"Come on, Sakura. We have no time to dawdle."
Mebuki ran with a young Sakura who was trying her hardest to keep up. They went through the marketplace in the Uchiha Kingdom, just at the base of the newly built palace. The pinkette looked around to see many strange looking people, some with different colored skin and others with markings on their faces or deep scars visible. They suddenly abandoned their home without her parents giving a reason and now they were running to a demon palace. She still wasn't even sure what a demon was or why they were considered dangerous.
They stopped at the front gate where Kizashi, her father, stood talking with a couple of men clad in armor with red eyes and three tomoe around the pupil. She looked back to her mother, afraid. Once they stopped running for a moment, she started to catch her breath. She held close to Mebuki, peeking around to look at the palace. The gates were silver and the two columns on the side were white with the Uchiha symbol etched on the top going all the way around consistently to match the giant white and red symbol in the middle of the gate. The cylinder blocks were built high and the same color as the bars of the gate.
The palace on the outside was made of stone and had a beautiful marble colored mixture, the windows were open and made with beautiful colored glass. Through the palace there were many balconies to be seen. The eight year old stared in awe; it was like a dream. Before she knew it the gates were opened by the two dark haired men and the three Haruno walked along the beautiful white stone pathway. She looked around at the tall trees that offered a heap of shade all over the front of the palace. The sunset made it look even more delightful. They walked over a lovely bridge that had pure white rails that looked as if they grew up from the ground and curved, giving off a vine look.
Once they crossed the bridge Sakura looked back at the small river that flowed underneath it. She let out a whimper, wanting to go back and explore. As they climbed the stairs, Sakura noticed how elegant the two men's clothing were. It made the tattered and tore clothing her family wore seem out of place. Her mother's tan dress was ripped up badly, it came to her mid thigh and it was unnoticeable that it originally came down to her ankles. Her father's white pants were stained with dirt and his sleeves were torn completely off. Sakura herself had a short tan dress with stains on the bottom and worn out sandals.
They walked through the giant wooden door and opened inward. It was already pulled all the way back to allow guests in. She noticed her mother perk up a bit and looked around her to see why. There stood a woman with long dark hair and eyes to match, wearing a beautiful dark blue gown that flared just below the waist with a sash tied around her waist standing below a long and wide staircase. They walked over to her and stopped, the two men standing next to her as Sakura's parents bowed to them.
"Fugaku, I am so sorry for coming on such an important day," Mebuki apologized.
"It could not be helped. At least we have free time for the moment," he replied.
"Mebuki, are you sure about this?" the woman asked grabbing her mother's hands and holding them.
"I have no choice Mikoto. I cannot let Sakura live our lives," Mebuki said looking own with sad eyes. "Thank you for taking her."
"I am sorry we could not do more for you. The marketplace was filled as soon as we allowed people to come to our kingdoms. And the palace..." Mikoto began to explain.
"I understand, you had to put up such an argument. As long as my daughter is safe, I do not care what happens to us."
"Fugaku, Kagami, please be kind." Kizashi bowed.
"No worries Kizashi. As long as she is like Mebuki then there are no worries," Kagami shrugged.
"Hey! What does that mean?" he said while the Uchiha laughed.
"Sakura, would you like to explore the palace?" Mikoto asked leaning down with her hands on her knees, giving her a friendly smile. Sakura nodded slowly. "Alright then. Sasuke, could you come here a moment?" she called as she stood up.
"Do I have to?" a voice answered from atop the stairs.
"Yes, now get down here!" she shouted.
A young boy about her age came down the stairs, dressed in a short sleeved blue shirt and dark pants. His bangs were short in front and got longer towards the sides, much like Mikoto, and the rest of his hair was combed awkwardly back. He looked like Mikoto to some degree. He put his hands in his pockets as he stopped next to the woman, looking at the Haruno family. He seemed uninterested and glanced up at the railings. Sakura could see someone hiding around the corner but could not figure out what they were doing.
"This is Sakura. She is going to be staying with us. Would you show her around the palace?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes, mother," he said, not really enthusiastic.
"Sakura," Mikoto called. She let go of her mother and stood with her hands in front of herself, looking up at the Uchiha. "This is my son, Sasuke. He will show you around."
"Stop it," he said trying to swat his mothers hand from his head. Sakura giggled at the interaction.
"Sakura, you are going to be staying here from now on. Remember we love you," Mebuki said bending down to hug her, kissing her forehead. Her father repeated the action before Mikoto had Sakura follow Sasuke.
As she walked up to the staircase, Sakura looked back at her parents. She had no idea what was going on or why she was being left at the palace. From they way they talked it seemed as if the two were not coming back and she was going to be alone. It made her heart ache thinking about it that way. They wouldn't really leave her alone, would they? She wanted answers as to why they were doing this but she didn't think she would get them. After they reached the top of the stairs, Sasuke stopped and turned to her.
"Where are you from?" he asked. She did not reply, only avoiding eye contact while folding her arms in front of her. "You shouldn't be so down. You're going to like it here," he said tilting his head to try to look at her face.
"I want to go home with mommy and daddy," she said trying not to cry. Sasuke looked over at the adults, noticing his mother hugging and consoling the woman who was crying. He had an idea of what was going on; not as oblivious as most children his age.
"Hey, what interests you?" he asked trying to change the subject.
"Uh, well..." she said unsure.
"Do you like cooking? Swimming?" She shook her head while avoiding eye contact. "What about drawing... or reading?" He noticed her perk up at the last suggestion. "You want to see the library?"
"Y-yes," she said, nodding with interest.
Sasuke showed her the way down long hallways and towards the back of the palace. They passed the windows that she couldn't help but stop and look out, getting a great view of the kingdom. She had never been in a place with such big windows before. Then again, she had never really been anywhere other than her home. She was always inside reading and helping her mother because every other kid picked on her. It was strange being in such a nice place with nice people and not being teased.
As they walked along, Sasuke would give a brief description of things as they passed. He was nice enough to make sure she understood what was going on and answered her unspoken questions. They finally stopped at a giant door that had two slender dragons carved into the sides, moving up and meeting near the top. He pushed both doors open much to her surprise, considering he was as small as she was and led her in. She was still a bit reluctant but followed him regardless.
The walls themselves were bookshelves and filled the entire room. It was bigger than the entrance into the palace and was almost twice as tall. She ran ahead of him and looked around, noticing how all the books were in alphabetical order. She looked through them, grabbing a few interesting ones as she went along. Sasuke grabbed some to carry from her. As soon as she could no longer hold anymore, the two headed to one of the many tables to sit and read. Sasuke grabbed a book from the shelf and sat back with his legs on the table as he read.
Sakura opened a book as she sat down to start reading. She tried to concentrate but after a few pages, got bored and put it down. She grabbed another only to repeat the same thing. She stopped and sat there, picking at her fingernails from nervousness. Ever since her mother taught her to read, she loved books and was always fascinated with information she could learn. But now she had no motivation to read, all she wanted was to go back to her parents. She looked over to see Sasuke, wanting to ask questions.
"Sasuke! I can't believe you left me with dopey!" someone shouted, causing them both to jump.
"Ugh," Sasuke groaned.
"If he gets me in trouble I am putting all the blame on you," a short haired blonde girl said grabbing his chair and pulling back so she could look down on him. She wore a short sleeved orange shirt and dark blue capri pants. Part of her hair was pulled back with a cute purple flower clip.
"Ino, I don't have time for your yammering," he said adjusting the chair from her grip. "Besides my mother is the one who summoned me so I had to leave."
"That is no excuse," she said with her hands on her hips. She looked over to Sakura, taking notice that she was there for the first time. "Who are you?"
"Sakura," she answered timidly, her hands in front of her.
"Hm, pink hair. Interesting," she smiled walking over to her. "You look like a sheep dog." Ino giggled as she moved her hair from her face.
"You sure do have a way with making people feel at home," Sasuke said sarcastically.
"Wow you have such a wide forehead!" Ino exclaimed with laughter.
Sakura swatted her hand away, jolting out of the library. She hated being teased, it seemed like it would never stop. As she turned the corner she ran into someone, almost falling over. Fortunately for her the person had caught her before she hit the ground. Sakura looked up to see a man with long dark and messy black hair with dark eyes. He was frightening and she froze from fear, shaking. Someone came from around him, laughing as he looked down at her. He had long brown hair, dark eyes and tan skin. She took notice of their formal attire before the scary man helped her up.
The brown haired one had a reddish brown yukata with a white haori overlapping it and sandals. He was simple and plain, which seemed to match his carefree attitude. This man didn't look like one to enjoy formality. The dark haired one had a dark blue kimono top with matching hakama, a dark obi tied to the side and armor. He looked more like an evil warlord. Though both of them were tall, and intimating.
"You scare children so easily," the brown haired man laughed.
"Shut up, Hashirama!" the dark haired one said crossing his arms and pouting. "You must be Sakura. I heard about you from Mikoto," he said while looking down at her.
"Ye... yes," she replied.
"You shouldn't be afraid of Madara, he looks scary but he was just born that way," Hashirama smiled, leaning down and putting a hand to the side of his face and whispering. "Imagine a baby, making a pouting face."
"I heard that!" he shouted with shock as Hashirama laughed. Sakura covered him mouth to try to hide her giggle.
"Sakura! Oh... Lord Madara," Sasuke said as he turned the corner, bowing as quickly as he could.
"Why always blaaaaa-Lord Madara. Lord Hashirama," Ino said with a nervous laugh before bowing as well.
She had heard those names before. It suddenly dawned on Sakura that she had run into the great lords of the land. Well, ran into one and met another. She had overheard how the country was coming together because of a few clans creating Kingdoms and establishing territory. She never thought she would meet any of them. When her family made their way here, she figured with it being a palace that this would belong to a general or someone who was affiliated with the lords. She immediately bowed out of respect, feeling embarrassed for how she had met them.
"I'm sorry. I did not mean to run into you," she said, thankful she was able to speak without stuttering.
"It was more his fault for being in such a hurry," Hashirama said pointing at Madara.
"Go home," Madara said with a stern look, only for Hashirama to chuckle in amusement. "You have no need to apologize. It was an accident after all."
"So when are you returning to your castle, Lord Hashirama?" Ino asked, hands on her hip.
"Tonight. With that being said, have you seen Mito anywhere?"
"Lady Mito was looking after Naruto until she came along," Sasuke said pointing over his shoulder while walking up to Sakura.
"Big mouth," Ino gritted through her teeth.
"So then that little troublemaker is somewhere in my palace causing mischief?" Madara asked with a growl.
"Not alone. Most likely Obito is with him. Oops," Ino covered her mouth.
Hashirama and Madara looked at each other before rushing off. Sakura was so confused, she had no idea what to think about this place. Everyone was so happy with each other. Sasuke sighed and turned to Ino, saying something only for her to reply in her loud manner. She got the feeling the girl may not have been teasing her on purpose. From the way Ino acted, it looked as if she was just loud and straightforward. But Sakura still wasn't completely sure; Sasuke was the only one she felt she could cling to.
"Apologize!" Sasuke demanded.
"I shouldn't have to!"
"I will tell my mother what you did!" Ino fell silent with his last remark. She walked up to Sakura with a pout before looking at her.
"Sorry if I caused you to run off with what I said. There, happy?" she groaned at Sasuke.
"I-it's okay," Sakura replied. Ino titled her head trying to get a good view of her face. After a minute she grabbed her arm and began to drag the pinkette down the halls.
"You need to learn to get a backbone. Stop acting all scared and timid... Gah, you remind me of Hinata!" Ino said with irritation.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked.
"Here!" she said letting go of Sakura's hand, who almost fell, and put her hands on her hips triumphantly.
"Where is here?"
"The seamstress's room." Ino knocked on the door before barging in. "Give me one minute." She heard talking and laughter beyond the door.
"Ino?" she questioned when the girl came out the room.
"Your hair is driving me insane," she smiled before fixing Sakura's hair up, pulling too tight. "Give me a sec... Aha! There we go!" Her hair was now pulled back from her face with a red ribbon tied neatly. Sakura reached up to get the strands that were tangled up in it.
"Ouch," she said tugging.
"Sorry, I got a little too excited," she laughed, undoing it and fixing the ribbon properly.
"Thank you," Sakura replied.
"No hard feelings right. I'm just not use to new people," she said scratching the back of her head. Sakura shook her head, smiling happily.
Ino did seem pretty nice and very outgoing. Sakura liked her outgoing personality a bit, she was very different from people back home. Just then, Mikoto turned the corner and called to them; followed by Sasuke. She looked relieved to see the two. Sakura got closer to Ino, trying to hide behind her a bit. The blonde started laughing until Mikoto reached them with a scowl. Ino glared at Sasuke, knowing he probably told on her.
"Ino, you have chores to do."
"Yes my lady, but what about Sakura?" Ino asked as she looked at the pinkette.
"I will have you help her later," she replied. "Sasuke, you should get back to studying with Itachi."
"Understood." Both ran off, leaving Sakura and Mikoto alone.
"Sakura, would you like to see your new room?" she asked, kneeling down to look at her.
"My... room?"
"I am sure you know by now," Mikoto said with a sad look on her face. "You are the only one who can stay here. Your mother and father have already left."
"Why?" she asked, tearing up.
"You will understand one day. Forgive me, I wish you could comprehend it now," she said before standing."You are going to be a servant of this palace, but do not take it as a bad thing like many do."
She took Sakura's hand and led her down the halls. Sakura started to panic inside. She wanted to go back with her mother and father so badly, they never gave her a reason for leaving. Whatever it was, she was sure they could have found a way around it. For a minute, she contemplated running back to the entrance and trying to follow them. Unfortunately, she was taught to do as adults say. Mikoto wanted her to follow so she did. If she had to live in the palace then she wouldn't want to give a bad impression. Especially since Mikoto was being so nice to her.
They arrived down a hallways with many doors. Mikoto led her to one with silver vines and flowers carved up the sides, opening it and letting Sakura go in. The floor had gray tile with cream colored walls. There was a small bed in the corner with a small window over it and a desk with a white chair across from it. There were shelves built into the side of the desk as well. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a lantern on it, candle already inside. The bed had white pillows, red sheets, and a blanket that had pink flowers on it. Next to the door was a dresser with a huge mirror. Sakura walked in slowly, taking it all in.
"I fixed it up as much as I could. Your mother didn't really mention much about you so I do hope you like it," Mikoto said walking in and looking around. "The desk was brought in especially for you. I heard how much you love reading. This dresser and mirror belonged to a friend of mine but she had no use for it." She place a hand on it and looked to Sakura.
"It's... lovely." she replied, unsure what else to say.
"Oh and if you ever want to paint and customize you room, feel free. Just let me know. Please do me one favor though... do not get any ideas from Ino. Her room can be... a bit messy." Sakura giggled at the face she made.
"Thank you."
"You have a few weeks to get settled but then Ino will help train you. It seemed you two are getting along," she smiled.
"Why do I get all this if I am a servant?" Sakura asked confused. Mikoto suddenly had a smile and look of pride.
"Uchiha make sure everything they have is proper. How are things to be proper here if we do not take care of those who do what we have no time for?" she replied. "Most of us have our own jobs and the men mostly attend to battlefronts as well as the castle. You all are going to help take care of other things so that we do not have to worry and in return you get a bit of the luxury we own."
Sakura thought about it, not fully understanding why things wouldn't be proper. She was also a smart girl and knew that adults lived hard lives. She knew from watching her parents, who worked so hard but got so little. If they had been taken care of then her mother probably wouldn't have cried in the middle of the night and her father would never have come home as furious as he was half the time. That was probably what Mikoto meant. Things are bound to be better if you are happier. She shook her head, believing this may be a good thing for her. She didn't really know what kind of skills she had that could be useful but she promised herself to try to earn what she has for her parents' sake.
"Thank you, Lady Mikoto," Sakura bowed.
"I will let you relax, you had a long journey. When I return you will be getting a bath and new clothes," Mikoto said before turning to the door. "Oh, and Sakura? Welcome to your new home."
Author's Note: Okay so the prologue is just to set up how she got there and what happened on her first day since I will probably reference a bit of it later. Starting next chapter we are fast forwarding. Hope you enjoyed the beginning though!