Author's Note: I wanted to apologize to everyone who has been patiently waiting for me to update. I ran into a rough family problem earlier this summer and had been distracted from writing. I hope you all can forgive me; it took a little bit of time to bounce back. After 68 pages, here is yet another chapter and please review to help me improve this story even more!
Enjoy!
Her eyes couldn't look away from the glowing crimson red orbs that stared angrily at her younger brother. Those eyes… She watched as the mysterious child took a few steps in Naruto's direction, his bleeding eyes remained fixed on its target. He reminds me of that boy I met in the woods. As she remained hidden in the oversized bush, her mind replayed that faithful night where she met a boy with the most interesting eyes. Wait a second… She quickly turned her head away from the stand-off between the juvenile boys and stared at the east side of the small stone wall. Her mind imagined the forest on the other side and felt a small gasp leak from her lips. The forest that surrounds this place…it felt so familiar. Sakura's eyes squinted as she concentrated on picturing her encounter with the mystery boy who was soaking in blood. It's familiar because I met that boy in that forest!
"Why did you run away from me?" Naruto's grunt cut through Sakura's internal discovery and returned her attention back to the scene.
"I didn't run away…Dobe…you chased after me," the emotionless tone that escaped from the young ten year old boy's mouth made Sakura's eyes narrow in suspicion.
This boy can't possibly be the same person I met three years ago. Emerald eyes scanned the boy's body as she allowed herself to piece together the small differences. Although this one acts emotionless, he seems more angered and wounded. The child I met showed only very slight emotions. Whatever that boy did, he was not angry, sad, or mad about it. It was as if his emotions were nonexistent. Her eyes hovered over the dark raven locks that stuck up in the back of the boy's head, so they have the same colored eyes and hair…could they have been brothers?
"Why you!" Naruto shouted as he threw his fist out in front of his body, "you bastard! Tell me why you were near us!" Naruto felt his body shake from the loud projection of his voice. Why does he always have to lie? He just always thinks he is better than everyone else!
A small sigh seeped out of the raven haired boy's lips as he reached behind his back to pull out a long, slender, piece of metal. "Dobe, you were on my grass."
He has to be kidding? Naruto narrowed his darkened sapphire eyes at the sudden appearance of the sharp menacing silver metal, "that grass is not yours Sasuke!"
His name is Sasuke, Sakura smiled at the new information. Then who exactly is he? And what happened here? From the looks of it, it's as if this place engaged in an all-out-war to the death. If that's the case, is Sasuke the only survivor?
"Leave," Sasuke demanded as he hurled the sharp metal pipe behind his body and forcefully threw the object at Naruto. Will the Dobe ever get the hint? I do not want to be bothered.
"AHH!" Naruto looked all around him for a safe place to hide until the dangerous flying metal had slammed into the ground. There is no way I'm getting hit by that thing! He lifted his arms in front of his body and quickly pulled them backwards while making his legs abruptly pull his body weight forward, which allowed his body to move away from the flying metal with only a few inches to spare. Phew, that was close! He thought with a sigh of relief. Damn you Sasuke! He really just tried to kill me!
Sasuke watched with unmoving blood red eyes as his schoolmate shamefully dodged the oncoming metal object with painfully slow motor skills. How can he be so slow? He's just like I thought, he's weak. His body grew tense as he braced his eardrums to absorb the jaw-clenching echo that would soon precede once the object slammed onto the ground.
Okay, that's enough of that! Sakura quickly popped out of the bushes, running towards the falling metal pipe. Looks like someone has to be the adult and stop this fight. Without further delay, Sakura gracefully skidded through the overgrown grass and effortlessly caught the object in her outstretched right hand. "What are you two doing?" She asked them as she twirled the sharp object in the air before she violently stabbed it into the hard patch of grass to the right of her standing position.
The sudden interjection caused Naruto to pivot on the balls of his feet. "SIS?" Naruto's jaw dropped to the ground as he watched his sister stand between him and Sasuke. How did she…? "What are you doing here?" Naruto ran to her side and threw his short arms in the air, frantically pointing to the forest behind her, "you can leave. I can handle this all by myself!"
While the energetic blonde tried to force the sudden pink haired intruder away, Sasuke watched the scene with an uncaring expression, trying his hardest not to stare at the girl in slight awe. Who is she? He had seen the skillful way she maneuvered through his lawn and caught the object without any falter in her step. How does someone like that know the Dobe? His mind was still having problems comprehending the idea of a female displaying such skill. Girls don't do stuff like that. For a split second Sasuke thought back to a lecture his father gave him before he quickly exiled the memory to the dark depths of his mind.
"When I heard you scream from the outskirts of this community I got worried and wanted to make sure you were alright," Sakura turned her attention away from the still Sasuke and patted Naruto's head.
"Sis, come on!" Naruto groaned as he swatted Sakura's hand away from his head. If Sasuke sees me like this, he will still think I'm a nobody.
"Oh, my bad," Sakura revealed her bright pearly white teeth as she removed her hand away from Naruto's head and brought her attention to the slightly glaring Sasuke. "Then who is your friend Naruto?"
A sudden huff came from Naruto as he crossed his arms over his small chest, "that bastard is NOT my friend!"
"Really?" Sakura raised a slim eyebrow to the hairline of her scalp.
"I would never be friends with someone as weak as the Dobe," it was the first sentence Sasuke had formed ever since Sakura intruded on their encounter.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD?" Naruto howled out in fury. His anger continued to rise as he found himself forcefully stomping his feet into the ground while he made his way over towards the standing metal pipe beside Sakura.
"Sakura ran faster than I thought," Lee commented as he and Neji cut through the forest and arrived at a small clearing.
Neji and Lee came to an abrupt halt as they studied the stone wall that rested at the northern end of the forest clearing. The limestone wall shined with growing age as the high moon gleamed brightly down onto the two older teenagers. Lee looked down at the ground to see small patches of dirt dragged into small piles. The small piles formed a track that stopped right in front of an elongated olive green vine. The overgrown plant stretched its branches all around the ancient wall, as if it was hugging its surroundings.
"This way," Neji walked in front of Lee and pushed the old vine away from the hidden tunnel that existed. He momentarily looked at the giant hole that rested at the foot of the entrance before him.
Lee nodded his head as he followed the wise Hyuga through the brick tunnel. "Have you been here before Neji?"
The sound of their shoes crunching against the overgrown grass was the only sound that echoed against the limestone walls. Neji focused his attention towards the dim light that glowed seventy feet in front of them. The Uchiha's created this small entrance to allow their knights an easier get-away if anything happened to the clan. The closer him and Lee got to the other end of the tunnel, the brighter the moon's light shined through the desolate entrance way. The Hyuga's created a tunnel just like this one for the same purpose.
He is always too quiet. It is not good for his youthful soul. Lee thought with slight worry as the two of them walked towards the moonlight and out of the stone tunnel.
As soon as their slightly shrunken pupils adjusted to the darkness, Neji and Lee found themselves standing in the center of a graveyard. Bodies lined the grass that refused to grow; stone bricks from homes littered the streets, while broken doors lay defeated and shattered against human bones that no longer possessed any flesh.
Lee subconsciously followed Neji as his beady black eyes surveyed the living quarters of one of the strongest families Konoha housed. The Uchiha family was known for its skill. His bushy brows scrunched together as a lone pile of bones rested at the base of his leather boots, I had heard of the destruction, but I never thought their strongest youthful child could create such bloodshed.
"Don't fall behind," Neji commanded, disrupting Lee's train of thought.
"Right," Lee stepped over the pile of bones and quickly hurried to Neji's side. Neji's family and the Uchiha's were rivals. Lee watched Neji closely as he lead them deeper into the abandoned residence. I wonder how many times he actually came here.
The rumors are true, Neji took a moment to scan the grounds for visual proof of what happened behind these walls three years ago. Snowy-white eyes stared at the smears of stained blood that decorated the streets, homes, and grass. Fate has a cruel way of balancing out the power within families. The Uchiha's produced a son with unmatchable power. It was that same power that led to their demise.
"Neji, are you sure Sakura and Naruto are this way?" Lee noticed a sky scraping mansion poke out of the night clouds.
The only home that wasn't fully destroyed was the main house. If the last survivor still lives in this area, he must be taking shelter there. "Hn," Neji grunted as an answer.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD?" an ear-piercing scream echoed through the empty streets of the Uchiha district. Lee and Neji stared in the direction that the recognizable voice originated from and began to sprint towards the gigantic mansion.
"That was Naruto's voice! We must hurry!" Lee shouted as he increased his pace and raced in front of Neji. If Naruto is there, that means Sakura must be with him. I hope her youthful spirit hasn't diminished after seeing all of this death!
The lone survivor must be who Naruto is shouting at; Neji wordlessly increased his running stride and allowed Lee to take control of the situation. As the two of them got closer to the front of the home, Neji suddenly pieced together information that was not brought to his attention before. The leaders of the Uchiha clan had two sons; the youngest son would be around Naruto's age that could mean that Naruto might know the youngest Uchiha. But if that is true, where did Naruto meet him? He has always been attached to Sakura's side since we were kids, I don't see any possible way for him to meet someone new without Sakura's knowledge. That means…the lone survivor either attends the same school as Naruto or the Governor's family knows of the lone survivor's whereabouts. This sudden information did not sit very well with Neji. Hiashi would have known of this from the beginning. It was that bit of information that caused Neji to become greatly irritated, another incident where the main house puts themselves above all others.
"Did you hear that?" Lee broke through Neji's train of thought as a dull sound echoed in the air.
That sounded like a weapon being thrown against wood. Neji looked to the right of the mansion to see a miniature forest growing around the home. "Lee," Neji tilted his head towards the discovery.
"Hai," Lee ran in the direction of the small forest and barreled his way through the weak plants. Don't worry Sakura; we will get you and Naruto out of here. The worry that resided within Lee's heart only grew as time passed without him knowing exactly what was happening to Sakura. Watchful black eyes scanned the large grass-covered clearing before he saw a flash of pink hair in the distance. I must hurry! Just as Lee was about to take a few steps towards the sudden showdown that was displayed before him, a hand pulled on the back of his green cotton shirt.
"Don't interfere yet, we need to get a better view," Neji ordered as he sidestepped around Lee and stalked closer to the middle of the clearing.
Lee only nodded his head as he reluctantly followed Neji's lead. We can't remain hidden the whole time. If the last Uchiha survivor attacks Sakura's lively spirit I will step in!
While Neji and Lee glided through the overgrown grass, Neji noticed that the mansion behind them had one single light that shined through the darkness of the night. He quickly looked towards the home to see a shattered window and a small candle stick that illuminated a small section of the house. So my earlier suspicions were correct. The lone survivor, Sasuke Uchiha, still lives in the very home his parents were murdered. The thought of living all alone in a once thriving house complex brought a slight twinge of pity for the young Uchiha to course through his heart. I should not feel this way towards this clan. However, deep down Neji felt himself shaking his head at the hardships of fate that accompanied the notorious family.
"The survivor still lives here, doesn't he?" Lee commented as he noticed several training weapons that littered the open clearing.
"Seems so," Neji answered.
"Sorry, I was wrong, you're weaker than weak. You're pathetic. You should take your weak sister and leave."
The sudden comment caused Neji and Lee to increase their stealthy walking speed. Utilizing the small forest as covering, they blended into the trees and watched as the human silhouettes transformed into physical bodies. Their pace came to a halt as soon as they reached a metal pipe that had been embedded into a wooden square. The air around them tensed as they waited for the right moment to interfere.
"We are not weak!" Naruto screamed out as he felt his anger increasingly rise as Sasuke continued to insult him.
Sakura stood on the side and watched as the corrupted Sasuke continued to annoy Naruto. This Sasuke has a problem with "weak" individuals. Why would it matter if someone is weak or powerful?
"I'll force you to leave," Sasuke reached into his dark brown linen shorts and quickly tossed several sharp knives towards Sakura and Naruto.
Sakura noticed his actions before he revealed the weapons in the moonlight. I wonder how good his aim is, it wouldn't make sense for him to pick on "weak" people if his aim isn't perfect. "Come on Naruto, we need to get out of the way," she didn't allow Naruto time to register what was happening for she grabbed the back of his black shirt and jumped into the air, effortlessly dodging the sharp weapons that threatened to pierce their skin.
Sasuke narrowed his blood colored eyes as his knives landed into the grass where Sakura and Naruto once stood. She's better than I thought. He glared at her antics as she and Naruto landed gently on his lawn.
"What was that Sasuke?" Naruto shouted as he looked back at the ends of the knives that stood slightly peaking over the overgrown grass, "you could have killed us!"
"I told you to leave," Sasuke glared as brought his right hand behind his back. I need no one interfering with my life!
"You could have asked nicely Sasuke," Sakura said as she looked back at the place she once stood. His aim was a lot better than I anticipated. "We wouldn't have had a problem if you just asked us to "please" leave," she finished with a small smile.
"Shut up," Sasuke felt his body shake at her words. "I will make you regret what you said!" His small hands quickly grabbed an object hanging on his back and forcefully pulled the small sword in front of his body.
"You bastard! You can't tell Sis to shut up!" Naruto yelled as he stared at the shining blade that reflected against the moon's light.
"Don't worry about it Naruto," Sakura said as she patted her little brother on the head. "I'm sure his skills aren't that good," she pushed her cruel words to see what type of reaction she would receive. If he is that worried about power, mocking his own level of strength should create some sort of angered fit.
As soon as Sakura's words left her mouth, Lee and Neji felt the growing need to slap their foreheads. Lee shook his head and stared at the high rising moon in the sky, "why does my flower mock such dangerous situations?"
"Lee, it's time to get those two out of here," Neji noted as he gracefully sprinted off to the space between Sakura and Sasuke.
"Damn you Neji! Getting the upper hand on me with Sakura!" Lee felt his youthful passion burn inside him and he sprinted even faster to Naruto's side. I'll save Naruto and she will come running into my arms, you'll see Neji!
"You'll regret those words," Sasuke snarled out in frustration. How dare she think I'm weak! I am strong and I will get stronger so I can kill him! Sasuke glared his bloodthirsty crimson red eyes in Sakura's direction as his grip on the handle of his small sword tightened. "DIE!" He cried out as he sprinted towards Sakura's standing form.
This should be interesting; Sakura thought with a smile as the small young boy blindly charged at her with anger clouding his judgment.
"Enough," a large clang erupted in the air as metal collided against metal.
What? Sasuke watched angrily as a new intruder blocked his attack with a pathetically small knife. Crimson red clashed with snowy-white as the taller teenager pushed his knife towards Sasuke's body, causing the boy to withdraw his sword and take a few steps away from his new opponent.
Sakura looked at her savior with annoyance, "Ah Neji, why did you get in the middle?"
Neji slid his knife into the waistband of his linen blue pants while he continued to stare at the slightly disheveled Uchiha. "It's time to leave Sakura."
"Neji is right, your father will be waking up soon, you can't get into any more trouble," Lee mentioned as he picked up Naruto and threw him over his broad shoulder. "Sorry about this Naruto, but I cannot afford you running off on me again."
"You're a Hyuga, aren't you?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the comprehension of new information. If I beat him, I can see if I'm ready to kill my brother.
"Lee get Naruto out of here. We will meet you at the gate," Neji looked at the youngest Uchiha with an indifferent expression while he ordered his friend to get the feisty blond child away from the Uchiha district.
"Ten minutes," Lee said as moved Naruto into a better position over his shoulder before he began his sprint back to the streets of Konoha.
"Bushy brows put me down!" Naruto shouted as Lee shifted his weight around. He looked back at his rival and made a small fist in Sasuke's direction, "I will get you back in school you bastard! You'll see!"
Sasuke never looked away from Neji as Lee ran out of sight. "Your eyes tell me you're from the Hyuga clan. But it looks like you're only part of the Branch House," Sasuke sighed and shifted his attention back to Sakura. Battling a second branch member would be like battling the Dobe. It would be pointless.
Neji narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha's comment. Ignorant little child, his mind subconsciously thought about the tattoo he received on his forehead when he was born into the Hyuga clan. It's a mark all second branch members must bare to signify their place.
"It doesn't matter where someone is from," Sakura interjected as she noticed Neji's slight mood change. Neji has always been sensitive about the rankings inside his family. It makes me sick that certain family members can treat Neji like he is nothing based on the order of birth. "Neji may be from the second branch but he is more decent and more intelligent than half of the members who are in the main branch. When you think that someone is not worth your time because of their linage or ranking, you are the one that is weak."
Neji stared at Sakura with a blank expression. Sakura…
She's not like my mother or other girls around town. Sasuke felt his sword loosen in his grasp as she indirectly stated that he was not worth Neji's time.
"We should go," Neji placed his hand on her shoulder as he turned his back on the baffled Sasuke and took a step in the direction where Lee had taken Naruto.
Sakura stared at the confused young boy, unable to bring her eyes away from his form. I don't know how a young boy can say such things to Neji…it must be the rivalry between the two of them…but I have never heard of Neji having a rivalry with anyone. "You should stop calling Naruto weak and get to know him. You'll see that he is a lot stronger than you would have thought." Naruto has dealt with more than I could imagine. He lost his family when he was so young…I wouldn't be able to be as cheerful as him if I knew my family and then suddenly had them ripped away from me. With her final words she turned her attention away from Sasuke and stared into Neji's soft white-lavender eyes, "you're right Neji, we should go," she finished with an assuring smile.
As the two exited Sasuke's vision, Sasuke was left at the abandoned home all alone, basking in the moon light with his small sword in hand. The Hyuga called her Sakura. Her character baffled him. She is a girl, a girl that can defend herself. She knows the Dobe, a second branch Hyuga, and another boy dressed in all green. Crimson red eyes stared down at his sword before he placed it back into the holster that rested against his back. She's…not like all the other citizens… With a shake of his raven hair, Sasuke banished all thoughts about the strange pink haired sister of his classmate and walked towards the only room left lit on the abandoned property.
"Bushy Brows take me back!" Naruto demanded as soon as they reached the main street that would lead them back to the center of town.
"I'm sorry Naruto, but I cannot do that, your sister will not be happy if she comes back and finds that you have disappeared again," Lee commented as he gently placed Naruto back on his feet.
Cerulean blue eyes stared at the darkening ground with annoyance. If Sasuke does anything to hurt Sis I will attack him as school. No one hurts my family.
Lee noticed Naruto's tension and placed his large hand against Naruto's anxious shoulder, "don't let what Sasuke Uchiha said get you down. You have more youthful spirit than twenty Sasuke's put together!" Lee flashed the worried Naruto a sickeningly positive smile and two thumbs-up.
Naruto looked away from the ground as Lee spoke his cheerful words only to see the typically optimistic smile of the green clothed knight. "Uh…thanks…" Naruto tried to be polite but the intense smile caused him to feel slightly uneasy. How does Bushy Brows smile like that? It's kinda creepy.
"That's the spirit!" Lee took his right hand and smacked Naruto on the back with an encouraging shake of his head. "You'll be able to beat Sasuke one day. You have something he will never be able to fully comprehend."
At those words Naruto's eyes widened immensely, "really? What do I have?" Sasuke is always surrounded by girls at school, he already knows how to use a sword, and I don't know how to do anything…
"Well Naruto…"
"Naruto!" Sakura's loud shout abruptly ceased their small conversation.
"Sis?" Naruto looked away from Lee to see both Sakura and Neji standing right beside them.
"You guys okay?" Lee asked with concern. Sasuke asked about Neji's family background before I left. He observed the calm exterior of his friend; Neji doesn't seem bothered by anything that happened. I guess Sasuke didn't bring attention to Neji's ranking. That thought caused Lee's heart to relax. Neji might be my all-out rival but he is still my friend, one that I respect and care for, no rival could destroy that.
Sakura didn't allow Neji to answer, "Oh we are fine!" She raised her right hand and slapped Neji's left arm that hung unprotected at his side.
Neji narrowed his large snowy-white eyes in her direction, was that necessary? However, he allowed his annoyance to quickly vanish. She hasn't defended me like that in a long time. Her actions caused him to crack a very faint smile.
What is Neji smiling about? Lee secretly watched as the Hyuga flashed a very rare display of emotion. He looked to the pink haired beauty at Neji's side and felt flames of jealousy rush through his entire being. What did he do to Sakura? Attentive black eyes narrowed as his brain ordered his legs to storm over to Neji.
"However," Sakura turned her attention to her gaping little brother, "who exactly was that Naruto?"
The sudden question caused Lee's jealousy to vanish and Neji's faint smile to evaporate. The two teenaged boys waited patiently for Naruto to answer a burning question they were curious about as well.
"That bastard thinks that he is all that, but he really isn't," Naruto crossed his small arms over the black shirt Sakura lent him for the adventure.
Sakura smirked at Naruto's words. I see, they have a rivalry; she looked back at Neji and Lee before a small giggle escaped her lips. Just like what Neji and Lee have had since childhood. "But that doesn't answer my question Naruto," Sakura pushed.
"Why do you want to know about that bastard anyways?" Naruto glared at his sister.
Naruto… Sakura had never seen Naruto this angry at her questions before. "I just…" she squatted down and placed an assuring hand on his shoulder, "you have never mentioned someone like him before and I was just curious why you haven't, that's all."
Naruto shoved her hand away from his shoulder and took a few steps back, separating himself from her. "Sasuke is into himself and gives no one else a chance. You don't need to know everything about my life!" Naruto screamed in frustration.
"Naruto don't…" Lee's interference was stopped by Neji's hand that gripped his shoulder. He looked to Sakura as he watched her accept Naruto's harsh words. Poor Sakura…Naruto is Sakura's world…to hear those words must really hurt.
"You're right Naruto," Sakura's surprisingly calm words caused both Lee and Naruto to be caught off-guard.
"I am?" Naruto shook his head and then nodded violently, "I am!"
"We should get home before Dad wakes up and find us both missing," Sakura laughed slightly as she walked past Naruto and headed back towards the town square.
Naruto blinked rapidly as he, Lee, and Neji followed the quiet Sakura back to his home. Sis isn't mad? He felt his heart drop deep into the pit of his stomach. Sis can't keep asking about Sasuke. She will find out that he is a lot cooler than me and then…I'll lose my sister to that bastard! That single thought caused Naruto to become enraged. I won't let that happen! She is my sister!
His sudden grunts and snarls emitted against the silent walk home. Neji watched as Naruto internally fought with himself. "Lee, handle Naruto."
"What why me?" Lee stared at the still silent Sakura and raised his hand in protest. "Oh no! You take care of Naruto. I see what you're trying to do. I will tend to our gloomy flower."
Neji made Lee freeze in his tracks with the classic Hyuga glare. His ominous eyes turned dark and sinister as he continued to walk their normal pace. "You're better with kids," was the only answer Neji gave Lee before he quickly caught up to Sakura's side.
Lee thought about Neji's words and although he would never admit it out loud, Lee felt that he had to agree with him on this decision. Neji trying to console Naruto would be like talking to a rock. The sudden image of Neji's voice coming from a talking rock entered his mind, only to have a gut-blowing laugh exit Lee's mouth. A swift glare from Neji caused Lee to bring his attention back to Naruto's noises.
"Sakura," Neji called her name as he matched her stride as they walked through the center of town and entered the small forest area that would lead to her home.
"You know something about Sasuke," she cut through the tension filled air with her serious tone.
"And?" I half expected her to bring the Uchiha up again…why is she this curious about one person? Sadly, no matter how long Neji knew Sakura, he knew he would never be able to figure out the answer to that question. She was this curious when she met Lee, Naruto, and me. I should have expected this.
"You are going to tell me what you know about him." This connection between Sasuke and that mysterious boy I met three years ago has to be cleared. Who was he? What did he do? Why were Neji and Lee trying to get us out of that housing complex?
Her sudden demand caused Neji to shove his hands inside his pants pockets. "Why? Accepting that Sasuke is Naruto's classmate should be enough." He watched her with caution as he uttered his words. After what Naruto said, her temper will be reaching its limits.
While still walking through the forest she walked backwards and gave Neji the most bone chilling glare he had ever witnessed. "It is something I will not accept," her voice rose with anger as she crossed her arms over her chest. "There is something you and Lee are hiding," she looked behind Neji to see Lee trying to converse with Naruto before she brought her angered eyes back to Neji. "I will get to the bottom of it. You better be ready," was all she said before she turned on the balls of her feet to face the front of her suddenly nearby home.
"Naruto, come on," evidence of her anger was present in her voice as she walked towards the front door and opened it soundlessly.
Naruto shuttered at her rage as he slipped passed the stunned Lee and quietly walked into the front door that Sakura had opened. Sakura turned her head to the side to make sure she could see her two friends, "I don't know why you two are hiding information like this, but I won't forget about it," and with that she stepped into her home and stealthily shut the door.
"I forgot how scary Sakura can be when she is mad," Lee shuttered as soon as the door had completely closed.
"She hates not knowing what everyone else knows," Neji observed as he turned his back on the house and walked back to town. Though, this anger was different…her glare was frightening enough to make even myself slightly shiver.
"That's for sure," Lee commented as he followed Neji back towards their side of town.
Inside their pitch-black home, Naruto followed Sakura from a safe distance, up their spiral wooden staircase, still a little shaken by her mood change. Sakura said nothing to Naruto as they slid across the hardwoods, passed Sarutobi's room, and arrived in front of their own rooms that stood across the hall from each other.
"Remember Naruto," Sakura spoke out as she placed her hand on the door knob that would lead her to the privacy of her own room, "our adventure tonight is a secret. Make sure you hide those clothes before you go to bed."
Before Naruto could say another word, Sakura opened her door and slipped inside. Naruto looked down at the black shirt and pants she had given to him earlier in the night. Sis was really scary back there. He looked up from his clothes and stared at her bedroom door, she is probably still mad at what I said. Naruto turned to his door and stepped inside. But I don't care! He ripped off the black shirt as soon as he shut the bedroom door and tossed it to the ground. I don't want her to leave me for that Teme! Again, he ripped off the pants and violently tossed them on the ground. Naruto walked over to his wooden dresser, pulled out a spare set of orange dyed cotton shirt and shorts, and forcefully shoved his nightclothes on his body. Once he had dressed himself he glared at the dark pile of clothing on his floor, why does Sasuke have to ruin everything? He thought back to how Sasuke made him look like a fool in front of their teacher Iruka, then to Sasuke getting all the attention from their girl classmates, and then remembered how Sasuke managed to steal his own sister. Don't leave me for Sasuke Sis… Naruto walked over to the pile of clothes and shoved them underneath a corner of his feather-filled mattress. I'll get that bastard at school tomorrow, Naruto thought with a loud yawn before he jumped onto his bed and plopped into the security of his blankets. No one steals my sister and gets away with it… Naruto's last thought was of him finally being able to beat Sasuke at a race before the state of exhaustion overtook him and safely delivered him to the world of slumber.
Sakura shut her door and felt a wave of regret flow around her. I'm sorry Naruto. I shouldn't have been so cold towards you. She walked over to her favorite bay window and allowed the open night air to fan across her face. Naruto will tell me what Sasuke means to him when he is ready. I'm more frustrated that Neji and Lee seem reluctant to tell me any information about Sasuke. Is it really that much of a secret? With a short sigh, Sakura fell into a sitting position to the ground, absorbing the moon's light that infiltrated through her window and into her room.
"Speaking of secret information!" Sakura felt her cheerful mood return at remembering that she had acquired a book from the Black Market. "How could I have forgotten?" She looked to her waistband that held the tattered old book and brought the old cover to her face, the moment of truth. She gently opened the cover of the book only to see one word written across the first page.
"Akatsuki," Sakura stared at the bold printed word with impatiently wide eyes. I found it! I have finally found it! A small squeal exited her mouth as she fell onto her back and threw her feet into the air. "After years of searching I can finally add this pirate organization book to my collection!" She brought the book to her chest as she continued to relish in her achievement.
As soon as her excitement faintly subsided, she released the book from her chest and flipped to the next page.
"If you have acquired this book, consider yourself warned. Any soul that possesses this knowledge will meet the gates of death. This book is written to destroy this pirate group."
Sakura stared at the only sentences that stood in the center of the page. "The gates of death huh?" She shrugged her shoulders, "it's only a book, no one is going to know that I have this," and Sakura continued to flip through the book, fascinated by the pool of information that had fallen into her hands. Though I do wonder, why would someone want to completely destroy this pirate group? Their actions within the five countries are renowned but keeping this group around helps dispel other pirate groups…
"A group that harbors 8 main members, their goal is to dominate the world with the aid of a treasure piece."
Sakura felt her eyebrows rise to the top of her forehead as she read the sentence. World domination huh? What kind of treasure piece can do that? They would have to overthrow every Governor in each country. The idea of a massive world massacre caused Sakura to shiver. That would end with a world full of war.
"This treasure is called the missing piece. Its power is great, and under the guidance of the current leader, it will be used for world domination."
The missing piece? Sakura stared at the three words with great curiosity. What kind of a description about treasure is that? The more she began to read into the book the more she realized that the Akatsuki was not like any typical pirate group searching hidden villages for gold. This just keeps getting more and more interesting. Her desire to know more about the Akatsuki pirate group increased. Now, let's skip to the juicy stuff!
Sakura took her right hand and began to flip through the pages, skimming over information about their boats, their tactics, and hideouts. Come on give me their names or something! Her fingertips went to work as she gently flipped through the aged pages at a hastier speed. Seconds passed before Sakura's hands came to an abrupt stop. Emerald eyes widened as a list of names ran vertically down the old page.
"Nagato. Konan. Deidara. Hidan. Itachi Uchiha. Kakuzu. Kisame Hoshigaki. Sasori. Zetsu."
"Eureka!" Sakura shouted out loud as she threw her body to its feet and stared at the list of names with newfound excitement. "Now we are getting somewhere," she twirled on the balls of her feet and skipped over to her feather mattress.
"Pain, real name Nagato, is the new leader of Akatsuki. He developed the art of cons and possesses six different types of disguises. Each disguise possesses its own hidden skills of pirate raiding and battle knowledge. His keen eyes allow him to be able to predict people's actions and thoughts. A gift all pirates fear."
So the leader has two names? Sakura flipped the page over to see the name "Konan" written across the top.
"Konan is Pain's partner and is childhood friends with Pain. They have been after the same goal since formation of the Akatsuki pirate group. She is the only female pirate and possesses superior marksmanship. Any weapon that uses gunpowder, she knows about, knows how to create it, and knows where to purchase the items. Her ability to create origami is used to leave clues for the other members around the world."
"This Konan sounds pretty awesome!" Sakura giggled as she felt sudden respect for the only woman that lived on a boat with six other ruthless men. But this makes me wonder…who exactly wrote this book? Sakura closed the tattered book and grabbed the very end of the spine with one hand. Can I really trust this information? She twisted the book around to get a look at the front and back cover before she flipped the title-less book back to the front cover. When the old man gave me this book he said that he had seen nothing but trouble. The son was highly reluctant to even give it up. She opened the back cover and slowly flipped through the last five pages of the book. Maybe there is a clue in here that says who exactly wrote it. Curious, yet tired, eyes scanned the blank pages until a symbol appeared in the bottom right-hand corner of the final blank page.
"A snake?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at the inked picture of a slithering snake with an opened mouth, revealing its dangerous fangs. Who signs a book with a snake as a signature? A small yawn escaped her mouth as she studied the small snake that was drawn in a shape of the letter "O". A snake in the shape of an "o"? Before Sakura was about to close the book and give in to sleep, she noticed faint lettering after the embellished snake. What could it say? Quickly, she brought the book a few inches away from her face and stared at the gray cursive letters that flowed towards the edge of the paper. Oro… Sakura narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out the seven remaining letters. Orosi? No that doesn't look like an "s"; patiently Sakura brought the book away from her face and slowly pulled the book closer, hoping the change in distance would allow her to make out the faint, and sloppy, cursive lettering. Wait a minute…that "s" looks like a "chi". The slower she brought the book to the front of her face, the easier it was for her to be able to finally put the missing letters all together. Oro…chi..ma…ru?
Wordlessly Sakura stared at the name with a puzzled expression. Who the heck is Orochimaru? Another intense yawn escaped Sakura's mouth; I'll figure it out tomorrow. The sudden urge to sleep made Sakura toss her new discovery to the back of her mind. She tossed the book to the other side of her bed and collapsed. The Akatsuki is looking for something called the missing piece, and I found a book written by Orochimaru, whoever that is. What exactly is this missing piece? Who is Orochimaru and why did he write a book about the Akatsuki? How does he know so much about them? Her eyes slowly closed as her mind continued to ask questions about the new information in her possession. It looks like I have a little bit of research to do. Sakura curled into a small fetal position under her thin sheet and allowed her mind to drift off into an action packed dream consisting of her own version of who Orochimaru was and the missing piece.
The sun began to climb from the horizon, ascending to its favorite spot high in the sky, making sure Konoha was showered with its rich sunrays. As the sky began to lose its dark night sky, the governor of the prosperous land stood in his room staring out his window watching the sun slowly bring a new day.
The Akatsuki has been acting rather quietly over the past few months. A deep sigh escaped him as he walked away from his beloved window and slipped into his white and red robes that hung around his body like a massive paperweight. Tsunade said that our allies in the country of Tea have a small lead on the next destination that they might attack. Our world is becoming darker with every day that passes. He grabbed his maroon red oval-shaped hat and placed it over his fine gray spiked hair. Maybe there will be a day when pirates don't threaten our world. With one last look around his room, Sarutobi opened his door and began to walk towards the quiet room to the right.
The elderly man stopped and stared at the back of the white painted door before he quietly grasped the knob and pushed it forward. After years of recurrence, Sarutobi easily maneuvered around the obscure area and headed towards the small bed at the other side of the room. He stopped at the side of the bed and pulled the bright orange comforter away from the young boy's face.
"Wake up Naruto," Sarutobi called out as he gently shoved Naruto's young body from side-to-side.
A small groan came from Naruto, "Mnn…no…secret mission…"
He has a vivid imagination. Sarutobi shoved Naruto's body harder in hopes to knock him out of his deep dream.
As soon as Sarutobi shoved Naruto a little harder, the groans turned into snarls. Sarutobi stopped his pushing and watched with curiosity at the sleeping antics his adoptive son suddenly showed.
"You…you…" Naruto rolled around even after Sarutobi ceased his actions, "BASTARD!" Naruto shouted loudly as his body shot up like a rocket and his eyes opened wide.
Sarutobi stared at the suddenly awake Naruto with narrowed eyes. Where did he learn this language? He cleared his throat, causing the heavy breathing Naruto to come back to reality.
"Good morning Naruto," Sarutobi stated as he watched the young boy slowly catch his breathing.
Naruto stared at the dark room trying to catch his breath. Sasuke…wait…was I dreaming? When he heard the sound of Sarutobi's voice he felt his body freeze in place. Oh no! Did he hear Sis and I come in? He slowly turned his attention away from the wall and stared at the suspicious eyes of his caretaker. "Morning?" Naruto softly answered.
He must have learned that from one of the sailors when Sakura brought him to the Marina. At the sudden thought of Sakura's stunt from yesterday, Sarutobi felt himself internally scold the pink-haired teenager once again. "Get ready for school Naruto, you cannot be late," Sarutobi instructed him as he walked away from the bed and out of Naruto's room.
"Uh…" Naruto blinked in confusion as Sarutobi disappeared into the hall. He looked to the window at the other side of the room to see the sun beginning to show its orange-pink rays. "It's morning already?" Naruto groaned loudly as he threw his body back into his bed and complained. I don't want to get up! It's still night time Sarutobi! Naruto rolled onto his side as he stayed in his bed and tried to fall back asleep.
Sakura disobeyed the one rule I asked her to follow when Naruto entered our home. The slightly annoyed Sarutobi stood outside Sakura's door as he concentrated on the grain of the wood, trying to push his frustration away from his mind. Naruto's parents wanted to make sure their son lived a normal life, not a life clouded by politics and bloodshed. I am to honor their decision, but with Sakura she is making it difficult. His mind thought back to last night and the amount of rage he unleashed on his daughter. It was harsh but necessary. After suppressing his still evident anger towards Sakura, he opened her door and walked over to her bed.
The sun's rays lightened her room, allowing Sarutobi a source of light to gain a better vision of her room. Her body rested tangled in her dark blue sheets as her head laid on a pillow in a peaceful way that made Sarutobi almost consider allowing her to sleep a little longer. Sarutobi looked down at her sleeping form, watching the golden necklace shine against the intruding sunrays. Such an exquisite necklace that she has carried around since Hizashi has brought her to our country. His eyes stared at the purple red diamond as small specs of light shined against Sakura's teal colored walls. Where a child at her age came across one of the rarest diamonds in the world will forever remain a mystery to me. The colors of light that come from the pendant show just how valuable it is, he shook his head in worry, caring around this diamond will cause Sakura to run into trouble. No matter how much I convince her to place it into my care she yells and tells me that she will never let it go. Dark black eyes stared at the glowing necklace for one more second before he gently grabbed Sakura's shoulder that poked through the covers and shook her shoulder side-to-side.
With his sudden movements, Sakura effortlessly woke up. Groggy dull emerald eyes blinked, trying to wake the rest of her body. "I'll be taking Naruto to school," Sarutobi's voice hung in the air, causing Sakura to turn her head to stare at her father.
"Hai," was her only answer as she met his eyes, her sleepiness had suddenly washed away and was replaced with full alertness.
"You will pick him up like usual," Sarutobi watched as Sakura stared at him with an annoyed expression. "I will be working on assigning an escort to you," he removed his hand from her shoulder as he stared into her aware emerald eyes. "Don't give me that look Sakura, you broke the one rule I have stressed to you, I will not be taking your disobedience lightly."
Sakura raised her body from her sheets and rested her back against the mahogany headboard. He is still angry, she watched him, his eyes never leaving hers, and he is still going to assign me an escort. The realization caused Sakura to grow more irate. I don't need an escort!
Her adoptive father watched with an all-knowing eye as his daughter's rage began to crawl across her face. "Keep in mind Sakura, I have accommodated you well for your inability to follow my house rules," he met her eyes with a stern expression as he shifted his eyes in the direction of Naruto's room, "but you broke the one rule that I cannot forgive."
"I don't know why it was such an important rule," she mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"You will be meeting your assigned escort in a few days," Sarutobi stated, ignoring her previous comment, and turned his back. "Your curfew is as normal. Do not ignore it," the last statement hung in the air as he grabbed the brass door knob and exited her room.
The young sixteen year old glared at the door. "You're kidding me?" She threw her sheets in the air and slammed her feet on the cherry finished wooden floors. "An escort? He's really going to assign me an escort?" Sakura stomped over to her closet and threw open the door, causing an echoing bang to travel through the house. "This is so unfair!" She screamed, her short temper getting the better of her, as she roughly grabbed her favorite training outfit and stormed out of her closet.
She grabbed her dyed black cotton pants and forcefully pulled the waist band of the pants up her calves, over her thighs, and firmly buttoned them at her waist. "And here I thought he would forget about the stupid escort," she sighed coarsely as she grabbed her hanging red short sleeved shirt with a white outlined symbol of Konoha on the sleeve.
"Maybe I can talk him out of assigning me an escort?" Sakura talked to herself as she circled around her room, trying to find a way out of this predicament. "Who am I kidding," she huffed loudly and plopped on the other side of her bed, "Dad will never reconsider."
While Sakura's body plopped onto her bed, a foreign object gently brushed against the side of her thigh. Huh? Sakura looked to her right to see the ancient looking book she had started to read last night. As she stared at the solid colored book, a wave of memories from last night swarmed her overactive brain. Stubborn emerald eyes narrowed at the book cover as Sakura slowly began to realize more important issues. That's right…Neji and Lee were reluctant to tell me exactly what they know about Sasuke. She quickly stood up from the bed, grabbed the book, and hid it underneath her thick mattress. I think it's time to pay a visit to the Hyuga complex. A flashback of Sarutobi taking a very young Sakura to a meeting with the Hyuga family flooded her mind. I guess it wouldn't hurt to visit Neji as his home. She walked over to her bow and quiver full of arrows that rested on top of the black suede cushioned wooden chair and grabbed her favorite weapon.
As she blindly tied the leather strap of the quiver over her shoulder, Sakura watched the blazing golden sun begin to take its proper place in the sky. Now that the sun is coming up, it won't be too early to visit Neji, she thought with a wicked smile as she opened her window and jumped onto the oak tree's branch that outstretched to her window. Now it's time to get some answers! With determination circulating throughout her body, Sakura easily climbed down the old oak tree and sprinted off towards the center of town, looking for one particular housing complex.
It's been years since I have been here. Sakura stood seventy feet away from the intimidating iron-gate that sealed the infamous clan away from other civilians. The first time I ran up to that iron-gate, Dad threw me back and told me to never approach the Hyuga clan's entrance unless you were instructed by the head master. A slight shiver ran up her spine as she turned her attention away from the main entrance and began to walk around the block to the second secret entrance Neji had shown her. This family sets traps on literally everything!
Wordlessly, Sakura stared at the rock wall that reached towards the skyline, staring at the eighty-foot climb, not fully able to accept the presence of how ridiculously high it stood. Well, it's now or never! With a deep breath in, Sakura took a running start and pulled herself up the only pine tree that stood next to the wall, rivaling its height. Once Sakura reached the very top of the tree, she stooped down and braced herself. Once I jump over this wall, I'm going to have to really look out. Neji said that their patrol switches once the sunrises… Sakura looked up to see the sun in position, which means I cannot waste any time.
Not wanting to lose any precious time to sneak into the Hyuga complex, Sakura extended her legs and pushed her body through the pine needles and over the stone wall. She twisted her body as she soared down towards the luscious forest green grass. I'm going to need a tree or something to break up the height of this jump. She quickly scanned the quickly approaching ground in urgency, only to see a few twelve-foot tall shrubberies growing against the stonewall. A sharp whine escaped Sakura's mouth as she threw her body closer to the stone wall and allowed the bushes to cushion her fall. I never did like bushes catching my fall, Sakura groaned as she stepped out of the bushes rubbing her well-toned buttock. That hurt more than I would have liked.
When Sakura refocused her attention away from her bruised buttock, she was greeted with a gigantic grass-filled lot. This is completely different than the other housing complex I visited last night. As if it was second nature, Sakura walked away from the stone wall and continued to casually walk towards the limestone path that slithered to the west. Her leather boots tapped against the stone as she followed the path.
All around her, Sakura was welcomed by beautiful grassy fields. Healthy olive green weeping willow trees lined the limestone path that she walked, causing Sakura to smile at the beauty that existed behind the dreary wall that ran all around the entire property. It's funny; you would never think the Hyuga's were big into scenery with the way their family members always act. With a suddenly easy heart and mind, Sakura continued to walk down the limestone path until she saw an outline of two shadows approaching from the distance.
Do I hide? Sakura looked around at the delicate weeping willow trees and then back at the slowly approaching shadows, eh…it's not that big of a deal. A simple shrug of her shoulders caused her to walk towards the unknown family members. If they want to kick me out, I'll just say that the Governor has business with Hizashi. The picture of an unexpected Hizashi seeing Sakura made the pink haired woman giggle. He wouldn't like that so much/
"You will not be going to school this morning," a strict voice ended Sakura's playful daydream.
"H-Hai," a timid voice answered.
Sakura continued down the path as their footsteps grew louder. I wonder who is wandering around this early. However, the more Sakura thought about her question, the more she realized that everyone in this clan was up way earlier than even her father. That was a stupid thought…
The approaching footsteps came to a halt as Sakura reached the end of her limestone path at the top of the giant hill; the path under her feet began to split into two different directions. To her left the path transformed into a bonfire orange stone while to right side of the path was replaced with the typical cobblestone that was seen lining the streets of Konoha. When Sakura finally noticed that the other set of footsteps had seized, she was face-to-face with a glaring Hiashi and a very shy young Hinata. "Oh, hello Hiashi," Sakura waved to him with a small smile across her face.
A stern fair skinned face stared at Sakura's form with an indifferent expression after successfully locking away his display of anger seconds prior to their encounter. His tinted gray long black hair resembled Neji's while his pure white eyes were full of experience and demanding obedience. "Sakura," his eyes scanned over her body before he pulled the quiet Hinata to his side. I will not understand why the Governor took full responsibility for this outsider.
"Hey there Hinata," Sakura squatted down and gave the timid girl a friendly pearly white smile.
A small head graced with short navy blue hair stared at the overly friendly Sakura with timidly wide ivory-white eyes. "H-Hi M-Miss. Sak…" Unfortunately, her father pushed Hinata away from Sakura's line of slight. The tiny child looked at her father as he continued to hide her from the young teenager. I always see my cousin Neji with her. She's also Naruto's older sister. At the thought of Naruto, Hinata felt her cheeks beginning to burn. Oh no! I can't let Father see me! She swallowed down her anxiety and tried with all her might to banish the red tint on her cheeks.
"Do what you came here to do and leave," Hiashi ordered as he pushed his ten year old daughter past the staring Sakura and walked down the grassy hill that Sakura had just climbed. No matter what I do, my security cannot stop that outsider from entering my grounds. I will discuss her unwanted intrusion with Sarutobi.
"Jeez, what did I do?" Sakura rubbed the back of her head as she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, I have someone else to harass," she looked at the typical cobblestone path and continued through the Hyuga grounds.
The cobblestone path was not shaded by the morning sun like its neighboring path. The only decoration on the barren path was the specks of stone that sparkled in the sunlight. Even the paths are different. This seldom conclusion caused Sakura to grow angry. Why can't everyone be treated the same? She could never understand the mysterious ways of the Hyuga family.
The young pink haired intruder followed the cobblestone for two miles before small wooden homes littered the area. Now I'm in familiar territory, with relief written on her face, Sakura continued down the path walking past various family members. As she walked to the furthest, and biggest, wooden home Sakura waved at various members that had waved to her in acknowledgement.
See? Why can't Hiashi be more like them? Sakura shook her head as she stood at the very front of the wooden home before her. At least I've arrived at Neji's house, as she took a step towards the dyed black door the sound of metal filled her ears. Is he sparring already?
She turned her body away from the two-floored dark brown building and walked over to the right side of the home. That means Neji must be in the back. Her legs directed Sakura through the naturally plant growing fence. I just need to avoid the plants with thorns; her eyes narrowed at the troublesome Mother Nature fence as she took a deep breath and dropped her head while allowing her shoulder to absorb the majority of the impact from the plants. The combination of her speed and prior experience of dodging Neji's household plants allowed Sakura to surpass the aggravating wall.
"Finally!" Sakura cheered out loud as she turned to the shaking plants and stuck her tongue in-between her lips, "Sakura 2, plants 0."
Another sound of wood splitting pulled Sakura's attention away from the now stable plants and made her turn her body around. When Sakura turned around she watched with a satisfying gleam in her eyes as two men dressed in white cotton shirts and beige cargo shorts circled around each other. So they are sparing against each other. Sakura quietly stalked closer to the fight and sat comfortably on top of a medium sized pure granite rock.
Two men with low-set pony tails battled against each other. Excited emerald eyes watched as the shorter teenager quickly advanced towards the taller man. Neji is going to try to attack Hizashi's right side, Sakura guessed as she watched Neji's father leave his right side completely open.
"Hiya," Neji shouted as he reeled back his arm and used his upper arm muscles to throw his fist towards his father's side. If I hit his unprotected side then I will be able to trip him with a low kick to his feet and this spar will be over.
"You have a lot to learn," Hizashi stated as he blocked Neji's punch and tossed the young Hyuga away from his body. His speed is improving. He almost had me. As soon as Hizashi threw his son he felt a sudden presence behind him. Who could that be at this time of day?
Although his experience outweighs my own, I have my speed as an advantage. If I recoil fast enough and repeatedly hit him, he won't be able to recover. Neji landed on his feet and pivoted while using the balls of his toes for a more fluid transition. Snowy-white eyes focused on the main points on his father's body as he recoiled his arm and sprinted back at his father.
Neji's speed brought his body in front of his father within seconds, causing the elder Hyuga to just barely dodge Neji's uppercut punch. The aftereffect of Neji's punch caused a small wave of air to brush against Hizashi's face.
This is awesome. Sakura watched as her body began to jump in place. I wish Dad and I could spar like this…even Tsunade is busy with traveling back and forth between countries…Kakashi is the only one available but he is always late! Eagerly, Sakura watched as Neji continuously launched punches and kicks, hurling them at small openings in Hizashi's stance that Sakura did not notice beforehand. In order for Neji to win he would have to catch Hizashi by surprise to throw him off, but even then, Hizashi has a lot of experience. It will take more than that to bring him to his knees.
Hizashi dodged Neji's persistent attacks. His endurance has increased immensely as well. We have been at this for quite some time. The elder Hyuga could feel his energy slowly depleting as his son increased the speed of his hand-to-hand combat.
Left, right, kick, Neji ducked to the ground and swiped the base of his heel at his father's feet. The sudden action caused Hizashi to jump in the air, got you Father. Neji used his father's inability to dodge aerial attacks and planted his right foot in the grass while using his left foot to hit Hizashi in the stomach. With Neji's quick and well-timed movements, Hizashi found himself being propelled backwards into the grass, while a dull pain emitted from the bottom portion of his gut.
"Yahoo! Way to go Neji!" Sakura hollered out in encouragement. Her voice cut through the battlefield, causing Neji and Hizashi to turn in the direction of her voice.
Sakura? Neji stared at her with a calm expression as he turned his attention back to his standing father.
Hizashi rose to his feet and glared at the intruding pink haired woman. She got past the guards again? He walked over to Neji and gave him a curt nod, "what do you want?" He addressed Sakura while he still held his son's gaze.
Sakura slid off the rock and approached the two emotionless men, "You guys aren't the only ones that are awake at this time," she answered with a shake of her finger.
"Why are you awake Sakura?" Neji turned his snowy-white eyes from his angered father to his rather perky friend.
Sakura slid right next to Neji's side and snaked her arm around his, "I believe you have something you promised you'd share with me."
Neji stared into her scheming eyes, I didn't promise her anything. The stare she was giving him caused Neji to fully prepare for the worst. It was naïve to think she would give up on the Uchiha topic.
Hizashi observed his only son allowing the devious antics of the governor's adoptive daughter to derail him from his daily knight training. "We will finish this later."
"Don't worry Hizashi," Sakura used her other hand and placed a tender hand on his broad shoulder, "I'll give Neji back after I get some answers."
Neji and Sakura noticed the internal anger Hizashi felt towards Sakura. Neji watched his father as he turned his back on them and started to walk back to their home. "You should stay away from my father for a little longer," Neji informed her as she dragged him to the other side of his yard.
"I don't come over that often. I still don't know why he hates me," Sakura said not affected by the Hyuga's anger.
While Sakura dragged the promising Hyuga towards the other end of the Branch House's territory, Hizashi watched the scene with emergent annoyance. The moment Iruka called Sarutobi and I about our children interacting with each other, I knew Neji wouldn't stop his relationship with that girl. I don't understand how my son, one of the strongest warriors this clan has ever seen, can be tamed by Sakura. He turned his back on their fading forms and walked into his empty home. Hizashi closed the back door and began to walk to his bedroom to change into his typical clan clothing. As he stripped away his training clothes he stared at the scar that ran from the end of his elbow to the beginning of his wrist. This scar… his eyes narrowed at he remembered the faithful day he received the blemish on his skin. Neji was eleven when he and Sakura went missing. Sarutobi had several knights search for them within Konoha, but they couldn't find them. His hand subconsciously ran along the risen scar as his mind replayed the worry he had felt that day. It had been two days before Sarutobi sent Kakashi, me, and a few others to search outside of Konoha. A deep sigh escaped his tired lips as he took a seat on the lone wooden chair that rested in the corner of the room. Kakashi was able to track Sakura and Neji with the wolves of the forest while I was able to follow their footprints. Together we found them at a waterfall. He reminisced the reactions of Neji and Sakura when Kakashi and he made their presence known. Neji said that Sakura needed his help to track a criminal. It was Neji's curiosity that caused him to follow her. I asked Sarutobi what criminal Sakura was chasing and it turned out to be an imaginary criminal named Yuri. Hizashi shook his head, loosening the tie in his hair; I made sure Neji stayed home for a week after that. Still…even though Sakura is older…I do not trust her…that woman's luck will run out one day. Hizashi shook his head one last time before he stood up and continued to get dressed for the day. Hopefully Neji's involvement with her will end soon.
Neji remained silent as Sakura easily pulled him away from his home and towards the boarder of the Branch House's territory. They walked through the well groomed endless bright green pasture as two horizontal rows of olive trees roasted against the sun's brightness. The century's years old thick branches twisted against each other while it reached out to the light, allowing its olive green leaves to absorb the necessary energy to live. The path of well-trimmed grass grew around a medium sized pond that was shaded by the millions of leaves that originated from the olive trees. Sakura sprinted towards her favorite spot, smiling with every breath she took. Neji felt her grip forcefully yank his body to match her increased pace. With amplified sprint, Sakura tossed Neji towards the quiet pond while she slid into a sitting position just in time to be sitting at the edge of the tranquil pond. Quick reflexes allowed Neji to skillfully jump at the edge of the pond and twirl into the air, evading the undisturbed pond by the skin of his teeth. As soon as his feet skimmed across the other side of the pond, he turned his attention back to the smiling Sakura who rested peacefully at the other side of the water.
With an escaped sigh, Neji turned to the side and leisurely walked back to Sakura's sitting position. Sakura, ignoring Neji's flying body, stared at the calm pond and slipped her leather boots off her feet. It's been a long time since I've been to this spot. Curious eyes looked over her knees and watched the water as she slowly dipped her feet into the pond.
"He, he, he," Sakura giggled as small sucking mouths gently kissed her feet and their bodies slithered around her ankles.
Neji approached her and sat down next to Sakura as her laughter filled the air. "They missed you," he informed as he watched the sea of white skinned, spotted red, koi fish fan around her feet.
"Apparently," Sakura continued to giggle softly as the long bodies of the scaly creatures swam away to the other side of the forty-foot clear water pond.
"Did you run into anyone on your way?" Neji asked.
Sakura looked down at the tops of her legs as she slowly kicked her legs back and forth in the water, causing small ripples to pulsate within the water. "Not intentionally…but I did run into little Hinata and Hiashi," she looked away from the warm water and watched Neji's reaction carefully.
"Did he say anything?" Neji felt his insides freeze at the mention of the Hyuga family leader. That man segregates the Branch House from nearly every decision. His fists unconsciously clenched as he continued to become lost in his thoughts. Hiashi has even gone as far as making sure Hinata undergoes strenuous political training. Unfortunately for Hinata, her father will be handing her over to another overseer so he doesn't have to deal with her timid character…it is then that he will pass down Hinata's duties to her younger sister. The memory of Neji overhearing Hiashi giving up his own daughter because she was too timid for politics, caused his normally serene blood to boil feverously. It's pathetic. His emotional training allowed Neji to skillfully hide his aggravation.
Sakura noticed his change in mood no matter how hard Neji tried to hide it. Poor Neji, he has always cared for Hinata…to see Hiashi treat her so strictly makes him angry. Although he would never believe me, he is very easy to read. Sakura placed her hand on his slightly shaking shoulder and flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Neji, Hinata looked excited to see me when I saw her. I'm sure she is doing just fine."
Neji looked away from the abyss of the pond and stared into the caring emerald eyes at his side. Sakura...she is always optimistic with everything. It's as if nothing makes her sad. "Thank you."
"Besides," Sakura took her hand and gently hit him on the corner of his shoulder, "you could always take responsibility for her well-being if you need to."
If only she knew just how accurate her assumption was, Neji could feel his, suppressed anger begin to vanish. I will make sure Hinata is taken care of if Hiashi disowns her. I won't allow the Main House to cast aside Hinata like they cast the Branch House.
Sakura took Neji's silence as a signal to change the current topic. Hinata has always been a sensitive topic with Neji. She watched as Neji's eyes teetered between emotions. Then again, any information about the Main House has always made Neji tense. Sakura once again took her hand and placed in top of Neji's shoulder, causing the distracted Hyuga to stare away from the water and into her uplifting gaze. "Everything will be fine, you'll see," her friendly smile spilled across her face.
Neji said nothing as he absorbed Sakura's words. How does Sakura manage to wash away everyone's negative feelings? In any case, I appreciate it Sakura. He thanked her internally as her innocent smiled turned devious and her comforting hand quickly returned to the side of her body.
"Now…" Curious, yet impatient, bright green eyes stared deep into the soft mix of lavender and white anxious to unravel the mystery that had been eating away at her mind. "Exactly who is this Sasuke?"
"You should really drop this topic, Sakura," Neji narrowed his eyes as he searched deep in her emerald pools for any indication as to why she was dying to know about the sole surviving Uchiha.
"Why is this Sasuke such a secret?" Sakura slid away from Neji while glaring at the rather reluctant Hyuga, "What exactly makes him such top secret information that I can't know about? Naruto even knew who this boy was before I did!"
"Your father made the elite knights of Konoha promise to release only certain bits of information to the civilians," Neji remained calm as Sakura's temper began to rise.
"Certain information about what?" Sakura removed her feet from the pond and stood up, her eyes glistened with anger as she grinded her teeth together. What is going on!
Her temper is unavoidable. Neji sighed as he turned his body away from Sakura's towering form and stared out into the distance, watching the olive trees sway in the slight breeze that twirled around their scenery. Once Sakura wants to know something there is no possible way to try to stop her. "Before I tell you anything…tell me why you're so interested in him," From the corner of his eye, Neji watched Sakura slowly snap out of her anger and sit beside him.
Why I'm interested? Sakura plopped down on top of the plush grass as she watched the koi fish dance around in the crystal clear water. I'm interested because Sasuke looks exactly like the boy I saw years ago. When I met that boy I had a gut feeling that something happened but I didn't ask him…he didn't seem like he would be willing to share. I want to know who that boy is. Her pale eyelids covered half of Sakura's eyes as she took a deep breath of the outside air into her awaiting lungs. "He reminds me of someone."
The sudden response caused Neji to stiffen. What does she mean the Uchiha reminds her of someone? "Who," Neji quickly rotated his body to face Sakura and grabbed her shoulders forcefully.
"Neji…" Sakura watched as his face hardened. His grip around her shoulder's tightened while his eyes never wavered away from hers.
"Who Sakura, tell me who he reminds you of," Neji continued to press Sakura for details.
"I…" She tried to look away from his eyes, but the burning need for answers that flashed across his face made Sakura unable to look away. "I don't know…"
His grip tightened, "what do you mean?"
The urgency present in his voice did not go unnoticed by Sakura. "I don't know Neji!" She met his eyes with complete perplexity. "I saw someone…one time…and now Sasuke looks just like him!"
She couldn't be talking about Sasuke's older brother…could she? Neji slowly released his grip on her shoulders as he processed her secret. If she ran into Itachi Uchiha she would have said something to Lee or I. The idea of her hiding something like this for years made Neji uneasy. For Sakura to not say anything means it was a short encounter, but then there is another question…exactly when did she meet Itachi? "When did you meet this person?"
"Oh no you don't!" Sakura waved her hand in-between their bodies, "I answered your question Neji," she moved her hand away and crawled into Neji's personal space. "Now you will answer mine," her eyes burned with demand.
Of course. Neji sighed in defeat, "Sasuke is part of an ancient family named Uchiha."
His release of information caused Sakura to bring her body back into a sitting position, as if she was a young child being read a bedtime story by her father. "Now we are getting somewhere," she commented while nodding her head for Neji to continue.
"The Uchiha family is just as old as the Hyuga family. According to the legends, their family and the Hyuga clan helped discover Konoha. It was then the massive group split into its own sections within the newly discovered lands."
"If that is the case, then why is it that all I have heard about was your family and I have heard nothing about the Uchiha clan?" Sakura couldn't control her impulse to ask questions during Neji's original explanation.
"The Uchiha clan was reaching a dark time within their own community. That is all I can tell you, and it is all I know. Neither of our clans is discussed in school and since your dad is the governor it would make sense for you to have only heard of small information that dealt with my family. Three years ago, the clan was massacred." Neji answered.
"How?" An entire clan can't just disappear all at once…can it?"
"It was a surprise and gruesome attack that Konoha didn't see coming. The complex was put to the flame, and according to my father, nearly every member was killed. All in one night the entire clan, except Sasuke, entered the afterlife."
One person? Sakura absorbed Neji's words with widening eyes. One person could kill an entire clan? That doesn't make sense…if the Uchiha clan is as old as Neji's then wouldn't that mean the family possessed several, if not nearly all, warriors that were capable of defending themselves? If one person killed them, that means it had to have been someone the Uchiha clan trusted, someone who was on the inside during the attack. That brings up another question, who would be able to destroy their entire family without remorse? Sakura's eyes dimmed as her brain worked hastily to try to understand how one person could have taken down such a reputable family in one night. Uchiha…wait a minute…why does that sound familiar? "Oh my god!"
Sakura's shout caused Neji to become even more rigid. "What?"
That book I read last night listed a man named Itachi Uchiha as one of the members of Akatsuki! That means there is another survivor besides Sasuke! They must know each other. Her eyes widened even more as her mind replayed the events from last night. "We were…we were in the Uchiha district weren't we?" The images of stained blood on the roads, broken homes, and mounds of where miscellaneous bones finally began to come together within her mind.
"Now you know why Lee and I wanted to get you and Naruto out of there," Neji remained guarded. Her original reaction was to something else entirely. What is it that she is hiding?
"Then…by the way Sasuke was acting around Naruto that must mean that he still lives there…" How can someone still live in a place where their very clan was destroyed? He obviously knows about it…but why stay in a place clouded by death?
"That's my…." Neji was cut off by a loud booming sound that echoed over the stone wall.
"Come on TenTen! The spirit of youth must run through you more than that!" The sound of a highly motivated cheer caused Neji and Sakura to jump to their feet.
A slim pink eyebrow rose to sky, "uh Neji…that sounds like Lee…"
Another bang emitted from the other side of the stone wall, forcing both of them to climb the olive trees and pull their bodies to the brim of the wall. Sakura stood tall as she watched a green blob dance around the grassy field below them. Neji stayed in a crouched position watching the person to their right, throwing multiple knives and small balls of gunpowder at the evading Lee.
"Who is Lee sparring with?" Sakura questioned.
Whoever it is, they have a rather impressive arsenal of weaponry. Neji watched with calculating eyes as the wielder immobilized their assault on Lee and sprinted forwards.
"You won't get away!" She screamed out loud as she reached into her side pouch and pulled out more knives.
"A girl?" Neji questioned out loud, rather stunned that Lee would engage in battle with any female.
"Looks like we will have to question Lee later today," Sakura shrugged her shoulders and pivoted on the heels of her bare feet and started to walk towards the eastern side of the wall. "Thanks for the pep talk Neji, I'll see you later so we can question Lee!" She shouted in happiness as she waved before jumping to the opposite side of the intimidatingly high wall.
And I will question you as well, he thought to himself. There is no point in getting Sakura to confess what she figured out…though her sudden confession is something I should keep an eye on. Just as Neji was about to slip back into the safe walls of his family clan a small knife flew past him.
"Who are you?" the girl from below shouted.
Here I thought she wouldn't notice. Neji turned to his side to see a defensive woman getting ready to toss multiple balls of gunpowder in his direction. "I should ask you the same thing," he answered.
At the sudden absence of his sparring partner, Lee turned around to see his rival staring at each other. "Oh Neji! Come down, you must meet TenTen! She has just as much spirit as I!"
Wordlessly, Neji climbed down the stonewall, expertly sliding his hands and feet into the small crevices hidden in the ancient wall to support his descent to the ground. And the day keeps getting more interesting.
Sakura had heard voices behind her but she pushed aside the urge to turn around. If Itachi Uchiha is part of the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki is one of the most known pirate groups…does that mean Itachi is looking for the same treasure? As Sakura's feet subconsciously brought her through Konoha and towards the infamous marina, she couldn't help but think back to the information she had read about yesterday. That book said that the Akatsuki was hunting down a treasure called "the missing piece" that can be used for world domination. The sudden intrusion of the salty air infiltrated Sakura's nostrils, causing the teenager to take a moment to marvel at the inviting smell of the sea. There is one thing I know, and that is the one man that will know anything and everything about pirates! With her mind made, Sakura took off sprinting down the lengthy boardwalk.
Effortlessly Sakura's mind commanded her body to weave in and out of approaching sailors; her main goal was to get to a certain person's wooden house that floated above the water. Hopefully he is home! An image of Sakura standing in front of an empty floating home caused her to increase her pace. I will not miss them!
A panting Sakura found herself standing in front of the only house in all of Konoha that stood at the very east end of the marina. The young woman rested her hands on her knees as her mouth sucked in the necessary oxygen. "F-Finally," she managed to spit out as her energy slowly returned. I'll have to talk to him about living at the furthest end of the boardwalk.
As soon as the oxygen replenished Sakura's body, she stared at the small floating wooden home with a pleasant smile. Zabuza is too lazy to update his own shop. Pleased emerald eyes scanned the aged wooden boards that created the outside framework of the top goods seller's home.
The small home possessed a few front windows and one large black door. The small cabin rested on top of a larger platform that snacked around the perimeter of the iconic living space. Sakura watched as the harbor's water pushed and pulled Zabuza's home in the way of the ocean tide.
She looked to the side of the home to see empty sacs resting underneath a few logs of wood. Looks like they took their daily catch to the market, Sakura evaded the massive iron hook that was embedded into the marina's boardwalk. Attached to the hook was a state-of-the-art nylon rope that held his out-of-the-ordinary home close to the coast. Calculating eyes stared at the gap between her and the location of interest.
It is now or never. Sakura took a deep breath in and ran to the furthest end of the boardwalk. Her petite body hovered close to the ground while she commanded her short legs to propel her small body over the gap of water. A faint sound of her feet touching Zabuza's platform danced to her ears and a sigh of relief followed.
The sun brushed against Zabuza's house, flashing the solid copper doorknob into Sakura's eyes. Well…I can't stand out here forever. Without a knock, Sakura placed her hand on the knob and roughly pushed the door open.
"Zabuza? Haku? Anyone home?" She called out.
Her voice carried through the front room, bouncing its way towards the bigger room that rested on the right side of the house. Sakura looked around the front room before walking to the business room on her right. The larger room possessed a blocked-in wooden bar in the very back, while the front area possessed two basic cedar-red wooden chairs. The walls were covered in various hooks created by types of metal unknown to Sakura. "Hello?" She called out again as she walked away from the hook covered wall and headed towards the long bar.
The bar's countertop was coated in well-polished redwood colored wood. The young teenager took her fingertips and brushed them across the smooth wood. A sudden sound of stomping feet filled the air while Sakura waited patiently on the other side of the divider. "Ya, ya, ya," the sounds of Zabuza's irritated grunts brought a small smile to Sakura's face.
"I'm surprised you are here Zabuza," Sakura said as she watched his form come closer.
"I thought you got banned from here Sakura," Zabuza grunted out as he pulled out his small wooden chair and slammed his overly large body onto the uncomfortable seat.
Sakura shook her head, "nothing could ever prevent me from visiting my favorite people!"
"Haku heard the Governor went pretty rough on you about taking the squirt down here," Zabuza watched with one eye opened as his thigh muscles pulled his calves and feet on top of the pristine counter.
Sakura momentarily looked down at the floor and then back at Zabuza, "He's assigning me an escort…"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha," a deep laugh blasted through Zabuza's lips. I feel bad for the poor soul that the Governor assigns that job to. I would not touch that job even if I were still a traveling knight. He could easily tell Sakura was not very happy by this news. "You don't seem pleased."
"I don't like people following me," Sakura grunted out while she gave Zabuza a small glare. "Don't laugh at me!"
Zabuza, unaffected by her glare, shrugged his shoulders. "Is that why you're at my doorstep before the entire country is awake? To get in your last adventure before someone has to report your every move to the Governor?"
"No…not exactly," Sakura looked behind Zabuza waiting to hear a faint voice to bid her a good morning. However, when it didn't come she became curious, "where is Haku?"
"We set out early and caught enough fish that will go towards purchasing some new merchandize for our shop." He watched as Sakura nodded at his acceptable reasoning for her friend's absence. If she's not here to enjoy her last day of freedom…then what does she want? Zabuza opened his closed eye, fully alert of her every move, "then what are you doing here?"
Sakura met his gaze with unmistakable determination, "I want to know something."
"Like what?" Zabuza could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand as the unpredictable child placed both of her hands on the top of his bar. I don't know if I'm going to like this…
"Do you know anything about a treasure called the missing piece," she formed invisible quotations around the name of the mysterious treasure as she explained her true reason behind her surprise visit.
Yup…definitely don't like this. Zabuza felt his back jolt up straight at the mention of the highly dangerous, and cryptic, treasure. "I know nothing," his round black eyes narrowed in suspicion as he tried to dismiss her. "Now, leave. I'll tell Haku you came by."
"No," she battled his stare with her own as she stood, unmoving, in her spot. "Judging by your reaction I'd have to say you know something." She lifted her right hand away from the bar and reached into her quiver that rested against her back.
She isn't serious is… Zabuza watched with expectation as the pink-haired female pulled out an iron tipped arrow and climbed on top of his bar. Her knees pressed against his redwood counter while her thighs and stomach held Sakura's upper body in place in order to allow her arms and hands to bring the menacing arrow tip near Zabuza's neck.
"Tell me what you know," she ordered, never moving her eyes away from his.
Just as I thought. Zabuza looked at the small arrow tip and then back at the unnervingly determined stare of Sakura. "If you want me to tell you anything, get that arrow away from my neck," he snarled.
"But of course," Sakura said sweetly as she tossed it back into her quiver and sat cross legged in front of Zabuza.
"The missing piece isn't something new. Pirates have been looking for that treasure for centuries."
"But what is it?" Sakura asked again.
Zabuza shrugged his shoulders, "no one knows. The newest rumor, which was forty-eight moon cycles short of being two decades old, is that one sailing crew managed to find it."
Sakura's eyes went wide, "really?" She felt her insides explode in anticipation and curiosity. How could they have found something that had been hidden for so long?
"Don't get too excited…as quickly as this crew "found" the treasure there had been rumors that it was destroyed by a giant sea monster. When that happened, the location of the island had washed away into the sea. A secret that only the bottom of our ocean will forever know."
"Impossible…." Sakura found it fascinating at the disappearance of the most sought out treasure ever to exist. "How do you know this Zabuza?"
The retired fighter mindlessly pointed to the dusty closed trunk at the other end of his shop. "I had heard rumors about the crew during my freelancing days. I found a scroll about what it might be, but it wasn't as interesting as I thought."
"Ah," Sakura twirled around on her sitting buttocks and jumped off the bar. I wonder if the scroll Zabuza has, has any more information. If the scroll wasn't that interesting to Zabuza I'm surprised he told me as much as he did.
While Sakura began to plan her assault on his precious trunk full of secrets, Zabuza couldn't repress the memory of the first time encounter he had with Sakura. I was coming back from Kirigakure with a detached young Haku. Zabuza watched, absentmindedly, as Sakura grabbed onto the small iron lock that attached itself at the very opening of his trunk and began to pull at the reluctant object
A small smirk fluttered across his face as his memory pressed on, I had finished tying my rowboat to Konoha's dock when I heard Kakashi's voice. The driving anger from that day slowly resurrected as he pictured Kakashi's calm exterior when they locked eyes. That Copy Cat Knight stared at me, I knew he was nervous, but that young pink haired girl walked right up to me and pointed to my sword. Zabuza clearly pictured Kakashi's shocked face when Sakura boldly pointed to his precious sword and questioned him about it. I unsheathed my sword and pointed it at Kakashi, I told that knight I would attack him if he questioned my new choice of residence. The sound of a cheering Sakura as his iron lock clashed against the floor caused Zabuza to think about Sakura's young curious expression when she looked up at him on that fateful day. She stared at me with those emerald eyes like I was a friend of hers. Remembering her unnerving expression caused Zabuza to slightly twitch. I thought Haku was going to faint in shock when the strange girl wanted to get to know him. Before Kakashi and I knew it, Sakura had stolen Haku…that turned into an interesting yet very irritating…
"Finally!" Sakura's shout caused Zabuza to stop his trip down memory lane.
Zabuza stood up from his seat and slammed his hands on the redwood bar, "Sakura what do you think you're doing?"
Sakura shuffled through the ancient oak wood trunk, pulling out various scrolls, books, and items that were once resting peacefully in its accumulation of dust and cobwebs. "Oh…nothing!" She called back as she skimmed speedily through the scrolls and books, looking for the one that would possess the information about the missing treasure.
That girl is never up to nothing. Zabuza felt his eyebrow beginning to twitch as he watched the trophies from his past life roll around the ground. "Sakura, step away from my trunk," his hand inched to the resting sword on his back. Last time I let her have free reign of my shop I had to repair the ceiling…
Judging by the growing anger in Zabuza's voice, Sakura knew she didn't have much time to scan his illegal documents. Almost done with them! The overly curious girl pushed her eyes to scan the documents even faster.
"Sakura," the sound of a chair scrapping against the wooden floor told Sakura her time was nearly over.
Found it! Sakura grabbed onto the top of the scroll, rolled it, and tied the pearly white ribbon around the center of the scroll. "Thanks for the information Zabuza!" Sakura jumped to her feet and waved at the seething man. "See you later!" She called out as she shoved the scroll in her quiver and quickly sprinted out of the home, leaving an irritated Zabuza to clean up her mess.
"Damn her," Zabuza groaned out loud as he slid across the long bar and began to collect his things and shove them back into the trunk.
"Zabuza, I'm back from the market," a soft voice flowed in the air as soon as Zabuza had sat on the ground and began to organize his trunk.
Haku better have good news, Zabuza thought with irritation. If not…I'm paying that young girl a visit.
The single door to Zabuza's left gingerly opened. A content Haku entered the room but stopped short to see a frustrated Zabuza clutching onto a small wooden statue of a sea monster in the shape of an eel. What happened here? His kind eyes looked around the home before he walked over to his mentor and began to pick up the remaining items that scattered around the room. He placed them into Zabuza's hands, "early spring cleaning?"
Zabuza tossed the small statue into his trunk and gently rolled the items that Haku gave him on the floor panels beside him. "No," he quickly categorized each of his treasures by size before he continued with his sentence. "Sakura," he glared at the items before he carefully placed them back into his ancient trunk. Why did I tell her about my trunk?
"Oh," Haku chuckled as he watched his teacher melt into a puddle over Sakura's demolition. "Don't worry Zabuza, we can get her back," Haku tried to reassure his teacher while he dropped the bag of money at his side. "Our catch proved to be very profitable, this means we can search the Black Market for those items tonight," he tried to derail his teacher away from the current situation.
"Hai," Zabuza grunted as he grabbed the bag of money and tossed it over their heads, causing it to land on their business bar. I'll get you back for this Sakura.
"Phew! I thought Zabuza was really going to get me that time," Sakura told herself as she slowly decreased her speed once she got closer to the center of town.
Her short legs came to a slow walking pace as Sakura rounded the corner to face the giant stone wall that overlooked the city. Her eyes stared at the giant heads that represented the past governors that have watched over their country. Dad… She looked at the stone statue of the face with a slash through the right side of its face. Its hair extended out into spikes while its eyes watched the city from above. A deep sigh escaped Sakura's lips as her feet stopped moving and she found her mind getting lost in the emotionless stone eyes of her father. He watches over Konoha so much that he forgets about Naruto and I, Sakura could feel her mood sway as her mind got lost in thought.
"Daddy this way!" A young voice called out.
Sakura turned away from the stone statues to see a boy, younger than Naruto, sprinting away from his father. She watched, with curiosity, as the young father ran after his speedy son. "Jimmy, come on, where are you going?"
A smile satisfied smile washed across Sakura's lips as the strangers flew past her and disappeared into the small alleyway full of brick homes. Even though I don't see my father nearly as much as that young child sees his own father, my father makes sure that everyone in our country is able to live in peace.
With a shake of her head, Sakura snapped out of her daydream and began to walk towards the same alley the small child and young man had ran towards. One foot extended away from Sakura's body while her leg muscles pulled the rest of her in the designated direction. The sound of a rustling paper against her small arrows caused Sakura to quickly shove her opposite heel into the cobblestone ground. "I almost forgot!" She reached into her quiver and pulled out the neatly rolled scroll. Interest overwhelmed Sakura as she reached her right hand behind her back and lowered it into the quiver. "I wonder exactly what this scroll says…Zabuza's temper was getting the better of him that I only had time to look to see if the missing piece was mentioned."
Skillfully, Sakura maneuvered her hand around the sharp tips and quickly pulled out the scroll. Bright green eyes scanned the rolled up scroll with eagerness before their attention drifted away from the object and began to survey the area. I should read this somewhere more private, her grip tightened on the scroll as she ran back to the stone heads, climbing the iron steps that rested next to the stonewall. I know a place that will give me absolute privacy! A burst of speed exploded from her feet, her muscles working efficiently to supply the demanding speed that was being requested by the brain.
Her steps and stride were fluid and graceful as she skipped every other step, climbing her way to the very top of the staircase. Almost there, Sakura stood at the very edge of the iron casted stairs and stared out at the small cave opening at the base of the statues. Easily, Sakura placed her body on the iron railing and stared at the cave with determination. I have only been able to jump into that cave once…last time… Sakura looked down at the growing greenery that flourished around the very bottom of the eighty-foot cave; I ended up breaking a bone from that fall. But, I'm taller this time and more skilled!
She cheered herself on as she stood on her toes and crouched low, resting her palms on the side of her body. Deep breath in Sakura, her body grew tense as she stared unblinkingly at the opening of the cave, and…now! Without a second thought, Sakura pressed into the back of her heels and pushed down on the palm of her hands. The iron metal squeaked under the sudden distribution of human weight as she pushed herself into the air.
Perfect! Sakura thought with excitement as her body shot straight for the cave. Just a few more feet, small arms reached out and petite legs kicked out in circular motions, acting like a swimming motion. And… She waited for a split second before she extended her fingers and tossed her arms as far as possible towards the cave's ledge.
The feeling of the sudden impact of rock meeting flesh caused Sakura's body to be thrown against the rock wall. Ouch, her nose wrinkled in pain as the shock of impact echoed through her entire skeleton. Her head quickly lifted itself from the rough stone ground and stared at the back of the dark cave, I…I need to get up. She demanded her arms to pull her shaking body to safety and with great effort Sakura clawed at the uneven sedimentary rocks in effort to inch her way into the mouth of the abandoned cave.
"Phew," Sakura sighed loudly as she laid on her stomach on the damp, cold, ground. "I cut it really close that time," a slight shudder traveled through her body while she dragged her injured self into a sitting position. It doesn't matter, content emerald eyes looked around the shallow cave as the sun's rays lightened every crevice of the secret hideout, I finally made it. For a moment, Sakura took note of her bruised forearms and cut up hands before she moved her slow bleeding hands to the quiver still attached to her back. Now, the moment I have been waiting for, anticipation coursed through her veins as her hands held out the long scroll.
The aged grass paper shined in the light as her finger tips slowly traced over the water stains and burn holes that decorated the outside. This scroll looks ancient… The pearly white ribbon shined its untainted condition as if it was bragging to the rest of the scroll. Slim fingers twirled around the silky ribbon silently while Sakura braced herself for the contents that resided within the mysterious scroll.
"Come on Sakura, it's now or never," she stared at the white soft ribbon with determined eyes. "Alright Zabuza, don't let me down…"
The thumb and index finger that were playing with the ribbon grabbed onto the object and forcefully yanked the string away from the circular scroll. The pristine ribbon fluttered into the air while the aged scroll effortlessly unraveled itself away from Sakura's hands and onto her awaiting lap.
"Whoa…" Sakura watched in awe as the scroll revealed its hidden contents to her eyes. Once the scroll had stopped unrolling, Sakura grabbed the end of the paper that was furthest away from her and began to read.
"The missing piece," it said across the very top.
Gleaming verdant eyes scanned down the blank space of the scroll only to find a few more sentences at the middle of the page. "Location: Unknown."
Sakura's concern increased as she watched the nearly blank scroll continue to give her less and less information. She looked down at the bottom of the scroll with high hopes, "Rin sha zu."
"You're kidding me!" Sakura stared at the scroll with rising anger. "This scroll says nothing!" She took her left hand and smacked the middle of her forehead.
The sudden slap caused her to shudder in pain. "Ah," Sakura squinted as she removed her hand away from the wound. I guess I hit my head harder… she looked at the small dime-sized puddle of blood that rested in the middle of her hand, than I thought. "Great…now I'll have to explain this to Dad," which was a task she was not excited to handle. Absentmindedly, Sakura shook her head out in frustration, causing a few droplets of blood to soar in the air.
"Yeah sorry Dad, I got a cut while jumping from the staircase to the stone wall. Oh wonderful Sakura, that's such a great explanation!" While Sakura rambled on about her predicament, the small droplets of blood soared landed softly onto the timeworn scroll. The cherry red blood seeped through the scroll, causing a cool liquid to be felt against Sakura's leg.
"What the…" Sakura looked down at the scroll to see her blood smearing Zabuza's scroll. "Oh no," she stared at the scroll with a mortified expression. "Zabuza is going to…" Her sentence was cut short by a sudden shine of light. The sun? Sakura tossed the scroll to shield her light colored eyes from the painfully bright light.
However, as soon as the light appeared, it vanished. That couldn't have been the sun, right? Sakura held her left arm over her sight for a few moments longer before she finally trusted the regular source of light around her body. "What was that?" She looked left, right, to the ceiling, and to the ledge only to see nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just a trick of the sun? Sakura shrugged her shoulders and returned her attention to the useless scroll that had been thrown against the sidewall of the cave. "Time to return you…" She stopped in mid-action as her hand hovered over the scroll.
"Im…Impossible."
The scroll was no longer full of blank spaces with only a few words written in cursive, but rather, it was full of well-spaced and neatly written cursive words. The ink thickness of every word was consistent with the next and Sakura found her hands shaking at the new discovery.
"How does something like this happen from a few blood stains?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at the darkened words, "it's as if they were written only days ago", but she knew that was doubtful. Well…since it's here I might as well read it.
Her hands brought the fragile scroll closer to her vision and began to dissect the new information.
"It's strange how everything worked out for us. Mebuki has taken this change easily. She has not questioned my decision. I am shocked, but I couldn't be more proud of my wife."
Sakura's eyebrow rose to the sky, "is this…a man's journal? That's a little weird."
"Haruki said that the object we saw today was either an egg or a stone…but his family calls the fascinating stone an egg."
Sakura stared at the words for a little bit longer before continuing to read, what could be an egg? The missing piece? She shook her head and giggled to herself; that would be silly!
"He explained the power of the stone, or rather egg, and its power is hard to imagine. Haruki and his people think this egg can grant anyone's wish. That's impossible, such magic doesn't exist, however…my daughter is befriending a talking eel. Is this world really full of such mysteries? These people were created from a wish made eternities ago. But even so, I should not tarnish the beliefs of these people. Haruki has given Mebuki and me a home and I will not waste that, my daughter will not suffer from my ignorance. I may not agree with the "power" of this egg but I will try to learn about it and make an effort to believe in the same beliefs as these people."
"A talking eel?" Sakura found herself even more confused before, "people being created from a wish? That is impossible…." Pink eyebrows inched towards the middle of her face while she stared at the handwriting that covered the scroll, "who even wrote this?" She skipped the remaining passages looking for a signature or an initial of the author of the text. However, everywhere she looked on the scroll there was no clue as to who wrote the passage. "Maybe I should read the last sentence, it might have something," she looked at the very bottom of the scroll to see the calm flow of the letters had changed into barely readable scribbles.
"He will attack us one day. He will come and kill everyone and until that day comes, I Kiz…"
"COME ON!" Sakura glared intently at the scroll as the letters of the author's writing vanished at the end of the scroll. I was so close to finding out who wrote this, but there is still the fact that these words even appeared. How did it even happen? She looked at the paper to see her blood splatter had vanished, it's not even present on the paper anymore…
A sudden ear piercing gong ring passed through Sakura's ears, deterring her mind and attention away from the scroll. "That was the gong…" Sakura held her breath as she waited for the next ring to fill her ears. As soon as the deep pitched sound waves raced to her ear drum, Sakura felt her body jump into a standing position. "I have to pick up Naruto soon. I won't be late," she quickly rolled up the scroll and tied the now slightly stained white ribbon around the width of the scroll. "I will deal with this later," she told herself as she tossed the scroll back into her quiver and ran to the back of the cave. "I don't have a choice now, I must make this jump."
With a quick deep breath in, Sakura placed her left foot in front of her body while her right foot rocked onto her toes. Ready, set, go. Sakura sent her legs forward while using her opposite arm to maintain the running form Lee had taught her years ago. Her eyes watched the approaching ledge as she used Lee's teachings to count the number of strides it would take for her to reach the very edge of the cave.
"3…2…1," she breathed out on one as she planted both feet onto the sedimentary rock and propelled her body towards the iron staircase.
Sakura managed to grab ahold of the iron bars, with a little bit more grace than her previous jump, and quickly shuffled her body over the banister and onto the regular iron steps. "Finally," she thought as she turned her back on the iconic stone statues and proceeded to skip down the steps. "Now, it's time to pick up Naruto," she instructed herself as she stared off at the sun that began to slowly descent from the horizon. "I wouldn't want to be late," Sakura twisted her body around, sprinted down the staircase, and headed towards the other side of town.
The gong rang through Konoha's streets, alerting every civilian of the approach of nightfall. Sakura raced against time as she danced around the rush of citizens that began to swarm the market for last minute items to bring back to their families. She maneuvered her way around the crowd and followed the cobblestone path away from the lively center. The path weaved around homes and alleyways, bringing a rushed pink haired girl to the front gates of the academy she once attended.
This place hasn't changed, her steady gaze stared at the wooden framework of the entrance as iron gates were propped open. She watched as several children grabbed their mother's hand and allowed their parent to escort them back to their home. At least I know I'm not too late.
The school stood in front of Sakura as if it was acting like a divider between the outside world and the children who were there for the duration of the day. The maroon red bricks shined against the lowering rays of the sun, causing its extended size to appear even longer. The sound of cheerful laughter echoed in the air as children played amongst each other while waiting to be claimed by an adult. Sakura watched with a lightened heart at the ten year olds ignorance of the troubles their parents faced. Her gaze transitioned from the running children to the very teacher that was destined to watch them.
"Iruka," Sakura called out as she increased her walking pace.
At the sudden change in pitch, Iruka's sharp ears picked up Sakura's tone and he eagerly turned his eyesight to his former student. "Oh Sakura!" Iruka sent her a wave and a small smile as she came to skidding halt at his side.
"How is everything? I hope Naruto wasn't a handful like last week," Sakura stared into his black eyes as she watched for any signs of emotional distress.
Iruka rubbed the back of his head, "ha, ha, nothing is worse than when you were small," he commented.
She stuck her tongue out in his direction as a protest to his joke. I wasn't that bad.
"But to answer your question, Naruto was rather…distracted today."
"Really?"
"He kept looking at a classmate and mumbling words under his breath, but I wasn't able to catch the conversations he had with himself."
Sakura sighed as she tilted her head to the side, Naruto must be still mad about what happened last night. A wave of guilt thrashed through her body as she remembered her strict and detached tone towards him when they returned home. I knew I had been too short with him. "I'm sure he will bounce back tomorrow," she tried to reassure Iruka.
"I'm not too worried. He is one of my most energetic students, seeing him quiet like today made me nervous." Iruka eyed Sakura's black pants and red shirt and felt a wave of pity, "do you not like dresses?"
"Huh?" Sakura looked down at her clothing and shrugged her shoulders, "I wasn't really in the mood for a dress…why do you ask?" She stared deep into Iruka's glossy black eyes, searching for a clue to the sudden topic change.
"Oh it's nothing," Iruka felt his back subconsciously straighten under her gaze. "It's just…" How do I word this without her getting angry? A small shiver rolled down his spine as he imagined her unleashing her temper on his unspoken words. I would not like to be thrown into the ground. He shook his head; sometimes I wonder why Sarutobi allowed Tsunade to train Sakura.
"It's just what?" She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her leather boots against the dirt.
"Ah," Iruka could feel the impatience rolling off of Sakura as he struggled with his wording.
"Well?" Narrowing green eyes caused Iruka to break out into a microscopic nervous sweat.
"What path will you choose Sakura?"
"Path?"
Iruka sighed in relief as he watched her anger morphed into confusion. "Your father must be lining up suitors to take your hand in marriage. You're rather late though, women your age have already married and some even have had their first son." He watched her carefully as his words exited his mouth.
Sakura's eyes began to widen at his comment before she wrapped her arms around her side and unleashed a deep laugh, "could you picture my dad interviewing men to marry me?"
"I guess you're right," Iruka lightly chuckled, "then you will be following his footsteps into government?"
"No." Sakura's laugh vanished and her atmosphere transformed into seriousness.
"You have to choose one Sakura. You can't be without a husband for much longer," Iruka expressed his concern as he reached out to touch her shoulder.
"I could not handle the amount of stress my father has," Sakura ignored Iruka's other comment about marriage. I couldn't marry someone right now…I don't see why there is such a rush for me to marry.
I must have pushed my limit, Iruka watched as Sakura inwardly debated within herself about his question. "Anyways," he cleared his throat as he redirected the conversation, "there is something I have been prolonging to tell you…"
"And what is that?"
"Once class ended, Naruto and the classmate of interest raced off…"
Sakura immediately felt her body tense at Iruka's words and found herself interrupting him, "how long ago?" If they left a while ago, there is no telling where Naruto could be with Sasuke.
"No, no, don't worry Sakura!" Iruka threw his hands up in front of him. "They only raced out of the gates a few minutes before you arrived. I tried to stop Naruto, but you know how he is…"
"That knucklehead," Sakura turned her back to Iruka, "thanks for the information Iruka, I'll go find them."
"Wait Sakura…" Iruka placed his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from running away, "his classmate…please be careful…he isn't a normal child."
"Don't worry about me Iruka," Sakura turned her head slightly in order to allow Iruka to see her fiery emerald eyes, "you should be more worried about Naruto and that classmate," her tone was dark as she gently lifted Iruka's hand from her shoulder. This gives me an opportunity to question Sasuke. "Thanks again," Sakura finished, effortlessly slipped away from Iruka's side, and proceeded to run towards the entrance gate of the school grounds.
"I saw them running off into the forest!" Iruka screamed out.
Perfect, a small smirk crossed Sakura's lips as she began to increase her running speed. Hopefully I can catch up to them within a reasonable time. Her eyes turned to the fast approaching forest, time to put Neji's advice about tracking others to use. She was determined to catch up to her younger brother and the mysterious Uchiha.
"Dobe, why did you drag me out here?" Sasuke grunted as he stood in the center of the Konoha forest glaring at his blonde haired classmate.
Naruto stood in front of Sasuke, arms out in front of his body, while his cerulean blue eyes stared at Sasuke with burning determination. I will beat him this time! I will not lose. He turned his head to the side to see two small paths, side by side, weaving between the plethora of the evergreen forest trees. "Sasuke Uchiha!" Naruto shouted as he raised his right hand and pointed his index finger to the stoic Uchiha.
A simple eyebrow raise was all Naruto received as an answer. What could the Dobe possibly want this time? All day he has been staring at me…
"I challenge you!" Naruto turned his entire body to face the paths to their right, "I will race you to the end of this path. I will beat you!"
A race? Sasuke looked at the paths that were created by the branches from numerous trees. "It's pointless Dobe…you'll never win," Sasuke smirked while his adrenaline began to pump through his veins. But, it would be fun to beat him again.
"I will win!" Naruto threw his hand down and pivoted on his toes to face the dueling paths. "On my mark," he wasted no time and walked to the opening path in front of him.
"Fine," Sasuke couldn't deny the slight exhilaration he felt from Naruto's challenge. Maybe this time I can actually try and put some effort into this race. He thought back to all of Naruto's amateur challenges that they would have and snickered at the outcome that happened every time.
They stood parallel to each other and both squatted to the ground. Their right foot stretched out in front of their bodies while the left foot rested on the balls of their toes to maintain their balance. Sasuke stared at Naruto, waiting for his signal, while Naruto continued to study the path he had chosen.
"Ready," Naruto narrowed his eyes at the waving leaves that decorated the branches.
"Set," Sasuke turned his attention away from Naruto and stared at his narrow path, mentally preparing his body for the race.
"GO!" Naruto shouted loudly and raced off into the forest.
Rustling leaves echoed in the forest as the young boys raced through the heart of the forest. Feet ponded against the forest ground while their heavy breathing mixed in the atmosphere. The sun hung in the middle of the sky, showing a path for each contestant. As the speed of the racers increased, the rustling of the tree branches wavered violently, expressing their anger towards the two intruders that disturbed their peaceful domain.
While they caused chaos amongst the trees, Sakura gracefully dodged the overly thick tree trunks, in search for the two youngsters. Hm…Neji said I have to try to find footprints… Sakura looked down at the soft dirt to see nothing but pristine untouched soil. Come on! Neji makes it look so easy... The sudden sound of a large bang echoed through the forest and tickled the inside of Sakura's ears. "That has to be them!"
"Crap!" Naruto shouted as he stumbled into a tree bark and his body was thrown off balance. The sudden change in momentum caused Naruto to dive face first into a neighboring tree. "Ow," The injured boy sank to the ground as his hand brushed his palm against his forehead. Wait! I can't stop! I have to beat Sasuke! The sudden realization caused Naruto to jump to his feet and continue to rush through the forest, ignoring his surroundings, and only focusing on the end of the path.
Changing her line of sight, Sakura jumped onto the low set branches and concentrated her hearing on the footsteps that followed immediately after the loud crash. I need to catch up. She swung her right leg out in front of her and tapped into her speed. Thank god I convinced Lee to let me watch his training, otherwise I don't think I would have figured out how he is so fast. She bent her body closer to the ground and swung her arms behind her body. Tree, Sakura commanded her body to dodge the increasing number of branches that had living in Konoha's forest for centuries.
"I will beat you, you bastard!" Naruto's small shout assured Sakura that she was traveling in the correct direction.
Finally, I found them. Sakura ordered her aching legs forward as she dashed alongside Naruto, watching him sprint his heart out. Where is he going? She looked around to see that Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Where is Sasuke?
"Maybe I should have picked a path that didn't have so many trees…" Naruto grunted at he barely dodged another tree trunk that popped out in front of him.
So Sasuke is close by…but again, what is Naruto trying to do? Sakura watched patiently as her younger brother's legs began to wobble. Oh no Naruto, don't give up! She wanted to encourage him to keep going, but if I interfere now, he won't feel like he accomplished this by himself.
"I…I will beat Sasuke…" Naruto huffed. "I hope his path next to me is wor…" before Naruto could finish his sentence he felt his knees give out and his body flew forward. "Oh no!" He outstretched his arms trying to catch his body before it fell belly first into a body-sized ditch.
Poor Naruto, Sakura watched for a few moments as Naruto lay defeated in his ditch. Her keen ears caught a faint noise of footsteps catching up to their location. Could Naruto have been in the lead? Sakura landed soundlessly on her tree branch and stared to the east. The sound of racing footsteps became more apparent, I better check it out. She gave Naruto one last look before she raced back along the tree branches and changed paths to the east.
This is nothing, Sasuke easily dodge the tree stumps that littered his path. When does this path end? He could feel himself getting bored with the monotonous routine of dodging tree stumps. Hopefully there is a clearing further up. His feet tore through the soil as he lifted his knees and hurdled over another stump. The Uchiha's quick reflexes allowed Sasuke to land on his outstretched foot and continue to run as if the stump was part of his stride.
From above, Sakura had managed to catch Sasuke's steps and proceeded to follow the unsuspecting Uchiha through the neighboring tree branches. He's pretty fast, a satisfying smile crossed Sakura's face as she mentally praised Naruto. And Naruto almost won. That's my little brother! She watched the young raven-haired boy closely as he nimbly darted across the stumps. Maybe I should get closer to see how long it will take him to notice me. Emerald eyes never left Sasuke's form as she dropped down a level of branches and continued to run closer to Sasuke.
Huh? Sasuke looked behind his back as he suddenly heard a faint thump. Is the Dobe actually making this interesting? His hands shot to his side while his back tensed with anticipation. He periodically looked in front of him while he scanned the area. But it's not like Naruto to wait…which means that someone else is following me.
He knows something is up. Sakura smiled contently as she gently bounced off of a branch, it didn't take long for Sakura to see the sun's orange rays shining brilliantly through the trees. Let's see how far he takes this, her mind already planning several different strategies.
Whoever this is, they aren't slowing down. Sasuke saw the shadows of the trees increase in size and felt a small smirk fan across his face. I'll draw them into the open and then I'll attack. His hand stretched down to his white cotton breeches and inched inside the elastic waistband. The cool metal point tickled against the tip of his middle finger making Sasuke speedily blow past the remaining trees and skid into the circular clearing he luckily found.
As I thought, Sakura stood at the edge of the last tree branch watching Sasuke reach into his waistband and threw a sharp object in her direction. He even managed to find my location, this might be fun. She dodged the knife with a twist of her body while she continued to stare into his alert eyes. "Might as well make an appearance," with a shrug of her shoulders, Sakura grabbed the knife and jumped like a gazelle into the small circle.
"You…again…?" Sasuke stared with narrowing eyes. Why is she following me?
Sakura nodded her head eagerly, "who else would be able to catch up to you?"
"What do you want?" His crimson eyes glared at the metal that twirled around in her grasp. I need to get that knife back from her.
"I…" Sakura took a step closer and watched as the young boy took another step back, "I wanted to ask you a few questions."
Her statement caught Sasuke off-guard. No one ever wants to talk to me. What is her deal? The small stature of his body began to tense and his left hand hovered in front of him while his right arm stationed itself to his right side. I won't give her a chance to attack.
A small laugh escaped her before Sakura had time to control herself, "I'm sorry," she tried to control her soft laugh, "you're face was priceless."
My face? Sasuke controlled the muscles in his face as he tried to keep his composure. How did she know? I didn't give anything away. He felt his eyes hone in on her newly discovered ability to read his, what he thought was, passive expression. Who am I dealing with?
"We never got formally introduced last time," Sakura took another step forward, "my name is Sakura." She eyed his still body while his unnerving crimson orbs continued to watch her every move, "you, from what I have been told, are Sasuke Uchiha."
"What about it?" Sasuke watched as Sakura took his knife and tossed it at the tip of his leather shoes.
"What do you mean? You are acting like I should be scared or something."
Sasuke stared at the knife as it gleamed under the receding light, "you are," he stared back at her to see her shrugging her shoulders. She's…she's not scared?
"Oh don't worry!" Sakura shot him a smile, "I'm not scared of you! In fact…I have a burning question to ask you. You're pretty famous you know."
Sasuke reframed from running away from the strange person. Famous? My clan being murdered by my brother makes me famous? Anger swept through his body, more like shunned by everyone. It just makes me strive harder for revenge on my family.
Crimson red receded back into memories while Sakura watched the young boy shake with rage. I must have hit a nerve. Good, she looked down at the knife and continued on with her probing, the more angry I make him the more questions I'll get out of him.
"Exactly what happened to your family?" Sakura asked.
A glare emitted from the depths of his being, "they died," his voice began to shake while his hands clenched beside him. "They were murdered!"
"By who?" Sakura stood her ground, as the young boy's atmosphere was full of fury.
"My brother…my brother killed my whole clan!" Sasuke's body froze in place. His voice no longer shook in anger but was laced with sinister betrayal. "I will get revenge on what he did to my family. I will kill him!"
Unaffected by his change in demeanor, Sakura took another step forward, their bodies within feet of each other. Poor Sasuke…I don't know how he can solely handle his family's death. "You know Sasuke no matter how much you wish to kill your brother…revenge is never the answer."
"Shut up," he scowled at her. "You know nothing! I watched my family die in front of me and I couldn't do anything. I was weak…he said I was weak and needed to kill him to become stronger. That is what I will do! I don't care if revenge isn't the answer, it is what I will do!" Resentment overflowed his mind and reasonable thinking vanished. "You won't stop me!" An earth-shattering scream bellowed from his throat as Sasuke quickly grabbed the knife embedded in the ground and charged at Sakura.
"Oh man," Naruto relished in the moist soil that caked his face. I definitely lost this round. The energy he once had, had suddenly disappeared. "Body. Move," his grunts filled the air while his shaking arms scooted to his side. If I don't get up now, that bastard will never let me live it down! With a deep breath in, Naruto forced his aching body to jump upright.
The feeling of his feet firmly planted on dirt was music to his ears. I need to get out, but as soon as Naruto tried to move the moist soil that still resided on his face he found traces of dirt in his ears. "Ew," Naruto moved his index finger around trying to scrap away the uncomfortable soil. A taste of metal mixed with dry soot remained in his mouth, "yuck!" Naruto jumped on his beaten legs as he gathered saliva into his mouth and tried to wash away the soil's taste.
Small bits of soil launched out of his mouth in victory while Naruto tried to catch his breath from the sudden violent demands of energy. "I…" he continued to heavily breath in and out, "I need to get out of here," he looked up at the dirt ditch's wall that was over his head. But how? Confused azure eyes tiredly looked around the ditch to see a tree's branch protruding from the soil. "Eureka!" Naruto hopped over to the root and attached his hands to the rough exterior.
"I can do this," Naruto drove his legs against the wall and forced his hands to scale up the thorn covered root. The wall began to slowly descend away from Naruto's sight while the grassy ground tickled against his chin. At the sight of ordinary grass, Naruto pushed his hands and feet to climb up to the top of the ditch. Eager hands grabbed onto dirt and yanked a tired body out of the ditch, which allowed Naruto to roll away from the ditch in success.
"Told ya I could do it!" Naruto taunted the challenging ditch as he laid on the grass looking at the soft hues of the sun. "I could just sl…"
A sudden loud clang of metal made his ears twitch. "What was that?" He violently pulled his upper body up straight and sat cross legged on the grass looking in the direction of the sound. "That's coming from Sasuke's path…"
Again, another metal scuffling sound emitted from Sasuke's side of the forest. "OK, I'm not going crazy!" Naruto jumped to his feet, much to his legs objection, and began to sprint to the sound. I wonder who Sasuke ran into, Naruto dove into the populated tree stomp filled path while following the clashing sounds that grew louder and louder with every step he took. "I knew I should have chosen this path," he whined as he easily passed over the stumps and followed the sunrays towards an exit. I was so close to the end too!
His short legs minced the dirt underneath as orange and pink hues shined into his sensitive eyes. "Ah," Naruto positioned his arm over his brow while he pushed forward. Clashes, bangs, and grunts filled his ears as he emerged from the forest and escaped the clutches of the sun.
"Man, that was annoying," Naruto stood in the shade of the tree while his spotty vision became clear. "Sasuke…and…S-Sis?" Naruto stood on the sidelines as he watched his classmate attack his sister with blood thirsty eyes.
Sakura dodged his attack and pulled out another iron tipped arrow to block his knife. I wish I didn't forget my bow at Neji's. Sakura used her foot and kicked Sasuke in the gut.
"Ugh," the strong kick sent Sasuke several feet away. His eyes narrowed at the rough kick she sent into his sternum. That actually hurt.
"Revenge is never the answer," Sakura continued as she tossed her arrow at Sasuke's torso.
The sound of the arrow whizzed in the air. Sasuke watched, clutching onto his stomach, as he barely had time to roll out of the way of the oncoming weapon. She's fast. She's good…but why? Sasuke was having the hardest time understanding his battle with a girl. "No one cares about your opinion."
Sakura sighed, "I didn't want to have to do this," her tone was short and she gently placed her quiver on the ground next to her.
"Oh no," Naruto gulped as he watched his sister grew quiet. That's never a good sign! He looked to his unsuspecting rival with pity, good luck beating this Sasuke!
"What could you do?" Sasuke removed his hand from his stomach and stood up straight.
In a blink of an eye, Sakura sprinted to the side of Sasuke's body and grabbed onto his dangling left wrist. "Your path to revenge will lead you to a world that is darker than you're expecting. You want a life full of loneliness?" Sakura hissed into his ear.
"I've been alone this long I can…"
"Sorry, I don't think so!" Sakura shouted as she pulled her arm above her body, bringing Sasuke into the air in the process, and slammed him into the ground beside her. The force of her slam caused Sakura to jump a few inches off the ground and a loud uncontrollable cry to escape from Sasuke.
"SIS!" Naruto shouted as he ran towards them.
Sakura ignored Naruto and didn't release her grip. "You have other things to live for besides killing a man." Without giving Sasuke time to catch his breath, Sakura planted her feet firmly on the ground and pulled Sasuke back into the air. "To concentrate only on killing someone is selfish to those who care for you!" She screamed as she twirled him in the air and flung him against a collection of tree trunks on the other side of the clearing.
"Sis…lighten up," Naruto walked over to his sister and grabbed her shaking hands. She's really mad, he noted with surprise. "I know Sasuke is a bastard but if you keep throwing him, he won't be able to stand," his concerned eyes turned to his classmate who was struggling to breath.
Trickling blood trailed from Naruto's cuts and slid down Sakura's right palm. His cold blood snapped Sakura back to reality and she looked down at her concerned brother with wide eyes, "oh…" She looked back at the still motionless Sasuke and waited for him to stand. "You're right," Sakura giggled lightly. "We will just wait for him to stand up," she turned to Naruto and winked.
Sasuke sat with his back against the tree trunk watching her giggle at his injured condition. Why does she care about what happens to me? She doesn't even know me…I don't even know her…and yet… Stubbornly, Sasuke tried to move his body away from the tree, only to receive a harsh coughing fit as disapproval. That strength, he watched as small droplets of blood dropped onto the bright green grass, never before did Sasuke think a female could produce such destruction. I must get up. He used his shaking hands to bring his drained body to its feet. How is Sakura the Dobe's sister?
The sound of his shuffling feet made Sakura clear her throat, "Will you still choose the path of revenge Sasuke?" Sakura asked seriously.
Sasuke grunted as he faltered under his own weight. "Y-Yes," Sasuke caught his falling body by leaning his side against a fuller tree's trunk. Nothing will stop me.
"I guess it can't be helped," Sakura shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the injured boy.
Brace yourself, Sasuke held his breath as she stood in front of him. I can't even stand up or defend myself. It's over.
Naruto hovered close to Sakura's side and watched her motions intently. Sis better not throw Sasuke again. He finally was able to see Sasuke's injuries close up, and to think she went easy on him. The display of her strength always brought shivers down Naruto's spine.
"You stupid kid," Sakura groaned as she rose her hand and slapped Sasuke on the back of his head. "I just don't understand why someone can only think about revenge and throw away their entire life for one person."
Sasuke stood in shock as her light smack echoed through his skull. Is she…trying to scold me? He looked into her stern stare and opened his mouth, "I have nothing else to live for."
"You hear that Naruto?" Sakura pointed her thumb at Sasuke.
"Yeah…" Naruto heard Sasuke's words and began to rethink what he thought Sasuke meant. Revenge…is it worth it? "Sis is right Sasuke! Revenge isn't worth it!"
Sakura giggled. "So I take it you're onboard with me?"
"Huh?" Both boys said in unity as their hearts, suddenly full of concern, skipped a beat.
"It just means Naruto and I will have to change your mind," she gently, yet firmly, grabbed his right wrist and pulled him away from the tree trunk.
"Where are you taking me?" Sasuke objected as Sakura dragged away from the forest, his body still in shock.
"Yeah Sis…where are we going?"
"You're coming for dinner. You are going to see exactly what you should live for," Sakura added as she headed towards the path Sasuke had ran through earlier.
"You will let me go," Sasuke squirmed in her grasp, trying to free himself from her iron grip.
"WHAT? Why is he coming for dinner?" Naruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. I don't understand why Sis is focusing on Sasuke…does it really bother her that much? Another huff blew out, so what if it does. He shouldn't have to come to dinner too.
Sakura tightened her grasp on Sasuke's wrist, "Not gonna happen," she flashed him a wink as she tugged him closer.
I don't understand, Sasuke found himself giving up trying to pull against Sakura's grip, there is no way I can escape her now. But I don't understand why she is trying to change me. He looked to Naruto and watched as he animatedly talked to her about an uninteresting topic. And they are siblings? That's impossible. Sasuke could tell their relationship was a story that he unexpectedly wanted to know, what is going on? Why do I care? He tried to shake off the strange feelings that swirled inside as they towed his beaten body to Konoha Square. Everywhere in Konoha people stare at me or run away because of what happened to my clan, Sakura will become like all the others.
The outer walls of Konoha stood in its glory as the receding golden rays brushed against the red dyed bricks that separated the quaint town from the cruel outside world. Sasuke glared at the gate as Sakura used some added force to drag him through the entrance. As soon as he crossed the main gates, the knights guarding the entrance stared at the small group.
"Hey guys," Sakura waved to the baffled knights while displaying a cheerful smile.
Sasuke could feel Sakura's cheerfulness radiating off of her body as they pressed through the town. She's not afraid of their stares? He turned his attention to the sulking Naruto and watched his classmate become consumed by the idea of him coming for dinner. The Dobe has always been unaffected by the townspeople…it must run in the family, he thought bitterly.
Without a skip in her step, Sakura dragged the sulking boys through the towns square. She watched out of the corner of her eye at the amount of citizens that stopped to stare at their small group. I don't understand why people are frightened by Sasuke. She looked down to see the child unleashing his own glares at the snooping people. To be used to such cruelty must be harsh. Pity filled emerald eyes traveled from Sasuke to Naruto, it would have happened to Naruto too if Dad didn't raise him. A new found determination coursed through her veins as a sudden realization crossed her mind, this just means that Naruto and I will have to try extra hard to make sure Sasuke receives the same amount of support!
The deeper the trio walked through Konoha, the more extreme the stares became. Naruto simply shook his head, still relishing in the idea of Sasuke coming to dinner, while Sasuke became highly uncomfortable by the extensive amount of eyes staring into his back. The young Uchiha looked away from the people and stared at the unaffected Sakura. Her eyes sparkled with delight while her shocking hair color bounced in the direction of her swaying body. How can she handle this? The citizens were no longer staring at him and their attention fell to Sakura. With the strength of the citizens' stares, Sasuke felt the growing need to run through the town and hide away from the attention.
"Does really have to come Sis?" Naruto finally spoke as he kicked a loose pebble stone with his right foot.
Sakura nodded her head, "of course Naruto."
"But what will Sarutobi say? Do you think he will let Sasuke stay?" Naruto quickly looked at the quiet citizens as their eyes followed his every move.
Sarutobi? As in the Governor? Sasuke felt chills roll down his spine, since when does the Dobe live with the governor of Konoha? Even with the Uchiha's developing ability to negate emotions, Sasuke couldn't stop the growing desire to know more about Naruto and Sakura.
"He will have no choice Naruto," Sakura looked down at her side and gave Naruto her infamous wink.
"You su…"
"Yo, it's that chick from yesterday!" A shout cut through Naruto's comment, bringing their attention to the brute sailors that rested against a small shop's wall.
Chick from yesterday? Sasuke looked to the unmoving sailors as Sakura pulled his wrist towards their direction.
"I'm sorry?" Sakura led both young boys to the relaxed sailors dressed in typical linen brown shorts and tattered brown short sleeves shirts.
One stood to the right of Sakura, his beefy arms crossed over his even meatier chest while his thick legs crossed at his ankles, rubbing his sticky skin against itself. His smaller in size partner slapped the meatier man on the arm while he pushed his body off of the foundation of the building and stood in front of Sakura, "you're right! She took down Spike like he was a fish out of water."
At the mention of her previous fight, Sakura rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, "oh that, ha, ha."
"We should get out of here," Naruto whispered under his breath.
"What are they talking about Dobe?" Sasuke snapped, only to have Naruto shake his head and pull on Sakura's free arm to inform her of his suggestion.
"I wouldn't get too close Smit, she has that Uchiha," the meaty partner motioned to Sakura's side, causing Sasuke to glare mercilessly at them.
"You realize girl you're walking with bad luck?" Smit took several steps back in pure haste, wanting to separate himself from the bad omen child.
"Bad luck?" Sakura looked away from the sailors and casted her saddened eyes to the shaking Sasuke that she still held tightly in her grasp. This must be how everyone treats him. They either glare, whisper about him, or believe he is a bad omen.
"Watch out, he'll kill you too," the beefy partner said as he began to side step against the shop's outer walls.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Sakura laughed uncontrollably as she shook her head. "You two are more brainless than I thought!" She turned to Sasuke and shrugged her shoulders, "there is no such thing as bad luck."
"You crazy!"
Sakura shook her head and used her free hand to push Smit out of her way. "Those who believe in bad luck are just afraid of their own shadow." she finished her small speech just as soon as the silhouette of her body disappeared into the shadows of other Konoha homes.
As the distance between the small group and the sailors increased, Sakura sighed heavily. "People don't realize it, but certain people perform specific actions for a reason. There has to be a good intention behind every action, good or bad."
Sasuke felt her small rant hover over him as they silently walked towards another forest. She doesn't believe in bad luck? He half-heartedly paid attention to the tree roots he needed to dodge while his mind sorted out her words. Is she talking about my brother? Can Itachi be good? The sudden mix of his brother's name and the word good caused Sasuke to grunt in dissatisfaction. Yeah right, that thought had immediately banished from his mind.
"Sis, do you remember those guys from before?" Naruto asked as he hopped over an aged tree trunk.
"No I don't, do you?"
"No…but if they knew who you were…that means every sailor at the pier knows who you are!" Naruto saw their front yard came into view, "what do we do?"
Sakura sighed as she watched Naruto energetically dance around the yard in worry. What am I going to do with you Naruto? "We don't have to do anything," she continued when she saw Naruto freeze in mid-stride, "it means that they won't mess with us," she finished with a smile and yanked Sasuke's wrist. "And you, Sasuke, are to come this way," her legs agilely stepped around Naruto and walked towards to the front door. "It's time for dinner!"
"Have you decided on an escort for Sakura?" Kakashi asked Sarutobi as the elderly man fell into his routine for cooking dinner.
Sarutobi grabbed the heavy duck and plopped it on the kitchen table, a deep sigh escaped his lips as he pulled out his freshly sharpened butcher's knife. Finding an escort for Sakura has been more difficult than I had originally anticipated. I need someone that wouldn't let her get away, but it cannot be someone she knows. "There are a few knights that I am considering."
Kakashi slouched while he rested his elbows on top of the marble stone bar that rested on the other side of the kitchen, "oh? Who?" There are not a lot of knights that would be skilled enough to track down Sakura if she ever escaped. A small flashback entered his mind before a shallow chuckled escaped his lips, which happens the majority of the time.
The hallow sound of the knife slicing through the duck's cerebral spinal cord echoed through the kitchen. "Are you laughing Kakashi?"
"No sir," Kakashi felt warning chills fan across his body as he brought his slouch back into a back aching up-right position.
"You're lucky I have not charged you with this duty," Sarutobi tossed the head of the duck into his kitchen sink and began to slash the dead creature's skin away from its body. "Lucky for you I have given you a completely different task." After Sakura's incident yesterday, it had only fortified my decision on this matter. I cannot prolong this change any longer.
"Huh?" His overly straight back tensed even more as the color of his face began to wash away. "What tas…"
"SARUTOBI! WE ARE HOME!" Naruto's obnoxious yell easily tore through Kakashi's words.
"You're later than usual," Sarutobi stated loud enough for his children to hear.
Naruto was the first to rush into the kitchen, sliding on the hard walnut floors with his sweaty socks acting as a barrier between his bare feet and the floor. "Come on Sarutobi," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "we got…distracted…"
"How so?" A bone shattering snap from the lifeless duck pierced through the tense atmosphere. No one has informed me of any adventures.
"Uh…well…" Naruto's went blank as he watched his adoptive dad break the bird's wing in half and toss it back onto the marbled surface.
"One of Naruto's friends will be joining us for dinner Dad, I hope that's okay," Sakura interrupted the speechless Naruto in a timely fashion.
"Teme is not my friend!" Naruto shouted in anger as he glared at the raven-haired boy that stood at Sakura's side.
"Like I would want you as my friend Dobe."
The new voice hovered around the kitchen like toxic smog. Kakashi slowly turned his body to see crimson red eyes emotionally staring back at the young blonde child. It's the youngest Uchiha. He looked to Sakura to see her typical smiling face, is she unaware of exactly who she has brought into her home? Calm gray eyes scanned the beaten Uchiha, covered in dirt Naruto, and returned his attention back to his lightly wounded former student. No, Sakura knows exactly whom she brought into this house. Judging by all three of their conditions, I would bet that Sakura had to convince at least one of them to allow this to happen. I wonder what Sarutobi will do, Kakashi slowly positioned his body away from the bar, waiting for the governor of his country to react to the situation.
My daughter has brought in the sole surviving Uchiha. Sarutobi gently placed down the broken wing and effortlessly pivoted one hundred and eighty degrees to be face-to-face with his daughter and new guest. "Are you sure?" Sarutobi held his daughter's determined stare with his own indifferent stare. Sakura will not give up this fight, he could tell by the way her grip tightened around the child's wrist and how the boy winced due to the sudden pressure. Even though I am very aware of the trouble his family has caused this country, he looked to the bruised and bloodstained boy once more, it seems like Sakura wishes to accept this young boy just like how she accepted Naruto when he came into her life.
"I'm positive," Sakura's voice growled at her father while she pulled Sasuke closer to her body unconsciously. I will make sure Sasuke sees what it is like to eat with a normal family again, even if it means fighting Dad.
"He's your responsibility," Sarutobi finished as he turned back to the sitting duck and continued to break the bird's bones. My house is slowly turning into an adoption center for stray children, he thought with an inward sigh. Biwako would admire your strength Sakura, at the thought of his diseased wife a small smile danced across his lips. Her strength reminds me of yours, Biwako.
"Yes!" Sakura brought her unoccupied hand and punched it into the air. That was easier than I thought. Her attention fell to the still standing Uchiha, if I let him go, he will run away. Her eyes scanned the kitchen for any type of outside assistance that could reassure her that her new guest would not leave before dinner was served. There has to be something in here, her eyes fell on a linen rope that rested on top of the oak bar stool that stood next to Kakashi. Perfect.
"Now," Sakura stared down at the unsuspecting Uchiha with a sneaky grin.
"Sis is kinda scary," Naruto commented as he backed away from Sasuke and stationed himself next to the still standing Kakashi.
"I wonder where she gets it from," Kakashi stated in sarcasm as a sudden mental picture of an older female with blonde hair and the biggest bust he had ever seen filled his mind. Sometimes I wonder if Tsunade didn't do something to Sakura during their trainings. With a small sigh, Kakashi reached into his vest pocket and continued to read the newly released sequel to his favorite novel series.
He said yes just like that? Sasuke felt his whole body turn numb as the words of his governor sank into his brain. What kind of a witch is she?
"This way!" Sakura violently tugged Sasuke towards their luxurious ten-foot maple dinning room table.
"What?" Before Sasuke could have a moment to process what was happening, he felt his sore body thrash against a hard wooden chair and a bone crushing pull radiate around his torso and lower legs.
"Now I know you won't try to escape on us," Sakura grunted out as she pulled the rough linen rope around his bruised torso and then weaved the scratchy rope around the back of the chair. She then continued with the long rope and individually tied each of his ankles to the front legs of the chairs.
After her creation was complete, she stepped away from the seat with a satisfying smile oozing across her face, "I think I outdone myself this time." She formed her right hand into a fist and gently plopped it into her flattened left hand, as a symbol for a job well done.
"Oh my…" Kakashi quickly glanced away from the top of his novel to see her makeshift creation with mild shock. I see Zabuza has taught you how to tie, he noted the typical grapevine knot many fishermen used at the marina. Not half bad. Although he did not managed to see her start the knot, he managed to catch a glimpse of her pushing the two opposite ends of the linen rope to the center.
After the sensation of hurt converted into a small pulse of pain, Sasuke became oriented with his surroundings and noticed a very long maple treated dining table before him. Unsure of what transpired during his whiplash, he tried to move his limbs away from the seat he was ungraciously thrown into, what the? Due to his movements, Sasuke felt a sudden pull tighten against his chest. Panic overtook his body as he looked down at his body, "what did you do!" For the first time since his parents had passed away, Sasuke showed the most emotion he could create. This girl is crazy! She tied me to a chair! Grunts and groans filled the room as Sasuke continued to thrash against the tightening rope.
"Well I knew once I let you go you would try to run away. It's reassurance for me to know that you get the most out of tonight," she answered.
"Ha, ha! Look at you Teme! You're tied to a chair!" Naruto took a giant leap away from Kakashi and circled around Sasuke, laughing full heartedly at his predicament.
The sounds of his laughter caused Sasuke to grew agitated and he began to struggle even harder against the constricting rope. If he gets close enough I can kick him. When Naruto's teasing form came within kicking distance, Sasuke used all his might to send his foot straight into Naruto's chest. Another gasp emitted from his mouth. I can't move my legs? Confusion raced across his face as he tried to look over the side of his body, only to see that the cursed object had snaked its way around his ankles. "Let me go!" Sasuke continued to shout. How dare she tie up an Uchiha!
I guess I can't be too mad at Sis for bringing the Teme here. He stopped circling around Sasuke and stood only a few feet away. "Whose the loser now, Teme?" Naruto laughed out loud, not daring to pass up the opportunity to get revenge on his rival.
"Why you…" Sasuke growled out and tried to throw himself at Naruto. Come on body, Sasuke continued to growl as the rope prevented him from doing anything but wobbling back and forth with the chair.
"Watch out Teme, if you keep this up, I bet you'll fall face first into the floor." Naruto sang as he danced to the opposite side of Sasuke.
"Once I get out of here Dobe, you will enter a world of pain!"
"You mean if!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, unafraid by his threats, and skipped over to Sakura's side.
"Just relax Sasuke," Sakura approached the snorting boy and patted his raven-styled black hair with gentleness. "I promise to untie your upper body once dinner is served…that is…if you're good."
"I'll get you…"
"Naruto. Sakura. Enough." Sarutobi called out as the sound of the desecrated duck's body being thrown into a deep pot resonated through the combined rooms. "Stop badgering Sasuke and get ready for dinner."
"You got it Sarutobi!"
"Yes Dad."
Sasuke watched them dreamily walked away from him. Scratch Itachi from my revenge list, the Dobe and Sakura will come first. Newfound hatred swirled in the pit of his stomach as he tried to break free of the murderously firm rope tightening against his body.
"You should take it as a compliment," Kakashi stated casually as he sat on the wooden chair directly across from Sasuke.
"Why?" Sasuke growled out, too angry to truly care what the silver-haired knight had to say.
"Sakura is only harsh to those she cares about," Kakashi looked away from his book only to see anger cloud the eyes of the ten-year-old Uchiha. "Even though she acts tough, she won't let you starve. Just listen to her and you'll survive," Kakashi flashed the boy a half-hearted smirk before he leaned back and continued to read his book.
A knight with his face covered by a mask, a crazy pink haired girl, and my annoying classmate surround me, how annoying. Sasuke sighed in defeat and finally stopped thrashing against the chair. With his actions subsiding, he found his chair slowly stabilizing underneath him. Not wanting to meet any of the remaining members of the household, he focused his attention on glaring as a random smug at the center of the table.
Dinner was plated and traditional routines began. Secretly, Sasuke watched as Naruto sprinted around the table throwing utensils in their correct locations, Kakashi remained unmoving in his chair with his eyes glued to the words that decorated the small book, Sarutobi served everyone's portions on white porcelain china, and Sakura elegantly transported everyone's dish to their correct spots.
"Kakashi put that book away." Sakura ordered him as a steaming plate of duck, was far from gently, placed in front of his face.
"Of course." The clanging of the china slamming against the hard wooden table did not deter Kakashi away from his book. The main character is about to infiltrate the snake's lair. I'll wait for Sarutobi to sit before I put a pause on this wonderful little story in my hands.
Sakura rolled her eyes as her former mentor ignored her command. Typical Kakashi. Sakura didn't dwell on the event and proceeded to place both Naruto and Sasuke's place in front of the quietly waiting boys.
It's been a while since I sat at a table. Sasuke felt his eyes downcast to the plate full of food that appeared in front of him.
"I'll untie you in one second Sasuke," Sakura finished placing everyone's dishes in their assigned seats and then returned to his side. "Do you promise that you won't escape?"
The smell of the roasted duck entered his nostrils, causing his mouth to water at the savory smell the cooked meat emitted. "Hn," a loud grumble deep within his stomach filled the air, causing Sakura to giggle in acceptance.
"I believe you," her hands skillfully and quickly untied the grapevine knot. Her hands worked feverishly to untie his upper torso but then retied his ankles. Although I feel like he would stay even if I untied him, I can't take that chance. Once her knot was retied, she slithered to her assigned seat next to Kakashi.
I would have never guessed that I would be dining with an Uchiha. Sarutobi washed his hands under the small waterspout and then walked over to his spot at the head of the table. One look was all Sarutobi needed to make Kakashi immediately slip his guilty pleasure into his vest pocket.
"Let's eat," Sarutobi said with a satisfied grin as he grabbed the silver knife and fork and gracefully plunged the prong end into the well-prepared duck.
"Why couldn't we have Ramen?" Naruto mumbled as he unenthusiastically shoved his fork into a miniscule portion of the duck's leg.
"We had ramen last night. It would not be fitting to have it two nights in a row," Sarutobi answered. "You need to expand your palate of food. To become strong and protect those important to you, you must eat other foods besides ramen."
"Ugh," Naruto sighed as he dug into the bird while grunting after every bite. I'm definitely making us have ramen tomorrow. The more Naruto began to eat the duck, the more he found his taste buds tolerating the indifferent taste. I guess the duck is okay, he stared at the small remaining portion of the leg that stood at the prong-end of his fork, but nothing will replace you ramen!
Sasuke sat to the right of Naruto, watching the ungrateful boy verbally attack his food with each bite. Rude. The trained Uchiha ate his food with poise and elegance, just like how every Uchiha was trained. While he continued to eat his meal, his eyes wandered around the room. The governor of Konoha sat to his right, quietly chewing his food not phased by the chain of events. The strange knight that sat across from him miraculously ate his food without removing his cloth mask from his face. How does he do that? Sasuke intently watching the scene, trying to find a loop hole in his ways. First he lifts the fork, Sasuke watched as the utensil hovered over the small line of the man's mouth, and then he brings the fork to that mask. Not allowing his eyes to blink, Sasuke felt his torso lean forward, hoping to get a better angle on how Kakashi manages to slip that piece of duck into his mouth. And then…! His muscles dropped his jaw to the floor, how could I have missed it? He watched the entire process and he was still unable to see how the man slipped the meat behind that mask.
"It's rude to stare," Kakashi commented as he stared back at the prying Uchiha.
"Hn," Sasuke shot an insignificant glare to the man before he turned his attention to the only female in the household. She sat there smiling after every bite, trying to get the silver-haired man to engage in trivial conversation. When the knight would not give into her conversation starters, she turned to the grumbling Naruto in front of her and succeeded in starting a conversation about his school day.
"We talked about…uh…trading I think?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head before shoving another piece of meat into his mouth. "I don't really remember," he murmured out while still chewing his food.
"Come on, Iruka can't be that boring," Kakashi interjected.
It's almost like I am home again. Sasuke felt warmness spread inside his heart and it began to ache against his chest. No. They are not my family! My family is dead! I am alone, no one will change that. Their laughter, their familiarity with each other began to repeat in his mind and soon Sarutobi's face transformed into his father's, Kakashi transformed into his mother, and a young Itachi replaced Sakura. Sasuke's mind dragged him through a happy memory, one where his mother would congratulate him on a test and he would receive an accepting nod from his older brother. No! No! They are all dead! Go away! Sasuke violently shook his head to wipe away the images before him. What are these people doing to me?
His sudden violent shaking caught everyone else's attention but no one wished to speak to Sasuke directly.
"Will he be okay?" Naruto asked with concern written on his face.
"Allow him to work it out on his own," Sarutobi commented as he washed down his swallowed duck with a glass of red wine. This entire atmosphere is making him feel uncomfortable and is making him remember happy memories he has locked up ever since the massacre.
"Sasuke?" Sakura called out, hoping to somehow snap him out of his confused state of mind.
No! He killed them all! His hands began to tighten around the fork with increasing strength and his body continuously shook in place.
"Hey Teme! Snap out of it!" Naruto gladly dropped his fork and slapped the shaking boy on his back. This is not like him.
Hatred mixed with confusion clouded the youngest Uchiha's eyes as the sudden smack brought him back to reality. "What was that for?" Sasuke glared at his classmate beside him, unaware that they noticed his mental breakdown.
"Easy Teme, you needed to wake up or whatever it was you were doing," Naruto glared back as he grabbed his fork and pointed it in his direction.
"Who said I needed…"
"Kakashi," Sarutobi's voice stopped the soon-to-be argument. I believe it would be best to change the subject; he stared at Sasuke for a split moment before turning his attention to one of his most skilled knights.
"Yes?" Kakashi looked away from the children and stared into the eyes of his old master.
"About what I said earlier," Sarutobi looked to Sakura and gave her a small nod. She has been very keen on reporting Naruto's development to me and she will be happy to hear this bit of news. Deep down he secretly hoped that this decision would ease the pain of her possessing an escort.
I have a bad feeling about this. Kakashi thought as he felt the pink-haired teen freeze beside him. "Go on." Please don't let it be escorting Tsunade around Fire Country. Last time that happened she nearly took off my head for reading my book. The mere mental picture of his precious book being torn into pieces by the psychotic herbalist made his right hand subconsciously rest against his breast pocket. She won't touch you, he reassured the novel.
"I believe it is time for you to train Naruto," Sarutobi exclaimed.
"Huh?"
"No way!" Naruto's face lit up as bright as the stars. "I'll finally be able to learn what Sis knows!" Naruto grabbed his knife and began to swiftly swing it around his left side to stab imaginary villains.
"It is only fair," Sarutobi smiled in Kakashi's direction, "you did train Sakura around this age. I believe your excuse then was self-defense correct?" I promised your parents that I would keep you away from their line of work, but this does not mean you are not allowed to learn how to defend yourself. The display of Naruto's happiness made pride swell deep in Sarutobi's chest. I look forward to watching you grow and I have a feeling that you will be just as skilled as your father.
I should have known this was coming, Kakashi sighed and slowly nodded his head. "I guess I have no choice." I wonder how this training will go. He watched as the naïve child continued to slay his imaginary enemies.
"Yahoo! Alrighty Kakashi-Sensei, when do we start? When do I get to kick pirate butt?"
Oh man, Kakashi sank deep into his chair as the energetic blonde began to engage in imaginary pirate slaying with a butter-knife. This kid might be the one who throws me into an early grave.
At the mention of Naruto's new mentor, Sasuke grew as quiet as death. I don't belong here. He could feel Naruto's excitement and remembered how excited he felt when Itachi had free time to teach him new tricks with his knife. Now it's just me. Just me against the world, I don't need anyone. Although his tried to believe his words, deep down, Sasuke envied Naruto.
Sakura could not be happier for her younger brother. Even though I am still mad about my current situation, I am glad Dad could see that it was time for Naruto to learn the ropes. Curiosity overtook her and she studied the even quieter Sasuke. Oh my, Sakura could see him revert back into the stoic and antisocial child she had originally met. It must be hard for him to adjust to eating dinner with this many people. Even if that is the case, he is still sad about not having a living family. Then, if anything, hopefully this will help him see that he doesn't have to be alone anymore.
With a sudden clear of her throat, she turned her colorful emerald eyes to the man beside her. "Kakashi, I something to ask of you," she waited patiently for him to respond.
"No," Kakashi immediately answered. I can't take any more surprises. Eating dinner with the sole surviving Uchiha and having to train Naruto has me reaching my limit.
"But you haven't even heard what I was about to say!" She looked to Sarutobi, "I think you might be interested in my suggestion as well."
"What are you asking for Sakura?" Sarutobi looked to his daughter, already understanding what she was about to ask Kakashi.
Sarutobi is really out to get me. Kakashi could not surpass the groan that wished to desperately escape.
"Great!" Sakura clapped her hands together, "in addition to training Naruto," she turned her attention to the still sulking Sasuke and slammed her iron fist onto the table. Hopefully that will get his attention.
The sudden jump of the dinner plate caused Sasuke to stare around the room, only to see them staring at Sakura with anticipation. What is she doing?
"Yeah…"
"You…" a satisfying smile was present on her face and pointed her finger directly at Sasuke, "you should train Sasuke as well."
"What?" Kakashi stared at the shocked young boy and then turned to his governor for help. Would he agree to it? I have worked together with some very skilled Uchihas, maybe it would make the citizens stop glaring at him every time he tries to step foot into the center square.
"Huh?" Naruto looked from Sakura to Sasuke, what just happened? I thought I was training alone?
Sasuke felt all the color drain from his face. Did she just...just include me in the Dobe's training? "Why would I want to train with him?" Sasuke snorted out.
"Because you have potential Sasuke," Sakura began, "you have potential to become something better than an avenger. Maybe you will finally see that you aren't alone in this world," Sakura finished with a reassuring smile.
I'm…I'm not alone? Her words circled around his head like the plague. No matter how hard Sasuke tried to banish the sudden emergence of his feelings, the feeling of acceptance and thrill overtook his heart.
"Besides, you might even beat me," a small wink followed after her words. "Do you accept?"
"Wait a minute Sakura, shouldn't you…" Kakashi began to speak but a sudden pound of her two fists against the table ceased his lips from moving.
The atmosphere around her suddenly darkened, emerald eyes transformed into a darker olive color and her fingers gracefully grabbed the butter knife that rested innocently against the rim of her empty plate. "Kakashi, you will not refuse this proposal." Sasuke needs to know what it is like to be apart of something! Please don't say no. Her eyes were full of apprehension.
"Whoa now, you didn't let me finish," Kakashi held up a calm hand, finally catching on to her uncalled for outburst. She really wants to help this kid out doesn't she? The thought didn't surprise Kakashi. I remember when Naruto was first introduced to Sakura as her brother. She accepted responsibility for him and she still does everything she can to make sure Naruto feels like he belongs.
"I hate when Sis gets like this," Naruto commented as he gulped down his nerves that had arisen as his water glass jumped inches into the air.
"Does this happen a lot?" Sasuke whispered, forgetting for a slight moment of the twist in events.
"It really depends on what you do," Naruto answered. As soon as he responded to the question, a sudden revelation burned through Naruto's mind. Wait a minute…Sis just asked for Sasuke to train with Kakashi Sensei! "Wait a minute! Teme can't join my training session! Kakashi Sensei is my sensei."
"You will accept it too Naruto," Sakura shot him a small glare, causing the boy to drop obediently into a sitting position. "Heh, y-yeah, o-of course Teme can join in," Naruto laughed while beads of sweat dripped down his neck. This doesn't mean I want him training with me.
"Sarutobi, aren't you going to say anything?" Kakashi sat unprepared on how to handle the new task he was given. Before I can give Sakura my opinion, Sarutobi needs to explain his own view to Sakura. If he left it up to me to decide…I guess I would accept. She would definitely own me one. His mind began to run wild with ideas of using Sakura to get him the contact information of his favorite book's author. He is Tsunade's childhood friend. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem, he thought with a growing grin.
"It seems as though she has spoken her mind Kakashi," Sarutobi placed his utensils on his plate and pushed his chair away from the table. "Do not believe that me agreeing to your demand will make me not assign you to an escort, Sakura," he finished as he lifted his plate and brought it over to the small sink in the corner of the room.
"Fine." Sakura turned her attention back to her plate and crossed her arms around her chest. I was half hoping he would have forgotten about that whole arrangement. "I will ask you again, Sasuke, do you accept my demand?"
Do I say yes? Sasuke could feel her staring. I can train on my own. I don't need any help. He gazed at the strange knight, but when would I ever get a chance to train with one of Konoha's knights? The fact that the Governor allows him to train the Dobe and Sakura must mean he is a good one.
"Well?" Sakura pushed. Come on Sasuke, you know you want to do it!
"Fine," Sasuke finally agreed.
"Ah man," Naruto groaned. Now he is going to be with me even after school too. Why does Sis do this to me!
"Great! But, there is only one rule you must follow," her eyes never wavered from his as she placed her elbows on the table and folded her hands under her chin. "You must eat dinner with us every night."
"Sis, come on! One night is enough!" Naruto wanted to desperately throw his head against the table. Life is so unfair!
"Why?" Sasuke raised a slim eyebrow towards the ceiling, unsure of why she was so adamant about him eating dinner.
"If you miss one night, Kakashi will stop your training. Will you do it?" Sakura restated, never answering his question.
"Hn," Sasuke folded his arms over his chest and sank back against the chair. I have to force myself to eat with these people for training to get revenge on my brother. An Uchiha has been put in worse situations.
"If we are having a new guest here Sakura, you should start learning how to cook," Sarutobi declared as he headed towards the exit of the kitchen. Maybe with the inclusion of Sasuke, Sakura will finally settle down. "Kakashi, we can discuss this new arrangement in my office."
Wordlessly, Kakashi stood up and followed the governor down the hallway and into his study. Sakura grabbed the remaining dishes that sat on the table and stacked them on top of her father's dirty plate that rested in the sink. "Naruto you better get ready for bed. You have a long day tomorrow."
Naruto looked to the still tied Sasuke and nodded his head. "Does my training start tomorrow?"
"That's up to Kakashi, but I don't see why he wouldn't want to start right away," Sakura turned away from the dishes and waited for Naruto to give her a giant hug before he ran upstairs.
"I'll make him train me tomorrow, believe it!" Naruto eagerly hopped down from the chair, sprinted over to his sister, and gave her a giant hug. Now I will be able to protect Sis, just like Zabuza and Bushy Brows and that Neji kid! I won't let you down Sis, even if I have to deal with Teme.
"See you in the morning," Sakura gave Naruto a tight embrace and a quick ruffle of his spikey hair before she allowed him to sprint down the hall and up the spiraling staircase. As Naruto climbed his way into his room, his enthusiastic words about training rebounded against every wall, reaching as far as Sarutobi's office.
"It's good to see him this happy," Sakura said to herself as a sigh of content filled the room.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sasuke grunted.
"Oh, right," Sakura turned on the balls of her foot and sat down in Naruto's dinner chair. "I hope you didn't feel too out-of-place here," she began while she quietly reeled in the excess rope that lay lifelessly by Sasuke's feet.
"Hn," Sasuke remained quiet on the subject. Just a few more seconds and I can get out of here. His body ached for the freedom away from the suffocating family he had suddenly been invited to join.
He's so used to being alone, he doesn't know how to accept what was just given to him. With another sigh, Sakura placed the freshly coiled rope beside her chair and placed her small hand on the end of his knee. "You know Sasuke, you're not the only one that is an outsider in this village."
Her unexpected words gripped at his heart. She's playing with me. He turned his burning cerise red eyes only to see that her eyes conveyed an emotion he never thought she could possess, sadness. What does she have to be sad about? She lives in a house, with a family, as the governor's daughter.
"I'm an outsider as well," she finished as she looked up from her hand and gave him a small unhappy smile.
No matter how hard Sasuke tried, he could not keep the words from escaping his throat. "How?" When the simple question rushed from his lungs and exposed itself, he wanted to cover his mouth and disappear into the forest, back to his home, back to his familiar way of life. Why am I asking this? Why do I care?
"I am not from Konoha. I am from…I don't know where…I guess a island that doesn't exist anymore?"
"You're not from Konoha?" A small grunt followed those words. It was yet another slip from his mouth, why can't I shut up? This has nothing to do with me.
"I bet you didn't guess that did you?" Sakura held his gaze as she removed her hand from his small child-sized knee.
This time Sasuke made sure to keep his comments to himself. Sakura continued on with her confession, not affected by his inability to respond to her rhetorical question. "Dad…no…Sarutobi adopted me after Hizashi Hyuga brought me away from my homeland. I don't remember much about where I was born, I don't remember my parents, and all I remember is being in a boat and arriving in Konoha."
"But everyone accepts you, you're not like me, you know nothing about what it feels like," Sasuke exclaimed, his barrier slowly beginning to recede against his control.
He is finally opening up, good, Sakura thought with a hidden smile, "no one really accepts me. When I was your age, the kids at school would never want to play with me."
"Why?" I don't think I could never know who my parents were or where I was born. The very idea of never truly knowing his mother or father, even though they were dead, was an unpleasant thought for Sasuke.
"Ha," Sakura let a single chuckle fan from her lips, her mind began to overflow with memories, "…I was pretty fearless when I was younger. I would jump from trees, climb them, jump blindly to my death and miraculously have not one scratch on me. The town would blame my unknown background and governors from other countries harassed Sarutobi. I was taught to control how I wanted to be and even now I struggle with that." Oddly, I don't really blame Dad for assigning me an escort. The stunt I pulled with Naruto really could have endangered him. The mere thought of losing him that day is still a reoccurring nightmare for me.
"But they accept you now," Sasuke concluded.
"They mostly tolerate me," Sakura patted his head and ruffled his locks, "just like how they would tolerate you if you stuck around too."
"Not funny," Sasuke glared at her as he tried to shoo her hand off his head.
"I'm serious. You may think you're alone Sasuke, but you're not. You're not the only one that experiences loneness. Even Naruto has his episodes from time to time."
"The Dobe?" Sasuke stared at her with curiosity blazing in his eyes. He is always so happy and brags about Sakura every chance he gets, why is he lonely?
"Don't tell him I told you, then he would really be mad at me, but when he was younger his parents died while away on a mission. He doesn't like to talk about it much and even though he thinks of Sarutobi as his dad, he knows Sarutobi will never fully take the place of his father. After the passing of his parents, Konoha engaged in a small war with the opposing country that harbored the pirates. The civilians began to blame him for the war but Naruto pushed on and he makes them tolerate him." Sakura gave Sasuke a true smile then, "you can do it too."
The young boy sat in silence, absorbing all of the new information he had just learned. I am not the only one that is an outcast? I remember my parents talking about that war…Naruto's parents started it? I didn't know they were dead. And Sakura… he watched her from the corner of his eye, she doesn't even know her parents.
"But enough about all those sad stories," Sakura clapped her hands together and reverted her emotions back to being content. "I know it is getting late, would you like to stay here for the night?" Her offer silenced Sasuke. He didn't dare look at her and trained his eyes to stare at the wall in the kitchen. The sudden request left the young boy speechless.
With a defeated sigh, Sakura crouched down, untied his legs, and finished recoiling the rope. Once it was neatly looped into a circle, Sakura stood away from the dining chair and placed the rope back on the oak bar stool. "You don't have to stay here, I was just offering," she turned to the back door that lay forty-feet away from them, "if you decide to leave the back door is down that hall. However, if you do decide to stay, the guest room is right down this main hallway." Sakura walked over to the main hallway and pointed down the corridor. "It will be the last door on your right," she finished her sentence and turned her back to him. "Thank you for eating dinner with us," was the last words she said to him before she disappeared.
The young boy sat in silence, contemplating about the events of the night. My parents were killed by my brother, my brother who I trusted. Everything I loved was taken away. He told me I had to kill him. He told me I was too weak to save them, that if I wished to be stronger I had to kill him. But…his mind suddenly switched to a vision of an alone small Naruto wandering the streets. Pirates killed his parents…and he doesn't want to get revenge on them. Instead he would rather stay here and be normal. He felt his mind shift again to replaying the massacre and the blood that covered the main hall of his home. Naruto didn't see his parents die! He doesn't know what it's like to watch them die! Through his angered fit, the sound of Sakura's laughter rang in his ears.
He could hear the knight's voice and the Governor telling her something, but he then heard her voice shout in protest. Then…what is it like to be Sakura? His mind tried to picture not knowing his parents or even brother, what it would be like to not have any family history to study, to know nothing about anything. How can she be so happy all the time?
A small yawn escaped his lips as he tried to move from the chair that held him captive. I should go home and forget about everything she said. With one step towards the backdoor he felt his heart clench in his chest. What is this feeling? He stared at the door and then turned to the dim-lit hall, I should go home! He yelled in his head and at his body to move, but he felt his subconscious fighting against his request. Finally, Sasuke sighed in defeat. Am I that curious about the Dobe and Sakura? The more he contemplated about the idea, the more he began to see that their stories were far from what he would have created in his own mind. There is this feeling inside, what do I do? He turned one last time and stared at the pitch-back sky that encompassed the outdoors.
Traveling back to his home, where he would be alone, and wake up alone arose fear inside his heart. His leg took one shaking back step away from the door, not willing to leave the warmth of the house. Another, angrier, defeated sigh fled Sasuke as he found himself quickly walking down the hallway towards the guest room.
His small arms barely reached the small gas lamp that sat on top of a small glass nightstand. Small fingers twisted the brass knob on the side of the appliance, creating a ray of light that allowed him to observe the quant room. Exhausted eyes stared at the larger than life bed with excitement, but before he permitted himself to jump into the feathery bed, Sasuke stood his ground and glared at the beautiful furniture.
"I'll stay here for tonight…but that's it…just this once," and it was with those words that the lonely Uchiha willed himself to sleep in a home where he was not lonesome.
To
Be
Continued