Forged By Blood || A Naruto Fanfic

Part 2

"Sakura! Sumiko! It's time for school!"

"Forty-nine..." The girl pants, grunting with exertion as she pulls herself up one last time, "Fifty!"

With a thud, she drops down from her closet door frame and takes a moment to breathe.

"Gosh I need to work on my upper body strength." Grumbling under her breath, she gathers her clothes for a shower.

In the next room, she could hear Sakura just waking up and starting to move around. With a small panic, she hurries to get in the bathroom before her sister, who takes forever.

Plus, she figured, today is an important day for me too.

As she steps into the shower, there's a banging on the door.

"Ugh, Sumiko! You know I have my exams today! Why are you hogging the bathroooooooomaaauuhhhhhhhhh?" She groans, hitting the door repeatedly to be annoying.

"Sakura! Stop your banging!"

"But mom!"

Sumiko scowls and rinses off the soap. Sakura isn't the same girl they were as children. This was to be expected of course, but the drastic change was unprecedented. Instead of the shy, but compassionate and head strong girl she used to be, she's catty, bratty, and annoying.

Sumiko misses the bond the two of them had, but moving away and then coming back, all to go to a civilian school just drove them apart. Sakura began chasing after an emotional manipulator and mooning after a sociopath.

Sumiko was left in grief to figure out her new standing in her family and society. With the medicinal knowledge she gained with her aunt, she was sent to school to learn how to run a business and continue her basic studies. All to ensure her capable, so she can take over the shop.

And while she loves her family, and the knowledge she's gained, she just... She can't see herself being a mid-wife and running the shop until she's old and grey, popping out babies to return the Haruno clan to its former glory.

With a sigh, she cuts the water off and steps out the shower as she wraps her towel around herself. Those thoughts are for another time. She's changing her fate now.

Starting with becoming a ninja.

⚘

Instead of going straight to school, she makes her way to the Hokage tower. She decides to run rooftop to avoid her sister.

With a smile wide enough to make her eyes small, she relishes in the feeling of flying, of being free. She isn't the fastest person, but the feeling is there all the same. The sound of her feet as they race across the rooftops, the feeling of jumping between buildings, the heavy weightless of it all...

She reaches the tower quickly and calms herself before going in, fixing her clothes and hair. She walks in and greets the chunin at the desk.

"Excuse me, shinobi-san. I have a meeting with Lord Hokage in 15 minutes. Am I allowed to go up?"

The man smiles politely and grants permission for Sumiko to go up the stairs. "Knock before entering," he advises.

She bows and makes her way to the upper level of the building, suppressing her shiver from his "customer service" voice.

Standing in front of the double doors, she takes another breath, willing it to be steady, before knocking.

"Come in."

Wow was his voice always that gravely? He's old. She opens the door and steps through, walking to his desk before bowing.

"Are you ready Sumiko?"