DISCLAIMER: I absolutely do not own Naruto

'italics' - inner thoughts

Enjoy :]

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It's…cold.

Konoha was in the winter season. Since the village nestled deep within the forests, it was constantly raining. Raining in the morning, through the night, through the next day, everyday of every week until the season was over. It was also the season that konoha got very little requests for missions. Therefore, these people, the ones who go about everyday, protecting the village, protecting their homes, protecting their loved ones, got a well deserved break. This was the time for those people to be in the comfort of their own homes, chatting away with their brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, girlfriends, wives…This was the time to appreciate what they have done, how much they have given up, and in return, received the feelings of warmth, contentment, compassion; rekindling the relationships they consider the most important to them, most precious; savoring the moments.

After finishing my homework from Iruka-sensei, I set aside the textbook, resting my jaw on the palm of my left hand, and tilted my head out the window. I watched the rigorous downpour of water colliding against the glass, the constant drumming consuming my mind. Wearing a thin long sleeve shirt and shorts, I shivered lightly, the coldness from the outside drifting inside my room, towards me. I felt as if the coldness was focusing more on me though, like some force tugging the coldness along, guiding it towards my heated body.

Though I had no intention of getting up and putting on another layer of warm clothing. I lay there, resting my body on the comfort of my bed, allowing the coldness to seep into my skin, little goose bumps slowly forming. Though I didn't mind one bit. I preferred the cold more than the heat anyways. It felt like the coldness was engulfing my body, leaving me numb, feeling nothing but…content. Content on how my life was. Of course, being 7 years old I was never exposed to anything to have made me worry, to have lost to mourn for, to fear for…

My body stilled, my breathing stopped, and my eyes were wide open. A scream. A heart-wrenching scream traveling around the house, its' echoed effect finally reaching my room, reaching my little ears. Mom…? Never in my life have I heard such a horrible sound. I felt it, the emotions laced through that scream. Fear. Anger. Panic. I forced my body up and off the bed, placing my feet on the wooden floor. Slowly, oh so very slowly, I neared my closed door. Raising my right arm, I cautiously placed my hand on top of the knob. Oh my god…what's happening? Why did mom scream? Where's dad? Should I go? WHAT IS HAPPENING? I didn't turn the knob, I didn't open my door

… Mom. Dad. Come on, move Sakura. MOVE.

Looking down, I finally took notice. Shaking. Uncontrollably and horrifyingly shaking. My mind finally processed that I. was. SHAKING. My body wanted to convulse, to drop to the ground, and be consumed. Consumed by what? I didn't know, because I didn't know what I was feeling at that moment.

I refused to give in, I had to open my door, I NEEDED to open my door. Denying what my body was trying to do, I was finally able to turn the knob. As I tried to peek out through the opening, I was suddenly shoved away from the door. Staggering to catch my balance, at the corner of my eyes I saw my dad rushing in. His eyes. They held the same emotions that were laced in that god forsaken scream. " D-Dad?" I said. Panting my father turned. Fear and confusion rushed into my mind when I took in the form of my father. His pearl hair looked drench.

Is that…blood?

Almost two-thirds of his shaggy hair was soaked with the deep color, some sliding down his left eye. His once life filled green eyes, the ones filled with so much love, understanding…was completely lifeless, void of any emotions. My eyes traveling down, I saw his brown shirt was torn, his arms scattered with marks, freshly opened wounds, some deep enough to leak blood out.

Kneeling down, my father placed his callous hands upon my shaking shoulders. "Sakura-chan… Listen very carefully ok sweetie? Nod your head if you understand what I'm telling you." my fathers' hushed voice told me. I nervously nodded once, unable to speak up in fear. Quickly he glanced at the door, cautious as if it would burst open. Turning back to me, he stared right into my eyes finally conveying what had happened, why he was hurt, why mom wasn't here in this room with us, and why he was covered in blood…mom's blood. I started to tear up, blurring my vision of my father quickly, quietly, and gently told me the events that had happened before, during, and after my mother's scream. How the dining room window cracked and broke into millions of shards, spraying out in every direction, some swiping by cutting his arms. So that's why.

Orochimaru. One of the three legendary sanin that lived, breathed, and walked on this planet. And with his life he bred fear into the weak hearted, abduction to those he wanted to use, and death to those that posed as an obstacle… We caught his interest.

Oh my god...OH MY GOD.

A finger prevented me from gasping out loud, from crying out. Immediately my wide, teary eyes refocused on my father, pursing his slightly parted lips. "Shh Sakura, we don't have much time." he said. He swiftly tugged me towards the navy blue walls, pressing my back fully against the wall, and softly said, "Me ni mienai Jutsu".

Quickly looking down, my skin started to change colors, darker, darker until I was completely blended into the navy blue walls I was pressed against. Dad…why? He seemed to be searching where my eyes would have been, and gave a smile. Not the ones when he would greet me coming home from the academy or in the kitchen when I whined about eating my veggies, not even close to the ones before tucking me into bed. No…this smile wasn't any of those, it was nothing. His smile gave me nothing, nothing to hope for him, or mom…It was empty. It was his face muscles contracting to form a curve on his lips, poorly imitated. "Please Sakura-chan… I- I'm…Stay hidden…".

The door ripped open, the top hinges coming off from the wall, barely being in placed if not for the bottom hinges. Three small screws scattered across my room, one sliding underneath my table, the other near my dad, and the last…at the base of my feet. I held my breath, scared that even my breathing would show that I was indeed here, in my room with my father, that I would be seen. "Ahh so here you are…Shouku. You didn't think you could actually hide did you?" Involuntarily I shivered, holding back a whimper. It was him. HE was here, in my house, in my ROOM.

No…NO DAD RUN! PLEASE RUN! PLEASE!..Please…What are you doing?

Why was he just standing there? Dad just firmly stood his ground, not moving an inch as Orochimaru came closer, closer until he was right in my dad's face, hissing out, "Now you know I can't hurt your precious voice Shouku, I'll need them for myself." Reaching forward his ominously pale hand wrapped around dad's throat, a snake revealing itself under his sleeve, entangling its' entire body to restrict my father as a precaution.

He knew... Orochimaru KNEW. How the hell did he know about our clan? For centuries our ability was hidden, away from the grasps of those who sought power, to use us to monopolize the nations. No one knew but the Hokage, ONLY the Hokage…So how did this...hap-

My thoughts were cut short; my logical side was slowly slipping away, away from my control on the matter at hand, to control my emotions. Wha- Dad STO- I suddenly felt nothing, my body no longer shaking, my quivering lips setting itself in a firm line, arms hanging loosely by my side. I forced my eyes to drift towards the man capable of doing such a thing. Understanding. He wanted me to understand, that he was doing this for my own good, to keep me safe, away from the grasps of evil, more specifically, Orochimaru's evil intentions.

"Shit…This is what happens when I waste my time. Damn you Shouku! You would have been extremely useful to me" Orochimaru hissed. My eyes held confusion, but my mind did not process that, I was still being manipulated to feel nothing. I watched as numerous soaked figures stood in a fighting stance, surrounding my father and Orochimaru. They wore white masks; each shaped and carved into a certain animal. Boar. Cat. Dog. Sheep. Lion. Taking a step back, the snake slithered back into Orochimaru's sleeve, while my father's body swung backward, nearly having his back skull impale itself into that tiny screw that fell off the door earlier, if it weren't for the Cat masked figure catching him.

The boar, dog, and sheep figures disappeared along with Orochimaru. Along with his disappearance, my father choked out, "Sa- Sakura. Sweetie it's…okay". The whirlwind of emotions finally came back, he let go on the control, and I endured the rush of emotions filling my body, overflowing, unable to handle it anymore. "KAI!" I screamed out, evidently shocking the remaining two figures who hadn't sensed or believed anyone else was in the room. I stumbled towards my father, my tears freely flowing down my face…I was downright sobbing, crying my heart out. I sunk down on the other side of my father, taking in his form again. It's worse; his wounds have gotten so much worse than I thought they were. Because he was laid back down, his shirt hiked up, revealing a fist wide wound. I could see the deformed skin surrounding it, watching as it tried to clog the open wound, his body desperately fighting to heal. But it wasn't enough, even as the lion figure hovered their hands above my father's wound, a pale green glow emitting struggling to hasten the paste.

"No…no no NO!" I screamed. I don't believe it. I WON'T believe it. "DAD! Please no, stay with me! Keep your eyes open!" I latched my small hands around one of his, bringing it in front of my face, squeezing my eyes shut. Why? Why did he have to suffer for me?It wasn't fair…It wasn't fair at all. "S-Sa…Sakura" my father gasped out. Slowly, he raised the hand I held onto, shifting it to the side, resting his bloody palm against my cheek. I Shivered. He was getting cold. I could feel him slipping, slipping into darkness, slipping into another place unknown, slipping away from me. I pressed my cheek harder against his palm, placing my tiny one over his, forcing it to stay there. I pleaded to him, "Daddy…I love you. Really- I really love you…please…" Each word that slipped through my lips got quieter, weaker.

With the feeling of despair, I was loosing him. I knew I was loosing him and I couldn't do anything about it.

Why? Why mom? Why dad?...Why me?

Before he gave in, before he would succumb to the darkness, he breathed out his last words to me, "Sweetie…Mom and I love you very much. Be strong, my precious flower".

It was raining when the cloaked figures returned, raining as I finally let go of my father's cold, lifeless hand, raining as a small squad cleaned up the mess, erasing evidence, erasing the fact that mom and dad were dead. Later I found out my mother died by poison and suffocation. Mommy… She didn't deserve it. She never deserved to pass on like that, to die in agony. She deserved to live a long life. She was SUPPOSE to live a long, fulfilling life.

Standing by the side of the freshly carved stone, I placed my left hand on top, slightly grazing its' rough rounded edges. "I love you mommy…" I whispered. Raising my right hand, I placed it on top of another, right beside my mother's. "…I love you daddy".

A little girl, standing in between two recently buried graves, head slightly bowed down, her pink bangs obscuring outside viewers into what she was feeling. No child should be by them self. No child should be away from their parents. No child should have to suffer from such sadness…such loneliness. Unfortunately, Haruno Sakura was a child that was forced to be by herself. She was a child devoid of her loving parents. She was a child that would suffer years to come from the sadness… the loneliness.

As Sakura lifted her head up towards the sky, tears glistening down her cheeks, she quietly, but confidently made a vow, a promise, a drive, a goal that would enable her to move- no, PUSH forward. What was it that she vowed? She vowed to train. Train until her body could hold up no longer, train to pass her limits, study and obtain as much needed for her to strive. For dad. To be the strongest she can be, physically and mentally.

But she was afraid. She feared she would be consumed by harboring so much hate, not looking forward to the endless days, years of being alone. For mom. And so, Sakura also made a life long promise that whenever came a time that she would be able to feeling happiness, to feel alive, to feel that each day would be worth living, she wouldn't pass that chance up. A strained smile formed, curving her lips upwards, slightly opening her mouth to taste her salty tears. But her strained smile was filled to the brim, corner to corner. She smiled, though pained, filled with hope and determination. This would be the drive she would need, so that when the day comes for her to face her fear, her hatred towards another, she'd be able to face the being harboring her fear and hate full on. Ultimately this lead to her final goal: to completely annihilate, destroy, and kill Orochimaru.

But then again, getting sick wasn't her intention to start off the following days. She was outside for who knows how long, just standing, completely drenched from head to toe, smelling like wet grass. Honestly, she couldn't help it... It was still raining.

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Tada~

First chapter done and it only took me...5-6 hours to complete :P

Sorry it takes a while for my mind to form words that lay out what I'm feeling and thinking in a specific moment. Still could do better but mehhh too much detail would be boring yeah? :D

R&R please!