Longest chapter to date! I got a little emotional in this chapter and introduced a new character ;P I hope you enjoy it!
A few days had passed since the fake photo had gone around, Sakura was passed sadness and she was pissed at this point, she got out of bed and was ready for their mock battle; she was ready to let off some steam. Throwing a basic paid of black spandex shorts on one with a black t-shirt she threw her shoes on and stepped outside of her room, she could still here people snickering but she ignored them.
Today is my day to show them.
She caught up to Naruto and Sasuke as they waited on her, walking in between them team 7 strode out to the training grounds, they looked like they were ready for war. It had been a rough few days for them all, Sasuke and Naruto defended her, Sasuke even threw some kid into the pond.
Mizuki found a home in team 12 with Karin and Suigetsu, she hadn't really spoke to Sakura in the few days and that was fine with her, there really wasn't a whole she could say to her. She had spent the majority of her life protecting her sister and this is what she got in return, then she didn't really need her in her life and she was honestly ready to beat the hell out of her.
"Remember this is just a mock battle, you don't have to go all out against your opponents, to ensure the safety of all if the match gets out of hand a teacher will step in and call off the fight." Anko yelled the instructions as everyone finished gathering around the grassy area.
The matches blazed on as Naruto went against Neji, she cheered on her teammate as he fought. Each landing brutal blows, she turned and smiled up at Sasuke, her smile seemed to make the sun dull around her as he looked away ear slowly turning red. She laughed a little and went back to cheering.
Hinata went against Ino, within a few hits Hinata was able to seal her chakra and the teachers called the match; as she stepped out of the ring Naruto gave her high fave making her face turn wet red, Sakura laughed again giving her a hug.
"Your match should be coming up soon, be careful and stay alert." Sasuke told her without even looking in her direction, "You have magical powers as well as the abilities of ninja, people are gunning for you."
She nodded, he did have a point she was one of the few if not the only person at this school that could use both and that put her at an advantage; but her magical powers were stronger than what she could do as ninja. She was medical ninja with brute strength as best, but she knew if she got close she could take them out in one hit.
Her name was finally called, and then Mizuki's was called; she felt a pang of guilt run through her. Her sister wasn't always cold and mean to her, that seemed to have happened recently; Sakura wanted desperately to step out from behind her sister that she didn't realize her sister wanted to prove that she didn't need to be protected by her little sister.
Both were strong women, both had unique abilities, both had something to prove. They locked eyes as the took their positions across from each other waiting for Anko to call the start.
Everyone seemed to gather around them, the voices died down as Anko yelled to start; neither wanting to make the first move they stood there.
"I'm sorry." Was all Sakura hear before a blind light flew towards her.
"Requip!" A shield appeared on her arm as she held it in front of her successfully blocking the attack, "So am i."
Steam rolled off her shield as she stood there, her feet still planted in the same spot shaking her arm a little it disappeared as she dug one foot into the he ground and pushed off. Flying through the air she was behind Mizuki as she shoved forward, flipping over she tripped her as Sakura's foot came down the earth underneath them shattered.
She held back a little, she couldn't fully attack her sister without feeling bad, she jumped back waiting for her to get up, "So you aren't going to go easy on me are you?"
"I've done that my whole life, and it ends today." Her heart hurt seeing her sister struggle to stand.
-Flash back-
"Get up Sakura!" Her instructor yelled at her as she laid face down on the ground, they had been fighting for hours out in the middle of thunder storm and she was tired, "When you feel like you have nothing, you have to get up and push through it Sakura. I know it hurts, and I know you're tired but you have to push harder!"
"I have nothing left!" She yelled, only sixteen years old; she could only push herself so much.
Struggling to stand, she looked up at her trainer; his eyes were fierce and determined. He had trained thousands of soldiers, and here was yelling at her in the backyard like she was gearing up for war. Her body was battered and broken but still she stood up, ready to fight even though a small gust of wind would knock her over.
"There you go, you can do it Sakura!" He clapped as she stood up, "If you get knocked down seven times I want you to get back up eight times, you're strong and you can beat anyone if you put your mind too it. Your body is already there but your mind isn't, once you do that you'll be unstoppable kiddo."
Patting her on the back, he gave her a smile, "I'm proud of you, even if no one else says it to you, just know that I am. Most grown men can't take what I put them through and you're standing up on your own two feet; you did that kiddo."
Iruka smiled at her, as she let out a small cry; she had been through so much already at such a young age and there was only one person that believed in her. Her heart swelled as she let the tears fall.
"Thank You." She whispered.
-End-
"Stay down." Her heart hurt, she didn't know if she could do it.
"Stop telling me what to do!" She rushed at Sakura, as she dodged her attacked Sakura landed a swift one of her knocking her back, "Don't you dear pull your punches!"
"What's wrong with you?" Her sister seemed out of character.
"I'm tired of you and mom and dad treating me like I'm some weakling! You got trained, you know how to fight and protect yourself and no one ever asked me if I wanted to learn!" Tears glistened in her yellow eyes as she looked at Sakura, "I'm not a flower that needs to be protected and everyone acted like I was, I want to be on an equal playing field with you."
Mizuki charged again but Sakura was ready and once again knocked her back, she tried and tried to land a punch but she stopped everyone knocking her down each time. Sakura was significantly stronger than her sister, there wouldn't be anyway Mizuki could succeed with her desperate attacks, trying one last time a dam of light shot out from her hand. Sakura called forth her shield and blocked the attack this time mirroring it back to her.
The beam of light hit Mizuki knocking her out of the ring, Sakura couldn't help it run over to her sister and kneel down next to her, "Why didn't you just stay down? She hissed.
"have you ever thought about what it would be like if we switched places, I have. I want to have more freedom, I want to be able to fight next to you, I want to stand tall like you do in the face of danger but instead I'm this mean girl who helped try and ruin her own sisters reputation." Tears flowed as she covered her face.
"So you did help with the photo?" Her heart was crushed once again, "Why would you do something like that to me, after all these years of ring in you shadow, we're sisters" she hissed, standing up she started to walk away from her.
Sasuke walked up to her and placed his hand under her chin, making her look up "Walk with your head held high Sakura, you did nothing wrong." Nodding she walked next to him back to where they were before.
Sasuke knew about fighting with his siblings and it was never pretty, he wanted to be like his brother; and then one day he decided he was going to be better so people would see him and not Itachi's younger brother so he understood both sides. Even then then, he couldn't forget what Mizuki did to Sakura, even if it was out of jealously; you never turn your back on your family.
"Sakura!" Tenten was the one yelling her name this time, she ran up and smiled at the pinkette, "That was sooooo cool, how did you do that?"
Tenten loved anything sharp, so when she was able to pull her shield out of thin air it automatically caught her attention, "Do what?"
"Your shield, can you use weapons too?" Her eyes were right as she asked so many questions.
"Oh, yeah I can." She laughed holding out her hand, her butterfly sword appeared.
"Ohhhh wow!" Tenten looked at the elegant sword, she was mesmerized.
Sakura laughed lightly and flipped so Tenten could hold it, "It's a special magical sword. It lightens your body making you faster, the blade itself is sharp enough to cut through steel."
"I can feel it, this is so cool!" She smiled, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to bombard you with questions, I just love weaponry and I've never seen anyone do what you did."
"It's okay, I don't mind at all." Sasuke watched as they laughed and Sakura contained to show Tenten more swords and different weapons, they were so consumed with their conversation they stayed out there talking even after the matches were over and everyone was dismissed.
Sakura walked back to her room, her heart was a little happier now that she had made a new friend outside of her team. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all, smiling she opened her door to find her room in shambles. She dropped her keys as she stepped into her room, her books and papers were thrown around, he mattress had been flipped and her clothes were torn. She walked through the mess of broken glass and paper to her computer, the screen had even smashed and some of the keys on the keyboard were missing.
Running her hand through her hair, she back out of her room and walked down the he hallway towards Sasuke's room; knocking on the door and waiting for him to answer she felt the tear welling up in her eyes.
When he opened the door, he looked down at Sakura, her eyes were red with the threat of tears falling at any moment,"Sakura?"
"Mt roo-" she couldn't even finish efore he pushed passed her and made his way to her room.
His blood boiled as he saw the state it was in,"Do you know who did this?"
She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head, "Why does everyone hate me so much, what did I wrong?"
Her voice broke, "No one hates you Sakura."
"Then why can't people leave me alone? Why would someone trash my room, I thought coming here was going to give me a second chance, a second chance at a normal life where I could make friends that were my own and not my sisters. A chance to show everyone what I can do and what I can bring to the table instead I've made your life and Naruto's harder because you have to deal with the bullshit that happens to me. I'm tired." She sank to her knees finally letting the tears spill out as she sobbed. Everything in her room was ruined and there was nothing he could really do to help, Naruto was the one that would comfort people not him.
He walked over and wrapped an arm around her shouldered pulling her closer, she graced his shirt and cried into his shoulder, people gathered outside of her door; the voices spread as they looked at her room and the broken mess on the floor. Naruto was the first to step in and wrap both teammates in a hug as he was filled with rage and sadness. She didn't deserve this, no one did. Before they knew it, one y one people started to come in and slowly pick up the mess.
Sasuke picked the pinkette up and carried her to his room, laying her on the bed her eyes closed as she curled up under his covers. Wiping the tears from her face he left, going back into her room Tenten and Hinata were picking up the pieces of her room.
"Why would someone do this to her, I don't understand." Tenten looked at Sasuke.
"I don't know." He helped pick up the bed and move it back into place.
"She was so nice to me, even with all the questions I asked she didn't seem bothered at all and showed me so many different weapons without hesitation." She gathered the books and help Hinata put them back on her little shelf.
"She never had friends of her own, from what she's told me all of her friends were here sisters; so when you started talking to her about what she could do she was probably happy to do it because she wanted a new friend. " Naruto eyes saddened a little, "I know what that's like, before I met Sasuke and everyone here I didn't have many friends and it was lonely."
"She's spent most of her time alone." Everyone turned to see an unexpected face, "She was born seconds after her sister and at the moment her parents decided that her life wasn't worth as much as Mizuki's just like my father was born second and Hinata's father was born first and that is what decided Sakura's fate nothing more than a few seconds."
Neji walked over and helped Tenten pick up the books, "Neji." She whispered softly.
"She's trying to find her place now that she isn't in her sisters shadow anymore and I bet that Mizuki is trying to do the same thing." He looked at Sasuke and Naruto, "It's a delicate situation with no clear outcome, all you can do is just e here friend and comfort her."
They nodded in agreement, they worked silently trying to piece her room back together before nightfall, once they were done they locked her door and went their separate ways, Sasuke asked back into his room and found her still asleep. Her eyes were red and a little puffy, she had kicked the blankets off at some point and was now sprawled out on his bed as if it were hers.
He chuckled lightly and pulled the blanket over her, "I promise, things will get better."
He walked over to his couch and plopped down once again, getting comfortable he felt his eyes getting heavy and finally letting sleep carry him away.
He was going to make sure that she felt like she longed here, he wanted her to feel like she was home and that she was loved.