Now You Don't
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Chapter 2: Flickers
The months after the Incident seemed to reduce to a snail's pace. She was held up in the hospital for observation for weeks, due to the nature of the injury being… relatively unique to survive. After all, who's heard of a ninja that survived being stabbed in the head?
Granted, Sakura wasn't a ninja, but she digresses.
Aunt Asaya visited daily, for hours on end, trying to help her with adjustment to a life without sight. Together, the seconds passed by with nary a single silence, the full-grown woman teaching her charge how to play various hand games blindly and talking about the latest trends going around Konoha.
Sometimes, Asaya would tell her stories about the adventures she went on with her jounin team, back when she was on active-duty. Whenever questioned about why such an accomplished kunoichi resigned, the ex-jounin would just grin and say, "Sa-chan beats Iwa-nin any day of the week!"
No one questioned why she still trained like a madwoman.
Just like they didn't question why she had access to the classified section of the Library.
But, of course, Sakura didn't even know what any of that even meant, so she just smiled and nodded along, reaching out to grasp slim, calloused hands before chatting about the latest nurse that came to see her, "Her voice was so soft! Like… Like… fluffy stuff, she was suuuuper nice, too!"
Asaya giggled, the high bell-like chime, "Was her skin soft and smooth too?"
Nodding vigorously, Sakura's grin was near blinding, "Just like ya' taught me to! I thin' she's a part-time worker 'round 'ere, her hands had bumpy and rough bits 'round the uh… um, whassit called?" The little girl raised her head to implore helplessly at her Aunt, a questioning lilt to her frowning lips. Asaya felt her own quirk up into a joyful smile before responding kindly, "The palm of her hand?"
Another nod, "Yeah! But the back of her hands was smoother, so I dun' think she's been out on too many missions- maybe a genin?"
Reaching over the white sheets of the hospital bed, her Aunt ruffled the girl's hair with pride working its way through her voice, "You're getting the hang of this, sweetie! See? Told you so!"
Beaming, Sakura leaned back against the tower of pillows behind her, still gripping Asaya's hand like a lifeline as she stared mindlessly into the darkness, nose crinkling slightly before relaxing. Turning her head around, she stared unseeingly at Asaya before hesitantly speaking up, "Saya-chan… Have you heard from mama?"
Asaya tensed ever-so-slightly, the minor movement not being noticed at all by the curious child on the bed, tightening her lips up into a grim smile, the woman controlled her voice into a soft-spoken answer from an oblivious caretaker, "I'm afraid not, Sa-chan! Its been nearly a year since her last letter, huh? I think I'll head over to the Hokage tower after this and ask for an investigation, does that sound good?"
Sakura gave a relieved sigh, a relaxed grin lighting up the room as she had a small, celebratory dance in her head, 'Very impressive, Outer-chan. Truly.' 'Gah! Everyone's a critic…'
Inwardly, Asaya gave herself a clap on the back and a job well-done. She'd tell her little charge the truth later, when she was ready.
As they talked the noon-day sun away, the woman stubbornly ignored the persistent thought that clung to her mind like glue. The one that whispered uncertainties and stone-cold truths.
After all, who was ever ready to know their mother was on the execution block?
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Kurenai wandered into the hospital, her dark hair wound up tightly into a braided bun as she cradled the various gifts in her arms. Cherry red lips curled into a friendly smile as she greeted the receptionist- a lovely elderly lady by the name of Shimaka- and engaging in patient small talk before the stern elder shooed the woman off into the direction of room 165.
Truly, she would've come to visit far sooner than this, but the fact of the matter is that time waits for no one, and when the Hokage issues a mission, you damn well better do it, and do it good.
Musing to herself, the chunin deftly walked down the long, pristine walls of the children's ward, chuckling to herself softly at the various cartoonish pictures of animals. Thinking back to the matter of why she was here, Kurenai turned grim, her forehead becoming creased with worry and horror.
When the woman managed to get to the scene, the was a small little girl, all alone, lying on her back as her eyes stared listlessly up at the blue sky. Then there was the blood, dear Gods, the blood. It was forming a puddle beneath her head, with little floating bits of something and… and…
Now, Kurenai wasn't a squeamish woman. Being a prodigy in the genjutsu tended to ensure that.
But… The fact that bits and pieces of a little girl's brain was bleeding and draining and floating in a puddle of her own blood.
Well, it's definitely in the top 10 of fucked up things.
And stuff like that tends to stay with you, for a long, long time.
Choking back a disturbed whimper, Kurenai whipped back to reality as she stared at the room number before her. Double-checking the contents of her arms (Chocolate? Check. Teddy bear? Check. Minor case of trauma? Triple check. ) Throwing her shoulders back to build up her confidence, she swiftly raised her knuckles to rap on the door.
She heard the distinctive click-click-click of heels against lino, bowing her head in respect as soon as the door swung open, "Hello, is this where Sakura-chan is staying?" The silence stretched on for what felt like a lifetime, Kurenai's crimson eyes focusing on the skirt of the long dress the woman had on, which was a soft lavender, the ninja noted nervously.
Startling as a small hand rested on her shoulder, the chunin looked up slowly, the worry creasing her facial expression because damn it, civilians shouldn't scare her so much but this one does and delivered a small, tired smile.
Asaya didn't smile at first, her hazel eyes narrowed sharply as she inspected every dip and curve on the stranger's face, trying to decipher what muscle twitch meant danger and the quickest route to throwing her out the window if things went awry.
But, as the seconds ticked on and the nerves in the younger lady continued to fray, Asaya mutely sighed and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly with a welcoming smile, "Hai, come in ninja-san! Sa-chan is in bed at the moment, but I'm sure she'll wake up soon!"
Nodding, Kurenai fidgeted with the small ribbon wrapped around the teddy's neck, shuffling into the room as the door slid close with a defining thump.
"Ano, so what's your name, ninja-san?" Looking up from where she was placing the small bundle of goods on a nearby end-table, she stuttered out a quiet, "K-Kurenai, pleased to meet you." A pleased smile stretched out across the woman's face at the polite response, who swept her arm across the room to gesture to a spare chair, "Aa, Yuuhi Kurenai, genin team consisted of Sarutobi Asuma and Namiashi Raidō, accomplished chunin genjutsu specialist of Konoha with rights to the jounin exam in the next 4 years with a fixed doujutsu that does passive minor vision magnification."
The chunin's head shot up, her eyes wide with an expression of liquid fear at the unexpected breakdown of her ninja career. Resisting the urge to step back, Kurenai felt the overwhelming pressure of duty before flashing into the space between Sakura and the mysterious "civilian" who knew way too much, "What of it?"
Asaya nodded, appeased at the protective stance that Kurenai adopted, noting with pleasure that she had even used her body as a physical obstacle between herself and Sakura. Finally, Asaya's frigid countenance slipped away, her expression cordial as she sat down on the cushioned seat behind her, "Nothing quite so violent, Yuuhi-san, just wanted to know all that there was about the teenager visiting my niece."
Kurenai barely blinked, easing out of her stance as she discreetly slid a few senbon back into her pouch. Keeping her muscles tensed, the ninja decided to do some investigation of her own, "Your name, if I may?"
"Asaya Haruno, survivor of the Kyuubi attack, infamous Warrunner of the Plains, proclaimed Mistress of Hounds and Sakura-chan's innocent, helpless civilian Auntie. Oh, and owner of the Candlehearth Bakery."
There were two thoughts going through Kurenai's mind…
Holy fucking shit it's the Hound Mistress what the actual fuck.
And the second thought represented itself aloud with a quiet, "..huh."
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"But Auntiiiiie… I don't wanna' goooooooooooooooooooooo…"
Asaya sighed, settling her unimpressed glare on the back her rebellious child as Sakura gripped the doorway to their house, waiting for the seven year-old to go up in flames. Grabbing the child's hands, the woman attempted to pry stubborn fingers away from the wooden frame, all too aware of how she could pull out a nail, "Sakura! Let. Go. Now!"
Whimpering, she only began to kick her legs with renewed vigor as Kurenai tried to pull her out with a firm grip on her legs onto the front-porch, "But Saya-chan, w-what if they hurt me agaaaaaaaain!"
Grunting, Kurenai contained her snarl as Sakura's foot hit her jaw, "Then we'll beat them up and throw them into Wave Country, now, let. GO!"
"Sakura-chan," Asaya sighed, frustration giving her voice a stern, sharp edge to it as she grasped Sakura's face in her hands, chubby cheeks bulging out between her firm fingers as the tears continued to roll down them, "Nothing is going to happen to you this time. Remember, 'Nai-chan is going to be with you the whole time, and I'll be there with you during the breaks. We've already memorised the grounds, your hearing and sense of smell has improved by leaps and bounds since last year! You. Will. Be. Fine."
Her efforts at escaped lessened as the explanation rolled over her conscience, her muscles relaxing enough for Kurenai to sweep the child up into her arms, settling her arms beneath Sakura's legs and back, grinning down at her comfortingly, "Nothing is going to hurt you, Sa-chan, not on my watch."
Asaya meandered closer, resting a dainty creamy hand on Sakura's strawberry locks with a reassuring smile, ruffling her hair, "Its been a year since you started training with us, remember? You can do this. You might not be able to beat a Uchiha in taijutsu, or a Inuzuka in instincts, but you can at least hold your own now. You're a Haruno, and we may not have a bloodlimit or hidden jutsus, but that's because we don't need one."
A small smile decorated her young charge's face, something like a flicker of hope relaxing the child's face before Sakura reached out for her hand, resolutely wiping away her tears, "O-okay, Asaya. Can… Can we have anmitsu? During our break?"
Sighing, Asaya bemoaned the fact that while, yes she has killed hundreds of ninja, completed thousands of assassinations and the epitome of a stern commander…
She was still susceptible to puppy eyes.
Damn it.
"Of course, Sa-cha… Now get moving, Kurenai! You're going to make her be late! Skidaddle!"
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Well, you guys wanted me, and I live to deliver! Here's another chapteeeer
If you see any mistakes, don't hesitate to inform me, please! I haven't been able to read over it and scan for problems but ehhhhhh
Anyways, this chapter was a bit of a filler, with a lot of the focus going on introducing Kurenai to Asaya and Sakura
You'll learn more about the good ol' Haruno family shebang later on in the story maybe
Probably
Depends if I'm merciful, really
Catch you all on the flip-side! Again!
o7