Wind rustled through her hair, pulling at the hood she had concealing her face. The last thing Sakura wanted to be linked to the Uchiha Clan. Her sisters, though, apparently had other plans entirely, hence why they were in a play area full of Uchiha children. They were running about the park, playing a game of tag with Naruto and Sasuke, which Sakura was letting them win. She could tag any of them with an alarming amount of ease, but then again she hadn't exactly been taking it easy on her body for the past… months. It had been months since she'd landed in a past that wasn't hers, and she was adapting. She hadn't wasted a single minute of it – from keeping her sisters from walking off with any strangers, to press-ups and katas in the overgrown swamp of a garden. She'd be ready for anything. The little amount of muscle she'd managed to build was proof of that much. She'd be stronger than before. Far stronger. In fact, she was fairly sure she'd be able to beat her twelve-year-old genin self, but then again that didn't say much. She'd been pathetically weak… always crying out for precious Sasuke-kun… but she wasn't Haruno Sakura anymore. She was Sakura. Just Sakura. The existence of that pink-haired green-eyed girl who'd been sitting with Ino was proof of that much, no matter how much it stung. She'd seen her old mother—no Mebuki. Haruno Mebuki. That was all she was to Sakura now. She wasn't her mother. Sakura had Misa. She loved Misa. Her new mother was far cooler. She didn't need her old one… the old one who'd given affection to some sort of interloper. Sakura bit her lip. No. She was the interloper. She was the one who wasn't supposed to exist. Her eyes narrowed, hand slapping down on Sasuke's back as if to drive off her feelings. "Tag!" she hissed, darting away before he could retaliate.
"Dammit, Sakura!" he snarled, charging after her in seconds, changing course to Naruto when he realised she wasn't about to let him catch her. He wasn't going to tag his precious Mio, that Sakura knew. She shuddered at the thought. Baby Sasuke liked her sister. He actually liked her, and it was adorably cute… even if it set her overprotective sisterly instincts wild. Yet another reason to avoid the Uchiha whenever possible. Mio wouldn't let her ignore them period, even if she'd wanted to. Still, Sasuke would rue the day he hurt Mio's feelings, accidental or not.
"Ha! Sucker!" she yelled back, ducking into the bushes, smirking as she heard Naruto's complaints as Sasuke slapped his shoulder, making short work of his blonde best friend.
Naruto's lips soon quirked up in a smile, and Sakura knew exactly who he was going to target. His next words only confirmed her thoughts, as well as bringing a small smile to her own lips. Naruto's cheerfulness had always been infectious. "I'm coming for you, Aki-chan!"
Akira shrieked, running away from him as he sprinted towards her. Inwardly Sakura preened, having ensured her sisters had improved their sprinting and running capabilities. She'd done that… brought them up from a pathetic jog they called running. That had been one of the first things she'd done – taught them how to run away. She'd drilled that lesson into their heads what must have been a thousand times.
"If you know the enemy is too strong, then you have to run away."
Sakura grinned, shaking off the memory, hurrying into the treeline and hiding there. The youngest of their triplet group would target either her or Mio once she was it, and she wasn't about to let herself get tagged again anytime soon. Instead, she busied herself looking around at the group of four in front of her, smiling softly at their shrieks and laughter. They were running around, playing like the children they were, as it was supposed to be. She wasn't a child anymore. She'd lost the right to call herself that once she'd graduated. It didn't matter if she wasn't in that particular life, or that particular body, anymore. She had the memories. She could recall the taste of blood on her lips, the scent of dead, decaying bodies. She saw them every night she fell asleep, and it was only the soothing warmth of her sisters that kept everything at bay. Well, the screams at least. She couldn't afford to traumatise her sisters, or let her mother know she was something of a troubled child. Misa didn't need that to deal with on top of caring for nine other children. She was busy enough as it was… besides, it wasn't like it was that important. Sakura could survive. She'd done it for years.
"Nee-chan?" Akira paused in the middle of the game, having taken a note of her absence. "Where'd you—?" A loud growl cut her off, and her cheeks turned an alarming shade of red as Naruto sniggered and Sasuke grinned.
"Lunchtime?" Naruto asked, glancing over at Sasuke.
"We should wait for Saku-nee," Mio said, glancing around the park, searching for her.
"Hn." Sasuke pouted. "If we have to."
Sakura appeared next to them, arms around Sasuke's and her sister's shoulders. "I'm here," she said, smiling at her old friend's startled expression.
"That was mean, Saku-nee," Mio mumbled. "Sasuke-kun was kind enough to make lunch for all of us. Be nice."
"Hn." Sakura grunted.
Naruto blinked. "You…" He pointed at her. "You just made a Sasuke noise!"
"Hn," Sasuke muttered, nodding in agreement.
Her eye twitched. The evidence was lining up, and it was all undeniable. She was an Uchiha, and not through marriage like she'd once dreamt. What would she be inheriting next from her Uchiha side? From Obito? The sticks permanently lodged up their backsides? A desire to scoff at people? The urge to sneer at everyone?
Akira's stomach growled again, breaking the odd silence which had fallen, and then Sasuke was unfurling a picnic blanket he'd brought along with him. Though it was more like what the random Uchiha who was babysitting a load of clan kids in the park had brought. They'd been the one to carry Sasuke's homemade bento to the park where they'd all agreed to meet up. It was becoming a regular thing, and Sakura was enjoying meeting up with her old friends… even if they both seemed a little too interested in her siblings for her taste. That fact didn't really matter thought. They were both too terrified of her to try anything she didn't think appropriate. Heck, she glared at Sasuke just for trying to hold Mio's hand whenever he tried to lead them somewhere. They were hers. Her siblings. She'd protect them until the end of time.
"Let's eat already!" Naruto grumbled, eyeing the gigantic bento Sasuke was opening, licking his lips in anticipation.
Not that Sakura could blame him. Mikoto was an excellent cook, and she'd definitely had a hand in making the lunch in front of them.
Five pairs of chopsticks were passed around, each bento layer lying in the middle of the small circle they'd formed, Sakura having wedged herself between her sisters. It was just her and her two sisters in that park, Tomoe and their mother having taken her other siblings elsewhere. They were almost five, and that was usually the time when parents started letting their children loose on the world. It helped that Sakura was far more than the average four-year-old, so Tomoe and Misa had no qualms about letting them make their own way back – just so long as it was before the sun had set. The akasen was far more lively, and far more dangerous at night. Akira had already proven that much with her little stunt.
"Teme… how much does your mum think we can eat?" Naruto asked, staring at the sheer amount of food in front of him. Coming from Naruto, that was saying something indeed, and silently Sakura agreed. It wasn't a picnic for five children.
"Okaa-san knew I'd be joining you for lunch so she packed extra, Naruto-kun." The voice came from behind her, and she stiffened, just about registering the four chakra signatures behind her. Her sensing was still horribly abysmal, and she needed to use her chakra to do it half the time. She was anything but a budding sensor. "Why do you think there are extra chopsticks?"
Sasuke leapt to his feet. "Nii-san!"
"Otouto," Itachi murmured, smiling as Sasuke threw himself towards him, tackling him in a hug. "I haven't met your new friends yet… why don't you introduce me?"
"And me too, Sasu-chan." Shisui leant over Itachi's shoulder in all his thirteen-year-old glory. "I was shocked to hear you'd branched out from Naru-chan… and hearing all about your precious Mio-chan—"
Sasuke hissed, lunging at the older boy.
Shisui chuckled, dodging all of Sasuke's attacks with the ease and grace of an accomplished shinobi.
"Sasuke."
Her old best friend froze at the sound of his name on his brother's lips.
"Introduce us to your friends, and then we'll eat… otherwise I have a horrible feeling Naruto-kun might start without us," Itachi said, casting an amused glance over at the blonde who'd frozen – sushi halfway to his mouth. Sakura couldn't blame him. If she had to wait a few more minutes, she'd probably be doing the same. She wasn't quite at the stomach-growling stage, but she was close, and she didn't want the embarrassment of everyone hearing the sound of her stomach. Sasuke would no doubt take the opportunity to say something derisive, and Sakura didn't particularly want to have to tackle him into the sandpit again… no matter how satisfying it had been the first time around.
Sasuke pouted, wandering back over to their little circle. "She's Akira," he said, pointing at her straight-haired sister. "This is Mio," he mumbled with a blush, gesturing at her slightly spiky-haired sibling before his voice hardened and he glared at her. "The annoying one is Sakura."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I am not annoying, idiot. You just can't handle my awesomeness," she muttered under her breath, but Sasuke still heard and shot a glare her way. Of course, if Sasuke heard, then it meant everyone else had as well, so the sudden movement of Shisui's chakra signal didn't come as much of a surprise to her. She'd even go as far as to say she'd been expecting it.
Black eyes met her matching ones almost instantly, Shisui suddenly sitting next to her on the picnic blanket, a grin curling on his lips at her lack of reaction. "I think I'm going to like you, Saku-chan."
"Forgive me if I'm wholly unsure whether I'll return the sentiment," she said, turning her attention back to the food, just in time to see Akira and Naruto swipe a piece each.
Shisui blinked, hand moving to play with a single pink lock which had escaped her hood. Sakura narrowed her eyes, debating whether it'd be best to flick him off or not. He could easily knock back her hood… but a scuffle could do that anyway… He was no doubt analysing her and all her un-four-year-old-ish mannerisms. She sucked at blending in. That was for sure.
"Who're the other two in the bushes?" she asked, impatient to start scarfing food down. She was hungry, dammit.
"Oh!"
The voice was oddly familiar, and Sakura had the vague sense that she'd heard it somewhere before.
"It's the baby pink-haired Hashirama and co."
Sakura twitched. It was Izuna. Another fricking Uchiha. Her day couldn't really get any worse. She was surrounded by too many Uchiha as it was.
"Izuna. Stop spouting nonsense like that."
Sakura twitched violently.
Evidently the universe just loved proving her wrong, so she wasn't going to say her day couldn't get any worse. Knowing her luck the village would explode if she thought something along those lines, since that was the only real way she imagined the situation getting any worse – the situation being stuck in a park with Uchiha children, along with Uchiha fricking Madara and his brother Izuna… who was lifting Mio off the ground and gushing about her hairstyle.
Of course that day just had to be the day Mio had her hair fastened in a low ponytail at the base of her neck… how typical…
"Look, nii-san!" Izuna grinned, holding her sister up like a prize. "I've found another miniature version of me."
Never had Sakura been more grateful Mio took after their mother in everything aside from hairstyle. Akira was lucky in that respect too. She was practically a miniature version of their mother only with black eyes instead of green. Though it seemed her mother had a hairstyle similar to that of Hashirama's… but then again, long hair was fairly common, especially among civilian women. Neither of them had too many of the fine, aristocratic features that graced the faces of the Uchiha, unlike her, which meant that hiding their origins was that much easier.
Madara stared at him flatly. "She has pink hair."
"But look at the style of it…"
Sakura sighed, deciding not to bother waiting for anyone else as she swiped some sushi for herself before eyeing up all the other compartments and what they held as her stomach stopped trying to eat itself.
"Good idea, Saku-chan," Shisui said, joining her as she began eating. "More for us."
"You actually might have a point this time, Shisui," Itachi murmured, digging into to the food his mother had prepared, ignoring the shocked look Sasuke sent his way.
"Hey!" Izuna grumbled, hurrying back to their picnic. "Don't start eating without us!"
And that was how Sakura found herself eating in the park with her sisters, friends, their brothers, and two of the most influential figures in history. It was oddly surreal. If anyone had ever told her before her little dimensional trip that she'd end up sharing a bento with Uchiha Madara she'd have been liable to stab them… with a blunt and rusty kunai to make their pain last as long as possible.
"Nii-san." Sasuke pulled on his brother's sleeve, watching as the two older Uchiha brothers argued over food. "Why are Izuna-sama and Madara-sama here?" He hid behind his brother as best as he could, and Sakura did not think her old best friend looked ridiculously cute.
Itachi smiled. "Izuna-sensei was in charge of the advanced class today. Madara-sama had some business with his brother, and when I wanted to come and see you for lunch they decided to come along."
"Do you have to go back?" Sasuke moaned, tightening his grasp on Itachi's sleeve. "You can stay with me and Mio-chan for the rest of the day, can't you?"
"Teme! Don't forget about me and Akira."
Sakura felt herself twitch and was fairly sure it was going to become permanent some point in the near future, if only because the universe enjoyed throwing her into ridiculously crazy situations. "Or me," she muttered, scowling as Shisui patted her head.
"There, there, Saku-chan… Sasu-chan ignores me all the time."
She quirked her eyebrow. "I'm starting to think there's a reason for that."
Shisui blinked. "Did you just sass me?" he asked, tilting his head as he stared at her. "Oh my god, you totally just sassed me… Itachi… I found a tinier version of you, and she's pink and so much cuter…"
"Nii-san is cuter." Sasuke folded his arms.
Itachi looked oddly flustered for an Uchiha that was.
"No." Akira shook her head, pointing at Sakura. "Nee-chan is cuter."
"Well… Nii-san can fight better than that pink monstrosity!" Sasuke declared, glaring intently at Akira as he clung to his older brother.
"Saku-nee can fight too!" Akira yelled. "She's awesome."
"Nii-san—"
A poke to the forehead cut him off. "Otouto, there's no need to argue over something like this… Shisui is just an idiot."
Akira stared at the ground, her voice a quiet mutter when she spoke. "Nee-chan gives better forehead pokes."
Sasuke whirled on her. "Only nii-san can poke foreheads. Sakura can't copy him!"
"Nu uh!" Akira stood, folding her arms. "Saku-nee has been poking our forehead even before we met you. Nee-chan ain't no copycat!"
"Are they really arguing about forehead pokes?" Izuna asked, staring incredulously between the pair. "Seriously? Is that really something to argue over?"
Sakura sighed, resting her head on her hand. "Didn't you know? Forehead pokes are all the rage these days."
Shisui snickered.
"Apparently so," Madara murmured.
"Nii-san…" Izuna turned to his brother, one eye fixed on Sakura as she sat there. "I'm calling it now… she has a baby pink-haired Hashirama, and a baby pink-haired me for siblings…"
Madara rolled his eyes.
"I'm so calling it," he said, turning the full weight of his stare onto her. "She's a baby pink-haired Tobirama. She has to be."
