Sakura sighed, silently wishing she could sink into the ground and vanish. They were at the park again, and Sakura was bored out of her mind with neither Naruto or Sasuke in sight. Children's games were for children, even if some of them were designed with training in mind. Even if she was somewhat content with her current life, she needed some excitement every now and then. Something to throw herself into, heart and soul, just to forget about the memories that haunted her. She wanted friends who could keep up with her… who could keep pace with the current her, challenge her. Though she doubted anyone her age would be able to do just that. Not even the rumours of the newest Uchiha genius around her and Sasuke's age could bring her out of the slump she'd fallen into. They might have skill, but barely anyone her age would have experience on top of that. She liked the peace she had, but the monster inside her wanted to be let out… the voice reminding her that her happiness wouldn't last. She was always in danger. Cursed. Hated by fate. Everyone she'd loved last time was dead and buried, and their ghosts haunted her in her dreams. She needed to keep her guard up, the voice whispered the same thing to her in the depths of her mind. The beast caged inside her demanded to be released… kept her on edge wherever she went, and every night of missed sleep made the howling that much worse, the whispering always getting louder, telling her she needed to defeat her enemies… permanently. And it was for that purpose she wanted to train herself to exhaustion, and hopefully collapse into a somewhat dreamless sleep. She was tired of seeing blood every time she closed her eyes. Though she knew all too soon her hands would be coated in the real stuff again.
"What's wrong, Saku-nee?" Mio stared down at her, curiosity written across her face as they milled about the park, wind rustling in the hair – or hoods, in Sakura's case. "You've got the sulky face on."
Sakura twitched. She was totally not sulking. She was above such childishness. "Do not."
Akira stuck out her tongue. "Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do. Not."
"Do! Too!"
"Do too."
"DO NOT—dammit nee-chan!"
She smirked.
"I have to agree with Aki, Saku-nee," Mio said, smiling brightly. "You've got the sulky face on."
Sighing, she edged closer to them, until they were well within poking distance. "You're both idiots," Sakura grumbled, poking their foreheads before they could back away, smirking at their twin cries of outrage. "But you're my idiots."
Akira huffed, and then Sakura found herself trapped underneath two warm bodies as they tackled her into a hug. "We love you, Saku-nee. Don't be sad."
"I'm not sad," she grumbled, knowing she'd be ignored.
"Oooo," Sora's voice echoed over the two heartbeats she could hear. "Are we having a group hug?"
"I think we are, twin," Seiren muttered, not arguing with her sister for once, and Sakura soon found herself crushed under the weight of two more small bodies.
She grinned, enjoying the warmth for a few seconds, before substituting out with a log and vanishing to her sisters' eyes with a puff of smoke. Love her sisters, she might, but she didn't intend to get squished under all their weight. She couldn't protect them like that.
"Hmm…"
Sakura tensed, fist lashing out towards the owner of that annoying voice which'd been bothering her for weeks ever since the disastrous picnic. Not that it'd been much of a disaster, aside from being stuck in close proximity to one Uchiha Madara. Izuna was actually alright, once he'd gotten past his fixation on her sisters' resemblances to him and his friends, and by alright, she meant she'd be perfectly fine, so long as nobody yanked down her hood in full view of him. Dye her hair black, and there'd be no mistaking the Uchiha in her, though Sakura doubted she'd ever get the urge to dye her hair that colour. That'd just be asking for trouble, and she wanted to stay as far away from that as possible until her sisters were ready to defend themselves.
"Mou… so mean, Saku-chan," Shisui mumbled, pouting from his position on the underside of the tree branch above her before flipping down to land next to her. He'd developed an alarming habit of popping up to check on the miniaturised pink version of his dear friend. "And here I was… going out of my way to teach you something interesting…"
She folded her arms. "And what might that be?" she asked, staring out at her sisters all the while, concealing the excitement she felt bubbling to the surface at the thought of a fight. She felt rusty, despite her training. Sparring matches weren't exactly easy to participate in, especially when she wasn't able to go all-out. Training with her new sharingan wasn't exactly easy thanks to two nosey Uchiha, along with pretty much everyone else in the village, thought it was mainly those two she worried about. If they caught even a hint of red then it'd be game over, both for her and her siblings.
"Kunai and shuriken… and if you manage to hit the target on the first go then I might just show you my signature move." He folded his arms, a smirk on his lips. "But that's a pretty big if."
"I'm supposed to be looking after my sisters today," Sakura said, staring up at him blankly. "I can't babysit you too."
Shisui chuckled. "Sasu-chan and 'tachi are at the training grounds over in the Uchiha District… Mio-chan would probably like to see her precious Sasuke-chan, wouldn't she?" He tilted his head. "You'd be able to look after your siblings, annoy Sasuke, and get some exercise at the same time… sounds like a great combo to me."
Sakura blinked, shoulders sinking. Shisui wasn't going to take no for an answer. She knew it. He knew it… which meant there was only one possible answer to his suggestion. "Sounds like a plan."
"Knew you'd see it my way, Saku-chan," he purred, placing both elbows on her head as he leaned on her. It was an annoying habit of his, especially since she wasn't that tall – yet. She'd be tall. She knew it deep down. No more shortness for her. "Now… let's go and pick up those wonderful siblings of yours…"
She rolled her eyes, following him as he walked over to her siblings. Brilliant. She was going to the last place in Konoha she wanted to be. A den full of Uchiha. Her shoulders slumped further, ignoring the small warmth building in her chest. She only hoped Izuna was elsewhere. He always got far too excitable when he saw 'baby Hashirama and co.'
::
Sounds of metal thunking against wood were music to her ears.
She was rusty when it came to kunai and shuriken, but she'd expected that. Her evening training and the likes hadn't included too much weaponry, since it wasn't something she had to hand. They were expensive, and Sakura had expected to be lumped with a basic academy set when she began there in a matter of months.
Still, she hit the target on the first go, even if it was on the outermost ring and practically a miss in a real battle, so no matter how much Shisui complained he still showed her his shunshin.
It took her nearly a week to get the basics of it down. A week too long. Sakura scowled, even after all the praise Shisui had showered down on her. She'd known it before, but then her chakra control had been shot to hell thanks to an idiotic Uchiha – and not the one who liked to sneak up on her and call her a baby pink-haired Itachi.
Shuriken were no better, her fingers getting cuts all over them, but then again, Shisui hadn't really started her on the traditional blunted set. It was more like, 'here's some random ones from around the Uchiha Compound which should be about your size'. Then again, it only proved he didn't see her as some clueless child… not that she'd ever really tried to hide that fact. The only thing she'd successfully hidden were her spiky pink locks.
"You're doing awesome, nee-chan," Akira gushed, staring over at the few kunai embedded in the target she was using. "See, Sasuke? Sakura's awesome, and there's nothin' you can do about it." She smirked, folding her arms, pointedly staring at Sasuke's target and the scant number of kunai which had hit the outer ring.
Sasuke scoffed. "Nii-san is still better."
"Hn." Akira turned her head, and Sakura's eye twitched. Hanging around too many Uchiha was starting to come back and bite both her and her siblings in the backside. Uchiha seemed to have a natural predisposition for hn-ing. Didn't help keep their half-Uchiha-ness under wraps, and Sakura was just dreading the day someone put two and two together. No secret could be kept forever. Not in a village like Konoha. The truth always came out. It was just a question of how many years before someone would discover all the skeletons in her closet.
"Teme! Your hn-ing is rubbing off on them, dammit," Naruto grumbled, pouting.
He'd arrived shortly after them, his Sasuke-radar having apparently been sending the warning signals. Well, that and apparently he wanted to see Akira again.
Sakura didn't like that fact. She didn't like it at all.
First Sasuke had crushed on Mio, and now it was shaping up to be Naruto and Akira next. What was it with her chibi-ized versions of her old best friends and her sisters? Was the universe purposely trying to make her develop a complex or something? Sakura wasn't sure whether she wanted to know the answer to that. The universe hated Team Seven, and as the last member left, it was probably fate screwing with her. Again.
She sighed, shoulders slumping as she went back to mentally deconstructing the shunshin as the continued throwing various weapons at the target. Shisui had promised to show her, yes, but he hadn't actually taught her anything other than the base requirements for his special move. Probably thought she wouldn't be able to get them down anytime soon. Grumbling to herself, she stared back at the target board, noting the position of every single shuriken and kunai. There were far too many embedded in the outermost ring. Too many misses. It was pathetic.
"Don't look so down, Saku-chan," Shisui said, smiling down at her softly, patting her head in an attempt to comfort her. "You're already far better than most of the kids your age."
Her shoulders slumped. "But I don't want to be better than everyone my age," she grumbled, bitterness clawing at her. Weakness wasn't an option. Not for her. She had to be strong. She had to. There wasn't any other choice. "I want to be better than everyone."
Sniggering dragged her out of her slump, her eyes darting over to the shaking teenager at her side, eyebrow twitching in indignation. "That's a pretty big ambition, Saku-chan," he mumbled, patting her on the head yet again, ignoring the murderous glare she was sending his way. "All the Hokage are still alive, though Lord Third is clocking on in his years, so I think you've got some pretty big competition right there."
Sakura stomped her foot, folding her arms. "I'll beat them."
He stared up at the sky, a soft smile on his lips, and Sakura realised that no, he wasn't mocking her. He was looking oddly nostalgic, and she didn't mind that. She could relate to that. "Sure thing," he mumbled, seriousness returning to him in an instant.
"Just you watch," she grumbled, eyeing the target board darkly. A puny thing like that wouldn't stand in her way. She'd be stronger in no time – strong enough to protect everyone, make no mistake.
Shisui sat back against the tree, glancing over at the four faces carved onto the cliffside. "So you're aiming for the Hokage seat, then? Pretty big ambition…"
"Someday, I know I'll be Hokage!"
The words echoed in her ears. She shook her head viciously. "No. Never." It reminded her of Naruto. It was Naruto's job to take the Hokage's desk. She had no interest in it. "That's not my dream."
Shisui looked down at her curiously. "So what is?"
Sakura froze. What even was her dream anymore? She wasn't there to save the future. She didn't even know what the future held. It was full of mystery. All she had was a shattered past and her new family. "I…" Sakura bit her lip. "I guess… To make sure everyone I care about lives."
"That's… a good dream, Sakura-chan," he said, patting her on the head yet again.
Sakura felt her eye twitch. "What is your obsession with patting me on the head?" Her hands went to her hood, batting him away.
He shrugged. "Not my fault your head is perfect patting height."
There was silence for a moment, and then Sakura decided on her response to that as kunai appeared in her hands. "From now on, I'm using you for target practice."
Shisui paused. "Wait… Saku-chan… We can talk about this… Put those kunai down!"
Sakura smiled, advancing on him. "Nope."
"'Tachi!" Shisui yelled, running away. "Help."
Itachi looked up from the book he was reading on a nearby rock, one eyebrow raising as he surveyed the situation. "Good luck, Sakura-chan," he called, promptly returning to his reading.
"'Tachi!" Shisui yelped, ducking under a few sharp weapons that'd been scarily accurate. "You traitor!"
::
The emptiness was the first sign something was wrong. Her mother's questions were the next. It had been an ordinary day, despite that horrible sinking feeling in her stomach – the feeling that told her something was about to go incredibly wrong. She was a shinobi. She was supposed to listen to those instincts, and the wake up call was harsh and unforgiving. The sky was darkening, and she was back from tormenting Shisui and Sasuke.
Yawning, she pushed open the door leading to their tiny apartment. "I'm home!"
"Sakura-nee!" Sora yelled. "You're back."
Her mother popped her head around the corner, confusion marring her expression when she saw her. "Sakura… where's Aki and Mio? I thought they were with you…"
Ice shot through her heart. She stiffened, peering at the pink heads of hair watching her from around the dining table. "What?" Her voice seemed to echo, worry slicing through her as she realised that her mother was indeed correct. Mio and Akira were nowhere in sight. She'd left them with Itachi and Naruto when she went off to irritate Sasuke and Shisui. They were supposed to go straight home afterwards… but evidently they hadn't.
"Don't worry Sakura… I'm sure they'll be back soon," Misa said, biting her lip as she went over to where the twins sat, playing with the younger set of twins. "In the meantime, why don't you—"
"I'll find them," she said, pulling her sandals back on, hurrying back out the door without a second glance back. Shinobi were supposed to listen to their instincts, and hers were blaring the warning signals now.
Her feet slapped against street tiles, heart pounding in her chest as she raced to the last place she knew her sisters had been. The park. Chakra pulsed in her feet, tearing up the ground as she leapt closer, hardly caring about concealing too many of her skills. They'd already been noticed, and her sisters were at stake. Her safety could come later.
She made it to the park in record time, fading sunlight casting light on a scene which confirmed her worst fears. Strands of pink hair littered the ground, cut cleanly – by a knife of some description. A few deep gouges in the ground told of a struggle, and the small splotches of blood made her see red. Something had happened there, and it wasn't good. She traced the path of broken branches and scattered pink hair, something about the situation seeming oddly familiar – as if it rang a bell in the back of her mind – but she didn't have time to focus on that. Finding her sisters was far more important… and whoever took them was very much dead once she got her hands on them.
A large footprint in the mud made her pause, eyes scanning her surroundings as something rather worrying occurred to her… because if she was correct, and her sisters, and possibly Naruto too, had been abducted, then there was only one real place they could be taking them. Her surroundings confirmed that much as she stared up at the village gates in front of her before glancing down at the trail which led out of the village.
Her sisters were no longer inside Konoha.
Whoever had taken them was good, especially if they'd grabbed Naruto too… and that meant, the small niggling voice in the back of her head spoke, she might not be able to take them on alone. She needed backup. She knew better than to dive into a situation with other enemy shinobi headfirst. That was just asking for trouble.
She leapt up onto the nearest roof, sprinting headlong for the Uchiha District. There were only two people she could really trust to help her out. Grabbing any form of adult would take far too long, and her sisters might be out of the country by then – or worse, dead. Her heart pounded at the thought. She'd lose it if that were the case, and the aftermath wouldn't be pretty.
"Sakura-chan?" the soft exclamation startled her, her dark eyes locking with a matching set which belonged to the exact person she'd been looking for.
"Saku-chan, what're you doing on our wall?" Shisui asked, jumping up to join her alongside Itachi. "You're not supposed to cross it without permission, you—"
"Ithinksomeone'skidnappedmysistersandpossiblyNarutotoo!"
Shisui blinked. "Run that by me again at like… half the speed…"
Sakura breathed in deeply, exhaling shakily as she did as she was asked. "I think someone's kidnapped my sisters and possibly Naruto as well."
"Sakura?" Itachi's eyes were narrowed into slits. "What do you mean?"
She stomped her foot. They were wasting precious time. "My sisters didn't come home when they were supposed to so I went to the park where I last saw them and there were signs of a scuffle – as in hair, blood, and gouges in the ground that look like they came from a struggle. I know what I saw, and the trail already leads out of the village, so can we stop standing around like a bunch of idiots and go after them?" She cut them off before they could get another word in, silently urging them to shut up and follow her. "We don't have time to grab the adults – they'll spend too much time messing about getting ready, and we can't really waste any chakra on shadow clones and the like."
"How do you know about shadow clones?" Shisui asked, staring at her suspiciously.
"Is now really the time to be asking that?" she shot back, tapping her foot against the rooftiles as they stood around on top of the Uchiha District wall. They were both carrying their little weapon pouches, a tanto sheathed on each of their backs. They were dressed and ready, and they didn't have any time to waste.
Itachi and him shared a look – communicating in the odd way that only the closest of friends and family could do – before Itachi turned to her, a serious expression on his small face. "Lead the way, Sakura-chan."
"If it comes to any fighting though," Shisui said, hopping onto the next rooftop after her, "then I want you to stay back and let me and Itachi handle it."
"But—"
"Sakura, I'm a genin," he said, staring at her, for once his face wiped of any cheerfulness. "If anything goes wrong here, then as the oldest I'll be the one who has to take the blame… besides, I don't want anything happening to Itachi's cute pink mini-me!"
Sakura and Itachi sighed as one. "Shut up, Shisui."
"You two are so mean to me," he grumbled, eyes narrowing as Sakura led them to the ground, pointing at the large footprint she'd found what felt like hours before. Everything felt like it was moving far too slowly.
"This is where I tracked them to," she said, folding her arms as they both crouched down to get a better look at the shoe size of their opponent. "It leads us right out of the village."
"Then I suppose we'd best get down to business then," Shisui said, sprinting straight out through the gates, Itachi hot on his heels, and Sakura not too far behind. They ignored the two sleeping chunin by the gate, vanishing into the forest with barely a whisper of sound following them.
The hunt was on.
