The moon rose over the streets of Konoha on a night that stood out from all the others. It was not an ordinary night, where the stars shone with a brilliance akin to silver drops of metal, majestically accompanying the moon. On this occasion, the moon did not display the splendor that makes it the most beautiful thing in life. Nor did the breeze blow warm and refreshing, with its melodious whisper that seemed to engage in conversations with the trees as it brushed against them. No... The stars sparkled like the armor of a warrior left unpolished for years, while the breeze offered no solace, but rather chilled to the bone. And the moon, oh the moon, hid in sorrow among the clouds that night, as if it did not want to witness what was happening on earth, as if the sky itself held a secret so great that it could not share it.
The streets were deserted, most people taking refuge in their homes, protecting themselves from the cold of the night. Everything seemed strangely quiet. In the midst of the gloom, a little girl appeared, her cheeks wet with tears she had shed. She couldn't have been more than seven years old, with her hair of a strange pink hue and startling jade-colored eyes, though their brilliance was overshadowed by the sadness and pain they reflected. It was unsettling to find such a young girl alone on the street late at night, especially with so many scratches, scrapes, and bruises. Poor girl.
"Father," she whispered, her voice choked. She could barely be heard, but the pain and resentment in speaking that name were reflected in her entire being.
The girl with pink hair walked aimlessly, emitting a vacant aura, letting her feet lead her wherever they would. She felt lost and had no desire to return to what she used to call home. No, that place was no longer her home. Her world was crumbling around her, and all she wanted was to be alone in the darkness, regardless of what happened. Let others do as they pleased.
Hungry and with the cold biting her skin, the girl walked on, taking small steps into the darkness. When she looked up from the ground, she ended up bumping into someone. Out of respect, she glanced up at that person to apologize, but her surprise was immense to find herself facing a boy with hair as black as a crow's, whitish skin, and hypnotic eyes of crimson red with black veins within.
It wasn't his eyes or his cold gaze that took her breath away, but his mere presence. She could sense the aura of death and danger emanating from him, and she noticed that his clothes and the sword he held were stained with blood. Any sane person would have fled or at least screamed, but she did not...
Ruby and emerald met for a long while. The girl examined the boy's face with curiosity, resignation, and a certain degree of fear. Despite the imminent danger, she did not feel that he was dangerous, but rather as if he were suffering.
"Do you want to hit me too?" the girl asked, marked with affliction on her small face, while tears continued to flow like a stream.
The boy, stoic in front of her thanks to his years of experience, hid his surprise. He didn't expect to find anyone at that hour of the night, let alone a girl with such curious hair; he might expect to encounter a drunkard, but a girl?
Hurt her? Why would he hurt her? Although his clothes were stained with blood, that didn't necessarily mean he would do the same to her. As he looked at her closely, he noticed the scratches and bruises adorning her pale skin.
"So, do you want to make fun of my huge forehead?" the girl said with a tone that suggested she considered that fact as inevitable. She turned her head disdainfully. She was tired of everything and everyone. She no longer wished for anything other than to stop time and disappear forever. If they didn't bother her about her prominent forehead, it was because they beat and mistreated her.
"No... Why would I bother someone I don't know?" Itachi responded after a long silence.
The girl turned her head as fast as lightning, as if she were about to fracture. She was astounded, breathless, her mind seemed to stop for a moment. Despite the darkness, she could perceive a glimmer of light in her troubled heart, upon seeing him. Even the tears, which seemed endless, stopped.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage's house, the main door received several knocks.
Hiruzen, who was resting after a long day of work, was in his favorite armchair in the living room, quietly reading a book and enjoying his pipe. Upon hearing the knocks on the door, he grunted and rose from his comfortable seat to attend to the interruption of his well-deserved rest.
Work is work, Sarutobi repeated to himself over and over in his mind. He knew that if he were called at that hour, it was for a considerable reason, even if it meant more paperwork for the next day, as if he didn't already have enough.
"Lord Hokage!" shouted the jonin with agitation, breathing heavily from having run so fast. That couldn't be a good sign—. "We have a problem! The Uchiha clan has been attacked!"
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, and his body tensed.
"Explain now."
The dream that was beginning to embrace his body as he read vanished upon feeling the injection of adrenaline into his bloodstream. The situation was extremely serious.
"The Uchiha clan was attacked during the night. It is suspected that the culprit is Itachi Uchiha, son of Fugaku-sama, the leader of the clan. We have found only one unconscious survivor, the younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha," the jonin reported, maintaining a professional posture despite his heavy breathing.
Definitely, the situation was grave.
"Inform Kakashi to abandon his surveillance post on Naruto and to search for Itachi Uchiha. He will lead the team that is formed. Tell him that, once he returns from the mission, he is to inspect the condition of the young Uchiha," Sarutobi ordered the ninja, who nodded and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving the Hokage alone with a sad look and a sigh. "So you've left your brother alive, eh, Itachi... I'll respect your decision, I just hope it's for the best."
With slow steps and carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders that he would carry until his death, Sarutobi headed to his room to prepare. Another sleepless night and a great deal of work to be done.
Definitely, he already felt too old to be Hokage.
Itachi's eyes gleamed with interest as he carefully observed the girl with pink hair in front of him. She seemed much calmer than before, as if his words, however insignificant, had acted as a salve on a wound.
"It's dangerous to be out here at night. Go home," Itachi said, trying to act responsibly. He couldn't leave the girl alone, especially on a night like this that could turn dangerous at any moment.
Once again, he was surprised by her reaction. Of all possibilities, this was the least expected: fear. Tears welled up in the girl's eyes again, and she soon began to tremble.
"No!... I don't want to go home!" the girl exclaimed, trembling as she hugged herself tightly. A myriad of thoughts crossed her mind to avoid returning home, but only one stood out among the others. "Take me with you!"
The girl noticed that Itachi had a bag of belongings slung over his shoulder, which could only mean one thing: he was leaving. In a desperate impulse, she clung to the boy's leg and begged between sobs for him to accept taking her with him.
"Please, take me with you."
Itachi's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the desperate and longing look on the girl's face, as if she were clinging to him as if her life depended on it, as if pulling away meant falling into an abyss of no return.
His thoughts were interrupted by the approaching commotion; people were beginning to notice them, and the Anbu could intervene at any moment. He couldn't waste any more time with the girl. Without a second thought, he quickly knocked her unconscious and slung her over his shoulder like dead weight. With agility, he navigated through the streets and walls surrounding Konoha, venturing into the vast forest that protected it. He would take her far from the village, to a place where they could be safe... at least for a while.
In a small but spacious room, Itachi Uchiha stood, looking out a small window, arms crossed and gaze lost. It wouldn't be long before the girl lying in the bed beside him woke from her stupor. Leaving her alone was no longer an option; they were no longer in the village to leave her in a safe place, and returning would be suicide after what had happened.
The girl's words before she passed out echoed in his mind. How were they treating her at home? Perhaps he would find out later. What he couldn't understand was how the girl wasn't frightened to see him so bloodied.
He had by his side a girl of whom he practically knew nothing: her name, if she belonged to a clan or not, nothing. He could only estimate her age. Now they would not only be searching for him for murder and nearly wiping out one of Konoha's most prominent clans, but also for kidnapping. One more thing to add to his burgeoning criminal record.
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the girl stir slowly. He approached her and positioned himself beside the bed, where she could see him clearly.
"Where am I?" was the first thing the girl said, her voice sounding like a croak. She blinked repeatedly, gradually adjusting to the light, until she finally sat up in bed and noticed Itachi's presence beside her. At first, she tensed, but then relaxed upon recognizing him, which surprised Itachi.
"Tell me, why do you want to come with me? You don't even know me," Itachi asked, looking at the girl with jade-colored eyes. Although his face remained impassive, he was intrigued internally. The girl was very interesting and volatile in her feelings. In such a short time, she had shown a wide range of emotions, from anger and sadness to hope and hatred. It was a lot for a girl her age to endure.
The girl gazed at the sheets wrapped around her as if they were the most interesting thing she had ever seen, but her eyes betrayed the pain she felt, and tears threatened to well up again, as they had done yesterday. No, she couldn't allow that. Not after this kind man had come and saved her.
"I don't want to go home. My father hates me. Whenever he can, he hits me. He just looks for excuses to do it. My mother never does anything to protect me. She just looks at me or mocks me, and always indulges my father in everything he wants. They've never cared about me, not even when I'm sick... Everyone always mocks me and mistreats me..." Her voice broke. "I want to be strong. I don't want to be trampled anymore..."
Once again, Itachi was impressed. So young, so fragile, yet with such great hatred within her. Deep in his mind, a voice told him that he should take the girl away and make her happy before she fell into darkness. In a way, he could understand what she was going through. However, neither he nor Sasuke had been treated like this, and they were fortunate to have a kind mother. Sakura deserved a happy childhood, not this thorny path he walked. Clearly, she was a being of light, unlike him, who moved in darkness. It was regrettable to see someone as pure as her being dragged into the world of shadows.
He looked out the window and sighed deeply before turning to look at those wonderful green eyes again, which showed fear, sadness, and determination all at once, a peculiar combination.
"Come with me," Itachi said in a neutral voice.
Sakura's eyes lit up with excitement and she drew a big smile on her face, which made Itachi happy. Definitely, a smile suited her better than sadness.
On the other hand, she now knew that, despite Itachi's appearance and his expressionless face, he was her knight, the one who came to save her from that horrible nightmare. She knew that no matter someone's appearance, or the danger they might emanate, fairy tale knights could appear in the most peculiar circumstances.
"Thank you, uh..." she said.
"Itachi Uchiha," he corrected her, giving her a small smile for the first time in a long while.
"I'm Haruno Sakura, Itachi-nii," she said, sitting up in bed and hugging him around the neck, momentarily surprising him before he returned the hug, still smiling.
In Itachi's heart, darkened by sadness and despair, a small ray of light was born. Perhaps the knight was none other than a peculiar little girl with pink hair.
Now, the two would be companions, or even a family, as Sakura seemed to desire. It would only be a matter of teaching her a few things so that the clan leader would consider her fit to join them instead of killing her.