A/N:

Thanks for the reviews again you guys! They help my urges to write!^^

Though this was a little late, I have the next chapter done already c: Anyway, I won't be posting it up until I get some feedback and such - no, I'm not holding it hostage for a certain number of reviews, but some comments and suggestions and/or concrit, would be increasingly helpful -nods-

On another note, I enjoyed writing this chapter so much, that I hope you likee it too^^

I decided to switch things up a bit, so this chapter is from Sakura's POV. I think I'll switch off their POV's from time to time to keep things fresh.

Let me know what you think!

Sakura loves story time. It's by far her favorite part of the evening, but there's something about curling up under her blanket and listening to her kaa-chan talk about foxes, handsome shinobi, and the beautiful princess who lived deep within a forsaken land to be rescued that makes her happy.

Tonight is a very exciting night for Sakura. Tomorrow morning they'll go visit the ninja academy as the sun rises. And then she'll see her friends Ino, Naruto, and Sasuke!

Sakura really cherishes her friendship with Ino. The young girl helped her gain confidence against the bullies at the academy since they were making fun of her large forehead. Ino even gave her a red ribbon to draw attention to the cuter features of her forehead; it helped her overcome her insecurity! She was the best friend ever!

She even really admires Naruto, too. He wants to be Hokage one day, but he always thinks everything is play time with Sasuke! And he talks too much! And when she's mad at him, she'll hit him instead! But that's okay. Sakura thinks he'll be a really grand shinobi one day, like her tou-chan.

"Sakura, sweetie, are you ready for bed?"

Sakura nods from where she is on her bed, wiggling under her mountain of sheets and tucking her bangs behind her ears.

Her kaa-chan sits on the edge of the bed beside her. They have a nice home, a little bit nicer than all the others who live in their massive village, Sakura notices. Tou-chan says that this is because they're the leading family, and they tie the deep sense of loyalty within the root of the village.

Sakura doesn't really understand what's so special about decision-making, but she thinks that maybe that's a grownup thing.

"What story did you want to hear tonight?"

Sakura stills underneath her blankets. That's such a tough question.

"I want to hear about the Sage and how he met the fox and how they rescued the Princess," she finally decides. She loves hearing that story. It's her favorite.

Her mother furrows her eyebrows. "You wanted to hear that story last night."

"But….but it's my favorite. Especially the animals, they all have tails! They're my favorite."

Her mother laughs, gently tucking more pink hair behind her ears. "Alright alright." She stills her hand and clears her throat. "A long, long time ago there once was a great God and he befriended a nine-tailed fox and another pack of tailed beasts. Together they kept the world safe from evil creatures. One day, the Sage traveled into a land—today known as the Land of Iron— and a Princess was kidnapped. So the Sage, who was in love with the princess, set out with his friends in order to find her and rescue her…"

"…so the Sage and his tailed friends rescue the Princess and they live happily ever after!"

Sakura holds out her arms, dramatically finishing her story. She thinks she told it pretty well. She might have lacked a bit in the details (she forgot the name of the evil monster that captures the Princess…hmm, and maybe she forgot to explain what happened to the fox, who was later deceived, and the Sage…), but still! It was her favorite story and she just knew her friends would like it.

Ino is clapping for her; ripped up flowers spread out before her. This reminds Sakura that she needs to pay more attention to the Third about ripping up the flower beds.

Sasuke-kun is twirling a kunai, laying out flat on the grass. But that's okay; his opinion doesn't matter because he's just there because of Naruto.

Naruto looks like he's thinking over something, which greatly worries Sakura.

Sakura really cares about what Naruto thinks. She wants him to like her story. She hoped it was neat enough for him, because he is sort of a Big Kid after all, being two years older than her.

"That was a nice fairy tale Sakura-chan," he finally says. Then he stands up, and walks away to pick up his kunai.

Sakura blinks. That's it?

She wants to burst into tears. She had been hoping that he'd say something along the lines of you're the greatest storyteller EVER!

And it wasn't a fairy tale! It was a real story!

Naruto just doesn't get it.

Boys.

Sakura sits there and fumes for a while, her afternoon ruined.

"Hey guys."

Her head jerks up to see a tall, lanky young man walk into the garden.

He was an almost Grown Up!

Sasuke gets up suddenly, kunai forgotten in the grass, and runs right up to him and the older boy stoops down and pokes him in the forehead lovingly, then ruffles his hair.

"Itachi-nii!" Sasuke shouts with excitement.

Oh, so its Sasuke's older brother!

Itachi-nii stands up and walks over to where she and Ino are sitting.

"Tachi-kun!" Ino grins, standing up and throwing her arms around the older boy's leg.

"Hey Ino-chan," Itachi-nii crouches down and wraps the young girl in a proper hug. When he let's go he looks over in Sakura's direction.

"You must be Sakura," he moves over to her and offers out his hand.

She looks into his face. His eyes are so deep and black! His hair is so shiny! His skin is so clear! His jaw looks so strong! He looks like Sasuke-kun!

"Hi," she squeaks, taking his hand (it's so much bigger than hers!). He gently shakes it. "Did you know you have the prettiest green eyes I've ever seen, little Sakura?" He gives her a kind smile and she ducks her head, blushing.

He stands up and walks away, shouting something about shuriken practice with Naruto and Sasuke.

Sakura sits there, stunned.

Sakura is in love.

She watches Itachi-nii play fight with the two boys for a long time.

A very long time (despite Ino's constant urgings that they go rip up flowers and hand them to Sasuke-kun).

She watches him for so long that she thinks it's time for him to come talk to her again.

But how to get him to notice her?

She wracks her brain, thinking.

Oh! She's got it!

She just needs to be rescued.

She stands up and looks around the tree. It's fairly kid proof, no immediate dangers in sight. Still, if she pretended that she needed to be rescued, Itachi-kun would think she was in trouble and then he'd come to save her!

It was the perfect plan!

There's a cluster of bushes on the far side of the Academy, and without further thinking Sakura runs over to them and throws herself in.

"Help!" she shouts. "Help me, I'm in danger!"

She can't really see out through the bush, so she's not sure if Itachi-nii has heard her or not.

She moves her arm and a thorn hooks into her skin, cutting into her and drawing blood. She cries out at the pain, tears pooling in her eyes.

Suddenly she hears footsteps pounding across the garden, and then the sharp branches and leaves are being pulled aside. A worried face peers down at her.

Except it is not Itachi-nii's!

It is Naruto's, and a second later Sasuke's head appears over his shoulder.

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Naruto reaches in and yanks her out of the bush, and she starts to cry because more thorns catch her clothes and neck, pulling at her pink hair.

Her cut arm is still the worse of her injuries though. It stings pretty badly.

"We have to take her to my mom," Sasuke says firmly, and Naruto nods.

Then Naruto does something surprising. He reaches forward and gently takes her injured arm, cradling it gently in his own hands. Then he starts to lead her out of the garden and into the palace. Sasuke is right beside her, fretting over her and scolding her at the same time.

Both boys watch Sasuke's mother wrap up her arm in a bandage. Naruto chatters the whole time and eventually all Sakura wants to do is tell him to shut up.

Sakura's plan had totally back fired. Itachi nii-chan wasn't even there when she had been pulled out of the bush. He had been called away.

Finally her bandage is done, and Sasuke's mother leaves with Sasuke in order to go get lunch and bring it back. But Naruto stays with her. He doesn't say anything for a long time, until finally he moves to sit down next to her on the floor.

"Do you want to hear a story?"

She nods, her green eyes watering a little from her still aching arm.

Naruto looks alarmed. "Hey, don't cry! It's a happy story. It's about the tale of… a gusty ninja."

Sakura perks up a bit. "Huh?"

He nods. "Yeah! But you can't cry, okay?"

Sakura sniffs before nodding in agreement. "Okay. I promise."

Naruto gives her a smile before plunging into his story. "There were was a fight between a shinobi and his enemy. The enemy told the shinobi to give up since the world will always be filled with ninja. But the shinobi said he will never give up! The enemy was shocked by his answer and asked him who he was. And the shinobi said my name is…"