Summary: Sakura meets the rambunctious boys at the Boarding Academy for the Gifted. May God help us all. AU. MultiSaku. Sakura centric. SakuraHarem.

Pairing(s): SakuraxNaruto, SakuraxSasuke, SakuraxSai, SakuraxGaara, SakuraxDeidara, SakuraxSasori, SakuraxKisame, SakuraxItachi, SakuraxHidan, SakuraxKakuzu, SakuraxTobi, SakuraxMadara, SakuraxPein

Genre: Humor/Romance/Friendship/Action/Adventure

Warnings: obligatory cursing from Hidan and a few other characters

Notes: Well, this is my entry for StormDragon666's new contest. Just a quick warning, Tobi or the "Unidentified Masked Man" as recent manga chapters have revealed, is actually Madara in this piece. It's not canon, but none of this story is anyway.

Another warning, I will not use honorifics in this story. I have nothing against authors who do, but my native language is English, so that's what I plan to stick to.

I hope you all enjoy my first true foray into fanfiction.

"no one mourns the gifted"
-1/1-

Sakura lowered her eyes demurely as she quietly followed her parents up the winding steps to her new school. The school was magnificent, with its sprawling grounds and towering turrets; it looked every bit a fairy tale castle. Sakura, however, unlike most children, was not interested. Instead, she studied the profiles of her parents. She imprinted the memories of her mother's dimpled smile and her father's gentle laugh on her very sub-conscience. She had to remember the little things. While Sakura was sheltered, she was not an unintelligent child; no, she was actually rather brilliant.

That, unfortunately, was the problem.

Sakura, even from a very young age, had proven herself to be incredibly intelligent. At first, the Harunos had not picked up on their daughter's uniqueness. It had been quite subtle in the beginning. As a baby Sakura rarely cried and never threw a tantrum. In her toddler years, she showed no interest in the dolls that family and friends showered upon her but instead took to reading. Her hair, however, had been one of the biggest indicators of her differences. As she aged, it had darkened from the pale, strawberry blonde it had been in her infancy. It was now a bright pink that was quite an anomaly considering her parents' dark hair. At this point, the Harunos decided it would be best to keep quiet about Sakura's abilities but now, at the age of nine, her Gifts were manifesting.

Sadly, the Harunos had no means to care for a Gifted child. Thus, they had brought her here, to a school that would teach her to control her abilities, but at a cost. Sakura understood all of these things, even as her mother attempted to shield her from the pain of being Gifted, of being different.

All three Harunos halted at the top of the stairs. Here, the Harunos would depart from their young, beautiful, dangerous child, possibly never to see her again.

Mrs. Haruno knelt down to her child's height and enveloped her in a hug. Sakura closed her eyes and began the process of re-memorizing her mother's scent. She could feel her mother's shoulders tremble.

Sakura spoke softly, "Mother, it's alright. It'll be alright."

Mrs. Haruno let out a shaky huff before pulling away from her daughter. They stared at each other. Mrs. Haruno was a short, plump, generally harried woman with dark hair and eyes and was considered by most to possess a pleasant demeanor. Her daughter Sakura was a lithe, pale girl with strikingly green eyes and radiantly pink hair. No one believed the two were related. "I should be comforting you, my child," Mrs. Haruno said, as she wiped some stray tears from her eyes. "When you are of age, we will find you. I promise you this."

Sakura nodded firmly and turned to Mr. Haruno. "Father," she began before he cut her off by sweeping the small girl into his arms. His breath-taking, destructive daughter.

"Sakura," he whispered into her hair. "Remember always, we love you."

Sakura sniffled slightly but nodded. He pulled away to study her as she did the same. Mr. Haruno was a heavyset gentleman with dark eyes and even darker hair. Many people mistook his silence for anger, but Mr. Haruno was a man of very few words. He made Sakura feel safe and strong.

"Be brave, dear child," Mrs. Haruno said as Sakura was returned to the ground. "We have a small gift for you."

Sakura looked up in genuine surprise. "Oh, but I-"

"Nonsense, child! We wanted to do this for you!" huffed Mrs. Haruno. "Honestly! It's like you expected us to dump you here with nothing to remember us by! Sweetheart, can you give it to her now?"

Mr. Haruno nodded and withdrew a long, thin package wrapped in newspaper. He quietly handed it to Sakura, ruffling her hair as he did so. Sakura grinned and quickly set about tearing apart the wrapping. A few moments of struggling later, Sakura had managed to wrestle a white box out of the wrapping. She deftly opened it, her eyes widening as she picked up a rather expensive looking necklace embellished with the Haruno crest.

Sakura, though not prone to overtly affectionate displays, flung herself at her parents, fighting back tears. The family engaged in a group hug, basking in their feelings of unity, before reluctantly pulling away. A woman cleared her throat. The entire family turned, embarrassed for being caught in an emotional moment. A young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, stood nearby, looking rather out of place. She was a rather short girl, with her dark hair cut in a professional bob. She smiled kindly at the trio of Harunos.

"Hello, my name is Shizune. You are the Harunos are you not?" the woman, Shizune, asked in a soft tone.

Mr. Haruno cleared his throat before responding, "Yes. Are you here to take us to the Headmistress?"

"Yes sir. Please follow me after you say your goodbyes."

Mr. Haruno turned towards his family and was struck by the need to capture the moment between his wife and daughter. Mrs. Haruno was kneeling behind Sakura, who held up her hair as her mother gently fastened the clasp of the necklace into place behind Sakura's neck. It wasn't a profound moment or anything, yet it struck a chord within Mr. Haruno's heart. When would they experience simple domestic moments like this again with their only child? Time alone would tell.

Mrs. Haruno spoke softly into Sakura's ear, "Now darling, I know we won't be seeing each other for a while but I want you to know that no matter what anyone says, you are a Haruno. This necklace has been passed from mother to daughter in the Haruno family for quite some time now. Now, it's yours."

Mrs. Haruno stood and smiled tearfully at her young daughter. "You run along now, sweetling, don't be getting up to any mischief now!"

Mr. Haruno smiled softly. "We'll see you soon dear heart."

Sakura listened quietly as the footsteps of her parents faded away. She had realized from the moment her Gifts began to manifest that one day she would be sent here. Every child with a Gift ended up at this school eventually. She was, however, the first girl to ever possess a Gift in over fifty years. Sakura shrugged to herself and began to fiddle with her new necklace. It was beautifully simplistic, a solid silver circle embed with tiny diamonds.

Slowly, Sakura began to wander about her new home, absently playing with the necklace and thinking to herself. The place was huge! It was also eerily empty. For the first time since she began her wandering, Sakura felt doubt. She had absolutely no idea where she was and there was no one around to help her. Just as she was about to turn back, Sakura heard the dull thunder of footsteps smattering against the floor. It sounded like...it was heading towards her.

Sakura turned in alarm, but it was too late. A blond blur crashed into the petite girl, sending her sprawling to the floor as the blur followed. Sakura let out a grunt as a blond haired boy elbowed her in the stomach.

"Ow!" the boy yelled as he hit the floor. "What's the big idea, standing in the middle of the hallway on a school day? Are you a complete id-"

Naruto looked up.

He was sitting on top of the prettiest girl he'd ever seen in his life! Granted, Naruto hadn't seen very many but still. The girl was tiny, swathed in a large, oversized red sweater and wore dark colored shorts. She had the strangest hair he had ever seen! It was a soft pink that reminded Naruto of the strawberry ice cream that Jiraiya gave him on Friday nights if he had behaved throughout the week. So, he didn't get it very often. And her eyes! Wow! They were a sharp, crisp green.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked quietly, staring into the boy's brilliantly blue eyes, blissfully unaware of Naruto's inner turmoil.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the best Gifted ever!" the boy proclaimed as he stood up and held out his hand to help her up. "What's your name? Are you Gifted?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno," she replied, taking his hand with a grin, "and yes, I am."

"Oh really? You're the first girl at the school! Most girls have cooties, but you don't! You're too awesome to have cooties!" as Naruto blabbered away, Sakura noticed something red moving behind him.

"Naruto," he perked up, "what's that?"

Naruto's face fell as he noticed what she was pointing at. "W-well, Sakura, um, when I get excited or angry about something this tail appears. I know it's weird and-"

"Can I pet it?" Sakura interrupted in a mesmerized voice.

Naruto scratched the back of his head in surprise; no one had ever liked this side of him before. Everyone was afraid of it, except her. "Huh? Um, yeah, I guess."

Sakura giggled and gently began to run her fingers over the beautiful fox tail. "Naruto, this is amazing! It's so soft and pretty."

And with that, Naruto fell head over heels in love.

After Sakura had explained exactly how she had arrived at the school, Naruto had been happy to be her tour guide and regale her with tales of his hilarious misadventures, though he had a tendency to exaggerate.

"So like I was saying, I had rigged up this amazing genius death trap that would capture my enemies but stupid Sasuke ruined it!" Naruto narrated, as he gesticulated wildly with one hand, as the other was occupied with holding onto Sakura.

"Who's Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly, swinging her and Naruto's arms as they walked the echoing halls.

"Sasuke's a bastard!" Sakura wasn't quite sure what a "bastard" was but Naruto continued, "He thinks he's so cool but he definitely isn't! He struts around like he owns the place! I mean, honestly, I could defeat him with my hands tied behind my back!"

"I'd like to see you try, idiot," a calm, but condescending voice rang out.

The two children turned to see another kid around the same age as them standing nearby with his hands hidden in his pockets. Sakura scanned the boy. He was dark haired and dark eyed with proud, aristocratic features. There was a deep-set arrogance in his eyes, as though he was superior to others. She supposed many girls would consider him handsome but she could honestly care less.

Sasuke smirked as Naruto visibly wilted. Both could see how the girl studied him intently. Sasuke couldn't wait for the girl to fling herself at him so he could rub it in Naruto's face.

Instead, Sakura turned to Naruto and asked, "Is there some sort of playground around here?"

Sasuke and Naruto were flabbergasted. Had this girl seriously just ignored Sasuke Uchiha, the best in his class, for the attention of Naruto Uzumaki, the worst? Naruto couldn't help but become even more devoted to his new best friend. Sasuke, on the other hand, was furious.

"Don't you know who I am?" he asked angrily.

Sakura paused. "You're Sasuke the bastard right?"

Naruto fell to the ground in hysterics. "Sa-Sasuke the-hahaha-the ba-hahahaha-bastard!"

Sasuke froze. "No! I'm Sasuke Uchiha, best in the A-ranked class! Naruto on the other hand is a worthless, pathetic idiot who is last even in the D-ranked class!" The boy in question bowed his head. "He has the worst Gift ever! He even gave it a name. Kyuubi!" Here Naruto flinched as if he had been struck. "What kind of-"

Sasuke was cut off when Sakura, who had been getting steadily angrier and angrier as he continued, pounced on the boy, knocking both of them to the floor.

"Take it back!" she shouted into his face, clutching his at his shirt. "Take it back or I'll-I'll punch you!"

As she cocked her fist, Sasuke noticed her hand begin to glow with green energy. Realizing that this tiny girl possessed a Gift, probably a dangerous one at that, the boy threw up his arms in surrender. "Tch. I...apologize Uzumaki."

Sakura glared at the young Uchiha for a moment longer before getting off the boy and offering him her hand with a giggle. "That wasn't so hard now was it?"

Sasuke blushed, grumbling as he grabbed her hand. Now that he thought about it, she was rather pretty...

"Girl," Sasuke started as she pulled him up. "What is your name?"

Sakura, who had gone back over to Naruto turned back to look at the Uchiha. "Oh, I'm Sakura Haruno! Nice to meet ya!"

"The pleasure is all mine, Sakura," said Sasuke, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. Sakura looked confused as Naruto began to yell. Ignoring Naruto's antics, Sasuke continued, "I apologize for my earlier behavior. Might I ask what your Gift is?"

Sakura quickly replied, "I have the Gifts of Healing and Power."

"Sakura! Get away from the bastard!" Naruto howled pulling Sakura to his side, angry that Sasuke was talking to his girl.

"It's okay Naruto," said Sakura. "Sasuke will be your friend too! Right Sasuke?"

She aimed a beatific smile at the dark haired boy. Blushing he replied, "I-I guess so."

Thus began a crazy triad friendship that would last a lifetime.

"See? Now we're all friends! So, Naruto," the boy straightened out of his awe-stricken position, "where's the playground?"

The trio roamed the expansive halls hand in hand. Sakura, who was in the middle, had grabbed Naruto's hand first, ignoring his initial sputtering of astonishment. They were best friends after all! Sasuke, feeling rather left out, imperiously grabbed hold of Sakura's other hand, much to her delight. Two new friends on her first day of school! Sakura had been home-schooled her entire life, leaving her with a definite lack of friends her own age. She did not notice either of boys' stiff postures and blushes, too wrapped up in her own joy to pay much attention.

"So," Sakura began, "what's an A-ranked class?"

Sasuke straightened haughtily. "The A-ranked class is where the best of the best students go. The B-ranked class consists of the students below them, followed by the C- and D-ranked classes. The dead last over there," here he gestured to Naruto, "is in the D-ranked class. Of course, because I am an Uchiha, I am in the A-ranked class."

"What's an Uchiha?" questioned Sakura, confused as to what his family name had to do with anything.

Sasuke looked surprised. "Are you kidding? The Uchiha are the most prestigious clan of Gifted people to ever live! We're much better than those pesky Hyuga, who think they're so great!" Sakura looked at him in confusion. "We have the Sharingan!" Just as Sakura opened her mouth to ask what exactly a "sharing gun" was, Sasuke continue, "Seriously? We can copy other people's Gifts and use them to our own advantage!"

"Oh," was Sakura's blank response.

Naruto, who was becoming increasingly bored with the conversation, began to run, whining, "Sakura! Come on! We're going to the-"

Much like Sakura's first meeting with the blond boy, Naruto crashed into yet another person, sending both of them to the floor. All of the person's belongings scattered across the floor, much to Sakura's dismay. She scurried over to the closest item, an open notebook. Picking it up, Sakura gasped. An amazing picture of a lifelike beach was scrawled on the page. She could practically smell the salty sea and feel the warmth of the sun upon her face. Suddenly, the book was ripped from her hands.

"It's not nice to look at other people's belongings, Ugly," said a monotone voice.

Ignoring Naruto and Sasuke's protests of the impolite nickname, Sakura looked up at the boy in front of her. He was pale, paler than her actually. He had dark eyes and short, uniform dark hair. The boy was dressed in the same clothing that both Naruto and Sasuke wore. Sakura stared at his odd smile. It wasn't particularly happy or sad it was just…blank.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized softly, "I didn't realize I was being nosy. My name is Sakura Haruno." She stuck out her hand for a handshake. "What's yours?"

He briefly looked at her hand before replying, "I am Sai. What are you doing with your hand?"

"It's called a handshake, you're supposed to shake my hand," said Sakura bemusedly.

"Why?"

"Um...well, I guess it's just how you greet new people and friends!" Sakura grinned at Sai.

"We are friends?" asked Sai looking almost lost.

"Sure!" giggled Sakura, fiddling a bit with her necklace. Three friends in one day! Wow! Her parents would be thrilled! She grabbed his hand and shook it before remembering his beautiful artwork. "I just want you to know Sai, I really like your picture! It looks so real!"

Sai felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Very well. You may have it," he stated, pulling the picture out for his new friend.

Sakura squealed, holding the picture reverently. "Are you serious? That's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!" So saying, Sakura pulled the shell-shocked boy to her in a hug. As she pulled away she remembered the manners instilled in her. "Oh, and these two are Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha! They can be your friends too!"

Sai examined the two boys glaring at him rather fiercely for a moment. Deciding that they weren't a pressing issue, Sai contemplated Sakura's hug. In all the books he'd read, hugs were shared between best friends. So that meant that Sakura was his best friend. Sai moved to the next problem, he had learned from his books that every person who you wanted to be friends with needed a nickname. As Sakura hadn't really reacted to the one he'd already given her, he needed to come up with another one for her. People were supposed to react to their nicknames. "Well then, Best Friend, Dickless and Pansy," Sai said ignoring the outraged yells of both Naruto and Sasuke, instead focusing on Sakura's luminous smile, "where are we going now?"

Sakura grinned as they finally reached their destination, the illustrious playground. It was even better than she'd imagined. The area was sprawling, covered with expensive playground equipment. The grass was a lush and vibrant shade of green. Sakura's eyes sparkled; it was a child's veritable paradise!

She turned to her trio of new friends, ready to play. To her immense surprise, the boys were arguing. She looked back over at them, completely confused.

"What is wrong with your nicknames? I just named you as I saw fit, Dickless and Pansy," Sai was saying in an almost befuddled manner. "My book says-"

"Screw your book!" Naruto shouted, red in the face. "My name isn't 'Dickless' it's Naruto! Best Gifted ever! Believe that!"

"But you're in the D-ranked class, meaning you aren't that coordinated with your Gift." Sai tilted his head to the side as he tried to puzzle out Naruto's words. "Why do you insist on lying?"

"Lying? Why you-"

Sasuke interrupted, looking rather angry himself. "Normally, I wouldn't agree with the dead last but in this case I must. Our nicknames," he paused. "Well, my nickname doesn't fit! I'm an Uchiha!"

Sai made another oblivious comment. Furious, both the Uzumaki and the Uchiha pounced on him and began rolling about on the ground. Sakura stood a little ways off, watching the boys punch, bite and kick at each other as it became a three-way brawl. With a shrug, Sakura turned away and decided to enjoy the playground on her own.

Sakura trooped off, shaking her head at the boys' antics. As her mother always said, boys will be boys. Whatever that meant. Sakura sighed dejectedly. Wasn't there anyone around to play with? Suddenly, Sakura heard a loud squeak: the sound of swings moving. A swing set! Sakura hurried in the direction of the noise, pushing through some thick bushes before she finally stumbled out near the swing set.

Looking up, Sakura noticed a young boy sitting all alone on a swing. He had red hair and light green eyes. She noticed a strange marking on his forehead, the symbol for love. He looked sad. Sakura bounded over to the boy cheerfully.

"Hi there!" the boy looked up at her, startled and scared. "I'm Sakura Haruno! What's your name?"

The boy cringed away from her, not responding to her question. Sakura slumped slightly. "Oh, if you don't want to talk...I guess we don't have to." She sat in the swing next to him, gracefully pumping her legs to gain altitude. "I'll just swing next to you if you don't mind."

Sakura ignored the silent boy as she focused on pumping her legs. She wanted to clear the swing set area! It had been a goal of hers since she'd learned how to swing by herself to soar past the swing set's restrictive boundaries. Maybe today was her day. Yeah! It had to be!

"I'm Gaara Sabaku," said a soft voice.

Sakura froze, legs extended at an odd angle as she turned to the boy beside her. "Nice to meet you Gaara! I'm glad that there's someone at the playground to play with me!"

Gaara watched the pink haired girl beside him in something close to wonder. No one had ever wanted to play with him before. His Gift had him labeled as a freak by his fellow classmates. Gaara wasn't bullied per say, everyone was too afraid of his Gift for that, but he was certainly ignored. Not even his own family had wanted him. They had sold him off to the academy at the first chance they got. Gaara felt heat rise to his face as the girl, Sakura, grinned at him.

"Want to be friends?" she asked guilelessly, unaware of his inner turmoil.

"R-really?" Gaara didn't want to act too hopeful. The girl could be playing a cruel prank on him.

"Definitely. Watch this!"

Sakura tensed her body, gaining momentum for the stunt she was about to pull off. At the pinnacle of her efforts, Sakura let go of the swing to soar through the air. Unfortunately, the young girl had miscalculated her trajectory. Her green eyes widened as gravity kicked in, pulling her toward the ground at an alarming rate. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for the best.

After a few moments of not feeling pain, she opened them again. She was sitting in a giant hand that appeared to be made of sand. Gaara stood below her, tense with worry. Sand was hovering around the small boy, floating in a lazy sphere.

Sakura opened her mouth in surprise. "Gaara, are you doing this?" He nodded hesitantly, not wanting to lose his only friend over his cursed Gift. "That's so cool! Can you let me down now?"

Gaara nodded, concentrating on letting her down gently. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Sakura flung herself at Gaara, hugging him tightly. Gaara blushed, surprised that his sand shield hadn't reacted to her. Even his Gift, Shukaku, hadn't responded angrily to the physical contact. It seemed...content? Gaara shook himself from his musings to focus on the girl before him.

"Thank you Gaara!" The girl smiled before reaching into her pocket. "Here you go!" Sakura handed Gaara a piece of candy. "My mom says to always give others a 'token of gratitude' if they help you!"

"What is it?" Gaara asked quietly, peering at the wrapped candy in his hand curiously.

"It's candy!" Sakura exclaimed. "You eat it!"

Gaara apprehensively peeled the wrapper away before popping the small, red ball into his mouth. His eyes lit up. "It's delicious!" He'd never tasted anything so sweet in his entire life! He'd been placed in the academy at a very young age and hadn't seen the point in purchasing frivolous treats. Now, however…

Sakura giggled. "So, you control sand?" Gaara stiffened but nodded dutifully. "I bet you can build the best sandcastles ever! Do you want to try?"

Eager to impress his new friend, Gaara nodded rapidly and concentrated on forming the sand from a nearby sandbox into a large structure. After ten minutes of near silence, punctuated only by Sakura's cries of encouragement, Gaara completed his first sandcastle.

It was huge! Standing six feet taller than both of the children, the sand was so compacted that the children could lean against the walls without it falling over. Sakura tugged at Gaara's hand. "Can we go inside?"

Gaara nodded, ignoring the heat that rose to his cheeks. Sakura tugged him inside and gasped in surprise. Gaara had formed different rooms within the sandcastle, separated by sand walls. Sakura's eyes lit up as she noticed a staircase in the corner of the sand room. Without warning, Sakura pulled Gaara along as she raced up the stairs to the next floor. The second floor of the sandcastle was one large room complete with a balcony and a pair of chairs that overlooked the playground.

Sakura plopped down in one of the chairs, motioning for Gaara to do the same. They sat in a comfortable silence, still holding hands as they stared off into the clear blue sky. Gaara felt peaceful for possibly the first time in his existence. His eyelids felt heavy...

For once, Shukaku didn't stir angrily as he began to doze off. Gaara woke with a start when he heard angry voices approaching.

"You lost her, dead last!" one accused.

"I did not, bastard!" another hissed in reply.

An emotionless voice commented, "I'm sure my Best Friend is just avoiding you two, Dickless and Pansy."

The squabbling trio drew nearer, appearing in Gaara's line of sight. His eyes narrowed curiously, what were Uzumaki, Uchiha and Sai doing together? It was definitely not a good combination from the looks of it. A soft groan drew his attention away. Gaara turned to the girl seated beside him. Sakura was rubbing at her eyes and yawning as she attempted to rouse herself.

Sakura perked up as she heard the voices. She jumped up, letting go of Gaara's hand to wave wildly. "Hey Naruto, Sasuke, Sai! I'm up here with Gaara!" The guys ran in her direction, babbling apologies and asking if she was safe. Sakura grinned over at Gaara. "Yeah, I made a new friend! His name is Gaara!" Sakura turned back to Gaara. "Want to go play hide and seek with them?"

Gaara honestly didn't want to share his new friend but Uzumaki was a decent guy and he didn't want to disappoint Sakura. He nodded.

Sakura clapped her hands together in excitement before running down the stairs and throwing herself at the odd trio outside for an impromptu group hug. "Guys!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Let's play a game of hide and seek!"

Naruto, whose tail had appeared in his excitement, grinned and yelled, "Yeah! Bastard's it!"

Sasuke's protests were ignored as Gaara, who had followed Sakura at a more sedate pace, nodded. "The Uchiha will make an adequate seeker."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed competitively. "I'll be more than adequate." His eyes turned a fierce red.

"Eh!" Sakura cried. "What happened to your eyes Sasuke?"

"It's my Gift," he explained proudly, preening under her appreciative gaze. "It's the Sharingan."

Ah, so that was the "sharing gun!" Sakura nodded. "It's pretty."

The Uchiha blushed but before he could comment, Sai asked the pretty little girl, "How does one play this hide and seek, Best Friend?"

Sakura smiled, though she hadn't had the chance to ever play the game herself, she had the rules memorized by heart. "I'm glad you asked. Here are the rules."

Sakura darted about, searching for the perfect hiding place in the expansive playground area. She knew that she would win this whole thing if only she could find a good place to hide! Growing frustrated, Sakura ran for a few minutes upwind from where Sasuke was counting. She only had a limited amount of time before he'd be coming after her! She scanned the line of trees, looking for the perfect hiding spot.

Suddenly, the earth shifted from beneath the girl as Sakura was tugged violently to the ground. She fell gracelessly, tearing uneven gashes in her knees and scuffing up her hands. Sakura whimpered as her Gift flared to life. She turned to face her attacker angrily. "What's your pro-?"

Sakura was cut off as her assailant placed a hand over her mouth. "Be quiet, yeah," he muttered.

Sakura scrutinized the boy pinning her down. He had long blond hair that flopped over one of his eyes. The eye that she could see was a clear crystalline blue. If she had to guess, she would say he was about three or four years older than herself. He rather reminded her of Naruto. Sakura was torn from her musings when she felt something wet and somewhat slimy brush her lips.

Letting out a startled yelp, Sakura used a small amount of her Gift to force him away from her. "What was that?" she asked in a hushed tone, still somewhat leery of her surroundings.

The boy's expression was chagrined. "Sorry, yeah. That happens sometimes, my hands kinda have a mind of their own."

Ignoring his apology, Sakura grabbed his hand to examine it. A long seam ran along the middle of his hand. Cautiously, Sakura prodded it and let out an astonished gasp as a tongue licked her. Getting over her initial surprise, Sakura intuited that this...hand mouth...played some sort of role in the boy's Gift. She personally thought it was pretty cool. There was nothing like this in her medical books! Feeling a bit brave, Sakura eagerly stated, "I'm Sakura Haruno. What's your Gift?"

The boy looked surprised for a moment and replied, "Art, yeah. I'm Deidara."

"How do your hands play into your Gift?" Sakura was genuinely curious.

Sensing that the girl was surprisingly unafraid of his abnormality, Deidara grinned with all three mouths. "Art's a bang, yeah." He explained no further.

Puzzled, Sakura turned to another point of interest. "Why'd you pull me down?"

"Oh!" Deidara started. He'd actually forgotten the mission! Well, it wasn't his fault that this girl was pretty entertaining. "I'm in the middle of an art war, yeah. I kinda pissed off Sasori earlier. I didn't want anyone else to walk into a land mine or something, yeah. They're there just for Sasori, yeah."

As if to back up his words, the earth began to shake with the force of many explosives going off. Sakura, from where the two were hidden behind a copse of trees, watched the multicolored fireworks with something akin to awe in her eyes. It was really pretty. Deidara, on the other hand, was studying Sakura intently. The colors from his handiwork reflected in her eyes, creating a beautiful, short-lived array of saturated hues. He grinned; art was definitely a bang. Fiery and fleeting. And her hair! This girl was a living, breathing, walking piece of vibrant art! Just wait until he could rub his newfound discovery in Sasori's face!

Their moment of odd tranquility was shattered by a string of infuriated curses. Sakura looked over at Deidara alarmed but he merely gave her a mellow, and possibly vindictive, smile. "That'd be Sasori, yeah. He never can seem to avoid running into my art."

Sakura looked impressed. "You did that?" So that was his Gift. It was rather amazing but she still wasn't sure how his hand mouths fit into the equation.

Deidara puffed up cockily. "I did, yeah. You know-"

Before Deidara could continue to sing his own praises, another figure stumbled into the their line of sight. Sakura guessed the boy was Sasori, judging by his singed outfit and hair and his angry glare focused on Deidara. Deidara watched the furious boy nervously; he hadn't expected that he would be found so soon.

Sasori looked unimpressed with the two children sprawled messily on the ground. It figured that Deidara would dare to draw another into their sacred fray over the arts. Sasori briefly eyed the girl before dismissing her, she had potential, certainly, but she mingled with the wrong crowd if her apparent association with Deidara was a habit. "Whelp," said Sasori, sounding much calmer and placid than he looked or felt. "Why must you continue your odd hobbies that certainly do not constitute as art?" His eyes narrowed at Sakura who had placed a considerate hand on Deidara's shoulder. "Brat, do not meddle in affairs that do not concern you."

Sakura, who had been immediately put off by the boy's cold, superior air, surveyed Sasori intently. He appeared to be around the same age as Deidara, with shaggy red hair and light brown eyes. His face, she supposed, was aesthetically pleasing, but his demeanor instantly made her angry. Flushing, Sakura stood, ignoring Deidara's astonished exclamations, and marched over to Sasori. "I am not a brat," she told him steadily, looking him directly in the eyes.

Sasori released a slight sigh; the girl had obviously allowed her emotions and comrades to corrupt her potential. "Little girl, I am not incorrect, you are a brat." Sasori watched detachedly as the girl turned an almost frightening shade of red and her eyes began to flash. She was riveting in her anger.

"No," Sakura gritted her teeth at the detestable boy. "I am not!" So saying, Sakura stomped on the ground angrily, accidentally allowing her Gift to channel through her leg, creating a destructive cavern along the ground.

Deidara stared at the pint-sized wonder in disbelief. Her anger was inspiring, the practical pinnacle of what he considered art. Not to mention the fact that she had accepted him without so much as a shudder. No one had ever done that, not even the officials at the school who looked at his hands askance when they thought he wasn't paying attention. Oh yeah, Sakura was a bang! He looked at her in a rather befuddled manner, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Sasori hated to admit it, but the girl was enthralling with a strange sort of charm. While her emotions were a bit haywire, the girl had an air about her. Sasori couldn't exactly pin it down, but she had some sort of constant presence, even as her emotions ran up and down the human spectrum in a manner of seconds. And goodness, her eyes! Even as emotion filled them, her eyes remained a continuous shade of green that the boy had never witnessed in any human. Sasori felt a slight smile edge onto his face, this girl had more than just potential.

Sakura felt embarrassed that she'd allowed her anger to get the better of her. She knew better than to do that! Still, just like her mother Sakura had a short temper. Unlike her mother, however, Sakura's temper could cause some massive damage to people and property. Sakura scratched at the back of her head, self-conscious. Sakura soon forgot her mortification as Deidara strolled over to her, a large grin on his face.

"So Sakura, yeah, what exactly are your Gifts, yeah?" Deidara asked. His odd speech defect cropped up more often whenever he was feeling nervous or embarrassed.

"Oh!" She'd forgotten to tell him. "My Gifts are Healing and Power."

"Oh, yeah. Should have guessed, yeah." Deidara rubbed his hands together apprehensively. He wasn't used to the idea of possible rejection. "So, I've seen your Gift in action, yeah. Do you want to see more of my Gift close up, yeah?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah! That sounds like fun Deidara."

Deidara smiled and began to dig around in his pockets. "So, I generally use clay as my medium, yeah. Helps express myself, you know, yeah? I started adding a special sort of explosive a few years back, yeah, it brings the art to life, yeah. I used to dabble in other mediums, yeah, but I definitely enjoy where my art is now, yeah. Only I can activate the explosives, yeah. Wouldn't want an accident, yeah?"

As he spoke, his hand mouths chewed up the clay from his pockets. Sakura watched in fascination as he took a few minutes to fashion the clay into the shape of a bird. Then, with a wink to Sakura, Deidara threw it on the ground and muttered something. Suddenly, the bird expanded and Deidara pulled a surprised Sakura onto it with him. Before either Sakura or Sasori could protest, the bird lifted off the ground, leaving behind a downright homicidal Sasori.

Sakura, in the meantime, clung to Deidara in a terrified manner, truly afraid of falling from the bird. Deidara managed to calm the girl by sitting side by side, holding hands. The two merely basked in the pleasure of each other's company and the cloudless sky. After about five minutes of quiet flying, Deidara said, "I'm going to land in about a minute or so, yeah." He peered over the edge at the redheaded figure below. "Sasori doesn't like waiting, yeah."

Sakura nodded sleepily. "This is super awesome, Deidara. I really like your Gift."

Deidara blushed brightly but thankfully, the girl didn't notice.

Once the duo was back on the ground, an irate Sasori confronted Deidara. "Whelp, why do you try to fill the girl's head with your nonsensical views on art? You're corrupting her." Sasori turned to Sakura. "Come child. Let me show you true art." Curious, Sakura strode over to the boy as Deidara pouted. She was a bit intimidated when the boy lifted her jaw with a hand and turned her head from side to side. "As I'm sure the whelp has already said, I am Sasori. What is your name, girl?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno."

Sasori nodded musingly before turning away to rifle through his school bag. Sakura watched him curiously, realizing that the boy might possibly respect her. She smiled and played with her necklace a bit. She knew her parents would be quite pleased. Sasori turned back to her, holding something in his hands. With a short inspection of the small girl, he nodded and pulled his hands away to reveal a small, wooden puppet. It was a puppet unlike any that Sakura had ever seen! The puppet was obviously female, with long blue hair and large amber eyes. She was dressed in the most intricate gown that Sakura had ever seen on anyone, animate or inanimate! Sakura watched, enthralled, as Sasori attached glowing strings to the puppet and made her dance.

"Her name is Konan, my paper dancer," Sasori said proudly. "As you can see, my Gift is Art and Manipulation." He enjoyed the way that Sakura appeared bewitched by his art. It was rather flattering when he generally received scorn and derision for such "frilly" or "fanciful" or, worst of all, "girly" art. His art wasn't just an ephemeral fancy, no; it was an eternal craft, lasting through the ages. It appeared that Sakura was able to appreciate that. The girl was valuable after all.

Sasori's musings were interrupted by the always irritating Deidara. "Sasori, yeah! Stop polluting Sakura's mind, yeah! Art's a bang!"

Sasori carefully set Konan aside. He needed to deal with this pest once and for all. "Sakura obviously realizes that art is meant to last forever, cretin."

"No way, yeah! Art is in the moment! Sakura's Gift is art!"

Sakura began backing away as the boys started their name-calling and finger pointing. She wasn't exactly sure why they just didn't agree to disagree. Oh well. It wasn't her place to tell them off. Abruptly, Sakura remembered the game she had started with Naruto, Sasuke, Sai and Gaara. Darn! She still needed a hiding place! Sakura cast a tentative glance over at the arguing boys. They had degenerated into a physical fight punctuated by cursing and "yeah"s. Sakura ventured, "Would either of you like to play hide and seek?" They ignored her. Shrugging her shoulders, Sakura began to leave. She turned back to say honestly, "It was nice to meet you two!" before scampering off.

Sakura grinned from her hiding spot in the dirt beneath a thick clump of bushes. Nobody would find her here! She was a genius! She had stumbled into the gardens by chance and quickly dove into the promising looking bushes. Sakura now inspected this unfamiliar area of the school. It was certainly spacious, though it was set up like a maze. Currently, she was near the center of the gardens. Sakura could hear the quiet splash of the nearby fountain. Sasuke, or whoever was the seeker now, would never think to look in this area!

Sakura tensed as she heard the voices of two strangers float her way. Moments later, she could make out the tell-tell footsteps heading her direction. Seriously? She sighed softly and unconsciously began eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Oh come on Itachi! Don't be such a child about it! Why is it such a big deal anyway?" complained a somewhat raspy, deep voice.

"Hush Kisame. It is of little consequence to me if this deal goes south for you. You know what I think of gambling," retorted another voice, rather monotone and smooth in tone.

"But Itachi-!"

"No, Kisame. I will speak no more on the subject. Instead, you might be interested to know that we have a little spy listening in." Sakura stiffened, flushing hotly. She was not spying! "Come out, little girl. Eavesdropping is not a becoming trade for anyone."

Sakura dragged herself off the ground and willed her blush to die away. She was not the bad guy here! She stumbled out of the bushes, covered in dirt and a few stray twigs. Her eyes immediately sought out the interlopers on her hiding spot. Both were teenagers around the age of fifteen or sixteen. The first she noticed was really, really tall! She stared up at him with unconcealed awe. He had lightly blue skin, blue hair and odd gill marks on his face. Sakura supposed that his Gift had manifested physically just as hers had. He carried a huge sword on his back. The other teen was tall, though he paled in comparison to the first. He had long, black hair and bored black eyes.

The first, Kisame, as the other had called him, squatted down in front of Sakura. He bared his impressively sharp teeth at her. "Scram kid! This conversation has nothing to do with you!"

Sakura glared at him angrily, baring her teeth in return. Her father had always taught her to defend herself against bullies. "You can't scare me! I was here first! You guys should scram! I'm busy!" Kisame made as though to move at her. "Don't touch me!" she hissed. "I'll bite you, Sharky!"

Kisame sat stunned for a few long moments, engaging in a contest of wills with the pint-sized firecracker, before chuckling. Nobody, especially not tiny children, attempted to play the intimidation game with him. He supposed that most people feared the mutations that his Gift had wrought upon his body. Kisame examined the kid. Her hair and possibly her eyes had been affected by her Gift much like him. Still, it was impressive that the girl had the courage to outright defy him and call him names. It was certainly a first. This little girl was in a league of her own. He reached out, ignoring her threats of bodily harm, and ruffled her pink hair playfully. "I like you kid. You've got guts. I'm Kisame Hoshigaki. What's your name, Pinky?"

Sakura postured a few more moments before deflating. "It's nice to meet you I guess. I'm Sakura Haruno." She looked over at his silent and disinterested companion before focusing on Kisame again.

"So Pinky, I'm guessing you're a new student here?" Kisame questioned. At her nod he continued, "Enjoying the academy thus far?"

Sakura perked up. "Yeah, I sure am, Sharky! I've made a lot of friends already! Let's see." Sakura began to count on her fingers. "Naruto, Sasuke," Itachi began to pay attention to the inane little girl's chatter, "Sai, Gaara, Deidara and Sasori! Six new friends!"

Kisame smiled. "You can count me as one too."

Sakura lit up. "Are you serious Sharky? You're awesome! Seven friends in one day!"

Itachi scrutinized the precocious child. Aside from her rather...interesting coloring, she didn't seem to be worth much attention. Yet, she had managed to befriend Sasuke, an unusual feat if ever there was one. As much as Itachi loved his younger brother, he knew that Sasuke had a difficulty interacting with other children. Sasuke was brilliant in many areas; he was just inept in social situations. There was also the admittedly intriguing aspect of her being the first Gifted female since Tsunade's time. Itachi determined to keep an eye on her.

Sakura was convinced that her new friend was completely wonderful. He was nice and friendly and gave her a nice pet name! The two were on their way to becoming friends for life. "So Sharky," Sakura began, staring at the hilt of his sword. "Could I possibly touch your sword?"

Kisame looked surprised. "You mean Samehada? Certainly!" He deftly plucked the weapon from its scabbard. Sakura stared raptly at the weapon swathed in bandages. "Let me warn you, Pinky, Samehada draws energy from people's Gifts. It's a sentient sword, so as long as I'm here, you can talk to Samehada."

Kisame slowly unwrapped the sword, apprehensive of Sakura's reaction. Sakura, on the other hand, was delighted. She had no idea that coming to the academy would allow her to meet a talking sword! She was almost giddy. After what felt like forever, the bindings fell away from Samehada. Sakura gaped. She'd had no idea that swords could look like Samehada. It was huge and covered in what appeared to be dark scales. Sakura gingerly reached out to touch the sword. Immediately, she felt a content presence push against her mind, asking for entrance. Sakura gently opened her mind to the foreign presence. She felt it begin to sluggishly feed off her energy.

Hm, Sakura is it? stated a baritone voice in her mind.

"Er, yes," Sakura replied aloud, ignoring the odd looks Kisame and Itachi gave her.

Realization struck Kisame, but Samehada never talked to anyone without him involved in the conversation! As surprised as he was, Kisame knew that the sword had a mind of its own. Grinning, Kisame shrugged at Itachi who predictably didn't question the owner or the sword's antics.

You do not have to speak aloud, the amused voice rumbled in Sakura's mind.

She blushed, but concentrated on talking in her head. Right. That's cool and stuff. Are you part of Kisame's Gift?

Not exactly. He does use me as an extension of himself at times in combat. Feeling Sakura's alarm, the sword soothed, No, you do not have to enter battle if you do not wish to.

Oh, that's good. You know, I've never talked to a sword before.

I'm not surprised, came the dry response.

Is Kisame a good partner?

Certainly. I enjoy the taste of his Gift immensely.

You can taste Gifts?

Yes.

What does mine taste like? asked Sakura curiously.

Hm, there is definitely an undercurrent of vitality, some spring is mixed in, oh and mangoes! I love the taste of mangoes! sighed Samehada happily.

Sakura wrinkled her nose. You eat food?

Not exactly. I absorb the tastes of anything that touches me, animate or inanimate. It's the reason that Kisame wraps me in bandages to keep me from constantly tasting odd items.

That was...considerate of him.

Indeed. Well little one, I must let you go now. Kisame is getting a bit antsy. Goodbye, and with that, the mental connection was broken.

Sakura blinked as she became readjusted with reality. She grinned at a worried looking Kisame. Sakura gushed, "Samehada is amazing! It is the coolest weapon ever!"

Kisame laughed as Samehada quivered in delight. This kid certainly was something else. Promising himself to talk to Samehada about it later, Kisame focused on carefully rewrapping the sword.

Because Kisame seemed to be preoccupied, Sakura turned to Itachi, fiddling with her family necklace. She was startled to realize he had been staring at her. Looking at him closely, Sakura noticed that his eyes were the same bright red as Sasuke's eyes had been earlier. What had he called it...

"Itachi, you have the 'sharing gun' as a Gift too!" Sakura exclaimed, oblivious to the way his eyes narrowed in irritation and the way Kisame turned away to muffle his laughter.

Itachi glared at this slip of a girl before him. Her blatant disregard for his person in favor of Kisame was irritating. No one ignored the Uchiha family and got away with it. Not to mention the fact that she had managed to worm her way into the heart of his prideful little brother. Itachi decided that the best way to handle this girl was to teach her just how powerful his Gift truly was.

Seeing as Sakura was already staring him in the eye, it was child's play to pull her into Tsukuyomi. Sakura looked around bewilderedly as she found herself in a red on black world. Itachi had decided not to tie her up as he wasn't attempting to break the girl. He only wanted to test her. She was, after all, the first Gifted female since Tsunade, and there was much lore surrounding the ever-illusive Gifted female. Much lore indeed.

"Um." Sakura bit her lip. "Where are we?"

Itachi looked down at the girl. So young and fragile. Yet, even in the short time that he had known her, she had managed to befriend Kisame and even rarer his weapon Samehada. The girl had potential. "We are in Tsukuyomi. It is a reality that only Uchiha can enter with the Sharingan."

Sakura peered up at the man. "Are you Sasuke's older brother? You guys look a lot alike!"

He nodded. It was, after all, common knowledge. For some unknown reason, everyone in the Uchiha family possessed the Gift of Sharingan. "Sakura," said Itachi, moving closer to the small girl. "I must test the strength of your Gift."

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm. "Why?" she asked cautiously, backing away from the approaching man.

"I do not wish to hurt you," Itachi tried to placate the girl. It only made her all the more wary. "Come here Sakura."

"No!" she replied. "Stay away!"

Itachi ignored her protests and came right up in front of her. Just as he was about to grab her, something hit him over the back of the head. He fell sideways to the ground, unconscious.

That'll teach him to mess with our mind! Fucking dumbass! said the assailant.

Sakura could only stare at her savior. Her savior was…herself? The girl before Sakura had a monochromatic color scheme and the words "Inner Sakura" were printed on her forehead. Other than that, however, the two could have been mirror images. "Who are you?" Sakura asked.

What? No thanks for your savior? Oh well, I know you're grateful. Now, as for who I am, I am you. Rather, I am your so-called inner self. You can call me Inner Sakura, so saying, Inner Sakura gave the real Sakura a hug.

"Are-are you a part of my Gift?" asked Sakura, returning the hug.

Not exactly. I would explain better, but it isn't time for me to emerge yet. If it wasn't for the dumbass over there, she gestured to Itachi, then you wouldn't even know I exist. At least, not yet. It isn't the right time.

Sakura nodded. "Will he be alright?"

Inner Sakura snorted. Yeah, he'll survive, unfortunately. I just needed him to know that your mind is my turf. I have no intentions of sharing with any Uchiha. Now, she patted Sakura on the cheek, you two are going to wake up soon. I'm going to go to sleep until the time is truly right.

As Tsukuyomi began to fade, Sakura flung herself at Inner Sakura, hugging her for all she was worth. "Thank you so much, Inner. You are very kind!"

Inner Sakura smiled sadly, allowing the girl and the Uchiha to disappear. The time was nearly upon them. May heaven help them all. Inner Sakura turned away and with a sigh, faded into the recesses of Sakura's mind.

Sakura stumbled out of her trance, looking over as Itachi fell to the ground with a hard thump. Turning to Kisame, Sakura smiled and said, "Itachi tried to use his 'sharing gun' on me! It didn't work!"

Kisame, looking alarmed, perused her body, praying not to find any unseemly injuries. He was fond of the girl. She accepted both him and Samehada without a flinch. Not to mention the fact the Samehada kept purring in the back of his mind, allowing Kisame to taste Sakura's delicious Gift. It had a distinctly feminine undertone, the likes of which Samehada had never tasted even with Tsunade's Gift. Tsunade tasted of bitterness and well-concealed pain. Sakura, on the other hand, was pure, guileless innocence. Kisame was relieved to note that the girl was uninjured though rather confused.

"You alright there Pinky?" he asked softly.

Sakura grinned. "Yeah Sharky."

Itachi stood shakily, interrupting their bonding moment. He looked ruffled and disoriented. Itachi was definitely surprised. Nobody broke out of Tsukuyomi. Fighting off a splitting headache, Itachi smiled at the young girl. "Well done Haruno. You have exceeded my expectations."

Sakura glared at him. This guy had tried to mess up her mind! She didn't trust him or like him. "That wasn't nice! You're mean!"

And with those words, Sakura ran off, ducking through the dense bushes to escape the maze. After she disappeared, Kisame rounded on Itachi with an unimpressed look. "Seriously Itachi? Intimidate a little girl? You're an asshole."

Itachi, still reeling from his encounter in Tsukuyomi, replied quietly, "Hush, Kisame."

Sakura wandered aimlessly, trying to make her way back to the playground or even the gardens! Sure, she didn't really like Itachi but Kisame was pretty awesome and they were friends. It wasn't her fault that the school was so enormous! Just as she was thinking about stopping her search and maybe hiding in a corner to cry, a heavy hand came down on her shoulder. Yelping, Sakura turned to find a shirtless, silver haired sixteen year old behind her.

"What's a fucking brat like you doing here?" the man barked crudely at her. "Oi, little bitch, I'm talking to you!"

Sakura, who was steadily turning red out of anger, snapped at him, "What do you want, old man?"

The man picked her up under her arms and shook her angrily. "Fucking bitch! I'm sixteen!" He peered down at her with a manic grin. "I'm sure Jashin would be pleased with an extra sacrifice, though you are a bit scrawny."

"You shouldn't curse!" Sakura exclaimed earnestly into the man's face. "Mother says-"

Hidan snorted rudely. "Fuck that noise. I don't care what your bitch of a mother says!"

Sakura quenched her fear and glared at him, no one insulted her sweet, kind, beautiful mother. Sakura took a calming breath before kicking out. Her leg, powered by her Gift, connected with the man's stomach. Groaning in pain, or maybe ecstasy, the man released her. Sakura hit the floor on all fours and quickly stood, moving toward the rude, violent man before her. Running on pure adrenaline, inspired by fear and anger, Sakura threw a Gift-laced punch at the man's face, sending him flying with a sharp crack of bone and cartilage. He crashed into one of the many pillars lining the halls. With a sickening cough, he dropped to the ground.

Sakura, feeling immensely guilty for letting her anger get the better of her, ran over to the fallen man. "Um, are you alright?" she questioned quietly as he sat up dazedly.

Hidan was in paradise. This little brat's strength was breathtaking. Hidan knew Jashin wouldn't want such inspiring power wasted on a sacrifice. Maybe the brat had potential as a new follower...

"Oi, little girl! The name's Hidan, what's yours?" Hidan grinned toothily at the petite girl before him.

"I'm Sakura Haruno," replied the girl kneeling down beside him.

"Sakura, eh?" mused Hidan. He needed a nickname for her. "Pinky, punch me again!" He needed to feel that glorious pain once more.

"Huh?" Sakura was dumbstruck. "N-no. I broke your nose and most of your face! Let me heal you!" Her hand started to glow with a pale green light as she prepared to heal him.

As soon as her hand touched his face, Hidan stopped protesting. Man, this was the shit! And he'd thought her punches were pleasure inducing! Hidan closed his eyes and relaxed under the girl's ministrations. Yeah, Jashin definitely needed this girl as one of his followers. Hidan didn't bother to explain to Sakura that one of his Gifts was the ability of cellular regeneration. He didn't actually need her to heal him. Still, it was the most gratifying sensation he'd experienced in his life.

Sakura was feeling a bit exhausted after her healing session. Not only had she messed up his face, she'd put it back together again. Sakura stood a bit shakily, reminding herself not to strike out at others so hastily. Hidan, looking completely unruffled even though his face had been practically smashed in mere moments ago, stood as well. The man towered over her, a manic gleam in his eyes made Sakura feel a bit uneasy.

"So, little bit," he drawled out, completely at ease, "want to become one of Jashin's followers?"

The man watched her eagerly. "Er, what?" she replied.

"Jashin, Pinky, Jashin! You're the only one in this hellhole I've offered such a great honor! Your brutal strength is just the sort of Gift Jashin enjoys!" He knelt in front of the girl, grabbing her by the shoulders to look her in the eyes. "Think about it! You and I, under Jashin's divine authority of course, can rule this school, making beautiful sacrifices of the bitches here every day! I can maim the fuckers and you can heal them back to full health so the process can start all over again!"

Hidan began to chuckle, moving again. Sakura's eyes went wide as he reached behind himself to pull a scythe off his back. Sakura began to back away slowly. This guy was insane! "Hidan?" she questioned quietly as he began to draw some weird symbol on the ground.

To her utter astonishment, Hidan started turning black. Sakura continued to back away. He looked like one of those skeletons in her medical books! Hidan straightened up and grinned at her. "Are you ready to become immortal, Pinky?"

"What?" Sakura questioned, unable to believe it.

As the man advanced toward her, Sakura ducked and rolled away. She did not want to go through with whatever it was he was trying to do!

"Now hold still Pinky!" Hidan gave a frustrated cluck. "Chill out, seriously! I just need to do a minor initiation ritual on you to make you one of Jashin's disciples!"

Sakura was rapidly becoming alarmed. Sacrifices? Rituals? Immortality? Jashin? It was a bit much for the young nine year old. And anyway, what sort of initiation required a scythe of all things? Sakura turned away from the insane man and, bracing herself, began to sprint. The clatter of pounding footsteps and a miffed, "Fucking seriously?" told Sakura that Hidan was chasing her, undoubtedly swinging his scythe erratically.

Sakura knew she didn't have the endurance to last more than five or six minutes tops at the pace she was running. She squeezed her eyes shut against a sudden onslaught of tears. It would not end here with this crazy man Hidan! Just as she was about to turn around to confront her crazed tormentor, Sakura realized that his footsteps and continuous cursing had stopped.

Tentatively, Sakura turned and was faced with an amusing sight. Hidan, who was wriggling about angrily, was bound from head to toe with black string. Another figure, the one who had tied Hidan up Sakura realized, stepped out of the shadows. The figure, a tall, lean man, was around the same age as Hidan. He had poisonously green eyes and wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face. Sakura noticed that his tanned body was covered in thick, black stitches, the same color and consistency as the ones knotted around Hidan.

The man sighed, scratching his head in exasperation. "Is my roommate bothering you, miss?"

Sakura, awestruck by this man's easy handling of her crazed attacker, nodded quickly and grinned up at the man. "Yes sir. Thank you sir! You saved my life! You're like a hero or something! I'm Sakura. What's your name, sir?"

The man's eyes crinkled upward into what appeared to be a smile. "I'm Kakuzu." Kakuzu walked over to the tiny girl and crouched down to her level. "So, if I'm a hero, don't I deserve some sort of reward, in the name of justice and all that jazz?"

"Oh!" Sakura hadn't thought of that, but she nodded. She began to sift through her pockets. "I have candy," she declared hopefully holding it out to the man. Kakuzu shook his head. "Oh, um, I have a bouncy ball!" Here Sakura held out a round, yellow smiley face ball to Kakuzu. He shook his head again. Dejectedly Sakura said, "All I have left are a few coins." She pushed them toward the masked man.

He closed her hand with one of his before stating quietly, "I am uninterested in the contents of your pockets. Might I have that instead?"

Sakura looked at what he was pointing at, dread pooling into her stomach. He wanted her necklace. The sole memory of her mother and father. Sakura contemplated refusing him but looked again at Hidan. He would have attacked her in the name of making her a disciple of Jashin. Sakura sighed, hesitating only a few moments more before nodding. She quickly unclasped it before handing it over to him with a trembling hand. "Here," she spoke quietly.

Kakuzu held the necklace listlessly and stared at the small girl before him. In all honesty, he didn't really want anything from the girl; he'd just wanted to see what she would offer him. He eyed the necklace, recognizing the symbol as the mark of a small, flourishing merchant family. "Is your family name Haruno?" he asked Sakura.

She gasped in surprise, momentarily forgetting about her reluctant reward. "Yes! How'd you know?"

Kakuzu smiled at her. Apparently, the girl was pretty selfless, giving a stranger like him such an important possession. Instead of answering her question, Kakuzu affectionately ruffled her hair. "Well Haruno, I've decided that as a so-called 'hero,' I'll be giving this back to you." So saying, he fastened the necklace around the ecstatic girl's neck.

"Thank you!" Sakura exclaimed happily. She couldn't believe it! This guy really was a hero! He defeated the bad guy and he let her keep her most prized possession! So cool! Suddenly, Sakura remembered what the women in superhero movies did when the hero saved them. Feeling shy she asked, "Kakuzu, could you lean a bit closer?"

Curious and a bit puzzled, Kakuzu moved closer to the girl until they were mere inches apart. Blushing, Sakura quickly moved forward and pressed her lips to the skin right above Kakuzu's mask. His eyes widened but before he could remark on her bold gesture of gratitude, Sakura darted away, disappearing down the hall.

Dazedly, Kakuzu touched his cheek, feeling heat rise to his face. Unknown to him, his bonds on Hidan had loosened in his shock. "Oi, Kaku-fucker! Don't corrupt Jashin's newest disciple! Seriously, dammit!" Hidan cursed at him, more than a bit irritated at Sakura's behavior toward his roommate. Seriously, what did Kakuzu have that he didn't?

"Shut the hell up, Hidan."

Sakura moved along in a daze. She'd just kissed a boy! Sure, it had been on the cheek but her father had always told her that you can only kiss a boy if you loved them. Sakura felt quite embarrassed and placed her cool hands on her warm cheeks in an attempt to make her blush fade. Sakura shook herself. She really needed to find Naruto and the others. Who knew what sort of trouble they were getting into without her? Just how was she supposed to find them though? As Sakura pondered this, she heard the pounding of rapid footsteps and looked up rapidly. Had Hidan returned? Instead, a surprised Sakura was thrown off balance as a full grown man pelted towards her. He stopped directly in front of her. The man was tall, with very long, black hair and an orange mask covered his face.

The man clasped his hands together in front of him and rocked on the balls of his feet. "Wah! Are you a new student here? Why do you look so sad? Why's your hair pink? What's your Gift? Tobi is a good boy! What's your name?"

Sakura looked at the man, disoriented for a moment before replying, "Yes, I just arrived today. I'm sort of lost. I'm not exactly sure. Healing and Power. I'm sure you are. Sakura Haruno."

The man-child, Tobi, nodded enthusiastically. "You have a very pretty name, Sakura! Do you need help finding your way?"

Sakura nodded shyly. "That would be nice, Tobi."

Sakura got the feeling that Tobi was grinning at her. "Of course I'll help, Sakura! Tobi is a good boy!"

"Thank you Tobi!" she returned sincerely. "I'm trying to find the gardens. Want to be friends?"

Tobi stilled entirely for a moment. Sakura eyed him oddly but he suddenly nodded. Maybe she had imagined it. "Oh yes, Sakura! Sakura is a good girl and Tobi is a good boy! We'll be good, good friends!"

Even though Sakura found his tendency to refer to himself in the third person a bit odd, his genuine enthusiasm made her giggle. Tobi gasped. Sakura was very pretty when she laughed! He laughed happily, picking up the girl rapidly before depositing her on his shoulders. Sakura shook her head slightly as she adjusted herself to her new position. Tobi secured his hands around her legs before taking off at a swift pace. Sakura clung to her new friend's head tightly, fearing the long drop between Tobi's shoulders and the ground.

"Hey Sakura!" Tobi called to the small girl. "Watch this tri-"

Tobi was abruptly cut off as he ran headlong into a solid, sturdy obstacle. Sakura yelped, clinging tighter to the man who held her life in his somewhat incompetent hands. Tobi steadied the small girl before rounding on the annoying person who had blocked his path. "Aw, Pein! You should know better than to stand in the hallway like that!"

Pein, a young redheaded individual with multiple face piercings replied monotonously, "You should be careful Tobi. Not everyone gallivants about as you do." His odd, completely gray eyes shifted to Sakura. He sighed. "Why is this brat with you? You shouldn't mess around with new students no matter how nice they are to you."

Sakura, who had been staring at Pein's multi-ringed eyes rather intently, felt hurt and offended. "I'm not a brat," she spoke quietly.

"I don't care," Pein dismissed.

Sakura could feel Tobi stiffen below her. He suddenly bore himself differently, shifting from an overactive man-child to a proud, possibly aristocratic gentleman. Tobi lifted his hands slowly to his face, pulling away the orange mask and placing it in Sakura's lap. "Pein," he rumbled, sounding completely different than earlier. "Do not insult this child. She is under my protection."

Pein stifled the urge to flinch as Madara activated his Sharingan. In all honesty, Madara was the single most intimidating person at the academy. "My apologies Madara. I did not realize."

Madara huffed slightly. "Apologize directly to Sakura, she is the one you wronged."

The two refocused their attention on Sakura. Sakura, who was still sitting on Madara's shoulders, was humming softly under her breath as she slowly braided the long black hair before her. She just couldn't resist! Sakura concentrated on remembering the exact braiding process as her mother had taught her. Left, right, left, right. Finally noticing the lack of conversation, Sakura looked up and blushed when she realized that the two men had their attention on her.

"Sakura," said Madara. "What are you doing to my hair?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Why does your voice sound different, Tobi?" She hadn't paid attention to the previous talk between Madara and Pein.

Madara sighed. "I am...two people. Sometimes I am Tobi and other times I am Madara." Sakura nodded, not exactly understanding the concept but accepting it anyway. Madara smirked at her before lifting her off his shoulders and placing her on the ground. "So, what were you doing to my hair, Sakura?"

"Oh." Sakura colored. "Well, my mother taught me how to braid hair and your hair is really pretty and soft so I wanted to braid it." Madara stared at her, surprised that she hadn't even cared about his intense shift from Tobi to Madara. Misinterpreting the stare, Sakura became worried. "Oh, I'm sorry if it's super girly and stuff! I-I just like your hair!" she finished miserably.

Madara, to both Pein and Sakura's surprise, began to chuckle. He knelt in front of her, ruffling her hair. "It is alright little one. You can braid my hair whenever you like."

Sakura smiled, dimples showing. "Thanks Madara! You're really nice!"

Madara stood, turning back to Pein. Sakura, feeling somewhat bored and left out, fiddled with the mask. It was pretty, she supposed, in a simplistic and almost abrasive way. The bright, swirled orange made her smile. Casting a quick glance at Pein and Madara, Sakura donned the mask, giggling all the way.

Madara, who had been subtly threatening Pein to remember his place in the true scheme of things, turned. He didn't fight the smile that crossed his face as he took in the sight of the tiny girl wearing a mask two times the size of her face. The pink of her hair and the orange of the mask clashed horribly. Madara couldn't help but feel drawn to the small creature who handled his oddities with grace and acceptance. She seemed to like both of his personalities, unintimidated by his stature as a powerful Uchiha.

Sakura, still wearing the mask, looked up at the cool and aloof Pein. "Hey Pein!" she exclaimed. "Could you come here?"

"Come where?" Pein asked in confusion, watching the precocious child.

"To my height!"

Looking first at Madara for approval, Pein acquiesced her request, stooping to her level. "Yes?" he asked, feeling a bit out of place.

Sakura was quiet for a moment. "Could I," she faltered. This man didn't really like her to begin with and she feared rejection. "Could I touch your piercings?"

Pein, though inwardly surprised, nodded once. Sakura gently reached out a hand to play with the metal studs embedded in his face. She didn't twist or pull at them as Pein half expected her to, instead, she ran her fingers over them in an awed caress. Pein sat silently, closing his eyes under her gentle ministrations. It was the gentlest touch that Pein had ever received. His parents, from what vague memories he had, were not the most affectionate of people. In any case, they were frightened of his eyes, the physical manifestation of his Gift.

Sakura cooed, "Your piercings are really pretty!"

Pein cracked one eye open at her, amused. No one associated him with the word "pretty" in any context. "Hm," he murmured in response, relishing the basic human contact.

Sakura's hands shifted from his piercings to his hair, mussing it about. Pein merely hummed his placid content. Madara, who had become increasingly irritated by the forming friendship between the two, scooped up Sakura, taking his mask from her face. With a yelp, Sakura was situated once more on Madara's shoulders. Madara began to run, tucking the mask into his school bag. Sakura clutched at Madara's shoulders but didn't protest the loping gait.

Pein, more than a bit irritated about the abrupt ending of Sakura's perusal of his face, followed Madara at a much more sedate pace. "Idiot," he muttered as Madara and Sakura rounded a corner and disappeared.

Sakura, meanwhile, held herself as close to Madara as possible. "Madara, where are we going?" she asked guilelessly.

"Gardens," the man replied distractedly, still fuming over her bonding moment with Pein. This girl was his. Sakura was completely unaware of the possessive and slightly dark thoughts running through Madara's head. All she could think about was finding the others.

At the pace that Madara was running, it took them only a few minutes to reach the garden. Heedless of Sakura's cries of alarm, Madara raced through the garden maze with an ease that surprised and calmed Sakura. After a few more moments of fast-paced sprinting, Madara came to an abrupt halt in the center of the garden maze. "Sorry kid," he apologized to Sakura as he took her from his shoulders and placed her on the edge of the fountain.

The fountain stood as the centerpiece of the maze, where only the lucky few that knew their way could gaze upon it. It was a large, elegant structure with five statues posed in the middle of it. Sakura recognized the one closest to her as Tsunade Senju, the only Gifted female in years and the current Headmistress of the academy. She intuited that the others were previous Headmasters at the school.

"It's okay Madara," replied Sakura, turning her attention back to the man. "I forgive you."

Madara smiled down at her, ruffling her hair and opening his mouth to reply when shouts interrupted him.

"Sakura!"

"Sakura, where are you?"

"Best Friend!"

"Sakura!"

Sakura gasped. She'd completely forgotten about the game of hide and seek with Naruto, Gaara, Sai and Sasuke! "I'm over here!" she called in return, cupping her hands around her mouth to project the sound better. "I'm in the middle of the gardens!"

Sakura heard a wild crashing noise and she and Madara turned to see four boys tumble out of some of the thick hedges.

"Watch it dead last!" Sasuke snarled as Naruto accidentally dug a flailing leg into the boy's gut.

Naruto was about to retort when a pink blur interrupted him.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, hugging the boy tightly. "Sorry! I got lost and sort of forgot about the game."

Naruto, tail waving about erratically, sat dumbstruck as Sakura greeted the other three boys in similar fashion. After she was finished, Sakura smiled, oblivious to the blushes of the four boys around her. Madara wasn't though. Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted once again.

"Uncle Madara?" questioned Sasuke, wrinkling his nose slightly at his incredibly eccentric, but scarily powerful, uncle. "What are you doin-"

The sound of scathing curses and loud explosives met all of their ears, cutting Sasuke off. To everyone's surprise but Sakura's, two boys Gifted in Art strolled around a hedge, arguing and throwing projectiles at one another.

"Sasori? Deidara?" Sakura said uncertainly.

Both boys froze for a moment before wrapping themselves around the confused girl.

"I was so worried, yeah!"

"You shouldn't wander off like that, Sakura."

Both boys let out a yell of surprise when a tendril of sand pulled Sakura away from them and pushed them over. Standing and sputtering profusely, Deidara and Sasori met the angered gaze of Gaara, who was holding Sakura's hand. "Don't suffocate Sakura," he told them in a dangerously quiet voice.

Before a scuffle could break out, a large sword broke through a nearby hedge. "Pinky!" Kisame boomed, picking up the tiny girl and setting her on one shoulder. On the other, he balanced Samehada. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I know that Itachi is a prick but you shouldn't run off like that!"

Sakura nodded, chagrinned. She looked over at Samehada, smiling. Hey Samehada!

In response, Sakura merely received a satisfied feeling of contentment.

Unfortunately, the feeling had dissipated by the time Itachi arrived. "Sakura," said he, inclining his head in her direction.

"Go away!" she shouted, clinging to Kisame's neck.

Itachi frowned. "Now Sakura-"

"Big brother!" Sasuke declared. He generally idolized his brother but Sakura seemed genuinely afraid of him. "What did you do to her?" Sasuke asked, gesticulating wildly.

Kisame was about to add his own two cents when he felt himself pinned by a glare. Looking down, he caught sight of a pale dark haired boy. "Yes?" he asked gruffly.

"Why did you call Best Friend by a nickname?" Sai asked in a dangerously calm voice. It was his place to call Sakura by pet names! This tall, blue, infuriating man had absolutely no right to take that away from him!

Kisame answered in a puzzled voice, "Because we're friends I suppose?"

Sai could feel his ears turning a shade of red. Collectedly, he withdrew his notebook from his school bag and quickly sketched a ferocious lion. The drawing, under the influence of Sai's Gift, attacked Kisame. Kisame quickly set Sakura down and in the same motion destroyed the lion with Samehada.

Sakura looked at Sai in wonder. "You never said that your drawings come to life!"

Sai shrugged, happy that Sakura's attention was on him. "You never asked."

"That's really awesome!"

In the meantime, the Uchiha brothers were preparing to come to blows over Sakura. The approach of yet another individual, this one cursing loudly and viciously made everyone pause. Hidan, scythe swinging about crazily, moved toward the group, grumbling all the way.

He brightened when he saw Sakura. "Oi, Pinky! I've been looking fucking everywhere for you! Where the fuck were you? Why are you hanging around these fucking heathens? Come on!"

As Hidan made to grab Sakura, a blond blur stopped him. Naruto, who had been becoming more livid by the second as Hidan cursed and harassed Sakura, had tapped into the true potential of his Gift, Kyuubi. His eyes turned a vivid red and his whisker marks stood out in stark contrast with his cheeks. The most surprising of all, however, was that Naruto had three tails now instead of just one. Naruto had connected with his inner beast.

Sighing, Itachi shoved Hidan out of the way and flicked his Sharingan on. He moved closer to Naruto, looking the boy in the eyes. After a few moments of tense silence, Naruto slumped over, reverting to his original state. A moment after that, the boy woke up, unable to recall the last five minutes of his life. Naruto picked himself up and made his way over to Sakura's side. In the chaos of Naruto's transformation, Pein had showed up and silently joined the group.

Everyone stood in complete silence, trying to process the extent of Naruto's Gift. The thud of feet roused all of the boys to attention. Kakuzu walked sedately through the true entrance of the maze into the gathering taking place. His eyes drank in the standoffish postures of every male in the vicinity and the confused air that hung about Sakura. With a soft sigh, Kakuzu flicked one of his threads out, wrapping it around Sakura's waist and pulling her to him. Ignoring the shouts of protest, Kakuzu smiled and said, "I enjoyed your reward, Haruno."

Sakura let out an embarrassed sound and attempted to bury herself in her hands. She noticed that her face was hot from a heavy blush. "P-please don't mention it," she squeaked pitifully.

Everyone else watched their interactions with uncertainty. What exactly was going on? Hidan decided to enlighten the heathens. "Kaku-fucker got a kiss from Pinky."

All of the males turned to Kakuzu with a frightening look in their eyes. The one thought running through each of their minds was, Kakuzu must die.

Kakuzu looked up from teasing Sakura to find himself leveled with death glares from everyone present. He looked down at Sakura. She was completely oblivious.

Oh boy.

"Are you certain that she'll be fine, Headmistress?" Mrs. Haruno questioned tearfully. "She's our only child, we want the best for her."

"Yes, yes, I understand," Tsunade replied wearily, eying all the paperwork sitting on her desk before getting back to the problem at hand. "It's not as if you cannot come and visit her on weekends and such. She'll have the best education possible."

Mr. Haruno spoke quietly, "We are not trying to question her academic success. We merely worry that she will not fit in with her classmates. You've already explained that she will be the only female student at the school as Gifts have not manifested in women since your own time Headmistress."

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. "In my own time, I too was the only Gifted girl. Surprisingly, I wasn't isolated, my two closest friends were boys in my class. I was even engaged to one of my Gifted classmates." Tsunade smiled as she reminisced of her many misadventures in her younger years. "Let me let you both in on a little secret."

"Yes?" Mr. Haruno asked as he tried to comfort his crying wife.

"I personally believe that the Gift manifests in a very unique way in females. It calls all Gifted males to the Gifted girl as both protectors and friends. It's all rather simple that way." Tsunade grinned. "Your daughter will be perfectly fine, I can assure you of that. In fact," here Tsunade stood and strode over the her curtained window where she could here voices drifting up from below, "you can see how she is now."

Both Harunos hurried over as Tsunade pushed the curtains from the tall window. Outside, they could make out a little pink haired girl standing in the middle of the academy's garden, surrounded by quite a number of boys. Though Mr. Haruno clenched his fists and muttered something about "damned boys," Mrs. Haruno stopped crying.

She turned to Tsunade. "Will my little darling truly be alright here?"

Tsunade nodded firmly, smiling softly down at the scene below her. "Trust me, those boys will treat her as though she were their damn queen."

Mrs. Haruno suddenly nodded firmly and grabbed her husband's arm. "Thank you Headmistress. It is all we could ever have hoped for for our child." She quickly dragged her husband from the room before he got any ideas about pummeling the boys surrounding his daughter.

Tsunade's smile faded, becoming a look of determination. And so, she thought tiredly rubbing at her aching head, it begins.

The End or the Beginning?

So, yeah. It's finished! I really hope you enjoyed reading this! There isn't going to be a follow-up. Whatever Tsunade is talking about is up to your own personal interpretation. I just want to say, I was really disappointed that I couldn't really incorporate more of the female Naruto characters into this. Unfortunately, as Sakura is the only Gifted since Tsunade and hasn't had the chance to make any female friends, this wasn't exactly possible. Oh well.

In any case, thank you for reading!

By the way, the title is a play on words from one of the amazing songs in the musical Wicked, "No One Mourns the Wicked."

EDIT: Apparently I'm a liar and my muse is vindictive. That, I suppose, is life. There will be a sequel!

-jay