Colliding Constellations

Chapter 1: Family

For as long as Kara could remember Sarada had been the living embodiment of their mother. From her temper to small personality ticks, Sarada resembled their mother in both blood and bone. She was protective, and kind, and had all the components and morals of being a good person. From the minute Kara could walk, Sarada had been her guardian, taking her hand, ensuring she would never fall.

Kara wished she could say the same about herself.

Kara wasn't stupid. In fact, it was quite the opposite, Kara was ingenious to the point that it had yet to be captured. And she was good at hiding it.

Kara was smart enough to realize that when people looked at Sarada, they saw their mother.

But when they looked at Kara, it wasn't their mother they saw, but a ghost of someone else. Like as if a mirage of another person had taken her place. And Kara was confused, she was confused why they paled and a look of trepidation had been placed on their features.

It was the look of apprehension when a knife came too close to a finger, a look that said, I am afraid of the future you could become. And yet so difficult was it to track, to catch before it slipped, because the look disappeared faster than lightning, replaced by a mask of indifference.

"Sarada, do I look weird?" Kara was four, and Sarada had just entered the Academy at six.

"What are you talking about, otouto?" Sarada giggled at her comment, "You look like me. Which is practically a blessing, because I'm drop-dead gorgeous."

"So humble," Kara responded with sarcasm, and Sarada once more giggled.

What were they afraid of? Why did they so desperately hide it?

The Dango lady watched her with such attention, Kara could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand. Sarada chomped down on her Dango, she looked over at Kara, a questioning look falling on her face as she saw Kara's discomfort. Her eyes turned to her surroundings, catching the Dango lady's gaze, a shadow falling down her face.

"Mama," Sarada tugged on their mother's sleeve, "That lady is looking at Kara weird."

"What?" Sakura looked up, eyes falling on Kara and then moving to the Dango lady. Her eyes twisted into a look Kara could not describe, "Is there a problem?"

"A-ah, no, shinobi-san," the women sputtered, her gaze finally lifting, "My deepest apologies."

Sakura nodded firmly, her body twisting her children away, and moving away from the site.

"What was that about?" Sarada admonished.

"She was probably just having a rough day," Sakura replied, pushing the topic away, caressing her hand on Kara's head.

Kara wondered what they saw.

And she wondered if she could ever make the look go away.

"Mom, do I have to?" Kara's eyes wavered over her mother's face, what she got in response was a stern, unyielding look, "Can't I visit Himawari or something?"

"No, I already told you, Kara, Hinata-chan is booked, and so is Ino-pig. You know I wouldn't do this unless it was the last option," Sakura responded, and Kara sighed, her head tilting away.

"It's just isn't he a bit of a...louse?" Kara gently offered but had to immediately duck before her mother hit her on the back of the head.

"You will offer your respect, Kara!" Sakura reprehended, "And you listen way too much to Naruto. It's time you met him officially anyways, he's your godfather after all."

"Not much of one though," Kara murmured, once more having to duck to avoid her mother's swing, which was received to a quick maneuver to the back of her head.

"You know you are lucky, Kara!" Sakura's eyes slanted, "Naruto's godfather didn't come until he was twelve. At least yours is still in the village."

"Wasn't he the legendary Sannin Jiryaia?" Kara inquired, privately she thought that that made him a pretty lousy godfather as well. Wasn't Naruto-sama an orphan? That's pretty cold to leave him in the village by himself when technically you're his guardian. But Kara knew that her mother would reprimand her severely if she insulted Sannin in such a way, Kara knew from a few of Naruto's mentions that he happened to be a very important figure to Naruto-sama.

"Yes," Sakura nodded proudly, "You and Sarada are quite lucky to also have influential godfathers."

"I think Sarada poached the good one," Kara murmured sarcastically, and Sakura immediately gave her a stink eye. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Kara taking notice of the Konoha streets, fellow children running past busy stalls.

"We're here," Sakura brushed Kara forward, a quiet traditional house, of which Sakura and Kara were allowed to step through the front gates, "Sensei hates flashy places, but the council forced him to go to a residential estate after he retired, he had to keep up an image as a previous Hokage."

"Forced to stay at a mansion, wish I could empathize," Kara muttered, earning another look from her mother. When her mother silently stood outside the door, Kara stared curiously at her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Sakura looked over, "I'm fluctuating my chakra."

Kara watched curiously, but not a moment later a man with a head of silver hair walked out the doorway, a mask covering his face from the nose down.

"Sakura-chan?" he inquired.

"Sensei!" she gave a closed-eyed smile, and Kara felt the need to move closer to her mother, "I haven't seen you in a while, the hot springs keeping you busy?"

The silver-haired man scratched the back of his neck, showing a hint of discomfort at her sudden question, "The village keeps me busy."

"I bet it does, Rokudaime-sama," Sakura purposely tried to make him uncomfortable. He shifted, his hands flying to his pockets.

"Are you here for....?" Kara watched her godfather inquire with a knowing look.

Sakura nodded, then she turned to face Kara.

"I'm sorry, Kara," her eyes squeezed into a line, "I might have told a little white lie. You're here because I want you to start training with Kakashi-sensei."

Kara was lost in total confusion, "Training?"

"Yes," Sakura rubbed her hand on top of Kara's head, "You need special training, for your chakra."

Kara's eyes widened, an unknown feeling rising in her chest, her eyes flew to the somber look Sakura was wearing, "Is there something wrong with me?"