Cut

Strapping her boots on, Sakura stood up in front of her full-length mirror. She twisted this way and that to check for any errors in her wardrobe, but luckily had none. Gently patting down her skirt, she turned and walked past her dresser. She paused to pick up her headband and quickly tied it into her hair. Lifting her face to her reflection, she frowned at the sloppy job then noticed an even bigger problem.

Her hair was growing longer, it was already brushing against the back of her shoulder blades. Her head tilted slightly, as she wondered how long ago had it been since she had last had long hair. 'Not since I was a child...' she recalled with a small smile. The brief memory of her hacking off the length during her battle in the Forest of Death flashed before her eyes. It had been a spur of the moment decision, she hadn't even thought it out. 'But it was the right decision... I've become a better ninja since then.'

Her fingers weaved into her hair and undid the knot. Tugging away the red cloth, she pulled it down in front of her eyes. Just then, another thought hit her, and her shoulders slumped. 'I was such a brat,' she thought. Her fingers gently smoothed over the cool metal. 'Back then I was too embarrassed of myself to wear my forehead protector properly... so I wore it like a headband, like a stupid school girl.' Her finger traced the outline of the leaf insignia. 'But now, it'd just feel weird without it pulling my hair back. It's kind of a part of me.'

Sakura turned her back to the mirror and took a seat upon her dresser. Rubbing the pads of her thumbs over the metal, she thought back as to how worthless she had been as a child. Wasting all her time on obsessing over Sasuke. If she had studied as diligently as she did now from the very start... she's be the top kunoichi ever. Her talent would have surpassed that of Tsunade-Shishou's and Sasuke's. 'Maybe even Naruto...'

She snorted at the thought, and frowned quickly after. She had been stupid as a child... before she ever met the boy named Naruto Uzumaki, she already hated him. Not because he had ever done her wrong or hurt her personally, but simply because everyone else did. Everybody made him to be the scapegoat and took in everybody's frustration and misery. She added on to it, always following someone else's lead.

'So stupid... I really hate myself.' Her head turned back to stare balefully at her reflection. 'All that wasted time, all that cruelty and misery that I spread, all those years that I could have bettered myself but instead chose to be a sniveling, crude brat who only cared for the approval of someone who wanted nothing to do with me. I couldn't do anything for myself, and even though Sasuke hated me... he still had to save my ass so many times because I couldn't do a thing for myself.'

Even when Sasuke left, she couldn't do a thing to stop him. It was Naruto who chased after him and at least attempted to bring him back. She stayed home and cried about her pitiful posistion. 'Naruto and the guys almost died trying to bring him home... they almost died.'

Her hollow gaze stared back at her in sadness. She had changed a lot... but she still was the same. Her style may have changed and her skills might have broadened but that one time she confronted Sasuke with Sai and Naruto, for the first time in three years... she still couldn't do a damn thing.

Reaching into her kunai pouch, she withdrew one of the knives and held it firmly within her palm. She stared at the glinting metal. Her metallic reflected glared back at her, haunting her with the reminder of her failure. Over and over she had to be protected. Over and over she failed at whatever she attempted. She just couldn't do it...

Lifting the blade, she pressed it gently to her tender flesh. She glanced once last time into the mirror and smiled sadly. 'No one is going to have to protect me anymore.' Her eyes closed against the reflection. The blade swiped across her neck.

Pink tresses rained upon the floor, scattering a huge mess on her rug. Brushing the loose hair off her shoulders, she snatched up her headband and tied it quickly. Her fingers threaded through her neatly trimmed hair, shaking loose any wayward strands. Striding confidently out the door, Sakura threw back her shoulders and inhaled deeply.

"Today is a great day to train."

For everyone who thought she was going to cut herself, pinch yourself.