Eh, so my muse is a fickle thing and I've spent way too much time reading Cardcaptor crossovers. There are a lot of good ones (names have been forgotten).

Some characters might be OOC. And this might move quickly. Sorry, I'm an amateur writer at best and English isn't my strong suit.

By the way, I'm looking for a Beta so if anyone is interested...?

Arc I, Cardcaptor Sakura II; I

After getting her heart broken, Sakura is determined to grow stronger no matter what. Even if it comes with a price – an apocalypse-level price – and a pretty new (and rather ridiculous) title. Now Sakura must collect the cards she scattered across the world with the help of a talking toy all while dodging a suspicious jōnin-level pervert, making friends with a weirdly kind Hyūga and a blind monk, and dealing with her own training.

Have you ever heard the saying: "Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them"?

In one world, these words could apply to the Child of Prophecy Naruto, Shadow Hokage Sasuke, and mountain-crumbling housewife Sakura.

However, in this world certain events are dealt with differently.

(And that changes everything.)

The day started out normally for the Academy student named Haruno Sakura. Her aunt Mebuki woke her up from what had been a pleasant dream. She couldn't remember it entirely, but she was certain it involved Sasuke-kun and a marriage proposal. Though, things had gotten a bit weird when some stuffed lion had jumped into the middle of it and tried to protect her chastity, whatever that meant. It was disappointing to realise that it had all been a dream, but that fact did nothing to alleviate her excitement.

Why, you might ask yourself. A dream was not a reason for excitement.

But if the dream involved one Uchiha Sasuke, it was definitely a reason for excitement. After all, she promised Ino-pig that she would confess her love – like and actual confession involving her and Sasuke-kun alone with no Ino-pig to distract them – on the last day of their second-to-last year at the Academy.

And that dream... Well, Sakura didn't believe in superstitions, but she certainly believed in fate! And that dream of hers must've been a message from the gods that they rooting for her! Even if the stuffed lion part was weird.

Sakura greeted her uncle Kizashi good morning, said a quick prayer to Makoto-niisan, and kissed Mebuki-obasan good bye. Then, she grabbed a slice of toast – a single slice wouldn't do any damage to her figure, of course – before scurrying on out into the streets.

She weaved through the crowds of civilians, some of which she knew and waved to, as she munched on her deliciously crusty and buttered bread. Toast, although not as good as anko dumplings, umeboshi and anmitsu, was her favourite breakfast food. It was light, simple and she didn't need to spend a lot of time making it.

(Sakura still couldn't believe that Naruto had the gall to say that ramen was the best breakfast food. She had known that the boy was an idiot, but she hadn't thought his idiocy reached that far.)

She arrived at the Academy some time before the end of the year speech began. She knew what was going to be in it anyway, so it didn't matter if she listened or not. It always involved something about the Will of Fire, training, loyalty, finally starting on ninjutsu, yadda, yadda, yadda. Staring at the back of Sasuke-kun's head was much more interesting.

Sakura entered the room with a skip in her steps, ignoring almost everyone but Ino-pig, who she sneered at, and the ever aloof Sasuke-kun who barely even looked at her.

Wow, he's such a marvellous guy as usual! So cool! Inner chirped, but there was an odd tilt to her voice. If Sakura didn't know better, she'd say Inner was being sarcastic.

I know right! She sighed, slipping into the seat right behind the Uchiha Heir.

(Whispers in the village. "Did you hear what that poor boy's awful brother did? His whole family was so horrified they immediately disowned him and—" Whispers. Rumours. Truths.)

Inner sighed, sounding almost rueful. Where did I go wrong with you…

Hey! That was uncalled for! Mentally, she huffed. Physically, she stared at the back of Sasuke-kun's head longingly. Barely two hours left until he was hers.

No, Inner's tone dared her to argue, it really, really wasn't.

You're awfully rude today. Sakura pointed out as Ino-pig stood up and started to approach. The Yamanaka Heiress sent her a pointed look, one that reminded Sakura of their promise. She huffed. Like she would ever forget!

Ino-pig slipped into the seat next to her, throwing a long, excited glance at Sasuke-kun. Sakura bristled.

"Forehead," the pig greeted, voice cold but there was a haughtiness to it that Sakura didn't like one bit. It was annoying.

"Ino-pig," her voice was equally as cold, but didn't carry half the arrogance that Ino-pig's had. Okay, there might've been a bit, but oh well. "Good morning."

"Yes," her smile was thin and sharp, and she kept taking glances at Sasuke-kun. "It'll be even better when Sasuke-kun sets you straight."

Instantly, something ugly started to burn in her stomach and it took all the self-restraint Sakura had – and Inner's murmured warnings – to not wipe that stupid smile off her rival's face. Attacking a clan hair wouldn't do her any good. It would basically tell the shinobi that she was a no good, impolite brat. But oh how she wanted to!

I'm not in the mood for detention, and so help me if you get us in one, I will cut your hair off and agree to go on a date with Naruto! Suppressing a shudder at evil, evil Inner's threat, the rosette replied.

"I think you'll be surprised, Ino-pig." She settled for a taunt, knowing it'll rile up her former friend. Ugh, how could she have ever been friends with this brat?

Pot, kettle.

Hey! What's that supposed to mean? Inner didn't reply.

In spite of her taunt Ino-pig wasn't the least bit ruffled. In fact, her smile widened and she stood up without a word, and left. Sakura blinked. She hadn't really expected that from her rival. Maybe some screeching or attempted mutilation, sure, but walking away without a word? That was weird.

Gotta agree with you there, partner. Something fishy is going on. Or should I say... Piggy. Sakura couldn't be bothered to hold back the irritated groan that escaped her lips. Thankfully, it was just then that Iruka-sensei entered the room, along with that weird-vibe Mizuki-sensei. Everyone was distracted by their entance, so no one sent her any weird looks.

No. That one didn't even make any semblance of sense! Her Inner had the unfortunate habit of making horrible, disgusting puns. Now, Sakura appreciated good puns, mind you, it took a lot of brainpower to make one that made sense. But Inner's puns tended to make her want to punch something because of how bad they are. And after that one time she nearly caved Naruto's head in during a spar, she wasn't really fond of them. Iruka-sensei had given her detention for it, even if it had been a Academy approved spar.

You wouldn't know a good pun if it hit you in the face with a kunai and kicked you in the ass! Inner retorted. She sounded awfully offended.

You have me confused with yourself. Sakura did her best Shikamaru impression because he did the best deadpans.

While Sakura and Inner bickered back and forth on what made a good pun a good pun and why Inner should be banned from making jokes, Iruka-sensei gave the class an inspirational speech. He went on and on about how everyone would one day become proud shinobi and kunoichi of Konohagakure, how proud they should be, and how proud the Hokage was for having such determined youth one day become a part of his forces. She absentmindedly noted that he overused 'proud'.

Halfway through Mizuki-sensei took over and started to explain what to expect for the following year. In Sakura's opinion he was much less interesting to listen to. His voice made Sakura want to punch him, but she held back because she was a polite girl. As Mizuki-sensei explained something involving graduation, Sakura thought about the challenges that were to come. They would finally start the practical lessons on genjutsu and ninjutsu. Since she had excellent chakra control Sakura wasn't worried about that. What she was worried about was keeping hold of her Kunoichi of the Year title and how much she would have to work to keep it from Ino-pig's grubby hands.

Just as Mizuki-sensei was starting his speech on the requirements for graduation, Konoha's most ridiculous Uzumaki burst into the room.

"I'M SORRY I'M LATE IRUKA-SENSEI! THERE WAS A GRAY HAIRED BASTARD WHO KIDNAPPED ME AND ASKED ME TO HIDE HIM FROM KAA-SAN, SO I HAD TO HELP, 'TTEBAYO! SORRY!" Both Inner and Outer Sakura cringed at the sheer loudness that was Uzumaki Naruto. They weren't the only ones.

His voice was only a bit louder than his appearance. With blond hair brighter than a Yamanaka's, blue eyes that Sakura swore couldn't be found in the Land of Fire, and an outfit that had too much orange – though Sakura thought that there would be more if it wasn't for the combined power his mother and the Uchiha matriarch – to be on a shinobi, 'loudness' was sometimes a too gentle word to be used to describe Uzumaki Naruto.

Iruka-sensei twitched, looking a bit peeved while Mizuki-sensei looked highly unamused.

"Naruto, just—" The brunet sighed and waved his hand in the general direction of the rest of the class. "Sit."

His expression was long-suffering, for good reason too. Iruka-sensei had been all but adopted into the Uzumaki clan by Naruto and his mother. Sakura didn't know the exact details, although they were definitely interesting and crazy. To be honest, Sakura sort of pitied him. She knew how Naruto was, and only saw his mother from a distance once or twice, but if she was anything like her son she was definitely... 'loud'.

The idiot cheered and turned to look for an empty seat. Sakura sunk low into her seat, hoping his eyes would just bypass her altogether.

That didn't happen, but it didn't really need to. As soon as he saw the (regretfully) empty seat next to Sasuke-kun, he cheered and shot towards it.

Apparently, their mothers were best friends so the two of them were rather close. Even if they hated each other's guts. But Sakura suspected it was pretend hate, the same kind she and Makoto-niisan had between them. She thought it was kind of cute, but... Well, it was annoying. Because Naruto always hung off Sasuke-kun and annoyed him, and it just—

"Hiya, Sasuke-teme!" The idiot greeted her future lover with that somewhat endearing grin on his face.

"Hn, dobe. Did Kakashi-san really...?" Sasuke-kun sounded curious, so Sakura applied just a bit more chakra into her ears to hear better. She had heard the two of them talk about this 'Kakashi' fellow once or twice before, and from what she's managed to gleam he was a big brother sort of figure to Naruto.

"Yup," Naruto was whispering. Mizuki-sensei's voice in the background sounded distant to her, since this conversation was much more interesting. "I think he said something about kaa-san's weight and, well..." He shuddered.

Sakura huffed. No wonder he was late! If someone had called her fat, he'd have to prepare for his own funeral because Sage knows she would've kicked his ass into the moon!

Honestly, what was that Kakashi guy thinking? Calling Naruto's kaa-san fat was akin to ritual suicide. Sakura's seen that woman's temper exploding once or twice and it was terrifying.

"Moron." Sasuke-kun agreed with her. Not that he knew. But it was another plus in the 'he'll definitely say yes' bar. They practically shared a mind!

Sakura discreetly snuck a glance at him.

Sasuke-kun was a very pretty person, younger Sakura had decided upon first sight. Although, she had to admit he wasn't as pretty as his brother, who had been the most beautiful guy in Konoha at one time, despite him being so young. Now that she thought about it, the Uchiha in general were a beautiful bunch. Maybe it was in the genes? Just like any other Uchiha, Sasuke-kun had pale skin with zero marks or blemishes and ink black hair that was both soft and styled in a weird but sweet looking way. His eyes were large and dark, a stark contrast to his pale skin. His face made Sakura want to protect him, hug him, and politely punch him in the face.

She wasn't all too sure where that last one came from, but it was likely that she had met an asshole Uchiha at one point in her life and their meeting had not gone well. She had a little tingling feeling that his name began with an 'I', and that he had a younger brother. But no matter how hard she tried, she could never recall his name.

"Alright then!" Iruka-sensei clapped his hand together, voice cheerful. The act almost made her jump out of her skin. It was only thanks to her Inner that she didn't shriek and embarrass herself. It seemed that she had been in her head for longer than the five minutes she had assumed. "That was all that we wanted to say. Have a good break, and don't forget it's only for two weeks. After that we'll be working you to the ground!" He sounded all too cheerful for normally calm and sweet Iruka-sensei.

"Oi, oi, Iruka-sensei..." A bead of sweat dribbled down from Naruto's forehead, but he didn't seem all that surprised.

Said teacher simply raised an eyebrow, smiled, and walked out after Mizuki-sensei.

"He's been hanging around Kakashi-nii way too much to be healthy, 'ttebayo." The blond grumbled.

Then, as if a switch was flipped, he turned around to face her with that Sage-damned grin on his lips. Sakura thought Inner might've melted at that face. It took all her self-control to not follow her. Despite being an idiot, Naruro was adorable. Not in the Sasuke way, but more like a puppy. He was hyperactive enough to pull it off.

"Hey Sakura-chan? Wanna go on a date with me? Ichiraku has some new kind of ramen and I hear it's great, 'ttebayo!" Sakura wouldn't mind being Naruto's friend, if only he just stopped asking her on dates – and to Ichiraku of all places.

"Why would I want to go on a date with you, idiot? Besides, I hate ramen." She looked at Sasuke-kun, ignoring the blond who looked both horrified and disappointed at her rejection. A blush crawled up to stain her cheeks a pink that rivalled her hair. "Hey, um, Sasuke-kun…?"

"What?" She couldn't a name on it, but the emotion on his face was somewhere between wary and annoyed.

"Can I, um, talk to you?" A moment later she added, "alone, I mean. Just you and me. Outside. That is, under the tree or something. Please?"

Perhaps it was the please or maybe her hopeful expression, but he nonetheless accepted and stood up. He glanced at something behind her and then muttered something to Naruto that had him perk up and shout a "THANKS!" into the Uchiha's face before he shot out of his seat and left the classroom as if his angry mother was on his heels.

The exchange went unnoticed by the rosette, who was too busy trying to calm down her racing heart and mind. She was sure that Sasuke-kun would agree to go out with her, but there was that big 'what if' that she couldn't entirely ignore. Ino-pig had seemed so smug earlier, so what if she had just ignored the promise and went and snagged him all for herself? Or what if he already had some girlfriend, who was older or younger or a civilian?

And then there was that other 'what if' she tried to ignore. What if she was just too ugly for him? What if her forehead was too big? What if her hair was too weird, her eyes too bright and her body too thin or fat or something? What if he won't go out with her because she's from a civilian family?

Before her thoughts could delve into the depressing and weird, the two of them arrived outside. At first, she thought they would go to that tree with the swing that Naruto and Sasuke-kun both frequented so much, but it he brought her to the side of the Academy, a place she usually didn't notice since it was hidden between some trees.

Her cheeks managed to redden even more.

"What do you want?" His tone was long suffering, as of he expected something. What it was, Sakura didn't exactly know.

"Um, well," she took a deep, steadying breath and looked him in the eye. Her heart didn't sound like hers at the moment; it was too loud and too quick and she felt as if it were about to pop right out of her chest and disappear into the sky.

"Willyougooutwithme?"

She didn't dare breath. Or blink. Or gulp. Or do anything really. She was sure that even her heart had stopped in anticipation of his answer. She was doing her best imitation of a statue. Or a tree. The only thing of hers that even moved was her hair and clothes, which shifted slightly as the wind blew.

She looked straight into Sasuke-kun's eyes (when did she look away?) for a single moment, and her heart plummeted.

There was no warmth in those eyes. Not the joy or surprise or excitement or happiness she expected. No, what greeted her was annoyance, disgust, and a coldness of which she had never seen before.

Inner was still, silent, like she was holding her breath and whispering a name. Sakura didn't bother to listen.

And even before he opened his mouth, she knew what was coming.

Sakura expected a 'no'.

But what he said was much worse.

"You're a weak, useless, rude civilian brat. You don't know what it's like to suffer, or work hard, or be in the shadow of someone you love. You're also a total bitch to Naruro. Your only redeeming qualities are your brain and exotic looks. You might be the Top Kunoichi of our year, but it's only due to your smarts. Physically, you're most likely the weakest of our year group. Even the Yamanaka can take you out in a spar." He paused. "There's no reason why I should be your friend, let alone date you."

With a last frigid glare at Sakura's frozen form, he stalked away looking for his best friend. He was tense and the expression on his face was enough to make any loitering students scatter.

And Sakura?

She stood stalk still. Her eyes were wide and glistening with unshed tears as she stared at the Uchiha symbol on the Heir's back. His words echoing in her head.

Useless, weak, civilian, brat, weak.

Was... Was that what he thought of her?

And you wondered why I hated his guts.

Inner. Just. No. Just. She turned in the opposite direction he went, and walked a bit dazed.

She thought on his words as she exited the Academy grounds by climbing over a wall. She thought on them long and hard, ignoring everything and everyone on the streets of Konoha. Tears that wouldn't fall in front of him fell in front of people who didn't even spare her even a single glance.

He told her she didn't know what it was like to suffer, but that wasn't particularly true. She hadn't suffered like Naruto, whom half the village hated, or like Sasuke, whose own brother betrayed the village, or even like Hinata, whose own uncle had died to protect her. But she did know suffering. The graves of the parents she never knew and the brother who she loved were proof of that.

Part of her wanted to go up to him and give in to the urge of punching his lights out, or maybe curl up in some alley and cry her heart out. But if she did that, she would be proving him right, wouldn't she?

If she chose option A, she would be showing him that she couldn't control her emotions – and what kind of shinobi lost control? The weak kind.

And if she went with B, well – option B was so civilian brat that it made her skin crawl.

Sakura's heart was broken by a few harsh words from her crush. Ex-crush? Unrequited crush? She didn't know what he was to her anymore.

But she couldn't break down or punch him, so what should she do?

Quit the Academy?

She snorted out loud as soon as the though entered her mind. Like hell! She survived in that place despite the bullying in earlier years, her rivalry with Ino-pig, and the teachers ignoring her because she was the only civilian-born in the whole class. All that caused her to have a strong will and helped her refine her stubbornness. Like hell she's quitting!

All of a sudden, she had a thought. She stopped in the middle of some street.

Er, partner? Inner was oddly subdued. Maybe the rejection had startled and hurt even her?

Sasuke-kun was right. She breathed out, eyes wide.

Wait, what?! Oh hell no, you are not starting with this depression crap even if I have to—

But he was. Sakura stated firmly, silencing her partner. We're weak, and the only thing that helped us stay in the Academy was our brain. And it's going to help us prove Sasuke-kun wrong too.

Partner? What...

Sometimes, Sakura suspected she got most of the intelligence between the two of them.

She sighed.

We're have a brain, but no physical powers to back it up. We can think of plans and come to logical conclusions in just a few minutes.

Or seconds, depending on the situation.

Yeah. And Sasuke-kun was right. Even Ino-pig can beat us in a spar. To prove Sasuke-kun wrong we have to get stronger and take the Top Kunoichi title not just in the theoretical part, but the practical part as well.

Oh, and how are we gonna do that genius? Wish upon a shooting star and hope a road to strength will open up? Inner scoffed. Partner, no one's going to pay a civilian-born midget any thought even if you want to become a strong kunoichi. The clan kids have their clans to lean upon to get strength, and even that idiot Naruto has his scary kaa-san, Iruka-sensei and that mysterious Kakashi-nii of his to learn from. We have no one. It's just us.

That was a bit depressing but no less true.

Civilian-born shinobi tended to end up as paper-nin or eternal genin because no one ever bothered to seriously train them.

For a moment, Sakura paused and thought on what she should do. She could quit while ahead, or she could push forward even with all those things against her.

And one of those options provided a way for her to be strong and prove Sasuke-kun wrong.

Well, she grinned and wiped her face with the sleeve of dress, I think we can start by buying bandages, weapons, weight, books and all sorts of stuff in that store over there.

She gestured to an odd-looking store no one seemed to be going in. Something told her her 'road to strength' was in there somewhere.

Do you even have the money?

I'll manage.

As she got closer, she noticed that no one even glanced at the store despite its all-around weirdness. It was ordinary enough, hidden behind a tall brown fence that had a few trees grown inside of it. But was what truly odd were the gold coloured crescent moons decorations on its roof and entrance. Taped on the sliding doors of the entrance was a quick note that said: 'We will provide anything you wish as long as you pay the price. Equivalent exchange and all that.'

Something about that note momentarily made her pause before she outstretched a hand to open the sliding doors.

Hope you have the price, partner. I get the feeling ripping these people off would be a bad decision on our part.

Yeah.

The door opened on its own.

The first though that crossed her mind upon seeing the girls called Maru and Moro was: I didn't know dolls came in those sizes.

Because they really did look like life sized dolls with their delicate features, long limbs and blank smiles. The one on the right had long blue hair and was dressed in darker clothes than the one on the right, who had pink hair much like Sakura's. They also looked quite similar to each other, colouring aside. Twins, perhaps?

Then, they greeted her simultaneously: "Welcome! The master has been expecting you!"

Okay, Partner. I think this is about the time you make a break for it. Even Inner sounded a bit disturbed at the two girls'... Well, strangeness.

Sakura agreed, but her body wouldn't. In fact, when the two girls surged forward to grab her arms giggling and pull her inside, her body walked forward without a fight.

Partner! I said—

I know what you said, but my body is moving on its own!

What? Inner sounded completely shocked. Not that Sakura could blame her. Shock, along with hurt and determination, was an emotion they shared at the moment.

The two girls stopped in front of a sliding door, which they then opened after letting her go. She thought that the way they did it was a bit dramatic.

"Master! She's here! She's finally here!" The doll like girls cheered.

The figure leaning on some cushions wore an extravagant kimono. Sakura almost mistook him for a woman. But he was definitely a man, no matter what that pretty face and those long limbs said. And boy, was that face pretty. The ebony haired man's oddest feature must've been his eyes, one of which was blue, the other a green much like to her own. That feature didn't make him any less unattractive.

He smiled as soon as he spotted her and stood up in a single, elegant movement that she knew most kunoichi couldn't pull off as flawlessly as he did.

His beauty and elegance somewhat reminded her of Uchiha Itachi who was all serene smiles and prettiness, and who also murdered Councilman Danzō and all of the Uchiha Elders. It made her want to flee the room, but her body wouldn't comply with her wishes.

This man, who the two girls called 'Master', was both beautiful and deadly. That much even an untrained civilian-born like Sakura could understand.

"Haruno Sakura! It's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, I've been expecting you for quite some time now." He smiled serenely, as if he hadn't just said such a creepy thing. "Maru, Moro. Thank you for bringing our guest here. Would you go make us some tea?"

"You're welcome, Master! And of course!" The one dressed in dark colours, who 'Master' had called Maru, chirped.

"You're welcome, Master! And of course!" The other rosette in the room echoed her twin.

Ugh, this place is really creepy. Inner shuddered.

You're telling me.

Once the two left, the man turned back to her and chuckled. "Don't mind those two. They're mostly harmless, so you needn't worry. Now," he clapped his hands and one moment he was standing, the next he was once again sitting. He inclined his head towards a cushion Sakura hadn't noticed, and spoke: "Go ahead and sit down, Sakura-chan. Oh, may I call you that?"

Cautiously, Sakura sat down. "Uh, go ahead. I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

"Oh, I never introduced myself?" He blinked. "I am Watanuki Kimihiro, please call me 'Watanuki-san'."

"Alright, Watanuki-san." She paused, unsure as how to continue. "Um, what is this place? A shop? And how did you know my name? Wait, scratch that, you were expecting me?"

Once again, creepy.

"For quite some time." He sighed and slumped dramatically. "It was actually getting quite boring around here. And when I say here, I mean the Wish Granting Shop you're currently sitting in. Which I am the proud owner of. Maru and Moro are my helpers."

"Wish granting shop?" It sounded ridiculous.

"Yes. I can grant wishes for a price. Via magic, and other things." Sakura remembered the sign at the front.

"Equivalent exchange, right? The value of the wish must equal the price? Or something like that."

Watanuki-san looked delighted. "She did say you would be intelligence."

"She?"

He waved a dismissing hand. "That's not important right now."

Sakura would very much like to disagree on that, but before she could Maru and Moro returned, both lending a hand to carry a tea tray. Watanuki-san's face lit up in delight as they placed a pleasant-smelling cup of tea in front of him. Sakura took a whiff of her own cup, and the smell of camomile made her relax. She didn't think it was poisoned.

"Thank you, you two. Now, can you go fetch the book?" The two pouted, but muttered a "yes, master" and left once again.

Watanuki-san took a sip of his tea.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, would you care to tell me your wish?"

She blinked. "You want to know my wish?"

"Yes, please. After all, only those who need wishes fulfilled can find this shop." That at least explained why no one even glanced at it.

"Well," she licked her dry lips and decided to take a sip of the pleasant smelling – and tasting – tea. She thought it over, and really, she could've said something to do with love, but instead she said: "I want to be stronger."

"Oh?" He leaned forward, and there was something in his eyes that she couldn't put a name to. "And why is that?"

"Well, it might sound stupid, but..." Hesitation was her current best friend. Because now that she thought of it her reason did sound stupid. Wanting to be strong because of a boy? That's something a silly civilian girl might say.

But the Shopkeeper was not so easily swayed. "Nothing is stupid, unless you let it."

"I confessed to a boy I liked since I was young, and he rejected me. But... He was harsher than he needed to be about it, and told me I was just a spoiled civilian-born brat that hadn't suffered. That I was weak. And other stuff that I don't remember." She remembered it word for word, but he didn't know that. "I want to prove him wrong. I want to be strong enough so I can shove it in his face, and maybe one day I'll even be strong enough to beat him." At his stare her cheeks reddened. "I know, it's petty. But I do want to be strong. Not just because of him. But because I don't want to be seen as weak or useless. After all, if he thinks all that about me then I'm pretty everyone else does too."

"Hm," he rested his chin in his hand and looked deep in thought. "Well, it is petty. But you are still a child, and you'll mature. One day, you'll even gain a different reason for your strength..."

Then, as if an idea smacked him in the face, he straightened up and gained a gleam in his eyes. "That's perfect! I have just the right price for you!"

Sakura was right to be apprehensive. The next words out of his mouth made her freeze.

"If I grant you a road to strength, then you'll have to give me the reason why you decided to become stronger. More specifically, you'll let me take your feelings towards Uchiha Sasuke, the memories of your confession, and I'll give you something that will help you achieve the strength you came here for!" He spread his arms out wide.

Sakura idly wondered why everyone was so dramatic around here. Seriously, was it a guy thing? A shinobi thing?

It was not the time to think about that, however. At the moment, she was far more focused on the price she would pay.

"W-What..."

Holy shit.

"How would you even take that?" She shot up, red faced and wide eyed.

"Via magic." He shrugged.

"What if I refuse?"

Something flashed in his eyes but it was gone far too soon for her to understand it. "If you refuse, you will leave here with your memories and feeling, but without your wish granted. You will have to search for a teacher, and I doubt anyone would take you on. You're a civilian-born, pink haired kunoichi wannabe, and no one has time for that. Of course, you can always wait a few years for a mentor to come along or you can wait for a jōnin sensei. But let's be honest here, he'll most likely ignore you if favour of your teammates. And by then, gaining the respect of your peers would be rather hard."

Maru and Moro then returned, but not with a book. It was a chest which they carried, made out of a light-coloured wood. The bottom of the chest was covered in a different kind of wood, painted a pale pink. There was a simple lock holding it tightly shut, but there was no keyhole like she expected. The lock was shaped like a cherry blossom.

"I told you to get the book?" Watanuki-san looked bemused.

The two helpers giggled and started to speak. "But we did. The book is in the chest, which that woman entrusted us with. She said that there would be helpful things that would aid her successor. Remember?"

"Oh, right." He blinked and turned to look at the thoughtful rosette. The twins placed the chest next to her, so she looked at it. "Well, what do you say Sakura-chan? Do you want the chest?"

The girl didn't exactly know how a chest was supposed to help. Maybe there were katas and books in it? But what did the girls mean by 'successor'?

Hey, Inner, what do you think?

Me? She sounded surprised. You're the one in charge.

Yes, but this is your body too. So you have a say in it as well.

Jeez why couldn't you be this thoughtful during your crush on Sasuke? Sakura very carefully did not react at his name.

Because I was... A pause. Stupid, I guess. Naïve.

Yeah, you were.

So?

... I think you should get our wish granted. Things like this don't happen twice. Besides, there's no guarantee that you'll get a good teacher if you refuse. Sage knows that unless we get a civilian-born sensei, they'll ignore us in favour of the clan kids. Watanuki-san is correct.

Thanks, Inner. She smiled.

Inner stayed silent before replying in a soft voice. You're welcome, partner.

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the smiling Watanuki-san and the curious, almost eager Maru and Moro.

Taking a deep breath and saying goodbye to her memories and feelings and her crush, Sakura hardened her gaze and said in a clear voice:

"Alright. So, how much will this hurt?"

Yeah, the Uchiha and Kushina are alive, and I changed up Sakura's family a bit. This all has reason, which will be explained later on. Still bad at notes.