Her dreamless sleep was over as suddenly as it had come to her the night before.
Sarada was briefly confused by her surroundings but then the memories gradually came back to her. Meeting the brothers Izuna and Madara. This room in the clan head's house that had been assigned to her.
"Miss Sarada?" A woman's voice sounded from the direction of the sliding door. So that had woken her up.
"Yes?"
The door opened and an elderly woman entered. Her dark hair was mixed with strands of white, and her face was furrowed by the elements and time.
She wore a red and white kimono that sat perfectly on her thin frame.
"Breakfast is almost ready, let me help you get dressed." The woman was not very eager, judging by her voice.
"Who are you?"
"Akane."
When Sarada did not move, Akane added,
"I am the housekeeper, come now."

Sarada was unsure what to make of Akane. After she had washed up the old woman helped her put on the kimono the "proper way". She did not talk much, and her face seemed to be locked in a constant disapproving expression.
Akane led Sarada to the dinning room where she had waited the day before.
On their way there, they passed a mirror and her reflection reminded Sarada of that one time she and her parents had go to a formal event. Her mother had worn a traditional kimono with a cherry blossom pattern, and it was one of the happiest memories she had.
The three of them being together did not happen often but them actually doing things together, that was rare.
She looked at her mirror image more closely. People always said she looked like her dad but Sarada did not think so. She had his eyes and hair color but her face looked like her mom's.
There is just one thing missing, she thought, then I am truly my mom's off-color clone.
Sarada concentrated and formed a few hand seals. Akane was observing her but for her, nothing seemed to have happened.
"Are you done?" She asked impatiently.
"Yes, sorry."

They entered the dining room. At the table sat Madara with a cup of tea in hand.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning." Sarada sat down across from him and helped herself to some tea.
"Akane, take Sarada to the tailor. She will need a few clothes of her own," he called after the elderly woman as she went to the kitchen.
"You can't keep wearing Izuna's kimono," he added, addressing Sarada.
"Oh." Of cause it was one of his kimonos, the color! It was too subdued to be a woman's and he had worn a remarkably similar one.
"Maybe get her a formal one, too."
"Very well."
"Oh and a yukata."
"And a wig," Akane added bitterly, eyeing Sarada.
"Now, now, don't be so traditional, old woman," Madara chided her.
"Under your father this would have been unacceptable," she whispered under her breath.
"Well I am the clan head now." He had only raised his voice slightly, but Akane seemed frightened.
"Yes, of course, Madara-sama."
He gave the old woman a look and said,
"Bring out the breakfast, I have duties to attend to."
She went the kitchen and left them to sit in silence.

"Why would I need a wig?" Sarada asked when Akane had brought out the food and Madara seemed less pissed.
"Akane still has these old-fashioned opinions about cutting hair, but I don't care how you wear yours."
That did not really clear it up for her, but Sarada did not dare to ask potentially suspicious questions.
"Where is Izuna? Will he not join us?" She tried to sound as casual as possible. He had just left her without an explanation and she needed to know what was up with him.
"No, he is out of town."
Her face must have shown her disappointment because he added, "He will be back tomorrow."

After breakfast, Akane told Sarada that she would take her to the tailor after lunch and that she should go rest.
"What is it with these people and resting?" She whispered to herself.
Her room was as she had left it. Pretty empty.
Wait, didn't Izuna bring a package with my stuff yesterday? Sarada looked around everywhere but there was nothing to be seen. Maybe he had taken it at some point?
She didn't feel like lying down. A restless energy inside of her drove her outside.
Sarada walked around the outside of the house until she saw the front entrance. A wall with a wooden gate that separated the house from the street. Her room was on the far side where the noise did not reach but here she could hear people talking in the distance. Sarada walked over to the gate. It had no lock and she pulled the gate open.
"Are you leaving too?"
She almost jumped out of her skin.
Madara laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to startle you."
He had changed and looked a lot more official now.
"Why are you out here any way?" He asked.
"I was feeling restless," she answered honestly.
"Let me have a look at you."
The mystic palms technique always felt weird. She could feel the warmth from Madara's hand on her cheek but also the coolness of the jutsu. After a moment he pulled his hand away.
"You're still low on chakra. Don't over do it, even if you feel fit, okay?"
"Yes," she said, "I will try."
"Good." With that he walked through the entrance and she caught a late glimpse of his face before he closed the gate behind him. His expression was a lot more guarded the moment he was outside.

"Come," Akane said after she had put away the dishes of the lonely lunch Sarada had had by herself.
Outside the front gate lay a small town with houses and shops lining the street. The clan head's house was the last on the road and it stood a bit apart from the rest of the houses.
As she followed Akane, she noticed people staring at her. I guess it's not everyday that a new Uchiha appears out of thin air.

The tailor was a middle-aged man with a well-trimmed beard and long hair that was tied up in an old-timey man bun.
"Good day, Akane, what can I do for you?" He asked with clearly faked politeness.
"Nothing for me but for her," she nodded in Sarada's direction.
"Here." Akane handed him a piece of paper.
The tailor's brows shot up as he read it, then he asked, "Really? All of this?"
"Yes."
"Well, then let's not waste any time," he said cheerfully.
"What is your name, young woman?" The tailor asked as he took some measurements.
"Sarada."
"You're new here, right? Where are you from?"
"I'm from the south." Always keep your story consistent.
"I see and you are staying with the clan head, very well."
He put away the measuring band and said, "Please choose from these."
He showed her a bunch of kimonos but she was not really in the right state of mind to choose clothing right now.
"I don't know, they are all so pretty. Maybe you can choose for me?"
"I will put together a selection."
He began pulling out some of the neatly stacked pieces, placing them on the counter, when one of them caught her eyes.
She took it out of the shelf. It was made of silk and felt cool against her skin. The cherry blossom pattern was beautiful and it reminded her a lot of her mom.
It was hard for Sarada not to let her mind spiral into thoughts about the family she will probably never see again.
"This one," she said softly, handing it over to the tailor. Get it together, right now is really not a good time to have a breakdown.
Sarada picked out few more pieces with the help of the tailor, while Akane still eyed her from the other side of the room.
"I will deliver the clothes tomorrow. Thank you for your purchase."

She had not thought about it until they had left the shop, but there was no way this would be cheap. Akane had been silent the whole time. If she had overstepped some boundary the old woman would have said something, right?

Author's note:

at gohanssjgod : all chapters are approximately the same length but I will try to make them a bit longer XD

Wow this story has hit 500 hit, thank you so much for reading!