Darkest Before Dawn

Sai and the Seal

Sakura released a sigh she didn't know she was holding. She was intending to tell him about her condition sometime, but right now... She shook her head and walked down the hallway. It wasn't too long before a woman approached her. She was a couple of inches shorter than Sakura and had on an ecstatic grin.

"Hello! I'm sorry to bother you but I just had to congratulate you on your win in the exams! Oh, where are my manners! My name is Akemi Ueno. I'm not quite sure if you remember me..."

It took Sakura a few seconds.

"The Akemi in the slave line eleven years ago?!"

The woman brightened ten fold.

"You do remember!"

"I'm surprised that you still do too, Akemi-san." Sakura laughed, "Wow, it's been such a long time. What are you doing all the way here in Konoha?"

They walked down the hallway to exit the arena, Akemi chatting amiably along the way.

"My family and I decided to take a vacation here. My husband's a shinobi too and wanted to see just how strong Konoha really is. But after seeing your fight, I think you really scared him!" she grinned, "It was completely by chance that I saw you in the exams and I'm so happy that I did."

Akemi stopped and took Sakura's hands into her own.

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life that day, Sakura-chan. Without your help, I would've been a slave. Most likely dead. There aren't enough words for me to tell you how grateful I am!"

Her eyes were brimming with tears and Sakura couldn't help but feel a warm sensation in her chest.

"Akemi-san..."

Akemi wiped her eyes and kept on smiling.

"I've even told my daughter, Saki, about you. She gets really excited whenever I tell her the story of how you saved me. The more kid friendly version, of course. And when she saw you fight, she was absolutely astonished! Saki always tells me how she wants to be a great kunoichi like you, the one she's named after." she said. Sakura was speechless. She stared down at the smaller woman with wide eyes. To have someone named after her...

"... Could I meet her?" Sakura questioned.

"Of course!" Akemi exclaimed immediately, "She'd be ecstatic!"

"Then I'll meet you at the entrance of the arena when the exams are over."

Akemi nodded enthusiastically before waving and making her way back to her seat up in the stands. Sakura stood in the empty hallway for a while longer, listening to the crowd's cheers as the second fight commenced. She saw Hidan, Kisame, and Zetsu in the crowd like she expected. Good, they were where she wanted them to be.

Sakura popped a soldier pill into her mouth before re-entering the arena and looking for a place to sit. Up near the top in the shade underneath where the Hokage and the council sat, she found the perfect seat.

::

"Mind if I sit here?"

Sai looked up from his sketchbook, startled.

"O-Oh not at all, Haruno-san! Go ahead." he stammered. Sakura eased into the seat and kept her eyes on the fight in front of her.

"You're drawing the fights?" she asked.

"Yes. I've been at a loss for what to draw and figured that this would be a good opportunity to try and jog my imagination.." he replied. Sakura glanced to the side, a small smile on her face.