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Ayame

A Blossom In The Wind, Chapter 2: A Blossom Begins To Wilt

Sakura pulled away to look into Kakashi's eyes. "What do you mean sensei? What do you have to be sorry for?" he knew she didn't want to accept the fact that they were gone, she wanted to pin his sympathy to something that may have happened days before… like pinning a butterfly to a corkboard. "Sakura… my sincere condolences" another person said, coming up behind her and gripping her shoulders. She whipped around "What do you mean? What is the meaning of this, no one is dead!" she cried, looking around desperately for her parents. "Mother and Father are fine so then why do you tell me this? Is this some kind of prank? Where did they really go?" Everyone turned to her "Sakura" Naruto said, tears welling in his eyes "Sakura… I'm so sorry… I didn't know" he hugged her sympathetically. "They're not dead! They're not! I'll prove it to you!" Sakura pushed away the people that were hugging her and holding her and she dashed out the door such as a frightened child would.

Sakura ran the whole perimeter and area of the village, searching for her parents. "Mama? Papa? Where are you?" she screamed, tears trailing down her face, blurring her vision. She ran right into someone or something. She looked up and her eyes widened with realization as Kakashi handed her something, something smooth and cool… her mother and father's hitai-ate's. "No… no… t-they p-p-promised me!" she cried, her voice cracking as an intense pain filled her whole chest. "I feel like my heart is going to explode" she said finally as she calmed down. "I know Sakura, almost all in the village can share your pain, for we have all lost a loved one to the merciless-ness of war at one time or another" he nodded in sympathy "I lost someone… someone very dear to me" he said. She nodded, for all of Kakashi-sensei's students have seen him many times before at the memorial rock, paying his respects. "Sakura" he sighed, looking down on the sullen girl "let's go, we can pay respects but then you must pack up" he said, pulling her up from the ground "But why?" she asked. He sighed once more "So you can be moved to your grandmother Haruno's house…"

And so Sakura stood next to him as they walked toward the exit to the training grounds, the area in which this memorial rock for the K.I.A and M.I.A war veterans was located. Sakura moved slowly, as though she were in a dream. "None of this is real" she mumbled "I'm just asleep in the shower or still in bed and mom will come to wake me up any minute" she looked to Kakashi to shed some light on her theory "I'm sorry Sakura, this is no dream" he looked down at her "But everything will be alright" he assured her. "No…" she cried "no it won't… grandmother Haruno hates me, I was a mistake in her eyes, something my father never should've done" she sighed "but I suppose that's what I get for being her only granddaughter."

As soon as they arrived at the stone Kakashi bent down and patted the ground next to him. Sakura slowly knelt down beside him as he scanned the names quickly with his sharingan. He lifted his finger and gently put it on the names, moving them when Sakura moved to look. She gasped, horrified "Mother… father" her mother was on the M.I.A list, assumed dead and her father was on the K.I.A list, buried on the battlegrounds. She wept harder then ever before, her tears pooling beneath her. She looked at Kakashi "Are they positive my mother is… dead?" she asked hesitantly, this word angered and scared it, and it hurt so much to say it. "They're not one-hundred percent but they are pretty sure" he said, nodding solemnly. She looked to her father's name "Can we see him now?" Kakashi frowned a bit "If you don't tell I won't, the battlefield is off limits to everyone but the Hokage and the Anbu, supposedly something of great value has been lost there…" he dare not mention to Sakura what it was, for her parents were the ones who were supposed to escape the battle and transfer the artifact into the hands of the only Iwa shinobi they could trust, an Iwa scientist by the name of Dr. Kagakusha. Sadly the artifact was never delivered and if Sakura were to know that her parents failed their very last mission, she would be devastated…

It was almost sunset now and they had had no luck finding Mr. Haruno's body. "I'm sorry Sakura" Kakashi said "but I have strict orders to have you packed before day break and have to Mrs. Haruno Senior's by nine am, so we must go home" Sakura began to weep again uncontrollably "I-I don't want to…" she stammered "But you must Sakura, Tsunade wants you there before you can do any more damage" he nodded toward an Anbu that had been watching her destroy the battle grounds in search of her father's corpse. "If I must…" she sighed, allowing Kakashi to lead her toward her home… no, her parents home, now an empty shell without them there. As they walked into this empty shell she fell to the floor, weeping and sobbing such as she had never done before. Kakashi merely nodded and went to Sakura's room to pack her things for her…

"Sakura" he called softly from the top of the stairs. It seemed everyone was calling her name now, even those she didn't know "Yes Kakashi-sensei?" she looked up, holding her wrist contemplatively. "It's time" he said, nodding toward the door. Sakura stood, nodding her head and she took from him her suitcase, throwing it over her shoulder…..

They had been walking for a few hours now, no words only looks exchanged between the two. Then silently they came upon a humble cottage in the heart of the forest, cherry trees blooming all around the cottage. Her grandmother was a renowned botanist in the Land Of Fire, know for her herbal knowledge. She sighed, when she were a child her parents would leave her with grandmother when they went away on a mission and Sakura would delight in swinging upon an old tire swing that hung from the tree protruding from the roof of the cottage. She inhaled the scent of the still blooming blossoms. Though it was winter her grandmother, being the botanist she was, decided that it was hideous to see the life of the cherry tree wither in the winter had created special chakra-infused trees that lived year long. Kakashi whistled sharply, snapping Sakura from her dreaming "Coming Kakashi-sensei" she mumbled, picking up her pace. As soon as they approached the door Sakura regretted this, she should've run while she had the chance. At the exact moment Kakashi raised his hand to knock, the door swung open with an eerie creak…….

To Be Continued…..

A/N: Well, well, well, chapter 2 is out already, I didn't think I could do it but hey, here it is, reviews much appreciated! Oh yes and thanks to all of you who reviewed and those who respect the time I have on my hands