Secretly, and only ever as such, she likes to believe in fairytales and happy endings.

knights in shining armor and gorgeous princesses and beautiful love, love, love.

One might conclude that, for a sixteen year old girl(woman?), it is hopeless and childish to believe in such foolery.
She thinks she is merely holding on to hope.
For what little hope there is in the world of kunoichi. As shinobi kill and claim glory in the day, kunoichi kill and lose dignity(and so much more) at night. Theirs is a world of lies, deception, death, blood and pain, pain, pain(a feral, utterly sickening thing that claws at anything and everything and you just hate it and--).
Yes, it's nice to hold on to what little light there is. The small flicker of hope that manages to illuminate a realm of darkness.

and even if for a split second everything is all right, she is happy.

And so she closes her eyes, and dreams(for her team, for kunoichi, and for shinobi, too, damnit!).
Of things that could—should've—been, of happily-ever-afters and everything in between. Because she's still that twelve year old girl, somewhere in there.
Of what might be, of things she will make be. Because she's stronger now and she can make things happen.
Of masks and novels and orange jackets and fans and spinning red eyes. Because that's what she lives for.

It's painful and euphoric at the same time.
She is not stupid, she knows these things might never be. No matter how strong she's become; how hard she tries.
Somethings can't be changed. Some prices are too much to pay.
She wishes life weren't so, but it is. Live with it, her inner self practically spits.
She tries, but all the burden of never-could-be's pile on her shoulders. She feels as if she holds all the weight of the world.

…dreams are free so she'll do as she pleases.

She dreams of him back in Konoha, where he should be.
She dreams of Naruto's face on the Hokage Mountain, where he belongs.
She dreams of Kakashi's twisted Icha-Icha happily-ever-after, for after all the pain and suffering he's been put through, he deserves his happy ending.
She dreams of giving life messy ebony hair and emerald green irises hiding ruby red Sharingan eyes, Uchiha fans embroidered on their backs.

Her heart twists and weeps and breaks.But she goes on…
She dreams of Naruto smiling at Hinata;
Of Shikamaru and Temari just kissing already, damnit.
Of Ino and Chouji, so opposite but so right.
Of Neji holding Tenten's hand; it's such a beautiful picture.
Of every single kunoichi and shinobi's fucked-up fairytale that might never ever happen.

…she dreams that, even for a split second, she is not Haruno Sakura, but Lady Uchiha.

it's all so much more than a shattered fairytale or a broken love song or a dying(gone!) dream.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, I pronounce you hus—"
"This is so troublesome…but I love—"
"Who cares about weight—"
"I'll make my own destiny with you, Te—"
"Obito, look at my life now. Isn't it gre—"
"Rokudaime-sama! Naru—"
"Uchiha Sasuke, you are cleared—"
"Kaa-san!"
She turns to face her so—

Crack.

… shards of what could have been, shattered and broken and gone.

Sakura opens her eyes, and moves forward.