Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters
Chapter 28: Haruno Clan Ritual Pt. 1
"It sure has been forever." Hiroto had been the first one to break the eerie silence.
'More so for me.' Sakura thought to herself as she saw the entrance of a place long lost, but never quite forgotten; the Haruno Compound. It had been over 18 years since she had entered the compound... why, it had been too hard to even think about visiting, let alone walk near there, so why would she visit?
"What is this place?" shy little Sasuke peered out from behind Sakura's leg to examine the entrance of a place he had never seen before.
"This is where we used to live, Sasuke-chan." Sakura looked behind her to give Sasuke a small reasuring smile, and then looked back up, searching for the small, now worn out sign that read "Haruno Complex", almost reminiscent of the times she enjoyed running around there.
"It sure is big! It looks to be as big as my home!" Sasuke exclaimed loudly. And just because he was still young and naive, he couldn't quite understand that yes, the Haruno Compound was as big as his own clans, and yes, it was meant to supply homes for hundreds, not for 6 children. But he was still naive, and he was still a child, so one couldn't exactly blame him as it was.
So Himawari and Marika ignored him, and the younger two children did the best they could to not glare at the seemingly oblivious Sasuke. Sakura just smiled warmly, obviously hiding the truth behind that smile, and Hiroto just looked away, awkwardly standing almost as if he wanted to say something to Sasuke, but he couldn't.
After the awkwardness had subsided, they all walked in, slowly almost, as they tried to remember all the fond memories everywhere they went. Like the corner of Mrs. Tsutsuji's house, an old somewhat brutish old lady who had chased them out of her garden when Sakura, Himawari, and Marika had been picking flowers. And right under the pine tree not too far away from that house, where Sakura had watched Hiroto expertly climb the tree and save a poor little kitten with his "amazing ninja skills" (yes, Sakura had still been young and naive, and Hiroto had only been a Genin at the time).
With all the memories washing over her, she almost forgot what the purpose of coming was, let alone why she had never done so earlier in her lifetime.
'That's right, we need to get everything ready for the ritual.' Sakura almost sighed bitterly at the thought.
Everything was eerie; still, silent. Dead.
The wildlife, namely the beautiful flowers and trees that once adorned each and every garden and street were all but dead, being over-taken by the weeds that the Harunos' had always kept under control. The houses were dusty, and if one really took the time to notice, you could still see the wreckage of the events that had happened such a long time ago, such as a torn roof here or there, and marks on trees, signaling a fight had occured.
For the sake of keeping Sasuke innocent, she picked him up and walked a bit faster, so as to not give his eyes enough time to travel to the houses, or give his curious mind time to ponder just what had happened here.
They all stopped under a tall oak tree, perhaps one of the only surviving trees left. "Marika, please stay with the kids, we'll be back shortly." Sakura had let Sasuke down gently, ushering him to stay alongside the other children and Marika.
Marika merely nodded in response, understanding why Sakura had said that; they hadn't been here in who knew how long, and they didn't really know what would be seen inside. Whatever it may be, it was better not to let the children see it.
But Sakura found, with mild surprise, as she entered the area where the actual houses were located at, that there was no blood, no bodies, no tell-tale sign of what had happened a long time ago, except for every now and then, when there was a torn roof, or piece of furniture, or things like that. And as she walked further along the estate, their goal being the center (which would consequently lead them to where Sakura once lived), the memories began flooding in.
That house, right off of that corner, where Old Lady Habaku lived alone with her cute little gray cat, where Sakura and Himawari had always picked flowers while talking to Lady Habaku and played with her kitten. And the maple tree across the street, where Sakura had once gotten stuck after trying to rescue a kitten. Sakura nearly chuckled at the thought. Her mother had to come and save her, after Himawari panicked and went to go call for help.
And that house right there, a small rusty little shack where Old Grumpy Gizu lived, who always chased Himawari and Sakura away whenever they ran across his garden. "My vegetables! You just trampled over my vegetables, you darn, good for nothing kids!" she could almost hear him say it perfectly, even though it had been over 18 years ago since she had last heard or seen of him. Still, he had his kind moments, whereas once Sakura was running, she fell and skinned her knees. He had taken her in, bandaged it, and then given her some cookies as pension for being a "trooper" as he had called it (she had only cried for a minute, you see, even when the rubbing alcohol burned her little injury)
Sakura didn't even know it herself, but her memories were taking her to the exact place where they needed to go, and soon enough, they both entered an all too familiar household. Everything was clean, except for the small layer of dust that had surrounded all the furniture. Her own vision was replaced with memories, as she recalled her younger self running through these hallways merrily, always eager for a new adventure each day. Her fingers lightly grazed the wall, as she began walking, her feet taking her away, oblivious to her surroundings, and Hiroto long forgotten behind her.
Okaa-san, why is Tou-san always so busy?
On the steps right there, she had learned, right around the age of five, that her family was the head of the Haruno Clan, which came with many responsibilities.
Okaa-san! I'm all wet!
And the koi pond right outside, where she fell in and got all soaked, koi fish in her lap and all, flapping wildly because of the lack of water.
Tou-san! Look, a squirrel!
Where she and Marika had spent fifteen minutes chasing after a small squirrel, while their father and mother just watched whole-heartedly, laughing at their children's antics.
And soon enough, she found herself at the doorstep of her mothers room. Sakura almost hesitated opening the screen door, her hand just hovering over it, brushing it with light, feathery touches. She felt a hand on her shoulder, obviously being Hiroto's. She quickly sighed, closing her eyes, before opening the door, and walking in.
Everything was located exactly where Sakura last remembered it to be; her mother's hairbrush, laying precariously on the vanity desk, some jewelry and make up sprawled over the floor, the bed-sheets white and smooth, as soft as silk.
The only thing missing was the body of her mother, lying there, blood pooling from her abdomen, where she had been stabbed by the Mist-nin.
Sakura held back the tears that threatened to errupt at the thought, sniffling almost, and making a sound at the back of her throught, trying to clear her thoughts. 'I'm alright... I'm alright...' she tried giving herself some supprt as she turned away and looked up at Hiroto. "Well, we're here, what now?"
"As you may or may not know," Hiroto began as he entered the room alongside Sakura, "Auntie Ayame actually activated the Flower's Eye Jutsu several months before the actual Massacre."
"Flower's Eye Jutsu?" Sakura looked confused.
"It is the particular jutsu that let's us see into the future, no matter how far away it is from occuring." Hiroto explained.
A thought struck her then.
After all... Fate is with you
Fate was with her. Her mother knew this would happen... she knew everything! "So... she knew..."
"Essentially, she knew that the clan would be killed, and who would survive. Truth be told, we don't exactly know to what lengths she saw into the future, but that is all beside the point right now. So, after having seen said future, she entrusted me with a mission..."
"To guide me..." It was all becoming so clear to Sakura now, as she sat down on her mother's bed.
Hiroto nodded. "She told me somewhere hidden in this room she left us details of where to go for the ritual, and how to do it. Only thing we have to do now is find that scroll."
Sakura was still too confused about things to fully pay attention to Hiroto as things began to settle in her brain. Her mother had forseen this day happening... she had known who would survive the massacre... she knew everything. So why not try to stop it? Why had she hidden the truth from everyone? Sakura had a feeling the reason was similar to that of Matsuro's: changing what would inevitably occur had its own price, which she could obviously not give, because what she was hoping to change was relatively too much.
All this time-travel and "seeing into the future" mumbo jumbo was just too confusing, if you ask Sakura.
"Come on Sakura, help me look for the scroll." Sakura had been snapped out of her thoughts by Hiroto, who was looking inside drawers and behind furniture for said scroll.
"No, no, no." Sakura shook her head. "ANBU members obviously cleaned up this place efficiently. It couldn't be located anywhere where it would be found too easily." Her mother was no fool. She was above all else, a bit of a genius if you ask Sakura, but that was irrelevant right now. "Look in hard to reach places, or places you wouldn't quite expect to find anything of important value."
So they began searching, even going as far as checking the floorboards, the ones creaky and fit enough to hide stuff in them.
"She told me it would be in her room." Hiroto sighed miserably.
Sakura looked around the room, recalling the fond memories she had here.
"Okaa-san! Look at all the pretty stars!" little Sakura had ushered her mother outside, pulling on her soft kimono as she pointed up to the sky.
Ayame nearly laughed her honey laugh in response, picking up Sakura fondly and appearing outside. "They sure are pretty, aren't they." Ayame agreed with her daughter.
"I could watch the stars all night!" Sakura exclaimed. And so it had been. Ayame had jumped up on the roof and sat Sakura down as they watched the sky for hours and hours on end. Sakura watched in awe as a shooting star fell from the sky. "Look momma! A shooting star!"
"They say if you make a wish on one before it disappears you're wish will come true."
"Well in that case, I wish we could be together forever Okaa-san!"
Apparently, Sakura hadn't wished fast enough...
Suddenly getting the idea, she ushered outside and jumped on the roof, Hiroto following her in confusion. "Sakura, what are you doing?"
"Check for loose tiles." Sakura merely instructed, getting down on her knees and one by one checking for loose tiles. It didn't take long, Sakura found, as Hiroto lazily walked over to a different area of the roof, but while doing so slipped on a loose tile, which went falling to the ground, a small scroll slipping out with it.
"You're a genius Hiroto." Sakura stated, obviously hinting a little amusement and sarcasm as she helped him up, picking up the scroll as well.
"Yeah, well, it runs in the family." Yeah, Sakura knew he was making a refrence to all the stupid stuff she used to do, but she ignored it for now, deciding that the scroll was more important. They quickly got off the roof, now sitting down outside, their legs hanging off of the wooden floorboards as Sakura slowly eyed the scroll, her finger tips just barely playing with the edges of the scroll. After a few short seconds, she pulled the scroll open.
'A message from Okaa-san...' her mind couldn't help but linger on the thought, but she tried to excuse it as best she could. Now was not the time to act like an emotional thirteen-year old girl, but rather a full-fledged eighteen-year old, one who happened to be the Clan Leader, mind you.
Dear Sakura & Hiroto, (As a side note, Sakura was distictly amazed her mother had even directed it to the correct people)
It must be a while since you last heard from me, moreover for you Sakura. I know you must be curious and looking for some answers, and that you expect this letter to give you those answers, but I am sorry to say that all these questions you may have for me are for another day and time. For now, we move onto more pressing matters: the ritual. I saw this coming since the very beginning, knew what it would take to get here, knew the risks, the possibilities, and I write this letter to assure you everything will be okay, as long as you put a little trust in the Haruno name. But for now, I must explain to you how to begin this ritual, and where to find the items you need. Remember, this ritual is very precise, so it must be done step by step, exactly as I explain it.
And the scroll went on to explain in full detail where to go, and what to get, and what to use, with some very last words of encouragement to Sakura.
Don't worry Sakura; we're all with you... We always have been
Before going, they went to retrieve the little ones, Marika curious to know what they find out. "We'll explain later." Everyone returned to Sakura's house, Marika taking actions similar to hers. "The scroll said behind the wall of the hallway with the relics..." Sakura motioned to the left, and promptly afterwards a right, where they found a hallway. And the end of the hallway was a small desk, flowers, now dead, and candles long past burned, in front of a portrait of one of the very first Haruno Leaders. "So this must be it." she summed up, looking expectantly at the wall.
Hiroto quickly helped Sakura move the desk aside, so as to give them passage, as they began looking at the wall, looking for some form of tell tale signs that it somehow led to a secret underground passage, as Ayame had described in the scroll. With some prying around, she finally did it, don't ask her how, she just did, and the wall moved to the side, to reveal utter darkness, and a stairway leading how far done, no one was sure just yet.
Sakura and Hiroto exchanged glances, while the little ones, Marika and Sasuke included, stared in awe and a little fright. "Well, we better get some candles..."
"There was something you wished to discuss with me?" A shadowed figured peered up from his paperwork.
"Yes, I wish to take a short leave." an equally shadowed figure bowed in the presense of the other, obviously a leader of some kind.
The leader, is response, seemed a little surprise. "Some issue at hand?" he questioned.
"As a matter of fact, there is. Familial issues, you could say..."
"Very well, I give you a week. Don't let me down."
The shadowed figure nodded and bowed once more, before turning to leave, not uttering another word, her piercing blue eyes catching the dim light that shined into the room the moment she opened the door.
"What is this place Sakura-neechan?" Sasuke was utterly flabbergasted as he looked around the dark, attic-like space below them, standing on the stairwar next to Sakura, as she held up a candle. The dim-lighted room showed some boxes here and there, along with statues and scrolls.
"I don't really know Sasuke..." she answered honestly, as she slowly stepped down the stairs.
Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, head directly straight, where you should see two statues standing side by side, and in between them a small wooden desk, a scroll laying on it with two candles on either side of them. On the wall behind it should be a scroll with a drawing on it.
Yes, she could distinctly see the tall pillars of stone in the shape of two oddly dressed things on either side of an old wooden desk. And yes, she could most definitely see the drawing her mother had told her about, drawn in an old-fashioned ink style.
She went up to it, and suddenly, the candles next to the scroll sparked and flames appeared on them, which spooked Sakura to no end, even though she didn't show it.
You must take the scroll. In it is the encantations you must repeat in order for the ritual to actually commence. Be wary, because only the true heir can pick it up.
And Sakura was the true heir, so rightfully, she stepped up to the two human-like pillars, slowly peering at the scroll.
To the left there is a passageway. If you follow it, it leads you to the heart of the Haruno Estate, the place said to be the holliest of sites -where Kikyou-sama took her own life. There is where the ritual will take place. There is a fire-pit there, which everyone should surround at the time of the ritual. You will enter wearing the traditional clothing of a priestess, Sayuri and Himawari tailing behind you.
And as Sakura thought back to the scroll, she could picture the ritual actually occuring -her wearing the formal white, with the red bottoms, her hair falling behind her, Hiroto, Marika, and Daichi already surrounding the fire...
It was only a matter of time.
It had taken them the rest of the day to prepare, moving this way and that, cleaning out the fire-pit, searching through the boxes to find the proper clothing for them to all wear, memorizing the scroll holding the encantation Sakura needed to memorize, and not to mention get caught up in all the memories they held here, Sasuke as oblivious as ever.
They returned to the Uchiha Compound grimy, sweaty, and with layers of dust on them, even Sasuke who had a few smudges on his face; he had decided to help out the best he could, even if it meant doing the silliest of tasks: it was all for his neechan. Once again, Sakura said nothing, and once again, Itachi refrained from asking, too many things being on his mind, and no one to answer them. He had to admit the feeling of not knowing, not being able to do anything was more than just infuriating... it was excruciatingly painful almost. Never before had he felt so useless and powerless when confronted with a dilemma and now...
What now was the real question. What would he do now, if it came down to it that Sakura could not manage to survive?
He dare not think it.
He dare not think this may be one of the last times he would ever see Sakura.
He dare not think that she would no longer be living past this week if she couldn't manage.
And he especially, he dare not think that if it were to be her doom, that she would go down mad at him.
"Well if you would all excuse me, I'm going for a shower now." Sakura stood up politely to leave, pushing out of her chair and exiting the dining room.
Had Itachi been thinking for that long? He mentally groaned. What had his life come to, his hours spent locked up in his room thinking about Sakura, Sakura, and Sakura? It felt almost like an obsession: something he just couldn't tear away from his mind, no matter how much he tried.
No, he wouldn't say that he loved her. Hell, he wouldn't even say that he liked her all too much for that matter, not even as a companion of sorts. She was aggravating, often loud, too wild for his liking, even when on the battle field (even though he didn't know that her tactics involved being wild), idiotic, wreckless, and just... plain crazy. Not to mention she was too mysterious (much like him), had a past he himself couldn't find out about, and had this aura of... hell, he couldn't quite explain it... Sort of like maturity, and knowing... but of course, that only came about whenever faced with a serious situation.
No, he definitely didn't like her. Hell, maybe he even hated her. Hated how he couldn't grasp the reality of it all. Hated how out of all people, he was excluded and kept in the shadows (well, at least, that's what it felt like to him). And especially hated how she made him feel... made him worry, made him fret, hell, he hated how she made him hate her, an emotion he hadn't really ever felt with the exception of his father.
Itachi didn't quite know when it was, but he found, the next time he looked up from his nearly untouched plate, that everyone was already gone, with the exception of Mikoto who was washing the dishes.
"Shhh, she's sleeping." Hiroto said as they peered into Sakura's room, only to find her body sprawled all over the bed, almost as if she had literally knocked out as soon as her body hit the bed (which, in all actuality, it did).
"But it's only 8:00" Himawari complained, but nevertheless nodded, and decided to walk off with the other two children to their room, to perhaps play.
"That is pretty odd." Marika acknowledged, staring at Sakura through the crack of the door. "But now that I think about it, she has been knocking out pretty early this past month or so..." Marika said.
"She grows increasingly weary as the days drag on... The only thing keeping her here, in this state, is Matsuro, and she grows weaker and weaker. Not to mention they are connected by a bond of sorts... Sakura will be like this until the ritual is finished." Hiroto sighed.
Marika frowned slightly. "Let's let her rest then..." Hiroto nodded and closed the door, walking away with Marika alongside him, as they made their way to their room.
Sakura bleakly opened her eyes, staring straight at her white ceiling. It took her a couple of minutes to register that it was time to get up, but even then, felt the need to just crawl back under her blankets and just doze off.
'What time is it?' The sun was already up, Sakura could tell by the way the light hit her shutters, and she angled her head to the right, where her night table was, along with her digital clock.
'10:30? You can't be serious!' Sakura groaned outwardly. She knew she had been exceptionally tired the past month, something she figured had to do with Matsuro being her only connection to this timeline, and her growing weaker, but she had, for the most part, always been able to wake up early.
Sakura rolled out of bed and tossed her feet to the ground, standing up and yawning.
(At the moment, it didn't occur to her that she felt a little taller than usual)
So, she promptly walked to the bathroom, locked the door, and screamed.
Marika awoke to an ear-splitting scream, which she instantly knew to be Sakura's. So, as any good older sister would do, she tossed the blankets aside, and, short night gown and all, raced to Sakura's room, bursting in there ready to kick someone's ass (no, she could hardly care that one movement of her leg at the right angle could probably show a lot)
"Sakura? Sakura? Where are you?"
"In the bathroom." Sakura's voice sounded panicked.
Marika, seeing that there was no official threat, put her arms down and walked to the bathroom. "What's the matter?"
"Are you alone?" Sakura questioned.
Marika's curiosity spiked. "Yes, I'm alone Sakura. What's wrong?" she questioned again.
"I have boobs Marika! Boobs!"
Marika sweat-dropped. "Yes, Sakura, the female population tends to get boobs around their teen years, you of all people should know that..."
'Not like these...' Sakura thought in her mind, seeing as Marika did not understand the over-all point of her statement. She opened the door to the bathroom, where she promtply saw Marika wide-eyed.
"Y-You're..." Marika couldn't even finish her statement, and the next thing they knew, Hiroto and Himawari were also at the doorway.
"Older..." Himawari could barely finish, as she stared at Sakura, the previously enlarged shirt she had been wearing the night before now not quite as big, and round things popping out of the chest in particular, and the large sweat pants, frankly, small and tight now.
Yes, Sakura was back to heir eighteen-year-old self.
"We heard some screaming, is everybody alright?"
That voice was all too familiar to Sakura: Shisui. She may not have spent too much time getting to know him, or had hardly paid too much attention to him, for that matter, but she had seen him and Itachi spar quite a few times, and had even gotten to eat with them once. If there had been anything she could deduce from him, it was that yes, he was a player, but he was also extremely devoted to the Uchiha Clan, and goofy as can be. Not the brightest one in the bunch, (hell, maybe even a bit dumb, considering how most Uchiha's were supposed to be geniuses), but still pretty skilled to boot,at least, enough to make defeating him a challenge to Itachi.
But that was beside the point right now. Shisui was here, approaching fast... And, if Sakura presumed correctly, that meant that if Shisui were coming, that Itachi was too.
Marika did the first thing she could think of to stall, promtply turned around, and tackled Shisui to the ground (short night gown and all), blocking the entrance for Itachi to enter the room as well, which gave Sakura just enough time to jump on the bed and cover herself with the blankets, curled into a little ball almost.
"Do my eyes decieve me, or did an angel just fall from the sky?" Marika, not used to Shisui's flirtatious ways, blushed, quickly stood up, and then hid somewhere behind Hiroto and Himawari (she now barely took notice of how much clothing she was actually lacking)...
Shisui merely chuckled at the cute blush, before getting up, and dusting himself off, paying little attention to the other occupants in the room. "As I was saying... we heard screaming..." he looked around, searching for the particular person's scream he had heard. "Sakura?" he questioned, seeing her huddled under the covers.
"I... ughh..." she didn't want to even speak, as she now noticed her voice sounded mature, unlike the whiny tone it had been the previous night.
"Bad hair day!" Himawari shouted suddenly, grinning like a mad fool. "It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand."
"A bad... hair day..." Even though Shisui was dumb, even he could tell that wasn't nearly a good enough excuse to shreak as if you were about to die.
"You see..." Marika began to play along, trying her best to cover up Himawari's lame excuse and make it a wee more believable. "She has a date today, and bad hair in the mornings it's... well, it's a bad sign, alright?" Marika put so bluntly, it almost sounded real.
Well, Shisui shrugged it off. Girls were weird, and he wasn't about to try to understand them any time soon. Especially not them, of all girls to choose from. If there was anything he had learned from those few weeks he had hung out with Itachi and Sakura, it was that she had a temper, was weird, and just plain crazy.
Too crazy for him, at least. "We're going out to spar, you wanna come with, Sakura?" he changed the subject, seeing as he wouldn't get anywhere, even if he pried.
"I'd love to but I uhh, gotta get ready for that date, sorry." Sakura rolled her eyes from under the covers.
Shisui merely shrugged. "Suit youreslf, what about you pretty lady?" he winked at Marika, who merely blushed some more, once again hiding behind Hiroto and Himawari, shaking her head profoundly.
"You guys better leave so we can help Sakura-chan get ready." and just like that, Himawari had somehow managed to kick all of them out of the room, Hiroto included, and shut the door on their face without them even realizing it (except for Itachi, that is). "The coast is clear Sakura."
With a sigh, Sakura peeled the blankets away from her and laid down, her hair now a frizzy mess, and a thin sheet of sweat on her forehead.
Well this had just become a little more complicated...
"But what if they turn on their Sharingan? They'll just known something's up! Especially Itachi!" Sakura panicked, now reverted back to the thriteen-year-old body, henge style.
"As long as you stay away from the training grounds and don't give him a reason to, then everything should be fine." Marika explained. "Besides, it's only for today, the ritual is tomorrow, and after that, i'm sure you'll be reverted back to your normal self. Afterall, Matsuro-sama will have her strength back.
Sakura supposed she was right, after all, she must have reverted to her original form because Matsuro's lack of power.
Well, it couldn't be too hard to do, she supposed.
The tension around the house only further increased as the day went on. By noon, Itachi was quietly locked in his rooms, the same brooding thoughts consuming his entire being.
The children were all tensely waiting around the room, half playing with a ball, half staring at it. Hiroto was staring at the clock, almost wishing time would magically stop, and Sakura was merely on her bed, reading a book, trying her best to conceal whatever emotions she truly felt on the inside.
When the clock struck 6:30, everyone sort of looked up.
It was time.
And as they all shuffled out of the room and out of the Uchiha Compound, Itachi knew it was time for him too, to leave.
End of Chapter
First of all, I would like to, once again, apologize for such a late update x_x Been extremely busy.
And so, the plot thickens, and as one could probably tell, the story will end soon ^-^ But no worries ! The sequel will follow ;)
I strongly advise you all vote on the poll in my profile "Should Sakura stay in the past, or go back to the future" to know what you readers prefer ^-^
Anyway, I promise to update faster next time, I already know what exactly i'm typing up.
Next story to be updated will be: New Sakura, hopefully, sometime this week.
Until then !
Any and all feedback is much appreciated !
-Marzy-chann~~! :))
