A/N This is my first Naruto story, as well as my first angst story. I hope you enjoy it. This was inspired by Misery's-Toll's 'Somebody', which is a fantastic story.

This was supposed to be out Sunday, but I decided, 'Heck, why not?'

I'll probably update weekly.

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters (which includes the epic Gaara) does not belong to me. The fanfiction 'Somebody' doesn't belong to me either.

Chapter 1: Only Myself

Was always alone

Not loved, not hated

And I embraced it

Until it let me die.

Sakura

Strawberry pink hair. Wide forehead. Evergreen eyes. Ragged clothes. Haunted face.

This is the girl that was always standing by the road. This is the girl who entered the run-down house that was always filled with emptiness. This is the girl who had no home, no friends, no family.

She took gentle steps up the stairs, like she was trying not to disturb the balance of the world. Occasionally, she dodged some invisible thing that, in her mind, was hurling towards her. The house smelled like beer and dust.

Sakura Haruno, 16, was not much of a cleaner. Her father was never home, and on those rare days he did come home, he was drunk and misguided, and hardly paid any attention to his only daughter that tried to greet him with a smile. Instead, he went upstairs and laughed and laughed and laughed. Then he was knocked out cold, until morning, when he went away again.

It wasn't always like this.

Old photo frames, old memories, dusty pictures were the only kept those good days alive and fresh in Sakura's mind. Days of real laughter, joy, family, friends…

The days when she went to school (before you moved) and had friends (before you locked yourself up) and had a wonderful time (before you threw that away).

She dumped the rusty cents she had earned by begging, and counted them out on the cold, dusty floor. Ten dollars. Perfect.

Munching on a stale cracker, Sakura put five more dollars in the little jar. It was almost to the three-fourth mark after two years of collecting. She suspected that her father took money out of the jar, but she didn't care. She had more money then that, of course. One-hundred dollars. But that isn't enough to feed a lonely girl. A lonely, starving girl.

Someday, that jar will be full. And when that happens, all the birds will sing for me, and I'll have friends again. Mom will come back, and I'll live with her in a big castle that can reach; reach to the stars.

The next day, she wakes up to a cheap alarm clock ringing her ears off. She hurriedly gets out of bed, brushes her teeth and washes her face with cold water, grabs a chocolate bar from the counter. Putting on halfway decent clothes and an unraveling wool scarf, she dashes out the door.

She hasn't gone to school for three years. Ever since she moved, she had no bravery of going to school. School here was different. There were mean kids that could actually kill you, kids that were once murderers, and boys that took advantage of defenseless girls and fulfilled their desires with them; as tools.

But, the lunch was free.

It was seven in the morning, and school started at eight thirty, but it takes more than an hour to walk to her house to school. Unless she wanted to use the highway, but that would be risky.

There was an overnight rain, causing puddles to form here and there. She didn't step in them, or jump in them, not wanting to destroy the sparkling stars that rested inside.

Am I pretty?

Do I look pretty?

The one puddle without stars, I examine my face in it.

I see a dirty girl with dirty pink hair and dirty clothes. The clothes are too tight, and the girl's forehead is too large. The girl's eyes are lifeless.

Is that me?

A car whips by, soaking me from head to toe.

I don't mind.

The cold is hugging me.

Stars. The stars that remind me that I am not alone. Always there. Always following. Protecting.

I see them everywhere.

(But they will never really protect you)

Only me. And the stars.

(But they were never there for you)

I walk, feeling the hard ground as I drag my feet across.

(Maybe it's not the ground that's hard. Maybe it is you.)

Maybe it's not the stars that protect me. Maybe it's the other way around.

(Exactly.)

I walk into school, just as the bell rings, and people stare.

I walk to the office, and people stare.

Just at the door, I turn and say,

Stop staring.

They turn away.

"You must be Haruno Sakura, correct?"

The girl nods. The Hokage (it seems principals are called that in the Konoha schools) takes note of her messy features. "You have a guardian?"

"Yes, but they are almost always out on business…"

Sakura is just reciting the excuse that her father makes to her.

"I see. So you are an orphan?"

"Not really, but I guess you could say that."

The Hokage 'hmphs' and inspects her. "There is another orphan who attends this school, but he is always nice and clean. Remember Haruno-san, messiness is not tolerated at our school."

"Yes madam." Sakura said, looking at Tsundae.

"I like your manners. Right now is 2nd period, almost 3rd. You have five minutes to get to your next class. If you are late, you must have a pass. You will be punished if there is any misbehavior. Your locker is 1331. Here is your schedule."

She took the schedule and quietly thanked Tsundae and walked out the door.

Next period was Home Economics.

The bell rang just as Sakura reached her locker, panting. It was hard, since she dodged every star she saw, and there were quite a few in a place like this.

So many dreams…

She tenderly reached out to catch one, but then withdrew her arm as if she were afraid of breaking it.

"New kid!"

Sakura's heart stopped. She turned slowly just to find two girls, both taller and stronger than her, smirking with a mischievous gleam in their eyes.

They laughed at her, like crows, pointing. The girl with the red hair said to her companion, "She looks like a freak! Her forehead is huge!"

The blond, ponytailed girl laughed with her. "I could find better excuses for clothes in a dumpster than what she's wearing!"

"S…Stop..."

The red-haired girl's fist came out of nowhere, knocking Sakura's chin upward, making her mouth full of blood.

Am I really that ugly?

Another blow landed on her shoulder, causing her to be thrown back against the water fountain right next to her locker. Weirdly, the blond girl seemed almost nervous. (Don't like to do the dirty work, eh?)

"Come on Karin, we're gonna be late for class…"

The red haired girl, Karin, smirked at her. "You better watch out next time, bitch."

Home economics was fun.

The teacher, Chiyo-sensei was very caring.

We learned sewing, which seemed to be Chiyo-sensei's specialty.

I met another girl, Hinata.

She had wide cream eyes that reflected the stars.

She was glowing when Chiyo-sensei praised her muffin pillow. (Jealousy jealousy)

Soft black hair and friendly smile.

Her voice shook, but that's okay.

Stars shake too.

Hinata sat with me at lunch today.

I told her I was new, and she said she was pretty new too.

She followed her cousin Neiji here

Since she doesn't have anyone else

(FamilyFamily)

To be with.

She saw my bruises

And asked me how I got them.

I just said,

"Stars fell over me.

It's not their fault."

She looked at me funny,

But laughed a soft, bird laugh

And said she liked me.

I gave her my muffin from lunch

And she asked why.

I replied,

"I like you too."

Sakura walked into the small, dark room that only had five desks and three chairs. It was all jammed in, giving the students hardly enough space to breathe.

The teacher of Social Sciences, Asuma-sensei, seemed to be a funny and nice character. But when he scolded Kiba for throwing spit balls, his voice must've carried halfway across the whole building.

Sakura now stared at the sheet of paper that had been handed out to each of them.

"State why World War II began."

Sakura didn't know what 'World War II' was. So she thought differently. Changed the angle. (Only if everything was like that)

Why do wars begin? Flashes of her mother, leaving the house after an argument, a phone call, her father screaming, hitting her (Because that's all his love was), leaving the house, stars…

It's because there isn't enough love in the world.

A/N Please review.