Sakura Haruno, age 23, jounin medic and veteran of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, sat at the small kitchen table. In her hands she clutched the cooling tea she had made nearly half an hour ago, though she had been lost in her own thoughts and hadn't taken the first sip.
She had been here for six months, six long months filled with emotion than she had ever experienced in her short life - and with the life she had led was saying something.
She knew, deep down, that her time here was up. Actually, it should have been up two weeks ago, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to send the letter that would bring her summons back to her home village. One would think she would be more than ready, especially since she had recently gotten word that Hinata had given birth to her and Naruto's first born. She truly did long to see the small baby - a boy - but leaving also meant that the odds that she would ever see her current companion again were slim.
They had both known, of course, that this time would come. The agreement reached by the dark haired man and Konoha had been long standing. When she had been told as a young girl of this mission she had wanted to refuse at first, as this mission would forever change her whole life, though eventually she had agreed. If she didn't accept someone else would go in her place and for some reason the thought of someone else fulfilling this long since made agreement filled her with dread.
Sighing she lifted her lukewarm tea to her lips and took a small drink, looking down at the blank paper that sat to the side. She knew she had to write the missive, knew she had to leave, but the sight of the dark haired male coming up from the ocean made her want to do nothing but stay.
Finishing her tea she sat her cup down and pulled the paper over, forcing her hand to hold the pen and write the words that quite honestly, tore her heart out.
The door opened as she finished folding the paper, though she made no effort to hide it from his dark eyes. After all, he knew what she had sat there to so before he left over an hour ago. She greeted him with a forced smile, trying hard to keep the emotion at bay that threatened to fill her eyes with tears.
He made his way over to her and sat down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She sighed and leaned into his chest, warm from the sun, and allowed a few tears to fall.
"It'll all be alright in the end." The voice, which once put fear into her heart, comforted her.
"Will it? What if this was all a huge mistake and now leaving will only make it worse?"
She felt him turn and drop a kiss to the top of her head. "We are both bound to the loyalty we feel for our village. When I agreed to this all those years ago, I truly didn't understand all that I would be forced to give up. You can't fathom those things at thirteen, but now that it's real I'm forced to admit that if I could go back I may not have made the same choices." His arm tightened around her shoulders and he laid his head atop hers. "Maybe I would have made sure the woman they sent would be one that could stay. Maybe I would have called them all stupid and refused outright, but I cannot go back and change the past."
"All we can do is move forward." She whispered back, having already have had this conversation before.
He turned and kissed the side of her head. "Send the letter, Sakura. We can't keep hiding, you know that as well as I do."
She nodded, pulling away from his heat to finish putting the letter into the envelope. The mail would run soon, and she knew she needed to get the letter in the box before it was too late.
He pulled it from her hands and then pulled her up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they both walked the short distance to the front porch. He placed the letter in the box and then pulled her to the bedroom, where they lost themselves in each other; both trying to forget what would come soon.
..00..
16 Years Ago
Sakura had never been given a mission before, though her being seven was a good reason why. Honestly, she often got bored at the academy and longed to have a real challenge. It had surprised her when Lord Hokage had requested her presence and asked her to hide her true strength, because why would a good shinobi do such a thing?
"Sakura, please try to pay attention." The voice of the Hokage brought her back to the present and she flushed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama."
He waved her apology off before folding his hand and giving her a serious look. "Sakura, what I'm going to ask of you isn't something to take lightly. I know you're young, but it isn't unheard of for a prodigy to take missions far more advanced than what they age would qualify them for."
She held back a grin at the Hokage acknowledging her abilities, which she often got annoyed with having to hide. She had perfect chakra control already, and a brain not often rivaled. She knew that she could have easily advanced and maybe even be close to graduating the academy, but she knew if they wanted her to pretend to be normal, then she would do just that.
"Something major is about to happen. You must not seem like you knew of it in advance, though if you agree to this you will. You cannot do anything to stop it, but I will ask that you help in the aftermath. If you agree, you're whole life will be mapped out - all for the good of the village. This is your chance to opt out and no one will think any less of you if you do." The look he gave her wasn't one that you would normally give a seven year old, but instead one you'd give someone much older. It sent a chill through her body, but she knew that she couldn't turn this down.
"I'll do it, Hokage-sama."
He nodded before pulling out a file from underneath a pile of papers. "I believe you're familiar with the Uchiha Clan?"
"Yes, sir. Uchiha Sasuke is in my class."
"Good. He will be part of your mission."
Her brows knitted together as she tried to figure out what the boy could possibly have to do with her. She would admit to having a small crush on the dark haired boy, but so did most girls in her class.
"In three days time there will be a massacre. Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, has been assigned an unranked mission to do away with everyone in the clan - save for his younger brother. In fact, Sasuke's life is the only thing hat made him agree to the mission, I believe." He stopped speaking to gauge the reaction of the young girl. To be honest, he hesitated in giving this mission to someone so young, but she had unique abilities that would help make this a success.
Plus, someone so young would be easily molded into what they needed her to be.
"Your mission is to assist Itachi after the fact. Once every six months you'll be sent out to meet with him and gather information that he will have. No one can know of your meetings, or that you know him in the slightest. There will be no documents about either of your missions, for if the general population knew of what will transpire it would cause an uproar. The Uchiha Clan is staging a coupe, and this is the only way to keep Konoha stable. Believe me, we have thought of every other option."
Sakura sat in shock. A coupe? A massacre? Uchiha Itachi? "How long would this mission last, Hokage-sama?"
"It is unknown at this time. If either of you were to perish before the end of the mission it would, of course, cease to be. Though I can tell you the end result will be for you to become pregnant with his child. When you are of age, of course." He quickly threw in at the expression on the young girl's face.
"We cannot allow the complete extinction of the Uchiha. You will carry the next generation, when the appropriate time comes. Until then you will gather information that he has, be his companion - as only you will know of his true loyalties, and once you are advanced enough and it seems right, you will train to become a medic. You will then heal any injuries he has and to do this you will both be given a special scroll that will allow constant contact. Whenever you need to leave just come and let me know and I'll find a way to get you out of the village."
"When will the mission start?" Her voice came out small, like she was trying to take everything in and finding it hard.
He gave her a small smile of sympathy, knowing that this mission would end up destroying her chance at a normal life. "Tomorrow. You will meet with Itachi and receive your scroll. You will practice with communication and then on the night of the massacre you will meet him three miles outside of the village. We will have a clone to go about your normal life until you return."
He wanted her to be with Itachi after it all happened, as he was worried at what his frame of mind might be. If everything went according to plan Sakura would become his only true friend, and he in a way hers. They would understand parts of each other that no one else would, and he hoped that when the time came it would make the end of the mission easier.
As he looked at the girl he felt a twinge of guilt, but he locked it away. It would serve no real purpose now, as their path had now been decided.
"Go home, but don't let anyone know that you were here. Tomorrow, come to training ground five at 10pm." He gave her one last look, knowing tomorrow would bring about a change that would affect her whole life. "I trust you can leave your house undetected?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama." She stood up and silently left, though he could practically see the storm brewing in her brain.
I pray this doesn't end up destroying her life.
..00..
The next night, at exactly 10pm, Sakura sat down on the ground of of the training area as a dark haired man - boy, really - came silently through the woods that surrounded the place.
Even at seven, she could tell that the boy was too young to be taking a mission such as this, though that would mean that she too, was too young. He had deep lines in his face which gave him the appearance that he had seen more than his age would have one assume and she could tell that he looked like Sasuke, though his hair was much longer and he wore a uniform designating him as a member of ANBU.
It occurred to her that she probably should fear him, after all he was about to kill his whole clan, though all she could muster was sympathy. He was a shinobi, just like her, and he was protecting his village - even if the threat was his family.
He stopped in front of her and gave her an odd look, though he quickly wiped all emotion from his face. He swung his pack from his position on his back to his front and opened it, pulling out a small scroll.
"This is yours, keep it with you at all times." She nodded as she reaches forward to take it, noticing how much taller her was than her.
"This is the only way we will have to communicate, though it will take a jutsu to open it. I'll teach it to you tonight so that we are ready for the operation to begin."
He pulled his scroll out and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same. They spent the next hour going over his plan as he taught her the jutsu to unlock the communication scroll. He wouldn't admit it, but he was pleasantly surprised at how quickly she caught on and learned. When the Hokage has told him he would be assigning a seven year old girl to him he thought the man had lost his mind, but it seemed that she was more like him than a normal child.
Having someone else know what he was about to do and still treat him normally was something he didn't think he would have. He was about to wipe out his whole family - save for his little brother - and he truly didn't expect to have someone he could lean on.
The fact that she was seven non withstanding. After all, he had been asked to do way more than she was at her age.
"I'll let you know my whereabouts when it will be safe." He truly didn't know what else to say, so he stood awkwardly looking down at her.
"Hai. I'll be waiting." He nodded his head and left, needing time alone to process what was about the occur.
..00..
Hopefully everything made sense, but if you're confused about any part just let me know!
Hope you enjoyed!