Title: Time to Pretend

Summary: An actress is reborn as Sakura Haruno—and promptly decides that all she can do is what she does best. She acts. [OC-Insert]

"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost."

~ J.R.R Tolkien

Class at the academy was... boring, for a lack of a better word.

Math was too easy, as was science. History was a bit more of a challenge, but not by much. All she had to really do was read a few books and memorize some names. The physical aspect of the training was a different story. She wasn't bad, no, not by a long shot.

She just wasn't good.

If she were compared to her classmates, yes, she would seem pretty smart and strong. To the rest of the world, though, she was just a kid. A kid who could kick and bite and scream, but a kid nonetheless. It made her furious. So, of course, she trained. She trained and trained and trained 'till her kegs gave out and her hands were covered in blisters.

Sakura started getting better.

It just took... a lot of time.

She didn't seem super smart in class—she knew better. She stayed a little above average in some parts, a little below in others.

She was practically a normal kid.

(as normal as someone like her could be)

Sakura gripped the handle of the kunai tightly, cold metal brushing against her skin. She stared at the target and adjusted her stance.

Thunk.

She grabbed a few more out of a pile on the ground beside her.

Thunk. Thunk thunk thunk thunk.

She wiped her forehead, hands aching and mouth dry. She looked at the target—she looked at the thin piece of wood, splintered and cracked, with six kunai sticking out of the middle.

Sakura smiled. (everything hurt so bad)

Bullseye.

She grabbed her weapons and ran home.

Sakura woke up with a start. Her breathing was labored and she couldn't—

something cold was pressing against her head and it was a gun and she couldn't... shecouldn'tbreatheshecouldn'tbreathe!

Her hands shook.

Sakura frowned, face pale.

Her eyes were starting to sting. She blinked until they stopped. Her heart was pounding. She took a shuddering breath and her whole body shook along with it, raking across her spine and crawling down her toes.

It was just a dream. (but it was real)

She went back to bed.

Thunk.

Sakura whipped her head up. Her muscles were tense as she scanned her surroundings... and saw a piece of chalk on the floor beside her foot.

Oh. Oops.

Her forehead was starting to sting.

"Sakura, Shikamaru," Iruka-sensei said, eyes twitching. "Come see me after class. And do not fall asleep again!"

Shikamaru grunted in response. Sakura had to stifle her laughter.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Sakura said.

And then she went back to sleep.

(What? She was tired!)

AN: Trying to write because I'm bored, but also not wanting to write because I'm lazy. So I produced this pseudo-chapter-thingy about sakura's thoughts and actions during her childhood! Yay me.

Merry Christmas (and a happy new year!)

Also, yes, I know that it is realllllyyyy short, but... I'm lazy so meh.

Edit: 12/24/19 (Thank god for Grammarly)