Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She laid there, motionless atop the stained white sheets of the wide bed. Her body was sweaty, and she found that her limbs refused to move, no matter how much she forced them to bend to her will. A twitch, then nothing more. The darkness of the room threatened to taint her heart with the same black walls that surrounded her from four sides. Sore, she felt as if something inside of her had been destroyed, and that no matter how much she will clamour to have it back, it had left her forever.

Gone, just like that.

There are voices outside the room, and she clenched her eyes closed, willing whoever they are to be gone. Tonight had been rough, and she had no wish for it to be repeated. Her ears picked up a man’s deep baritone, one she heard just minutes prior, and she stifled the sob forming on her throat. She had to be quiet, or she will once again pique the interest of that man, knowing that if he entered through that door, she would not be able to take it.

Stiffening, and muscles locking in place as the knob turned, the grating sound of the door opening ringing in her mind as if a bell for her death, turned her a shivering mess, and curling into a ball, making herself as small as possible.

A woman stood at the entrance, hands on her hips.

“Good work, Sakura! Nakahara-san was so satisfied, he gave us a few extra hundred yen! Isn’t it good? If we stuck to our local clients, the money from just this night will take at least ten of them! I asked him if he knew other people, and he said yes! So, expect visitors soon!”

Sakura covered her ears, wrapping the blanket closer to her body. There was no need for her to listen. She was there when it happened. The woman, her mother, looked at her in apathy, then disgust, and just sighed in irritation.

“Gods, just stop this cold-shoulder you’re giving me and take a bath! You’re beginning to smell.”

And then the door slammed close, and she was once again alone. After a few minutes, she rose from the bed, wincing when she felt a sharp pain, but trudged on. The bathroom was inside the room, and she slowly walked as to not aggravate her bruises. Holding onto the wall, hands creeping along the flat surface, Sakura kept her balance and counted the steps she took, distracting her from the thick liquid coating her inner thigh and the unfamiliar scent on her skin.

When she reached the bathroom, she turned on the shower, the droplets hitting her face and wetting her hair. The water was unbearably freezing, but she cared not. Sakura scrubbed at her skin, removing any traces of what happened earlier from her body. Coldwater drenched her entirely, but she did not mind, not at all. It numbed everything she felt, and the sting from the handprints and contusions littering her body eased. They painted her black and blue, the marks so stark on her pale skin. She did not remember how she looked before all of this, as they were always there.

Never leaving her. Always present. If there are things she can trust to never abandon her, those are the wounds and the bruises on her.

There is nothing that can be done. She will forever have them.

(Stained. Tainted. Debased.)

Knowing that she had now spent nearly ten minutes in the shower, she immediately finished, the fear of her mother and father coming to this room and hauling her out with their harsh hands at the forefront of her mind.

The small towel on the sink was the only protection she can afford, as she was brought here with only those, and her clothes were all inside her room, which was on the other side of the house, the one that used to be their basement. This one, according to her parents, is for ‘business’. It had thick walls, and no one can hear her screams when the doors are closed.

’Perfect for you, don’t you think so, Sakura?’, her mother said.

Trembling, with either the feel of the cold draft of winter air hitting her bare legs and arms or the disgust that permeated her heart, she continued walking towards her room, to the relative safety that space gave her. That room is on the second floor of the house and faces the road, as opposed to the basement where the red room was located, so she knows that her parents will never hurt her there in fear of discovery from the countless shinobi that use their roofs as a convenient mode of transportation.

There are no other houses here except for theirs, but they are closer to the training grounds so the roof is subjected to the silent steps of the protectors of Konoha.

When she arrived, she rummaged on her closet for her clothes and bandaged the wounds on her arms and legs, making sure that there will be no evidence of what happened can be seen from the outside. If she counted the hands on the clock correctly, there are five hours there that she can use for sleep. She still has classes in the morning, and it will never bode well for her if Iruka-sensei asks again about her tardiness, since she had been struck late six times. He had told her that he will be forced to visit her parents and talk with them regarding her performance in the academy if it happens once more.

So, she will forget the man who laid his hands on her and try to think of the happy thoughts that only ever visit her when she is asleep.

Kind eyes.

Warm hands.

Sakura smiled.

“Okay, everyone, remember that tomorrow is the academy graduation! You will have to be tested on the spot, and if you perform well, you will be given the symbol of our loyalty to Konohagakure; the symbol of the leaf! So, do your best and be the best shinobi you can be! That is everything. Class is now dismissed.”

Chatter rose in the air, as excited voices filled the din of the classroom. Sakura sat there, looking at the blank pages of her notebook, emerald eyes tracking words the whiteness of the sheet of paper.

Tomorrow, she will pass.

She will be a Genin, and since they will be seen as adults in the eyes of many in the village the moment the seal of Konoha is on their foreheads, she will be allowed to move out of her house and live somewhere far from her parents.

Tomorrow, the forehead protector, the symbol of the Leaf, will decorate her hair, and she will wear it in front of them, proudly, and she will have the courage to tell them that she had enough, that she will be living her life the way she wanted, and then-

And then, she would be free.

Like the wind, like the birds, gliding in the vast, blue sky.

So lost was she in her mind that she failed to notice a certain boy looking at her. She was centre started when she felt a finger poke at her bandaged arms, and she reined in the urge to slap whoever had touched her, the memory still so fresh.

As she turned to the side, she was then greeted by the sight of hair as bright as the sun, and eyes like the sea she loved and missed so much. Anger now gone, she did her best to give him a wide smile but she cannot muster hers to be as beautiful as his.

“Sakura-chan! Hi!”

Uzumaki Naruto.

Dead last. Orphan. Troublemaker.

Kind. Loud. Compassionate.

Her only friend.

“Hello, Naruto. Do you feel you are ready for tomorrow?”

The blonde pouted at her, and Sakura huffed when he turned to her with a gaze so pitiful, she thought he was projecting Akamaru on his face. His whiskers were pulling down as if they responded to his sadness, and Sakura gave in, after a few minutes of those eyes on her.

“Do you want me to tutor you for a little while after class?”

He smiled at her again, and she just patted his hair, the roughness of his spikes grounding her to reality.

“Yeah! I know Sakura-chan is the most intelligent girl here, and you’re my friend!”

She and Naruto were the unlikeliest pair of friends.

Haruno Sakura is known as a recluse, and she does not talk that much nor she even made an effort to join other girls in their chattering and gossiping. Yamanaka Ino used to be her best friend, but their relationship slowly fell apart over the years as she put more effort into becoming a kunoichi fit for Uchiha Sasuke, and left her for her many beautiful and social friends. It did not hurt her, as it is natural for a girl as pretty as Ino to have a clique full of those like her, unlike Sakura, who is used to covering her face and looking down on her feet. She even expected it, and when that time happened, it only left her nothing but acceptance. After all, a weed her had no business in a bouquet full of blooming flowers.

Uzumaki Naruto, on the other hand, is widely known as a little rascal. Almost all the villagers of Konohagakure no Sato hated him, for reasons she believed ran much deeper than him being a trickster. He only started doing those things because they kept beating him and hurting him. However, when she asked him the reason why he told her he didn’t know. Sakura then resolved to ask the Third Hokage about that, seeing as he is almost like a grandfather to her friend.

Though, she doubted he will do anything. He let it happen for over twelve years, and whenever Naruto comes to him with bruises, he would turn a blind eye. She should do it herself. Adults will only ever act when you can benefit them.

(Large hands on a too-small body. The deep voice of a man. The pain. The humiliation.)

Erasing those memories, she turned back to the notebook in front of her. Still blank. Closing it, she stuffed the hardbound notepad into her saddlebag and stood up, waiting for Naruto to do the same, which will take a long time seeing as he dumped most of his pens and papers on the table. Resigned to the fact that she would have to be idle for a few minutes as he blustered around and picked all his stationeries, she took a sweep of the room.

Nara Shikamaru lounges at the farthest seat at the back, hands behind his head as his feet are on the table in front of him. Stretching like the deer they are so proud of, eyes closed as he rested. Sitting next to him is Akimichi Choji, eating snacks and conversing with the boy beside him, who seems to be answering with only grunts and groans. Yamanaka Ino was there, too, nagging at the boys who never listened to her, not once. That did not stop her from yelling at them, constantly, almost becoming unbearable to Sakura’s ears.

Near the centre of the room sat Hyuuga Hinata. She was somehow much worse than Sakura in socializing, as she refused to talk not because of choice but rather she simply cannot bring herself to raise her voice loud enough to be counted as a conversation. She would also faint, but it only ever occurs whenever Naruto is present, so that has more to do with her burgeoning emotions for the boy than a debilitating state of mind.

Sitting right next to her was Inuzuka Kiba, and since they are a family of animal contractors, his familiar, a white dog named Akamaru, is also present. There is nothing notable about him, except for those bold triangles on his cheeks, but he does resemble her blonde companion in attitude. He was also in the triad of bottom graders, along with Naruto and Shikamaru. Behind him is Aburame Shino, whose presence is as small as the bugs he harboured inside his body. The boy also did not converse with anyone in the classroom. Why? Sakura does not care enough to know.

At the front row, just near them, is Uchiha Sasuke. He was the top student for her year and constantly got the best grades out of all of them. Handsome and rich, Sakura can see the appeal of why her classmates seem to go crazy over him. If she had the choice of bedmates, she would have liked it if they harboured even a smudge of the handsomeness the Uchiha boy has. Then it would not be so hard.

Alas, ugly men are more numerous than those blessed with finely sculpted faces, so she would have to endure.

He is also the boy that kept staring at her.

Sakura noticed his dark eyes boring onto her right side. He started this creepy hobby more than a year ago when they met that one evening while she was out escaping from her parents. She had found solace in the park, and she saw Uchiha Sasuke sitting by himself on the swings. If she was like the girls that desired nothing but his attention, she would have been more appreciative of his glances.

However, she is used to stares, some more disgusting than others, so she learned to bear with it and just let him find whatever he is seeking whenever his eyes landed on her. He was not doing anything harmful to her and only ever did this behaviour and never acted on it, so Sakura can assure herself that he will not be doing something abhorrent in the future.

Standing up, she took all the books that will not fit inside her bag and carried them in her arms. Naruto took some of them, as according to him, it is chivalrous to be helpful to a lady. Sakura tried to stop him, as those books weigh nothing, but he is adamant in his argument, no matter how pointless it is.

“Sakura-chan, are we going to the library or the park?”

Her friend looked relaxed, but she knew that he would not like it if they spent their time studying inside the library. Whenever they find themselves there, Naruto would be unable to control himself, and then complain that it is too quiet for him and that he found the smell of scrolls and books nauseating. Not only that, the librarian there had some grudge against Naruto, and will find every little fault just to have him kicked outside for ‘disturbance of peace’.

Bullshit.

“I think the park is a better choice. It’s winter, yes, but it is not so cold right now. There are only a handful of people there at this hour, and I know you can concentrate better over there. Scumbags and shitheads don’t loiter in places as visible as the park.”

And also because the ‘shadows’, as she had dubbed them, will be hidden on the trees near the benches they frequent, and though their presence unnerved her, she knew that they were there to protect Naruto.

Well, only when some citizens harm him until his bones were broken, or when blood poured out of his wounds.

“Hehe~Sakura-chan knows me so well! But before that, can we get ramen first? I didn’t get to eat breakfast because I woke up late, ‘ttebayo!”

She patted his head, smiling fondly at her foolish yet cute friend. He had always brought her happiness, without fail. Slinging her bag to her shoulder, she took his hands and pulled him along with her. However, before they can ever reach the doors, someone blocked their way out, a body slightly bigger than her denying them exit. Sakura turned her emerald eyes to look at the punk who dared to stop her, but she was startled when her own met with the onyx of those of one Uchiha Sasuke.

“Are you going to the library?”

Surprised and befuddled at why the top student of the year is talking with her and Naruto, Sakura looked around, trying to spot why he seems to want to hang out with two outcasts of the classroom. Realization quickly dawned, when she saw Ino quickly coming over to their location, surely with the intent to ask Uchiha Sasuke on a date once again.

(Beautiful and small, how marvelous you are.)

“Ugh, go away, bastard! Can’t you see you’re blocking our way? Come on, Sakura-chan, just ignore him. Nothing comes good from hanging out with him.”

She sighed, already fed up with the situation, and combined with the exhaustion that had settled on her bones, Sakura just looked at the ceiling, asking for help from whoever listened to the plights of humans.

Naruto had always been antagonistic with the Uchiha. Of course, maybe it was his jealousy speaking. Uchiha Sasuke is handsome, intelligent, powerful, and from a family that boasted its origins long before even the foundation of Konoha. Their clan held pride in their techniques and most especially, their precious bloodline limit. Their coffers were filled with gold and silver and other precious stones. Uchiha Sasuke, in Naruto’s eyes, had it all. And compared to his life, wrought with pain and hatred and scorn, he naturally developed his hatred to this boy who seemed perfect inside and out.

However, everyone has their dark sides, and this boy had it, too.

Uchiha Itachi. Heir to the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Sasuke’s older brother.

It seems Naruto and him are the same in ways they least expected.

“Alright, Uchiha Sasuke. However, in exchange for us bailing you out of Yamanaka’s hold, you will pay for our food. We plan to go to Ichiraku before we go to the park.”

“Hn. Agreed.”

She didn’t need to turn her head to see Naruto’s expression. Sakura can feel the disbelief and betrayal etched on his face, and she prepared herself, most especially her ears, for the onslaught of his loud words.

“BUT-BUT SAKURA-CHAN! I DON’T WANT HIM THERE!”

Her friend held unto the edge of her black top, wringing the fabric as he pouted at her. It might have worked when they were children, back when she was still mesmerized by the bejewelled gaze which reflected the sea, but his adorable blue eyes lost their charm when he abused them to get what he wanted. Sakura leaned her lesson when she was sent to clean the faces of the Hokage monument for the first time and promised that she would not be swayed. Not anymore.

“Naruto, we don’t have enough money to buy the super deluxe beef ramen today, and I heard the cow they used for the menu was this time, from Kusagakure. We have never tasted beef from there! Uchiha Sasuke here is rich, and in exchange for our company, he is willing to pay for OUR ramen. So, what do you say, Naruto? Uchiha here will pay for your meals, you can even eat more than one bowl!”

“I did not say he can eat mo-”

“YES! RAMEN! THANKS FOR THIS, BASTARD! I’M GOING TO TELL OLD MAN TEUCHI TO PREPARE THE BEST!”

Her friend immediately forgot his anger and raced out of the room, leaving her and the other boy staring at his back. She faced Uchiha Sasuke, and seeing the displeased expression on his face, she just sighed and bowed her head slightly to him.

“Sorry about that. Naruto can only be persuaded using food. Oh, and heads up, Uchiha. Yamanaka is right behind you.”

Sure enough, the girl strutted to Uchiha Sasuke, swinging her hips obnoxiously from side to side. In her experience, men cannot be enticed with those over-the-top movements, so how can a pre-pubescent boy be seduced with such clunky moves? Yamanaka Ino is pretty, but she sometimes does things excessively and she only comes out as a little girl playing dress-up.

The Yamanaka heiress clung to his arms, and Sakura was treated to the sight of the Uchiha’s face transforming from apathy to horrified to disgusted and then back to that same irritated blankness he always dons.

“Hii~ Sasuke-kun! How are you?”

“Get off me.”

Dark eyes turned to her, pleading for help. Sakura bit her lip, reigning in the urge to just laugh.

“Ah, sorry Yamanaka-san. Uchiha-san asked me to help with the errands his mother sent him.”

“And what errand are those, forehead girl?”

She stepped towards Sakura, nose turned up, looking at her as if she was some disgusting animal she was forced to look at.

“Uchiha Mikoto-sama asked him to buy some things at the market, and seeing that it is near the civilian district, he said that I will be better at choosing. Here, if you don’t believe me, Uchiha-sama gave him this list. So, you can ask him for a date some other time, Yamanaka-san, lest he uses you as an excuse why he never did his chores of the day.”

A lie, of course.

Sakura layered a genjutsu on a scrap piece of paper, making Ino see a list of fruits and vegetables when there is nothing there. It’s a simple technique, but if one is not attuned to illusions, one can never know how to break them. Yamanaka Ino is from a family renowned for their mind techniques, but she is still young, and she knows that her ability with the mind transfer, at this moment, is mediocre at best.

“Is it true, Sasuke-kun?”

“Hn. Now, let go of me.”

Yamanaka Ino pouted again, whining that ‘there is nothing she can do since Mikoto-sama had been asking Sasuke-kun to shop’.Uchiha roughly yanked his arm out of hers, a fierce scowl already blazing at his face, to which he directed at the other girl. Yamanaka, then let them while blowing him a kiss and he turned his back at her, grinding his teeth whilst rubbing his temples.

“Bye, then Sasuke-kun! And, don’t you dare do something you’ll regret, forehead girl!”

Sakura pitied him this moment, and she waited for him to calm himself down. In his temples throbbed a vein, an angered huff leaving his mouth. She cannot even begrudge him for being so furious. Every day, without fail, his fangirls will swarm him, and they greet him all at the same time while upstaging one another. How annoying it would have been for a boy as silent as him, to be surrounded by high-pitched voices screaming and shouting near your ear?

(They crowded her and no matter how much she begged, they didn’t let go.)

He nodded his head at her when he got his bearings, and she started to exit the classroom. As Sakura went outside with Uchiha Sasuke following her like a little, lost lamb, she felt the numerous glares aimed at her back. The girls who adore Sasuke were almost too ‘enthusiastic’ in their pursuit of him and fought with their fellow fangirls. She had always been ignored by them, as Naruto was the only one she kept near her, and her eyes never strayed to the Uchiha’s precious second born. However, it seems that she is now regarded as a threat, being the only girl to ever walk ahead of Uchiha Sasuke.

Her life is never going to be the same after this. Is this worth that super deluxe beef ramen? No, definitely no.

“Now that Yamanaka-san is gone, will you explain to me why you wanted to come with us?”

The hallways were long, and Sakura counted each pillar as she waited for him to answer. She never expected him to entertain her, but she was surprised when his baritone voice reached her ear.

“I wanted to go outside without someone hanging in my arms. The girls are afraid of Naruto, and you are not interested in me.”

Emerald eyes glanced at the black-haired boy, and she just raised an eyebrow. Their steps echoed, the sound of their sandals filling the silence of the wide halls. No students are milling here, as some chose to spend some time with their friends after the professors release them from class, or just hang out inside the vacant rooms.

“Okay. But I promised Naruto that he will have his ramen today. So, as payment for my services, let him have his food.”

He grunted, “Hn.”

Smiling, she took him to the entrance, and they made their way to the Ichiraku ramen stand. It was noon, right at the time when the sun was at its peak. It was sweltering, and the harsh heat stung her skin, yet she paid it no mind. Most of her arm is bandaged, so the risk of getting a sunburn at this time is minimal.

There, with his bright hair, Naruto sat, eating while talking at the same time. Seeing the stack of bowls near him, Sakura pitied Uchiha Sasuke, as she knew that Naruto is now going to eat his weight in noodles, and she is not sure how he can pay for at least six bowls of ramen.

“Ah, Naruto went ahead and ate a lot. Don’t worry, Uchiha-san, if you’re short on yen, I can pay half of Naruto’s share. Sorry for this. I won’t eat if that is the concern. I am only here to rein Naruto.”

The boy looked at her, stuffing his hands to his pockets. He seems to be doing that these days, just blankly staring at her, as if she is some bug he’s interested in. It didn’t annoy her, nor she felt anything from his dark gaze boring to her. If Yamanaka or some other girl was here, it is a guarantee that they would have turned into a puddle by now.

“Hn.”

Uchiha just clicked his tongue and went inside the stall, Naruto immediately shouting about him being a ‘bastard’. The other boy, to her surprise, responded to Naruto’s baiting, snarkily and not-so-teasingly calling Naruto a ‘dead last’.

“Sakura-chan! Did you hear that! He called me dead-last! Let’s just take his money and shoo him! He’s ruining my appetite! Why are you even hanging around us, anyway?!”

“Just shut up, idiot. Be thankful that I am even paying for you!”

She sat there, ordering her bowl as she ignored the two bickerings behind her.

It was a good day.

The pros.

She had fun with both Naruto and surprisingly, Sasuke. Her stomach is fuller today compared to the past week, and for once, she ate something that isn’t bread.

The cons.

The sun had set and she had not noticed.

Muscles spasming, Sakura ran fast. Her lungs felt like they had been set on fire, even if winter is just descending around her. Snow is pouring from the darkening sky, gradually blanketing the ground with white. As the temperature got lower and she felt the chills descending on her spine, so does her heart felt like it had been encased with ice. She bit her lip and chewed on the soft part, fear fueling her actions, never noticing the blood dripping to her chin.

After a series of alleyways, shortcuts, she finally saw the big black pine trees her mother treasured. She had always loved that garden, and she spent most of her time there, talking to those goddamned plants, more so than she talks to her daughter.

Sakura slowed her pace and walked when her foot reached the stoned tiles. Green eyes looked at the house, not her home, and she noticed the lights were turned on in the living room, illuminating her path from the darkness. Everything was quiet, the solitary house standing in a backdrop of black, and she felt the horrible pebbling of her sweat on her skin. This part of the civilian area is devoid of any other residence, as it is situated at the farthest corner of the village, near the edge of the Forty-fourth Training Ground.

Who would want to settle down near the Forest of Death?

Heart thudding loudly inside her chest, she knocked on the door.

After a few raps, Sakura heard fast, pounding of feet on the floor. The wooden door opened and a hand darted out to painfully squeeze her wrist. WIncing, she saw the angry, red face of her mother, a snarl twisting her red lips. Her eyebrows furrowed deeply in between her forehead, and her eyes, so much like hers, are glaring at her fiercely. Her sharp nails dug on her soft flesh, biting the delicate capillaries. Red drops fell languidly, and Sakura let the woman who bore her drag her inside, uncaring of her stumbling. She had long given up on resisting, for it only leads to more pain.

A man was sitting with her father at the dining table, talking and laughing. The smell of alcohol wafted to her, and she crinkled her nose. The sharp sting of alcohol had always made her nauseous, and with the cold air, she suffered while running on a snowy night, spun her head. He puffed out a smoke, and Sakura tried hard not to cough, just so their attention won’t shift to her.

“Ah, there she is!”

The man, turned around to look at her. He was big, bigger than the others who came to see her. He was bald, but he was not older than her father. His physique indicated that he was some labourer, as she never saw him with other shinobi millings in the village. Grinning, he stood up and her mother pushed her forward, unkindly and not-so-gently until her shoulders were caught by the man.

He dwarfed her.

“Sakura here was late ‘cause she was studying in the academy! Do forgive her. But, as compensation for her tardiness, instead of two hours, we can double it! The pay is still the same.”

Dread pooled on her stomach, and she struggled to contain the shivers wracking her body.

“Of course, Haruno. Now, where is the room.”

She was happy just a few hours ago.

Her mother led them down to the red room.

Naruto was there, with her, and they ate with the Uchiha boy.

It was chaotic but it warmed her from the inside.

She was happy.

But then, she forgot this hell.

“Enjoy the night!”

The door closed, and the bed loomed ever bigger in front of her.

It hurt.

Everything hurts.

Stop this.

She can’t take it anymore.

She was supposed to be free tomorrow.

The blue, blue sky.

Her wings spread as she tasted the air.

Freedom.

But would that erase their marks on her? Would she ever break free from these hands holding her down, fingers that touch her so harshly? Will they even release her, even if she begged them to loosen her shackles?

How naive. How foolish.

They won’t.

Grunts and moans were above her and she watched the man blankly, and she felt nothing. It seemed like an eternity had passed them by, and she is stuck here with him, until the end of time. His entire body covered hers, and she wanted nothing more than to run away.

It hurts.

It hurts.

The man finished, and she felt hopelessness well up.

Shame.

Humiliation.

Anger.

She didn’t want this.

He rolled off her, never looking back, and went to the adjacent bathroom, lighting the cigarette he dug from his pockets.

Enough.

Enough already.

With her remaining strength, with the little motivation she had left, Sakura stood up. Her legs protested from the movement, and her hips twinged as she took a step. She came nearer to the bathroom’s door, listening to the sounds of the shower running and the deep voice humming a folk song.

Muddled green eyes surveyed the room.

Something glinted on the corner.

She limped towards the little light.

It was from the buckle of a belt.

She picked it up.

And went inside the bathroom.

For once, she was not the one who screamed.

Blood was really red, she thought as she looked down at the slow flow of the liquid.

It was also warm.

Though the body had cooled.

She grunted as she removed the strip of leather from the neck, a darkening bruise forming as she removed it. There are also welts on his back, red and swollen, and they cross over each other like the roads of Konoha. His head caved in, as she slammed it down on the toilet.

The man put up a fight.

But she is going to be a shinobi tomorrow.

The forehead protector will be hers.

It was surprisingly easy.

Walking towards the shower, she turned the know and let the cool water calm her down.

She hummed the folk song he sang before.

She heard them talking snoring inside their bedroom, comfortable and content.

They were sleeping, while she was being defiled. It happened tens of times.

She was supposed to be used to this.

It had been years.

What is so different today?

Is it because she finally ate that super deluxe beef ramen?

No.

What was it?

Ah yes, she is going to be a shinobi tomorrow.

The forehead protector will be on her hair.

She and Naruto will finally be adults.

And she will be free.

The knob turned.

Morning came silently.

Haruno Sakura bid goodbye to her parents.

The house was quiet.

No one replied.

Chapter Text

Today is independence day, Sakura declared.

It might not be that way to others, it may have been just another day out of the hundreds of the year, but this day is the day she felt the air enter her lungs, almost levitating from the happiness and relief it gave her. It was sweeter than she expected.

She can breathe now, nothing is clogged, drowning her, and she was free.

Free.

It was a dream from a time long past, yet she had finally achieved it.

After so many years.

After all those times.

Sakura stopped walking, watching the sun peek from behind the faces of the venerated Hokage, greeting the once sleeping village and rousing its people to wakefulness. It was bright, and it hurt her eyes, but despite the prickling of the rays, she smiled.

Wide and happy.

Hands towards the rapidly lightening sky, she relished the coolness the winter brought. It is still too early and there are only a few people milling on the streets. There is the merchant who sold toys from other nations, the lady who baked pastries, and those men who played go at a corner of a shop.

What a normal day.

She walked leisurely, greeting the citizens like she does every morning, whenever she passes by.

“Oh my, Sakura-chan! It’s still too early for a young lady to walk by herself! Maa, growing girls need all the beauty sleep they can get. But now that I think of it, Isn’t today the graduation for the academy? Is that why you’re earlier than the roosters?”

Sakura smiled at the kind lady, jogging to her when she beckoned for her to enter the little bakery. It was quaint and homely and was owned by Tsukiyama-san’s son, who bought it and then went to Suna because he needed ‘adventure’ or whatever that was.

Rumours spread that he had impregnated a girl there.

Most likely the truth.

“Yes! I’m just so excited so I woke up earlier than my alarm! Mom complained because I was making too much of a noise! I had to tiptoe just to get to the door.”

In Tsukiyamaan frowned, and she sighed after looking her up and down.

“You haven’t had breakfast, yet, I assume?”

As if on cue, her stomach grumbled, advertising her hunger to the other woman. Blushing to the tips of her ears, Sakura looked down when the older lady ushered her towards one of the tables and forced her to sit.

Having those rough and surprisingly strong hands on her shoulder made her want to slap it away, but Sakura stayed put. Gritting her teeth, she choked on the impulse, clenching her fist tightly. One, two,three. Thankfully, Tsukiyama-san never noticed her inner turmoil, turning her back on her, and Sakura looked and looked.

Her back looked empty.

Empty of what?

‘It will be easy.’

‘You did it once.’

‘Do it again. You’ll feel better.’

Her pupils dilated, eyes wide as she swivelled her head from side to side, waiting for a glint to reach her. She swept over the little bakery, manic and frenzied searching and seeking. It had to be sharp, she thought; it can be little, she thought.

Like the pin from the buckle of a belt.

On the counter, there laid a knife. It was small and serrated, for cutting bread. Not so sharp but certainly well-used. It will do.

It’s enough.

More than enough.

Her fingers crept towards the hilt, but her hands never reached the knife as Tsukiyama-san’s voice sounded closer than it was just seconds ago.

“What do you want to eat, darling? I haven’t started with kneading the flour but I have katsudon leftovers! I just have to reheat them. Do you want to eat some before heading to the academy?”

Snapping herself from her trance, her gaze snapped to her face and she smiled.

“Of course! Anything you cook is delicious, Tsukiyama-san!~ No one can compare, not even that snobby owner of that donburi place near the gates! You’re the best for me!”

The older woman only giggled at her statement, humouring Sakura’s flattery. She continued with rummaging inside her cabinets, the clangs of the pots, the sound of the stove being turned on, and the jovial hums from the kitchen settled the rising need for something inside Sakura.

“Oh yeah, Tsukiyama-san?”

Her voice sounded muddled, as she entered the adjoined house.

“Yes?”

“Make them spicy, please!”

“Okay, you spice-loving brat!”

She hummed, legs swaying in the space of her feet and the ground. There is still a lot of time left before the Academy gates open and even if she spent an hour loitering here, there will be an excess to spare. The sound of crackling wood reached her, and the smell of frying pork meeting the oil in the pan made her hungrier.

After a few minutes, Tsukiyama-san entered from the little door at the left, a bowl of steaming katsudon balanced on her hand and a glass of green tea in the other. The steam was a continuous fog, and with it came the scent she had not been exposed to for a very long time.

Homemade meals.

When was the last time her mother had cooked her food?

Three years ago?

Two?

Five?

Sakura cannot remember anymore. Her tongue had been used to the taste of stale bread, cold store-bought food, and instant ramen. If her mother did cook, she would only be given the leftovers, but most of the time, there would be nothing left for her to eat. However, she bought a lot of canned food with the meagre penny scattered in the house, and the money she sometimes swiped from the men who visited her.

She thanked the lady, eating the piping hot katsudon, blowing to reduce the heat. The rice was soft, and meat is something she did not have the luxury to eat every day. Sakura’s eyes prickled, warming as tears formed as she shovelled the food into her mouth.

“Is it that delicious that you are crying, Sakura-chan?”

Sniffling, she lifted her head and gave the woman a wobbly smile.

“Yes, Tsukiyama-san. It is.”

After she finished the meal graciously given to her, Sakura stayed in the bakery for an hour and a half, watching Tsuiyama-san as she baked the bread she must sell in the morning. Of course, since she had nothing to do, she helped with kneading the flour and piping the muffins with whipped cream, washing the dishes and even wiping the counter clean. When everything was finished, she said her goodbyes and proceeded to make her way to the Academy, which was nearly half an hour of walking from the civilian district.

It was already nearing nine in the morning, and her sensitive ears picked up the excited chatters of her classmates from inside the building. She cannot blame them, for she is the same. Her heart is pounding with anticipation, and she wanted nothing more than for the day to speed up, to at the time when she will be getting the forehead protector.

“Sakura-chan! Good morning!”

Naruto crashed into her, hugging her at the waist. Her hands reached his spiky blonde locks and patted them. The boy dug his face on her neck and Sakura laughed at her friend’s adorable display.

Here is one who is touch-starved, being indulged by another who was touched too much. It was curious, however, that when people come closer to her and make contact with her body, she can feel the shivers on her back, disgust and repulsion warring inside her heart. However, when the blue-eyed rascal reached out to her, she found she did not mind, not in the slightest, and even makes the initiative. If she thinks about it, Naruto even made her nerve settle, and his warmth drives off the perpetual chill frosting her insides.

“Hello, Naruto. Are you excited for today?”

He looked at her, eyes shining, and then nodded his head. Like her, Naruto wanted to be a shinobi, though their reasons differ vastly. While she wanted freedom, he had always desired recognition. That he can be someone strong and not just someone that is hated and scorned. Sakura believes he can achieve whatever he set his mind on, as he is an annoyingly optimistic person, with motivation as longstanding as tall trees in the Forbidden Forest.

“Of course I am, dattebayo!”

Naruto will go far, and all his dreams will come true.

Sakura vowed to herself that even if hers will never see the light of day, at least she’ll make sure that Naruto will have them in the palms of his hand.

“Let’s go inside, Naruto. There are a few of our classmates already inside and we need to find our seats. Iruka-sensei will be here in a few minutes.”

Naruto unwinded his arms from her body, and instead held her hands. She wanted to let go, and she barely stopped herself from wiping his hands. She is dirty and tainted, as opposed to the pureness of her friend. She slightly tugged at their joined hands, intent on shaking him off. The boy, however only tightened his fingers, continuing to drag her towards their classroom. Sighing, she let it be, as he can be quite pushy when he so wants to.

Upon their arrival to the second floor, and before even setting foot on their room, she can hear the squeals and sighs of the girls. It seems Uchiha Sasuke arrived early, too. He always came on time, not a second early and not a moment late. Sakura did not expect him to come at this time.

True enough, when she and Naruto entered, she saw that the other boy had seated himself in their usual seats. Confused, she thought of why, as he used to plaster himself at the front, with no one bothering him. She stood there, silently looking at the other boy, but Naruto had other plans.

“Oi, bastard! Why are you sitting in OUR seats? Get your ass off of it and go sit on your own! That’s mine and Sakura-chan’s!”

“Whatever, idiot.”

Naruto slammed a hand on the surface of the table, glaring at the Uchiha. The fangirls took it as an offence to their precious “Sasuke-kun” and started to scream at Naruto, that he does not have the right to yell and curse at Uchiha Sasuke, let alone talk to him, and that how dare he demand something when he is one of the lowest-ranked students here and Sasuke is at the top.

Her headache pounded, and she stalked to the source of it. Naruto is now at the top of the table picking a fight, so she yanked on the collar of his brightly coloured jumpsuit and pulled him down. She looked at Uchiha Sasuke, a question burning in her eyes, but he just averted his, crossing his hands and laying his chin on them. Without a choice, she surveyed the room to find if there are other seats, but she knew that her classmates would not appreciate it if Uzumaki Naruto is among them.

Except, of course, for Hyuuga Hinata, but she would only faint upon seeing Naruto, what more will happen if there is prolonged contact?

Combust, probably.

So, she started to walk to the very back of the room, when a hand suddenly enclosed on her wrist. The disgust swelled once more, threatening to swallow her up. How she wanted to just break the hand touching her, but then she got a whiff of something sweet wafting from the other boy. The scent strangely grounding her.

It’s Dango, she thought.

She did not expect him to have a sweet tooth.

“You can sit here. There is room for the three of us.”

Oh?

What a surprise.

Sasuke certainly needs something from her, for him to be offering like this. But what? He’s too young to be asking for her ‘nighttime’ services. Does he even know about that? This is someone who hates their female classmates and was not seen talking with members of the opposite sex, except for his many cousins and his mother.

Well, her too, since the boy had been trying to converse with her since yesterday.

“Haaaah!? Do you hear yourself, yo-mmmh!”

Clamping her hand on her loudmouth of a friend, she looked Uchiha straight to the eyes.

“We’ll take you up on that offer, Uchiha-san. Thank you very much.”

He nodded his head at her, a grunt escaping his lips. The Uchiha scooted as he made space for them to sit, and Sakura gave her thanks again. He looked outside the window, lacing his hands, and then promptly ignored both Sakura and Naruto after he secured their place beside them.

After a few seconds of Naruto squirming, she let him go and immediately sat at the middle seat, in between Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. There will be no point if these two started arguing now, as Iruka-sensei along with the other teacher in the academy, Mizuki.

“Settle down now, everyone! The exam will start and I want you to do your best! Do you understand?”

She is ready.

She passed.

Naruto did not.

And now, he is nowhere to be found.

After he failed the exam (again) and did not qualify for graduation, was not liable for promotion to the ranks of Genin and received the headband, he left her in the classroom. Naruto told her that he needed fresh air, and since he begged her not to follow him, she complied with his wishes to be left alone. It wasn’t like he will suddenly run away from the village and do something outrageous.

Naruto may be an idiot, but he’s sensible.

Sometimes.

When he felt like it.

And so she let him be.

Sakura went home, the harsh sun stinging her skin. There are a lot of families at the gates of the academy; parents hugging and kissing their children who will now become contributing forces of their society. Of course, the most powerful and wealthiest clans are also in attendance, she realized as she watched the Uchiha matriarch smiling at her youngest son, with the Uchiha Head, stoically standing on one side along with one of Konoha’s greatest prodigies, Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke looked proud, face on the verge of breaking into a smile, and she was surprised to see such an unfamiliar expression on the surly boy’s face. He had always been moody, serious and sarcastic and to watch him be unguarded tilted her view a little.

Well, odd as it was, it’s none of her business. She did not know him enough to be a judge of whether what is normal and unusual.

As expected, her parents did not show up, but as they are otherwise occupied, Sakura understood their absence. In the sea of well-wishes and warm regards, Haruno Sakura, stood alone, without someone to tell her she had done a good job.

Emerald eyes looked to the sky.

They are as blue as Naruto’s eyes; she remarked once more. The rays of the distant star were like his hair and its shine as bright as his smile.

The world is unfair, for someone as hardworking as Naruto to be denied the future he had wanted for so long.

With one last glance at the sea of happy faces, she exited the premises, and into the gates of the academy, into the direction of the civilian market. As there are no classes to be attended anymore, and her attendance is not needed in the house, she decided to buy ingredients for homemade ramen. The least she can do for her best friend is to cheer him up, lift his spirits and comfort him with his favourite food. It will not erase the fact that he had failed to become a shinobi, but it will stave off the despondency and defeat from his heart, for only a bit.

And she also knows that Naruto had not eaten anything today.

He saves his ramen for dinner. And with his allowance being siphoned by his greedy landlady, the vendors selling him almost thrice the original price, he only had enough for two cup noodles a day.

With her hands full of food, she made her way to her house. She need not knock, as there was no one inside at the moment, her parents are currently unavailable and cannot be reached. There was only her inside at the moment, and no one else.

She removed her sandals and immediately went to the kitchen. It still smelled strongly of something sharp, the astringent scent irritating her nose. Ignoring the stench emanating from the floors, she went to the sink to prepare.

Chopping, mincing and slicing the vegetables and the meat consumed most of her time, as she recently learned how to do such a chore, and was now allowed to enter the place only her mother used, as she is now considered an adult. After everything had been prepared, she set to making the ramen.

Naruto will like it, she’s sure of it.

The knife slammed on the chopping board. The meat easily giving way at the touch of a sharp blade.

She hummed a folk song, almost unconsciously, and waited for the broth to boil.

Her voice echoed in the silence of her empty home.

The ramen was cold, the noodles soggy and the soup already saturating the strands, when Naruto finally had the chance to eat it, and that was when midnight nearly stroke true.

Why is that? Sakura mused to herself.

It turns out, her assumption of her friend not making any ruckus at his current state was very, very wrong.

Who, in their right mind, will steal the Scroll of Seals, one that contained a significant number of forbidden techniques etched into its pages just because someone told him? Well, considering he only failed his other graduation exams because of not being able to do the Shadow Clone Jutsu, it was a logical choice.

But still?

Following Mizuki’s advice?

That slimy bastard?

She told him over and over again to avoid that two-faced man. Because even though he was smiling all the damn time, Sakura is in the belief that men who try their hardest to come off as kind and yet give off the nastiest vibes must be only looked at once and then never given a second glance. But Naruto still believed his words.

How she wanted to shake him.

‘What were you thinking, Naruto?”

Her friend only smiled at her, a little guilty and mostly triumphant split on his tanned face. Rubbing his hand behind his head, he prepared to explain his side, though Sakura had the gist when Anbu operatives walked Naruto home.

“He told me that I’ll pass if I steal the scroll and learn the technique, Sakura-chan! And I passed, you know? Because I’m great and I saved Iruka-sensei with it and he was bleeding and hurt, but he was proud of me! He was impressed and told me I’m a genin now! Isn’t it cool? Iruka-sensei is still at the hospital, but this forehead protector was his and he gave it to me!”

He pointed his thumb on the shiny metal.

Sakura sighed, padding at Naruto’s apartment with bare feet and washing the dishes they used on the sink. Before she came into his life, his room was filled with garbage and unwashed laundry, almost filling the entire room. However, the moment she entered and a cockroach immediately crossed her path, she set to cleaning and forced her best friend to participate.

She spent most of her free daytime hours in Naruto’s small apartment, and no way will she hang around when the smell the mats give off is akin to that of a wet trash dump.

“Naruto, please be careful next time. What if Iruka-sensei wasn’t there to block Mizuki’s attacks? That could have hurt you! Mizuki may still be a career chūnin but he is still much stronger than you are!”

Her friend deflated, turning his head away and pouting at his walls, hands crossed in front of his chest. He had changed into his pyjamas, that strange nightcap on his head, on top of the forehead protector he’s still wearing.

Seeing as he is now sulking and trying not to throw a tantrum, Sakura wiped her hands on the towel on the sink. Kneeling in front of the sitting Naruto, she reached out and patted his spiky, blonde hair. He turned to her and gave her a big smile, and she returned it with a gentle one.

“I am proud of you, despite what happened tonight. You finally made it, Naruto. But please no more heart attacks like this, alright?”

His grin became wider, and Sakura saw the tears gathering on the corners of his eyes. Winding her arms around him, she embraced him as he sniffled, stubbornly holding back his cries. He let go, however, when Sakura started rubbing circles on his back, wetting her shoulders with his tears and snot. He was mumbling something incoherent, his words indistinguishable as he buried his face at her shoulders. Sakura just continued with her ministrations, letting the weight of his success dawn on him.

After a few minutes of shushing him and rocking, Naruto fell asleep in her arms, the excitement and stress of the night finally catching up to him. With surprising ease, she carried him to his futon and laid him down, making sure his blanket covered him to his chin. He will most likely kick it in the middle of his deep sleep but at least for now, he’ll be warm.

Setting the alarm for tomorrow’s meeting, one to decide their teams, Sakura bid him goodnight, locking his doors and walking towards the path towards the civilian district. The road is empty, as it is the middle of the night, the cold air hitting her bare arms. Sakura shivered, but otherwise, did not increase the pace of her walking, still leisurely strolling Konoha’s pathways.

There is no hurry on her steps, and she took her time walking the familiar streets. Sakura can hear nimble footsteps on the tiles of the roofs of the houses, most likely returning shinobi from their missions from outside the village. Good thing her house is on the other side, and there is no one walking or running atop their heads. Her mother and father may have chosen the cheapest, ugliest house in the neighbourhood, but at least it was silent and no one can disturb them.

Almost an hour from the time she left Naruto’s apartment, she reached her house. It was small, and a garden filled with flowers greets whoever enters the gates. Her mother had always liked gardening and spent her time around her plants. The care she put in is evident on the healthy flowers and other such shrubberies, their stems fat and full. They were well-taken care of, their petals and leaves bright and big.

She just stood there, for how long, she did not know. And she kept on looking at the things her mother had poured her love in.

Her hair was the same colour as these blossoms during spring.

Her eyes were the colour of the greenest leaves of evergreen trees.

Her name was of the most beautiful flower.

Haruno Sakura.

Springfield of Cherry Blossoms.

But, then why?

Why was she thrown away like some stubborn, parasitic weed? Why, instead of soft, yielding hands, all she got were bruises and wounds, and harsh and cruel words? When had she not felt worthless and hopeless, suffocating inside that windowless room, afraid of never being allowed outside ever again, while these damn plants were enjoying the sun?

She’s lower than these useless things? Is that it? Can she even compare to the fucking worms wriggling on the ground?

Anger surged from inside of her, violent and all-consuming, and she trampled the urge to destroy everything. Tears blurred her vision and she turned away, breathing deeply. Sakura immediately ran to the entrance, sliding the key, turned the knob and went inside. Slamming the door hard enough to rattle the frame, she slid down and hugged her knees to her chest and took the time to calm herself. She glared at the darkness staring back at her.

The house is without light, not a single bulb sharing its brightness. And so when she reined in her swirling emotions and found the strength to stand up, she had to feel the walls to get to the switch.

Flicking the lights on, Sakura made a beeline to her room. All the windows were closed, the curtains were drawn, and she never looked at anything, focusing on going to the only safe place inside the house.

When she’s inside there, they can’t touch her.

There are only a few hours left for her to sleep, and since they will be assigned to their genin teams and teacher tomorrow, she will have to prepare and rest well. Who knows who her teammates will be, and she has to be ready for the stress that’ll surely come. It will be the first time that she will be separated from Naruto, and though she had been with her classmates for a few years now, there’s no one aside from the blonde boy she can call a friend.

Sakura took a bath, laid down on her bed, and slept.

But not before she looked at the big tree behind her house.

It was her namesake.

A Sakura tree.

With a new garden, Sakura planted around the thick roots. It was a large project, she thought to herself. The soil was newly dug and the flowers were freshly watered.

It was not her mother’s.

Hers and only hers.

She hummed once more.

That folk song.

Her voice echoed in the silence of her empty home.

Chapter Text

Sakura woke up at four in the morning.

Like clockwork.

Her body felt heavy, as she slept at midnight. There were things to do, and she is the only one to do them, as her mother and father had tasked her with housework. This is the same routine ever since she realised the first stirrings of the sun were her only salvation in the four corners of the house she shared with her parents.

Looking at the bedside table, she stared at the shiny forehead protector for a few moments, relishing the fact that she is now finally the owner of her own body, her decisions finally resting on her shoulders. It had been a long time since she had the autonomy, and the taste had never been sweeter.

As today is assignment day, she made her way to prepare herself. As she was about to go to the bathroom, she passed by her parent's bedroom, shut tight and foreboding in its silence, still capable of rendering her with weak knees and trembling hands. Blankly glancing at the closed piece of wood, she turned around and never spared another look.

They don’t matter anymore.

She won't make them matter to her again.

She is free.

After she was done taking her bath, she prepared herself a small breakfast; just a piece of bread and the jam she had made a few weeks ago, created from the apples Naruto helped her pick from the farm the two of them used to help, just a little job to have an extra allowance for expenses in school.

She needed the money to support herself. It has been that way since she was younger and more deluded in thinking that if she does as her parents asked of her, they will love her one day.

Her ‘earnings’ were never given to her, nor was she a part of the percentage her parents divide amongst themselves. She was there to be used but never given what is due for her ‘service’.

Just a toy to be passed around, regarded with no sympathy or consideration.

The clothes she wore were bought at the local clothing shop for civilians, though she had to buy the cheapest ones, mostly hand-me-downs. All her gear was from the centre shinobi shop near the academy and she had to buy the dull ones because they were a couple of yen off compared to sharp, newly minted blades. She had a whetstone at home and she used that to sharpen her kunai and other of her weapons, though she can only do it sparingly. (Her arms were numb every night and most days, she barely had any energy)

Sakura received nothing but disappointment and humiliation from her parents.

There was no space in their hearts left to love the daughter they bore.

The thought brought with them a sudden bout of nausea and she had to hold onto the back of the chair to prevent herself from falling to the floor. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand on her two feet, and stomach the sandwich she had been eating.

No need to be hungry on such a wonderful day.

All thoughts of her parents and those horrible nights were set aside, and she washed her dishes, making sure that the house is without even a speck of dust. Her mother used to nag at her whenever she missed spots, and little things like those were the reason why she sometimes went to the academy not only with bruises but with a grumbling stomach.

Seems old habits die hard.

Locking the door, she tapped her boots once and stretched, warming her muscles before she had to run. She spared the cherry blossom tree a glance and took note that the flowers she had replanted near its roots are coming along nicely.

When spring comes, it will be beautiful. The flowers in her garden will sprout large, colorful blooms. She will take care of them, and if she was ever given the opportunity again, she will expand until all the empty spaces from the side area to the backyard were full of flowers she personally took care of.

Exotic and rare plants? Medicinal herbs? Maybe, even another cherry blossom tree? To keep the only one in her home company?

So much to consider.

As it was still early, and the academy opens later in the morning for they only have announcements for genin team compositions, Sakura has no obligation to go to school at that hour. However, as she is wont to do whenever she had extra free time, she sprinted and made her way to one of the smaller, vacant training grounds. It is a bit far from her house, and it is ways away from the academy. No one uses it anymore, as newer and larger grounds were created and others renovated.

Sakura skidded to a stop when she saw the tall imposing trees at the entrance of the training grounds. Those assigned to maintain them had long neglected their job, and with the state when she first discovered it, it had been years, maybe even decades before someone stumbled there, and she can bet that she was the first person there, after so many years.

Fallen trees also littered the outside, barricading the rusted fence of the training ground. The grass was as tall as her hips, with wildflowers blooming on random patches of land. She can also hear the chirps of birds and how smaller critters scurry when they sensed her presence. Long vines creep on trees, on the fence. It was a desolate area, but a perfect example of nature taking back what humans had stolen from her.

The inside of the grounds was not as haphazard as the outside. When she stumbled here, it became her personal comfort space. Whenever she escaped from her house, she went here and cleaned, furnishing it with a hammock tied to two trees, providing her with cool shade and a gentle breeze. Sakura also made a little kitchen on one side, on the area where the soil is damper, to not catch fire if she were to ever cook something.

It was her little haven.

Hers and hers alone.

Naruto did not even know about this. He may be her closest friend but she is not ready to give this up. Maybe in the future, she will but not yet.

Making her way to the centre, she sat down, cross-legged. She put her hands together, fingers touching and forming a circle and resting it on her lap. Her chakra supplies were laughably small, and she cannot even maintain three clones for long periods of time. That is a setback, as clones were sometimes used in reconnaissance and intelligence or information gathering. What would happen if she were to be on a mission like that, and her clones all failed on her?

She will only be a liability. A shinobi that is used as bait, is thrown into the enemies to make time for her stronger, more valuable, indispensable teammates.

So, here she is, meditating, trying her best to increase her chakra little by little, distributing them where they were needed the most, like the muscles on her calf and her arms. Sakura also knows her chakra control was one of the top percentiles in the academy, perfect even. However, the teachers saw that as nothing special.

‘Impeccable chakra control. But Too little chakra volume. What a waste.’ They said as they looked at her pityingly.’

‘She’s a civilian. Of course, what did you expect? None of them is noteworthy enough.’

Oh, she’ll show them.

She’ll show them what a ‘waste’ she is.

The chakra gathers at the core of the body. It was the life force converted into power. Shinobi had been blessed with the energy of the gods that made them, deeming some to be worthy of what They possessed. It was used for survival, however, now with centuries worth of history of humanity, it has also become a symbol of privilege.

There are certainly rich civilians, with coffers filled with gold and stationed at positions of power such as the Daimyō and the Shogunate and the samurai. However the wealthy shinobi clans had always been feared and admired, and the larger one’s clan is, the greater the social reputation.

Look at the Uchiha Clan.

They were one of the founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, and they are envied not only for the money and the treasures and the massive influence they hold but also for their Bloodline Limit.

The Dōjutsu, Sharingan.

Sakura had seen it only once, and it is a sight she can never forget. The one who had shown it to her was someone who had saved her from a night of shame, though she can barely remember his face. He stayed by her side for an entire night, listened to her prattle on and on and on then promptly deposited her back to her parents the following day.

She shook her head. There is no use lingering on the past. That was a part of her happier times, and it is a good thing that the boy had forgotten about her.

Sakura is ashamed to let him see her now. She rather let him remember her as a little girl, pure and innocent than what an embarrassment she had become.

Maybe, he is dead, such is the life of a shinobi willing to lay down one’s life for the village, and so Sakura is immortalized in his mind with her full and genuine smile. But if he has survived into adulthood, then Sakura better stay away from any of the older Uchiha men.

Far away so she will not be seen. Identified. Recognized.

Good thing she was not infatuated with their youngest heir, like most of the girls in the academy. And that she had no reason to be close to someone as known as Uchiha Sasuke. Imagine if she were to be with Uchiha Sasuke all the time.

Thank the heavens for small mercies.

“... and Uchiha Sasuke! The three of you will form Team Seven!”

No, fuck whoever is above.

What is this?

She and an Uchiha, in one team?

Had she not asked for even the smallest of reprieves?

Her life was finally looking up and the gods threw her to the wolves!

“Hey! What are you doing, bastard? Why are you scooting closer to me?! Get lost!”

Sakura sighed as she just silently stood up and sat between the two quarrelling boys, effectively breaking them apart.

Uchiha Sasuke was trying to remove himself from the inner seat, as she and Naruto sat there because there was nowhere to sit. Again. So, left with no choice, she and the blonde took the only seats left inside the classroom. There Uchiha sat on the other side, Naruto in the middle while glaring at the Uchiha and Sakura on the outside, the one closer to the aisle.

But because these two boys were making a scene, she had to intervene before their fights escalated before she found herself witnessing an all-out brawl. Not to mention the pinpricks she feels from the eyes of Uchiha Sasuke's fangirls, all digging into her back as she holds Naruto's arms and another hand on Uchiha's chest.

It wasn’t even her choice to be near the love of their lives. There were no seats left! What do they want her to do? Shoo the boy away? Who can even command Uchiha Sasuke to remove himself from his seat? Her, a powerless girl from a no-name family dismissing Uchiha Sasuke, the second heir to the mighty Uchiha clan?

Nope. No chance of that. Sakura would rather live, thank you very much.

“Naruto, please behave. Iruka-sensei may be fond of you, but just sit there and be quiet.”

She patted his spiky blond hair, running her hands through the strands. It was soft, despite the tufts, because she forced him to use a shampoo and a conditioner. Oh, he even had lice before, but she took care of that and made sure his blonde hair is kept pristine. Naruto always liked her touching his hair and even calming down whenever he was too worked up. Predictably, her friend slouched on her shoulder with a dopey smile on his face, arms winding around her waist.

Sometimes, it felt like she did not have a friend, but a pet dog instead of how clingy and sticky her friend was.

“Okay! Whatever Sakura-chan says! You better thank Sakura-chan, you bastard!”

Naruto stuck his tongue at the Uchiha and turned away when he realized that Uchiha Sasuke is not even looking in his direction. Knowing that her friend is now offended, though he was in the wrong, Sakura kept him anchored with her hold on his arms.

“Naruto. Be. Have. Okay?”

As she was about to continue listening to Iruka announcing other teams, she felt a tug on the hem of her shirt. She looked a the hand pinching the fabric and raised her eyes, her emerald ones looking at Uchiha Sasuke’s seemingly bottomless eyes.

“What is it, Uchiha-san?”

“I wanted to thank you. With Yamanaka.”

She raised an eyebrow. This is what he risked his peace for? Naruto and he would have started brawling if she did not step between them.

“You already told me that, Uchiha-san. However, you are, once again, very welcome.”

Uchiha nodded his head and immediately turned his head forwards. Then, she felt a nudge on her arm and she saw that he was giving her a paper bag. A pink paper bag with a flower sticker to keep whatever was inside of it fresh.

Very cute, Uchiha-san.

“What is this, Uchiha-san?”

Not once did he look at her, gaze focused on Iruka-sensei.

“Daifuku. I heard you like them.”

Well, that was strange. From who did he even know she liked sweet things? Not only that, these are daifuku with strawberries! Strawberries are not in season today, and buying fruits harvested in their atypical season is expensive! And not only ONLY that, but strawberries also are not native to Konoha! You have to order them from the villages near the Land of River!

Sakura is in awe. Really. One must not underestimate the coins of the Uchiha Clan.

“Uchiha-san, thank you very much! I’ve been craving sweets like these lately! Gosh, how long has it been since I last ate strawberries?”

Then she lowered her voice to a whisper, “Is it okay if I share this with Naruto? He didn’t get to eat his breakfast today. Don’t worry, I will tell him it’s from you and he has to say his thanks to you.”

His brows furrowed.

“NO! I mean. I gave them to you. It’s yours. You can do whatever you want with them. Don’t tell that idiot they were from me.”

With the animosity brewing between the two boys, Sakura just smiled and fished the sweets from the bag, taking a bite from the wagashi and trying her hardest not to just stuff her face with them. There are even more than ten in this large paper bag! These will feed her for days!

“Hey. Naruto. Here. I got strawberry daifuku. Eat it. Discreetly, okay? Don’t let Iruka-sensei see you.”

It always warmed her heart whenever Naruto smiled that big, honest smile of his. Maybe, because he was in a situation that nearly mirrored hers, with parents the reason for both their sufferings. He lived pitifully because he lost his parents at a very young age, according to his caretaker at least. He did not even know their names! While she lived in fear because her parents were…well, alive.

A camaraderie, of sorts, and now it is a friendship she will never let go of.

“Sakura-chan always takes care of me like this. Thank you!”

Sakura does not know how people can hate him. Look at that cute face. Is that the face of the demon they perceive him to be? He’s a kind child! So adorable!

She pinched his whispered cheeks and then turned to listen to Iruka-sensei.

“And so, for Team Seven. You will be assigned under a Jonin named Hatake Kakashi. Your team leaders will come and fetch you, so stay here until they come. Oh, and Sakura, Naruto. I know that technically you are now seen as adults, but please refrain from eating in class. Dismissed!”

Well, so much for not getting caught.

Sakura continued to eat the sweet she had taken a bite of, tying the paper bag with a spare hair tie to prevent the daifuku from attracting ants. She put the flower sticker inside her notebook, as a reminder that she got to eat daifuku. She’ll eat more of it later, share it with Naruto back at his apartment, and store the rest. Now, they had to present themselves as good students, and give the Jonin assigned to them a good impression of them.

Especially one as infamous as Hatake Kakashi.

Everyone knows of the man, even civilians. A living legend, they say. He was a genius that came once in every generation. Taught by the Fourth Hokage and the son of the late White Fang, he was an existence that every shinobi envied. Not only that, his promotions were mostly in-field and he had participated in the Third Great Ninja War.

Hatake Kakashi. A living legend. Son of the Great White Fang. The student of the Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

He’s someone who’s both famous and infamous in the village.

But…

He was so GODDAMN LATE!

No one except for them is inside the classrooms anymore! Everyone was already picked up! The team that was left aside from them left with their team leader nearly an hour ago! Where is the man hailed reverently by Konoha’s people? Had he forgotten that he had a responsibility as a teacher right now?

Her annoyance manifested in the form of foot tapping, the tempo, slow then fast until she calmed herself.

Naruto is groaning in boredom and to prevent him from darting off his chair in anger, Sakura had to feed him with the daifuku she received, petting his head and trying her best to make him fall asleep. Her friend is only quiet when he was snoozing away, off to his bizarre dreams.

Sakura had to drag him back to the seats when he tried to set a trap on the door, like putting the board eraser above the door so it will fall atop their teacher’s head. Not wanting to insult the man who will be their leader until even they reach Chunin, Sakura forced Naruto to sit beside her.

Uchiha, on the other hand, has formed deep furrows in the middle of his eyes. He had his fingers interlaced as he brooded silently, stewing in his anger alone. Seeing as the Uchiha boy looked a few moments from burning someone, Sakura let him be.

When the third hour arrived, and it was nearly noon, the wooden door creaked open, and a tall white-haired man walked in. He was wearing a mask, and only a singular eye was seen.

“YOU’RE LA-!”

A hand shut Naruto’s tirade.

“Hello, Kakashi-sensei. We are Team Seven. We are in your care.”

She stood up and bowed slightly, forcing Naruto’s head to follow her movements. On her periphery, she was relieved to see that Uchiha Sasuke was now on his feet and mirroring her bow, a blank face not even showing signs of any irritation he had felt before.

“My first impression of you is… that you are somewhat passable. For now. Let’s meet up on the rooftop, so we can learn about each other. Please be there in ten minutes.”

And so he’s gone in a puff of smoke.

Sakura sighed pulling Naruto who was now yelling and stomping around like a particularly agitated monkey. Of course, she also wanted to bash their sensei’s head but she doubt she’ll even come as close as ten feet.

They walked the stairs winding to the rooftop, Naruto sulking behind her and Uchiha Sasuke casually walking with his hand inside his pockets. He can’t hide the clench of his jaw, however, nor his increasingly impatient pace. Uchiha can go faster if he wanted, leave her and Naruto behind, but he kept looking back at them as if to see if they were truly following,

She waved her hand when he looked back once more, only to be ignored.

“How far is it to the rooftop? Oi, you bastard! Tell me!”

“Naruto, just follow me and stop antagonising Uchiha-san. Or I’m not going to your apartment later! I won’t cook you katsudon!”

With that, Naruto whined at her, saying that it was not fair and that he’ll be good. He took hold of the hem of her shirt. She just patted his head and proceeded to follow Uchiha’s steps. Naruto, though can be annoying at times, is also adorable once he warmed to someone. Sakura is no different.

Soon, after a few minutes of climbing, they reached the door leading to the rooftop. Naruto, ever the impatient one, hurriedly opened the door, turned the knob and ran outside.

Stepping into the cement of the uppermost floors of the academy, Sakura saw Hatake Kakashi lounging at one of the ventilators, casually reading a book Sakura knows to be one of the most popular written erotica circulating the bookstores of Konoha. She may not read them, and certainly never will, but she had heard of its popularity while seeding through the libraries for scrolls. Those at the librarian post liked to wax on the beauties inside the novel.

“Hm. no less than eight minutes. That's enough. Now, take a seat and introduce yourselves. Your name, likes and dislikes and your dreams and plans for the future."

Naruto pointed at their Genin teacher, quite rudely, and shouted, "How about YOU introduce yourself first?! You kept us waiting, it's the least you can do!"

Sighing, Sakura just let Naruto finish his tirade on late teachers and time management techniques. She was sitting on one of the steps, elbows on her knees and chin on her palms. Uchiha is on her side, still in that broody, melodramatic pose, and just waiting.

"Well! Since you are so adamant. Let this teacher have his introduction. I am Hatake Kakashi. I may or may not be as old as your parents. I like a lot of things and currently, I am a Jōnin instructor for newly graduated Genin like you. I plan to live freely. That's all. Now, how about we start with you, loud blonde?"

All they learned about him was his name.

What a man.

Naruto was close to shouting again when Sakura just pinched him on his calf. He squeaked and looked at her, Sakura giving him a shake of her head.

"Okay, you pervert! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm 12 years old and I like everything Sakura-chan cooks for me, especially ramen! I like reading stories about famous Shinobi of old times! I hate eating vegetables and waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook. When I grow up, I want to be a Hokage and have a bigger place for me and Sakura-chan to live together!"

Sakura laughed at Naruto's declaration. He may have heard Sakura saying that she wanted to buy a house of her own and move away from her parents.

Uchiha however, coughed violently and Sakura had to rub his back, just on reflex, because she did it a lot to Naruto when he choked while eating. She gave her unused handkerchief to Uchiha, and he looked at it before he hesitantly accepted it with a quiet thanks.

Naruto pouted when he saw the Uchiha receive the small cloth, and then he sat closer to her, his arms winding around her waist again.

"Oh, are you two dating?"

Kakashi-sensei looked at them, eyes slightly wide, and Sakura just shook her head.

"No, but Sakura-chan is like a sister to me! And she took care of me a lot so I have to take care of her too!"

“If there's ever romance going to be brewing between some of you, learn protection. No having babies while you’re still babies yourselves. How about you, Uchiha boy?”

The three of them just looked at Kakashi-sensei with exasperation, Sakura reining the urge to throw her shoe at him.

Uchiha Sasuke sat straighter when he registered his name being called, looking straight into Kakashi-sensei’s eyes.

There was a rumour that Hatake Kakashi was in a bad position with the Uchiha when they lost one of their blood during the Second Great Shinobi War when he was under Kakashi-sensei’s command. A bit ludicrous, isn’t it? It was a war, and Kakashi-sensei must have been in his teenage years during that. How can they put on pressure on his shoulders?

“I’m Uchiha Sasuke, the second heir of the Main House of the Uchiha Clan. I like… training, especially when it is with my family. I hate those who are ignorant. My plan for the future would be to live up to my family’s expectations and catch up to my older brother.”

Ah. The brother. Uchiha Itachi.

If there were shinobi that can be lauded as geniuses, excluding the four Hokage, people would always mention two:

Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi.

At the age of 10, he was given permission to enter the Chunin exams alone, which he passed. Then there were gap years and by the age of 13, he was suddenly announced to have his squad to which he became the captain. Sakura has suspicions that Uchiha Itachi is a member of Anbu, and that the years when no one, except the Uchiha Clan, knew where he went, were the years when he was reinstated as Anbu. That means entering the covert organization by at least 11 years old.

That… was unethical and cruel, to have a child become a killing machine before they even reached puberty.

Now at the age of 17 years old, he was known as one of the strongest shinobi in Konohagakure, completing missions in the triple digits with A to S-rank in difficulty. Uchiha Itachi is always partnered with Kakashi-sensei during high-risk, high-reward missions. They were the people you call on when no other shinobi went back alive after failing.

With a brother like that, no wonder Uchiha Sasuke is trying his hardest. He’s at the top of the class in both written and practical, always ahead in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu application.

The legacy of his brother is tremendous, and Uchiha Sasuke knows that.

" Hmm. That's alright. How about our only lady? Let us all know your story!"

"I am Haruno Sakura, a civilian-born citizen. For things I like, I am still figuring it out but I found freedom to be the best. And for those I hate… I hate…"

The memories of large bodies and pain and shame suddenly bombarded her head and she felt her eye throbbing. her screams echoed, and she can feel the hands gripping her too tight.

And it hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

Stopstopstopstopstopplease! STOP IT!

"Sakura-chan?"

Deep breath in… Deep breath out.

"I'm okay, Naruto. I think eating too many sweets in the morning on a semi-empty stomach is not so good. Too much sugar, I think."

She felt all their eyes on her and she just patted Naruto on the arm.

"You were saying, Sakura?"

Kakashi-sensei looked at her with confusion, scrutinizing her as if there was something inside her that he needed solving. As if Sakura is a puzzle that’s missing many of her pieces, and he doesn’t quite understand what the puzzle was supposed to be.

But she won't reveal her shame. Not even her direct commanding officer.

"Well, I hate cold things. It's always worse when winter comes around or if there's the slightest chill in the air."

(They kept her like an animal in that dark, cold basement. No windows. No warmth. Just the unending cold biting on her already battered body.)

Sakura looked straight but never met her teacher's eyes.

“I like reading books and eating sweets too, now that I think about it. Oh! Definitely umeboshi and anmitsu.”

(The only food she got to eat was that tasteless gruel and no matter how much she begged for more, they won’t give her more than a small bowl for the entire day. Hunger always gnawed at her, losing weight to the point htat her stomach had sunken inwards.)

“As for dreams, I want to be a medic. I’ve learned about Konoha’s history of medical practice and I found myself interested. Especially the works of Senju Tsunade!”

(The wounds will hurt the more she leaves them to fester. She learned to heal herself, little by little, so the next time… the next one wouldn’t hurt as bad. That’s why her chakra control is perfect. It had to be perfect.)

Sakura smiled sweetly when she finished, then grinned when she heard Naruto saying that when he becomes Hokage, Sakura will be the Head of the Hospital. Uchiha even gave her a compliment, that ‘being a medic is such an honourable way to serve the village’.

She entertained them, and laughed with Naruto, anything to escape Kakashi-sensei’s too-sharp eyes.

“Alright enough of your gushing. I’ll be evaluating you tomorrow but I’m also obliged to do one thing as your Genin instructor. Tomorrow before we start, I’ll be doing a house visit and having a talk with your parents. Just general things and inform them of your promotion and what it really means. Naruto, I will be talking with your caretaker and as for you two-”

Kakashi-sensei looked at her and Uchiha Sasuke, his one eye lingering on Sakura with that confused gaze, before he looked at the other boy again.

“I will be talking directly to your parents. And that concludes today’s session. So scram!”

Their teacher, once again, vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto was raising his fists at the direction Kakashi-sensei sat in and Uchiha was rolling his eyes and standing up from his position, patting his white shorts of the dust that clung to them.

And Sakura?

Sakura just smiled, pulling Naruto with her as she walked towards the exit, Uchiha following the both of them down the stairs and outside the academy gates. Naruto ignored Uchiha Sasuke, but Sakura waved him goodbye.

There’s so much to do to prepare the house for tomorrow.

Better she starts on cleaning the moment she gets home.

The earlier, the better.

Chapter Text

Scrub the floors

Wipe the windows.

Polish everything.

Sakura had to get up very early, closer to twilight than dawn, to clean the house and ensure everything was spotless. When the wooden floorboards can vaguely reflect her face and her ears can catch the squeaks of glass as her fingers glide through, Sakura would not consider her job even to be remotely finished.

It would not do if her Genin teacher found fault in one of his students' houses. As she is considered an adult now, Sakura must show Kakashi-sensei that she is responsible and capable of acting alone and can be trusted to take care of her surroundings despite being left all by herself. That though she still lived with her parents, does not mean she is to be coddled and needed constant supervision.

And so here she was again, like so many times in her young life, on her knees and slaving away to keep the floors shiny and clean. True, the house was not filthy, as she had developed a habit (beat unto her; a habit borne of her tears and blood) but she needed to just move so her fraying nerves could be soothed.

In addition to her mountain of chores,  she still had to cook breakfast, since Naruto will surely only eat ramen when given the chance and Sakura will never stand for her best friend consuming unholy amounts of sodium every day. 

Shinobi barely lived to 40 years of age, many of them dying on the line of active duty, so what will happen to her friend if he finds himself afflicted with diabetes and kidney failure on top of their already short, unpredictable lives? At the very least, Sakura can force into Naruto the benefits of eating healthy, and not just prepackaged food all the time.

Glancing at the now fragrant living room, she immediately went to the kitchen and started mopping the floors. The bleach hurt her eyes again, but seeing as there was grit and grime on the grout on the white tiles, there was no other choice but to scrape them after soaking them in bleach and soap. 

She does her general cleaning weekly, but her parents barely sweep the floor and they will let the dirt accumulate in every nook and cranny of the house. With her father always trudging with his shoes inside the house and her mother always tending to her garden, Sakura had found herself with darkened floors and filthy flooring almost all the time.

She sniffed, her nasal mucosa irritated by the harsh chemicals despite the cloth mask over her nose and mouth. All the windows of the house were fully opened to keep her from suffocating.

So she mopped and scraped and mopped again, each swipe erasing the overpowering smell. After an hour of this, the kitchen now smelled as good as the living room. The scent of lemon and oranges, as Sakura had taken to the smell of citrus wafting through the house. 

It reminded her of the newly planted oranges in her backyard. Boji-san, one of the civilian botanists who used to serve in Suna in his youth, gave it to her free of charge yesterday, as a gift for her becoming a Genin. And for being a helper in his botanical gardens these past few years. 

The man had found himself without an assistant in his retirement, as he was unmarried and had no children.  Sakura had taken to being Boji-san’s helper as one of her part-time jobs. It required her to wake up at 4 am to help in harvesting and recording floral growth but she had saved up a lot of money being his assistant. 

She stored her money away from her house, in a place her parents would never know.

The orange plant was biologically engineered, as it is one of the older man’s pride and joy while he was one of the researchers in the past. It is a potent insect repellant, something that can even ward off insects within 300m on all sides of her house. It is also a deterrent for the smaller intelligent species of animals living in the Forest of Death, seeing as the Haruno house is so near to it. 

There are infestations of mutated ground dogs and wild hogs during the winter season and they lay waste to all the flowers and plants in their yard, so Sakura is quite excited to see if they will perform as Boji-san promised her.

Humming a folk song, Sakura cheerfully walked to the oranges under the shade of the cherry blossom tree. She watered the young plants carefully and checked if the other plants and flowers were also still doing alright. 

Confirming that everything was in order, Sakura went to the vegetable garden on the other side of the house and plucked ripe tomatoes and scallions. 

Knowing she was a civilian in a team with a Clan Heir and a child being personally visited by the Third Hokage, Sakura knows she will be visited last.  So she will have to prepare what is appropriate for a midday meal or lunch. Of course, that is in addition to Naruto’s breakfast.

She sighed.

So much to do.

◆━━━━━━◆❃◆━━━━━━◆

That was truly harrowing, Kakashi thought.

Very much excruciating.

While the mystery and misunderstanding surrounding his covered eyes had already been discussed and even archived on the Uchiha records, it does not mean that Kakashi will be forgiven for accepting the Sharingan within his body. 

His sacrifice and will were taken out of context, they had told Kakashi his circumstances were not enough (Death was not enough? ) for him to authorise giving away an eye containing their precious Sharingan. That he was not worthy to carry such an honourable Bloodline Limit, not from someone with the blood of the traitorous White Fang. 

(He would have stitched the mouths that insulted both his father and friend. If not for the hesitation of the man he serves, he would have tried to at least threaten them with their lives on the line.)

His reputation may have been the reason for people’s respect for him and subsequently, the disrespect of the elders of the Uchiha Clan. Of course, to prevent them from further harassing him,  Kakashi would have given it back without a fight. 

HOWEVER!

However, it was a gift. The one remaining relic of the past Kakashi both loved and regretted in equal amounts. The very presence of the eye is a painful reminder of his own pride and its devastating consequences. But at the same time, it was an expression of a love he did not, could not, fully understand in his youth but was forced to miss and crave in his lonesome adulthood.

So he cannot ever remove it from his body. It was his and it was now Kakashi’s. No one will ever separate them again, and Kakashi will be damned, will be dead before it is forcefully removed from him.

Every moment the Sharingan is within his eye socket is a moment spent in atonement.

Uchiha Fugaku took one look at the covered eye, as if he could somehow see the thoughts in his mind and nodded, understanding how the war was at fault and never the child soldiers forced to follow commands. Not the child soldiers forced to grow up under the cruel strain of war.

 Fugaku had not raised a fuss when Kakashi visited the Main Uchiha Household, casually walking inside the Uchiha compound without escort.

There was not a significant number of those who bore him anger, nonetheless, some elders had stormed to the Main House and demanded Hatake Kakashi to be removed at once as his presence is a sacrilege to the ancestors of the Uchiha Clan.

Never mind that the so-called sacrilegious Hatake Kakashi is now their Second Heir’s Genin teacher and squad leader.

This ‘one-eyed blasphemous fool’ holds your precious heir in his hands, have some goddamn respect.

“Please, Honourable Elders, leave us at once. Hatake Kakashi is a guest in this one’s home and will be responsible for my son’s growth and safety. Have you no shame in acting so immature?”

Whoever had circulated the rumour that Uchiha Fugaku had been a pushover and a puppet for his clan’s elders is a goddamn liar.

The man had the audacity of a Senju, and that is already a very controversial opinion. 

And so, without the presence of the elders,  they had a conversation regarding Hatake Kakashi being Uchiha Sasuke’s Genin teacher. His student silently sat beside his father, occasionally helping with the serving of tea when Uchiha Mikoto, the matriarch would come with her gentle hands, guiding Sasuke. 

However, they had to send the second Uchiha heir after the initial introductions, and Kakashi could see the suspicious eyes of his student, and he couldn’t help but laugh at how much he resembled his older brother at that moment.

Such cautious children.

Many would have denied his statement, and said the brothers were night and day, but Uchiha Sasuke is markedly influenced by Uchiha Itachi and has given his everything to be someone like his older brother. Not only with the way he trains but also in his mannerisms and expressions, too.  

“It is such a pleasure for us to know that you are to be my son’s teacher, Hatake-san. It had always been Kushina and my dream to have our children be in one team under you.”

Ah, of course. Uchiha Mikoto had been Uzumaki Kushina’s friend and had bonded when they were young girls, and even until they became mothers. Of course, such friendships, which lasted from childhood to motherhood, also connected their husbands socially and most importantly, politically. 

Kakashi had witnessed how his Sensei and Uchiha Fugaku folded under their wives' demands to get along, uncomfortable but not wanting to upset the women they married.

 And with that camaraderie, Namikaze Minato had seen the isolation of the Uchiha Clan, saw for himself how they were judged harshly by the people of the village their clan helped establish,  and sought to give them the equality they had been denied for decades.

Under his sensei’s rule as the Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha Clan had been well-satisfied with how they were treated, and relationships with the clan had been very genial, with people starting to accept them once more and the Uchiha Police Force were being trained with the same facilities as the Tokubetsu Jōnin. They were welcomed without suspicion. 

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen took back his seat after the sacrifice of his successor and his wife. He had always been fond of his childhood teammates and listened to them more than those who were trying to tell him otherwise.

All the efforts the Fourth Hokage had contributed in earning the goodwill of the Uchiha Clan and agreements to dissolve the annexation that would bring forth equality, had now been washed away and replaced with more political unrest and isolation, as their compound had moved more to the borders of the village.

With Namikaze Minato’s death, was the crumbling of the trust he had planted.

The Yellow Flash of the Leaf, gone with the wind. 

His efforts. His dreams. His hopes.

His wife, Kushina-san, was forgotten by some of the villagers,  and their son suffered from the moment he was born.

Kakashi hopes Naruto and Sasuke will be the ones to start the repair of that rift.

“So it is, Mikoto-sama. I consulted with the academy administrators and agreed that the boys be put together in a team. I know Uzumaki Naruto performed abysmally, but in the past few years, there has been a surprising growth in his grades. Although I would not disregard his efforts, I am pretty sure it was because of my other student’s influence, Haruno Sakura.”

His sharp eyes caught the nanosecond shift in Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes, the softening of the creases of his mouth as he also heard a little sound of delight from Uchiha Mikoto.

“Oh my, oh my! Haruno-chan is in the same team? Fantastic! Heard that Danna-sama, little Sakura is with Hatake-san’s team!”

One of his students, the only civilian, knew the Matriarch of the Uchiha Clan.

Such a random association.

What a suspicious association.

“You seem to be familiar with her, Uchiha-san?”

“That is correct. You see, the Haruno lived quite far from the civilian-designated quarters on the East side, but are part of the Civilian Mercantile Association. I liked going to the civilian marketplace, as all the merchants that supply in the shinobi markets were all permanently situated there, and the freshest goods are being sold in that area!.”

The matriarch poured more tea into her cup.

“ And that’s how I met her! She was helping vendors there, and sometimes when her parents were out of the village for a prospect run, the little girl would be the one to man their stalls. I always asked her for the best recommendations. However, I have not seen her there for years now, only her parents. I’ve always wondered why. So, she was studying to be a kunoichi! How very admirable!”

A girl from a merchant family was not seen in the marketplace where her parents had been selling, and her disappearance was noticed by a  regular customer for years. 

(Uchiha Mikoto is a much-accomplished kunoichi, but her curiosity for an unconnected, civilian girl is making him want to ask more.)

Hm.

“Haruno Sakura, though she did not know it at that time, actually saved my son Itachi from an assassination. Itachi said that the girl seemed to be injured herself as she was limping, but she led  Itachi to a place deep in the forest and misled those who wanted to kill him.”

Uchiha Fugaku sipped his tea with that barely-there smile on his face.

“Ah, the ones that were sent by Kumogakure. Those  who tried to kidnap the Hyūga Heiress six years before the incident with Uchiha Itachi.”

Uchiha Fugaku crossed his arms under his sleeves and nodded his head.

“We wanted to extend our gratitude for saving the Heir of the Uchiha Clan, but the Haruno house was empty for the next few months following the attack, and the neighbours told us that the Haruno’s daughter had a disease and they had to go to a village in the Land of Iron for treatment. That’s why she was in the forest so late at night. She wanted to take in her home before leaving for another country.”

There was pity in the matriarch’s eyes but she easily shook off the emotion.

“Itachi wanted to give her his thanks, and he even told snippets of that story with Sasuke, but that son of mine has been very busy these past few years. He wanted to visit Haruno-chan, but Haruno-chan’s parents had always sent him away.  The Haruno family even moved to another house after they came back. Now, Itachi does not have much spare time. Hokage-sama has been very hard on him lately.”

“Mikoto, dear. Let us not discuss this in such an open space and in front of our guests.”

Even with those words, Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes burned with quiet anger, simmering for years and years. 

“It is fine, Uchiha-dono. I will not relay it to the Hokage and no one around us is spying.”

Uchiha Fugaku looked at him and closed his eyes as if contemplating whether Kakashi could be trusted by the ire of his clan towards the Hokage.

“You have always been there whenever Minato and I were discussing the assimilation of the Uchiha Clan.”

Of course, he was there.

This is Sensei’s friend.

And Obito’s family.

They deserved his respect and silence.

Their talk went back to the original subject of the visit and they discussed a lot of things about Uchiha Sasuke becoming his student and the implications of being the teacher of an Uchiha heir. Uchiha Fugaku could have melted his ears off with the amount of advice and recommendations for Sasuke’s training. He even told Kakashi to train Sasuke in preparation for the awakening of his Sharingan. They learned with Itachi and Shisui how to gently nudge Sasuke’s chakra coils, so his ocular nerve will not be as damaged when he obtains the dojutsu, unlike most of the clan. And since Kakashi has a Sharingan, he is qualified to be part of Sasuke’s instruction.

Mind whirling  (and throbbing) on the information he had unwittingly gathered from inside the halls of the isolated Uchiha Compound, he bid his goodbyes and went to his other student’s house.

◆━━━━━━◆❃◆━━━━━━◆

Here he is, in front of an old apartment.

“Sensei, welcome to my home! Come in, come in!”

Very unusual, for Naruto to be so courteous and act like a magnanimous host. In all his years of observing (and guarding) his teacher’s son, he had never once seen him act in a way that was respectful and civil.

“Alright now, Naruto.”

He removed his shoes and prepared to be greeted with a dumpster for an apartment. However, upon his entry, he saw that the entire room was VERY clean, very orderly, and smelled pleasant. All the clothes in the corner were folded, the bed was made and the kitchen was well-maintained. There were no cobwebs on the ceiling, nor the floors were covered in dust.

What happened here?

In his astonishment, he nearly did not hear Naruto tell him to go sit in the chair, and that he will be with tea shortly.

“I did not expect you to be such a neat boy, Naruto. Your landlady told me your apartment was not considered healthy and that it was very unhygienic.”

The boy just crossed his arms and looked at him with a blazing gaze.

“Hmmph! What would that old hag know? She hadn’t visited me in YEARS and I don’t bother her like I did when I was younger! Sakura-chan is the only one who visits me except for Old Man Hokage when he gives me my orphan allowance and takes me out to eat! And my room had been clean for a long time, y’know! Sakura-chan always helped with chores. Here! She even went here early in the morning to give me breakfast and this tea! Isn’t Sakura-chan amazing?”

It seems he’s hearing a lot about his female student today.

He received the plate with dango snacks and green tea. Smelling the drink, it seemed his female student knew her way with the merchants, as this tea is expensive and the only ones that could get their hands on this were either very rich civilians, the shinobi that were highly paid, and of course the merchants who sell them in the first place.

“I think so, too, Naruto. Now that I have seen that you are living in a sanitary place, I need to see a few of your medical documents. Just to see if you have allergies and major surgeries in the past. I asked your landlady about that, too, but she said you took all of your medical records and kept them with you.”

“Oh yeah! Wait here, Kakashi-sensei! Imma get that for you real quick!”

There was a slight scramble and Naruto went to the other side of the room to rummage in the cabinets. With a small triumphant shout of joy, he went back to Kakashi’s side and handed him an envelope.

“It’s all there, Sensei! I kept them in one place since Sakura-chan shouted at me when she found out I just had them lying about! Sakura-chan was the one who told me to hold onto my own records and not trust others to keep them for me! I don’t know why but I trust her with all my heart so it’s okay!”

Kakashi received the clear envelope neatly labelled ‘UZUMAKI NARUTO MEDICAL RECORDS - KONOHA GENERAL HOSPITAL’. When he opened the envelope and rummaged through the papers, he realized that they were from earliest to latest.

Broken radial bone. Age 5.

Hairline crack on the humerus. Age 6.

Various muscles were torn in both arms and legs. Age 8.

Shattered ribs. Age 10.

Head Concussion. Age 11

And other alarming reports of wounds and injuries that should not be experienced by a child at that age who was still not formally trained in the Shinobi arts. Kakashi knew these instances, as these all occurred when he was not on rotation assigned to watch over the Kyuubi Jinchuriki.  The implication is not lost on him. His fellow ANBU had not seen it fit to protect and help the only son of the Fourth Hokage and his wife for whom they sacrificed their lives.

As Naruto was regarded as a monster by his peers, Kakashi had done all he could do to spare him the hurt of being treated as a demon, but it was not truly enough. Never, ever enough.

(Will Sensei ever forgive him for not looking after his son? Will Kushina-san?)

“When you get hurt again, come to me. The hospital sometimes does not accommodate you, do they? The state of the hospital has been in dire straits ever since Senju Tsunade-sama had left the village and with her all the advanced knowledge of medicine. In other words, they-”

“‘Are useless and incompetent’. I know, Kakashi-sensei! That’s what Sakura-chan always told me! That’s why she said she wanted to be a medic! So she can prove to them  that they are shit at their job!”

An eyebrow raised.

His students, these two of them, are already showing distrust in those who are supposed to be their caretakers

“That’s right, but do not let them hear you.”

Naruto just smiled brightly, and it looked so much like his friends, that it took much of Kakashi to not avert his eyes.  

(He’s so much like Obito, it hurts. He would have loved Naruto, Kakashi thinks. Rin would have loved him, too.)

“Eat, sensei! And don’t worry about me! Sakura-chan already gave me rice and stir-fried veggies to eat when she went here. So, everything here is for you!”

So Kakashi calmly sipped the tea and ate the dango, eyes tracking on the apartment, trying to see if anything was out of place, something that would give him some other hints of the life Naruto was living.  But there was nothing. The boy is living healthily,  his room is clean, his documents are organized, and he’s not just gorging himself with ramen every day.

But how did Naruto and Sakura become friends, to the point that Naruto seemed to be semi-dependent on her? She cooks him food, tells him to clean his room, and tells him what to do, and how to do it. 

Kakashi wanted to ask about that, his mind whirling. But in the short time he knew of Naruto and Sakura’s friendship, he knew the boy would not take kindly to him asking why he thinks Sakura is his saviour. He’s too protective of her, and for a child of abuse like Naruto, Sakura’s kindness must have felt like a raft in the wide vastness of cruelty he endured at the hands of the citizens of the village.

But he’s their teacher, and even though he must not have his favourites, he’s watched Naruto since he was born, and he promised on the graves of those he loved, on those he considered his second parents, that he will look after Naruto. That’s why he asked for the Hokage to remove him from the A to S class mission rotation and applied to be a genin teacher. He might have failed to pass his other genins, whom the Hokage assigned to him so he could have a taste of being the leader of a squadron of freshly graduated genin, but he must do a little bit better now that he’s assigned to be Naruto’s sensei.

Looking at the child in front of him who’s now happily showing him his collection of ramen coupons, Kakashi thinks that, yes, he must be a bit better this time. 

He prayed he would.

◆━━━━━━◆❃◆━━━━━━◆

The Haruno residence was quite a bit away from the centre of the civilian area, and even though Kakashi knew that they lived close to the Forest of Death, he still could not fathom just how civilians like them could make a home just 500 metres away from the entrance of Training Ground 44. Though it is on the side where the Forest ends, and where the mutated animals don’t go, it is still mind-boggling.

There is a dirt path leading to the house, and Kakashi realises that they are the only house on this side of the road, as the closest house was the one he passed by over 15 minutes ago. It was not an exaggeration to say that the Harunos were recluses.

He saw the sole solitary building, and then there were no houses after that.

Total recluses.

He stopped in front of the gate, looking at the tall cherry blossom tree, then to the house.

His first impression?

The overwhelming smell of citrus and orange. Just citronella sprayed layers and layers all over the house.

“Whooo, you’re student may be a bit too fond of oranges, Boss. That’s strong STRONG. It's hurting my nose! She even has orange saplings in that garden! Are you sure she’s not named Mikan instead?”

Kakashi saw Pakkun rubbing at his nose, and even he could say that the scent of the fruit was too overpowering for someone with a nose like him, most especially those who operate with ninken. The Inuzuka would faint after a few minutes smelling even a whiff of this scent. 

“Hm. We’ll see.”

“Well, I won’t 'see'. Our deal was to just smell the area of your students’ houses and with this scent in the way? I can’t smell anything. So, before I puke my guts out, I’m going to wait for you over that tree. I’ll observe from there.”

He looked at Pakkun as his summon made himself comfortable with the branch he was lying on. Walking towards the gate, he gently opened it and went inside, knocking on the door. A few seconds later, he heard soft footsteps, and his only female student opened the door with a smile.

“Hello, good morning, Kakashi-Sensei! Please, come inside.

He took off his sandals, carefully walking on what seemed like a floor polished so thoroughly it has now become a mirror. The scent of oranges even pervaded the home, though much milder than outside. The windows were opened to let the air in, and Kakashi noted that the house was extremely clean.

Almost TOO clean. 

There is one glaring absence, however.

Haruno Sakura’s parents are not here. He looked left and right and tried to feel for even a bit of a presence inside the house, but it was only just Sakura.

“Sit here, Kakashi-Sensei.  Would you like to eat lunch or anything lighter on the stomach? I gave Naruto tea with his breakfast, and told him to serve it to you."

"Ah, he did. Thank you for that."

Kakashi crinkled his eyes and smiled, and by habit, reached out to ruffle her hair, like he did with the younger members of his team (Itachi’s hair was ruffled a lot when he was still Itachi’s commanding officer).

Then his eyes caught the minute trembling of Haruno's shoulders, and the flinch that gave away her thoughts on physical contact.

But, she had always been fine with Naruto hugging her.

Hm.

Taking back his hand, he slouched on the table and laced his fingers.

"So, where are your parents, Sakura? I presume you've told them that your Genin sensei is holding an appraisal of my student's well-being? And that your commanding officer must hold a meeting with them? Because though you are an adult in the eyes of the system, you kids are still little kids in my eyes."

There was a momentary lapse of silence following his inquiry. Just his student shuffling from foot to foot.

Then, he heard the slightest of sobs from his only female student, and  Kakashi could see the tears running down her face. Alarmed, his eyes opened wide and he tried to find a handkerchief, but Sakura would not look at him and she continued, burying her face in her hands.

She cried as if a dam had finally burst.

"They're not here, Kakashi-sensei! They didn't want me to become a shinobi, you see and wanted me to follow them in business. They treated me as if I didn't exist when I told them I was graduating!”

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, eyes red and swollen after rubbing it a bit too forcefully.  Her green eyes were swamped with her tears, and she sniffled as she cried harder.

“By the time I became Genin, they made plans to do a mercantile meeting in Waterfall Country with their other business partners. I went home after graduation and they didn't even want to see me. Then, the next day,  there was no one in our house, but this paper. They didn't even leave me money, I had to work part-time for Boji-san!!"

He read through the letter, written in such a lopsided way that tells of an uncaring caretaker, with the way they offhandedly mention leaving their minor daughter by herself. The paper even had the signatures of the guards of the Main Gate, Kotetsu and Izumo,  signed on the day after the Academy Graduation. It mentioned that the run was to be completed in six months to a year or two (as the business had to be successfully set up), and Kakashi couldn't help but feel grieved that his student was left alone most of the time. 

And then, Haruno Sakura started bawling.

And Kakashi started panicking for the second time that day.

"I just wanted to become a shinobi! Is that so wrong, Sensei?"

"Maa, Sakura-chan. Um, sensei’s not so good with tears. Here, use this.”

Kakashi gave his student a handkerchief, the girl taking it with both an apology and gratitude, wiping her eyes and cheeks. It took a few minutes, but Sakura calmed down enough to be questioned again.

“Then, who takes care of you whenever they are outside of the village?”

“No one, sensei. I am alone most of the time in this house. They even locked their bedroom! As if saying I can’t take anything! That’s why I’m going to be looking for an apartment, because I know they will kick me out the moment they come back.”

Oh, Kakashi can understand being alone as a child. His father was a busy man, a legend of the village, and so he was left most of the time But, his father did his best to have him checked by his colleagues who were still in the village and weren’t in missions, to make sure he was eating well. He was already a shinobi at that time, and his father still treated him like a toddler.

But for a civilian family, one who lives near the dreaded Forest of Death, to leave their only female child alone without a guardian, is a matter of great concern for the Department of Child Welfare. But it’s complicated for Sakura’s case. She is an adult now, all Genins are considered of majority, and so even if he raised this with them, there are going to be no updates. Her parents are a country away and will be there for at least six months, and she’s a genin.

He sighed and asked his student to sit.

“It’ll be alright, Sakura-chan, okay. You can buy an apartment, and Sensei will help you find it, I lived a decade and a half more than you, and so I was kicked from many apartments so I know which of them is better or not. “

His student was still sobbing as she sat on the chair, nodding when she heard Kakashi’s offer.

“Thank you, sensei. B-but I decided to rent an apartment near Naruto’s.”

Kakashi then said, “That apartment complex and the nearby ones are for orphans, Sakura-chan. I don’t think you can rent a room there.”

And then he panicked again when she started crying harder, his student’s face becoming redder and redder.

“BUT, but Sensei here will try to find one, okay? So, don’t cry now, Sakura-chan.”

His visit devolved into trying to console his student, and him internally panicking. He isn’t built to emotionally help those younger than him.  Hell, he can’t even healthily comfort himself, and his therapist at this point is Pakkun, which is… honestly sad and concerning

He just sighed and waited for his student to calm down. There was nothing he could do, as emotionally stunted as he was, so he just sat there quietly, letting her compose herself. When Sakura dried her tears, she just looked kind of embarrassed, looking at the clenched fist on her lap.

“I-I’m sorry, Kakashi-sensei, for letting you see that. It’s just been a rough couple of days for me.”

“I understand, Sakura-chan. But if your parents didn’t support you to be a kunoichi, then who signed your enrollment forms from when you were seven?”

She froze.

“I… I forged them, Sensei. I know… I know it’s illegal, but I stole their stamp and had it duplicated by someone. It’s just, I want to be a shinobi. It’s a noble job, and I don’t want to be a civilian merchant all my life. They would just marry me off to someone’s son to establish a connection, that’s how it is in the mercantile business. And I don’t want to be just somebody’s wife. I want to make a name for myself.”

Contemplating what to say to this surprisingly rebellious student of his, he leaned his chair back and crossed his arms.

“Forgery is a crime, Sakura-chan, but since you didn’t use it for nefarious reasons, I think I can say it’s justified, hm? I applaud you for your courage to step up and claim the reins to your life, but in the future, if you ever have any problems, you come to me first, alright? You may be a Genin now, but I am still your teacher, and I am still responsible for your well-being. The Haruno is known to the larger clans here since your family is one of the biggest merchant clans outside of Konoha, so I don’t want to earn their ire when something happens to you.”

They hashed out their plans, on what Sakura will do now that she’s found herself legally free of her parent’s clutches, where to live, and how to settle her account in the shinobi bank. Sasuke already has one, as he’s the heir of a large clan, where he even receives his allowances and inheritances. Naruto had his set up when he was still an embryo, and all of Minato and Kushina’s assets are dumped on his account upon their deaths, though the Third Hokage is the only one with the access, so the boys are already set on that part.

Sakura, however, is a civilian, so the money that she used to deposit to their bank must be moved to her new one, and as her sensei, he will have to teach her to set it up. There are many pitfalls, and though it isn’t apparent, corruption runs in every department of the village. He KNOWS that the bank is trickling in a certain percentage to the ANBU, and maybe, maybe, even ROOT. 

He sighed, already feeling his years.

So much to do for his kiddos.

◆━━━━━━◆❃◆━━━━━━◆

Kakashi went home and went over everything he learned about his students, his pencil poised on a piece of paper. 

Uchiha Sasuke. Beloved heir and son of the Uchiha Clan. Well-provided, well-protected, physically healthy and highly trained. An all-rounder, with an aptitude for Ninjutsu rather than Genjutsu, though subject to change when he activates the first stage of his Sharingan.  Taijutsu is well-honed according to the scrolls used by the Uchiha Clan, curated around their use of the Bloodline Limit.

Uzumaki Naruto. Surprisingly eating a balanced diet. Has records in juvenile arrests but was wrongfully convicted most of the time.  An orphan who used to be abused and now tries his hardest to excel. Graded poorly in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but above average in Taijutsu, maybe learned while fighting thugs since he was a young child.  Massive chakra stores and the ability to develop and control them may lead to increased aptitude in Ninjutsu.

(Hearing about the Forbidden Scroll debacle, he may one day be proficient in Shadow Clone Technique.)

Haruno Sakura. Absent parents. House near the Forest of Death. Neglected physically and mentally, to be examined by the Shinobi psychiatrist, most preferably by Yamanaka Inoichi.  Had extremely high grades in class, well above her peers in Genjutsu and could spot an anomaly within seconds. Average in Ninjutsu but shows immense strength that can be utilized in Taijutsu. Wants to be a frontline combat medic, which is highly likely, with her 90th percentile chakra control that can even become perfect with refinement.

Kakashi is impressed with his team this year, and though they still had to the bell test, he knows a Team 7 under him can finally pass. Of course, they are all diamonds in the rough, but he will polish him to the best of his ability.

However, contrary to his expectations, the one who seemed to have a lot of problems was not one of the two boys, but rather his only female student, Haruno Sakura.  Every little thing from her house to her record had been very unusual. Behaviorally, she acts nothing like a civilian and certainly acts nothing like a daughter of prolific merchants who even have clientele outside the village.

Shifty.

Paranoid.

Fearful.

Kakashi looks in the general direction of the Haruno house, eyes narrowed as he tries to understand, trying his hardest to understand why the feeling of ‘wrongness’ persists, hours after he left that house.

Because under all that citrus smell?

Lies a hint of something sickeningly sweet.