Broken Until I'm Unbreakable

0- II -0

The wind blew softly causing the usually calm leaves to rustle as the light filtered through. The only daughter of the clan head gazed up at the great cherry blossom tree, from which she was named after, in attempts to clear her normally muddled mind. She wore a vague look on her face as she stared, twiddling her thumbs aimlessly before getting a hold of a small twig. Usually, Sakura found her days to be quite monotonous. She was still too young to see curses, and much less to work on her own cursed technique, so she was just appointed a tutor from their clan to teach her. She was mostly taught the regular academics everybody her age learned, but a bit more advanced than that of an average child and proper etiquette expected of young ladies of her status, or so her caretaker had said. She did wish she could start her training early, but the only thing she's managed was some of the basics to increase her physical strength, nothing too straining.

"Haaa..." The pinkette sighed as she walked back into the sitting room to resume her reading, grabbing the book that was at her side, idly flipping through the book in hand. Rashomon by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. She already read it twice before, well thrice now, but it still never left her unentertained, its plot so enticing that it's practically engraved in her mind. But she wouldn't limit herself to just one book, and having finished the homework her tutor had assigned to her, she now found herself with nothing to do.

"Sakura-hime."

"Hm?" The girl turns her head around to see her personal assistant kneeling towards her at the entrance of the shoji screen, an obon tray at her side with both tea and wagashi set on the platter. "Yes, Chisato?"

"I brought the snacks you requested. I hope it is to your liking."

A bright smile made its way onto the pinkette's face, her eyes shining as she gazed at the anko filled sweets, but she calmed herself when she remembered those etiquette classes she was forced to attend. She cleared her throat, a light blush on her cheeks, "Thank you. Oh and, you can stop kneeling, no one else is here. And... it's a bit embarrassing to be honest."

Chisato froze for a moment, a pregnant and awkward pause filling the room with silence, before slowly raising her head. She can't exactly disobey orders from the clan head's daughter. "Ah I see. Forgive me for making you uncomfortable, ojou-sama."

Sakura's eyes flashed, before saddening a bit, her smile distorting from her usually bright one. She got up from her place and walked over to the sweets tray, sitting down at the horigotatsu with her legs stretched out under the low table, disregarding etiquette for a while. From her peripheral vision, she looks back at Chisato and frowns a bit. Her soft cognac eyes downcast along with her dark brown hair obstructing half of her face as she practically became invisible, no different from the furniture decorating the room or the porcelain dolls she plays with. In other words, the ideal woman in the Zen'in clan's eyes.

She glowers a bit at that, and can't help but grimace a bit herself, nervousness settling in at the pit of her stomach. In jujutsu society, it was around the age of 5-6 when a child would be expected to start seeing curses. And it was around six that their technique became more discernible. If they had cursed energy, that is. Sakura knows, even if no one had directly told her, that as the youngest child and as a girl no one would expect much from her other than to marry someone for the benefit of her clan. So as long as she had even the barest amount of cursed energy, she wouldn't be shunned as an outcast from the clan. Although it is too soon for her to actually see curses, the fact that she can't yet has been stuck running amuck in her head for a while.

"I...I may not know what troubles you, but... I'm not as cruel enough to reprimand someone who wishes to share their troubles..."

Lifting her head up, Chisato looks at the young girl with confusion, but listens as she continues on. "I am aware of how my... brothers treat the other servants in the compound... so your hesitancy is warranted. But, I would appreciate it if... you would not be so formal with me. At least when it is only around those we are familiar with. We are both just human, after all."

"..."

A long silence stretches through the room for a few minutes as Sakura dares not to look back at the young woman, afraid of what her reaction would be. "-Of course you don't have to. It's entirely up to you if you want..."

"Ojou-sama? If I may," The brunette interjected just as the young girl started to look moments from either crying or self deprecating herself internally-perhaps both-, and raised her head to look at her with a soft smile gracing her face. The girl was nothing like her elder brothers, she was kind and compassionate, and while she may be timid and introverted, she punishes herself for the actions of her family despite not being the reason for it.  Though there is the possibility she might grow into being someone alike her older brother in the near future, simply standing by won't prevent that when all she yearns for is company. "It would be a privilege to, Sakura-hime."

Sakura stared at her for a brief moment unblinking, before a large smile broke out on her face, her cheeks dusted pink and childish laughter resonating in the quiet room. "Ah... I'm glad."

Chisato reciprocated the smile, albeit to a much smaller degree, but with just as much warmth the young girl expressed. Their peace was soon interrupted by the doors sliding open, a familiar face appearing from the entrance, quickly catching their attention.

"Tsubasa-san?"

"Obaa-chan!"

The girl sprung up to her feet as she ran up to the woman's side, opening her arms to give her a hug. The old lady smiled warmly at the pinkette, patting the top of her head before walking to where the girl had been sitting.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. I see you've been indulging yourself lately."

Said girl flushed in embarrassment, letting out a slight indignant huff. "W-Well... it's not always-!.."

Tsubasa laughed airily at that, groaning a bit at the strain her legs took as she bent down to take a seat, and looked down at Sakura fondly before her laughter subdued.

Noticing the sudden change, Chisato approaches the older woman. "Tsubasa-san? Is there something wrong?"

"..." The elder remained still for a few more seconds, her hands coming down to caress the young child's face. Inhaling a deep breath in, Tsubasa steadied herself. "Naobito-sama called for Sakura... It's regarding that alliance they had been discussing with the Kamo clan..."