Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Sakura clenches her dirty clothes in her skinny hands as she tilts her head towards the restaurant. The smell of cooked meat and Konoha spices are making her stomach rumble. She regards the food-place with barely veiled interest and remembers to check left, right, up and down before crossing the street.

She does not want to be caught by the Uchiha. Miyuka had been taken in last week, thrashing and screaming against the shinobi with the devil-eyes. Back at the Hole, Tatsuro had sworn up and down that they were selling them off to the Hokage for messengers in the ANBU.

Satisfied that she has not seen any glaring black or red eyes, she moves silently, keeping up a languid pace that fooled most grown shinobi. Just slow enough that it looks like she has no interest in the restaurant across her, she zig zags to and fro so that it makes her look like she's wandering for her mother.

(She closes her eyes against the onset of memories—soft hands, a glittery sheen of lips and eyes and the embroidered yukata of a whore.)

Sakura reaches the other side of the street and she bends down to coo at a puppy tied up at the door of her target building. It yips at her and licks her hand, its brown fur soft and fluffy under her grubby fingers. She uses the excuse to peek into the restaurant, subtly loosening the leash the dog is stuck on.

It will be her distraction when she is escaping back towards the Hole.

The restaurant is packed and Sakura resists the urge to smile at the complete lack of security. While she knew that the Akimichi clan was shinobi, she also knew that they adored their food. She also knew that stealing food off an Akimichi would guarantee you a severe beating and deliverance to the Uchiha squads. Which meant she had a small window of time to slip into the most prestigious kitchens of Konoha and pass off as a scullery girl.

Emika has done it before her and succeeded.

Sakura straightens up and dons a mask of worry, so that it will look like she is late and scurries off into the recesses of the kitchen. She can feel someone's eyes on her but when she risks a glance it's an old lady that smiles at her obvious worry. She ignores her and keeps her hair under the hood that Kanzu procured for her just hours ago.

The kitchen is loud and full of movement which is the perfect because Sakura excels at blending in. She keeps her energy levels (she's heard some of the older kids in the Hole talk about it when they cursed out the shinobi of the village) steady and closes her eyes for a moment while she expands her them to those of the Akimichi children. (They are slightly larger than normal but they are clan kids and Sakura knows that comes with some advantages). It wavers for a minute and she sees one of the largest Akimichi shift and frown. She curses herself and spends half a second more solidifying them.

The Largest shrugs and then spots a portion of apple pie that he dives for. Sakura breathes out softly. She is safe for now.

Her feet are nimble and light as she sidesteps legs, arms, feet and hands. She makes sure no one looks twice at a tiny bundle of light brown robes, a skinny frame and bright green eyes.

She finds her target at the back of the kitchen, right on the edge on the counter. It's a huge, juicy, packed looking chicken breast and Sakura salivates at the sight. She moves before anyone can take it and then hides it under her robes where she slips it into a sealing scroll Kanzu stole last week. She keeps moving deftly, her hands sneaking out to clip a couple of apples, two fresh buns of bread, some milk (Sakura hasn't even seen milk since she was three and the old Lady of the Okiya was alive.)

Sakura breathes out slowly and then slips back out. She dawdles at the bar and slips in two boxes of juice (she can hardly keep in her excitement at that) beneath her cloak.

Then she's moving again, pretending she has a message (she keeps a crumpled envelope under her clothes for these types of situations) to deliver. She's out the door in five minutes and when someone shouts for the food and realizes that one of the Hole has been there, she calmly hurries out of the establishment.

The brown puppy is yipping at her heels when she exits and as she leans forward to pet it, keeping the door open with her hip; her fingers slip the leash off its collar. The puppy moves with glee, barreling past her and into the restaurant and Sakura turns a sharp left into the alley opposite from which she comes.

She moves quickly into the shadows, molding her energy levels until they are similar to the rat that has scuttled past her into the gutter. When Sakura is far away enough she runs back to the Hole.

She passes Konoha's underworld; Lemon Man (she calls him this because his hands smell like fresh lemons when she and Kanzu head over to haggle the price of basic medicine and shinobi-wear) gives her a smirk when she flinches away from his cold reaching hands and the Wood Woman (Miyuka and Sakura dubbed her with the nickname when they got too close to the woman's stack of newspaper and she held them down while she hit them over and over with Bamboo shoots for daring to steal from her shop) shouts after her, throwing beer bottles at 'children who thieve, pilfer and lie'.

When Sakura reaches the Hole, a run-down shack almost on the outer wall of Konoha, she knocks seven times on the door and then flashes the Iwa-nin signs they learnt from the brothels for strength, family and honor.

Kanzu is the one who opens the door and drags her inside—his black eyes and rigid mouth looking over her shoulder to check for the devil-eyes the street children are now afraid of—before sitting her down in the middle of the home.

"Got it Tamash í?" He whispers, his hands roving over her cloak and her arms to check if she is hurt.

Sakura nods, grinning, "Got everything we need for a while, Kanzu." His pale frame relaxes and he crushes her to him and Sakura wraps her arms around him.

She allows only them to touch her. They are family before they are street children, she knows this.

They go to the kitchen, Kanzu still holding her hand (Sakura lets him knowing he gets nervous when she leaves for the street) and she sets the sealing scroll onto the table.

"Emika, Tatsuro! Sakura's finally home!" Kanzu calls and the two children toddle into the kitchen, tripping all over themselves, calling Nee-chan at the top of their lungs.

Sakura gets crushed by red noses, big brown eyes and quivering mouths. She smiles big, knowing they have worried for nothing.

(She knows they will worry regardless—they are family and family will always worry)

"Nee-chan, we missed you! Did you do the energy levels thing again?" Emika pipes up, tugging on Sakura's pale pink curls.

Sakura let her hands drift through Emika's blonde hair before answering, "Yup! And I fooled them all!"

Kanzu loses a breath and sends her a worried glance. His shaggy black hair is hiding his worry and Sakura reassures him with a squeeze to his hand.

She takes out the sealing scroll and opens it. Her family gasps in shock when they see the chicken, the bread, apples, honey, milk and orange juice. Emiko is drooling on the table and Tatsuro is jumping up in down in glee. Kanzu just looks worried and Sakura rolls her eyes at him.

They erupt into noise all at once and Sakura laughs.

"How did you not get caught?"

"Sakura, are you sure you didn't take too much?"

"Nee-chan you are awesome at stealing!"

"I want to learn, Nee-chan!"

"They were preparing for the festival so they were really occupied. They didn't have time to look for me and I provided distraction." Sakura explains, tapping Emika's pert nose, watching the blonde girl giggle.

Tatsuro is whining towards the food and Sakura laughs as Kanzu lets go of her hand to pull out the pan and flick on the stove.

The sun goes down as Sakura and her family laugh around small portions of chicken, glasses of juice and a chopped apple. They all clean up the chipped pot and scrub their hands quickly under the last bottled water they have. Sakura fusses over Emiko's split hairs and Tatsuro's dirty nails.

Kanzu just flips her hood over his face and kisses her hair when she gets too worried.

"No! I don't wanna wrap up the food! I'm still hungry!" Tatsuro yells, skidding back towards the kitchen and leaning forward to snick an apple.

"Tatsuro Kimawari! Don't you dare touch those apples—otherwise we won't have food for this week!" Kanzu shouts, scrambling up from the beat-up cushions Sakura and Emiko had nicked from the Lemon Man.

Tatsuro freezes, hand still outstretched. "N-No more food?"

"Not unless you leave it there." Kanzu warns, black eyes narrowing into slits. His hands are on his hips and his foot is tapping on the kitchen floor in frustration.

(Sakura snuffs out a giggle at what she calls his "mother-hen pose". The older boy still glares at her.)

Hearing about the lack of food, Emika stiffens in Sakura's lap and then begins to wriggle out of her hold. "No Tatsu-baka I wanna eat tomorrow!" The blonde girl wails.

"B-But I'm still hungry Nii-chan…" Tatsuro sniffles and then runs towards Sakura, burying his head in the crook of her neck. "I want to eat more!"

Emika stops struggling and then gives a hard glare to Tatsuro who sniffles in return. Sakura just holds them closer, running her fingers over their hair.

Kanzu sighs as he looks over to Sakura. His dark eyes are tired and worn and Sakura knows that he has been at the gambling hub all day, sneaking the coins out of people's pockets. That was his job—he stole the money and she stole the food. — Sometimes the children worked with them but they hadn't let them go since Miyuka had been taken.

"I can sneak out tonight? I hear the Wood Woman has some fresh bread in her shed." Sakura offers, disentangling herself from Emika's sticky hands and Tatsuro's sniveling face. "Maybe even some of that caramel toffee that she hoards."

Kanzu gives her a grateful smile and Sakura moves over for him to clasp her hand.

Sakura gets ready quickly—she lowers her energy levels until she resembles those of a small dog, braids her hair tightly against her head and brushes the dust across her lower face so she won't shine in the night lights—before tugging the light brown hood over her head.

"Thank you, Tamashí." Kanzu smiles warmly, dropping a kiss on her head. Her older brother tugs her to his chest and Tatsuro and Emika come up to her, hugging her waist tightly.

They stay like that for a minute before Sakura pulls away reluctantly. Every step outside is a mission. Every movement might be her last and Sakura does not want to regret anything.

Kanzu's black eyes watch her painfully as she moves towards the door. Sakura grins over her shoulder, trying to reassure him that she is alright and that no matter what, she will do her best to return.

"Be safe, Nee-chan. We love you." Her siblings call out quietly as she opens the door. Tatsuro gives her hands one last squeeze and Sakura bends down to plant kisses on both their downy heads.

Sakura signs the signs for strength, family and love before disappearing into the night.

Please tell me what you all think!