Sakura thought it was weird when Kakashi-sensei had told them there would be another joint training session with Team 8, Team 10 and Team Gai.

It was even weirder when they arrived at Training Ground 3 and found everyone that was present last time already there…plus the Hokage. Naruto was about to go and bomb his dad with questions, but Sasuke stopped him putting his hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Well, now that we are all here, we'll start. Team 7, Team 8, Team 10 and Team Gai; the twelve of you have shown some amazing potential, and most of you come from well-known ninja clans here in the village. This may prove to be dangerous, especially when the next Chunin Exams are to be held in Konoha. Our village's informants have expressed their concern, so I have decided that the twelve of you will be living togeth-" the Hokage did not get to finish before some of the genin present –mainly Kiba, Naruto and Lee- started voicing their confusion. Loudly.

After they were done talking, Minato resumed his explanation.

"One of our ANBU operatives has already built a house big enough for you. This will also improve your teamwork and may prove to be the difference between a Chunin vest and a tombstone." After explaining the reasons for his actions, Asuma spoke up.
"Your parents already know of this and have not opposed, seeing that this is for your own good and also for the village. So you will seal everything you will need to move-including furniture- and will meet at 4o'clockin the house Hokage-sama talked about. It's near the Hokage Tower and big enough for you not to miss it. Then we will discuss your rooms and house chores." His tone left no room for questions and the genin nodded.

777

Looking at her empty room, Sakura touched the walls one last time before closing the door; sealing scroll in hand.
Her parents were waiting by the door. Her mother had made a bento for her and had given her some of her cooking recipes in case none of the others knew how to cook. Her father made her promise that she would still visit them at least once a week.
She waved them goodbye and then started walking, without looking back.

777

Since it was only 2:30, Sakura decided to grab something to eat, saving her mother's bento for dinner. There was a teashop near the Academy, so it wasn't far from her new home.
When she arrived, she was surprised to find Shino reading the menu.
"I would recommend the raspberry tea Shino-san, it's delicious." She saw him tilt his head upwards, his sunglasses reflected Sakura's smiling face.
"Would you mind if I join you?" It took a moment before Shino answered he wouldn't be opposed to the idea and the pinkette sat down in front of him.

After they ordered raspberry tea, the two genin started to chat. Sakura had never been close to the Aburame, but she could definitely say that she enjoyed his company.

"Say, Aburame-san…Do you think we'll be able to improve by living together…?"
"Living together may increase our bonds, which will make our fighting more effective as we will learn each other's fighting style. It will help everyone, and if people are after us, there is always strength in numbers." He took a sip from his tea. "You were right, the tea is quite acceptable." Sakura translated it in her mind to the tea is really delicious and grinned at the bug-user.
"I guess you're right, but it's going to be difficult. We'll have to organize chores, and training sessions, who's going to cook, and all that…I wonder if we'll have to pay the bills, maybe Hokage-sama will tell us later?" Shino just nodded.
Don't worry too much Sakura, I'm sure you'll be able to pull it off. You're smart.
Yeah…where were you anyways? I haven't heard you for a whole week…
You see…I had some errands to run and…
You just don't want to tell me, isn't it?
Can we please discuss this another time? Shino is staring at you.
Fine.

"Are you all right Haruno-san" Shino asked
"Yeah, sorry about that, I tend to space out." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously.
Shino just nodded and got up
"We should get going, it's nearly four." Sakura nodded quickly and took out some money before putting it on the table. It was enough to cover for both their beverages. Shino probably knew that but decided not to comment. Sakura just looked at him and smiled.
"I'll let you pay next time, now come on!" She grabbed his hand and started running, looking for the house Asuma-sensei had described.

777

That's not a house. That's a mansion.
Agreed.

A two-story wooden house rose before them. Sakura could see different windows upstairs – which, she thought, belonged to their rooms-, there weren't any balconies, but she wasn't mad at that, though she was sure Ino was going to throw a fit. Besides her, Shino was also looking at their new home. He turned to look at her. "It's big…" he muttered. She couldn't help her snort.
"Of course it is Aburame-san, twelve teenagers are meant to fit in there, but to be honest, it makes me dread chores." Shino chuckled at her last comment. If someone had told her that she would be making the young Aburame chuckle with a joke that bad, she would've told them they needed to see a doctor, but she had to admit she was kind of proud for making him kinda-laugh.

Just then, Hinata arrived to the place, carrying with her a sealing scroll and a paper bag Sakura guessed had some kind of food.
"G-good eve-evening Haruno-san, A-Aburame san." Shino nodded his head at the Hyuuga heiress while Sakura waved
"Good evening to you too Hyuuga-san, you're here early." Sakura saw Hinata blush as she quickly replied that she didn't have many things to grab from her home.

Before long, all twelve of the genin were gathered outside the huge building waiting for their senseis. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke knew that Kakashi would be unbelievably late, so they sat down. Sakura took the opportunity to try to catch up on some of her sleep.

She was hiding behind a wall, listening to the Elders talk.
"The siblings have become a danger to all of us…" She could hear a woman say
"Indeed, with how fast they improve, it is just a matter of time before they grow up and start to question us" a man said
"Everyone loves them, we will be rendered useless, treated as if we were senile…" the first woman replied
"We must not let this happen. Those children must die for the good of the Clan."

Sakura could hear footsteps. She tried to run, but her legs were short and a bit clumsy, she didn't go far before she tripped and fell, hitting her head. The elders saw her
"What do you think you're doing Sakura? Listening to conversations that don't concern you?" The woman that had talked before asked her.
"You must be taught a lesson, you brat." After saying that, the man picked her up –surprisingly, seeing that he was rather old-.

They locked her up for a week.
Sometimes she could listen to Kimi-nii's voice shouting her name. But she could not answer.
When the elder woman came to let her free, she warned Sakura
"You must not tell anyone about what you heard the other day. Not your brother, not your father, not your mother. Do I make myself clear?" Sakura just nodded before she was roughly pushed in the direction of her house. Kimimaro was seated on the porch, eating an apple when he saw her approach. Her brother ran to her and hugged her tightly. He asked her again and again where had she been, but she just shook her head sadly.

She knew Kimimaro had been locked in one of those little cells too, so it wasn't a surprise when he seemed to understand that the Elders had put her in there. After all, it was a common occurrence.

Sakura woke up and opened her eyes. Kakashi wasn't there yet, and everyone was waiting for him. Shikamaru had followed her example and had fallen asleep next to Chouji, who was munching on some chips.

She closed her eyes again and breathed deeply

That one was new, but I know that's not what you're really hiding from me Inner.
No, it's not. But I figured this one was a good start. To be honest I didn't want the fifteen of them to be worried sick for you. That's why I'm waiting until tonight.
That's what you said last week.
Yes, I'm hoping that you forget about it again…
Not going to happen, you know me Inner.
I know…

She heard a poof and a cry of "YOU'RE LATE! 'TTEBAYO" and knew that Kakashi-sensei had finally arrived. So she stood up from her sitting position and watched as the Hokage opened the door.

As they entered and took off their shoes, Asuma-sensei gave each of them a set of keys, warning them that they wouldn't be getting new ones if they lost them –while staring pointedly at Kiba and Naruto-.
Sakura looked to her right; there was a kitchen and a table big enough to fit all twelve of them and then some. To her left; there was a huge living room, with lots –and I mean lots - of couches and a love seat. In front of her, there were some stairs that, she presumed, led to their rooms. She could also see a door that probably led to a backyard, and a smaller room that could be a bathroom, or a guest room. She decided she would find out later. Everyone was climbing up the stairs to take a look at the rooms, and judging by the gasps of surprise from the others, they were some pretty big rooms. So she decided to follow Hinata up the stairs and pick out a room for herself.

Sakura was right when she said that the rooms were big. She walked around the empty space before opening a door to the left and finding herself in a bathroom. She closed the door and walked to her window. She had an amazing view of the Fourth's face and the Hokage Tower. Sitting down in the window seat, she looked at her new room, mentally placing her bed on the right and her full-body mirror next to it. Her dresser next to the bathroom door and her bookshelf next to the window. Just then, Gai-sensei called everyone to the living room.

777

Sakura was glad everyone had brought food with them, so they didn't have to worry of who was cooking dinner.
It had been a long day for all of them. Moving to a new home –mansion- and getting settled tired everyone out. Everyone had wanted to arrange their things perfectly since the Hokage had told them he wanted them to live there until they started getting married. And he wasn't joking. Sakura knew that they would get accustomed to living with eleven other people, and that little by little they would add their touch to the house they now lived in.

Inner?
Yes Sakura?
Remind me to get some plants and painting tomorrow, I'm not leaving my room this bare.
Noted.
And I haven't forgotten.
She heard Inner sigh in her head
Fine, I'll show you. Just go to sleep already.
And Sakura did just that.

She was in front of a man. She guessed he was rich because of his expensive clothes and the many guards in the room. She was afraid, and shocked after losing her whole family. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking. There was a man grabbing the neck of the kimono she was wearing, holding her in place. Not that she was going to escape.
"I found her alone in the forest Boss, judging from her clothes and the marks on her face, she's from the Kaguya Clan. Their secrets are worth lots of money, so I think we could make her talk."
The man in front of her grinned, showing off golden teeth.
"Well done Atsushi. This plan of yours could work. I want all of you to leave my office. I wish to speak with the girl." Just as he had ordered, all the guards and the man named Atsushi left the room, leaving her alone with the man. He was probably forty years old, and reeked of sake and tobacco. He stood up and came to her. She instinctively moved away until her back touched the wall. There was no way of getting out.

The man asked her lots of questions. How did her Kekkei Genkai work? Who were her parents? What was her position in the Clan? What kind of training she received? What books did the Clan Library have?
Not once did she open her mouth.
Not when he slapped her.
Not when he kicked her.
Not when he started
touching her.

In the end, they had locked her up in a cell.
Sakura did not sleep that night.

::

He asked the same questions again and again, and she did not say a word. Not even when he got more violent and took out different weapons to intimidate her. When that didn't work, he started throwing them.

Over the course of the weeks, the man started to get desperate. She had been deprived of food and water for three days, until they had to give her some or risk her dying.

One day, the man had had enough.
He was drunk, Sakura could tell.
He started shouting and threw his sake bottle at her. She was too weak to move, so it hit its mark and her pink hair turned crimson.
He touched her again.
She tried to move out of the way, but his grip was too strong. And she was too weak.
But even then, she did not answer his questions.

He was furious.

The next day, he entered her cell again, but this time there was a man with him.
He had a mask that reminded Sakura of a lollipop.
His only visible eye was red.

He tried to look into her memories, but Inner did not let him in.
After being forcefully pulled out of her mind, the man punched her.
They knew she wasn't mute because she would sometimes scream when they hit her, or threw things at her.
But her parents had told her that she could not tell anything regarding the Clan to people she didn't know.
She stayed silent.

The masked man took out a brush and ink from a pouch strapped to his thigh.
He was painting something in her arm.
"This will teach you to not mess with me little girl." He said

When he was finished, Sakura could only feel pain.

She woke up sweating, covering her mouth so her scream wouldn't wake everyone up.

I told you Sakura. I am meant to protect you from traumatic experiences…
So that's where the seal came from…as punishment for not sharing Clan secrets…
Yes. After that happened, a Konoha team found the place they had you in and got you out, and the Haruno adopted you. Though maybe living with drug dealers didn't help your mental health…
Understatement of the century Inner.

It was quiet in her head for a while. She could hear Naruto snoring in the room next to hers, and Akamaru barking at something before Kiba told him to be quiet. "It's just a fly Akamaru! Go to sleep, you'll wake everyone up!

Will you be fine Sakura?

I will Inner, I just need some time to think. Thank you.
For what?
For showing me everything. For giving me back my past.
No problem

Sakura got up. The floor was cold.

Where are you going?
It's almost down Inner, I'm going to make breakfast. Do you think they like pancakes?
Make them with chocolate chips. Sasuke can bitch all he wants about sweet pancakes.

She laughed.

777

2,706 words people. It's the longest chapter I've ever written. Sorry for not updating in so long, but I'm back now. I hope to be able to update more often, but that will depend on whether I get ideas or not.

As you know, you can review and tell me if you liked it, hated it, or if you want me to add something or fix some mistakes. Also, the pairing for this fanfic will be HakuxSakura, but there will be other pairings and I'll need your help on that.

See you next time.