Sakura, the Beginning of a Kunoichi

8.- Family

There was a time when feeling trapped by the daily routine, simply getting up and fulfilling my duties, and the simple act of breathing in that house became overwhelming. There was no warmth in my home; it felt more like a prison than a refuge. When my brother left on a long mission, I experienced a profound sense of abandonment being left alone in that vast empty house. That's when I decided not to place my expectations on anyone to avoid future disappointments. The turning point came when I crossed paths with Itachi Uchiha.

When the first rays of the sun filtered through the black curtain adorned with red clouds and gently caressed Sakura's eyes, she woke up. It was barely dawn, and she knew that the Akatsuki base was still immersed in the silence of the night. Despite Itachi's instructions about the importance of a ninja always being alert and the need to wake up early for training and combat improvement, Sakura was aware that many of the Akatsuki members were quite lazy or lovers of sleep.

After over five months in the organization, she had learned some peculiarities about her companions. For example, Deidara used to be one of the last to leave his room because he loved sleeping and also took hours to get ready. Kisame, on the other hand, also tended to wake up late, especially if he wasn't on a mission, as he often went out to drink alcohol and frequent places his parents had promised to tell him about when he was older (although what they didn't know is that once, while stealthily hiding with Zetsu and Tobi, she saw him entering a place where nearly naked women danced, something that Sakura found not interesting at all). In contrast, Pain, her father, used to be one of the first to wake up, but he withdrew to the top of the tower, where he stayed in silence observing the city. Each of the members was busy with their own activities.

The silence that greeted her as she left her room was reassuring for Sakura, who found it relaxing. Carefully, she jumped out of bed and got ready for the day.

Today it was her turn to make breakfast, and feeling upbeat, she prepared a hearty feast. This time she opted for two types of breakfast: a traditional one, which included fish, soup, pickles, rice, and a tamagoyaki omelette; and another foreign-style, following the recipe taught to her by a kind elderly woman in a small sweets shop.

She loved visiting this lady, with whom she shared pleasant moments while listening to her incredible stories about villages carved in stone, forests inhabited by monsters, cities dedicated exclusively to education, and the ability to summon elements without needing to use hands, among other things that sometimes seemed almost unreal.

Shortly after finishing breakfast, all the members of Akatsuki were unusually at home, which Sakura didn't mind at all. After breakfast, her real day began:

In the early morning, she headed to Sasori's room to continue carving the next puppet, occasionally receiving some helpful tips from the master. Then, she spent time training, practicing with Itachi and Kisame until they decided to stop. During those times, she joined Kakuzu to learn about financial mathematics and receive lessons in economics, both from the Land of Rain and the world in general.

After finishing up, Sakura joined her mischief-loving friend, Tobi, to search for the victim of their pranks, which almost always turned out to be Deidara. As they secretly followed Deidara, they were joined by Hidan out of boredom. Taking advantage of Deidara's absence, they decided to leave his room as a gift, destroyed by the clay bombs Sakura had learned to make. Furthermore, to pass the time, they decided to gift Zetsu a mud cake.

After studying and playing, as was her daily routine, Sakura would head to the room located at the top of the base, where she would chat with her parents about what she had done during the day and even play with them. That was Sakura's daily routine: play, study, and train. She loved it! She couldn't ask for anything better.