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Sakura, this is my decision to leave the village with all sin with me. I can only hope that God will forgive me. There are still many things those haven't done yet. Don't follow me. Konohagakure, is the safest place I can find for now; for you. Outside is very dangerous. Don't ever trying- or even thinking to leave it. Stay and protect Sasuke.

Itachi

A man with an orange mask folded the paper and threw it away into the burning fire, converting it into ashes. He watched a man with two lines on his face approached him, his face was emotionless, he thought that it might an expression which could be seen if someone slaughters many people in a night.

"I 'm waiting… Itachi." Stated the older man, but the younger one merely walked passing him, he took off his head protector; he slashed it with a kunai, marking his new status.

He secured the head protector back as his lips were apart, "Meaningless effort." For Madara, it was heard like 'I will never join your organization.'

Uchiha Madara sighed as his silhouette disappeared from his vision.

------

A young girl took her pencil and scratched her notebook with it,

My name is still Haruno Sakura, though they said I was an Uchiha and I believed I was but I'm still thinking about what you said, about I was not an Uchiha.

She looked out from the window; heat of summer really didn't come. It was almost autumn time, but in past three months, no heat, no sun…

It's been six months since I left the village; I wish I can forget about every bloody thing there and start new life here, in this small restaurant.

"Sakura… Help me, girl!" a voice shouted from the first floor

"A minute, Mikoto-san!" Sakura answered

I came to this city two months ago, what can I do? I don't know what country I'm in, but here really has no sun. Snow is everywhere. Mikoto-san is the owner of this restaurant.

She scratched some last word before closing the notebook and ran downstairs. She used her hand to brush her hair and tied it into a low ponytail. She took an apron from the wall; she was ready for the day.

At the first meeting with her, she said my hair and my name were so alike with her step-daughter of her past. Hey, I'm here not to live a normal life like normal girl would have. I'm here to collect money and information; information about where Itachi-sama is.

She grabbed the plates and brought the order to a small table at the corner, "Here you are, sir, please enjoy your meal…"

She ran back here and there for more than 2 hours, until finally she could take a seat on a chair behind the bar. She rested her head on her arms and sighed. Suddenly, a mug of tea was put in front of her eyes. She averted her gaze at the arm which held it carefully, it was hers.

"You're tired, take a rest…" said Mikoto calmly. Sakura merely shook her head, "I can't leave you alone to run this restaurant." Although she said so, she knew someday she had to leave this restaurant.

Mikoto sat leaning against the bar, "This restaurant isn't running, you know? It doesn't have legs..."

Sakura pouted, she dipped her head under her arms, "Mikoto-san… I'm being serious…" Mikoto smiled and caressed the pink hair, "I'm being serious too, Sakura-chan… I care about you so I want you to rest…"

But lately, other than getting information about Itachi-sama… I get a feeling that I have a mother again. Kunio-san, I hope you can read this from the place where you are now. Please say hi to Azumi-san and Yae-san. I love you all.

"Thank you, Mikoto-san…" she lifted her head and took a sip, she felt familiar with the tea but she couldn't tell why. But the scent made her remember at last.

"How do you make this tea?" asked Sakura.

"Hm? Black tea leaves, ginger, and my special secret recipe—"

"Peach?" Sakura shouted silently; Mikoto turned her head immediately, "How do you know? That's my secret recipe…?"

Sakura sniffed the tea once again, "Someone made the same tea for me for years…" Kunio-san…

Cling!

Sound of the bell made their heads both turn to the door, another costumer came. For her surprise, she recognized that costumer. The chill grew through her spine, she hid behind the bar, hugging her knees. She pushed her back to the bar as hard as she could; trying to hide her body completely from him. She dipped her head between her chest and her knees. She couldn't stop her shivering body.

"Sakura?" MIkoto looked down behind the bar, she saw delicate figure there. After thinking for a moment, she left her; she had to serve the costumer.

Salty water gathered at the corner of her eyes, He is here! HE is here! HE's going to kill me again!

Mikoto gave him the menu list civilly, "Can I help you, sir?" the man was wearing black hood and orange mask, she wondered how he'd eat or drink with it. She waited for him to say something; however, she absolutely worried about the girl behind the bar.

"I heard this restaurant's green tea has a great taste." She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he was staring at her, she smiled, "Yes, but there's a special offer for today; Healthy Black Tea." She tried to point it on the menu list but he seemed ignore her, "I want that green tea."

She bowed at him, "I apologize, we are out of green tea leaf, so that I can't make it right now."

He merely stood up and walked out of the door, he slammed it hardly. Mikoto shut her eyes tightly, this is better than… she walked towards behind the bar, she stood on her knees, "Sakura, he has left…"

Sakura looked up slowly, tears had covered her whole face, she wiped her face with her own sleeve, as Mikoto whispered, "You can take a rest… I can handle the restaurant…"

She forced her jelly legs to stand up, "No, I still want to be here." She sat on the nearest chair; wiping the tears away from her pale face. Mikoto sighed, she took off her apron and threw it at the pink haired waitress, "I want to buy green tea leaf and you stay here."

--

"Gone!" Orochimaru hit the table in front of him, the woman across him didn't move even an inch. Her empty turquoise eyes didn't leave his wicked golden eyes albeit she knew he would blame her for it. She waited until her mind system told her that someone just punched her face.

Her back hit the metal door roughly, she felt the bone within her right arm switched position from its joint. She kept silent, she knew the time would come when she could avenge everything.

"Yuki-nee-chan!" Haku hugged her from behind, "Show me! Show me!" Yuki grinned as she bent down to pick some snow with her hands, she clasped the snow and murmured something. Haku waited in curiosity.

As she parted her palms, a butterfly made of ice flew from her hands, but not so long after, the butterfly fell and turned back into snow. Haku watched the snow for a moment before averted his gaze back to the girl, "How can you do that!?"

The brunette brushed his hair with her fingers, "Practice!" suddenly, a loud explosion was heard. She pulled a katana immediately, "Haku, go and hide! Do not get out until—" she couldn't continue her sentence as more explosion came up.

Yuki watched as Haku disappeared from her sight. She cursed under her breath before rushed into the town; she hid between some dense bushes as she saw men were talking. She was barely able to hear their words but she heard two words which she couldn't forget.

"Eliminate them." She resisted the urge to jump and attacked that voice owner, however, she peeked between the leaves, it was the first time she saw his face, his snake-like face.

He pulled her up by the collar, he hissed, "You will find her."

She ran silently into an alleyway, she opened a secret door which led her to her home. She hoped that her father and mother were still alive. She didn't want to careless about her little sister, but she knew that she didn't possess the power of ice. She got into a small hole at the corner of a dead end. She pushed a heavy rock, a yellowish Japanese room was revealed together with a hoarse scream from the other room.

Yuki jumped out and slid a paper door, only dead bodies were found. She recognized them as her parents. She ran quickly to the upper level where her little sister room was. A splatter of blood reached her face as she pushed the door to her sister's room. A man in black just stabbed her little sister who was just a small kid.

"DAMN YOU!"

Another sec later, a huge thorny tree-like ice pierced through everything in the room.

She just stared at him emptily. Orochimaru threw her away from the metal door before he walked out. She wiped the blood off her face using her healthy hand. She massaged her right arm; trying to put her bone back to its place. With a hard push, she heard a tiny sound from her arm; marking that it had been back to its joint.

"Damn snake…" she got out of the disgusting room. Her months were not changed much since Itachi's lovely mission to massacre the clan, she never talked to Orochimaru anymore, she would only receive order and did the order. Yes, she would never talk.

Haku stood weakly as he watched his hometown for the last time, for his surprise, a figure which was covered in blood caught his attention. That figure was carrying something with its arms. Soon, he realized that figure was Yuki; carrying her little sister.

"Yuki-nee—" he was stopped by Zabuza as he wanted to approach her. The older man was able to see the desperate eyes. Her eyes had lost its light. She walked past them without giving them even a slight glance. After a long way from the village, she arrived at a small garden where flowers bloomed beautifully. In the middle of the garden, there was a wide but shallow lake. She stepped into the middle of the lake, she lowered her arms until water washed her little sister's body, slowly, she let the body sank into the clear water.

--

Cling!

Mikoto dropped her plastic bag on the bar, she folded the bag and put it onto a shelf. She watched as a costumer came in, "Welcome." She recognized that costumer, she put on her apron and approached her, "Can I take your order, miss?"

Those pale turquoise eyes rolled aside, "Hikari…" Mikoto's eye twitched. She should have known about her order, but she still did the casualty. She went to the kitchen and served her plain porridge; like she always did.

"He tortured you again, didn't he?" asked Mikoto quietly. Yuki dipped the spoon into her bowl, trying to ignore the older woman's question.

"Mikoto-san! You left the dishes again!" Sakura closed the door behind her and went to the kitchen, but before that door was closed, Yuki managed to see her pink hair. She stood from her chair and murmured 'toilet' to Mikoto before following Sakura. She saw her walking down the narrow corridor, Yuki pulled her harshly to the stairs and pinned her to the wall; causing Sakura to yelp.

"What are you doing here?!" she was asking like cursing.

The pink haired girl stared in disbelief, "You—" She pushed her and now she was the one who was pinning.

"Where is Itachi-sama!" Yuki pushed her back to the wall again, she pressed her palm on her mouth so that she wouldn't be able to speak.

"That's none of your concern. You are NOT supposed to be here! You are supposed to be in graveyard!" Yuki hissed as Sakura gripped her wrist; trying to get rid her hand off her mouth. Her turquoise eyes averted her gaze her the particular her when she heard Mikoto was calling for Sakura, she let go of her and made her way back to the restaurant, "You are going to leave this house soon or you'll die in no time."

Sakura coughed; desperately trying to breathe. she gripped her apron, "I'm not going anywhere until I find him!" she pulled out her silver kunai from a hidden pocket, she ran towards the older woman, she pulled the back of her collar shirt and slammed her backwards. She put the kunai close to her neck, "You will tell me where he is!"

Yuki looked at her emptily, "I don't know. He is nowhere to be found."

Sakura loosened her grip at her kunai, she dropped her kunai. She gritted her teeth, she'd been searching for any small information, yet, after she found someone that might have connection with her master, she didn't know where he was.

Yuki sat up and cleaned the dust off her clothes. She picked the kunai and handed it back to the owner, she bent down and whispered, "I'll be in your room tomorrow. There's something I have to tell you."

She disappeared by the door after telling her one-side appointment. Sakura stood up, putting her kunai back to its place before, a small smile decorated her pale visage.

--

Sakura waited in her room that morning. She'd asked Mikoto to have a day off for that day. Her hand followed the word that was craved on her odachi. Her imagination brought her to the past when she used it for the first time.

"I'm sorry if I didn't knock. I'm afraid people would be suspicious if I waited there too long." Yuki sat on the windowsill, waiting for Sakura to feel her presence. Sakura sheathed her odachi before turned her head to the newcomer, "I'm glad you finally come."

Yuki set herself on the floor; she crossed her legs and waited, "What do you want to know?"

Sakura sat across her neatly, she stared her in the eye, "Who are you? Do-do you have family relation with—"

"I'm Yuki, Itachi's spy. I don't have family in this world."

"Then what were you doing with—" her words were cut again, "Orochimaru is my spying object." She answered flatly

"Itachi-sama—"

Yuki averted her eyes to a small calendar on the table, "I've never met him since a week after the massacre."

Sakura lowered her head, she was tired. The brunette was right; she couldn't get any information if she stayed in a place like this. But no one could guarantee she wouldn't be killed or find Itachi if she left. She was so drowned in a deep thought that she didn't realize Yuki was staring her. She stood from her position and made her way to a unique odachi. She sat leaning against the wall while examining its sheath.

"Why do you care about someone who doesn't care about you…" she asked with stating tone

Sakura turned her head to the older woman behind her, "He cares about me!"

"He cared about you. But he doesn't care about you now." Green eyes pierced sharply, "You will tell me the reason you said that."

Yuki shut her eyes, "That's none of your concern."

"But you knew what happened to him." She whirled from her previous sitting place

"Where did I have to start…Uchiha Madara was founder to Uchiha Clan. Everyone thought he'd already died in a battle with Hashirama. He created an organization; consisted by S-class criminals. When he met Itachi for the first time- years before the massacre- he took his interest in him. He invited Itachi to join his organization, but he always refused. However, by an unknown reason, he finally decided to join him; a week after the massacre."

"I don't want to hear any 'unknown' word." Sakura cut immediately

Yuki sighed; she thought for a moment before pointed her index finger to the door, "The woman in the restaurant." Sakura's eyebrows twitched slightly, "Who?"

"Mikoto. Uchiha Mikoto, his mother."

--

The grey sky wrapped the earth on some certain area, the rain washed the barren ground of Iwagakure. Two men padded into the unguarded gate; ignoring the heavy rain which was dumped onto them. One man; who was bearing a huge sword on his back, asked direction to the younger man beside him. He raised his right hand; revealing a red ring around his ring finger, he pointed to a medium size building at the corner.

The taller man sharpened his vision until he found their object, "There he is, the blonde with extra mouths, Itachi-san."

--

"What…!?" Sakura stood up, caging her mouth using her hands. She never noticed that, she never had even a simplest thought about that woman was his mother. She knew they were similar; their smiles and the way their eyes looked at her, "Does she know you?"

Yuki blinked once before answering, "She knows me as a worker that has a mean master. That's all."

"If Mikoto-san… Is that why Madara came to this restaurant yesterday?"

"He did?" Yuki laid the odachi onto the floor gently as Sakura nodded as an answer. She stepped towards the window, "Sakura, you really have to leave this place or you'll have to prepare for the worst scenario."

"I'm not letting any bad scenario happen." Sakura witnessed the brunette disappeared soon.

She picked the odachi, she unsheathed it and rubbed its metal, "I will change it, even if it's the worst scenario."

To be Continued...