Family Secrets
Sakura woke up the next morning feeling well rested. She lay there in bed, staring up at the ceiling, having those brief few moments of oblivious bliss before the memories of last night hit. She sat up abruptly in bed.
"Layla?" She asked quietly, part of her honestly thought it was some crazy dream. Yeah, Sakura? What is it? Sakura breathed out whether in relief or disappointment I couldn't tell. "So it wasn't just some crazy dream then." The five year old murmured as she climbed out of bed. Sorry to disappoint, kid. "It's just all a little crazy." She says quietly as she goes to change. "Layla?" She asked hesitantly. Yeah? I responded. "How did you die exactly?" She asked innocently as she moved onto brushing her hair. I was quiet for a few moments, unsure how to answer. I'd tell you if I new, but a lot of things are fuzzy in my memory, or just not there.
"Oh, okay." She responds, suddenly Sakura's mom calls her down for breakfast. "Coming Mom!" She calls back, putting the hairbrush down.Also kid, I don't know how well your parents would react if you told them about me, people don't exactly have another soul living up in their brain. By all means, feel free to tell them, and if you want me removed, do so. I won't stop you, but just maybe don't talk out loud to me if you don't want to tell them yet. I say to her, she freezes before going down the stairs. "I'll think about it, now shhhh. I can't let them know yet, I want to get into the Academy." She whispers aloud before descending the stairs. Sakura helps set the table and they all sit down to eat. Sakura and her parents eat there breakfast quietly for a few moments after they say their good mornings.
After a few moments a silent eating, Kizashi speaks up, "So, Sakura, your mother and I have been discussing something rather important lately." He starts, Sakura looks up at him then glances between the two. She takes a nervous swallow of her food. The sound of the bird singing outside the kitchen wind seems to grow louder in tense silence. I hope it's about the Academy. Sakura thinks. And wait hold up. Did I just hear Sakura's thoughts! Like as if she was talking to me out loud!?
"We love you a lot Sakura and we both think you are a very capable and mature child for someone your age." He continues seriously. Please le me go to the Academy, please let me go. Sakura thinks, and goodness is that weird hearing her thoughts, granted before I could sort of understand her general feelings and ideas but this was completely different.
"Your mother and I have decided to sign you up for the Academy this coming year." He finally says. I could feel the growing smile on her five year old face. She was ecstatic, and the twenty seven year old aunt part of me couldn't help but find it adorable as she stood up her in her chair and said,
"Really?" She asked excitedly with a big grin. Her parents smiled softly at her.
"Yes, Sakura, but you have to promise us you'll work hard for it and train everyday, alright? Your mother and I will be a little strict about this ourselves and occasionally remind you to work hard, a ninja career isn't something to joke around with." Kizashi says sternly and Sakura nods in agreement, determined.
"I'll promise I'll study hard and train each day!" She says, practically bouncing in her chair from excitement. Her mother chuckles in amusement.
"Alright Sakura, we'll hold you to that." She says with a soft smile. Her father nods in agreement with a fond smile. Sakura nods with a bright and determined smile as she goes back to her food.
"Sakura, you'll be going to the Academy in the start of September, and you'll be going for five days a week from about 8 in the morning to around two o'clock. I am told however that kunoichi classes go on a little longer." Sakura's mom tells her.So a bit like school in my old life, just, of course, without the kunoichi classes. I say in Sakura's mind.
"Okay." Sakura says, her mother took that as a response to what she said and nodded, Sakura shrunk a little in embarrassment at the slight mess up before trying to calm herself at the slight mess up. Her mom eyed her suspiciously at her reaction but thankfully didn't comment on it.
"You'll have to be nice and respectful to your sensei as well as your fellow classmates, alright Sakura?" Her dad says to her, Sakura nods in agreement as she scarfs down the rest of her food. Sakura glances up at her dad before nodding in response and shoveling the rest of her food down.
"We'll go out to get some supplies and things this week as well as finalize the papers with the school." Her mom says as she finishes her own food and Sakura clears her plate away. The day goes on normally and so does the rest of the week. Sakura goes out with her mom to buy school supplies and a few other things for her ninja classes. She spends the rest of the day talking to me, we figure out that she can talk mentally so she doesn't have to say everything out loud, which is obviously helpful.
"Later that week Sakura goes out with her mom to buy school supplies and some ninja things. While she was wandering down the same aisle of her mother she sees a kid her age. She waves at the blonde haired boy with a big grin. The boy looks around and cautiously waves back. Sakura walks up to him.
"Hi, my names Sakura! Are you starting the Academy too in a couple weeks?" She asks with a big smile. The boy with whiskers on his face seemed surprised Sakura was talking to him, he hesitantly nodded before suddenly seeming to gain his confidence.
"Yeah! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be Hokage! Believe it!" He suddenly shouts with a big grin. His cheerfulness seemed to be infectious because a grin grew on Sakura's face.
"Hokage? Really!? Well I'm gonna grow up to be a really strong ninja too!" She says fiercely with a large grin on her face. Naruto seemed a little surprised that she didn't immediately mock him for his big ambition.
"You think I can do it?" Naruto asks, in a bit of a quieter voice than earlier. Well I don't know exactly who the kid is but who knows? He might if he really works hard. I think mainly to myself, Sakura seemingly agreed with my general thought and voiced it.
"I don't know, you would have to work really hard." She says seriously. Naruto looks at her, surprised she isn't immediately turning him down or laughing at him."Well I'm going to do it! Believe it!" He says again, his beaming smile is practically blinding as Sakura smiles back. Okay that is just adorable, this is too much. I say while chuckling inside Sakura's mind.
"Sakura, I'm checking out now, let's go." Her mother says, Sakura looks briefly disappointed before turning back to Naruto. And waving goodbye as she slowly walks away.
"See ya Naruto! Can't wait to go to the Academy with you!" Sakura says with a big smile as she goes to her mom's side at the cash register. Sakura looks up at the cashier and frowns in thought. The cashier was eyeing Naruto with a sour look in his eye. That's weird, Naruto seems like a good kid. I say to Sakura and she mentally agrees as she curiously looks between Naruto and the cashier. Sakura waves one last goodbye to Naruto hesitantly before leaving the store with her mom. He's just a kid, it couldn't have been anything too bad, right? I ask hesitantly, mainly to myself.
"Mom, why was the guy looking at that kid, Naruto, like that?" Sakura asks innocently, she's looking up at Mebuki with wide curious eyes. Her mom looks down at her and sighs.
"A lot of people in the village don't like Naruto, hunny, he hasn't exactly done anything too wrong, he was just...born different." She explains hesitantly, as if she was trying to say something but couldn't. That's...not exactly fair, how can they blame him for that? He can't control how he was born. I say annoyed. Sakura's brow furrows in thought, she seems to agree with me.
"That's not exactly fair, how can someone control how they were born before they even came into existence?" Sakura asks as she walks home with her mom, a pout on her face. Mebuki sighs heavily next to her, as if some great problem was weighing on her mind.
"Your father and I will talk about this when we get home, Sakura." She says tiredly.
"Okay." Sakura responds. Look, Sakura, I'm not telling you to go against whatever your parents say and hate them, but Naruto is just a kid, and neither kids or adults can control how they were born, so I would suggest treating him no differently than any other kid. I suggest in a gentle tone. I know, Layla, but I still want to know more before I come to a decision. She mentally responds as we walk home.Good, I agree, that's a good and reasonable decision. I respond, feeling a little proud of her for not immediately judging. The rest of the walk home is in silence with Sakura occasionally talking about something to her mom.
That night at dinner her father comes down for dinner with a old scroll in hand, he places in on the kitchen counter and joins them at the table. Sakura curiously eyes the scroll but says nothing.
"Sakura, I heard you made a friend today while out shopping." He says before eating bite of food. Sakura sheepishly nods, unsure where this is going.
"Yeah, he was blonde and had these lines on his cheeks that looked like whiskers, he seemed really nice though." She says quietly. It's alright, Sakura, you haven't done anything wrong. I gently tell her, sensing her unease. Her parents seemed tense, as if hesitant to branch into the topic about the boy.
"Some of the other villagers, Sakura, are...do not act kindly towards Naruto, the boy you met. Because of the conditions of his birth they blame him for a lot of things." Her father starts explaining, Sakura slowly nods along. "Now, I'm not saying you have to be friends with him, but if you want to you have to know that people might not treat you the best either." Her father continues, looking at Sakura directly, Sakura shifts awkwardly in her seat.
"I would like you to at least act politely towards him because...he...is a Uzumaki." Her father finished hesitantly, her father had this weary look on him now. Uzumaki? What's that? Wasn't that the kid's family name? I question how that would change anything. Sakura looks confused between her mom and dad.
"Wasn't that his family name? How would that change anything?" Sakura questions, confused. Her father sighs heavily with this tiresome look in his eyes, her mother rests a comforting hand on top of his. The married couple shares a knowing look, as if they know a secret that weighs on their souls.
"Do you remember when we took you to the doctor a while ago Sakura?" Her mother gently asks. Sakura looks at her and slowly nods. I remember that visit too. I chime in quietly. The couple shares one last look before they continue on. "Your father mentioned having an uncle that was able to wield chakra." She continues on. They mentioned he was never a full fledged shinobi though. I say.
"My great-uncle, you mentioned he never became a full shinobi too." Sakura says quietly, her mother nods in response before looking at Kizashi, his eyes glance between Mebuki and the ancient looking scroll on the kitchen counter. Mebuki nods and Kizahi stands to go retrieve it. As he does so he pins paper with a strange pattern on it to the corners of the room. The bird chirping outside the kitchen window goes quiet, not because his song had ended though. Kizashi returns to the dining table with the old scroll in hand. It has a swirly red pattern on it.
"Your great-uncle and his sister your grandmother came from a very old and powerful clan. That clan was known as the Uzumaki's." Her father eventually says. What? You're a clan kid? But what happened to them? Surely we would've heard about them. Sakura was speechless for a few long moments. "How come I've never heard about them? If they were so powerful surely they were well-known." Sakura says confused. Her father looked even more worn down at her question. Her mother rests a comforting hand on his back.
"Because of the Uzumaki clans strength multiple villages joint forces to defeat them, Konoha was one of the few that did not." Her father says, expression somber. Sakura goes quiet, and so do I. So that's why he seemed so serious about the whole thing, not only was the whole clan killed off but if anyone finds out we can become targets too, I'm honestly surprised he even told us to begin with. I say after a few moments.
"So that's why you want me to at least be polite? Because we're distant relatives? And because everyone else in the clan is dead?" Sakura asks quietly and her father nods gravely. The room goes quiet again, and Sakura notices for the first time the eerie silence that encases the room, it’s as if no sound is going in or out.She eyes the strange papers with the inked on patters her father put around the room, she figures they're some sort of ninja seal.
"He's a good kid, right? It's not like he had any control over his birth, right?" Sakura asks quietly as she looks between her parents. I think he is, from what I could tell when we met him.
"I've never actually met the kid but I am told from others that...view him more kindly, that he is a good kid, just a little loud and a bit of a prankster." Her mother tells her gently. It's your life Sakura, but you should be friends with him, and help him out. I say in her mind.
"Sakura...people might start looking down on you as well if you do that. Feel free to do it, he is family after all, but I want you to know what might happen if you do." Her mother adds on. Your mom talked with others the most, so she probably knew best what other people in the village thought. I say to Sakura in her mind, she mentally agreed. Sakura, there will be people who will look down on you if you become his friend, but from what I an tell, there are still some good people who see past his birth. I advise you don't care what people think about you, there are too many types of people out there to care about all of them, or even some of them. I advise you do what's right first, and live your life how you want afterwards. Care about others, but don't let them drag you down. I say seriously, I went on a bit of a rant and said a lot so I can tell she was a bit stunned and just thinking for a moment. Thanks, Layla. She eventually responded.
"I think I know what I'll do." Sakura eventually says, her parents look at her, waiting for her to continue, and so did I. "I'll be his friend, I'll hang out with him, regardless of what other people say...I don't hate the village for their attitude towards Naruto but I still think they've gone about it very stupidly." Sakura finished very seriously. Her parents looked at her, surprised by her words and choice.
"Okay, Sakura, we understand." Her father says gently. Sakura nods in response, the serious look on her face almost looking comical for the five year old.
"He's a good kid, right? It's not like he had any control over his birth, right?" Sakura asks quietly as she looks between her parents. I think he is, from what I could tell when we met him.
"I've never actually met the kid but I am told from others that...view him more kindly, that he is a good kid, just a little loud and a bit of a prankster." Her mother tells her gently. It's your life Sakura, but you should be friends with him, and help him out. I say in her mind.
"Sakura...people might start looking down on you as well if you do that. Feel free to do it, he is family after all, but I want you to know what might happen if you do." Her mother adds on. Your mom talked with others the most, so she probably knew best what other people in the village thought. I say to Sakura in her mind, she mentally agreed. Sakura, there will be people who will look down on you if you become his friend, but from what I an tell, there are still some good people who see past his birth. I advise you don't care what people think about you, there are too many types of people out there to care about all of them, or even some of them. I advise you do what's right first, and live your life how you want afterwards. Care about others, but don't let them drag you down. I say seriously, I went on a bit of a rant and said a lot so I can tell she was a bit stunned and just thinking for a moment. Thanks, Layla. She eventually responded.
"I think I know what I'll do." Sakura eventually says, her parents look at her, waiting for her to continue, and so did I. "I'll be his friend, I'll hang out with him, regardless of what other people say...I don't hate the village for their attitude towards Naruto but I still think they've gone about it very stupidly." Sakura finished very seriously. Her parents looked at her, surprised by her words and choice.
"Okay, Sakura, we…we’re proud of you honey, and if you to change your mind we understand as well, all we’re asking you to do is at least be polite ." Her father says gently. Sakura nods in response, the serious look on her face almost looking comical for the five year old. They sit in silence for a few moments before Sakura’s father gets up and removes the seals from the corners of the room. The bird outside starts singing again, and the sounds of muffled life of the village returns. So, you’re really apart of a old and well known clan that was killed because they were too OP by the sounds of it. I say, still a little shocked myself. OP? Sakura questions as she stands from her chair. It means overpowered. I replied. There was this silent tension in the house after the conversation her parents had with her was finished.
"Oh, and Sakura?" Her mother gently asked from the kitchen. Sakura peeked her head around the corner of the stairs to answer.
"Yeah?" Sakura replied in a quiet voice from the top of the stairs.
"You start the Academy in two weeks, Naruto will be in your class." She calls to Sakura. A small smile forms on the pinkette's face.
"Alright, Mom. Thanks for letting me know!" Sakura shouts back from the top of the stairs with a smile. She goes into her room and shuts the door. We should start getting ready for school, Sakura, it'll help you do better. I say in her mind. Do I have to? Studying is boring. Sakura mentally whines. Yes, Sakura, I would recommend it, it's important to do well in school, or at least go to school to mentally grow yourself in some way, especially with the career you're taking, it can save your life. I say gently to her. Fine, but I'm not studying the whole time. She replies begrudgingly. I laugh at that but agree as Sakura pulls out a book from her shelves and sits down with a piece of paper.