Sakura
The man Sakura had met the day before plagued her thoughts. Why was he so intent on persuading her to attend the Selection? It no longer mattered though as Sakura was already trailing behind her mother, in a line snaking about the city square and stretching to the outskirts of the city, waiting to have herself photographed. To submit to the Palace to try for a place among the Selected.
"Sakura dear, don't scowl like that!" Mom spoke as though she knew Sakura would be chosen. Her chances of making it past the random draw were miniscule. Konoha was one of the thirty-five different provinces of Blaze—a sort of nickname for their empire. And in each province, there were probably thousands of girls applying for the Selection. Her province included.
"Sakura! Wipe that scowl off your face before I do!" she hissed. Sakura beamed at her, looking to all the world that she truly wished to be there. She felt the exact opposite.
"Better, mom?" she asked, seeking approval.
"Next please," a wrinkled old man drawled, sloppily pulling a sheet of paper from a stack. "Name?"
"Sakura Haruno," she stated calmly. He scribbled something on the sheet and rolled his eyes, standing and gesturing her to follow. He lead her behind a heavy dark curtain where a blocky camera stood on three legs. The old man threw the curtain attached to the camera over his head and pointed at a stool in front.
"Sit." The cameraman said lazily. Sakura's eyes bore into the camera's shiny dark lense.
"Smile." What smile was she supposed to wear? Calm? Secretive? Happy? She was definitely not happy. A serene smile overcame her face, and before she knew it a bright light flashed and Sakura's eyes flashed, blinding her. The old man told her she was done and Sakura saw herself out, stumbling as she went.
"Sign here, here, and here!" her mom exclaimed, pointing to several lines Sakura was to sign. She read each statement thoroughly but paused at the last one. 'Sign below if you are a Virgin' Sakura's eyes widened and her face went flush. Of course, she was! What kind of question is that?
"All done," As soon as the words fell from her lips, her mom snatched the paper out of her hands and pranced away.
"Sakura, what we doing here?" Moegi and Konohamaru asked in boredom. Sakura turned and knelt to meet their eyes. Though tall for eleven, they were still children.
"I'm signing up for the Selection." She faked a smile and in seconds the twins were hopping about screaming:
"You're going to marry the prince!" they chanted, and Sakura grinned as she thought in silence. It wasn't as though she wanted to marry the prince. She wanted to make her mother happy, her family comfortable, give them a better life. Nothing more. With the pension they'd receive for her participation would make them more than comfortable. If she won and married the prince, then that would mean her family would become Ones, and therefore royalty. They'd never have another worry again. Although their current caste wasn't terrible, it could be stressful and didn't pay too well. They were only permitted to work in the arts, nothing more. Those were the rules of the caste system. To move up a caste was to pay a fee so high nobody ever did. And the only other way to move up? Marriage to a man of a higher caste than the woman. Such insolent rules.
"Time to go, my dears!" Mom and Dad were standing arm in arm over by the edge of the bustling crowd. Sakura walked as ladylike as possible over to her parents. The twins nipping at her heels still chanting about.
"There is a chance that I will not be chosen for the Selection you know,"Sakura said to the twins. Grabbing each of their hands she shushed them.
"You will be chosen! You will you will you will! We know it!" Moegi assured her. Konohamaru nodded in agreement.
"I love you guys." Sakura squeezed their hands in hers and strode up to their parents who greeted them warmly.
"What would you like for dinner, lovelies?" Sakura's mom beamed and her dad hoisted Moegi onto his shoulders. She supposed her mom expected her to get through the draw. If it even was a draw. There was speculation that the selected were not chosen at random, but hand chosen for their caste and looks. Perhaps even for political purposes. Although it was but a rumour. Sakura quickened her step to catch up to her family who had advanced several paces ahead of her.
"Hey, Ugly!"
Her steps wavered, and Sakura found herself drawn to Sai. In need of a friend after the Selection ordeal.
"Hello, Sai, how are you?" she greeted, smiling sadly at the man.
"Better than you I'm sure." Sakura's smile was surely as fake as Sai's.
"You know I might not be chosen."
"But there is always the possibility."
"A low one indeed."
"Mommy, I like this one!" Sakura glimpsed Moegi at a jewelry stall pointing at little rabbit pendant that glimmered in the afternoon light. So Sakura sauntered up to the stand and pointed to the piece asking, "How much for this?"
"Too much for you, dear," the old crone hissed after looking Sakura over. It was normal for people to act in such a way to Sakura and her family. She was clearly a lower Caste, and the old lady was clearly a higher one. Moegi skipped over to her with a smile.
"Which one do you like, Sakura?" Sakura smiled at the child and scanned the rows of jewels.
"This one." She hoisted Moegi onto her hip and showed her a simple silver piece. A thin silver chain held a single glass sakura blossom. With five pale pink petals, one of them was a slightly darker shade.
"It's cute!" she squealed and leapt from Sakura's arms, running off into the crowd.
"Sakura dear, would you mind taking the twins home?" her mom requested, grimacing at Konohamaru and something down the road. Sakura wondered why until she saw what—or rather who—strode towards them. Her silly grin vanished, and Sai uttered something under his breath before slipping away.
"Come on Moegi, we're going home now." Sakura snatched the twins' hands from her Mom's and dashed down the road. This had happened only twice before, but the twins knew enough that they did not resist.
The door to the house was not locked. It never was since there was nothing to steal. But when Sakura went crashing through the door, the twins scrambled to their room and she turned the lock on their door.
She heaved a sigh and stalked to her own room, staring down the front door as though her fiery gaze would reach the person she harboured so much hate for.
I wish to see you not, dear brother.
