Red Flower (Naruto fanfic)

2

~here ya'll go enjoy~

I got up and started to walk away when Sakura caught up to me. "Hey, Aka-chan!!!" 

I groaned, Just what I need demeaning nicknames... I turned to see her waving me to wait up, so I slowed my pace letting her catch up and walk with me. 

"You and Sasuke keep looking at each other, so I was wondering if you, like you know, like like him?" She said in faux curiosity but really I could see the defiance in her eyes, the nasty and creepy protectiveness,  I tensed at the threatening tone, like a wolf bristling at a threat.

"No, and there never will be." I deadpanned. 'Oh, god if I only I could tell him the boy is my damned brother...the insinuation is revolting...'

"Really! Oh good, because he's mine, no matter what Ino says." she said lowly, "I'm glad cause I don't...like want to be mean to you." she said with a tight smile, I could tell she was lying, that brat would rip my hair out like a rabid cat if I gave her the chance.

"Ok." I quipped shortly, hoping to end the conversation.

"Well, I should head home, or my mom will kill me! Gosh shes such a bother... See you tomorrow!" she ran off.

My mood darken'd more at the mention of her mom, Lucky bitch...

I changed routes and started down a rocky, overgrown pathway, thinking about a time when I was happy.

I walked down the path until it opened up into a clearing, filled with wild flowers: purples, reds, oranges, blues, and white. I always come here after the academy, it was home to some of my little happy memories.

FLASHBACK

I ran through the field, twirling and laughing happily, I jumped and rolled through the pretty flowers.

"Miss! Don't go too far!" Akira, my legal guardian, called after my 5 year old self, who was close to tripping over the overgrown foliage at my tiny feet.

"Aki-chan? Why do I live with you and not with mommy and daddy?" I asked as she finally got me to sit on the soft blanket that she had laid out for our picnic, then we sat down to have a lunch.

"Well... sweetie...Your father knew you were different and wanted you to grow up somewhere else. But your mother wanted to keep you, her only daughter, but your father wouldn't have it..." she explained thinking that I wouldn't understand as much as I did. 

"When can I go live with them?" I asked innocently, pulling at the hair bows that held my long hair up in it's twin ponytails.

"Soon...I promise." she smiled down at me, but even as a kid I could see the sadness in her eyes, which made me anxious, needing more reassurance.

"Pinky swear?" I asked, my young mind wanting some kind of promise, something that would make me feel better about the unease in my stomach.

She smiled again, a little less sad and a little more amused, she held out her pinky and we shook on it.

"Akira! It's time for Young Mistress' lessons!" Shira-san, my tutor/maid/other caretaker yelled over to us, a little more sternly then Akira, I never liked her as much as I liked Akira.

"Ok, Shira-san!" Akira answered and grabbed my hand,"Lets go, now."

"But I don't wanna have my lessons, I don't need manners, or how to dress, or serve tea to be a ninja!" I complained stubbornly, even as a child I showed promise in shinobi techniques far beyond my age, like my ani-chan.