Bridges and Pillars
Chapter 13: four years old
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Sakura sat on the porch, watching Kiba howl as he chased Sasuke and Neji in the back yard. Hinata was quietly drawing beside her, humming softly as if no one could hear her. It was officially one year since Hinata's attempted kidnapping, Sakura would be the last to turn four in their little group. She had a month left till it was her fourth birthday. Once she turned four, all of them would be entering the 'little leaf academy'; basically a prelude to the 'Konohagakure Shinobi Academy'. One more month and then the alternating genin teams designated to watch over them would finally end. Having to act and behave like the boys was exhausting, despite being four and with a great deal more energy then she used to have. Her only saving grace was that Hinata wasn't a very excitable person either and preferred drawing or coloring pictures over running for her life from the boys.
"Ah, Sakura-sama, there you are," Sakura and Hinata both looked up at the excitable voice of a familiar teenager. One of her father's many apprentices, the one in charge of the Hattori herbal shop that her mother still owned, was approaching with a small wooden box in hand. "I heard you're trying to memorize herbs like Itsuki-sama."
"Himeko-chan," Sakura greeted, closing her herbal book with a smile on her face. The plane looking brunet was another change Sakura had noted. She was positive she's never met the teenager before in her first life but accepted that this life of hers was already creating waves without her interference. "I'm not sure how you found out, I was trying to be sneaky."
"Hard to be sneaky when the book in your hands says 'herbs for beginners'." Himeko giggled as she kneeled beside Sakura. "Anyways, if you don't mind, I can at least try to help you with your training."
"Huh? How so?"
"Since the clinic gets raw materials for the medications we make, I can isolate certain herbs and have you scent-test them." Himeko lifted the box in her hands with a gentle smile. "Like this set. I'm not going to bombard you with the fifteen different types of herbs under the same name so I brought you ten of the most commonly used herbal teas. Each one is labeled so you can practice blind-scent-testing with them."
"Whaa? That's so cool!" Sakura gushed, if she were honest with herself she'd admit to having never been that well versed in herbs and spices. Things like that were Ino's specialty. Sakura only memorized the textbook medicinal herbs and the treatments they could be used for. There was a reason Sakura was not allowed to touch any kitchen of any of house she visited; even her own mother threatened to beat her black and blue if she tried to touch anything in the kitchen. "Will I be tested on them?"
"You can do the testing yourself," Himeko giggled. "A second usage for these herbs is that you can use them in teas if you need to. Make sure not to drink all the water in them though, or you'll end up swallowing dried leaves, which isn't good for you."
"Right," Sakura nodded, a big smile on her face.
"We're home," the exhausted voice of three children sounded from the front of the house, electing Sakura to squeal as she took off in a dead sprint for her brother.
She was officially four years old and staring at the woman that would be their teacher, for the life of her Sakura couldn't figure out who this old woman was. The woman was old enough to be the Sandaime's grandmother, she really shouldn't be in charge of thirty four-year-old's. Sakura was eighty-percent sure the old woman was blind. Even though the old woman had a perfectly straight back, she walked with a cane and her wrinkles were so massive and distorted it turned her eyes into mere slits of their former beauty.
"Is there something on my face, little one?" The old woman's voice sounded like gravel rotating with chunks of metal thrown in for fun.
"Why are you so old?" Sakura internally cringed, having imminently resorted to her four-year-old habit of bluntly asking rude questions while knowing she couldn't possibly get into trouble for it because she was a fucking four-year-old. For a moment the wrinkly bag of flesh seemed to just stare back at Sakura, as if her blind eyes could see the two little girls staring up at her.
"Because a smart ninja lives a longer life," was the old woman's slow reply, a smirk playing along the skin that once proudly held lips that were now only seen by her gums.
"You're a ninja?" Sakura asked, feeling the doubt in her heart swell in her voice. "But aren't you blind?"
"Hardly my dear," the old woman's smile seemed to grow.
"But your eyebrows are covering your eyes, how can you see?" Sakura asked
"My dear, how can you ask me how I can see?" The old woman asked, her dusty-road voice low but trickling with amusement. "It's like asking Hinata-sama if she can see."
"Of course Hinata-chan can—'sama'?" Sakura interrupted herself just to make sure she heard right.
"That's right, Hinata-sama," the old woman smile grew from ear to ear, revealing a mouth missing teeth but the smile as warm as the sun shining on her skin.
"You're a Hyūga?" Sakura asked, a smile growing on her own face. "Oh! That explains a lot!"
"Does it now?" the woman asked slowly
"Uh-huh! I thought you were the Sandaime's grandma and I was wondering why he'd make you teach us but you're not so it makes a lot more sense now!"
For a split-second, Sakura wanted to smack her head into the nearest wall for speaking the way she did to the old woman.
For a split-second, Sakura was sure the old woman was going to smash her face into the nearest wall for the partially unintended insult.
Needless to say, she was impressed when the old woman erupted into unbridled laughter that Sakura has only ever seen emitted from Naruto.
The first day off she had from the Academy, Sakura spent clinging to Tsunade's neck, refusing to let go of the blonde. The woman in question, stopped trying to tug her away after Sakura clued herself with chakra. sighing in acceptance Tsunade released her hold on the tiny pinkett and began packing her things. The peace treaty with Kumo was signed nine days ago and there were no signs of the mountain village betraying their promise, if anything there were only signs of them keeping their promise. Tsunade had wanted to leave earlier, the day after the signing, but she grew hesitant when she realized she left sever things undone.
Like the head of the hospital. The man she left in charge tried to fight her over it, she threatened to castrate him if he refused her order a fifth time. That meeting ended with Tsunade's win and the Hokage's migraine. Still not her problem though, she was slowly tying off loose ends so she wouldn't get blamed for something stupid latter.
Assigning Sakura's new doctor was a chore. Every nurse wanted the job for the simple fact of wanting to coo at the adorable four-year-old pinkett. Tsunade nearly had a mental breakdown because of the swarm of eager women. In the end she threatened the head of hospital into taking care of Sakura in her place, least something bad happens while she was away. the man didn't need to be threatened, he agreed the second she threw Sakura's case file down and began her rant.
Itsuki's medical texts and new medical-jonin instructor that he was to spend the evenings with. Kakashi wasn't particularly happy with that one and tried to pull rank with Tsunade over it. She punched him through a wall and told him to deal with it. Looking back on that choice, she might've given the children a living nightmare to deal with. Kakashi was all about training every day and since half of it got taken away from him, that meant every morning his genin team had to deal with him while in the evenings it was clan trainings.
"Tsunade-hime, are you ready?" Shizune's soft voice sounded from the bedroom door, making Tsunade pause briefly in stacking her necessities atop the seal-scroll. Tsunade sighed as she activated the scroll and sealed everything away, a part of her wanted to take Sakura with her. At least then she'd be sure of Sakura's survival chances.
"Sakura, let go now," Tsunade murmured, gently patting the pinkett's shoulders.
"Nu-uh," was the immanent response, the tiny four-year-old snuggling further into Tsunade's chest. Sighing Tsunade rolled up the storage scroll and slipped it into her back pouch.
"Let's go," Tsunade murmured, nodding for Shizune to lead the way. The walk from the Haruno house to the wagon was short and the ride from the Haruno grounds to the main gates wasn't long enough in Tsunade's opinion. All too soon, Tsunade was standing at the gates, staring at the Haruno couple with a blank face as Shizune and Itsuki started pleading with Sakura to release Tsunade. The Uchiha couple, Hyūga twins, Tsume and each of their respective children were all present; each watching the rare display of defiance with wide eyes. the two sets of twins that worked for the Haruno couple were busy running their respective businesses, thus they were unable to say their goodbyes to Tsunade. That certainly didn't stop the teenagers from gifting Tsunade a few useful items.
"Can't I just keep her?" Tsunade asked
"No," the Haruno couple replied simultaneously and instantly.
"Can't you use substitution?" Itachi asked curiously.
"Nope, she's clued herself proper to me," Tsunade answered. "Now if she hadn't been wrapped around me, you'd be right but substituting like this would've required me to do the substation before she came into physical contact with me."
"Ah," Itachi nodded in understanding at her.
"Sakura, sweety, come on honey," Kizashi sighed from his wheelchair, using every sweet word he could think of to get her to break her hold on Tsunade. "She's not going away forever."
"Yeah huh," Sakura whined into Tsunade's neck.
"Says who?" Tsunade questioned, "I have to come back for your birthday, don't I?"
"Promise?" Sakura asked, jerking her back straight to look Tsunade in the eye. The blonde scrambled to wrap her arms around the pinkett, for a moment afraid she'd drop straight to the ground. "Promise you'll be here for my bir-thss-day?"
"Of course, you'll be five in a few months," Tsunade smiled at Sakura, "I can't miss that, now can I?"
"I see who's your favorite," Itsuki chuckled, laughter shinning in his storm blue eyes. "You'll show up for her birthday but not mine? Rude Aunty Tsunade."
"Shut it brat," Tsunade gave him a playful glare, "Your birthday is a solid week after Sakura's! I'll hang around for yours too!"
"You can't forget, Aunty," Sakura demanded, glaring into Tsunade's eyes, "You have to be here for my Bir-thss-day."
"I'll be here little sprite," Tsunade smiled, tightening her arms around Sakura for a quick hug. "now let go so I can go get you a special birthday present."
"You safest is best present," Sakura whimpered.
"I will be, sprite, I will be," Tsunade promised. She gently set Sakura down on into her father's lap, if there were tears in her eyes, no one mentioned it. "Kizashi, don't forget your stretches. If you keep them up, you should be able to walk by the end of the year, understand?"
"Yes Tsunade-hime," Kizashi smiled and nodded.
"Mebuki, don't forget your forms," Tsunade turned the blonde next. "I can't teach them Hattori combat but you can."
"Of course hime," Mebuki smiled as she hurriedly whipped a tear off her cheek.
"Itsuki, I expect those texts memorized by the time I'm back, understand?" Tsunade turned to glare at the rose-gold haired boy, who only giggled at her.
"Don't you have some souvenir shopping to do?" Itsuki asked in return. "You placed me as the apprentice of the hospital head, I'll be fine Tsunade-hime! Go do your thing already!" Tsunade looked at Itachi and Hana next, both straightened when they noticed her gaze on them.
"You protect him, understand?" it might've sounded like a question but it was an order and the children recognized it as one. "Protect each other. This village was founded and stabilized with and through teamwork. You are only as strong as your teammate's weaknesses are. Never forget that, okay?"
"Yes, Tsunade-hime!" The three nodded together, their forehead protectors glinting in the morning sun.
"Tsunade-hime," Shizune called gently, "if we linger any longer, it'll be nightfall before we leave the forest."
"R-right," Tsunade nodded, "Take care of yourselves, you here? I'll notice if somethings wrong when I come back in six months!"
"Hai Tsunade-hime!" the children called together, earning their parent's affectionate laughter.
two months later
Sakura was eating dinner with her parents, partially depressed that she wouldn't be eating dinner with her elder brother because he was out on a mission. He was out on his first C-rank mission, she wasn't entirely worried about it. Mostly because he had Kakashi Hatake for his Jonin instructor, and based on her brother's constant whining of the man, he hasn't changed since he taught her team in her first life. He basically favored Itachi but that was only because they had similar skill sets and the boy was quickly picking up on Kakashi's ninjutsu that he used against him. With Hana, Kakashi focused on Taijutsu, forcing her to keep all clan jutsu out of their fights, including her three ninken. However, Kakashi's way of teaching her brother was less on the physical combat skills and more on a: 'go follow this diagram of this trap. If it doesn't work you're doing basic exercises with me.'
The only thing she could say was that at least her teacher had a plan this time. Namely torturing Itachi and Hana with taijutsu spars while forcing Itsuki to practiced producing traps. When the sparing session was over, Itsuki had to practice finding all the injuries and putting ointment on them while his teammates went through basic exercises. It was good practice for both parties, one set learned to avoid attacks and Itsuki learned how to make healing ointment fast or got his own ass handed to him by Kakashi. The training method was brutal to say the least but it was effective. Especially since Sakura was nearing her fifth birthday and the peace talks with Kumo still haven't ended. Meaning everyone in every nation was walking on egg-shells. Some were expecting the peace treaty to flop. Others were hoping that it was taking such a long time because people were actively trying to make this peace treaty last for decades instead of a few years.
"Hm?" Sakura noticed her mother's head pop up from the table, chopsticks still in her mouth, thin golden brows bent towards her nose and her lips twisted down into a frown. Sakura tilted her head at her mother, noting the awkward pose and confused expression on the woman's face. before Sakura, or her father for that matter could question Mebuki, the sound of their front door opening filled the silent air between them. A feeling of warmth, like her brother's silk and wool comforter, brushed at the very edges of her perception. Sakura wasn't a sensor type in her previous life but in this one, she was slowly beginning to recognize certain signatures with the people she knew. She never put much effort into chakra-sensing and she never received formal training on it from her parents, so she just figured it was another minor difference in her new world. She doubted she'd ever become a skilled sensor but at least she knew was entering her house at this moment.
"Anii!" Sakura scrambled to her feet and took off for the door, ignoring her mother's startled shout.
"Ah, Sakura-chan," Sakura scrambled to a stop, staring wide-eyed at her big brother. "Don't cry, don't cry Imoto, I'm okay," Itsuki hurried to reassure her, setting his bag down and keeping his shoes on as he hurried to kneel in front of her. "I'm okay, Imoto, I promise." Her brother's right arm was in a sling and half his face was bandage, she knew he was anything but okay.
"Lier," Sakura belted at him, "you-you promised me! No owies!" She heard her parents leave the table, her father's hurried but dragged feet and her mother's grunt as she supported his weight. She knew it wouldn't take long for them to reach Itsuki and herself but she couldn't stop crying,
"haha, I'm sorry Imoto, I couldn't help it," Itsuki carefully reached with his good arm to pull her into a hug. "I'm sorry Imoto, I promise to be better next time."
"Wha-wha-wha ha-pin?!" Sakura was already a crying mess, hands fisted tightly into his collar and tear-stained, snot-nosed face buried into his neck.
"I'm sorry Imoto, it was out of my control," Itsuki sighed, rubbing her back carefully. "Our client lied about our mission and instead of a C-rank, it became A-rank. Sensei got us out of there as quickly as possible."
"And the client?" Mebuki asked seriously, her face a carefully constructed blank mask. She heard her father give a heavy sigh, not one of disappointment but one of greater stress then he knew how to handle.
"Died," Itsuki cringed. "Mission was a failure. Sensei is talking with Hokage-sama now."
"Ita-nii!" Sakura suddenly sobbed, still refusing to let go of her brother, "Ha-ha-ha-nee!"
"They're fine, they're okay, shhhhh, Imoto, everyone is safe," Itsuki reassured her quickly. "Hana noticed something wrong first and brought it to Sensei's attention. Itachi actually saved me fr—" he hurriedly cut himself off, biting hard on his lip. "We're safe Imoto, please don't cry. We're safe and we're home."
Sakura sighed as she stared out her classroom window, as she partially expected she had been placed in Iruka's class. She hadn't really noticed it in her first life but her fellow classmates were all shinobi, some having graduated later than she did but they were shinobi all the same. It only took her a few minutes to think about it before she realized that the classes were arranged with the graduation expectation. Her class was expected to graduate, the other four classes were either drop-out cases or specialty classes for the other divisions in their ranks. There were a few faces she recalled from her first life that she didn't see here but figured that they were either going to be her senior or junior in the academy. Which would explain why those people weren't in her current class. She was a little startled to note that Naruto was nowhere to be seen. She had been expecting him in her class, recalled him being in attendance for years but now, now she couldn't find him.
"Here," Sakura jumped with the sudden touch of cloth on her back. Turning she looked up to see, unexpectedly, Shikamaru standing up in his seat; apparently, he had stood up to toss his jacket over her shoulders. Sakura looked down at the grey jacket she now wore, blinking at its thicker material then she recalled and the frayed green trimming she hadn't noticed in her last life.
"Um, thank you, but why?" Sakura asked, wondering what was happening to her notoriously lazy and always sleeping comrade.
"You looked cold," Shikamaru grumbled, folding himself in half atop his desk. Sakura blinked at him, surprised and confused by his observation. Looking down at her outfit, Sakura recalled the bizarre clothing she still wore. Contrary to her last life, her parents didn't make her wear obscenely heavy, layered, thick or squishy-civilian garb in this life. In this second life of hers, she was almost always dressed in shorts, a child's version of a sports bra and a slightly larger Dudou then the one she had when she was a baby. She knew Konoha was a temperate location, with most days ranging in the nineties but she also knew that it was a weird fashion sense even for their seduction sector kunoichi. Looking about at everyone else in her class, aside from Hinata who wore the standard training garb of every young heir of every shinobi clan, Sakura realized just how weird her outfit was.
No one else walked around in booty-shorts and a backless strip of cloth tied around their necks and under their arms. In comparison to everyone else, her outfit didn't suit a ninja in training. But after so many years of wearing it, Sakura had simply gotten used to it. At least her parents had kept her hair short for these years, that was a bonus for Sakura, she didn't have to plead about getting short hair. Her mother trimmed it once a month; the second she could see it bending on Sakura's shoulders it was cut shorter.
"I'm not really cold," Sakura murmured, looking down at the jacket and fighting off a smile, "but thank you. When do you want me to return it?"
"Keep it," Shikamaru yawned, "it looks better on you." With that he thumped his forehead on his arms and passed out; Sakura smiled at him, returning to look out her window again. She highly doubted there was anything more to Shikamaru's words then what he said, for starts they were four. Innuendos went over their heads, well, everyone else's heads. Sakura was mentally twenty-three.
"Sakura-chan, if you're cold, I'll get you a jacket," Hinata whispered to her. "I'm sure Itsu-Anii-chan would be happy to get you new clothes."
"Eh? But Anii needs to save his money," Sakura retorted softly. "Wait, why are you getting me a jacket? Its spring, it's not cold out anymore."
"So you were cold?" Hinata asked, looking like she was on the verge of crying. Sakura had the sudden impression of a husband caught cheating on his wife by his wife. With Hinata being the wife and Sakura, herself, being the cheating bastard husband.
"hahaha, no, no, Hinata-chan, promise! I was never feeling cold," Sakura tried to reassure the girl. "Mama says these types of clothes are best for us. When I'm older and more used to it, I'll wear more layers but it's inconvenient right now."
"How is it inconvenient? Do you want to get sick?" Hinata asked, holding back a sob.
"Ah, no, no, I don't want to get sick," Sakura tried to placate the girl again, a smile on her face in her efforts to reassure Hinata. "It's something to do with our blood. Mama said it's super important to only cover what's important or else we'll get super sick."
"You'll get sick by wearing a lot of layers?" Hinata asked doubtfully.
"Um, something to do with our blood," Sakura scrambled for an explanation, trying to remember what her mother told her while they were practicing mediation a few weeks ago. That hadn't ended well, Sakura ended up asleep in her mother's lap; meditation for Sakura always ended in a nap for her. Both in this life and in her last life. "Something about chakra! yeah, there's chakra in the air and earth and we have to familiarize ourselves with it! That's why I don't wear jackets! I'm fine, though, I promise! Please don't cry Hinata-chan!"
"Promise you won't get sick?" Hinata asked, sniffling as she looked at Sakura's eyes, her brows tilted ever so slightly over her nose.
"I promise," Sakura vowed quickly, she didn't know how to handle crying children. Kiba, Sasuke and Hinata never cried in front of her so she had no idea how to handle it. "I, Sakura Haruno, promise to never get sick because I don't want Hinata-chan to worry about me."
"Okay," Hinata sniffled and turned back to the picture she had been coloring. "Still Sakura-chan. From now on, you have to wear a jacket if you feel even the littlest bit cold, okay?"
"Okay, okay, promise," Sakura giggled at her, finding her imitating her stern father to be adorable in every meaning possible.
"How about I just give you jackets?" Shikamaru asked from his desk directly behind them. "Whenever you're cold, I'll hand you mine. Okay?"
"Huh? But what about you?" Sakura asked, tilting her head back to look at him but he refused to lift his head. "Won't you get cold? Are you cold right now?"
"Nara's don't get cold," Shikamaru spoke up quickly, "so don't worry about me."
"Hm, if you say so," Sakura hummed and turned back to look out the window again.
"S-Sakura!" sighing Sakura turned to the dually surprised voices of Kiba and Sasuke, "What are you wearing?!"
"A very nice boy gave me his jacket," Sakura answered, ignoring Hinata's surprised look. "Why are you two shouting? Can't you see some people are trying to focus?"
"Ah! Are you cold? Here!" Kiba eagerly started to take off his knitted sweater, "it's a lot warmer than that thing!"
"ew, that stinks!" Sasuke retorted, leaning away from Kiba with a disgusted look.
"Thank you Kiba but I'm fine with this," Sakura giggled at her friends. "I'm not cold, so don't worry."
"You have to make sure to give it back Sakura," Sasuke ordered, pointing a finger at Sakura like his mother did when she was scolding him and Kiba every time they did something wrong. "Mama says that boys give things to girls they like!"
"Eh?" Sakura blinked at Sasuke. She wanted to smile, instantly understanding what he was trying to say but refused to admit to it. "If it's a sign of friendship then why do I have to give it back?"
"That's not what I meant!" Sasuke shrieked, red-faced.
"Sasuke Uchiha, Kiba Inuzuka, back to your seats boys," Iruka called from his own desk at the front. "Lunchtime is over. Time for class again."
Where is Naruto? Sakura wondered she turned to look out the window again. She was four years old, she's known Sasuke, Kiba and Hinata literally all of her life, and yet, the person she viewed the most as her brother, was still missing.
How can I not find him? Sakura thought to herself, trying hard to remember the first time she met him. it had been in the academy, her fuzzy mind whispered to her, but when, where, how did they meet the first time? She couldn't remember. The mere thought that something awful happened to her best-friend-almost-brother nearly stopped her heart. Taking in a deep breath, Sakura turned towards Iruka, observing him closely so her mind wouldn't wander to dark places again.
I'll find him, I know I will, Sakura promised herself, glancing quickly at Hinata who still sat beside her. When the day was over Sakura discovered her brother waiting for her at the academy gates, all thoughts of Shikamaru and Naruto left her mind. Because she was so excited to see her brother, chittering with him about her classes, she never noticed Hana or Itachi stare at her new coat before turning to look the little group of Naras awaiting their guardian to pick them up. For his efforts, Shikamaru made obvious clues that he was NOT the one to give Sakura the jacket. However, when Itsuki pulled Sakura onto his hip and just so happened to look in the young Nara's direction, the young genius realized his mistake.
He was the only clan-kid without a jacket.
Specifically, he was the only Nara without their signature grey jacket.
The very same jacket a certain little pinkett was currently wearing.
With that realization, Shikamaru realized something else.
Sakura's elder brother suddenly didn't look so friendly.
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