Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, otherwise none of you would like the
series.
* * * * *
Sakura slammed the door to her house shut behind her and locked it, her fingers trembling as she hitched the latch. Her body still quivering from the shock, she slid down to the floor limply, as if the cold had drained away her life energy. Her mother, hearing the commotion as her daughter entered the house, bustled over to the top of the stairs, a towel in her hands.
"Now where have you been, girl? Dinner was half-hour ago! Do you know how upset your father- what's wrong?" The woman's scolding faded away as she noticed the panic and exhaustion in the pink-haired girl's eyes. Sakura stared up at her, her breath coming ragged in her throat.
"So... cold... where did... the warm go?" she gasped out as she collapsed onto the floor.
"Sakura!!!" her mother cried, bounding down the stairs where her daughter had crumpled. "Katashi- help me!" shouted the woman, and almost instantly a large man appeared at the top of the stairs, wide-eyed.
"What happened?" he asked, leaping down the stairs to his wife's side. "What's wrong with Sakura?"
"She... just... collapsed! She practically broke the door down to get in, and then locked it, and just... fell!" The woman was practically in hysterics now, and the blond Katashi placed a calming hand around her shoulders.
"Hush, hush now Amaya, Sakura will be okay. Go prepare a spot for her on her bed, I'll bring her up," whispered the man in his wife's ear. She nodded tearfully and headed up the stairs, stealing nervous glances down at her daughter. Katashi sighed and picked up his unconscious daughter, gently lifting her off the floor and carrying her up to her room, where he placed her onto the mattress. Amaya silently pulled the sheets up to Sakura's chin, and stood up from the bedside. She turned a pale face to her husband.
"What happened to her?" she asked, her voice quivering. "Should we call a doctor?"
"I believe she was attacked, Amaya," Katashi said quietly, rubbing his stubbly chin in concentration. Amaya clamped her hands over her mouth, stifling her startled gasp.
"What do you mean, attacked? What makes you say such things?" she hissed, rushing to her daughter's defense. "Who would attack out poor Sakura? She has no enemies."
"I have my reasons- did you not notice the bruises on her left wrist?" Katashi said slowly, gently lifting Sakura's limp hand with his own and holding it out for Amaya to see. "They are in the shape of fingers. I doubt that she did that while training."
"Katashi, what does it mean? Is she being bullied again?"
"No, Amaya, Sakura is able to handle herself against common bullies. Whomever set her into this state had some dark intent." Katashi sighed wearily, now looking weary.
"Then... what will we do? We left the ninja groups as Genins, we can't defend her," Amaya asked quietly.
"We can do nothing," Katashi replied. "If it happens again, we will report it to the Hokage. There is nothing more we can do."
And with that, the Harunos left Sakura to fend for herself against the danger in the dark.
* * * * *
Sakura slammed the door to her house shut behind her and locked it, her fingers trembling as she hitched the latch. Her body still quivering from the shock, she slid down to the floor limply, as if the cold had drained away her life energy. Her mother, hearing the commotion as her daughter entered the house, bustled over to the top of the stairs, a towel in her hands.
"Now where have you been, girl? Dinner was half-hour ago! Do you know how upset your father- what's wrong?" The woman's scolding faded away as she noticed the panic and exhaustion in the pink-haired girl's eyes. Sakura stared up at her, her breath coming ragged in her throat.
"So... cold... where did... the warm go?" she gasped out as she collapsed onto the floor.
"Sakura!!!" her mother cried, bounding down the stairs where her daughter had crumpled. "Katashi- help me!" shouted the woman, and almost instantly a large man appeared at the top of the stairs, wide-eyed.
"What happened?" he asked, leaping down the stairs to his wife's side. "What's wrong with Sakura?"
"She... just... collapsed! She practically broke the door down to get in, and then locked it, and just... fell!" The woman was practically in hysterics now, and the blond Katashi placed a calming hand around her shoulders.
"Hush, hush now Amaya, Sakura will be okay. Go prepare a spot for her on her bed, I'll bring her up," whispered the man in his wife's ear. She nodded tearfully and headed up the stairs, stealing nervous glances down at her daughter. Katashi sighed and picked up his unconscious daughter, gently lifting her off the floor and carrying her up to her room, where he placed her onto the mattress. Amaya silently pulled the sheets up to Sakura's chin, and stood up from the bedside. She turned a pale face to her husband.
"What happened to her?" she asked, her voice quivering. "Should we call a doctor?"
"I believe she was attacked, Amaya," Katashi said quietly, rubbing his stubbly chin in concentration. Amaya clamped her hands over her mouth, stifling her startled gasp.
"What do you mean, attacked? What makes you say such things?" she hissed, rushing to her daughter's defense. "Who would attack out poor Sakura? She has no enemies."
"I have my reasons- did you not notice the bruises on her left wrist?" Katashi said slowly, gently lifting Sakura's limp hand with his own and holding it out for Amaya to see. "They are in the shape of fingers. I doubt that she did that while training."
"Katashi, what does it mean? Is she being bullied again?"
"No, Amaya, Sakura is able to handle herself against common bullies. Whomever set her into this state had some dark intent." Katashi sighed wearily, now looking weary.
"Then... what will we do? We left the ninja groups as Genins, we can't defend her," Amaya asked quietly.
"We can do nothing," Katashi replied. "If it happens again, we will report it to the Hokage. There is nothing more we can do."
And with that, the Harunos left Sakura to fend for herself against the danger in the dark.