sakura: the fox of the mist

chapter 1: 5 years later.

It has been five years since the Kyuubi attack. In these five years peace and serenity came back to Konoha. And on this day the villagers would celebrate the day their beloved fourth Hokage killed the nine tailed demon. For Minato, the fourth Hokage it wasn't this kind of celebration he celebrated. Today was his sons fifth birthday, but it was also the day he made the irreparable. It was the day he sole the future of Sakura Haruno, the little pink haired girl in who he sealed the Kyuubi. And for other it was a day to remember the death, their loved once that were gone on this tragic night.

"STOP." A little five and half year old girl with pink hair yelled as some angry villagers ran after. She didn't know why they hated her with so much passion. And she didn't know what she had done for being hated like that by the villagers. But being a five year old, she ran as a five year old, so not fast enough to escape the hateful villagers that were chasing her. She ended up in a small alley. And one of them grab her by shoulder length pink hair. And not long after, they started to beat her and call her names.

"MONSTER"

"DIE ALREADY"

"DEMON"

"DIE ALREADY, YOU DEVIL CHILD."

Sakura didn't know how many time passed by, all she knew was that they all stopped after a shinobi came and stopped them.

"If I was you, I would think twice before to hurt again." Said her saviour in a menacing voice as he grabbed the wrist of one of the villagers that wanted to hurt her. Her saviour was standing between her and the villagers. The villagers took steps back as they felt the killer attend directed at them.

"Tsk, how can you even protect this devil child? She is the cause of all this destruction. She is no other than the ni-." One of them began, but was cut of by another villagers that was throw at him. And the killer attend directed at them of the shinobi increased.

"Dare to finish this sentence if you dare." He said in a more angrier and menacing tone than before. And it was enough for the villagers to go away. Sakura that was still lying on the ground didn't dared to stand up and held her arms above her. She let out some snobs and tears when the mean villagers went away. Her saviour bend down and called at her.

"Sakura?"She moved her arms higher to look at him. The look in his eyes wasn't the same as the one the villagers gave her. The one of hate, disgust and anger. His showed kindness and caring. She slowly sit up and hugs him thin.

"Iruka-nii." And she cried harder. Iruka was one of the rare people in the village that didn't hate her and that truly cared about her. There was also the blond man in his weird white and red jacket, but the look in his eyes when he came to visit her held always pity and guilt and Iruka didn't liked when he would come, he didn't hid his anger and disgust toward him each time he would come. There was also the people of Ichiruka ramen that treated her kindly. But Iruka was one of the rare people that she could call family. Iruka didn't hesitate to hug her back and let her cry on his shoulder. He has tan skin, brown hair that is in a spiky pony tail like the Nara's, onyx's eyes and a long horizontal scar on his nose. The day the Kyuubi attacked the village. Iruka lost his parents, they were both shinobis and so was their neighbour, the Harunos. His family and the Harunos were close and when they heard about them having a child they were really happy. They came visit them the day their daughter, Sakura, was born. Iruka remember it clearly, he had held Sakura in his arms that day. He was eleven year old at this time. They were happy, but when the Kyuubi suddenly appearer in their neighbour it was ruined. Kizashi Haruno had asked him to look and to take care of Sakura. But he had failed to do this, the fourth came in the raids they were in and took Sakura as sacrifice. And since that day the villagers look at her like the monster that had killed their loved one and began to abuse her. He hated the fact that the people of his own village treated her so bad. He too had lost his loved ones that faithful night and he didn't blamed her for it. He had wanted to take her, but they said that he was too young to look after a baby. And he to was an orphan, but instead to go to the orphanage, he went to live alone in an apartment. The orphanages were full any ways because of all the kids that became orphans that day. But now he is sixteen year old and a young teacher. He was the youngest teacher in the academy and worked really hard for it, he wanted to teach the new generation not to judge people to quickly and listen to every rumor. A part of him did it for Sakura, because he wanted her to have a chance to be accepted. But being a teacher made him spent less time with Sakura and couldn't protect. He knew that each time he has his back turned that people give them glares ad start to talk bad about him and Sakura. And he know that he can't protect her from the hate of the villagers. He knew that some clans of the village want her dead or worse. But he can't do anything about it, unless to open the eyes of the younger generation.

"It's okay now. I am here and they can't hurt you now." Iruka whisper her kind and reassuring words. He stroke her back gently.

"Why are they so mean, Iruka-nii? Why do I am a devil child?" Sakura asked. She didn't understand why she was the only one to be called monster and unwanted. Devils child. Someone who don't deserve to be born, someone whose only crime is to breath and to live. Iruka wanted to clench his fits, but didn't.

"You're not a devils child, Sakura. And if you stop crying, I will buy you a dango. Okay?" Iruka told her. Sakura looked at him and nodded. She had calmed down but was still sobbing a bit. Iruka then picked her up and started to walk out of the alley. Most of the villagers were giving them looks, and not cheerful one. Iruka went to the apartment as fast as he could with Sakura in his arm. He and Sakura lived next each other. So that when she had a problem, she could come to him directly.

"Stay here , I am going back quickly." It was his only warning before to vanish in front of her. And to reappeared two minutes later with a little bag. In the said bag were the dango's Iruka promised Sakura.

"twank yuu Iruwa-mii." Said Sakura with her mouth full. Iruka singed,teaching Sakura table manners was not an easy thing to do.

"Sakura you don't talk with a full mouth. It's impolite." He scolded her. He was the one to do Sakura education. Since her parents were dead. If he hadn't, then she could have been a real troublemaker and a reason more for the villagers to hate her. She swallowed the rest ofher dango before to give him a quick 'hai'.

"Iruka-nii, can I go outside?"She asked. She hoped that she could make friends at the playground, but each time she would try, the parents took them away leaving her alone. And each time she hoped that it wouldn't be as the time before

"No, it is not a good idea." He responded. After all it was the day the villagers would unleash their anger on her the most, because of what had happened. Sakura looked down at her blanket and pouted. " At least not today, it is a bad day." Sakura face lighted up, that mean that she could go tomorrow.

"Arigato Iruka-nii" And she jumped on him for a hug. If only the villagers could see her as he does, maybe they won't be like that to her. And as the time goes by, it was time for Sakura to go to sleep decided Iruka. But Sakura didn't wanted and an argument broke between them, like most of the times Sakura didn't wanted to go sleep. And after some time Iruka managed to convince her

"Will you stay with me till I fall asleep?"She asked him. He let out some chuckles.

" I though that you were a big girl Sakura." He teased her. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"I am." she told him. But then her face sadden. "But what if you leave me tomorrow and start hating me like the other? What if you leave me like mom and dad?" It was what Sakura feared the most. That Iruka would left her too. Iruka let out a sigh.

"Sakura. Do you still have it?" He asked her. She nod. "Could you show it to me?" She nodded once again and set her hand in her shirt to take a necklace in the form of a blue dolphin.

"Do you remember why I gave it to you?" She nodded.

"Because your name means 'dolphin'." Now it was his time to nod.

"And this mean that wherever you are, a part of me will always be with you." He told her. Not long after that Sakura began to slowly close her eyes and fell asleep. Iruka stayed with her and kissed her forehead before to go back to his own apartment. It wasn't easy to be a sixteen year old teacher and parent.

But what he didn't know, was that in two weeks an event was going to change their lives forever.