It had been over a year since Akahane Sayuri had last seen her father. He'd taken her to visit his best friend, Uchiha Itachi, and Itachi's little brother, Sasuke.
It was memorable, because it was the first time tou-san had introduced her to someone from his family. They looked very much like her and tou-san, with black hair and eyes. Itachi was soft spoken and kind with warm flickery chakra. Sasuke had pouted and clung to Itachi's leg as the older boy smilingly poked at her forehead. They'd all gone out for dango together, Sasuke and Sayuri getting piggyback rides from their favorite people.
It was nice, as far as memories go.
It had been over a year since the day her father's body was found in the Naka river with his eyes gouged out, and the rest of the Uchiha clan slaughtered soon after.
Sayuri slumped down in her seat at the academy and frowned. Sensei's voice buzzed in the background, probably giving an assignment but whatever. All girls had to attend kunoichi classes and she wasn't impressed. Different ages of girls met for a combined class at the end of the school day, which meant that Sayuri was among the youngest in the room. One year ahead of her was a shy Hyuuga girl, a moody pink haired girl, and a golden haired Yamanaka. Sayuri recognized the latter from the flower shop, and of course that girl was already the best at flower arranging.
"We covered the meanings of different flowers last week," Yumiko-sensei said. "Today we will learn ways a message can be secretly relayed using those meanings in a flower arrangement. Each of you will start with the basics and create a piece that expresses sweetness and purity."
Sayuri blinked at the array of cut flowers before them. The scents mingled and itched in her nose. Lilies meant purity, right? She grabbed some small orange lilies, much better than boring white ones. Besides, those were the lilies she'd been named after. Sayuri. Small lilies that bloomed in early spring. Next was a handful of hibiscus. The last one had a whole bunch of good meanings so that should cover sweetness.
While she struggled to arrange them in a pleasing fashion, the Yamanaka peered over her shoulder. "The orange lilies are pretty to look at, but they actually mean hatred and revenge. White ones are purity."
Suddenly feeling stupid, Sayuri nodded. "Oh, uh, thanks." She frowned at the flowers haphazardly stuck into the arrangement and pulled out all the orange blooms. Who thought up these flower meanings anyway? Orange lilies should mean something positive instead like 'genius', or 'beautiful'. Why would they mean hatred? Why would her parents name her after something like that anyway? Didn't kaa-san have to study ikebana too when she was younger?
Her stomach growled. She looked up longingly at the clock.
"Ino-pig! Who said you could boss around the younger girls?" the pink haired girl huffed indignantly.
"Nobody is bossing her, Giant Forehead. I'm just giving advice."
Good advice too, Sayuri thought. Even if she didn't like it. Anything that saved her from having to spend more time than necessary on these tedious assignments was okay. The two girls' spat quickly devolved into an argument over who was going to marry Sasuke as they hissed insults back and forth while sensei helped the other students. Sayuri suspected the teacher knew exactly what they were doing and just didn't care to intervene anymore.
After class, the blond girl turned to her and smiled sweetly. "My name is Ino. Do you want to come over to the flower shop some time? We like to get a group together and study there."
"Oh. I uh, I'll have to ask my mom," she stammered.
"Okay, see you tomorrow. Remember to ask!" Ino and the other girls funneled off into separate groups to walk home, go out to eat, or harass Sasuke.
Peering through the crowd for her mother's red hair, she easily picked out the familiar radiant chakra from the other parents before actually seeing her. With a sigh of relief she shouldered her bag and jogged to meet her.
"Sayuri-chan!"
"Kaa-san!" She basked in the warm hug, enjoying the way her mother's chakra always felt like being wrapped in a toasty blanket.
"We need to hurry home. There's mackerel in the oven and I can't leave it too long." Hand in hand they walked the three blocks to their apartment. She looked forward to seeing her little white cat once they got home.
He'd been a present from tou-san.
Ino's offer weighed on her. It would be nice to study with someone. Kaa-san never let her hang out with other kids, but maybe she would say yes if it was for school.
The apartment complex was clean and painted with bright, fresh colors to go with its red clay roof tiles. Flowers cascaded over the sides of hanging planters on the balcony of the neighboring unit. Her mouth watered involuntarily at the smell of roasting fish that hit her when the front door was opened. She set her bag down.
"Fukumaru! I'm home!" There wasn't any answer. No chirrupy cat noises, no rubbing on her shins and trying to trip her. She frowned, because Fukumaru always greeted her after school. And he especially wouldn't wander off if there was roast fish in the oven. She cast her senses out as she searched from room to room, calling his name.
He wasn't anywhere.
Sayuri dashed into the kitchen where her mother was slicing some vegetables. "Kaa-san! Where's Fukumaru? He's not inside."
"Hmm, are you sure you checked everywhere?"
"YES!"
"Well maybe he's playing on the neighbor's balcony."
"He's not!" she wailed, and dashed out the front door. Heart pounding, she forced herself to slow down to a walk outside so she wouldn't miss him. She paused to ask everyone she passed by if they'd seen a little white cat with a red collar.
Nobody had, except one old man. "I saw a white cat a few minutes ago. A dog chased him down that street."
"Oh no! Thank you sir!" She had to find him before something bad happened. He was just a normal cat. What if a nin dog was chasing him? What if he was injured? Or worse? He wouldn't be able to climb a tree and escape if it was a nin dog.
Fighting down the rising panic, she zigzagged through the streets following the directions of kind folks who kept her going on the right path. Finally she could see Fukumaru nearing the Naka river bridge. A big brown dog snarled and snapped at his legs as it pursued him.
Suddenly furious, she put on a burst of speed to close the distance between them. The dog lunged sideways, catching the little cat in its jaws for a moment before his tiny body was slung over the side of the bridge into the dark roiling currents below.
"FUKUMARU!" she shrieked.
Eyes burning with tears that streaked into the wind and dissolved in the frigid water, she dove in after him. The pressure of the water pushed her down, swept her along as she desperately searched. She couldn't feel him. She couldn't feel him.
Her lungs ached, and she realized she couldn't tell which way was up anymore. Thrashing, reaching out for anything solid her fingers just slid through the dark water over and over while it roared in her ears and pounded her into unseen rocks.
Her lungs burned now. She fought the urge to gulp a mouthful of river water, squeezing the last bit of air from her lungs in an effort to force the water clear of her airway.
I can't get out.
Her arms and legs thrashed. NO! She couldn't die here. Not like this.
Not like tou-san.
Suddenly, a flash of bright blue darted past. Then a smaller flash. Sayuri snatched at the next light, and surprised to feel the slick body of a trout squeeze through her fingers. Eyes widening, she tried to take in more of her surroundings under the dark and swirling current.
There.
Just ahead a blue light flickered, swirling, too big and potato shaped to be a trout. Kicking her legs she let the river carry her ahead until she was close enough to grab it and had a handful of white fur. Another big kick and she managed to catch hold of a branch dipping into the river, and pull her only friend out of the water.
Akahane Hibari had just finished preparing dinner and was wondering where her daughter had gotten to, when she heard frantic running up the stairs to their landing. The door flung open wide, Sayuri gasping for breath. Worried, Hibari met her in the doorway to find her soaking wet child clutching a limp white cat, tears streaming from cherry red eyes.
"Kaa-san! You have to save him!" she choked. "Please he's so cold!"
Hibari grabbed Sayuri's arm and yanked her inside, slamming the door behind them. She rushed them both to the bath, turning the hot water on full blast.
"Get in!"
"He's-"
"I said get in! Keep holding Fukumaru and keep his head above the water. This is the fastest way to bring his temperature up." Sniffling, Sayuri sat cross legged in the tub fully clothed and supported the little cat. He wasn't breathing. Hibari crouched next to him, passing a glowing green hand over the animal. "Turn him on his back so I can draw the water out of his airway," she said.
Sayuri obediently maneuvered him, while Hibari sent a chakra probe down his throat to draw out the river water. It was cleared quickly, and after being submerged up to his neck in the warm water for several minutes he began to purr again. After the danger was over and both of them thoroughly warmed, Sayuri and Fukumaru were bundled together inside a puffy blanket. Sayuri clutched a steaming cup of green tea. Fukumaru nibbled on a piece of grilled fish.
Her daughter's eyes were no longer that blighted red. Hibari swallowed anxiously. How many people had seen? Or rather, who had seen? Why did Sayuri have to inherit that damned curse?
Shisui wouldn't have had to hide them from the Uchiha if it weren't for those fucking eyes. He wouldn't have been killed. She'd hoped that by keeping Sayuri out of dangerous situations and from making close friends with anyone who might be put in danger, she'd never have the chance to awaken it. But it looked like even keeping a beloved pet was too much.
Frowning at her daughter, she shook her head. "I'm going to keep you home tomorrow so you don't catch cold. You need the rest."
"Aww, but tomorrow they're going over the henge jutsu. And don't you have to work?"
"It's all right. I'll just let the hospital know I won't be coming in. You can study out of your textbook while you recover."
"If I was on a mission I wouldn't have a blanket, hot bath, and tea," Sayuri mumbled. "I need to push myself if I'm going to be a shinobi."
"If you were a shinobi you would already know how to endure swimming in cold rivers safely," Hibari scolded. "You're only eight years old."
"Tou-san went on dangerous missions when he was eight years old."
Hibari's eyes narrowed, "and just look what became of him."
If she could help it, Sayuri would never see a single mission. She'd been drilling chakra control into the girl since she could walk. If she had any say-so, her daughter would go straight into an apprenticeship with the medical corps after graduating from the academy.
Author's Note: I decided to take down the old version of this story and completely revamp it from scratch. It's going to be mostly following this Uchiha OC from Konoha. Much of the story will take place in the wizarding world, with prominent roles from lots of characters in both worlds. Sayuri's choices will affect both worlds so that's going to cause changes to them. She's not going to morph into a super OP god-like rinnegan using super saiyan type of character or completely usurp any of the main character's roles in their own stories even though the arcs will be different, meaning she won't become a Harry, Naruto, or Sasuke stand in.
Part of the reason I'm writing this is to just play around and relax. Another reason is because I had a severe concussion a couple of years ago which really affected my ability to write. I'm still planning to finish my other story, Dog Ninja, but feel like my writing style isn't up to what it used to so want to try and practice writing and storytelling for a bit and try to get back what was lost so that fic doesn't get too badly messed up. If anyone wants to follow along and let me know what they think, welcome and I hope I can make this worth your time.
Second Author's Note: I made some tweaks to the first chapter and uploaded the new version. This revised name for the main character makes more sense to me in the long run.
And, question time! Who is your all time favorite character from Harry Potter, and your all time favorite from Naruto? Personally, I have a hard time picking but Snape is up there along with Hagrid. From Naruto, probably Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Kankuro.