Elevate - A Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 2

The front door clicked shut behind Sakura with a sense of finality. The warmth and brightness of the afternoon sun vanished, replaced by the oppressive stillness of the Haruno household. Sakura stood motionless in the entryway, her emerald eyes locked with her mother's steely gaze.

Mebuki Haruno towered over her daughter, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line, jaw clenched so tightly Sakura could almost hear teeth grinding. The silence stretched between them, taut as a drawn bowstring.

Sakura fought the urge to fidget under her mother's scrutiny. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, and she resisted the impulse to wipe it away. Her body—this small, unfamiliar vessel—trembled slightly, an instinctive reaction she couldn't quite control.

'Get it together,' Sakura chided herself mentally. She'd faced down armed guards and rival assassins without flinching. Why should this civilian woman, no matter her relation, inspire such visceral unease?

But as the silence dragged on, Sakura began to understand. This body, this child's body, carried its own memories and conditioning. And those memories whispered of harsh words, cold silences, and the constant, gnawing fear of disappointing the woman before her.

Mebuki's nostrils flared, her inhalation sharp and controlled. When she spoke, her voice was low and venomous. "What do you think you're doing, associating with those... people?"

The way she spat out the final word made it clear she considered it a generous descriptor. Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but Mebuki barreled on.

"I've told you time and time again to stay away from shinobi. They're dangerous, Sakura. Monsters wearing human skin." Mebuki's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And yet I find you gallivanting around with Inoichi Yamanaka and his brat?"

Sakura bristled at the insult to Ino. The blonde girl's eager friendliness stood in stark contrast to the cold hostility radiating from Mebuki. "They helped me," Sakura said, struggling to keep her voice even. "I was drowning, and Inoichi-san saved—"

"Shut up!" Mebuki snapped, her voice cracking like a whip. Sakura flinched involuntarily, cursing her body's ingrained responses. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You will not associate with them again, do you understand me?"

A frown tugged at Sakura's lips. The thought of not seeing Ino the next day, of missing out on the chance to learn more about this strange new world of shinobi, left a sour taste in her mouth. "But—"

Mebuki's hand shot out, fingers digging painfully into Sakura's shoulder. "This isn't up for discussion," she hissed. "I have things to do, and I don't have time to deal with your foolishness. Stay out of my way for the rest of the day, or there will be consequences. Am I clear?"

Sakura's mind raced, weighing her options. In her previous life, she would have had no qualms about putting this woman in her place—violently, if necessary. But she was acutely aware of her current limitations. This body was weak, untrained. And more importantly, she needed to maintain her cover. Drawing suspicion now could derail everything before it even began.

So Sakura swallowed her pride and nodded, averting her gaze in a show of submission. "Yes, Mother," she murmured.

Mebuki's grip loosened, though her expression remained thunderous. She turned to leave, her movements sharp and agitated. But as she reached the end of the hallway, Sakura found her voice again.

"Why do you hate them so much?" The words tumbled out before she could stop them, fueled by genuine curiosity and a hint of defiance. "The shinobi, I mean. What did they ever do to you?"