Twiceborn: Second Bloom | Alternate

Chapter Two: Children of the Red Light District

Sharingan.

She had the damn sharingan.

She blinked at the mirror, watching as red faded into black almost instantly, an odd wave of tiredness flooding through her. Her body was too young to support the immense chakra drain, especially considering she had Mangekyou. Obito's Mangekyou. Sakura slammed her eyes shut, holding her breath as she listened for anything out of the ordinary, chakra extending timidly as she checked her surroundings. Clear. They were clear. Nobody had seen her sharingan. Nobody knew she was technically an Uchiha, thanks to whatever the hell that idiotic Uchiha had done. Her hands shook. If she wasn't an Uchiha, she'd never have been able to deactivate them – just like Kakashi hadn't. She was a triplet too, and she was four-years-old. So it was likely the Uchiha Massacre hadn't occurred, so long as they'd gotten their time stamp correct... and that meant danger. She was in danger. They were in danger.

Well, if they were discovered.

A harsh breath left her lips, her body sagging ever so slightly as she walked across the room, noting how her footfalls didn't even make a single sound, chakra buzzing to her feet to cushion the sounds. It didn't matter that her feet were smaller. Her brain still remembered how. Remembered how Kakashi had taught them. Her instincts had seemingly followed her through their little trip through time and space. That wasn't necessarily a good thing. Not if someone was looking around for talented little orphans or akasen children to snatch. She stomped her feet down, deliberately making her footsteps as loud as she could, which still wasn't that loud. It felt like she was inviting death to come and find her... like broadcasting her location to Kaguya... She took a breath, a deep one, letting out in a shaky exhale. She wasn't there. She was in Konoha. She was safe.

Mostly.

The door clicked open, feet pounding into the room as Mio bounded in, startling her into action ever so slightly. Sakura blinked, staring down at her tiny body. Her movements were too slow. Her lip curled, but the bright voice calling her yanked her out of her thoughts. "Saku-nee!" she called, bouncing up and down on her feet. "Come quick!" Sakura's eyes narrowed. What was going on? Had something happened? "Mum's gonna teach us how to braid our hair so we're all pretty and that!"

Sakura blinked, numbly allowing herself to be pulled back into the room. She was getting worked up over the slightest thing. She needed to relax. When was the last time she'd actually done that? Her brain fumbled for an answer, but Sakura couldn't recall. Everything had just blurred together after a while. Pain and death following her and the band of survivors who'd eventually dwindled away. Then it was just her and Obito.

Obito was gone though. Now it was only her left.

Alone.

"Nee-chan!" One of her younger sisters ran over to her, long hair cascading down her back. Yumi, her mind supplied, one of the other band of triplets. Her expression softened, dark eyes peering down into those larger ones. "You do mine!" she said, small hands pulling her along towards their mother. "Just make it pretty, 'kay?"

She nodded mutely, sitting down next to her mother, and Yumi was soon seated on her lap, and Sakura's hands were busy in her hair. It was oddly therapeutic. She smiled, feeling her sister's heartbeat and warmth through her skin. I'm here, I'm alive, it whispered to her, so she was content to play about with her sibling's hair, keeping that warmth as close to her as possible.

She wasn't alone anymore.

They soon returned the favour, smaller hands pulling at her spiky long locks, but she didn't make a sound of complaint, even when it felt like they were tearing out clumps of her hair. Her long hair. She grinned. How long had it been since she'd last braided her hair? It had been short for so many years, unable to be braided, all because she wasn't strong enough. Not that there'd really been much point in trying to grow her hair out in the last few years. Sakura winced, small fingers having found another tangle or two in her fluffy hair. Their entertainment was far more important than her comfort. They were her world now, she decided. They were her priority, no matter what.