Title: The Flowers Cherish You
Summary: When Sakura was three, her mother told her the cherry blossom tree inside their garden bloomed the moment it saw her. When Sakura was four, she fell out of a tree and the tree caught her and placed her gently on the ground. When Sakura was five, she hid behind a bush to escape her bullies and the bush reached out to wipe away her tears. Nature has always cared for Sakura and Sakura has always loved nature. They have a beautiful, strong bond. But can such a bond withstand the tragedies that follow a shinobi's life?
Features: Mokuton!Sakura, Sakura as a descendant of the Senju clan through her mother, the Haruno's are a very small prestigious clan that specializes in genjutsu, Alive Minato and Kushina, Non-Massacre, Neji's father is also alive
Warnings will be placed at the beginning of each chapter.
Pairing(s): Undetermined
AU!
Disclaimer: All rights belong to their respective owners of which I am not one.
Chapter One
A flower blooms on this morn,
Celebrating the new life it bears witness to.
It watches and watches,
A protector in it's own right.
"You're doing so well, my love."
Haruno Mebuki smiles tiredly at her husband. Contractions are now minutes apart and soon, so soon, she will bring into this world a precious child of their own. The long awaited daughter she prayed every day to be born healthy, to be born strong.
"I hope she has your eyes." Haruno Kizashi gently pats his wife's forehead with a damp cloth. "Viridian. Like yours."
"My eyes...are so weird," Mebuki replies slowly while closing her eyes briefly.
"No," he shakes his head. "They're beautiful." He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"I hope she has hair like yours." She raises her hand to tug softly on a long pink tassel of hair. "Pretty like cherry blossoms."
Kizashi laughs. "She'd be a beauty."
"Of cour - ," Mebuki winces. "O-Of - oh! I t-think its time."
Just as she says that the door to their hospital room opens and a nurse walks in. "I believe it's time, Mebuki-san. Are you ready?" When she nods, the nurse calls in three more nurses and the process for delivery begins. Throughout it all, Mebuki clenches helplessly at her husband's hand while sobbing through the pain of childbirth. What seemed like hours only lasted several minutes.
And then the pain dulls.
"Oh my," the nurse whispers. "Oh my, oh my. She's beautiful." There is no signature wail from the bloody bundle in the nurse's arms. "Let me clean her off real quick."
It is quick.
"Our baby," Mebuki whispers. "She's alright?"
The nurse smiles. "She's perfectly healthy." And steps forward with a tiny bundle in her arms wrapped in a pale pink blanket. "Let's raise the bed so you can hold her." Once the bed is raised to a semi-comfortable position, the nurse leans over and places the child in the arms of her mother.
Pale green eyes gaze up at the face of her mother - incredibly calm - with pink-tinged skin. Soft pink truffles of hair cover a tiny head. "Oh, Kizashi. She's perfect. She's absolutely perfect."
"Beautiful. Just like her mama."
Mebuki pulls her daughter closer, sort of curling around her protectively. Kizashi gently strokes their child's soft cheeks and nose and then her forehead. A little large on the tiny head, but so utterly adorable.
"We need to name her, dear."
"We talked about Miaki and Kunishi as possible names, but I don't think those cut it anymore," Mebuki replies, voice still so full of wonder and joy.
"What about Sakura?" Kizashi whispers. "After her hair."
"Sakura..." Mebuki cups the cheek of their daughter. "What do you think, precious one?" Green eyes blink but the child doesn't move otherwise. "I think it suits you." She hugs the tiny bundle closer. "Welcome, Sakura. We've been waiting for you."
When Sakura was three, her mother told her the cherry blossom tree inside their garden bloomed the moment it saw her.
Small but quick for her age, Sakura runs along the pathway leading to the garden outside of her family's home. Moments ago, she learned that her mother is tending to the garden for the afternoon; taking care of the weeds while watering the flowers and vegetables. The garden is Sakura's most favorite place on the property. It's full of life and wonder, clearly loved by her mother. Upon entering the garden, she sees her mother standing above one of the white rose bushes with a watering can talking although there's no one around.
"Mommy?" Sakura calls out, unsure. "Who is mommy talking to?"
Mebuki turns around, smiling brightly. "Come here, Sakura!" Sakura listens immediately, dashing forward and slamming into the legs of her mother at full force. The strength behind it nearly sends both her and her mother to the ground. "My goodness, Sakura!" Mebuki laughs. "Watch that strength of yours!"
Sakura giggles quietly into her legs. "Sorry, mommy."
"Nevermind that," is the reply. "Help me water the roses."
Taking the somewhat still heavy watering can, Sakura turns to the rose bush and tilts her head. The roses don't look very happy. "Mommy, the roses are sad."
"I know, sweetie. They're very thirsty."
Sakura lifts the watering can and tilts it until a gentle sprinkle of water starts pouring out. "I will help them, mommy. I don't want them to be sad!"
Mebuki smiles while running her hand through Sakura's soft, long pink locks. "I don't want them to be sad either. I promised to take better care of them."
"You promised them?" Sakura asks, blinking up at her mother.
"Of course. These plants depend on us to survive for the most part. We have to tend to them to help keep them healthy and happy."
Sakura nods and places the watering can down. She reaches out and gently strokes the petals of a seemingly glowing white rose. "I promise to keep you healthy and happy." Something brushes her wrist. Sakura looks down to see some of the leaves of the rose bush jutting out. She smiles and returns the touch.
"Do you want to help me care for the sacred tree?" Mebuki asks while picking up the watering can and places it on the small table covered in gardening tools.
"Yes, please!" Sakura pivots and starts racing towards the large tree in the center of the garden. It's very old, according to her father. It's been in around for nearly a century. A cherry blossom tree that seems to bloom out of nowhere. The tree Sakura likes to nap under because she feels completely safe. Sakura always enjoys the stories associated with the tree too.
"Mommy?" Sakura asks as she clasps her hands together in front of her. "Will you tell me another story about the sacred tree?"
Mebuki laughs. "Of course, of course." She kneels before the tree, entwines her hands in front of her chest, and bows her head to offer the tree a small pray. Sakura quickly follows suit. "Hmmm, what story should I tell you today?" Mebuki asks after lifting her head.
"Surprise, surprise!" Sakura replies gleefully.
"Oh, alright." They're silent for a few moments with Mebuki gently peeling away the old bark from the tree so the new bark can grow in smoothly and Sakura taking the peels to a bucket that they would later dispose of via fire. "Have I told you about the day you came home?"
Eyes wide, Sakura shakes her head. "No! Tell me, please!"
Mebuki grins. She stops working to settle more comfortably on the ground, holding her arms out for Sakura to enter. When Sakura settles down comfortably in her mother's lap, she waits patiently for her mother to begin.
"Your daddy and I would come out here every night to pray to the sacred tree to bless us with a child befitting of our love. We didn't care for the gender of the child, knowing we would love unconditionally. When we find out I was with child, we continued to pray our thanks." Mebuki pauses to place a stray hair behind Sakura's ear. "When we find out that child would be a girl, we were overjoyed. When the time came for her birth, we left immediately for the hospital. Or, we would have if I had not stopped your daddy to have him inform the sacred tree of the oncoming birth. I felt it was necessary. This tree," she gently strokes the tree's trunk, "has blessed us with a child. It is the guardian which watches over our family."
Mebuki pulls her daughter closer. "That night, we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl with eyes just like her mommy's and hair just like her daddy's. We stayed in the hospital for a few days before coming home. We immediately took the baby girl to the garden, to the sacred tree to pray for her to be blessed with protection and love, to remain happy and healthy. The moment we entered the garden, however, the tree started to bloom with large cherry blossoms. Many of the petals fell off the tree to touch us with new petals taking their place. And that night, your daddy and I heard the loveliest sound in the world. A laugh of true and utter delight." She presses a kiss to Sakura's forehead. "Your laugh, Sakura. You didn't utter a sound at the hospital, but the moment those petals touched you, you were laughing. You were so happy...your daddy and I cried."
"I don't want you to cry, mommy."
"My silly little girl," Mebuki replies softly. "They were tears of happiness. We were overjoyed to hear you make a sound."
Sakura snuggles close, letting out a sleepy yawn.
Mebuki doesn't hesitate to stand up with Sakura in her arms. "Let's put you down for a nap." She kisses Sakura's head again when she nods against her neck.
As her mother begins to walk away, Sakura looks over her shoulder to gaze the tree. A couple of the branches are moving back and forth as if the tree is waving goodbye to them. Sakura smiles and offers a tiny wave of her own.
When Sakura was four, she fell out of a tree and the tree caught her and placed her gently on the ground.
With her momma and daddy making dinner, Sakura decides to go explore the garden in hopes of figuring out a way to convince her parents to allow her to enter the Shinobi Academy two years earlier than what is normal. She had been thinking about the Academy for the past week when she met a little boy at the park who stated he wanted to become a great shinobi like his older brother. The boy's mother smiled warmly at them but kept to herself for most of the visit allowing Sakura and the boy to play together. It was inspirational and oddly fascinating to watch the boy light up as he talked about his older brother who, apparently, is one of the greatest shinobi in Konoha.
She feels slightly guilty for forgetting the boy's name but remembers the red and white fan on the back of his shirt. If they meet up again, she'll just have to ask him again. Stopping in front of the sacred tree, she looks it up and down with determination.
"If I can climb you to the top," she starts out loud, "do you think momma and daddy will let me join the Academy?" It's so silly to think that climbing a tree would convince her parent's to let her join essentially what would dominate a great portion of her life. A few leaves drift down from the tree, landing on her head. She takes that as a sign.
Inch by inch, Sakura starts up the tree slowly. The branches are where she needs them to be every time as if moving on their own accord. When Sakura makes it to the first thickest branch, she stands on it and over looks the garden.
"Momma and I have been taking good care of you," she says out loud. "We want you all to be healthy and happy." She bites her lip. "If momma and daddy let me go to the Academy, I won't always be around to take care of you. Please don't hate me." A branch above her seemingly lowers its self just enough to rest on her head. Sakura sniffles. "Thank you for understanding."
She starts climbing again. This time, just a bit faster. The sun is setting over the Hokage Mountain and she's convinced that the top of the tree will give her the best view to watch. "Almost there," Sakura grunts. "Just two more...there!" She cries victoriously. She's on the top, sturdiest tree branch peeking over thick leaves and cherry blossoms. The sky is alight with various oranges and reds and purples. It's such a pretty sight. Sakura finds herself smiling at it.
Her mistake comes from taking a step too close to the edge. Sakura is too shocked to scream when she starts falling backward and can't seem to get a grip on any of the surrounding branches, her small hands to slick with sweat. She closes her eyes and waits for her body to slam into the ground, but something smooth wraps around her waist halting the fall. Next thing she knows, she's being placed on the ground with a lot of care. Opening her eyes, she sees one of the thicker tree branches hanging over her, almost as if it's worried.
"You caught me," Sakura whispers before breaking out into a grin. "You really caught me!" She scrambles to her feet and darts forward to wrap her skinny arms around the tree's trunk as best she can. "Thank you!" Another branch reaches out and gently pats her head.
When Sakura was five, she hid behind a bush to escape her bullies and the bush reached out to wipe away her tears.
Sakura loves attending the Academy. She loves it even more that she gets to attend with her park friend, Sasuke, and their mutual friend, Naruto. Upon meeting Sasuke at the park again, he was not alone. With him was an older boy whom Sasuke looked like and another little boy with spiky blonde hair and the bluest eyes Sakura has ever seen. Sasuke introduces them as his brother, Itachi, and his best friend, Naruto, respectfully. Both of the little boys got very excited when she told them she convinced her parents to let her join the Academy two years earlier than what is normal for the average child.
"We'll be in class together," Naruto replies happily. "I can't wait!"
"I wonder how hard the testing will be," Sasuke says after.
"Have you asked your brother?" Sakura asks. "He graduated early."
All three of the children glance over to where Sasuke's older brother is sitting on the park bench with varying looks of curiosity. The older boy looks up from the book he brought and tilts his head questioningly. When neither boy moves to ask him, Sakura takes the initiative.
"Itachi-nii?" Sakura calls out.
Itachi merely tilts his head again at the surprisingly comfortable address, offering an open look.
"What's it like attending the Academy?"
Sakura can't help but smile at the thoughtful look that over takes the older boy's face as he contemplates his words before answering.
"Not difficult if you stay on top of your work," he replies. "Classes vary from information gathering, stealth, weapons training, the practice of the three basic forms of shinobi fighting styles, and whatnot."
"Thank you," Sakura replies. She watches Itachi return her thanks with a nod before turning back to the boys. "We have to stay on top of everything! No one is allowed to fall behind, promise?" She holds out her pinky finger.
"Promise!" The boys say in unison and hook their pinkies around hers.
When they start the Academy together, they took everyone by surprise with the different areas they excelled in. Sasuke with weapons and basic ninjutsu, Naruto with ninjutsu and taijutsu, and Sakura with weapons and genjutsu. Stealth was a bit easier on her as well because they practiced in the forest behind the Academy and Sakura used that to her advantage.
"Hey, look! It's Forehead Girl!"
Of all the things she loves about the Academy, there is one thing she absolutely hates.
"Leave me alone," Sakura mumbles, hugging her lunch sack closer to herself.
Ami, Kasumi, and Fuki stand off to the side with varying looks of sickening glee. Lunch time started about 10 minutes ago and she hasn't found Sasuke and Naruto yet. The three always have lunch together. Unfortunately, neither Sasuke and Naruto know about her bullying problem (and she plans on keeping it that way). Ami and her friends never bother her in front of the boys. Obvious reasons being that Sasuke is the son of the head of the Uchiha clan and Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage. But when neither boy is around, Ami always zones in on her.
"Where ya' going, Forehead?" Ami asks, stepping closer. "Not off to Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun, right?"
Sakura doesn't reply. She tries to moves away, but Fuki and Kasumi flank Ami's side making her appear bigger.
"She asked you a question," Fuki sneers.
"Did your mommy not teach you any manners?" Kasumi asks right after.
"I don't think so," Ami's smile widens. "Maybe we should teach her a lesson in manners?"
Sakura takes a step back. Ami's "lessons" usually involve her two followers holding her down as Ami writes on Sakura's forehead or rubbing dirt on her face while taunting her. Things easily fixed in the bathroom with soap and water but no less a scary experience.
"Leave me alone," Sakura says, taking another step back. The other students often turn a blind eye to her predicament and without Sasuke and Naruto, her confidence really lacks.
"No, I think we should teach you a lesson." Ami steps forward quickly and jabs her pointer finger hard against Sakura's forehead. "And I like those clips. I want them."
Sakura started styling her bangs to split to a far off side of her forehead to cover the majority of it. The hair clips she uses to keep them there were a gift from her dad when he returned from a mission from Suna last year. They're black with a single sand rose at the end of each.
"No," Sakura snaps, her forehead aching. "You can't have them."
Ami's smile morphs into a sneer. "If I want them, I'll get them." She takes another step forward.
Sakura tries to back away again, but Ami's hand shoots up and grips her hair and yanks hard. Sakura opens her mouth in a soundless cry. Fuki yanks Sakura's lunch out of her hand and throws it to the ground and stomps on it twice. Sakura ignores the sound of food being squashed in favor of trying to get Ami's hand off her hair.
"Look at your ugly hair too," Ami laughs. "Named after the cherry blossom, right? I don't see the resemblance." And then Ami rips her hair clips out of her hair and shoves Sakura back hard enough to have her tumble to the ground.
Tears well up in Sakura's eyes, both at the pain of being violated and losing her precious hair clips. In the moment that Ami gloats over the hair clips, Sakura scrambles to her feet and takes off running for the forest. Shouts of "Hey!" and "Get back here!" follow after her, Sakura's stamina is rather good and she gets ahead quickly.
The moment she hits the forest, tears stream down Sakura's face in hot trails. She lets out a quiet sob and hides behind a large bush. About a minute later, Ami and her friend's race past her hiding spot. Sakura continues to cry. She can't help being born with a bigger forehead than normal! She can't help but have pink hair! Sakura tenses when she hears shuffling and covers her face praying that no one finds her. Something brushes across her hands once, twice, and Sakura finally looks up. One of the small branches of the bush is jutted out directly in front of her face. She freezes as it comes closer and closes her eyes when it touches her face, moving back and forth.
It takes Sakura a moment to realize that the bush is wiping away her tears. She sniffles. "T-Thank you."
"Sakura-chan!"
She freezes.
"Sakura!"
The bush parts ways to create a small circle and with it, Sakura can see Sasuke and Naruto running towards where she is.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yells. "Where are you? Lunch is almost over!"
She feels something push her forward gently. Sakura turns around to see one of the tree roots urging her to join her friends. With a nod, she rubs her hands over her face and gets up and comes out from behind the bush.
"Sakura! Where have you been?"
Nature has always cared for Sakura and Sakura has always loved nature.
Her first friend outside of Sasuke and Naruto is Yamanaka Ino and Sakura comes to love her fiercely. Ino is the one to save her from Ami. Ino is the one to make her appreciate her looks. Ino becomes her best friend quickly. Sakura still loves Sasuke and Naruto a great deal, but being with Ino allows "girl time" as her mother puts it. Sakura remembers the day Ino stepped in save her. She'll never forget it.
During a class trip into the flower meadow by the Academy, Sakura is minding her business picking the flowers her teacher told her was required to for an up and coming project and with both Sasuke and Naruto out with the flu, she is determined to pick enough to bring to them after class is over.
"Looky here, girls. It's Forehead Girl."
Sakura freezes. Why today of all days? And in the middle of class?
"Please, leave me alone."
Ami leans over her and jabs her forehead roughly. "Why are you picking so many flowers, Forehead? Bringing them to Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun? That's so...nice." She grins wickedly. "It'd be too bad if something were to happen to them." With that, Ami and her friends proceed to stomp on the pile next to Sakura despite her pleads for them to stop.
In a flash of white, Ami stops and starts choking.
"Picking on others just for fun? You're pathetic." Sakura looks over to see a girl with short blonde hair pulled to the side with a blue hair clip. Her sky blue eyes are glaring at Ami with such intense hatred that Sakura finds herself leaning away. The girl's aura is borderline suffocating. She stalks up to Ami and rips out her the hair clips she stole from Sakura. "By the way, that's a poisonous flower so you may want to go see the teacher."
Ami screeches and takes off running for their teacher; her friends right on her tail.
"Serves her right!" The girl states before turning to Sakura, angry face morphing into one of open-friendliness. Walking forward until she's directly in front of Sakura, she bends down and brushes some of her hair away. "So, it's a little bigger than normal. Nothing wrong with that! People come in all sorts of ways." The girl kneels in front of her while pulling out a red ribbon. "Hold still."
Sakura doesn't think she can move even if she wants to. She stares at the girl with a blank intensity while the girl runs her fingers through Sakura's hair, combing it back. Then she uses the red ribbon to keep Sakura's hair back.
"This is a gift," the girl states. "You don't have to use it after today, but you need to stop hiding your forehead. It's cute!"
"W-Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because… I thought it would be a waste for you to wither away as a bud. There's no meaning to a flower unless it blooms. It might turn out to be… a flower more beautiful than a cosmo."
Sakura's eyes widen. "T-Thank you."
The girl grins. "No problem. My name is Yamanaka Ino. What's your name?"
"Haruno S-Sakura."
Ino nods. "I like your name. It suits you. And you have really pretty hair. Like cherry blossoms. That's where you got your name, right?"
Sakura nods. "My dad has the same hair color." She looks down at the ruined flowers and sighs. "Now I have to pick new ones."
"I'll help you," Ino replies immediately. "I'm getting my after class."
Not questioning what is said, Sakura beams. "Really? Thank you!"
They spend the remainder of the class period picking the perfect flowers for Sakura and her boys. Throughout it, Ino tells her the meanings behind each flower and Sakura listens happily while placing the flowers in her bag carefully. When they're done, Ino starts looking for a white daisy. She mentioned earlier that she hasn't found the perfect one to add to a collection of pressed flowers she's keeping. Sakura quickly offers her help.
"Aw, this one's no good. We'll have to keep looking," Ino says sadly. Sakura looks at her new friend and then down to the wilting daisy. When Ino starts walking away with her shoulders slump, Sakura kneels before the flower. There's something she's been wanting to try.
"Grow," Sakura whispers. "For Ino, please." She waits with bated breath for something - anything - to happen. After a bit, she starts standing up only for the something wonderful to happen. The wilted daisy glows for several seconds before life bleeds back into it and it's perfect for picking. "Thank you," she whispers and gently tugs the flower from the ground.
"Sakura, hurry up!" Ino calls. "It's time to go back to class to get our things and go home!"
Sakura races to her new friend and holds out the perfect daisy. "Here you go!"
Ino takes it and smiles at Sakura, some teeth showing. "It's perfect! Where did you find it?"
She hesitates in answering before shrugging. "I just kept looking."
"Are you sure you don't want to keep this one?" Ino asks.
Sakura shakes her head. "I got this one for you."
Ino holds it close to her chest. "It's the prettiest one I've ever seen. I can't wait to show my momma and daddy!"
With a flushed face, Sakura allows Ino to grab her hand and they take off running after their classmates. The trip back to the Academy goes smoothly. Ami and her friends stay away from them with Ami glaring hard at Ino and twice as hard at Sakura. They're dismissed for the day and Sakura follows after Ino to exit the building. If the boys were here, Itachi-nii would have them walk her home first then walk Naruto home and then finally bring Sasuke home. But since Sasuke and Naruto are sick, she doesn't expect to see him.
"Daddy!' Ino suddenly shouts and takes off running.
Sakura looks at the man crouching with a smile as he opens his arms for Ino to run straight into. Now she knows where Ino gets her pretty looks. He's very pretty. Sakura knows Ino will grow up pretty. The prettiest. She watches as Ino shows her dad the perfect daisy.
"Sakura-chan!" Ino calls over her shoulder. "Come meet my daddy!" She hurries over. "Daddy! This is my new friend, Sakura-chan!"
The man smiles kindly at her. "Hello, Sakura-chan. Thank you for finding this flower for Ino. My name is Yamanaka Inoichi."
"H-Hello, Inoichi-sama. My name is Haruno Sakura."
Inoichi tilts his head. "Your Kizashi's little girl."
"You know my daddy?" Sakura asks.
He laughs kindly. Sakura decides she likes that friendly laugh.
"When we were younger, your dad and his teammates and myself and my teammates were often paired together on stealth missions. He's fantastic company. Telling the best stories and being an all around joker who lightened up the mood when needed."
Sakura smiles. Her parents don't talk about their work much. From what she's gathered in her short years of life, her dad's a jonin who often deals with diplomats and her mother is a retired ANBU. Well, "retired" is a vague term. According to her mother, no one ever really retires from the lifestyle.
"I'm glad to hear that, sir. My daddy likes to tell really bad jokes. Momma rolls her eyes a lot."
Inoichi chuckles. "Some of his jokes can be very bad, but we laugh anyway."
Sakura's smile widens.
"Daddy!" Ino says excitedly. "We need to go home and press this flower! It's a present!"
Laughing, Inoichi picks up his daughter and holds her close. "Who's coming to get you, Sakura-chan?"
"I will be escorting her home, Yamanaka-sama," a smooth voice interrupts.
Sakura quickly around to see Itachi standing there in his usual dark clothing with a small bag in his left hand.
Dango, she thinks. He has a sweet tooth like me.
"Hi, Itachi-nii!" Sakura waves.
"Sakura-chan," he replies while holding out the bag. "These are for you." Sakura takes them carefully.
"I see that you're in safe hands," Inoichi says with a smile. "I hope you have a good day, Sakura-chan, Itachi-san."
"Bye, Sakura-chan!" Ino waves over her dad's shoulder. "See you in class on Monday!"
"Bye, Ino-chan! And thank you for helping me!"
Ino continues to wave for another minute before turning away. Sakura holds her bag of flowers in one hand and the bag of dango in the other.
"Shall we?" Itachi asks.
"Okay."
They walk to Sakura's house in mostly peaceful silence. Itachi isn't much of a conversationist, but he willingly and kindly answers her questions about Sasuke's health. Only Sasuke, because she's aware that Naruto is in good care with his parents. She states she looks forward to seeing them on Monday and Itachi replies that Sasuke won't stop asking after her and Naruto.
"He should focus on getting better," Sakura frowns cutely. "Not worry about us."
Itachi hums but doesn't reply. When the walls surrounding her home come into view, Sakura can barely make out the pink hair of her father standing at the gate to greet them.
"Sakura-chan!" The man calls out, voice full of laughter.
"Daddy!" Sakura greets when they arrive. With her hands full, she doesn't reach out to hug him like she normally does.
"Thank you for walking her home, Itachi-san. Would you like some tea?"
Itachi declines politely. "I must return home to watch over my brother."
"Of course, of course. I do hope Sasuke feels better soon." Kizashi looks down at Sakura. "Go change. We're leaving soon."
"Oh, okay." Sakura turns to Itachi and holds out the bag full of flowers. "There's four of each flower in here. They need to be split between Sasuke-chan and Naruto-chan. It's for our assignment due next week. They need to make an arrangement out of them."
Itachi takes the bag. "Thank you."
"Have a good day, Itachi-nii!"
With a small smile, Itachi disappears in a black flicker.
"Where are we going, daddy?" Sakura asks she takes his hand to be led inside.
"To the meadow. Now off you go. You can eat your dango on the way there."
They have a beautiful, strong bond.
Sometimes, when she pays attention to her surroundings, Sakura notices dead plants come back to life. It's odd, at first. But never scary. She loves seeing the life return in the flowers in her family's garden. Wilted roses returning to a full bloom, bright and beautiful. When she helps her mom take care of the sacred tree, seeing the new bark replace the old amazes her. Sometimes, it's the little things too. Like when she walks by a dead patch of grass only to turn around and see fresh green grass there. Most times, though, she asks them to grow and they do.
"Am I different?" Sakura asks her parents one day while they're seated under a tree in her parent's favorite meadow.
"Everyone is different, Sakura-chan!" Her mom laughs.
Sakura pouts and her parents coo at her.
"Will you tell me about our family? About both sides?" She settles with.
The atmosphere surrounding them after that changes. Sakura sees her parents tense and feels bad. She had no intention to make them uncomfortable but she has always been curious. Her dad had been somewhat forth coming with the Haruno family in the past, but her never talked about her mother's side of the family.
"Why so curious today, Blossom?" Mebuki asks carefully.
Sakura twiddles her thumbs and doesn't reply.
"Sakura?" Her dad asks. "Is something wrong?"
"Not wrong per se," she finally replies.
Her parents share a concerned look and that's enough for Sakura to finally speak up.
"I can make plants grow!"
The outburst has her dad nearly fall over on himself and her mom's eyes widen to an almost humorous size.
"You can make plants grow?!"
Sakura nods slowly. "Sometimes they grow on their own, but most times they grow when I ask them too!" She's on a roll now. "I made a new friend at the Academy a while back - her name is Ino - and we were looking for a daisy, but the only one we found was trampled so I asked it to grow and it did. The wilted roses are full of life again!"
"Honey, why didn't you say anything?"
She only shrugs.
"It's time, I think." Kizashi pulls their daughter into his lap.
"Kizashi!"
"Sweetheart, she's old enough to learn. Besides," he tucks a strain of hair behind Sakura's ear, "our daughter can keep a secret."
Her mom sighs. "Momma?"
"Sakura, against my better judgment, I'm going to tell you something that you mustn't tell anyone else!"
With wide eyes, Sakura nods. "Yes, momma."
"Promise me, Sakura. You can't tell Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Itachi, or anyone else."
"I promise, momma."
Mebuki stares at her daughter for a long, silent moment before nodding as if to convince herself this is a good idea. "You and I are descendants of the Senju clan."
"We learned about Senju Hashirama in the Academy. And Senju Tobirama."
"Of course. Hashirama was the first Hokage whereas Tobirama was the second."
Sakura's eyebrows furl. "We also learned about Hashirama's family. His only living descendant is around the age of 43."
"Senju Tsunade, a legendary sannin," her father supplies. "A very, very strong lady. A medical expert."
"We also learned that Tobirama had a family too, but their whereabouts are own known. They're believed to be d - " Sakura freezes, her gaze taking a calculating edge. "Momma?" She asks carefully.
"You heard the story of Tobirama's lost family," Mebuki states quietly. "Well, we're not lost. Not anymore. We were for a few decades, but found our way back to the village."
"How did we become lost?"
"There was a power struggle, a war, and political assassination attempts. Tobirama's wife feared herself and the safety of their child and fled the village in a vain attempt to keep herself and the child safe. Only the child survived. So on and so forth."
"Your grandmother made the choice to return to the village under a civilian name - Metsu - and then I met your mother in the Academy. I knew there was something unique about her. The leaves were always greener wherever she went."
Mebuki smiles at them before focusing on Sakura once again. "The Senju clan has a nature transformation kekkei genkai but only Hashirama naturally possessed it...until me and then you."
Sakura watches in utter amazement as her mom places a hand on the ground and slow lifts it. A bundle of purple flowers that seemingly came out of nowhere follows her hand as it's rising.
"I ask them to grow," Sakura says, eyes filled with joy. "And they grow for me or fix themselves if they're hurt."
"Yes, but you're also blessed by the sacred tree. It was one of the tree's Hashirama personally grew when the village was just forming and, by default, special in its unique way. A part of him is inside that tree, we believe. He loved nature so much."
"It caught me when I fell out of it." At the alarmed looks she receives, Sakura hastily continues. "I was trying to figure out a way to convince you both to let me join the Academy early." She blushes. "I also wanted a better view of the sunset."
"Please be more careful, Sakura. Your father and I don't want you to get hurt." Her mom reaches out to tap her nose. "When we get home, I'll pull out some of the old family scrolls for you to read."
"Okay!" Sakura is buzzing with excitement. She turns to her dad expectantly. "Your turn!"
Kizashi laughs. "Our side of the family specializes in genjutsu. Creating and dispelling them like we breathe. Not even the Uchiha with their Sharingan can trick us. Though, few don't know this. The Haruno clan has always been small."
Sakura nods. "That's one of my best classes at the Academy." She doesn't ask about the Sharingan. They sit in silence for a bit; each lost in their own thoughts. With a yawn, Sakura curls into her dad's embrace.
"I believe it's time to head home."
"Momma?" Sakura calls out sleepily.
"Yes, Flower?"
"Will you teach me how to control my powers?"
Her mother chuckles. "Of course, honey."
"Thank you." It's silent, and then: "Daddy?"
"Yes, honey?"
"Will you teach me how to improve my genjutsu?"
"Absolutely."
With a smile, Sakura falls into a peaceful sleep listening to the combined sounds of nature at it's finest and the soft words spoken between her parents.
But can such a bond withstand the tragedies that follow a shinobi's life?
It happens the day of her 8th birthday.
As always, Sakura wakes up early in the morning to make tea for her parents so that it's still warm by the time they roll out of bed. After that, she gets dressed in her green shirt with cherry blossoms outlining the collar and sleeves, puts on off-white shorts, and perfects the red ribbon holding her hair back. Following that, she makes a light breakfast for herself consisting of white rice, tilapia, and unsweetened tea. By the time she's done with that, her parents are up for the day and send her off with kisses and a packed lunch from the night before. She grabs her backpack and waits just outside her home for Sasuke and Naruto to show up and walk to the Academy with her. Itachi stopped walking the three of them to the Academy about a year ago due to the increased need for him to be on missions.
They're only three weeks away from graduation.
"Sakura-chan!"
Sakura grins when she sees Naruto and Sasuke running towards her, each with varying looks of happiness on their face.
"Happy Birthday!" Naruto thrusts a small poorly wrapped, box-shaped gift in her face. "I hope you like it!"
"I like all your gifts, Naruto!" Sakura accepts it and opens it slowly. Once the wrapping paper is mostly collected at the bottom, she opens the lid to the box - only to stop and stare. Inside the box is a bracelet. An expensive looking one at that. It's thin, perhaps half an inch, but still so beautiful. The bracelet is a shimmery white color with pink cherry blossoms engraved into it. "Thank you, Naruto," she says softly. "I'll cherish it forever."
Naruto goes pink but smiles nonetheless. "I'm glad you like it!"
She doesn't hesitate to put it on. The moment it's one, Sasuke shoves his gift in her face next. This one is neatly wrapped with a bright red bow on top. Much like Naruto's gift, she takes her time opening it and once again, she stops to stare. It's a necklace this time. A pink cherry blossom pendant hangs from a thicker than average shimmery white chain. It takes her a moment to realize that the two pieces of jewelry go together.
"It's a set," Sasuke states. "He bought the bracelet and I bought the necklace."
Naruto places his hands behind his head and grins. "Neither of us had the money to buy the whole set so we split it."
Sakura just throws her arms around them and hugs them tightly. "They're so beautiful. I will love them forever."
Simultaneously, the boys turn red. She pulls out the necklace, hands the box back to Sasuke, and puts in on. Sakura is happy. So, so happy. The bracelet and necklace glitter in the sun in such a fantastic way.
"Let's go!" They race for the Academy with carefree smiles, laughing along the way.
Class is boring today, Sakura thinks. I know we're preparing for our final exams but this is ridiculous.
Of all the students to enter the same year she did, only Sasuke, Naruto, a few Uchiha kids, a couple of Hyuga, and two Inuzuka are graduating along side her. Ino won't be graduating for another year or so, preferring to take her time. Sakura has already promised to play with her after class or visit her house. Looking to her left, she rolls her eyes upon seeing Naruto asleep. She and Sasuke sure a playful exasperated look. Naruto has been falling asleep in class a lot lately. Sakura suspects that he's having trouble sleeping at home.
"This is ridiculous," one of the Hyuga, Neji (if she recalls correctly), mumbles behind her.
"Tell me about," Sakura replies under her breath.
Their usual instructor stepped out perhaps half an hour ago leaving his class to just wait there.
"Ah, Sakura-san," Neji replies. "Happy Birthday."
She turns around and offers him a kind smile. "Thank you, Neji-san."
He hums in response.
For the most part, everyone in the class remains silent. The Uchiha children talk among themselves in hushed voices. Sasuke, she realized a long time ago, doesn't interact with many - or any, really - of his family members. Neji doesn't speak to his relatives and they've made no attempt to speak to him. Or anyone else, really. And for once, the Inuzuka kids aren't roughhousing.
It's nearly an hour later when the door to their classroom opens and their instructor walks it...along with three ANBU, one she recognizes to be Sasuke's older brother from having seen his mask in the past.
"Sakura, please follow me," their teacher says, voice carefully leveled. "Class is dismissed for the remainder of the day."
Confused, and slightly worried, Sakura gathers up her supplies, waves goodbye to Sasuke and a barely awake Naruto, and quietly exits the classroom with eyes burning into her back. Soon after, the other students start filing out of class. Sakura walks directly behind her teacher, flanked on all sides by the ANBU, not knowing where she's being taken too but with each step, she feels dread bleeding into her body.
"Sensei?" She asks quietly. "Where are we going?"
"To staff room B."
Sakura remains silent during the rest of the trip. When they arrive at the staff room, one of the ANBU steps forward and opens the door. Sakura walks inside only to pause, shocked. Naruto's father is standing by the window, face carefully neutral, with his wife gazing at her in sympathy. It all clicks then and there. Of course, she would be escorted by ANBU if something bad happened to her family. Only...ANBU don't get involved unless attempted assassination or murder takes place.
Hoping that her voice doesn't crack, she simply asks: "When and how?" She doesn't have the heart to applaud herself for keeping her voice from wavering.
Minato's face twists into one of uncertainty. "This morning between 8 and 9." He hesitates briefly, debating if he should continue. Sakura stares at him silently, eyes imploring. "A break in. High level. We arrived too late." It's all he says. Sakura feels lightheaded. She left with Sasuke and Naruto just before that since classes at the Academy start at 8.
Sometime after she left home, someone...someone... A single tear rolls down her face.
"We're not - " But Sakura tunes him out by shaking her head and turning away. Tears sting behind her lashes. She wants to go home. She wants to walk through the front door and see her dad playing chess against himself and her mother preparing tea. But more than anything, she wants to see her parents one last time.
"I want to see them," she states softly.
"Sakura-chan - " Kushina, Naruto's mom, tries to speak but Sakura holds up her hand.
"Please. It's my right."
"Sakura-chan, it...won't be - "
"I understand."
She doesn't see husband and wife share a concerned, or fearful, look.
"Alright, Sakura-chan," the Hokage replies softly. "If that is what you wish."
Sakura finally looks at him and nods. She doesn't speak when he addresses two ANBU, Crow and Weasel, and orders them to escort her to the morgue. With a bow, Sakura follows the two ANBU out of the room. She ignores the heartbroken look on Naruto's mom's face, the concerned look on his dad's, and the pitiful look of her instructor.
On this day, Sakura forgets what it means to be truly happy.
I also have another Sakura/Team7-centric story in the process called "Her Eyes Saw It All."
If you have the time, please review.
~SiriuslyFallingInLove