Darkest Before Dawn

Ibiki-sensei: Six!

   Itachi took his sweet time to return back to the compound. His father would be ecstatic to hear the news of his official jounin status, yes, but that would mean more training and an extra-long speech on how he would bring great honor to the Uchiha clan.

   Like he hadn't heard that one before.

   The ten year old stared up at the pink and orange sky. Thin, dark blue arms had started to claw at the bright colors overhead, and Itachi couldn't help but sigh. An unnatural occurrence for him, but no one was around to watch him anyways. A chakra signature was just ahead of him, but he heard no footsteps.

   Charcoal orbs slid downwards and widened slightly at the sight. It was the little girl from before. She was clutching her stomach, limping slightly with her eyes downcast. The Uchiha's hand immediately shot out and gripped her shoulder. She looked up slowly, and smiled.

   "Ah, it's you! You're the one Morino-san was talking to before, right?" she questioned.

   "You are injured."

   The girl's short, bubblegum pink hair flopped about as she shook her head.

   "It's fine, Jounin-san. I was just training earlier and got a few scratches. Nothing else happened." the rosette explained. Itachi didn't believe her. Bright red marks adorned her upper arms, but were smothered in some type of ointment he didn't recognize. He guessed she had more marks elsewhere but were obscured by her blue top and plain, beige pants.

   "...Go to the hospital. The medics will know what to do with you there."

   The girl saluted.

   "Hai, Jounin-san! Bye bye!"

~

   "Tou-san! Tou-san! Can ya teach me a new jutsu today? I'll work really hard on it! I promise, dattebayo!"

   Minato chuckled.

  "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I'll start teaching you in a couple of years, okay?"

   "Mou, fine, Tou-san. But teach me the bestest jutsu!"

   "Only the best." he promised.

   Naruto hopped off his father's lap and trotted out, probably to find his mother and ask her once again to make some ramen. Those two were so much alike- loud, proud, but completely lovable. Just moments after the five year old left, Jiraiya and Orochimaru strolled in, arguing like usual.

   "How could you say that about my books?! It's art!"

   "It's porn."

   "See?! This is why you'll never get a woman! You're such a prude!"

   "And you're a perverted moron."

   "Gah! Screw you, Orochimaru!"

   Minato still couldn't believe that his master could be so stupid.

~

   "How... only five..."

   "Dark red... strong irritation... bleeding..."

   "Ointment... applied generously... foreign..."

   "Room 301... Haruno?"

   Ibiki had heard enough before he pushed himself off a wall and walked briskly through the hospital corridors, looking for room 301. He knocked twice before sliding open the door. Sakura was sitting up on the bed, her emerald eyes glued to the window at her right. Her neck and upper arms were bandaged.

   "Sakura. What happened to you?!" the interrogator demanded. He was sure that whatever happened to her wasn't from training. From any standpoint, it looked as if she had been attacked.

   "Ah... just a training accident, Morino-san."

   "You're lying."

   "I know."

   He blinked curiously at the response. Ibiki sighed and pulled up a chair beside her.

   "If you won't tell me what happened to you, tell me why you denied my apprenticeship offer. It's one or the other, and you have to choose."

   Sakura clutched the edges of her hospital gown, her head still turned right. It was silent for a few minutes, and just as the man got up to leave, he got his answer.

   "It's just like what happened to Mommy and Daddy." she whispered, "They told me they'd come back safe and sound. But they didn't. What if that happened to you, Morino-san? You say you'll train me, but what if you don't? You say you'll look after me, but what if you never will? I don't want anything like that to happen."

   Ah... so that's what it was. Ibiki stood next to her now quivering form and tousled her hair lightly.

   "Now why would I do that, kid? I've got no reason to. And trust me, I'll be here long enough for you to get sick of me, that I can promise."

   "S-So if you promise that... I n-now can c-call you... Ibiki-sensei?"

   "That's all I've been asking for."