J A D E

Chapter Seven

"It's impressive that this brat knows how to conceal chakra, Ibiki." Anko-san states while looking at me. "She is talented." She adds and smiles at me. Her smile sends tremble down my spine.

"I know." Ibiki-sensei smiles proudly at me. "She already knew it, when we started training." He adds and walks past Anko-san with papers in his hands. I am holding some of his papers as well as I follow him behind. "Currently, we are working on her nature based ninjutsus." His words seem to surprise Anko-san, as she stops and hesitates before continuing to walk besides us.

She looks down at me with pity blazing inside her eyes. As if asking if I am another victim of the village's system.

"Okay, brat." Anko turns towards me and grins down at me. "What is your element?" She asks me nonchalantly. I look at Ibiki-san for permission and only after he nods I start talking. It seems to amuse Anko a bit.

"Earth, Water, Yin and Yang." I state calmly as I continue walking behind Ibiki-sensei. "Currently, we are working on Earth based jutsus, as Ibiki-sensei's element is earth as well." I shrug and walk past her.

Anko looks at me hesitantly, pity and sadness in her orbs. She starts walking next to me, quiet, not saying a single word, which is unlike Anko-san.

"I have Yin Release." She starts suddenly, gaining my attention fully. Even Ibiki-sensei looks back with a small smile. "I am not good at it, though. I prefer using Fire." I nod. "But I know few tricks, and I can teach you, brat." Anko-san chuckles down at me. Her face twisting. "Don't be happy, brat. You are about to enter hell." She adds with menacing voice.

"Thank you, Anko-san." I stop, bowing down to her, which seems to surprise both of them. "For finding time for me."

"Brat." Anko-san chuckles and we continue walking, in silence.

***

"Another prodigy?" Anko asks Ibiki as soon as Sakura leaves the room to fetch some papers, that were left behind. Ibiki looks from his desk and nods, heavily. "Can she use earth based jutsus, at all?" She asks once again, doubt lacing her tone.

"She made a perfect earth clone in her second try." Ibiki states and sighs, rubbing his temples. "She knows how to walk on trees and water." He adds and looks at Anko once again. "She can detect genjutsu pretty easily, too." He smiles proudly.

"Are you... Are you going to tell Hokage?" Anko tilts her head and looks at Ibiki with careful gaze. And small smile appears when he shakes his head.

"I don't want same fate falling on her as on Itachi and Kakashi." Ibiki elaborates and looks around. "Though, she seems to be on friendly terms with Uchiha Shisui." Anko looks at him with raised eyebrows. "She did not explain how." Ibiki shrugs his shoulders.

"You are attached to that brat, aren't you, Ibiki?" Anko chuckles and tilts her head once again, wondering what's about the girl, that made a cold-hearted man attached to her.

"Well, I am not attached to her." Ibiki states and stands up from his chair. "I respect her." Anko looks at him surprised. "She is trying hard to reach her goals. She wishes to defend her teammates, whoever they will be. She wants be strong, so she can be trusted to save people, when they need it." Ibiki elaborates and chuckles. "She told me that she is going to seek Tsunade Senju, once she becomes chunnin, so she can learn her medical ninjutsu and enhanced strength."

"You think she can do it?" Anko turns towards the door.

"She used her chakra to enhance her punch." Ibiki states and sighs. "I think she can manage it."

***

"Sakura-chan?" Someone calls me from behind. I turn around with a polite smile across my lips, only to come across with two Uchihas. One of them is Shisui. While another one has long, fading black hair, onyx eyes and lines on the both side of his nose.

"Shisui-san." I nod politely at him and offer a more friendly smile. "Uchiha-san." I greet another stranger, who nods in reply.

"Oh, this is Itachi-chan." Shisui smiles at me and looks at the papers, I am holding. "Ne, Sakura-chan, what are you doing?" He furrows his eyebrows and looks around. At first, even the workers at T&I building had same reaction when seeing four year old girl walking in there, side by side with Ibiki-sensei, but then they got used to it.

"Oh, I am training under Ibiki-sensei." I grin at him, putting my innocent façade over my face. I try not to look over at Itachi, who will commit terrible crime in order to protect his village in three years.

"Ibiki...As in Morino Ibiki?" Shisui-san asks me dumbfounded. I nod with large smile plastered on my face. "You do know that he is torturing and interrogation people, Sakura-chan?" He asks me concerned.

"I believe, she is aware." Ibiki-sensei puts his palm on my head, gently patting me. "I have brought her to enough interrogation to understand that." He grins down at me. "And believe me, Uchiha-brat, that she is perfectly capable of handling it." Ibiki practically growls at Shisui-san.

"I, too, believe in Sakura-chan's abilities, Morino-san." Shisui-san's voice is measured. Calm. Dangerous. "But I do also believe, that she is too young to attend such gruesome events." He continues talking with serenity. "Is Hokage-sama aware of the circumstances?" He asks once again, calmly, dangerously. When Ibiki-sensei says nothing in response, Shisui-san sighs. "I thought so. I have no other choice, but to report it, Morino-san." He looks directly in Ibiki-sensei's eyes, as if daring him.

I look at Ibiki-sensei with wide eyes, but he says nothing, just nods. I know how much problems it might raise for Ibiki-sensei. I turn around, to call to Shisui and tell that I wanted it, but he, alongside with Itachi, has already disappeared.

I turn to Ibiki-sensei and look down in shame.

"I am sorry." I whisper and don't dare to look up.

"For what, brat?" Ibiki answers in his usual self, which encourages me to look up at him. He smirks down at me. "I wanted to train you and we are going to convince Third that you are perfectly capable of taking it." I nod happily at him and continue walking towards his office with papers in my hand.