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Chapter Nine

"Faster, Sakura!" Itachi shouts loudly from across the field. Forcing myself to run faster, I apply the last remaining strength I have inside of me to finish the line. Itachi looks at me, somewhat pleased with the speed. "It was good. Though, you still have to train." He states obvious before turning to Shisui. "I have to leave, I promised Sasuke, I would train with him." With these words, Itachi disappears in leaves.

"Sasuke?" I tilt my head, looking at Shisui. "As in Uchiha Sasuke, who is in my class?" I ask once again, annoyed at the fact that Sasuke is related to someone like Itachi. They cannot be more different from one another. Itachi is calm and collected, always knows what to say or how to act. While Sasuke...He is like a brat. Always challenging Naruto, who then proceeds to annoy me about how he has lost to Sasuke.

"You don't like him?" Shisui chuckles at me expression. "Has he done something to upset you, Sakura-chan?" Shisui chuckles once again. "Or do you have a crush on certain someone?" He wiggles his eyebrows.

"No." I sigh and shake my head. "He is just in my class. He and Naruto love to challenge one another. He usually wins, leaving me to hear the complaints from Naruto about it." I explain calmly as I start moving towards the I&T Building.

"Well, why don't you try to be friends with him?" Shisui tilts his head and smiles. "I know Sasu-cakes. He is not a bad guy." Shisui adds without hesitation. "Nevermore, how much friends do you have? Only Naruto? Come on, Sakura-chan, you are eight already!" Shisui shakes his head, clicking his tongue.

"I am fine with only Naruto, Shisui." I roll my eyes, slowly making my way towards the village with Shisui beside me. I occasionally look at the curly boy, who smiles at me every time. "What about you? Where are your friends?"

"You wound me, Sakura-chan." Shisui winks at me and chuckles. "Anko, Ibiki, Itachi...They are my friends." He adds with fond smile. "And I have other friends, too, you know?" He chuckles, when I shrug my shoulders.

He opens his mouth to say something, but stops on his tracks, putting his hand on my shoulder and stopping me as well. I look up at him confused, not knowing what has happened to make him freeze on his tracks. His eyes are widened, Sharingan blazing into circles. His smile is morphed into scowl.

"Shisui?" I whisper his name in  a low voice. The look on his face freezing blood inside me, reminding me of the times, I try hard to forget. The image of my brother resurfaces in my mind, gabbing me back into the vortex of memories.

"Brother?" I whisper with low voice, staring at the boy in front of me with horrified look. His emerald eyes are darker than usual, filled with anger and bloodlust. His smile is twisted and morphed. He looks like death.

"Do not move, Blossom." He sneers the words out, pushing me behind him, while he stares at the man in front of us. "Run towards Anko." He states firmly as his eyes fall on his teammate.

"We need to go." Shisui whispers, picking me up immediately and teleporting from roof to roof, until his feet land in Hokage's office. He puts me down on the floor and looks at surprised Hokage. "Code Green." He whispers the words out.

Third stands up immediately, his hands hitting the wooden table as his eyes land on me, horrified. I look back and forth from two men in front of me, struggling to understand what is going on. I may not trust Third, but I do trust Shisui. And seeing him that worried only brings pain and fear to me.

"Sakura, no matter what happens, do not leave the room." Shisui looks down at me, kneeling in front of me and looking directly in my eyes. His gaze is soft, filled with care and kindness and sadness. "I will come back for you, okay?" I nod my head, scared. "If I don't, then Anko or Ibiki will, okay? Don't leave without any of us, got that?" I nod once again, fear slowly consuming me.

I stand in the middle of Hokage's office, fear slowly consuming me whole, covering me into its cold blankets, making it more and more difficult to breath.

Shisui has left. And from the tone of him, he knows that he might not come back. Ever.

I look at Hokage, who paces in the room, his eyes casted on the floor, muttering words underneath his breath. Occasionally, he looks up, clashing his eyes with mine before looking down once again. I can feel fear emitting from the man in front of me.

I can feel his fear circling around me, slowly blanketing me and feeding me. It feels as if the fear Hokage is feeling is somehow giving me strength. I try to shrug the feeling off, instead focusing on the serene view from the window.

"What is going on?" I turn towards the old man. He stops and looks at me. I have known the man in front of me my whole life. I loved and respected the man, who stands before me. But now, I feel neither one of these towards him. Only nothingness. And part of me blames him for what has happened. For the incident and for the death of my parents.

He knew.

"The enemy has attacked." He does not try to lie to me. Instead he stops in front of me and looks deadly in my eyes. "And Shisui with other elite ninjas are gone to hunt him down. Before he does something terrible."

"Shouldn't the village be evacuated?" I tilt my head in question. I know the drill. But they do not work according the drill.

"No." Hokage shakes his head. "It is not Code Red situation. Sometimes, it is better not to alert the whole village. It will only cause the panic." Hokage whispers in a low voice. "If situation goes according to plan, no one will be harmed. Alerting the village will endanger not only civilians, but the ninjas on duty as well."

"But...What if things do not go according to plan?" I whisper the words out quietly, gently. The images of my parents appearing in my mind. I do not want any child to ever feel the same.

"We have to take the risk, Sakura." Hokage shakes his head. I nod, understanding him. "I know you don't like me." He whispers gently, gaining my attention. I want to deny it, but we both know that it will just be a lie. So, I do not say anything. "You blame me for that has happened to you and Hitoshi." I do not say anything, but I do not need to.

He knows.

"I could not have done anything, Sakura." He whispers in barely audible tone. "Even if I wanted to...Back then...." He shakes his head. "Back then...I had to choose. I could not risk the whole village for several Ninjas." He looks down in shame. "I never wanted these things to happen to any of you...And you were so small..." He sighs tiredly. "And then... I knew that Hitoshi needed help, he just would not accept it." I look up at him. Anger is slowly raising inside of me. "And I hoped that he would see past darkness. That we would not succumb to it."

"You were wrong, old man, were you not?" I tilt my head again. Something, I have picked up from Shisui. "Brother never truly recovered. None of us did." I whisper in a low tone.

"I am sorry, Sakura." He states softly. I know that he is truly sorry for what has happened. But sorry is not going to help this time.

"Apology won't bring my parents back, Hokage-sama." My voice is icy, eyes cold as steel. The hatred is radiating off of me.

He may not have directly killed my parents. But he is just as to be blamed. He is responsible for all the horrors that has happened to my family. And he knows it.

"I do not like him." I cross my hands on my chest and shake my head. Brother smiles at me and shakes his head. He seems tired. Worn out.

"I know, Blossom." He chuckles. "But he is our Hokage. We have to comply him." He adds with hesitant tone. I can see how much he dislikes the man, but I also he how much powerless he feels in this situation.

"Isn't he too old for this job?" I ask confused as I look up at brother, who only laughs loudly at my question.

"Yeah, he is." He chuckles darkly. "Ne, don't worry Blossom... One day I am going to be Hokage, and I will definitely be a better one."

"I know, brother." I smile at him and grin. "I believe in you."