
The smile widened as he heard her name. "You have a beautiful name, Sakura." He lowered his hand. "Were you the one who healed me?"
She shook her head. "No, I healed a wolf but it suddenly vanished just before you—" Realisation flickered in her eyes and her lips formed an 'o' shape. "Eh, hai."
His eyes filled with amazement. "You're so young." He watched with slight amusement as a slight blush covered Sakura's cheeks, and she averted her eyes. "Well, back in my village I used to get hurt a lot, so one day I sneaked into this old house where they keep this big scroll and I taught myself a medical jutsu so that I could heal myself," she rambled while shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
Shiro nodded and found his gaze drawn to the arm circling her chest protectively. His eyebrows furrowed. "Are you hurt?" he asked, confusion mingling with concern in his voice.
Sakura followed his gaze and rested her eyes on her arm. Immediately, her eyes clouded over and she felt her throat constrict as another onslaught of tears threatened to fall. "Otosan came home drunk again and started to hit me and shout. He was so angry, and hit me even harder than he usually does. When he stopped, he told me to go, that he never wanted to see me near the house again." Her head lowered. "H-he said he could no longer bear to even look at me."
Blinking rapidly, she tried to rid the gathering moisture in her eyes. "I was so scared and everything just hurt, and before I could even heal myself he had thrown me out." As if just realising the fact, she added, "I didn't even have time to get Kuma."
The lump in her throat was becoming almost unbearable, but she continued, "When he went back inside, I quickly healed myself and got out of there before he came back. I haven't dared go back yet." She hastily wiped away the tears cascading down her cheeks. "I would've healed this too, but I haven't learned to heal broken bones yet. Usually ojiisan does that for me."
By the time she was finished, Shiro's fists were shaking with anger towards her parent. Didn't those humans have any honour? When he felt he had regained enough of his calm, he raised his hand slowly. "Could you remove your hand?"
Sakura watched him cautiously as she let her arm slowly fall back to her side, regarding him with some fear as he settled his hand on her bruised ribs—not fear of him, but for the pain that whatever he was going to do could evoke. A soft blue glow engulfed his hand, and she had to bite her lower lip not to let out a cry when the ribs healed.
When he eventually removed his hand, Sakura inspected the side of her chest curiously before her face lit up. "Thank you Shiro-kun!" she thanked cheerfully with a bright smile.
Shiro felt himself return the gesture, amazed by the fact that despite all her hardships, she still hadn't lost the ability to give such a radiant smile. His smile faded slightly as a thought occurred to him. 'Could it be…?' he thought as he watched the girl, oblivious to the thought taking shape in his mind, gently prod her side.
"Sakura." Hearing her name, the rosette turned her attention towards the god. "Close your eyes for a moment."
Sakura hesitated. Trusting someone was not something she was used to, however, Shiro had given her no reason to fear him... but. 'No!' Shaking her head furiously to move away from the path her thoughts were taking. 'Shiro-kun won't hurt me, he won't.'
Complying with his request, she almost instantly felt the pleasant warmth from his hand spreading over her closed eyelids. A cool sensation entered her eyes, standing in sharp contrast to the earlier heat, and she stiffened for a second.
His hand rested on her face for what seemed like an eternity as she stood there quiet and still, wondering what he was doing. Her eyes fluttered open the moment his hand left her eyes, and she looked around curiously before settling her gaze back on Shiro. She tilted her head questioningly to the side. "What did you do?"
His face remained grave for a moment, eyes fixed on her for so long that she was staring to get uncomfortable. She wondered if he had heard her when he gave her a fond smile. "As a thank you for your healing, I gave you your very own ability."
Her eyes furrowed in thought, "Ability?" before suddenly lighting up. "You mean like the Sharingan or the Byakugan?" she asked excitedly. Shiro's smile widened, and he ruffled her hair. "I see that you are quite well-read."
"I have to be if I want to be a shinobi by the time I'm thirteen," she said matter-of-factly with her hands on her hips, nose stuck in the air.
Shiro chuckled under his breath at the comical picture she made up and nodded. "Well, to answer your question, it's not quite the same, but that's a story for another time."
"Okay." Sakura tried to hide the disappointment at his reluctance to answer. "But if I don't have any of those kekkei genkai, then what is mine called?"
"Your ability is called the Fuyuhana (winter flower)."
"Fuyu…hana?" she repeated, face scrunched up in thought as she tested the name. After a split second's thought, she beamed. "I like it! It's really pretty."
"Arigato Shiro-kun!" Blinking down at the little girl glued to him, he felt Shiro was about to say something but remained silent when Sakura flung her arms around to do something and slowly wrapped his arms around her. Another smiled bloomed on his lips. "You're quite welcome; but, in order to be able to master your gift fully, you will need some help."
"You will train me?!" she asked, but to her disappointment, he shook his head.
"I'm afraid I can't, but I know just the right person."
Shiro closed his eyes and, briefly, a silver glow surrounded him. Sakura turned her attention to the lakeshore on the other side when a howl rang through the forest, and she saw a black wolf emerge from the darkness of the woods. Crossing the ice with a few quick leaps, it stopped in front of Shiro and bowed.
'You called, Shiro-sama?'
'Yami, you have served me well for centuries, and you're my most trusted servant, not to forget a dear friend, and therefore I want you to guard and train little Sakura here.' He motioned towards the girl in his embrace. He looked back at his servant. 'You are familiar with the Fuyuhana, are you not?'
'Hai, I am,' Yami answered, slightly confused of the particular subject's relevance in this situation when realisation dawned on him. 'Do you mean to say that she is her?' Shiro gave a confirming nod. Yami glanced back at the small girl. 'May I ask who she is, Shiro-sama?'
Shiro followed his companions gaze and watched Sakura look at them with confused bright beryl eyes, shining with innocence as she tilted her head slightly to the side. 'She is a girl from Konohagakure that assisted me without me asking for such an act.'
Yami nodded and looked at the girl with his hazel eyes in silence, as if mulling Shiro's request over. The girl had already lost interest in their silent conversation and was now making patterns in the snow beneath her feet. He raised his gaze and bowed anew. 'I will gladly accept this task you have given me.'
Shiro nodded and turned his attention to Sakura and his eyes softened a fraction. "Sakura, this is Yami. He will help you learn how to master your newly acquired gift as well as train you in combat."
Sakura's head whipped towards him and, with a nod. With a shy glance in Yami's direction she hurriedly looked away when he met her curious eyes. A blush made its way onto her childish features at being caught. Tugging gently at Shiro's haori (a short jacket over a kimono) she whispered carefully, "Can I pet him?"
Shiro smiled. She was afraid, but still childish curiosity and the natural fascination for fluffy things won. Glancing at Yami, who gave an approving nod, he turned back to her. "Hai, you can."
Stepping out of Shiro's embrace, she halted in front of Yami and slowly reached out, gently running her hand over his head. He leaned into her touch, a quiet rumble emitting from his chest. From her experience of having a dog of her own, Sakura knew he wasn't angry, simply showing his enjoyment. That little piece of information made her smile bloom fully.
When she stopped her ministrations a moment later, Yami nudged her hand with his nose and licked her palm, earning a hearty laugh from the child that made a smile tug at the corners of Shiro's mouth. Glancing up at the sky, he noticed he didn't have much time left before he had to return to his realm, and therefore reluctantly interrupted the happy moment.
"Sakura," he called, drawing the young one's attention. "I have one more gift for you." He held out his hand towards her. "Come."
Doing as she was asked, Sakura came to stand before Shiro and almost immediately felt him place his hand on her lower back and start to draw some kind of pattern. She squirmed slightly since it tickled, but didn't try and move away. When he stopped what he was doing, Sakura turned around as much as she could to see what he had done and gaped when she saw a dark blue crescent moon with silver swirls on either side.
"Pretty!" she exclaimed with a radiant smile.
"That is the crest of my clan, marking you now as one of my kind and placing you under my protection," he explained. At his words, Sakura looked up at him first in disbelief before lowering her gaze as a smile slowly settled on her lips. Unable to hinder the tears that gathered in her eyes she let the roll down her cheeks in warm big drops.
Shiro frowned when he heard her sniffle and saw the tears dropping onto the snow. Confused he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Does this upset you?" he asked cautiously and felt slightly relieved when she shook her head quickly.
Raising her face towards him, she smiled even wider through her tears. "It's just I've never really belonged anywhere. I've always been alone, and never had a place of my own, but you just gave me that." She dried her wet cheeks but never lost her smile. "Arigato, Shiro-kun."
Shiro smiled and reached forward, gently brushing his knuckles across her cheek, before he ruffled her hair affectionately. "No, it is I who should thank you, Sakura. You healed me, even though you were afraid, and did so with utter compassion." He placed a hand on her chest. "It is I who should thank you for what you have in here."
A cute blush stained her cheeks, and she muttered a small, "It was nothing."
"Not to me," Shiro said with a smile, and rose to his feet. He exchanged a glance with Yami in silence; and, as if reaching an agreement, Yami nodded and they both turned back to Sakura.
"I'll have to leave you now, Sakura, but if you ever need me, just call for me and I will come." He saw the disappointment as it seeped into her eyes.
Crossing the short distance between them, she enveloped him in a hug, making him almost topple over. "Do you really have to leave, Shiro-kun?" she asked, her voice muffled by his haori, as his arm circled her shoulders.
"I do," he kept his voice lowered, "but Yami will look after you."
When he smelt the renewed rush of salt from tears, he kneeled down and, placing his hands on either of her shoulders, looked into her green eyes. "This isn't the last time we'll see each other, so don't shed your tears."
Sakura swallowed hard. "P-promise you'll return?" she asked in naught but a whisper, not wanting him to leave just when she had met him.
"I promise."
She held out her pinkie, a determined look in her eyes and, in return, Shiro raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Pinkie promise?" she asked.
The god bit back the smile that threatened to form on his lips—after all, this was serious business for an eight-year-old. He raised his hand and linked his pinkie with hers. "Pinkie promise."
Nodding once curtly as if satisfied with his answer, she stepped away while drying her eyes. The same bright light from earlier engulfed the area and, when it dimmed, Shiro had once again turned into the snow-white wolf she had healed.
She wondered if he was still the same when she suddenly felt her mind engulfed in warmth and heard his voice, 'Until we meet again Sakura.'
She looked into his eyes and nodded with a smile, her pink hair flying around her. Shiro's eyes softened; he turned towards Yami, who gave a nod that was returned, and then he turned to disappear in a whirl of snow.
Sakura stared at the spot he had stood on mere seconds earlier and felt another onslaught of tears threaten to fall, but quickly pushed them away. She wouldn't cry, she would be strong; after all, he had given her a pinkie promise that he would return and she was sure that he didn't want to cut off his pinkie. She now turned her attention to Yami.
"So, you're Yami?" she asked, sitting down in front of him.
'Hai, and you're Sakura?' Said person nodded. 'Shiro-sama told me to protect and train you, and I will, but first you'll have to tell me about yourself.'
Sakura nodded and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she looked up at the sky with a thoughtful expression. "Well, my name is Haruno Sakura. Um, I'm eight years old and I used to live in Konoha with my otousan a-and I want to be a ninja when I grow up."
Yami nodded. 'You said you used to live with your otousan,' Sakura nodded at this, 'but where is your okaasan?'
Sakura's eyes lowered, and her feet seemed like the most interesting thing in the world. "I…." She swallowed. "I killed her," she murmured, drawing her knees closer to her chest. "I killed her when I was born."
Yami looked at her in confusion. 'What do you mean?'
"Otousan told me once," she tried to stop her lower lip from trembling as she felt her throat constrict and eyes water, "that okaasan died when giving birth to me. She died because I was a demon," she forced out finally.
Seeing her sorrow, Yami sat down beside her and placed his head on hers in a consoling manner. 'The fault of your okaasan's death is not yours to bear. You are not a demon but a beautiful bright girl, and your otousan is just too blinded by grief and sorrow to see that.'
"But it isn't just otousan, the whole village hates me!" she choked out. "Only ojiisan is nice to me."
'People usually fear what they cannot understand. Your chakra isn't something they have met before, and because they don't know how to respond to it, they fear it,' Yami said, nuzzling her cheek.
Sakura pulled away and looked at him with slightly red, puffy eyes. "Do you hate me?"
He shook his head. 'No. In fact, I like you very much.'
She snivelled slightly. "Really?"
Yami nodded and gave something akin to a smile to a smile. 'Really.' Sakura nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder, the fur soft and warm against her cheek. Letting the silence settle between them, Yami made mental note not to ask more about her parents. The scars they had caused were apparently still too fresh.
'You mentioned someone called 'ojiisan'. Who is he?' he asked carefully after a moment.
Nuzzling her face into his fur anew she sat back and dried her eyes. "He is the Hokage of our village, but he lets me call him ojiisan!!" Sakura was clearly proud of her special permission. "He always brings me candy and heals the wounds I can't heal myself."
'Sou ka (I see),' Yami replied. 'At least there is one person that sees how beautiful she is,' he mused.
"What about you?"
He turned his attention back to Sakura and saw her looking at him curiously. Guessing that she wanted to know about him too, he settled his attention on the forest ahead of them, piecing together what he could tell her in his mind.
'Well, I am one of Shiro-sama's advisors. I am the most educated amongst the servants and trained in the art of combat, currently counted among one of the strongest of those in his lordship's service. I am 358 years-old, and I live in Shiro-sama's realm.'
"Sugoi," she breathed. "Can you do that thing Shiro-kun did?" she asked while playing with his fur.
He glanced at her. 'You mean transforming?' She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "I think that's it."
'I can.' Eyes seeking out her hands again she asked shyly, "Do you, uh, think that you could show me?"
Smiling at her, he wordlessly let a soft green glow surround him, and his features turned more human. A few seconds later, a man with messy, short raven black hair and the same deep brown eyes sat beside her, clad in a forest green kimono and armour slightly less extravagant than Shiro's. He also had a sword strapped to his hip.
Sakura stared at him wide-eyed with her mouth agape, and the man flashed a smirk at her reaction before letting his wolf features once again take over.
When back in his wolf from, Yami rose to his feet and shook off the snow that had stuck onto him, before he turned to the pink haired girl that was brushing the snow from her clothes. 'Are you ready to leave, Sakura?'
She raised her face to him and flashed a radiant smile. "Hai, Yami-kun!" Yami crouched down slightly in front of her, offering her his back. 'Climb on.'
Sakura obeyed, and with a little difficulty, she finally got up and found that even though he wasn't quite as big as Shiro, his size was still notably bigger than others of his kind.
'Hold on tight,' he said, and took off into the forest.
In Konoha, the Sandaime watched through his crystal ball as Sakura disappeared into the darkness. He didn't know what had transpired between Sakura and that wolf, but concluded that due to the way she was treated in Konoha, despite his efforts to stop it, this was probably for the best.
He leaned further back in his chair and stared at the now blank crystal ball in front of him. Wherever she was heading, he hope she'd find the happiness and security that she so much deserved but didn't find there. As he stared into the crystals clear surface, his bittersweet smile reflected on its surface.
A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back and with a new story.
I've had a small 'vacation' from writing but I couldn't stay away for long I love to write at this place too much ^^
Anyway I hope that you'll like it and you know the drill:
Please leave a review!
Hugs,
-Wounded angel