AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine.

Chapter Two: A Lesson in History

When little Sakura woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed, she was surprised to find another girl sitting in the same room as her. This one had the same red hair and red eyes as the boy, but she looked closer to Sakura's age. Her skin was the same color as her brother's; Sakura simply assumed they were siblings since they looked the same. Nervous and slightly scared about who this pretty girl was, Sakura tried to crawl back under the covers to hide. However, the other girl must have noticed her, because she immediately smiled and jumped down onto the futon next to her, almost squishing poor Sakura.

"Hi! I'm Sairento! You must be Sakura, the girl Ryu-niikun brought back last night! Wow, you're so pretty! Are you a doll? 'Cause you look like one!" Sairento said in one breath, her smile growing by the second as she waited for Sakura to respond.

"H-Hi." She stuttered out, making Sairento squeal in delight.

"You're so adorable!" Sairento said, before grabbing Sakura's hand and pulling her off the bed and into another room connected to hers. She quickly found out this room was a bathroom.

"Um, Sairento-san?" Sakura asked, grabbing the other girl's attention. Again, she squealed at how cute Sakura was before hugging the girl tightly.

"Call me Sai-neechan, alright? None of this 'san' stuff, okay?" Sakura nodded slowly, wondering why everyone in this house wanted her to be so friendly with her. Surely they would realize that she was a freak because of her hair and forehead. Neither were normal, as all her bullies had constantly told her when they would pick on her. The fact that she was bullied so regularly was the whole reason why her parents decided to move back to the Land of Snow, where she would grow up learning the ways of her family's business in not only the merchant circles, but also in the noble circles as well. She had simply been happy to move away from her bullies. However, that also meant moving away from her best friend, Shino. He had always been nice to her, even helped her with her scrapes and cuts now and then.

While Sakura was busy thinking about her only friend, Sairento had proceeded to grab some clothes for the adorable child. Already she could tell why Mei-neechan would want to adopt her. She was such a sweet girl, and shy as well. Sairento was just happy to have a little sister to play with, even though Mei-neechan was pretty great. But she was the clan head, so she was always busy making sure everyone was happy and healthy, and that all the clan summons were staying in line. Not to mention, all the lesser clan summons who couldn't return to their world unless they were killed had to be taken care of.

"S-Sai-neechan?" Sakura asked, stuttering as she looked at the clothes Sairento wanted her to wear.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Why are you all being so nice to me?"

"Didn't Mei-neechan tell you last night?"

"Tell me what?" Sakura asked, shuffling her feet a little in order to calm her nerves.

"Mei-neechan wrote the Third Hokage last night, explaining everything. She then told him she was going to adopt you as her daughter, because she couldn't imagine ever putting you in an orphanage. She doesn't even want your family to have you, seeing as how no one has bothered to look for you." Sairento explained, holding up the two layered kimono for Sakura to look at. The bottom layer was a simple solid white with a slightly high collar. On the collar were bright green leaves that looked liked they were falling into nothing as they faded back to white. The second layer, the top, was a dark green with pooling sleeves that faded to a light green. Sakura touched the fabric delicately, like it was going to break if she applied too much pressure.

"I-is this mine?" Sakura asked. Sai-neechan nodded her head vigorously, a bright smile lighting up her face. Sakura gave a shy smile back. Sairento squealed as she jumped a few times in excitement.

"Yay! I knew you would like this! After all, Mei-neechan told me to pick something out that would make you look adorable!" Sai-neechan exclaimed, handing the beautiful outfit to Sakura. She quickly left the bathroom, saying something about forgetting a few things in her room. Sakura just stared at the spot where Sairento had just been, wondering if she ate nothing but sugar for breakfast. At the thought of food, Sakura's stomach gave a loud growl. Her ears turned a bright red.

Shaking her head to ignore the hunger, she stripped and quickly pulled the kimonos on, marveling at how smooth and soft they felt. She was pretty sure it was made out of high-end silk, which was very expensive if she remembered correctly.

Once she was done, she patiently waited for Sairento to come back with whatever she had forgotten. She didn't have to wait long, as the girl came running back in a kimono that matched with Sakura's. Her bottom layer was a dark green with a high collar that had black dragons running up and down the length, and the top layer was a bright green with black grass sprouting up from the bottom. Sairento's obi was a bright, clean white tied into a neat bow, with a black ribbon tied in the middle. Sakura noticed how all the kimonos had pooling sleeves, hiding Sairento's hands. She wondered if it was because they were a noble clan, or if they were a rare shinobi clan. Sairento quickly looked Sakura over before nodding in approval, then began to wrap a black obi around her tiny waist, giggling when she had to make an extra large bow. She had grabbed one of her own, forgetting that Sakura was smaller and the extra fabric might trip her up. So, she simply made the bow bigger, giggling as it made Sakura look even more doll like. Satisfied with the obi, she pulled out a white ribbon and tied it in the front before standing back to look at her handiwork.

Nodding her head again, Sairento grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her out of her room and into the hallway. Sairento closed the door then grabbed her hand again and began to lead her away.

"Sai-neechan, where are we going?"

"To get some breakfast. Normally we all eat at dawn, but Mei-neechan decided to let you sleep in and told everyone breakfast would be later."

"Oh." Sakura said, feeling guilty about making everyone have to wait for her. "What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning." Sairento said, smiling down at the little girl who had quickly earned a place in Sairento's heart. What could she say? She liked adorable things, and Sakura was the most adorable person she had ever seen.

"How old are you Sai-neechan?"

"I'm seven. I have a twin, he's Ueta. He looks a lot like Ryu-niikun, just smaller and younger. You'll like him. He doesn't talk much, but he's nice once you get him to talk."

"Oh. H-How old is M-Mei-kaachan?" Sakura asked, blushing a little. Her mother had always told her to never ask a woman's age unless she wanted to offend the woman. Sairento didn't seem to take any offense to the question though, so Mei-kaachan must've been pretty young.

"She's 14."

"Nani?!" Sakura yelled out, stopping in the middle of the hall and looking confused. "B-But she's so young!"

"Yeah, she is. Mei-neechan inherited the position of clan head after her parents died when she was ten. My parents died with hers."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know." Sakura, said quietly, feeling ashamed for making Sai-neechan talk about her parents.

"I was only three when they died, so I don't really miss them. Though Mei-neechan always gets really sad every year on their anniversary. I think it's because she misses them, a lot."

"Oh." Sakura said, again. She got quiet as she went over everything she had just learned and thought that Mei-kaachan was adopting her because she knew what it was like to lose parents at a young age. She was stirred from her thoughts by Sai-neechan poking her cheek.

"Ne, Sakura, how old are you?" She asked, her brows together in curiosity.

"I-I'm four." Sakura whispered as she heard someone shouting about being hungry. She quickly moved behind Sairento as she slid open the door to the dining room. Sakura peeked around Sai-neechan in order to see who was shouting. She saw that it was Ryu-niikun. He was glaring at Mei-kaachan, who simply raised an eyebrow before turning her head to see who had arrived at last.

"Ah, Sai-chan. Just in time, too. Did you bring Sakura-chan?" Chimei asked, smiling softly as Sakura nervously stepped away from Sairento in order to bow respectfully towards Chimei. She looked confused, wondering why the sweet little girl was bowing. Then it clicked and she giggled softly, hiding her mouth behind her long sleeves. Sakura noticed that Mei-kaachan was wearing three layer kimono. The bottom layer was a solid back with a slightly high collar. The second layer was a dark blue that could only be seen when she moved her sleeves, that also pooled around her hands. Sakura safely assumed that all kimonos in this house had pooling sleeves. Her top layer was a light blue that matched her eyes. The stitching was done in a clean white that depicted Koi fish swimming around in waves that were stitched in a dark blue that matched her second layer. Mei-kaachan's hair was done in a small topknot with the rest falling down her back. A senbon held her top knot in place. It was such a simply hair decoration, and yet, something in Sakura told her that it was more than that. That it could be used as a weapon as well.

"Morning Mei-neechan!" Sairento chirped, immediately going to one side of the table and taking a seat. She sat next to a boy who looked just like her. Sakura deduced that that was Ueta, Sairento's twin. Sakura had to admit, he did look like a smaller, younger version of Ryu-niikun. Who just still glaring at Mei-kaachan.

"Good morning Sakura-chan. Please, come sit by me. We've all been waiting for you." Chimei said softly, a smile gracing her lips. They were still a bright red. She wondered if they were naturally like that. Sakura would feel better if she wasn't the only one with something unnatural about her. Sakura shuffled over to Chimei, keeping her head bowed. She said something so softly that no one could hear her. "Speak up, Sakura-chan." Chimei chided gently. Sakura lifted her head up and the expression she was giving made Chimei want to pull her into a tight hug. However, she refrained from doing so. She didn't want to stop the girl from explaining herself.

"I'm s-sorry for making you w-wait to e-eat." She said, looking down to hide her face. However, since she couldn't control her emotions, Chimei was able to see the sadness and guilt in her eyes quite clearly.

"What do you mean?" Chimei asked, shooting a 'shut-up' look to Ryuketsu who had opened his mouth to speak. Everyone in the family knew he wasn't the nicest person to deal with in the morning, hence why Chimei chose Sairento to fetch little Sakura.

"Sai-neechan said that you all normally eat at dawn." Sakura said, her voice coming out clear and strong. For once, she didn't feel nervous or shy. Maybe it had to do with Chimei always being so nice? Or maybe it was because Sakura wasn't expected to do anything but show up.

"Ah. That's why." Chimei said, before patting the spot next to her. Sakura looked confused but sat down nonetheless. Her stomach was still demanding food, so she felt it was a good idea to eat something. If only to get the attention off of her. "What else did Sai-chan tell you?" Chimei asked with an amused smile. Sairento swallowed nervously before reaching for another tuna roll. Sakura blinked as she looked over the spread of food. She saw that it was a mix of sushi and some other food she couldn't identify. However, as Chimei patiently waited for her answer, the woman began to fill a plate with food for Sakura.

"Well, she said your the clan head, and t-that you're really young." Sakura stuttered out.

"Did she? Hmm, normally Sai-chan complains about me being too old." Chimei said, shooting an amused look in Sairento's direction.

"I-I do not!" Sairento defended herself, though the redness in her cheeks told of another story entirely. Sakura giggled, before blushing when she felt an unknown gaze land on her. She looked up through her bangs and found an older woman staring at her. How had she not noticed this woman before?

"Ah, Jentoru-baasama. Good morning." Chimei greeted, still smiling.

"Chimei, is this the brat you adopted?" The older woman asked, pointing at Sakura.

"H-Hey! I-I'm not a b-brat!" Sakura defended herself, already disliking this woman for that little insult. Huh, maybe being around Shino had given her a little backbone. Before Sakura could get sad about missing her friend, Chimei politely took control of the conversation.

"This is Sakura-chan, Jentoru-baasama. And yes, she is the girl I adopted."

"Huh, you've got a pair Chimei, that's for sure. Adopting a girl only an hour after meeting her, and without even asking me first." Jentoru-baasama said, pretending to be hurt about the whole thing. She even clutched the spot above her heart. Sakura took this lull to look over the woman, noting how she looked similar to Mei-kaachan. Her hair was still a jet black, but there were grey and white hairs brushed through. Her hair was short and piled into a traditional top knot on the top of her head. She had a piece of bamboo holding it in place, with a string of bells attached to the wood. Her three kimonos were very simple. A grey bottom layer with a normal collar, a black second layer that peeked through the sleeves, and a dark blue top kimono. There were no patterns on any of hers, which made Sakura curious. Jentoru-baasama's obi was a plain old grey with a black ribbon in the middle. All in all, she looked as if she had simply gotten dressed after waking up without any thought of looking special.

"Jentoru-baasama, you were sleeping. Besides, you don't care either way." Chimei said calmly, still smiling. Sakura wondered if her new mother ever frowned, or if she was always happy.

"So, have you told Sakura-chan anything about the clan, yet? Or do you want me to?" Jentoru-baasama asked, stabbing a piece of meat with her chopstick. Sakura decided that she did, in fact, like this woman. She may have come off as rude at first, but she soon found out the woman was always like this, even to her clan head.

"I was hoping to wait until after breakfast." Chimei said, her smile disappearing as she thought about whatever it was she was supposed to tell Sakura. Jentoru-baasama took this as her cue to take control for once. The older woman sighed before sitting back and giving Sakura her full attention.

"Sakura-chan, you like stories?" The woman asked suddenly. All other activity stopped as Sakura nodded slowly. "Good. Cause Chimei here has clan business to deal with, I'll be the one to tell you about the clan."

"Jentoru-baasama-" Chimei started, only to be stopped by Jentoru.

"Chimei, I'm still a clan Elder, which means I can take matters out of your hands whenever I want. Besides, you have a habit of talking a lot."

"That's because Sakura has probably never heard of our clan, so she needs someone to explain everything to her-" Chimei began, getting ready to argue with her grandmother, only to be stopped by Sakura raising her hand.

"W-What is your clan name?" She asked softly. Chimei and Jentoru shared a look, both wondering who should be the one to tell her. However, Ueta decided to speak up for the first time since Sakura appeared.

"We are the Akuma clan, Sakura-chan." He said softly, pushing his rectangular glasses back up his nose. Sakura nodded, letting that little tidbit sink it.

"Y-You're the Demon Clan?" She asked, even though she had meant it as a statement. Ueta nodded.

"Our name does, in fact, mean Demon, however, that does not mean we are demons. It means our clan has an entwined relationship with demons." Ueta explained, carefully eating his own tuna roll. It seemed everyone here particularly liked the tuna rolls. Sakura nodded slowly. Ueta took that as a sign to continue. His siblings were surprised that he was talking so much, especially to someone he's just met. Normally he's all quiet, and prefers his own company. Sakura thought that he and Shino would get along quite well, as the dark haired boy was very much the same in personality. "Our clan makes summoning contracts with demons, making us quite possibly, the strongest clan in shinobi history."

"What Ueta means, is that everybody in the clan, from the minute of birth, is paired up with a demon until their death." Chimei offered, hoping that would be a better explanation for the sweet child.

"So, you guys can summon demons?" Sakura finally asked after a few moments of thinking. Jentoru nodded, grinning. She was beginning to like this girl, especially since she hadn't freaked out yet.

"Correct, Sakura-chan. We can summon demons alright, though they don't really like it." Jentoru said, who looked around the table for some dango. She was craving something sweet.

"How come?" Sakura asked, wanting to know more. Chimei shook her head, thinking this might too much, but gave in anyway.

"Demons are different from us, in ways that most people, namely civilians, can't understand. People fear what they don't know, Sakura-chan. That's why our clan is so small, with only an average of 30-40 people as members. Our clan takes pride in the fact that we don't fear demons as monsters, but rather, respect them as creatures of immense strength and power." Chimei explained slowly, letting the girl take this all in. Sakura nodded, her eyes shining bright with a thirst for more knowledge. Chimei smiled softly, happy that she had made the right decision in adopting this child.

"Sakura-chan, it's story time." Jentoru-baasama stated, leaning her elbows on the table and giving the girl a toothy grin that was known for being scary among civilians.

"Jentoru-baasama, please remember that Sakura-chan is still young." Chimei said, going back to eating. Sakura hadn't realized, but she had apparently cleaned her plate while listening to everyone talk.

"Yeah, yeah, Chimei. I know." Jentoru said, waving her clan head off. Despite the difference in clan control, Jentoru was still the oldest, therefore the wisest. But, that didn't mean she had tact. "Okay, Sakura-chan, our clan came to be unlike any other clan out there. We were once only made up of two people. A feudal princess, and her samurai lover." Jentoru began, grinning smugly as she saw the girl's eyes get wide. Ooh, she was definitely going to enjoy having this one around. However, remembering that Chimei was still around, she made sure to keep the story clean. "At the beginning of the First Shinobi War, there lived a princess unlike any other. She was rumored to have the ability to speak with demons, and that made her a dangerous target. Her father wanted her to be safe, so he trusted his favorite samurai to protect her. Well, the samurai was the lord's favorite for a reason. He was blind, so he wouldn't be able to judge his daughter so harshly."

"Was the princess beautiful?" Sakura asked, smiling when Jentoru nodded.

"Very beautiful. In fact, a lot of people say that Chimei looks just like the princess."

"Wow..." Sakura said, seeing Mei-kaachan in a whole new light.

"Anyway, back to the story. The samurai, while blind, was a great fighter. And an even greater listener. He would listen as the princess told him about her gift, about how she felt that the demons weren't monsters, just creatures that had been misunderstood. The samurai wanted to believe her, he really did, but he couldn't. It had been a demon who took his eyes away from him, and the samurai had vowed to kill the demon. What he didn't know, was that the demon had stolen his eyes in order to give them to his sweet daughter. The princess." Jentoru was grinning widely, as Sakura's eyes widened at this new information.

"The princess was a demon?!" She asked, slamming her hands on the table to get closer to Jentoru-baasama. Jentoru nodded and laughed as Sakura said something she couldn't hear. Even Chimei was laughing.

"Not a true demon, Sakura-chan. Her mother was human, a princess just like her. Her father, the lord, was the demon. That was why the princess could speak to demons and see their true forms. It was because she had the blood of a demon in her." Chimei explained why Jentoru finally stopped laughing. The older woman wiped a tear away, still chuckling.

"What happened next, Jentoru-baasama?" Sakura eagerly asked.

"Well, the princess fell in love with the gentle and cold samurai. However, when she proclaimed her love for him, she had also told him about her demon blood. The samurai, over taken with rage and hate, gave a mortal wound to the princess. When he had realized what he had done, he couldn't take it back."

"What?! There has to be a happy ending! There just has to!" Sakura cried out, wanting the princess to be with her true love, even if he wasn't ready to accept her yet.

"Calm down, kid. Geez, you're more excited than Chimei was when she first heard this story."

"That's because, Jentoru-baasama, you have a way of making things sound worse than they are." Chimei sighed out, wondering how she had gotten stuck with this woman as her grandmother.

"It's called story telling, Chimei. Sheesh." Jentoru said, rolling her eyes. If Sakura didn't know better, she would've assumed they were like any other family out there. "Anyway, the samurai took the dying princess to her father, telling him everything. The father, at first, wanted to devour the samurai for harming his precious daughter, however, his daughter asked her father to spare the man. The samurai wanted the princess spared instead, demanding she live and he be killed. The lord, taking both requests into consideration, decided to get a little revenge on the samurai. He took the man's life and gave it to his daughter, allowing her to live. Then, he turned the samurai into a demon, a demon that would have to stay by her side until death."

"Once again, you take things too far, Jentoru-baasama. Sakura-chan, come with me." Chimei said, grabbing the little girl's hand and leading her out of the dining room. She heard Jentoru mutter something about damn story ruiners, but she could've been mistaken. She turned around and waved goodbye to everyone as Chimei slid the door shut before walking forward. She had yet to let the small girl's hand go. Chimei led her down different hallways, before finally stopping in front of two sliding doors. Chimei silently opened one and waited for Sakura to step inside. When she did, she saw a beautiful tapestry hanging on the wall. The stitching was hand done and looked exotic, like it came from a foreign land. The background was a vibrant blood red sunset, with two beings in the middle under a cherry blossom tree. The first was a frightening demon, with a black body that seemed to move and blend in with the shadows. It had a deer skull as its head, with the eye sockets empty and black. They looked completely soulless. It's shoulders were broad; its arms hanging low and nearly touching the ground. Instead of fingers, it had long, razor sharp claws that looked like they were covered in blood. It had a narrow waist; Sakura could see bones barely covered by its skin. Its legs look like those of a wolf, only they allowed it to stand like a human. In the tapestry, the demon was crouching, its arms encircling the small waist of a beautiful woman. She had ink black hair that shone against the demon's smoky body. Her skin was ivory and looked as smooth as china. Her lips were painted blood red and were curved up in a small smile that seemed to call her forward. She was wearing a long, beautiful pink kimono with sleeves that hid her hands.

"She looks just like you, Mei-kaachan." Sakura said softly, looking up at Chimei. Chimei nodded, her smile gone. "What's wrong, Mei-kaachan?" Sakura asked, worry painting her voice. Chimei shook her head slowly, as if trying to get rid of thoughts she didn't want.

"Sakura-chan, Jentoru-baasama may have a flair for exaggerating, she was speaking the truth. The samurai was cursed to be a demon forever, as punishment for hurting the demon lord's daughter. Those two there, are the princess and her cursed lover. The samurai and the princess created this clan, and the demons that we summon. The two lines are forever entwined, one always being there for the other. Sakura-chan, in order for you to be a full member of the clan, and not just an honorary one, you will have to make a contract with a demon." Chimei stated softly, though her frown made Sakura wonder if she wanted Sakura to do that. However, from what the others said, and from Jentoru-baasama's story, demons don't sound all that bad to her anymore. And maybe, she'll find a demon who'll like her despite being an apparent freak.

"Okay, Mei-kaachan. Demons don't sound all that scary anymore." Sakura said, giving Chimei a big grin. Chimei blinked before smiling back, laughing to herself as Sakura pulled on her hand, pulling her out of the room and out of her dark thoughts.

So, what do you think? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Brownie points for the person who can guess which team I'll put Sakura on.

Translations:

Ryuketsu no Akuma: Bloody DemonSairento no Akuma: Silent Demon
Ueta no Akuma: Hungry Demon
Jentoru no Akuma: Gentle Demon
Chimei-tekina no Akuma: Deadly Demon