17 • Unexpected, but not unwelcome
Should I have let Shisui explore the house? Probably not. Do I regret it? Only slightly. Do I honestly give a shit? Fuck no. Am I scared of the consequences of Danzō finding out? No comment. Do I have a point to these self-directed questions? Yes.
My point is, I currently have a bit of a dilemma: should I thank the teen or kick him between the legs?
Staring at the black marked scroll being presented to me by two Uchiha officers, I decide to do what feels most natural when I see the curly raven head next.
Now, I'm in a different dilemma: how do I react?
"Can you repeat that?" I ask softly, never taking my eyes off the scroll. I barely notice the two exchange pitying glances from my peripheral. I decided not to comment on it, still at a loss.
The one not currently holding the scroll crouches down to my level and I turn to him frowning. His expression softens and I don't really know how to feel about that. Almost the entire clan knows who I am- who doesn't after that last debacle Naruto dragged me into?
A shame they didn't like the flower crowns, Hinata and I worked so hard on them. Though, even I wouldn't want one glued to my behind, no matter how pretty. Hinata was just happy to make them.
"Your father," the officer begins, immediately dragging me out of my thoughts, "is dead."
How blunt. If I was a normal child, I'd probably hate them for it. As it is, I've seen how cat loving the clan is, pranked them numerous times, and prayed to the Gods I don't believe in that Kizashi would die everytime he stepped out of Konoha's gates.
I look back at the black scroll. I recognized it at first glance but was too confused to care. I don't want to touch it but grab it anyway. For something that holds Kizashi's corpse, it feels oddly light in my hands. As if every terrible thing that man has done means and weighs nothing.
I hate it. I hate how relieved I feel at the news. Hate the way that relief makes me feel weak. Hate that I feel weak to begin with.
This is stupid, I admonish myself, pushing the boiling and bubbling emotions down. I'm over thirty, get a fucking grip. The thought has bile rising at the back of my throat but I swallow it down stubbornly.
"I see," I finally say something, noticing the heavy silence that has fallen. "Will I be situated in the orphanage now?" Would that make things easier or harder to go to HQ?
"All of his assets were given to you in his will, including the house," the officer that previously held the scroll explains after a moment. I nod along to the explanation, carefully hiding my surprise and ignoring the confused glance they shared.
"Thank you," I say before stepping back into the house and closing the door, not giving either enough time to say or do anything.
Waiting until I've sensed them off the - mine now - property, I head to the kitchen. Dropping the scroll into the sink, I dig through the draws and pull out a match box. I don't look as I pull one of the small sticks out and light it, only glancing at the small flame when I hold it over the scroll.
Just before I can let it go and watch the thing burn, a thought occurs to me. Doesn't he have friends? A funeral is expected isn't it? Would it be weird if I didn't have a grave for him?
Sighing, I stare at the scroll in contempt. Even after death, he's making things difficult for me. Harshly blowing out the flame, I toss it to the trash. I can always have the body cremated.
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
The process of setting up Kizashi's cremation and burial took an irritatingly long month to complete. I was tempted to smash the urn several times but held back on the morbid irony of keeping the man's ashes in the dark.
The burial, funeral, whatever you want to call the small ceremony, was perhaps the worst part of it all despite being the end too. There was, to my disgust, a surprising amount of people that showed up and offered condolences. Luckily for them and my cover, I've been trained in keeping silent.
That wasn't what made it so bad though. No, I could deal with adults thinking they know everything. The worst part was the fact that the Brat Posse showed up with their parents. Probably learned of the whole thing from Mikoto, who likely heard of it from her husband.
They all tried to assure me it was alright to cry and, while I appreciate the thought, I very much had no tears or remorse for the bastard's death. In fact, I hope to scratch out his name when they eventually put it on the stone as I was informed would happen.
At least no one was around when I cursed the man to hell and back. That wouldn't have gone over well. Neither would have spitting on his grave.
The fact that Shisui is nowhere to be found only worsens my mood. I really want to punch him for making shit difficult, no matter how relieved I am.
I always planned on having Kizashi killed or arrested, but now that it's actually happened? I'm scrambling to keep up with Dino's foul mood. I didn't think Kizashi played a big role to the old man, but it won't be a mistake I make again.
My whole training schedule has been flipped the same day I was given the black scroll. Kizashi was my sadistic but effective teacher in medical ninjutsu. Now I don't have a medical teacher because the art is so tedious that there aren't many people that practice it, not to the extent that Dino wants from what I can see at least.
Instead of being poked and prodded with medical instruments in the basement, I've been given two hours of Experiment Time. It's exactly as it sounds like. I'm to use the two hours to figure out iryo-ninjutsu myself. The knowledge that comes from studying has been pushed to my lecture periods.
Technically, experimenting is how iryo-ninjutsu came to be, but it's not like I know how! I'm not a genius for fucks sake.
In light of all this, the house has been practically abandoned. There's no need for me to be there anymore, so now I'm to be dropped off and picked up in different places. It's not like the neighbors care or notice to begin with.
The only bright side to all of this I can see is further solidifying my place in ROOT. Especially since I've been pulled out of the several group trainings to be trained one on one.
Yeah, it's a very dim bright side.
Holding back a sigh, I tune back into my surroundings in time to hear my name being called on. At least I can count on the academy to be my much needed break time. Wonder what I'm going to do once I graduate from this place though.
Hm, that's still four years away. I'll worry about it then. Right now, I need to remember what I was just asked to do.
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
The day Uchiha Shisui met Haruno Sakura, he knew that things were going to get interesting. How could it not when the girl ran after breaking another child's nose, threw a brick hard ration at him, cursed in the face of Uchiha Itachi, cursed the child and their mother out when pushed to apologize, got into a brawl with a bunch of other girls when she should have been at the Uchiha Police Station or home, called him a pedophile to his face, proceeded to threaten him with a knife and rations, and introduced them all to the Kyuubi Container- all within the same day.
Yes, things were going to get very interesting with her around, he knew.
It was still very shocking to hear that she unwittingly saved the Hyūga Heiress, and their Village from another War. But after having spent some time with her, he could confidently say several things.
Sakura was vulgar, angry, defiant- everything you'd see in a delinquent. But she was also protective, patient, and kind. While she didn't take shit from anyone around her, she also went out of her way to visit the orphanage and give what little she had. She cursed people to hell and back but would stop to help another child when they've fallen or hurt themselves. She glared and threatened but would stand firm without a word or movement between Naruto and the Villagers.
She also has a strong distrust and dislike of adults.
That fact and the reason why took a bit longer to find out. He knew she cursed her father's name and frequently stated she'd be happier if he was dead, but Shisui thought it was just her being angry at the man for always being away. So, he left it alone since it wasn't his place to butt in.
Then he found her name and picture on Uchiha Police Files. Uchiha Police Files under the Suspected Abuse Cases.
The only reason he found out about the Case was because he heard she turned herself in at the station for burning the face of some vendor. He was going to go check on her since he felt guilty for slapping her in disbelieving discipline. Suffice to say, he wasn't in a good mood when it came to light that the vendor was a spy and subsequently kidnapped Sakura.
He was very relieved and worried when he caught up to the man and found Sakura with a concussion. That brought some other things to light.
Sakura didn't look or even sound in pain when her face and hair was basically covered in her own blood. She didn't flinch or wince when he slapped her. She always wore long sleeves and long pants. She only ever blinks or frowns when she gets hurt, like it's an annoying inconvenience. She's always looking at her surroundings. Her chakra for fucks sake would retreat around new people, but it'd be practically gone around her father.
Shisui was ready to murder the smiling medic when it clicked into place. As it was, he could only demand to be let in on the case and pull Itachi into it as well.
Sakura had become like a sister to him. An angry, ready to kick him between the legs, insufferably smirking little sister.
Ideally, he would have just questioned her to solve the case but she was tricky like that. Sakura doesn't trust easily, or at all. He can tell she wants help but has little belief or hope in getting it. Having spoken with Kizashi and his co-workers, he can guess why. It was pretty stupid of him to assume another shinobi would slip up.
And then he got dragged into ANBU / ROOT because the clan was planning a coup and had little time to interact with the small pinkett.
Imagine his surprise when he felt a very familiar and small chakra signature around ROOT HQ.
In hindsight, he could have planned the confrontation better. There wasn't a need for him to press his sword to her neck after breaking into her house.
But it got him answers. She didn't react to having her neck nicked, didn't react to seeing him, didn't react at all in any surprise. She met his eyes head on, smiled coldly at him, and snarked like she usually would. She sneered his clan name and regarded him as an enemy.
At the time, he questioned if everything he knew about her was a lie. If she was another one of Danzō's pawns, if she actually cared for anyone, if she was playing them.
Then they sat for tea and she spoke like they were actually catching up.
It was easy to deduce how she came to know Danzō. She wasn't being too subtle, not that he thinks she was trying to be. Not with the way she basically gave him permission to look around.
Shisui had pinned Kizashi as abusive when things clicked into place. He didn't need more convincing. And he really didn't need to see an untouched nursery or blood covered metal table in the basement to cement the idea in his head.
He's always been regarded as a genius, like Kakashi-senpai and Itachi-kouhai. He's smart enough to know that the Uchiha Police weren't going to get the warrant needed to check the house. Knew that Kizashi was crafty and built a safety net around him. Knew that, even with this evidence, it wouldn't be considered valid. And he knew that the abuse had gone on long enough.
So he put a stop to it. Permanently.
And no Itachi, he isn't a coward or hiding from Sakura!
"Hn," the younger raven grunts rather sarcastically.
He glares at his cousin half-heartedly before turning back to stare at the setting sun. "I still don't know how to take her involvement with the Councilman," he finally admits quietly.
It makes Itachi pause in lifting a stick of dango to his mouth, the reminder of what their little pink friend is caught up in bringing down the mood.
"I don't know what to believe anymore. Is she really a vulgar, firecracker of a child? Or is she just pretending, and is actually one of ROOT's emotionless bugs?"
"If she was pretending, wouldn't a different personality be better?" Itachi questions back quietly, thinking over the observations he's made on the girl since finding out.
Shisui stays silent, unable to refute the statement.
Itachi looks over, contemplating. "Why don't you ask?"
"You think she'd tell?" He looks over in disbelief.
"I think she's even more exhausted since her father has died. I think she's subtly teaching my little brother and his friends how to survive. I think she's planning something. I think," he pauses here, frowning in displeasure. Shisui looks over, confused and concerned. "I think she has little regard for her life and sees no future for herself."
Shisui grimaces, in complete agreement with the last statement. He isn't saying that Sakura is suicidal, it's more like she doesn't care. If she's planning something though, she'll refuse to die until it's completed. After that however? Shisui is ashamed to say that he can see her not bother dodging a fatal blow.
Sighing, he finally comes to a decision. "I'll talk to her. Hopefully I'll get some answers."
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
It's my day off, meaning no errands to run and free time to hang around the Brats. Naruto decided that we should all go to the park. No one refused.
So, here I am, wandering the nearby forest as a game of Hide n Seek commences. Last I saw and heard, Choji is 'it' with some help from the ever lazy Shikamaru.
I doubt they'll be able to find me anytime soon, especially since I keep wandering deeper into the forest. It's best to have important talks privately after all.
Stopping at a small clearing, I hum and look around. Finding a nice shady spot, I lie down to catch up on some much needed rest and wait. The rest because one on one training is a bitch and so are the expectations for results on my iryo-ninjutsu.
I yawn, peeking an eye open when I notice someone else appearing in the same area. I'm only slightly surprised to find its Shuisi. It's a shame that I'm too tired to get up and kick him.
He opens his mouth to say something but I quickly interrupt him. "You didn't have to, made some things a bit more difficult for me actually but I suppose that's my own fault..but thank you."
I watch him blink for a moment before closing my eyes and allowing him to start the conversation when he sees fit. I can feel his stare, even as I hear him quietly step forward.
"We didn't finish our talk last time," he finally says.
I nod in agreement, keeping my eyes closed as I think of the best way to go about this. It doesn't take long, since I've prepared for this since our last meeting.
"This will take some time but," I begin, opening my eyes and turning my head to look him in the eyes. "Let me tell you a story.."
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
I told you things were going on in the background! The police did in fact suspect the abuse but Kizashi was too crafty and Sakura too distrusting (more on this much later) to give them solid leads.
Plot is finally picking up too. I estimate maybe 2-3more chapters for Uchiha Massacre Arc, then 1 chapter for the rest of the academy years, then finally Academy Graduation.
Also, I've been asked about pairings and while I was really hesitant on it, I've decided on some things. So yes, Sakura will be paired with someone, but that won't be for a long time.