A Spirit Visiting

The Koi pond was not filled with mold like she expected it to be. To her utmost surprise, her house was rather clean- any traces of the murder that partook that fateful night were gone. She walked towards the kitchen and saw the little carvings on the wooden door ledge; her little boys were growing up so quickly she had to record their height progression somewhere in this house. These memories would be so precious. The last of the recordings were of Sasuke who stood at 125 centimeters tall. Her heart cringed to think of her son being forcefully torn away from his beloved family at such a tender age. She stood there and allowed her fingertips to gently feel the carvings she made on said door ledge.

After recollecting her mind, Mikoto came back to her senses. She had gotten to know that Sasuke has left the village years ago. So, who cleaned this place? And... why?

Her curiosity was answered when she heard her front door slid open and in came this girl with pastel pink hair. She could be an avid stalker of one of her sons but Mikoto did not want to jump onto any conclusions just yet. Instead, the wise woman stood at a corner, observing the pinkette as quietly as possible so as to not let her presence be felt.

Mikoto observed the girl cleaning the house bit by bit and lastly, she went up to Sasuke's room. Mikoto followed suit.

Up in his room, she took up a picture frame and cleaned the surface. Mikoto glanced over the girl's shoulders to see the previously broken picture of her son's team. The woman took a second look at the pinkette and she finally remembered her youngest son's teammate.

"Sakura!"

Sakura jumped upon hearing a whisper of her name, "Somebody there?" She spun her body around tentatively. And when she saw nothing, "Must've been too tired that I'm starting to imagine things," She chuckled before heading down to the Uchiha garden.

The pinkette was swinging her legs as she sip on her tea looking out to the crescent moon. Mikoto rather enjoyed Sakura's silent intrusion into her compound- this girl cleaned her house after all and had no ill intention. "What a sweet girl." Mikoto mused.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, remember the night you left? Look at the shape of the moon now. It's exactly the same." She continued sipping on her tea.

"Such a fool..." Sakura did not finish her sentence and forced herself to gulp more tea.

"Hey, training with Orochimaru must've worked out darn well huh?" Her head tilted to the dark sky as she rapidly blinked her eyes, in hopes of preventing tears from falling, "You managed to stab Yamato-taichou, hurt Sai too. And... and..." She sobbed. Mikoto edged a little nearer to her, wanting to offer even the slightest bit of comfort but she was only a spirit, roaming freely for just one night.

"... if given the chance you would've hurt me too right?" Sakura dropped her head, allowing pink locks to cover her eyes. Mikoto's heart tightened when she saw tears continue streaming down her cheeks.

"Love couldn't overcome power... Do-do you think Mikoto-san would approve of what you're doing now, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura walked to the Uchiha altar table and poured tea to the deceased family.

"Fugaku-san, Mikoto-san, please protect Sasuke-kun." She knelt before the altar. Mikoto walked towards her and touched her tea, as a form of acceptance towards Sakura.

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke-kun is really lucky to have you." She whispered albeit knowing Sakura would've never heard that.

The silent night continued drifting deeper to its end. Sakura placed herself on the veranda near the Koi pond, reading her medical books until she ultimately fell asleep uncomfortably.

The woman with long streaks of black hair looked over the pinkette tenderly. Guarding her so as to not allow any mean spirits that roamed free that night to cause her any harm. Just as she was about to be called back to her own realm, Mikoto heard a light creak on the wooden floor. She turned to see her youngest son donned wholly in black kneeling in front of their family's altar. Mikoto chuckled seeing her son's attempt to be incognito yet she was happy he still respects them during the ghost festival. After all, there's still sweetness inside him- that she knew very well.

He stealthily walked into a room and out he reappeared with blankets in his hands. With footsteps as light as a feather, he went towards Sakura's sleeping figure and gently placed the blankets atop of her. He sat beside her for a while, taking in the peaceful chirping of crickets and brushed off a pink streak of hair which was poking the pinkette's eyelid.

"Hn, as long as you don't get in my way, I'll try my best to avoid hurting you." He smirked, feeling sleek for hearing everything she said earlier.

"Sasuke..." She stirred in her slumber as she whispers his name once more, "Sasuke..."

"Sleep tight," And then Mikoto was left seeing her son fleeing the compound as swiftly as he came.

Part of her still felt sad for that her son has not learn the power of love but Mikoto harbored a lot of hope. Because her form of hope comes in the form of a beautiful pink haired kunoichi sleeping on her veranda.

"Ne, never give up. He'll come to know one fine day. Gambateh." Mikoto whispered to the sleeping child before she went away.

A/N: Gambateh= fighthing in Japanese. This isn't exactly AU but you know, it's supernatural. Reviews please?