First Time to see the World

Chapter SEVEN

Chapter SEVEN

Ami, to everyone's relief, was surprisingly quiet for the rest of the journey home. She kept flinching and shooting Sakura fearful glances.

Sakura had cleaned herself in a river they had come across and was now wearing Naruto's spare set of clothes. She walked at the back of the group, head down and deep in thought. She absentmindedly pawed at the her Hunter-nin mask.

"We'll rest here for tonight." Kakashi said. "We'll be back by tomorrow."

Sakura blinked at that. "Konoha." She murmured, turning the team's attention to her. "What's it like?"

"It's awesome, dattebayo!" Naruto grinned. No one elaborated, leaving Sakura to her musing.

.........................................

Sakura lay on a branch as the rest of the team slept below. It was nearly morning. She could tell that the teacher, Hatake Kakashi, was awake. He seemed to be reading something.

A few minutes later, the Uchiha began to stir. He slowly sat up and glanced around. He then glanced up and met Sakura's gaze. Sakura nodded and he nodded back.

A few more minutes later, Kakashi finally decided to wake up the last two members of the team. Soon, they were ready to head out again.

True to his words, they reached Konoha by noon. Kakashi talked to the guards, and after a while, they were let through, though the guards kept shooting looks in Sakura's direction.

Kakashi immediately requested a meeting with the Hokage. He told his team and Sakura to wait outside until called, then entered the office.

"The Hokage's my dad!" Naruto told Sakura. Sakura shrug, indicating that she had heard, but didn't really care.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them, broke occasionally by Ami's poor attempt at flirting. Anyone would rather suffer under the pressure of an uncomfortable silence than listen to Ami all day. The shock from the head incident seemed to have completely evaporated.

After a while, someone called for them and the four stepped into the office.

The Hokage got straight to business. "You are Sakura, correct?" He asked.

Sakura paused. "Kaguya Sakura." She said.

The Hokage nodded. "Kakashi has told me about you."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I haven't told him my surname." She said.

"He just linked your bone shifting abilities with a name." The Hokage said, smiling gently. "I am willing to offer you a place in Konoha." He continued. "Kakashi has told me that your skills are very advanced, probably matching those of Chunin. I will see if there are any two-man squads."

Sakura nodded, slightly surprised at how quickly she had been accepted.

"However, for the first month, you are to stay within the village. You are going to be under watch during this time period, and once you are deemed trustworthy, you will be put on a team." The Hokage sounded sympathetic, but Sakura couldn't blame him. She nodded.

"As for the sword..."

Sakura growled. "You are not taking it away from me." She snarled. "If I am to give it in, I will leave the village."

The Hokage smiled in understanding. "Don't worry. We just ask of you to not swing it around randomly."

Sakura relaxed and nodded again.

"Until proper arrangements can be made, you are to stay at the Uchiha compound. I've already sent a message to them, and they have agreed to house you."

Uchiha... Sakura narrowed her eyes just a tiny bit. A clan full of skilled ninja.

"I don't plan on going anywhere." She muttered. The Hokage chuckled. He shared a few more words with Kakashi before he dismissed them. Naruto stayed behind to talk to his father, leaving Sasuke, Ami, Kakashi and Sakura to make their way out of the office.

"Sasuke-kun~ Why don't we go somewhere together? Like, as in a date?" Ami asked, pressing herself up against the Uchiha. Sasuke shook her off rather roughly. Ami quickly recovered and continued to pest him.

Kakashi sighed, then turned to Sakura. "Sakura, you can join us for training until things are sorted." He said. "Just follow Sasuke, okay?" Sakura nodded.

"I'm going home." Sasuke suddenly said, promptly ignoring Ami. He turned to Sakura. "Come on." Sakura quickly followed him, leaving behind a fuming Ami and an amused Kakashi.

.........................................

"What's that?" Sakura asked, pointing at a red tube like thing which children were sliding through. To her left was a street of shops. To her right was a clearing like area, surrounded by fences and trees. Children ran around, laughing. Parents sat on benches in the shades, talking to one another with an eye on the kids. Sakura felt a pang of sadness, but she quickly pushed it away.

"What?" Sasuke turned to follow the trial of her finger. "It's a slide."

"A slide?" Sakura asked.

"Wait. You don't know what a slide is?" Sasuke stopped and turned to look at her.

Sakura suddenly felt defensive. "It is not my fault I was born in a place where playing outside can get you into a lot of trouble and grew up with a Missing-nin who's definition of 'fun' was to decapitate people."

Sasuke blinked. "Right..." He paused. "You got into trouble for playing?" He asked.

Sakura hissed. "The villagers never really trust one another. Most children are forced into the Ninja Academy by their parents. After all, in a brutal place like Kiri, those without any ninja training are most likely to die. Playing was considered a waste of time."

Sasuke mentally winced. He was the second son of Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, and even he had had his share of fun before he had joined graduated as Genin.

"I think you have heard of the Kaguya clan."

Sasuke nodded, remembering the scroll on clans which he had been forced to read.

"After the massacre, I was the only one left. If anyone else is alive, I haven't seen them yet." Sakura said. "Ever since, I had been living by myself. I had learned to steal for food and money. Just out of pure luck, I met Haku when Zabuza wasn't around. He had a bag of food with him. I attacked him for it. Then Zabuza-sama came, and offered for me to join him."

"They were all I had left."

Just for a moment, Sasuke thought he heard Sakura's voice break. Just for a second, he saw the pain and the fear and the loneliness and just pure regret in her eyes. Then she blinked, and it was gone.

She had hidden her emotions again.

During his period of 'death' on the bridge, he had heard Naruto's broken voice.

When a person becomes as strong as you, do they all really become like you? Sasuke wondered. Broken, used, thrown away, picked up, used again, until finally, you're too broken to re-use? Is that all there is to a strong shinobi until one day, your strings are cut and you are left behind for the sake of a more prettier, deadlier puppet?

.........................................

Mikoto smiled widely as Sasuke stepped through the door, Sakura in tow. "Oh my, come in, come in!" She stepped towards the girl, only for her to step away, flinching. Mikoto paused.

"Sorry." The girl took off her shoes and stepped in after Sasuke. "Thank you for having me." She bowed. "I'm Sakura."

Mikoto shook her head. "Don't mind it." She said, smiling. "Now, why don't you show Sakura-chan around, Sasuke-kun?" Mikoto asked. "I'll make snack or something."

Sasuke mumbled something under his breath but nodded.