Medic From Somewhere Near the Start

by Valzen

Sakura spent less than four years of her life in Konoha. Near the end of her third year, her parents brought her to Tea Country. The Haruno couple never made it back to Leaf and the young cherry blossom was left alone, scared and drifting in the wind.

1. Introduction

Medic From Somewhere Near the Start

Introduction:

Haruno Sakura spent less than four years of her life in Konoha. Somewhere near the end of her third year of living, Sakura's parents had brought her on a trip to Tea Country. The Haruno couple never made it back to Fire Country and the young cherry blossom was left alone, scared and drifting in the wind.

The man, whom happened upon the nearly starved and dirt covered girl, frightened her terribly. He was large in size and reminded little Sakura of a bear. Worse, his wild white hair made her scream in terror of a demon.

For all of Jiraiya's faults, he was no demon. For the first in weeks, Sakura found herself fed, comfortable and in another's company. That night she slept under Jiraiya's protective watch. She was grateful for his kindness and his dominating presence. Something radiated off him, Sakura thought of it as an essence, like so many from her home had. That same essence was the only thing that comforted her into the first night of dreamless sleep she had gotten in a long while.

Sakura was a quiet little thing. Or perhaps it was the collective weeks of not speaking, of not having anyone to speak to, that made her follow Jiraiya in silence. Regardless, the girl was energetic, full of smiles and a fondness grew right beside the concern that the Sannin felt for the girl's muteness.

With only minimal stops at research spots, Jiraiya led his pink shadow towards that of the Waterfall Village. A village which just so happened to be where the last sighting of Tsunade reigned from. Said village also happened to be the producer of the best sake of the region.

Just miles outside waterfall, Jiraiya easily defended himself and his ward from some overly eager cloud jonin. Sakura did not take kindly to his single shallow cut Jiraiya was left with at the end of the encounter. He was her bear protector and the little girl who always disregarded the usual scratches that littered her knees, a by product of her clumsiness, healed for the first time. A surprised and healed Jiraiya carried the chakra exhausted barely four year old girl into the village and straight to his Tsunade-hime.

Sakura awoke that next morning to the sound of breaking glass and heavy cussing. That same morning she met Tsunade-shishou and her auntie Shizune. Days later, they would learn her name, Sakura.