Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
She is woken up by rough hands and dark brown eyes. The woman has a cruel set to her jaw and the way that she handles Sakura tells her that she is not unaccustomed to unruly prisoners.
"Name?" The woman asks.
Sakura notes that her voice is blank and nearly devoid of emotion—the only suggestion is the tightening of her hands on Sakura's wrist.
"Sakura."
The woman's grip tightens further.
"Last name?"
"Unknown."
The woman knows she is lying but takes off the chains anyways, leaving on the heavy energy level repellent manacles.
"Date of birth."
"Unknown."
Sakura is dragged out of the room and her hair tickles her neck as the brisk woman slips on a blindfold. A growl starts in her throat but when the woman yanks on a wayward curl, Sakura stills and quiets down.
"Siblings?"
"Kanzu, Tatsuro, Emika, Miyuka."
"Any other family members that should be notified?"
Sakura thinks about her Mother's glassy blue eyes, her clutching hands and slack mouth, how the Lady of the Okiya watched them both with hunger in her pale gray eyes and she shakes her head.
The woman hoists her up onto her back and Sakura squeaks in protest. A snort came from the woman and Sakura turns bright pink in quiet anger.
"Any other legal guardians?"
Sakura can hear the woman's heartbeat through her thick clothes and she wonders if she ever went to the akasen district.
Maybe, if she had, she would've heard of the stories that came from the Lady Onoyuki's Okiya and her pretty, pink haired charge.
At Sakura's silence, the woman grips her legs tighter and Sakura yelps. It will bruise tomorrow.
"Lady Kumiko Onoyuki of the Yuu Okiya." Sakura uses the official title of the whorehouse and feels the stutter of the woman's steps as they walk.
Sakura smiles when the woman does not ask anything else.
They arrive late, apparently, because Sakura hears another young woman hiss at her temporary guardian to hurry it up.
Sakura is put down in a room and her hands tense as the woman does anything but throw her on the floor. The blindfold is removed and Sakura opens her eyes to the blurry sight of a hunched over old man, two, tall, dark-haired men and her siblings.
Once the woman's hands leave her, Sakura bolts forward, careful not to trip over the heaviness of her manacles, hands reaching towards her family.
Kanzu is the one who catches her, bringing his face into her neck and pressing her up against him while Emika and Tatsuro cling to her tunic and cloak, tears wetting the heavy fabric. They all stay like that for a minute; Sakura clutching what she can of Kanzu, Kanzu holding her back, Emika and Tatsuro clinging to her pants.
Someone clears their throat and Sakura shoves them all behind her. Bloodshot green eyes face the hunched old man, fierce and wild.
"Lord Hokage, what is it that we can do for you?" Sakura says evenly, ignoring how Kanzu tenses at the bitter way she says the leader's title.
She does not care—this man is selfish and greedy and she will not obey him. The Underground all knew about how the Hokage let his genin teammate rule the darker side of the shinobi world, abducting innocent children, killing off the prodigies that would not bow down to his authority. They all knew that he could not put behind the glory days, never seeing the disaster that was Konoha's underbelly.
To the Hokage, there was only Konoha—pure, glorious and good—in its prime.
The old man's eyes are deep and dark as the skim her slim stature and her gleaming eyes. A flicker of something crossed them and Sakura tries her very best not to snarl at the interest that follows it.
"It is what you can do for us." He answers quietly.
Sakura tenses up. Emika sniffles into her thigh and Tatsuro tugs on the loose curls that hang around her. Kanzu keeps his grip on her hand and tenses, as if to step forward and protect her when she knows very well that she is the only one out of the four of them that can use her energy levels correctly.
"Hokage-sama, Ibiki-san says that you must remain prudent—he has never met a mind more secure than hers." The woman—a short, pretty thing with loose blonde hair and dark brown eyes—the one Sakura was brought by, says firmly.
The interest is back in the old man's eyes and Sakura makes a sound in her throat.
"…I see."
The Hokage dismisses the woman who bows low, head touching the floor, and then leaves quietly through the door of the office.
Kanzu grips her hand harder and Sakura knows that he is as scared and anguished as she is.
The old man's deep eyes flicker back to her and Sakura meets them defiantly, daring them to challenge her. She will find a way to save her family.
"Sakura-chan," She winces at the familiarity, "Would you consider being fostered by the Uchiha family?"
Tatsuro lets out a startling wail and burrows his head into her side consolingly. "I d-don't w-want Nee-chan t-to go with the m-monsters."
Sakura sees the two shinobi in the background (the ones, she curses herself, she has completely forgotten about) go rigid. Panic sprawls in her chest and she turns to Tatsuro quickly.
"Tatsuro-chan, they are not monsters—they are shinobi." She tries to reassure him but his desperate brown eyes look back up into her green ones.
"It is the same!" He wails again and this time Sakura gathers him in her arms, ignoring the awkward grip she has on him because of the manacles, guiding his head into the crook of her neck.
"Hush Tatsuro. We must be quiet and listen now." Kanzu says, brushing tan fingers over the blonde boy's head. "Tamashí is here."
Onyx eyes stare into green and Sakura's gaze slides back to the interested Hokage.
"We are attempting to integrate the poor into our ninja society, creating an exchange of cultures and beliefs."
Pretty words for pretty lies, Sakura thinks.
"If you would like it, then I can assure your…" His eyes flicker towards the little group, huddled together, eyes fierce and strong. "Family an element of safety."
An element. An element she thinks. An element means nothing to Sakura. An element is flimsy and insecure, and element is about as sturdy as the promise of shinobi.
His dark eyes capture hers again and this time Sakura lowers hers respectfully.
Even though respect is the last thing she feels.
"Where would you have us Lord Hokage?" She asks quietly, startling little Emika who burrows into her thigh even more, the cold of her nose seeping through the thick fabric of the black cloak.
Kanzu's hands tighten on her wrist and Emika bites the side of her thigh. Sakura doesn't even wince.
She will do anything to save her family—including letting herself be sold to the devils.
"You will be placed with the Clan Head: Fugaku Uchiha and his wife, Mikoto." The Hokage answers, waving a hand at the two shinobi, one immediately heading for the window, "And the rest of your family will be put in the branch house."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage, for your generous offer." Sakura says, bowing low, Tatsuro clutching to her chest to keep balance.
And then, Sakura's eyes move upwards, green battling with dark brown. A rigid politeness crawls over her features and the Hokage stiffens slightly.
"Will I be able to be with them?"
The Hokage takes a while to answer. His dark eyes rove over the protective hold that she has on her siblings, hand tightening in Kanzu's before sighing and looking out of the window.
"If that is what you wish."
Sakura nods once and then the world begins to move again.
"Shisui-kun, why don't you get this one to your Uncle's home? Arata-kun will bring over the rest to the lovely Hiraku-kun and Chika-chan—they have been wanting some of their own for a while."
The remaining shinobi of the two –Shisui—bows. "Of course, Hokage-sama. Hiraku-jiji and Chika-Oba-san will be overjoyed to have young ones."
And then Kanzu, Emika and Tatsuro are clinging to Sakura's cloak, all tearing up and visibly sniffling and Sakura bites her lip so hard she draws blood.
She knows that she does not have much time—the Hokage looks impatient to get her to the Uchiha foster family—and Shisui, awkwardly flitting forward and then backwards again.
Kanzu is the first to give way, pressing a hand to her cheek and murmuring a stolen, anguished thank you into her ear, lips brushing against her skin. Emika follows next, before lurching and pressing kisses to Sakura's hands and covered tummy, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she whimpers her goodbye. Tatsuro is the last—hands grabbing at her hair, snot smearing into her hood—howling his loss and Sakura presses kisses and murmurs confessions of affection into his hair, her own eyes tearing up.
"I will be with you soon."
Three sets of eyes follow her form as she straightens and sets her jaw.
Shisui grabs her by the shoulder and Sakura does not look back—she knows that if she will she will take them and run—far, far away.
So! New updates :) Hope you enjoyed it! Tell me your thoughts if you wish :)