ꕥ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕠𝕥𝕦𝕤 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕞𝕤 𝕋𝕨𝕚𝕔𝕖 ꕥ

𝔽𝕦𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝

WHEN SAKURA woke up, she almost forgot her parents were dead.

But then she realized the usual bustling and rustling of her mother's apron as she cooked and the grumbling of her father as he read the morning newspaper no longer reached her ears.

The house was full of silence, suddenly seeming vast and empty to the pink haired girl as she sat up and changed.

The clock said 6:00. There was an hour left till she had to meet Kakashi, and she had to find her parents' bodies and organize a funeral. The young girl felt the need to tell someone what had happened, and maybe a certain Uchiha would listen.

So she set out of her home that no longer felt warm, and walked to the Uchiha main family's estate, silently plodding down still quiet street. The sun was just rising, a beautiful view that didn't match her emotions. She felt like ripping out the sky and painting it white.

When she reached the home, instead of knocking on the front door, she hid her chakra signature perfectly and climbed up a tree, successfully entering Itachi's room through his window.

Obviously, he woke up and tried to kill her. Obviously, she stopped him and dove into his bed. Surprisingly, he let her. Maybe he sensed her usual lack of spring, or maybe he was just too sleepy. Either way, she was grateful.

"Ah, sensei. What's wrong?" Itachi gently pushed her over and sat down next to her.

"My parents were killed yesterday night." Sakura bluntly spit out, and the sudden stillness of the boy next to her said everything.

"Why?" Immediately he asked the most important question of all. Typical him.

"I don't know. I don't necessarily care either, but I want you to know I killed one of them, and the other-" Here she rustled around and pulled a scroll containing the ninja's body out of her pouch- "is in here, for interrogation."

The Uchiha couldn't help but gape at the girl's unbothered attitude. "Sakura, why are you so calm? This-your parents are dead. Killed. You've killed a ninja- and-" 

"Thank you for reminding me Itachi." Sakura cut in coldly, making the boy apologize quickly. "The fact that I murdered someone is irrelevant. I just felt like telling you. It was an eye for an eye. Besides, you shouldn't be so surprised, when killing is your job, Weasel." 

This made the other startle. Knowing he was part of the Anbu was one thing. But knowing the identity of which his mask represented? That was unbelievable, even for the knowledgable girl.

Itachi also laid down next to her, and stared at the ceiling. "Sensei, who are you?" He asked. Sakura smiled bitterly, remembering when he had asked the same question after eating dango together. "I am just a shadow that knows many things." It sounded flimsy even to her, but luckily he said nothing.

"I am going to burn them." Sakura said after a moment of silence. "I'm going to burn them, then I'm going to put them in a vase, and bury it deep deep under the ground. Then, I'm going to forget them." The boy turned toward her, and narrowed his eyes. "I don't think they would want you to forget about them sensei." "Yes well they're dead so good riddance to what they think." "Do you believe in heaven?" Itachi asked. "No. And even if I did, from what I've done and what I'll do, I'm going to hell." "At least we'll be together, then." he said, making her look at him. "That sounds nice, Itachi." 

-

At the funeral, under her black umbrella, Sakura secretly took a small pink box out of her pouch. It had Cherry written across the front, and she loved the irony of it. Slowly, she took out a lighter,  and pulled a cigarette from the box. She was a child, but she took no notice. After all, Sakura used to smoke in her past life as well. 

Eventually, she would stop. But right now, this was her way to cope. 

"Sakura!" From behind her, she heard Itachi yell her name. How hadn't she felt his presence? The rain pounded harshly against her umbrella, and she fumbled with the handle. Wasn't she alone? She had asked to be alone.

Sighing, Sakura turned around. "Yes-?" The cigarette in her mouth prevented her from enunciating the word properly. "What are you doing? What is that in your mouth? You are seven! You'll die! Put that out immediately!" 

She raised an eyebrow at his patronizing tone, and proceeded to blow out smoke in his pretty face.

"Fuck you." 

Then, she turned back around, and stared at the stone which had her parents' names carved into it. Of course, their ashes were in a jar still in her home, ready to be released into the wind. 

"Sakura..." Itachi walked up next to her, also holding a black umbrella. "Smoking will not help keep your emotions at bay, nor will it help keep your problems away." 

"Says who?"  She grumbled under breath.

"Says doctors." "Well I'm a doctor and I say fuck that. Shinobi die before they can become old anyway. Who cares if my lungs turn black?" There was silence after that, Itachi refusing to admit that what she said was not entirely incorrect.

"I care." He finally stated matter of factly. "Yeah well I'm your teacher, you're supposed to care."

"Are you saying my care for you doesn't count?" 

"...You know that's not what I mean." Now she was just plain grumpy. Not only were her parents dead, now she was being bothered by an 11 year old who kills people as a job and refuses to see a therapist.

"Anyway, I'm meeting with Kakashi today at 7. Thoughts?" She changed the subject, but Itachi let it go just this once. 

"Go an hour late." Was his response. 

Nodding in agreement, she grabbed his large hand with her little one, and pulled him towards the Uchiha compound. "Make me some tea until then."