Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its character.
Author's Note: Komorebi, if you're curious of the meaning, means "the sunshine filtering through the leaves of a tree(s)."
This story is taking place during the Sengoku Era of Japan, historically and not in the Naruto universe. And so Sakura is not a ninja and neither is Naruto since I've made them apart of Samurai clans. There will be ninjas, there will be powers and such, but I wanted to make that clear.
And before I finish, I've made this chapter quite short since I wanted to see if it will be well received. R&R.
Chapter One:
Sakura of the Haruno Clan
Spring had just arrived and pink, beautiful flowers had bloomed in the tree. Although these cherry blossoms seemed to differ here than they had in her homeland, she had loved them all the same. Standing under the fully bloomed tree was Haruno Sakura, princess of the Haruno clan. Sakura was a princess with well-renowned fame throughout Japan and even in China due to circumstances of her being away from her home of Japan and residing in China for safety purposes. She was sent to live with her grandparents while a war raged on at home. Her father wanted her safety first and so he shipped her to them despite her loud and angry protests.
"Lady Sakura," A woman called her, making her empty her troubling thoughts of her fire and fixate on the servant that required her attention. Once the servant realized that she had her full attention, the woman lowered her head some. "Your grandfather wants to see you."
Nodding, she began to walk back inside her home, following the stone path in the garden that lead to the west wing of the large home. Her grandfather, Zan, was a retired general of the Emperor. He had lived his days peacefully with a dojo, teaching young men the arts of Xingyi.
Men were more regarded a fighters but women have rose to the occasion to prove them wrong. Sakura was one of them herself due to her grandfather finding the fighter's spirit within her. When she was young, she used to watch her grandfather practice. Her grandfather had mastered more than just Xingyi, but Bagua as well. He allowed no one to watch because he only taught his disciples Xingyi, for Bagua was lethal.
Sakura was so enraptured with his coil and sharp movements that would make every step and every stance so graceful; he was like a dance and she wanted to emulate him. She too wanted to look lovely to watch. She would spend most of her days practicing in the courtyard when she thought no eyes could see and one day he caught her, but he didn't stifle her. No, he corrected her; always lifting her foot higher or raising her elbow lower. He pitied the idea at first but he taught her anyway. Now she was his most successful disciple, skilled in Bagua and Xingyi, but she was never allowed to display such arts around her father, who was against her knowing any martial art.
Upon reaching the meeting hall, she bowed upon entering the presence of her grandfather and held such a curious look in her eyes. Tall and slim, hair long and gray that was pulled back in a braid that reached his hip, Zan looked over his shoulder at his granddaughter and greeted her with a small smile. "I received word from your father."
Hopeful, and somewhat relieved, Sakura took a step forward. "Does that mean that the war is over?"
"I'm afraid not." Saddened, Sakura lowered her head and closed her eyes, hand balling into a tight fist. "He said that he has gotten some more allies…" It didn't ease her homesickness but she felt relieved that other people were willing to help her father. It was nerve-wracking to think that with how long this was was escalating that meant the enemy truly was no easy feat. "And…" Sakura's eyes continued looking at the floor, "he misses you."
It warmed her heart some upon hearing that, knowing her father missed her just as much as she missed him. It made her smile, genuinely, and Zan was glad to see his granddaughter looking as radiant as she was meant to. "Grandfather…" Curling her hands into fists, she narrowed her gaze, "I want to help my father. I want to go back home. Those people, those lands, our fiefdoms, are very much as mine as they are his. I can fight, I should be able to fight alongside him."
Silence lingered after her declaration, Zan had already averted his eyes to gaze out the window into the warm skies that were filled with scattered, cotton clouds. "Your father—"
"My father needs help." She interrupted, "My father needs to know that his patriarchal way of thinking needs to end. Why is it allowed that village women can pick up a weapon and fight, but I can't? Why is that there are few female warriors and ninjas that are in battlefields all the time, but I can't? Just because I'm a princess?!" Her voice was raising as the fury of being held back because of her ranking was engulfing her, she hadn't meant to yell at her grandfather or disrespect him. Zan knew his temperamental granddaughter well.
"No, it's not about you being a princess, Sakura." He answered, "It's about you being the only family he has left." It dawned on her, in that moment, that her father was so protective because she was the last of the Haruno bloodline other than her uncle. "If something were to happen to you, how would he feel? You are his daughter, the pride of the Haruno clan. He already lost your mother and he cannot lose you either."
Sakura understood, she truly did, but it still wasn't fair. "Grandfather, my mother was a warrior too."
"Yes," He nodded as he thought about his only child, "I know. She had a temper much like yours, very resilient." She wished she hadn't brought her mother up knowing how her grandparents still grieved for her. Her death hadn't fully healed with her either but she tried to keep a brave face. "You have to understand his reasoning."
It was clear that arguing about it wasn't going to help and there was nothing really that her grandfather could do. She was far away from home anyway and so she couldn't just march there and demand to be treated as more than just a princess.
"In times like these, Sakura, all you can do is grow strong and have patience." It was clear his words did little to no comfort, but he knew that if he didn't tame her ferocious anger, she'd be too impulsed to do something.
"Grow strong just to stay locked in the castle and to be patient just to go back?... What's the point?" Defeated and tired of beating the same drum, she turned away from her grandfather and left the room. It wasn't his fault, he was the reason why she was strong in the first place since he taught her how to fight. It was her father that was holding her back.