The rooftop battle had been exhilarating, but Sakura’s clothes were now covered in dust and dirt. The once crisp fabric of her training attire was now marred by the ground she had fought on, the remnants of her fall scattered across her. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she made her way back to her room, her mind still buzzing with the energy of the sparring session.
As she entered her room, she closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment to catch her breath. The quiet of the room was a stark contrast to the noise of the battle that still echoed in her mind. She stripped off her clothes, tossing them into a corner, and quickly washed up, taking the time to clear her head.
She looked at herself in the mirror as she finished drying her face, her reflection staring back at her with an expression of quiet resolve. There was a fire in her eyes now—a fire that Shin had helped ignite, a fire that would not die easily. She wasn’t going to give up. She was going to prove herself, to show everyone that she was more than they thought she could be.
But as she turned to grab her clean clothes, she heard the door creak open behind her. Her mother’s voice—sharp and cold—echoed through the room.
"Sakura."
Sakura froze, her heart sinking slightly at the sound of her mother’s tone. She turned slowly, her face already forming a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She could already tell that something wasn’t right. But she wasn't scared, she was happy that her mother came to meet her. Maybe it is a normal thing to others but it wasn't normal to her. Her mother barely comes to visit her.
Her mother stood in the doorway, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Her eyes were narrow, her expression unreadable, but there was a certain coldness there that made Sakura’s stomach churn.
"What are you smiling about?" her mother asked, her voice icy and full of disdain. "You think you can just play around all day, getting dirty and making a fool of yourself?"
Sakura took a deep breath and stood tall, refusing to let her mother’s words shake her. "I was training, Mother. I was trying to get better."
"Better?" Her mother scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer. "You’re a failure, Sakura. You always will be. You’re nothing like your father, or your brother. You think you can live up to some ridiculous fantasy of being strong? Look at you. You’re wasting your time. You’ll never make it. You’ll always be weak."
The words stung, but Sakura didn’t let them show. She didn’t let the bitterness in her mother’s voice get to her. Instead, she smiled—genuinely, this time, with a quiet confidence that made her mother falter for just a second.
"I may not be where I want to be yet," Sakura said softly, her voice calm and steady. "But I promise you, Mother, one day, I’ll make you proud."
Her mother’s eyes darkened with anger, her face flushing with rage. "Proud?" she spat, her voice rising. "Proud of what? A failure who can’t even keep up with her own training? You’re pathetic! And you will never, ever be good enough!"
Before Sakura could say another word, her mother’s hand shot out, slapping her hard across the face. The sound of the slap rang in the quiet room like a thunderclap, and Sakura staggered back, her cheek burning from the force. She could feel the warmth of blood beginning to trickle from the corner of her mouth.
Sakura stood there for a moment, stunned, her heart hammering in her chest. She touched her cheek, her fingers coming away with a streak of blood. The sting was sharp, but it wasn’t the physical pain that hurt most. It was the weight of her mother’s words—the rejection, the belief that she would never amount to anything.
Her mother glared at her, eyes filled with fury and contempt. "You think you can change things? That you’ll prove something to anyone?" she sneered. "You’re just a disappointment. Nothing more."
Sakura’s mother turned sharply and stormed out of the room, leaving her standing there in the silence, the blood still slowly trickling from her lip. The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, echoing through the empty house.
Sakura stood motionless for a moment, the world around her feeling distant and surreal. The sting of the slap still lingered, but it didn’t break her. It only strengthened her resolve. She touched her cheek again, this time more gently, and wiped away the blood, her fingers trembling slightly.
Her mother’s words could hurt her, but they wouldn’t defeat her. Not this time. She would prove everyone wrong.
Sakura’s lips curved into a small, determined smile. She whispered softly to herself, her voice barely above a breath.
"I’ll prove it. I’ll make you see that I’m not a failure. I’ll show you all what I can really do."
With those words, the fire inside her burned brighter than ever. She didn’t know exactly how or when, but one day, she would stand tall, stronger than anyone had ever imagined, and she would show them all—the people who doubted her, who scorned her, who thought her weak—that they were wrong.
She wasn’t going to let this defeat her. This was just the beginning.
Sakura wiped away the last traces of blood from her lip and took a steadying breath. It didn’t matter how many times she fell. She would get back up, every single time. And one day, she would be the one to make everyone proud. She will prove that everyone was wrong. As long as Shin is by her side, she will show them all.
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