Swallowing thickly she asked, "How did they die?"
The chunin looked at her in sympathy before saying, "All I know is that when we were on our way back we were attacked. I was knocked out almost immediately and my teammates have been hospitalised." Sakura sniffed as she listened to the woman. Then her words prosessed and Sakura was hit with a pang of rage.
"You mean to tell me that you did nothing?" She glared heatedly at the woman who looked down at her feet in shame.
"I-I.."
"You did nothing.. Whilst they suffered and died!" The woman's eyes widened as she felt the four year old's killing intent.
'S-so strong..' She felt like she was being suffocated, she couldn't breathe! She was going to die! What was she even doing here? The killing intent rolling of the girl disappeared as she burst into tears.
"J-just go! Go already!" She shouted as she fell to her knees. "Just leave me already!" The woman rushed off, afraid for her life. The pink haired girl calmed down before she stood up and shut the door.
'Inner?'
After a moment of silence her Inner answered, 'Mhm?'
'A-are.. are mama and papa really gone?'
'.. I'm afraid that she wasn't lying.....'
'Oh..' A moment of silence passed between them. 'Do you think that we will ever be able to see them again?'
'Outer.. you know.....'
'Yeah, don't worry.'
She spent the rest of the day moping about, feeling empty.
The next day there was a knock on her door. She slowly walked to the door and opened it, squinting as the sunlight evaded her senses. Once her eyes had adjusted to the light she looked at the person who had knocked on the door. Her emerald eyes widened when she saw who it was.
"Hokage-sama!" She gasped.
'He must think we're a mess! Cha!' Sakura blushed as she started to feel very self-conscious. Inner was right, she was still in her maroon nightie and her hair was a mess. There were bags under her eyes and her face felt sticky with tears.
'Mama would be ashamed!' She gasped.
The Hokage smiled kindly down at her.
"Hello there Sakura-chan."
"I'm sorry Hokage-sama! Please come in!" The hokage came in and Sakura escorted him into the living room where he sat down. "Please excuse me, I'll go get dressed!" She hurried off out of the living room and up the stairs.
She entered her room and looked through her clothes, picking out a dark red dress that had a cherry blossom pattern along the bottom. Her mother had bought her it for her for her birthday, she smiled sadly before she shook her head and got dressed. She brushed her hair, tying it into bunches. Ideally she would of liked to of had a shower but the Hokage was literally in her home, she couldn't keep him waiting!
The pink haired child rushed back down the stairs and hurriedly walked into the living room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Hokage-sama." She said as she sat down opposite him.
"No worries Sakura-chan." He said kindly, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm ok!" She chirped. "Of course I'm sad but I understand that they're gone now. I mean, I'm sad and stuff but I know that they wouldn't want me to be consumed by hatred. They would want me to be happy!"
'Hey Outer, cha!'
'What is it?'
'I only just managed to pick up on it but there are several chakra signatures surrounding our house.'
'Are they dangerous?' The four year old asked sceptically.
'..They seem to be powerful but.. they don't appear to be very hostile at the moment. Cha!'
'OK, can you keep an eye on them?'
'You got it!' Sakura zoned back into her conversation with the Hokage.
"Sakura-chan, do you know why I'm here?" He asked.
"I think so, you're here to check up on me, right?"
"Yes, I apologise for your loss but I would like you to make a decision."
"What is the decision?"
"Well, since your parents aren't.. with us anymore we need to decide a place where you can stay."
"You mean, like an orphanage?"
"Potentially, yes." The four year old frowned.
"But, I don't want to go to the orphanage.."
"Yes, well if you go to the Ninja Academy and graduate then you'll be able to have your own apartment.
Sakura's frown deepened, she was planning on going to the academy anyway but she didn't want to live in the orphanage until she graduated! She could take care of herself!
"With all due respect Hokage-sama, I can look after myself! I can cook, clean, shop for groceries and everything! I can live here on my own! Plus, Mayu-san always comes over and checks on me!" Sakura didn't want to trouble Mayu but she really didn't want to have to live in an orphanage.
"Sakura-chan, I'm sorry but I cannot allow a four year old to live on their own." The Hokage said as he looked at her in sympathy.
"But I'm nearly five!" Sakura pouted. The man chuckled in amusement.
"Five years old is still not very old Sakura-chan." The child's pout deepened.
"But mama said that I was a big girl!" Sakura didn't care that she was being childish, she just really didn't want to have to live in an orphanage. She didn't want to lose her freedom!
The Hokage grimaced when Sakura mentioned her mother. 'At least she seems to have gotten over the death of her parents, for the most anyway.'
"Anyway, that's not the point, I am fully capable of living on my own!" The four year old continued to ramble on, stating multiple reasons why she should be allowed to live in her house on her own.
The Hokage sighed as he rubbed his tired eye he could tell this was going to be a long day, "Alright Sakura-chan, I'll allow you to live in this house on your own." Before Sakura could celebrate the Hokage continued, "You shall receive some money weekly, it should be enough to support you; however once you graduate from the academy or get a job then you shall have to pay for things yourself."
"Hai Hokage-sama! Arigato!" Sakura gave him a grateful grin as he sighed.
"Now, I understand that you do not wish for your parents to have a funeral?"
Sakura shook her head, "A funeral is a ceremony or service held shortly after a person's death, usually including the person's burial or cremation, it wouldn't be the same to hold a funeral for them without their bodies." Some may not understand why Sakura had made this decision, for you would think that it was only right to hold a funeral of some sorts to say good bye to whoever had passed. Sakura's way of looking at it however, was that her parents' souls had already moved on and although it may be considered respectful to to at least hold a family gathering in order to mourn or whatever Sakura no longer had any family, at least not that she knew of. Everybody was related in some way but Sakura had never known anybody, apart from her parents, who shared the Haruno name with her.
"Very well Sakura-chan, as for their will, well I'm afraid that you won't be able to collect your share until you are eighteen years old or have graduated from the Academy."
"That's alright Hokage-sama, is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?" She asked.
"No, that is all. I'll be off now Sakura-chan!" He said merrily before he exited the house.
'That sure was eventful, cha!'
'You can say that again..'
'Back to crying and reading about poisons?'
'Yup.'
A/N: Hey there everybody!
Please comment any ideas you have, I shall try and fit as many as I can into the storyline!
Hope you enjoyed!