"SAKURA, NO!!"

The two men dashed forward in futile attempts to save their female friend. The Orochimaru-act-alike whipped Naruto away with one large claw and used his other mutated hand to get Sasuke in a chokehold and throw him across the clearing, rendering Naruto unconscious and Sasuke just that close to it.

"You two have lost," the maniac said with a smirk as he walked away with the unconscious woman over his shoulder.

Sasuke watched with a blurring vision as Sakura disappeared from his sight, being taken to a place he would possibly never know of until it was too late.

Sakura eye's slowly opened, revealing her to a small tartan-like room. The man whom she had been fighting—Kenjue, was it?—was leaning on the wall opposite of the cot she was strapped to.

"Where am I?" she whispered hoarsely. She could barely see him as he walked towards her bed, an evil glint in his eye.

She hadn't seen such a look in anyone since the time of Orochimaru.

"You, my dear, are in a place that you will never escape from."

And then her world went black.

Over the next five years, she was tortured and beaten into hurting innocent people she didn't know, and was told horrible truths that burned deep hole in her mind, heart, and soul that nothing and no one could ever fill. She never had enough to eat; everything she ate either consisted of rats and water dripping from the ceiling, this was because the food she was given was poisoned, she knew this fact because of her learning and her observation skills.

One day, her 'master' told her to do what she could never do:

"Bring back Orochimaru and the Akatsuki."

Sakura stared at him, her face indifferent.

Her mind fogged.

How could she do such a thing? After working so hard over the years to get rid of such people, and now, of all things he could ask her to do, she had to do this?

She had unwillingly learned to accept what she was told.

Kill and torture people without hesitation.

But she couldn't do this.

So she did something she hadn't done in so long: she regained free will.

And she slapped him.

That slap turned into a punch, a kick, then quickly a chakra filled battle that hours later she would walk away from with only an inch of her life left.

That was the day she killed him.

During those five-six years, her old—and forgotten—friends and comrades did everything they possibly (and legally) could to find and save their loved friend. They sent out search teams and went to other villages (sometimes different countries) and asked around to see if anyone had seen her.

No one had.

And all attempts had been failures.

After one year of getting nowhere, she was officially claimed

Dead.

The affects of this were more than anyone had expected.

Naruto stopped eating ramen. It only reminded him of her, and he didn't want to eat something that made his heart clench in pain.

Sasuke became an alcoholic. The villagers just expected him to stop socializing again (Sakura had finally taught him how to use emotions) and be the person he was when he was an avenger. But now he went to bars every night and got so wasted he would sometimes find himself waking up on an abandoned bench.

The very bench that he left her on so many light-years ago.

There were times that instead of training he would spend hours on time under the largest Sakura tree on the outskirts of the village. A place where no one would disturb or find him.

There was also one night that he had a nightmare that she was being tortured and had turned into the type of person she steered him away from permanently being. And when he woke up, he shed a tear for each time he hurt her—emotionally and physically.

Two years later, we find Sakura traveling, trying to figure out her thoughts. Ever since she broke free from imprisonment, she went on through life by herself. But recently, she has been having these odd dreams of people she doesn't remember meeting. One had this crazy blond hair and was wearing a neon-orange jumpsuit, a smile adorning his happy face. Another one seemed to be much older, with gray hair that stuck up and tilted over his head. Each time she saw him in her dreams, had was wearing blue mask with only one eye showing. The final one was pale and had these soulful eyes that always seemed to be deep in thought. His black hair was unruly and the back reminded her of a chickens butt. He didn't smile, but often smirked when others were around. There were also times where when it was just the two of them he would give her a true smile and wrap his strong arms around her, resting his face in her long hair.

These visions confused Sakura and made her angry at times. She didn't remember these people and has no idea as to who they are. Now she is starting to see other people—one with long blonde hair, a man that always wore a hoodie and sunglasses. There were so many faces and they always seemed to smile at her.

After a while Sakura started to get names and would place them with the faces they belonged to.

She walked further along the pasture and saw a lone house of a person that used to work for Kenjue. She rarely talked with the old man, but could vaguely remember how he hated living alone because of how quiet it was at night. "I have no one to talk to," he had said once. Sakura found nothing wrong with being alone. She found it rather peaceful.

Some people live in a house on the hill

And wish they were someplace else

There's nobody there when the evening is still

Secrets with no one to tell

"Okay, men! We'll be sailing out of here in ten minutes!" the captain of the ship shouted. Sakura leaned against the railing of the boat. It's been about three months since she started wondering about these unknown people she was once acquainted with. While a part of her didn't care, another side of her—one she doesn't truly know—wants to find them. She has considered this; maybe then the dreams won't bug her head in the night and her thoughts in the day. The only problem is, she has no idea where they are.

"Excuse me, miss, but you can't be on this ship. It ain't for traveling—" He paused in his words when she turned to him, her face blank. "Great Charlotte, it's you! The one they used to look for!" the man exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" The man gapped at her, not believing it.

"Konoha, they were searching for you for about a year! Some of them still are, I reckon."

"Oh." What was Konoha?

It didn't matter. Sakura turned and made her way off the ship. She'll just have to find another way to travel.

"Wait! You can stay, we were heading for the Fire Country anyway, I'll sneak you on to take you there. You can hide out in my courters under the main ship level," he said, looking around cautiously to make sure no one heard him.

"You sleep on this ship?" Sakura asked dully.

"Yes; I have nowhere else to, so I camp out on this great old thing. It's okay, though; I've always liked the sound of the waves crashing against the side of the boat."

Some I have known have a ship where they sleep

With sounds of rocks on the coast

They sail over oceans five fathoms deep

But can't find what they want the most

As Sakura stepped onto the land and walked on busy roads filled with merchants, a flood of memories filled her head. Of fun times and laughter—it appeared that they she was very young. She suddenly saw in the distance a huge bridge over misty waters.

"Like the looks of it nowadays?" an elderly man asked. "I helped build that bridge….and you are part of the reason that I was able to finish it," he said, gazing up at her. She gave him a questioning look. He looked familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it… "To this day I do not regret the name I chose for that bridge. The Great Naruto Bridge."

Sakura stared at the bridged. Naruto…that was the name she learned to be of the blonde one in almost all of her memories that she had regained so far.

For the first time in almost seven years, the ghost of a smile came upon her lips.

This Naruto must be pretty great to have had a bridge named after him.

Even now when I'm alone

I've always known

With you, I am home

"Do you remember now, Sakura?" Sakura gave the woman a small smile.

"Yes, Temari, I think I do remember now," she answered softly. "I'll see you around," she said as she walked away, waving softly. Sakura had become the tiniest bit more intact with her emotions and was determined on meeting the ones who have kindly invaded her thoughts. On the way out of the sand village she saw a little girl lying on the grass, watching the clouds go by.

"What are you doing?" she asked the girl.

"Looking for something." As Sakura nodded and walked away, she pondered over what the girl's answer had been. She couldn't understand what she could have been looking for. There isn't really that much to see.

Some live in towns, cardboard shack on concrete

All bluster and bustling life

They search for the color they can never quite see

'cause it's all

White on white

Sakura calmly approached the large stone gates, the Leaf symbol engraved on them. They were open wide, and Sakura felt like they were open for her, welcoming her back. She now had all of her lost memories back and was eager to see everyone she hadn't seen in years.

As she approached the gates, there was a crowd of people waiting.

The crowd consisted of the ones who cared for her the most.

As she came up to the group she was engulfed in tight hugs and everyone was crying happy tears. Kakashi hugged her and tousled her hair like she was still a little girl.

Naruto hugged her like a brother would a lost sister and kissed her on the cheek.

Sasuke held her as close to him as he possibly could without hurting her, kissing her lips lovingly.

And it is here, Sakura realizes, that this is what they call

Home.

For me, it's a glance, and the smile on your face

And the touch of your hand and an honest embrace

For where I lay it's you I keep

This changing world I fall asleep

With you, all I now it

I'm coming home

Coming home.

Okay, so I have the song stuck in my head, and I just had to do a story for it. I was going to use Sasuke for it, but Sakura is my favorite character and I think the manga and show writers have screwed with Sasuke way too much.

If you haven't heard this song, I recomend that you do. It is very beautiful.

Also, concerning the drabbles that are to follow Konoha's Cherry Blossom, I will take some ideas. If you have any, please don't put them in a review, put them i a private message so no on else steals them. People with the idea will take credit for it at the beginning of each oneshot of the Uchiha family.

Hope you all are having a great summer!