Chapter Text
Within the silence, and awaiting what was to be done with her soul, a warm palm cupping her face,
"Oh, my poor child," A woman's voice, "what has love done to you? Left with a gaping hole in your chest.." Silence once more, "Sakura Haruno, you will live once more," "And you will be loved, wanted, and needed."
"Strong, and sought after."
All she could remember was falling asleep, and after that.. Faint memories of a childhood. She had a father, and a beautiful mother, and all she knew was that she loved them very much. She was still Sakura, but she was no longer 'Haruno' She was now 'Itadori', and everything involving her Ninja life was gone. She was a completely new human being, living within a kind, warm home with her pink-haired father, and black-haired mother.
Sakura was, at the time being, normal. Learning to talk and playing with toys.
--
"Sa-ku-ra.~" Kaori had broken up into syllables, "Sa...Ku...Wa.." Baby Sakura had repeated, stirring a chuckle from her mother, and tight hug, Baby Sakura gushed, and giggled as Kaori squeezed, and attacked her with kisses, spinning her around, "My Saku'wa'," Kaori had spoken aloud, stroking her pink hair, dark eyes of her calculating, and soft, "You are perfect." Though this image of Kaori would fade as time went on, becoming rather recluse, ultimately Sakura would spend more time with her father, Jin, until eventually she would be put into school, and as time would go on, Sakura would spend more time with her grandfather. Picking her up, and spending time with her, more, and more.
Spotting her grandfather within a sea of people, and taking his hand, Sakura was agitated, "I miss my mommy, and daddy." Wasuke didn't speak, a slight pang ran through his chest, as the neglected little girl finally found her voice, "I know." When they finally arrived, and Sakura sat her bookbag aside, nestled within a sofa chair, boredom, sadness, what was it? Her grandfather couldn't pinpoint it, all he knew was that he had to distract her. He knew whatever happened to Kaori, and Jin wasn't something she could process.
Kaori was Sakura's mother, but whatever she was now.. Had no relation to this child. "Sakura," his rough voice catching Sakura's attention, "Wanna go to dinner? Maybe watch a movie, or even go to the park?" It was unusual, and unlike her grandfather who was very old fashion, and set-in-ways to be this soft, and tender, but to the little girl was now at his feet excited to not be stuck in the house all day, and night, she didn't notice nor have a care in the world. And thus, a tradition began, the two almost every school night would go out, to the arcade, or a movie, eating, buying her things, distracting her from what in the hell her father was doing. Sakura had grown quite fond of stuffed animals at this time, collecting one every outing they had, and boy, did she run Wasuke's pockets dry. Ice-cream, candy, toys, dresses, shoes. Whatever this pink headed little princess wanted she obtained, and for a while, Sakura did seem to forget, and Wasuke became more, and more protective of his little angel, who could do no wrong, and as Sakura carried her newest stuffed animal, and becoming increasingly exhausted, Wasuke would scoop her up into his arms, and carry her home, and as he walked into the door.. Jin sat and immediately opened his arms, in which Wasuke withdrew, and pushed passed him, "Not now, she's sleeping."
After setting Sakura in her bed, and tucking her in, Wasuke and Jin were finally face-to-face, "I've got many things to say to you, but first where is your 'wife'." He had emphasis on that last phrase, striking a nerve within Jin, "She's not here, and you do know, Sakura is my child, right?"
"She's had a good day, and sleeping, I don't want you upsetting her, more than you already have."
"Have?" Jin spoke, looking puzzled, "Yes, son, 'have', you're her father, and she hasn't seen you in months, just what have you been doing that is more important than that child in there?" Jin was quiet, which only upset Wasuke more, "Was that.. THING more important than that child in there? Answer me!"
Jin still wouldn't speak, "What the hell is going on with you, and what happened to her mother," Wasuke paused, "Her ACTUAL mother." "That is her mother--" "Just stop, if you're going to continue to be ignorant, I'm done speaking to you." Jin clenched his fist, "I'm taking Sakura." Wasuke froze, and met his son at eye level now, "Like hell you are, not until you tell me what is going on."
"She's mine, you have no say over anything, I'm her father," Wasuke's jaw clenched, "Now you're her father, what about the last few months? Huh? I don't trust you."
"If you're not out of my house, and off my property within the next 30 seconds, I'm calling the police, and reporting you for abandonment." This seemed to halt Jin, "Unless you've got a clear head, and a very good reasoning, then I'll let you take Sakura, not until that thing is gone, and you've come to your senses."
Jin angrily stormed passed his father then, giving him a good shoulder check as he did, "Kaori, and I will be back, and I will be taking Sakura."
Sakura on the other hand was blissfully ignorant to all of this, sound asleep, and innocent. Though deep within her toddler heart, she missed her mother, and father deeply, and Wasuke worried just how long she could keep her little heart content, but whatever it took, he would do for her, just because she was just the special. Truly.
As winter began to blossom into spring, Sakura's birthday was nearing, and Wasuke was still caring for her, and had big plans for her. She was turning 6 years-old, which was a pretty big deal for the older gentlemen, he felt as if he was more her father around all the time, he took caring for the little spirt. Jin hadn't shown back up, and Kaori was nowhere to be seen, and Sakura was still her normal self, and coming to terms with that she may never see them again, though it was painful, she was still a little girl, with much more important things on her mind, like what flavor birthday cake she wanted, and if she wanted ice cream with it as well.
In school, she was excelling, and outranking the majority of the students, she had made plenty of friends she could invite on top of that. She was pretty happy, smart. cute, and with a fiery spirit. And as her birthday came, and went, Sakura was becoming more mature, and starting to take great notice in the little creatures she would see at night, nights turning into daylight, and there was a lot them, at first Sakura always remembered them as just a bad dream, but as she started to see them during the day, and her mind began developing more, she was certain these creatures were real, and very much annoying. As she grew from a toddler to pre-teen, these things began increasingly more annoying. Keeping her up at night and leaving her exhausted. Though she thought nothing more of these things, or this gift she seemed to inherit.
Though as middle school was coming to a screeching fault, and high school was screaming her name, and exploring her options, a lot of her fellow students open, and beaming about where they were going to attend some not-so-much, and Sakura wasn't very interested in why, all she was doing was looking for something that involved medical practice. She was looking to become a doctor, and was trying to find certain classes from each high school she could take that would excel her within the medical field come college.
But those creatures were relentless, and she worried if that would affect or damage her process in that area.
Rubbing her tired eyes, and stretching her back, she looked up at Wasuke, who was now sleeping. 14, she was 14 years old, and still heard nothing from her parents, exhaling a long-drawn-out breath, Sakura made way from her living room to her kitchen, sneaking out not to wake Wasuke, trying to find something to snack on, she hummed happily upon finding some sweets, "Yum, yum, yum." She had developed a horrible sweet tooth thanks to her grandfather, and always cleared her brain-fog, and helped her focused, and as she was getting ready to pop out the strawberry filled donut, a feeble knock echoed throughout the house, sitting the pastry aside. Cautiously making her way to the door, the peep hole covered, Sakura narrowed her eyebrows, "Who is it?"
"Sakura? It's me, your father." Sakura froze, her heart dropping into her stomach, and palms instantly caked in sweat, "Dad?" Sakura let out weakly, "Yes, sweetie, please, I need to talk to you."
Sakura's eyes panicked, and darting over to Wasuke who was still sound asleep, jumping between seeing her father, or waking her grandfather, biting her lip, and swinging open the door quietly, those green eyes of hers falling onto the blanket within Jin's grasp, which he was rocking up, and down slowly.
"My, how you've grown, my sweet Sakura." He looked tired, almost completely out of his mind, "Come out here, I have something very important to talk to you about, without your grandfather." She took a step back, "Please, honey, and let's just talk.. We need to talk, badly."
Finally agreeing and walking with her father to a quieter place. Jin finally allowed Sakura to see what he was hiding, which was baby, who looked almost identical to her father, "Sakura, this is Yuji, your brother." Sakura's head began to spin again, and before she knew it, she was holding her baby brother, "Sakura, I need you, and your grandfather to take care of your brother for a while, okay?"
Sakura was speechless, opening her mouth to speak, he wouldn't allow it, "I always knew you were a special kid," as he spoke those words, he pushed something into her free hand, "High school, huh? Here's a number you need to call, if you don't let someone know about what you're seeing, you could get in trouble." He had Sakura completely speechless, and bewildered, how did he know? What was this all about? Taking care of her baby brother, she had just met just two minutes ago? "What is going on?!" Sakura finally yelled at her father, tears breaking across her cheeks, and sorrow held deep within her voice, "You abandon me for years, and years, and then.. Surprise! I'm abandoning you again, but this time.. With my baby brother?!" All that grief she held as a little girl came bellowing out, "How do you know that I see those things? A-and what are they?! Did you do this to me on purpose! Do you hate me this much?!" She had screamed, and all Jin could do was sit in silence, "Read the information on the card Sakura, I'll be back, and I'll see you again.. Promise."
"No, don't ever come back, if you leave me again, don't you ever come back." Her face was stone-cold at last, "Don't even look in my direction again, if you leave now, Dad, you will be nothing but a stranger to me." All Jin could do was smile, and nod, standing up, and reaching his hand out to Sakura, and Yuji, she withdrew, "Just go." She turned on her heels, and began the small journey back to her house, all she could do was sob, peeling back the blanket hiding Yuji's face, it had seemed to be the only thing to allow her to smile, he was cute, and she knew just by looking at him, he was most certainly her brother, and with that, she made a vow. To protect him with her life, she wouldn't allow him to hurt as she had by losing her parents. She would do all could to keep him happy and loved.
From that day on, Yuji became a beckon of light to Sakura, something that encouraged her to move forward. It was an instant connection, and bond. Opening up the door and standing in front of her was a worried Wasuke, and then a confused one upon seeing the baby. He cursed underneath his breath unable to even fathom his son was at it again, and this time upsetting his little angel, and after phone call, after phone call, Jin wasn't answering, he sighed heavily sinking beside Sakura, "Grandpa,, Don't worry, it won't be just you, I'm going to help as much as I can." Wasuke extended a hand, and patted Sakura's head, "I know you will, you're a good kid, Sakura."
Sakura stayed up with Yuji school night, and day feeding, bathing, and comforting him, all while finishing up middle school, the dream of her working within the medical field faltering after she called the number her father had left with her, accepting to meet in person with a government official, which shocked her. She wasn't allowed to tell Wasuke what she was up to, Sakura was a sorcerer.. "A what?" The teenage girl blinked once, and then twice clearly confused, "Those things you are able to see are real." And after a big lecture about how nobody could know, and blah, blah, blah-- Sakura was then forced into a high school. JuJustu High School, where would be employed by the government, and learn how to use her jujustu. She felt as if her brain was melting, all this was so overwhelming, and not only was she abandoned by her mother, and father, they also left her in care of her baby brother, and now.. She's some kind of wizard? That nobody could know about, her head hurt. She also found out that she could kill those little things, and about how some are of much larger class, and stronger.
She felt a vein pulsing within her forehead, and they could harm humans which suddenly terrified her, because what about Yuji? She didn't even know what her abilities were, or if she was even strong enough to take on the smaller curses.
Sakura had finished middle school with a bang, rolling in nothing but amazing grades, and very high honors. She had told her grandfather about how she applied to a private high school, and was accepted into this school, and had to be away for a bit, which was fine with him, and that he could keep up with Yuji for as long as she needed. Though she still had a choice to live as a normal human being, or a sorcerer, when push came to shove, they made more money and was easier to obtain. She had made up her mind, and decided it was easier for her to do this and wouldn't take as long to access a job to help her baby brother, and grandfather.
And before she knew it, Sakura was on a train to her new life, kissing her baby brother on the cheek, and squeezing her grandfather tight, trying not to cry, and waving goodbye, she was off.