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If
Uzumaki Naruto was one thing at this moment, that would be numb.Another miserable day of being ignored by all the residents of Konoha, Naruto sniffled. If only he could just have one friend, someone who will finally notice him, care for him. He felt as if each day was just making him lose his mind. He was surrounded by so many people, yet he felt so alone. Maybe if he just disappeared, no one would notice. They don't even notice that he's there, so what's the point?He walked to the park earlier, hoping to find at least one group of kids his age compassionate enough to let him play a round of ninja or even a simple game of tag. To his misfortune, they all avoided him as if
he was one of the bijuu. He left shortly after being called a freak by one of the older kids, and now he sat at the empty playground.As he sat alone on a swing, he felt his eyes burn and his vision began to blur. 'Why doesn't anyone care? Why...Why does everyone stay away? I've never met them, but they walk past me as if I don't exist.' He began to cry, his nose dripped with salty clear snot.A small gasp made him furiously whip his snot-covered face up before putting his head down again. From what he glimpsed at, a small girl wearing pink saw him. The boy wanted to ignore her, not wanting to deal with the embarrassment that would bring by attempting to bring unwanted communication.Small, sandal-clad feet approached him, the scratches against the dirt grew louder as she came closer."Hey, um, are you okay?"He stayed silent, unable to speak from the giant blob stuck in his throat. All that was heard was his sniffles.After a while, he eventually swallowed his tears and looked up....Only to meet with a pair of concerned, yet sparkling emerald gems.He yelped, pushing himself away from the girl and falling onto his back. Looking up at her, he noticed she wasn't wearing pink, she had pink hair. Pink hair. It was so unusual, yet to him, it was the prettiest color he had ever seen a girl possess. Her attire consisted of a small short-sleeved yellow dress, the skirt reaching just above her knees for her legs to move more freely. Only her sandals were pink, matching her hair. Then she spoke.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?"
Her voice sounded so warm, so soft compared to the mean old bullies he had to deal with at the academy and in general. His eyes teared up again for some reason, and he began to sob. The girl was overwhelmed, worry shown on her face as she tried to calm him down, to no avail. Figuring she had no other choice, the child wrapped her arms around the quivering boy and pulled him to her chest. He immediately grew silent but continued to shake as his body felt the heavy pressure of sadness.
"I saw what those meanies told you."
He whimpered, curling into her for warmth.
"It's okay now, they're going to shut their big fat mouths next time they insult you."
He stopped shaking and gave a small giggle. He lied in her arms, tense and unknowing to trust this strange girl. He felt her grip his body securely, the smell of jasmine petals and rosemary drifting into his nostrils. "W-why are you still here? Why did you decide to try and make me feel better? Haven't you heard the adults and other kids telling you to stay away from me?"The girl giggled, but it held no humor. It almost sent chills down his spine. "Simple, I don't let myself be influenced by those who I don't value the opinions of. I am my own person, and I let myself be the judge of who to stay away from."Naruto shifted in her arms, feeling lost at such big words he hadn't learned yet. He faced her and gazed at the girl with his pained blue eyes, noting guiltily that he stained her once pretty, clean dress with his bodily fluids. "But that doesn't answer my question. Why would you help me? You could've just ignored me and went wherever you were going."The girl frowned, but patted his head gently, "You were crying, and what kind of person would I be if I just ignored the guilt in my chest to help a crying person?" She suddenly smiled kindly, "Plus, what kind of friend would let their future friend cry by themselves?"Naruto felt himself tear up, "Y-you want to be my friend? I've never heard those words before..." The girl pulled him up to his feet, and he immediately grabbed onto her to balance himself. "Well, duh. I don't exactly have friends either and it would mean the world to me if you'd be my first!"He shakily smiled and gratefully took her hand, "Yeah, okay. We're friends now." He gave her hand a small shake, figuring he would put his mannerisms to the test."I'm Uzumaki Naruto. What's your name?"She smiled widely, her eyes sparkling.
"Haruno Sakura!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. What's your name?"
She smiled widely, her eyes sparkling.
"Haruno Sakura!"
Continued...'Sakura? How...pretty and el-eleh...that fancy word!' Naruto thought as he held his new friend's hand. Compared to his dirty hands, Sakura's hand was smooth and soft, but he felt the firm grip on his hand as she turned and made her way out of the alley, their sandals clapping in unison.He followed behind her quietly, trying to avoid being seen by the villagers wandering the streets. But to no avail, he flinched at the sudden negativity and bright red glows of the towering figures. His eyes snapped back to Sakura, and to his surprise, he noticed she had not faltered once in her steps and turned around to beam warmly at him. He felt his cheeks warm at the kindness radiating from her smile and felt safe in her presence, a soft glow of yellow and green mixed together was swarming around her figure.Sakura turned to face the road and tugged at his hand gently, "Ne, Naruto? We're heading to my home we can hang out. You don't mind, right?" Naruto nodded since that was his chance to finally be accepted by someone!He realized that he hadn't said anything to Sakura, and she didn't see him since her head was turned away from him, "Oh, um, okay." He mentally smacked himself for being so awkward and unresponsive.As he mentally beat himself up, he collided with the girl's body. He let out a small gasp and apologized for being so clumsy, but she didn't turn around and yell angrily, instead opting for another smile, letting him know she didn't mind. "Well, we're here."He looked behind her and spotted a sand-color house with a red roof, much bigger than his dirty cramped apartment room. He wondered if her parents were home and if they would approve of him."Well, come on then, I don't want my new friend getting bored to death," Sakura joked, and Naruto felt his heart warm at the word "friend". She let go of his hand for a moment to unlock the door, kicking it open gently and grasped his hand once again.They stepped inside and he noticed the house was organized to perfection. Books were stacked neatly in a bookshelf, shoes were paired and lined up perfectly next to the doormat, and even the pillows on a pastel pink loveseat were arranged to make your person sit comfortably, but to also look stylish and simple. Almost everything screamed "comfort" and "warm", just like the girl who lived here.Sakura motioned to an area he saw as the dining room, "Wait over there while I organize my room a bit, I won't
be long. Feel free to grab refreshments and all that." Entering the room, he pulled a chair and sat down, waiting patiently for the rosette to return.It only took less than two minutes for her to return, and smile on her face as she leaned against the doorway. He grinned at her and swung his legs back and forth. Her eyes gave off that signature sparkle and she turned around before heading into the hallway where a staircase lay ahead. She stopped to look at him and smiled, "Well, don't you wanna hang out in my room?" He got to his feet and practically skipped behind her, eager to finally hang out with someone his age.Sakura stopped in front of a beige door and opened it, exposing her girly, but
dark, room. One side of the room was coated with a color that matched her hair while the other side matched her eyes. A queen-sized bed lay in the corner of the room, where the head of the bed faced the pink wall and the right side of it lay against the green wall. On the bed lay many frog plushies, along with a few fruit-shaped pillows. A medium glass case sat on a wooden desk, along with a sketchbook and a plastic case full of various supplies. The curtains were drawn, shielding her room from the curious locals."Nice room, Sakura-chan! It's so...cute, believe it!" He complimented, "Whaddaya wanna do?" Sakura thought for a moment before walking over to her desk and grabbing her sketchbook and supplies, "We can draw!" And the two got to work after she passed him some paper and a pencil. After a while, they became bored and Naruto spoke up, "Hey Sakura-chan,
where's
your parents? I don't think they know about me." He watched as she froze but mistook it as a sign that she didn't have any. He immediately felt an overwhelming amount of guilt at unintentionally "hurting" his new friend, his ONLY friend, resorting to apologizing profusely.He paused when he heard a soft giggle, "What are you apologizing for? It's not like they're dead. They're just out on a business trip since they're merchants." His guilt faded and was replaced by confusion. "Huh? Then why'd you freeze up like that?" Sakura ran her fingers through her fluffy pink hair, "It was nothing, I just got a chill. That's all, I promise you didn't make me sad or anything." She went over to ruffle his hair and said, "And even if you did, you didn't mean to. You couldn't have known."Naruto puffed out his cheeks, "But I felt so guilty! You scared me,
Sakura-cha-" A loud grumble erupted from between them, Naruto's cheeks reddening after the interruption. The rosette laughed playfully, "I guess you're pretty hungry after all that, huh? As your friend, I'll do my best to care for you, love you, and feed the black hole that's hidden behind your belly button!"He grinned, showing his pearly whites, "Yeah! I'm starving, believe it!" Sakura let out another chuckle, softer than before, "Alright then! Mind helping me in the kitchen?" He nodded enthusiastically, following her to the kitchen.He watched as she took out a packet of square dough-things from the fridge before reaching in again and grabbing a bowl full of ground-up meat mixed with other ingredients he didn't know. Placing the items on the counter, she went over to a cabinet and took out a small bowl and filled it with water before walking over to a pantry and taking out a bag of flour. After assembling everything on the table, Sakura went back to Naruto and pulled up a chair, the blonde following her actions."Alright, now let's get started with these potstickers..."After all the meat was wrapped up, ingredients were tossed into a pot and water was set to boil. After washing their hands, the couple sat in the living room to wait until the food was ready, the heavenly scent of soup wafting into their nostrils.The rosette spoke up, "Un, I almost forgot! Are you going to the academy?" Naruto blinked at her and suddenly grinned, nodding his head rapidly, "Of course! If I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever, I have to be the best of our age, believe it!" Sakura smiled fondly at him and nodded, "Of course, after all, we need the best of the best!" She leaned over and patted him on the shoulder before winking at him playfully, "I believe in you, so do your best Naruto-taaan~!"The blonde blushed and suddenly huffed, "Sakura-chan...I'm not a little kid
y'know..." Sakura laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately, "Yeah, yeah I hear ya, but you're shorter than me!" Naruto puffed out his cheeks before a mischievous smirk crept on his tan features, "You're gonna regret saying that, believe it!" Sakura squealed as Naruto began to chase her around the room.The two ran around in circles before the girl jumped onto the wall and flipped off, landing gracefully behind Naruto who stared at her in awe. "SAKURA-CHAN, SAKURA-CHAN! THAT WAS SO COOL, YOU'RE JUST LIKE A PRO NINJA, BELIEVE IT! CAN YOU TEACH ME HOW TO DO THAT, PLEASE PLEASE!" Naruto erupted, jumped up and down excitedly.Sakura smiled at him before she poked his forehead, "Maybe next time, the food should be ready by now and I'm willing to bet you're starving as well." Naruto nodded a bit dejected but was quickly brought back to his bright state and he followed his friend into the kitchen to set up the table.After they had eaten and laughed, it grew dark. So with bellies full of love and soup, they bid each other goodnight.Naruto shifted nervously as Sakura led him outside of her home."Eto...Sakura-chan?""Un?"He wrapped his arms around her and held her against him,"Thanks for being my first friend and taking care of me."As he lay his head on her shoulder, he didn't see her eyes soften, warmth filling her soul.She smiled and hugged him back,
"I'll always be your friend, Naruto."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"I'll always be your friend, Naruto."
Beginning...Dying is strangely peaceful.Of course, it's only that way to those who expected their inevitable end, accepting death with open arms. People like me who struggled with an almost endless feeling of emptiness longed for a release, a treatment for their almost hollow heart.I'm only kidding, I'm just being dramatic, just like any other edgy teenager with too much homework and time on their hands. If anything, I was a very enthusiastic girl, a small circle of friends and my cousins were my rocks to grab onto to keep steady. An anime I frequently re-watched was Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, which makes me constantly laugh with the silly adventures of my favorite knucklehead ninja. A favorite character was one Sakura Haruno, although she was quite irritating and immature at the beginning, but what can you expect from a sheltered village girl? I knew she had much, MUCH more potential than the "credit" she received from the creators. I had wished daily that I would eventually have the chance to change her life in some way, to make her a better character. But I'm not involved in the writing of the story, what could I do except make small drafts of fanfiction?Moving on, if anything, I did have a severe case of depression, but I tried not to let that affect me. Tried.I knew I was bratty for complaining when something doesn't go my way, even breaking out into tears when I'm upset. I tried to push down my childish behavior, but what else can a 13-year-old girl do when she's upset and constantly moody? So, I wept almost every few weeks, being in this disgusting state of self-pity and bitterness, all while watching what I considered the greatest show of all time.Ugh, I was sick of being this immature whiney brat. The problem was, I knew better. I'm too emotional though, so my feelings control my mind most of the time when it comes to my personal benefit.I hated myself for being this way. For being so ungrateful for life, for food and a family. Even now I still look at myself, wishing I could've been humbler.Moving on, I wanted to change up my attitude, be more accepting of life. So, what'd I
do? I became more open to the crazy, albeit small, group I was friends with at school. We became closer, and I became wilder with each passing week. I was still the angsty girl I had always been, but much happier nowadays.My life was finally turning around for the better! That is...until my death, of course.I don't remember how I died nor what I was doing before, I was alive and suddenly gone. That leads me to now, a white space if I could describe it. You can't ever describe death if I'm being honest. You just have to feel for it yourself. NOT that I'm saying you should hurry up and die, no, not at all! The harsh truth is, it's not worth it. There's nothing satisfying about this place. This wasn't exactly how I had imagined death to be, but it could've been worse.I guess I just have to wait.………And suddenly...
I was surrounded by darkness, the faint smell of blood with a hint of a sickeningly over-sanitized room filled my nostrils. At least, it did before something soft rubbed my nose. Inhaling normally, I scrunched up my nose. Everything I had smelled only intensified.
Wait-
WAIT-
WAIT WAIT WAIT, DIDN'T I JUST DIE? HOW CAN I SMELL ANYTHING?
I opened my eyes, only to be blinded by an extremely bright light. My sight adjusted to the light, only to be shocked by a large feminine face in front of me, cooing.Did- Was I just born?
DID I JUST SLIDE OUT OF A WOMAN'S VAGINA-?My thoughts ran wild inside my mind, irritating me and causing a major headache. I teared up at the throbbing and began to wail. At the same time, a baby began to cry as well. The pain overshadowed the shock of hearing a baby cry in the room, and I sobbed harder, liquids spilling from my face dripped onto my naked body.I heard the woman coo at an attempt to calm me down, but I didn't understand what she was saying. I continued to cry, even as I felt myself being passed from the woman's arms to another.The gentle touch of a warm, sweaty hand caressing my head slowly brushed away my headache, and I quieted down to small sniffles. I opened my eyes to be greeted by another lady, only her face dripped sweat and tears. Despite this, a bright smile was on her face. I never met this woman, but her presence calmed me. Deciding to relish in this warmth, I nuzzled closer to her body. I felt her chest vibrate as she hummed to me, sweet melodies reaching my ears. Eventually, I fell asleep, exhaustion and dehydration lulling me away.I
never expected to wake up. I had thought that maybe the afterlife was kind enough to offer me one last gift of comfort before sending me off to the void. I was wrong, and I realized that as soon as I was once again blinded by
light, only it wasn't as bright as before. I shifted my head, looking at my surroundings. I was in a...crib?Skillfully painted a clean white, the bars ensured I would stay put. My room was a creamy vanilla color, a door right next to my crib informed me that was the entrance and exit to an assumed hallway. A set of wooden sliding doors indicated that it was a closet, along with the long mirror stuck to it. Now that I've mentioned the mirror, I wanted to view myself. Had I changed, or was I somehow coincidentally born in a body that was exactly like my first one? I rolled over and tried to stand. Unfortunately, my small body couldn't hold up my weight yet, so I made do with crawling.I looked in the mirror, only to find a small pink-haired child staring right back at me with her emerald eyes, an expression of bewilderment was present on her face. I waved, and she copied. I rubbed my cheek and of course, she did the same.There more I stared the more I realized what had happened.
Was I truly reborn as Sakura Haruno? My all-time idol? The proclaimed "useless" kunoichi of the fandom? God, this was a dream come true! Man, have I wished endlessly for this day!
I excitedly touched my barely growing pink locks, feeling the softness that I would only dream of having as a teenager climbing through the social ranks of high school. Do all babies have soft hair? My skin is surely soft and squishy. Babies are kind of like living marshmallows if you really think about it.I was currently wearing a soft pink onesie topped with a matching red ribbon sitting around my head. Hey, she- I was pretty cute!As I beamed with my gummy mouth at the fact that I was suddenly "blessed" with having the chance to be this gorgeous female, I suddenly remembered about the brief awakening I had in what I believed to be the hospital. I opened my mouth to call out for the woman I had been with, only to hear garbled mumbles spew from my mouth. I wasn't exactly shocked to hear a babble, but I suppose it had done the job since as soon I let out a few, "Uwah,
mma,
hyiu," the giant woman came in through the door. I cooed at her happily and reached out with my arms, wanting to feel that warmth again.The woman turned to my crib and smiled at me, reaching in my crib to pull me out and onto her chest. I took a good look at her, noting her short blonde hair and soft green eyes staring into me. The first thought I had was,
'This woman is going to raise me, even if I'm going to raise myself most of the time. This is it, my new life as Sakura Haruno and my parents as Mebuki Haruno and Kizashi Haruno. What a shit ton of fun I'm going to have!'Sakura's mo- I mean, Mother cradled me in one arm while she reached over with her other to gently stroke my head. I smiled and let out a few coos before she took me out of my room into the dimly lit hallway of our home.We passed by a small collage of pictures, mostly consisting of Mother and, I assumed, Kizashi Haruno, Sakura's fa-my Father. I turned my body to look at the direction we were heading and ended up staring at the spacious living room and kitchen, taking in the scenery. However, I excitedly pointed my gaze towards the window, this being noticed by Sa-my Mother. She carried me to the large window, and I was in awe at the reality I was in. The Hokage mountains were beautiful! Everything was so gorgeous; the streets, the buildings, everything was amazing! The icing on the cake was the Hokage tower, only a few buildings away from our home. The red roof and the unreadable kanji character told me everything.I giggle happily as Mother tickled my belly, thinking to myself,
"What a life I'm going to have!"