ZERO / BLEACH (1) / TWIST / REVERSE / DYE / RED
"I have been loved," she said, "by something strange, and it has forgotten me." -Djuna Barnes
Do not give your heart away.
The scrying bones' warning lingered in Sakura's head. She shambled through her morning routine, bumping into door frames and buttoning her shirt up wrong. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen, just staring.
Madara stood by the stove, wincing as he sipped his too-hot coffee. He made a sweeping gesture with his finger. The pancakes in the pan flipped- perfectly golden brown.
He finally noticed her and clicked his tongue.
"What are you? Five?" he nagged as he gestured at her crooked shirt. Sakura followed his gaze. It took a second for her to realize what was wrong. She turned around to rebutton her shirt. And then her gaze fell on his face.
"You've got an eye booger, Papa," she pointed out.
Madara rubbed his left eye.
"No. The other one."
He rubbed the other eye.
That made her smile a little.
Madara sniffed. "Get the syrup. You want orange juice?"
He turned away from her. And then he stiffened when he felt her hug him from behind, her hands clenching tightly into the front of his shirt.
"You're acting weird. What's wrong with you?" he wondered, twisting around to look at her. But she only held on harder, burying her face against his back.
They just stood there. Not speaking. She had no idea what expression he had on his face.
"I'm fine, Papa," she finally croaked, her voice shaking.
"You're…" Madara sighed. "You're a really shitty liar."
Madara finally managed to pry her off him to finish making breakfast. They sat across from each other at the smooth wooden table. Madara scrutinized her as she cut her pancakes into little squares. Her chin jerked up when she heard him mutter "ah, shit". He had poured maple syrup into his coffee.
As Madara set the glass bottle aside, Sakura suddenly remembered another day just like this. Only laughing and reading texts from her phone. On a day just like this. One of the many she had seen in that long dream.
Sakura looked down at her plate. Her knife and fork still held in her hands.
"Not hungry?"
"Huh?" she mumbled, looking up again.
Madara was staring at her again, his maple-flavored coffee pushed to the side.
"You want something else?" he asked her, already twisting in his chair. He flicked his finger to open the refrigerator. The jars of pickles and other condiments jingled together with the movement. Madara begin swishing his finger back and forth, pushing around some bacon and a carton of eggs. He found some yogurt and a carrot.
"No. No, I'm… It's good," Sakura said, spearing a piece of pancake and popping it into her mouth. It was fluffy and sweet. Just the way he had cooked them for her since she was 8.
Madara turned back to her, still frowning. He made a sweeping gesture and the fridge door closed behind him.
"Maybe you should take a day off today. Shisui can cover your appointments," he suggested.
Sakura shook her head.
Work was dependable. It would keep her mind off of things.
"I need to brew more sleeping draught. They say mine tastes best," she insisted.
Madara's lips thinned. But he nodded. Because he always let her do what she thought best. He was wonderful that way.
"You'll be home early, right?" he asked. "I'll make something good."
"Yeah. I don't have any plans," she said.
On her way to the dream shop, she left Gaara a message and said she wasn't feeling well. He seemed worried and asked when they could reschedule. She didn't reply. She blocked his number instead.
The store was already open when she arrived. Sakura felt a faint hum in the air as she rested her hand on the doorknob. Bells chimed as Sakura stepped into the shop. The dreams sat on the shelves glowed white for a moment when she stepped inside. Then they faded back to their natural colors.
Her eyes fell on Shisui who leaned against the counter, his elbow on the register. His eyes widened when Sakura rushed forward to throw her arms around him.
"Woah! What's up with you?" he demanded. But he hugged her back. Shisui might have been the only Uchiha in history who was a fan of physical affection. She squeezed him a little harder. Laughing, Shisui patted her back. But when she didn't laugh in return, Shisui's laugh faded.
"Hey. Did something happen?" he demanded.
"I'm just… just really happy you're here," she replied, pulling back enough that he could see her smile. Shisui tilted his head to one side, searching her face. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face too.
"Alright, Sakura. Good to see you too."
Itachi received a similar welcome when he came downstairs. His client's nightmare resolved, he left the woman to get some sleep. As soon as he appeared, Sakura barreled into him with a hug too. Itachi gave Shisui a questioning look over her head. Shisui shrugged in response.
Soon, it was time for Shisui to get ready for his morning appointment. He ruffled Sakura's hair as he headed for the creaky stairs. Itachi put his coat on to go buy some coffee as soon as Sasuke arrived at the shop to watch the counter. Sasuke waved a lazy hand at her when she told him that she would be in the back.
A while later, she heard the door creak open.
"That's alder, not peppermint."
Sakura stared down at the bubbling cauldron. The light green leaves sat in her open palm. She blinked a few times. And when she lifted her chin, she found Sasuke leaning against the doorway. He held out a paper cup of coffee.
"Sorry, what?" she finally said.
He wrinkled his nose at her. "What's up with you?" he wondered. He crossed the room to snatch the leaves out of her hand. He placed the correct ingredient in their place.
"You're being weird," Sasuke then added, scowling as he scrutinized her face.
That was fair. She had thrown her arms around him in a huge hug the minute he walked into the shop. Sasuke was not big on physical affection. She knew that. Still, he tolerated the hug for a few seconds before he was shoving her away.
"I...uh... sorry," Sakura mumbled. She tilted her hand. Let the leaves drift down, landing in the hot potion. She stirred the liquid three times. Banged the spoon against the side of the cauldron for luck- just the way Madara had taught her. She accepted the coffee and opened the lid. Little dots of cinnamon drifted on top- just the way she liked it. Itachi never forgot.
Sasuke's expression softened. "Is everything okay?"
Sakura closed her eyes. Trying to gather her thoughts.
"Um... I'm not sure," she confessed. When she opened her eyes, she had an idea.
"I could use some family time. Should we ask Shisui and Itachi to get dinner?" she suggested.
Sasuke's eyebrows rose as he thought. He looked up as he thought it over. And then he nodded. "Yeah, I should be free this weekend. Let's ask."
Itachi had taken a job a part-time job at the police's Demonology Division last year. Some people called them demon hunters, which was, according to Itachi, "both wrong and ignorant".
He mentioned this again when they all met on Saturday. Shisui popped a piece of broccoli into his mouth and chewed too hard. When he met Sasuke's gaze, they rolled their eyes together. They had all heard this speech about a hundred times before.
They all knew that Itachi's job was more about gathering information on demons and cataloguing them. Sometimes he had to go out and catch them too. But even then, it was more about rehabilitation than capture. After all, demons were just rogue spirits who had failed to uphold a contract.
Sakura threw Shisui a pleading look.
Taking pity on her, Shisui cleared his throat. "Okay, enough about that, Itachi. Why don't we talk about something more important?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "Like how Sakura's date went the other day?" Shisui suggested instead.
Itachi's eyes slid over to Sakura. Then back down to his carton. He picked through the contents with his chopsticks.
"Date? Was he nice?" he asked. He looked up at Sakura.
Chin sunk into her turtleneck, Sakura shrugged.
"I didn't see him. It's whatever," she mumbled.
It was Sasuke's turn to shoot her a look. He snorted.
"Whatever?" Sasuke repeated. "You wouldn't shut up about it before it happened. What do you mean 'whatever'?" He leaned over to peer into Itachi's carton of food. Itachi tilted it toward his brother, but he kept his eyes focused on Sakura. Sasuke fished out a piece of baby corn and popped it into his mouth.
"Did something happen?" asked Itachi.
"I'm not gonna see him, okay? So just drop it!" Sakura snapped.
Sasuke dropped another piece of baby corn, chopsticks fumbling. He looked from Itachi to Shisui.
Shisui scratched his cheek. "Oh. Uh... Guess you really mean it," he tried to laugh.
Itachi's forehead wrinkled. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
Sakura shook her head. "Just... I don't want to see him again. Drop it."
Shisui held his hands up. "Alright. Dropped," he agreed.
Itachi got up to choose a movie. He and Shisui debated a few before they settled on a newer film.
As the opening scene lit up the screen, Sasuke nudged Sakura with his elbow. She glanced at him.
'You alright?' he mouthed.
Sakura nodded.
Halfway through the movie, Sakura felt pressure building up in her temples. Mumbling an excuse about going to the bathroom, Sakura slipped out of the room. She stumbled down the stairs. The wood creaked under her feet.
"Papa?" Sakura called.
There was no answer. And for a moment, she felt the same sense of panic rising in her throat. But then a silvery-blue water spirit flitted out of the bathroom. It hovered over to Sakura, landing on her collarbone.
"In the library, little one," it squeaked. And maybe it felt Sakura's heart pounding because it tilted its head.
"Why are you fearful?" it questioned her.
Sakura pressed her lips together. She shook her head, mustering a smile.
"It's nothing. Thank you," Sakura replied before she continued down the stairs. She pushed open the door that led to a spiraling staircase that wound down and down. She blinked when she emerged in the spacious library. Leaning against the balustrade was Madara, an old book in his hand. He lowered his glasses, letting them dangle from the chain around his neck.
"What is it?" he asked.
When Sakura massaged her temples, he indulged her with a smile. He reached for her with his free hand. The tip of his finger touched her head. He yanked. The tangled threads of magic unraveled and then exploded, showering down like little bits of confetti. Madara batted them away with impatient waves.
"What's the face?" he then demanded.
"Nothing."
"That's not a 'nothing' face. What's wrong?" he insisted, closing his book now.
Sakura kept her mouth shut. But she wormed her way under his arm, wrapping her arms around him. Madara blinked. And then he heaved a sigh.
"You really don't change," he muttered, patting her back a few times.
By the time she made it back upstairs, she had missed a few important scenes. Shisui offered to rewind it for her, but Sakura refused, settling on the floor beside Sasuke. She grabbed a pillow, hugging it against her chest. Trying her best to focus on the bright colors that flashed across the screen.
The next day, at the dream shop, Shisui cornered her in the break room behind the stairs. Coffee in hand, Sakura muttered "good morning" to him, ready to squeeze past. Instead, Shisui took a step to block the door.
Sakura stared at him now. "What are you doing?"
Shisui stared right back.
"What's going on with you?" he demanded.
Sakura blinked. Looked at her coffee. Then up at him. "I'm… drinking coffee?"
"You've been acting super weird. Is…" Shisui lowered his voice, ducking towards her, "Did something happen to you that you don't want to talk about?" His eyes darted around.
Sakura hesitated.
He was right, in a way.
She had seen something she didn't want to talk about.
Madara's neck bent at the wrong angle. Beside him, Gaara with a hole in his chest, his hand still clinched around Madara's arm. Blood creeping across the floorboards, so deep red that it was almost black.
If she thought about it too long, all the smells and sounds of that scene returned to her. She shook her head, trying to banish the memory.
"Just… had a nightmare. That's all," she answered.
Shisui's expression softened. "Oh. Must've been pretty bad. I'll come check on you tonight. I'll sleep over, okay?" he offered.
And just because she wanted to stop talking about this, Sakura nodded.
That night, Sakura closed her eyes and found herself at the entrance to the dream world. The purple door seemed a little bigger than usual. When she rested her hand on the wood, the places she touched glowed softly. Warm. As if reassuring her. The tangled vines that edged the door shifted a little too.
The corridor was long. And as she walked, she passed doors that were dim and dull. If she tried to reach for doorknob, there was nothing there.
It had taken a few visits to the dream world for her to remember to ask Madara why that was.
"The doors only open if the person is alive. When you die, so does your door," he explained, lowering his book. Never impatient that she had interrupted his research.
It made sense. The Uchiha family was old. Many people had come and gone over the years- many of them brilliant magic users in different ways. She wished on many occasions that she could meet these people. Just to talk about magic theory with them. Just to understand what kind of thought process had led them to their breakthroughs.
But dreams were tied to the soul. And if there was no soul, there was nowhere to tether those dreams anyway.
Sakura found her door. A minty green, shimmering a little. When she reached, the crystalline doorknob appeared in her hand. She twisted. Pushed. The door to her dream opened up so naturally.
Shisui joined her a little while later. He found her casting a particularly complex dream. He ducked out of the way when Sakura extended an arm, and a bottle went sailing across the room to reach her hand. He stood in the doorway, watching the colors and sounds meld together. There were snippets of laughter. The smells of garlic and soy sauce. A song that sounded familiar.
"Is this… from movie night?" he realized as he stepped inside the room now.
He watched her pull all the swirling sounds and colors together. Her magic squeezed around them, a translucent mist that bent reality around the dreams. As she clenched her hand, the magic contracted too. It applied pressure and heat in all the right ways until the dream condensed into a single crystal.
"It'll make a nice dream for someone," she said softly, plucking the crystal from the air. It was another rose quartz. The walls of her room in the dream world were already filled with them. But she couldn't help it. Dreams about family and friends were her favorite to make. They were always warm. And it was nice to know that this warmth could be used to help someone else- even if just for one night.
"So…" Shisui took the crystal from her hand. He turned it around, examining the gleaming facets. "You wanna talk about this nightmare? Need me to untangle something for you?"
Sakura snatched the crystal back. She tossed it into the air. It hovered for a moment, then found an empty spot on the shelf and slid into place.
"Papa's better at untangling nightmares than you are. It's fine," she replied, a little snootily. As expected, Shisui's expression crumpled with disgust.
"Ugh. You're so attached to him. It's gross."
She didn't get mad. She knew he was only half-serious. And as if to prove it, he smiled at her.
"You sure you don't want to talk?" he asked one more time.
She nodded. "Yeah. I was just being silly… letting something like that get to me."
Shisui made another face. "It's not silly," he insisted.
And because time flowed strangely in the dream world, they heard a distant beeping noise. They fell silent, straining to hear it.
"Is that your alarm or mine?" Shisui wondered.
"I… think it's… mine," Sakura guessed.
"Alright then. See you later," Shisui said. He waved once before the room began to dissolve all around them.
When Sakura opened her eyes, she was lying on her side, one of her arms thrown over her face. Her phone beeped on the nightstand, demanding her attention. She groped around until her finger made contact with the screen. The beeping stopped.
She lay there in the half-darkness of her room. A few slivers of light leaked in through the blinds. But it would be so easy to close her eyes and drift back off to sleep.
She heard creaking footsteps in the hall. Madara's bleary, uneven footfalls thumped down the steps. And then she heard a drawn-out grunt.
"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Madara demanded.
"Ugh. Shut up, old man!" snapped Shisui. And then he yelped.
Sighing, Sakura got out of bed to go intervene before they hurt each other.
After a good night's sleep, Sakura felt more like herself. She buttered a slice of toast, humming a little. Madara scrubbed a hand over his face.
"Feeling better?" he inquired.
"Yeah."
He gave her a clumsy pat on the head as he went to pour himself more coffee.
Shisui let out a huge yawn. Eyes barely open, he shoveled spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth.
Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. And then again.
"Papa, I think my tag is scratching me," she grumbled. Sakura leaned over, pulling her hair to the side.
Madara paused. And then he snickered. "Still such a kid," he teased her. But he reached over and tucked the label of her shirt back in place.
"There you go, kiddo," he then said. And then the gentleness was gone as he turned his gaze to Shisui.
"Hurry up and get the hell out of my house," Madara ordered.
But Shisui, who was used to this by now, completely ignored his uncle as he poured himself another bowl of cereal.
Sakura laughed when Madara transmuted Shisui's cereal milk into orange juice. And then she laughed even harder when Shisui turned Madara's stubble bright orange in retaliation.
In that moment, with the autumn sun spilling in through the kitchen window, everything was alright.