She's going to work on it.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

She races for her home with little regard to her teammates, their sensei, and Ino. The moment she steps foot out of Training Ground 3, the black smoke is easily seen. It almost looks like a tornado with the way it twists up into the sky. She pumps chakra into her feet and takes to the roofs to get there faster. Sakura barely comprehends the familiar chakras directly on her tail. The cries of "Put the fire out!" grow louder as she draws near. She sees a variety of people. Different clans and civilians. Some using water-based jutsu to try and put the fire out while others run around with buckets of water.

Her is compound is nearly covered in flames. Save for the entrance to her home, Sakura cannot see where the fire begins and where it ends. Her heart pounding against her ribcage, she comes to an abrupt stop. The ground is rippling in agony; as if to cry out in pain. She hears shouting. She sees familiar faces.

The sacred tree! Sakura thinks suddenly, a sick feeling pooling in her stomach. My pictures! She makes a foolish choice then. One that will surely get her into a lot of trouble. She can already picture the sort of face Naruto's dad will make when he learns of this. Without looking around, Sakura darts forward, dodging the hands that reach out to stop her. There are cries for her to stop. Cries that tell there's nothing in her home worth risking her life. Sakura ignores them.

If she loses those pictures, she'll have nothing left.

Black smoke greets her along with extreme heat. Sakura looks around her living room, sees what's not on fire, and leaps over the couch darting for her bedroom. The moment the door is open, Sakura jumps out of the way. Flames lick at her bare knees but she pushes the pain aside. Some burns in exchange for the remaining items of her parents? She'll take it. Sakura can barely make out her bedside table. Using her dresser to avoid the floor, Sakura dives over her bed and grabs the only framed picture on it, holding it close to her chest.

She coughs. The smoke is thick, black, and she feels like an idiot. There's a ripple in the ground followed by the sound of something crumbling. Sakura squints through the smoke and flames and sees a hole in the wall. There's a ridiculously large tree root retreating into the ground. She sends a silent 'thank you' to her sacred tree. Sakura runs through the hole, hissing when fire kisses at her arms. The guest bedroom isn't nearly as bad as her bedroom. Sakura uses the bed to get to the door.

Raising her shirt to cover her mouth and nose, Sakura runs for her parent's room. She prays for a miracle. She prays that the pictures at the bedside table are okay. The moment Sakura opens the door, she slams it shut. The entire room is engulfed in flames. A helpless feeling crawls over her skin. Her coughing grows worse, her eyes stinging. The cover of her shirt doesn't protect her much. Just as she turns to run down the hall for the exit, a sharp crack is heard and the roof is caving in. Large chunks of wood and plaster fall from above. In a split second decision, she throws herself backward.

Sakura can't see five feet in front of her. She starts coughing. It's incredibly violent. Thick smoke fills her lungs; tiny tears trail down her face. How could she have been so stupid running into a burning building as she did?! She starts crawling backward, one hand still clutching her family picture to her chest. Her back meets the wall. Flames lick at her skin. The pain is building. By God, it hurts. She coughs. She can't see anything.

I don't want to die, she thinks desperately. I'm not ready to die.

"Sakura-hime," a voice to her left calls out to her. It's urgent and even sounds frightened. A cool material is wrapped around her. A blanket of some sort. Sakura feels herself being picked up. "You foolish girl. You foolish, foolish girl."

She places the voice a moment later. "N-Nii-san," she chokes out. The spike in Sasuke's older bother's chakra is almost comforting. "Save t-the s-sacred tree. Gard-den. Please." She wheezes. "Please." She attempts to inhale and gags.

"Stop talking. You'll make yourself sick."

Everything that follows is a blur for the most part. Sakura doesn't recognize she's outside until she hears too many voices at once. Her shaky inhale has her coughing again. She hears someone yell for everyone to "Back off! Give her room to breath for God's sake!" Sakura is rolled to her side when she gags again, dry heaving towards the ground.

"Why would she do that?!"

Sakura cracks her eyes open, hissing at the bright light that greets her.

"The tree," she croaks. "N-Nii-san save my tree." A fresh wave of tears rolls down her ashed covered cheeks. "P-Please."

"What is she talking about?!"

"Tree?! What tree?!"

"The one in the garden!"

In the distance, Sakura can vaguely hear Naruto call out her name. There's a shout from Sasuke quickly followed by Ino. A cool hand is pressed against Sakura's face, covering her eyes. She sighs in relief. It's a stark, but welcomed, contrast to the heat she threw herself in. "You foolish child," a male voice, much older than Itachi's, states. "Your intelligence is widely known and yet you do something this reckless." Chakra washes over her, cooling her body.

It doesn't stop the ache of her burns nor the pain in her throat, but it's enough that Sakura thinks she'll be okay.

"A f-fool I may be," Sakura struggles to say, "but e-even fools know that certain t-things can't be replaced." The hand is lowered from her face. She spends a few moments attempting to open her eyes. It's a difficult task. When Sakura does open her eyes she flinches at the bright sunlight and breathes slowly. Her throat hurts.

Finally, she looks into the eyes of the person who helped her.

Sakura has always sort of liked Neji's father and Hinata's uncle. Among the famous Hyuga twins, Hyuga Hizashi is seen much more around Konoha than his twin brother, the leader of the Hyuga clan. The man, during her Academy days, would always be right outside after classes ended for the day, standing under the same tree every day. He was really polite with the other parents and even to the children. She has spoken to him maybe four times in her entire life.

She didn't know he was some sort of medic nin.

"Hyuga-sama," she acknowledges. It's said in a raspy voice.

"I was a friend of your father," the man states, pale green glowing hand moves to rest on the side of her neck. Sakura allows the touch while maintaining eye contact with the man. She hasn't spoken specifically to anyone regarding her parents in a while. Not even to the boys or Ino. The parents of her friends have backed off a year or so ago. "And while I never had the pleasure to really know your mother, I knew of her skill."

Sakura blinks slowly. "Why are you telling me this, Hyuga-sama?" Her throat no longer hurts. Breathing is much easier.

"Because you were their only child and the possible loss of your life would have been very unfortunate." There's an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes. "And I don't mean the Haruno clan's genjutsu abilities."

Slowly, like moving through the fog, it clicks. Or, she thinks so. "I apologize for being reckless."

Hizashi stares at her before shaking his head. "You don't understand, but you may one day. Hopefully." He looks over her shoulder. "I healed what I could, but I'm not a trained medic. She needs to go to the hospital. I stopped the bleeding from her burns as best I can. See to it that she receives proper treatment, Itachi."

The arms around Sakura tighten briefly. "Of course, Hizashi-sama."

Pale eyes return to her face. "You'll be answering to a lot of people, Sakura." A sort of smirk appears on his face. "Our Hokage seems quite displeased with your actions." His eyes flicker over her shoulder again. "I would advise you to take her directly to the hospital, Itachi. Allow her to collect her thoughts before she's confronted. Your brother and their teammate are barely being held back by Kakashi."

Sakura wants to know why this man speaks so informally for being from such a highly regarded clan. He never spoke to her like this in their brief conversations when she was younger. For all the politeness she has observed, she was always under the impression that the Hyuga - much like the Uchiha and Aburame - were full of stiff members who only spoke when spoken too.

"Thank you for aiding her, Hizashi-sama." Itachi lifts her up effortlessly.

Sakura clutches her family portrait to her chest. "Be honest with me," she starts before Itachi can walk away, gaze staying firmly on the man, "is the tree in my garden gone?"

"It has stuffed great damage," the Hyuga answers honestly, "but it still stands."

She nods, turning her face away to bury against Itachi's chest, taking comfort in his strength. "Thank you for being honest." There's no reply and Sakura doesn't expect one.

"To the hospital, Sakura-hime."

Closing her eyes, Sakura doesn't reply.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

"The burns were healed save for the ones on the back of her knees. The skin is typically thin and tender there and requires some more extensive healing. The nerves were damaged badly. The process is tedious and takes a longer time to do despite the small area. Other than that, she did inhale a lot of smoke. The swelling of her lungs has been reduced thanks to Hyuga Hizashi, but she'll need to stick to liquids and liquid-based foods for at least three days. That, and some mandatory rest would be all she needs to make a full recovery."

Minato nods slowly, blue gaze firmly planted on Sakura's sleeping form. The look on her face is that of someone who is going through a nightmare. He has a few ideas of what those nightmares may be. His son is speaking quietly to their other teammate. Both of the boys are sitting at her bedside; one peeling an apple with a small pocket knife while the other is gesturing to something in the book in his lap. From his angle behind the glass window, he can't read lips. Whatever it is, it seems important. He'll store that away for now and ask Naruto later.

The moment he dismisses the nurse, Minato sighs. "Report," he tells the figure that suddenly appears at his side.

"As you suspected," Inuzuka Tsume states immediately. "There were several accelerants all over the house ranging from gasoline to straw. My dogs could smell them miles away. Whoever did this wanted us to believe that she left the stove on while out but I have seen various ways a fire that size can start and there's absolutely no way it would have spread the way it did. They were careless or maybe they want to fool us. Also, whoever did this was looking for something. The bedroom of which we assume belonged to her parents was torn apart before the fire started. The dresser was knocked over and the bed was flipped against a wall." She sighs. "There are several sealed compartments under the floor in that room. Some seem to be tampered with, but accessing them was useless."

He tears his gaze away from the window. "Sealed compartments?"

Tsume nods. "I cannot tell you how, but the fire did not seep into the ground. The area around these sealed compartments are burnt to a crisp, some parts already caving in, but the area of the seal is fine." She cracks her neck easily. "Mebuki was particularly gifted in sealing - something she and Kushina had in common - and she would do anything to protect her family and their secrets."

"I am of the belief that those involved with the murder of Sakura's parents also did this." He sees Tsume clench her fists out of the corner of his eye. "Was anything salvaged?"

"Everything in those sealed compartments, a few books, and aesthetic pictures were taken off the wall. They're damaged, but not horribly so. The rest of the compound collapsed shortly after she was taken to the hospital. Too many broken dishes and burnt clothes."

Tsume moves pass him a little, lifting her hand to press against the glass. "I used to hold her when she was a baby." She turns around and leans against the window, arms crossing over her chest. It's a very casual appearance, but Minato can easily see the tension in her shoulders. "Mebuki was a good friend. One of my closest friends and someone destroyed her home and took nearly everything away from her daughter. What happens to her now? Where will she live?"

"That's her choice. I already have three families - myself included - who are more than happy to take her in, but it's ultimately her choice."

"She may choose to live on her own."

Minato sighs. "That's what concerns me."

"She's a target now, Hokage-sama. Someone is after something she may unknowingly have. We need someone to watch over her."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

When Sakura is released from the hospital one week after her home was set on fire, with no one sugar-coating the condition it is currently in, she heads directly to what was formerly the Haruno compound. At her side are her teammates and Ino. Sakura knows Kakashi is keeping a distance by hiding between rooftops and trees. She very briefly caught a glimpse of him in the shadows.

The collapse of her compound shows her tarnished garden save for a couple of white rose bushes that somehow managed to survive the fire and the half-burnt tree. Sakura sucks in a shaky breath, forcing back tears at the sight of something so precious to her hurting so much. The ground ripples under her feet, acknowledging her sorrow. Sakura approaches the tree and places her hand on the damaged bark.

"I need to remove this bark so new bark can grow in its place." She turns to them. "Will you help me?"

Ino nods, eyes flickering between Sakura and the tree. "Absolutely." Sakura appreciates that Ino doesn't ask any questions. Naruto moves to her side, taking her hand in his as gently as possible.

"We're going to help you, Sakura-chan." Naruto looks determined. "No matter what."

"Thank you," Sakura replies. "I need to check the," she breathes heavily, "the compound as well. To look for anything that may have survived the fire." Realistically, she has already been told that what was salvaged was already placed in holding for her to pick up.

She is super lucky to not bring most of her family's important documents home; opting to keep them in storage until further notice.

"I'm going to start checking around your...compound," Sasuke states. "That way we start killing two birds with one stone." Sakura turns away at Sasuke's choice of words knowing he just wants to help and nods.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

Naruto moves past Sakura, hands on his hips. "So we just...start peeling it off?"

"Yes," she replies. "But be as gentle as you can when you do it."

"Okay," Ino claps her hands. "Let's get to work."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Minato stares up at the man before him, fingers entwined with his elbows resting on his desk. "This is a delicate situation. It is highly possible that she will be targeted next. Whoever committed the murder of her parents did not bother to hide their mess, but rather make it apparent, and recent actions have made it clear that someone within the village is after something the Haruno clan has or knows information about."

The man bows his head. "Of course, Hokage-sama."

"I'm trusting you to watch after her," Minato replies seriously. "There are very few Haruno left, save for the ones in Iron and they have made it clear," he lowers his eyes to the letter on his desk, eyeing it with disgust, "that they want nothing to do with her."

"Because of her father's marriage to a civilian," the man states, annoyance clear in his voice. "There are some terrible people in our world, Hokage-sama. Those who abandon family in their time of need are some of the worst."

Lifting his eyes, Minato regards the man silently for a moment. "This is not how I wanted to bring you back into the service, but you did state in your request for a leave that your return to active duty be gradual."

"This is fine, Hokage-sama. My wood-release could restore her compound and the other buildings on her property."

Minato sighs. "Very few people know about that. I'd rather keep it that way, but ultimately it's her choice on where she goes from here. And yours. She's very attached to the tree on her property so she may take you up on that offer."

"When do I get to meet her?"

"In a few days." Minato smiles a little while patting a single folder on his desk. "Everything is in here. She...is also a student of Kakashi."

Silence - "I have to deal with senpai?"

"Yes, but I believe you'll be a good addition to their group, Yamato."

Yamato sighs. "Senpai won't hesitate to tease me." Then he blinks. "Do you not trust senpai to look after her himself?"

"I do, to a degree, but you'll come to learn the struggles of the group soon enough. And there is, however, another matter we must discuss before I dismiss you." The seriousness on his face brings Yamato to stand at attention, ever concerned about his Hokage.

Minato crosses his arms over his chest. "This will take a bit of time, but it's necessary."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

"There are another one of those seals over here!" Naruto calls out. "In fact, there are no scorch marks touching it at all. The seal looks pretty intense." Sakura sees Naruto frown down at the ground. "I recognize some of the symbols used. My mom has been teaching me about seals, ya' know? Something about me being half Uzumaki." He shrugs.

Sakura walks over to him and they both crouch. "Can you tell me what you know?"

Naruto nods. "This one means protection." The symbol he points to looks similar to Yin-Yang. "Probably to protect whatever it's hiding from things like fire or water or bugs. These are security symbols." He points to the small markings - similar to crescent moons - surrounding the outer layer of the seal. "These are high class, too. I've only ever seen them on dad's important documents."

"What could your parents be hiding, Sakura?" Ino comes to crouch next to Sakura. "My dad uses symbols like these. Only highly important documents require such a level of security. Your family isn't exactly very big, to begin with."

"Every clan has it's secrets," Sasuke calls from behind all of them. "My clan uses similar seals. Especially my father and brother. Only a member of the clan can deactivate them." He moves around them and stares down at the seal. "A little bit of chakra should do it. There are some more over there and a few in what was your bedroom. Or your parents. I can't, uh, really tell." Then he crosses his arms over his chest. "This is a personal matter, Sakura. Clan secrets are classified. If you want us to leave, we can."

No one must know of your heritage. It's as if the statement was whispered in her ear. Sakura swallows before replying. "I need you guys to leave me for a bit." She licks her lips. "I would appreciate some boxes though."

"I'll go get you some boxes!" Naruto jumps up. "Come on, Sasuke!" Sakura watches, mildly amused, as Naruto drags a sputtering Sasuke away.

She tenses briefly when Ino places a hand on her shoulder. "I have to meet up with my team soon. Send word when you have living arrangements sorted out. My home is always open."

Sakura places her hand over Ino's and squeezes. "Thank you, Ino."

"No problem. I'll see you later."

The moment Ino is gone, Sakura turns her head towards the sacred tree and sighs. "Attempting to use genjutsu on me is silly, sensei. Like the Uchiha, my family specializes in it. I could see right through it the moment you cased it. Sasuke probably noticed as well." She had seen him shift, glancing at the tree with an unimpressed look, earlier.

"Mah mah, Sakura-chan. No need to be mean."

"Not being mean, sensei."

Kakashi flashsteps right next to her. "You missed your meeting with Genma on Friday, but don't worry," he says quickly when Sakura's head snaps up, "he is aware of the situation. Will you meet him tonight since it's Monday?"

She nods. "Of course. I didn't mean to forget, I - "

"Sakura, it's alright. Given recent circumstances, he understands. Things like this aren't new."

How often is someone's home set on fire? She wants to ask.

"Someone was looking for something in my home," Sakura whispers after a moment of silence, "and I'm positive it relates to whatever these seals are hiding."

"Are you going to send me away like you did the boys?" Kakashi pulls out his book, form slouching just a bit. "Because I can leave if you want. I'm just here to make sure things are okay for you and to inform you, and the boys, of our new training schedule."

Sakura looks down at the seal again. She wants to activate it and see what's underneath, but it wouldn't be fair to allow Kakashi to stay after sending the boys away to collect boxes for her. "Tell me the training schedule and I'll relate it to Sasuke and Naruto, but I do need you to leave, sensei."

"Of course, of course. Starting tomorrow, 8 AM to 11 AM, 1 PM to 5 PM, and 6 PM to 9:30 PM."

"Alright," Sakura chooses to not question the almost strange schedule, "I'll inform the boys."

Kakashi reaches forward and pats her head. "You'll be okay." She doesn't have to ask him to clarify what he means. "As for now, have you picked a place to stay until you make any permanent living arrangements?"

"When I lost my parents, I bounced around the homes of my friends." Sakura pauses. "But I'm sure you know that already." He cocks an eyebrow at her pointed stare. "It will probably be the same."

A moment of silence, and then - "You are aware that this situation won't be dropped, Sakura? Someone deliberately set your home on fire to cover up that they were looking for something. More than likely, it's what's under those seals. Because they could not get past them, they opted for an 'easier' way to access them."

"Whoever did it caused too big a reaction, sensei. They setup accelerants all over my home. They knew this place would be watched after the fire was put out."

"Yes," Kakashi nods, "but it's in-between moving what is sealed from one location to another that makes it easy for the culprit."

Sakura looks away. "I see. Then, I suppose, it would be safer if you were here."

"That's your choice," he replies. "I won't look nor ask about what you discover. Those boys will be back soon."

"They will be moved to storage until further notice." Sakura places her palm on the seal, sending a spark of chakra to it. "Sasuke says every clan has its secrets. My clan is no different."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Kakashi watches, silent as ever, as Sakura dutifully places sealed scroll after sealed scroll into one of the boxes the boys brought back before Sakura dismissed them with a half-hearted shrug and a promise to meet up later. He didn't bother informing them of their new training schedule, leaving that to Sakura. He also doesn't offer to help her remove them from the container under the ground and she doesn't ask. There are a grand total of seven sealed locations across the scorched floor of the once beautiful home. Four of them are clustered in what he believes was once the bedroom of her parents.

"This is the last one, sensei." Sakura closes the box and taps it shut. "Thank goodness Sasuke remembered to bring tap along."

"Thank goodness, indeed," Kakashi replies while forming hand signs at a quick speed. Two clones appear. "We'll carry these ones and you take that one. I'll follow you to storage and then leave you to meet up with Naruto and Sasuke."

Sakura blinks up at him. "That's a B-Rank jutsu, sensei."

"That it is," he answers. "Not something I should teach you given your current rank."

"'Should'?" She smiles a little. "There's a possibility."

He grins behind his mask, picking up a box as he does. "It all depends on the result of your training over the next month." They start walking away from the rubble, almost casually but not quite. "Some big things are coming up and I need you and the boys to be prepared."

"Like what?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he responds. Depending on your mental state by that time, I may not enter you three into the exams after all. Naruto and Sasuke won't do it without you. "For now, focus on caring for yourself."

She snorts. "Sensei is being purposely cryptic."

"My darling student should take her sensei's words seriously." Kakashi shifts his grip on the box he's holding. "And don't forget about your meeting tonight. But if you happen to run late, bring Genma some dango. He lets go of grudges pretty easily when offered something sweet."

Sakura laughs a little. "That makes two of us, sensei."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Itachi silently observes his brother. He can't help but worry a little at the way Sasuke almost violently sharpens his tanto - a recent gift he bestowed his brother - while lost in thought. It had been this way for the last hour and he's concerned that Sasuke might accidentally slice his finger being so lost in thought.

"Otouto, I believe your tanto is sharp enough." He frowns when Sasuke starts, blinking over at him as if he didn't realize Itachi was only a few feet away. "Perhaps, if you still feel the need to care for your weapons, you should move on to your kunai. Some appear rusted. Those should be replaced."

Sasuke looks down at his tanto, eyes the crisp sharpness, and places it back in its sheath. "Forgive me. I have a lot on my mind and recent events haven't really helped." When Sasuke doesn't meet his eyes after that, Itachi slides closer. "Things haven't been - they haven't - and I don't know how I feel about it."

Like any good older brother, Itachi waits for Sasuke to gather his thoughts. "Take your time." The silence rains on for several minutes. Itachi watches, mildly amused, as varying emotions flicker across Sasuke's face. Frustration. Annoyance. Worry. Sympathy.

"What," Sasuke starts quietly, "do you know about the Haruno clan?"

Raising an eyebrow, Itachi takes a moment to collect his thoughts. "Their genjutsu capabilities surpass that of our own clan, there are living members residing in the Land of Iron, and you are the team of Konoha's only member of the clan. Why do you ask?"

"Sakura's hiding something," Sasuke replies. "I think it's...dangerous."

"And you've come to this conclusion because of what happened to her home?"

Sasuke nods. "There were several seals on her floor. What was left of it, anyway. And I know," he states quickly when Itachi opens his mouth, "that every clan has their secrets, that they're entitled to them, but I...worry, I guess. Sakura has been closed off much more lately. I don't think she even realizes it."

"A lot has happened since you, her, and Naruto were placed on a team, Sasuke."

"One wrong thing after another," and yet, Sasuke shifts uncomfortably.

Itachi looks down at his lap. Unlike Sasuke, who brought his weapons to the open area at the entrance of their home to sharpen them, Itachi merely choose that spot to read a book. The sun's bright light is countered by the cool breeze that drifts by every now and then.

"Have you expressed your concern to Sakura?"

"And add unneeded worry to her already worried mind? No thank you, aniki. Sakura's guilt for reacting subconsciously is not something she needs right now. Or ever, to be honest."

"Just be her friend, Sasuke. That's what she needs the most. Drifting away happens when you lose someone or something important to you. Give her time and things should be okay."

Sasuke looks down at his hands, fingers clenching he's tanto's handle briefly, before relaxing. "Yes, aniki." He leans forward and taps Sasuke forehead. The small smile on Sasuke's face is worth so much more than everything Itachi owns.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Sakura walks into Genma's office and sits on the couch across from his desk. She doesn't speak and he doesn't greet her. His head is bowed over his desk, pencil flying across a seemingly important document. Sakura can make out bold words - 'Evaluation' and 'Urgent' - and wonders if it relates to her. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke have been subtle about her receiving "additional," if possible, help since her home was set on fire. Ino has been just as bad.

"Give me a moment to finish this up and then we'll get started, kiddo."

"Take your time, Genma-san." Sakura looks at the magazines on the small table next to the couch. There are a few self-help ones, some relating to cooking, plenty relating to tips and tricks for experienced shinobi, and some for gardening. Sakura picks up one that focuses on rose bushes.

She flips through it, stopping on a page full of various rose bushes. Some are clipped to look like objects or people, others make up barriers around homes. They're all pretty. The white and yellow ones especially.

"Alright, that's that." Sakura immediately closes the magazine and places it back on the table. "So, kiddo, let's start with the usually regarded boring stuff. On a scale of 1-to-10, how do you feel right now? 1 being the worst and 10 being so great you're ready to scream it from the rooftops."

Feeling her lips twitch, she responds in a subdued manner. "6, Genma-san."

"Hell of a lot better than I expected."

Sakura frowns. "Really?"

"Kiddo, everyone knows what happened last week. A fire appearing in the middle of the clan district is not something you can forget."

"Oh."

Genma sticks a senbon needle in his mouth and speaks around it. "Have you found a place to stay until everything is sorted out?"

"With a close friend," Sakura answers.

"Good, good. So, how has your day been?"

She shrugs a little. "Slow." It's the first word that comes to her head. "Very slow. Everyone seems to be walking on eggshells around me and it doesn't do me any good. I understand that they're worried and cautious about what to say to me and how to act, but it's still..." She trails off, shrugging again.

"It gets annoying, right?" Genma crosses his arms over his chest. "The constant worry they direct at you? You get annoyed with them."

"I don't want to think about it like that. There's enough negativity in my life. I don't need to direct it at well-meaning people."

Genma chews on his needle for a moment. "Well-meaning doesn't change the fact that it can become annoying. Remember what I said when we met the first time? Feel what you feel. Don't hold it back." Those words don't have the sort of reaction he's expecting but, at the same time, he expected something like this to happen at one point or another.

When the first tear rolls down Sakura's cheek, he makes no comment. He watches, still and silent, as tiny little tears roll down her face. "My f-family's hard work a-and dedication went into creating that h-home. I have only one - one - picture left of t-them. It's not fair!" She snaps, slapping her hands over her face. "It's not fair. What did I do?!" It's clear to him that she's losing sight of her reason for being there when she repeats the question over and over again.

"What could you have done?" Her head snaps up as if shocked by his question. "Kiddo, you weren't home - thank god - you didn't start the fire." Genma breathes in deeply. "I knew your dad, kiddo." Sakura's eyes widen. "Haruno Kizashi was a great guy. He could switch between hilarity and seriousness like flipping a light switch. I liked being assigned missions with him back when I was active duty. I was his senior in terms of rank, but I could always count on him." He shifts in his seat. "Knew your mom as well. Went to their wedding."

"Why are you telling me this, Genma-san?"

"Because I know damn well that they'd rather have that house gone than you gone." Then he cracks a smile, pulling open a drawer. "I know it's not much but I want you to have this." He pulls out a small photo album and slides it forward on his desk until it reaches the edge."

He watches as Sakura hesitates for a moment, seeming unsure to pick up the album. He waits. Patient. She needs to do this on her own. She leans forward and takes the album and places it in her lap. With trembling fingers, she flips open the cover. The first picture is of her father, Genma, and two other men. They're all sitting around a table, cards, and drinks about, with heads thrown back in laughter as the picture was taken.

The next picture is one of her father and mother, much younger - much, much younger - dressed in winter clothes. Again, Genma and the unknown men from the picture before are in it. Also among them is Inuzuka Tsume and a Hyuga. Every picture after that is of her parents among friends.

Every picture except the final one.

Sakura traces a hand over her mother's smiling face. Both of her parents are beaming. And how could they not? This was taken at their wedding. It's just them. Her father has her mother picked up bridal style and they're absolutely glowing. It's such a beautiful picture.

"Thank you, Genma-san." Sakura looks up at him and smiles. It's small but sincere. "But is it really okay I have these?" Leaving the open album to rest in her lap, she lifts her pointer fingers and rubs the knuckles against her eyes, erasing evidence of tears as she goes.

He waves away her concern after she lowers her hands. "I have copies. Those are the originals."

"This means a lot. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, we've got a few things that need to be covered. We'll have to end tonight about 15 minutes early because I need to be somewhere, but this won't be a regular thing. I usually stay for the full amount of time."

Closing the photo album and hugging it to her chest, Sakura nods.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

"Eat up," Yana tells the girls. "I don't particularly like late evening dinners, but we'll make do for now. Oh," she notices Sakura's wilting form, "it's alright, honey. Things happen and what keeps you out late is more important than what I think. Eat up, eat up."

Me and my big mouth.

Sakura spares her another glance before picking up her spoon. She wanted something simple tonight; soup with broccoli and fish on the side. Yana keeps a close eye on her not-daughter (something that she sometimes refers to Sakura as when asked about her daughter's 'favorite friend').

"When will daddy be home?" Ino asks before taking a bite of her fish.

"Soon - "

"Honey, I'm home," Inoichi calls out in a quiet voice. "I - oh. Good evening, girls. Why are you eating so late?"

Ino gets up to greet her dad. "Hi, daddy! Welcome home! Sakura just got back a little bit ago and I didn't want to eat without her."

Yana sees the way Sakura shifts her eyes to the ground to avoid looking at Ino and her father. The soft greeting of "Good evening, Inoichi-san," soon follows despite Sakura not looking at the man. Yana's eyes connect with her husband, offering a half-hearted shrug followed by a tiny smile.

He moves past Ino and ruffles Sakura's hair. "How's it going, Sakura-chan?"

"Surviving," Sakura answers. "My therapist gave me something that's really helping me deal with all the recent...stress."

"Really?" Ino moves forward. "Can I ask what?"

"A photo album of my parents. When they were younger," Sakura clarifies. "Mostly of dad, but it has a picture of my parent's wedding."

Yana sends a look at her husband. "That's nice, sweetie."

"May I ask who your therapist it?" Inoichi asks as he takes a seat across from Sakura while Yana sits next to him across from Ino.

"Shirunai Genma," she answers before places a spoonful of her soup in her mouth, eyes closing to savor the taste.

"I wasn't aware Genma would be taking on younger clients," Inoichi states while pouring himself a cup of tea, "but nevertheless, he's known for being very good at his job. Plenty of people in our line of business appreciate people who are equal parts laid back and attentive. Something that Genma is very good at being."

Sakura tilts her head, curious. "Kakashi-sensei recommended him to me. I like him."

"I'm glad you're getting help." Yana notices Ino's hand slipping under the table, sees the looks exchanged between her daughter and her best friend, and looks down at her cooling tea. Sakura will be okay.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

"A friend of my mother?" Sakura asks slowly. "How did you know her?"

Tsume grins, sharp teeth peeking through her lips. "She was my captain during my tense years."

"I'm pretty sure discussing such things are against protocol."

"Discussing what things?" Eyes flashing with amusement, Tsume pats the head of her faithful companion. "I was just dropping by to say hello and ask how you're doing and you decided to interrogate me. Can't I just be concerned for your well-being?"

Sakura rolls her eyes before narrowing them. "You seem familiar..."

I held you when you were a baby. I was at the hospital at the time of your birth. "My daughter, Hana, was a teacher's assistant for a while. She probably ended up in your classroom a few times. To get some experience. I also have a son named Kiba."

"Oh, on Hinata-san's team?"

Tsume nods. "Hyuga Hinata is one of his teammates."

"With the cute puppy!" Sakura looks away and laughs. "Akamaru, right?"

"That would be the one~" Tsume scratches Kuromaru behind his ears. "Where you headed to, kiddo?"

Sakura pulls her long hair back into a ponytail. "To meet up with my team. We have an interesting training schedule for the next month or so."

She nods. "Probably to get you ready for the exams."

"Exams?"

"The...chunin exams," Tsume answers slowly. "Konoha is hosting this year's chunin exams. It's an opportunity for genin to rise in rank." She sees Sakura twitch, curiosity flashing across her eyes. "Rumor has it that Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai are sponsoring their teams." She grins widely, all pointed teeth showing. "Konoha's Rookie Nine, I hear."

"I didn't the chunin exams were around the corner, but it explains the training schedule. We don't really have any free time beyond breaking for lunch, dinner, and sleeping."

Tsume nods again. "Makes sense, kiddo."

Sakura glances up at the cloudless sky. "Sensei probably wanted to surprise us."

"Mah," Tsume waves her off. "Don't worry about it. That boy will get over it." She receives a barely heard snort.

"Boy?"

"I got eleven years on him, kiddo. Eleven. So yes, he's a 'boy' in my eyes." Tsume counts it as a win when Sakura giggles behind her small, glove-covered hand. "I won't keep you any longer. I expect you to make it to the final round, kiddo. Show me what you got."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

(A/N: In the next chapter, Sakura will get to meet Yamato. Thank you for reading this story thus far.)

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