Bold= inner Sakura

Italicized= Sakura talking back.

"Nugh," I groaned pushing the hair out of my face.

I tried getting up and stopped at the searing pain that spread all over my body.

I took a deep breath and winced.

I pulled up my shirt and examined the deep cut that went diagonally down my side.

Damn.

I pulled up my arm and then stopped.

The dark, jagged, scar that ran across my palm.

It's not there.

Or my tattoo.

"I must be seeing shit," I mumbled dismissing it.

I bent over to fix my shorts that had hiked up my thighs when I saw my locks.

"What the hell?" I yelled grabbing my LONG, pink hair.

It hasn't been that long since...before the first chunnin exams.

I went up to the mirror.

So wait a second, no scars or tattoos, LONG hair, skinny legs, no figure, flabby arms.

I look like I'm twelve.

What happened?!?!

I got up and looked around.

"Wait a minute" I whispered.

This isn't my room anymore. I haven't been in here for at least two years. I looked down and was surprised at what I was wearing. Same thing as being in this room, I haven't worn this since I was 14.

I ran my fingers through my SHORT hair?!?! Since when do I have short hair? I have been growing it out the last few years.

Unless.

No, it's not possible. That could have never happened.

But how else do you explain it? The hair, cloths, room, etc. This is too complicated to be a genjutsu.

I looked in the mirror and I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. It's one thing to think you are 12, but to actually see yourself four years younger is a totally different thing.

I put on my ninja shoes and spent a moment marveling at the fact that my feet were once this tiny. I can't believe how much my feet grew in just a few years.

I ditched my coat and after looking at the time, ran out of my room.

But I had to slow down when people passed by.

They have always looked at me as if I'm not even worth the dirt on their shoes. No matter how strong I have gotten they have never acknowledged me for who I am. And instead of shrinking back and shying away from people like I used to do. I walked with purpose and looked people straight in the eye when they tried to intimidate me.

"Dumb, white-eyed freaks," I muttered getting frustrated.

I needed to see if Hinata's here to. And they aren't helping me, I thought giving them a nasty look.

I sighed, I'm supposed to be sixteen years old. That was so juvenile.

Time to change tactics.

"Just let me talk to her" I said trying to reason with them.

"How many times do we have to tell you-"

"Let her in," Hinata demanded glaring at them.

After only a moments hesitation they opened the gates.

She walked out and went straight past me. I turned and went after her.

"Someone needs a happy meal," I said sarcastically.

"..."

"Hina, what's wrong?" I asked her immediately. I knew that girl well enough to be able to tell when something's bothering her.

"I hate how everyone is here. You're too weak, too stupid, too ugly. Who the hell cares. They aren't much better. If they can't accept me now than I don't want them." She vented. But I can tell that she was using anger to hide the hurt.

Your family is supposed to love and accept you as who you are. It's one of those unwritten rules. But I guess they don't count anymore.

I reached over and gave her a quick half hug and smiled at her encouragingly.

"It'll be okay you know, you've got me. And we both know you can kick their asses any day" I told her lightly.

"..."

"Hinata."

"You're right," she told me smiling.

"Aren't I always?" I teased.

"Sure, you can believe that," Hinata told me laughing.

I couldn't keep a straight face for long with her.

We walked up the academy and stopped for a minute. It's been forever since we've been here.

"Come on," I told Hinata pulling her arm.

"Sakura," a familiar voice shouted.

Naruto, it'll be ok, remember he is alive, there is nothing to cry about, I thought rambling.

"Hey" I whispered.

"Hello Naruto," Hinata said just as quietly.

"Hi Hinata," Naruto yelled smiling widely.

"Where is Sasuke?" I asked him looking around with narrowed eyes.

He's got to be around somewhere.

There he is, surrounded by a million fan girls. Figures.

Naruto pushed his way past the protesting girls and crouched up on Sasuke's desk glaring at him.

Why does this look so familiar?

Then it came to me. This is where Sasuke and Naruto kiss.

I snorted very unladylike.

I should just let this happen, that asshole deserves it.

"Remember this?" I asked Hinata curiously.

"What do you mean?" she asked me confused.

"Just watch," I said giving her a knowing glance.

That one boy, like last time pushed his elbow out knocking Naruto into Sasuke. Resulting in them kissing.

"Priceless," I told her laughing even harder when they started gagging.

She had a weird look on her face. It was cross between wanting to burst out laughing, and to comfort Naruto.

"So much better the second time," I told her, smiling.

"How could I have forgotten that?" she asked softly.

"So much better the second time?"

"How could I have forgotten that?"

They seem to have known that was going to happen. The boy who pushed Naruto into Sasuke looked surprised and slightly disgusted at what he did. This couldn't have been a planned practical joke. So how would those two girls have known about it?

I was watching Sasuke and especially Naruto. He seemed to be still gagging while Sasuke glared at us. Why is looking at me, I wasn't the one who was laughing at him?

"You can glare at me all you want but that is not going to do anything," Sakura told him looking amused.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

I couldn't help but laugh then.

He looked at me for a second and sent me a nasty look.

"Why did you laugh at me, that was nasty, I think I'm going to die from the teme's germs," Naruto whined looking at us with puppy dog eyes.

"We're sorry, we didn't mean to laugh," I told Naruto in a straight voice.

"Bullshit. That was fricken hilarious. I didn't know you guys swung that way," Sakura told them grinning widely.

Thanks Sakrua.

"Iruka's coming," I whispered in Sakura's ear once I heard his light footsteps coming closer.

"Ok, everyone settle down" Iruka said walking in the room. "I have the genin teams here so listen up," he continued looking at each and everyone in the room.

I walked into room 68 and sat down to wait for our sensei while Naruto decided to put up the chalkboard eraser and Sasuke being a smart ass as always.

To this day, I still couldn't figure out how one of the strongest Ninja couldn't sense and dodge that simple prank.

He told us to meet him on the roof and I wanted to just poof there but how would I have explained knowing a Jounin level technique?

And I've been getting pretty lazy if I don't want to walk a few flights of stairs.

He wanted us to tell him our names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams like last time.

"Why don't you go first so we know what to say," I offered.

"My name is Kakashi. My likes and hobbies are none of your business. And my dreams are none of your concern."

All we get is his name and he expects us to spill our guts.

"You Blondie," Kakashi said sounding bored.

"MY NAME IS UZUMAKI NARUTO. I LIKE ALL KINDS OF RAMEN. I DISLIKE THE THREE MINUTES YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO EAT IT AND TEME. MY HOBBIES ARE TRYING OUT NEW FLAVORS AND MY DREAM IS TO BECOME HOKAGE SO EVERYONE WILL RESPECT ME AND TREAT ME LIKE I AM SOMEBODY!" yelled Naruto loudly.

"Ok, now you," he said nodding towards me.

"My name is Sakura. I like training and learning medical jutsus, and being around friends. I hate…death. My goal is to be able to protect the people I love," I said.

"That didn't give anything away," Inner me said sarcastically.

"Shut up!. I thought I got rid of you years ago."

"Nope, just been chilling here."

"So why didn't you help me before!?!?!"

"Cause you are supposed to know what to do? I'm just here for the show."

I gave her an ugly look.

"Pay attention, Kakashi is looking at you weird."

"And you," Kakashi said to Sasuke.

"I don't have many likes. I have many dislikes. My hobby is training. My dream is more of an ambition. It will become a reality to restore my clan and kill a certain man," he stated darkly.

You can feel the danger.

I snorted.

"What!?" I asked when I noticed them staring at me.

After a pause Kakashi told us to meet him the next day at dawn.

"Don't eat, it'll make you puke," I mocked my soon-to-be sensei, walking away.

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