Disclaimer- I do not own naruto. I simply write the fiction.
Legend of a descendant
- A new beginning
- "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." -Louis L'Amour
Konohagakure was simply too… bright. That was Sakura's first thought as she entered through the massive gates leading to the village. Too preppy and bright. Now, normally, Sakura would've loved a place as big, as bright and as gigantic as this, but after her recent emotional turmoil, she found it too annoying. She just wanted to go to bed, curl up in a ball and cry her heart out.
When she had entered through the gates, a ninja was assigned to take her to the Hokage to be registered as an actual citizen. She was not looking forward to it at all. She was practically half dead, her brain still not functioning properly, her feet dragging. Her heart still felt like lead and her eyes did not have the sparkle it usually did, it had been erased the moment she saw her loved ones die in front of her, and she wondered if it would ever be back.
The village was huge, she noted. And alive. The hustle and bustle of the people seemed never ending. On her way to the Hokage tower, she took note of her surroundings. She saw the small shops and vendors. A ramen bar. A barbeque place. An academy for ninjas, she noted curiously. Maybe she could join, maybe it would help distract her from her memories, she thought grimly. She also saw the Hokage Mountain. The four faces on the mountain were apparently the previous leaders of the village. The third was still going strong, she knew. The person she was supposed to meet with.
When they had reached the Hokage tower, the ninja escorting her promptly transported away, leaving only a cloud of smoke behind. Coughing slightly, she rubbed her face with her shirt sleeve and trekked on inside and up the stairs to the main office, just as the person in the lobby said.
When she saw the doors leading to what she believed to be the Hokage's office, she took a deep breath and mustering her courage, she ventured in.
She didn't know what to expect, but she was sure this wasn't it. The office was quite big, but smaller than she expected for the head of a ninja village. But that wasn't what caught her attention. The object of her attention was the man sitting behind the desk.
The person sitting behind the desk was light-skinned man of below-average stature with grey hair. He had a small goatee and short spiked hair, both of which were grey, from old age. He also initially had a single line running vertically under outer corners of each eye, which stretched down into his face as he aged until they reached his cheeks. He had pronounced cheekbones , a prominent crease across his forehead, a few wrinkles, a wart near his left nostril, and a few liver-spots.
t-this is the most powerful shinobi in this land?
It was quite unbelievable for the small girl. To think this old man was the strongest. It was almost absurd in her eyes. But then again, what did she know? She didn't wish to judge, so she kept quiet and focused on a point above the man's hatted head and stood straight.
Then, realizing that she would have to introduce herself to the Hokage, she stood straight and introduced herself, looking at him dead in the eye- not caring if that would offend him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been the Hokage of the village for a long time. He had seen war veterans in his days. Hundreds of them, in fact. Those who had lost everything once precious to them, coming to the village to seek protection or a place to live, it wasn't new to him. Many of the citizens were in fact, lost from war. When a girl came into his office, not rudely, he was sure she was another war orphan. And he was pretty sure she was a civilian at first sight. With the pink hair and small build, that was the image projecting. But then, he got a sense of her chakra. Oh my…
'I am an orphan from the village of rice fields. My name is sakura haruno, and I require your assistance, please… Hokage-sama.' She finished her request with a slight bow.
When she had spoken to him, looking straight in the eye, he was surprised. Not many dared to do that. He felt slightly impressed and amused. But then he saw her eyes. Her green eyes haunting. It looked dead. Like she had seen too much for her age, Which she probably had.
And she was so young..
Feeling sympathy and slight worry over the small girl, he smiled and looked at her kindly. He felt it odd for someone so young speaking so formally.
'No need to be so formal, Sakura. My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi, the third Hokage of this village. I understand that you are a war veteran..?'
'I want to live here. My mother told me to come here right before her… death.' Sakura spoke, quite hollowly, but now looking at the man. He seemed nice enough, she supposed.
Sensing her reluctance to speak about her past, he let it drop. He could see she was being sincere about her words. She wasn't a threat. Though he was curious about another thing.
'I was curious about how you entered. The guards don't usually let anyone in.'
Realizing what he was asking about, she quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out the old Konoha headband her mother had kept for her specifically for this reason. Reluctantly, she gave the object to the kind man.
'My mother told me to show this to the guards to let me in. Apparently, I have connections to this village.' Even if I don't know who they are. She thought sourly.
He was curious about the Konoha headband the girl seemed to have and who it belonged to. He noted that it looked like a one he remembered from a few years ago and looked at it more closely. It seemed like a regular standard hitae-ate, but when he looked at the material in the corner, he saw a symbol. More specifically, a senju symbol. It wasn't easily recognizable, since it was in the corner and done with dark ink, but for him it was easy to recognize. He knew whose it was. Hideyoshi senju.
His eyes had widened barely, his face did not show the shock he felt at the moment. He then realized the truth when he looked at the girl.
So she's the daughter he was going to have…
Looking at her now, he could see the resemblances. It was in the nose, the face shape, the cheekbones and the eyes. It was most definitely his eyes. Fully green and determination burning through. Though her eyes were noticeably duller and emptier, but that was mostly because of the war. Hiruzen frowned. He knew she was probably an orphan, but that did not bode well for him.
He personally knew the bright Hideyoshi Senju. He was one of the best and strongest shinobi Konoha had ever produced and also one of the most kind hearted. He was known by mostly everyone, friend or foe. He had known he was dating a girl from some other country; he wouldn't stop talking about her. And looking up at the small girl, he could see this was the result. But now, it was tragic.
The child was an orphan. All alone.
Now he was determined to help her, to not make her feel alone in this world. Also judging by the chakra she has, she could become an asset to the village in the future. But he planned on not revealing anything of her past to her just yet.
'Well, Sakura, no need to be so formal, ne?' He said, smiling kindly, his eyes crinkling. 'I'd be happy to help. I'll give you your new accommodations and the like. If you have any problems at all, you can talk to me about it. Anything at all.' He said, the last part told in a somber tone.
Swallowing slightly, Sakura replied with a grateful 'arigatou gozimasu'.
Nodding, he addressed the next issue. 'Now, I'm pretty sure you have been trained, at least a little, in ninja arts, haven't you?'
Startled, Sakura could do nothing but nod for a few moments. Then she started to explain.
'My aunt, back home, was trained in the basics, and when I found out that I had the potential, she started to train me in the basics. '
'I thought as much. So, Sakura-chan, how would you like to continue your training here?'
The pinkette was a little shocked. She knew this was a ninja village, so she had hoped that she could, but she didn't think she would be getting an opportunity this fast. She wanted to improve her skills like anything. Now, that she knew her father and mother were ninja, she had new found determination.
Eyes blazing, she nodded. 'Hai Hokage-sama. I would like it a lot if I could!'
He smiled at her determination to learn. To fight. But at what cost? Pushing all those thoughts from his head, he spoke to her.
'There is a ninja academy here in the village for all the children who are to be taught the basics and ways of the ninja, it is the beginning of training. The New Year starts in a few days. It is a four year training after which you will be promoted to a higher rank and start completing missions for the village. You can start with the rest of the kids and clan heirs.'
Sakura was thrilled that she can finally get official training. That, and also because she could have something to do to forget about the pain and loneliness. She was still a bit confused on the whole subject, shown on her face by the lines in between her eyebrows, but she felt that she could pull through, giving a determined nod.
'Now before that, I need to know what all you have already learned to evaluate where you stand.'
Frowning thoughtfully, she remembered her previous training sessions and thought on all the things she had learned.
'Well, I know the basics of chakra already and how to mold it. I also learned all the handsigns. Weapons training and stamina training. And… oh I learned the basic jutsus's like the henge no jutsu and the bunshin jutsu and the like.' she said nonchalantly.
When he heard the number of things she had already learned, he already knew he had a prodigy on his hands. It was a rare occurrence for a child, a child of eight, no less, had learned all these which were basically most of the advanced curriculum of the academy. He only knew a few who had accomplished what she had. Itachi Uchiha was a rare exception. He had finished the academy at age seven and his rank was made higher at ten. But that was because his clan had pushed him into it.
But somehow, the girls determined eyes suddenly reminded him of itachi's.
A genius.
Clearing his mind, he resumed speaking to her. 'Well then, you'd be able to fit right in. I will give you the academy details later after you have settled in. I'm pretty sure everything's been moving fast for you. I will assign someone to escort you to your new residence. Crow-san. Please come in.'
Suddenly, in a billow of smoke in the room, Sakura could make out a person in a mask and gear bowing in front of the Hokage. 'hokage-sama' the mysterious man said in a low voice.
'Please escort Sakura-chan to her new house.'
'Hai.'
satisfied, the Hokage turned back to the little girl and spoke to her softly.
' I hope you find your new home easy to adjust, Sakura-chan. I know it won't be easy...' he gazed at her in a fatherly kind of way 'but I hope that you will find happiness here. Also-'he gave the old hitai-ate back to Sakura. 'Keep this with you. It's a very special object and I'm pretty sure you'll find out why in the future.'
Naturally, Sakura was confused by the cryptic remarks of the old man, but she knew that he meant good. Also, she was thankful for the help he provided her with. Bowing as low as she could, she offered her eternal thanks and followed the masked man out through the door quietly, all the while wondering if she really could get used to Konoha.
.
.
.
Itachi Uchiha was annoyed. He was a prodigy. One of the best. An Anbu captain at only thirteen! And yet, he was stuck escorting a weak looking girl to her new place. He wasn't heartless, contrary to what people may think, he knew she was an orphan due the war but he couldn't control his annoyance. He could be completing an s-rank mission or finding out information on the enemy, or do something to get the clan off of his head, but he was stuck here.
Looking at her though, he could tell she wasn't ordinary. Her eyes were looking all around the village sharply. Calculatingly, with a hard edge and… coldness. Of course, it could be due to the losses in the war, but he had a hunch, that she wasn't an ordinary girl. She couldn't be older than his little brother, but she already had more awareness than him of her surroundings. Maybe things will be interesting after all.
Sakura, on the other hand, was gazing around the village, sharply. Wouldn't do to get lost in this big, foreign place anyway. The man, no, boy escorting her couldn't be more than thirteen. But he had the aura of being more powerful beyond his years. She wasn't necessarily scared of him, but she wasn't comfortable around the stranger, who the Hokage had called crow, by any means. She figured crow must be some sort of code name, given to not reveal names. And the mask the boy wore did look like a crow.
While walking down the streets, crow suddenly stopped, making Sakura stop. They had stopped in front of a huge building with the kanji for fire written out front and many kids running around and practicing shuriken throwing in the back. The academy was quite large and is comprised of several buildings. The building has a tree in front of it which has a swing on it. She could vaugley see a blonde boy sitting on the swing, looking down. He looked… isolated.
'This is the ninja academy. Hokage-sama had requested me to show you the building, since you are joining in a few days.'
'Oh… okay.'
He could sense that she wanted to ask something, so turning towards her, he asked her; 'what is it? If you have something to ask, speak up' in a monotone voice.
Flinching slightly, her gaze went directly towards her feet. But then:
No! Don't show weakness. That should be your motto. Even if the guy you're walking with is in reality a robot…
Inwardly snorting at the robot thought, she asked her questions.
'Um, so… how is the academy training?' she asked, tilting her head to the side.
Smiling a little, a miniscule curl of the lips, he answered. 'it's good to learn the basics and history and all. It's not that hard if you're determined.'
Pursing her lips, Sakura looked back at the academy. It seemed many kids her age had already started.
'When can I start?' I want to forget at least for a little while as soon as possible.
'You can start next week, on Monday. It'll be easier for you since a new batch of kids are coming in as well.'
At last, they had reached their destination. It was a shadowy place, not the best location for an eight year old orphan girl. But this was enough for Sakura. Better than any sunny, loud place where she couldn't mourn peacefully.
My thoughts are awfully depressing…
Stopping, the anbu turned towards her and kneeled down to her level.
Sakura, not expecting the boy to look at her intensely, started blushing and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Seeing that, Itachi stifled a smile, even though it wouldn't be seen under his mask.
'This is the place, fourth floor. Just go up the staircase. The academy starts next week, don't forget.'
'H-hai. Arigatou for taking me here…'
Smiling, he stood up and poked her on the forehead, just like he does with his otouto.
'itai!'
Blinking harshly, she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead.
'aa. Ja.'
And in a blink of an eye, he had disappeared in a flurry of leaves.
Still blinking from the abrupt departure of the lukewarm manboy, she entered the building with a heavy heart. The sky was a pretty shade of violet, with pink and yellow streaks lighting it up. She found her apartment relatively well.
It was small, with a small living room, with a counter as a kitchen, and a bedroom for one with an attached bathroom. It was just enough. It was also a dingy and dark place, but she didn't mind at all.
The bedroom already had a bed, a wardrobe and a nightstand. Walking to the window, she sat on the windowsill, looking at the view. The whole of Konoha could be seen, with the sunlight hitting the mountain proudly displaying all the previous Hokage's and the sky's brilliant hues ,making it a magnificent sight.
Her face was blank. Her eyes were hollow.
Home.
A crystalline tear rolled down her cheek.
This is my home now.
.
.
.
The next few days were uncharacteristically slow. She did not go anywhere, save for roaming around in her new small house. The chest was safely kept in the drawer of the nightstand; it was too early for her. The katana, sash and the ribbon were also kept away. She knew this wasn't healthy, but she just didn't want to do anything, alone, reminding her that she truly was alone in the world.
Snapping out of her morose thoughts, she finally decided it was time. No use in waiting anyway.
Gingerly taking the old wooden chest from the drawer, she laced it on the bed. Then taking the key she had found, she inserted it into the slot and turned.
Click.
Biting her lip, she carefully opened the lid of the chest and looked inside. Papers. What seemed to be letters or papers were kept in the chest. Gently, she took all the contents from it and placed it on the bed, spreading them away from each other. She found the letter her mother said she had written first, as it was on the top of the pile and the paper looked new.
Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to read the letter and get it over with. So, that's what she did.
My dearest cherry blossom.
I'm pretty sure that if you're reading this letter, it means that I have passed on. I had suspected this would come sooner than later, but please don't be drowning in sorrow. If I have, I have probably passed on to a better place. A place with your father.
I know you have noticed that I always divert away from the topic of your father and I am deeply sorry for that. So, in this letter, I wanted to tell you the whole truth, or at least, as much as I know.
Your father was a shinobi. A great one. A legend in his own right, I would say. He was a konoha shinobi. A great person who I had fallen in love with. But he had given up his life for the sake of his comrades. Hideyoshi senju was a hero.
I know you suspected he was a shinobi,since you have your powers. I did know that you always went with Nashiko-san to train. I knew, and I didn't stop it. Because I always saw your father in you. You have his eyes…
Anyway, even if you had guessed that your father was a shinobi, the truth is I'm a ninja too.
I am originally from kaminari no kuni- a kumo kunoichi. I had retired from the ninja business when my whole family was killed in a bombing attack by foreign shinobi. From then on, I hated shinobi, and I never wished that life for you. The only exception was your father, and even then, whenever he had to go for missions, I was always scared.
I have also kept several scrolls and other letters in the chest. The letters are the remaining tings I have of your father. Those were the ones he sent me when we were apart.
I know…. That you may not have had the ideal life, but I hope you were never unhappy. It is a mother's wish that her child will always be happy. I know your life will probably be a dark and cold place in your mind, but don't think like that. Think of it as a new start. A new life. You may feel lonely and alone, but always remember that the friends you make will always be with you. I'm also with you, every step of the way, in your heart.
Don't give in to the darkness. Revenge doesn't make it any better. It makes it worse. Just live your life to the fullest. Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today. That was a quote I always believed in. and you should to. It helps.
I love you, so much.
Your mother
-Saori Haruno
Drip.
Drip.
Crystalline droplets of water, running down the length of her nose and cheeks, dripping from her eyelashes, falling on the rough paper, were creating a dripping noise. The only noise heard in the eerily quiet room. The sun was setting, creating shadows on her pale face. Gripping the crinkling paper roughly in her hands, she clenched her eyes shut and struggled to regain her composure, failing miserably.
Her mother laughing at a joke. Yelling because she was worried. Her mother's sad gaze.
Her mother smiling, holding her arms out for a hug.
Memories were flashing in light speed in her mind. It was too much. Finally regaining a bit of her composure by sucking in a gulp of air, she folded the paper carefully and kept it back in the chest.
The words in the letter were running by in her mind. Her mother had said there were more items from which she can find out about her father. Searching through the pages, still crying slightly, she came to a piece of paper she had overlooked before. Turning it, she saw it was an old photograph.
It was a photograph of three kids with an older man. Two boys and a girl. The boy on the right side had dark spiky hair, with a bluish tint and bangs falling on his forehead. He had dark onyx eyes and had a small smirk on his face. Is posture showed slight arrogance, with his arms folded and chin held high. The girl on the left side had long dark red hair and bluish green eyes. She was full-out grinning and she had her hands in a peace sign. She looked the tomboyish type but was very pretty. The boy in the middle had spiky blonde hair, also falling on his forehead and bright green expressive eyes. He had a kind smile on his face and had his hands behind his back. The older man stood behind the others. He had silvery gray hair, spiky, tied in a ponytail that reached just past his shoulders. He had a small smile on his face and dark eyes.
They couldn't be older than fifteen, with the exception of the older man and all were wearing konoha headbands. But what caught the pinkettes's attention was the blonde boy. He looked achingly familiar… to her.
No…could it be?
Flipping the picture to see any clues, she found a messy scrawl.
-Hatake sakumo
-Uchiha Setsuna
-Senju Hideyoshi
-Uzumaki Kushina
-Team 5-
Hideyoshi senju..? his eyes were the very same as hers, she knew. And other parts too. This must be her father! At his teenage years. The others must be his friends or teammates.
She also noticed something else. His headband… it looked similar to the one she has. Running to her pillow, she snatched the headband from under it and compared it to the one in the photo. It was the same one! It was her father's headband….
Quickly wiping off any remaining tears on her face with her hands, she quickly searched for any other photos, and did not find any. Very Disappointed, she searched through the other letters placed in the chest by her mother, and found , to her slight happiness, that they were letters from her father to her mother and vice-versa whenever he was away. This bought a small smile on her face, and the few tears she so desperately held back, had spilled. But nonetheless, she started to read.
Dear Saori,
I miss you a lot. I'm with my anbu team on the Iwagakure border, searching for the enemies. We are dangerously close to enemy territory, but I have no fear. I am strong, after all. Also, Minato's here with me. He says hello, by the way. Kushina is also here. She wanted to stay by his side, since she was worried sick in the last mission when he returned home injured. She says she can't wait to see you again. I'll tell her not to scare you too much. I'm sending this just so you won't pace around all day and be worried for me. I know how you are, don't even deny it!
I'll see you soon. I promise.
Love,
Hideyoshi senju.
It was written in an elegant handwriting in calligraphy ink, with ink blotches in some areas. It looked elegant and ancient. It was small but perfectly understandable.
Reading this, it was obvious to the girl that her father was a man who was funny and caring. She could also clearly see love in his written words. She had no idea who Minato and Kushina were, or if they were even alive. She could see they all were close friends though.
All of these discoveries were taking an emotional toll on her already exhausted mind, but she was smiling. A genuine smile. After reading hideyoshi's first letter she read her mother's reply.
My dear hideyoshi,
Your damn right I'm worried! You went on this alleged mission three weeks ago when you said it would 'only take one, tops!'. When you return, you're going to hear an earful, be sure of that! Anyway, moving on, tell Minato and Kushina hi from me. And tell Kushina that I miss her like crazy and she should visit with Minato sometime. It's incredibly lonely here. I miss you too.
Return safely.
With love,
Saori haruno.
The writing was loose, and free. Her mother sounded happy. She was even joking! She never used to do that. She was always either worried or serious. The moment when she used to smile or laugh was rare. Now I know why. When mom lost him, it must have changed her life forever.
And so, to make herself feel better, she read letter after letter. The bantering and playful joking between her parents in these made her feel as if she was with them, joking with them, being with them.
That night, the small girl slept with a small smile on her face, letters strewn around on the floor.
.
.
.
Days passed by faster after that. One morning, after waking up from a vivid nightmare, she couldn't sleep. Taking labored breaths, she sat on the window sill, enjoying the fresh air and the quiet. The sun was just rising; the first rays of sunlight on the horizon could be seen, giving the whole village a mystical effect.
It was the same nightmare. The nightmare of the massacre. Even though she knew her mother had passed on to a better place, she was restless and angry. She felt cold and alone. Thoughts of revenge were floating around in her head, but she resisted. She didn't want to go through that path. But it never went away, always in the back of her mind. She could feel herself closing in. wrapping her arms around her waist, the huddled up pinkette thought about the importance of the day.
That's right. It's the first day of the academy. I know I should be excited, but I'm just relieved that I'll have something else to occupy my mind. But then again…. What if I'm not good enough? All the other kids are probably from ninja clans; training from their early years, while I-
She shook off her negative thoughts. Biting her lip and scrunching her eyebrows, she decided to get ready, have breakfast and walk to the academy to reach their early. Not wanting to be late on the first day itself.
After wearing the ninja garb her late aunt had bought for her last birthday, she set out to the academy. Only the pitter-patter of footsteps could be heard throughout the street. She was slowly getting used to the place. The people bustling about, ninjas in every wake, all the noise…. It's become strangely close to her.
Then she saw the huge building with the tree out font and the kanji for fire on the top. Seeing the other kids were already there, she went in and stood to one side, not wanting to be near them. It was depressing, to see all the other kids with their parents, hugging and kissing and wishing their kids good luck. It just reminded her that she was alone, all over again. They were all here for the admission to the academy.
A select few children stood out. There was a blonde girl making a lot of noise with her group of friends in the back. She also noticed two boys, one with hair resembling a pineapple and another who was kind of fat and kept on munching on potato chips, laying on the roof, seemingly watching the clouds. She raised an eyebrow at that.
It's the first day of the academy! How can they laze around like that… ?
Looking around, she saw the same blonde boy sitting on the swing, but he wasn't swinging or anything or anything, he looked depressed.. .Alone. He reminded her of herself. She took a step towards the lonely boy but faltered when she noticed that only they both and another family were still standing outside.
Helplessly, the small looked around for anyone else her age so that she can follow them, but there was no one. She knew she could go ask the family that looked like were still conversing with their child, but she was just too shy, and also seeing them together, gave her a funny feeling in her stomach.
Finally seeing no other option, she walked towards the small huddled family. She saw they there was a mother, a father, a boy who looked older than her and a boy her same age. Gathering courage, she approached the woman. She looked a bit kinder than the rest.
'A-ano, excuse me? Would you please show me the way to the registration office?'
The woman turned around, stopping her conversation. She was very pretty, was Sakura's first thought. Long ebony hair, onyx eyes, pale skin and a kind smile, Sakura felt herself relax. She also saw the older brother turn around and something akin to recognition passed his eyes. A ghost of a smirk could be seen on his face.
.
.
.
Mikoto Uchiha was a proud woman. A full-fledged jounin, uchiha matriarch and the mother of one anbu captain and a son who was entering the academy. She, along with the rest of her family had come to the academy to support Sasuke on his first day. She knew Fugaku was rolling his eyes and scowling behind her. She didn't want to make a scene, but she couldn't help it. Her baby, her Sasuke, was entering the academy. She knew he was growing up, he has got to some time, but she felt it was way too early. Keeping her tears at bay, she hugged her youngest tightly.
'Now, if you don't want to join the academy this year, it's totally fine! You-'
'Mom! We talked about this! I want to be a strong shinobi, like nii-san!' Sasuke replied, puffing up his cheeks and turning his head to the other side.
'Hn. Mikoto, don't baby him. Or else he won't learn.' The head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku, said gruffly, scowling. When sasuke heard his father, he blushed harder and frowned.
Mikoto couldn't resist. She hugged him again. She was about to ask him again when she heard someone behind her speak.
'A-ano, excuse me? Would you please show me the way to the registration office?'
Turning around she saw a small girl, with big doe green eyes, a small frown on her face and pastel pink shoulder length hair. She was fidgeting with the hem of her top.
Kawaii! Mikoto squealed in her head. It would be undignified if she did it on the outside. But the girl was too cute. Mikoto smiled.
The girl's fidgeting increased. Mikoto guessed it was because no one was saying anything and everyone was staring at her. No to mention anyone would lose their nerve when Fugaku and Itachi are staring holes into the person.
Suppressing a sigh, she took it upon herself to make the girl more comfortable.
Smiling a kind smile, she answered. 'Sure! We were just going there ourselves. What your name, kodomo?'
Relaxing seeing as she agreed to show the way, she decided it wouldn't be so bad answering.
'Sakura. Sakura Haruno.'
' I see. It's your first day too, huh? Well, my baby boy Sasuke is also starting the academy today.' She replied sweetly, bringing Sasuke to the front.
'Mom! Stop calling me a baby boy! I'm not-'he stopped short, when he saw the pink haired girl was staring at him with her green orbs amusedly. He blushed a pretty shade of pink immediately but stayed his ground. No, not pretty, manly!
Seeing that, Mikoto smiled. 'C'mon Sasuke. Introduce yourself to Sakura. She's not going to bite.' She told him, chuckling a bit.
Reluctantly, Sasuke looked at the pink haired girl and offered his palm. '…. Sasuke uchiha.'
Still amused, she held his hand in a handshake. 'Nice to meet you. Sakura Haruno' and then took her hand back. Cute.
'Hn. Can we go now?' Sasuke whispered the last part to Mikoto's ear, not wanting to whine in front of his potential classmate.
'Mhmm, let's go! C'mon Fugaku, Itachi.'
'hn.'
'hn.'
Mikoto sighed. Sasuke was annoyed. Sakura was amused.
Once they reached the registration office and all the work was done, Mikoto was kind enough to help with her registration too; they were about to part ways.
Bowing again, she told gratefully: 'arigatou gozaimasu, Mikoto-san! I wouldn't have known where to go without your help.'
Looking at her, Mikoto somehow couldn't help it. She went up to the sweet child, kneeled down and hugged her. 'It's quite alright, Sakura-chan. I'm glad.'
Sakura, on the other hand was startled. When she realized what was happening, she imagined it to be her mom.This is different…. I miss you, mom.
When she felt tears forming, she held them back desperately. Mikoto let go of her and told Sasuke to go with her into the classroom together.
'So that you both will have someone you know.' Was the reasoning given. With a last bow to the Uchiha family, she, along with Sasuke entered the academy as beginners.
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The academy was tough. Days, weeks, months passed since she first started. It was time consuming, it was exhausting, it was tough, and it was exhilarating.
She had progressed to one of the best in class, naturally, because she had already learned most of the things taught by Nashiko-baa.
Students were taught the Shinobi Rules. Special lectures read by highly experienced shinobi were sometimes held.
Taught by chūnin instructors, all ninja potentials were lectured on tactics and strategies. They were instructed on the basics of trap-setting as well as how to strengthen their minds and bodies. They were taken through the handling of ninja weapons and tools, like shuriken and kunai, learning how to throw and wield them through target practice. All these were excelled by Sakura. She was intelligent. Not as smart as Shikamaru, the resident lazy genius, but a genius In her own right. Academy students were also taught about chakra and how to use it, hand seals and the basic levels of:
Taijutsu classes serve as the Ninja Academy's equivalent of Physical education class. In taijutsu class, students are engaged in physical activities to help train their bodies and develop their stamina. Sakura was one of the lowest in this class, she never was any good at fighting, she remembered. This forced to practice taijutsus every day. Different forms and katas, different strategies and stamina building were all done. She still wasn't the best in the class, but she was getting there.
Soon.
Ninjutsu classes provide the bulk of what potential ninja learn at the Academy. Techniques such as the Transformation Technique and the Clone Technique are taught to students at the Academy that will build up to what they'll learn from their jōnin-sensei. The chunins and jonins who taught were very impressed by Sakura, who had mastered it on the first day itself. The only others who had were the clan heirs, but it was impressive, the said, for a girl from no clan to master it so easily. They had no idea that she had practiced it beforehand, but didn't bother to correct them.
Genjutsu classes are not touched much upon except for explaining what genjutsu is. Sakura found out she had an affinity for genjutsu.
All in all, she was one of the best in the year's batch. She was sharing the number one spot with Sasuke.
Sasuke was a whole different story. They weren't close, as Mikoto wished them to be, due to Sakura's apathetic nature and Sasuke hanging out with his own group of friends. But they were acquaintances who acknowledged each other. Sasuke always waved goodbye to her at the end of the day and she would wave back. They had become each other's helpers in any subject they had difficulty, which wasn't much, because they were the best of the class.
Then came the bloody day Konoha would never forget.
The Uchiha Massacre.
Some say it was because Itachi had snapped because of the pressures of the clan. Some say it was because he hated his family. There were many other rumors too, but these were the most widely known ones. It was a horrible case of genocide.
Sakura didn't believe it at first, since she had seen firsthand the affection in his eyes when he looked at his younger brother. He may have been excellent in hiding his emotions, but whenever Sasuke came into view; his eyes would show the love. It was palpable. It could be seen in the way itachi used to come to the academy to pick Sasuke up. The way Itachi gave a piggy back ride for Sasuke whenever he got hurt. He was the ultimate brother. It was quite obvious Sasuke worshipped him. Sakura often found herself jealous at their close bond. Now, everything had changed.
She knew the massacre had happened. She had hidden from view when the shinobi's were searching the scene, and she had seen the damage. The whole of the district was a ghost town. Tape surrounding the scene and the stench of blood was still in the air. She felt a loss, not as big as when she lost her mother, but close, because of the death of Mikoto, who reminded her of her mother for a fleeting moment. It was too similar to her story.
She had heard from passerby's that Sasuke was taken to the local hospital for a physical and mental evaluation. She felt deep agony for Sasuke, because she knew how it felt to lose everyone you love, right in front of your eyes. It was unimaginable and you can never recover from it. She wanted to go and comfort him, but she knew that he may be still in shock. That's how she was, anyway.
That night when she slept, the nightmares reappeared.
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Sasuke had changed. It was expected, but it was like his whole personality had changed overnight. She cant complain, she was the same way. From bright and sunny, she had changed to moody and silent.
She never talked to Sasuke, he never talked to her. Or anyone. He was silent. Dark. Unapproachable.
One day, when Sakura was walking back to her apartment, she saw Sasuke sitting on the dock, staring at the water. Hiding behind a tree, she peered out to see what he was doing. Understanding that he was staring at his reflection, she was both fascinated and sad at the emotions that crossed his face at that moment.
Confusion. Shock. Anger.
And suddenly, with a snarl, he jumped into the freezing water. Shocked, she ran to the dock, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to see her, and looked into the water.
'Hey! H-hey!... Sasuke?'
Now concerned, she was about to jump in the water to look for him, when he suddenly sprang up and pushed himself onto the dock, panting.
'H-hey, you okay?' Sakura asked in a quiet voice, not wanting to provoke him anymore.
He didn't reply, just looked straight ahead. Though the annoyance had joined the expression of anger on his face.
Sakura decided not to say anything. She just sat there; arms wrapped around her knees and watched the setting of the sun and the brilliance of the sky.
After a few moments, she whispered 'I know what you're going through, you know'
Sasuke's head whipped around so fast she was afraid he had gotten whiplash, but her concern melted away when she saw the furious expression on his face.
'Don't you ever say you know what I'm going through! You don't! You'll never understand!' he snapped harshly, panting a bit.
Sakura didn't say anything to that. Her eyes had gone blank and she turned her head up to look at the sky. Her face held no emotion. After a moment, she replied.
'You're wrong. I know more than anyone…. The same thing happened to me too, you know. I lost my family too.' She whispered, her voice cracking on the word family. Then she turned to look at him, and Sasuke could see all the emotions she had hidden the whole time they knew each other.
Agony. Pain. Loss. Loneliness. Anger.
'I'm not going to say it'll get better or just forget it because you can't forget it and it won't get better. It will always be there. The thing you have to ask yourself is, are you going to do something about it move on from the past... think about it.' She continued somberly.
She then stood up and walked away, not looking at him once throughout her whole speech. If she had, she would've known that Sasuke had been staring at her the whole time with slightly widened eyes and had followed her form till she was out of sight.
Turning around, Sasuke shook his head, water droplets falling from his hair and stared at his reflection again.
Do something and move on, huh?
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And that's it for this chapter!that was long..17 pages. I wrote the whole sasusaku childhood thing because I wanted to give them some history. Anyway, next chapter is timeskip to graduation. Team 7 will be born and naruto is properly introduced!
Anyway, did you guys see the trailer to road to ninja? It looks epic! But it'll only come with eng sub on april 2013, so that sucks…
Constructive criticism is appreciated .really. but please no flames.
I would like to thank—
SwtAzn
AnimeBear
Grace Tarpley
wierdpony115
for favouriting or following my story!
Pleaaaaasssssee review!or follow!or favorite my story!
-fourthfireshadow-