Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Wandering WarriorChapter One: Return of the Lost OneThe vast forest was silent in the early hours of the dawn, birds just beginning to wake up themselves. Foxes and deer woke up to feed, the flowers getting ready to taste the sweet rays of the sun on their tender petals. But something else not animal was moving through the forest.
A slim figure, dark as a shadow against the background of the early-morning forest, was darting in and out of the trees, bounding lightly from branch to branch. The figure moved remarkably quickly, a long braid lashing out like a whip behind it and the rising sun giving it a golden cast.
The shadow continued moving as the sun peeked it's gold-crowned head above the shelter of the horizon, revealing the nature of the outline darting from branch to branch. The light from the glowing star was caught by eyes of the greenest jade and wound its golden tendrils around hair of the palest pink shade, all the while touching on features laced with delicate beauty. She was tall, but not much above average height and her long arms and legs were muscled leanly, but still she was as slender as a willow branch; womanly in her own unique way while still bespeaking through her character a fierce strength and determination.
The woman, still moving gracefully though the leafy trees, opened up the small holster on the side of her thigh. Shuriken and Kunai of various sizes all awaited her touch as she dug through the small pouch and made her selection. She had already spotted breakfast.
Snuffling through the underbrush for a few clover buds, the inattentive rabbit made an easy target. Pausing on the branch of a tree for stability, she threw the shuriken stars with an expert flick of her wrist and only felt a small twinge of pity as the small creature was pinned to the ground, a star through it's neck. She laughed in satisfaction; breakfast was going to be delicious.
With in the half hour she had a fire started and the poor beast skinned, gutted, cooked and devoured, licking her fingers in delight. It had been a very long time since she had enjoyed rabbit; the soft meat in her mouth was always tasty. Better at any rate than those horrible instant ramen cups that Naruto used to make her eat.
The pink-haired nin smiled and gathered up the shuriken that had ended the rabbit's life. No sense in wasting good weapons, she thought with a smirk, she hated being wasteful. She cleaned it briefly and placed it back in the holster before bounding back into the trees with a quick step.
She was so close to her home, she could almost smell the welcome scent of Ichiraku Ramen, or hear the laughter of her friends. Heartache beat fast in her breast, but she quelled it almost instantly with the comforting thought of seeing them soon. The Village in the Leaves, a place of intense training and strong friendships, would be a welcome sight after five long years of absence. Sakura Haruno smiled inwardly; she just couldn't wait to see it.
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The young medic nin flew through the trees, pumping chakra to her feet in order to lend speed to her journey. It had been so long since she had last seen her beloved friends that she couldn't help but be in a hurry to get back there. But at the same time, she was so worried about returning. After five long years of intense medical and physical training in five of the other Hidden Villages, she didn't know how her friends were going to receiver her. Would they feel abandoned? Would they accept her new personality? Would things be the way they had been before she had applied for the journey? The Cherry Blossom shook the thoughts out of her head, her braid snapping in the wind. Of course they would accept her! They were her friends and they loved her. But one particular 'friend' came to mind, a man with pale eyes and long brown hair…
No! Sakura snapped her thoughts out of such dangerous territory. She had kept those feelings aside for five years now and knew she wasn't quiet ready to face them. A secret smile crept on to Sakura's face. She couldn't wait to show Tsunade-sensei her new strength!
That old Lady's eyes will pop out of her head when she sees what I can do now! Sakura thought with glee, adventurous fire coming to her eyes. She already been a kunoichi of renown before her quest for strength began, her healing techniques and battle prowess had 'rivaled Tsunade herself' as everyone said fondly. After apprenticing herself to the old Sannin, she had trained under her until her seventeenth year.
But by then the battle hungry Cherry Blossom had realized that she had gleaned all the knowledge she could from the Gondaime. This realization first came to light when Tsunade had taught her the Creation Rebirth Jutsu, and teaching her the secrets of the small red diamond that now resided in between her pink brows. After that last training session, Sakura had begun to understand that her lessons with Tsunade were coming to a close. But that power that she had gotten from the Sannin, that taste of greatness, wasn't enough for the power-starved kunoichi.
Ever since that teme Sasuke had left her, she had trained like a mad woman, and for all her hard work, earned the reputation of one of the fiercest kunoichi in the Hidden Leaf Village. Standing on the sidelines was never an option again with Sakura; she would die before she reverted to the way she was as a genin.
In fact, the very next day, still shaking from using excessive chakra to create the seal on her forehead, Sakura had hobbled to Hokage Tower and asked for the five years to train. And surprisingly, with a nod and a wave of her hand, Tsunade had granted her wish.
The old Sannin had actually been good about sending her daughter-like apprentice away for such a long period of time. The Gondaime had understood Sakura's reasons and had been like the mother the young nin had always wanted; understanding her ninja ways and respecting her. How unlike her real mother…
Nonetheless, no matter how Tsunade felt about apprentice's wish for power and prestige, the paperwork was all filled out in haste, letters of recommendation written and sealed, bags were packed, and by the end of the week, Sakura was given leave to begin her journey.
The pink-haired medic nin only had one rule: be at the gates in five year's time. But violating this one simple rule would bring about execution on sight. Other than that however, Sakura was allowed to go where she wanted, choose which Hidden Villages, and divide the time as she wished between them. She had ended up giving one year to Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and the last to Amegakure. As she had traveled from village to village, the Cherry Blossom had made many friends, strengthening ties between the unstable nation-like villages and doing her duty as a shinobi: to represent her village honorably in all things.
But, she had always wondered, was strengthening ties with other villages destroying the bonds she had with her own? This question plagued her mind for many nights as memories of Konoha faded from her mind, replaced with new ones of other places. Only time would tell her of the might of her old links to Konoha.
The medic nin leapt to one last tree before coming to an abrupt halt. A single tear escaped her jade eyes as the emotions she had worked for years to control were overwhelming her, but she would allow it just this once. There before her, basking in the full glory of a rising golden sun, lay the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
She was home.