A gentle breeze caressed the baby grass that laid under Sakura. The birds chirped happily and twittered into the sky. Sun rays warmed her body and she exhaled in content. The sky was mostly clear, save for the scatters of clouds, and it was a beautiful summer. She laid on the grassy field, completely relaxed.
"Sakura." She heard her mother call. She opened her eyes and smiled brightly but soon frowned when she noticed her mother's hard face.
"What's wrong mama?" A stronger wind rushed towards the trees, causing the leaves to flutter and fall.
"Demon child." Her mother spoke loud and clear, yet her voice was muffled by the raging wind that increased. The birds fell silent and the trees roared and groaned.
"What?" Sakura yelled loudly, inching closer to her mother who seemed to be moving back without actually moving.
"Demon." Sakura reached for her mother's arm and screamed when her body fell limp. Now laying on the ground, her mother's body began to decompose quickly. Worms and maggots writhed between her flesh as Sakura watched in horror. She flung herself away, landing on her back, and looked around at the once beautiful summer day. The leaves violently danced in the air, the trees rotted, flowers withered, and animals laid dead. She felt the ground beneath her sink and she tried to grab something to hold onto. She desperately clung to the edge of the grass, where she hung above the dark abyss below her. The ground crumbled and she lost her gripped. She was falling for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, her body floated. Surrounded by darkness, she cried out for help.
"You won't find help." A voice boomed loudly. It was a female voice, strong and clear.
"Who are you?"
"My secret shall be revealed. Hidden within the eyes, cursed with a seal." Her floating body dropped once more and she felt a hard floor hit her bottom. Slowly opening her eyes, she realized that she was infront of the Uchiha complex. Her body relaxed as she sighed in relief. Walking through the gate, she noticed something was wrong. It was quiet, too quiet. She opened the front door to the house and screamed. Mikoto was lying on the ground, throat slashed, with her eyes wide open. She ran towards Sasuke's room and pounded on the door until it broke. She cried as she lifted up Sasuke's and Naruto's lifeless body. She slowly placed them gently on the ground and ran towards Itachi's room. She tripped over something and fell with a crash. She peered at what tripped her. Shisui. His body had been sliced multiple times, his eyes gouged out. The pinkette snapped her neck away from the gruesome sight and continued towards Itachi's room.
"Itachi!" She cried out desperately. She heard a faint breathing and rushed towards it. Itachi was lying on his back, blood spurting everywhere. "Who did this?!" She begged him to answer. With a gurgle of blood rising from his mouth, he answered.
"You." His body stiffened and relaxed. His chest no longer moved. His eyes seemed to glare into the pinkette's. A mix of betrayal and pain deeply embedded in his eyes. She screamed for her loss, jumping out of his window. The girl's body crashed onto the floor. She heard frantic yelling and arms grabbing her. Her vision was blurred and the yelling was muffled. She could barely make out what was being yelled.
"She's waking up!" Naruto yelled, a huge sigh of relief could be heard and the tension lightened a bit.
"Water." Her voice croaked out. Sasuke zoomed to the kitchen under a second and handed her a glass. Picking up her body slowly, with the help of Itachi, her vision cleared. Shisui was sitting closely infront of her, Sasuke and Naruto sat behind Shisui. Mikoto stood near the door wearing a frantic and petrified face. Her body leaned back on the wall, then noticing that the wall was actually Itachi's built body, she was being supported by him. She chugged the water quickly.
"I thought you were all dead." Tears slipped down her face. Crying uncontrollably, she felt arms around her waist from behind, and three other arms wrapping around her neck. Shisui, Naruto, and Sasuke comforted the stressed girl. Mikoto had wanted to join in with the hug, but the pinkette would probably be suffocated if any more arms went around her.
"What happened, Sakura-chan."
"Demon. That's what my mama told me. Then, I was walking into the Uchiha complex. I saw Mikoto, her throat was slashed and Naruto and Sasuke, god. It was horrible, the blood was splattered everywhere. Shisui, I could barely recognize you. And when I found Itachi, he was barely alive. I asked him who did all that and he said me." She intentionally left out the part where a voice was talking to her.
"Demon?" Shisui asked. Sasuke and Naruto glanced at each other nervously. It was obvious that they were hiding something.
"Sakura, we need to take you to the Hokage. She'll know what to do."
"You're hiding something." She stated rather than asking, eyeing the two who tensed up.
"We have orders under the Hokage to keep it a secret until it's time." Sasuke reluctantly muttered, his eyes pointed everywhere except the girl. She growled and pounced on him. Her rinnegan activated and she snarled at him.
"You have three seconds to live and tell me what's going on." Sasuke's eyes were huger, wider than she's ever seen. Naruto pushed her off and helped Sasuke up. "Naruto."
"If you want to know, come to Tsunade's. We'll be there." They flashed out of the room, leaving a fuming Sakura and a confused Itachi, Mikoto, and Shisui.
"Itachi, take me to Tsunade's." She ordered him. He nodded and they appeared in her office.
"Sakura." Tsunade's voice was strained.
"Shishou."
"It's time you learn who you really are."
"Who am I?"
"Rider is a demon."
"She's a what?!"
"We had to seal her. She broke out when you saw the family massacre."
"I don't remember." Itachi squinted hard at the memory, not understanding how that could have happened.
"When she broke out, she destroyed half the village, many lives were taken. In order to surpress the demon, we had to offer it one thing."
"Blood." She whispered. Now she understood. The thirst for blood was not hers, it was Rider's.
"Tsunade-sama, I do not recall this happening. I remember being with Sakura that night but..." His eyes shut tightly, straining to recall that night. In fact, he couldn't remember anything besides he and her walking to the complex.
"Itachi, you were emotionally distraught when we neared Sakura. You would attack anyone who came close to her."
"I-"
"We had to erase the memory. We didn't want anything to trigger an outbreak."
Sakura
You are the demon
Correct
Why have you been helping me? You could have easily destroyed the village when I let you out
Because. You should not suffer more than you have already
Why do you care?
Damn it Sakura! Because I love you! You are my friend.
Friend?
Yes! I am your friend. Those chakras you've been sensing, those are other demons
Are they good?
It doesn't matter, they are dead
"They're dead?!" She yelled aloud, receiving blank looks from everyone.
"Who's dead?"
"Eh."
Yes, it seems although the man who murdered your clan is wiping out all of the demons
He'll come after me!
Not if I can help it
Rider, why did you show me that dream?
It was never my intention. I merely wanted you to discover who you are before it is too late
So, you wouldn't kill the people I love
Not unless they hurt you
"Sakura? Who's dead?"
"Other demons. The man who killed my clan is targetting demons."
"Are you sure? That means he'll be after you."
"Hai."
"We will tighten the security at the Uchiha complex. Twenty ANBUS per shift."
"Eh, don't you think that's a bit too much?"
"No." Everybody else said simultaneously. She felt a sweat drop and smiled sheepishly.
Rider?
Yeah?
Why was Itachi so hell-bent to protect me when you broke out?
Love, Sakura, love
Love?! What?!
He had just realized his feelings that night
Itachi stared at Sakura who became redder every second. He was concerned for her, placing a palm on her forehead. She seemed to snap out of her daze and instantly became crimson when she recognized Itachi's lingering finger.
"You were turning red."
"I-I'm fine." Her voice squeaked, ten times higher than her normal octave. She felt as if she would fall over from being overheated.
"Are you sure?" He pulled her closer, his arms around her waist, and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Itachi, let's go home."