As the peaceful chirping of crickets echoed faintly through the stillness of early morning, Sakura mumbled unintelligible things in her sleep as she hugged a spare pillow she had gotten from Nanami. As she dreamed, she did not hear the door to her room squeak as it slid open or the patter of footsteps as a shadowy figure snuck into her room and up alongside her bed. Scowling down at her, Tomoe grabbed the edge of the futon and lifted it up, sending the vixen tumbling through the air and onto the ground. Yelping in surprise, she spun around and glared angrily up at him.

"Tomoe, what the heck are you doing?!" she exclaimed.

"It is time for you to get up."

"But the sun hasn't even risen yet!"

"Good familiars often rise long before the sun creeps into the sky and lay down long after it has set, so you better get used to it."

"That awful! Why the heck do they do that?!"

"So they can beginning preparing what their kamisama will need for the day long before he or she even awakens. It is the duty of a servant to attend to his or her master's every whim, and the best servants know what their masters will need long before they ask. Now get off the floor and come with me; we have a long day ahead of us." Tomoe lectured.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura rose to her feet and followed her instructor down the shrine's dark hallways. Just as the sun began to peak over the horizon, the two stepped out onto the porch, a little breeze caressing their skin. Sakura's brows furrowed in confusion when she noticed a lone stool sitting toward the edge of the porch. As if a reading her thoughts, Tomoe began a brief explanation as he picked up a towel that was neatly folded next to the stool and wrapped it snugly around her shoulders.

"The first step to becoming a good familiar starts with your appearance and self-maintenance. Most familiars choose to wear their hair shorter since it is easier to manage and doesn't get in the way of their work. While you are free to choose how you maintain your hair after this is all over, as long as you are my underling you must abide by my standards. Sit down." he stated, dragging her over to the stool.

Sakura's eyes widened and she immediately began to thrash about. "Heck no! You are NOT cutting my hair!"

Tomoe scowled at her and roughly yanked her to his chest before shoving her down onto the stool. Before the vixen could comprehend what was happening, he whisked a pair of scissors out of one of his pockets, grabbed her ponytail, and hacked off several inches of red silk. As she watched her shorn locks flutter to the ground, Sakura started to cry.

"Oh, would you stop? You sound like a child! Grow up and stop your blubbering." Tomoe snapped angrily. However, when the vixen's cries refused to cease, his ears drooped as a puddle of guilt began to grow in his gut. Setting down the scissors, he slid around to the front of the stool and knelt before Sakura, his eyes fixed on her face.

"Sakura, please stop crying. I'm sorry for being so rough. I'm only trying to help you, I promise." he said in a much gentler tone as he gently grasped hold her chin and made her look at him. "I promise, while your hair will be shorter, it will still be much longer than mine so please don't fret."

Sniffling, Sakura wiped her tears away with her sleeve and met Tomoe's gaze. She was surprised by the earnestness shining in his eyes, as well as his soft almost sympathetic expression. However, he would not win her over so easily.

"You don't get it! A girl's hair means a lot to her! We spend years taking care of it and giving it special attention and treatment to ensure it grows long and healthy so having it suddenly hacked off without our consent is traumatizing!" Sakura angrily shrieked.

"Trust me, I understand better than you think."

"How could you? You're a guy!"

"That's true but I once had long hair as well. It was much longer than yours and I was very proud of it."

Sakura blinked in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Why did you cut it?"

"I cut it for the same reason I'm cutting yours. Shortly after becoming the familiar of the previous god of this shrine, Mikage, I found my hair was becoming quite a problem. It was constantly getting tangled or caught in things while I worked, as well as I tended to shed a lot and the strands would either wind up on the freshly swept floors or in my master's food. He didn't appreciate that to say the least. I tried to keep it under control by tying it up or back in various ways and even using some hideous human invention called a hairnet but nothing worked, so in the end I came to the conclusion that I needed to cut it."

"Oh....Did you cry when you cut it?" Sakura asked softly.

Tomoe's eyes sparkled sadly. "Yes, I did actually. It was quite pathetic how many tears I shed but who could blame me? I was giving up one of the biggest pieces of my pride after all. However, I knew it was necessary. I still miss having long hair sometimes, but as a familiar, it is my job to put others' needs and wants before my own."

"Tomoe.....thank you. Your story was quite comforting." Sakura said softly as the last of her tears dried up.

"Good. Now that you've stopped your childish sobbing, I can actually focus on your hair. Don't move." Tomoe stated, quickly returning to his usual self and grabbing the scissors again as he stepped behind her once more. Pulling the hair tie out out of the vixen's hair, he combed his fingers through her to get rid of any tangles and quickly resumed cutting, the steady snipping of the sharp scissors filling the air. A sigh escaped Sakura's lips.

"It would seem he doesn't like letting his guard down for very long. Perhaps he was hurt once when his walls were down?" she thought to herself.

About half an hour went by as Tomoe continued to snip, clip, and slice through Sakura's scarlet tresses. As he worked, Sakura had started to relax and even found the steady rhythm of the scissors to be quite soothing. Once he was satisfied with the back and sides, Tomoe walked to her front and began brushing a considerable amount of hair in front of her face.

"Close your eyes and hold still." he instructed as he brought his shears to the edge of the silky curtain and started cutting. Once he was done, he ruffled Sakura's hair with a satisfied smile on his lips.

"There, you're all done. Don't you look nice?" he purred as he handed Sakura a small hand mirror.

Sakura was speechless when she saw the reflection staring back at her. Her long tresses had be chopped to a few inches below her shoulders along with some straight, blunt bangs that seemed to add some youth to her face. The look complemented her facial features well and brought out her eyes. She couldn't help but smile happily.

"I feel...pretty."

"Enough staring at yourself. Familiars don't have time for vanity. Go hop in the bath and clean up; your new clothes will be laid out on your bed for when you are done." Tomoe said bluntly as he snatched the mirror away and stuffed it back in his pocket. Removing the towel from her shoulders, he shook it out before grabbing a broom and sweeping the strands of scarlet hair off of the porch and into the grass. When he noticed the vixen hadn't moved, he narrowed his eyes and barked at her impatiently, "Are you deaf?! Why are you still sitting there? We have a busy day ahead of us and because I let you sleep in a little, we're running behind! Get moving!"

Sakura felt a smart comeback crawling up her throat, but for some reason, she decided to swallow it and headed into the house without arguing. Tomoe was rather surprised by her silent obedience but he hastily shook it off and returned to his sweeping. However, he was quickly interrupted by a chuckling snake.

"Did you really cry when you cut your hair, Tomoe? I didn't think you were capable of such a thing. It seems far to wimpy and pathetic for you.-" Mizuki sneered as he stepped out of the shadows, a sly smirk plastered on his face.

Tomoe immediately froze, his grip on the broom tightening. "Crap, that snake was eavesdropping? How did I not notice his presence earlier?"

"-However, what surprised me the most was how kind and sympathetic you were when Sakura started crying. I don't think I've ever seen you act so nice to someone. You let her sleep in too but you don't even let Nanami sleep in, much less me. Why do you treat Sakura differently? Is it because she's a woman? A kitsune? Is it because she's a female kitsune?" the snake continued, his eyes glittering with mischief.

"It's none of your business, snake. Why don't you make yourself useful and find these ingredients in the cupboards for me?" Tomoe stated flatly as he pulled a small list out of his pocket and shoved it into Mizuki's cold hands.

Mizuki's eyes sparkled excitedly. "You mean I get to make breakfast for Nanami today?!"

"Of course not; don't be stupid. I just need you to lay out the ingredients for me and then attend to some other meager task in the darkest corner of the shrine that is as far away from the kitchen as possible." Tomoe replied.

"Why? So you can have some alone time with Sakura?" Mizuki's teased.

"Yes actually."

Mizuki's mouth hung agape. "Wait, really?!"

"Yes. Since Sakura is only just beginning as a familiar, I want to eliminate as many distractions as possible so she can focus."

"Oh." Mizuki's face fell. "There goes my newest tidbit of juicy gossip to share with Nanami."

Oblivious to Mizuki's obvious disappointment, Tomoe swept the last scarlet curl off of the porch and then carried the broom, towel, and stool inside. Once he was certain the snake wasn't following him, he released the breath he had been holding and started to think. Why had he been so nice to Sakura? He honestly had no idea. All he knew was that the minute he heard her woeful whimpers and saw her emerald eyes full of tears, some switch inside of him had flipped and the next thing he knew he was trying to comfort the distressed vixen.

"Why her of all people though? Nanami's tears do not phase me, nor the cries of other females. Why is Sakura any different? And why the heck can I not stop blushing?! Am I sick? Am I dying? What is wrong with me?!" Tomoe wondered. Shaking his head to clear away his thoughts, he put his tools away and grabbed a large shopping bag off of the counter. "Just forget it, Tomoe. You were probably just tired, that's all. That was a one time occurrence, whatever it was, and it will not happen again. I'm sure of it."

-----------------

After emerging from the steamy bath and heading into her room, Sakura found the clothes Tomoe had laid out for her and hastily slipped into them. Stepping in front of the mirror, she ran her fingers over the delicate fabric of the baby pink kimono covered with light green floral designs as she gazed at herself in the glass.

"Is that really me? I look elegant and graceful, like a true familiar."

For a few more minutes, Sakura posed in front of the mirror, still in awe of her reflection. However, the moment was ruined as the door to her room slid open and a Tomoe stepped in.

"Did you enjoy your bath?" He cooed. However, there was a poisonous undertone in his voice, though Sakura didn't seem to notice.

"It was lovely. It's been awhile since I've felt so relaxed." she purred happily as she played with a strand of her hair.

"Is that so? Well, I hope you enjoyed it SINCE I NOW I HAVE TO WORK YOU TO THE BONE BECAUSE WE ARE TWO FULL HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE!!!" Tomoe roared.

Sakura blinked in surprise and instinctively took a few steps back, but Tomoe hastily grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of her room.

"I tried to be nice. I tried not to rush you since it's your first day. I let you sleep in and take a hot bath. I gave you a brand new kimono and a fresh haircut so you would look more clean and proper, and this is how you repay me?! I'm done being considerate; be prepared to have the worst day of your miserable life!" he snarled as he dragged her down the hall.

Whatever magical spell that seemed to be keeping Sakura in a good mood immediately wore off, and she glared daggers at the back of the white fox's head.

"Well excuse me for not knowing you have a time limit for baths around here! It isn't exactly something I'm used to!" She barked back.

"Well you had better get used to it because this is your life now. If you want to be a good familiar for your brother you're going to have to let go of all of these luxuries you are accustomed to. I was going to wean you off of them gradually but it appears that approach will take far too long, so I am cutting you off completely." Tomoe stated firmly as he and Sakura entered the kitchen.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Who died and made you dictator of the house?"

"Your think this is a dictatorship? I'll give you a dictatorship." Tomoe barked. Grabbing a couple potatoes, a peeler, and a knife in his other hand, he shoved Sakura in front of the counter and set the objects before her.

"Fortunately, Lady Nanami stayed home from school today and I've been so busy looking after you that I haven't had time to wake her up. You're going to help me finish making her and Atomu's breakfast. Wash your hands and then wash the potatoes. After that, skin them and dice them into little cubes, got it? If you complete that without screwing up then I'll give you another task." Tomoe stated flatly as he grabbed the several ingredients off of the table and headed over to his own station. When he noticed Sakura staring at him blankly, he slammed the items down and shouted at her, "Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation? Chop!"

Sakura flinched at the fox's tone. Scowling, she shot him an angry glare before turning to the sink with a huff. Once her hands and the potatoes were clean, she grabbed the peeler and started removing the skins of the potatoes. Unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention to where the skin pieces were going and littered them all over the floor, causing Tomoe's eye to twitch. However, as he opened his mouth to yell at her some more, he noticed a little white snake sitting on the table, staring up at him.

"What do you want, Mizuki?" He growled.

Mizuki sighed and shook his head. "You've already forgotten, haven't you?"

Tomoe's eyes narrowed. "What are you grumbling on about?"

"You've completely ignored the advice I gave you a few days ago on how to deal with Sakura. You yelling at her and making her upset isn't going to help at all." Mizuki exclaimed.

"Then what do you suggest I do?!"

"As I told you before, you need to be gentler and try to put yourself in her position. Don't you remember how difficult it was for you when you first became a familiar for Mikage?"

Tomoe immediately thought back to his early years of serving Mikage and how many times he had messed up. Although Mikage had scolded him on a few occasions, he also had been very kind and patient with him. Glancing at Sakura, he felt his ears droop again as he thought about how rough he had been in comparison to his own teacher.

"Why are you telling me this, Mizuki? Why are you trying to help her? Aren't you still mad at her for the destruction of Lady Yonomori's shrine?" he asked the snake.

"I'm still sad, but after taking some time to clear my head, I realized she didn't mean to burn it down. Honestly, now that my former lady's shrine is gone, I believe I can let go of her completely and continue on with my life. I should truly be thanking Sakura for severing the last of my bonds to that place. Now I am free to serve Lady Nanami wholehearted."

"Is that so? Good, then you can go wake Nanami up in my place and then make her bed for her instead of lying around like a useless bump on a log." Tomoe sneered.

Mizuki's eyes narrowed.

"You don't have to be so mean, Tomoe! I'm trying to help you!" he hissed before slithering out of the room. "Stupid jerk fox!"

Smirking to himself, Tomoe turned back to his work when he heard a shrill yelp from Sakura. Turning, he saw the vixen clutching the tip of her finger and some blood on the tip of the knife. Shaking his head, he walked to to Sakura, but she immediately backed away.

"Sakura, let me see your wound." he ordered, but the vixen feverishly shook her head. Clenching his teeth, Tomoe grabbed her wrist but froze when he heard her whimper. Looking into her eyes, he could see hints of fear in them.

"She's afraid of me? Does she think I'm going to yell at her for getting hurt?"

Immediately, Tomoe thought about Mikage treating his wounds when he first injured himself on the job. The god had been very gentle and showed more concern for him than whatever mess he had made. Sighing, he let go of Sakura's wrist and grabbed a towel, wetting it with some warm water and a little soap.

"Sakura, I need to clean your wound so it doesn't get infected. Please move your other hand." he stated, softening his voice to match the kind tone Mikage had always used with him.

Wary of the fox's sudden change in attitude, Sakura slowly lowered her other hand to reveal the wounded finger. While the cut was small, the blood had gotten everywhere and stained her entire finger. Shaking his head, Tomoe gently took her hand in his own and started cleaning it. Sakura hissed in pain when the cut starting to sting, and she tried to pull away but Tomoe held her firm.

"Hold still. I'm almost done." he stated. Once the wound was clean, he took the dry end of the towel and wrapped it around her finger. "Apply some pressure to the wound to help stop the bleeding. While I finish with these potatoes, you clean up the skins you littered all over the floor. After that you will watch me prepare the rest of breakfast so you don't hurt yourself again, understand?"

Still unsure of Tomoe's sudden change in demeanor, Sakura slowly nodded her head and knelt down to gather the slithers of potato, her eyes never leaving the white-haired fox as he tossed out the pieces of bloodied potato and cleaned the knife.

"His moods change faster than a pregnant woman's. His parents must've dropped him on his head a couple times as a baby and damaged his brain." She told herself. "He's acting nice at the moment but I doubt it's genuine. He'll be at my throat again within the hour."