AN: in honor of my one year anniversary as an author on fanfiction i've decided to update all my in-progress stories and to put up a few new ones. Hopefully, if i ever get writer's block, i can cure it by writing one of seven other stories.

This story came in second in the poll, but since I couldn't wait to start writing Saving Sasuke thanks to the brilliant muse known as Angellwriter, I felt I owed it to those that voted to write the other two stories as well.

Sakura studied her image in the mirror. Her eyes crossed as they stared at the lock of hair she held in front of her nose.

It was red.

It looked weird, wrong. It wasn't pink. Her pink hair was unique, it defined her. Her hair was the reason she was named Sakura. She felt like a part of her was missing.

"Red suits you."

Sakura didn't listen to her brother. He would say it looked good on her. He had red hair. She looked at her face critically. She supposed it wasn't too bad. It was a pretty shade of red and it still matched her green eyes.

"Now it just needs to be cut. Come, I'll do it."

She knelt in front of her brother. He raised a dull practice kunai to the back of her neck and chopped off her now long red hair. Sakura sat still as he continued to slice off small snippets of hair, evening out and styling it to resemble his hair.

"There, done." Her brother gave her a gentle push. "Now take a look at yourself. You don't look anything like you."

Green eyes flicked to the mirror. He was right. Sakura could pass for her brother's twin if she was but a bit taller.

"Right. I'll go talk to Uncle now."

"Sakura," she paused in the doorway as her brother stood, every other step thudding as he walked, to catch her in a hug, "thank you."

She turned to smile at her brother.

"There's no need to thank me, Satoshi. I would do anything for you, as you would for me." And it was true. Their father didn't care for them. Their mother had died in childbirth, so both children were practically raised by the servants. Satoshi at least had a year to know their mother, but all he could remember was her crooning voice, glowing smile, and red hair.

Sakura didn't begrudge her brother that time with their mother and he never blamed her for her death. They grew up being all each other had. Their father would shut himself in his office all day to run his estate. He never even visited Satoshi after his accident with carriage that lost him his leg. He actually thought it was his daughter that was crippled.

Maybe he had been informed wrong. Maybe he just didn't care. Maybe he wanted to think that it was Sakura, so that when the time came to send Satoshi to the Shinobi Institute, he would actually have a son to present as the law demanded.

That was why they were doing this. Sakura would spend the next eight years masquerading as he brother to earn the title of Shinobi. The law said that each noble family had to send at least one male child to the Institute.

Being a shinobi was something Sakura played at as a child, racing around the gardens mock fighting bandits and assassins. But it was never more than a child's dream. Females were not allowed to become shinobi. There hadn't been a female shinobi, a kunoichi, in over a thousand years. Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin had more than proved that females could be stronger than males and she was a phenomenal medical shinobi, revolutionizing medical ninjutsus, but not even she was granted the title kunoichi.

Sakura knew this wasn't going to be an easy undertaking. But she was prepared to work hard, harder than the boys if she had to. She wouldn't disappoint Satoshi or her Uncle. She wouldn't shame her family.

While she took his place at the Institute, Satoshi would take hers at the finishing school. Lucky for him, he didn't have to dress as a girl for eight years. The finishing school also took in boys training to be diplomats.

All they had to do was tell Father that Sakura would be lonely and wanted to attend early. He would send payment to both the Institute and finishing school as planned, and they could play off the wrong names as my father doesn't care. He spends more time with his books than me. The name on the letter would matter so long as they were getting paid.

"Everything will be fine, Satoshi. The years will go by and soon you'll be shaking hands with Lords and negotiating treaties and trade agreements or advising the Hokage himself."

"And you'll be the strongest shinobi."

"Kunoichi," corrected Sakura. "I'm going to be a kunoichi. And when that happens, maybe you could talk the Master into allowing females into the Institute."

With that Sakura let herself out and went in search of her Uncle. He was the only other person aware of hers and Satoshi's dangerous plan.

Her Uncle was in the kitchen, trying to charm the cook into giving him a few of her delicious strawberry pastries and stealing them when her back was turned. Sakura caught his eye and twitched her ear, their signal that they needed to talk. He stopped his flirting and followed her into the nearest drawing room.

"We're ready."

"Good. I have good news for you. Your father has agreed to let me handle any payments, correspondence, and disciplinary measures that might be needed."

Sakura felt like her legs would give out beneath her from the relief she felt. That was better than not quite lying. He would address all letters to Satoshi Haruno, and no one would know he even had a sister. She could take his place without any flags being raised.

"That said, we're leaving tomorrow. You need to choose a servant to go with you. Preferably a female who would be able to help you when you start to become a woman. I was thinking Karin."

She stared at her Uncle horrified. "You can't be serious! Karin is a gossip. She speaks to freely. I wouldn't last a day there. She would tell the first maid she met that her young 'master' is actually a young 'mistress.' I'll be killed on the spot!" Sakura hated Karin, and the feeling was mutual.

Her Uncle frowned. "Then who will you bring?"

"Tenten." Sakura decided. Tenten was technically a ward of Lord Haruno. A not so recently orphaned daughter of a blacksmith rejected by the rest of her family because she refused to attend finishing school in favor of apprenticing to a blacksmith. Unfortunately, there wasn't a blacksmith that would teach a female the tricks of their trade. It hadn't stopped Tenten, who swore to learn it on her own.

And Sakura was certain the girl would accept. Father had agreed to increase the wages of whatever servant accompanied his son. Tenten would earn money she could use to find a master who would apprentice her, and Sakura would get a companion she didn't have to hide around, with the added bonus of her expert knowledge of weapons.

She could see her Uncle thinking the change in plans over. In that way, he was like her father, but that was where the similarities ended. They both took the time to examine the potential consequences of any action they took or word they spoke, but her father was very dry, always serious, whereas her Uncle was more relaxed, outgoing while still refined, and lighthearted.

"Very well." Sakura danced a mental jig at her victory. "Tell your brother. And pack your bags."

Sakura sat atop her horse, looking at her house almost wistfully as four servants loaded their carefully packed luggage. She would reach the Institute a week before the year started in order to settle in. Her luggage would arrive a few days later. The trunks and bags were labeled to ensure they got sent to the right place. Sakura had packed her essentials in her brother's bags and he in hers.

A part of her still couldn't believe this was happening. She was off to train at the Shinobi Institute with none the wiser. With any luck their scheme wouldn't be discovered until well after she was issued her headband.

The group of four started down the main road. Their Uncle would see her and Tenten to the Institute before continuing on with Satoshi. It would be five days journey from the Land of Fire to the neutral grounds that was home to the Institute.

Tenten was vibrating with anticipation, eager to see the unique weapons other students would bring and the Institute's vast armory. The girl, only a year older than Sakura herself, had promised to keep her silence and Sakura trusted her. Now Tenten just needed to work on addressing her as a male.

Sakura had never seen anything as beautiful as the Institute. It was a castle. An aged stone castle with sprawling lawns built in the center of a bustling town. Her head swiveled on her neck trying to take it all in.

There was an inn that sounded to be very popular. And there was the crowded market. In the distance she could see a few clan shrines. As they passed through the gates she could the older students sparring. It was a cacophony of noise. Metal clanged, techniques were shouted. Sakura spied giant fireballs, earthen walls rising at the speed of light, water dragons forming above the lake.

It was magnificent.

This was what she would be learning to do for the next eight years.

Sakura followed her Uncle to meet with the Master. He welcomed her to the Shinobi Institute, laying down the school's strict rules, a no excuses curfew, penalties for bad behavior or failure to maintain the teachers' standards, visits to the town were a privilege that was earned, and many more.

Her head was swimming by the time they left his office and a servant directed her and Tenten to their room. The thought at the forefront was relief that he hadn't seen through them. Part of Sakura expected him to realize she was a girl the second she walked in the room and either call for her death or send her home in shame. Shinobi were trained to recognize deception.

She didn't even properly unpack once at her room. Sakura threw herself on her bed, exhausted both mentally and physically. Sleep sounded like heaven.

Her drifting thoughts of signing angels were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Biting back a groan, she rose to answer it. She had hoped to put this off until tomorrow, when she would be better prepared, but gossip of the new boy traveled fast. Not unsurprising, shinobi lived or died by how much they knew, so they made it their business to know everything they can.

She inhaled. Now she would put all her years of training to act like a boy to the test.

Sakura pulled the door open, ready for anything.