Chapter Eleven: Sayuri's early training

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, Mother!" Eight-year-old Sasuke turned to his mom.

"Your classmate, Sayuri-chan…She's going to be coming here after school today, alright?"

"Oh…Okay." Sasuke helped himself to one of Itachi's cookies; the ANBU captain just grinned at him and continued polishing his katana.

"Is she coming over to play?" Sasuke asked.

"No." This time it was Itachi who answered. "She's coming over to train."

"Huh?"

"Training," Itachi said. "She's coming here so that I can train her."

"Oh…" Sasuke looked down at the cookie in his hand. "Is that why you were looking for her a few days ago, Brother?"

"Yes."

"Why are you going to train her?"

"She needs the help," their mother said, before muttering quietly, "and a good meal."

"What, Mom?" Sasuke asked, but Itachi put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sayuri knows already that she's coming home with you, Sasuke," he said.

"Okay…" Sasuke said. "But… Brother?"

"Hn?"

"She's always sick."

"What?"

"Sayuri-chan, she's always sick. She keeps fainting, and yesterday she vomited after we ran laps and practiced the Shuriken Jutsu."

"She'll be fine," Itachi said. "Now, get to class."

"Okay…"

"Big Brother?" Sasuke called, walking through the door, kicking off his shoes; Sayuri placed hers by the door. "Big Brother, are you home?"

"He's with the Hokage," his mother said, walking into the room. She smiled warmly. "Welcome to our home, Sayuri-chan!"

"Thank you, Uchiha-san," Sayuri whispered, looking at her feet.

"Sasuke, why don't you go put your bag in your room," his mother said, before smiling again at Sayuri. "Would you like something to eat before Itachi gets home?"

"No, thank you," Sayuri whispered.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble."

"It's okay."

"Alright…"

"I'm home!" Itachi called, slipping out of his shoes; Sayuri turned to stare at him blankly.

"Hello, Itachi-Teichou-sama," she whispered.

"It's okay to call me something shorter, Sayuri-chan," he said.

"Okay, Teichou," she murmured.

"Are you ready?" Itachi asked, checking to see that his kunai was safely sheathed. Sayuri nodded.

"Mother!"

"What, what is it!?!"

Itachi stood up with something in his arms as his mother came running into the yard.

"She…She just fainted!" he said, shock apparent on his face; Sasuke peered out into the yard.

"Sayuri-chan!" he yelled, running to Itachi, who held the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Is she alright?"

"I don't know…"

"What happened?"

"She was just throwing shuriken, and then she collapsed."

Sayuri groaned softly. She could hear the voiced talking and tensed, readying herself for the sharp sting of the slap that would surely be used to bring her around.

Instead, groggily, she realized that she was being lain on a soft surface, and a woman's voice that wasn't her mothers above her.

"Itachi, take Sasuke out to eat, you'll both be in the way…Sayuri? Sayuri-chan? Sayuri-chan, are you alright?"

"What happened?" A man's deep voice entered Sayuri's head.

"goodness you're home!"

"What happened?"

"Itachi was training her, and she just collapsed." The woman's voice…

"It's no wonder. Look at how wishy-washy she is. Is she even cut out to be a kunoichi?"

"I don't think this has anything to do with how pale she is."

"Should we take her to the hospital?"

"No, she's waking up, see?"

"I'll go get some water. She should stay here for tonight; I'll contact her parents."
"Okay…"

'NO!' Sayuri's thoughts screamed, but she couldn't find the strength even to open her mouth.

'Not my parents…anyone but my parents…'

"Then let's go to the backyard."

"Okay."