Chapter Text
Prolouge
Because every tree,
that stood tall and strong
once was a small sapling that forced its roots deep in the ground
anchored itself there
and grew until it's shadow protected the wildlife beneath
She giggled as she opened her new book. Her Oka-san just got it for her and it was from Mizu no Kuni, the Land of Water, and she had begged her for months to bring her books from her travel trips.
Sakura's parents travelled a lot- but that was okay. It was their job, as it would be hers one day. And she loved the little presents she got- like this one.
History of other nations was interesting, even if she didn't always understand everything.
She understood that every nation had their own clans and myths, so it was no wonder that she didn't understand what everything in her books meant, but if she stopped reading she would never understand, so she just kept going.
It was like with Konoha- at the beginning she didn't understand everything in the books either, but with time she did. She even now read some about the shinobi history side! Not just the civilians! But that was harder, often the story didn't quite line up, or things simply were state secrets, or clan secrets, or secret ninjutsu- all in all a lot of secrets.
After all Konohagakure was a Shinobi village, so it was just natural that she would learn its history.
But first came the civilian side- as her parents said. After all they were civilians and she would have to lear who was important in the village and in the past- her parents also wanted her to read about the civilian history of Mizu no Kuni (and other countries, but it was easier to read about the ones her parents were about to visit, it was more interesting) before the shinobi side of Konoha, but Sakura convinced them that she should learn about her own village first!
After all she was from Konoha, even if not a shinobi!
Her parents agreed- as long as she kept up her studies about their business and trades they almost always did.
And Sakura always kept her studies up. She was fast like that. And she had the time.
When her parents were away she often stayed with Ino-chan.
The Yamanakas were a big clan in Konoha, and Ino-chan was her best friend! Even if she was mean sometimes, but most of the time not to her. Her father may be a little scary, but he always agreed that she could come over when her parents left for business. So that was nice.
Oka-san said that was a big deal, him being the Clan head and all, but for Sakura it seemed normal. After all she was Ino-chans best friend!
And they always liked it when she was there, Ino's mother especially. Sometimes Sakura noticed that it was because of the different upbringing she had from Ino-chan. Sakura always stood up veeeerrry early to help with breakfast and cleaning up after, and tried her best to help in the small flower shop.
Not to say that Ino-chan didn't, the Clan also raised her to be a bright and respectful kunoichi after all! But it wasn't expected of her to help with simple tasks as it was for Sakura at home.
Ino-chan was instead learning to become a kunoichi- even if right now it was just simple things, she would start the academy in 2 years if everything went good.
She was really proud about that, her father showed her the family kata, so she would have the time to perfect it until she joined the academy!
This morning Yamanaka-san showed her and Ino-chan some new Kanji to practice and quizzed them about important Clan Leaders in Konoha.
She would definitely need to freshen up on that, after all Ino-chan was almost as good as her in the small pop quiz.
But just almost.
She giggled to herself, caressed the spine of her new book and opened the first page.
In neat handwriting, in the upper left corner, there was a small dedication from her mother:
“To Sakura,
because we can't bring the waves of this land
we can try and bring their history
with love,
Mom”
She decided she would read it after dinner, today they would stay in and Oka-san would make a big dinner, Oto-san would ask her what she did the last week, they would show her whatever new fashion they brought her from Mizu no Kuni, and just enjoy each others present.
She could read her book later.
And next time they travelled to Mizu, she decided she would come with them!
Her little legs brought her down the stairs in a fast fashion, and she could already smell her mothers cooking in the kitchen.
“Oto-san! Will you tell me about your travels? Please? I read in Mizu there are seas as wide as the eye can see, and that its almost always raining, did you see Kirigakure? I read it was really scary there, did you feel safe? Was everything okay? Of course it was you came bac-”
“Sakura”- her father laughed, stood up from the pillow he laid on the tatami mat in their living room and put the papers in front of him in a neat and easy small stack, "don't forget to breathe! Yes, everything went good, but that was to be expected, it was just some small business with a distant cousin. You remembered your family history, don't you? There is little threat for a merchants family.”.
He pulled her bow straight, the red one Ino-chan gifted her, and put the papers on a small table near the kitchen. Sakura noticed that his movements were heavy as he stood up before, and that he used his hands to pull up his weight. She wondered when that began, and if she even would have noticed for years if not now- maybe he became slower during the travels and she would only notice it when he retired?
Sakura pouted.
Of course she remembered her family history, how could he doubt her like that?
But just because they had family there didn't mean Mizu no Kuni wasn't dangerous!
“Did you enjoy your time with the Yamanakas?”, he smiled at her and took her hand in his.
“Yes I did! Ino-chans father showed us some new kanji, and her mother showed me how to make their family curry. But it's super secret! Yamanaka Clan technique she said!”
Sakura smiled from ear to ear, remembering the way Ino-chans Oka-san had smiled at her in secret and said she would have to help teach the curry to Ino later, who was having problems with the reading exercise she had.
From the kitchen she could hear her mother laughing.
“Yes she would say that! Next time you go over, bring some of my curry as a thank you, but I will have a word with her about you having your own roots! She can see that the Harunos curry is the best, and one of the reasons I married your father.”
“I thought you married me because you loved me?”, her father feigned surprise.
“Love, good curry, isn't it quite the same?”
She left her parents to their bickering, there was no stopping it now and she would get her answers with dinner, she was sure of that.
Her small steps took her to their backyard, a small one but she could watch over a little forest- not even near as big as the Nara forest!
Okay, maybe it was more a little assembly of trees then a real forest. But it was beautiful nonetheless, and she knew it was hard to have such a peaceful place in Konoha as a generational home. Especially for a civilian clan like hers, the shinobi ones may have their whole compounds, but to make a name and a home as civilians meant more work- that's what her Oto-san always said.
She sat down on the small step that led to the trees, and looked at the birds in them.
It would be a lie to say it was all hard work though- there was an element of luck for them.
The Harunos weren't all from Konoha, they mostly came from the land of Whirlpool, but even before Uzushigakure was destroyed they already had branches in Mizu and Hi no Kuni, for easier trading routes.
Her specific branch of Haruno family members came here shortly after the first shinobi war- having sensed an option to expand their territory and name, and being open to the gamble of settling down in a new village.
Oto-san liked to talk about the family members that kept up trading with the Senjus for years and years- until almost all were gone.
About how the Harunos were the foundation for most of the Hyuugas clothes, because without them the fine fabrics wouldn't make it to Konoha.
That meant the Harunos were one of the older Clans of Konoha, which granted them to get a nice piece of land that was theirs for generations, even if small.
She picked up a small stone, and turned it in her hand.
She could hear the clinking of cups and bowls in the kitchen, her mother would soon serve dinner.
Sakura stood up, fixed her dress and moved to go back inside when she saw something yellow from the corner of her eye.
She turned her head, the yellow thing in question seemed to be a boy. He was alone and wandered a little bit further away, his head bowed down, and his hands in his pockets.
He looked like he could be her age, she remembered seeing him at the playground near the academy.
He was alone most of the time, she never bothered to change that but she also couldn't understand why. Maybe he was a bully and nobody liked playing with him?
Either way, she made a mental note that she saw him here and went back inside. Surely his parents would call him back for dinner soon, and she wanted to put up the flowers Ino-chans mother gave her.
Dinner was great!
Oto-san told her that in the village in Mizu no Kuni where they stayed, everything was really peaceful. They visited a branch of the family that did not go to Hi no Kuni, and that that particular branch didn't want to stay in Mizu no Kuni and was looking for a way to migrate to Konoha, and that they were preparing to file the papers for that.
That was part of her schooling, and she was really exited- learning things and reading books was way too much fun for her, and her father wanted her to search which files they would have to use and which information the Daimyou would need to approve their move.
Of course it was to learn, and in the end Oto-san would correct everything she didn't think of, but she was still really excited.
Oka-san talked about the rivers and the sea they watched, and how they had to travel with a small boat.
Sakura had never been on one!
She also was really excited about the book Oka-san brought. It was a childrens story about a sword that spoke to its user, and his many adventures as he grew up. Sakura loved it already.
She would definitely tell Ino-chan about it all at the next barbeque Choiji's mother hosted, one of Ino-chans friends because of shared clan history.
She met the boy a while ago while staying with Ino-chan over the weekend, he came over with the most delicious melonpan she ever had- nobody could ever tell her mom that!
She was sure Ino-chan would also like the book, it was easy to read and Ino-chan liked to not read the whole day- other than Sakura.
But they all would become shinobi, that wasn't even a question for them. Shikamaru-kun, Choiji-kun, Ino-chan….
And even if only Ino-chan was her friend, she didn't know any kid that wouldn't go to the academy.
And she wouldn't. She wasn't from some fancy shinobi Clan, but from a merchants Clan. And she too would have to keep their traditions, and step in their footprints.
Sometimes she wondered if it would be fun- being a shinobi. It was, or more seemed, to be really dangerous, and her theoretical skills with reading and learning didn't seem to have much potential in a shinobi world, so she was content with just daydreaming about it.
But she was sure she would miss her friends, seeing them so often, and once they would go on missions she would be even more alone than she was now.
Being left behind by Ino-chan was a thought that kept her up at night.
She was the one she turned to when her parents left for a while, her friend that stood beside her whatever happened.
The thought of Ino-chan one day going on a mission, and being away for such a long time. While Sakura would sit at home and wait for her parents to come home, and maybe just hearing from Ino-chan through her Mother was devastating.
Her parents told her that they would stay for 3 days, before going to a nearby market, still located in Hi nu Kuni.
And because she was her anchor, Ino-chan would be there.
She would visit the Yamanakas again, they already knew about it, and her parents would be sent with a small Genin Team to stay safe while they traveled.
That was one of the most promising things she thought about when thinking about the academy- she could be their shinobi and protect her parents.
There would be no stranger instead of her, she would be strong enough to travel with them, and she wouldn't have to stay behind.
The current situation meant her parents weren't confident enough to take her with them, even in the Land of Fire, there could still be a missing ninja or bandits wanting to rob people- and she was still a child.
Staying inside the village was safer. So she did. Always. Left behind in the safety of others. She hated it.
She thought about everything Ino-chan had to learn, and how her Clan made it look so easy, and in her small mind formed an idea.
Maybe
Just maybe
She could try to also join the academy.
She wouldn't have to make it far in a shinobi life to travel with her parents, and she could retire and still keep up the merchant life. But maybe her parents would feel safe enough to take her with them, instead of other shinobi.
She ignored the small voice in her head that kept telling her she wasn't doing it for her family, but for selfish reasons.
Because she didn't want to give up her first friend. Because she could even, maybe! Be send on missions with her.
The fantasy of what would happen if maybe she didn't retire and stayed on a genin team. Was sent with Ino and came home with her, stayed unspoken and tucked safely into a small part of her brain she didn't like to think about.
The part that wanted to scream when her parents didn't notice her fast learning, didn't spare her a second thought when leaving her with another family that opened their arms for her.
A small voice that couldn't be convinced that her parents loved her and it was just their job.
The ache she felt when Yamanaka-san kept his schedule free for her birthday when he heard that she would be alone because her parents were held up and wouldn't make it in time.
Everytime this little voice spoke to her she kept reminding herself that she should be grateful, her parents tried to be there and it was the only time they missed her birthday.
And they stayed for two weeks after that.
But somewhere, in this unspoken part of her brain this voice grew a dream.
A dream of being part of something, and of belonging and of being chosen- and if she needed to tell herself she would do it for her family that wasn't important.
It was important that she did it.
But for that to work she would have to keep up with her familys expectations- or else she simply wouldn't be allowed to sign up for the academy, and would still have to learn enough about being a shinobi that she would graduate and become a genin.
How handy that she already was so good at learning new things.
And so a plan formed.
A small one, still unforged at the edges.
But a plan nonetheless.
A hope that forced its roots in her soul and spread like wild weeds.