Fate Takes a Hand
Sakura catches the eye of someone who offers to change her entire life. Accept and leave the life she's known, or refuse and remain in Naruto and Sasuke's shadow.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Note: I am burying myself under all these stories--if you happen to find a limb could you perhaps give a little tug and help me out? Ha, ha, Moon you aren't funny, yes I know. But I'm tired and I've been writing for hours on stories that don't need to be updated. So send your love along to let me know you care, wont you?
---The Meeting---
There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...not going all the way, and not starting.
--Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta
"I never knew how truly weak Konoha was," a voice carried over the soft wind derisively.
"I wonder if those fools even noticed our presence?"
"Obviously not," the first voice replied, this time the pitch made it clear that the owner was a woman. "Or they would have done something. Their children are just as much of a disappointment as the adults. No promise in the lot of them."
The second voice, male and annoyed replied, "I liked the Hyuuga."
"The boy? Why, because he ruthlessly cut down someone of his own blood?"
"You know it."
The woman groaned. "That's it? What about the blonde one, Naruto? He had some--"
"Why--because he's an idiot like you?"
"I dare you to say that again!"
"Enough." The voice was soft, yet cut through them sharper than a blade. Then, gentler, "I like the pink-haired girl."
"Her? But my lady, she was easily bested at every corner!"
"Appearances can be deceiving," the woman replied, sounding amused. "Just watch, wait."
-------
Sakura stared down into the water, her thoughts jumbled and tangled up in each other. Ino had beaten her, Kakashi told her it was a tie, and that he was proud of her, but his eyes shifted, and she knew he wanted to be with Sasuke, not the weak, pathetic creature of his team. Frustrated Sakura came here--to this bridge--the last place she found peace.
She was tired of being left behind. But she was without a teacher, no matter who she asked, she was turned away every time, too weak to be of much importance. Sakura scowled down at herself in the water.
"If you're so sad why don't you jump?" Sakura choked, startled out of her inner musing. She didn't turn, only tried to calm her wildly beating heart.
Catching her breath she smiled and shook her head. "That would accomplish nothing, only cause an annoyance that the Hokage doesn't need right now."
"So that's what you are? An annoyance?"
Sakura chuckled bitterly without mirth, behind her, unseen, the woman's elegant lips curved into a smirk. "I've been called that more times than I care to count."
"So," the woman remarked carelessly, stepping up next to her, so that Sakura could see the edge of black cloth sweeping against the wood. "Why don't you change that?"
"Change it?" Sakura repeated slowly, studying the water again. "What do you mean?" Tearing her eyes away from the water, she turned to face the woman, blinking as she started into a dark mask, red half moons drawn carefully on it. Most of the mask was in shadows, hidden beneath the black cloak that covered the woman's body.
"I mean what I say. If you seek strength then look for one who already has it."
"A teacher."
"Precisely."
Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes. "I've already tried this; no on wants to teach a weak little girl."
"I do." The woman stepped closer and Sakura's feet shifted defensively as she warily eyed the woman. "Meet me here tomorrow before sunrise. Bring your weapons and something to hide your hair and clothing."
"Why--"
"If you don't have what I asked you to bring I won't teach you anything." The woman said and turned stopping once, "be there, Haruno Sakura."
The woman turned into a mist and Sakura took a moment to get her bearings. When she did a chill passed down her spine.
She hadn't told the woman her name.
------
Sakura pushed open her window, pausing a moment to take a deep breath before pulling the hood of her coat far over her hair. Sakura leapt out, landing silently on her neighbor's roof. She had to be quiet; genin weren't allowed out this early unless it was a mission or they had permission. Sakura had neither.
Her feet led her to the bridge noiselessly, her moist breath caught in the handkerchief she had tied around her face, never stirring the air. The woman was waiting for her, two other's stood beside her and Sakura hesitated. This could be very, very foolish.
"Sakura," the woman's soft voice called out to her. "Hurry." Making up her mind, Sakura did as she was told, landing beside the woman.
"She's cute." Sakura turned, blushing as she looked at the mask of the man standing beside her.
"Don't harass her Ban, you asshole." The other person Sakura didn't know snapped back, putting a hand on Sakura's back, and pushing her closer into the woman. "Watch out for him, he's a pervert."
The man -- Ban -- choked, "I am not!"
"Sakura, ignore them, they fight a lot, as you'll come to find. We've got to get to the clearing." She took Sakura's hand and Sakura held her breath; the woman's skin was icy cold and sent shockwaves up her spine.
Moments later a new panic took hold of Sakura, her body felt as thought it were shifting apart, while not painful, it wasn't pleasant either. Before her eyes her fingers wavered and became a fine mist before disappearing all together.
"What's going on?"
Hearing the desperation in her voice the woman spoke softly. "Calm down Sakura, you'll be fine, just relax." Sakura tried, squeezing eyes that weren't there shut. The breeze caught hold of them and they were swept up, flying quickly over the rooftops of Konoha.
Sakura eased her eyes open, amazed at what she saw below her. "What is this?"
She could almost feel the woman smiling. "It is the secret jutsu of our clan, one day I'll teach it to you, Sakura."
"Why?" Sakura could hear Ban and the woman still arguing quietly over her shoulder. "Who are you?"
"We are the last of a dead clan," she said as they began to descend over a grassy clearing. "The Ittenazuki."
Sakura felt a tug at the back of her mind, but couldn't recall where she had heard the name before. "I've heard of you." The woman's eyes were on her, though she couldn't see them, she could feel them.
"Not many have, after our death we were all but erased from history."
Only clans who had done a serious crime against Konoha had their names erased, Sakura frowned deeply, wondering just how far she was planning to dig herself into this situation. They seemed to be landing, and Sakura could feel her body jolt back together. She wiggled her fingers, never happier to be able to see the small appendages.
"Now, the real test begins." The woman threw her cloak onto a rock, and removed her mask; Sakura took the time to study her. Pale skin, with dark--almost black eyes. Her hair was long and nearly as dark as her eyes, she pulled it back tightly into a knot atop her head. She wore simple drawstring pants and a fishnet shirt under which she wore breast bindings.
She was pretty, but not quite beautiful, and much younger than Sakura had originally thought her to be. Sakura threw herself to the side as a kunai was thrown at her, not quite quick enough, it cut across her cheek. Sakura looked up to see the woman smiling at her.
"Pay attention. And call me sensei. Irai-sensei. Now, pick up your feet and dodge."
-------
Sakura greedily gulped at the water Irai had handed her, her arm feeling as though it were a boneless noodle, it was hard to hold the small canteen. Ban and the woman--Maki--were fighting again, Maki had the man in a headlock as he was screaming profanities up at her. Maki wasn't very tall; something Sakura had quickly learned was not mentioned. Ever.
Her hair was cropped to hang below her ears in a bob that looked like an extended version of Lee's. Short though she was, she presented herself in a way that let one know she knew how to use her height to her own advantage.
Ban was tall, lean and handsome, his hands were massive and he had the look of someone who knew his way around weapons. He and Tenten would love each other, Sakura thought sarcastically as Maki hauled her to her feet. They had only been in the clearing an hour and it was more of a workout than Sakura had ever received with team seven.
But that wasn't a surprise; normally Kakashi would faun over Naruto (Sasuke mostly) and Sakura would try to remember what she had been taught in the academy. There was a reason they were given jonin leader, Sakura had come to realize; the academy taught you nothing. Everything she had learned had been things she had picked up from watching Sasuke and Naruto.
Irai's teaching style was a bit strange though, for an hour she had been doing nothing but dodging weapons and learning how to deflect them. Her two short hours were coming to an end, and soon she would have to go and meet her team for their practice. Her muscles screamed in agony, and she momentarily weighted the idea of skipping. No go.
Naruto would rush over and she'd have to tell them the real reason she hadn't felt up to coming in. Though...This was the last practice of their team for an entire month, starting tomorrow Sasuke would be out of the hospital and Kakashi would be privately teaching him, and Naruto had been exclaiming about finding some awesome teacher.
Though an entire day of Irai's teaching wasn't too great of a thought either. Sakura sighed and crouched defensively, watching Maki as the girl reached into her coat pockets. It was going to be a long day.
------
Kakashi blinked and studied Sakura for a moment, watching as she flipped through hand seals, looking as though all she wanted to do was flop down onto the ground and sleep. "No, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, moving Sakura's hands into their proper seals. He was trying to teach her the kage bunshin, though she was having a hard time focusing.
"Sorry, Naruto," she mumbled, trying to pay attention, it wasn't everyday she actually learned something from team seven. Paying more attention this time, she slipped her hands into the proper seals. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Consecutive pops filled the air, and soon Sakura was staring at ten copies of herself.
It was the most Doppler's she had made yet. Naruto whooped, and picked her up spinning her around. Sakura yelped and screamed at him, laughing none the less. "You did it Sakura-chan! You're amazing!"
"Thanks for helping me Naruto. You can put me down now, though."
He set her down, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, Sakura-chan."
"Alright, that's about all." Kakashi said, standing he ignored Naruto's complaints. "I've got to attend a meeting, Naruto. Besides, I don't think Sakura could remain upright another hour." He gave them a two fingers salute and was gone, the leaves spinning around where he had been previously standing.
"Eh? Sakura-chan?"
Smiling at the worried look Naruto was giving her, she waved him off. "I've been up early helping Ino, it's nothing. You should go find that great teacher of yours, Naruto. I'm going to head home for the day."
"Alright Sakura-chan. I'll see you later!" Sakura waved and went home to get some lunch before going back to the clearing and finding Irai-sensei again.
------
Maki was the only one waiting for her in the clearing, a blade of grass hanging out of her mouth as she stared up at the book she was reading. The small girl sat up, dead grass clinging to her short hair. "Yo, Sakura-chan, practice over already?"
"Yup," Sakura said as she made her way over to the girl. "I brought some food, you are welcome to have some, I made too much."
Maki sat up abruptly, practically salivating at the thought of food. "Food? Oh glorious food!" And then leapt upon the sandwich Sakura handed her. "It's amazing, I love you Sakura-chan."
Sakura laughed and tucked into her own food, savoring the tomatoes and mustard before swallowing it. As a child Sakura had hated tomatoes, but, after learning of Sasuke's love for them, she had begun forcing herself to eat them, soon adapting a taste for them. They ate in silence for some time until Maki lay back down, making happy little noises.
Maki rubbed a hand across her mouth and sighed contentedly. "Irai is a pretty good cook, but she'll never cook for you, Ban's terrible and I somehow manage to blow things up when I try. You're a welcome change, Sakura-chan," Maki said as she shifted, getting comfortable.
Sakura flushed and rubbed the back of her head nervously. Naruto and Kakashi are the only one's who'd ever praised her cooking before, though Sasuke did grunt that one time she made him tomato casserole.
"Lay down," Maki said closing her eyes and chewing on a blade of grass, motioning for Sakura to join her with a finger. "Tell me about yourself."
"About me?" Sakura lay beside the girl, twirling her hands on her stomach nervously. "Well...There's not much to say really, I'm quite boring."
Maki raised a pale eyebrow but didn't ask her to say anything more. "Well, in that case. I'm seventeen, Irai is fifteen, and Ban is nineteen. We've been traveling since the day we could walk; because of our clan's status, we must move around a lot so as not to be caught."
Sakura perked up, "what exactly did your clan do?"
"We're thieves," Maki said simply, grinning when Sakura blinked. "And let's just say we stole something we shouldn't have."
"Thieves?!" Sakura sat up quickly.
Maki snorted. "I prefer to call it borrowing. I mean, after awhile on the market it finds its way back to the owner. Besides, we started stealing for Konoha in the beginning."
"Stealing for Konoha? You mean like, from other countries?"
"You got it. Enemy scrolls, those sorts of things and from there we branched out. Though," she rolled her eyes and waved a hand. "The Uchiha, never really liked our ways, and our clans weren't on the best footing. It only got worse when Yami stole their prized gold fan."
"Gold...fan?" Sakura repeated, mulling it over in her head and trying to remember if she had read about the Uchiha's having such a thing.
"The Uchiha are pompous asses, of course they needed something large and shiny to show off how absolutely amazing their clan was. It was just a joke, though; Yami had every intention of returning it." Maki shrugged. "The Uchiha's got mad, Yami was killed and our clan banned."
"They killed him?"
"Yeah," she rolled her shoulders around and looked up at the sky. "That was like, a hundred years ago or something though, but our clan was never the same. We lost all work and had to fall back on our stealing. Konoha cracked down on us and our clan was erased from history. There aren't many of us left, and that's why Irai's looking for an heir, someone she can trust to try and help her reinstate the clan."
Sakura felt a heavy weight drop onto her shoulders and she settled into the grass beside Maki to do some serious thinking.
------
Alright, there you have it. I've been listening to Three Day's Grace on repeat for almost five hours now, it's a wonder the story didn't start becoming lyrics. Please remember to review, they help me to update and not be a total jerk about updating!
Beta: YvonneandNeji (09/24/07)
MoonVeil -- Manga Girl
Oh, and thank you to Makii for letting me borrow her. :D
Giggle Snort of the Chapter: "Minks are mean little critters. Vicious, horrible little animals who eat their own. They're not beavers. I wouldn't wear beavers. I'd rather have a mink coat made of mean little critters that are killed in a very nice way and treated nicely for their short, mean lives so that I could keep warm."
- Valerie Perrine, Actress
Important Note: Their clan name, Ittenazuki comes from a mix of the word, Itten, which means speck, or dot and Mikazuki, which means crescent moon. NOT azuki, which means red beans, which would make no sense. Later on you'll understand fully the meaning of their name.
