Hey guys! New story here. I know I have finished any of my other ones and I promise to work on them but I just haven't found the motivation to write anymore in those stories. So this is an ItaSaku story but it will have hints of GaaSaku and a tiny bit of KakaSaku but that is for plot/story/interesting plot type of thing. No sexual action will occur between Kakashi and Sakura. Gaara and Sakura were in a relationship but you will read that Sakura doesn't have feelings for Gaara anymore because he broke her heart. These relationships are important in this story to help build the mentality of Sakura. I don't want to portray her as weak but you also can't just be like, "oh yeah, she can kick everyone's ass." No, that doesn't work. Sakura has flaws like everyone else and her biggest one is the lack of trust she has with men and things like that. This doesn't really follow Naruto at all but if it did, Itachi and Sakura wouldn't end up together which is BS so I am making up my own version. I promise to use as many of the rookie 9 and Kakashi's generation as possible. I apologize for any wrong names of things but I didn't have internet as I wrote this so I couldn't double check as I wrote it so stuff might be wrong. This will be rated M for Mature because of scenes between ItaSaku (the only lemons I will write will be between them). I think that's all I want to say. Please keep flames to yourself but I do appreciate constructive criticism. I don't think I am a fantastic writer by any means but I enjoy writing stories for people to read to help inspire them to also write. So, please review! Even if I have more than one chapter up and you just want to go to the next chapter to continue reading! I want to better myself as a writer and I can't do that if no one comments. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

A young woman, about the age of nineteen, walked the bustling streets of Konoha as she took deep breaths of the spring filled air that seemed to encompass her entire being. It was a warm June afternoon and sakura petals were falling to the ground as the wind started to pick up speed. This young woman had waist length hair that was braided matched the color of the fallen sakura petals. She found herself in a red tank top, black shorts and a black hoodie that was sleeveless and only went to right under her bust, a small backpack that was big enough for only the essentials and twin kodachi that were strapped to her back. She was dressed casually but she had just finished a mission that lasted months. The young woman's name is Sakura Haruno and she is a temporary member of ANBU of Konohagakure, or Konoha for short. The reason for this temporary status was because Tsunade could not send this kounichi on this mission without the status. The rules were simple. Technically she was ANBU but she did not have the tattoo, she could not claim she was ANBU (only if absolutely necessary) and her title was immediately revoked once she stepped through the Konoha gates upon her return. This has never happened before but the village needed to help their allies and this was the only way possible. Tsunade had to protect Konoha and her allies because this village is filled with civilians who, in times of crisis, could not defend Konoha. Konoha is the most advanced village amongst the major ones, although Kure would argue that they were more advanced. The young kounichi gave a chuckle at the thought because she has seen their hospital and Konoha's was much better equipped and cleaner. Quickly composing herself, she turned right onto the main street of Konoha and grabbed her head suddenly as the world seemed to flip upside down.

'Damn, I should've stopped and made the trip in five days, not three and a half but I couldn't wait to get out of that desert and away from Suna! Although, I do miss Temari, Kankuro and Gaara.' The young kounichi, whose name is Sakura Haruno, suddenly blushed at the image of the red haired Kage. Sakura scoffed and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the blush that had taken refuge on her cheeks. 'I mean, I was in Suna for almost a year now. I was bound to meet someone but unfortunately that ended quickly as soon as I was recalled back to Konoha. Temari tried to convince us it would work. I can still hear her voice ringing in my head, "If lazy-ass Shikamaru Nara can make it work with me, then you two could make it work," Sakura chuckled as she made her way towards the looming Hokage tower. Normally, Sakura would go home and report in the next day after a mission but Sakura knew Tsunade would clock her one if she didn't report in right away. She made sure to avoid everyone by pulling her black hoodie over her noticeable pink hair. She kept her head down to the floor in the elevator and masked her chakra so she looked like a civilian. Sakura made it to the Hokage's doors unnoticed and pulled her ANBU mask out from her bag, for the last time, and quickly put it over her porcelain features so only her striking jade eyes showed through the holes. Delicate paint strokes came together to form the image of a lioness. Sakura opened both doors and walked into the Hokage office.

"Who the hell is bothering me at this time?" Sakura chuckled as the voice, which came from behind a stack of papers, belonged to the ever so graceful and eloquent sounding Hokage, Tsunade-shishou.

"Hello," Sakura lifted up her mask and paused for dramatic effect, "Tsunade-shishou." Sakura smiled when she heard the halt of pen scratching against paper. Suddenly, before Sakura could blink, Tsunade's bosom was in her face and she was being hugged so tightly that she could barely breathe.

"Sakura! I can't believe you are back! I wasn't expecting you for another day or so! You will have three days off to recuperate from your mission and then I want a fully detailed mission report." Sakura took a deep breath as Tsunade returned to her desk to continue paper work. "And I expect you to schedule a practice with Sasuke and Naruto on Thursday or Friday. I do not think Kakashi has a mission so I will make sure he gets a notification to speak with the three of you." Sakura nodded and looked curiously at the large stacks of paper on her deck.

"Um, Tsunade, why isn't Shizune doing your paperwork? All Kage's hand their paperwork off to someone else… Gaara-k, I mean, Gaara-sama always made Kankuro do his paperwork." Sakura noticed that Tsunade's pen faulted for a second when Sakura slipped up with Gaara's name. 'Damn, how could I slip up that easily…?'

"Shizune has been on a mission for almost a week now that is scheduled to last about four to five months. We are sending her on a similar mission to yours, but to Ame which is more advanced than Suna. That is why I cannot give you a longer vacation because I am going to need to you to pick up a ton of hours at the hospital. It is going to fall apart without you or Shizune there for long periods of time. Now get out of here and go rest. You are barely standing right now." Sakura turned from Tsunade and started to walk towards the door and was about to open it when Tsunade's voice rang from behind the paper stacks. "Sakura, I don't need to know any… personal details about your stay in Suna. Just about how the hospital is running thanks to your stay and procedures that you put in place before we recalled you back." Sakura blushed but turned and smiled in affirmation towards Tsunade. "Oh, and return the mask please." Sakura looked down at the mask with her back towards Tsunade in silence and sadness. She had grown quite attached to this mask, even though it technically meant nothing. Sakura hesitated for a while before she turned and placed it on Tsunade's desk. Sakura noticed the loss of the mask and could feel the sadness consume her heart knowing that the chance of her holding that mask again was very small. But, before Sakura could walk through the doors, Tsunade stopped her with her voice, again. "Sakura, there is a spot in ANBU that I was forced to open. An ANBU medic position and you could apply, if you want." Sakura turned around in shock before smiling brightly. "Don't give me your answer now, I want you to talk to Sasuke and Naruto first but I know the captain specifically requested you, even though you are a jounin. And no, I will not disclose the name of the captain." Sakura frowned in protest but quickly sprinted down the stairs, absolutely ecstatic at the thought of joining ANBU.

'It would be real. I could actually wear that mask with pride…' Sakura walked outside and smiled, allowing the air to pass through the tiny gaps between her white teeth. Sakura was in a wonderful mood until she realized she had to go to her apartment. It wasn't necessarily her apartment that she detested, although it was shitty, but she had to pass by the Uchiha Compound and she hated most of the people in the compound besides Sasuke, his mother, his brother and his cousin Shishu. And Sakura wasn't even sure about the last two. Itachi has never spoken her and Shishu was such a damn flirt that she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be flattered or offended.

Sakura growled at living next to over a hundred Uchihas. They were always stoic and would laugh when they saw her leaving her apartment building or arriving. Sakura knew her apartment wasn't an extremely lavish thing to look at but she was living on the salary of a jounin and therefore had the basics. It was a small three room apartment that had a bedroom with a bathroom attached to it, living room and kitchen. Her life was filled with simplicity ever since her parents passed away. She did not have any movies and cannot remember the last time she turned on her television, besides the fact that she had just been gone for eleven months. 'I bet the Uchihas loved not seeing me around their compound for eleven months.' For some reason, ever since she got on Team 7, her relationship with most of the other Uchihas has been strained and on unfriendly terms. Sakura would always be glared at or ignored by the Uchihas so, in retaliation, she would throw them her own dirty glares and would (immaturely) stick her tongue out when she thought they weren't looking. The Uchihas of her generation were the worst to her. She knew that Sasuke was just like every other Uchiha, stoic and always grumpy looking, but he was nice to her and treated her like a human being. She was happy that he was her teammate but wondered if her life would have been easier if she and Sasuke were never teammates. Quickly brushing the thought out of her mind, Sakura remembered when he moved out of the compound three months after his brother, Uchiha Itachi, left the compound. Sakura remembered the reaction of the Uchiha's when Itachi threatened to refuse the title of Head of the Uchiha Clan, strip himself of title of heir and the last name of Uchiha, if he was not permitted to leave the compound and survive on his own. All the money he spent was from the ANBU missions he took and he actually allowed people to pay for private training sessions sometimes. Sakura thought about asking him once or twice for a training session to improve her taijutsu but she was quickly sent on her mission and the thought quickly became nonexistent.

Mikoto, Sasuke and Itachi's mother, was the "voice of reason" as Sasuke put it when this whole affair occurred. Sakura smiled at the memory of Mikoto's warm face that contrasted immensely with the rest of the Uchihas. Mikoto became like a surrogate mother to Sakura after her parents passed away. Sakura started to tear up at the thought but quickly shook the feeling from her shoulders like a speck of dust. Almost at her apartment, Sakura didn't notice the person in front of her, who was talking to another person, and lightly bumped into them. Embarrassed, Sakura exclaimed her apologies and as she bent down to help pick up the objects that spilled from a bag, Sakura's hoodie fell off her head and exposed her pink hair.

"Sakura!" Sakura looked up quickly to see Sasuke and his mother side by side. Sakura smiled sheepishly and stood up and handed Mikoto her bag of things.

"Ah, hello Sasuke and Mikoto-san." Sakura nodded her head at Sasuke, knowing he didn't really do the whole "hug another person" thing. It was a simple quirk he had but everyone has a quirk or two.

"Sakura-chan, how many times have I told you to call me Mikoto and not Mitoko-san." Mitoko's pearly white teeth showed as she smiled brightly at Sakura. Sakura looked awkwardly to the ground and squirmed under the gaze of Mitoko.

"Anyway, I must return to my apartment. I am very tired and haven't eaten in a while so if you will excuse me…"

"Then you must join us at the compound for dinner! Oh, Sasuke, will you please go get Naruto as well? Fugaku is out of town so there won't be someone to gripe about a demon being in his house, grumpy old man." Sasuke groaned but refused to complain as he started walking towards Naruto's apartment which was about a five minute walk away. Mitoko practically dragged Sakura towards the compound in a comfortable silence and Sakura smiled as the sun hit her face.

"So, how was your mission?" Mitoko opened the door and Sakura quietly thanked her as she walked in and removed her shoes. Mitoko and Sakura ended up in the kitchen and Mitoko was giving directions of what to pull out of the refrigerator.

"My time there was good… I kind of, met someone in Suna." Sakura started chopping the vegetables for the stir fry they were going to prepare.

"Oh? And who was this man?" Mitoko nudge Sakura lightly with her elbow and chuckled.

"Promise not to tell anyone? I mean, it isn't going against mission confidentiality but I don't really have anyone to confide…"

"Of course you can tell me! I promise I won't tell anyone else!"

"Um, it was actually Gaara-kun…"

"THE KAGE?" Mitoko screamed at the top of her lungs before clamping her hand over her mouth.

"Mitoko!" Sakura hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard.

"I am sorry but that is such a surprise! He seemed so emotionless when we met him…"

"He is hard to understand but after being there for a few months and Temari as my only friend, we began to hang out and I would help him with strategy plans to help Suna and eventually we were in his office one night, working late and one thing led to another." While Sakura thought back to her first encounter with the stoic red-headed kage but while temporarily distracted, Sakura miss placed her thumb and cut her finger. Sakura didn't have any chakra left so she ran it under cold water and hissed as the blood ran down the drain.

"Oh Sakura, are you okay? And that sounds like such a romantic story…" Mitoko grabbed a rag and quickly wrapped Sakura's finger and put pressure on the wound. Once the bleeding stopped, Mitoko placed her hand over the cut and closed her eyes as she focused on her task.

"Mitoko, what are you-"

"Shush. I am concentrating." Mitoko's hand glowed as a light green chakra enveloped her hand. Sakura felt her finger itch as the skin stitched together, not even leaving a scar. Sakura observed Mitoko and watch as sweat beads formed on her forehead and then, through the force of gravity, eventually fell down the side of her face and onto the floor. Sakura felt compelled to allow Mitoko this chance to use chakra because from every indication, she never got to exercise her chakra veins so she was severely out of practice. But, the smile on her face indicated that she was so happy to be healing someone again. When she was finished Mitoko removed her hand and sat down on a kitchen chair that was usually there for decoration. It creaked under the weight but held firm as Mitoko sat, breathing heavily. Sakura handed her a napkin and Mitoko took it graciously.

"Wow, that was fun. Anyway, so…? What are you two doing now?"

"Oh, we ended it. It was too complicated. I mean, Temari and Shikamaru can do it because Shikamaru regularly travels to Suna but I don't. I like him and everything, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life with him and so I don't want to put in the effort of a long distance relationship." Sakura winced from the small lie she told but Mitoko didn't need to know her true feelings she had for Gaara so she just started frying everything when Naruto and Sasuke walked into the house.

"Mother! We are home."

"MITOKO! I AM HERE FOR FOOOD!" The loud but lovable Naruto felt the need to yell obnoxiously.

"In the kitchen!" Mitoko yelled but softly because she was still a little exhausted.

"Mother, are you okay?"

"Oh yes, Sakura cut herself and I decided to try and heal her!"

"Not try Mitoko-san, you healed me." Sakura smiled towards her boys and walked over to Naruto and hugged him quickly before returning to their stir fry.

"Mother, you haven't used chakra in decades."

"Don't make me sound so old Sasuke." Mitoko stood and started setting the table. "Make yourself useful and go fetch your brother." Sasuke grunted and walked upstairs while Sakura, Naruto and Mitoko sat down and stared at Sakura as she recounted her mission that occupied her time for the last eleven months in Suna. Sakura started to tell her tale of the first few months, which was boring but she was about to get into a more detailed battle when she was interrupted.

"And then…" Sakura lost her train of thought as Sasuke and Itachi walked into the room. It was not Sasuke that demanded her attention but the Uchiha to his left. Clad in a grey tank top, that left nothing to her imagination and black cargo pants that hung low on his hips Itachi walked quietly into the room. But it was not his clothing that caught Sakura's attention, it was the fact that his hair was not tied back but was actually loose and flowing behind him. Sakura's mouth became dry and her heart started to race. Sakura shook her head and stood up and grabbed dinner. "And then we were out collecting herbs and I was showing the nurses and doctors which ones helped certain illnesses and such when suddenly cloud ninja have surrounded us on all sides." Sakura paused as she scooped some stir fry onto Mitoko's plate and then Itachi's who was sitting to her right. Naruto and Sasuke served their own servings as Sakura told the rest of her story. "Anyway, so there we were, and I was the only shinobi trained in hand to hand combat, which is something I advised Suna to fix, and there was about five enemy shinobi. So I took all five down. I kicked some serious ass!" Sakura laughed as Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Five enemy shinobi? Are you serious Sakura-chan! You could have been killed!" Naruto yelled, food still in his mouth.

"Naruto, I am a shinobi. Dying is a part of my job description you dumb ass. The only way you don't die is by becoming the strongest shinobi." Sakura glanced sideways at Itachi as she said this and kept eating her food. Itachi raised his eyebrow slightly as he ate his food in silence.

"Okaa-san, this is delicious." Sakura smiled behind her chopsticks and Mitoko giggled.

"Well, you should thank Sakura because after I healed her cut, I had to sit down and she actually cooked this meal." Sasuke, Naruto and Itachi paused slightly and kept eating, surprised that Sakura knew how to cook.

"Anyway, I can't recall eleven months' worth of exciting events but I had an awesome mission to Suna but I would be happy if I never saw sand again." Sakura rested her chopsticks across her plate and looked to see everyone else was done. "Well, I will do the dishes," Sakura held up her hand as Mitoko protested, "because Mitoko is obviously too exhausted and must go sleep and I know that Sasuke and Naruto are itching to spar." Naruto and Sasuke grinned like fools at each other before sprinting outside. Echos of 'teme' and 'dobe' could barely be heard over the sounds of Rasengan and Chidori. "Boys." Both Sakura and Mitoko laughed and Sakura started clearing all the dishes into the sink. Mitoko excused herself to go bathe and sleep, leaving Itachi and Sakura alone in the kitchen.

"Do you need assistance, Haruno-san?" Itachi looked curiously at Sakura from the table as she went back and forth, trying to get all the dishes by the sink.

"If you would like to help, Uchiha-san, I would not be one to deny you. Please help me bring all the dirty dishes to the sink." Sakura started washing the dishes and placing them in the dishwasher while Itachi continued to bring the rest of the dishes to the sink.

"Anything else Haruno-san?"

"Actually, you could call me by my first name, Sakura." Sakura smiled as bubbles rose from the sink and she laughed as it popped in front of her nose.

"Then I would make the request that you call me by my first name." Itachi sauntered out of the room, leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

'Why is he being all nice?' Sakura finished the dishes and went outside to see Sasuke and Naruto breathing heavily about twenty five yards away from each other.

"All finished boys?" Sakura laughed as their heads snapped towards Sakura.

"Hey Sakura-chan! You wanna spar?"

"Not today Naruto. I am just starting to get my chakra back so I can't. But you want to meet at training area seven tomorrow? At around 5:30 PM?"

"Sure Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme will come too!" Sakura gave a laugh before she excused herself and walked back through the house, slipped on her shoes and opened the sliding door.

"Sakura." She spun around and saw Itachi standing there in the same cargo pants but had on a black Uchiha shirt with a crest on the back.

"Yes, Itachi?"

"I will walk you to your apartment."

"You don't have to…"

"I am aware of the unfriendly attitude my family has towards you." Itachi walked out the door and turned, waiting for Sakura to follow him.

"Um, uh… thank you" Sakura rush to Itachi's side and then they walked side-by-side through the Uchiha compound, getting unfavorable looks from every Uchiha in the compound.

Sakura and Itachi walked in uncomfortable silence towards her apartment, neither knowing what to say to the other. Sakura didn't feel as though they were close enough for small talk and she has never had a real conversation with the Uchiha next to her so she didn't know what to say.

'Maybe I should ask him to train me…' Sakura was about to voice her question but Itachi spoke up before her.

"I believe this is your building." Sakura let out a little noise when she realized that he was correct, they were now standing in front of her apartment building.

"Thank you Itachi-san…" Itachi raised his eyebrow and Sakura sighed, "Okay, Itachi."

"You are welcome, Sakura." And with that, Sakura watched the back of the young Uchiha walk towards the compound.

'Well, that was certainly strange…' Sakura chuckled and walked up the stairs towards her apartment. Each step creaked as she put weight on the old wood that obviously needed to be replaced. 'Lazy ass owner.' Sakura hated living in this apartment because it was incredibly small and old but she could not afford anything else on a jounin salary. 'Now, if I was ANBU I could easily leave this apartment for a nicer one on the opposite side of town.' Sakura allowed herself to daydream as she climbed up the three flights of stairs. 'Damn stairs…' Sakura finally made it to her door and stepped into her dusty apartment after unlocking it. She looked around and noticed that there was no dust coating the room, even after months of being away. 'Maybe Tsunade-shishou forced a genie team to clean it.' Sakura let out a laugh at the image. She placed her bag down and quickly changed into more comfortable clothes. Immediately she went to her bed, went under the covers and fell asleep. The last thought was a positive one, 'So glad to be home… Everything will go back to normal.' But Sakura didn't realize just how wrong she was.

Sakura awoke to find herself in a comfortable bed and realized she had a dreamless night. She looked around, gathering her wits about her and noticed her chakra was fully restored. Sakura clenched her fist and watched as her chakra climbed up her wrist and through each individual chakra path in her palm and fingers. Sakura loved this feeling of having complete control over her chakra. Sakura knew that no matter what, even if her life was spinning out of control, she would have perfect and absolute control over her chakra and that feeling comforted Sakura. Changes in life were inevitable and Sakura understood that nasty reality but she refused to allow everything in her life to change and be unpredictable. Sakura sighed and looked at the clock and read the time.

'Wow, it is already 2:30.' Sakura started to ponder what she should do on her day off but she quickly remembered she promised to train with Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, stripping herself of her clothes on the way and started running water for a shower. Taking her time, she allowed the warm, almost blistering, water to run down her body. She stood in the shower for almost ten minutes before she started shampooing, conditioning, and shaving. The process took almost an hour because Sakura enjoyed as the water seemed to relax the muscles in her back. Getting out, she decided to go see some of the friends she left behind for eleven months. After getting dressed in black shorts, a white tank top with a black one underneath and black shinobi shoes, Sakura walked to her kitchen and made a small breakfast before heading out the door. As soon as she walked outside and realized how hot it was, Sakura immediately tied her hair up into a high ponytail. Deciding to go visit Kakashi first, Sakura walked down the three flights of stairs and started towards Kakashi's apartment. Soon, Sakura realized she was going to pass by the Yamanaka flower shop so Sakura decided to stop in to see if Ino was working today.

Sakura opened the door to the flower shop and was immediately graced with the cold, brisk feeling of air conditioning colliding with the small drops of sweat that seem to accumulate on her skin. The feeling of being surrounded by the hot and stifling air outside to the artificial cold air of the Yamanaka shop gave Sakura goosebumps on her bare arms and legs. Sakura noticed Ino before she noticed Sakura. Sakura gave out a small chuckle at the obviously frustrated kounichi that was sitting behind a counter right now instead of training with her teammates. Her long blond hair, even longer than Sakura's, trailed down her back in a high ponytail. Ino was still adjourned in pretty much the same purple outfit since they were genin but she had more curves, rivaling the Hokage easily which caught the attention of almost every male in Konoha, except for a few. Ino always gives Sakura grief because she, before Gaara, never had a boyfriend and was a virgin up until she left for Suna. Sakura laughed loudly when Ino slammed her pencil down on the paper, easily breaking the tip of the pencil. Ino, shocked at the presence of another human being, stared wide-eyed at Sakura in total shock.

"SAKURA!" Ino jumped over the counter, ran to her best friend and almost tackled her to the ground in a hug.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled right in Ino's ear.

"I can't believe you are home! It has been so long! You have to tell me everything about your trip to Suna!"

"I will, I will but I already promised Naruto and Sasuke that I would spar with them at 5:30 and I want to get there early."

"Fine forehead but tomorrow you are meeting me for lunch at the Konoha bar for some drinks." Ino winked at Sakura before grabbing a small flower and tucking the stem behind her ear. "You look so more mature after eleven months of being away." Ino's eyes looked sadden, almost like a mother's eyes that lay upon their child-shinobi that was forced to take someone's life for the first time. Sakura almost questioned the emotion in Ino's eyes but was interrupted but a sudden outburst from the loud, blond kounichi. "Well then, off you go! Tell everyone I say hi! And don't forget about tomorrow!" Ino shooed Sakura out of the shop and forced her back into the heat. Sakura could already feel the sweat forming as she walked towards Kakashi's apartment.

Kakashi's apartment was not too far away but by the time Sakura reached his apartment building, the heat had died down a little bit because the clouds graced the sun with their presence. Sakura relished in the moments of indirect sunlight and a light breeze as she called up to Kakashi's window.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura knew that even if her old sensei was sleep, he would be awake by now. She waited only moments until a tired and shirtless Kakashi appeared on his balcony.

"Sakura? Is that you? Come on up." Sakura nodded, a light blush gracing her cheeks at the state of undress her sensei was in.

"I'll be right up." Sakura walked up the two flights of stairs and knocked on the first door on the left at the top of the staircase. Kakashi opened the door, still shirtless, and stepped aside allowing room for Sakura to enter. Sakura kept her eyes focused on Kakashi's face trying to avoid staring or drooling at the sight of her incredibly fit sensei.

'Oh my god, Sakura, stop thinking like this! He is fourteen years older than me!' Sakura quickly shook the thoughts from her mind and smiled at her ex-sensei.

"How have you been Sakura? It's been almost a year since you've been here. Did you get in today?" Kakashi walked into the bedroom and slipped on a tank top before rejoining Sakura in the living room.

"I have been great. Happy to be back in Konoha and I got in yesterday but was too tired to make the rounds to see everyone."

"I see." A silence enveloped the room and neither knew what to say to the other. Sakura cleared her throat and turned to Kakashi.

"I wanted to invite you to spar with Naruto, Sasuke and I at 5:30 at training ground seven. I learned some new stuff at Suna and wanted someone to witness me kicking their butts." Sakura winked at Kakashi who chuckled at her childish antics.

"Yare, yare. You are stirring the pot there Sakura but alright. I will be there around 6 though; I am meeting Genma for drinks."

"Bring him along if you want, I am sure he would love to tease Naruto and Sasuke for losing to a girl." Sakura started laughing uncontrollably at Kakashi's widened eyes.

"Sakura, you have never been this sure of yourself, what happened in Suna?" Sakura immediately stopped laughing after hearing the serious tone in his voice.

'I guess this is what Ino meant by more mature.' Sakura sighed before looking at Kakashi with a hardened gaze.

"I was tired of being weak I guess. I mean, I still have a lot to learn but I was trained by the Sand siblings. Kankuro helped me with chakra control even more by controlling puppets, Temari gave me two twin kodachis and I trained with her and Gaara helped me become more rounded in my taijutsu, forcing me to wear weights like Lee. And I was forced to fight on my own a lot, even outnumbered and out skilled I had to force myself to survive. It was a tough eleven months. I guess I grew up." Sakura didn't notice Kakashi's approach but suddenly, his fingers were under her chin, tilting her face up towards his. Sakura, at 5 feet 6 inches was towered over by all the males in her life by 3-5 inches. Kakashi's eyes hardened at Sakura and murmured something that Sakura had to concentrate to hear.

"Yes, you have matured." Kakashi leaned in a little bit but before Sakura could react, he walked away into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. Too shocked to register Kakashi's actions, Sakura yelled into the kitchen that she was leaving and Kakashi yelled back that he would see her at six with Genma. Sakura showed herself out and looked at the clock at the end of the hall. It read 4:45. Sakura decided to head back to her apartment to get her things for training. The walk back was peaceful, the sun already starting to set, cooling down the whole village. Sakura encountered a group of teenage Uchiha girls as she walked back to her apartment.

"Hey pink haired freak!" Sakura made a point to ignore the girls but they were relentless. One grabbed Sakura's arm and forced her to turn around to face the group. Sakura knew she could have ended this quickly but decided to allow these girls a little bit of fun before she ruined their day. Sakura recognized only two of the five girls but knew they were all citizens and couldn't use extreme measures to rid herself of these annoying brats. The first girl, the leader, was Ame. She was a relatively pretty girl but her attitude and personality made her extremely ugly and annoying in Sakura's opinion. She had dark black hair, like every other Uchiha and black eyes which were almost piercing compared to Sakura's jade eyes. She had high cheekbones and carried herself with the ultimate grace and poise of an Uchiha until she opened that loud mouth of hers. Sakura looked to the second girl, Hikaru, who was a relatively quiet girl who hung around Ame for the sake of not getting picked on by her. She was pretty as well but she was so unsure of herself that her parents had to put her in an arranged marriage with a boy because they were afraid she would never marry. Sakura snorted at the idea but quickly turned her attention back to Ame.

"Hello Ame, is there something you need?" Sakura tried to be as calm as possible but Ame made it very difficult.

"Yes. I need to you stop hanging around Itachi-kun! I saw you with him last night and I don't want to see it again!" Ame stomped her foot angrily at Sakura but she did not even flinch at the dominating gesture.

"Ame, what Itachi and I do together is none of your business. He was walking me home because he knew of the ill feelings the Uchiha's have against me." Sakura started becoming annoyed at Ame's voice and was about to tell her to kindly 'fuck off' when the girls gasped and became tight lipped. Sakura noticed a shadow consume her and turned around and saw Itachi standing only inches behind her.

"Umeko-san," Itachi's black eyes bore directly into Ame's with a cold and calculating glare, "I request that you leave Sakura alone and to stop bothering her with your pathetic antics to get my attention." Itachi looked at all of the girls who promptly turned and ran in the opposite direction but Ame had the nerve to stop and turn towards Sakura and Itachi.

"This isn't over yet you freak." Ame turned and ran before Sakura could chase after her with a chakra laced hand.

"I apologize for my family's actions." Itachi started walking away before Sakura could comment but she found her voice and called after her.

"Wait!" Sakura ran towards Itachi but did not think he would turn and stop so quickly and almost ran into the stoic Uchiha. Itachi gave Sakura a questioning stare and Sakura seemed to have lost her voice again. "Um, uh… I was wondering..." Sakura mumbled the rest and blushed, thinking that she sounded really stupid for asking this.

"I couldn't quite hear you Sakura."

"I was wondering if you would train me for ANBU." Sakura couldn't help but clasp her hands over her mouth and started mumbling that it was a stupid request and that she wouldn't even be able to pay him very well for his time. Sakura turned and started walking away but was stopped when Itachi appeared in front of her.

"I will." Sakura gasped and looked up at Itachi with wide eyes.

"But I can't pay you that much…" Sakura felt ashamed for the lack of money she had to offer this man who was born into money.

"Money is not a concern. I do need to spar with you one day this week to understand your strengths and weaknesses."

"Okay, I am free tomorrow after lunch."

"Good. Training ground three." Itachi started walking away but Sakura's voice stopped him.

"Is there anything I need to bring?"

"If you have these items; weights, a weapon, and kunai." Itachi nodded to Sakura and turned and walked away. Sakura was absolutely ecstatic at the prospect of her being trained by Itachi that she ran up to her apartment, gathered her things and made it to the training grounds about ten minutes early. Sakura put her weights on her ankles and wrists but instead of being chunky and overbearing, they were silver bands that were chakra laced which changed the density. Right now, Sakura had 275 pounds on each ankle and about 200 on each of her wrists. Sakura remembered when she first got these weights there was only 50 pounds on each ankle and 45 on each wrist.

Sakura could feel the sand under her feet and already hated Suna, only a month and a half into her stay. She had started training with the Sand siblings only three weeks into her stay, an order from Tsunade to make sure she kept up with her skills as a kounichi.

"Sakura. Pay attention." Sakura snapped her head up towards the cold and stoic male voice of the Kazekage.

"Gaara-sama? I thought Temari was teaching me today." Sakura shifted under the intense gaze of the powerful shinobi.

"She is busy but gave me orders as to what I was to show you." Gaara moved forward towards Sakura but she took an involuntary step backwards, knowing only a part of Gaara's strength and still terrified at the idea of him being near her. Gaara's eyes sadden a little but became stone cold as he tossed her the silver bands. Sakura looked at them confused but silently understood that she should put them on her arms and legs. After they were secured, Sakura looked to Gaara for more instructions.

"If you would not mind me touching you, I would like to do what Temari asked of me." Sakura blushed, embarrassed that she reacted the way she did but gave Gaara a silent consent by nodding her head. As he approached, he first bent down to touch her ankles and Sakura found her voice.

"I am sorry for my reaction earlier Gaara-sama. It was uncalled for and extremely rude to prejudge you the way I did. I am just wary of you because I know you are very strong which I will admit, I am jealous of." Sakura blushed even more when Gaara looked up at her with a slight curve upwards of his lips.

"Arigato Sakura-san. I appreciate your honesty." Gaara then held her right hand between his and Sakura noticed, despite being male, how soft his hands were. This made her self conscious of the fact that she had calluses because of holding kunai. Sakura eventually realized that Gaara didn't need weaponry because of the sand he had on his back. Then, Gaara grabbed her other hand it held it gently. Sakura was so focused on studying Gaara's face that she didn't even notice her arms feeling heavier until Gaara released his hold on Sakura and stepped back. Sakura tried to lift her arms and take a step forwards but found her body struggling to move as if she had…

"Weights." Sakura gasped at the prospect, knowing that the last person she saw using these was Lee.

"Exactly. Before you leave, we will teach you how to put more weight on but the amount is of no concern. We will add more once you are accustomed with the amount. That should be about once every 3-5 days. Temari's instructions are that you should walk around town and get accustomed to the weight and meet her here tomorrow for an intense training session." Sakura knew the true meaning behind Gaara's words.

'A.K.A, get some sleep tonight because tomorrow is going to be hell.'

"Arigato Gaara-sama." Sakura turned to leave but suddenly sand enveloped her arm. Feeling threatened, Sakura forced chakra into her body, making the weight of the bands nullified and pivoted and tried to punch Gaara. Her fist was quickly stopped by a wall of sand and Sakura gasped in surprise.

"Gaara-sama! I apologize profusely! I felt threatened by being grabbed as such and reacted on instinct alone! Please accept my apologies!" Sakura bowed from her waist in deep respect, not wanting to meet the gaze of the Kazekage.

"Sakura-san. No need to apologize. I should have used my words to stop you. You have not injured me so I am not concern." Gaara waited for the young woman before him to raise herself from her bow but she waited and stayed still. "Sakura-san, please arise from that position. You should not bow to me. We are friends." Gaara's lips turned up at the shocked face of the kounichi. He had been watching her for the past month and a half, remembering her from when the Sand siblings went to Konoha for the chunnin exams. She was annoying and perky, two qualities that Gaara detested. But, now as a full grown woman, Sakura had matured and was more bearable. When Gaara looked at her, he could feel a strange sensation overcome his body and his fingers went numb but he refused to dwell of the sensations. Although, no matter how many times he ignored those particular sensations, he could not help stealing glances at the pink haired woman every so often. He remembered Temari being frustrated by the one day mission her gave her and volunteered almost immediately to step in. Temari looked at him questioningly but did not comment on the strange behavior, only thanked him for his kind gesture.

Sakura rose from her bow and stared straight into the blue eyes of the man before her and found a light blush come to her cheeks and butterflies form in her stomach. Her eyes widened at the sensation and realized that she was attracted to the man before her. Being a virgin and a full grown woman, her hormones were going haywire but she refused to sleep around for the sake of not being a virgin anymore.

"Sakura-san, I have a request for you to join me for tea in my office right now." Gaara shifted his left foot very slightly. That movement would not have registered to too many people but Sakura knew that he was uncomfortable and new to making these kinds of requests to a woman.

"I would love to Gaara-sama. As long as you don't mind slowing down for me." Sakura smiled at Gaara who quickly looked away.

"As long as you stop calling me Gaara-sama and call me Gaara."

"Then I ask you call me Sakura." And with that, they departed towards the Kazekage's office, side by side and their hands brushed together with every other step.

Sakura laughed at the memory and strapped on her twin kodachis and her kunai holster before running sprints and stretching. Within ten minutes of warm up, which consisted of stretching her muscles and her chakra veins, Sakura started practicing taijutsu which was her weakness as she waited for the arrival of her teammates.

When Sasuke and Naruto arrived, they had been running there to warm up and stretched for about ten minutes before joining Sakura in her taijutsu exercises. Sakura taught them various positions before she called for a stop around 5:50.

"Hey guys!" Sakura gave Naruto a sweaty hug which he returned and Sasuke a slight nod which he also returned. "So I invited Kakashi but he won't be here till 6-ish with Genma. You guys want to do a three way spar? No teams?" Naruto and Sasuke nodded and they all did their ceremonial gesture where they put their fists into the middle and then on the count of three they all jumped back and the spar started.

"1" Sakura started.

"2" Sasuke said next.

"3!" Naruto finished and so the fight started. Sakura jumped back into the bushes, deciding to play this a little defensively to see the progress Sasuke and Naruto had made in the last year. Naruto made clones and sent them towards Sasuke who pulled out Kusanagi and quickly rid the field of the nuisance. Sakura was impressed by his swordsmanship, each stroke looking flawless as the next. Sasuke charged his sword with Chidori and ran towards where Naruto was hiding. Naruto jumped over Sasuke once he was close enough and form Rasengan by himself in the middle of the air. Sakura remembered that eleven months ago, he needed help forming a small Rasengan on his own. Sakura unsheathed her kodachis and charged forward, zig sagging on her approach. Naruto and Sasuke were so preoccupied that they never noticed Sakura until she was literally in between them and spun her blades around aand as she twirled in a circle, she extended the chakra in her blades to about ten feet. If it weren't for their quick reflexes, the gashes on the chest of these two men would have been near fatal and would have ended the session right there.

"Holy shit Sakura!" Sasuke yelled as he did three back flips to keep his distance.

"If you two weren't so occupied with each other you would have noticed me!" Sakura sheathed her kodachis and slammed both her fists into the ground, sending cracks towards Naruto and Sasuke quickly before exploding the ground, creating massive crevasse in the earth. Sasuke stabbed his sword into the side and jumped out and Naruto grabbed onto the edge before hauling himself back to earth. Both were slightly shocked at their teammate but smirked and nodded to each other.

"You said no teams Sakura but you just put a target on your back." Sasuke lite up his sword with Kusanagi and Naruto formed Rasengan again. They both charged at Sakura and she pulled out her kodachi again. Getting into her kenjutsu stance, she waited till Naruto and Sasuke got close enough before she bent backwards and rolled to avoid the clash. Naruto and Sasuke nodded and Sasuke formed a cup with his hands and Naruto put his foot there and used Sasuke as leverage to launch him at Sakura before she could recover. Sakura's eye widened at the maneuver but leap to the side but was grazed by Naruto's Rasengan.

"Fuck." Sakura felt the blood rush down her arm and felt her body grow heavy from the one blow. 'I wish I could take off these weights.' Sakura knew the boys wouldn't be able to catch her if she had no weights on but refused to take them off during sparring practices. Sakura sent a little chakra to her shoulder. The chakra was there to prevent infection but not heal. Even though that was an advantage, she wanted to compete with them on fair terms. Sasuke, while Naruto recovered, charged at Sakura with his Kusanagi in hand. He went to strike but Sakura crossed her kodachi in an X shape to stop the blow. They struggled there for a second before Sakura felt Naruto charging and threw Sasuke to the side, trapping Kusanagi and throwing it behind her as she flipped Sasuke into Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto landed in a heap but quickly righted themselves. None of the three noticed the company they seemed to acquire only five minutes into the fight and watched as Sakura charge the two boys. Sakura threw four kunai at Naruto by holding her two swords in one hand and nicked his cheek. Sakura put her kodachi back in her right hand and sheathed the two swords before charging her fists with chakra. Sasuke easily dodged the punch but Naruto wasn't as lucky and went flying almost thirty feet before a tree stopped him in his tracks. Sakura realized Naruto was unconscious so she turned her attention towards Sasuke. She charged at the young Uchiha and decided to switch to taijutsu. Although this was her weakness, it would make Sasuke's sharingan virtually useless. Sasuke's eyes widened because he knew taijutsu was her weakness. Sakura got close enough to throw a punch that Sasuke dodge. He threw his shoulder into her stomach and tackled her to the ground. Sakura gasped as she had the wind knocked out of her but quickly recovered, flipping their positions so when they landed Sakura was on top with a kunai at Sasuke's throat.

"I give." Sasuke knew he was defeated and Sakura smiled triumphantly as she got up and offered her hand. Sasuke grabbed it and was hauled onto his feet before going to grab Naruto. As he walked away he mentioned something about Naruto being a dobe for getting knocked out. Sakura threw her fist in the air as she celebrated her first victory over Sasuke and Naruto. She spun around when she heard two distinct pairs of hands clapping together. She turned to see Kakashi and Genma applauding her achievement but her gaze fell upon Itachi who was standing behind the two shinobi. He simply nodded to Sakura who blushed under his gaze but nodded back. He walked forward with Kakashi and Genma until they reached Sakura.

"Holy shit Sakura! Remind me to never piss you off." Genma laughed as he clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"I would agree with that statement Genma-san." Itachi commented and Kakashi nodded in approval and allowed his gaze to remain on Sakura's face. Remembering that morning, Sakura looked away quickly towards Sasuke, who was carrying Naruto, and refused to look back at her ex-sensei. Itachi noticed the strange behavior and narrowed his eyes a little, confused by the exchange between friends. Sakura walked over to Sasuke and placed her temples on Naruto, waking him up from his unconscious state. Sasuke placed him on his feet but held firm because Naruto was still a little wobbly. Sakura proceeded to heal his cheek as well and put chakra stitches on her gash but refused to heal it.

"Sakura, why don't you heal your wounds?" Kakashi asked, a tint of worry encompassing his voice.

"Because I want to remember the scars I get so I can remember each one and what I could have done to avoid getting it." Sakura looked directly into Itachi's eyes, somehow knowing that he felt the same way she did.

"Wow, that's intense. That really hurt though Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined as he rubbed his temples to rid him of his headache.

"You need to watch your left side Naruto. You leave it open after every one of your attacks." Sakura 'tsk'd' at Naruto and chuckled at his pout. "How about we go out for ramen for dinner?" Naruto smiled at the mention of ramen and practically dragged Sasuke and Sakura to Ichiraku. Sakura halted Naruto and Sasuke and turned to the other three. "Would you all like to join us? I'll pay for you three." Sakura smiled at the men. Kakashi and Genma nodded but Itachi remained still. Sakura looked at him questioningly, looking for an answer.

"I apologize for refusing but I must depart for an Uchiha meeting." Itachi departed in a puff of smoke leaving Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi and Genma to go to Ichiraku.

Sakura stood outside Ichiraku in awe and amazement. The restaurant that was once a bar stand had become a full fledge restaurant with tables and everything. Naruto explained to her that on weekends, there was a waiting list to eat here. Sakura eventually followed the boys into the restaurant after they all laughed at her antics. Sakura sat between Sasuke and Naruto at the round table with Kakashi directly across from her. After everyone but her was done ordering, she turned to Ayame and ordered a beef ramen with a bottle of sake. Ayame was hesitant but nodded, knowing that no one turned down jounin or ANBU who wanted a drink. Sakura folded her menu and saw all the men staring at her.

"What? I acquired a taste for it in Suna. Gaara and I would sit in his office discussing how my mission was going. Normally we would drink tea but one day he offered sake and I eventually came to enjoy warm sake with dinner." Sakura didn't know why she felt the need to explain herself but was glad she did because everyone seemed okay with it. When Ayame came with the food, Genma ordered two bottles for everyone at the table, reassuring Sakura that he would pay for the expensive alcohol. Sakura seemed relieved and started to drink her own sake while everyone ate. She poured the warm liquid into the ceramic glass and tilted her head back, relishing in the feeling of the warm liquid gliding down her throat. It stopped burning to drink the alcohol a few months after she started drinking it regularly with Gaara. Sakura poured another shot but this time hesitated, looking at the liquid with mixed feelings.

'Sake was the reason Gaara and I started dating really.' Sakura couldn't help but think back to the night that she and Gaara and drank a little too much. They had started hanging out regularly, both developing feelings for the other but not willing to take the step of saying something. But one night is when everything changed between the two shinobi.

Sakura had just stepped into Gaara's office for their nightly review of the day's events at the hospital. Gaara already had the warm sake out and poured for Sakura. She immediately started drinking glass after glass while describing her difficulties with teaching the Suna shinobi. Gaara matched her drink for drink, both not realizing the numbness in their fingers or the fact that their hearts started racing when they looked at each other or when they accidentally brushed finger tips when Gaara passed her a drink.

"It's so frustrating! Even after four months of being here they are still uncomfortable with the fact I am an outsider! I don't want to leave here without an absolute confidence that they can take care of themselves and the shinobi of this village." Sakura continued to vent her frustrations out on Gaara not realizing he had put his cup down. She took down the glass of sake in her hands. When she brought her head level, she hadn't even noticed Gaara move closer. The next thing she remembered was his fingers running through her head and pulling her towards him bringing her lips to meet his. Sakura was stunned at first, her lips numb from the sake but responded with force as she released months of pent up sexual aggression towards Gaara. Sakura pushed the table between them aside as she straddled Gaara and brought her hands up the nape of his neck. Sakura felt Gaara, unsure of his actions; slide his tongue across her bottom one, asking for entrance. Sakura opened her mouth and felt Gaara's tongue massage hers. Sakura let out a moan that she was holding in and arched her lower half into Gaara's, eliciting a soft growl from the normally stoic man. Sakura could feel Gaara harden by her actions and immediately grew nervous and unsure. She pulled away from Gaara and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Both of them were panting and a silence overtook the room because neither of them knew what to say or do. Gaara, testing the waters, slid his hands under Sakura's tank top, pulling it up over her head and left her in only her bra. Sakura sat up so he could pull the tank top over her head, forcing her to come face to face with the man before her.

"Gaara…" Sakura whispered before leaning forward and capturing his lips again in a searing kiss. Sakura didn't know if it was the liquid courage she had earlier or her own feelings for Gaara but something drove her past the point of wanting to be just friends with him. Gaara pulled away flipped them over so he was settled between her legs and started to kiss down her neck. "Gaara… I have never done anything like this." Sakura gasped as Gaara bit a little hard right above her left breast. Gaara looked up at Sakura and placed his mouth right next to Sakura's ear.

"I promise I'll be gentle."

"Sakura!" Naruto shook her shoulder, forcing her to drop the cup onto the table and shatter into tiny pieces. Sakura gasped and realized where she was and what she was just dreaming about. She looked at the little pieces of glass and apologized profusely to Ayame who brought over another glass.

"You alright Sakura? You spaced out for a good few minutes." Sasuke couldn't help but feel a small amount of concern for his teammate.

"I am fine. Just remembering something from Suna." Sakura smiled but that immediately faded when Kakashi finally spoke up.

"Remembering something about Gaara?" Kakashi said that name with distaste as he took another swig of sake straight from the bottle. Sakura paled, knowing that Kakashi had figured it out somehow. Her first thought was that the stupid genius, Shikamaru, had told on her.

"What does he mean Sakura-chan?" Naruto sent a questioning glance to Sakura who looked down at her hands. Sakura looked at Sasuke and Genma and realized they figured it out too.

"Well, guess I can't keep it a secret. When I was at Suna, Gaara and I were in a relationship for about seven months before I broke it off when I got the news I was returning to Konoha." Sakura waited, expecting outrage that she dated the Kazekage but Naruto just smiled.

"Well, at least you finally got laid!" Sakura turned bright red at the comment that came from Genma but everyone, except for Kakashi, roared with laughter and took a celebratory swig of sake.

"I expected you all to be mad. That's why I didn't say anything. Promise you guys won't mention it? Gaara and I were good about keeping it secret in Suna and the last thing I want is people thinking poorly of me." Everyone agreed to keeping it a secret and Genma ordered more sake.

By the time everyone was done drinking, each had four to five empty bottles of sake in front of them. Genma, as promised, paid for the sake and Sakura paid for the meals. They all parted ways except for Kakashi and Sakura who had to go in the same direction to reach their apartments. They walked in silence, a common occurrence for Sakura nowadays. Sakura kept her gaze upwards, looking at the stars that were shining brightly above her. Suddenly she saw a shooting star and made a silent wish for her own happiness.

'That's selfish.' Sakura didn't care at the moment though. She was a nineteen year old kounichi with no man in her life and no prospect for the future except for her eventual death by the hands of another shinobi. It was a grim future but Sakura came to terms with the fact that it was the end that most shinobi face. Sakura looked at Kakashi, studying the contours of his face and the creases around his eyes from smiling. She kept staring, even after Kakashi looked down at her and kept his gaze on her instead of the world around them. Sakura should have felt awkward about looking at her teacher like this and should have felt uncomfortable with him looking at her but found that she did not care.

'Life is too short, right?' Kakashi tore his gaze away from Sakura and gave a small chuckle.

"What is funny?" Sakura couldn't help but ask, wanting to be let in on the joke.

"We passed by my apartment a few minutes ago." Sakura allowed for color to come to her cheeks at the implication behind Kakashi's statement. "Listen Sakura, I don't know what is going on but it can't happen. I am sorry for leading you on but I guess after not seeing you for eleven months I was shocked at the woman you have become." Kakashi looked down in shame as he explained himself. Sakura could feel her heart break in half at Kakashi's words, angry for allowing these feelings toward her ex-sensei.

"Whatever Kakashi. That is fine by me. Run away, you are good at that. Don't speak to me till I speak to you." Sakura sprinted away, Kakashi's voice echoing in the darkness. Sakura allowed only a few tears to shed before composing herself and hardening her face. She refused to allow her emotions to take over. Sakura thought about all the men in her life and most had disappointed her at some point. Sasuke left, Naruto left to find him, after she broke up with Gaara she had wanted him to ask her to stay with him but he just let her go like she meant nothing to him and then now there was Kakashi.

'This is why I don't need men in my life. I just need to be able to defend myself and survive.' Sakura didn't want to go home, the alcohol still coursing through her veins so she went to the park. It was about midnight and the whole village seemed to be asleep. She walked over to a bench and sat down; the sakura petals fell from the branches and landed at her feet. The tears started flowing down her face as she thought back to the one man that was consistent in her life, up until his death.

'Dad… I miss you so much. Why did you have to leave me?' Sakura allowed, for the first time since their death, the tear to freely flow from her eyes, down her cheeks and onto her clothes. For almost five minutes, Sakura sat on the bench and cried her eyes out for the loss of her parents and the loneliness she felt. An overwhelming desire to run from her problems consumed Sakura's thoughts until she thought about the good things in this village.

'Ino, Hinata, Tenten, Tsunade-shishou, Shikamaru…' Suddenly the image of a long-haired Uchiha flashed in her mind. 'And Itachi?' The idea seemed preposterous at first to Sakura but the longer she thought about it, the more it made sense. 'I mean, he is willing to take his time and train me for free. He sees potential in me that no one else truly does except for maybe Temari.' Sakura stood up and stretched, feeling better than she did before. 'Forget Kakashi and Gaara. I am strong. I will stand without them and Itachi will help me stand on my own with even more force.' Sakura smiled and walked back to her apartment, ready to tackle the world in the next few months of training before the ANBU exams in December.

'I have about seven months to train.' Sakura walked with her head held high and a new confidence in her step. 'Watch over me mom and dad and help me find the right path to take.' And with that, Sakura went back to her apartment, changed and promptly fell asleep, her thoughts, for the first time, thinking about her future.

End Chapter.

I want most of my chapters to be this long so that means the story will be shorter and the update period longer.

First chapter down, more to come!