The Lost Flower of the Hidden Leaf (WIP - On Hiatus)

Chapter Two; The promises made

Katana's feet carried her to Sasuke Uchiha's studio apartment at the edge of the village. It was the only place in the Leaf where she felt at home. Not because it was so cozy ('cause it really wasn't), but because it reminded her of a time when she had felt wanted. Loved even. Sasuke's parents, Fugaku and Mikoto, welcomed Katana into their home, caring for her while they searched for her family and thereafter. She became the daughter they never had, and they became the parents she had lost and forgotten. Even after she was taken to the okiya, she continued to visit as often as she could. And then they died.
Katana would never forget that night. She'd been training at the okiya with another girl destined to become a geisha when she got overcome with fear. Instantly, she realized Sasuke was in trouble. She didn't know how she could feel something like that, but it didn't matter at that moment. Together with the other girl, Yuna, Katana dropped everything and hurried to where the Uchiha-clan lived, finding the streets filled with bodies and blood, and Sasuke unconscious, his attacker's shadow looming over him.

Itachi Uchiha had gone on a murderous rampage. He left no one of his clan alive. None but his seven-year-old little brother. Katana was the only one who knew the horrid truth of what happened that night, and this had only strengthened the already deep bond she had with the young Uchiha.
From the moment she met Sasuke, she felt a connection with him. They became friends, playing together, training together, and even sleeping in the same bed when it got too late to return to the okiya after Mikoto made her stay for dinner. People got so used to seeing the pair they referred to Katana as Sasuke's sister.
And then, about five months before the massacre, something changed. Mameha became stricter about Katana's freedom and forbade her from having contact with the Uchiha's. But thanks to Yuna, Katana was able to sneak away sometimes. She would climb through Sasuke's window, and they would be quiet as mice. His parents had known from the very first time she'd snuck in, but never put a stop to it. They had always made sure that window was left unlocked for her — something Sasuke continued to do. 

Katana climbed up the fire-escape and the roof, to then walked over it and gracefully leap onto the little balcony. She sat on the ground, hidden from view, with her arms wrapped around knees and her head resting against the cool glass. Minutes, possibly an hour, passed, and all she did was watch the clouds travel across the sky and listen to the birds flying overhead. Mameha would no doubt restrict her freedom again, so Katana was determined to enjoy every moment.
When she finally heard the door inside, she knocked on the window three times so he'd know she was there. Even though Sasuke had told her countless times to just come in whenever she felt like it, she didn't want to invade his privacy. She never had when they were children, so she wouldn't start now. 

"What are you doing here in the middle of the day?"

Katana looked up to see Sasuke standing in the open balcony door, his brow furrowed. He wore his blue high-collar shirt and beige pants. The headband he got after passing the Genin exam pushed back his raven black hair back, leaving only the tresses at the side of his face. 

"I was waiting for you." Katana mustered a smile. "I wanted to hear about today."

He shrugged and leaned back against the doorpost, arms crossed over his chest. "Not much to say."

"Who's on your team?"

"That loser, Naruto, and one of those girls who doesn't even care about being a shinobi. The one with the pink hair, Sakura."

Katana groaned silently. Of all the girls in his class to get teamed up with, it had to be the most obnoxious one. And Naruto... Best not be late for her meeting with him. He would want to vent, too, no doubt. He and Sasuke were the exact opposite of each other, and yet... so very much alike. They just didn't realize it.