The Uchiha Elders

An elderly woman who must've been 100 years old was carrying at least 10 bags of groceries and heaving asthmatic breaths. Eep! That poor woman.

Sakura ran towards her and placed her hands together behind her back "A-Ano..." She shook her head. "Excuse me, ma'am. Would you please let me carry some of your bags?"

Right! This is the perfect opportunity to make an acquaintance and visit the Uchiha compound under the pretense of visiting this person anytime you want! Go for it, cha!

The old lady turned and smiled toothless. "What a nice young girl."

She totally bought it!

Ten minutes later, Sakura was sweating hard and her dress was wet and ripped. We've been duped! She leaned her full weight against one of the lamp posts beside the door the bag-less old lady was unlocking, and charged in first, dumping all the bags onto the kitchen floor.

Sakura dropped to the tiled floor and panted hard.

I can't believe this old lady walked ten feet with all that weight.

No wonder she has an ugly hunchback.

Inner!

"Thank you for the help, hohoho" The hag was standing on a cane Sakura didn't see before as she too entered the kitchen. "Young people these days don't appreciate the elderly. Now let me prepare something for us to eat."

The grandma proceeded to turn on the cooker and make some soup, frying some eggs at the same time. Sakura considered helping, but the hag forced her to remain seated—on a dining chair in the kitchen—not the floor of course.

"Now what would your name be, dear?"

"Sakura,"

The grandma grinned. "I'm Hana. You can stop by any time, Sakura-chan. You really saved me back there."

For the first time ever since losing every single practice spar, Sakura didn't feel useless. Because despite being the number 1 kunoichi of the Academy, no one had every appreciated her contribution before, and perhaps no one ever will—were things to stay the same and she to join Team 7 with her low skill rate—she wasn't going to kid herself. Her taijutsu skills were atrocious despite her textbook perfect stances that not even her teachers complimented her without stepping on thin lies and reassurances.

So to be thanked in such a matter?

A genuine smile blossomed.

"I think I'll come by a lot."