AN: Hey guys just letting you know I decided to make some changes to this fic so re-reading the last chapter will probably be a good idea. It's mostly just the order of events and spelling/grammar, so some of this chapter will be familiar.

Anyways, I just wanted to thank everyone who is still following this fanfic as well as give special thanks to everyone who has reviewed to let me know what you think. I appreciate it. I hope you all continue to enjoy this fanfic :)

Lights We Burn

I do not own Naruto

Chapter Five

The loud 'thuds' of kunai hitting wood echoed throughout the meadow followed by a feminine cry of frustration. Fingers pulling at her pink hair, Sakura dropped to her knees emitting another quiet shriek before flopping onto the cold ground and flailing her limbs.

For the past week she'd been taking her training as a shinobi more seriously, going so far as to borrow some scrolls from the academy library for information to get better. That lead to running before and after classes to improve her stamina, practicing her taijutsu stances and movements more often, and lastly the one she's had the most problems with, practicing her weapons throwing. Despite setting up a makeshift target attached to one of the many trees in her meadow and practicing every day, Sakura felt as if she had hardly improved. She knew she wasn't going to become an expert after only one week, but the fact she was still missing the target's center on every single try was annoying her to no end.

Frustration abating, the rosette rolled onto her back to look at the sky with a huff before closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. Inhaling the natural scent of the forest surrounding her, her body began to relax as her emotions calmed down. She focused on the feel of the damp grass beneath her and let the sweet smell of pine encase her in a cocoon of familiarity as it seeped into her being like a second skin.

So lost in the company of the nature surrounding her, she didn't notice the presence of someone entering the clearing until a leg collided with her body and they went toppling over her.

Letting out an undignified yelp and holding her side where pain resonated from where the foot connected, Sakura slowly sat up to see who had intruded on her spot because it was the one thing she wouldn't tolerate. This place had been her sanctuary for so long that she hadn't even told Ino about it, and she considered the blonde her best friend.

Throwing a glare in the culprit's direction, she could feel her negative emotions building and about to break through until surprise took over when she realized who it was.

"Hinata-san?"

"S-sakura-s-san…" The young Hyuuga heiress sniffled before trying to discreetly wipe at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

Noticing the tears on her face Sakura grew more concerned. She'd never seen the Hyuuga heiress cry before and wasn't really sure what to do.

"Are you alright Hinata-san? Do you want me to get someone for you?" Sakura inquired kindly only for the lavender eyed girl to quickly shake her head and stand.

"I-I'm f-fine S-Sakura-s-san. I-I'm s-sorry for-for bothering y-you. I-I'll be go-going n-now." She hiccuped before standing up to walk away not even bothering to look around the clearing.

As Sakura watched the dejected form of her classmate walk away with barely concealed tears in her eyes, she was reminded of their similarities and couldn't stop the feelings of concern and sympathy that gathered in her chest. Sakura knew for a fact that Hinata was bullied while growing up, even if it was for different reasons to herself. While Sakura had a huge forehead and weird hair colour, Hinata was the heiress to one of the strongest clans in Konoha but despite that, was considered an average student who had self-confidence issues.

Sakura knew what it was like to be alone even if she wasn't anymore. It was why she was willing to follow Ino and try to change for her. She wanted to belong somewhere. But Hinata didn't have someone who was an Ino for her and that was what made the decision for Sakura.

"Hinata-san," She called then waited for the girl to turn to look at her. "You can stay if you want?" She gestured to the space besides her nervously. She hadn't tried to make friends with anyone since she was five and was called a freak for the first time. Seeing the indecision cross the other girls face before she began to shake her head in rejection, Sakura added in a quiet yet honest voice, "T-this is a good place to think about stuff…"

Noticing the Hyuuga was now looking at her Sakura continued, "And I'd be happy to talk… ya know… if you want? I-I mean you don't have to… I just think it's hard not having someone to talk to…" Sakura trailed off embarrassed by her rambling and the rejection she knew was going to come. So she was surprised when she heard footsteps come towards her before she could feel the heat of another body taking a seat on the damp grass beside her.

Smiling inwardly at her success the rosette closed her eyes and thought about what she could say to the other girl. She didn't know Hinata very well but what she did know was that the girl was quite shy and gentle. Similar to how she used to be and still was sometimes.

Surprisingly, rather than finding the silence awkward, Sakura found it somewhat comforting to have someone next to her even if they didn't know each other very well. Her thoughts began to drift to the reason the heiress was there. Sakura had never seen Hinata cry before and wondered what could make the heiress so upset. Maybe she was being bullied again?

Before she could ponder it more, Sakura was brought out of her thoughts by the Hyuuga moving. Blinking several times before looking at the girl in question, she noticed her companion was playing with her index fingers and saying something.

"Umm, Hinata-san… could you talk a little louder please?" Sakura asked kindly.

"I-I'm s-sorry Sa-Sakura-san." She said while looking down at the ground and fidgeting. Sakura wondered why she was apologizing to her.

Voicing her thoughts aloud, Hinata lowered her head further and her ears began to redden.

"Th-the o-other da-day I-I h-hit y-you a-and-" before she could continue Sakura cut her off with a quiet giggle, making a blush rise to her fellow classmate's cheeks and her shoulders to tense up defensively.

"Hinata-san it was a spar. You were supposed to try and hit me." The pinkette told her in a matter-of-fact tone then continued on, "You're really strong, ne, Hinata-san." The blush that spread across the heiress' face was enough to make the pinkette giggle again before her mood was dampened by the Hyuuga's next comment.

"Y-you're wrong Sakura-san, I'm not strong at all." Hinata said looking at the ground, the blush from earlier absent and replaced with an expression of sad acceptance.

Sakura looks at the girl in slight surprise wondering if she really meant that despite knowing Hinata wasn't the sort of person to be dishonest. In Sakura's opinion, Hinata could be one of the strongest students in the class. The only reason she wasn't was because she refuses to really fight anyone. If she did fight seriously, Sakura was sure that Hinata would be able to give Kiba or even Sasuke a run for their money. The Haruno couldn't understand why Hinata would think that and couldn't help herself from asking hesitantly, not wanting to upset the kind girl further.

"Ne, Hinata-san, what makes you think that?" Hinata pauses and takes a breath in and Sakura assumes that she's not going to answer but is surprised again when Hinata's soft voice graces the clearing.

"E-everyone s-says I w-won't make a-a good shinobi… and I-I don't like hurting people…" She said, shoulders shaking in a way that told Sakura she was on the verge of tears again making Sakura feel bad for prying, but she was concerned for the girl.

Thinking about what she said, Sakura knew being a good shinobi wasn't just about being strong. In fact, Sakura didn't really know what a 'good shinobi' was. She was from a civilian family, so her interaction with actual shinobi was limited to the academy, Ino's dad and her hero. What she did know for sure was that Hinata wasn't a weak person, she was just a good person.

"Hinata-san, do you want to be a shinobi?" Sakura asks her seriously causing the Hyuuga to pause before answering.

"It-it's expected of m-me…" Hinata replies before nervously adding, "but I… I want to pr-protect my little sister too. I want to- to be someone she can look up to."

Sakura smiled at her before looking up at the darkening sky.

"I don't really know what a 'good shinobi' is, but I... I think being kind isn't the same as being weak, it just means that you have more you care about and more you'll be willing to fight for when we're older."

Silence fell on the clearing following her words and unsettled, Sakura turned to look at her companion only to catch her staring at her thoughtfully. Sakura smiled shyly at her before ducking her head.

"Y-You're strong too, Sa-Sakura-san." Hinata told Sakura, surprising her with how honest she made the words sound. Sakura knew she wasn't very strong in comparison to the other girls so she was also quite surprised by the declaration.

"No I'm not." Sakura said quietly but truthfully, looking across at the target post she put up that was covered in gashes from kunai and shuriken practise. "But I promised I am going to get stronger," she looked back at Hinata and smiled before continuing, "That way I can protect my precious people too."

Hinata could only look on in admiration at Sakura and watch as determination filled her eyes. A sudden breeze blew through the clearing making both girls shiver. They didn't realize how long it'd been since they met but noticing the darkening sky, Hinata thought she'd been missing far too long.

Standing up she mumbled while standing up, "Ko-Niisan is p-probably worried. I s-should head b-back now…"

Assuming that this Ko person was her personal carer or guardian Sakura assumed this was her way of saying she had to leave. Feeling a little sad at the fact because she had enjoyed the Hyuuga heiress' company, Sakura decided that she would try to become friends with the girl.

"Ne, Hinata-san…" She said somewhat shyly while looking down at the grass she was still sitting on. "I'll be here tomorrow too, you know, if you want to meet up again. Or I'll see you at the academy?"

Looking back up at the lavender eyed girl she realized that she was surprised by her invitation and thought maybe she didn't find their companionship as comfortable as the rosette, but then she was nodding her head gently.

"I-I'll ask to c-come tomorrow to-too." She said while blushing then began to leave. Before she made it out of the clearing Sakura quickly yelled out, "Oh and Hinata-san please don't tell anyone about this place." She requested and was happy to see the Hyuuga nodding her head eagerly while smiling nervously.

"I w-won't Sa-Sakura-san."

As she made her way home, Sakura couldn't help but hope that she'd made a new friend in the kind Hyuuga. Despite Ino's reluctance in the past to befriend the girl, the warm feeling in her gut led Sakura to believe she'd made the right choice.

As she continued to walk with a smile on her face, Sakura was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps and a shout of "There you are!"

When she looked up, she realized that she was near the park by the river where most of the younger kids went after academy classes to play. However, they had all left already with their parents. Sakura's eyebrows knit together in confusion at the sight of the two girls now together in front of her.

In the time since her first attempt to stand up for herself, Sakura had never once come across Ami at the academy again. Sure she'd seen her a few times with who Sakura assumed were her parents at the markets but that was it. So watching her approach now was surprising for the Haruno especially considering the other girl behind her.

"We finally found you, forehead girl!" Ami said with a sneer on her face. "I heard that you got my cousin here in trouble last week." Ami said causing Sakura to realize the reason for Miki's dislike for her. Sakura had always thought it was because of Ino but now she realized it might be because of what happened with Ami too.

Said cousin was now inching to Sakura's side making her heart beat faster and tense even further. "I don't know what you're talking about." Sakura told them honestly. If Miki had gotten into trouble last week for some reason, Sakura knew it wasn't her fault.

"Don't lie!" Miki screeched. "You're the reason Iruka-sensei told me off in taijutsu class. You're the reason I got in trouble!"

Sakura still confused simply told them defensively, "I'm not lying."

"It doesn't matter." Ami said while moving closer to Sakura who took a step back. "I'm going to make you pay for everything!" She said then lunged.

Sakura moved out of the way then started to run up the steps of the park and towards the tree's but was stopped by Miki who had noticed what she was doing and blocked her path before punching her. Sakura went to block the second strike but was caught off guard when a pair of arms held her own back from behind.

Sakura cursed inwardly as she realized her mistake, forgetting she had two opponents. Panic began to overtake her as she watched Miki pull back again to hit her this time lower in the stomach.

"Told you you'd never be able to win in a real fight. You're too weak!" She said and punched her again in the stomach causing the air to be knocked out of her and her to keel forwards as her arms were released from behind. "Come on Ami-nee, she isn't worth our time." Miki said as she went to walk off but was stopped by her cousin.

"What are you doing?" Miki's panicked voice caused Sakura to jerk away from them and try to get away despite the pain in her stomach but she was stopped by a swift kick to her side.

"I'm teaching her a lesson." Miki said as she raised a kunai that Sakura hadn't noticed before. "This is what happens when you mess with us." Sakura frightened, looked to Miki to see if she would stop her but she had gone pale and was now shaking nervously.

"Ne, nee-chan, that's a bit much don't ya think, I don't want us to get into trouble with Baa-san." She said nervously to her cousin who just glared at her causing her younger cousin to back off.

"Hold her down, Miki. This is pay back for what I had to go through. Because of her I had to repeat my first year at the academy with little kids! Do you know how humiliating that is?!" She yelled causing both Miki and Sakura to flinch.

Sakura tried to scramble back to her feet but another kick in her side stopped her, then before she knew it someone was straddling her back and pushing her shoulders into the ground causing Sakura to whimper in pain. Her shoulder length hair was then wrenched up by a hand and she was face to face with the angry brown eyes of Ami.

Sakura started to struggle but the reflection of light off of the kunai caught her attention and her eyes widened in fear while her body began to tremble. Ami smirked at her before she brought the kunai down towards her head. Sakura tried to keep as still as possible and shut her eyes in fear.

When her hair was finally released, Sakura looked up and watched as short pink strands floated in the air around her as Ami threw her hair at her and began laughing.

"Now you should know not to think so much of yourself freak!" Ami said while sneering then kicking her one last time and walked away with a nervous Miki behind her.

Sakura slowly began to sit up while watching them walk away. From the sharp pain in her stomach she knew she was going to bruise, but she couldn't find it in her to care. Her thoughts were silent as she stood up and stepping over the fallen strands of her hair she made her way home.

When she entered her silent home, the sounds of creaking floor boards followed her footsteps as she made her way to her parent's room where she'd left her father's haori the week before.

Climbing onto the bed, she curled up into a ball and lay there with the haori held to her chest. Not long after, tears began to stream down her face as she thought about what happened. It felt like she'd only woken from a bad dream. But as her hand came up to stroke her short and uneven locks, she knew that it wasn't a nightmare. Curling further into herself, Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep, hoping tomorrow would be better.

When she woke to the sound of people outside her parent's window, Sakura realized once again that the day before wasn't a dream. Wincing from pain, she got up to get ready for the academy and went to have a shower. As she got out she moved to the full length mirror to check for bruising she was sure she got from the day before.

And she'd been right. There was a small bruise on the side of her chin from Miki or Ami she wasn't sure, but what worried her more were the large dark bruises that were forming on her stomach. Touching them she flinched from the pain before pulling her clothes on in a careful manner.

As she looked at herself again in the mirror, she touched her hair and wondered what to say about it if anyone asked. She didn't want to get any of the teachers or parents involved again because she knew it would just start more trouble.

She thought about trying to cut it but knew that she'd probably do a worst job than it was at the moment. Her pale pink rosette hair that once reached just below her shoulders, had been cut unevenly at the back with the shortest strands being on her right side and only reaching just below her ears, and slowly getting longer as they moved around to the other side where the longest lengths reached the bottom of her neck. Her fringe which hadn't been gathered in Ami's hands when she cut it was still the same length, reaching just below her chin.

Getting the scissors out of the cupboard, Sakura tried to clip a little of the longer strands to try even them out but looking in the mirror again she knew she still looked ridiculous. Sakura began to think about how her parents were going to react when they saw her when an idea came to her.

Walking to the room she'd slept in, Sakura recalled the faze her mother went through where she started buying different sorts of bandannas to keep her hair back the last summer. Eventually she stopped when she cut her hair shorter, but Sakura realized that this would be a great way to cover what had been done to her hair without having to ask someone to cut it until later.

Digging into her mother's draws, Sakura went through them one by one tossing around clothes and underwear until she finally reached the bottom of the third draw and spotted a few bandannas. Pulling them out, Sakura examined them each before picking a dark red coloured one with thin white swirls on it.

She then bent to pick up all of the clothes she tossed around and began to fold them and put them back in the draws. As she reached for a piece of clothing on the floor near the bed she noticed something strange with one of the floor boards. Curiosity getting the better of her, she knelt on the floor and examined it.

Sakura wondered briefly if this was one of those secret safes that they were taught about in class, but knew that if that was the case, then her parents were obviously hiding something and she couldn't see them doing something like that.

Despite those thoughts, Sakura began tapping on the floor board, noticing that this one unlike the rest was raised slightly higher and the sound from tapping it was slightly hollow.

Sakura looked around the room for something before deciding to head to her own room and get a kunai for the board. Trying to use a kunai as a lever to undo a floor board probably wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done. It took what felt like ten minutes of Sakura poking at the floor board with her kunai when her hand lost its grip and slipped on the small blade, cutting the inside of her palm. Sakura hissed in pain and frustration looking at the cut on her hand that was now bleeding. Deciding it wasn't deep or wide enough to require stitches, she grabbed one of her mothers old bandannas and wrapped it around her hand before attacking the floor board with more ferocity than before. She was thankful when it finally gave way, and by then, Sakura's pain had been muted by her burning curiosity which had overcome any amount of guilt she might have felt at looking into something she probably wasn't supposed to.

As she lifted the short board up, Sakura didn't bother to think about what would happen if she were to find out these secrets or the affect that they could have on her or her family. She also didn't think about whether or not they should ever be revealed to people. Instead she picked up one of the scrolls and examined it.

In appearance it looked like an average scroll except when she tried to open it, it refused to budge. Sighing, Sakura thought about simply giving up. Looking at the scroll, she tossed it between her hands but was surprised when it started glowing bright blue. Remembering all of the academy warnings about chakra bombs and seals, Sakura dropped the scroll immediately and dived outside the room for cover.

When there were no sounds of doom heard for the next minute, with her heart beating fast the rosette poked her head around the corner to see if anything strange had happened and was surprised to find the unassuming scroll laying unrolled on the floor. Making her way over, Sakura picked it up nervously. However, that nervousness turned to confusion then dread as she began to read its contents.

Certificate of Birth

Name: -

Birth date: March 28

Weight: 7 pounds

Height: 42.6 cm

Eye colour: Green

Hair colour: Pink

Place of Birth: Land of Fire

Father: -

Mother: Senju Tsunade

I hope you all liked this update! Please let me know your thoughts :)