A/N: Ugh, as usual I keep having these second thoughts while writing and slowing myself down in the process, but hey I had it in the last chapter and I saw I only had good feedback so thank you! Even though I am writing on chapter 9 it will probably be a while before it gets posted since I am thinking on working on the prompts for the upcoming naruhina month. Dropped another authors note on the end, see you down there.
Sakura stared at the Konoha shinobi. He had spoken her name, why did he know it. She hadn't been in Konoha for soon 4 years, yet for someone to know of her name made her feel uncomfortable. The male didn't look like any of the academy teachers, and she knew her family didn't know of many ninjas, not one matching the male before her.
"Haruno Sakura, you have been away for a quite long time now but now you are to return to Konoha with me."
Her precious home village, she should be happy hearing it but a great sadness overwhelmed her instead. She knew that in the current state, a return home was yet not possible.
"If you were to ever return to Konoha, they would certainly turn you against us. Use all information their intel could gather on you to break down Akatsuki then later prosecute you as a traitor. For your own and Akatsuki's safety I advise you to stay away from Konoha."
No, she couldn't let that happen, Akatsuki was too precious for her to let it happen. And this was not for just herself; it was for the great revolution that would lead them later to peace. Konoha wouldn't be allowed to stand in the way.
'I am sorry, mum, dad, everyone. But I cannot yet return home. Not under these circumstances.' She kept her eyes at the other while her hand reached for her kunai pouch.
But the male made it clear that wouldn't happen but pointing his kunai up against her.
"I don't want to hurt you."
She didn't bother about his treat or the weapon pointing toward her, grabbing on to the kunai she got in to a fighting stance.
When she was to strike she felt like someone gripped on to her head mentally, freezing her movements in painful screams. She dropped her weapon and held on to her head trying to gain control of the pain only to gain more. It felt her whole head was boiling and burning. Her mind and vision was becoming unclear, trying to move again toward the jounin made her just stumble forward and crash down against his body that was calling her name repeating times but she couldn't hear it through the drumming sound in her head. She collapsed against Kakashi that held her up against his chest, shaking her but getting no response.
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The cherry blossom pink hair was still in the same hue but had grown much longer from what he recalled from the picture. The same green eyes were still as big and warm with the same apple green shade. But that adorable, childish smile was no longer there. What he had seen earlier had been a girl filled with determination and impressive skills for a kid.
A picture was said to say a 1000 words but he was sure that none of those would match in with the girl that was now in his arms.
Something had happened to her, an attack out of nowhere? A genjutsu, or some sort of self-destruction jutsu? The possibilities were many but it surprised him it could happen without him sensing anyone else nearby that could have caused it.
"Kakashi?" The pug jumped up to his master side to await further orders.
"Pakkun, I need you to return back to Konoha before me as fast as you can with a message to the hokage that I have found Haruno Sakura. She is alive but unconscious. Hurry!" He didn't need to speak any further for the pug sent off at his top speed.
The girl barely weighted anything in his arms, so he gracefully floated down from the tree down to the ground with her. He laid her down on the ground, excusing himself while buttoning up the cloak she was dressed in. One of her legs had a bad injury, not deadly but the blood loss could become a serious problem.
With very careful hands he cut up the fabrics of the leg that was injury and dug in his pouch for his medical-kit. 'Oh, Rin even today your kit is a life-saver', he thought while digging up a roll of bandage. Sadly his sharingan couldn't see in through body if any splinters or any other dirt was still left in the wound but he couldn't do much more about it than clean it and put bandage on it to keep it intact to stop the bleeding. The medical ninjas in Konoha would have to patch the girl up better.
Checking on the bandage again that it was in place he moved his eyes up to the girl's face. Even if she was unconscious her face was hinting of the great pain she had felt earlier, it was something troubling her mind.
Her skin had turned pale, he assumed the blood loss was behind it but he hoped her life was out of danger. They were hours away from Konoha, even if he would run through the whole night it would at least take to dawn before he would reach the village border.
He wanted to set off but the other ninken besides Pakkun and Bull and the ANBU he had arrived with was still away following the traces of the other members that had been in the building earlier.
They had been reported that Akatsuki members had been moving around in this area, the mission had been to track them, if necessary use violence to bring them down and back to the village.
Upon arriving he had sensed a genjutsu was placed on the area, releasing it he still had felt there was a presence inside the temple. Pakkun had mentioned it had been a familiar scent inside there and he had thought it had been Uchiha Itachi or the other akatsuki members from their earlier encounters.
Creating a clone he sent to move closer that was taken out with a trap of flying kunai it came natural to counter with the kunais with the explosive tags.
The explosion had wrecked down the whole temple, blocking the entrance out, meaning the person inside had to get out from outside. Whoever it was had added a smoke bomb above all the fire smoke to create a bigger field to hide in. But one can't hide their scent, not from his ninken, Bull had without problems tracked the person, howling toward its master.
He had hurried, the temple was still dangerous to move around since things could fall down on you if you were not careful and the smoke scene on top of that had slowed him down. But he would have never imagined on the short time the girl would have somehow managed to escape Bull and made it up there. He had watched her from a distance, seeing the trembling body that tried to fight pain while pulling out the wooden splinters under a choked cry. The pain had distracted her from noticing him sneaking up on her.
There was not much information on the akatsuki members, a pink haired kunoichi was highly possible but never would he have guessed it would have been her.
The same girl that had been registered as deceased, that he had failed rescuing. Why was she now 4 years later standing before him, dressed in the akatsuki cloak, ready to attack him?
He didn't worry about his safety but the awaiting judgement to the girl when she would be returned to the village.
If she possessed a threat to the village he doubted they would not show any mercy on her despite her young age. There was a risk she could be executed.
But no matter what fate awaited Sakura he had to hurry back to the village. He carefully placed his arm under her legs and the other on her back, lifting her up in his arms and setting off toward Konoha.
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"I thought that kid was on our side, then why dump her to Konoha?"
"It was leaders order to leave her behind."
The group of s-ranked criminals was on their way back to their hideout. They had left before the arrival of dawn, with Itachi placing a light genjutsu on the sleeping girl to delay her wakening and make sure she wouldn't awake even though they moved soundlessly. He had also placed a genjutsu trap around the area to give a false image of more people being inside there.
The real trap had been planned for days, making sure it would come to Konoha's knowledge of Akatsuki members moving around this area, and they had it confirmed by Zetsu that Konoha shinobi was moving toward them.
He felt a slight relief of having Sakura being brought back to Konoha. She would be out of his concern and in safety for now. He had faith in his village, that they would have mercy on Sakura. He believed the third wouldn't kill off a child, unless the council and Danzo wouldn't play any dirty tricks.
Thinking about his village always brought him back to his little brother. How was he doing now? Was he already a genin? Was he managing?
Alongside his brother this little girl that had somewhat become precious to him was now also to be in the village, he couldn't help but wonder if fate was playing him a trick.
Even in his deepest thoughts he kept a straight face and could walk forward undisturbed and sense anything, including Deidara staring at him.
He glanced over at the other with his sharingan activated, he wasn't interested in dealing with that loud mouth now, that sore loss seemed to had hit him hard, but Itachi couldn't care less. This mission was over and now he was to wait for another and so the circle would continue on before judgement would pass on to him.
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With barely any breaks the jounin had arrived at gates of Konoha by the morning. By the village gate awaited ANBU members and set of medical-ninjas that took the girl off him to hurry off to start her treatment with the ANBU in their follow. A girl that would to a civilian look harmless had now ANBU guarding her.
Kakashi made his way to the hokage building to meet the third. He was alone, seated on his regular futon with Pakkun resting beside it. The dog nodded to his master that gave a nod in return indicating the dog could return to his home.
"So, Haruno Sakura...She was never killed back then?"
"Yes, so it seems the description of her and the way she seemed to react upon the name indicates that it must be that girl. Her hair color and eyes speak for themselves."
The hokage nodded and let out a sigh, what was supposed to be a miracle had just dragged on more troubles.
"And she raised her weapon against you?"
Kakashi may be a man that bends the rules of being on time but lying about such details was not an option. Not even when a 12-year old were involved. He nodded.
"Yes. During our combat we first didn't see each other but when she was confronted by me she attempted to attack me but was stopped by some kind of attack to her mind."
"Genjutsu?"
"My sharingan couldn't detect any, nor could I sense anyone nearby. It was like something was activated in her head, causing her great pain. She passed out after that and has been out since then."
The third gave out another sigh, this was not he had expected from the outcome. With the girl still unconscious there was not much more to do than wait. He yet had to discuss the matter with the council.
"Do her parents know?"
"I think it's better for now if this stays secret, when the medical-ninja are done with her I will have ANBU move her to a closed section where we will await her awakening. For now you are dismissed."
Kakashi nodded and turned to take his leave when the hokage spoke again.
"Kakashi, I know you took it hard when I didn't organize a rescue mission for Sakura back then. Whatever actions that will be taken from today...don't let it affect you as much."
"Of course not, Hokage-sama."
And with that the male closed the door and was away. The hokage leaned back against the wall behind him. He looked over the file he had requested. He had read it over and over. This information need to be re-written he had thought at first but then realized. For now this document would remain the same. Even if the file was to be sealed and kept away in locked archive's it would still list the following: Haruno Sakura. Missing, suspected to have been abducted by Uchiha Itachi. Assumed deceased.
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Voices, it was human voices she heard in her head. For a longer time she had laid down trying to identify the noises she kept hearing. She couldn't make out any words, but she was certain it was people speaking. Her senses were slowly returning to her body, she moved her hand feeling her fingertips brushing against her covered side.
Now that she could hear and feel she needed her other important sense. Her eyes opened up slowly, taking in her surroundings. She was what she would have guessed some kind of hospital room only it lacked the same white and clinic feeling. The room had a more grey tone over itself and had no windows leaving only the lamp in the ceiling as a light source. She looked over at the other side of the room, finding two males by the only door in the room, speaking between them. They were identical dressed in their black and grey outfits with porcelain masks covering their faces.
Her eyes wandered over the black and red lining of the mask that formed a mouse face, while the other had cat whiskers over its mask. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle that caught their attention. Funny enough it was the mouse male that directed the order to the cat.
"Report to the hokage that she is awake." The cat was off instantly leaving Sakura with the mouse male that remained silent. Feeling uncomfortable not knowing if he was staring at her or something beside her Sakura turned her gaze away from him and decided to look at her own body. When she had moved earlier she had felt sore in her chest. She started by wiggling her toes, then trying to move on her legs only to feel her right one giving out a great pain. She whimpered and shut her eyes. So something had happened that had sent her to the hospital with an injured leg. Had something gone wrong in taijutsu class or any other lesson? She could imagine Ino would have a blast making fun of her for it. Had she perhaps attempted to impress Sasuke by doing something reckless? But it didn't feel like something she would do.
She didn't get to think further for the door soon opened and the cat male returned with the hokage in his follow. Now she really was wondering what had happened earlier.
The hokage walked forward stopping when he was standing on the end of her bed, facing her.
"Are you feeling all right?"
"Aaah." Her voice was raspy; she coughed to clear her throat to repeat herself, the elder nodded to it.
"I suppose we shall keep you here for a few days. But we will begin questioning you already. These men here" The hokage held up his arm pointing toward the group of the masked trio that was standing by the door. "Will ask you about what happened at the spirit temple, you just have to give them your honest answer. Do you understand?" A spirit temple, Sakura couldn't recall a temple by the name of it or any temple at all she had been near. The more she tried to recall this incident the hokage spoke of the more terrified she grew when she couldn't remember that event taking place or anything else before waking up here.
She felt tears pushing forward in the corner of her eyes, why did she have to cry now in front of the village leader, it was pathetic. But looking up he wasn't there anymore, a click that said someone had closed the door and that left her alone with the ANBU.
"Let's make one thing clear here, lying is not an option. If things get troublesome we might need to toss you to the intel and believe me, they are far worse than us."
Sakura gave a short nod, agreeing and making clear she understood the male felt like the most wise thing to do in her situation.
"How are you related to the organization Akatsuki?"
Huh? Akatsuki, it didn't ring any bells, drawing her brows together she tried to focus her mind and memory on the word 'Akatsuki' but only to get nothing.
"Where is Uchiha Itachi?"
"Who else is a part of Akatsuki?"
All these questions that she couldn't respond to piled up in her head, trailing down along with the tears down her cheeks. It was frustrating; she couldn't even form words to tell them she didn't know anything. Through her blurry vision she didn't see the mouse mask coming closer to her, pressing two single fingers right in to her ribs that caused her to hiss loud for the pain it gave out. He gripped her head pulling it up by force to the side to pull her off the bed
"Oi, Yoru! Remember what sandaime said-!"
Hn, I know!" The mouse mask that apparently was called Yoru released his grip for a second only to gather his fist full of her pink locks yanking her head up again this time to have her face the porcelain mask.
"Listen kid, I don't know they taught you to get through integration but tears don't work here. Better speak up now or start pray for your senpais to come running for you."
This man was serious she could simply tell by sensing his blood thirst toward her. She parted her lips to speak, catching up salty tears in her mouth. It was then she realized how dry her mouth was, she had to form the words on her lips before speaking them, even then they came out as trembling.
"I...I-I don't know, I don't remember!"
A silent conversation was held between the masked men, the mouse loosing on her grip for her to fall back in the bed with a whimper.
He walked away from her and toward the door, speaking with her back turned to them all before walking out.
"Just remember you picked this yourself, sweetie."
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Sakura was down on her back again with the blankets pulled up over the lower half of her face. Once Yoru had exited the room she had been crying, trying to do it in silence only to let out choking noises under her breath. The other ANBU members had let her be, barely exchanging words between themselves. A long time had passed now and yet no one had entered the room yet. Sakura's eyes were red swollen and her eyelids were feeling heavy. She wanted to sleep, yet she was afraid of not knowing in what condition she would later wake up in.
To keep herself awake she was trying to analyse the situation based on the little information she had gathered from her interrogation.
Something terrible must had happened before she had woken up her, injured. She assumed this Akatsuki was a bad group to be a part of and she somehow had herself involved with it that had ended up with her getting injured. But there were still too many question marks in the story, she needed more answers. But if you were in this state, had someone else been injured? Had she been in battle again another person?
The thought of hurting another human being stung her heart, especially a fellow Konoha ninja. Officially she was yet not a ninja but a soon to be one. When was the genin exam coming up, she wondered? She felt confident in her ninjutsu but she wish she could get out of her soon to catch up on reading to make sure she had not missed anything of importance. Thinking about studying brought her thoughts on to the shinobi rules, she listed them in her head by numbers, when she had got number 14 she was asleep.
Yamanka Inoichi entered the room, finding the girl he had been asked to look in to, deep asleep in her bed. Maybe it was better so. He remembered those pink locks far too well. Ino had been heartbroken hearing about her former best friend gone missing, blaming herself for their rivalry pulling her away. She had been crying even more finding out the girl was dead. How would have Ino reacted now if she was to see Sakura in this state, he wondered making his way up to the side of the bed. He looked down at the sleeping face, seeing traces of worry and exhaustion in her now relaxed face. Being part of the intelligence division and the yamanka clan granted him power to be able to slip in to sleeping girls mind and go through her memories unnoticed.
By placing a hand on her forehead and shutting his eyes he slipped in to her mind, swimming toward her mind and archive of memories. He already felt when entering her mind that something was off. And he had it confirmed when entering her memories. Genjutsu blocks, no wonder she couldn't remember anything. He undid the genjutsu block to reveal something far worse. Another block only this one was a block he had never attempted to undo himself. But the one who had attempted to undo it had died along with the male they had kept in custody. The akatsuki had indeed some secrets resting within this girl, why else take the time locking them away with these methods.
Inoichi floated away from the mind block seeing there was still an open path further in, he past the locked doors of years of memories he couldn't access. He reached out to a memory filled with light and warmth. A young Sakura, a few years younger than the current sleeping one laughing while playing with his own daughter. The two girls ran around over a flower field while laughing. In another image Ino taught her how to do a flower crown from the flowers on the meadow they were seated in. He smiled seeing how well he had raised his daughter to be such a loyal friend to Sakura. But while floating through the memories the girls shared Inoichi noticed something was off in his daughter's eyes, the way her eyes flickered or how she bit her lip whenever Sakura didn't see. She was hiding something. It was a bit too late to ask her about such an old incident but he soon had the answer played up in front of him.
"Ino-chan, you like Sasuke-kun, right?"
His daughter didn't need to speak for Sakura to know the answer. A silence was passed between the two girls before Sakura rose up from the bench the two had been sitting on, turning to walk away.
"Then we are rivals from now on."
The memories from that day lacked the same warmth he had felt earlier. Even though these memories belonged to a girl determined to win the Uchihas heart and never to lose to his daughter again. And then it all became foggy. It was probably around there sometime she was kidnapped, hence the block he was met by trying to go further.
He opened up his eyes being greeted by the same sleeping face, glancing over at the clock to see it hadn't even taken 5 minutes for him to examine her memories. It was a great shame he couldn't give anything of use to the hokage that could secure Sakuras future, she still was stuck in limbo.
He looked over at the ANBU, shaking on his head to confirm he had negative results. But it also meant Sakura had told the truth from the very start.
He glanced over at her once more, sleeping as he was expecting Ino to be as well. Would his girl ever get to know that Sakura is alive or would she still had to remember her former friend like this. Without any sounds he left the room to let the girl sleep, making his way back to the hokage office to report.
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"So basically you are saying it's impossible to gain access to whatever intel she has about Akatsuki?"
"Not impossible but a high risk. The last one to attempt to undo such a seal died along with the person that had their mine sealed with that technique. I don't want to pity my life for the sake of important information but I am only saying it can end up making no difference."
The hokage nodded, this was not what he had hoped for but at least it leaned toward the better for Sakura's sake.
"We still can't overlook other facts that we already know from what Kakashi told us, all enough just seeing the clothes she was wearing."
The hokage blew out smoke from his pipe and faced the council members, his former team mates and still what he considered his friends. But comparing to him they had a far more strict view on how certain things could be handled.
"Inoichi, you are dismissed. We will see tomorrow what action to take next. Good job!" The yamanaka member bowed to the three elder before leaving them alone.
"You seem to have completely lost your mind by taking this lightly!"
"If it is that Sakura has what we can call a forced amnesia then I see why we would need to pass on any judgement on her. She has no memories what so ever of it and can therefore no learn any of the moral with judgement. I am sure Kakashi wouldn't mind either if she went unpunished. I think it's time for her to get to come and be reunited with her family."
He had said what he wanted to said so Hiruzen took his right to exit the room, hearing Homura speaking behind his back.
"I hope you don't think of "saving" her to make up for Itachi and the Uchiha clan."
"No, I do that already every day by making sure Uchiha Sasuke stays well."
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Morning had arrived when Sakura had woken up, feeling better now after a whole night's sleep. Her body didn't feel as sore as earlier either, she could even sit up without any problems when the nurse came in and examined her, sending in chakra to her chest, telling her that her ribs were fully healed and the worst would that they would still be a little sore.
Sakura had thanked the nurse and then remained in the bed in sitting position. She wished the room had something to look at. No windows, books, plants. Nothing, not even a window to look out through. The ANBU that was positioned by the door didn't appear to be talkative either, despite it being a new mask standing there since last night she didn't want to try hold a conversation with him. She was pleased to see the door opening up and taken by surprise to see the hokage paying her another visit. Now she really was curious about what had happened earlier to have him dropping by so frequently.
"Good morning, Sakura-chan."
"Hokage-sama, good morning." The girl bowed her head politely before facing the elder man. He was looking somewhat, happy?
"I heard you have fully recovered, so I thought I would take you out, since there is someone here that wants to meet you." She could see from the corner of her eye that the ANBU stiffened hearing the hokages last words. She thought about last night's interrogation, hoping it was not a person to continue on with last night's questioning awaiting her. Her body felt heavy and clumsy before she managed to stand up steady by holding on to the bed with the hokages supportive hand resting on her back. Standing up she could see her clothing, though it was not much to see, her chest was covered in bandages with a hospital robed covering the rest of her bare skin, with only her underwear being of her own. What had happened to her own clothes? The hokage walked her out to the corridor with the masked male following them behind. It looked pretty much the same to the room she had been in earlier, grey and lacking of objects. But she heard distant voices coming from the end of the corridor around the corner.
"What's the meaning of this?! Tormenting us like this, hokage-sama better have a good explanation for this!"
Sakura felt sorry for the woman, hearing her cries fill the corridor while they moved forward with slow steps. The shinobi world did torment and hurt others and came out of victory through this; it was nothing new, lady. She almost halted in her moves hearing her own thoughts. Wasn't that a bit rough to think when this woman maybe had lost someone. Reaching the corner the woman's voice was on a yelling tone, saying she didn't want to stay here, that it was cruel and disrespectful to call them over here without further-
Everything turned silent, with only eyes speaking to each other. Emerald met emerald. Sakura stared in to what she had inherited from her mother, the same eyes, the trembling lip that couldn't hold back streams of tears coming forward.
She glanced over to her father, seeing her pink shade in his only his had turned darker over the years but still in same shape of the flower she was named after.
They were simple civilians, their whole family was, Sakura was the first Haruno to ever take on the ways of the shinobi. So there was no forhead protectors, no jounin outfits, not even any scars from past battles.
Just her parents in their regular clothing, her father in his yukata, shorts and sandals and her mother in her long dress with the family symbol on the back.
Somehow, deep inside it felt like it had been a long time since last she had seen them. They didn't look much older but they lacked their usual energy. Even her father that was always joking and goofing around was now standing up straight and seemed to struggle to hold in his emotions as well.
Even though she knew those two before her was indeed her parents and they seemed just as shocked and confused as her, she couldn't say it was something that brought tears to her eyes. She hadn't actually been thinking about them, not in such ways. Had she been thinking about them at all?
Her mother's sudden voice made her almost jump.
"I-it can't be...Hokage-sama?!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't inform you of it right away, but I was confident you wouldn't believe a simple messager so that's why I brought you here to see it or rather her for yourself." The hokage took a step back to leave Sakura alone with her parents staring at her. It was like a heavy weight had lifted from her mother's body, allowing her to move when she reached out her arms and was to rush to Sakura for a hug.
'Have you ever wondered…if your parents really love you?'
The voice she had heard made her body act on instinct, taking a step backward, clutching on the ANBU member that was close to her. She heard herself gasp out of the surprise for it was as if her body had moved on its own.
Her mother halted with a choked gasp, a new flow of tears coming out. Her father was quick by his wife side to support her. "Hokage-sama!" Her father called out in protest toward the elder leader that glanced over at the frightened Sakura that still held on to the masked man that didn't move a muscle.
"I suppose it's still a shock for all of you. How about you two come back later to pick her up, with a set of clothes since the ones she arrived in has been ruined. I'm sure over time we will work it out." The hokage moved to pat Sakuras head that turned around to face him.
Her parents just gave a silent nod and with a great force her father managed to move her mother to turn around and walk away from their daughter. Their sobs echoed through the corridor long after they were out of sight.
"Were you happy to see your parents?"
"I suppose." She was back in the room again, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring down at her legs that she swung back and forth.
"Do you remember them?" She nodded. Of course she remembered them, which were the most frightening with her reaction. But that voice kept echoing in her mind. Maybe her parents really did love her less than she had ever imagined before, but those tears back then...
"Hokage-sama? What...what exactly happened, why did my parents react such ways?"
She looked over at the leader; she wasn't going to let that old man hold back on an answer.
"They had been told that you were dead but you were found and brought back here which you could see they were grateful for."
Dead?
"How could I have been dead and now be sitting here?!"
"Now, let's just focus on you living, death is to remain a mystery for mankind." She grabbed on to the covers in a tight hold of her fist. Stupid old man, her respect for him was growing less for each answer he gave her. She sulked and turned her gaze away from the male and instead choose to stare in to the wall.
The hokage left the room without saying anything and she let out a loud sigh. Nothing seemed to go well anymore. Though she couldn't recall a close-by event that had gone well. Memory-loss, amnesia or whatever this was that she had been making it hard for her. Maybe it was normal for people experiencing memory loss to act different toward people their closed ones. Did they also hear voices inside their heads? She didn't mention about the voice to the hokage or else he would have maybe thought she had gone mad and not let her out of the room for a long time. The thought of spending another day in the life lacking room disturbed her greatly so she was grateful of being signed out already.
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Her parents arrived after lunchtime, Sakura had forced down a bento were the food had a plastic but memorable taste. When she would have to eat such food was still a mystery to her but she didn't think about it further seeing her parents by the door. Her mother stepped forward, then another step stopping when she stood so she had the bed at an arm's length, placing the plastic bag she had with her on the bed. "It seems you have grown quite a bit so I don't think your old clothes will fit you anymore so I brought one of my old dresses along with a pair of shorts and sandals. I hope they will fit you." Sakura looked up at her mother that held up a forced smile then peeked in to the bag to see something red in there. Red was her color, she wondered if her mother had thought of it while picking the dress or if it was just that one that would fit her best.
She tugged on the red material, dragging out the dress to look at it. It was a similar model to her mother only this one had a long zipper at the front going down to the hip line. The regular haruno symbol was on the back of the dress.
"Thank you." With that Sakura turned her back to her mother and stripped off the robe to put on her new clothes. They fitted her surprisingly well, was this perhaps clothes from her mother's teenage years. She didn't bother asking, just dug in the bag for her shoes when something caught her attention. A red ribbon.
"It's very precious to you, isn't?" Sakura nodded her head, indeed it had been. Was it still? It was her first gift from someone that had become her friend and helped her with her complex. Ino, did she also think she was dead?
Thinking of the blonde girl it reminded her of the rivalry. She had found Ino also liked Sasuke. Sasuke who had paid neither of them any attention, were they still supposed to call themselves rivals. Maybe Ino had already got him, she was good when it came to talking, she was good at many things, always making Sakura feel like she was standing in her shadow. Well did it matter anymore, rivalry or strength, Sakura didn't even know how long it had been since the last time she saw her.
Yet she tied the ribbon to hair, it was after all her signature look, and securing her bangs in place. She stood up with a relief feeling the sandals under feet and not the cold stone floor. Turning around she saw her mother's smiling face, it looked much more relaxed now comparing to earlier.
"I'm ready."
In the hall awaited her father that greeted her and joined them. The Haruno family was usually loud, especially coming together like this but no one of them spoke more than necessary. Her mum and dad had tried to hold up some conversation between each other to have Sakura join in but she had just remained silent, and so they too had remained quiet on their way home.
They stopped a few times since Sakura automatically stopped when looking around. Everything still looked like she remembered it but still it was this feeling inside that made it feel like she had not experienced this in a very long time. She found it fascinating to take it in to her mind all over again, like adding a new layer of color to a dull painting. She couldn't help but form a smile while watching the other villagers and the buildings they passed by. Looking further up she saw the hokage monument. Seeing that old man's face mad her wrinkle on her nose and stick out her tongue toward his big stone face.
Her father had notice her action and couldn't help but to ask. "Sakura, why are you making such a face toward the hokage monument, aren't you happy for hokage-sama's kindness?"
"Kindness? Pfft, that old man isn't telling me anything!" Her smile was off and she stomped forward with her parents in follow. They exchanged a gaze saying that they wouldn't ask her further what she meant about that.
Arriving at the home, Sakura made her way to what she remembered to be her room, All the furniture were still inside there but not in order. Her stuffed animals and other items she recalled owning were nowhere to be seen but a couple of boxes were on the floor.
"I'm sorry, we...we thought, so we..." Her mother tried to find the words but stumbled on the words on her attempt to explain.
"It's okay, really. I will just pack up the stuff I need and then you can put away the rest."
"Ah, of course."
Her mother nodded behind Sakuras back before leaving the girl in her room alone, leaving her to pack her up items herself. It wasn't many things of value for her to save. She packed up her books and notepads and her kunai set. She made a mental note to herself to have the knives sharpened later and opened up the window to let in air in the closed room. In the matter of seconds her mother stormed in the room shouting her name.
"What's wrong?"
"I heard the window and I-"
"Mebuki!" Her father's voice was unusual stiff than usual entering the room behind wife and griping her shoulders. "Don't worry; Sakura was just opening the window."
"What exactly happened to me?! Why won't anyone tell me anything? I'm missing four years of my life, I should deserve to know!"
"Sakura, it's not the time to discuss it now." Her father said in a warning tone but it wouldn't make her stop.
"Not the time?! When is it, in another four years maybe? You are so unfair!"
That's enough, Sakura!"
"You were kidnapped...right here, four years ago. Someone took you away through the window and we never found you. A few days later we were told...that you had died."
Sakura listened to her mother, hearing on her voice the fear and pain they must have felt they days they had been living in the unknown to later get the news that she had died.
"But I'm alive and I'm not going to be taken away again. I'll become a shinobi worth kidnapping, but too strong to be able to be that."
Her parents stood there silent before her father raised his voice.
"Out of the question, you are not to continue on this dangerous ninja games, you will go back to the regular school, do you hear me?!"
"I refuse to! I have four years to catch up on; I'm not going to do it as a civilian brat!" Sakura jumped out of the window hearing her parent's protests but ignored them. She landed gracefully on the ground and took off running. She didn't know where to go only to get away from home.
Somehow she ended up in the cemetery. She walked around scanning the name of the stone plates on the ground, each carrying a different name. Walking through the rows she paused and scanned one of the stone plates. 'Haruno Sakura', her name had been carved in to the stone, looking exactly like the others. But she didn't have her body resting down there. Was there more names written here that had their spots empty, awaiting a body.
"Somehow I was expecting you to be here." She didn't need to turn around to recognize the voice of the hokage.
"If you came here to say I won't be allowed to stay at the ninja academy then I don't want to hear it."
"Now why would I say that? I was hoping you would look forward to returning to school again. Though I am not sure if you should be sent to a class below your age since those in your current class will soon take the genin exam it might not-"
"Let me take the exam! I promise I will succeed, and if I don't I will…I will do as my parents say and attend a regular school."
"It sounds like a deal, very well. Haruno Sakura, from now on you have a week until the genin exam if you fail I will personally have you to attend the civilian school and be refused to ever enter the ninja academy again.
"Deal!"
I really didn't want to seal away her memories, but I felt if konoha were to know where she has been during all these years and for her to know she tried to attack Kakashi it wouldn't end well for her. This chapter was kind of flat but I will pump up some more action in the next one and throw in some more characters!
