Fear paralyzes and prejudices condemn. No matter how much assurance you're given that everything is fine, the mind can be treacherous.
Tobi slammed the dining room door with such force upon entering that it surely echoed throughout the building. Those in the room ignored his antics, knowing it was typical of him, and it made no sense to scold or reprimand him so early in the morning. Especially today, when all the members of Akatsuki had been awake since very early, even those who typically didn't leave their rooms until noon.
"Sakura-chan is so mean!" Tobi whined, displaying the enormous bump on his head. "I tried to get her out of bed, but miraculously, she didn't throw a poisoned kunai at me."
Sasori smiled with satisfaction upon hearing that she, knowing he was the one to blame for teaching Sakura to poison her weapons at the age of seven to make them more effective. The others ignored Tobi's commotion and returned to their cups of tea or coffee, trying to stay awake at seven in the morning.
"I'm busy making breakfast, so someone else has to go," Itachi said as he formed rice balls on the kitchen counter.
The others glanced at each other, waiting to see who would go fetch Sakura.
"Go get her, she'll surely appreciate her father waking her up bright and early," Konan said to Pain with a false sweet tone, despite her stoic expression.
"In the early mornings, she's your daughter," Pain replied, taking his coffee and reading the newspaper, ignoring Konan's death glare.
"Someone watched 'The Lion King' a bit too much with Sakura," she muttered under her breath.
The truth was, neither of them felt like getting up from their seats just yet. They could wake up early, but their movements remained sluggish when they weren't on missions.
Kisame grunted, having had enough of Tobi's constant shouting in his ear. The previous night, he had drunk at a bar until he nearly passed out, and now he had a strong hangover. With a crash, he set his sake cup on the table and, without saying a word, stormed out of the room.
Everyone else continued with what they were doing at the table, accompanied only by the sound of Tobi humming as he sat in a chair. They heard Kisame shouting at Sakura to come out of her room or he would force his way in. Silence enveloped the room until the sound of creaking wood was heard.
"What are you doing? Let go of me, Sharkie!" Sakura yelled.
No one moved.
"Stop acting like a brat, fuzzball," Kisame shouted.
Suddenly, they heard another door open, followed by Sakura's scream and a splash. Shortly after, Kisame returned to the kitchen as if nothing had happened. No one said anything about it.
"Does anyone want shrimp on their rice ball?" Itachi asked after a while.
The kitchen door opened again, revealing Sakura with wet hair from showering, clearly against her will, judging by the frown on her face.
"That was a low blow," she said to Kisame, puffing out her cheeks.
"That was doing what's necessary," he countered with a big, mischievous grin. "Besides, I don't know what you're complaining about so much. It's just school, you're not going to die or leave Amegakure."
Sakura's furrowed brow disappeared, giving way to concern. Today was her first day of school. For the past month, she had been bouncing with excitement throughout the building, eager to learn something new. She loved studying and dreamed of becoming the best kunoichi someday. However, that excitement vanished the night before when she went to bed.
"Wouldn't it be better if I stay here with you?" her voice came out in a small whisper. "I learn so much here."
Everyone looked at her, analyzing and seeing through her as if they could read her soul and thoughts.
"Sakura," said Konan, rising from her seat and approaching the child, kneeling to be at her eye level. "Let's step outside for a moment."
The seven-year-old looked into the yellowed eyes of the woman she considered her mother before glancing at the other members of Akatsuki, who watched her in silence. She raised her hand and intertwined her fingers with Konan's.
Once outside the kitchen, they walked a little until stopping by one of the windows overlooking the gray village, where the rain never ceased.
"What's bothering you?" Konan asked, seating her on the windowsill.
Sakura squirmed uncomfortably, unsure whether she should speak before meeting Konan's gaze.
"What if they hate me?" her voice came out broken once she decided to speak. The Sakura of the past, insecure and fearful, began to resurface like a haunting ghost, reminding her of how things were when she lived in Konoha. She remembered how, before meeting Itachi, she had spent a month in the academy and it had not been pleasant. "What if they mock me and bully me? I know my hair is weird, and I'm sure nobody will want to be my friend."
She wanted to continue expressing everything she thought, what her inner monster wanted to say, what past experiences had shown her. But Konan's cold hand stopped her. She lifted her gaze to meet the golden eyes that crossed with her emerald ones.
"You are Haruno Sakura. You have been nothing less than a member of Akatsuki, the most powerful criminal organization in the world. Are you going to let some children defeat you when you have earned the respect of Akatsuki?"
Anyone would have shivered under Konan's attentive and cold gaze, except for a few, including the pink-haired girl who was inches away from her face. Konan's words were more effective than a resounding slap. She was right, she couldn't go on like this. She had left to seek something new. She was a member of Akatsuki, her black cloak with red clouds hanging in her room confirmed it. If she ever wanted to measure up to her family, she had to be strong not only physically.
"I'll go," she said softly.
As always, when they were alone or in Pain's company, Konan gave her a warm smile as she stroked her pink hair. In those moments, Sakura always, always appreciated it because she sensed that this was what a mother's love was like.
"A shinobi, no matter how strong, cannot go on missions alone. They always need companions, that's why we go in pairs and never alone. You're very smart, I'm sure you'll find the companions who will accompany you," Konan told her before withdrawing her hand from Sakura's head.
The two returned to the kitchen, and the men glanced discreetly, some even sighed with relief to see that Sakura wasn't crying.
As soon as Sakura sat down next to Sasori and an empty seat, Itachi approached with a lavish breakfast for everyone: scrambled eggs, grilled sausages, pieces of grilled fish, pickles, sweet egg, chopped apple, a salad with raspberry dressing, freshly cooked rice, and small jars of sweet vanilla flan. Even the sleepiest among them stopped being so at the sight of such delicacies arranged on the rectangular table.
After pouring orange juice into Sakura's glass, the owner of the Sharingan sat in the empty seat. Sakura simply stared at him, waiting for an explanation for the extravagant breakfast they were having. It was almost as surprising as having every single member of Akatsuki awake and, above all, out of their rooms.
"This is to commemorate your first day of class," Itachi explained, understanding what she was thinking.
Sakura glimpsed all the food and then at the members of Akatsuki. She felt a lump forming in her throat; never before had she woken up so early to find a special breakfast prepared for her. She remembered perfectly that last year, before fleeing Konoha at the last moment with Itachi, when she started school, she didn't receive congratulations or an encouraging smile, not even something to eat. She only received a couple of cold glances from her parents.
With a grateful smile, she began to eat along with the others, enjoying and savoring the explosion of flavors on her palate. She would never tire of the food Itachi prepared. After a while, her face darkened as she looked at her plate.
"What's wrong, Sakura?" asked Itachi.
"I... I'm full, but I want to keep eating," she said, with a couple of dramatic tears at the corners of her eyes.
Kisame burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"You don't have to eat it all. You can take the flan to school if you want," Itachi told her.
Sakura puffed out her cheeks, disappointed that she couldn't eat as much as the others, and yet she nodded reluctantly. When everyone finished eating, Sakura felt like she could roll on the floor all the way to school, such was the fullness of her stomach; she could barely move.
"Come on, I'll take you to school," said Itachi.
Sakura nodded, and before leaving, as if she had a belated thought, she approached and gave Konan a goodbye kiss on the cheek, and then Pain. To the latter, before stepping away, she grabbed both of his cheeks and put on her famous puppy eyes.
"Dad, please, don't let it rain so much today..."
The expressionless eyes of the Rinnegan were at Sakura's eye level, thanks to him still sitting in his chair.
"We'll see, Sakura," he replied without giving a definitive answer.
Knowing that was the best she could hope for, she gave him a tight hug before grabbing her backpack, bidding farewell, and disappearing through the door.
They knew that was the best they could hope for. Sakura gave them a tight hug before grabbing her backpack, bidding farewell, and disappearing through the door. Once alone, they heard a sniffle. Everyone turned to look at Deidara, who was using a tissue to wipe away the mucus running down his nose and avoiding blinking.
"What?" he said brusquely. "I'm not crying! The pickle stung me, it's not because Sakura has grown so much that she won't be with us all day anymore."
Everyone ignored Deidara's poor excuse, but until that moment, they hadn't realized that part of their routine usually involved training Sakura at some point during the day.
Sakura walked through the streets of Amegakure, this time hand in hand with Itachi, who held a transparent umbrella with his other hand to protect them both from the rain. Whenever she encountered a puddle, Sakura jumped over it without worrying about getting the Uchiha wet.
"I feel like I'm going to vomit," she murmured.
"Then don't jump if you're full," the raven-haired man replied.
"But I like jumping over puddles," she pouted before splashing into the next one.
Itachi decided not to say anything else to the green-eyed girl as she continued with her mischief. In those moments, Sakura, with her tantrums, somehow reminded him of his little brother. Try as he might, he couldn't help but think of Sasuke. What would he be doing? What would he do if he were in Sakura's place? What if it were Sasuke who had been taken?
No, he couldn't allow it. Sasuke deserved a better life than living under the roof of a budding criminal organization. He needed support, people who loved him without reproach, without having a target on his head twenty-four hours a day.
What was the difference between Sakura and Sasuke? A small but significant difference divided why she could survive here and he couldn't. It wasn't that Sasuke had had a childhood where, despite everything, he had been loved and she hadn't, because undoubtedly under the sway of his hand, he had taken that away from her.
Why could Sakura be in Akatsuki and Sasuke not? He knew it. Sasuke had a purpose to fulfill once he grew stronger. And Sakura so far had nothing to lose.
"Itachi-nii, are you thinking about Sasuke-kun again?" Her large green eyes looked at him like an innocent owl. "Every time you think about him, I can feel the chakra thickening in you."
He gave her one of his already very rare smiles.
"You're very clever. Yes, I was thinking about him and what he'll be doing today," said Itachi, returning to his blank expression.
"Don't worry, Itachi-nii. I already talked to Chocolate and told him to make sure there are very special people for Sasuke-kun, people who will love him so he won't be alone. People who will follow him to the ends of the earth and be with him, even if they have to break every bone in his body to bring him back."
Once again, Sakura mentioned her imaginary friends, whose identities were already known to everyone thanks to the miniature puppets she had created herself with Sasori's help. According to her, Verde was the goddess of luck, Calavera the god of death, Flor the goddess of nature, Chocolate the god of love, Reloj the goddess of time, Lentes the god of wisdom, and finally, Viejito the lord of destiny. Although Sakura claimed that there were other gods, these were the ones she mentioned most frequently.
"Thank you, Sakura," said Itachi, patting her head in acknowledgment of her effort to reassure him.
"Someday Sasuke-kun will understand why you did this, Itachi-nii," Sakura responded with conviction.
Itachi somberly reflected on his own plans as they continued walking until they reached the academy. Unlike the colorful facade of the academy in Konoha, this one looked dull and grayish, similar to the other structures in Amegakure.
"Keep your head held high," advised Itachi.
Sakura gave him a wide smile before nodding and entering the building.
"Let's train when I come back, Itachi-nii," Sakura proposed before he bid her farewell and left.
There was a marked difference between Sasuke and her.
Once inside the academy, Sakura felt her legs weaken and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Could she escape? She had certainly managed to flee tighter places with Tobi. Should she? No, she didn't want to disappoint anyone. Plus, she had a slight suspicion that Pain hadn't dissipated the rain just to watch over her in case she tried to run away.
With each step slower than the last, she approached what would be her classroom and where she would share space and training with her classmates for the years to come until becoming a Genin. She swallowed nervously and, before courage left her body, she knocked on the door that was already closed.
Faster than she would have wished, the door opened, revealing a man whom she assumed would be her teacher by the ninja headband he wore.
"You must be the new student," said the man, who wore a mask like most of the village's ninjas, designed for easy breathing in the rain. "Come in and introduce yourself."
Sakura took a deep breath as she saw a large number of children seated in front of her in their chairs, as many as there were in Konoha. She noticed no difference in the organization of the classroom compared to how she remembered the academy in Konoha.
"My name is Haruno Sakura, pleased to meet you," she declared with the firmest and most confident voice she could muster, despite feeling a bundle of nerves.
Her eyes avoided the children in front of her until the silence lingered. Curiosity finally overcame fear, and she glanced at them. Some watched her with boredom, others lost interest as soon as she entered, while some began to whisper about how strange her hair color was.
"Take the empty seat between Shiro and Renji," the teacher instructed, pointing to the boy with white hair, who seemed about to fall asleep, and at the other end of the table, to a boy with red hair and tattered clothes, who looked at her disinterestedly.
As she sat in her seat, the teacher continued the class as if nothing had happened, which relieved Sakura, who still felt tension in her muscles. It seemed that her presence had not been taken too seriously. School wasn't starting as badly as she had feared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy with white hair cross his arms and rest his head on them, while on the other side, the other boy began to draw what appeared to be a pair of spider legs, supposedly imitating his teacher in some kind of joke.
"Does anyone know what chakra is?" the teacher asked.
Everyone began to raise their hand, even the redhead next to her, making a fuss to get attention. Carefully, the teacher selected people to speak, but none of them came up with the answer. Sakura felt like her eardrums were about to burst from the boy screaming to participate.
"Me! I know the answer! Pick me, damn it!" the redhead impatiently yelled.
"Renji, have some manners," the teacher reprimanded him before continuing. "What's the answer?"
"It's a blue thing we expel to make amazing moves and defeat our enemies until they turn to mush," he responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"That's not the answer I'm looking for," the teacher said again.
Sakura looked at her classmate and then at her teacher, who was still selecting students in hopes that one would give the correct answer. In her mind, Konan's words resonated. She knew the answers, and obviously, no one was answering correctly. She could raise her hand and answer.
With a little hesitation, Sakura finally raised her hand, which trembled slightly until it was as high as possible above her head.
"Yes, Sakura?" the teacher called.
Several pairs of eyes looked at her expectantly. She swallowed before nodding.
"Chakra is the body's life energy, essential for any jutsu, even the most basic ones. It's a blend of the physical energy present in every cell of a living being's body and the spiritual energy acquired through training and experience," she explained confidently.
"Very good," the teacher approved before continuing with the class.
A small smile formed on her lips as she realized she could indeed do it and that nothing bad had happened. More motivated than before, she began taking notes on what she considered most important from what the teacher was saying. Seeing the white-haired boy, if she remembered correctly his name was Shiro, still asleep, she decided to make some notes for him. He really seemed exhausted, perhaps he had been through something extremely tiring. She understood that feeling because, among all the members of Akatsuki, Itachi and Pain had an almost Spartan approach to teaching her. With them, she ended up being like a sack of potatoes dragged to her bed by one of them, or in her case by Kisame or Tobi, and didn't regain consciousness until the next day.
Every now and then, when the class became boring, Sakura made a brief summary and left it by the side of the boy who was still asleep, so that when he finally opened his eyes, he wouldn't miss the lesson of the day.
"Does anyone know the main elements of chakra?" the teacher asked again.
As last time, everyone began to raise their hand, mentioning one missing element or another. In the end, Sakura, encouraged by her previous success, raised her hand just after the redhead made a mistake.
"Yes, Sakura, what is the missing element to mention?" the teacher asked her.
"Fire," she replied determinedly.
In the following hours, she gained more and more confidence to raise her hand, to the point where she no longer needed her classmates to make mistakes to do so. She ended up raising her hand right after the teacher finished the question, and sometimes even before.
The pink-haired girl didn't notice the hardened and sharp glances her classmates began to throw her way.
"You're a know-it-all," the redhead boy next to her grumbled.
At that moment, Sakura fell silent, and the rest of the class went by without her saying another word, even though the teacher watched her as if expecting her to raise her hand again.
After the next hour, the teacher announced it was time to go out for target practice. Many were enthusiastic, including Sakura, who thought she might impress the boys in her class and perhaps find her teammates, as Konan had mentioned. Eventually, she noticed that Shiro, her white-haired tablemate, stretched, glanced at the papers in his place, then at Sakura, and finally left without saying a word.
Upon arrival, everyone had lined up in rows waiting for their turns to throw the shurikens. Slowly, the three rows of boys were getting shorter as each child's turn passed, until it was finally Sakura's turn.
With her heart pounding hard, she took the shurikens that the teacher handed her, aware that she couldn't afford to fail in this crucial moment.
"Hah! How impressive can it be? I can do better than her," declared Renji, throwing the kunai. However, only one hit the target, and two didn't even reach the bullseye. Renji's cheeks flushed pink just before the other children started laughing at him.
"The trick is in the wrist; try to make the movement firmer," Sakura advised the red-haired boy, who remained flushed like a grenade.
Wounded in his pride, Renji puffed out his chest like a peacock and, like any child his age, pointed a finger at Sakura.
"You're a silly, clueless girl who just arrived," he said.
The teacher ended up giving him a stern reprimand, leaving Sakura speechless, unsure of what to say. The blow had been more accurate than the kunai embedded in the target. The children around her began to whisper indiscreetly about Sakura, adorning her name with increasingly derogatory nicknames. Her worst nightmare seemed to be coming true again.
Luckily, the class had ended, and the recess bell rang. All the children dashed out of the classroom toward the playground, divided into two parts: a covered area and an outdoor space. Obviously, most of the children stayed in the covered area to avoid getting wet.
Despite being called a know-it-all, she felt like a fool. It seemed like she wasn't going to break free from this vicious cycle. With heaviness, she began to walk towards the playground. As soon as she set foot in it, the children from her class started murmuring among themselves. Among the things she could hear was that she was an annoying know-it-all and a show-off.
Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to leave. Unable to bear the pressure, she ran until she stopped under a leafy tree in the playground, dense enough to shield her from the raindrops.
From the treetop, she leaned against the trunk and curled up, beginning to cry as she hadn't done in a long time. Perhaps she didn't have a happy ending, not even in Amegakure. How could she go back to Akatsuki if she was like this? She felt like she was disappointing them.
"Pink-haired girl," said an older boy who was with a group of friends, probably two or three years older than Sakura.
Being as polite as she was, she brushed away the tears and headed towards where the boys were. The five, consisting of three men and two women, were trying to appear intimidating, although if they were really trying, they should be better than Akatsuki, and obviously that wouldn't happen.
"My name is Sakura," she said, unsure.
The boy flew into a rage and lashed out at Sakura, grabbing her long pink hair in his fist and forcing her to kneel instantly.
"Ouch! That hurts!" she cried out.
The boys just laughed.
"We heard the rumor that you think you're better than your classmates. We thought it was a joke when they said you had pink hair, but it seems to be true. What if we leave her bald to see if she stops pretending to be something she's not?" the boy said to the others, who cheered enthusiastically.
Sakura clenched her fist, annoyed.
"It's my natural hair color!" she shouted before trying to break free from the boy, but he only tightened his grip.
She mustn't cry, she mustn't cry, but the tears threatened to overflow from her eyes. In a panic, she clenched her fist tightly and delivered a strong blow to the boy in an attempt to escape.
"Leave that pink-haired girl alone!" yelled Renji, appearing soaked between the trees and pointing at them with a furrowed brow.
The five older ones stared at him before bursting into laughter.
"And what are you going to do, poor boy?" retorted the supposed leader.
One of the girls approached the boy and laughed.
"Well, look at the school's trash coming together. The boy who thinks he's the best and the show-off," she taunted.
"Screw you! I may be poor, but I can still hit idiots. I won't let you hurt my classmate," declared the boy, stepping in front of Sakura.
Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing. The red-haired boy was defending her. He had called her a classmate!
The laughter ceased, giving way to serious looks. Everyone clenched their fists and prepared to attack. The boy raised his fist, ready to strike, when a stone shot out, hitting the boy's wrist hard and making it bend forward.
"Five against two is a very odd number," said a voice.
The onlookers turned to find Shiro, who held a large stone in his hand. His blue eyes shimmered like the sea, and his features showed seriousness. Although raindrops dripped through the leaves, none fell on him, unlike the others.
"He's a Takanaka. That hair is unmistakable," the other girl shrieked from the back.
As soon as she said that, the others began to hesitate about going forward. However, Shiro, ignoring their fear, jumped from the tree branch and stood beside Renji.
"He's just a kid, we can handle them," another boy said. "They're just second years, what can a girl, a poor kid, and a boy know?"
Confidence began to return to them when they heard a teacher approaching.
"This won't be forgotten," declared the leader. "We'll deal with you at the exit."
Without further ado, they ran off. Sakura, Shiro, and Renji watched them leave until they were finally alone. They looked at each other before Sakura smiled at them.
"Thank you so much for helping me," she thanked the two boys.
Renji's cheeks flushed red, and he rubbed his nose while puffing out his chest.
"It's nothing. This is for helping me out during practice, and, uh... sorry if I was rude," he apologized, showing regret.
"You made notes for me in class when I was resting, even when I didn't ask for it. So, I should be the one saying thanks," Shiro responded, shrugging.
Sakura felt like this was her moment. Her heart began to beat fast as she realized that if she didn't say something more, these two boys would leave, and she would be alone again.
"Do you want to eat with me?" she asked, trying to hide her hope.
They looked down, making her feel a bit self-conscious, until Shiro shrugged and Renji muttered something that sounded like a yes. Drenched and shivering with cold, she felt like she had accomplished something significant, almost as important as joining Akatsuki.
The three of them made their way to the covered patio and sat in a secluded corner away from the other children playing. Shiro and Sakura took out their bento boxes, brimming with food. Sakura was about to take a bite of her rice ball when she noticed Renji wasn't eating.
"Do you want one?" she asked.
Renji's cheeks flushed red, and he looked away, embarrassed.
"I ate at home, thanks," he replied. Despite his words, his stomach growled loudly, betraying him.
"If you're hungry, I don't mind sharing my bento. Itachi-nii served me a lot of food," Sakura said with a soft smile. She counted the rice balls and divided them until they both had an equal amount.
"I know what it's like to be hungry. When I lived in Konoha, I often went hungry because I had to prepare food by myself. Sometimes, I wasn't allowed in the kitchen, and I would go all day hungry until night came, and I ate the leftovers from the fridge."
The two boys blinked for a moment as they processed the information.
"You're not from here?" Shiro asked.
"No, I was born in Konoha."
"Why are you here?"
"I fled from Konoha with Itachi-nii."
After that, Sakura calmly ate her portions of rice balls, and the others followed suit, reflecting on how remarkable it was for someone to leave one village to enter another. Typically, children don't leave their villages much, especially when it comes to the Village Hidden in the Rain. Paradoxically, forgetting the difficult times they once lived in, they now feel secure, so only ninjas venture out, and few merchants come and go with special permission.
"What's special about being a Takanaka, Shiro?" Sakura finally asked. Since she saw the fear in the older boys, she had the question on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't dare ask it right away to avoid seeming too rude. Renji nodded eagerly, as if he also had that question in mind.
"My clan is known here because we have the ice element," Shiro replied in a monotone voice.
To highlight his ability, Shiro turned a few water droplets into ice in the palm of his hand. Both Renji and Sakura approached excitedly until their noses almost touched Shiro's arm as they saw the ice in his hand.
"That's beautiful!" exclaimed Sakura, her eyes shining.
Shiro stared at her without blinking.
"You have to teach me how to do that!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"It's not possible. You must have an affinity for ice, and not everyone possesses it," Shiro replied before popping a tuna croquette into his mouth. Sakura dropped her head disheartened.
"But..." he glanced at her, "...in my clan, there's a secret that allows those who join the family to master the element. So, you'd have to become my wife."
"What, that's impossible! It's not going to happen, we're kids!" Renji exclaimed, scattering rice everywhere as he spoke with his mouth open. "You're a pervert!"
"Do you even know what that means?" Shiro asked him.
Renji began to stammer.
"If you think you can't be my wife, then it means you want her to be yours," he asserted.
Renji's face and ears turned as red as his hair, and he waved his hands back and forth, denying vehemently.
"Of course not! No, I would never be with that girl!" he pointed at Sakura, growing even redder as he looked at her.
"In my clan, polygamy is accepted because there was a population decline due to the previous war. I wouldn't be surprised to have more than one wife or to share a potential woman with someone else, because that's what my family is doing," Shiro explained, shrugging.
"You're a weirdo," Renji accused.
"I'm sorry," Sakura began after a while. Both boys turned to look at her. "I couldn't marry either Shiro or Renji because I want to marry Itachi-nii someday."
This time it was the two boys' turn to furrow their brows.
"Isn't he your brother?" Shiro asked.
Sakura nodded.
"That... that's even weirder..." Renji said, and Shiro nodded in agreement.
The three of them continued eating and chatting until they returned to class. This time, Sakura felt very happy because both boys were with her. During class, she helped Renji better understand the lessons and even whispered the correct answers for him to say. She also continued taking notes for Shiro, who fell asleep once again.
At the end of the classes, as they were heading home, the boys stayed by her side until they encountered the five, ready to attack them. The five were surprised to see that the "poor guy," the girl, and the boy could defend themselves.
After the fight, something surprising happened in Amegakura, the rain stopped, leaving the streets free of water. They spent some time together, walking and playing in the park. At the end of the day, the three parted ways with a big smile and covered in mud as a sign of victory from the fight.
Sakura looked forward to getting home, getting covered in mud by Deidara, and hearing him complain about being dirtied. She was excited to tell everyone about her great first day of class and express her desire for the next day to come so she could learn to be a ninja alongside her new friends.
My mind can betray me; even if I repeat over and over that everything is fine, the prejudices of the past can persist. However, sometimes, one can be in for unexpected surprises if given the opportunity to try.
OMAKE 4
"We've finally arrived home. I wonder how the furball is doing? It can't be easy being alone with Tobi and Orochimaru," Kisame wondered aloud as they climbed the stairs of the large Akatsuki building.
"It seems like we all arrived at the same time!" Sasori exclaimed, catching Itachi and Kisame's attention.
As the pair looked up, they realized that the other members were congregating at the entrance to come inside. It was very rare for all or almost all of the Akatsuki members to leave the facilities for a mission. This was one of those moments. They had been summoned by different nations or small countries to take care of certain illicit matters for a very good price. Obviously, Kakuzu was the first to jump and accept the deals, and due to the risk involved, even the Pains and Konan had come out.
For that very reason, the rain falling over Amegakure was stronger than usual. Since Pain had left the village, they couldn't afford to let strangers decide to enter the village and destroy all their efforts.
"I hope that girl didn't blow up my room," Deidara muttered under his breath.
"For the third time this month? That's what you get for giving her bombs to play with. I hope you're not teaching her what you do because she's learning what true art is," Sasori commented from behind his puppet.
"Shut up. She appreciates my art, so once she learns not to blow up my room, I'll teach her how to make clay bombs," Deidara responded indignantly.
When Konan shot them a death glare, the two fell silent instantly. Kakuzu was the one who opened the entrance doors, excited to go count all the money they had gathered from the missions. However, his thoughts were interrupted and the others held their breath. In front of them, lying on the floor, crawling and trembling from head to toe, was Tobi.
"N-no, no, run away... r-run... don't do it," Tobi babbled incoherently before finally falling into a coma.
Itachi's eyes sparked, Kisame unsheathed Samehada, sheets of paper unfolded in the air, and Deidara began shaping his clay. The collective thought of everyone focused on Sakura. Without waiting, they ran down the hallway, leaving Tobi lying unconscious on the floor. What had happened to Sakura? What had they done to her? Was she injured?
They roamed the corridors, opening doors without care, but they couldn't find her anywhere.
"I want my daughter here right now! Pain, find her this instant," Konan demanded, releasing a murderous aura.
Pain didn't waste a second before responding and running out, followed by the others. Whoever had done something to the pink-haired girl would face Akatsuki. No one dared to touch what belonged to Akatsuki and walk away alive, especially if they had dared to infiltrate their territory.
They ran through the dark corridors until they reached the door where Sakura was. Pain kicked the door, not caring if it flew off its hinges. The members entered, armed to the teeth and ready to attack whoever was responsible.
"Why did you break the door?" Sakura asked, holding a pot in her hands. Her large emerald eyes looked at them open, surprised by the sudden arrival and defensive attitude of the Akatsuki members. She searched everywhere, hoping to find what they were looking for. "It was Tontin who painted the curtains, sheets, and mattresses pink while washing them, if you were looking for the culprit."
The members of Akatsuki blinked as they saw Sakura without a scratch. Despite the shock, they made a mental note that they needed to have a serious talk with Tobi about what he had done. Putting away their weapons, they watched Sakura, who, unfazed by seeing them in attack mode, continued walking until she placed the pot in her hands on the stove.
"I think it's missing something," Sakura said, once she climbed a small ladder to see the pot cooking. "Orochi, what do you think I'm missing?"
The members of Akatsuki watched as Orochimaru walked calmly toward where Sakura was, with a big smile on his face. In his hands, he held a jar of pills.
"By its appearance, it looks good and smells good. What do you think you could add to it?"
Sakura hummed as she pondered what else to add, until she came up with an idea.
"Honey! It's a great source of energy, so it will help the body endure even more, besides giving it a good flavor."
Orochimaru patted her on the back.
"Well done, Sakura. You've learned very well these days."
Pain and the others leaned in a bit closer, now curious to know what they were up to. They watched Sakura pour the golden honey into the pot before she began stirring with care.
"What the hell are you doing?" Hidan asked.
"Soldier pills!" Sakura exclaimed with a huge smile.
The others looked toward the pot before turning their gazes to Orochimaru for an explanation.
"I wanted to do something for us to prevent us from arriving tired from missions or with low chakra, so I told her about the soldier pills and said I could teach her how to make them," Orochimaru explained, holding up the jar in his hands. "Kabuto and I have been teaching her about the properties of many ingredients since they left, and she researched others on her own. Sakura, here are the new ones you made."
Sakura's emerald eyes sparkled as she noticed them; she lowered the heat and, with a skip, ran up to stand in front of Orochimaru. She took the jar in her hands and looked at the other members.
"Um, could you help me by trying the pills I'm making to see how they feel?" Sakura asked, a slight pink hue coloring her pale cheeks.
They couldn't refuse.
Ecstatic, she gave each one a pill.
"The brat cooks deliciously, and Jashin would agree, so this must be a thousand times better because it's to make us stronger," Hidan said.
The others nodded silently. Once they had the pill in their mouths, they were petrified; no one spoke, moved, or even breathed.
...
"How did you find it?" Sakura asked.
Deidara fell to the floor, Kisame spat out the pill before starting to cough, Hidan began to curse that there is definitely a lethal weapon even for him, and the others, out of pride, swallowed the pill before looking at Sakura with teary eyes.
"I think that was better," Orochimaru commented, with a wicked smile on his face.
This time they'll spare Tobi's life...
"Maybe for the next batch I could add a little deer horn to soften the texture. Bat wings have properties that accelerate the chakra replenishment process," Sakura began to murmur.
"And don't forget frog guts, reptile skin, and slug antennae," Orochimaru added.
The faces of the Akatsuki members began to pale.
"Well, that's in this pot, but I wanted to try something different," Sakura began to say, her cheeks turning reddish as she considered whether to continue speaking or not, until Orochimaru encouraged her. "I was reading in a book that using fish heads provides a lot of protein, so I thought of trying that along with a bit of rabbit's foot, squid ink, blueberries, orange juice, crocodile skin, radish, royal jelly, and the herbs you've taught me."
Deidara and Hidan were about to pass out.
"Not bad, I'll tell Kabuto to note it down," Orochimaru replied.
Sakura smiled at the others.
"Thank you for helping me out, I didn't know where Tontin had gone, so you arrived at the right time. The next batch of soldier pills will be ready soon."
That day and the next, some members almost lost consciousness, others slipped into a coma, and a few had to undergo a mouth and stomach wash secretly from the pink-haired girl, who lovingly researched the best ingredients for the pills.
Everyone agreed to carry the pills in their weapon pouches as a last resort if there was no other option.