I do not own Naruto

Chapter 12

I was Ruka's daughter. He left and my mother and I were left to worry. However, our worries for my brother and him didn't last long before they were replaced by another fear.

Jiraiya had contacted Tsunade when he first heard of the disease. He knew that if anyone could figure out the mystery behind the it it would be Tsunade, and he knew that she loved a good mystery. She couldn't resist the offer to crack the code behind a sickness and came almost immediately after he had contacted her. She couldn't figure out how to heal it immediately, but what she did discover was that it was man-made and designed to only affect those with the Haruno Kekkei Genkei. That was dangerous, because if it managed to get rid of every Kekkei Genkei possessing Haruno, the clan would practically be extinct.

Before this was discovered my family always considered themselves lucky to have two kids born with the clan's power. But, the power was quickly turning into a curse. The disease was contracted in me and my health faded quickly. Tsunade still hadn't found a cure for the sickness, and I had only hours left before I died.

Obviously, she figured it out in time and I was saved, but not everyone in my family was as lucky. Something had happened that no one was telling me about.

Little things brought it to my attention. Mom's sudden instances of "butter-fingers." The quick wipes at her eyes as I entered. The soft echoes of sorrow heard through the walls at night. The pitying looks. I didn't know what was going on, but I hated everyone that had that pitying look in their eyes. It frustrated and aggravated me.

The mystery became known to me when my clan finally arrived from Ame. I rushed outside and waited patiently for my father to appear in the crowd, gather me in his arms, and spin me around like I weighed nothing. For my brother to say something sarcastic and ruffle my hair. The only thing I was greeted with was sadness. My father and brother had died of the illness on their way back. Not only that, but they were too late and I was now the only surviving member with my clan's Kekkei Genkei.

Everything became scrambled and tipped upside down at that point. I wasn't just the only Kekkei Genkei holder, but I was also technically the head of the clan. I wished that it would stay as "technically" but my clan's elders had other ideas. In all of the confusion our clan's elders were voting to instate me, the recently turned five year old girl that had just lost half of her family, as the clan's head and all the authority that entails.

I know, you're thinking, "What morons..." but what I haven't told you is I was a prodigy. I could do some things Genin couldn't and solve beginner Chuunin equations. But, it was still moronic nonetheless.

Things were becoming more final with each passing day, and the elders still seemed blind to the fact that I was five. So, I did what any child in my position would have done: I rain away. I may have been a prodigy, but I was still a kid.

My "missing-nin" trip lasted for a day. A search party was sent to find me. The ninja that found was an Anbu - apparently finding me was very important.

He didn't use force to bring me back. Instead, he just talked to me. He heard me out when no one else cared to even ask me how I felt about being head of the clan.

"Why did you run away?" I remember him asking.

"Because big people are mean, " I distinctly remember him laughing at my bluntness.

"How so?" he inquired.

"Because, they want me to be the clan's head. I don't want to be the clans head. I just want my daddy and Toshiro," I cried.

"Oh?" What happened to them?" he asked.

"Mommy says the disease that U.M. sent killed them like it almost killed me," I answered.

"Who is U.M.?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. A pause began in which nothing was said.

"If I was to say I would try to fix this problem, would you come back with me?" The boy asked.

I shrugged my shoulders again.

"I can't promise you that I can fix it," he seemed to be thinking of his words carefully, "but I will try. In the event that I can't fix it, will you promise me you'll keep your head held high? I'll help you through your rough spots, that I can promise you."

"I nodded this time and stood up, ready to let him take me home.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Itachi."

Itachi fixed everything in the end. He convinced my elders that as the only surviving Kekkei Genkei holder I should be kept secret and not put on display. Especially since someone was obviously trying to kill us. It was decided that the council would make decisions until I was eighteen and considered an adult that could handle the pressure.

Itachi kept his promise, and, even after the clan mess, he looked after me through my rough times. He was like the older brother I had lost. He trained with me in secret places and those were the only times I could let my true abilities show. I think one of the reasons I loved him so much was because he knew everything and he was the only person outside of my family I could share my secret with.

It wasn't easy to keep my abilities a secret. Many times at the academy I almost revealed it, but I knew that that would disappoint Itachi, so I restrained myself from showing off.

When I was seven, Itachi told me that someone was going to be training with us so I should wear a disguise. I put on a hat to cover my pink hair and wore a mask - much like Kakashi's. The someone ended up being you. You were quiet and shy then. You never said much to me, but I could feel your eyes on me as you watched me spar with Itachi.

I didn't know whether I should feel uncomfortable or honored that you thought I was good. That was a good day. All my fears and worriers were forgotten. At that moment I didn't have a man that was willing to kill me if I ever let slip I had the Kekkei Genkei. I wasn't part of a broken family.

I was Sakura. And at that moment, that was enough.

Again, short... I can't help it! I like leaving you guys dangling from cliffs and this is the best way I can do that! I think there is only going to be one more chapter of Sakura's past.

Would you just look at that new pen name? For those of you who didn't know, I changed it.

Thank you to all you wonderful people that have read my story, but more specifically: Duda-Becker-chan, animegirl2014, OracleOfTheShadows, bbarbie325, WhereThereIsLoveThereIsLife, Macchama, and .X Yu guys rawk!

The Fuzz \|/

(There's going to be a hint about her Kekkei Genkei in the next chapter ;) )