KNOCK KNOCK

A little brunette girl wearing a white kimono and red hakama softly knocked on the long oak double door.

"Come in," came a soft voice from the inside.

The girl entered the room which was really big bedroom with well furnished furniture, long and well framed windows letting the sunlight in the room, there was a glassed door leading to the balcony, floor covered with soft carpet and there sat a woman she was looking for seated on her drawing table.

She had long beautiful pink hair which touched the floor as she sat on the chair. She was brushing her hair. Her beautiful emerald eyes were reflected in the mirror. Her fair and pale skin helped her red lips stand out. She had a mole on her cheek bone under the corner of her right eye.

"Lady Sakura," the little girl bowed.

"Yes, is there anything you wanted Miki-chan," Sakura said politely looking away from her mirror and to the girl.

"Lord Okada wishes your presence during the meeting with his friends," Miki said still bowing.

"Does he now?" Sakura said starting to brush her hair again. "You can stand up straight now." Miki stood straight eyes still looking at the floor.

"Are you scared to look at me," Sakura smile at the little girl.

"Not at all," Miki shook her head violently. "I think Lady Sakura is very kind but I didn't mean to but I heard someone saying we weren't allowed to look at you in the eye."

"That's not true," Sakura said calmly standing up walking slowly towards the girl and kneeled down before her. Miki slowly looked up at her. "See no harm done." Miki happily nodded.

"May I ask Lady Sakura something?" Miki asked after gaining her confidence.

"You may," Sakura permitted.

"Do you like staying here?" she asked. Sakura's eyes widen a little and then she smiled.

"No," she answered.

"Then why do you stay here?"

"Because I have to and I have no where else to go."

"You can come with me," Miki said hastily.

Sakura smile widened and then she hugged the little girl.

"I can't Miki. This is my home and I can't leave even if I wanted," she said standing up.

"I'm sorry," the little girl looked down at the floor again.

"It's alright. You should get back to work," Sakura ordered and Miki bowed deeply again and quickly left the room.

Sakura looked at the mirror wondering the same thing she always wondered.

Who am I?

She didn't know anything about her past expect for her name. Sakura. And nothing else. She was found by Lord Okada in a flood who she disliked greatly. She was then forced to be Sakura Okada. But she accepted it without any protest, probably because she had no history and that wasn't given any other choice.

She got dressed in her strapless white gown that reached the floor and a turquoise sash around her waist. Her maids put her satin hair in a bun with a tail at the side if her head. She then wore Furisode Kimono's sleeves as arm warmer. She wore dangly diamond earrings and a pearl necklace. She stepped out of the room and an old man was waiting for her outside.

"My Lady," bowed the Lord's advisor who was wearing long colourful robes. "The Lord wishes to see you now. The guards will escort you to him."

"Very well," she slightly bowed.

Sakura was escorted by the guards to a large hall down the long wide stairs covered in red carpet. As she reached the hall a tall man with long silver hair with blue eyes was waiting for her. It was Sousuke Okada.

"So you're finally here," he said taking her hand and kissing it.

"Indeed I am," Sakura said in a calm manner with no smile on her face.

"We will be having skipping breakfast," he said escorting her outside. "We have a meeting with our new friends of the Jewel country and I want you to meet them as well before we move to Greenery country."

It was quite chilly and foggy.

"And who are these new friends of the country?" Sakura asked curiously.

"They are thought to be destroyed three years ago," he began. "But actually they are still walking the planet."

"Do the other nations know about this?" Sakura asked.

"They don't. They were wanted criminals back then right now they don't come out in the real world so soon. They are working extra careful and they want to keep it that way for now," he explained as they came to a wooden bridge of the castle.

"Where are we meeting these friends of yours?" Sakura asked.

"Right here," he said standing on the middle of the bridge then looked at her.

She looked away as walked to the railing and then leaned on it looking down at the clear running water of the canal. Then after awhile she heard the sound of the bell getting louder.

"They're here my precious," Okada said taking her hand gently bringing her closer to him.

Sakura looked curiously at the dark figures visible in the fog. Then they finally came in view. They were wearing black cloaks bearing red clouds with chin high collar. They wore conical straw hats with bells. They were five of them.

"Sakura meet the Akatsuki," Okada whispered in her ears.

Then Okada clapped his hands and then the lamp post on the bridge lit brightly.

"Welcome to my country," Okada said spreading his arms.

"We really appreciate your hostility," said the man in the front whom Sakura thought might be the leader.

"So what brings you here all of a sudden?" Okada asked while Sakura caught an eye of an onyx eyed member she then quickly diverted her attention towards the conversation.

"Before I begin I must ask you to clear the bodies of some bounty hunters in your forest," the leader suggested.

"What are bounty hunters doing in my country?" Okada asked in a serious voice.

"We want to know the same thing and they seemed to know who we were," the leader replied.

"I apologise for that. I will make sure this does not get any further," he said then turned to advisor whispering something his ears. Then the advisor went back inside the castle.

"I thank you for your help Lord Okada," the leader thanked.

"Now the real business?" Okada asked again.

"We would like to discuss this alone," said a woman among them. Sakura couldn't see who it was for the high collar and the hats hid their faces except for their eyes.

"Of course," he then turned towards the guards. "You will be with Lady Sakura and the two of you will escort our guest to the meeting chamber."

"If it is okay with you Lord Okada two of my men can stay with your wife and the guards can be with you if you don't fully trust," one of them suggested.

"Of course I trust you. We've been working together for a long time," Okada protested.

"Even so, this might help your wife communicate with us and help us win her trust," he said.

"I'm not his wife," Sakura said to the leader. Okada looked at her with piercing eyes but she didn't even flinch or blink instead she gave a slow smile.

"You're lady is interesting my lord," the leader said low tone. "Shall we?" he said pointing at the way back to the building.

"Kisame, Itachi you stay with Lady Sakura," the leader the other two as he followed Okada.

The fog slowly cleared after a few moments. Giving the clear view of the garden. Sakura opened her wooden umbrella to block the sunlight. She watched the two members standing quietly. She giggled a little and walked towards them. The taller one fidgeted a little uncomfortably. She then started to circle them looking at them from up and down. She went back in front of them staring at them shamelessly forgetting her Lady manners.

XXX

"Itachi this woman is starting to creep me out," Kisame whispering to his partner as he watched the pink haired woman stare.

"Hn," was all Itachi said. He somehow found her annoying than creepy.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"What?" Kisame asked really loudly. "I mean, pardon."

She giggled again. "Your names?" she asked again.

"I am Uchiha Itachi," Itachi said before his partner could.

"I'm Hoshigake Kisame. One of the seven shinobi swordsmanship," Kisame said grinning.

"I have heard about you," Sakura said amused. "You seven swordsmen were quite a legend."

"Thank you. I didn't know someone like you would be interested in these stuffs," Kisame said.

"I am a mere human being after all and we have the curiosity for different things," she said leaning on the railing.

"Tell me, how skilled are you?" she asked.

"Skilled enough to draw pin from the river without breaking a sweat," Kisame boasted while his partner resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Really," she said drawing out a hair pin from her bun wiping the smile off his face. She then dropped the pin in the running water. "Oops, I think I dropped."

Grumbling and regretting on what he said Kisame removed his hat revealing a blue face with sharp teeth. He then removed the huge sword he was carrying putting it on the floor and went near the railings.

"I hate royalty," he shouted before jumping in the water leaving Itachi alone with Sakura.

"I like your friend," Sakura said looking at Kisame dive in.

"It wasn't a pin was it?" Itachi said.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked smile wiped off from a face.

"I can tell the difference between and duplicate and the real thing," he smirked behind the collar. "It's like this," he removed the ring he was wearing and showed it to her. "You drop it…," he dropped the ring but it disappeared with a poof of smoke "…but the real thing is still with you," he then showed the same ring on his finger.

"Impressive. Just as expected from a guy who wiped out his whole clan," she said amused making him frown with curiosity. "I may live here Uchiha-san but I do know a lot about the world out there."

"You are an interesting woman my Lady and so skilled in such a young age," Itachi complimented.

"There wasn't any pin was it?" came Kisame's voice.