There was a time when feeling trapped by the daily routine, simply getting up and fulfilling my duties, and the simple act of breathing in that house became overwhelming. There was no warmth in my home; it felt more like a prison than a refuge. When my brother left on a long mission, I experienced a profound sense of abandonment being left alone in that vast empty house. That's when I decided not to place my expectations on anyone to avoid future disappointments. The turning point came when I crossed paths with Itachi Uchiha.
When the first rays of the sun filtered through the black curtain adorned with red clouds and gently caressed Sakura's eyes, she woke up. It was barely dawn, and she knew that the Akatsuki base was still immersed in the silence of the night. Despite Itachi's instructions about the importance of a ninja always being alert and the need to wake up early for training and combat improvement, Sakura was aware that many of the Akatsuki members were quite lazy or lovers of sleep.
After over five months in the organization, she had learned some peculiarities about her companions. For example, Deidara used to be one of the last to leave his room because he loved sleeping and also took hours to get ready. Kisame, on the other hand, also tended to wake up late, especially if he wasn't on a mission, as he often went out to drink alcohol and frequent places his parents had promised to tell him about when he was older (although what they didn't know is that once, while stealthily hiding with Zetsu and Tobi, she saw him entering a place where nearly naked women danced, something that Sakura found not interesting at all). In contrast, Pain, her father, used to be one of the first to wake up, but he withdrew to the top of the tower, where he stayed in silence observing the city. Each of the members was busy with their own activities.
The silence that greeted her as she left her room was reassuring for Sakura, who found it relaxing. Carefully, she jumped out of bed and got ready for the day.
Today it was her turn to make breakfast, and feeling upbeat, she prepared a hearty feast. This time she opted for two types of breakfast: a traditional one, which included fish, soup, pickles, rice, and a tamagoyaki omelette; and another foreign-style, following the recipe taught to her by a kind elderly woman in a small sweets shop.
She loved visiting this lady, with whom she shared pleasant moments while listening to her incredible stories about villages carved in stone, forests inhabited by monsters, cities dedicated exclusively to education, and the ability to summon elements without needing to use hands, among other things that sometimes seemed almost unreal.
Shortly after finishing breakfast, all the members of Akatsuki were unusually at home, which Sakura didn't mind at all. After breakfast, her real day began:
In the early morning, she headed to Sasori's room to continue carving the next puppet, occasionally receiving some helpful tips from the master. Then, she spent time training, practicing with Itachi and Kisame until they decided to stop. During those times, she joined Kakuzu to learn about financial mathematics and receive lessons in economics, both from the Land of Rain and the world in general.
After finishing up, Sakura joined her mischief-loving friend, Tobi, to search for the victim of their pranks, which almost always turned out to be Deidara. As they secretly followed Deidara, they were joined by Hidan out of boredom. Taking advantage of Deidara's absence, they decided to leave his room as a gift, destroyed by the clay bombs Sakura had learned to make. Furthermore, to pass the time, they decided to gift Zetsu a mud cake.
After studying and playing, as was her daily routine, Sakura would head to the room located at the top of the base, where she would chat with her parents about what she had done during the day and even play with them. That was Sakura's daily routine: play, study, and train. She loved it! She couldn't ask for anything better.
"I'm going out for a bit," Sakura announced to everyone in Akatsuki just as they were getting up from the table after eating.
"Be careful walking," was Konan's response.
Sakura knew that response was just precautionary. Even when she lived in Konoha, she learned to navigate the streets on her own. All the adults in Amegakure knew she was under Akatsuki's protection, or at least most of them did, because they often saw her walking with a member of Akatsuki through the streets, especially when they were out shopping for groceries.
She nodded in response to Konan and then, hopping lightly, made her way to the entrance. She grabbed her pink raincoat and a clear umbrella to shield herself from the rain. Descending the long stairs that connected the tower to the village, she hopped along while humming a tune until she merged with the bustling crowd. It wasn't hard to spot her, as she was the only girl with pink hair in the entire village and one of the few people in Ame who wore bright colors in their clothes.
Then, turning onto a street, she arrived at the shop of the elderly Koto-san.
"Good afternoon, Koto-san," Sakura greeted with a big smile.
The elderly woman, with just a few strands of silver forming her ponytail, looked at Sakura with a huge smile.
"Ah, Sakura-chan. It's always a pleasure to see you. I have your order," Koto said, stepping into the shop for a moment before returning. "Anko. Don't you want another?"
"No, thank you," Sakura replied before handing her the money. "I'll be leaving early today, oba-san."
The smiling lady waved goodbye until Sakura was out of sight.
Sakura ran through the streets with her paper bag containing her precious dessert. After navigating a few more streets, she slipped into a small, clean, and fortunately sheltered alley. Carefully, she sat on a large box that she used as a seat until she was comfortable.
Once she leaned her back against the wall, she took out the lone Anko ball from the bag.
"Happy birthday, Sakura," she whispered to herself before bringing the bean paste ball up to her face.
The whisper faded into the air just before she took the first bite of her birthday cake. As was her custom since she could remember, if she wanted to celebrate her birthday, she had to do it away from home to avoid causing any inconvenience. Her parents gave her just enough to go out and buy her birthday cake alone. That could be the only considerate gesture they had towards her.
So, like every year, she went for her Anko and ate it in peace so as not to bother anyone. Finally, she was getting used to being in Akatsuki and doing things she never thought she could do. That's why she didn't tell anyone about her birthday and sneaked away to eat her sweet; she didn't want to be a nuisance to them when she finally felt like she was part of something.
Since joining Akatsuki, she's been fortunate enough to try amazing sweets, many more than just one boiled dough ball a year. Still, the Anko remained one of her favorite sweets; she treated it like a treasure. She savored every bite carefully; her tongue relished the burst of flavor until satisfied with the sweetness before swallowing and repeating the process. Her birthday ritual ended when she took the last bite of her sweet.
Officially, she was already seven years old and had only been in Akatsuki for a couple of months, which formed the best moments of her short life.
"I wish to become a ninja," she wished for her birthday, like all the times before, although she had known for years that wishes don't come true; she still made the birthday wish.
Once she finished, she jumped off the box and adjusted her clothes to avoid getting wet, starting her way back while devising some plan to do at home. Maybe reading a book or practicing what Itachi had taught her.
Turning the corner of the busy street, a hand covered her mouth and jerked her back so abruptly that Sakura's vision blurred before everything turned dark.
On the eve of her birthday, she ended up being dragged away by unknown people, disappearing from everyone's sight.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep or unconscious. From the scratchy feeling in her dry throat, she could tell that a couple of hours had passed. She had to blink several times until she could focus her vision. Looking around, she realized she was in a vast forest, with stars peeking out, indicating that night was upon her.
Looking ahead, where the moonlight shone, she saw the glow of a campfire, with a couple of people around it whispering very low. In an effort, the only thing she managed to hear were isolated words: "Girl," "pink hair," "money," "they pay well."
Whatever they were saying, it wasn't anything good.
She tried to move her hands in vain as she realized they were tied with a rope.
"Look who's awake," said one of the men, whose smile revealed a black tooth in his mouth.
As the four captors turned their gaze toward Sakura, she washed all emotion from her face and stopped all movement. She watched them carefully, memorizing every feature, imperfection, and distinction, just as she had been taught.
"Sakura, always remember that, no matter how big or small your opponent may be, you must not show fear on your face," she recalled Konan's words, who had taken her to a room for a woman-to-woman talk after Sakura, frustrated, stormed into the building angry because everyone was too powerful and she couldn't even move before collapsing. "If you allow your fear to show, you'll be finished before you even start. Remember that a ninja must know which battles they can win and which ones to avoid, but even when you step back, never show fear. Always think one step ahead and never give up."
The echo of Konan's voice, resonating like her mother's words, remains fresh in her memory. Though the four-to-one disadvantage is evident, she doesn't allow intimidation to overpower her; her face remains impassive.
"Well, well, looks like we have a brave one here," chuckled the bald man, pleased. His companions joined in laughter, filling the forest with their guffaws. However, gradually their laughter faded as they realized that the young woman before them showed no signs of fear, no tears, not even tremors. The initial amusement waned.
"Kids sell well in the market," the third captor said maliciously, hoping to unsettle the pink-haired girl. "With those eyes and that peculiar pink hair, we could fetch triple for her. But be wary, girl, we don't promise your buyer will be kind."
Sakura maintained her unflinching stance.
The men frowned, displeased and somewhat frustrated. For them, the most satisfying part of kidnapping people was when the victims cried and begged for their release, and some even offered money to be set free. Of course, none managed to gather the minimum amount demanded on the black market.
Unlike all the people they had dealt with, the pink-haired girl showed no fear.
Annoyed, the fourth member of the gang grabbed the hair of the seven-year-old girl and pushed her face to the ground, scraping it. Only then did Sakura cry out in pain. Driven by finally hearing the girl's voice, he gave her a strong yank of the hair and delivered some loud slaps to her cheeks until Sakura spat blood.
"Do you like this? No? Relax, we're treating you better than you think. We care about you," the fourth man said in a deep, gravelly voice before laughing.
This time, Sakura looked at them with such hatred that if she had powers, she would have melted them with her gaze.
"Cry, beg for your life, and maybe we'll grant you forgiveness," said the man with the black tooth before laughing.
The fourth man raised his hand to deliver another blow to her cheek, and finally, Sakura spoke in a hoarse voice.
"You're nothing but scum," she growled before spitting out a clot of blood from her mouth due to the last blow.
The men's smiles faded as a long, sinister grin spread across Sakura's face, accompanied by a dark chakra emanating from her. The atmosphere turned icy and ominous, causing the four men to instinctively take a couple of steps back.
"Mocking the weaker, isn't that a bit childish?" she remarked with a slight touch of humor. The dark chakra surrounding her disappeared along with the sinister smile, leaving behind a confident expression. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
Still confused by Sakura's sudden change in demeanor, the men looked at each other. Now, they didn't know how to react, until the fourth individual, his face ash-gray with fury, stepped forward and grabbed Sakura by the hair.
"Tell us, girl, who do you think you're messing with? The feudal lord of the Land of Zinc, who will buy you, fears no one."
"She speaks of us."
The four men and Sakura turned towards the direction of the voice. Before them stood none other than all the members of Akatsuki, observing them with superiority and a deadly aura. Each one wore their distinctive Akatsuki cloak, giving them an even more dominant appearance. Some, like Hidan, Kisame, Konan, and Deidara, even elegantly swung their weapons in their hands, as part of a lethal dance.
The kidnappers fell to the ground trembling with fear at the sight of Akatsuki. The reputation of this criminal organization was on the rise due to the success of their dark and dangerous missions, carried out for the highest bidder. The feudal lord of the Land of Zinc had already made deals with them.
"W-What do you want from us?" asked the bald man, trying to appear diligent and submissive before them. Sweat poured down his face.
Pain's stern gaze scanned each of the men and then settled on Sakura, whose expression grew even darker upon meeting his.
"You have made a grave mistake in taking that child, who is ours," he said gravely, his voice echoing as if from beyond.
The captors' faces turned as pale as paper as they understood the truth. Now they knew what the pink-haired girl meant.
"Y-Your... yours? Here, take her, we won't harm her," stammered the third man, lifting Sakura from the ground and pushing her slightly towards them.
Sakura looked at the four men who, just moments ago, believed themselves superior to her. Now, seeing Akatsuki, they trembled like paper leaves. Now she understood what her mother meant about fear. Taking small steps, occasionally limping from the wounds caused when they dragged her by her hair, she made her way to Konan and hugged her around the waist.
It was then, feeling Konan's hand caress her head, that a flood of relief and terror was allowed to surface for the security of finally being with everyone. She buried her head in Konan's cloak and began to cry.
Upon hearing her cry, the gazes of everyone in Akatsuki hardened.
"You did well, Sakura," Konan said softly, proud that she had listened to the words she had told her long ago, and most of all, that in the comfort and protection of that moment, she allowed herself to feel. In this case, alongside them.
"Zetsu, Tobi, they're all yours," Pain said gravely before turning around and leaving with the others.
As Sakura was brought into the arms of one of the Pains, he glanced back at the men who had kidnapped her, who begged for their lives. Some even knelt down and wept at that moment.
Once the rest of Akatsuki had departed, Tobi approached the four men, crouching in front of them. His mask spun, revealing one of his eyes that turned red.
"Well, well," his cheerful voice had vanished, replaced by a serious and annoyed tone, "which one of you hit my self-proclaimed niece?"
All that could be heard in the distance were the men's screams before they were silenced forever.
Sakura's quiet sobbing stopped, and only then did she realize that everyone was still walking along a path she had never seen before
"Where are we going?" she asked hoarsely from crying.
"Those fools inadvertently gave us the information we were looking for," Kisame replied, his voice amused despite the warning glint in his small black eyes. "Fuzzy, you're about to witness the consequences of messing with Akatsuki."
"Oh, yes! Damn it! Watch the ritual closely because it'll be part of your training for the Jashin ritual, it's the most badass and amazing thing you'll ever see in your fucking life," Hidan exclaimed, ecstatic with the bloodlust running through his veins.
Sakura noticed Deidara muttering countless ways to explode everything he saw, Sasori, to her surprise, wasn't wearing his armor as he usually did when leaving the quarters, and Itachi's Sharingan eyes were glowing intensely, while commas spun around and around.
That morning, Sakura witnessed the gathering of each and every member of Akatsuki, showcasing the extent of their powers by making the small country of Zinc disappear without a trace.
It wasn't until noon that they returned to the Rain Country headquarters unscathed. Itachi carefully tended to each of Sakura's wounds.
"That was amazing!" exclaimed Sakura, adrenaline coursing through her veins after witnessing a fraction of Akatsuki's abilities. She bounced in her seat and waved her hands wildly everywhere, making it difficult for Itachi to treat the scrapes on her cheeks. "Deidara's explosion destroying that building, Kisame's sword devouring everything in its path! I think I'll give food to Samehada from time to time if it gets bored of eating chakra. Konan was great using paper to attack and destroy! Everyone was amazing. I don't think I can ever be as cool as you guys."
"Everyone has their own path, Sakura," said Itachi, holding her cheek to keep her still. "Besides, we don't go around destroying cities for no reason. Would you like it if someone destroyed the country where Gaara lives, or us?"
Sakura's big smile faded, replaced by a furrowed frown of disgust. Taking advantage of that moment of reflection, Itachi finished treating her.
"I wouldn't want Gaara or you guys to die because I'd feel very lonely again," she whispered, eliciting a small smile from Itachi.
"Life is very precious, Sakura. It must be respected, but we must also respect death, because there's no turning back. If we decided to intervene in that small country, it was because all its inhabitants had become corrupt, and Pain decided to bring justice after finding out they had taken you. Bad people must be punished and face justice."
"Isn't Akatsuki a criminal organization? Are they going to kill them? I don't want them to die!" she cried, clinging to Itachi's shoulders in fear at the thought that there were people chasing them for the crimes they had committed. "You can't die, neither you nor mom, dad, Sharkie, grandpa, nobody. Not even Barbie, Orochi, or little plant."
Itachi grimaced upon hearing the nickname Sakura gave Orochimaru. Before his disappearance and desertion from Akatsuki, the last thing Sakura remembered was that she was learning medicine and techniques related to the human body from Orochimaru and Kabuto. Before he left, he mentioned to her that he wanted to try something with her that would be helpful. When Sakura regained consciousness, she found several members of Akatsuki entering the destroyed laboratory, with large black stains all over the room.
If they knew what those stains were, they didn't tell Sakura, nor did they explain why Orochimaru left. They simply inspected her body for any seals, especially on her neck, but found nothing. Sakura didn't remember what had happened that day in the laboratory. Perhaps she would never know.
"I won't allow them to be killed, even if they are evil, because they are good people," she declared firmly.
Itachi sighed, unsure of what to say. The topic of the black and white aspects of the world was difficult to explain, especially when gray was also present, and at the age of seven, it was even more complicated.
Sakura was about to say something else when they were interrupted by the opening of the doors to the grand dining hall.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!" all the members of Akatsuki began to sing, some with wide smiles, others looking as if they were being tortured while doing so. Konan, who led the group, held a huge chocolate cake.
Sakura's mouth fell open in surprise as she saw the members of Akatsuki singing to her with a birthday cake. They were singing "Las Mañanitas" to her! She couldn't believe it; she was tempted to use the Kai seal to find out if it was all just a bad joke.
All the members of Akatsuki approached Sakura, placing the cake on the table in front of her. After the song ended, there was an expectant silence as they patiently waited for Sakura to articulate the words she had in mind.
"How did you know?" Sakura whispered, barely audible, before moistening her lips with her tongue.
"If we're going to have a new member in Akatsuki, we need to know everything about that person," Pain responded, as one of his replicas appeared with a custom-made Akatsuki outfit for Sakura.
Sakura's green eyes widened at the sight, and with trembling hands, she took the fabric, still unable to believe it was for her. The custom-made Akatsuki outfit, reserved for a handful of privileged individuals.
"Quick, make a wish before the candles melt and I'm forced to spend more money buying others for next year," Kakuzu intervened, showing some impatience.
A torrent of tears began to run down Sakura's cheeks. Konan shot Kakuzu a warning look, promising him a painful death.
"I-I already have everything I could wish for. I've always wished for a family that loves and accepts me, and now I feel complete for the first time in my life," Sakura said, her voice choked up. A huge smile lit up her face as she put on the Akatsuki outfit, which came with a black headband for her hair.
Officially, she was now part of a great and beautiful family. What did it matter if they were the most dangerous criminals of all time? What did it matter if they destroyed cities, subdued countries, and eliminated people? To her, they were her most precious beings.
Forever and always, it shall be so.
Wake up, take a deep breath, rise, and move forward. Now, I am no longer alone. Each day is better than the last, and the expectations upon me have returned.
Omake 3:
Thanks to Sakura's talented ability, often dubbed "sheep's eyes" by some, and others comparing her to basilisk eyes, Sundays had become an almost mandatory day to gather and do something together, unless they were on missions. In the living room, Sakura lay painting on a sheet of paper with a large red crayon, humming a tune to herself joyfully.
"Red like Gaara's hair, I'll paint this cloud red, red like Gaara's hair..." she repeated, immersed in her task.
The Akatsuki members present in the room, Deidara, Sasori, Kisame, and Hidan, began to show signs of irritation. Sakura's constant repetition of the song was preventing them from concentrating.
"Red like Gaara's hair, I'll paint this other cloud!" Sakura exclaimed again.
"I've had enough of that damn song!" Hidan yelled, throwing his ritual book to the ground in frustration. "Who the hell is Gaara?"
The others, including Sakura, abandoned their tasks as Hidan's anger erupted. There was a time when they tried to prevent Hidan from swearing in front of Sakura so she wouldn't imitate him. Sakura and Kakuzu even came up with a clever idea to make Hidan keep quiet, but they soon realized they were only enriching Kakuzu and that Hidan wouldn't change his way of speaking.
When Sakura sat on the floor, she made sure to keep her back straight, and her cheeks flushed like grenades. The men turned sharply towards her, barely concealing their impatience, fearing that her response would confirm their worst suspicions.
"H-He's someone special," Sakura stammered.
A dark and profound thunder seemed to resonate in the minds of all present, horrified by the bombshell Sakura had just dropped. Who? When? How did it happen? Those were the questions echoing in their minds as they desperately searched their memories for any man who could be related to the situation. The idea of death lingered in their thoughts, and seeing young Sakura involved in such reflections was unsettling.
It was evident that they needed to convene an urgent meeting to take special measures.
"What do you mean by 'special'?" Deidara asked with apparent disinterest, though his tone betrayed an underlying concern.
"He's a charming and fun guy, with hair similar to my uncle Sasori's, and a great heart. I know he cares about me as much as I care about him, so he holds a very special place in my heart," Sakura replied, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks.
The gravity of the situation was evident. They couldn't let this continue unchecked. They agreed to meet that very night to discuss the matter in detail. There was much at stake: Sasori still had much to teach her about puppets, Kisame had yet to fully explore his potential, Hidan had not yet imparted his teachings on Jashinism, and Deidara seemed to be evading his responsibility to look after her, though everyone knew it was just a facade.
"He will always be one of the most important people in my life because he's my best friend," Sakura concluded, determination in her voice.
The tension dissipated in the blink of an eye. As soon as the topic lost relevance, the members of Akatsuki returned to their occupations, leaving Hidan with the dilemma on his hands. He had been the one to initiate the confusion by asking who Gaara was.
"Why does it bother you when I talk about my best friend?" Sakura inquired, her expression of sadness reminiscent of an abandoned puppy.
Hidan muttered curses under his breath, unable to find a suitable response for the awkward conversation.
"Damn it, I was just curious because we don't know that name," he attempted to justify.
"It's okay," Sakura conceded before lying back down and continuing to paint while humming. This time, using the color blue. "The blue sky like Sharkie's skin!"
At least now they could breathe easy. It had all been a false alarm. They knew there were still many years before Sakura would be interested in boys... or girls. One step at a time, one step at a time.
For those reading Butterfly Effect, the new chapter is now available on Ko-fi.